Polisys

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

Megasoft is an IT service company with 25 years of experience in providing software development and maintenance systems for finance and accounting, human resources, payroll, purchases, and leasing.

What is your position?

I am the technical director. I am responsible for development requirements and the identification of technologies and tools to be used in our work, as well as focusing on improving strategies and the evolution of our software.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was the business challenge you were trying to address with Polisys?

Our software has been evolving over the years in accordance with the direction of the market and changes in technology. We started with a development for the DOS operating system, then we moved to Windows Server Client, and now, with the popularity of the Internet, we need to rewrite all our software in Java. That’s why we turned to Polisys.

What was your company’s business goal in working with Polisys?

Our goal is to make our software more efficient in order to be ahead of our competitors.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

The project involves approximately 1,200 cases of use with approximately 12,000 function points, consisting of four interdependent modules.

How did you come to work with Polisys?

We had a consulting company analyze our software. When we decided to go ahead with the project, we asked that company if they would tell us which agency to choose. They suggested two. As I got to know Polisys and saw their previous work, I felt confident in their processes. So we picked them.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

The project is still in progress but is estimated at about 1.5 million dollars.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project will be completed in October of 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

So far the results have been very satisfactory. Their definition of the architecture was quick and met the specification needs of our project. The availability of their technicians and managers is very good. They have also trained us in the new technology, which is very important because once the project is completed, our employees will do the maintenance.

How did Polisys perform from a project management standpoint?

Their performance has been very good. Polisys has treated the project with great professionalism and fulfilled everything that was contracted. They are very flexible and very competent. The management of the project has been well done and has guaranteed the quality that we need.

What distinguishes Polisys from other providers?

Since Polisys is the only company we have worked with on this type of contract, we really have no point of comparison. Nonetheless, we are satisfied with the work of Polisys.

Is there anything Polisys could have improved or done differently?

Our project has been run on a very tight deadline, and I think I would change that. I would do the project on a much more flexible timeframe.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

Embrapa is a company funded by the Brazilian government. We are an innovation enterprise focused on the creation of knowledge and technology for Brazilian agriculture.

The company was created in 1973. Since then, we have taken up the challenge of developing a model for tropical agriculture that is genuinely Brazilian, overtaking the hurdles that limit the production of food, fibers, and energy in our country. This effort has helped transform Brazil. Today, our agriculture is one of the most efficient and sustainable in the world. We have introduced a large area of unproductive savannah lands [Cerrado] to the production systems, a region today responsible for almost 50 percent of our grain output. We have multiplied the production of beef and pork fourfold and poultry 22fold. These are some of the achievements that have changed our country from a net importer of basic foodstuff to that of a major global producer and exporter.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Polisys? 

Polisys was hired to develop a management system for the programming of Embrapa research undertakings, which is conducted via projects of different complexity levels. The system had to be Internet-based, since Embrapa has research centers spread across Brazil, with 10,000 potential users.

What were your company's business goals for the project?

To develop a system approaching all the stages, or sub processes, of a technological research project, from the concept and development, to evaluation and follow up on execution. The process is complex and involves many business rules that must be processed in the system screens. That means the main challenge was to transform Embrapa's research business rules and workflow into useful and simple function on the system screens.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

Due to the spread of research units over the whole nation, Embrapa demanded an Internet-based system that could be accessible easily, but also a strict control of access authorization to uphold the confidentiality of the information. The process of composing, evaluating, and monitoring research on Embrapa had already been standardized by the company. We needed an informational system that approached all the rules and stages in the process in a user-friendly way to avoid the need for costly training.

How did you come to work with Polisys?

The selection process followed the Brazilian legal determinations, which establish the need for previous and detailed definition of the project scope. Polisys competed with many other companies and represented the best proposal at the best price, so they were selected.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

The total value was about $400,000.

When was the project completed?

In May 2011, the system was officially released to internal users.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

The project has improved organization and availability of a great deal of information on Embrapa's research, along with the results in terms of new technologies. With a well-structured database, it was possible for Embrapa to establish stricter criteria for monitoring the projects, making its processes more efficient and effective.

How did Polisys perform?

As the person responsible for the execution of the contract, I can say that Polisys performed very well on every commitment.

What distinguishes Polisys from other providers?

Yes. I have noticed that Polisys went above and beyond contractual demands. It was possible to establish a real partnership with them since they perceived the importance of the project for the company and consequently for Brazil. They didn't remain in the comfort zone, just strictly following their obligations. On the contrary, they acted enthusiastic, persevering, and competent. 

In hindsight, are there areas in which they could improve or things you might do differently?

Due to Brazilian legal constraints, the execution of the project becomes quite bureaucratic, leading to productivity losses. But, this was not their fault, more of a Brazilian legal environment condition. With the experience acquired, I would hire Polisys again, but with different contract specifications to increase productivity.