Our experts, Mateusz, Paulina, Paweł and Rafał, explain in what way the most popular IT trends have been employed in projects they are involved in at Goyello.
LEAN
Mateusz Linda, Head of Consulting
Benefits from Lean principles include reduction of time and costs, which lower the entire risk of introducing a new IT solution.
I am not going to repeat industry clichés about how the creation of solutions with big design up-front is bad. Instead, let me focus at the business goals and end-user needs. If we agree with the Pareto principle that 20% of the effort gives you 80% of the results and apply it to IT solutions, then it seems quite natural to approach initiatives in a step-by-step, incremental manner. Putting that into practice, a MinimumViable Product (MVP) is defined, based on the research and insights collected, ensuring that key value for the end-users is delivered at the smallest possible time and cost.
One of the key Goyello advantages related to the Lean approach is the down-to-earth, practical advice on IT solutions appropriate in a given situation plus additional, innovative ideas. We do not give clients a pile of visions for the future, but define programmes of initiatives that would bring benefits in both short and long-term, starting small to validate the ideas and prove the value anticipated.
Following an incremental process enables clients to get tangible results faster, which gives a chance not only for end-user validation but also internal solution advocacy. I strongly believe that Lean approach has wider effects, from being perceived as a customer-centric organization to being able to change the course and adapt quickly based on insights.
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GAMIFICATION
Paulina Żmijewska, Team Leader
Gamification is employing elements of game mechanics and dynamics in contexts that are not related to the world of games. It aims to improve users’ engagement and motivation.
If you don’t think you know what gamification is, think of the fitness apps most of you have on your smartphones. You can set your goals, work towards them and compare your achievements with other users. The more you use the apps the more eager you are to do your workout. The fact that you can share your results with friends in social networks makes it even more motivating.
Gamification is a great way to boost employees’ engagement in their everyday tasks. Employers have always been looking for ways of improving outcomes but want to avoid staff becoming overworked or demotivated. That is also one of our aims at Goyello. And that is how the League of Geeks (LoG) was born.
The solution is attractive enough to keep users interested over a long period of time. It praises proactivity and support in a number of areas Goyello team members are involved in. We have incorporated all the popular game mechanics: rankings, levels, badges, and awards. Not only can managers or team leaders award prizes in LoG, but team members can also credit each other for positive behaviour.
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MACHINE LEARNING
Paweł Paluch, Business Development Manager
Machine learning is a technology that makes computers capable of using algorithms to interpret and analyse information in order to predict future events, such as buyers’ needs or clients’ choices.
To fully understand machine learning, let’s take this example. We teach kids new words by showing them objects while telling them what the object is. We also show an object in context so, the next time our kid sees, for example, a spoon, they know what it is called, and what you can do with it.
The same is true of computers. We provide them with data and teach them how to interpret it, in order to draw conclusions. The more data they get, the more accurate their analyses are. As soon as a machine has learned how to interpret data, we can then teach it how to predict future events, based on the analysis it has made.
An advantage computers have over people is that they are neither emotional driven nor influenced by environmental factors. So they are able to predict future in a very accurate, objective way. At Goyello we have used machine learning in ARMS, a solution that responds to the ever-growing needs of the insurance industry. ARMS not only supports risk analysis and makes the call centre’s work faster but, most of all, it helps predicts customers’ future needs on the basis of their activity so far. As a result, it boosts both sales and your customers’ satisfaction.
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AGILE TESTING
Rafał Borowiec, Development Manager
Agile testing is a testing practice based on Agile principles. The most important aspect of it is that it starts when the software development begins and it continues throughout the development process.
The main difference between Agile and traditional testing is that, in the latter, testers come into play when the development team decides a piece of software has already been completed. In contrast, in Agile testing, code writing cannot be finished until functionality has been thoroughly tested.
At Goyello, we follow the so-called Whole-Team Approach, which is one of the characteristic features of Agile testing. This means that software testers are members of the development team and they work with developers from the very beginning.
The major benefit of Agile testing is the immediate feedback the clients get. Testers look at software from the perspective of the end user, so testing it while it’s being developed can provide some really valuable information about the users’ demands.
In Agile testing, we make use of automated tests, so it is much safer and easier to implement any modifications to the system. With automated testing you can also be sure that if you introduce changes to a given piece of software, the rest remains unchanged.