Ouze: Architectural Reconstruction Founded on Trust

Holder of the Studio Z (STZ) brand, the largest fast fashion footwear chain in Brazil, the Calcenter group invests in technology to expand its operations in different areas. The partnership with CWI has been strengthening over the years, contributing to the company’s evolution.

The group offers financial services and products across the country, including the Ouze credit card. Our team has recently been working on this product, formerly known as the Calcard.

Check out the examples below of technological advancements and work formats that support the company’s growth!

Architectural Renewal for Greater Agility

The Ouze credit card, with 3 million customers, is the main product of the Calcenter group. It offers exclusive advantages and conditions at Studio Z stores and, being a Visa card, is accepted at establishments throughout Brazil.

The technology behind the operations of this card involves the work of the CWI team. In line with the ongoing evolution within the group’s companies, the solution’s architecture is being renewed.

This is a common practice in Software Engineering, considering the relentless advancement of languages, tools, libraries, frameworks, and design patterns. By examining the structural foundations of the Ouze system, we identified an opportunity with the client to simplify the architecture.

One of the benefits of this action is to facilitate maintenance and the implementation of new features. Before the redesign, altering an attribute could take up to two months of work. Now, the goal is to create new functionality within a sprint* (at Ouze, a sprint lasts 2 weeks).

Expansion of Service Offerings

Before the project with Ouze, CWI already served the Calcenter group alongside the internal IT team. A squad of CWI experts worked on the software that expanded the company’s service offerings with a new product: personal loans, available through STZ and Ouze channels.

Our team actively participated in the strategic conception of the solution, collaborating with various departments within the financial sector. The application was built from scratch, employing a microservices-based architecture.

Photo of a hand handing over five 100 Brazilian reais banknotes.

In-person Immersion

Adapting to different scenarios is a hallmark of CWI’s work. We have squads capable of operating in on-site, hybrid, or remote models and strive to identify the best format for each situation.

In the case of the architecture renewal project for the Ouze card system, our team recognized the need for an in-person immersion with the client. The squad leadership spent a week at the Calcenter group headquarters in São José (state of Santa Catarina).

This dedicated period was essential for aligning visions and expectations, as well as for conducting initial tests. Choosing this approach facilitated synergy and agility for all involved parties.

The Foundation is Made of Trust

Active listening: Understanding our clients’ real needs is part of our culture, aiming to listen beyond words to deliver solutions that truly bring results.
No overengineering: Our goal isn’t to sell the largest volume of software possible; it’s to develop solutions perfectly suited to the client’s context, avoiding waste of time and money. In the case of architecture renewal, we’re creating software that is both more modern and simpler.
Positive Experience: The positive impression left by previous projects is one reason why CWI is working with Ouze. The client recognized the difference in our work and insisted on maintaining the partnership for this new challenge.

Photo of a person holding a tablet with the screen facing upwards. Technology-related illustrations overlaid on top.

CWI’s experience with Ouze adds to our partnerships with companies across various sectors of the financial industry. Count on us to also devise new strategies for the institution where you work!

*Sprint: a fixed-duration period of one month or less for creating consistency, as per The Scrum Guide.