Case studies
> Industrial
JARVIS
Carl Zeiss is a company that manufactures lenses for both eyeglasses and sunglasses. Its products include monofocal, bifocal and progressive lenses, as well as photochromic (which change color based on sunlight) and polarized lenses.
Zeiss needed a web-based tool to perform complex calculations and simulations of lens transmission and reflection, based on physical measurements. The application had to generate an eligibility document according to specific regulations (ISO, American, Australian and Chinese standards). The main challenge was to reconstruct the functionality of a complex calculation file previously used through reverse engineering logics and complete the missing features.
We worked on a platform hosted in Azure, using .NET 6 for the back-end (on Azure Function App) and Angular for the front-end, hosted on Azure App Service. The database used is Cosmos DB with APIs compatible with MongoDB. The backend is secured via an API Gateway that requires authentication via Azure Active Directory (Entra ID), thus ensuring a high level of security. Significant parts of the front end have been rewritten, fixing bugs and improving the overall stability of the application.
Moving from a VBA-based system for Excel to a professional web-based solution brought the following advantages:
> Improved efficiency: automation of data collection and analysis, reduced time needed to handle large volumes of information and reduced human errors;
> Data accessibility: lens data are easily accessible and searchable, thanks to a dynamic catalogue and advanced filters;
> Simplified management: The use of dedicated software simplifies data management and calculations, making the process faster and less prone to complications;
CRM for smart and effective management of construction sites and customers
Edil Group is a company operating in the construction and marketing of building materials. They offer a wide range of services including civil and industrial construction, renovation, electrical installations, as well as consultancy and customised furnishings.
Edil group, a company active in the construction sector, was already using Business Central for the management of company data but needed to integrate a CRM that would simplify and standardize internal processes, in particular the management of customers and sales offers. One of the main obstacles was the habit of end users, many of whom were not tech-savvy, to use traditional methods such as phone calls or paper documents, making it difficult to transition to a fully digital environment. The CRM therefore had to be simple and intuitive, as well as integrate seamlessly with Business Central, to allow fluid management of customer interactions, the sharing of sales opportunities between the various salespeople and the evaluation of salespeople’s performance.
The solution adopted leveraged the existing instance of Business Central as master data to manage customers and contacts, ensuring a solid foundation that users already knew. The integration between Business Central and CRM has been largely customized, using Azure and Power Automate to automate some business processes and connect the various systems. In particular, some tables have been integrated through Virtual Entity, while others have been developed with customized solutions to adapt to the specific needs of the company.
From a technical point of view, the CRM was developed on the Dynamics 365 platform, taking advantage of the advanced features of Power Platform to ensure flexibility and customization. Integrations were created with Sharepoint for document management and with Outlook to track email communications, which made it possible to centralize all customer information in a single platform. In addition, the adoption of Power Automate has made it possible to implement automated processes and generate dashboards for more efficient monitoring of business activities.
A further development underway concerns the integration of InfoManager, which allows the CRM to manage opportunities related to construction sites in a structured way, integrating them with the information already present in Dynamics 365. This integration will be carried out through APIs exposed by the InfoManager system, with custom fields to meet Edilgroup’s specific needs.
The main result of the project was the complete digitization of processes that were previously managed manually and on paper, greatly improving the company’s operational efficiency. Thanks to CRM, Edilgroup now has the ability to centralize all customer information, from the first interactions to the after-sales phase, in a single platform. This has reduced the risk of errors related to manual data management and improved the traceability of information.
In addition, the adoption of a simplified and intuitive user interface has ensured access even for less experienced users, allowing a large pool of employees to use the CRM with ease. Sales opportunity management is now fully digitized, allowing for greater collaboration between sales reps and improving performance evaluation. Finally, future integration with InfoManager will make it possible to keep track of opportunities related to construction sites, also centralizing this information in the CRM for more efficient management of the sales process.
In summary, the project represented a fundamental change for Edilgroup, which has seen a significant optimization of its business processes, an improvement in operational efficiency and greater satisfaction from end users thanks to the adoption of more advanced and integrated technologies.
Integrated Project Management
Leroy Merlin is a chain of shops specialising in the sale of DIY, gardening and household products. Founded in France in 1923, Leroy Merlin is now present in many countries around the world, including Italy.
Leroy Merlin has set itself the goal of improving and maintaining several internal projects. These include:
> Managing employee shifts to view and manage employee shifts;
> Department management which registers users to the various departments (till, carpentry, bathroom, etc.) and sends calls directly to the devices;.
> Loyalty Management;
> Appointment booking for craftsmenmanaging the appointment books for craftsmen;
> Courier selection which allows you to select the most suitable courier according to parameters such as weight and size.
