Striving for the Application Development Specialization with Google Cloud Platform. Specialization is critical for Perficient in vetting itself as a contender in the hotly-contested Fortune 2000 digital transformation consulting industry.  Without it.

our clients and customers cannot be certain that the experts we engage to successfully deliver mission-critical technical solutions have the necessary skills to ensure success.  In layman’s terms, a partner specialization for Google ensures two things: not only are these experts certified in the focus area to be delivered, but they are also the team members who will be doing the work on the project.  It’s very challenging to invest in an opportunity that does not have the required skills to deliver; specialization gives our clients the confidence that we can walk as well as talk.

As of this writing, and as a Premier Partner with Google, Perficient currently holds two specializations: Data and Analytics, and Infrastructure.  If you are reading this and have needs in either area, let us know.  We will be happy to assist with local experts in your area (all over the globe).  A third specialization, and the focus of this blog post, is Application Development.  Sincere thanks and kudos to Kyle Thompson, Technical Architect and co-author of this post, for the hours of research and validation invested to prepare us for the third-party review required for our specialization effort.

Many of us get inundated with emails advertising coding shops that can deliver in record time with low cost.  While a few of these claims may be true, it’s with ease we can disregard them en masse, because anyone who has spent time in the business of application development knows that it is an investment, it takes time, and it takes expertise.  In the list and activity below, Kyle has captured the necessary elements for our specialization in Application Development.  We are confident that our work, and this validation, will successfully achieve Perficient’s third Google Partner Specialization.

Our App Dev Process

At Perficient, our application development process is designed to ensure flexibility, rapid response to change, and the highest standards of quality. Our approach consists of several key phases:

1. Planning & Requirement Analysis:
   • We engage stakeholders to define project scope and goals.
   • Detailed requirements are gathered through user stories and use cases to ensure all client needs are addressed from the start.
2. System Design & Architecture:
   • Solutions are architected leveraging GCP’s scalable and secure infrastructure.
   • Detailed design documents outline the system architecture, ensuring a clear blueprint for development.
3. Development & Coding:
   • Applications are developed using GCP services, following coding standards and best practices.
   • Code versioning and peer review processes are employed to maintain high code quality.
4. Testing & Quality Assurance:
   • Various levels of testing (unit, integration, system, and acceptance) are conducted using GCP testing tools.
   • Automated testing frameworks ensure code quality and reliability.
5. Deployment & Integration:
   • CI/CD pipelines are implemented for automated and seamless deployment.
   • Applications are integrated with existing systems to ensure compatibility and performance.
6. Operations & Monitoring:
   • Applications are monitored using GCP’s operations suite to ensure optimal performance.
   • Logging and performance metrics help identify and resolve issues proactively.
7. Evaluation & Feedback:
   • User feedback and performance data are collected to assess the application’s impact.
   • Iterative improvements are planned based on evaluation.
8. Maintenance & Updates:

Customer Success Use Cases*

Automotive Technology Leader

Application 1:

Outcome Sought: An Automotive Technology leader aimed to modernize an internal platform, transitioning to a cloud-native, multi-tenant application with enhanced scalability, security, and performance capabilities.

Delivered: We proposed and executed a comprehensive redevelopment, including client site redesign, development of modular components, and integration of a Business Rules Management System (BRMS) on GCP. Key GCP products used included Cloud Build (Terraform, Jenkins), Cloud SQL, GKE, Data Fusion, and Cloud Storage.

Customer Feedback: Post-implementation, the platform saw improved scalability and performance, enhanced security, and streamlined operations, reducing workflow management time and effort. The modular design also facilitated easier updates and maintenance, leading to reduced long-term costs.

Application 2:

Outcome Sought: This same Automotive technology leader needed a secure, compliant customer-facing website and portal for the California Clean Fuel Reward Program with high availability and traffic flow observability.

Delivered: We built the platform on their existing GCP environment, utilizing Acquia for content management and Okta for security access. Anthos Service Mesh increased deployment velocity, enabling service monitoring and orchestration of GKE microservices. Key GCP products used included Apigee, VPC, GKE, Cloud SQL, Pub/Sub, Memory Store, Data Studio, Cloud Storage, and IAM.

Customer Feedback: The implementation provided end-to-end traffic encryption, highly available data dashboards with granular observability, and serverless backups. The secure program management system enhanced user experience and operational efficiency.

Automotive Manufacturer – Subscription Services Platform

Outcome Sought: This client aimed to migrate its customer subscription services platform to GCP to overcome the instability and high maintenance costs of its legacy system.

Delivered: Our team executed a rapid migration to GCP, establishing the necessary infrastructure and aligning existing applications with Google’s technology stack. We collaborated with the client’s vehicle data teams to standardize internal systems using infrastructure as code practices. Key GCP products used included Cloud Build, Artifact Registry, Apigee, Cloud Run, Cloud SQL, Pub/Sub, MemoryStore, Workflows, and Cloud Scheduler.

Customer Feedback: The transition to GCP streamlined operations, significantly reducing IT resource expenditure and maintenance costs. The new system improved subscription management, enhanced customer satisfaction, and reduced data processing time from hours to seconds.

Automotive Manufacturer – Shopping with AI

Outcome Sought: This client sought to revamp its website to enhance the B2C customer experience with an AI chatbot, making the site more user-friendly and driving consumers to dealer showrooms.

Delivered: We partnered with the client and Google to design and build a new customer experience using Google DialogFlow for the conversational AI chatbot. The chatbot was integrated throughout the website, providing a conversational and engaging customer experience. Key GCP products used included Google DialogFlow CX, App Engine, Artifact Registry, Cloud Armor, Datastore, Cloud Functions, Cloud SQL, Cloud Run, Cloud Scheduler, Cloud Source Repository, and Vertex AI (Vertex Search, PaLM2).

Customer Feedback: The AI chatbot implementation resulted in a 28% increase in user engagement and high-value actions, a 76% increase in time spent on the site, and a 171% increase in page views per visit. This transformation provided the client’s customers with an intuitive online automobile purchasing experience, driving higher user engagement and stronger purchase intent.

* Note: Client identification has been redacted as the specialization process is underway, and to protect intellectual properties.