Meet Lead Software Engineer Augusto
After many years as a software developer making custom software, Augusto Partida was ready for the next step in his technical career. “I wanted to learn more about data engineering and be able to apply AI to solve real problems”. At Eraneos, Augusto gets to bring AI solutions to a professional environment.
When Augusto started at Eraneos 5 years ago, he brought 20 years of experience with him. “I had a lot of experience in different stacks and developments, and consider myself a full stack developer,” Augusto explains, “Here at Eraneos, we do a lot of applied AI and data engineering, and I had to get used to the way of working and how Eraneos does things”. Originally, Augusto started as a software developer. “After a while I became more involved in how to deal with AI solutions and how to bring it to production”. Considering his skills, it was a small step for Augusto to make, but a big one for the company. “I get to be involved in production and create more opportunities. This way, we can work on different levels of the chains of building the software”.
“Due to the constant change of sectors and clients, I never get bored with my assignments.”
Most of the time, Augusto works on three or four projects alongside one another. “One of the projects I’m involved in is for a client where we are helping them to build a reporting tool that takes information from the casino’s online portal, so they can easily report to the authorities involved”. Within the project they use a lot of Databricks with Azure Data Factory. “Currently, we are migrating the full solution to a more advanced solution that is developed in Python and add-ons and containers. Azure Functions is quite a cool project: it’s trying to use the last technology available to make it possible”. There are currently six other Eraneos colleagues working with this client. “We are not all working on the same user case, but we all have our own projects with a common goal”.
Azure, Python, Java
One of the coolest projects Augusto has worked on was during the Covid-19 pandemic. “As everyone knows, it was a crazy time,” Augusto explains, “We were asked to build this huge prediction model in a very short amount of time”. In total, Augusto worked together with 12 other colleagues to get the work done. “The tool was able to predict people’s behavior, when something such as the pandemic happened, and how to anticipate this”. The client wanted to predict how this would affect people’s purchasing behavior, so they could better prepare for the future.
“One of the cool things about this project was that it was the first time that we were involved in all aspects of building this big solution: data science, data engineering, and software engineering,” Augusto says, “It started with building the models, then bringing these models to a pipeline. We built it in Azure with Azure Data Factory. Everything was written in a combination between Scala and Python”. Once they ran the models with the data, Augusto and his team put it in a SQL Server database.
“Eventually, it was an application built in Spring Boot with Java and containers on the cloud that makes the calculations,” Augusto mentions, “We published a front-end application that was written in Vue and JavaScript”. They created the entire pipeline from scratch until a real end-user solution. “The people who needed to use it were non-technical sales employees. We needed to make sure they could look at this dashboard and see what the predictions are, and how those predictions are going to move the market”. It was one of the coolest projects for Augusto, as they used a lot of new technology related to the topic. “The main problem is that all the software used for machine learning or data science stays in a model-form. It is never transformed to a production environment where real end-users are using it,” Augusto states, “I think this kind of project gives us the opportunity to make this connection between all these different disciplines, data science, data engineering and software engineering. We put it together, and then we build this big solution”.
Consultancy vs. Product
Augusto has worked for product companies but quickly moved to consultancy. “The main difference is that, for example, in a product company, you are really focused on a specific sector with some specific solutions,” Augusto explains, “Most of the time, when the problem is solved, it is just about maintenance, along with adding new features every now and then. But it’s always in the same area”. In consultancy, no project is the same. “What I really like is that each project is just so different. You get to experience various projects, which forces you to constantly think of new solutions, new ideas, because the problem is different each time and you can use the experience to solve problems in other areas”. Eraneos offers projects in many different sectors, such as healthcare, security, and many more. “Due to the constant change of sectors and clients, I never get bored with my assignments.”
As soon as you start on a project, you get carte blanche. “Once you arrive at the client for the first time, they give you a blank canvas. We don’t have standard solutions to implement. Of course, we have certain procedures and tools, but when we kick-off an assignment, we look at it from scratch”. The client formulates their problem, and Augusto and his colleagues try to find the best solution for it. “We have certain tools that can help us, but you also have the flexibility to try a new approach, if we think it may be suitable to the problem of the client”.
Sharing is caring
Augusto and his colleagues all have a passion for innovating and solving data problems. “We enjoy learning together and sharing knowledge in all sorts of ways, such as our regular Tech Talks,” Augusto explains, “If you find something cool and you want to share it with the company, then you just do it!”. At the start of every new project, there is always the opportunity to try something new. “Nothing is set in stone. At the beginning of a project, there is always room to pitch new ideas and technologies,” Augusto mentions, “If you found something interesting, we can always see if we can apply it”.
Besides the regular Tech Talks, the team also organizes hackathons, where they can try and play with new things, such as ChatGPT, for example. “What can we do with this tool? How can we solve real problems? During these hackathons, we get the time to apply it and test it out”. Within the Netherlands, we host this event twice a year under the name Innovation Day. “During Innovation Day, we spend the whole day trying out these new technologies, see how they work and how we can make it interesting for ourselves and our clients. Everybody picks one technology, works on it all day, and in the afternoon, we present it to our colleagues by trying to solve a real problem”. During this day, we focus on fun and self-development. “This day gives us the opportunity to improve our skill set and invest in new technologies. Often times, we even apply things we learned during Innovation Day at our clients”. Next to Innovation Day, there is a Group Hackathon with colleagues from Germany, Spain and Switzerland.
The Data & AI team
The team consists of highly skilled consultants, data architects, data scientists, data engineers, software engineers and project managers. “It is amazing to be able to work with highly intelligent people that have a lot of experience,” Augusto smiles “Even our more junior colleagues already have a very good foundation when it comes to knowledge and skills”. There is an informal vibe in the team. Everybody is open to learning and teaching one another, “and I really like that about my colleagues. If you have a problem, there is always someone that knows how to do it. And if you don’t, then someone is willing to help you to solve the problem”.
Augusto doesn’t experience any hierarchies at Eraneos. “The company gives you the freedom to just go and try to build solutions, which I find one of the coolest things about the company. Everybody is open to new experiences. Everybody is open to helping you. Eraneos is supportive to let you do that: they give you the time, tools and support to create cool stuff”.
Sports and food
In his spare time, Augusto is usually busy practicing a sport. “I love to do different sports. I used to play basketball, but last year I was more focused on martial arts. I also teach classes in martial arts,” Augusto says, “I have three different black belts in different martial arts: Aikido, Aikibujitsu, and Shinkendo”. Next to this, Augusto also practices Taekwondo and Judo. “Once in a while I still play basketball as well, but my main focus now is martial arts”.
If Augusto is not practicing a sport, he is probably cooking. “I don’t have a signature dish, but I’m always trying new things, usually on the weekends”. If time allows it, he tries to create more complex recipes. “I cook all sorts of cuisines but tend to make a little more Mexican food whenever I miss home. But I try everything: Korean, Italian, Indonesian, anything that is new to me I try out”. If you have to describe Augusto in two words, it’s sport and food. “The perfect balance: the more you sport, the more you can eat!” Augusto laughs.