A Finnish software and HR and payroll management outsourcing services provider’s dedicated solution has so far used infrastructure provided in the on-premises model. Along with the client’s adoption of the development strategy until 2025, the decision was made to standardize and embed the company’s infrastructure in the cloud and to create a new application as part of the solutions offered for HR departments.

The platform supports various HR and payroll administration processes, including managing the entire employee hiring process, recording working hours, handling payroll, data processing and reporting on payroll and HR data, competence development, training management, and the monitoring of professional well-being.

Challenges in implementing Azure cloud

Creating an environment for a new cloud application

The application and databases are to be fully embedded in the Azure cloud, and the delivery of the full version of the platform is to be the crowning achievement of the client’s cloud strategy.

Organization of infrastructure and high performance

Ensuring high performance, availability, infrastructure management and automation of this process are important to the client. In previous on-premises projects, the client’s employees spent a great deal of time on testing and developing database recovery applications.

Cost optimization

A very important element of using the cloud in the project is the optimization of expenses. Currently, the largest share of application costs are allocated to database queries, due to the use of Cosmos DB, where each individual query generates a cost.

Security and integration with an authentication platform

The client places particular emphasis on data security and privacy, using their own internal service based on the AWS cloud for authentication. There is only one entry point to the application, and the application itself has a large number of private endpoints.

Cooperation of the client’s team with Inetum

The client has extensive experience in the use of cloud technologies. The organization has a separate team responsible for the development of the backend and frontend architecture of the solutions, as well as a dedicated specialist responsible for the automation of infrastructure management using the Terraform tool.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Scrum vs Kanban

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Application based on the Azure cloud. The MVP will soon be launched in the form of a demo portal and administration panel. Our specialists joined one of the two Scrum teams in the initial phase of the project. It is based on modern technologies and approaches and uses the DDD approach.

The application is 100% based on the cloud and uses modern services such as:

• Azure Managed Identities, which allows for the management of digital identities and access to resources,
• Key Vaults, which are used to store application settings safely.

The implementation of subsequent versions of the application uses the ZIP Deployment mechanism to resolve cache-related restrictions and ensure that only the fully deployed application is running at any given time.

Technologies

The application is based on Azure cloud solutions and on microservices architecture created according to the DDD (Domain Driven Design) approach and the assumptions of CQRS and Event Sourcing. The backend of the application is created on the basis of .NET 5 technologies, while the React language and the microfrontend approach are used to create the frontend of the application. The client uses a dedicated tool embedded in the AWS cloud for authentication. Moreover, the project uses CRUD and REST API.

Azure services used in the project

Backend applications

• API Management
• Service
• Application Insights
• Blob Storage
• Cosmos DB
• Key Vaults
• Service Bus
• SignalR

Frontend applications

• App Service
• Application Insights
• Content Delivery Network
• Functions
• Log Analytics
• Private Endpoint
• Static Web App
• Virtual Network

About the client

A Finnish company which employs over 1,000 financial experts – one of the largest providers of IT solutions and financial management and payroll outsourcing services in the Nordic countries.

In order to obtain key data for making decisions at the operational and strategic level, the client obtained data from many sources, which then went to Cassandra, a Key Value Store database. This was not a satisfactory solution, as it did not allow for full control of the costs of data operations (the client paid for the maintenance of unused virtual machines, ineffective queries sent to the database, etc.). Furthermore, they used the Digital Ocean cloud, which did not meet expectations and did not offer all the services required.

The database was inadequate in terms of queries and was slow, and the overload generated additional costs. Therefore, the client needed an efficient Business Intelligence tool in a cloud environment that would meet their expectations and allow for cost optimization. At the same time, they had previously used a number of different tools and preferred to avoid retraining the team.

Project challenges

• Checking the possibilities of available cloud solutions.
• Organization of infrastructure – transferring the entire database to the cloud.
• Creation of a data warehouse enabling the integration of data from various levels and sources.
• The continued use of previously used tools and scripts without the need to retrain the client’s specialists.

Architecture based on MS Azure cloud

We wanted the client to be able to regain control over costs, which is why we decided to present the possibilities of cloud-based architecture. As part of PoC, we recreated some of the data and reports from the Cassandra database. Based on our previous experience, and at the same time encouraged by the positive attitude of the client, we proposed solution architecture based on the tried and tested Microsoft Azure cloud.