The Blazar Group team, with a strong technical focus, supported Leroy Merlin in coordinating and planning the activities of these projects. The technologies used include:
> Java/J2EE, Spring, Spring MVC, Spring Boot, Spring Security, JPA, REST Web Services, React, Kotlin, Node.js
> Build tools and dependencies: Maven, Gradle
> Source code versioning: Git
> CI/CD: GitLab
> Databases: MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB
> App server: Tomcat
> Software containers: Docker
> Cloud services: AWS ECR, AWS CloudWatch, Google Cloud Platform Cloud Run, Google Firebase
The results achieved were:
> Operational efficiency: projects are now managed in an integrated way, improving operational efficiency;
> Enhanced user experience: the apps and solutions developed offer an intuitive and functional user experience;
> Meeting deadlines: thanks to the support of the Blazar Group team, Leroy Merlin met its schedules and delivery times..
Increased production efficiency
Tetra Pak is a leader in food processing and packaging solutions. The company works closely with customers and suppliers to ensure food safety.
The Blazar team collaborated on maintaining and improving a pre-existing platform, called Information Model, which is used to manage the various processes of creating their products.
The platform is divided into four parts:
> Supplier Model, for the management of supplier master data;
> Material Model, for the management of material master data;
> Plant Model, for the management of information relating to the plant starting from the production lines, equipment owned up to the individual events that may occur during production.
> Information Model, to represent the database of an industrial plant and support users in their operational tasks. The main challenge was to integrate a large stream of industrial data from various systems and ensure that all components communicated efficiently, while maintaining data integrity in real-time.
Blazar’s task was to manage the evolutions of the backend of the three components of the platform, together with some libraries that simplify interaction with it.
The platform is made up of microservices that run on Kubernetes; the back-end part is made in C# with the database managed with PostgreSQL, while for the front-end of the platform it is made with React, while for data access we used EntityFrameworkCore. The APIs were developed using Minimal API in .NET 8, adopting the Command and Query pattern. Any change to the data was notified via RabbitMQ, with integration messages that were processed by the various services subscribed to. The project was managed with Agile methodologies, with periodic meetings to plan activities (PI) and daily meetings to monitor progress.
The results achieved were:
> Operational efficiency: the platform is now more efficient, allowing optimized management of production processes;
> Technology integration: The use of microservices on Kubernetes has simplified integration and scalability;
> Intuitive user interface: Thanks to React, the user interface is intuitive and functional.
The project has standardized the structure of the various backends, significantly improving development time thanks to the use of shared NuGet packages. For TetraPak, this has meant significant automation of industrial tasks and an increased ability to track all operations efficiently.
NAVIGA
Coface is one of the world’s leading companies in commercial credit insurance. Founded in France in 1946, Coface has over 75 years of experience and an extensive international network
COFACE was faced with two main challenges the maintenance and evolutionary development of legacy software in Java, which had been used for over 20 years, and the creation of a new project, ‘Naviga Revamp‘, which required the rewriting of an existingdesktop application written in Power Builder. The existing system handled a wide range of bonding tasks and required modernisation with more modern technologies such as Quarkus and Vue.js.
For legacy bonding projects, we used Java/J2ee with anEJB3 architecture architecture for the back-end and business logic, supported by WebLogic as application server and PL/SQL for logic management on the Oracle database. On the front-end, the integration of Struts and PrimeFaces technologies optimised the presentation and control part.
In the ‘Naviga Revamp‘ project, we adopted a microservices approach with Quarkus for the back-end, exposed via a REST API, and Vue.js for the front-end. The team worked on IntelliJ, testing and executing integrations locally before moving the solutions to dedicated environments.
The first goal of the project is to bring the new registry into production by October 2024, using modern technology to improve the efficiency of bonding management. This will lead to a significant optimisation of COFACE’s business process, impacting all bonding-related operations.
Increased production efficiency
Repower is a company that has been active in the energy sector for over 100 years, with headquarters in Poschiavo, in the canton of Graubünden, Switzerland. The company operates mainly in Switzerland and Italy, covering the entire energy chain.
Repower needed to create a dedicated portal for consultants to manage prospect customers, billing and contract proposals. The project required a scalable and flexible solution that could adapt to changing requirements and integrate different business functionalities.
The technical solution adopted involved the development of a back-end in .NET 8, with SQL Server as the database and Redis for cache management. Communication between the various components was optimised with RabbitMQ, while integration and unit tests were handled with SpecFlow. For the front-end, we used Angular 17, with the implementation of custom libraries developed in-house by Repower, and differentiated the management for desktop and mobile devices.
The project achieved all its objectives, solving complex challenges. The new platform allows Repower’s consultants to manage operations more efficiently, improving productivity and the user experience.
Improved management of master data and orders
Arcese Trasporti is an Italian logistics and international transport company founded in 1966. It offers transport services by road, rail, sea and air, and is distinguished by its commitment to sustainability and innovation. The company is also active in social projects and sports sponsorships.
The projects developed for Arcese Trasporti had different challenges to face:
> the need to add new functionality and optimise the shipment management service in Europe. The existing code presented problems of slowness and some parts had to be rewritten or optimised;
> the implementation of new functionality and fixing bugs on a web portal used for master data management and order tracking, from creation to delivery. The main challenge was the management of a large amount of data and the complex relationships between the entities in the database.
