Optimising Product

Data Integration

for Harwin

Optimising Product Data Integration for Harwin

Harwin needed a seamless and high-performance method to integrate their product data with their new website, using Salesforce as the primary data source. However, direct integration via the Salesforce API was not an option due to speed constraints and API restrictions.

The Problem

We developed custom middleware to fetch and index product data from Salesforce into ElasticSearch, bypassing the limitations of direct API usage. The middleware development involved the creation of a robust API to serve data swiftly to the frontend application, which also means that Salesforce remained the single source of data.

The Solution

Our approach of building a custom middle layer removed the issues around going direct to Salesforce - namely the impact it would have on site speed. Harwin can continue to use Salesforce as their primary data source while achieving exceptional site performance.

The Results

Si digital has been working with Harwin for close to three years now and in simple words, it has been a joy! Every project we have worked together on, and there have been a few, has been on time, on budget and most of the time even enhanced by the input from Si.

What They Said

Our development team are all based in our studio in the UK—we don’t outsource any of our development. They’ve been developing beautiful apps for our clients for the last five years. Working closely with our project delivery managers and our UX & UI design team, we scope, design and develop leading mobile apps that scale as your company grows.Like most projects, we take an iterative approach to app development, building core functionality first, then adding additional features in later releases. Taking this approach means we can account for the natural flow of ideas and requirements throughout the project.

Overview

When it comes to developing for iOS and Android, we have two different ways to develop; hybrid or native. Depending on your project, we’ll scope this out with you to determine the best route to go down. Both options have their benefits, but here’s a little bit about both approaches:<h2>Hybrid App Development</h2>Usually written using React Native, hybrid apps are developed to work across multiple platforms and operating systems. These provide great flexibility and mean there’s only one codebase to maintain, so there’s no need to duplicate code across different operating systems.<h2>Native App Development</h2>These apps are developed for a specific operating system like iOS or Android. The app will be written in the operating systems own programming language—either <a href="https://developer.apple.com/swift/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Swift</a> for iOS or <a href="https://developer.android.com/kotlin" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Kotlin</a> for Android. Building in a native language generally means improved performance, reliability and better hardware access.

Platforms

Close Pass

Every app project is different, and we’ll work with you to tailor our process. But, we typically follow a five step structure to make sure your app project runs smoothly from start to finish.

The first step to creating your app will be defining the functional requirements. This is the groundwork that provides the foundations of the project. We invest heavily in this phase and scratch beneath the surface to identify the problems you want to solve with your app.Once we’ve worked out the functional requirements, we’ll pull all our findings together into a comprehensive document for you to review.

Once we’ve completed the functional requirements, we’ll move into the design phase to start to bring your app to life. At this stage, we’ll make sure we’re taking into account all of the core functionality, and we’ll take a closer look at how users interact and get around your app.We’ll create a design system and a fully functional prototype in Figma so we can check the apps usability. We’re sticklers for considering every click, pinch and scroll. Attention to these details makes the difference between average and exceptional.

Next, our in-house development team roll their sleeves up and get to work. The code groundwork is put in place and then features are added on top. Once we’ve got the app in a good place, we’ll provide you with a test version so you can get a feel for how the app will function. This approach to developing apps allows us to quickly test functionality and usability across a wide user base.

Throughout the development phase, we’ll regularly release features to be tested. But, before we deploy your app to the app stores, we’ll go through a rigorous testing phase to make sure your app is delivered perfectly. We use a blend of automated unit tests and manual quality assurance testers to iron out the niggles.You’ll also get a chance to test the app yourself, too. We’ll send out test builds to your devices so you can go through the app and check it all over.

Once we’re all happy with the app, we’ll package it up and submit it to the iOS App Store and the Google Play Store—or you can do it yourself if you prefer. From experience, the time to get your app approved and live can vary, so we’re on-hand throughout the process to help.

Process

Nicholas

Are the APIs and data defined and in development? And is there documentation for them? Have they been tested?Assuming you’re looking for fairly standard functionality, and any data sources and APIs are good to go, then we would typically look at somewhere between 3 and 6 months to develop your app.

How long does a mobile app take to develop?

