LSOFT UP THE STAGE OF EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT
NOYAN TAPAN
YEREVAN
APRIL 7, 2009
LSOFT Ltd has been working in the IT market since 1995. One of the main
tendencies of actions is the developing of software product for the
financial industry, in particular, for Banks, Credit Organizations,
Lombard companies and for State Treasury of the Republic. The company
also integrates and supports its products. Company Director Larisa
Lalayan said in her interview to Noyan Tapan correspondent.
In her words, banking software, developed by LSOFT, provides full
automation of all banks (Credit Organizations, Lombard companies and
the State Treasury) operations and is compatible with software of
other developers that Armenian banks used.
The banks for which LSOFT develops programs are big, with great number
of branches, many of which are situated in the distant regions of
Armenia. With the communication development, the integration of
the program online version becomes possible. The first one among
the company’s clients was UNIBANK CJSC, where online version was
integrated. At present the program is being integrated in VTB Bank
(Armenia) CJSC.
L. Lalayan said that in February 2008, on the requirement of
the Central Bank, LSOFT Management has decided to implement a
Quality Management System (QMS), according to the requirements
of the international standards ISO 9001:2000. Just at that time
raised a question to choose the company for consultations. "By the
results of the market research, the company chooses the consulting
firm ISO Consultant, which is recognized by the BUREAU VERITAS
Certification. The international status and the long experience of
the BUREAU VERITAS Certification have an influence on our decision.",
said the director of LSOFT Ltd, Ms. Larisa Lalayan.
The company director added that from March till October 2008, the
company has carried out the implementation of QMS, which concluded
with the certificate handling according to the international standards
ISO 9001:2000. Over a period of QMS integration, the company makes
sure that Certification Company was chosen right. The staff shows
high professionalism and responsibility toward the work, during the
whole period of collaboration.
L. Lalayan emphasized that the aim of QMS integration was to raise
the quality of the developing programs and providing services. The
integration of management system allows regulating not only the inner
work of the company, but also the interaction with the clients. The
unification of the documents circulation between LSOFT and clients
leaded to shorting of time and financial expenses at the stage of
programs developing and online service. Forms, developed by ISO
standards, give an opportunity to organize the processes of study,
programming, testing and support much more efficiently. The chosen way
of working makes from the customers a participant, not an observer
of the whole process, plus it makes them much more responsible and
interested in fast and qualified realization of the work.
"The presence of certificate gives an advantage in the potential client
opinion and is the guarantee for stable quality of work realization. I
think our QMS is very effective as it takes into consideration the
specificity of the company’s activity, gives us one more advantage
in the market, especially in a crisis period, when business tries
to decrease one’s expenses and not to decrease the quality of the
product and service at the same time," Ms. Lalayan said.
BUREAU VERITAS Head for Regional Development in Armenia Stepan Barakian
noted that BUREAU VERITAS began implementing ISO 9001:2000 at LSOFT
a year ago and the company has passed this way quite professionally,
understanding the essence of the standard and the opportunities that
the implementation opens. "The current economic atmosphere in the
world and the experience of BUREAU VERITAS show that it is today’s
serious professionals that will get out of the crisis as stronger
companies. LSOFT is one of them, and the economic situation requires
that companies go deeply into the management standards and be more
consistent and flexible in fulfillment of their requirements,"
S. Barakian explained. He believes that the implementation of ISO
9001:2000 standard is the first step for LSOFT. Banks are customers
of the company so it has to deal with many other problems related in
particular with information security of their operational systems and
corporate networks. "If LSOFT intends to advance on the software market
in the future as well, then, in my opinion, it should implement the new
international standard of the information security management system
according to ISO 27001:2005 taking in consideration another part the
more stricter requirements of new version of quality control system
ISO 9001:2008 that has developed on a deeper analytical basis, with a
wider range of quality-affecting factors being taken into account. This
standard also differs from ISO 9001:2000 by deeper validity of the
decision-making requirements. This is a strategic issue. In 2008,
LSOFT moved to an online documents circulation with its customers,
but the company should continue improving the quality of its services
because software, that is, the "heart" of banks is created by LSOFT,
and much depends on the company. The more opportunities that company
gives to the market, the more its efficiency will increase," the
expert of BUREAU VERITAS said.
As regards the development of IT for the banking system, the major
task here is to ensure information security. S. Barakian expressed
an opinion that information security system must be more developed
in Armenia from infrastructures to the rules of services because the
level of financial cyber crimes will rise.
With regards to the issue of software security, developed by LSOFT
Company, Ms. Lalayan said: "We have a specific approach in providing of
information security. In bank’s software putted all the requirements
of the Central Bank concerning the system of the bank information
security. As for the information security of the company’s activity,
we have already putted and applied a number of mechanisms for privacy
protection and information loss prevention. The problem of protection
is always of current importance; in addition the fast development
of IT constantly put new multifarious tasks before the developer,
which demands quick and effective decisions. We hope the QMS will
help us in an improvement of our software security."
Summing up Ms. Lalayan said: "We intend to continue collaboration
with BUREAU VERITAS and during the current year lead the functioning
Quality Management System to the standards 9001:2008. Later on we plan
to implement the standard BS ISO/IEC 27001:2005 (ISMS – Information
Security Management System).
From: Baghdasarian