Mitsui Bussan Co., Ltd./Mitsui Knowledge Industry Co., Ltd.

Description

The project aimed to replace an existing Salesforce-based platform with a new, cost-effective, and easily maintainable cloud-based application. The company sought to develop this new platform from scratch to overcome the limitations of the old system, such as high monthly costs, difficulty in maintaining the platform, and challenges in implementing new features or integrating with other software. The goal was not only to onboard new clients but also to transition existing clients from the previous system, including the migration of their data to the new platform.

Technologies Used

Responsibilities

• Collaborated with the outsourced team to decide on the tech stack
• Helped build a prototype mini-project during initial research and development
• Primarily responsible for frontend development and API integration
• Conducted code reviews for team members
• Assisted team members in resolving issues
• Engaged in pair programming to ensure project success
• Contributed to the development of a UAT application for gathering feedback

Challenges and Solutions

Challenge: The project involved starting from scratch with a small team of 3-4 people, using many new technologies and services. This required learning on the go, which sometimes led to a loss of best coding practices due to time constraints. One major challenge was managing large volumes of data provided by the Stonkam server, requiring proper data structure and optimized queries for report generation.

Solution: Negotiated for an extended timeline, adding an additional 50% to original estimates where possible, providing buffer for unexpected issues. For handling big data, focused on proper data normalization, choosing between relational and non-relational datasets, and considering Big-O complexity during implementation. Promoted knowledge sharing within the team through daily stand-up meetings to stay aligned and overcome technical hurdles.

Achievements

• Successfully delivered the production platform within 6 months
• Transitioned clients from the previous Salesforce-based platform 3 months later
• Achieved 90% reduction in maintenance costs through open-source technologies
• Eliminated Salesforce's user-based fees
• Earned high client satisfaction, resulting in contract extension from 3 to 6 months
• Team expansion from 4 to 6 engineers due to successful performance
• Strengthened client trust in the outsourced development team

Key Learnings

• Experience in selecting open-source libraries based on community support and update frequency
• Improved communication skills in a multicultural team environment
• Effective collaboration with team members from diverse backgrounds
• Preparing comprehensive documentation for new developer onboarding
• Strategies for making meetings more efficient and productive