Denologix

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Senior manager of Deloitte LLP.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We provide managed services to our clients to support them with all their marketing needs. We also manage and support the infrastructure and systems for our clients.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Denologix to accomplish?

• Product knowledge and experience
• Technical expertise

SOLUTION

How did you find Denologix?

• Referral
• Previous relationship on similar projects

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Expertise that was required for this specific project

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Migration of the legacy on-premise CRM and Marketing solution to the cloud based database and server infrastructure on the Google Cloud Platform.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Compared to the legacy system the new cloud-based system is very reliable specially during the high usage time. It also performs better with high throughput on average. It also allows for parallel processing and on-demand expansion and reduction of the infrastructure.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Denologix provided technical expertise for CRM and on-cloud Marketing solution software implementation. Their input and leadership was very important and highly valued by both our internal team and the client. All development work was done accurately and on time. 

What was your primary form of communication with Denologix?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

We appreciated their great work ethic and availability as well as technical expertise were the key factors to successful implementation and project completion. 

Are there any areas for improvement or something Denologix could have done differently?

Nothing significant stands out. They were proactive in asking for feedback and adjusted quickly when needed.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m part of a management consulting firm that provides staffing and consulting services. I work in the sales department, and I’m also the engagement manager for large initiatives. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Denologix?

A client approached us in a consulting capacity because their website wasn’t meeting the market evolution they expected. The end client is a federal government organization, and their site was dedicated to collecting and processing data, but they had issues retrieving the statistics and had to do it manually.

They asked us for guidance about buying or developing a new website, and we recommended developing a new site from scratch. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Denologix developed a website for our end client using Java. At the beginning of the project, the end client had an idea of what they were looking for, although they didn’t have any specs document or brief. Due to this, it was a long project. We had daily meetings with the end client for six months. In these meetings, Denologix’s developers went through every step of the process with the end client to ensure they were meeting the stakeholders’ requirements. 

Users could register on the website. Denologix integrated functionalities so that the end client could get user data systematized and transferred directly to an Excel spreadsheet, which they couldn’t do before.

Denologix offered maintenance and management services, but the end client didn’t need them since they had an internal operations team. The last phase of the project was a knowledge transition plan. This phase lasted 90 days, and Denologix and ourselves were available to show the end client how the site worked and resolve any issues they may have. 

Aside from the advisory work, we document our client’s projects to give them proper working documentation. Denologix created the development responsibility document (DRD), and in the last month of the project, we worked with Denologix to ensure that all the physical and logical components of the deliverables were well documented. The physical components were the hardware and codes, and the logical component was educating the end client on how the site worked and operated so that when their operations team uploaded it onto their servers, they could manage it. 

What is the team composition?

We worked with a team of 7–8 specialists from Denologix, including graphic designers, web developers, data experts, and a senior data architect.

How did you come to work with Denologix?

We had a previous relationship with Denologix for several years. We originally came across them through a referral. Denologix is good at creating the development responsibility document, which the end client didn’t have when the project started. Overall, the end client had poor discipline in having processes documented at that time, and I knew Denologix was good at this because of my previous experience working with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested around $250,000–$600,000 CAD (approximately $186,000–$446,000 USD) with Denologix. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from September 2021–August 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

The end client was happy with the website Denologix developed. After we delivered the site, we told them they could contact us if they had issues, but they haven't had any issues in three months. 

During the ending tests of the website, it was faster than the previous one. The tracking tools are now in the hands of the end client, so I don't have quantitative metrics. Overall, Denologix was really helpful, and the website they developed provides more value. 

How did Denologix perform from a project management standpoint?

Denologix did a great job on project management. They met deadlines and stayed on budget. We communicated through Microsoft Teams and phone calls, and they were responsive. We also met in person once in a while. 

The project was long, but it wasn't because of Denologix; it was a complex project that took longer than we expected. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was most impressed with Denologix's ability to deal with the project's ambiguity. Denologix was flexible and developed a scalable website, which was one of the things the end client was looking for.

Additionally, Denologix's development team was great. They had an in-house team and an offshore team, so they were able to work almost all day. These teams had great communication between them, and the transfer of knowledge was awesome. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can't think of anything for Denologix to improve. The bugs and issues that arose during the project were resolved. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I recommend potential clients have their DRD mapped out at the beginning of the project; this will save you a lot of time.

