Individual Software-as-a-Service (iSaaS) For 4 Applications
When ABB’s “Power Grids” division was sold to the Hitachi Group, the IT landscape of a globally active company had to be split up and re-commissioned within a few months. In the process, four applications from 1stQuad were taken over by the new company. We support the takeover respectively the “carve out” of software and data and since the start of operations we take care of support, operation and further development according to our “Individual Software-as-a-Service” (iSaaS) model.
Hitachi Energy
Hitachi Energy is a leading global technology company with a history spanning nearly 250 years and employs approximately 36,000 people in 90 countries.
A new company, 4 applications and data without end
The new company, or rather the Hitachi Energy joint venture, began operations on July 1, 2020. Around 30,000 employees relied on familiar and new IT systems. Among the familiar were 1stQuad’s applications for internal controls over financial reporting (ICoFR), its internal audit software suite, financial project portfolio management software for research and development, and its popular tool for entering and approving investments of all types.
The client and 1stQuad were faced with the challenge of delivering the applications on time, on new systems, and with exactly the data they needed. Not an easy task when you have to break down and consolidate years of historical data. In addition, the applications communicated with various peripheral systems that had also been taken over and faced the same challenges. However, thanks to good planning and collaboration across all company boundaries, we made it: by July 1, the applications and support were successfully up and running.
1stQuad – the logical supplier?
In a global scenario and as part of a strategy to reduce the number of IT systems and suppliers to a minimum, 1stQuad itself as a development partner was not in the best position to win the contract for operations. However, the offer for “Individual Software as a Service” convinced the responsible persons also from an economic point of view and proves since then that it is possible to increase the efficiency in support, operation and further development of such a complex software suite/platform when all services come from one source.
Individual Software-as-a-Service: Support, operation and further development
The end user support and further development of the four applications, the operation of the applications on the respective web and database servers as well as the interfaces to various peripheral systems have been taken over by 1stQuad since mid-2020.
As customer requirements become more intensive and complex, new business models are required from full service providers. Our “Individual Software-as-a-Service” model is convincing not only because of the time and cost advantages, but also because it eliminates the separation between developers and service staff. This means that the entire know-how for the solution is available to the customer at all times.
1stQuad is responsible for the support of ITIL levels 2-4 for the applications in use worldwide, the operation of the applications and in the context of configuration and change management 1stQuad also takes over all services for troubleshooting, changes and enhancements. We rely on our proven mixed model: local employees responsible for service are complemented by a well-rehearsed team of top developers from our nearshore partners.
Individual expansion and off to the cloud
After the focus in the first months was primarily on smooth operation and establishing the support, change and maintenance process, adaptations to the organization and specific processes of the new company and the parent company are now being implemented. 1stQuad is working with three different “internal customers” and teams. Thanks to uniform and streamlined processes and a pinch of individuality for each customer, we had already achieved a high level of customer satisfaction after a short period of time. In the future, the applications will be moved to the Microsoft Cloud and to a Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) model.
Our Individual Software-as-a-Service (iSaaS) model is primarily about combining the advantages of Software-as-a-Service and individual development.
This means that the customer doesn’t have to worry about operations and can reap benefits such as improved application performance, faster response times to support requests, lower costs, higher profitability and greater end-user satisfaction.
But unlike normal SaaS solutions that offer a predefined feature set and limited customization options, with iSaaS the customer uses custom development that is tailored to their exact needs.
With optimized performance and future-proofing, your application will drive your business forward. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help your business grow!
