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Featured-Post-Transformation-EN Software Engineering (EN)

Business Intelligence: Comparison of Power BI, Tableau, Superset, Metabase

Business Intelligence: Comparison of Power BI, Tableau, Superset, Metabase

Auteur n°2 – Jonathan

Well known to decision‑makers and technology leaders, business intelligence (BI) encompasses a set of tools and methods to turn your data into strategic insights. Each solution has its own strengths and limitations depending on your business context. This guide compares Power BI, Tableau, Superset, and Metabase to help you choose the option best suited to your digital transformation strategy.

Power BI: strengths and limitations

Power BI delivers tight integration with the Microsoft ecosystem and a fast ramp‑up for teams.

Power BI, developed by Microsoft, appeals with its familiar interface and native Office 365 integration. For IT directors already using Azure or a Windows environment, deployment is swift and licensing costs are often more predictable than with competing products. Connecting to data sources (SQL Server, SharePoint, Excel) takes just a few clicks, and the wealth of preconfigured visuals simplifies the creation of interactive dashboards. From an ROI perspective, business adoption tends to be faster thanks to the familiar user experience and automatic report updates.

However, Power BI can create significant vendor lock‑in for organizations pursuing a multi‑cloud or hybrid strategy. Licensing models tied to Office 365 or Azure can cause budgets to balloon if you exceed certain user or data volume thresholds. Technically, advanced customization (complex DAX scripts, custom visual extensions) demands specialized skills that few teams possess in‑house, and even with deep Power BI expertise, important limits remain. For example, data refreshes are capped at eight times per day on the Pro plan (and tightly controlled on Premium), which can hinder near‑real‑time use cases—whereas Superset or Metabase let you configure continuous update pipelines at no extra cost. Another constraint: interface customization (themes, workflows, embedding in internal portals) is confined to Microsoft’s frameworks, while an open‑source solution gives you full code access to tailor the user experience to your exact needs.

To balance scalability and security, Edana often adopts a “custom‑built” hybrid approach: use Power BI for rapid exploration, while developing open‑source connectors to reduce dependence on proprietary APIs. This hybrid architecture methodology ensures flexibility to evolve your BI tools over time, while leveraging Microsoft’s strengths.

Tableau: key advantages and use cases

Tableau stands out for its advanced visualizations and active community, ideal for deep analytics.

Tableau is renowned for its powerful visualization engine and drag‑and‑drop interface. IT directors value the ability to craft sophisticated charts without a developer, and real‑time data updates streamline operational decision‑making. The built‑in Data Prep tool makes it easy to clean and transform sources, while Tableau Server provides enterprise‑grade governance and security.

On the ROI front, Tableau licenses may appear more expensive upfront than an open‑source tool, but rapid deployment and strong business‑user buy‑in often justify the initial investment. Conversely, scaling Tableau Server requires a robust infrastructure and significant DevOps support to ensure performance and availability: adding nodes to a cluster incurs additional Core licenses and manual server configuration, while embedding dashboards for external users demands paid View or Explorer licenses. Technically, the Hyper engine can exhaust memory and slow response times without fine‑tuned partitioning, and the extensions API is sandboxed in JavaScript, limiting the integration of complex visuals—constraints that Superset or Metabase do not share, as they offer native auto‑scaling and direct code access for unlimited interface customization.

A semi‑custom model can work well with Tableau. For instance, we supported a major industrial client in deploying Tableau (which some decision‑makers were already comfortable with) in a multi‑cloud environment, defining a mixed architecture based on Kubernetes and microservices. This hybrid model—combining standard components and bespoke development—reduced technical debt and ensured scalability in line with the client’s CSR goals (server resource optimization, carbon footprint reduction).

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Superset and Metabase: flexibility and controlled costs

Open‑source solutions Superset and Metabase cut costs and avoid vendor lock‑in through full customization.

Apache Superset and Metabase are increasingly popular open‑source BI platforms for cost‑conscious IT directors seeking technological independence. Superset, backed by the Apache Foundation, offers a broad range of visualizations and an integrated SQL editor for advanced users. Metabase, by contrast, shines with its ease of use and rapid onboarding—perfect for mid‑sized companies or teams starting out in data analytics.

The major advantage of these tools lies in their high scalability, flexibility, and zero licensing fees. With solid software development skills, you can build a high‑quality, low‑maintenance BI system. For example, our team recently assisted a Swiss retail company with implementing Metabase on an Infomaniak‑hosted infrastructure in Switzerland. Our bespoke approach involved creating custom connectors to their PostgreSQL and ElasticSearch databases and automating deployment via Terraform scripts. This flexibility delivered a strategic dashboard in under two weeks and saved the client 60 % on licensing costs compared to proprietary solutions—laying a solid foundation for ongoing digital‑infrastructure cost optimization.

In terms of security and scalability, Superset and Metabase integrate with your authentication systems (LDAP, OAuth2) and run behind a reverse proxy. We recommend a modular architecture using Docker containers and a Kubernetes orchestrator to ensure resilience and seamless updates. This strategy aligns perfectly with our ecosystem‑architect vision, built around sustainability and operational performance.

Choosing the right BI solution for your context

Selecting the ideal tool depends on your business drivers, data maturity, and budget.

The decision starts with a clear assessment of your context and priorities. If you already operate in a Microsoft ecosystem and need rapid adoption, Power BI may be the right fit. For advanced analytics needs, Tableau remains a benchmark thanks to its active community and certified training programs. If your goal is a fully customizable tool that adapts perfectly to present and future requirements—or to minimize costs and avoid vendor lock‑in—Superset and Metabase offer unmatched flexibility, at the price of investing in internal skills or external support.

Key evaluation criteria include data volume, refresh frequency, visualization complexity, governance, and security requirements. Also consider technical debt: deploying a “tacked‑on” solution can incur hidden long‑term costs, underscoring the value of a semi‑custom build.

Finally, involve your business stakeholders and IT provider from day one to define KPIs and priority use cases. A rapid proof of concept (PoC) also validates your tool choice before full‑scale rollout. This agile methodology, combined in Edana’s case with our expertise in TypeScript, Node.js, and React, ensures smooth integration of your BI tools with existing systems and effective change management.

In summary

With this comparison of Power BI, Tableau, Superset, and Metabase, you have the insights to align your BI strategy with your business goals. Each solution brings unique advantages: native integration for Power BI, advanced visualization for Tableau, and open‑source flexibility for Superset and Metabase. Your choice will hinge on your data maturity, budget, and tolerance for vendor lock‑in. As a rule, drive your digital transformation with a modular, custom‑built architecture that delivers performance, sustainability, and advanced personalization for optimal results.

Discuss about your challenges with an Edana expert

PUBLISHED BY

Jonathan Massa

As a specialist in digital consulting, strategy and execution, Jonathan advises organizations on strategic and operational issues related to value creation and digitalization programs focusing on innovation and organic growth. Furthermore, he advises our clients on software engineering and digital development issues to enable them to mobilize the right solutions for their goals.

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Featured-Post-Software-EN Software Engineering (EN)

Microservices vs. Modular Monolith: Choosing the Right Architecture for Your Information System

Microservices vs. Modular Monolith: Choosing the Right Architecture for Your Information System

Auteur n°2 – Jonathan

Microservices vs. modular monolith: behind these two types of software architecture lies the same ambition — making your information system more reliable, scalable and profitable. Technology leaders still have to determine which model best reflects their business challenges, organisation and budget. Microservices consist of a set of independent services, whereas a modular monolith packs all features into a single, carefully compartmentalised deployment. Choosing well therefore means balancing autonomy, complexity, time‑to‑market and governance. Below are the key points for an informed decision.

Microservices: agility and frictionless scalability

Decouple to accelerate, but never neglect governance.

Popular with cloud giants, the microservices architecture breaks the application into autonomous services, each responsible for a specific business domain. Exposed via lightweight APIs, orchestrated by a mesh of containers, and routed through API gateways, these services can be deployed independently. Your team can release a new feature without freezing the entire product, test business hypotheses rapidly and tune capacity precisely to demand. Decoupling boosts velocity, lowers the risk of global regression and underpins a ROI‑driven “fail fast” strategy.

Beyond speed, microservices leverage a vast open‑source ecosystem — Kubernetes for orchestration, gRPC for high‑performance communication, and Keycloak or Ory for identity federation. This freedom reduces vendor lock‑in and optimises infrastructure costs by maximising the pay‑per‑use model of cloud providers. Another benefit is resilience: an incident affecting a payment service no longer brings the whole e‑commerce platform down. That said, multiplying services erodes visibility unless observability practices (tracing, correlated logging, metrics) are rigorously woven in from the very first sprint.

Operational complexity is the flip side. Version management, Zero‑Trust policies between services, FinOps budgets, recruiting SRE profiles — each dimension becomes a project in its own right. This is why Edana favours a gradual approach: first stabilise a reproducible DevSecOps foundation, then extract the most volatile microservices step by step, often written in Go or Node.js for execution speed. You keep control of dependencies while capitalising on bespoke development. The result: a modular IS able to handle traffic peaks without sacrificing gross margin or energy performance.