App development projects take some investment, both in time and money. We’re keen on reducing the risk involved by taking a milestone approach to billing for the project.The first milestone that we typically bill at is the discovery phase.

How do you bill for app development?

This is the first paid phase of the project, typically around 20% of the total project cost. The purpose of this phase is to get to the point where we can provide you with a detailed project development document which covers everything the project involves, including KPIs and all the deliverables.Once this is all agreed upon, we can start moving forward with the design and development

What is an app development discovery phase?

Tracker Mobile App Development

If you’ve got an app project in mind or you just want to take a closer look at the projects we’ve worked on over the years, book a consultation.

Book a consultation

Got a mobile app project in mind?

We’ve been lucky enough to work on some really exciting app projects over the years. From vehicle status and location tracking for a major European car manufacturer to internal job management tools, we’ve worked on all sorts of apps from concept through to launch.Like a lot of agencies, we're bound by NDAs, which means we can't publicly talk about some of our work. However, if you book a consultation we can provide some more examples of our app work.

Summary

Take a look at some of our other services

All our clever development skills come to nothing if the end user finds it visually challenging. Well-thought-out design, as unique as you.

All our clever development skills come to nothing if the end user finds it visually challenging. Well-thought-out design, as unique as you.

UX & UI Design

Is trying to manage teams of people and projects on multiple systems causing headaches? A completely bespoke application built specifically to the needs of your business sounds like the solution. We build systems that businesses run on.

Building entire systems that businesses run on. Always bespoke and custom to the specific needs of the business.

Custom Software Development

More services

We design and develop mobile apps that balance elegant design with complex functionality. From concept through to app store submission, we’re here to work with you every step of the way.

Custom built hybrid and native app development, based on existing APIs or developed in conjunction with our Middleware or Custom Software Development solutions.

Mobile App Development

Building bespoke software is the reason we get up in the morning. These projects give us the freedom and flair to flex our technical wings, while still being insanely aware of the need for excellent UX and design.Clients come to us to build bespoke software when they are feeling the pain or the pinch. Pain of using Excel, AirTable and others to manage a project. Pain of all the data being out of date somewhere in the system. Pinch of not being able to maintain a list of users for compliance.A custom built application, running on desktop, laptop and mobile, means less pain, more simplicity and efficiency. Something we could all do with.

Because we are build everything from the ground up, the features we can include are almost limitless. Over the years we have been given some fantastic challenges from clients of all sizes.Some of these have included:<ul class="list-bullet"><li value=1>A full inventor management system, from concept to production, for a multinational toy company.</li><li value=2>Installer management system, used by hundreds of installers in the field.</li><li value=3>Bespoke dashboard reporting systems, gathering KPI data from multiple sources.</li><li value=4>Custom loan management software system for peer-to-peer lending company.</li><li value=5>Digital contract signing and storage to manage legal documents generated on the fly.</li><li value=6>Insurance quoting and reporting systems for pay-as-you-drive insurance.</li></ul>These are just a few of the bespoke software systems we've built in the past. But, of course, each system we build is as unique as the company we build it for.

Software features

Bespoke Case Management System

Over the many years of building bespoke software for companies of all sizes, we've honed our process to get the best results.

Requirements for a software build project tend to come from three sources, and we like to get input from all of them at the start of a project. The board or business (what does the company see as a successful project and what KPIs will they use to measure success?), the management (the people who are directly managing the systems have their goals, what are these?) and the end users (what pain points are the users of current systems facing?).

Once we have gathered all the functional requirements, goals and objectives, we move on to the design. This is a place where we like to spend some time. Incorporating your brand is the easy part, trying to find a single design that solves all the business requirements is the tricky bit.Our ultimate objective on any project like this is to design a software system that your users will enjoy using. Admin systems can be sexy too!

Before the first line of code is written, the lead developers and project managers will work out, in some detail, the project roadmap. The project will be broken down in to Sprints and Story Points. Where possible, we like to have backend and frontend development happening at the same time.All our developers are in-house and based along the South Coast. We don't outsource any of the development. We feel you get a better product as a result.

During the development stage we are regularly releasing features which are being tested. Tests are completed by a number of the team in-house, all with different skills and abilities so we test everything, not just the expected.By the time you have access to what we've built, you will be hard pressed to find a bug.

