Technology that inspires tomorrow

Companies face daily challenges in managing Kubernetes infrastructure, especially to maintain efficiency and reduce costs. Here at Softplan, we discovered a solution that transforms the way we manage our EKS clusters on AWS: Karpenter. Challenges in instance management Before talking about Karpenter, it is necessary to take a few steps back and explain a little about what node auto-scaling is. Suppose we have our cluster with some machines (instances) available running our workloads. What happens if there is a spike in usage in our applications and we need to launch more instances (replicas) of our pods? Without autoscaling, we would need to provision a node, instruct it to join our cluster so that our pods would be able to be started on this new instance. Remembering that provisioning an instance is not instantaneous, there is a whole bootstrapping of the machine, network configurations and many other things before it becomes fully available. Okay, we talked about peak users in our applications, but what about when there is idleness? Do we really want to leave these nodes standing with underutilized computing power? To resolve this and other issues, the concept of auto scalers comes into play. Auto Scalers Auto scaler implementations are basically responsible for node provisioning and consolidation. Here we are talking about horizontal scaling, that is, adding more machines to our cluster. There are several implementations of node autoscaling, but in this article the focus will be on the AWS implementation and why we decided to migrate to another solution. Below is a figure exemplifying how node autoscaling works: Figure 01: AWS autoscaling - Auto Scaling Groups When defining a scaling group in AWS we need to define several properties, such as the minimum/maximum number of node instances allowed for this group, resources used, disk type, network configurations (subnets, etc.) and many other details. For example, for a certain type of application that uses more CPU, we will configure a group that contains instance types with more CPU than memory. In the end we will possibly have some distinct groups for certain types of applications. Putting the pieces together – Cluster Auto Scaler In order for my cluster to be able to “talk” to my cloud provider (in this example AWS), we need a component called Cluster Auto Scaler, or CAS. This component was created by the community that maintains Kubernetes, and is available here. A default CAS configuration can be seen below, using helm for installation: nameOverride: cluster-autoscaler awsRegion: us-east-1 autoDiscovery: clusterName: my-cluster image: repository: registry.k8s.io/autoscaling/cluster-autoscaler tag: v1.30.1 tolerations: - key: infra operator: Exists effect: NoSchedule nodeSelector: environment: "infra" rbac: create: true serviceAccount: name: cluster-autoscaler annotations: eks.amazonaws.com/role-arn: "role-aws" extraArgs: v: 1 stderrthreshold: info With this configured and installed and our autoscaling groups created we have just enabled automatic management of our nodes! Why we decided to migrate to Karpenter Our use case here at Projuris is as follows: we have a development cluster and a production cluster. After migrating to Gitlab SaaS, we had a challenge of how to provision runners to execute our pipelines. It was decided that we would use the development cluster to provision these runners. In the “first version” we chose the auto scaler cluster because it was a simpler configuration and already met our production setup. But then we started to face some problems with this choice: Provisioning time: when starting a pipeline the machine provisioning time was a little slow. The big point is that the auto scaler cluster pays a “toll” to the cloud provider for provisioning a new node. Difficulty in configuring groups: as we have some pipeline “profiles”, this management became a little complicated, because for each new profile a new node group needs to be created. Cost: to mitigate the problem of slow startup of a new node, we had an “online” machine profile that was always on, even without executing any pipeline. What is Karpenter? It is an autoscaling cluster solution created by AWS, which promises the provisioning and consolidation of nodes always at the lowest possible cost. He is smart enough to know that, for example, when buying an on-demand machine on AWS, depending on the situation, it is more cost-effective than if it were a spot machine. And that's just one of the features of this tool. Karpenter also works with the idea of ​​“groups” of machines (which in the Karpenter world we call NodePools), but the difference is that we do this through CRDs (custom resource definitions) from Karpenter itself, that is, we have manifests within our cluster with all these configurations, eliminating the need for any node group created in AWS. pool. How did Karpenter help us overcome the challenges presented? Provisioning time: since Karpenter talks directly to the cloud provider's APIs, there is no need to pay the autoscaler cluster toll. We had many timeout issues when provisioning new nodes; after switching to Karpenter, this problem simply disappeared, precisely because provisioning is more efficient. Difficulty in configuring groups: with Karpenter's NodePools and NodeClass solution, this configuration became trivial, and most importantly, versioned in our version control on Gitlab. In other words, do you need to include a new machine profile in the NodePool? No problem, just one commit and Karpenter will already consider it in new provisioning. Cost: We were able to use machines, since now runners with similar characteristics are allocated to nodes that support the required memory and CPU requirements. In other words, we are really using all the computing power that that node provides. This also applies to node consolidation. With the cluster auto scaler, there were complex scripts to drain the nodes before consolidation. With Karpenter, this is configured in the NodePool in a very simplified way. A great argument for management to justify investing in this type of change is cost. Below we have a cost comparison using Cluster AutoScaler and Karpenter in January/25, where we achieved a total savings of 16%: Figure 02: Period from 01/01 to 15/01 with ClusterAutoScaler Figure 03: Period from 16/01 to 31/01 with Karpenter Final considerations The migration to Karpenter was a wise choice. We were able to simplify the management of our nodes with different profiles in a very simplified way. There is still room for some improvements, such as using a single NodePool to simplify things even further, and letting runners configure specific labels for the machine profile that should be provisioned for the runner (more at https://kubernetes.io/docs/reference/labels-annotations-taints/).