Modular Monolith: operational coherence and cost control

Centralise intelligently to ship faster and simplify maintenance.

The modular monolith follows the opposite logic: gather the application in a single executable, but organise it into explicitly decoupled modules within the same codebase. It is sometimes called a “guided monolith” because each module exposes clear interfaces and forbids circular dependencies. In production, a single artefact is deployed, reducing the error surface and simplifying monitoring. For a financial or industrial service that values stability, this approach limits network‑related mishaps while remaining fully compatible with CI/CD pipelines and containers.

Budget‑wise, a single deployment simplifies cloud billing: one shared database, less inter‑service traffic and shorter build times. Teams stay focused on business needs rather than plumbing. Open‑source frameworks like Spring Boot or .NET 8 now enable strict modularisation (hexagonal architecture, Gradle modules, plug‑ins) while delivering near‑C++ performance. The paradigm is far from obsolete: it even adapts to serverless architectures thanks to faster cold starts than a constellation of scattered microservices.

However, codebase size can become prohibitive if the organisation scales too quickly. Test cycles grow heavier, technical debt may accumulate unchecked, and a major outage can immobilise the entire system. Our team therefore recommends moving toward internal domain‑driven decomposition or planning a gradual shift to microservices as the company strengthens its DevOps governance. Through architecture audits, we pinpoint “hotspots” to extract first, while ensuring critical business logic remains under a single pipeline’s control to guarantee service quality.

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Business and technical criteria for choosing

Your architecture must serve your business goals first – never the other way around.

Before choosing, list the outcomes you expect: reduced time‑to‑market, regulatory compliance, international performance or a controlled carbon footprint. An elastic microservice can absorb peaks during a global marketing campaign, whereas a modular monolith often fits better with a stable roadmap where functional coherence is paramount. Clarifying these priorities helps weigh orchestration costs, high‑availability needs and risk tolerance.

Organisational maturity is another filter. Microservices assume autonomous teams, an advanced DevSecOps culture and industrial‑grade CI/CD processes. Without these prerequisites, theoretical benefits evaporate quickly. Conversely, a modular monolith can be managed efficiently by a central team of up to twenty developers, provided code reviews and layering are rigorous. Security also plays a role: if you handle sensitive data (healthcare, finance), microservice segmentation isolates risks but expands the network attack surface.

Finally, the budget trajectory must remain visible. Microservices imply rising OPEX — per‑call billing, distributed monitoring, service‑mesh licences — whereas the modular monolith concentrates costs into CAPEX spikes (major upgrades, non‑regression tests). At Edana, we build three‑year comparative scenarios covering not only hosting but also HR costs, training and carbon footprint. This global view provides a tangible ROI aligned with CSR priorities and external‑growth ambitions.

Edana’s view: hybrid ecosystems and long‑term support

Leverage the existing, add bespoke elements and stay free for tomorrow.

Because no single solution is universal, Edana often designs hybrid architectures: a modular‑monolith backbone for core logic, surrounded by “satellite” microservices for high‑variability functions (data analytics, AI, payments). This strategy relies on open source — for example PostgreSQL, Keycloak, Node.js, Istio and Quarkus — to cut licence costs, avoid proprietary lock‑in and stimulate internal innovation. Our architects favour evolutionary designs (event‑driven, CQRS, API contract‑first) and living documentation to guarantee maintainability.

Consider the case of a Swiss healthcare group with about a hundred employees we assisted. Their legacy PHP monolith slowed product teams and caused 2 % monthly downtime. Our team progressively migrated the most volatile modules — patient scheduling and connected‑device catalogue — to containerised Node.js microservices, while refactoring the remaining code into a modular Laravel core. The outcome: continuous deployment every two weeks, a 35 % drop in critical incidents and stable infrastructure costs thanks to auto‑scaling.

Beyond technology, our support translates into co‑design workshops, transparent governance and jointly defined success metrics. This proximity avoids the tunnel effect typical of off‑shore approaches and strengthens internal ownership. It also embraces CSR: optimised CPU cycles, responsibly powered data centres with a low‑carbon footprint and documentation accessible to all. You gain a living software architecture aligned with your growth objectives and societal commitments.

Decide with confidence and plan for the future

Behind the “microservices vs. modular monolith” debate, the real issue is your ability to create value faster than your competitors while safeguarding margins and reputation. The right model is the one that matches your objectives, talent and financial horizon instead of constraining them. A clear‑eyed analysis of your DevSecOps maturity, regulatory constraints and scale‑up ambitions naturally guides the decision. Whether reinforcing an existing monolith or planning a shift to a constellation of microservices, the essential point is to secure each step so it remains reversible, measurable and aligned with your organisation’s broader strategy.

Discuss your challenges with an Edana expert

PUBLISHED BY

Jonathan Massa

As a specialist in digital consulting, strategy and execution, Jonathan advises organizations on strategic and operational issues related to value creation and digitalization programs focusing on innovation and organic growth. Furthermore, he advises our clients on software engineering and digital development issues to enable them to mobilize the right solutions for their goals.

Categories
E-Commerce Development (EN) Featured-Post-ECommerce-EN Software Engineering (EN)

Why and How to Use Headless Architecture in E-Commerce

Why and How to Use Headless Architecture in E-Commerce

Auteur n°2 – Jonathan

Modern e-commerce demands flexibility, scalability, and execution speed—capabilities that traditional monolithic architectures struggle to deliver. Headless architecture, which decouples the front-end from the back-end, enables companies to innovate more rapidly and adapt to changing market demands.

In this article, we will explore the principles of headless commerce, demonstrate its technical advantages, and provide concrete implementation examples. We will also examine how existing solutions like SAP Commerce, Adobe Commerce (Magento), Commercetools, and BigCommerce fit into this approach. Finally, we will discuss why custom development is often the best alternative for companies looking for long-term flexibility, reduced total cost of ownership (TCO), and full control over their infrastructure.

Understanding Headless Architecture

Headless architecture is built on a strict separation between the user interface (front-end) and the e-commerce engine (back-end). Unlike monolithic architectures where both layers are tightly integrated into a single solution, headless commerce enables each component to evolve independently through APIs.

In a traditional e-commerce platform, front-end requests (such as displaying a product or adding an item to the cart) are directly managed by the back-end. In a headless setup, these interactions occur through RESTful APIs or GraphQL, which provide data in a standardized format, allowing the front-end to utilize them freely.

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Modularity, Flexibility, and Scalability

One of the biggest advantages of headless commerce is its modularity. In a traditional setup, any modification to the front-end often requires adjustments to the back-end, making the system rigid and difficult to scale.

With a headless architecture:

  • The front-end and back-end evolve independently: You can change the site design or add a new sales channel (mobile app, voice commerce) without impacting product and order management.
  • Microservices replace monolithic blocks: Each functionality (payments, inventory management, customer loyalty) can be decoupled and updated or replaced individually.

Example of a Microservices-Based Headless Architecture

  • Front-end: React, Vue.js, or Angular (user experience layer)
  • API Layer: GraphQL, RESTful API (data communication layer)
  • Commerce Engine: Custom-built with Node.js and PostgreSQL or integrated with SAP Commerce, Magento, etc.
  • Microservices: Payment, order management, loyalty, inventory tracking, etc.

This structure allows for maximum scalability—for example, an inventory management service can be upgraded or replaced without affecting the rest of the system.

Use Cases: Why Headless is a Strategic Choice

To better understand why this architecture was developed and what problems it solves, let’s examine various real-world scenarios where companies benefit from headless commerce.

1. Implementing an Omnichannel E-Commerce Strategy

A retailer wants to sell products across multiple channels: a website, a mobile app, and interactive kiosks in physical stores. In a traditional architecture, this would require maintaining multiple front-end versions and managing interactions with a monolithic back-end.

With a headless approach:

  • A single centralized back-end provides data across all platforms.
  • Each channel is optimized independently (e.g., mobile experience differs from desktop).
  • Future expansions, such as a marketplace integration, are simplified via standardized API management.

2. Industry-Focused E-Commerce with IoT and Automation

A company specializing in industrial machinery sales wants to digitize its sales and maintenance operations. Over the next five years, they anticipate:

  • Integrating IoT sensors to monitor equipment and trigger automatic spare part orders.
  • Deploying a chatbot to assist customers in product searches and troubleshooting.
  • Automating inventory replenishment based on stock levels and consumption forecasts.
  • Providing B2B distributors with a personalized portal.

With a monolithic system, implementing these changes would be costly and require major platform overhauls.

With a headless architecture:

  • The core e-commerce engine remains unchanged, while IoT sensors connect via APIs for real-time inventory updates.
  • A chatbot powered by AI can directly interact with the product API and stock management modules.
  • Distributors can have custom portals without modifying the main system.
  • A B2B marketplace can be added without rebuilding the entire back-end.

3. Optimizing Performance for High-Traffic Events

A fashion brand experiences traffic spikes during sales events and new collection launches. A monolithic architecture struggles to handle such loads, causing slow page loads and lost revenue.

By adopting a headless approach:

  • The front-end is served via a Content Delivery Network (CDN), reducing server load.
  • The back-end only responds to API calls when necessary, minimizing resource usage.
  • Smart caching strategies improve page speed without increasing infrastructure costs.

