Primero’s custom software development process is unique. How do we know? We developed it. After all, we are a custom software consultancy and development company.
We call it Primero’s Solution Accelerator, or PSX, because the base functionality of your application begins with a proven, powerful, enterprise-level Primero-developed offering, saving you time-to-market, implementation and budget.
Imagine. What if your funding request for custom functionality could be significantly lower? Well it can with PSX!
One of the immediate advantages of working with Primero Systems is the tremendously robust software foundation we offer that becomes the basis of your unique solution.
As you think about a relationship with us, you’re probably thinking about those elements of functionality that are needed to attain a competitive edge or operational efficiency. What’s likely not top-of-mind are all the necessary infrastructure components that truly define a commercial-grade software solution. Things like User Management, Roles and Permissions, Application Security, etc. Well, we did that thinking for you.
Since every software solution requires these foundational elements, we invested heavily in PSX and created a strategic platform to host your unique functionality as a value and benefit of working with us.
Our foundation instantly provides the following key elements:
- Optimized for the cloud from day one. Our solution embodies a multi-service architecture to ensure that each functional component employs the most appropriate cloud-based technology solution.
- Cross Platform. You can confidently deploy your application with equal performance on Linux or Windows servers.
- Open Source technologies. We have selected only the top-of-the-line applications to best serve the critical need for your system throughput and reliability.
- Extensible and scalable service-oriented architecture. Beyond selecting the best-in-class technologies, our architecture was built to massively scale on demand as you need it to. Also, because of our multi-services design, adding new features and functions is simple and straight-forward.
- Automated QA process. Our foundation is complete with a full range of automated regression test routines to ensure that any new feature or function does not impair existing functionality.
- Demonstrable application foundation. Our PSX product is not just a goal, it is reality. We would be proud to provide you with a demo of the fully functioning application.
When you start a new project with us, it starts from the latest version of PSX. This means that our baseline is not a static piece of software that will become obsolete. We are continuously investing in the platform, so every customer will always receive the latest proven rendition. Also, because PSX is built upon our multi-service architecture, subsequent updates can be seamlessly retrofitted into existing systems its developed on.
Here are the specific functional modules that your custom software project is built upon using PSX:
- Authentication and Authorization. It’s vital to know who or what is accessing your system (authentication) and if with that access, what actions are they authorized to do (authorization)? In other words, only if you know the “secret handshake” are you invited to the party! Whether it’s a user logging on with a username & password, or an integrated partner system sharing or requesting resources, we need to make sure that person or process is truly who they’re represented to be. All our authentication processes are fully secure using state-of-the-art encryption technologies. Unless your system should have an “open door policy”, you’ll benefit from knowing that only those with the proper invitation are allowed in.
- User Management. Virtually every enterprise software system has users. Those users are typically employees, contractors, vendors and other folks affiliated with your company. If there’s anything constant about your system’s users, it’s that there’s nothing constant. Your user base will always be in a state of flux. Every system we build has a robust user management system allowing you to add users, change existing user details, suspend users, and even remove their access permanently. User profiles can be tailored instantly to match the needs of your ever-changing user base.
- Roles & Permissions. Along with users, comes the need to control their access to the system. This is where we shine. Our systems give you complete control over determining who has access to what, and what permission they are granted with that access (i.e. view, add, modify and/or delete). Every bit of functionality in our systems can be made available to any group or groups of users as you deem best. We don’t force you into pre-determined sets of access privileges. Instead we give you the complete freedom to design your access privileges to match your business requirements. This ensures that the right people in your organization have access to the right information at the right time.
- Emailing engine. An oft-overlooked foundational element of any software system is the ability to effectively communicate with its users via email. Sometimes it’s necessary to convey instructional information such as new user registration/confirmations, forgotten password instructions, etc. Other times, email notifications are sent to let you know that a report is ready to view, or a new key metric has been achieved, or any number of custom scenarios. You benefit knowing that you have a built-in, emailing system keeping you and your users informed to key events.
