Client: QFI Consultancy

Cake works with QFI Consulting

Project Description

QFI Consultancy provide process optimisation services to organisations that need to manage many dependent processes. A good example is a hospital ward. There are many patients; each patient needs specific care. In the QFI domain, a project is the process of discharging the patient, and the processes are the different tests and treatments that lead to the goal – discharge. The processes are constrained: for example, it may not be possible to start a particular treatment until some time after an operation.

Technical Description

Because QFI Consultancy can apply the same process management principle to many different environments, they needed a system whose core implements the theory of constraints principles. The applications for the specific environments then use the common core and provide only the additional functionality for each environment. Our task was to architect the application to allow for this programming and deployment pattern. When we completed our architecture work, QFI Consultancy asked us to help us with the implementation of the environment-specific applications.

Throughout the architecture and implementation of the QFI core, it became apparent that the application would benefit from a highly modular, yet loosely coupled design. OSGi seems to be the best technology that satisfies these requirements. SpringSource – the company behind the Spring Framework – has just released the SpringSource Application Platform. The Platform is a complete implementation of the OSGi R4.1 specification, but includes many additional improvements. We believe that the Platform will be an ideal substrate for the QFI system.