4. Advanced Personalization and A/B Testing

An electronics e-commerce store wants to test different UI variations to boost conversion rates.

With a monolithic system, A/B testing requires significant back-end changes and risky deployments.

With a headless commerce setup:

  • Each variation is handled entirely on the front-end, without disrupting core functionality.
  • User data is analyzed in real time through analytics APIs (Google Analytics, Amplitude).
  • The customer experience dynamically adapts based on segmentation and engagement metrics.

Headless E-Commerce Solutions vs. Custom Development

Several ready-to-use headless commerce solutions exist to help businesses leverage this architecture without starting from scratch:

  • SAP Commerce Cloud: A robust enterprise-grade solution but with high costs and implementation complexity.
  • Adobe Commerce (Magento Headless): Enables headless transformation for existing Magento stores but requires performance optimization.
  • Commercetools: A native headless-first solution, ideal for API-centric businesses.
  • BigCommerce Headless: A flexible option with solid integrations with CMS and modern frameworks.

These solutions provide strong foundations but often come with limitations in terms of customization, scalability, and licensing costs. For businesses looking for long-term flexibility and control, custom development is often the better choice.

Custom Headless Development: A Scalable and High-Performance Solution

Custom development allows businesses to optimize every layer of their architecture, selecting technologies tailored to business constraints and performance requirements.

Why Choose Nest.js and PostgreSQL for a Headless Back-End?

For the back-end, Nest.js is a powerful framework built on Node.js and TypeScript. It offers:

  • Modular structure inspired by Angular, making maintenance easier.
  • Built-in GraphQL, WebSockets, and microservices support for scalable API interactions.
  • Better performance and security compared to traditional Node.js frameworks.

Paired with PostgreSQL, one of the most advanced relational databases, it ensures:

  • ACID transactions for secure order processing and stock management.
  • Advanced querying capabilities for fast product retrieval.
  • JSONB support, combining the best of SQL and NoSQL for flexible data storage.

By using TypeScript, developers benefit from static typing, improved code readability, and safer refactoring.

Is Headless the Right Choice for Your Business?

Adopting headless commerce is a strategic response to the challenges of modern e-commerce. By enabling modularity, flexibility, and scalability, it helps businesses adapt quickly to market trends, improve user experience, and ensure platform resilience.

Whether through integrated headless solutions or custom development, transitioning to headless commerce is a key driver of digital transformation that offers a significant competitive advantage.

With over 15 years of experience and 100+ delivered projects, our experts at Edana are ready to support your digital transformation journey.

Looking to transition to headless commerce? Contact an expert today.

Talk with an expert

PUBLISHED BY

Jonathan Massa

As a specialist in digital consulting, strategy and execution, Jonathan advises organizations on strategic and operational issues related to value creation and digitalization programs focusing on innovation and organic growth. Furthermore, he advises our clients on software engineering and digital development issues to enable them to mobilize the right solutions for their goals.

Categories
Cloud et Cybersécurité (EN) Featured-Post-About (EN) Featured-Post-CloudSecu-EN Featured-Post-HomePage-EN Software Engineering (EN)

How to Ensure Data Security with Your Enterprise Software?

How to Ensure Data Security with Your Enterprise Software?

Auteur n°14 – Daniel

Data security has become a critical concern for businesses of all sizes. With the proliferation of cyber threats and the increasing value of data, it is imperative for organizations to implement robust security measures to protect their sensitive information. Enterprise software, often the guardian of valuable data such as customer information, financial data, and trade secrets, is a prime target for cybercriminals. Therefore, ensuring data security within your enterprise software becomes a top priority to ensure business continuity and maintain customer trust.

In this article, we will explore different strategies and best practices for enhancing data security with your enterprise software. From risk assessment to establishing a robust security infrastructure, managing access and permissions, data encryption, and employee awareness, we will provide practical advice to help you effectively protect your critical information. By understanding potential threats and adopting a proactive approach to security, you can reduce the risk of security incidents and ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of your essential data.

Understanding Risks: Threat Assessment and Vulnerabilities

Before implementing effective security measures, it is essential to understand the risks facing your enterprise software. This involves a thorough assessment of potential threats such as phishing attacks, malware, and intrusion attempts, as well as identifying vulnerabilities in your IT infrastructure. By understanding these factors, you can better prioritize your security efforts and focus your resources where they are most needed to reduce risks and strengthen your data protection.

Once you have identified threats and vulnerabilities, you can develop a security strategy tailored to your organization. This may include implementing firewalls and intrusion detection systems, regularly updating software to address known security flaws, and continuously monitoring network activity to detect suspicious behavior. By taking a proactive approach to security and remaining vigilant against emerging threats, you can better prevent attacks and protect your data from cybercriminals.

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Notable Data Breach Example: Yahoo

Let’s look at an example that highlights the devastating impact a data breach can have on a company and underscores the crucial importance of implementing robust security measures to protect users’ sensitive information.

In 2016, Yahoo confirmed it had experienced a cyberattack in 2014, compromising data from over 500 million user accounts. This attack was considered one of the largest data breaches in history at that time.

The stolen data included sensitive information such as names, email addresses, hashed passwords, and in some cases, security questions and their associated answers. Additionally, Yahoo revealed in 2017 that another cyberattack, occurring in 2013, had affected all existing Yahoo accounts at the time, totaling around three billion accounts.

These incidents had a significant impact on Yahoo’s reputation and also had significant financial consequences for the company, including a reduction in the purchase price during the acquisition by Verizon.

Establishing a Robust Security Infrastructure

Establishing a strong security infrastructure is essential to effectively protect your data from potential threats. This involves defining clear security policies and implementing appropriate tools and technologies to monitor and control access to sensitive data. Key elements of a robust security infrastructure include firewalls, intrusion detection systems (IDS) and intrusion prevention systems (IPS), as well as identity and access management (IAM) solutions to ensure that only authorized individuals have access to critical information.

Additionally, careful planning for data redundancy and regular backups can ensure the availability of information in the event of a disaster or system failure. Network segmentation and securing entry and exit points are also important measures to limit the scope of damage in the event of a security breach. By adopting a multi-layered approach and combining multiple security technologies, you can strengthen the resilience of your IT infrastructure and protect your data from a variety of potential threats.

Some of Our Case Studies

Our software engineering teams are dedicated to creating robust and secure business solutions specifically designed to meet your unique needs and challenges. We are committed to providing solutions fully tailored to your use cases, with a particular emphasis on data security. Below, we present two examples illustrating our expertise in creating secure business solutions for Swiss companies that have invested in advanced digital transformation.

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Access and Authorization Management: Principle of Least Privilege

Effective access and authorization management are essential to mitigate the risks of unauthorized access to your sensitive data. The principle of least privilege, which involves granting users only the access privileges necessary to perform their specific tasks, plays a central role in this strategy. By adopting this approach, you reduce the potential attack surface by limiting the number of users with extended privileges, thus reducing the risks of misuse or compromise of sensitive information.

Furthermore, implementing granular access controls and strong authentication mechanisms, such as two-factor authentication (2FA) or biometrics, can enhance the security of your systems by adding an additional layer of protection against unauthorized access. By regularly monitoring and auditing access to sensitive data, you can quickly detect suspicious behavior and take corrective action to prevent potential security breaches. By following these best practices, you can better control access to your data and reduce the risks of security compromise.

Data Encryption: Protecting Sensitive Information

By using robust encryption algorithms, you can make your data unreadable to anyone unauthorized who attempts to intercept or illicitly access it. Encryption can be applied at various levels, ranging from encrypting data at rest on servers to encrypted communications between users and servers, as well as encryption of backups and external storage devices. By adopting a holistic encryption approach, you can ensure that your data remains secure even in the event of a security breach or data theft.

Additionally, effective management of encryption keys is essential to ensure the integrity of the encryption process and prevent unauthorized access. By using secure key management practices, such as regular key rotation and separation of responsibilities, you can enhance the security of your data and minimize the risks of compromise of encryption keys. By incorporating data encryption into your overall security strategy, you can create an additional barrier against potential threats and ensure the protection of your most sensitive information.

Employee Training and Awareness: The Human Element of Security

Employees are often the weakest link in the security chain, as they can inadvertently compromise data security through human errors or negligent security practices. Therefore, it is essential to provide regular training on best security practices, including identifying threats such as phishing, malware, and social engineering attacks.

Furthermore, raising employee awareness of the importance of data security and the potential consequences of a security breach can encourage them to adopt secure behaviors in their daily use of company computer systems and data. Effective awareness programs may include phishing attack simulations, interactive training sessions, and regular reminders about company security policies. By investing in employee training and awareness, you strengthen the human factor of security and reduce the risks of security incidents related to human errors.

Conclusion

If you are looking to ensure the security of your data, our Swiss team specializing in strategic consulting and custom development is ready to support you in this endeavor.

Edana provides expertise to design personalized solutions that go beyond conventional standards in data security. By integrating security at every stage of managing your complex projects, our goal is to create memorable and secure experiences, surpassing simple business interactions.