- Reporting engine. An old saying in the world of system design is that “a system is defined by its output.” In fact, today more than ever, your system’s data is becoming increasingly more valuable. However, if you are not gaining powerful insights from your captured data, you are not maximizing your investment return. Not only do all our systems offer reports tailored to your exact needs, as you would expect, but we’ve made getting those reports as easy on you as possible. Long-running report queries can be kicked-off and run in the background while you continue to be productive. The system will notify you when the report is ready to view. Or maybe you wish to have certain reports available to you on a pre-determined schedule. We’ll run them in the timeframes you desire and send you the output or notify you of their completion (or both!). Our systems report to you on your schedule, not the other way around.
- Audit trails. When data in your system has been added, deleted or modified, you can be exposed to some potentially libelous situations if you don’t know how that change came about. Who did it? When was it done? Without these answers, you certainly can’t determine why. Every system we build automatically records and permanently retains user and system initiated data changes. Quite frankly, you (and potentially your legal team) need to know who modified what data, when, and exactly what changed. To fully understand the implications of that change, you need to know the old value and the new value, and be able to recreate the complete history of those changes. Of course, given the rate of data transformation, it is a very complex engineering feat and if not implemented correctly can severely impact system performance. Rest assured though, we’ve tackled this difficult challenge head-on and our solution provides you the audit trail insight that you need without any perceptible impact on system throughput.
- Visualization engine. We all love our data and the valuable insights that it can provide. However, when is too much of a good thing, simply too much? As far as data goes, it’s too much when you have lost the ability to consume it in any meaningful way. Where a report filled with rows and columns of numbers may be hard to comprehend, it’s often helpful to visualize your data in a graphical format. As they say, “a picture is worth a thousand words”. Let us show you how our systems turn Big Data into Big Insights through stunning and effective visualizations, and how those in turn can give you the competitive advantage you’re looking for.
- Control Panel Dashboard. It used to be that a software system consisted of one “hunk” of monolithic code that ran the entire system. Technology has come a long way over the last decade. Modern systems are infinitely more complex and interactive. (See our section on Microservices for more details.) Having a system like this with no ability to get an instant over-arching view of the performance of each of its parts is like driving with a blindfold on. Our systems give you the ability to see at-a-glance the key performance indicators of each of the underlying sub-systems. This will give you the peace of mind “knowing” that your system is performing to its full capabilities, instead of simply blindly trusting it is.
- OWASP Compliant. “Every vibrant technology marketplace needs an unbiased source of information on best practices as well as an active body advocating open standards. In the Application Security space, one of those groups is the Open Web Application Security Project (or OWASP for short).” (www.owasp.org)
An enterprise application is a security time-bomb if it isn’t protected. We don’t just apply our own rigorous security best practices, but we also live up to the standards as established by OWASP. Their standards are the result of the collective wisdom of the best minds in software-security worldwide. In every regard, we meet or exceed OWASP standards covering subjects including:
- Application architecture
- Hosting infrastructure
- Security requirements
- Threat assessments
- Coding standards
And much, much more. It’s a high bar to hurdle, but from our perspective, it is a must. In a world where data breaches and application intrusions are virtually daily news, you can rest assured that our systems adhere to a global set of standards designed specifically for your protection.
- GDPR Compliant / Right of erasure. “The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)…is a regulation…intend[sic] to strengthen and unify data protection for all individuals within the European Union. It also addresses the export of personal data outside the EU. The GDPR aims primarily to give control back to citizens and residents over their personal data...” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Data_Protection_Regulation).
If you do business in the EU or have data from users within the EU, then GDPR may apply to you. Enforcement date is May 25, 2018 - “at which time those organizations in non-compliance will face heavy fines.” (www.eugdpr.org) If this is a concern for you, then you’ll be happy to know that our systems are fully GDPR compliant.
As you well know, your funding request for custom functionality would be significantly higher if you were to factor in these necessary components.
With PSX, that is not required. Your functionality is built on top of this remarkably robust engine thus saving you development expense, but more importantly, getting your product on-line or to market in the shortest possible timeframe.
So, consider that your next custom software project be built on the PSX foundation. Save your company time and money and give yourself the peace-of-mind that comes from working with a company that has over two-decades of custom software consultancy and development experience. Before you begin your next custom software project, think PSX.