MindPuzzle

About MindPuzzle

MindPuzzle has been active in the field of IT since 2011, providing mainly consulting, team management and software development services in Greece. We began building IPLAN 2Work with the purpose of creating modern software for Workforce Management and Scheduling. We purposely chose modern but also a timeless solution while still having the flexibility to adapt to new requirements. We have worked with DevExpress since 2007, and since 2010, we are proud to say it is our primary choice and recommendation.

Describe IPLAN 2Work

The software "IPLAN 2Work" provides comprehensive information on all activities of the labor force. It provides a scheduling solution for employment and absences, while respecting the business operational rules. Each rule can check the availability of the employees for work, compliance of working hours, daily breaks, weekly days off, etc.

XAF in the Business Model

Our primary goal was to fit the construction of a high-end solution within a limited budget. Our knowledge in DevExpress led us to XAF. Although we had no previous experience constructing software in XAF, we managed to create the framework very quickly. We were amazed by the power of XAF and the speed in the constructing process, compared from previous experience, we were 3 times faster and our costs decreased.

After 3 months of construction we had a fully functional software. Our customers loved the stylish working environment, the adaptation of the components in each role, and the ability to extend or customize the business logic using the Model Editor.

Describe a specific project challenge your company overcame using DevExpress tools

Data Storage was one of our major concerns. We wanted to support both Microsoft SQL Server and MySQL as the RDBMS. Therefore, we decided to avoid existing database schemas and to fully trust XAF while using eXpress Persistent Objects (XPO). As a result we took advantage of the architecture and the ability of XPO to collaborate with the most well-known RDBMS. We used the objects provided by the Business Class Library in order to create our items. The implementation of provided interfaces and the use of XAF' templates, simplified our work, not only by inheriting properties but also applying instant business logic.

In the application layer, the use of controllers in XAF, helped the development of custom/specific logic, providing the ability to add Actions to specific Views or Windows and to override functionality. For example, in IPLAN 2Work we use the "Scheduler Module", overriding the default behavior and functionality, using ViewControllers. As a result, we have our custom appearance, multiple resource binding, CRUD handling and extra actions.

What benefits have you experienced from using XAF?

XAF is an asset of MindPuzzle. We develop fast with agility and adaptation to customers' needs without changing our "style". We continue working with XAF, taking advantage of the following:

MVC ArchitectureUnit Testing capabilityXPO integrationDevExpress ComponentsWin and Web solutionsSecurityLocalization ToolHigh ROIHelp and Support

IPLAN 2Work Screenshot Gallery

DevExpress XAF in MindPuzzle's IPlan - Activity By Employee

DevExpress XAF in MindPuzzle's IPlan - Employee Detail

DevExpress XAF in MindPuzzle's IPlan - Employee Work Dashboard

DevExpress XAF in MindPuzzle's IPlan - Work Chart Dashboard