UPDATED REVIEW

This review was published on January 1, 2023. 

Claude Collavoli

Engagement Manager, Solutia SDO
IT Services

201-500 Employees

Canada

$200,000 to $999,999

Oct 2021 - Dec 2022

Project summary

A digital media survey management firm hired Denologix to develop a custom software solution. The team was responsible for building the product's architecture, data management system, and backend.

Feedback summary

The partnership was successful thanks to the fully-functioning product that Denologix delivered. The workflow deployed for the project was highly efficient, and internal stakeholders were particularly impressed with the vendor's flexibility and responsiveness.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Project engagement management, project management and front-end development work for a digital media survey management firm Partnered with Denologix who provided the architecture, data management and backend expertise.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Denologix?

• No COTS product was able to meet the very specific needs of the client
• Due to the unique nature of the solution requirements, the client was unable provide comprehensive digestible requirements so that any risks can be architecturally anticipated and solved before they become an issue.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

• The solution architecture had to be dynamic to allow flexibility in the solution implementation to overcome the lack of upfront detailed requirements
• Database has been designed to accommodate changing digital media survey needs as the industry changes with having to refactor the code

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

• The client collects data related to their members digital media usage habits
• In addition to the survey of attributes directly related to the digital media usage, the solution also tracks members’ life style choices via surveys
• The collected information is used for Advanced Analytics

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

Total team size was 7-8 consultants ie architecture , design ,develop and deploy /support

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

• The project has been considered a success by the client
• Dynamic data driven GUI makes it a system extremely easy to adapt.
• Even though the system was designed and architected as we implemented the project due to lack of comprehensive requirements, it has met and exceeded client expectations

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

• The workflow between our two consulting partners, client and client’s third-party providers was solid and produced positive results

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Denologix was very adaptive to client needs, highly responsive, are able to work together with all teams, and is focused on success for all parties

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

• Formalize continuous learning of new and advanced technologies and processes as required by our industry by all consulting shops.

STAR RATINGS

Overall rating: 5

Quality: 5

Cost: 5

Schedule: 5

Willing to refer: 5

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the president and CEO of See Me Hire Me, world's first fully integrated video based Human Resource Solution. We have simplified the process of evaluating and hiring candidates online using video, messenger and integrated email. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Denologix?

The pace of technology advancement is clearly visible to all of us. The impact it has on all of our personal lives and careers is also quite evident to all of us, however, not all of us are aware of the effort, time and cost to an organization of keeping up with the dynamic nature of business trends and peoples’ needs.

Our goal was to provide a platform to enable long term relationships between organizations with their immediate and evolving needs and candidates that may want to explore the opportunities immediately or cultivate the relationship for a future possible opportunity.

The platforms available in the market place were focused on superficial matching of opportunity with candidates as quickly as possible without a 360 view of the opportunity or the candidate’s skills and needs.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted a system to enable long-term relationship management between the hiring organization and the candidates. The process should be simple to adapt, streamlined to avoid delays and errors, and intuitive for a large community of users. Our objective was to make the process of maintaining a long-term relationship between the hiring organization and the candidates, as simple as possible for all parties by automating the process and taking responsibilities of the technology and complexity that powers this platform.

SOLUTION

How did you select Denologix?

We evaluated several technology providers to fulfil our specific needs and only Denologix was able to demonstrate that they have the technical depth and breadth of knowledge and experience necessary to take-on this challenging task and deliver it successfully.

In addition, Denologix was the only organization in line with our philosophy and strategy of building a long-term relationship instead of a short-term supply and demand transaction.

Describe the project in detail.

In order to get a 360-degree view of the client’s requirements and candidates skills, our application had to have an advanced and easy to use interface that is powered by advanced data management and analytical capabilities.

Denologix worked closely with our team to understand our specific and evolving requirements, and came up with advanced technological solutions incrementally using an agile and flexible approach. The organizations have the ability to store and dynamically enhance the organizational profiles, position requirements and keep track of the relative success of each hiring process.

The position requirements are supplemented with dynamic questions and answers to dig deep and find out about the soft skills that are often not captured by resumes and cover letters. The tele-communication advancements also allow hiring of remote workers if they happen to be the best fit.