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PUBLISHED BY

Daniel Favre

Avatar de Daniel Favre

Daniel Favre is a Senior Software Engineer. He designs and builds bespoke business solutions (SaaS, mobile apps, websites) and full digital ecosystems. With deep expertise in architecture and performance, he turns your requirements into robust, scalable platforms that drive your digital transformation.

Categories
Digital Consultancy & Business (EN) Software Engineering (EN)

How to Solve Performance or Bug Issues in Your Enterprise Software

How to Solve Performance or Bug Issues in Your Enterprise Software

Auteur n°14 – Daniel

When the performance of your enterprise software begins to degrade or bugs disrupt the smooth flow of your operations, it’s essential to act quickly and effectively to maintain productivity and user satisfaction.

In this article, we will explore strategies and best practices for identifying, analyzing, and resolving performance and bug issues in your enterprise software. From data collection to analyzing underlying causes, to developing and validating solutions, discover how to implement a systematic and rigorous approach to problem-solving and optimize the performance of your enterprise software.

Performance Issue Analysis

In any enterprise IT environment, performance issues or software bugs can have a significant impact on daily operations and employee productivity. That’s why a thorough analysis of these issues is essential to identify underlying causes and develop effective solutions to ensure smooth operation and productivity within your organization.

  1. Identifying Symptoms: The first step in the analysis is to identify the symptoms of performance issues. This may include delays in task execution, frequent software crashes, or slow response from the user interface. These symptoms can be reported by end-users or detected using performance monitoring tools.
  2. Data Collection: Once symptoms are identified, it’s crucial to collect detailed data on system performance. This may include measurements such as response times, system resource usage (CPU, memory, etc.), database queries, and application transactions. This data provides an objective basis for problem analysis.
  3. Analyzing Underlying Causes: Using the collected data, software engineers can begin to analyze the underlying causes of performance issues. This may involve identifying bottlenecks in the code, architectural design errors, server configuration issues, or defects in integrations with other systems.

Advanced Debugging Strategies

Once the analysis of performance issues is done, it’s time to implement advanced debugging strategies, essential for effectively identifying and correcting bug issues.

An advanced debugging strategy involves using sophisticated techniques and specialized tools to identify, analyze, and resolve bugs in enterprise software. This typically includes using powerful debugging tools that allow developers to examine code behavior in real-time, trace variables, monitor call stacks, and visualize execution flows.

An advanced debugging strategy often involves in-depth analysis of trace data to detect errors and unhandled exceptions, as well as code profiling to pinpoint performance bottlenecks and optimize them. Additionally, the use of advanced automated testing can be integrated into this strategy to expedite issue resolution and minimize operational disruptions.

By fostering collaboration among development team members and establishing structured debugging processes, organizations can maximize the effectiveness of their debugging efforts. Once this step is completed, it’s essential to move on to code and resource optimization to ensure optimal software performance.

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Code and Resource Optimization in Enterprise Software

Code and resource optimization are crucial aspects of enterprise software development, aiming to improve the performance and efficiency of IT systems. One of the key strategies to achieve this is to identify and eliminate inefficiencies in the source code, which can result in significant gains in terms of execution speed and hardware resource utilization. For example, regular code reviews help identify sections that may cause slowdowns or resource overuse, enabling developers to make targeted optimizations to improve overall system performance.

Furthermore, optimizing hardware resources is also essential to ensure efficient use of IT infrastructure. This may involve implementing memory and CPU management mechanisms to optimize resource allocation or using techniques such as caching to reduce data access times. For example, caching techniques can temporarily store frequently used data in memory, thereby reducing loading times and improving application responsiveness.

By adopting a proactive approach to code and resource optimization, organizations can not only improve the performance of their enterprise software but also reduce costs associated with IT infrastructure by maximizing the use of available resources. Ultimately, this optimization contributes to strengthening the competitiveness of the business by providing fast, efficient, and cost-effective software solutions.

Rigorous Testing and Validation

Rigorous testing and validation ensure the reliability, quality, and compliance with software functional requirements. A systematic testing approach involves several phases, from unit tests to integration and functional validation tests.

  1. Unit Tests: Unit tests verify the proper operation of individual software components by isolating each part of the code to ensure it produces the expected results. For example, in a stock management system, a unit test could verify the accuracy of stock level calculations for a given product.
  2. Integration Tests: Integration tests examine how different modules or components of the software interact with each other. This ensures that different elements work correctly together and that data is transmitted consistently between different parts of the system. For example, in an ERP system, an integration test could verify that accounting and human resources modules correctly share employee data.
  3. Functional Validation Tests: Functional validation tests assess whether the software meets the requirements specified by end-users. This involves testing software features under real usage conditions to verify that it produces the expected results. For example, in an online booking system, functional validation tests could verify that users can book tickets without encountering errors.
  4. Performance and Load Tests: Finally, performance and load tests evaluate the software’s ability to handle heavy workloads and maintain acceptable response times under maximum load conditions. This ensures that the software operates reliably even under high demand. For example, in an online banking system, performance tests could simulate thousands of users accessing the system simultaneously to verify its stability and responsiveness.

By implementing rigorous testing and validation at each stage of development, companies can minimize the risks of errors and malfunctions in their enterprise software, ensuring a smooth user experience and maximum customer satisfaction.

Continuous Improvement Process

Continuous improvement is a fundamental principle in enterprise software development, aiming to constantly optimize the performance, quality, and value of the final product. This process relies on a series of iterative and evolutionary activities, allowing for the identification of improvement opportunities, implementation of changes, and evaluation of their impact on the product and development processes.

  1. User Feedback Collection: A key component of continuous improvement is the regular collection of user feedback, allowing for an understanding of the needs and preferences of end-users. This can be done through surveys, usage data analysis, or direct feedback sessions with customers. For example, in a project management software, users might express the need for additional features to better track task progress.
  2. Performance Data Analysis: In-depth analysis of software performance data helps identify potential improvement areas and recurring issues. This may include examining performance metrics, error reports, and usage data. For example, analysis of system response times may reveal code bottlenecks requiring optimization.
  3. Change Planning and Implementation: Based on user feedback and performance analysis, development teams plan and implement changes to improve the software. This may involve feature updates, bug fixes, or performance optimizations. For example, a development team might decide to add real-time collaboration features to a word processing software in response to user requests.
  4. Results Evaluation: Once changes are implemented, it’s essential to evaluate their impact on the product and development processes. This can be done through validation testing, post-implementation performance analysis, or additional user feedback. For example, after adding real-time collaboration features to the word processing software, users could be asked to provide feedback on its usefulness and usability.

By adopting a continuous improvement approach, organizations can ensure that their enterprise software remains competitive, scalable, and aligned with the changing needs of users and the market. This iterative process continuously optimizes the performance, quality, and value of the product, ensuring maximum customer satisfaction and sustainable competitive advantage.

Conclusion

By analyzing these concrete examples and exploring recommended best practices, you can gain valuable insights into effectively solving performance or bug issues in your enterprise software. If you need personalized support and solutions tailored to your specific needs, don’t hesitate to contact our digital agency specialized in software development. With our recognized expertise in the field, we are here to help you optimize the performance and reliability of your enterprise software, ensuring the success of your IT operations.

PUBLISHED BY

Daniel Favre

Avatar de Daniel Favre

Daniel Favre is a Senior Software Engineer. He designs and builds bespoke business solutions (SaaS, mobile apps, websites) and full digital ecosystems. With deep expertise in architecture and performance, he turns your requirements into robust, scalable platforms that drive your digital transformation.

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Digital Consultancy & Business (EN) Featured-Post-Software-EN Software Engineering (EN)

Software Reengineering – When and Why to Resort to It

Software Reengineering – When and Why to Resort to It

Auteur n°3 – Benjamin

Software reengineering has become an essential element in the modern technological landscape. With the rapid evolution of user needs, technological advancements, and market requirements, many custom software systems are faced with challenges of obsolescence, inadequate performance, and incompatibility with new technologies. In this context, software reengineering emerges as an essential strategy to revitalize and modernize existing systems.

This article delves deep into the domain of software reengineering, examining the motivations, methods, and best practices associated with this crucial process. We will delve into the nuances of software reengineering, highlighting the telltale signs indicating the need for such an approach, the tangible benefits it can bring, as well as the challenges and strategies to overcome them.

Through concrete examples and case studies, we will illustrate how software reengineering can transform outdated systems into robust solutions tailored to contemporary requirements. Whether you are an IT professional, a business decision-maker, or simply curious, this article will provide valuable insights into software reengineering and its crucial role in maintaining the relevance and competitiveness of computer systems in an ever-changing world.

Understanding Software Reengineering

Software reengineering is a strategic approach aimed at revitalizing existing computer systems to improve their performance, efficiency, and maintainability. Unlike traditional software development, which involves creating new systems from scratch, software reengineering focuses on transforming existing systems to meet evolving needs and changing technological requirements. This approach is often motivated by factors such as technological obsolescence, the accumulation of defects and bugs, and the inability of systems to adapt to new business requirements.

Software reengineering encompasses a wide range of activities, from thorough analysis of existing systems to redesigning and reconstructing essential software components. This approach may also involve migrating to new technological platforms, integrating modern features, and optimizing performance. By understanding the ins and outs of software reengineering, organizations can make informed decisions regarding the allocation of resources and the planning of their computer system modernization initiatives.