Once all our testing, and yours, is complete we get to work on a 'go live' plan. If our system is replacing something else we need to manage data transfers, user access rights and many other bits. We take deployment to live as seriously as we take any other part of the project, possibly more so.

Phil Sage

The time taken to develop is greatly influenced by the extent of the features and functional requirements. Assuming you’re looking for fairly standard functionality, you have a clear roadmap and by-in from the rest of the stakeholders, then we would typically look at somewhere from 6 months to develop.

How long does it take to develop bespoke software?

All projects are different, so there isn't a one size solution. What we have found though is that a lot of clients like to work to milestones with associated payments. Typically <a href="/services">our process</a> has a discovery stage, an MVP and then ongoing phases, all of which are quoted separately. Wherever possible we work on a fixed price model.

How do we bill for bespoke software development?

All of our projects move on to an ongoing support and maintenance plan after go live. This allows us to build more functionality and features on top of the MVP. We prefer this approach as it is the quickest way to gather real life user feedback and show your stakeholders that the system is a living thing.

What happens at the end of the project?

We've been lucky enough to work on some amazing software builds for clients in the UK and US over the years. And we have absolutely loved making everyone's life easier by building something that is a joy to use, while still being incredibly powerful.Like most agencies, we're bound by NDAs which mean we can't publicly talk about most of our work. However, if you arrange a free initial consultation we can provide some more examples.

Arrange an initial consultation to discuss your current pain points and let's see how we can make your life easier.

Got a bespoke software project in mind?

Every digital project starts with UX & UI design. Over the years, we've developed a rigorous design process that allows us to maximise on UX while also creating visually engaging designs that you and your customer will love to use. We understand that styles change and we are always looking to improve, so we proactively suggest ideas and new best practices to you based on the latest design trends.

We offer standard features for our design projects, including research, wireframing, and design.However, we also provide other more in-depth and bespoke design processes:<h2>UX Design</h2><ul class="list-bullet"><li value=1>User persona development</li><li value=2>UX workshops</li><li value=3>A/B testing</li><li value=4>Detailed UX audits and reports</li><li value=5>User testing</li></ul>

UX & UI features

Advanced Magento Customisation

Every project has distinctive elements, but as a general rule of thumb, we follow this process when we begin the UX & UI design phase.

"Preparation prevents poor performance" – we believe in thorough upfront research and discovery to learn about your business needs, competitors and more.This allows us to validate our design decisions as we progress through the process and ensure we follow best practices for a smooth user journey.

Once we've finished researching, we'll move into site mapping to determine how to access all the pages we need. We'll also develop user journeys to assess how individuals need to browse through the website or app.

This phase will determine what's needed on each page. It's vital to ensure we've taken all our learnings from the previous stages and implemented them to solve any user issues. This phase helps us tease out any dead ends or broken user journies.

Arguably the most exciting part of the design phase, we'll bring our wireframes to life with a visual UI design. Designed and built using Figma, we'll walk you through a fully fleshed-out, interactive design so you can begin to see how everything works. We'll work through various iterations to lock down a cohesive design that looks stunning and accessible and applies what we learned from our research and wireframing phases.

Once the design is locked in, we'll hand it over to our in-house development team. Throughout the development process, we'll work closely to refine the finer points of the look and feel to deliver you a fully functional, carefully crafted website or app.

Charlotte Kelly

We've been lucky enough to work on some exciting design projects over the years. From solving UX challenges for Wightlink to designing a bespoke bottle configurator for Boadicea, we've loved pushing the boundaries of our client's brands and creating exciting experiences for their customers.Like most agencies, we're bound by NDAs, so we can't publicly discuss most of our work. However, we can provide more examples if you arrange a free initial consultation.

Have you got a design project you need support with? From branding and tone of voice to UX & UI design and everything in between. If you got something you want to discuss, book a consultation.

Got a design project in mind?

