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Profit5RM may make enterprise appln developers redundant

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CIOL Bureau
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Profit5RM, from Agile Labs is a technology platform that can be used to build enterprise applications in shortest possible time; at lowest possible cost and most importantly without writing a single line of code claims the company website. Founded in 1992, Agile pioneered the use of packaged applications in India with its accounting application. Over a period of time, the company with its vision to innovate has developed a process independent technology called PROFIT 5RM for which patent is pending in the US.

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Aparna Lal from CIOL spoke with Raghunathan Perumal, Director & CEO, Agile Labs to know more about their technology platform and future plans. Excerpts from the same.

You claim that with Profit5RM enterprise apps can be built without writing any code. What technology innovation is working behind the scenes to make this possible?

Profit5RM, (referred as P5) is a technology platform on which real time enterprise applications like SCM, CRM, ERP etc. can be built without writing software programs.

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Enterprise applications are built using Profit 5RM© by doing high level definitions and not by writing software programs. This new technology is "Patent pending" in US.

The application is defined as process structures that are stored in the database. The process structures are read and rendered by P5 Run time Engine.

The domain expert interacts with the end user and understands the requirement of the needed information system. The requirement is analyzed and laid down as Process Structures. The process structures are defined using the Profit 5RM Developer application (shown in the picture as a pillar on the right top marked as "Developer"). This application will store the structures in the database.

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The Run time engine (shown in the picture as a pillar that contains GUI & PRS) is deployed in the client machine. This is the application that the end user will use to access the information system. This will read the process structures and render the application at real time. It does this by parsing the process structures. This is not an interpreter as it just does parsing.

No code is generated either by the developer or the run time engine. Hence, it is not a code generator. It also does not create stored procedures at the back end.

So are we saying that Profit5RM will make developers redundant and a business user can do entire application building?

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To a large extent answer is "Yes". If you have adequate knowledge on Business Process, you can develop your application with couple of weeks of training.

How would you compare yourself with the biggies like SAP, Oracle, Microsoft on one hand and the homegrown ERP solution providers on the other?

I would like to answer this in three parts:

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Part A: comparison with other biggies.

Sl.No

SAP, Oracle, Microsoft

Profit 5RM©

Similarities

1

Can run in enterprises of all size

Can run in enterprises of all size

2

Can handle data of any size (Scalable, Stable and Robust)

Can handle data of any size.

(Scalable, Stable and Robust)

3

Have modules to cover entire enterprise

Can build all modules to cover entire enterprise

4

Can be deployed on Web.

Can be deployed on Web.

5

SOA

SOA

Differences

1

Have ready built processes, and hence organizations need to fit their processes into the product.

No ready built processes. Hence organizations can build their own processes.

2

Process gaps need to be addressed by "work around solutions" or "customizations". Eash customization is a project by itself (define requirement, design, open the source code and code, test, integrate..etc). Take time, and cost.

No gaps. So no "work around solutions" or "customizations". So takes less time and less cost.

3

There can still be process gaps after workaround solutions and customizations. These gaps will be handled by either manual systems, or third party solutions.

No process Gaps and hence no necessity for manual systems or third party solutions. (If world class processes are required we have ready built templates which can be provided with our experienced consultants who have handled SAP, ORACLE, and Siebel implementations.)

4

Whether you require or not, you get all the processes which are already built which make the application heavy / large, affecting the performance.

You get only the processes required and hence the application is "light / small" (only 5MB application running the entire application)

5

Whether you require or not, you get hundreds and thousands of data fields readily built in the database, and hence hundreds and thousands of empty data fields affecting the applications performance.

Get only required data fields. You can add any number of additional fields as and when required. Hence the data tables are just required size and hence improved performance.

6

Look and feel of entire application is ready built. You cannot change.

Look and feel of each screen can be changed as and when required.

7

When process changes happen, if the changed processes are not available, these can be addressed only by "work around solutions" or "customizations"

When processes change, redefine the "process structures" and the application gets reconfigured / rebuilt. Apply the changes either "with retrospective effect" or "only moving forward".

8

Whenever process changes happen, you need to call "implementers / service providers" for a price. It also takes time.

Whenever process changes happen, you can do the changes yourself. No cost. (No time. Huge cost & time saving)

9

You need to depend on service providers for continuous maintenance, modification etc.

You can do it yourself.

10

Implementation takes months and sometimes years. Hence cost more.

Development takes only weeks and sometimes months. Hence Costs less.

11

Smart client deployment not possible.

Smart client deployment possible.

12

Remote login not possible on dial-up connection

Remote login possible even on dial-up connection

13

Need large, high-end servers for running the application.

Standard / Normal servers are enough for running the application.

Part B: Comparison with ground-up application development using .Net or Java.

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Sl.No

Ground-up application development

Profit 5RM©

Similarities

1

Can cover entire enterprise.

Can cover entire enterprise.

2

No Process gaps and hence no customization.

No Process gaps and hence no customization

Differences

1

After requirement specification, detailed data structure design and GUI design required.

Database design, GUI design are automatically done by the engine. Hence no tech skill required for building the application.

2

Coding is required

Coding is not required. Huge effort saving

3

Complete SDLC takes long time.

Since mundane activities are taken care by the engine, development is completed in a very short time. (effort reduction is between 60 to 80%

4

More effort, more time and hence cost more

Less effort, less time and costs less.

5

Process changes are difficult and time consuming and hence will cost more.

Process changes are simple and hence fast to implement and hence will cost less.

6

Process changes need to be done by service providers / developers / technical experts.

Process changes can be done by business users and hence no dependency on developers.

7

After system is deployed, it will be Rigid, and highly inflexible system

Highly flexible and even look & feel can be changed anytime.

What kind of support is provided by Agile Labs to enterprises who adopt Profit5RM in terms of developing, deploying and running enterprise apps?

We provide Profit 5RM© license, we develop solution and deploy the same for our clients. We are also building our solution partner network which can provide this development service for our clients. Maintenance can be done by the in-house team without depending on Agile labs or our partners. If required, we can always provide the maintenance service as well.

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In spite of having a good product there is not much awareness about AgileLabs or Profit5RM, what is the reason behind keeping a low profile?

This new technology was invented by us around 2001 and filed patent in 2002. Before taking this new technology to big enterprises, we wanted test its scalability, stability and robustness in SME segment, with varying degree of process complexity, and increasing data size.

In the past years we have implemented at more than 300 SME client sites in India, Middle East, and Sri Lanka. The largest implementation that we have done is at an enterprise with 55 branches connected with HO by web (many places have only dial-up connection) on Smart client deployment. (Smart client deployment = central database + local database, periodic synchronizing whenever connection is available). This organization has a turnover of about 2500 Crore and each branch generates about 20000 transactions per day. Our engine is able to handle this data without any problems.

We have refined our technology, tested, retested for four years, at more than 300 clients. Now we feel our technology is ready for large scale deployment in larger enterprises. Hence we have just begun our new journey into the new market.

What are your future plans?

Since we are just beginning our journey we have big, exciting business plans.

  •  Will build strong marketing and solution partner network worldwide
  •  Will build our own consulting team for supporting partner network and our clients in process consulting, and solution development,
  •  Will have special versions with special pricing for SMEs and government organizations.
  •  Will also look at leasing / renting applications on annual basis.
  •  In short, we will be very very customer driven, and extremely responsive to the market dynamics in the days to come.
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