The Denologix team helped us create online streaming capabilities to meet with candidates online, review video profiles and stay in touch via messaging services.

As impressive as the addition of these online capabilities are for our application, what sets our solution apart is that all these technologies are integrated with the candidate profile, hiring position organizational needs and overall organizational profile.

This creates a strong chain of understanding and trust between the organization and the candidate.

What was the team composition?

Denologix assigned a full-time liaison and project manager dedicated to our project. He was in-turn supported by 5 consultants with specific specializations in front-end GUI developments, database management, analytics and back-end algorithmic logic development. Denologix team supported our team of experienced and dedicated subject matter experts, analysts, quality assurance and quality control professionals.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We are extremely pleased with the outcome of this project. Given the scope of this project, Denologix not only met but exceeded our expectations for achieving the desired leading-edge functionality in a relatively short-time and within our budget.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Denologix maintained the same liaison and project manager throughout the life of the project. Our team met with him on a weekly basis and they stayed in touch throughout the project to have immediate visibility and clarity of any issues. Denologix used a very customized spread-sheet to keep track of issues and requirements.

Denologix also provided a separate environment within their own secure infrastructure for our team to test and get the system ready for promotion to the production environment.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Denologix’ philosophy of investing in their clients coupled with their take on the client’s success as their own sets them apart from other companies in our experience. Everyone uses the long-term relationship as a tagline but Denologix demonstrated strong commitment towards this goal.

We don’t have any specific suggestion for recommendation for area of improvement, but we would like them to maintain their philosophy of building long-term relationships and commitment to investment in leading-edge technologies so that they can continue to lead the way.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the president and CEO of Hardy Consulting Services. We offer consulting and training services to organizations leveraging the power of SAS, SPSS, Minitab and Statistica software.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Denologix?

The technological solutions for advanced analytics, machine learning and artificial intelligence are evolving at an extremely rapid rate. SAS is one of the leading providers of end-to-end business intelligence solutions that utilize advanced analytics, machine learning and artificial intelligence. SAS offers dozens of solutions for several industries.

In order to take full advantage of these solutions from SAS, they need to be integrated with best of breed data management providers. Since most of the solutions are classified as enterprise category, the implementation of these solutions can be very involved, time consuming and requires expertise in multiple disciplines.

Denologix has the right mix of good customer service and in depth technological knowledge to simplify the implementation of such complex enterprise solutions.

What were your goals for this project?

Our objective was to upgrade their SAS analytic platform to the latest release with time and budget constraints.

SOLUTION

How did you select Denologix?

The SAS Office Analytics software was selected as the platform for advanced analytics for our client. There are very few qualified vendors that successfully implement this solution within a given budget and timeline. Denologix was highly recommended by our common clients. We have observed how they manage this type of projects for some of our clients and were both impressed by their knowledge and confident they could help him.

Describe the project in detail.

Complex advanced analytics generally require deep knowledge of statistics and computer programming. SAS Office Analytics enables quick onboarding of Business analysts and novice users thanks to guided analysis via built-in tasks and visual process flows. Users can quickly access, prepare and integrate data to meet evolving business requirements; and IT is free to focus on other priorities. We hired Denologix to implement the most recent release of SAS Office Analytics within the client environment and integrate it with clients data providers.

The existing version had to remain up and running during the whole process as well for some time after deployment of new release. Parallelism was required to guarantee exact results and robustness of the whole analytic environment.

What was the team composition?

Denologix assigned a full-time liaison and project manager dedicated to our project. He was in-turn supported by a consultant with specific specializations in the implementation of SAS Office Analytics solution and integration with third-party databases.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We are very happy with the outcome of this project. Our project was implemented on-time and on-budget, and our end-customer was extremely satisfied with our consulting services. Client environment was way more complex than initially described and security issues surfaced during the process but everything was fixed at client's satisfaction, due to diligence and dedication of Denologix team.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Denologix maintained the same liaison and project manager throughout the life of the project. Our end-client worked directly Denologix resources to expedite the implementation of SAS Office Analytics. We are extremely pleased with the final outcome.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Denologix does not hesitate to do what is required to make sure the client is happy and satisfied. They have continued to provide support even when there was no budget. We were so happy with this customer centric attitude that, without Denologix solicitation, we went back to the end-customer and asked to compensate Denologix for their extra effort, the end-customer recognized it and agreed to compensate at least partially for Denologix’ additional effort.

