Report

Teaser, summary, work performed and final results

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - Tom PIT Studio (Tom PIT Studio - platform for designing information systems)

Teaser

Focus on the project is to enable companies and teams to develop complex, modern IT solutions faster and without specific knowledge of software engineering. This way we are making SME companies more competitive towards big, already established software vendors. On the other...

Summary

Focus on the project is to enable companies and teams to develop complex, modern IT solutions faster and without specific knowledge of software engineering. This way we are making SME companies more competitive towards big, already established software vendors. On the other hand, we offer big companies, with their own IT department, to develop IT solutions that cover their business logic. This is their preferred option when implementing such system. Reasons are that they know their business logic best, can respond to end-user feedback quickly, development chain is much shorter, maintenance and additional development is easier.

With pre-prepared solutions like unique labelling system big companies get full functionality of the required IT solution (which meets all necessary regulation demands). They can then easily integrate this solution with their process, data and existing devices. This provides additional added value from the same IT solution.
The overall objective of the proposed Tom PIT Studio project is:
1. To further develop our ICT technology from TRL6 to TRL9 and commercialize it.
We have brought our prototype, used to contact first customers, to product first version stage. Product currently offers all functions required by EU directive 2001/83/EC as well as directive for Russian market. This means that customer can opt for solution and implement it in 70% less time and 30% less cost. However solution itself does not provide any added value until it is merged with other systems (ERP, PV, MES,etc.) to ensure traceability on the transport package level and aggregation of the product. This is where Tom PIT technology is used to do this. Tom PIT technology is developed and already on the market with 2 major releases planned for 2017.

Because Tom PIT solution is on the market, customers can decide for the implementation at much later stage and can focus on the hardware part of the solutions. This is also very desirable by the customers because some regulations tend to deviate during the implementation period which is set to end on 30.11.2017. This goes for large scale production also.

2. To demonstrate on a pilot scale the technological performance of Tom PIT Studio with a clear aim to validate our technology to potential customers.

During the duration of the project we have managed to implement several solutions with our customers in Slovenia as well as in EU market (Estonia, Finland). With our IoT partner we have set the first implementation of the solution in Nigeria.

Unique labelling solution is being used in automotive company to serialize their manufactured parts. This is how customer want to ensure that replicas and forged car parts are easily identified before its installation. The quality of their service is therefore guaranteed by our labelling solution.

3. To bring the Tom PIT Studio solution to global markets.
Besides extensive sales campaigns in Slovenia we have started sales process in EU market.
As Croatia is a part of EU and therefore under its legislation, companies in this region have the same need for the unique labelling solution. While distance and language pose no obstacle, we have decided to enter the market without any local partner. Region is appropriate due to its technological unsaturation and lack of funds for investment.

In January 2017 Tom PIT GmbH will be opened in Augsburg and will cover German market. At the beginning covering area around Munich. Expansions depends on the result in the first half of 2017.

We have established a partner relationship with British Research company which provides us with the access to the market of Great Britain. Together we have also entered market in Africa (Nigeria) and are planning to go to middle east.

With company BizXpand we are entering a partnership that will open for us Austrian, Swiss and Polish market. Partner company will be responsible exclusively for sales in these regions.

Work performed

At the beginning of the project we started with detailed market analysis. We divided market into EU and global. EU was further divided by countries or regions. Because Tom PIT offers completely new type of technology we could not rely on and previous analysis done by organizations specialized for this kind of research.
Based on everything mentioned we decided to do detailed market research for next markets:
• Slovenia,
• Croatia
• Germany
• Austria
• Switzerland
• Turkey
In total 388 companies were included in the research. Research was done entirely by our own team or well educated staff from our partners abroad.

From the start of the project we were looking for potential partners and companies that could complement our offer towards the end clients. With the help of such partners we would be able to penetrate markets easier. Partner on this field was found in Croatia, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, and Estonia.

We have also looked for partners that would complement our offer regarding full vertical demands of a solution. Beside software part of product, hardware part is also needed. Although usually customer order this separate with different providers, sometimes having full offer brings competitive advantage. We have found such partner in UK.

Risk assessment was done regarding different regulations for specific branch. We have discovered that almost all branches of industry have some sort of regulations (food and beverage, automotive, tobacco, etc.). Regulations in pharmaceutical are by far the most strict but it cannot be transferred or used in other industries.

Conclusion is that for every industry part of our staff must be educated in other to create IT solutions with appropriate documentation.

First implementations of IT solutions developed completely with Tom PIT were implemented in September 2016 and are currently running. Currently we have 5 production environments; three in Slovenia, one in Croatia and one in Estonia. Combined number of end users exceed 600.000.

Business plan is prepared in two variations. One includes self-finance plan over next 4 years. Second variation includes involvement of third party which provides founds in value of 1.5M€. Based on the business plan used, foreign markets will be penetrated with in different time periods.
First event where funds could be obtained is Deutscher Business Angel Tag on 11.12. and 12.12.2016 in Nürnberg, Germany

Final results

With the achievement of our plan we want to bring the development of IT solution closer to public. It is not necessary any more to have programming skills. It is enough that you are IT literate. That is how we hope to really expand the idea of Industry 4.0 where everyone with an idea could have possibility of developing something that could disturb the market.
Solution for unique labelling system is one of our solutions in the portfolio. As with other solutions we currently have in our offer, the implementation with Tom PIT is 70% cheaper and therefore more affordable to customers that cannot afford high ranking solutions. Because strict regulative this could be the only solution to their existing on the market.
That is why we made a decision that Tom PIT becomes Enterprise Information Portal. A common platform where IT solutions could be developed. We will offer many different pre-prepared solutions which can be used and then customized for the needs of a particular customer. Solutions already developed or in road map for 2017 are:
• Unique labelling system
• MES system
• PRM
• CRM
• Corporate portal
• Document management systems
• Help desk
• Info point
• Weighing system
• Customer care portal
• HRM
• BI
• SCADA systems
• Big data solutions
• Etc.
Social effect of Tom PIT has already made results. Micro and small companies that were previously unable to penetrate market controlled by big software vendors, made first IT solutions and implemented them in big companies. This could be achieved due to innovative technology that enable developers to develop software 70% faster. In big corporates price is the first factor when deciding on any order (IT or non-IT). Second is the implementation period. In this case, both are better by factor at least 3. It is totally disruptive that companies with such a small work force not only got the project but already implemented. Therefore, proving the true worth of such technology.

It is important to stress the impact of such IT solutions against counterfeiting of products. Because such solutions are more affordable it is easier to ensure that products used are real, not counterfeited or replicas. In case of drugs this is of life importance!

Website & more info

More info: http://www.tompit.net.