We confirmed that Azure was a suitable environment for embedding the Snowflake database technology as well as the possibility of using the existing scripts and tools in the Azure cloud. Subsequently we conducted an audit and performance tests, confirming Snowflake’s superior performance over Cassandra.

A high-performance Business Intelligence tool

With data security foremost in our minds, we transferred further parts of the Cassandra database and built the foundations of a data warehouse which will ultimately integrate data from various sources.

The client has gained modern reporting and analytical tools which allow for the optimization of costs. The solution allows the user to create in-depth analyses through the use of Machine Learning algorithms. The new tools do not require employees to be retrained. The client is now able to use components such as Docker or Kubernetes independently, which leads to higher efficiency while maintaining an optimal level of costs.

Customer benefits

• • Reduction of the process time from several hours to mere minutes.
  • Replacement of the Cassandra database with a tool from a similar price range, but with much greater efficiency.
  • An ordered data structure and having a data warehouse that enables the integration of data from many other systems.
  • Support and knowledge of the official Microsoft partner, Snowflake, and a leader in Business Intelligence implementations in Poland.

Azure cloud services used in the project

Data Factory, Functions, Logic Apps, DevOps, SQL Server, Virtual Machines, Blob Storage, Key Vault

A cross-platform app (mobile, web and desktop) for managing documents and categorizing them accordingly. The system allows documentation to be indexed and archived in an automated manner. For example, it is possible to automate the flow of invoices using a mailbox. Our client’s solution is used by external companies (e.g. Canon) as well as internally.

The need

Our client had a team of testers, but did not have adequate competences in the area of web app testing in their team. It was also important for the client to minimize app errors in the development environment.

Challenges

• Learning the details about a large project and getting started in the work on the development of a cross-platform app.
• The project is being executed remotely in an international environment – the entire project is in English, and communication is facilitated by a Scrum-Kanban model of collaboration.

The solution

A Test Engineer from Inetum, who has 5 years of experience in automated testing of web apps, joined the client’s four-person team, taking responsibility for that area of the project. In order to get to know the specific character of the project, our engineer took part in a week of implementation training, which was also an opportunity to get to know the team better, including other testers who conduct tests of desktop and mobile apps.

CLIENT STORY

Our client from the e-commerce industry needed the support of iOS and Android teams to develop their mobile application.

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Our software tester shared his knowledge of good practices and the latest standards used in modern web app testing. He suggested new tools and a change in the approach to writing test scenarios. Thanks to the transfer of know-how, it was possible to involve manual testers in the process of creating test scenarios for automated tests, and the tests now take place on three browsers. We use CI / CD tools to manage the code of the automated tests.

Benefits for the client

• Twice as many software tests carried out – the company continues to develop the app and subsequent tests are being added on an ongoing basis.
• New tools – improvement of the ways the Selenium framework is used.
• Adding the possibility of testing on Firefox.
• Know-how and knowledge about good practices in the field of web app testing

The essence of the project is to develop applications that make it easier for car dealers, garages and insurance companies to quickly estimate costs and manage the repair process. Until the complete migration to the cloud, i.e. the first quarter of 2022, the application will still use the platform of a private provider from Sweden, where part of the production environment is located.

Due to the expansion of the company’s operations to other countries, such as Norway, Germany and Austria, there was a need to move the infrastructure to the cloud to ensure the stability and flexibility of the solution. As the contract with the current infrastructure provider was coming to an end, the client decided to use the Azure cloud and gain the ability to scale applications and process larger amounts of data.

The importance of privacy and data protection for the client

Privacy and data protection is a very important issue to the client. Work on migration to the cloud was suspended for almost a year after Max Schrems, an Austrian data privacy activist, filed a complaint with the Court of Justice of the European Union. It concerned the sharing of EU individuals’ data with US-based companies and concerns about storing the data on their servers. At the time, the client was probing the market to verify customer attitudes toward the subject of using the cloud. For the most part, however, there was no opposition, and the client needed flexible resources due to their expansion.

Challenges

In connection with moving the application to a cloud-based environment, it was important for the client to:

• Put their entire infrastructure in order.
• Ensure that the application runs continuously during the migration process.
• Ensure security and meet all legal requirements for data processing.
• Ensure privacy and the protection of personal data.

A cloud-based system for managing car repair shops

NEARSHORING

When it is worth considering nearshore services in software development? 