In addition, we have helped many organizations migrate their SAS Analytic Platform over the years, most of the time where software was installed and configured by manufacturer's team. Most of these failed to take in account client's specificity (language, useful options, etc.) while Denologix team successfully did so.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Nothing specific, but we would like them keep on top of SAS technological advancement and their keen customer service focus.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Owner and Director of The Mindful Living Centre; a private group Psychology practice with offices in Milton and Burlington, Ontario, Canada. We provide psychological assessment and treatment for a wide variety of mental health concerns, and seek to empower clients to live better and optimize their quality of life.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Denologix, and what were your goals?

We used to record clients’ assessments manually using pen and paper. This process was tedious, error prone, difficult to track, and time-consuming, thus we needed a digital / online solution.

SOLUTION

How did you select Denologix and what were the deciding factors?

We talked to several software and technology providers to fulfill our specific needs. We found that Denologix was very responsive, easy to communicate with, and were able to demonstrate they had the required knowledge and experience to help us with this challenging task and deliver it successfully.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

In order to ensure clients’ summary assessments are recorded on time, shared with the primary physician as quickly as possible, and referenced back when necessary, we needed a system that had the appropriate workflow, intuitive interface and necessary security.

Our team of psychologists have the ability to access the system securely from anywhere, store their signature securely, digitally store the assessment summaries, and reference them when required.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

Denologix assigned a full-time liaison and project manager dedicated to our project. He was also supported by 3 consultants with specific specializations in front-end GUI developments, database management and analytics.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

We are very happy with the outcome of this project. The team at Denologix exceeded our expectations for achieving the desired leading-edge functionality in a relatively short-time, and within our budget.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timelines.

Denologix maintained the same liaison and project manager throughout the life of the project. They stayed in touch throughout the project to have immediate visibility and clarity of any issues.

Denologix used a proprietary customized spreadsheet to keep track of issues and requirements. They also provided a separate environment within their own secure infrastructure for testing the application before promoting it to the production environment.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Denologix were very responsive, and their team takes pride in making sure their clients are 100% satisfied regardless of any budgetary constraints.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

I don’t have any specific suggestion for recommendations re: areas of improvement. I am sure they will maintain their philosophy of putting customers first and staying on top of leading edge technology.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of IT at a clinical research company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Denologix?

We were looking for assistance with deploying a SAS server on premise. Previously, we had been using the workstation version and were looking for some help moving up to the server platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

This project was for the implementation of SAS Office Analytics Server to support multiple concurrent users based on requirements set in our industry’s regulations. We wanted to have a fully validated implementation of the server platform to replace the workstation software we were using.

There was a whole lot of documentation that accompanied that because of our regulatory requirements. Denologix completed that documentation around system validation and did some of the technical setups as well.

The requirements and industry regulations for pharmaceutical related systems are quite complicated. Denologix helped with writing test cases and creating a validation plan, and at the end, they provided the validation summary.

What is the team composition?

We didn’t have a consistent project manager assigned due to health issues. We know it wasn’t their fault, though.

How did you come to work with Denologix?

They were recommended by SaaS Canada and were local to us. Since we had a short timeline, we felt that having a local partner just a couple of hours away would be easier to work with.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $50,000-$100,000 CAD (approximately $37,823–$75,646 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in 2018 and the collaboration lasted six months.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Their technical know-how was very helpful in speeding up the implementation. The server increases the collaboration, reduces licensing costs, and allows for more consistent workflows.

How did Denologix perform from a project management standpoint?

They were out of their comfort zone on this. The documentation that we requested was so far out of their normal requirements that it was really a learning experience for them. They took a fair bit of assistance from us, but they were able to complete it. They definitely could’ve done better with communication, but part of that was due to some staff turnover.

What did you find most impressive about them?