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Indicators of the Need for Software Reengineering

When custom software begins to show signs of fatigue or inefficiency, several revealing indicators may emerge, thus indicating the need for reengineering.

  1. Impact on system performance and productivity

A stock management application might experience increased loading times, resulting in delays in order processing and customer dissatisfaction. Similarly, a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system might suffer from an increased frequency of failures, leading to reduced productivity for sales and customer service teams.

2. Increasing complexity and maintenance difficulties

The increasing complexity of the software structure can make system maintenance and scalability difficult, as in the case of a project management software where adding new features becomes cumbersome due to outdated and poorly documented code.

3. Technological obsolescence and vulnerabilities

Technological obsolescence may manifest itself through the use of outdated programming languages or obsolete software libraries, making the software vulnerable to security breaches and limiting its ability to integrate new features and technologies. These examples illustrate the critical importance of carefully monitoring the health and performance of custom software and proactively engaging in reengineering initiatives when necessary to maintain their long-term competitiveness and usefulness.

Advantages and Outcomes of Software Reengineering

Software reengineering offers a multitude of advantages and significant outcomes for organizations engaging in this modernization process.

  1. Optimization of performance and responsiveness

Software reengineering improves the overall performance of computer systems by identifying and eliminating bottlenecks, code redundancies, and inefficient processes. For example, by optimizing data processing algorithms or migrating to more powerful cloud infrastructures, organizations can significantly reduce processing times and improve the responsiveness of their applications.

2. Long-term maintenance cost reduction

Software reengineering also reduces long-term maintenance costs by streamlining development processes, simplifying software architecture, and eliminating costly dependencies on obsolete technologies. For example, by replacing aging software components with modern and scalable solutions, organizations can reduce expenses related to bug resolution and corrective maintenance.

3. Fostering innovation and competitiveness

Furthermore, software reengineering fosters innovation by enabling organizations to quickly adopt new technologies and respond to market developments in an agile manner. For example, by modernizing user interfaces and integrating innovative features such as artificial intelligence or the Internet of Things (IoT), organizations can offer differentiated user experiences and remain competitive in the market.

In summary, software reengineering offers considerable potential to strengthen the competitiveness, efficiency, and agility of organizations in an ever-evolving technological environment.

Challenges and Strategies of Software Reengineering

While promising in terms of improving existing systems, software reengineering is not without its challenges and complexities. One of the main challenges is change management, as reengineering often involves substantial modifications to software processes, architecture, and operation, which can provoke resistance among teams and stakeholders. Additionally, reengineering may face budgetary and time constraints, especially in organizations where resources are limited and justifying necessary investments is challenging.

To address these challenges, organizations must adopt effective and pragmatic reengineering strategies. This includes establishing strong governance to oversee the reengineering process, clearly defining objectives, priorities, and necessary resources. Moreover, transparent communication and effective stakeholder management are essential to minimize resistance to change and ensure the buy-in of affected teams.

Furthermore, it is crucial to adopt an iterative and incremental approach in the reengineering process, identifying and prioritizing improvements in stages. This helps mitigate the risks associated with reengineering by limiting the impact of changes on ongoing operations and enabling gradual adaptation to new architectures and technologies. Finally, training and developing team skills are essential to ensure the long-term success of software reengineering, facilitating effective adoption of new practices, tools, and technologies. By adopting these strategies and overcoming these challenges, organizations can maximize the benefits of software reengineering and maintain their competitiveness in a digitally evolving environment.

Case Studies and Best Practices in Software Reengineering

Case studies and best practices in software reengineering provide concrete insights into how organizations can successfully modernize their existing systems to meet contemporary challenges and changing business requirements. For example, a case study of a large e-commerce company facing slow loading times and poor user experience revealed that reengineering their software platform by adopting a cloud-based architecture and optimizing database queries significantly reduced loading times and improved user satisfaction.

Similarly, applying best practices such as using agile methodologies, such as Scrum or Kanban, can facilitate effective project management in reengineering projects by enabling close collaboration between development teams and stakeholders, as well as flexibility in managing priorities and changes. Additionally, adopting emerging technologies such as test automation and continuous deployment can accelerate the reengineering process by reducing development lead times and improving code quality.

By analyzing these case studies and leveraging these best practices, organizations can develop effective strategies to successfully carry out their own software reengineering initiatives, maximizing benefits while minimizing risks and potential obstacles. Ultimately, case studies and best practices in software reengineering offer valuable guidance for organizations seeking to modernize their computer systems and maintain their competitiveness in an ever-evolving digital world.

Conclusion

By examining these inspiring case studies and exploring recommended best practices, organizations can gain valuable insights for their own software reengineering projects. For tailored support and solutions to your specific needs, do not hesitate to contact our digital agency, Edana, specialized in software reengineering. With our proven expertise in the field, we are here to help you realize your digital transformation ambitions and ensure the success of your software modernization projects.

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Featured-Post-Software-EN Non classé Software Engineering (EN)

ACID Transactions: Ensuring the Integrity of Your Critical Data

ACID Transactions: Ensuring the Integrity of Your Critical Data

Auteur n°2 – Jonathan

ACID transactions (Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation, Durability) are the cement that guarantees the integrity of critical data within modern enterprises. Financial institutions and e-commerce companies have relied on them for a long time because they cannot afford inconsistencies in their datasets. Today, they are the cornerstone that ensures the security and integrity of operations across a variety of industries.

This mechanism protects your information systems against critical data errors because, unlike a simple isolated operation, an ACID transaction treats multiple actions as an indivisible unit: everything succeeds, or nothing is applied. In plain terms, it’s the guarantee that a sequence of operations (for example, a debit followed by a credit in banking) leaves the database in a coherent and reliable state, without any incoherent intermediate state that could cause downtime for the user or, worse, trigger irreversible actions leading to disputes.

For decision-makers and CIOs, this means reduced risk of data corruption, fewer costly errors, and enhanced confidence in their systems. They therefore build these guarantees into their IT strategy, fully aware that transactional robustness directly influences performance, compliance, risk management, and the organization’s reputation.

ROI and Business Benefits: The Concrete Impact of an ACID Transactional Architecture on the Enterprise

In the digital age, ensuring data integrity via ACID transactions is an investment in the sustainability and performance of your company.

Beyond the technology itself, decision-makers seek tangible benefits. A reliable information system delivers multiple ROIs: fewer business interruptions (failures or unplanned stops) due to anomalies; lower costs related to data recovery or correction of corrupted data; less time wasted fixing errors; and increased trust from both customers and employees.

Concrete Advantages

  • Reduction in processing times: automation of workflows and elimination of manual interventions.
  • Decrease in errors and inconsistencies: systematic validation of business rules with each transaction.
  • Optimization of operational costs: fewer resources dedicated to correcting and reconciling data.
  • Improvement in service reliability: increased availability and resilience against failures.
  • Gain in customer and employee trust: smooth communication and coherent data foster satisfaction and loyalty.
  • Support for innovation: stable foundations to deploy new features without risk.

Insurance Use Case

Context

An insurance company we advise receives approximately 5,000 claim submissions each month via its online portal. Until recently, claims were first recorded in several distinct subsystems (document management, expert tracking, billing) because the IS was not yet fully integrated.

During peak periods, the various processing teams would see duplicate claim files spread across multiple systems. They then had to manually consolidate these files—identify duplicates, merge partial information, validate the complete history—to obtain a single coherent record.

This manual procedure was lengthy: for each duplicated claim, teams had to navigate up to three different interfaces, compare supporting documents, and reconstruct the full status of the file. On average, 15 % of claims had at least one duplicate, and each consolidation took several hours per file, with a high risk of human error and extended processing times.

ACID Solution

By adopting a fully ACID-compliant transactional database, HelvetiaCare was able to automate each step of the claims process:

  1. Atomicity: each change (creation, update, closure of a file) is treated as an indivisible unit.
  2. Consistency: business rules (e.g., no file without validated documentation) are guaranteed on every transaction.
  3. Isolation: records are locked at the necessary level, preventing any conflicts during traffic peaks.
  4. Durability: once committed, every transaction remains reliable and recoverable, even in the event of a system failure.

Results

  • Processing time per file dropped from 72 hours to 2 hours.
  • Duplicates were almost eliminated (from 15 % to less than 0.5 %) thanks to strict write isolation.
  • Customer satisfaction (NPS) rose from +24 to +58 in six months.
  • Operational costs related to manual follow-ups and corrections were reduced by 50 %, saving approximately CHF 400 000 annually.

Strategic Impact

This ACID automation goes beyond a performance gain: it strengthens data reliability, frees teams to focus on product innovation, and significantly improves the customer experience by ensuring fast, error-free service.

Solid Foundations for Growth and Transformation

Strategically, equipping your system with a robust, tailor-made ACID foundation provides additional agility. Rather than hindering innovation—as a system generating data inconsistencies would—such a foundation secures it: every new feature or module can rely on existing, reliable transactions without risking a collapse like a house of cards. It’s the assurance that the company’s digital growth will not come at the expense of data quality.