Discover the benefits of the nearshoring model of cooperation. Read the blog post!

The platform has a comprehensive database that includes work times, painting times, and complete lists of spare parts with article numbers and prices, as well as three-dimensional models that make it easier for garages to select them.

The system consists of the main application, which is currently being migrated to the cloud, and web applications that support separate functionalities, including:

• Overview – an application that collects data from various garages. Using this app, insurance companies can monitor the status of repairs, and garage chains can manage their individual branches.
• Repair – an application for garages to record working time.
• Damage Inspection Booking – an application for booking repair appointments and ordering repair quotes.

Using the information contained in the application, the repair shop employees can easily make the necessary repair calculations, as well as obtaining information about spare parts, prices and estimated order completion times. The solution is currently used by over 23,000 users.

Advantages of the solution

• Availability of repair and pick-up dates as soon as the damage is verified, which certainly leads to greater levels of satisfaction among vehicle owners.
• Reduced repair quote and turnaround time.
• Evenly distributed flow throughout the work week, resulting in fewer vehicles waiting for repair.
• Access to vehicles’ technical data and repair history.

Support of .NET developers in the nearshoring model

The project team includes several .NET developers from Inetum, who are part of a team developing a system to manage car repair shops. Our developers are tasked with developing migration processes and creating dedicated cloud-based applications in collaboration with the client’s team responsible for managing the cloud environment.

I am impressed by their competence and corporate culture. Qualified and motivated new members joined our project team.

COO at Exevator AB

Business benefits for the client

• Agile project execution to facilitate remote deployment of solutions.
• Scalability of teams and the ability to utilize further support from Inetum.
• Competence of some of the best .NET developers in Poland (according to the Clutch rankings).

• Support of a technology partner with extensive experience in the implementation of projects for clients operating in the IT consulting business, and the status of a trusted provider.
• Innovation and the ability to implement new solutions offered by the cloud (e.g. Azure Functions).
• Flexibility of the implemented solutions.

Azure cloud tools used in the project

• Azure Functions
• Azure Container Instances
• Azure DevOps
• Azure Applications Insights
• Azure Key Vaults
• Azure Cosmos DB
• Azure SQL Server
• Azure Service Bus

About the client

Exevator AB – a Swedish IT consulting company that provides services in various business areas.

The provider of innovative solutions for the architecture industry intends to create a cloud application that would allow builders of facilities to collect and view data in real-time in both architectural, cost, and time dimensions. Application’s users are to be global market players responsible for big investment projects

The challenges

• Support in the research phase aiming at verification of technological capabilities and applicability of external libraries available on the market that would meet the application requirements.
• Business analysis and building a team for research project, consisting of specialists with niche competences in the area of frontend libraries on which the system and backend level logic are to be based.
• Processing and converting data from IFC (Industry Foundation Classes) files used by external programs to provide the required data for the developed application. IFC files contain a wide variety of data, e.g., about geometry of a building. The method of appropriate data conversion was to be individually figured out by the team, with involvement of academic community representatives.

The solution

Since this would be the first application of this type, in the research phase our specialists focused on the capabilities of frontend libraries and found a way of extracting and converting data from IFC files. Within 2 months from start, the team developed Proof of Concept which met assumed requirements.

We proposed an architecture based on the Azure cloud, which enables full virtualization of the solution. In this phase, project manager, technical leaders, Technical Solution Managers in QA and Azure cloud specialists were engaged. They worked in a Scandinavian model and were free to create their original solutions, such as a self-designed framework for software testing.

 The client can further develop the cloud-based platform for real estate investors. It will allow them to store and review data on the entire investment with the use of one application to manage the long-term construction processes, based on BIM (Building Information Modeling) processes. The system will enable investors to manage the investment in real-time, having access to an interactive rotatable and scalable 3D building model and selecting individual elements with their specifications. The model would be combined with full project documentation, cost estimates, work schedule and reporting modules. The platform would allow for constant communication between project teams, providers, and consultants via in-built communicator.

Tools

• Backend: Azure, .NET Core, MSSQL, MongoDB, Docker, Seq, MailHog, CQRS, DDD
• Frontend: Redux, React, TypeScript
• QA: .NET Core, Atata, Bogus, Dapper, Flurl, FluentAssertions, NUnit, Selenium WebDriver, SpecFlow, XRay, Extent Report, BDD
• Business Analysis: Enterprise Architect, JIRA, XRay

Benefits for the client

• 530,000 m² of completed office space,
• 170,000 m² under construction and 320,000 m² planned,
• a total of over one million square meters of existing and planned offices,
• offices spread over several cities in Central and Eastern Europe.

