GeneXus Consulting

BACKGROUND

I work as IT manager at Caja Notarial, a social security company for actuaries and actuary employees in the Republic of Uruguay.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Genexus Consulting?

Right now, they’re helping with custom development of our main apps. Because the apps are proprietary, we cannot buy standard accounting, library, and rental software. We are working on modules for affiliation of actuaries and employees, notary document management, acts fiscalization (tax payments and retirement), and social benefits. Four modules have already been finished, and we are working to finish the following two.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We performed a requirements analysis with them, then began development and testing. Genexus uses .NET and their own tools. For the requirements analysis, we just used office software.

What is the team composition?

At first there was a very big team of developers, around 7-8 people. Now, we are working with no more than 4 developers.

How did you come to work with Genexus?

We made a public solicitation and evaluated different proposals. Genexus' proposal seemed like the best fit for our needs.

What is the status of this engagement?

We signed the contract with them in October 2010 and started to work at the beginning of 2011.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I don't have any metrics about the results, but we were using outdated systems that definitely needed to change. They just couldn't be supported any longer. The switch has brought many benefits, both internally and externally. We had no choice, but it has been great to improve our processes.

How did Genexus perform from a project management standpoint?

We didn't use any management tools, but we had good follow-up and mutual cooperation. We worked well together, but it wasn't easy. We had to push them a lot. They are a good provider, but we were constantly checking in, following up, and asking for schedules and deadlines.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They are a good provider, but I wouldn't highlight anything in particular.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Our administrative unit manages a national information system of livestock which consists of about 12 million heads of cattle.

We manage the livestock companies’ records of brands, marks, caravans, stock of transactions, and animal movement. We’ve marked 36 million cattle since we started the project in 2003. All of the technology we use allows us to continue making a difference as an argo-exporter country. I’ve been head of project since 2008.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with GeneXus Consulting?

We needed to digitize the document management process for livestock producers. This has been very complicated because they’re used to managing everything on paper.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

GeneXus Consulting has been working with us for the last three years on software and mobile application development. We’re migrating the document management process from paper to digital. It’s been a very pragmatic and gradual process. We’ve been able to manage information from the producers via the Internet as well as mobile and web apps. The tools they’ve implemented allow us to have 24/7 service 365 days per year.

What is the team composition?

We’re a fixed team of about 10 people, but since we work per project, we sometimes only need two or three people. They have to work from their office sometimes due to limited space at ours’.

How did you come to work with GeneXus Consulting?

There was a call for a licitation to create and execute this real-time system in 2003. GeneXus was chosen out of 19 proposals. The contract ended three years ago, so we made another public call. We decided to work with GeneXus again because of our previous experience. We’ve now had a contract with them since 2012.

How much have you invested in them?

The first project ended up costing around $5 million dollars because we had to make some adjustments. This number reflects the cost of the entire association for this project, so it’s not just what we paid GeneXus. I couldn’t tell you how much was just for them.

We’re currently spending a total of around $3 million for the three companies working on the project per year.

What is the status of this engagement?

We have an ongoing contract with them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re able to provide real-time proof of the organization’s evolution to ministerial offices when they request information from us. The things we’re able to do as a result of the tools that GeneXus has implemented are great.

For example, we’ve now developed a system for registering dogs. It was very fast and easy to do, and we did it in record time. They’ve developed a series of systems that allow us to easily trace and have better control of issues that come up.

How did GeneXus Consulting perform from a project management standpoint?

We have managers and team members who have been here since we started the project in 2008. Their commitment and seriousness makes us feel comfortable. They’re just very professional. We’ve always met every deadline. We’ve never any any problems with them.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’ve always met the demands that come from other offices in relation to the system’s performance. They’ve been able to adapt and put the system through stress tests in order to ensure that it won’t fail. They’re proactive in identifying any possible problems. They’ve helped us feel more calm and comfortable.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The system could improve. We’re working on that now. We want to make it adaptable and easy to use for all providers.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am an IT Manager for a bank. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Genexus Consulting?

In 2013, we started developing an e-documentation tool for the bank. Over the years, we’ve been adding processes and features or functionalities to this tool.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They used a SQL database, GeneXus, and .NET technologies to develop this tool. We are trying to organize several processes as well. They also provide support.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with 2–3 people throughout the project. They coordinate the project internally and add people if needed. We don’t have a specific set of programmers assigned.

How did you come to work with Genexus Consulting?

They have a name for themselves in the market. When we were searching for agencies, they had a proprietary tool which was just what we needed.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in August 2013. Some projects are complete, but the bank is still working with them on other projects.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Results on my projects have been very good. The tool is being used for several processes in the bank. We have been digitizing most of the documentation for the bank; previously it was all on paper.

How did Genexus Consulting perform from a project management standpoint?