The startup, which manages digital processes in city halls and has been majority-owned by the Group since 2019, has shown significant growth of 75% over six years Florianópolis, April 2025 – The Group Softplan, one of the largest SaaS and digital transformation companies in Brazil, has just officially acquired the entirety of 1Doc, a company that specializes in the digitalization of processes, institutional communication, and citizen services in city halls and public agencies. In a journey that began in 2017 with a strategic investment and, later in 2019, with the majority purchase of the company, the company finalized the purchase of the remaining shares from Jéferson de Castilhos, one of the founders, and now holds 100% of the startup. Last year, the stake of Jaison Niehues, another founding partner, had already been acquired. Part of the group’s Public Sector vertical since 2019, 1Doc has delivered a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 75% between 2019 and 2025. “The journey with 1Doc represents exactly how we believe the relationship with the innovation and startup ecosystem should happen: with long-term vision, collaboration and real impact. The startup has grown within the ecosystem Softplan, has evolved autonomously and is now consolidating itself as a key part of our strategy to transform the public sector”, says Eduardo Smith, CEO of the Group Softplan. Founded in 2014, 1Doc was born with the purpose of digitizing processes and bringing citizens and governments closer together through a 100% cloud-based platform. Today, it serves an average of 1000 entities throughout the country and has a team of 141 employees, reinforcing its reach and relevance in the public sector, being responsible for directly impacting the lives of more than 22 million Brazilians. "We have great appreciation for 1Doc's culture and are very proud of the growth trajectory we have built over the years, always guided by a clear purpose. Today, we are fully convinced of the positive impact our services generate, facilitating the routine of our customers — who recognize both the value of our solutions and the relevance of the work we deliver", celebrates Alice Luz, CEO of 1Doc. The acquisition will allow us to expand the integration that already exists between the products, enabling the development of functionalities in partnership between Softplan Public Sector and 1Doc, bringing expertise in functionalities using artificial intelligence and machine learning aimed at automating processes, validating and classifying documents, and large-scale digital services. “1Doc has added a highly scalable and easy-to-implement solution to our portfolio, capable of serving small municipalities and large urban centers. Today, this solution is a central part of our delivery to more efficient, connected, and citizen-centric cities and entities,” explains Márcio Santana, Executive Director of Softplan Public Sector. Acquisition strategy With 1Doc fully integrated into its portfolio, the company will expand its capacity to offer a complete digital journey — from document processing to citizen service — with SaaS, cloud-based and easily scalable solutions. “The journey with 1Doc is a clear example of our acquisition strategy: identifying companies with high growth potential and strong synergy with our business. Since the first investment, our goal has been to boost the solution, combining capabilities and expanding the value delivered to the end customer. The full acquisition consolidates this movement and reinforces our commitment to building more efficient and connected journeys for our customers,” says Alex Anton, M&A and Strategy Director of the Group. Softplan. The acquisition of the startup also strengthens the group's role in the smart cities movement, promoting innovation with a focus on transparency, citizen participation, cost reduction and greater efficiency of the public sector. 