The beginning of nearshore cooperation

Nearshore cooperation between Skanska and Inetum commenced with a project to optimize the ERP  Microsoft Dynamics AX system in the Polish branch of the company, Skanska Property Poland. The system which was previously in use within the company no longer fulfilled expectations, and so, in 2012, Inetum specialists became involved in the development of the system and its adaptation to the needs of the company.

Turning to dedicated software

As part of a project concerning the development and maintenance of an ERP system, the client outsourced the building of a mobile application for the iOS system to netum. This project was part of digital transformation towards mobility, and increasing the efficiency of the accounting process was the main goal. The application was created using .NET and C# technologies and it allows users to verify and accept accounting documents, account assignment, employees’ expenses, and business trip accounting.

Implementation of a Business Intelligence platform

Along with the modernization of financial systems, the client decided to integrate their source systems – ERP MS Dynamics AX and the custom ERP system KORAB – with a reporting and analytical platform. The Business Intelligence solution was to enable the aggregation and calculation of financial and non-financial data from the project level to the national and regional level, facilitating communication between project managers and executives and reporting to the company’s financial controller.

Challenges

The client wished to create a flat management platform for each employee from all departments in European countries and regions. A platform for collecting data from various sources and systems and visualizing them as an easy-scalable reports was created. Integration of a number of data types, including both financial and non-financial data calculated in different time perspectives, was the biggest challenge in the scope of the project. As a partner of leading Business Intelligence platform providers such as Microsoft and Qlik, Inetum has the capability to find an optimal solution.

Solution

Skanska was looking for an intuitive and easy-to-use tool, which is why they decided to implement QlikView. The client obtained access to modern full-service reports and an analytical platform including a mobile application. Implementation of the tools took less than a month and included multi-currency data from 4 regions, 10 subregions and 40 companies. QlikView allows the user to undertake multidimensional data analysis and export a report for any period. The solution also has a planning module which was used by the client in the strategic planning process for 2014-2024.

“The application implementation phase was completed successfully, and the tool itself has revolutionized work at our company. On behalf of Skanska, I recommend Inetum as a reliable and trustworthy business partner in the area of Business Intelligence solutions. The extensive technical knowledge, experience and flexibility of Inetum specialists contributed to the success of the project.”

Kamil Lubiejewski, Finance Manager, Skanska Property Poland

Dedicated Business Intelligence Platform- Skanska CD-Control System

A greenfield project the purpose of which was to develop standardized methods of analysis and reporting in various European branches of the company operating in the properties development industry. The project started in 2014 and our cooperation continues to this day.

Challenges

• Complex domain – the system itself had a complicated business logic, which was to meet the expectations of various user groups, both at the central level and in the multinational branches of the company.
• Many change requests – during this implementation, a team of our specialists had to deal with the limited time schedule and changes introduced during the project.
• Performance improvements – as part of the project, we carried out tasks aimed at improving the performance of the system.

Solution

Our project team consisting of .NET developers, Business Intelligence specialists in QlikView technology, and data warehouse engineers fulfilled the client’s vision within the assumed time.

The team was responsible for the entire solution, both in terms of technological development and implementation. During the project, the team coordinated the work carried out by other external companies.

The developed system is integrated with the client’s external systems (Korab, Axapta, ExOpen, HFM) and has functionalities that are key from the business perspective:

• Forms for input of data on planned and ongoing projects,
• List of tenants,
• Project profit report,
• Posted and planned costs report,
• A set of financial reports in QlikView.

The implementation of the system has resulted in the unification of project management methods within European branches (Poland, Hungary, Romania, and the Czech Republic). A centralized space for data storage was created (previously, data was scattered over many systems and spreadsheet files). Thanks to QlikView, managers gained quick access to clear reports in real time.

“We appreciated mutual trust and transparent strategy in the project realization. Some phases of the projects have been accomplished under very strict time constraints and we were pleased with the flexibility of provider to scale up the project resources when needed.”

Peter Beres, BU Controlling Manager at Skanska

Business benefits 

• All branches within CDE use one project planning system. 
• Employees in all branches of CDE work in the same way. 
• A centralized place for data entry (previously data was spread out over many systems and spreadsheet files). 
• Easy access to clear reports thanks to QlikView. 

