MSB Argentina is expanding in Latin America. It has opened
up new markets through its Argentinean clients' affiliates in other countries
and through a recent agreement to distribute MAP, its human resources, payroll
and time management product developed using GeneXus, in Mexico.
The company has also announced that MAP version 7 adds new
features, integrates new products and replaces Impromptu (Cognos) with GeneXus
Query. The next version of MAP is full Web, includes GXPortal, GeneXus Query,
GXplorer, and the base version of CeltaConsulting firm's GBGL control panel,
also developed using GeneXus.
The following is an interview with Jorge Arancibia, CEO of
MSB Argentina.
How is MSB Argentina growing?
Both the product and the opportunities have grown
significantly. We now have a number of business opportunities in two or three
Latin American countries besides Argentina. At first, companies in Argentina
helped us break into those markets. We are now working to define our strategy so
as to make our presence felt and have a pro-active approach there. For example,
we are closing an agreement with Digital Touch to distribute MAP in
Mexico.
Since the end of 2002 we started getting projects in our
clients' affiliates in other Latin American countries. Avon Cosmetics has been
our client in Argentina for 10 years while in 2003 we got running Avon Uruguay,
Avon Chile, Avon Peru and Avon Bolivia. Colgate Palmolive was our client in
Argentina, last year we took on Colgate Palmolive Chile, and we are now working
to get Colgate Palmolive Uruguay going. These installations are peculiar: The
database is in just one country, so there is actually only one MAP
installed.
Just one MAP installed for affiliates in different
countries?
Yes, and just one database. In the case of Avon, there are
four sets of users, one for each country. Each country has its own management
and "sees" a different MAP, but it is customized according to parameters. That
means that each country has its own solution and each one is independent in
terms of processes and data, but if they want to consolidate their human
resources they can see everything in just one place, on one computer. There is
no need to bring everything together because it's already there.
We have made this possible by the way in which we
developed the product. The tools to solve the problem are generated based on
parameters; the solution is never a code. In this way the problem is solved just
once; if we had used code we would have to adapt it as often as the problem
changes.
What are the new features included in version 7 of
MAP?
The Java version of MAP was released in mid 2003 and we
announced MAP 7 in December. Access is gained through GXPortal and includes
GeneXus Query instead of Cognos' Impromptu.
We had been using PowerPlay to develop a module called
PowerMAP OLAP to analyze the information's dimensionality and dynamics within
the MAP databases with respect to staff, payroll and human resources. We
cancelled that project and we are making the first models and prototypes to
reproduce it using GXplorer.
Thus, we are integrating GXQuery, GXPortal and GXplorer to
MAP. We announced MAP 7 with Webpanels at the users' meeting held in December
2003. We showed MAP 7 with all ARTech tools unified, integrated and using the
same language. We generated a MAP Java version and showed it in a product
developed with GeneXus, which has integrated ARTech reproducible
components.
Is there a fluid integration of the different
GeneXus products and developments through GXPortal?
Yes. People are the hardest to integrate, not products.
This is due to the characteristics of the products. GXPortal makes product
integration easy, and you get results in no time. You see this all the time,
this happens for anyone who uses GXPortal.
But we took a step further and decided to use GXQuery as a
report builder and did away with the other one. We had developed a PowerMAP
module using PowerPlay and we dropped it to adopt GXplorer. So when we show MAP
7, we are showing GXplorer OLAP or the control panel as an integrated component.
In a way, a client buying MAP 7 or higher also gets GXPortal.
Different products, each with its own policy, are starting
to get integrated.
Why did you decide to replace Impromptu (Cognos)
with GeneXus Query?
When we started using GeneXus to generate our first PC
version, we integrated Impromptu, a Cognos product, as a report builder. We
started getting jobs with Impromptu and ended up developing a Business
Intelligence area using Cognos products. We worked on BI projects that have
nothing to do with MAP ? in Banco Galicia, Abbot Laboratories, Rasic, Goodyear
and Avon Cosmetics. We had that business until the beginning of 2003, when our
partnership with Cognos came to an end.
Since 2001, Cognos products were no longer available on
the market due to its cost. Impromptu is an excellent tool, but most of our MAP
users end up using Impromptu to draw data and then transferring it to
Excel.
The GeneXus Query cost-benefit ratio is better if you want
to move forward; naturally it is better integrated with MAP, and besides,
adopting GeneXus Query is part of MSB Argentina's strategy. We were already
drawing closer to ARTech and had asked for more support for our projects. As we
got that support, we decided to move to GeneXus Query and drop Impromptu. We
felt it was a better solution, and a good deal in every sense.
http://www.celtaconsulting.com
http://www.gxquery.com
http://www.gxportal.com
http://www.gxplorer.com