Google Cloud Platform > Case Studies > Benefício Fácil: Streamlining Employee Benefits Management with Google Cloud

Benefício Fácil: Streamlining Employee Benefits Management with Google Cloud

Technology Category

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) - Cloud Computing
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) - Cloud Storage Services

Applicable Industries

Cement
Transportation

Applicable Functions

Logistics & Transportation
Maintenance

Use Cases

Public Transportation Management
Traffic Monitoring

Services

Cloud Planning, Design & Implementation Services
System Integration

About The Customer

Benefício Fácil is a third-party benefits management company based in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The company specializes in the management and distribution of employee benefits such as transportation passes and food and restaurant vouchers. With operations throughout the country, Benefício Fácil is among the largest distributors of transportation vouchers in Brazil. The company processes up to a million benefits a month from hundreds of different vendors, making speed and performance vital to their operations. In 2011, the company experienced a period of rapid growth and introduced a new feature that increased their data processing four times all at once.

The Challenge

Benefício Fácil, a Brazilian company specializing in the management and distribution of employee benefits, was facing a significant challenge. The company was experiencing rapid growth and had introduced a new feature that allowed clients to split monthly benefit orders into weekly ones. This feature increased data processing four times all at once, putting a strain on their existing infrastructure. At the time, Benefício Fácil was running its systems on Amazon Web Services, using in-house personnel to manage and maintain the platform. However, as system performance began to slow due to the increased processing burden, the company started looking for alternatives. They needed a solution that could offer scalability and performance without requiring extensive time spent on infrastructure management.

The Solution

Benefício Fácil turned to Google Cloud for a solution. They were particularly interested in Google App Engine, which was then a beta product. After some experimentation, the company switched to Google Cloud, using App Engine to process orders from a client-facing app and storing data on Cloud Storage. The move to Google Cloud immediately paid off. The system was able to easily absorb the increased processing burden, which had jumped from about 100,000 benefits processed monthly to 400,000. App Engine also automatically scaled to meet traffic spikes caused by voucher ordering or data loading, allowing Benefício Fácil to use only the computing resources it needed. This not only saved the company money but also freed up their team to focus on innovation rather than time-consuming maintenance tasks.

Operational Impact

The switch to Google Cloud has had significant operational benefits for Benefício Fácil. The company was able to handle a four-fold increase in data processing without a drop in system performance. The automatic scaling of App Engine allowed the company to meet traffic spikes without wasting computing resources, saving them money. Moreover, the move freed up their team from time-consuming maintenance tasks, allowing them to focus on innovation and improving the quality of their product. The accelerated development cycle enabled by Google Cloud has allowed the team to add several new features well ahead of the competition, providing them with a strategic advantage in the market.

Quantitative Benefit

Switched from a monthly to weekly development schedule, increasing data processing by four times
App Engine automatically scaled to meet traffic spikes, saving money on computing resources
Boosted productivity and creativity by freeing up personnel from time-consuming maintenance tasks