We developed a new API call to improve front-end and back-end performance. Using C# in Visual Studio for the back-end and React for the front-end, we created and implemented call logics and endpoints, integrating them into the user interface according to customer requirements. The changes were tested locally by connecting to the database via SSMS and starting the development pipeline on Azure.
We adopted a server-side approach for managing the heaviest master data, implementing indexes to improve performance. The team worked with the client on a daily basis to resolve issues related to entity relationships and to constantly improve the system.
Inspex
Maire Tecnimont is an international industrial group involved in the transformation of natural resources. Its main activities include providing advanced technological solutions for the oil and gas industry, building complex industrial facilities and promoting sustainability.
The Inspex project was aimed at optimising Maire Tecnimont‘s CRM system, a CRM module that required a high level of customisation. The main challenge was theintegration andautomation of business processes, in particular the management of Work Orders and other key entities such as PO Header, PO Line, JAR, Email Message, Action List, Contact, Account, and MR. The system needed a flexible solution that would improve operational efficiency and business communication management.
To meet the client’s needs, we adopted a solution based on different technologies. We used JavaScript to develop Web Resources within the CRM, customising the system to fit Maire Tecnimont’s unique business processes.Power Automate was implemented to automate workflows, significantly improving the speed andefficiency of operations. In addition, customised plugins were developed using .NET Framework 4.6.1, to further extend CRM functionality and support customer-specific needs.
The results achieved were significant. The optimisation of the CRM system led to a reduction in process time through automation, resulting in greater operational efficiency. Information and communication management has been significantly improved. The functionalities planned for Wave 1 have been fully developed, and we are currently in a phase of optimising and improving these functionalities. In view of Wave 2, we are preparing to introduce new automations and further improvements to bring the efficiency of the system to an even higher level.
HSENI & FairValue Flow
ENI S.p.A. is a global energy company based in Rome, Italy, founded in 1953. It operates in 61 countries and employs over 30,000 people. Originally focused on oil and gas, ENI has evolved into an integrated company driving the energy transition towards sustainability.
The HSENI project was responsible for ensuring safety at work for ENI through a software platform that supported several key functionalities, such as checklists, inspection reports(SCC), and the management of reports of hazardous conditions or actions. The main challenge was to integrate the system with external services such as IRIDE toautomate reporting and synchronise information between several systems.
ENI was also faced with the need to modernise the management of Finance and Accounting tasks related to fair value for several group companies. The main objective was to simplify and automate the workflow for members of the finance team, enabling them to approve various process steps and generate reports quickly and efficiently. The challenge was to ensure that the new interface could integrate seamlessly with existing systems, while improving the management of data and CSV/Excel files.
Blazar’s task was to manage the evolutions of the backend part of the three platform components, together with some libraries that simplify interaction with it.
The platform is composed of microservices running on Kubernetes; the back-end part is done in C# with the database managed with PostgreSQL, while the front-end part of the platform is done with React.
The project has significantly improved ENI’s incident prevention capability, thanks to an automated system that quickly and securely manages reports and safety checklists. The platform optimised the reporting and control processes, reducing response times and improving risk management. The system allows compliance with corporate security regulations to be maintained in a more efficient and organised manner.
In addition, through collaboration with the client, ENI now has a centralised, automated portal that facilitates the control of the fair value process. Users can edit and manage values in bulk directly from the app, avoiding errors in manual file creation and significantly improving closing times. The project also includes integration with SAP for automatic data transfer, further simplifying the month-end accounting process.
> Automotive
Innovation and continuous updating in vehicle diagnostics software
BMW is a German manufacturer of luxury cars and motorbikes founded in 1916. BMW’s model range includes sports cars, saloons, coupes, cabriolets, roadsters, SAVs (Sport Activity Vehicles), SACs (Sport Activity Coupes), electric Grand Tourers and plug-in hybrids. BMW is also a manufacturer of aircraft engines.
BMW is committed to providing its customers, garages and authorised mechanics with an up-to-date vehicle diagnostics software always up-to-date, enriched with new features and actively supported for all kinds of problems.
The project involves large-scale programming to interface different backends, using state-of-the-art technology Blazar Group, in collaboration with international teams, is committed to keeping BMW software innovative and customer-friendly.
> Agile Methodology: The agile approach, in particular the LeSS framework, guides the development teams, coordinated by scrum masters and in constant dialogue with BMW Product Owners. Atlassian tools support the work, while MS Teams facilitates communication. Each sprint focuses on three main areas: new feature development, bug fixing and feasibility studies to anticipate future trends and meet customer expectations.
Technologies:
> .NET Framework 4.8
> C#
> MySQL
> Oracle
> MS Teams
> Atlassian Suite (Jira, Confluence, Bitbucket)
The results obtained were:
> Continuous Innovation: BMW’s diagnostic software is constantly evolving, introducing state-of-the-art solutions for more effective vehicle maintenance.
> Quality and Reliability: Timely bug fixes and feature updates ensure a high standard of quality and reliability.
> Proactivity and Anticipation: Proactive analysis of potential new features ensures that BMW remains at the forefront of the automotive industry.