There’s not a lot of people in Canada that are doing what they’re specialized in. They certainly have some very large, well-recognized Canadian clients, which gives them some credibility.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I suggest that they add more staff. Denologix should have dedicated technical writers to assist with some of these projects. When there’s a situation like ours that’s very technical and demands highly specialized resources, they should really be spending their time doing the technical things and not so much on documentation.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure that the statement of work is very well crafted and that both parties really understand what the capabilities and deliverables are.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of IT at a Canadian investment company. In my role, I’m responsible for client reporting and data management.
 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Denologix?

Our company needed professional consulting to build and test proof of concept for a new data architecture and migration to the cloud.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Denologix worked with our business from project inception to implementation. They created a data lake from the legacy data store. The team handled the migration to cloud using a variety of AWS tools. It uses a relational database service (RDS). 

Through a web service called Elastic MapReduce (EMR), it processes data using a Hadoop open- source framework. It transforms operational data using Talend and stores it in the data lake for advanced business analytics, machine learning, and artificial intelligence.

What is the team composition? 

We worked with a lead developer and two business analysts from Denologix.

How did you come to work with Denologix?

Having worked with Denologix before, I knew they had the necessary expertise for this project. I considered other companies, but most were more expensive and too rigid in their consulting structure.  

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $100,000–$200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with Denologix for two months this year, from April-June 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Denologix’s work will have a transformational impact on our company. They tested the new architecture with multiple datasets. Based on the results, it seems incredibly efficient. We are now doing some internal work before we roll out architecture on a larger scale. 

How did Denologix perform from a project management standpoint?

Denologix sent us weekly timesheets with information from the analysts and lead developer. The documentation was consistently detailed and thorough. The owner of Denologix, was involved in our project, and I could contact him when needed. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Denologix wasn’t “salesy” and never tried to run up their hours to increase the cost.  I appreciated their honesty and admired their expertise. I would definitely consider working with them for related projects in the future

Are there any areas they could improve?

I wanted Denologix to get my team more involved in understanding the development. They offered some training and education, so they partially accommodated my request. Overall, I’m pleased with their work.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work at a global analytics firm that specializes in advanced analytics and data management. We work in different varieties of industries and verticals. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Denologix?

I go to them for a number of different solutions that concern implementation of BI [business intelligence] platforms, big data expertise, or advanced consultations. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They did a project with a major retailer recently: they implemented a BI platform for their data scientists. Using different databases, the platform designs, creates, and executes various models, such as Hadoop, Oracle, IBM Db2.

What is the team composition? 

We work mostly with our project manager and he allocates resources as needed. 

How did you come to work with them?

They've been a successful partner for us for 15 years and have extensive experience, so it was natural for us to choose them for this project.

What is the status of this engagement? 

I started working with them in 2017 and the relationship is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

They're flexible and available to expedite the project. They're our partner, so we can rely on them to do things that we're not able to do. Their attention to detail is exceptional and our clients are happy with their services. 

How did they perform from a project management standpoint? 

They're responsive and I can always get a hold of them. Because we have a strong communication line, we can quickly overcome the issues that arise. Usually, I call or email them (I prefer to call).

What did you find most impressive about them?

They're very knowledgeable and willing to understand their customers, making them their priority when dealing with these difficult types of consultations.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I like having one main point of contact, but sometimes it would be good to have more project managers assigned.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

The SAS Institute is a $3,000,000,000 analytics and data management company based out of North Carolina. I'm responsible for platform engineering, and work with the sales organization in professional services to deploy solutions to customers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Denologix?

We utilize Denologix to augment our services organization, since we lacked some necessary skills internally. We had skilled staff in our services department, but the demand and number of implementations that we're doing exceeded our resources.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I worked closely with Denologix to help a telecoms customer implement a big data solution. Using Hortonworks technology, it analyzes call records and related details for patterns. A form of machine learning indicates the types and quality of these calls. We had to develop a solution that could look at literally billions of call records, and yield useful takeaways. Their team’s technical experience with Hortonworks and knowledge of the SAS platform were very useful. They worked on both the technical implementation and the development for this custom software.

What is the team composition?

Initially, we mostly interfaced with the president, Shaz Ahmed. Due to the nature of our projects, we now work directly with the developers. Our dynamic has evolved to the point where several staff from Denologix are basically our extended team members. In many cases, they were actually sitting on our premises.

