Consulting

If your business is in a fix and requires resources with project experience, we can help. We do not advertise for consultants – we do the consulting ourselves! This way, we can offer you maximum flexibility. For instance, if you need a resource for only two days a week, then we can help you out; this is something that you won’t get if you go with a recruitment firm.

What kind of consulting services do you offer?

Java/Spring/J2EE Consulting

One of our specialities is Java based consulting. We have over 20 years of experience building applications using Java/Spring/J2EE technologies. During this time we have built our own bespoke eCommerce & Content Management System, built bespoke web applications and systems for our customers and also enhanced and supported existing applications. We can assist with the implementation of new systems or existing applications; if you are looking to extend with a new module or have some problematic issues, we can help pinpoint the troublemaking aspects and ensure that everything is running smoothly, efficiently and provide ongoing support for your applications. We can also undertake system architecture reviews and provide system architecture or project management assistance for your projects.

Business Workflow Consulting

As businesses grow and pivot to meet challenges from the market, the original workflow that was in place may no longer fit. Workarounds are put in place, and before long, they are the accepted practice. This means that the processes aren’t as efficient as they once were, and time and money are lost. We can help identify critical areas of the workflow process that are weakening the system and rework it. This aspect can be done as part of a larger project, but sometimes the whole project doesn’t need to be rebuilt, just tweaked. We are passionate about removing redundancies, ensuring that the business processes reflect the current business situation, and thinking about where the business might be in the future.

Application Support

Support for your application is a vital aspect to help your business thrive. If it’s not supported adequately, things can become complicated very quickly. Issues go unfixed, ideas for growth are not implemented, which can make working in and on your business feel like a chore rather than an exciting opportunity. We can tailor support packages to your needs, which can be scaled up or down as required.

Data Import Consulting

Our Data Importer Framework is a flexible framework used to transform data between data sources, apply validation to data, apply business rules during the transformation process and create rules that we can re-use across multiple imports. The framework was initially developed for our book customers before being utilised by several non-book customers due to its generic and customisable design and has been in use since 2009. Our framework is also capable of processing millions of updates daily.

Examples of implementations include:

  • Nielsen Bookdata Bibliographical Import
  • Nielsen Bookdata Image Import
  • Ingram Price & Availability Import
  • Baker & Taylor Price & Availability Import
  • Gardners Price & Availability Import
  • Bertrams Price & Availability Import
  • Lightning Source E-Books Import
  • Trade Services DVD Import
  • All Interactive DVD Imports
  • Onix based supplier Imports
  • Ad-Hoc supplier Imports in various formats (for example, Pearsons Import)
  • Ingram CDF
  • Lightning Source E-Book Fulfillment
  • Gardners E-Book Fulfillment
  • Retail Express
  • Booknet
  • Advanced Retail
  • BookMine

What’s the process?

The actual project work is dependent on the type of project, but the process will begin with:

01. Consultation & Current Application Assessment

We begin with an in-depth consultation with you and your stakeholders to ensure that we have as much information as possible about your current systems. We will also identify parts of the system or workflow that are causing issues, which are working well, and any new ideas or modules that will help your business continue to grow. We will determine what aspects of the system need to be re-worked or if a whole system rebuild is required. We will then decide which technologies will be appropriate for the project.

Do you have an idea for a project? Let’s chat!