Digital transformation in CRM for global customer management
Pirelli is an Italian company specialising in the production of tyres for motorbikes, cars and bicycles. The company has 18 production plants, located in Italy and abroad. Pirelli is constantly engaged in developing innovative solutions to meet the most specific mobility needs of the end consumer.
Pirelli set itself the ambitious goal of developing and maintaining an advanced CRM system with a database 500 GB of information on 4 million customers from 120 countries. The challenge was to integrate a heterogeneous data stream from different platforms using market-leading integration systems.
The Blazar team implemented innovative solutions for the Dynamics365 Middleware, supporting the transition to the new CRM with targeted developments:
> Data Import Portal: An intuitive user interface for efficient and secure data import into CRM.
> GDPR Portal: An EU-compliant system for the complete deletion of data, guaranteeing respect for customers’ privacy.
> Contact Optimisation: An advanced contact address reclamation and enrichment mechanism, exploiting Google’s API for georeferencing and data enrichment.
Technologies:
> Dynamics365
> Tibco
> Scribe
> SSIS
> Pentaho
> Google API
The advantages obtained are:
> Operational Efficiency: Pirelli’s CRM is now more efficient, with a simplified and secure data import process.
> Regulatory Compliance: The system fully complies with GDPR regulations, giving customers peace of mind about the management of their data.
> Data Quality: The accuracy and richness of contact data has been greatly improved, allowing for more effective segmentation and targeting.
> Fashion
Optimisation of order management processes
Ermenegildo Zegna is an Italian luxury fashion company founded in 1910 in Trivero, Piedmont. The company is one of Italy’s most internationally renowned businesses. The Zegna brand is a global leader in luxury menswear.
Ermenegildo Zegna was faced with a challenge: to effectively manage support requests (ticket) related to the application. This process required in-depth analysis planning for developments and releases of the application itself. Both a functional and technical approach was needed to ensure constant support. The consultants from Blazar Group were called in to solve this challenge.
The team at Blazar Group designed and implemented a solution aimed at improving the management of orders from Ermenegildo Zegna boutiques. The solution provides a streamlined and automated process, reliable data, constant monitoring of orders and allows users autonomy in the execution of procedures.
Technologies used:
> Oracle Data Integrator (ODI): For data integration from the IBMi database;
> TIBCO: Management of external orders;
> Oracle: Database for entering and managing order data.
The main objective of this project was to optimise order management for Ermenegildo Zegna, guaranteeing efficiency, accuracy and a constant product presence in the boutiques;
Blazar Group has been working on analysing, entering and monitoring orders. This project represents a strategic investment, improving collaboration with boutiques, improving operational management of orders and staff autonomy.
GEMINI
Custom S.p.A. is an Italian company founded in 1992 and specialises in the design, manufacture and distribution of printing solutions and automation systems for various sectors, including retail, industry, transport and logistics, gaming, sport and entertainment.
> Loro Piana – The project for Loro Piana involved the creation of a mobile application that would allow users to make purchases, integrating and updating existing services for managing payments in stores. A crucial goal was to migrate the existing web application to a mobile platform, maintaining the stability of the payment services already implemented and ensuring the correct management of transactions. Having recently arrived on the project, the main focus initially was on maintaining the existing application and fixing bugs, while the development of the mobile app was planned as a future step.
> Gemini App – The Gemini project involved porting the physical cash register, managed through a CRM, to a mobile app capable of supporting country-specific configurations and the functionalities required by individual customers. This porting posed a significant challenge, as configurations varied greatly between countries, requiring special attention to adapt functionality and ensure that the system was scalable and usable globally. The project also involved the transformation of an old service called Beanstore into Gemini, a new product that was more flexible and aligned with customer needs.
> Loro Piana – For the development of the mobile application and the management of payment services, an approach based on Java 17 and the Spring Boot framework was chosen, using a microservices architecture. This has allowed us to develop a highly scalable and flexible system, capable of supporting both existing payment functionalities and expansion towards new services requested by the customer. Working within a managed cloud environment with Ansible AWX, the team ensured the correct management of machines and data via SQL. At the moment, the work has focused on fixing bugs and implementing new services, pending the completion of the migration to the mobile platform.
> Gemini App – The solution for Gemini followed a development logic based on microservices, allowing to create a common part for all customers, while maintaining a monolithic architecture for the customizations required by individual countries. The working methodology followed was Agile, with the use of JIRA to track development and maintenance activities. The backend was developed using Spring Boot, and supporting technologies included Jenkins for builds, SSH for server management, and Ansible for automated configuration of environments. The team also made use of tools such as Oracle and Altova MapForce to manage data mapping between the various systems.
For Gemini, migrating Beanstore’s functionality to the new platform required a progressive rollout, releasing new features every two-week sprint. Thanks to the iterative approach, the team was able to meet the client’s critical deadlines, which had set a mandatory completion date of October.
