Technology at the service of business

Célestin Ferland is a born entrepreneur. He was just 16 when he started his first business, specializing in the sale of IT equipment. Two hundred kilometres away was another teen passionate about computers. Jean-Sébastien Parent, also 16, was already into his third year of programming. The young men didn’t know each other yet, but they both were developing the foundations of what would become Classe Affaires.

It wasn’t until college that their paths crossed. They first completed their CÉGEP diplomas in computer science and then headed to university. It was while pursuing their studies that they developed and launched Classe Affaires in 2002. Their goal was to put information technology at the service of business, rather than the other way around. And they acquired the tools to achieve their aims, developing a solid grounding in IT, of course, as well as in administration.

To them, a business relationship goes far beyond implementing technology solutions. It’s about assisting their clients in what is generally their life’s work: the evolution of their business.

Often it’s Célestin who begins the business relationships. He likes meeting clients, immersing himself in their situation, discussing their business objectives and helping them gain a clearer insight into their IT ecosystem. His strong ability to understand a business’s aspirations and challenges allows him to develop innovative solutions that bring clients’ ideas to life.

Jean-Sébastien’s contribution is equally important. He has vast IT expertise, certainly, but it’s not technical prowess that he’s after. His real source of motivation is translating technologies into business terms in order to make them accessible to clients who are not highly proficient in information technologies. Using technology projects, he works for the success of his business partners.

The result of this alliance? Innovative, customized and technologically cutting-edge solutions. All to allow clients to grow in line with their business goals!

Grow. Together. Intelligently.

Célestin and Jean-Sébastien want to build solid and sustainable business relationships. Starting with their very first mandates, they put their clients’ interests first, placing great importance on their needs and focusing on the foundations of technology projects. Every project needs to meet its target, making the client’s business strategies a reality. To ensure this, they have developed a three-step methodology:

Analyze

Particular importance is given to understanding their clients’ reality, expectations and needs. Questions, active listening and discussions begin a project, which then allow structuring orientations to be defined.

Define

At this point Classe Affaires’ business acumen and IT expertise are combined with clients’ in-depth knowledge of their own field of activity. The result: a project that is both effective and profitable.

Implement

Once the detailed plan is adopted, risks are minimized and project implementation can begin. By the end of this phase, a customized solution has been put in place, bringing the client’s ideas to life and allowing them to grow in accordance with their business goals.

The power of a team

Open communication, friendliness and collaboration are at the forefront of client relationships, but they’re also a priority within the Classe Affaires team. Today, the company includes approximately thirty experienced technology experts: analysts, developers and specialists in business intelligence and cloud computing. Innovative, curious and imbued with a strong desire to learn, they’re called on to actively contribute to the success of the projects they participate in, allowing them to grow within the company. Classe Affaires’ co-founders are focused not only on the growth of their business partners, but also on the development of every member of their team.

As for Célestin and Jean-Sébastien, they’ve lost none of the enthusiasm that impelled them, almost 20 years ago, to launch themselves on this adventure!

Do you have a technology project in mind?

Contact us – we’ll be happy to discuss it with you!