control.alt.coop eG

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a senior product manager at Mimi Hearing Technologies, a startup that developers hearing tests and algorithms that can be taken through consumer electronic devices.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with control.alt.coop eG?

As we were scaling, we realized we had some older tech that needed a jumpstart. We hired control.alt.coop eG to rewrite our backend code to be more robust and scalable.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

control.alt.coop eG rewrote the backend for our web, mobile, and algorithm products. They then rewrote an API that reaches our databases as well as the translation layer between the database and our frontend. Their work filled our technical debt so that we could maintain the same features and beef up our security and scalability. 

We had a lot of back-and-forth about the information architecture for our MongoDB databases. It was more of a working relationship where we collaborated to figure out problems and their solutions. 

What is the team composition?

We worked with 2–3 developers to rewrite the backend. 

How did you come to work with control.alt.coop eG?

I was somewhat involved in the process but wasn’t the main decision-maker. We went with them because they had the knowledge we needed. Specifically, control.alt.coop eG had experience with doing this exact type of project. I believe we heard of them through word of mouth, and after talking through the project with them, it was clear that they’d be able to make a big difference.

What is the status of this engagement?

This project started at the end of 2018 and took six months. We’ve rolled control.alt.coop eG onto new projects because they did such a good job, so our partnership is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Nothing broke: the transition was actually quite smooth. We’re fully on the new technology; everything works with much better security and uptime.  It was definitely a positive outcome. control.alt.coop eG has a good eye on how to architect things from a scalability and security standpoint, which hasn’t always been the case with other vendors I’ve worked with. We’re now working together on new projects such as Android app development because they did such a good job with our backend.

How did control.alt.coop eG perform from a project management standpoint?

The team understood when something is a high priority and can move quickly and think creatively when a deadline is approaching. They also build things that let us change things later. From the project management side, they’re good at dealing with stakeholders and working in a team environment, even though they’re remote for us. It worked surprisingly well considering they’re not in-house.

What did you find most impressive about them?

control.alt.coop eG has a really interesting technical background. The team members we worked with each had experience across multiple technical disciplines. It was refreshing to find a team that had that breadth of knowledge.  

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, any time that something came up that we wanted to discuss, we’d discuss it with them directly. control.alt.coop eG was actually coming to our office once or twice a week. That made it easy to talk over a problem and come together with a solution. If anything, I wish there were more of them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I was a team leader for the Innovation Center for Mobility and Societal Change, heading a project for digitalization and mobility. We were developing several tools to measure and understand changing in the behavior of mobility, due to car, bike, car sharing, and other developments, and to describe how mobility is working in cities today.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with control.alt.coop?

We wanted to develop an app that automatically detected a user’s means of transportation, differentiating between nine different modes of transport automatically, without any direction from the user.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

control.alt.coop handled architecture, development, and updates of the Android app. They used Java to develop all of the features. We went to them with new requirements, like adding new means of transport.

Our backend system contained the algorithm for detecting the modes of traffic. The app collected data from smartphones. It encrypted, compressed, and transferred it.

In another project we worked on with them, a booking system for autonomous driving services. We had autonomous shuttle buses on campus. They were just for show, so it wasn’t possible to book them.

We needed to have a booking system. Users would specify where they wanted to go, and the shuttle would automatically arrive at their location. We just had the shuttle, so we were building the system from scratch. Because of its autonomous nature, there were a lot of firewalls in place, so it was very difficult to get the information to the car to function the way we wanted it to.

 control.alt.coop made a lot of efforts to talk to its constructor, and find a solution for doing that. They found workarounds for the security system of the vehicle.

How did you come to work with control.alt.coop?

We’d worked with another agency initially, but we needed more flexibility. control.alt.coop was a startup, and they were developers, so they were focused on the subject, on problem-solving and development. So, it was very easy to work with them. They were committed to delivering on time, and were able to handle some time-critical requirements

control.alt.coop also had a very good price, compared to other companies. They offered a very good service and high quality for a very good price.

How much have you invested with them?

The app’s budget was around $30,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

I started working with one of their founders before control.alt.coop was formed, in 2014 or 2015.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Before, people had to send out travel diaries, as well as not being precise. People would do it for three days, get fed up, and stop. With this tool, we could measure mobility behavior on a longer scale, and see new patterns. control.alt.coop was brought in for the development of the Android app. They had to make sure that usability and performance were solid.

The app is very good, and we never had too many problems. At the time, battery consumption was still a big concern. The app required switching the GPS on, which required a lot of energy. There were almost no problems with the energy consumption of the app. It was efficiently programmed, and we used it for a very long time. I was quite happy with the results.

After the autonomous transportation project, we got a lot of good feedback from the constructor. They were very happy to work with control.alt.coop. They knew what they were doing, and the structure of their coding was clear, precise, and efficient. I was very happy to hear from our partner that they were happy with the quality of control.alt.coop’s work.

The project was just for showcasing, so the application wasn’t launched to the stores, but it worked. It wasn’t easy to develop the project from scratch.

How did control.alt.coop perform from a project management standpoint?

The collaboration was very easy. We didn’t have problems with deadlines, and they were very precise with scheduling. It was an innovation project, so it was very difficult to make precise estimates. We didn’t know whether the architecture would work, or whether our partner would open their systems so that we could work with them.

control.alt.coop was always precise in detailing what they could do, and in what time scales. We could rely on their information, and they’d tell us if there was a problem. Their way of working was very transparent, and I had no problems with the timeline.

What did you find most impressive about them?

There were three parties involved in this project, but we remained inside the budget and the timeline.

Are there any areas they could improve?

control.alt.coop is a startup. They have a bigger team now, but they were two people when we started, working only on Android. When developing an application, we usually need developers for both iOS and Android, and it would be better if they hired some iOS developers as well, so that we could work with one company instead of two. This wasn’t a problem for us, and I’d use them again, but it would be great if they offered the possibility to work on iOS as well.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the project manager for a healthcare company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with control.alt.coop eG?

We needed help with mobile app development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They developed a mobile app that’s connected to the backend and connected with a web portal. It takes data from one backend and displays it for the user. There are login and registration functionalities. They implemented a Google Maps application to search for locations. In addition, they connected an asset to the backend. Likewise, they made connections to a portal with different kinds of users. There are data displays, feedback methods, etc.

The app needed to be connected to the new backend. control.atl.coop eG needed to change the login functionality and they did that without much documentation on our end.

What is the team composition?

Jonatan (Software Developer, control.alt.coop eG) took care of everything.

How did you come to work with control.alt.coop eG?

I didn’t choose them. They’re in our network. We didn’t consider anybody else and hoped they’d have time and they did.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested 500,000 euros ($551,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in September 2018 and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Despite a quite challenging environment, they made the best out of a rudimentary description and requirements. Jonatan’s work is the tail that wags the dog. He looks beyond his field of responsibility and takes care of what the others need to do. He’s forward-looking and helps the project succeed.

How did control.alt.coop eG perform from a project management standpoint?

He met every deadline.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Overall, he’s very calm. He’s the type of technician who doesn’t get nervous or intimidated by management guys. It’s a pleasure to work with him.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, everything is good. I have nothing to complain about.