> Loro Piana – The main goal of the project is to create a mobile application that allows users to make purchases directly from their smartphones, without the need to use a computer or physically go to stores. At the same time, the existing application for managing payments at the point of sale has been kept stable and updated. The project aims to complete the migration to the mobile platform, guaranteeing the customer a modern, efficient and accessible purchasing system.
> Gemini App – The team’s main achievement was the completion of the porting of physical checkout management features to the new Gemini mobile app, adapted to the different configurations required by individual countries. For the client Bulgari, the project saw the app put into production without significant bugs, ensuring a smooth transition from the old system to the new one. Each two-week sprint resulted in the release of new features or the integration of new countries, meeting the deadlines set by the customer and ensuring a smooth implementation.
In summary, the Gemini project has allowed Custom to provide a more flexible and scalable product, capable of adapting to the specific needs of each customer, while the project for Loro Piana has laid the foundations for a complete digitization of the purchasing process via mobile devices.
> Finance
Improving the efficiency of internal insurance processes
Eurizon is an asset management company and one of the leading asset managers in Europe. It offers a range of products and services to meet different needs and investment objectives.
Eurizon Asset Management has entrusted Blazar Group with the development of different software solutions based on Microsoft technologies. The collaboration focuses on a number of projects aimed at improving the efficiency of internal processes, data analysis and portfolio management..
Technologies used:
> ASP.NET;
> Windows Services;
> SmartClient;
> Data Quality;
> SQL Server (T-SQL, job, DTSX)
> Time series management application: allows the complete management of time series for funds and securities, including CAX (Corporate Actions) automates the import/export of data from different sources, offers advanced tools for monitoring market trends and the analysis of time series using mathematical formulas. Finally, the back office uses it to monitor market trends and control the evolution of time series.
> Institutional portfolio management application: allows the complete management of institutional portfolios. It offers powerful functionalities for the analysis and simulation of financial scenarios and enables the comparison of portfolios with benchmarks.
> Portfolio consultation dashboard: provides a comprehensive overview of portfolio levels and measures, allows monitoring of portfolio performance over various time horizons, and facilitates risk analysis and control.
> Portal for value series management: enables the consultation, modification and validation of product value series, offers a user-friendly web interface for series acquisition and calculation, and automates the value series management process, improving efficiency and accuracy.
The collaboration with Blazar Group enabled Eurizon Asset Management to significantly improve the efficiency of internal processes, data analysis and portfolio management. The solutions developed have helped to strengthen Eurizon’s position as a leader in the asset management industry.
The results achieved are as follows:
> Improved process efficiency: the solutions automate several manual tasks, freeing up valuable time for more strategic activities;
> Improved data analysis: advanced analytical tools provide a deeper understanding of markets and portfolios;
> Better risk management: dashboard and portfolio management applications provide comprehensive information for effective risk control.
> Increased flexibility and scal ability: solutions are developed on reliable and scalable Microsoft technologies, able to adapt to Eurizon’s growing needs.
Digitalising the management of information flows
Intesa Sanpaolo is an Italian bank that offers banking and financial services to individuals and companies. The bank was founded in 2007 and is the largest Italian bank by market capitalisation.
Intesa Sanpaolo aimed to improve the experience of its users and optimising the efficiency of its internal processes. It has entrusted Blazar with the development of two new web applications: a dashboard for managing call centre calls and a system for creating and monitoring the group’s advertising campaigns.
Call Management App: The main objective of the dashboard was to simplify and make more intuitive the management of incoming and outgoing calls from the call centre. The new application allows operators to:
> Verify branch opening and closing times in real time
> Record audio of conversations
> Automating appointment taking
> Set alerts to prompt certain users
Technologies used:
> .NET Core 3.1
> MS SQL Server database
> Angular
The second application, called Campaign Manager, was developed to allow Intesa Sanpaolo to efficiently create and monitor its advertising campaigns. The system offers a number of advanced features to:
> Create customised campaigns on different channels
> Define target audience
> Schedule sending of messages
> Monitoring real-time results
Technologies used:
> Angular
> Jenkins
> Digital micro-component architecture (Darwin)
The results achieved were:
> Improved user experience: The two web applications offer an intuitive and easy-to-use interface, enhancing the experience of both internal and external users.
> Process optimisation: The automation of various tasks has led to a significant reduction in management time and an increase in efficiency.
> Greater control and flexibility: The new applications give users greater control over their data and the flexibility to adapt campaigns to their needs.
> Insurance
Reinventing roadside assistance
Europ Assistance is a French company offering assistance and insurance services to individuals and businesses. Europ Assistance offers a wide range of services including roadside assistance, medical assistance, travel assistance, and concierge services.
Europ Assistance had the objective of improving and maintaining several internal projects.
These include:
> NCO2: The customer service platform needed modernization. The application, initially developed in .NET, has been redesigned using new technologies such as Node.js, React, MongoDB and Kubernetes to make it light, fast and modern;
> Electronic Invoice Automation – The main objective was to automate the accounting of electronic invoices (in XML format) received from suppliers, thus reducing management time and improving the efficiency of the accounting team.
