AtoZ & eSalary evolution in collaboration

Collaboration starts with understanding development needs

According to Rainer Wallenius, the tip about AtoZ came from within Heeros.

"We wanted to collaborate with a company that has a solid understanding of modern software development solutions and can recognize our goals and apply their expertise specifically to them. We were looking for an external perspective on our existing system and expertise to map out potential areas for improvement.

We hoped that our partner would be able to participate in both the technical evaluation of the solutions and in the practical implementation. Our focus from the start has been on service architecture design and smart implementation.

Previously, we worked with a consulting firm that didn’t fully grasp our goals. I heard positive things about AtoZ within Heeros, and thanks to the tip, I reached out to them. From the moment we started talking to AtoZ, we felt that we had found a partner who truly understood the task at hand," Wallenius recalls.

Workshops mapped out development areas and laid the foundation for collaboration

"AtoZ initially offered us a four-workshop package, through which we started breaking down the project goals into smaller parts and solving their implementation together. We quickly got to define the process based on a reasonable and credible foundation.

In the workshops, we reviewed our existing system and discussed in considerable detail what solutions we currently have and what we want to develop in the future. AtoZ's consultants provided expertise and insight into how to develop our system primarily using Spring Boot, Java, and React.

During the workshops, we ultimately concluded that we should develop an HR management feature alongside our payroll software, as we didn’t have one before. Our goal was to ensure that we could maintain detailed employee information, employment contracts, and other HR matters as part of the same payroll system," Wallenius explains.

Support for the implementation of the HR management system through both consulting and practical programming

According to Wallenius, AtoZ has provided not only consulting expertise in the workshops but also extensive experience in modern programming and hands-on work.

"We started implementing the HR management system together practically from scratch, integrating it with the ePalkat software. First, we created the core implementation, on which we started building the system’s features piece by piece.

Under AtoZ's guidance, we have developed concrete architectural solutions from the ground up, starting with software technology. When more complex tasks have arisen during the work, AtoZ's consultant has introduced us to the topic by creating a rough implementation and then walking through how it should be done properly.

As a result of the project, our system now includes more widely used web technology compared to before. Our product must be functional even ten years from now, so we haven’t been looking for a ‘flavor of the month’ solution. The goal has been to develop modern and sustainable mainstream technology without compromising quality, and we are convinced that we have achieved this with AtoZ’s help," Wallenius summarizes.

Achieving goals is the result of mutual understanding, staying on schedule, and great team spirit

The result of the collaboration between AtoZ and eSalary Evolution, the HR management system, has been released but is not yet in production. The software is expected to be in use in the near future, and the collaboration will likely continue in the future. According to Wallenius, the collaboration has been exceptionally successful overall.

"The process has worked excellently, and everyone has generally been on the same page from the beginning of the project. Throughout the year, everyone has known what we are doing and what tasks are on the agenda at each stage.

On a general level, the most positive thing has been staying on schedule. AtoZ's time estimates have been spot on, and we have met the goals on time. Before the collaboration started, we had already locked in daily scrums in line with industry practices, so we track the project’s progress in meetings every day. Although the HR management software project isn’t impossibly large, we’ve continually defined clear intermediate goals, and we’ve stuck to them.

In my experience, a consulting firm can copy-paste a lot of things for different clients, but I’ve never had the impression that AtoZ hasn’t considered our specific needs and used the space we provided during the partnership. The expertise they’ve gained has been channeled in a way that perfectly addresses our needs.

We’ve learned a lot along the way and have gladly embraced their knowledge and experience. I believe the mutual good spirit and learning have also increased AtoZ’s motivation to succeed in their work even more effectively.

I can wholeheartedly recommend AtoZ to others in need of consultation and programming expertise – in fact, I’ve already done so."

AtoZ’s service to eSalary includes:

• Workshop consulting for building payroll software and the integrated HR management system.
• Practical programming and comprehensive guidance on modern software development.
• Achieving goals on time – with great team spirit and high motivation.

If you’re looking for a software development partner for your company, get in touch with #AtoZteam!