Company specializing in automation robots for the legal market is the company's 13th acquisition; the company's strategy Softplan Legal Intelligence complements the Projuris portfolio of solutions for law firms and legal departments Florianópolis, April 2025 – The Group Softplan, one of the largest technology and SaaS ecosystems in the country, continues its growth strategy and announces the acquisition of Oystr, a legaltech specialized in the automation of legal flows and management of digital certificates. The company becomes part of the portfolio of Softplan Legal Intelligence, a vertical dedicated to solutions for the legal sector and law firms, which has Projuris as its main solution. This is the company's 13th acquisition in its 34-year history. Since 2020, the Group Softplan has intensified this strategy, totaling 12 acquisitions in the last five years. With this new move, Softplan Legal Intelligence expands its portfolio with solutions that automate legal tasks, such as publication capture, electronic petitioning, and digital certificate management. The solution integrates with external systems, optimizing workflows and increasing the efficiency of professionals in the sector. “We monitored Oystr’s potential in the market and identified the opportunity to further strengthen our vertical. This acquisition expands the integration of automation solutions and enhances the use of Artificial Intelligence in our products”, highlights Eduardo Smith, CEO of the Group Softplan. For Rafael Caillet, CEO of Oystr, the acquisition represents an important milestone in the more than 10-year history of the startup, which also has Leandro Cruz and Jonas Pacheco as founding partners. “Integrating our solution into the largest legal ecosystem in the country is a fundamental step towards boosting automation in the sector and increasing the efficiency of professionals,” says the executive. The company recently launched Presto, an innovative solution for managing digital credentials and certificates. With the inclusion of Oystr in its portfolio, Softplan Legal Intelligence projects a 38% growth for the year 2025, compared to 2024. Sidney Falcão, executive director of the business unit, emphasizes that the implementation of RPA (Robotic Process Automation) is a strategic differentiator to maximize the productivity and efficiency of clients. “Our commitment is to offer a complete experience, which ranges from the optimization of repetitive tasks to the integrated management of documents and legal processes. We identify synergies that not only streamline operations, but also add direct value to the market”, he concludes. The Group’s inorganic growth Softplan considers pillars such as product synergy and organizational culture. “Our M&A process carefully evaluates the complementarity of solutions and the cultural affinity between companies. This ensures that we deliver a more robust ecosystem to customers and leverage the talents of both operations,” explains Smith. Technology potential The robots used by Oystr are multi-system, which can increase the flow of tasks. “In total, we have more than 480 active robots, but if we consider that the same robot that performs a task in Bahia also works in Roraima, Paraná or any other state, this indicator increases considerably, boosting the flow of systems throughout the country,” says Rafael Caillet. The company has a high data processing capacity, which in turn enhances the automation of several law firms and legal departments. Over the last six years, Oystr robots have performed more than 250 million tasks. More than 600 companies were impacted and, through cutting-edge technology, made their businesses more efficient and sustainable. Founded in 2014 to automate repetitive and costly legal tasks, the more than 1.000 robots already developed by Oystr perform the collection of subpoenas, mass protocols, internal systems feeding, among other functions. Its more than 300 clients include Nelson Wilians Advogados, Mascarenhas Barbosa Advogados, Góes & Nicoladelli, Pereira Gionedis Advogados, Pellon & Associados, Unimed Curitiba. Oystr founding partners: Jonas Pacheco, CTO (left); Rafael Caillet, CEO (center); Leandro Cruz, Head of Big Data and Machine Learning (right)

A reference in digital transformation for the Brazilian and Colombian public sector, the company is expanding its operations in Latin America by implementing technological solutions in legal proceedings throughout Peru. Florianópolis, March 2025 – Softplan Public Sector, a pioneer in process automation for public institutions and one of the Group's verticals Softplan, won an international bid and is now working with the Peruvian Judiciary. The contract is among the largest ever signed and endorses the strategic plan to not only export high technology, but also introduce the Brazilian digital justice model to other countries. The project, called EJE NO PENAL, highlights the robustness of the technological solution, which is a reference in Brazil and was also adopted by the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP) in Colombia - a transitional justice system created for the purpose of reparation under the peace agreement between the National Government and the FARC-EP. The contract with the Peruvian Judiciary consists of implementing a technological platform for managing non-criminal proceedings throughout Peruvian territory, reinforcing the Softplan Public Sector as a trusted advisor in digital transformation in governments and Justice. With this, the Peruvian government will have the technological support to meet the need to improve judicial processes, bringing cutting-edge technologies, through the product SAJ Tribunais, which ensures a significant reduction in processing time, increasing efficiency, transparency and access to judicial services for the population. The solution currently has more than 27 million legal cases in progress and another 100 million have already been completed. “This is a relevant project because it covers the judiciary of an entire country. It will be a moment of digital