Senstate Technologies

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I lead a nonprofit organization established at the end of September 2019 with the main objective of supporting the innovation and digital transformation of SMEs in our region. The members of our organization include members of a local technical university, regional authority, municipality, chamber of commerce, and several innovative companies. Our main efforts are to support the companies in our region to be competitive and innovative to survive and face the challenges of globalization.

I’m the chairwoman of the management board, which consists of five people including our mayor and three others from different industry sectors.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Senstate Technologies?

In one factory, we have an intelligent waste bin project and hired Senstate Technologies to create a sensor network to detect when the bins are empty or full to optimize waste collection.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They positioned different sensors in the system to collect data that is then processed through a cloud-based system connected with AI and machine learning. They trained the system to not only provide information and make decisions on time but also to take some low-level corrective measures.

They created the software themselves, and while they did purchase some sensors, others they built themselves as well. They work on-premises, but if it’s possible, some of their team members work remotely. They also provide maintenance.

Additionally, they’ve developed solutions for monitoring air and water quality, as well as traffic.

What is the team composition?

There are two great software engineers involved. I’m not exactly sure if one of them is a software architect, though. The owner and chairman of the board of directors is also a great software specialist and he creates the software himself. Whenever it’s necessary, he hires additional people for different types of work.

How did you come to work with Senstate Technologies?

I studied together with their owner, and his father was a programmer. He followed in his father’s footsteps and is a hard worker. When we started this project, we were looking around for someone young with a technical background that was able to employ different types of software and hardware techniques. Senstate Technologies’ ideas were good for this environment.

When it comes to environmental issues, you’re often not dealing with a private company, and when you sell a product to a private company, negotiations are easy because the company decides for itself. However, when you deal with environmental data, you have to deal with municipalities, regional authorities, governments, and so on. This requires support because they don’t make the decisions immediately themselves. Senstate was willing to be in touch with all the different mayors from different towns in the region and even with the central management authorities of the schools.

How much have you invested with them?

I don’t know exactly how much money has been spent because we also pay back their support with introductions to important contacts in another region. I would say that we’ve invested about $10,000 to date.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in December 2019, and it’s an ongoing partnership.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I’m 99% satisfied with their work. They’ve exceeded my expectations.

For pharmaceuticals, you must measure temperature, humidity, and other factors every three hours. It’s very stressful for employees to do this every three hours so we have the digital stations created by Senstate Technologies to perform this task by the minute.

We haven’t had any bugs, and I can monitor the stations every day. We even purchased additional stations from them, as they’re quite reliable. I receive emails whenever the parameters are outside of the set limits.

How did Senstate Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re doing quite well with project management, and I’m willing to support them whenever it’s necessary. We have in-person meetings and also communicate over Viber, WhatsApp, and Zoom.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’ve met one of their competitors, but they have very high prices and I’m not sure if they make the stations themselves — never mind if they’re reliable. What I do know is that Senstate Technologies puts a lot of effort into studying the European legislation surrounding the monitoring of the quality of the environment and obtaining certifications from laboratories.

They’re not employees for the Innovation Center but rather are members of the board so they dedicate their time to their work with us. They also present their information in a well-designed, clear, and professional way for the audience. Senstate reads a lot, educate themselves continuously, and listen to people with more experience.

Are there any areas they could improve?

You need to improve to stay competitive, but I’m not sure how they could improve.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be collaborative with them and open to talking.