I’m in constant communication with their project manager. We have weekly meetings. They offer a tool where we can analyze new requirements, request support, or other processes.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We are pleased with the company’s services. If we require a specific set of knowledge, they look within their firm to find resources to help us with technology skills we lack.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There are always areas for improvement. We are able to talk about any issues with them and things are fixed without a problem.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a business park that manages many different platforms, including logistics, companies, labs, banking, etc. I work in the system’s development department, and we support the company and its clients through our applications.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with GeneXus Consulting?

We worked with GeneXus Consulting on an inventory control system. We give the clients the system with which they manage all the entry and exits within the customs-free zone. This project was intended to link the system with Uruguay’s customs department.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We migrated the app from GeneXus 9.0 to GeneXus Evolution 3. Out database is DB2/400 working over a P8 platform. The code we were generating was Java for web.

What is the team composition?

There were two developers working in our offices, and we have our own team of six. There was a project manager and a remote testing team during development, after which we received consulting support. We had a couple of questions throughout the project, so Claudia [Project Manager, GeneXus Consulting] connected us with someone in their office for support.

How did you come to work with GeneXus Consulting?

We have a corporate model that’s been evolving from the DOS 3 version, and we’ve been migrating our systems inside the GeneXus platforms. Initially, they were installed inside our park, but they’re not now. We didn’t have enough internal resources for this project, so we contracted GeneXus Consulting.  We’ve been collaborating for a long time.

How much have you invested in them?

We spent about $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’d worked with them before, but this particular project began in 2016 and was finished in February 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We had a system already on the GeneXus 9.0 platform, but we’d received some complaints from clients that it wasn’t compatible with new browsers. As a result, we started to get behind. So, we decided to change the platform and design, and also include the link with the customs department, which was a legal requirement for us. The clients really like the new platform. It has new and better features, and its design and technology have improved.

How did GeneXus Consulting perform from a project management standpoint?

The project objectives were met according to established deadlines. We encountered some unexpected things throughout the process (e.g. updating some old versions), but we always had support from their team working in our office, as well as from the team in their own office. We even had to change some of our technology, but we were able to rely on them. The project manager was always receptive to our needs.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their team integrated well with our staff. We were very comfortable in working with them, and the collaboration was very positive.

Are there any areas they could improve?

This may just be an issue we had, but the system we migrated was too complex. Sometimes, we noticed that there was a lack of knowledge of our business, but it’s hard to transmit that kind of information to external people. However, this must be something that happens often when working with larger systems, and GeneXus Consulting was very receptive.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

The Solidarity Fund is a public entity in Uruguay, but works inside the private orbit. Its main goal is to grant scholarships to low-income students. Those scholarships are funded by contributions made by all graduated students of public universities in Uruguay and from the technical school.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with GeneXus Consulting?

Our company has two main areas. One is the scholarship holders, the assignment, and payment of the scholarships, and the other part that is the collection and audit of the graduated students and professionals who donate so the scholarships can be fund. With GeneXus, we implemented the whole system, for the collection and audit part.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They used GeneXus X Evolution 3, Workflow, and some their own tools that have the part of auditing and design. We also used a process manager.

What is the team composition?

They provided a team of developers and our fund also provided 3 developers. From their side, they were 3 junior developers, plus a head of development, 2 testers, a functional analyst, and also a project leader and the managers.

How did you come to work with Genexus?

We chose them due to their references, advertisements, and feedback from other companies that had already worked with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project started in July 2015. A phase of the project has been already completed but there are already a couple of modules to be developed. At the moment we have reached a phase in which the basic modules have been already developed but another part is still to be developed.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The system is still in the stabilization phase but we are already seeing results. By consolidating our system, we have a tool to analyze the total numbers and are able to make decisions taking that in consideration. That is something important we have seen after the project was implemented.

How did Ingenia perform from a project management standpoint?

The team was installed here in our offices. Overall, the communication was very good. There were a couple of delays with deadlines but it wasn't all from their side; there were many different factors involved. Generally, their project management was good.

What did you find most impressive about them?

In its first phase, the project had a few setbacks. There were a couple of dates that had to be met for administrative reasons so there was a lot of pressure on meeting the deadlines. The team worked very well under pressure and managed to deliver the project and meet all the deadlines on time.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could improve on communications with the user and their interpretation of the requirements. However, the developer's profile was junior, and that could have been the cause of the issue.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your organization and your position.

Our organization is a tax collection office with about 1,500 officials, including external hires. We have around 43 offices around the country, and I’m the head of the informatics division.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with GeneXus Consulting?

We started working with GeneXus Consulting in 2006. We’d been using GeneXus products since 1998–1999 when we started a modernization project with a tax agency. We were looking to develop an application to register taxpayers.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We basically have a standardized platform, GeneXus, as a development tool, generating Java programs which we execute with DV2 as a database engine and application server.

GeneXus Consulting cooperated in development tasks along with our own staff. Since then, we’ve used GeneXus' tools and GeneXus Consulting's staff support in practically all corporate applications we’ve developed.