Our mobile development team all based in the UK (we don’t outsource any of the development) has been actively developing apps for our clients in the US and UK for the last 5 years. Working closely with our UI / UX team and our project delivery managers, we scope, design and develop leading mobile apps that scale as you grow.Most of our projects have taken an iterative approach, developing core functionality first and then adding additional functionality in later releases. This approach allows for the natural ebb and flow of ideas and requirements throughout the project.

Most of our apps have some standard feature sets for instance, logging in, user management, password reset, authentication, API integrations etc. Some of the more bespoke functionality we have built includes:<h2>Asset Tracking and Mapping Solutions</h2><ul class="list-bullet"><li value=1>Asset and vehicle tracking and plotting on map</li><li value=2> Showing historic path and tracking</li><li value=3>Live ping to find current location</li><li value=4>Alerts if asset moves outside of geofence</li><li value=5>Tagging of historic movements for reporting</li></ul><h2>Bespoke Job Management App</h2><ul class="list-bullet"><li value=1>Job notification alerts</li><li value=2>Barcode scanner to associate device with job</li><li value=3>Inline user guide to assist set up</li><li value=4>Live API connection to confirm correct set up</li></ul>

App features

a test internal title

Mapping breakages in underwater data cables

Of course there is nuance and uniqueness to each of our app development projects, but they all typically follow this process.

As Albert Einstein (probably) said "If I were given one hour to save the planet, I would spend 59 minutes defining the problem and one minute resolving it".We think if its good enough for Einstein, then it’s good enough for us.We invest heavily in the up-front planning stage. Scratching beneath the surface of the problems you are facing. Using our experience of working with other clients to very clearly define the problem that needs resolving.

Once the ground work is complete, we then look at how best to visually present your app. Taking in to account the core functionality (MVP) and, importantly, how your users are going to interact with your app.We’re sticklers for considering every click, pinch and scroll. Attention to these details makes the difference between average and exceptional.

Next, our in-house app development team roll up their sleeves and get to work. The code groundwork is put in place and then features are added on top. As soon as we can, we provide you with a rough test version so you can get an early feel for how the app is going to function.This rapid development approach allows us to quickly test functionality and usability across a wide user base.

During the development stage we are regularly releasing features which are being tested. However, before we can deploy to the app stores, we go through a complete battery of tests to make sure the app is delivering perfectly.We use a blend of automated unit tests and manual QA testers to iron out any niggles there may be.

Once we are all happy with app we package it up and submit to the apps stores (or you can do it if you prefer). From experience, the time taken to get an app through the app store process can vary widely, but we are on hand through out the process to help.

Are the APIs and data defined and in development? Is there documentation for the APIs? Have they been tested? Assuming you’re looking for fairly standard functionality, and any data source and API is good to go, then we would typically look at somewhere between 3 and 6 months to develop.

How do we bill for app development?

Are other people involved in the project?

We've been lucky enough to work on some really interesting app projects over the years. Quite a few of them have involved vehicle tracking for a major European car manufacturer (displaying mileage, vehicle status, battery charge, windows open etc in the app) and others have been used as internal job management tools for thousands of installers out in the field.Like most agencies, we're bound by NDAs which mean we can't publicly talk about most of our work. However, if you arrange a free initial consultation we can provide some more examples.

We'd love to help solve your challenges and build a fully supported product not only providing great user experience for you customers but also an intuitive system for your colleagues to use with ease.

Extending Magento functionality to fit unique business needs and talk to existing internal business systems like Sage or ERPs.

Custom Magento Development

Peter

Si digital has been working with Harwin for close to three years now and in simple words, it has been a joy! Every project we have worked together on, and there have been a few, has been on time, on budget and most of the time even enhanced by the input from Si. 

We are certain that they are the right partner for us to keep growing our digital presence! And they are just genuinely good people and fun to work with.

We create
digital chemistry

About Us

Mini Case Study

Optimising Product Data Integration for Harwin

Services

Mobile App Development

Custom Software Development

UX & UI Design

Custom Magento Development

Tech Stack

Technologies

Integrations

Some of our clients

We create digital chemistry

About Us

Mini Case Study

Optimising Product Data Integration for Harwin

Services

Mobile App Development

Custom Software Development

UX & UI Design

Custom Magento Development

Tech Stack

Technologies

Integrations

Some of our clients

We create
digital chemistry