Business Challenge
The client needed a software solution for sales associates/field engineers to quickly configure and estimate customized commercial and industrial ventilation systems. The company had unsuccessfully tried to deploy a solution three times with previous vendors and it was necessary get the new system up and running. In addition to end-user functionality, the application needed to integrate to manufacturing, planning, inventory control and other systems.
Our Approach
The company selected C2 because of our experience in delivering complex robust systems. We performed analysis on prior points of failure and lessons learned during past attempts. C2 also helped the company redefine the business requirements.
Based on an in depth analysis we made the following recommendations:
- Enhance the level of planning and project management
- Engage the business and include them as part of the project delivery team (sales and operations)
- Modify the project methodology and include more rigorous quality assurance and software testing
- Design a technology architecture that would improve performance and reduce technology debt (support costs)
- Conduct the development “in-house” to improve efficiency and help the client with knowledge and skill transfer
The client approved our recommendations and we proceeded to design and build the solution. We developed the complex application using the Microsoft .Net platform. The application featured a robust calculation engine and full integration to other interdependent systems. In addition to the “industrial strength” back-end, the application has a rich user interface for CRM and features that supported their evolving business needs.
The Result
C2 successfully replaced a legacy application that had a high cost of maintenance with a modern, scalable solution. In addition to a lift in business efficiency, competitive market advantage and a fully integrated platform, the new solution created the opportunity for new functionality for the sale of replacement parts which drove an additional revenue opportunity of 20 million dollars annually.