The last big project we had involved e-billing. This was a shared project, so half of the resources came from their company.

What is the team composition?

It varies because they are supplemental to our own development team. Normally, we have between 8–10 people working permanently with us.

How did you come to work with GeneXus Consulting?

We were already using a tool they developed. We had the advantage of a local company with which we could access for any claims. When we started the first project, we called them to see if they were interested in participating in the main development tool. We started working with them afterwards.

How much have you invested in them?

We have a permanent contract of about $500,000 which goes through bids and is renewed every five years.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in 2006, and the collaboration is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We normally work through a flexible model, so if we don’t renew a contract, we can manage the applications ourselves.

They have consistent resources, so having people who are trained and can start working on projects without needing everything explained to them has given us great results.

How did GeneXus Consulting perform from a project management standpoint?

They assign a project manager, but we generally set deadlines and manage projects ourselves. We work alongside them in administration, and their project manager takes care of human resources. Our development is on site, so they have to bring their resources into our office. They were flexible and understanding with us when I changed dates or requirements.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Staff stability is the most important thing for us because our projects normally take more than a year. They have great staff stability, which isn’t something that normally happens with other companies.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We haven’t experienced any inconveniences, and there are no weak points worth highlighting.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

We are working very closely with them, so we create a yearly plan from which we organize operations. At the end of the year, we’re able to coordinate all of our resources that we will need from their side. Everything depends on how the company works. If the company is fairly organized and can give GeneXus Consulting a general working plan, then it is a great experience.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and your position there.

I’m the head of development for the applications and technology department at Ancap, a public energy and gas production company that also produces alcohols. It’s a government enterprise.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

GeneXus worked in the logistics and energy business areas, developing a local system to support truck distribution and delivery to our plants. They’ve also worked with the commercial and billing areas.

They used their own technologies and developed everything using their proprietary programming languages. We also used tools like GX Server, which is a tool for the management of consolidated statements, and XT, a tool for testing automatization, among others.

What is the team composition?

There were approximately 14 team members from GeneXus working with us.

How did you come to work with GeneXus consulting?

As we are a state enterprise, we have to begin a bidding process every time we need development work or want to hire someone for any particular purpose. As this was a very big project, we didn't have enough local resources for the goals we wanted to reach, so we decided to hire an outside team.

GeneXus Consulting presented themselves as a firm with the most expertise in the language we needed to develop in, so we started collaborating with them and they produced very good results.

How much have you invested in them?

We invested about $500,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in 2012. We now only have a smaller team of theirs on a maintenance contract.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

An important point is that we became one of the first public companies to use an e-billing system in Uruguay. This didn't exist among public enterprises and we were one of the first to achieve this.

How did GeneXus Consulting perform from a project management standpoint?

Normally, they always have a person managing the appointments, deadlines, and all the logistics with someone in our company. They also brought their own methodology, which we ended up incorporating in our company for daily use. That added value which they provide was very important for us—they not only took care of the programming but also the management and organization of the work.

What did you find most impressive about them?

One of the things they stand for is the management of the project in general and in the last period, they included the role of a functional analyst with a technical focus on the users. At the beginning, we didn't know how it was going to work but it ended up being very good as it brought us closer to the users and we got to understand their requirements, giving us a different point of view.

Are there any areas they could improve?

In my opinion, they could probably improve their staff turnover. It wasn't much of a problem but whenever there were changes, we lost some time in having to train new members to achieve the same level of knowledge and performance. Maybe, it’s harder for us as a public company to understand that as we tend to stay with the same working team for longer periods of time.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the manager of an international business window in Uruguay, which is a platform that facilitates international business in the country. Our objective is to unify all procedures linked to import and export operations and transit.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with GeneXus Consulting?

We created a consortium together with GeneXus Consulting and another company, Concepto. They worked together to build the electronic platform which supports our unit.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They used their own proprietary products, GeneXus and GXflow, as well as other products for dynamic forms design. One other specific development was built on top of the platform.

What is the team composition?

There were around 10 people involved during peak development.

How did you come to work with Genexus Consulting?

We placed an international public bidding, and GeneXus Consulting introduced the consortium with Concepto. They had the best evaluation based on an equation which included the technical solution, the profile of the technicians involved in the project, and the monetary proposal.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project took place between March 2013 and 2016, after which we extended the contract for six more years for support and maintenance. The first phase of the project was completed correctly, so we remained engaged with them for continuous maintenance.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The platform which GeneXus developed has had an impact both internally and nationwide. We managed to automate the operations and interventions of governmental organizations for international commerce. Times and costs were reduced, user transparency was increased, and procedures became easier due to the information being online. We were able to meet objectives and commitments regarding the solution.

How did GeneXus Consulting perform from a project management standpoint?

We had meetings, communicated via email, and also used a requirements tool.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were very receptive, and they listen to their clients.

Are there any areas they could improve?

In reference to their development quality, their bug testing needs to be improved.