Technologies 

.NET Framework 4.6.1, ASP.NET 5, Windows Services, Entity Framework 5, Telerik Kendo Grid, SQL Server 2012, Azure DevOps technologies were used to develop the web application. The data warehouse was based on MS SQL Server Database and MS SQL Server Integration Services, and the QlikView Server 12 platform was used to create the analytical and reporting system.   

As the cooperation developed, the following technologies were introduced:  

Identity Server 4, .NET Core 3.1, ASP.NET, WebAPI, Vue.js, RabbitMq, SQLServer 2019, and Git. 

The team 

Agile project team consisting of 10 specialists: 7 .NET developers; 2 software testers and 1 BI specialist. 

After the successful implementation of QlikView, other sources were integrated with the reporting platform that standardizes the calculation of KPI in different departments. In order to unify the data collection process, Skanska outsourced the development of a web application combined with a data warehouse based on MS SQL Server and the QlikView application.

Continuous development

For the next steps, the nearshore team implemented additional data grids for processing and analyzing, and further extensions of the functionalities, such as:

• a new Land Valuation tool which analyzes changes in the reported book value of land compared to market value,
• the integration of a new CRM system,
• the addition of certain external market data.

“The system has been presented in all of Skanska’s business regions, namely Scandinavia, the UK, and the United States, and there is a desire to roll out the system in all locations. This is obviously another big challenge that requires the adaptation of the system to local conditions, such as different accounting systems, or changing the metric system to the imperial system in the United Kingdom and the United States.”

Péter Béres, Business Unit Controlling Manager, Skanska

Software testing process

During the development of the web application, the client reported the need to build a software testing process. The current process was based on irregular UAT testing in which many critical errors occurred. The aim of this project was to systematize the software testing process and decrease the number of errors reported by users as well as its criticality.

After an audit of the applicable process and consultation with users and developers, Inetum engineers prepare and implement documentations and regressive tests to discover problems related to the existing functionalities. Several tests were also automated and added to the continuous integration process. As the next step, our nearshore team detected problems with the interface of the application, which was non-intuitive and differential. To unify the UX and interfaces of the application, our team created templates which help with analysis and make it possible to detect user activities causing errors.

The implementation of the new standards in the testing process lasted about six months. The total number of reported issues decreased by 70% and the number of critical errors was reduced by 90%.

Application refactoring and future plans

During the long-term nearshore cooperation on the project, the Inetum team released numerous versions including additional functionalities, changes in data processing and interface improvements. To ensure the high quality and efficiency of the system, the client decided to rewrite the code. Refactoring aimed to improve the operation of the system and build it with the use of new technologies, to allow for future development and maintain stability.

About the client

Skanska Property Poland Sp. z o.o. – a leader in the construction and development industry, operating on selected markets in Europe and North America. Skanska Property in all its projects focuses on innovation, sustainable development and harmonious integration of its buildings with the existing urban infrastructure.

As a technological partner, we provide IT outsourcing services and have a large competence base of specialists in many fields. These include software development (Front-End, Java, .NET, PHP, PLC and HMI, iOS, Android, Python, RPA), cloud services, business analysis, Business Intelligence, architecture of IT solutions and systems as well as the testing and management of Apple devices. In the IT industry, specific certifications, language and soft skills, industry and sector experience are very important. We needed a knowledge management system in the area of competences that would facilitate the optimal matching of specialists with projects. Additionally, we wanted to speed up the flow of documentation between the Sales, Delivery, and HR departments and the client. For this purpose, we have developed a dedicated SkillMatrix solution for managing employees’ competences.

The challenges

• Collecting and cataloging knowledge – the challenge was to collect and centralize knowledge about competences, cataloging technical and language competences and certificates.
• Versatility – we wanted to create a universal tool that could be adapted and implemented in any organization.
• Appropriate structure – an important element of the project was to divide competences in such a way to accurately present several hundred technologies and competences of our employees.
• Ease of management – the goal was to create a system that would allow us to easily add new profiles, competences and certificates.
• Integration – the tool should easily integrate with internal systems, such as a system for employee data management.

The solution

After analyzing the requirements and verifying them with Sales, Delivery and managers, the team began work on the project. We decided to use an Agile approach to software development, utilizing Scrum methodology.

