Today we have selected Andrei Blaj to take his interview. He is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Atta Systems.
First of all, how are you and your team doing in these COVID-19 times?
For us at Atta Systems, the pandemic contributed to a more efficient way of working. Of course, we had implemented remote work processes even before, but we’ve learned how to move forward in a completely remote or hybrid way during the past year and a half, and I believe this is one of the most important skills learned.
Also, for a top tech company like ours, the pandemic has been a turning point regarding clients and new projects. More and more people noticed the importance of an online presence and services that can be accessed remotely, despite geographical or time zone limitations. I can say that the pandemic has accelerated technology, innovation, and growth.
Tell us about your career and how you founded or joined this company?
I’ve always been a passionate tech entrepreneur, having graduated in software engineering with a computer vision & AI degree. I have an extensive technology background, and I like to say that I have a good eye and nose for specialists who work well together, and on top of that, I can build the right team for any project. Atta Systems was founded in 2015 by my good friend Arti and me.
We’ve known each other for more than 15 years, and that has helped us to build the company we are today, a team of more than 30 tech experts and professionals, building software products with millions of users for clients all over the world: EU, US, South East Asia.
How does your company innovate?
Our process mixes user research, product design, and software development that creates impactful, innovative software experiences. We help large international organizations (UNICEF, The World Bank, EY, UN) and funded startups to develop meaningful ideas into valuable outcomes. We usually drive the innovation process and deliver true digital transformation to our customers, helping them from the idea to the final product.
Which areas do you believe you have the expertise to innovate, and why?
The areas where our knowledge and expertise drive the most impact are: Healthcare (Medtech), Education (edtech), Finance (fintech), and Institutional (government & administration); Atta Systems has extensive experience in the healthcare space. We worked with customers worldwide on solutions that revolutionize healthcare using cutting-edge AI/ML algorithms, image processing, computer vision, and cloud computing.
Our software solutions cover medical fields such as pulmonology, dermatology, radiology, oncology, neurology, cardiology, and many more. We believe that technology can make education and knowledge available to most of the world’s population at affordable prices. This has the potential to create an amazing impact on a global scale.
Our deep expertise in technology, market knowledge, and previous successful developments make us a great partner to enable our customers to drive this leap forward in education. Financial and insurance services have become global, and we help our clients through their digital transformation journey. We have successfully developed, deployed, and maintained software systems in the financial sector worldwide.
The next decade focuses on the digital transformation of the public sector (administration/government). Atta Systems has a proven track record in successfully developing and maintaining software systems in partnership with big international organizations like UNICEF, The World Bank, and the UN for governments and administrations worldwide.
Did you have to make difficult choices, and what are the lessons?
We must constantly make difficult choices, which partner to work with, which challenges and projects to take on, and direct resources. The most difficult decisions are often related to which projects to reject or postpone and which to engage and drive impactfully. That is why we focus mainly on the four pillars to have the most impact, create change, and improve millions of lives: Medtech, fintech, edtech, and institutional.
What specific tools, software, and management skills are you using to navigate the vast, changing, and continuously developing world of technology?
We take pride in our team and have one of the best specialists and experts in tech. We constantly look through hundreds of profiles and cherry-pick only the best ones to fit the team. Our team is our most important asset. We take management, mentoring, and coaching seriously. We help our employees accelerate their professional career growth.
Our managers’ main job is to guide our employees to grow and succeed. We do bi-weekly 1:1s, and career plan meetings focused on growth and career goals. The processes that we use in our company are best practices and industry standards adapted to our organization. We structure the work using the agile methodology. Product design is done using design thinking methodologies and the double diamond technique.
Thinking of tools, we try to be adaptive. We understand that our field is fast-paced and changes rapidly. We are aware that tools and technologies can give us an amazing advantage.
A couple of tools and technologies we use are the following:
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Management: JIRA, Slack
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User Reserch: UserTesting
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Product Design: Figma, Invision, Sketch
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Big Data & Databases: Elastic Search, Solar, MongoDB, PostgreSQL
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BI: Saiku, Power BI, Looker
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Infrastructure: AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, New Relic, Firebase Crashlytics
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Backend: Java, Spring Framework, node.JS, Firebase (backend as a service solution)
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Frontend web: Angular, React
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Mobile: React, Flutter, Swift, Kotlin, Java
Who are your competitors? And how do you plan to stay in the game?
There are many good software companies and software teams around the world. Atta Systems takes the game a step further and understands the client’s needs, and provides the right tailor-made custom product that solves the problem in the long run. We are not just a team that writes code. We are a trusted partner. We become part of the team and act in the company’s best interest that we work with.
This is one of the first things our clients appreciate about us, that they have excellent communication with us and that it feels as if we are part of the team, not just a company that you hire to bring your idea to life through code. We stay in the game and grow every year by welcoming only the best in the team, like-minded professionals with the same drive.
We are continuously learning and improving our approach, be it new coding languages, new techniques, technologies, or ways to communicate better. At Atta Systems, we strive to be the best and do everything in our power to reach this quality level for our clients and partners.
What do clients say about you, and why do they choose you instead of your competitors?
Our clients are happy with the results, our services, and the way we perform. We always ask for feedback and what we can improve. So far, we’ve received high ratings, which means a lot to us. We worked together for a common goal, a mix of different professionals delivering before deadlines and exceeding expectations most of the time.
Clients choose us because we deliver on time and budget the right product or service every time. Some feedback we received from our partners: Excellent implementation of the online platform we designed together under very tight deadlines! The team was extremely supportive, quick, and innovative in their solutions to our complex needs.
Emil Daniel Tesliuc, Senior Economist, Social Protection & Jobs, The World BankAtta Systems, proved to be a trustworthy partner throughout our collaboration, bringing our initial proposal to life with many enriched ideas and various alternatives to suit a very complex implementation plan. The software delivered worked flawlessly, had an easy-to-use interface, and proved its reliability in the time.
I have no doubt we will work together in the coming periods. Ana Radu, Financial Accounting and Advisory Services Manager, the platform has performed exceptionally well and has been almost entirely bug-free after over 200,000 requests. Each member of the AB4 Systems team was reliable and knowledgeable, creating a fluid project management experience.Mircea Popa, Co-Founder @ Medicai
Your final thoughts
We believe the future belongs to companies that will embrace technology. Besides a solid, proven track record in software product development, Atta Systems brings deep domain expertise for Medtech, edtech, fintech, and public administration. We build the bridge between you and millions of users and clients. We take your idea from scratch and make it a reality. We’re not simply a software company. We are the right team to work with and build your great idea.
- Spokesperson: Andrei Blaj
- Company: Atta Systems
- Website link: https://atta.systems/