How ACID Transactions Work Technically

An ACID transaction ensures that no critical data is lost or corrupted in transit, a risk that inevitably arises in non-ACID systems.

Behavior Without ACID

Before discussing ACID transactions, it’s necessary to explain concretely how, in the absence of these properties, several risks can lead to data loss or corruption:

  • Absence of atomicity: if a series of operations is interrupted (failure, timeout, crash), only some of them are applied, leaving the database in a partially updated state.
    Example: during a two-step bank transfer (debit from account A, credit to account B), a crash after the debit but before the credit can make the money vanish from the system.
  • Absence of isolation: concurrent transactions can interfere (lost updates, dirty reads), causing inconsistencies or overwriting legitimate modifications.
    Example: on a high-traffic e-commerce site, only five units of an item remain in stock. Two order servers process purchases in parallel: each reads “5,” sells one unit, and writes “4.” The second overwrite leaves the stock at 4 instead of 3, causing one sale to disappear.
  • Absence of durability: without reliable logging, a sudden restart can permanently erase recently committed changes.
    Example: an order recorded just before a power cut disappears after the server restarts.
  • Absence of consistency: no mechanism ensures that all constraints (referential integrity, business rules) remain respected in case of error.
    Example: deleting a customer without deleting their associated orders, leaving orphaned records in the “orders” table.

These shortcomings can lead to scenarios where valid updates are simply forgotten, intermediate states are exposed to users, or critical data ends up in an incoherent state.

Behavior With ACID

An ACID transaction, on the other hand, guarantees that every operation composing the process is either fully committed or rolled back as a whole in case of a problem, thus preserving overall consistency in each of the above scenarios.

To achieve this, an ACID transaction relies on four fundamental guarantees, each implemented by mechanisms applicable in any system handling data operations:

Atomicity

  • Principle: treat all operations of a transaction as one indivisible whole: either all succeed, or none takes effect.
  • Mechanisms:
    • Operation log (write-ahead log): record the list of actions to be performed before execution, enabling rollback if needed.
    • Coordinated rollback: in case of failure at any step, traverse the log to undo each applied operation.

Consistency

  • Principle: allow only valid data states that respect all business rules and global constraints before and after the transaction.
  • Mechanisms:
    • Batch validation: check all constraints (uniqueness, relationships, invariants) in one pass when the transaction requests commit.
    • Validation hooks: extension points (in application or middleware) that reject modifications violating business rules.

Isolation

  • Principle: concurrent transactions must appear as if executed sequentially, without visible interference.
  • Mechanisms:
    • Logical locking: lock resources (data items, files, objects) during modification to prevent conflicts.
    • Version control (MVCC): each transaction works on its own copy of data (or its changes), then merges results at commit, detecting and handling conflicts.

Durability

  • Principle: once a transaction is committed, its effects must survive any crash or restart.
  • Mechanisms:
    • Persistent writes: ensure all modifications are replicated or written to non-volatile storage before confirming transaction completion.
    • Crash recovery: on system restart, automatically replay committed operations not yet applied to the final state.

By combining these four guarantees through operation logs, batch validations, synchronization or versioning strategies, and reinforced persistence procedures, any system—whether a dedicated database, a distributed queue service, or a transactional middleware layer—can offer reliable and robust transactions that protect critical data integrity.

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Transactional Databases: Leverage the DBMS Rather Than Reinvent the Wheel

In your projects, you have two approaches to ensure Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation, and Durability:

  1. Manual implementation of the necessary mechanisms (logging, rollback, locking, crash recovery) directly in application code, orchestrating each step yourself.
  2. Relying on a transactional DBMS that natively integrates these functions, optimized and battle-tested for decades to safeguard critical data.

Advantages of Entrusting ACID to the DBMS

  • Optimized, proven mechanisms: native logging (e.g., PostgreSQL, MySQL/InnoDB, Oracle, SQL Server) uses tuned write-ahead logs for performance and data safety.
  • Locking and MVCC: sophisticated shared/exclusive locks or multi-version concurrency control ensure high concurrency without excessive blocking—a complexity hard to reproduce manually.
  • Certified compliance and reliability: transactional DBMSs undergo ACID compliance tests and receive regular updates; you avoid “home-grown” errors and benefit from active community support.
  • Reduced application complexity: delegating atomicity, rollback, validation, and durability to the DBMS keeps your business code concise and maintainable; tuning the DBMS (buffer sizes, checkpoint frequency, replication) becomes your main lever for scaling performance.
  • Advanced observability and operability: integrated tools (pg_stat_activity, Performance Schema, Oracle Enterprise Manager) provide precise metrics for diagnosing locks, transaction latency, or log rates; execution plans and audit reports facilitate profiling and optimization.
  • High availability and disaster recovery: replication, clustering, and automatic failover (PostgreSQL Streaming Replication/Patroni, MySQL Group Replication, Oracle Data Guard, SQL Server Always On) protect committed data from loss; crash recovery routines based on the log ensure coherent state restoration.

Major Transactional Engines

  • PostgreSQL: strict SQL standards compliance, advanced MVCC, partitioning and replication options.
  • MySQL/MariaDB (InnoDB): ubiquitous on the web, full ACID support with native replication.
  • Oracle Database: rich enterprise features and high-availability options.
  • Microsoft SQL Server: deep integration with Windows/.NET ecosystem, robust administration tools.
  • IBM Db2: proven reliability in large-scale critical environments.
  • CockroachDB, YugabyteDB: NewSQL distributed systems guaranteeing global ACID for cloud-native architectures.

By entrusting your transactions to a suitable DBMS, you benefit from a robust, high-performance, and secure technical foundation—validated by the community and data-reliability experts—whereas a custom implementation would expose you to high development and maintenance costs and increased error risk.

Reconciling ACID Systems with Modular Architectures

Integrating ACID principles in a modular architecture is also a compelling approach that ensures maximum reliability while preserving technological agility.

Many companies are adopting microservices or decoupled modules for greater flexibility. The challenge then is to maintain data integrity across these multiple components. Fortunately, ACID is not exclusive to monolithic systems: with modern tools, you can combine strict consistency and modularity.

For example, an industrial client we work with migrated its production-management software to independently deployed services. Each step (order intake, stock adjustment, machine scheduling) was handled by a separate module. However, without ACID coordination, discrepancies arose: an order could be confirmed without the stock decrement happening in real time, because the transaction did not encompass both actions.

The solution was to introduce a global transaction layer orchestrating key modules. Concretely, the IT teams built a custom orchestrator ensuring atomicity of critical action sequences: if one fails, everything is rolled back. This modular ACID approach immediately paid off: the production line became more resilient, eliminating synchronization errors between services. The company saw a direct performance gain: production stoppages due to data inconsistencies dropped by 60 %, improving ROI through better continuity.

Moreover, this modernization did not compromise future adaptability: by using a modular approach, the architecture remains evolutive. Critical data integrity is upheld without locking the company into a rigid solution; instead, the tech stack stays open (APIs, open-source standards) and adaptable—proof that you can reconcile ACID rigor with ongoing innovation.

Putting ACID Transactions at the Heart of Your Business Strategy

As you’ve seen, ACID transactions are not just another technical concept but a strategic imperative for any organization handling critical data. They act as the invisible guardian of consistency and reliability, enabling leaders to make decisions based on solid information and keeping IT systems functional and stable to serve customers without interruption or error.

From finance to industry and services, we’ve shown how a personalized, open, and modular ACID approach brings concrete gains: risk reduction, cost optimization, and unleashed innovation. Adopting ACID transactions is thus an investment in your company’s digital sustainability. By investing in these solid foundations, decision-makers equip themselves to grow confidently in an increasingly demanding digital environment.

Discuss about your challenges with an Edana expert

PUBLISHED BY

Jonathan Massa

As a specialist in digital consulting, strategy and execution, Jonathan advises organizations on strategic and operational issues related to value creation and digitalization programs focusing on innovation and organic growth. Furthermore, he advises our clients on software engineering and digital development issues to enable them to mobilize the right solutions for their goals.

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Digital Consultancy & Business (EN) Software Engineering (EN)

How to Successfully Upgrade Your Obsolete Enterprise Software?

How to Successfully Upgrade Your Obsolete Enterprise Software?

Auteur n°3 – Benjamin

Is your enterprise software system showing signs of aging, causing more problems than it solves? Obsolete software can quickly become a burden for businesses, manifesting as increasing sluggishness, security gaps, and an inability to adapt to modern technologies and your company’s growth. Fortunately, this situation is not a dead end.

In this article, we will explore the essential steps to effectively update obsolete enterprise software, focusing on best practices and strategies to adopt. Our digital agency, Edana, specialized in software engineering, is here to guide you through this process. Leveraging our expertise, we can assist you in assessing the obsolescence of your software, planning the update, selecting the most suitable solutions, managing associated risks, and implementing techniques such as re-factoring or re-engineering to modernize your system.

Assessment of software obsolescence

Before undertaking any update, it is crucial to assess the extent of the software’s obsolescence. This involves identifying obsolete or inefficient features, potential security issues, and gaps compared to new technologies. A thorough analysis will determine whether a simple update is sufficient or if more radical measures like re-factoring or re-engineering are needed.