The system was created in the AWS cloud, and an analyst, a Scrum Master, a Product Owner, and Back-End, Front-End, and QA specialists were involved in the project. A graphic and UX Designer was responsible for the interface design. The system has been designed in such a way that employees’ profiles can be created automatically based on Active Directory accounts, and so that it can integrate with other corporate tools. SkillMatrix is intuitive and enthusiastically used by employees, who are actively involved in the knowledge base development process, reporting new technologies and competences worth adding.

The SkillMatrix system enables:

• Employees – to complete and generate a personal profile,
• Managers – to manage employees’ profiles,
• The Sales, HR and Delivery departments – to search for employees with specific competences and generate their profiles in the form of Word and PDF files before presenting them to the client.

Plans for the future

We are still developing our system. Ultimately, we want to make it available to candidates as well – people from outside the company. Thanks to this, candidates participating in the recruitment process will be able to fill in their personal profiles, and the HR department will have ongoing access to information about the results of recruitment. Once the recruitment process is completed, the employee’s profile will be available within the company’s structure.

Benefits

“The implementation was carried out according to plan, and cooperation with JCommerce has been positive in every respect, both in the implementation phase and in terms of the post-implementation service. We can talk about our experiences with JCommerce in superlatives only: communication – flawless, project completion – on time, consultants ready not only to implement solutions, but also to propose the most appropriate ones for specific situations. We recommend this company”.

Jacek Gardas, Renta

60 depots in 3 years in the Baltic countries

The history of Renta is not long, but reflects the dynamics of its development. In 2016, a few entrepreneurs in Finland came up with the idea of opening local rentals that would allow customers to rent the necessary construction equipment with the use of a mobile application. The goal they set for themselves was to build trust-based relationships with local customers and to make it easier to use equipment rental services thanks to convenient technological solutions. This pioneering approach and moving away from the traditional rental model resulted in a total of 60 depots opened within 3 years, not only in Finland, but also in Sweden and Norway. In 2020, the first rental was opened in Poland, in Katowice, and the next two in Kraków and Wrocław.

Why Poland?

Renta focuses in particular on the local aspect and on reaching local companies. In 2019 the company noticed the potential of the Polish market and decided to open an office in the heart of the Silesian metropolis, which is becoming an increasingly important point on the map of building investments. The subsidiary in Katowice is the first office of this type (a greenfield operation). Opening new subsidiaries is part of the company’s long-term development strategy on the Baltic market. And this is the moment when the stories of JCommerce and Renta come together.

“When I heard about Renta for the first time, I noticed how important trust and building partnerships with clients and employees are for the company. What makes Renta stand out is the enthusiasm and innovative approach as well as providing customers with solutions that facilitate the use of their services. As part of cooperation with Renta, we undertook the project which will enable the company to continue to fulfill its goal: reaching local consumers, building trust and, as a result, further development on the international market”.

Paulina Materna, Business Unit Manager at JCommerce

EXPERT KNOWLEDGE

Discover the city of Katowice! Find out more!

Why Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central?

To operate locally on new markets, companies investing in Poland need an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system that is adapted to Polish legal and tax requirements. Modern ERP class systems, such as Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, address this aspect of operation. Why did JCommerce’s ERP specialists recommend the implementation of this particular system?

Teresa Bodziuch-Olma, ERP consultant at JCommerce:

“The project, which we carried out from January to April 2020, included the implementation of an ERP system that would allow for the efficient management of the developing company Renta Sp. z o.o. Entrepreneurs in Poland know how important it is to use systems with a module adapting the ERP tool to the legal requirements of a given country. In the case of Microsoft Dynamics 365, it is the Polish Functionality that allows entrepreneurs to settle tax declarations, send so-called “Unified Control Files (JPK)” or import the National Bank of Poland exchange rates. We also recommended this system because it is a modern ERP tool which is integrated with many other solutions, and we understand how important it is for clients focusing on innovation. Just like Renta”.

How did we help?

Five JCommerce employees – ERP consultants and a developer – were involved in the implementation of the system. Within 4 months of cooperation, they worked on the implementation of the Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central system for Renta sp. z o.o., the company’s subsidiary in Poland. The implementation was carried out in such a way that the client could use the functionality of tax and group reporting, taking Polish tax regulations into account. It was also necessary to integrate the system with an external sales system as well as import sales documents and export purchasers’ data. Initially, the Microsoft Dynamics 365 system will be used by three employees who use the financial and electronic banking modules. Our team also conducted training for the client’s employees and provided them with substantive knowledge of the system.

