ISCAS

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am Product Manager of mobile robots in ASTOR company. We have branches and competence centers across Poland and together with our Partners we deliver solutions for production and warehouse sites.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Selling AMRs for different customers isn't the easiest task, because robots are an open platform and not every function is available originally. That is why we ask ISCAS to create software that give customers more functionalities of managing robots. The goal was to create added value for end users by giving them tool for statistics, supervising and quick response.

SOLUTION

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

We have worked with ISCAS for many years. It is our trusted Partner and because we want to deliver solutions together it was natural to ask ISCAS for help instead some third company.

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

The goal for the beginning was to create a basic interface with working communication between software and robot and then adding more and more functions. The idea was to create some PoC to show clients and develop software for their concrete needs. Basic version has panel with informations about robots, their positions heat map, second panel with missions and adding priorities and panel with graphs showing robots'data like battery percentage.

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

I was in constant contact with 3 people:

Project sponsor (Key Acccount Manager)

technical supervisor

programmer (software engineers)

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It was a PoC to create bigger impact on what customer can have with automating its intralogistics. The goals for this project was achieved within deadline and it is excatly this what we discussed during first meetings.

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

My role was to help them if some error would occur on the robot side. Our communication was mostly based on MS Teams and e-mails. I don't have objections about their management style.

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

I was surprised how quickly they learned new technology and were able to make a working product within a short period.

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

I think not. I wouldn't change anything in this project if I have to start it again.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work as a quality control laboratory manager for BASF, a chemical manufacturer. We produce catalysts for the automotive industry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with ISCAS?

We needed a company that could develop web apps for us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We hired ISCAS to develop web applications from scratch. We started the engagement by providing them with a description of what we needed and how we wanted it to look like, and they’ve taken over the development since.

The web apps are connected to our databases, and they allow us to monitor our processes and improve how we manage the samples in our laboratory.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with 3–4 people from ISCAS, including a team manager and several developers.

How did you come to work with ISCAS?

ISCAS was recommended to us by a colleague who had worked with them in the past.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $50,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in July 2020, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The tools that ISCAS has delivered meet our expectations and are working as intended.

How did ISCAS perform from a project management standpoint?

ISCAS has performed well in terms of project management. We have regular weekly meetings, both online and in person.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’re impressed with ISCAS’ open-mindedness when it comes to new projects.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Their communication and reporting of their progress and the status of the project could be better.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure to describe the project’s brief and the team’s tasks as clearly as possible.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an information manager for a chemical plant in Europe.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with ISCAS?

We wanted to simplify our production as there was a lot of manual labor. Also, we had massive databases after production. We needed an open-minded company that could understand our structure and determine how to digitalize and automate various processes.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’ve done a couple of projects with ISCAS, but this is the biggest one. We’re developing a system that will automate our production process. We collect data from 5–6 data solutions and compare different production batches for statistical reasons. All of these are presented in one system.

We started with discussions, a business evaluation around what we needed to do, and the specifications. We defined our needs together, and they compared them with the technologies on the market. Then, we discussed the price and what we needed to do to launch the project. We use .NET technology and C# for development.

What is the team composition?

We mainly work with two people and 3–4 programmers who are always available for us.

How did you come to work with ISCAS?

We were looking for a local and cost-effective supplier. They were one of the most communicative companies.

How much have you invested in them?

We spend about €50,000 (approximately $51,000 USD) per year.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began this project in March 2021, and it’s an ongoing cooperation. The main functionality is done. After the project is complete, they’ll take care of the maintenance and any changes or enhancements we need to make.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

In general, we’ve seen an improvement in our production processes. Data collection went from 6–7 hours to two minutes. Also, we’ve been able to save money. We’re very proud of the solution; other people have been impressed with it.

How did ISCAS perform from a project management standpoint?

We usually communicate through a Kanban board where we can see the tasks that are in process, the ones that need approval, and the ones that are complete. We also use standard communication tools such as email and calls.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re open-minded and communicative. Moreover, they’re open to new challenges.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They’re a local and small company with limited resources. The developers might not be available during busier times, so we need to wait. However, this is the only disadvantage.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you’re looking for a company that can deliver and find a solution for you, talk to them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am a global technology manager at BASF. We have a very wide scope; we focus on chemical production, battery, and automotive manufacturing, and we have factories around the world. I am responsible for automating processes for our automotive and chemical industries.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with ISCAS?

We needed help building and implementing a system to track production results for one of our chemical areas. Our goal was for the system to streamline how our operations team manages production results. We needed the system to connect with five or more sub-systems, including the dosing system. 

We wanted the system to gather data from the other production sub-systems, visualize it, and enable the operations team to review the data. Building this system would also allow the operations team to track production, implement specific changes with results, capture records, and review KPIs to monitor efficiency.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We created the user requirements and specifications, and ISCAS developed the custom software system for us from scratch. The first product they delivered was not quite in line with what we were looking for. We re-aligned and communicated our expectations, and they developed software that met our standards. 

We used a Kanban board to allocate tasks based on priority. We worked together in sprints using agile methodology. They built the software in stages, submitted those to us, then we would approve the offer, and they would continue with development. 

They also implemented the model to track production for our operations team. They continue to help us improve the system by adding functionality and deploying new releases. 

What is the team composition?

We worked with an engineering lead, project manager, administrative lead, and developer. 

How did you come to work with ISCAS?

We had worked with the engineering lead on a previous project, so we were familiar with their approach and skill set. We reached out to a few companies, and ISCAS  gave us the best price for development services, so we moved forward.  

How much have you invested with them?

We have invested roughly €200,000 (approximately $200,000 USD). 

What is the status of this engagement?

ISCAS started the project in March 2020, and the project officially ended in December 2021. We still work with them periodically to improve the system.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They built a fully functional system that operates according to our requirements. Our end-users have been satisfied with the software. We measure success by operational time and have seen operating time decrease after implementing the platform that ISCAS built. They have also helped us improve data quality because our team can access data from five sub-systems in one place.

How did ISCAS perform from a project management standpoint?

We had a few communication issues at the beginning of the project because our requirements and expectations were unclear. We worked with ISCAS to redefine the scope of our needs and find a compromise. The team familiarized themselves with the project plan, and they had a very effective process and developed the platform quickly.

We had some delays, but this project was complex, so that’s quite common. The delays didn’t impact us in the long run because production was never interrupted. They were always accessible and reacted quickly when we had questions or needed help. They’re great at finding creative solutions to fix issues when they arise. The partnership has been great.

We are in constant contact with the developer, who is always happy to fix issues and work on new features with us. We use a Kanban board to keep track of tasks and SharePoint to share files. We typically communicate via phone and email. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

We are most impressed with their knowledge and expertise. ISCAS is very familiar with industry concepts and keeps up with trends. I’m not a programming expert, but I knew how I wanted the platform to function. They would translate how their programming could influence functions and explain the requirements and outcomes in simple terms. 

They understood our needs very well, and I didn’t have to explain or clarify many details throughout the process. I have really enjoyed the collaboration, and I appreciate their openness. They make my job easier. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

We had some communication issues at the beginning of the project, and they initially developed a product that end-users weren’t satisfied with. Still, I think miscommunication fell on us and ISCAS equally, and once we were aligned, we saw significant improvement.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

My advice would be to take advantage of customized solutions rather than fear them. People tend to lean towards default solutions and functions during projects, but ISCAS is very good at building customized solutions. Be very specific when communicating your requirements and expectations.