Hogart sp z o.o.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a pharmaceutical company specializing in the development and production of drugs made from natural ingredients. I am the head of Customer Operations, responsible for organizing the supply to all our international customers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Hogart sp z o.o.?

According to new provisions of the Polish Medicines Act, companies trading in pharmaceuticals are obliged to send daily data to ZSMOPL (Integrated Monitoring System for Medicinal Products) on shifts and stock levels as well as on planned deliveries.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Hogart provided a software that collects the relevant data and sends it automatically in appropriate requested XML file structure to Ministry of Health. The service they provided includes data extraction, mapping, visualization, verification, electronic signature and sending to appropriate web portal via API technology. The whole process is automated.

What is the team composition?

We have a project manager who is dedicated to our account, but since their tool is already constructed, that person is the only individual who we work directly with.

How did you come to work with Hogart sp z o.o.?

When the new law was created, we screened the market and narrowed our options down to three possible candidates. We held telephone conferences with all of them, after which Hogart came to visit our offices in Germany and we decided that their team was the best option.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $15,000 in total.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project lasted from November 2018–April 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The biggest result of their work is simply that we are still able to sell our products on the polish market. We would not have been able to continue or line there if not for the reporting capabilities that they developed for us, so we were very pleased that they were able to help us comply with those regulations. We have never had any error messages or feedback from the authorities.

How did Hogart sp z o.o. perform from a project management standpoint?

They did a great job of making their work accessible to us and making the engagement with them easy to manage from our side of the project. They always explained all of the tools we were using so that we would be able to handle them ourselves when our work together was over.

We didn’t use any specific tools for project management, but they were nonetheless very responsive and communicative around the requirements of the project and our progress on them. For the most part, we just used phone or video calls to talk to them.

What did you find most impressive about them?

In my opinion, their personal touch was the best aspect of our work together on the project. From the moment they came to Germany just to discuss the project with us face to face, I was convinced that they would provide us with quality service, and that proved to be completely true. They had both the technical and personal skills to make the project very enjoyable and successful.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I didn’t experience anything in particular that I think they should do differently.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the controlling manager at TK Energostal. We are a trading business; working in purchases, sales, production, and reporting.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Hogart sp z o.o.?

Our old reporting tool was inadequate, so we needed a company to create a new, more efficient one.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They were involved in the planning of the reporting tool, so they suggested a certain type that was new to the market. From there, they prepared models, moved reporting tools to one system, and created the final tool from that. Their team has also taught us how to implement and independently use the reporting tools throughout the development process. They assist us with licensing and security systems, as well.

How did you come to work with Hogart sp z o.o.?

At the time, they were the only company that seemed to be able to provide what we were looking for. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them in 2006 and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

When we work together, we have a good idea of what the final outcome of their work will be, so it’s consistent. 

How did Hogart sp z o.o. perform from a project management standpoint?

They are very communicative and cooperative throughout the projects and we check results at the end. They get back to us when we have problems very quickly. When we add additional tasks, they roll with it. Sometimes, we speak five times a day to make sure everything is moving forward properly and avoiding any delays. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re always striving to meet our expectations and please us. They’re very good at teaching us how to implement the tools they develop. Also, they’re flexible, always available, and know what they’re doing. We know each other well and know what to expect. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

We’ve been working with them for a long time, so I don’t think so. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They’re great at teaching the client from the beginning to the end of a project. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the head of business analysis of the European region for a global law firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Hogart sp z o.o.?

We needed a company to help with our data management and migration. In addition, we needed it to be properly prepared and connected to our blog.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Hogart sp z o.o. developed data visualization for our blog. After collecting our financial system data, they prepared and created dashboards connected to that data. Collaboratively, we developed the concept of how our company presents data to internal clients. Their team occasionally helps with ongoing tasks, but they’re very minor.

What is the team composition?

I work with two people from their team.

How did you come to work with Hogart sp z o.o.?

After meeting three different companies, we chose them because they offered the most professional approach to dealing with data.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent €20,000 (approximately $22,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in September 2018 and completed the project in January 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Hogart sp z o.o. reduced the processing time for our reporting. Instead of days, we’re now providing information and numbers within hours. The dashboards are clearer and easier to read and understand. However, that’s mostly because of the blog and tool we use, not because of their work. Their team responded to our need of having dashboards, so they followed our ideas to build them.

How did Hogart sp z o.o. perform from a project management standpoint?

We did a lot of project management on our end, and they did a lot on theirs. Hogart sp z o.o. delivered on time and was responsive to phone calls. Overall, communication was excellent, and they spoke our language.

We met face-to-face when needed because their office is located close to ours. They suggested that two of their team members come and sit in our office during the dashboard development. This was an excellent idea because the project ran in a very agile way.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The most impressive thing was their idea to sit in our office during development work. They weren’t distracted in those collaborations together.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could be a bit more responsive.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

You should utilize the opportunity to have them in your office. Nothing replaces in-person contact, in my opinion.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an accounting manager at a national vehicle sales company in Poland.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Hogart sp z o.o.?

