Client’s Challenging Situation:
A distressed leader of a SME contacted us to see if we could fix problems tied to an “abandoned” online software app. I wrote the word “abandoned” because the developers who created the online app were no longer available to work on the project.
Scope of the Problem:
The online app had many “bugs”. By “bugs” I mean buttons that didn’t work when you pressed them, reports that didn’t appear when you tried to create them…i.e., “feature problems”. The online app had no documentation. It was operating in a “big cloud” and there were problems in both the software coding and its big cloud “environment”.
This is a frequent problem. Many online apps, in their initial stages of operation, have what we describe as serious “bugs”.
Our Solution:
When we look at problems like this software problem, we let the software owner know it could take less money and less time to totally rebuild the online app rather than try to repair it…especially when the software is not documented.
Our client asked us about alternative options. We proposed an alternative solution, the client accepted that solution, and implemented it. We tackled the most-urgent problems first. The most-urgent problems were determined by the number of end user complaints. We refactored the “broken parts” of the software. We helped the owner of the online app address problems in real time. We organized the project, improving the set up in the big cloud environment and injecting project-management tools.
The Value Delivered:
We fixed many problems with app features and smaller bugs. Our client was able to address the pressing issues raised by clients and stabilize the online app. This paved the path for better future online app performance.