> Implementation of Withholding Tax for Agents and Brokers: this project required updating accounting systems in compliance with the new tax regulations established by the Revenue Agency. The client wanted a solution that would allow them to meet their new tax obligations in a short timeframe, with a focus on withholding tax management.
> coreDRSA and mSite.NET: the CoreDRSA project represents the suite of services dedicated to roadside assistance and replacement car management through the Core portal. The main objectives were to adapt and optimize the operational management of the information recorded on the Core portal, synchronizing it with the local JUNO database. The mSite.NET portal, on the other hand, allowed end customers to request and manage roadside assistance independently, making the process more efficient and interactive.
> Portals + CRM – The project included the development and maintenance of several applications to enable consultants, business partners and private customers to purchase and manage Europ Assistance products. In addition, the project involved the maintenance of a Dynamics 365 CRM migrated to Azure and the integration of satellite applications necessary for managing complex business flows.
> Hospitality: Blazar Group has built from scratch a Web Rest API service for the provision of insurance coverage services in the auto, person and travel sectors. Technologies used include .NET 6.0, Docker, Kubernetes, and Oracle.
> NCO2 was the remake of this service platform. The application, initially written in .NET, has been redesigned with new technologies: Node.js, React, Mongo DB, Kubernetes to be light, fast and modern.
> Electronic Invoice Automation – We analyzed the various types of electronic invoices, examined the applicable VAT codes based on the nature of the goods or services, and created a mapping between the XML information and the data required by the SAP system. A solution has been implemented that automates the invoice accounting process, integrating the flows with Process Frame and SAP, and ensuring accurate management of VAT codes based on the date of issue and receipt of invoices. Extensive testing was conducted to verify that the system was functioning properly and provide support to end users.
> Implementation of Withholding Tax for Agents and Brokers – The team reviewed and modified existing processes to ensure compliance with new tax regulations. We conducted an in-depth analysis of the methods of application of the withholding tax, modified the accounting records and followed the verification tests. In addition, a training session was prepared and held for end-users on the use of the SAP system for the management of the new tax provisions.
> Portals + CRM – The applications have been developed following a standard frontend-backend architecture. The frontend was entrusted to external suppliers and built in Angular or MVC ASP.NET, while the backend was managed internally, developed on the .NET Framework 4.8. The Dynamics 365 CRM, recently migrated to Azure, has been integrated with other business applications via API, and we have implemented various custom services and a substantial console application in .NET. Maintenance was a key aspect of the project, ensuring the stability and optimization of the company’s functionality.
> CoreDRSA and mSite.NET – Technical solutions adopted for CoreDRSA included the use of GoLang to manage data transcription APIs on Azure Event Hubs, Node.JS for CRUD APIs dedicated to operations management on EventHubs, and .NET Core for vehicle identification, coverage, and service mission management APIs. The portal logic has been synchronized with the JUNO on-premises database. For the mSite.NET portal, we developed WebAPIs in C# for the backend and JS/HTML for the frontend, ensuring a smooth experience for end customers.
The processes related to both portals have been improved through bug fixing, refactoring, performance improvement and graphic optimization.
> Hospitality, a Web Rest Api service for the provision of insurance coverage services in the car, personal and travel sectors and we have chosen modern Microsoft technologies such as .NET 6.0, Docker, Kubernetes and Oracle, the database previously used by Europ Assistance.
The results achieved were:
> Platform modernization: NCO2 and DRSA are now more efficient, lightweight, and aligned with new technologies;
> Global integration: DRSA connects the local database (Country Italy) to the global platform, improving data management and efficiency;
> Enhanced insurance coverage services: Hospitality offers policy services in a new format, ensuring a better customer experience.
> Electronic Invoice Automation – The automation of the accounting process has led to significant time savings for the accounting team, allowing them to focus on more analytical tasks. The project was completed on schedule, greatly improving operational efficiency.
> Implementation of Withholding Tax for Agents and Brokers – The project has been successfully completed, meeting the required deadlines and ensuring the application of the new tax regulations. This allowed the customer to promptly adapt to the new obligations without compromising business continuity.
> Portals + CRM – Although the project was largely focused on maintenance and optimization, the work carried out ensured the stability and operational continuity of the digital platforms used by Europ Assistance for the management of sales and medical consultations. Applications integrated with Dynamics CRM have improved internal process management and customer experience.
> CoreDRSA and mSite.NET – The project has made it possible to centralize and standardize the provision of roadside assistance and replacement car services. Thanks to the optimizations and improvements implemented, the system is now able to manage assistance requests more efficiently, allowing Europ Assistance to add new business partners and scale the service internationally.
Modern Look and Feel for insurance products
Allianz is a German insurance company that offers insurance services to individuals and businesses worldwide. Founded in 1890, it is one of the largest companies by market capitalization and is present in more than 70 countries worldwide.
The need for Allianz is for a modern graphical user interface for the company’s core insurance products, namely Allianz Ultra Health, Home and Wealth, and in Allianz Ultra Business.
The development was carried out in collaboration withother suppliers, who took care of the back-end, infrastructure and database layers.