We needed assistance in integrating accounting software that would help us comply with new tax regulations. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our company had purchased accounting software similar to SAP. Hogart sp z o.o. had the proper licenses to integrate the software for us. They also customized some of the modular packages to fit our needs. Additionally, we have a maintenance contract with them, so they support us if an issue comes up.  

What is the team composition?

It’s difficult to say how many people have been on the team since it has changed throughout our engagement, depending on workload. There’s a support team in place, and, if we have a new project, Hogart sp z o.o. will assign 4–5 people. We’re in contact with 3–4 IT people, but there are also teammates behind the scenes that we don’t work with directly. We’re also in contact with an account manager and a technical person.

How did you come to work with Hogart sp z o.o.?

Our company began working with Hogart sp z o.o. because they were a licensed distributor of the accounting software we were planning to use. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We began our ongoing engagement with Hogart sp z o.o. in 2000.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We don’t track any specific metrics, but it does have a major impact on the accounting department and on the company as a whole. We process all our accounting through this software.

There have been some major tax changes since we began our engagement and Hogart sp z o.o. is supplying us with different programs to meet these regulations. We wouldn’t be able to function without them. The solutions they developed for us are reliable and functional. 

How did Hogart sp z o.o. perform from a project management standpoint?

We set budgets upfront, and Hogart sp z o.o. has stuck to those. They’re very responsive. We have a designated project manager and we have good communication with this person. Both our companies are Polish, so there’s no language barrier.

They send us reports in the form of Word documents, Excel sheets, or PDFs. We use email and phone calls, in addition to face-to-face communication. We don’t use project management tools.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We have good communication with them. We can speak directly and understand each other.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Occasionally, they are short on resources because tax authorities implement new regulations on very short notice so they don’t always have time to prepare. 

When they implement their own software, they do it very well. However, there are certain limitations to the software they don’t own. There’s nothing we can do about that because that’s how the software works.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

It’s important to have a good working relationship with them and make sure that both parties understand exactly what needs to be done.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a real estate company that specializes in property management and construction work. I’m a property services systems manager in the company, responsible for all the cases related to accounting and property management software.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Hogart?

In Poland, there exists a unified control file required by the government, called “Jednolity Plik Kontrolny” (JPK) in Polish. By law, we must report all transactions related to VAT invoices on a monthly basis to the government, in XML format.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The task for Hogart was to create a tool that would allow us to gather information from the accounting software and create a data file that would be accepted by the government. There’s actually more than one unified control file structure; we’re using three of them, including one for banks (developed by Hogart) and one for accounting books. Everything is based on the accounting data in our system, which has to be converted to XML files and sent to the government office.

The second task was also around a government requirement This time for financial statements, which also must be provided annually in XML format. Finally, we hired Hogart to develop a banking software that would allow us to make a huge amount of transactions daily or gather payments from various banks automatically. It also matches payments to the already booked invoices. This is currently in development, but 80% of it is live and tested.

How did you come to work with Hogart?

We use an accounting software that Hogart specializes in, and we wanted a local company that would understand our local requirements. Hogart was the best choice.

How much have you invested with them?

We have a project worth €30,000 ($32,500 USD) at the moment. I don’t recall the exact total amount, but it would be around €60,000 ($65,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Hogart in 2016, and we have an ongoing project at the moment.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Hogart’s helped a lot. Because us their software, we’re able to meet the government’s requirements. It was mandatory for us to do the unified control file and the financial statement. They did both right, and they still work today. They also provide updates when they’re required. When the government releases a new structure that we have to adapt to, Hogart will gather the necessary information and update the structures by themselves.

We started the implementation of the banking software at the beginning of 2020, so I don’t have exact numbers yet. I’ve gotten feedback from our payments department stating that they no longer have to make manual adjustments though. Everything is working as planned because of the banking software Hogart provided.

It will take a while to determine how much effort was saved through this software, and the first two implementations were mandatory, so there was no option to calculate metrics. Hogart succeeded, though, so we can say it was a success.

How did Hogart perform from a project management standpoint?

The communication is very good. They check the client’s requirements before implementing the project, and they’re very responsive. I can send them an email and get a reply in a few minutes or, if they’re busy, an hour or two. We’ve never gone over the budget on a project, and they deliver on time. We had one case where the schedule was questionable, but it was the government’s fault, not Hogart’s. The government announced on Friday evening that the structure was changing, and, on Monday morning, not only us but the entire Polish accounting department was surprised that the structures weren’t working. Nobody was prepared, but Hogart reacted and helped us upload the structure the next day. We’ve never had a problem with them.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They understand our needs, don’t ask stupid questions, and understand everything behind the product requirements. It’s easy to work with them, and I don’t have to explain a lot. I don’t have to prepare everything for the developers and tell them what to do. They know what they should do, and they only ask about the details of how we structure the data. This saves a lot of my time.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think so. They’ve done everything as we asked for and expected.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Clients should just talk to Hogart and explain their needs. They will definitely understand.