transformation for our neighbors and we will be able to contribute with the expertise of Softplan The Public Sector in this challenge brings us immense responsibility and pride in our technology and experience. In terms of strategy, internationalization is part of one of our main growth objectives and having the Peruvian Judiciary in our portfolio further endorses our strategy”, highlights Márcio Santana, Executive Director of Softplan Public Sector. “This agreement represents a historic milestone for the Judiciary and for the country, a turning point in the modernization of the judicial system, allowing the implementation of innovative technological solutions that will transform the administration of justice and the management of processes,” said the President of the Judiciary of Peru, Supreme Justice Janet Ofelia Lourdes Tello Gilardi. (...) The technological revolution in the administration of justice will then occur, with greater efficiency, reduced procedural time, optimized workload, digitalization will minimize unnecessary delays, transparency in judicial processes, guaranteed access to information, promoting greater accessible and reliable justice”, he added. With the formalized signature, Peruvian Judicial Branch employees will have access to a digital process solution with benefits that allow them to maintain integrity, security and consistency, in addition to supporting decision-making based on process information. “With the milestone of signing the contract, we are facing a modernization project that involves 34 Superior Courts of Justice throughout Peru. There will be more than 18 thousand users and approximately 1.700 agencies involved in the implementation of this project. We will begin with a stage of parameterizing the solution to the local reality and then we will continue with training and assisted monitoring of users in the process of appropriating the solution. This is a challenge of national magnitude and impact, reinforces Márcio regarding the execution of the project. With over 30 years in the market, Softplan The Public Sector offers a pioneering service in the implementation of digital processes in the Brazilian justice system, promoting solutions that ensure agility, transparency and efficiency in all processes. In 2024 alone, 201 million Brazilians were impacted by the solutions promoted by the company, which is equivalent to 91% of the Brazilian population. Regarding efficiency, the courts that use SAJ had a reduction of up to 90% in the time between the distribution of the process and the first act of the judge; 6,2 thousand hours saved in the automatic distribution of processes and 19,5 million hours optimized with the automatic incorporation of documents - the figures refer to the period 2015-2020. Regarding savings with the digitalization of processes and reduction of environmental impact, since 2009 the system has avoided 22,6 billion page prints, making it possible to avoid the emission of 596 thousand tons of CO2, which is equivalent to the combined emissions of a fleet of 864,5 thousand tons of CO2. The elimination of paper provided the SAJ Courts with financial savings of around 261,3 million reais in 2024 alone. In total, since 2009, the estimated savings are 2,26 billion reais. 

In the group Softplan, product evolution is an ongoing effort that involves cross-team collaboration and a deep commitment to the customer. In my role as Product Growth, I constantly exchange ideas with other teams and receive valuable feedback from customers, whether through analysis of how they use the product or through specific communication channels, such as email. These interactions give me a clear view of the impact that continuous product evolution has on the success of the company and the value delivered to customers. This article explores how cross-team collaboration and customer focus drive the evolution of our products, fostering the growth of the Group. Softplan and the success of those who use our solutions. Collaboration between teams: the engine of innovation Product development and improvement in the Group Softplan require continuous integration between different teams. Software solutions need to be effective and aligned with market demands. Although it is not directly part of defining the roadmap, my role allows me to bring valuable insights based on customer interactions and performance data. This directly contributes to the prioritization of development initiatives. Studies by Forbes indicate that companies that encourage internal collaboration are 4,5 times more likely to retain top talent and innovate more efficiently (Forbes on Collaboration). In the Group Softplan, effective collaboration is one of the pillars to ensure that customer needs are met quickly and efficiently. The product, marketing, growth and sales departments work together continuously, always seeking to align initiatives with market demands. This collaborative work, combined with the support of the Growth team in prioritizing initiatives, integrates different perspectives and areas of the company, allowing for constant adjustments to products and driving the creation of innovations based on these interactions between departments. Customer as the protagonist: the guide for our decisions In the Group Softplan, the customer is at the center of all decisions, especially in the Industry and Construction Unit, where the value of "customer as protagonist" guides our way of working. We use specific channels to collect continuous feedback, and these insights shape product initiatives. As pointed out by Salesforce, 80% of customers consider the experience offered by a company as important as its products and services (Salesforce State of the Connected Customer). In practice, this means that by listening to users and adjusting our products based on their demands, we strengthen the relationship and increase loyalty to our brand. An example of this was the recent feature update, based on customer feedback, which brought more diversified communications across product modules, aligning with identified