Teresa Bodziuch-Olma:

“At the moment, the data growth is several thousand records per month, which is not a large number. However, judging by the company’s dynamic development, this scale will grow with every month, and the users will certainly appreciate the advantages and potential of this solution. We are glad that we could establish a relationship with a company with values similar to ours and to carry out a project that will feasibly help to fulfill their strategy of building local partner relationships “.

Benefits

Our partner helps its clients to implement innovative IT solutions which support the digital transformation of enterprises. The specificity of the IT consulting industry is that providers must act quickly, be flexible and support the implementation of modern IT solutions for end clients from various industries – and thus follow the latest technological trends.

The specificity and needs of IT consulting companies

• Implementation of projects for clients from a number of different industries.
• The necessity of providing diversified competences.
• The need to have access to niche competences and know-how.
• The need to react quickly to clients’ needs.
• The need for flexible access to competences in terms of specific projects.
• The need to have a list of trusted providers of particular competences.
• Scalability of project teams.

2016 – the beginning of cooperation

Digital identification project

Our cooperation with the company began in 2016 with a digital identity project for the automotive and insurance industries, in which support was required in terms of the creation of test architecture and implementation of the test process. The JCommerce offer addressed the client’s needs best – we provided comprehensive Quality Assurance support, creating test architecture and providing tools for manual and automated tests of systems and mobile applications.

Challenges

• Creation and implementation of comprehensive software test architecture.
• The first project implemented for the client, which required both companies to get to know each other’s organizational culture and team members.

Insurance documentation management platform

The first project carried out together was successful, so a couple of months later the client came back to us with a question about the possibility of providing the competences of several Java developers and supporting work on a solution in the microservices architecture. The project concerned the creation of a completely new platform for insurance document circulation management. Again in this case, we managed to quickly set up a team of the required specialists and implement the project in accordance with the client’s expectations. As our cooperation developed, we provided the support of an increasing number of specialists. The project involved an architect, a business analyst, Java developers and Front-End specialists, and the work was supervised by the project coordinators and a Scrum Master. The positive assessment of our team’s engagement resulted in a permanent cooperation contract which continues to this day.

Challenges

• Greenfield project in microservices technology.
• Need for flexibility and quick scalability of teams as the project evolved.

2017 – Development of cooperation

Development of a mobile application for digital payments

This enabled JCommerce to participate in an ambitious project on a European scale, implemented by the client together with leading digital service providers. The aim of the project, in which JCommerce’s iOS and Android developers were involved, was to create a mobile application for digital payments, based on digital identity verification.

Challenges

• Coordination of multiple providers’ activities.
• Ensuring high security standards.

ERP system implementation: Microsoft Dynamics NAV

Our cooperation continued to develop rapidly and, apart from providing programming skills, JCommerce also provided the client with support in the ERP area. To address the client’s internal needs, we implemented the Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2016 ERP system, which facilitates financial control over projects carried out for end customers from various areas as well as over marketing and sales activities.

Challenges

• Providing a solution that integrates data from diverse areas of the organization’s operation.
• Implementation of the solution in a new project area.

2019 – implementation of projects as a trusted provider

Development of a mobile payment application

Currently, together with the client, we are carrying out another international project which started in 2019. It concerns the creation of a mobile payment application, and its greatest challenge is to ensure high security standards. Back-End and Front-End specialists are involved in the work, as well as teams of mobile developers (iOS and Android), Java, DevOps developers, testers and a Scrum Master – 15 people in total.

Challenges

• Cooperation with many contractors.
• Ensuring high security standards.

Business benefits for the client

The client undertook an educational platform project that would allow parents, teachers, and students to exchange information and allow for knowledge sharing. As part of the work, we provided support in the development of platform modules to support the Student Project, Reporting and Settlements, and the website.

Results

On the JCommerce side, the project involved Front-End and Back-End developers, as well as a project manager, software tester and analyst. As part of the work, we provided a six-person client team with support in terms of building infrastructure and system integration. A platform was created for the publication of educational content by individual schools and for the exchange of information. Thanks to the platform, teachers can download educational resources, as well as conduct teleconferences and interactive lectures.

Benefits for the client