bitstar Inc., a company specializing in software services and infrastructure development, recently embarked on a project to develop a data management system for a research institute. However, they faced challenges in strengthening their internal resources to meet the project’s requirements. In search of a reliable partner, bitstar collaborated with “Mynavi Corporation” – NAL Solutions Joint Stock Company, a reputable company known for its expertise in system development. This article explores the development process and the feedback provided by Mr. Shogo Nomura, development team leader at bitstar Inc.
The story
In the fall of 2022, bitstar received a request from a research institute to develop a data management system. Specifically, the research institute wanted to create a website that would allow users to browse, analyze, and process research data. Since the research data is confidential, this project requires a high level of security.
Mr. Nomura explained that the data management system project presented several technical challenges, particularly due to the need for a high level of security. Since the project required a programming language not readily available among Japanese companies, bitstar turned to Mynavi Corporation – which is earned into business alliance with NAL Solutions Joint Stock Company, offered the support of its Vietnamese team. Due to its reputation and fulfilled requirements, Mr Nomura made prompt decision to work with Mynavi.
Impressions during the Development Process:
The development process began with technical verification, as there was no pre-existing blueprint for the system. This meant that both parties had to start from scratch and rely on flexible feedback to overcome challenges. Despite the difficulties, Mr. Nomura appreciated NAL Solutions’ unwavering commitment and persistence throughout the project. He particularly highlighted their support in the research work, which posed significant challenges for the engineers. We communicated frequently through daily reports, weekly Zoom meetings, and the Slack system helped facilitate smooth collaboration.
Feedback after Delivery:
As the project progressed, bitstar and NAL Solutions worked together to address issues and make incremental improvements. Mr. Nomura expressed gratitude for NAL Solutions’ support in solving difficult problems and overcoming the initial resource challenges faced by bitstar. He mentioned that the collaboration had been a valuable learning experience, allowing bitstar to expand their technical capabilities and successfully complete the project. Overall, the satisfaction level and recommendation level of bitstar were rated at 80%, indicating a high degree of pleasure with the collaboration.
Looking ahead, bitstar expressed a desire to continue cooperating with NAL Solutions in the future. Mr. Nomura shared that they had already requested another project with MyNavi, highlighting their confidence in NAL Solutions’ abilities. While the collaboration was highly satisfactory, bitstar indicated that a slightly higher level of technical knowledge would have been beneficial for addressing challenges more swiftly. In addition, bitstar mentioned that language barriers, specifically with reports written in English only, could be addressed to enhance communication.
In terms of future prospects, bitstar aims to stay updated with the latest advancements in information technology, particularly in the domains of AI and ChatGPT. They intend to leverage these technologies to promote digital transformation and digitization, while also contributing to the development of IT in Hokkaido and Japan as a whole.
The interview with Mr. Nomura
Question: There are many companies providing similar products, so why did bitstar choose “Mynavi” as its partner?
Mr. Nomura: I searched for various companies to place the order, but I needed help finding Japanese companies that could handle the necessary programming language for this project. In that situation, “NAL Solutions”, which earned into business alliance with Mynavi told me their Vietnamese team could handle it. NAL Solutions is a reputable company, so I felt it is the company to work with.
Question: How did the development process of the system start?
Mr. Nomura: The comprehensive system development process started in early 2023. Just as you need a blueprint when building a house when developing a system, you must first write the technical specifications in a document and then program based on it. Therefore, when outsourcing software development, a common process is to determine who the product is produced for, what its functions are, and what types of screens it has, and then base the development requirements on it.
However, this time, we had to start with technical verification, so we started from scratch without any “blueprint.” Unlike typical requirements, the project requires a lot of flexible feedback, so I would assume that they face many challenges. However, Mynavi team never gives up, no matter how difficult the task is, and always persistently responds from start to finish. I am particularly grateful for their support in research work, which is the most challenging task for engineers.
The system is expected to be completed by mid-2023. We have been verifying with Mynavi, and while sharing the results with each other, we are aiming to solve the problems step by step. We have requested a lot to Mynavi, and it brought many challenges for them. In spite of that, they were always sincere in their dealings so we greatly appreciated it.
Question: Please let us know your satisfaction level and recommendation level after working with Mynavi.
Mr. Nomura: Both the satisfaction level and recommendation level are 80%. I am almost satisfied with this order. We were able to respond quickly and smoothly on a daily basis.
However, if I were to talk about my personal desire for this order, I think I wanted slightly higher technical knowledge. Of course, there are areas where our technical capabilities are insufficient, but I feel that if equipped with more advanced technical knowledge, we would be able to solve problems more quickly.
We look forward to cooperating with Mynavi – NAL Solutions again, so we have also requested another project. The remaining 20% is the expected value in the future.
Question: Do you have any requests or improvements you want to implement with Mynavi – NAL Solutions?
Mr. Nomura: The Vietnamese team responded well this time. The person who communicated with has experience studying in Japan, so we were able to communicate in Japanese, so we didn’t encounter any communication issues.
Conclusion
The collaboration between bitstar Inc. and NAL Solutions exemplifies the value of partnerships in overcoming challenges and achieving successful project outcomes. By leveraging each other’s strengths, the two companies were able to deliver a robust data management system while fostering mutual learning and growth. As technology continues to evolve rapidly, NAL Solutions confidently develops innovative and meaningful IT solutions for the world.