All these applications allow the insurer to configure the policy for the customer in all its various aspects and have several additional functionalities, including:
> Printing: generation of policy-related documents.
> Presentation: creation of presentation materials for customers;
> Predefined Policies: use of standard policies to simplify configuration;
> Exception Management: possibility of managing exceptions or specific changes.
> Discount Management: application of customised discounts.
The technologies used for the front-end include Angular 11 and Ngrx for state management. For development, Jest was used for unit testing and Mirage.js for managing stand-alone front-end development, reducing bugs and facilitating local development.
The results achieved are:
> Interdisciplinary collaboration: collaboration between different teams allowed the integration of specialised skills for the various layers of the software, ensuring a more robust and reliable end product.
> Advanced configurability: the possibility for insurers to customise policies in all their aspects allows them to offer a service tailored to specific customer needs.
> Operational efficiency;
> Software quality: thanks to the technologies employed.
> Medical
Optimisation of contract management processes
NMS Group is an organization committed to industrial innovation and management of the entire pathway of new pharmaceutical research and development, including for third parties. The mission of NMS Group is to discover and develop the new molecules and therapeutic strategies that will be able to represent the personalized care of cancer patients.
NMS Group contacted us following the development of two canvases on PowerApp with the task of concluding the two applications by performing the eventual testing and deployment to production: Contract Manager and Publication Disclosure.
We are currently still working to make evolutions in order to improve and expand their functionality.
Both of them were created with the purpose of digitizing and having all the necessities of the respective workflow within their O365 tenant, but some among the documents remained anchored for years without the eventual publication due to negligence on the approval flow given the lack of a system to monitor.
Contract Manager manages the approval of new contracts and procurements with external suppliers: it creates the new contracts and adds any approvers of the specific contract.
The final product presented by Blazar brings the benefit of optimized internal contract flow management through the implementation of solutions designed on:
> PowerAutomate for system process automation;
> SharePoint and Azure Active Directory for document cataloging;
> PowerApps for the front-end part used by the end customer.
Publication Disclosure is used for the approval of scientific papers, treatises and research to be published internally within the company. The technologies used are: Power Apps, Power Automate, and Sharepoint.
In addition to an initial bug fixing phase on the application, a number of evolutions were approved by the client and implemented to facilitate user interaction and understanding of the document review environment including: a progress bar, various intermediate screens, more efficient customization of role definition on Sharepoint (to speed up the document review and approval process), and email automation via Power Automate.
Thanks to this solution, NMS Group achieved:
> Efficiency: optimised contract management processes and reduced review times;
> Transparency: accurate monitoring of documents and approval flows;
> Improved user experience: intuitive and customised user interface.
Optimisation of tender management
Carl Zeiss is a company that manufactures lenses for both eyeglasses and sunglasses. Its products include monofocal, bifocal and progressive lenses, as well as photochromic (which change color based on sunlight) and polarized lenses.
The existing process involved the manual sending of e-mails between the various actors involved in the tendering process. All necessary documentation was attached to the e-mails, making the process lazy and prone to errors.
> Creation of an automated process (Tender Flow)
> Manual creation via form: A new record is created manually via a form in SharePoint. .
> Automating steps: Using Power Automate, the flow regulates and manages the creation of tasks in Microsoft Planner. These tasks are assigned to the persons involved according to their specific department.
> Monitoring of tasks: The flow listens for tasks. As they are completed, the process proceeds to the next steps.
> Creating documentation on SharePoint
> E-mail notifications: During the process, the system sends e-mail notifications to the users involved. The notifications are customised according to the task assignees and the user profiling matrix.
Thanks to this new system, Zeiss can work with greater cleanliness and speed during tenders. In addition, the customer has the possibility to make a retrospective on past tenders. The tables and lists on SharePoint, together with the reports in Power BI, provide detailed information, including any delays (e.g. delays in completing a task).
SHARE OF SELF
IQVIA is a leading global provider of advanced technology solutions and clinical research services for the life sciences industry. With its solutions, it helps companies and institutions transform the healthcare system and improve patients’ lives day by day.
The pharmaceutical industry requires constant monitoring of shelf space in pharmacies. However, vendors still have to manually check the spaces occupied by drugs of different brands during regular pharmacy visits. This process is time-consuming and subject to human error.
Blazar Group proposed Share of Self, an innovative application that simplifies shelf space management and supports salespeople in pharmacy visits.
Features:
> Capture shelf images via tablet;
> Time savings compared to manual verification;
> Accurate images to assess spaces;
> Respect for the spaces agreed with the pharmacies;
> Tracking of the occupied space: ccalculating the percentage of occupied space for each product;
> Uploading data to the IQVIA management system for further analysis.
Share of Self represents a strategic investment for IQVIA, optimising shelf space management and improving collaboration with pharmacies. The aim is to reduce verification times, provide reliable data and ensure the constant visibility of pharmaceutical products.
> Publishing
Centralising information management with Cloud Native portals
Messaggerie Libri is an Italian company engaged in the distribution of books and publishing products. Founded in 1945, Messaggerie Libri is now one of the leading Italian companies in the sector. The company is based in Milan and has a network of warehouses and branches throughout Italy.