This assessment can take various forms, including conducting a comprehensive functional analysis to determine if existing features still meet your business’s operational needs. You could also perform security audits to identify potential vulnerabilities and data protection gaps. Furthermore, comparing your software’s features with the latest technological advancements in the industry will help identify gaps and understand how much your system lags behind current standards. Additionally, soliciting user feedback on aspects of the software that pose problems or are out of sync with their needs can provide valuable insights.

By combining these different assessment approaches, you will be able to paint a comprehensive picture of your software’s obsolescence, which will help you make informed decisions on the best update strategy to adopt.

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Update planning: key steps

Meticulous planning of your enterprise software update is a crucial step to ensure business operations continuity and minimize potential interruptions. This phase encompasses various activities, including identifying the resources needed to successfully carry out the update. This may include programming skills, specialized software tools, and adequate hardware resources.

For example, if you are considering a major update requiring specific software development skills, you may need to consider recruiting additional developers or engaging external consultants. Furthermore, establishing a realistic schedule is essential to coordinate the various stages of the update and avoid unexpected delays. You will need to consider time constraints, supplier delivery times, and periods of lower activity in your business to determine the best time to perform the update.

Selection of appropriate update solutions

When it comes to selecting the best solutions to update obsolete software, it is essential to consider a variety of factors to best meet your business’s specific needs. For some software, a simple update to the latest available version may be sufficient to fix minor issues and benefit from new features. For example, if you are using outdated accounting software, regular updates might include bug fixes and minor improvements for better compliance with current tax regulations.

However, in cases where the software is significantly outdated, more radical measures such as re-factoring or re-engineering may be necessary. The choice of the appropriate strategy will depend on a careful assessment of the costs, risks, and potential benefits of each option. By carefully analyzing these factors and consulting relevant stakeholders, you can select the most suitable update solutions to ensure the long-term success of your business.

Re-factoring and re-engineering: modernizing code and architecture

Re-factoring and re-engineering are essential strategies for revitalizing obsolete software. Re-factoring involves restructuring existing code to improve readability, maintainability, and efficiency while preserving its external functionality. Consider a project management software whose source code has become complex over the years. By applying re-factoring techniques such as simplifying data structures or eliminating code duplications, it becomes possible to optimize the software’s performance without introducing new features.

On the other hand, re-engineering involves a complete redesign of the software architecture, using the latest technologies and development practices to meet current and future business needs. Using the example of project management software again: as part of a re-engineering process, the development team might opt to migrate to a cloud-based architecture, providing better scalability, enhanced security, and increased accessibility for remote users. By combining these two approaches, businesses can modernize their obsolete software and position it advantageously to tackle future challenges.

Risk management related to software update

Updating enterprise software is a crucial step, but it is not without potential risks. Among these risks are service interruptions, data losses, or compatibility issues with other systems used within the company. Effective management of these risks is therefore essential to ensure the success of the update.

This first involves proactively identifying possible risks associated with software update. For example, a major risk could be incompatibility between the new version of the software and other software used by the company. Then, it is necessary to implement appropriate mitigation measures to minimize these risks. For example, this could include conducting thorough testing before deploying the new version of the software to ensure its compatibility with other existing systems.

Finally, it is also crucial to prepare business continuity plans to address any unforeseen incidents that may occur during the update. For example, in the event of a service interruption, it is important to have procedures in place to quickly restore critical business operations to limit disruptions. By taking a proactive approach and implementing appropriate measures, companies can minimize the risks associated with updating their enterprise software and ensure that the process runs smoothly.

Conclusion

Updating obsolete enterprise software is a complex but essential process to maintain competitiveness and security in an ever-evolving business environment. By carefully assessing software obsolescence, meticulously planning the update, selecting appropriate solutions, effectively managing risks, and using techniques such as re-factoring and re-engineering, businesses can modernize their computer systems efficiently and effectively.

At Edana, our digital agency specialized in software engineering, we recognize the fundamental importance of each aspect discussed in this article to meet our clients’ needs. Our commitment to customer satisfaction is reflected in our constant willingness to apply these principles to advise, design, and develop innovative software solutions. We strive to provide high-quality services that meet our clients’ specific requirements, using proven methods such as re-factoring and re-engineering to modernize their enterprise software.

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Featured-Post-ConsultingAudit-EN Software Engineering (EN)

The Best Database Systems for Swiss Companies

The Best Database Systems for Swiss Companies

Auteur n°2 – Jonathan

The transition to digitization is a crucial step for Swiss companies wishing to remain competitive in the current landscape. One of the fundamental decisions in this journey is the choice of the database system. At Edana, we understand that a robust database is reliable and is the pivot around which modern data management revolves. In this article, we explore the best database systems, reviewing their respective advantages and disadvantages, while emphasizing the importance of business applications in the digitization of companies and the secure processing of sensitive data in Switzerland.

MySQL : Reliability and performance

Advantages of MySQL: As an open-source database management system, MySQL offers maximum flexibility and is supported by an active community, ensuring frequent updates and responsive support.

Disadvantages of MySQL: However, it has limitations for complex queries and can use table locking, impacting performance in concurrent environments. Despite this, its high performance, ease of use, and replication features make it a solid option, although scalability may depend on adding hardware resources. MySQL’s efficiency for managing unstructured data may also be lower compared to other specialized solutions.

In summary, MySQL is a robust choice to consider based on the specific needs of each project.

PostgreSQL : Scalability and advanced transaction management

Advantages of PostgreSQL: PostgreSQL, as an open-source database management system, offers high power and flexibility. Known for its compliance with SQL standards, PostgreSQL excels in managing complex transactions and handling varied workloads. Its robust replication and partitioning architecture, combined with an active community, ensure high availability and regular updates.

Disadvantages of PostgreSQL: However, PostgreSQL may have a steeper learning curve due to its rich functionality, which can be challenging for less experienced users. Although it offers excellent transaction management, it may be less performant than other systems in scenarios requiring extremely high processing speed.

Despite these considerations, PostgreSQL remains a solid option for applications requiring advanced data management and strict SQL compliance.

MongoDB: Flexibility for Unstructured Data

Advantages of MongoDB: MongoDB, as a NoSQL database, shines with its flexibility and scalability. Its document-oriented data structure allows for storing unstructured data, offering exceptional adaptability for scalable and dynamic applications. MongoDB’s high performance in handling large amounts of data and horizontal scalability make it a preferred choice for applications requiring maximum agility and scalability. Its easy replication and management of geospatial data make it a versatile tool.

Disadvantages of MongoDB: However, MongoDB may pose challenges in terms of data consistency, given its eventual consistency model. Additionally, its indexing may sometimes require special attention to optimize performance. Although flexibility is an asset, it can make managing data structure more complex in environments requiring strict schemas.

In summary, MongoDB stands out for its flexibility and high performance, but its consistency model and indexing considerations require careful evaluation based on the specific requirements of each project.

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Oracle Database: Proven Power for Large Enterprises

Advantages of Oracle: Oracle Database, an industry leader, offers exceptional power and reliability. Its ability to handle complex transactions and ensure high availability makes it a solid choice for large enterprises.

Disadvantages of Oracle: However, high costs, both in licenses and infrastructure, as well as management complexity, can pose challenges, especially for small businesses. A thorough assessment of specific needs is recommended before opting for Oracle Database.

Sensitive Data Processing: Security at the Heart of Digitization

Protecting sensitive data is a major concern. Just as doctors and healthcare professionals can use Health Info Net AG (HIN) to secure their email communications and share documents, intranet databases and business applications designed by Edana incorporate advanced security measures, such as data encryption, strict access mechanisms, and regular audits, ensuring confidentiality and compliance with regulations.

Need an Interactive Database? Think Business Application!

Beyond databases, custom business applications are essential for complete digitization. They centralize and streamline processes, providing a single point for storing, manipulating, and analyzing data efficiently. From automated workflows to interactive dashboards, business applications designed by Edana are tailored to meet the specific needs of each Swiss company.

Examples of business applications we have developed for these Swiss companies

Our team of software engineers and database experts has designed several data management systems and business tools that allow our clients to digitize their processes, automate their operations, and enhance the security of their data.


Learn more about business applications

Develop my own business application

At Edana, we understand that digitization goes hand in hand with robust databases and smart business applications. Our team of experts works closely with each client to create tailored solutions that drive digitization while ensuring efficient data management. Make your digital transition a success with Edana, your partner in custom software development. Contact us now to discuss your needs and goals. An expert will be happy to advise you.

PUBLISHED BY

Jonathan Massa

As a specialist in digital consulting, strategy and execution, Jonathan advises organizations on strategic and operational issues related to value creation and digitalization programs focusing on innovation and organic growth. Furthermore, he advises our clients on software engineering and digital development issues to enable them to mobilize the right solutions for their goals.

