Digital Alfa Group

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Founder of Zwitch AB

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Zwitch is developing digital marketplace concepts for specific categories.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Digital Alfa Group to accomplish?

• Development of software
• maintenance

SOLUTION

How did you find Digital Alfa Group?

Partner

Why did you select Digital Alfa Group over others?

Referred to me

How many teammates from Digital Alfa Group were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

The document aims to outline the functionalities and technical design of the Zwitch - Digital Barter Platform, providing a high-level overview necessary for understanding the MVP. The solution employs a layered architecture design ensuring separation of concerns, scalability, and system maintainability. 

This structure allows each layer to utilize services from the layer below through well-defined APIs, while cross-cutting concerns like security and logging are integrated across several layers.

• Backend Services
  • Structure and Technologies:
    • The backend utilizes a microservices architecture designed for scalability and maintenance.
    • Services are written in NodeJS, employing TypeScript for better code structuring and easier maintenance.
    • Each service is responsible for distinct business logic, e.g., user management and product management, housed in separate Git repositories for source code versioning.
• API Management
  • Functionality:
    • Client-facing API management system to interact with backend services via REST APIs.
    • Security enforced through JWT tokens for user authentication and data access control.
    • The system includes API versioning, throttling, and a built-in authentication managed at the API level to block unauthorized access.
• Databases
  • Configuration:
    • Individual relational databases for each service, ensuring data isolation and secure access exclusively through APIs.
    • Potential future integration with Elasticsearch for enhanced search capabilities.
• Security
  • Measures:
    • Comprehensive security across all layers using best practices, TLS/SSL protocols for secure communications, and AWS Cognito for robust authentication.
    • Services and databases operate within a secure internal network, with no direct internet access.
• Logging
  • Implementation:
    • Advanced logging and monitoring capabilities hosted on AWS, aggregating logs for monitoring and debugging by authorized personnel.
• Infrastructure Design
  • Cloud-Based and Serverless:
    • Hosted on AWS, leveraging cloud-native and serverless components to reduce maintenance costs and increase scalability.
    • Separate development, testing, and production environments on different AWS accounts for security and data isolation.
    • Infrastructure management through AWS CloudFormation for consistent and automated deployments.
• Networking
  • Setup:
    • AWS VPC with private and public subnets to manage the secure operation of services and databases.
    • A NAT Gateway is used to enable controlled internet access for the services.
• API Gateway
  • Configuration:
    • AWS API Gateway with logging, monitoring, and throttling, integrated with authentication services to validate API requestsImage Storage
  • Cloud Storage:
    • AWS S3 buckets configured for secure, private storage and CDN usage for enhanced performance in front-end applications.
• Backend Architecture
  • Technology Stack:
    • NodeJS with Sequelize ORM for consistent and secure data access, promoting rapid development and reduced implementation time.
• Development Model
  • Approach:
    • Modular design to lower maintenance costs and facilitate parallel development among teams.
    • Extensive use of TypeScript and NPM for managing dependencies and package configurations.
• Testing
  • Methodologies:
    • Emphasis on Test-Driven Development (TDD) with the Mocha and Chai frameworks to ensure high-quality, well-designed software components.
• Mobile Applications
  • iOS App:
    • Built with Swift 5, employing the MVVM design pattern and managed through the Swift Package Manager. Integrates Firebase for notifications and Socket.IO for chat functionality.
  • Android App:
    • Developed using Kotlin and Jetpack Compose, supporting devices with Android 7.0 and above. Uses Firebase for notifications and Socket.IO for chat features.
• Key Deliverables:
  • Functional backend services with separate concerns for different business logic.
  • Robust API management system ensuring secure, scalable interactions between clients and services.
  • Secure, isolated databases for each service with potential future enhancements.
  • Comprehensive security measures across all components and layers.
  • Advanced logging and monitoring setup for operational oversight and debugging.
  • Scalable, secure infrastructure deployed in cloud environments with automated management systems.
  • Fully functional iOS and Android apps with modern architectures and third-party integrations for enhanced user experience.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Since the launch of Foremarket on March 16, we have achieved approximately 2000+ downloads and 30+ transactions across all 3 branches (P2P, B2C & C2B) - all this with a marketing budget of 0 SEK. We are seeing increasing interest from our golf community with 80k+ Swedish members, whom we will engage over a long period to drive to our marketplace.

• 2000+ Downloads: This number indicates significant user interest and initial adoption of the Foremarket platform since its launch.
• 30+ Transactions: These transactions across the different marketplace segments (P2P, B2C, C2B) showcase active user engagement and the functionality of the platform.
• Marketing Efficiency: Achieving these metrics with no marketing expenditure highlights the organic growth and inherent demand for the platform.
• Community Engagement: The potential for further growth is supported by the interest from a large community of 80,000+ members, providing a solid base for future marketplace expansion.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Digital Alfa's project management approach is highly effective and well-coordinated. They consistently delivered items on schedule, demonstrating a strong commitment to meeting deadlines and project milestones. 

Their responsiveness to client needs was exemplary; they actively listened and adapted their strategies to align with specific project requirements, ensuring a collaborative and flexible working relationship. This proactive engagement contributed significantly to the project's success, making them a reliable and valuable partner.

What was your primary form of communication with Digital Alfa Group?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

What stands out most impressively about Digital Alfa is their innovative approach and commitment to excellence. Their ability to blend cutting-edge technology with user-centric solutions is truly unique, ensuring not only that they meet expectations but often exceed them, enhancing overall project success and client satisfaction.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Digital Alfa Group could have done differently?

Digital Alfa Group consistently performs well. Though there is always room for growth.