needs. This customer-driven approach not only meets current needs, but also allows us to anticipate future demands. This ongoing process solidifies our role as a strategic partner for customers. Market Impact: Innovation and Growth The Group Softplan stands out in the market for its commitment to innovation and focus on concrete results. Adjusting our products based on direct customer feedback has a direct impact on the company’s growth and user satisfaction. As mentioned, the update of more diversified communications in product modules was a direct response to this feedback, highlighting how continuous communication with the customer guides the evolution of our solutions. According to PwC, companies that prioritize customer experience can see a 16% increase in revenue and greater customer retention (PwC Future of Customer Experience Survey). This reality also applies to the Group Softplan, where continuous adjustment and focus on customer needs help us deliver relevant solutions that stand out in the market. Strategic use of customer feedback not only improves the user experience, but also ensures that we are always one step ahead in terms of innovation and competitiveness. Come grow with us The Group Softplan stands out for listening to its customers and bringing its teams together to create solutions that drive business. The value of "customer as protagonist" is a practical guide and present in our journey of product evolution. We collaborate, innovate and adapt, always ensuring that customer needs are at the center of our decisions. If you value an environment that fosters collaboration and innovation, with opportunities for continuous learning and growth, the Group Softplan is the right place for you. Here, our values ​​and strategic objectives are reinforced by training and the opportunity to work on challenging projects that transform the software market. Join us and be part of a team that transforms the lives of customers and innovates the market. Visit our career page.

In recent years, the public sector has expanded its digital services for citizens. The 2020 pandemic accelerated this trend, driving the modernization of bodies such as Courts of Justice, Public Ministries and Public Defenders' Offices. This transformation aims to improve the efficiency of public services and facilitate access for the population. Historically, the Information Technology areas of these organizations have adopted project management models that prioritize the delivery of defined scopes, with deadlines and teams limited to specific demands. However, the growing need for agility has driven the transition to product management. In this context, the concept of Business-to-Government (B2G) gains relevance, highlighting the importance of product management in offering innovative solutions to the government. As a Product Manager working on B2G products, my focus is to deliver solutions aligned with the needs of end users. Unlike the B2B sector, where there is a structured sales funnel, product management in the public sector requires the adoption of metrics and tools adapted to this ecosystem. Day-to-day life of Product Managers in the public sector Interactions with customers begin after the contract is signed, when the first contact occurs with the management group, formed by employees responsible for implementing the product. From this point, insights are gained into the needs of end users, allowing an initial understanding of the workflow. To prioritize the backlog, we use the RICE (Reach, Impact, Confidence, Effort) matrix, ensuring that decisions consider both contractual requirements and user needs. This prioritization occurs continuously, following the evolution of the product and established contracts. In the development cycle, we apply experimentation, prototyping and usability testing techniques with pilot groups. We collect quantitative and qualitative data to measure adoption and define improvements to product functionality. Example of RICE matrix With these premises in mind, we apply to pilot users, for example, experimentation techniques, prototyping, conducting usability tests for new functionalities. We also constantly collect quantitative and qualitative data on the journey they use, as adherence increases. Based on the metrics collected, we can define whether the main or additional features of our user's journey need to be improved. Example of quantitative insights with information from the user journey in organizing tasks using the MixPanel tool Example of using the INDECX tool for qualitative information about the product or functionality Product triad delivering efficient results Product management in the public sector requires a collaborative approach, integrating the technical team, user experience team and customer. This ongoing interaction strengthens strategic alignment and clarity about product evolution. The product roadmap is shared with the client to ensure transparency and predictability in deliveries. Softplan has established itself as a reference in the digital transformation of the public sector, generating positive impacts for citizens. Solutions such as the Justice Automation System (SAJ) provide efficiency and speed in public services. As Product Manager at Softplan, I contribute to the management of products aimed at the public sector. An example is the SAJ Defensorias, whose task panel was developed after business study and technical analysis based on the product triad. This panel centralizes daily activities, prioritizing tasks to be performed immediately and organizing completed ones for future reference. SAJ Solution Softplan Our goal is to offer intuitive and efficient products that meet the daily demands of public defenders and contribute to improving the provision of services to society. Defender's task panel in SAJ Defensorias Digital initiatives in the public sector have great potential for growth, driven by product culture. Digital transformation is irreversible and will continue to evolve to meet society’s expectations for more agile, efficient and transparent services.