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Custom Business Application: Pricing, Timeline, and Steps to Create Your Enterprise Software

Custom Business Application: Pricing, Timeline, and Steps to Create Your Enterprise Software

Auteur n°2 – Jonathan

Digital transformation has reshaped how Swiss businesses operate, compelling them to rethink their processes and adopt innovative solutions to remain competitive. Among these solutions, custom business applications stand out as essential tools to meet the specific needs of each company or organization. In this article, we will explore what a business application is, why it is crucial for the growth and survival of your business in the Swiss and international markets, how much it can cost, and how a custom software development provider like our agency, Edana, can help you create a business application tailored to your needs.

What is a business application (or business software)?

A business application, also known as business software, is a software solution specifically designed to meet the unique requirements of a company or organization. It can be a comprehensive suite for managing all of its business operations or a solution dedicated to a single or multiple tasks (CRM, invoicing, warehouse management, time-sheeting, accounting, etc.). Unlike generic software that can be sold on the market (so-called “off-the-shelf” solutions), a custom business application is developed taking into account the internal processes, workflows, and specific needs of the company or organization. It has no limits in terms of possibilities, and its functions and user interface are perfectly tailored to the precise needs of the business activity.

Examples of business applications designed by us

You can see examples of business applications that we have custom designed for Swiss companies such as Filinea (intervention management software, emails, calendars, human resources, and other custom functions) and Goteck (customer management, project management, and invoicing). These two enterprise applications constitute real digitized ecosystems since everything the employees need is centralized there, all in an ergonomic and secure manner.


Develop my own business application

Business applications can be developed using web, native, or a combination of both languages. Often hosted on a secure and dedicated server, they offer significant flexibility, allowing employees to connect from various locations (office, home, field) and devices (mobile phones, tablets, computers) or facilitating data backups or updates to their features and deployment.

Why opt for a custom business application?

A business application tailored to a company’s needs can lead to various benefits such as task automation, reduced payroll costs, increased employee happiness (often measured through the Net Promoter Score), increased customer satisfaction (also measured via NPS), as well as increased productivity, etc.

Here are the main advantages of custom business software:

Maximum customization

Custom business applications offer unparalleled customization, allowing companies to easily adapt to changes and evolutions in their industry. Indeed, each company or organization has different specificities (employee profile, management or project management method adopted, products and services sold, customer typology, etc.). So many parameters make a company unique and turn preconceived solutions into inadequate burdens and often unnecessary expenses for a company believing to do well by digitizing itself but paying for an inadequate solution that will not be adopted by its employees.

Process optimization

Delving into the heart of operational mechanisms is the promise of a custom business application developed by Edana. Understanding every nuance, every interaction within your company enables us to tailor solutions that transcend the ordinary. From streamlining workflows to automating repetitive tasks, a meticulous approach ensures maximum operational efficiency. With a well-designed custom business software, process optimization becomes more than an aspiration; it becomes the reality that propels your company towards operational excellence.

Enhanced security

Customized solutions offer a higher level of security tailored to the specific needs of the company, ensuring the protection of sensitive data. They take into account the types of data stored and the working mechanisms, thus being developed accordingly to protect your data against threats related to your activity.

Centralization & ecosystem

In general, digitizing through business software simplifies many processes and centralizes key tools (having emails, contacts, and business tools centralized in one place ergonomically changes the game and simplifies many things). This avoids, for example, opening several different programs and juggling with them to perform a task.

Unmatched scalability of a custom-built enterprise application

A well-designed business application is scalable, capable of adapting to the company’s growth without compromising performance. It can be gradually improved and become everything you need to achieve and maintain operational excellence, without any limits!

Let’s talk about your digitization

How long does it take to develop a business application?

The time required to create a business application can vary considerably depending on several factors. These factors include the complexity of the application, the required features, customization requirements, the size of the development team, the development methodologies used, and many others.

It is essential to note that each project is unique. Some projects can be completed more quickly using frameworks and pre-existing tools, while others require more customized and in-depth development. In general, the creation of custom business software involves several stages, from needs analysis to design, development, testing, and finally deployment.

As an indication, the complete cycle can last from 2 to 3 months for an MVP (minimum viable product), 6 to 8 months for a complete software, and over a year for a complex complete software. Some very important and highly complex projects may even see their development last for several years.

To obtain a more precise estimate, it is recommended to consult a custom software development agency in Switzerland, such as ours, which can assess your specific needs and provide you with an estimate based on the scope of your project.

Get an estimate of the timeline tailored to your company

Budget for developing custom business software in Switzerland

Budget for developing custom business software in Switzerland The cost of a custom business application in Switzerland can vary considerably depending on several factors. Like the development time, some of the main elements that influence the cost are also the complexity of the application, the number of features, the level of customization required, the technology used, the degree of security required, the size of the development team, and other specific project requirements.

In general, developing a custom application in Switzerland can cost from tens of thousands to several hundreds of thousands of Swiss francs, or even more for very complex projects.

It is recommended to have a thorough discussion with a custom software development agency in Switzerland to obtain an accurate estimate based on the specific needs of your company. A detailed analysis of your requirements will determine the costs associated with each phase of the development of the custom business application.

Get a cost estimate tailored to your company

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Steps to create a business application for your company

1. Needs assessment

Before starting the development process, it is essential to understand the specific needs of the company. At Edana, our experts work closely with clients to identify essential features and goals. Our enterprise architects, software engineers, UX designers, product owners, and digital strategists accompany you from this first step in your strategic thinking and advise you on the best solutions for your company or organization.

2. Design and planning

Once the needs are identified, the development team at Edana creates a detailed plan and architecture for the application. This includes designing the user interface, planning features, and identifying necessary technologies.

3. Development

The development process begins, with particular attention to code quality, security, and scalability. Clients are regularly updated on progress, and adjustments are made based on feedback.

4. Testing and validation

Before deployment in production, the application undergoes rigorous testing to ensure its proper functioning, security, and compliance with client requirements. Our project management and QA engineering teams conduct a battery of tests and adjustments necessary to meet our very high quality standards.

5. Deployment and maintenance

Once testing is successful, the application is deployed. Edana also ensures continuous maintenance, ensuring that the application remains up-to-date and functions smoothly. Our cybersecurity specialists also ensure that your system remains protected against threats and cyber-attacks (firewall management, anti-virus, software security patches, source code fixes, 24/7 monitoring, as well as backups and restorations).

What technologies to use to design custom software?

It is possible to build a business application with various technologies, which can also vary depending on the unique requirements of each project. Nevertheless, web technologies are increasingly used as they allow applications to be deployed in server environments without any limits and to be easily and quickly maintained and improved (these technologies are widespread, widely mastered, and their community is strong). It would be too long to list all the languages and technologies that can be mobilized to build a business application. So, we will talk about our approach. At Edana, we embrace technological diversity to create custom business applications that perfectly meet your specific needs. Our flexible approach includes the following technologies:

Powerful backend with Laravel, Symfony, or pure PHP for robust business applications

Laravel, the most powerful PHP framework, ensures a solid structure and easy maintenance. It also shortens development times thanks to its php artisan which makes life easier for backend developers or thanks to its packages.

Interactive frontend with React, Angular, or pure markup

We use React for dynamic components and Angular for business applications requiring a solid architecture. Our front-end developers also code in pure JS and HTML when necessary, depending on the project.

High-performance database with MySQL (or PostgreSQL) and Node.js

MySQL or PostgreSQL, recognized relational databases for their performance, are used, as well as Node.js for server-side operations. We carefully select the best technologies to handle and manipulate your data according to your needs. To learn more, you can read our article on different database systems for Swiss companies.

Hosting in Swiss territory with Infomaniak and other Swiss data centers

Swiss hosting guarantees stability and security, in compliance with Swiss data protection standards. This is notably a prerequisite for organizations and companies processing sensitive data such as patient (medical) or financial data (banks, insurance companies, investment funds, family offices, etc.).

Agile deployment with Docker, Kubernetes, and others

When necessary, Docker ensures smooth containerization, while Kubernetes orchestrates deployment, offering exceptional flexibility and scalability necessary for robust and responsive business applications.

Source control with GitLab

We use GitLab but also other collaboration and repository systems for efficient source code management, ensuring precise tracking of changes and fostering transparent collaboration.

Flexibility and specialization in multiple languages and technologies

At Edana, we are aware that each project is unique. That is why we specialize in a multitude of technologies including Python, C++, PHP, Kotlin, JSON, Rubis, Node.js, etc. We are open to all technologies and adapt our choices according to the specific needs of each client.

Contact us for a robust business application

Conclusion : a business application makes all the difference

Investing in a custom business application is a strategic step towards operational efficiency and sustainable growth. Edana, as a Swiss custom software development agency, offers its expertise to design solutions tailored to your specific needs and allows you to adapt to the constantly evolving digital world while automating and improving your internal processes.

A custom business application can have a very significant impact on your company (increased employee happiness, reduced lead times, increased yield rate, automation of tasks and positions, increased operational transparency, improved customer experience, protection against cyber threats, etc.). Contact us today to start your journey towards digital transformation and maximize the potential of your business.

PUBLISHED BY

Jonathan Massa

As a specialist in digital consulting, strategy and execution, Jonathan advises organizations on strategic and operational issues related to value creation and digitalization programs focusing on innovation and organic growth. Furthermore, he advises our clients on software engineering and digital development issues to enable them to mobilize the right solutions for their goals.