How did you come to work with Denologix?

Our first criterion was being a SAS partner. We sought them out based on their level of certification in the SAS product sets. As evidenced by the key technical staff we interviewed, their depth of skill was also very impressive.

How much have you invested with them?

For this project, we spent about $200,000. For the whole duration from 2015 on, it's in the neighborhood of a couple million. Denologix has also become a channel partner with us.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them in May of 2015, and that particular project took about a year to complete. The relationship has been ongoing since then.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

We produce a customer survey at the end of every project. Whenever we've used Denologix, they've been rated at least eight out of 10. Our customer, the telecoms company, was very happy with the product that they were given. At one point, they even insisted that some of the key members of staff from Denologix were part of the project. Another measure of success we utilize is assessing how re-work is handled. If there is re-work to be done, they’re quick to come back to the project, oftentimes at their own cost.

How did Denologix perform from a project management standpoint?

I'm happy with the level of communication and integration. At this point in time, they're truly like an extension of our team. SAS has a standard methodology that we've developed for deploying projects, which Denologix has embedded within their own corporate culture. It's often hard to tell where they start and we end.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They're impressively knowledgeable about both the SAS platform and the underlying technology of the operating system. I really appreciate their willingness as an organization to spontaneously jump in and assist us. We're not haggling about price. They obviously get compensated, but their attitude is focused on doing the right thing for the customer.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Growing their staff would probably be beneficial.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

My current title at Prognos is managing consultant, but in practice I am the head of support services for all analytic pricing solutions for our company. We offer consulting services and analytic solutions in retail. During the project with Denologix, I was the team lead of implementation services for pricing.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Denologix?

For this particular project, we were partnering with SAS to provide certain services to our client. Our expertise is in analytics and mathematical solutions to business problems, so most of our employees are mathematicians or computer scientists. At the time we did not have any internal expertise in cloud-hosted services, however, as part of this contract revenue optimization, we needed someone who was familiar with everything concerning use of the cloud. They also needed to have knowledge of security constraints for multi-server infrastructure. We lacked that SAS administration capability, and that is what we sought in Denologix.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

First, the team led by Ahmad Damra [Senior Architect, Denologix Inc.] installed revenue optimization for us on the Amazon Cloud. Second, they configured user administration for us on the cloud, and implemented a client-directed security protocol. All of the infrastructure related to security dictated by the client was mandatory for our contractual needs. Third, they built custom solutions for quality assessment infrastructure, so that the data copies to and from the servers. Finally, they developed a web-based application to facilitate us using all of the above on an ongoing basis. In other words, they created a frontend for all of their scripts in order to allow non-programmers to easily execute their tasks within this system.

What is the team composition?

Ahmad was our project lead. Later on during the work process, he transferred his knowledge to a Prognos consultant.

How did you come to work with Denologix?

I had worked with Ahmad previously on a project very similar to this one. Additionally, both my company and Denologix are SAS partners, which made the collaboration more straightforward.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested approximately US$75,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The work was completed between September 2015 and May 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Unfortunately, I cannot make a quantitative assessment of their work’s benefit for our client, other than to say that they created a very supportable tool that we will use in an ongoing basis to build a profitable model for our clients.

How did Denologix perform from a project management standpoint?

Similar to our company, Denologix’s employees are made up of subject matter experts in a very niche field. They did not need to be directed on their day-to-day task load, and they often gave us guidance on best practices. For the most part, they are very self-motivated. They did the work that was asked of them, but they also contributed in a way that utilized their own prior knowledge and experience to help finesse our procedures regarding this project. We communicated primarily through email and phone calls.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their subject matter expertise distinguishes them from other companies with whom we have worked in the past. There is a relatively small community of people who work in revenue optimization as partners for SAS, and an even smaller group of people who do that very well. Denologix is among that latter group, and Ahmad is an expert at what he does. Denologix is a very good partner, and they always build something that can be supported on an ongoing basis. It was a pretty flexible and easy-to-navigate process with our consultant.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

When you are dealing with big, out-of-the-box solutions, it is important to have people who know the subject very well, but who also understand it very broadly and know precisely what the tool is supposed to be doing for the business to drive revenue. Make sure that you are engaging a partner who can do all of the above for you and your company.