The Messaggerie Libri system was developed to support the lifecycle of books by providing different services to different types of users, including title anaglaysis and consultancy. The system automates manual operations and includes a CMS for permissions and content changes.
The advantage of this system was that it could automate most of the work normally done manually.
Part of the system includes a CMS, which allows administrators to set access rights to specific sections and edit their content. For example, the company’s latest news, best-selling titles or simply a description of the various services offered.
The main project is a web portal for publishers, bookshops and employees of Messaggerie Libri, offering customised services for book management.
The second project is a portal for editing user information. The Blazar Group team is using the following technologies:
> CMS in C# (Umbraco)
> Applications in React
> API with ASP.NET Core
> PluginController of Umbraco
> Azure Functions
> Database SQL Server
> DevOps
> Boomi
> SAP
Thanks to the development of the application, the following results have been achieved:
> Personalisation: publishers, bookshops and Messaggerie Libri employees can access specific services for book management, adapted to their needs;
> Efficiency: the automation of manual operations simplifies data and content management;
> Centralisation: the centralised platform allows user information to be edited in one place;
> State-of-the-art technology: the use of modern technologies such as CMS in C# (Umbraco), React, APIs with ASP.NET Core, Azure Functions, SQL Server, DevOps, Boomi and SAP guarantees an advanced and scalable development environment.
Lift-and-shift of publishing platforms
RCS MediaGroup is one of the leading international multimedia publishing groups. Founded on principles of freedom, fairness and pluralism. RCS MediaGroup operates with stable and independent leadership.
> Telco
Open-source innovation in fibre optic management
Deutsche Telekom is a German telecommunications company. Founded in 1995, the company offers fixed-line and mobile telephone, Internet and pay television services.
As a response to the competition in the telecommunications sector, Deutsche Telekom launched an innovation initiative to enhance the efficiency and flexibility of its fibre-optic network. The goal was to create an open source management system, fully customisable and independent from external providers, for greater autonomy in operations.
The project involved the collaboration of 8 multidisciplinary teams, led by dedicated project managers, focusing on software, infrastructure, systems and networking. Blazar made an essential contribution, working in synergy with Deutsche Telekom’s DevOps team for the Life Cycle Management of servers and the configuration of Kubernetes, leveraging its expertise in open source and DevOps.
Technologies:
> Linux
> Docker
> Kubernetes
> Ansible
> DevOps
The results achieved were:
> Agile Development: Rapid implementation of new functionalities thanks to Kubernetes.
> Reduction of Costs: Elimination of outsourcing costs through in-house development.
> Control and Flexibility:Total autonomy in system management, with the possibility of integration and customisation.
> Open Innovation: Collaboration with the open source community for a future of continuous innovation.
Strategic management for marketing campaigns
The client, one among the greatest companies in media, needed a customised platform to optimise the planning, creation and coordination of its marketing campaigns.
The solution had to be solid, easily accessible and easy maintenance over time.
Blazar developed a customised platform that allowed the client to ccentralise the management of all marketing campaigns in a single system, ssimplify the campaign creation and approval process, and mmonitor real-time campaign progress, as well as generated detailed reports on results. The technologies used are:
> Power App Canvas
>Integration with Dynamics365
> Dataverse
> Flows Power Automate
> Integration with SharePoint
Thanks to the cooperation with Blazar, the customer was able to:
> Improving the efficiencyof the marketing process
> Increase visibility and effectivenessof campaigns
> Achieve a higher ROI
Innovative Monitoring of 5G Networks
Empirix is a U.S. based company that focuses on testing and monitoring the performance of telecommunications networks. The company offers a wide range of telecommunications network performance management products and services.
In the era of telecom innovation, Empirix selected Blazar to develop a revolutionary application for the infrastructure monitoring of 5G networks, aiming for a system that offered real-time analysis and predictive visibility.The synergy between Empirix and Blazar resulted in an agile and integrated working environment, where every sprint and task, managed through Jira, helped shape the future of 5G monitoring.
Below are the phases that characterised this project:
> Analysis: A deep dive into 5G technical specifications and identification of critical network parameters
> Software Development: The creation of a robust monitoring system in C++, using Protocol Buffers and a high-performance database to handle massive volumes of information.
> Integration and Visualisation: Processing of data in JSON and CSV formats for smooth integration and intuitive visualisation of network performance.
Technologies Used:
> C++
> Protocol Buffers (Google)
> Redis database
> JSON
> Jira (Atlassian)
The 5G network infrastructure monitoring application, realised through the partnership with Blazar, ensures a more efficient and reliable service for customers, resulting in numerous benefits:
> Real-Time Monitoring: Unprecedented visibility into 5G network performance.
> Predictive Analysis:Prevention of problems and optimisation of performance through data analysis.
> Flexibility and Scalability: A system ready to evolve with the 5G network.
> Intuitive Interface: A simplified user experience that turns data into clear insights.
