Identify optimization potential with architecture review
How BiPRO Service GmbH was able to gain clarity about its core application in just a few days
BiPRO Service GmbH is a subsidiary of BiPRO e.V., which focuses on the networking and standardization of processes between insurance companies and brokers. With in-depth industry knowledge and close ties to the standardization community, the company develops solutions that facilitate data exchange and integration into existing systems.
The project at a glance
- Successful support in a sensitive and time-critical situation
- Software architecture review completed together with the customer for a core application within just a few days
- Critical risks identified and successfully assessed in terms of their likelihood of occurrence and impact
- Preparation of a final report that was used directly by the client's management for further, well-founded decisions
Background
BiPRO Service GmbH operates the BiPRO Hub, a neutral, cloud-based platform for insurance companies. Insurers can use the BiPRO Hub to offer standardized digital services, for example for application or portfolio processes, for brokers and other partners. This means that insurance companies do not have to set up separate connections for each partner, but benefit from a central connection - saving time and effort and reducing technical complexity.
The hub is a core product of the company and its future viability had to be ensured. Due to upcoming strategic decisions, the current status was to be evaluated in a timely manner in order to provide a basis for the Executive Board to decide on the next steps. The aim was to determine where the company stood with the hub. An independent and well-founded evaluation of the software solution was urgently required for this. A well-founded basis for decision-making had to be created in a partner setup with BSG within a short space of time - an extremely tight deadline, as the evaluation of a software architecture normally takes several weeks.
The initial situation presented several challenges:
- Complexity of the software - The software had a sophisticated structure and required a deep understanding of the architecture, the underlying development processes and the test strategies.
- Unclear requirements - At the beginning, it was not clear which specific requirements and evaluation criteria were crucial for the company.
- Remote-only - The entire analysis had to be carried out completely remotely, which required additional coordination and structure.
Solution
The LASR (Lightweight Approach to Software Reviews) format was used to quickly gain the important insights required by the client: a lean, flexible and goal-oriented process that perfectly matched the client's tight timeframe. Results-oriented workshops were designed to achieve the following goals:
- Clarify what the software solution is about in the client's context and which aspects are particularly important
- Determine the five most important success factors based on DIN/ISO 25010 quality characteristics and define clear expectations for each of these
- Collect and assess potential risks for the company, as part of a “pre-mortem” analysis in terms of probability and impact
- Conduct targeted analyses only for areas where the current status deviates significantly from expectations - similar to the ATAM process, but only where it is really relevant
The workshops were conducted by codecentric together with a team of decision-makers from the customer to ensure a sound and practical basis for decision-making.
Excursion: What is LASR?
Many companies are constantly faced with important decisions regarding their software architecture - often under great time pressure. The LASR format for software reviews makes it possible to achieve clear and reliable results in a short space of time without compromising on quality. This means that strategic decisions can be made faster and more reliably.
Result
At the end of the review, not only was a clearly structured report on the software solution available, but also a reliable basis for decision-making for the management of BiPRO Service GmbH - in just a few days.
While traditional architecture evaluations such as ATAM normally take several weeks, the lean LASR format enabled a much faster yet targeted analysis. Thanks to close collaboration in the workshop and a focused process, focused and reliable results were achieved despite high complexity and time pressure. The report made the most important features and potentials of the software transparent and thus helped to make well-founded strategic decisions - a decisive step towards securing the future of the BiPRO Hub.
The project has shown how a flexible and efficient review process can provide valuable insights that have a direct impact on strategic decisions, even in an extremely tight timeframe. BiPRO Service GmbH now has a solid foundation on which to make further decisions regarding the software with clarity and certainty.
Patrick Möbis
Managing Director BiPRO Hub, BiPRO Service GmbH
The collaboration with codecentric was very effective and provided us with valuable insights into our software. The architecture review enabled us to identify the optimization potential in our application and we now have a clear plan of where we stand and what needs to be done next.
Patrick Möbis
Managing Director BiPRO Hub, BiPRO Service GmbH
Any questions about the project?
Are you facing an important decision regarding your software architecture? Talk to us – we will help you gain clarity quickly and take the next steps in an informed manner.
Market Lead Insurance
Further reference projects
Find out about other successful projects that we have completed with our customers. Perhaps you will find inspiration for a use case in your company here.
Kaan Soyyigit
Market Lead Insurance