Initially developed in-house, the legacy application demonstrated the company's technical capabilities but lacked user-centric features. Eventually, communication gaps emerged. Important updates were often not communicated, and when they were, it was typically through word-of-mouth, thus hindering operational efficiency. Users could not map vendors accurately or based on specific criteria, and Administrators could not manage back-end data themselves. Lastly, all maintenance and updates were the responsibility of internal staff, which proved unsustainable in the long term. With the transition to Mendix, the company hoped to make supporting and enhancing the application less resource-intensive.
Business Need: Initially developed in-house, the legacy application demonstrated the company's technical capabilities but lacked user-centric features. Eventually, communication gaps emerged. Important updates were often not communicated, and when they were, it was typically through word-of-mouth, thus hindering operational efficiency. Users could not map vendors accurately or based on specific criteria, and Administrators could not manage back-end data themselves. Lastly, all maintenance and updates were the responsibility of internal staff, which proved unsustainable in the long term. With the transition to Mendix, the company hoped to make supporting and enhancing the application less resource-intensive.
Solution: Recognizing the need for a more intuitive and robust solution, the Company engaged the Kinetech Team to rebuild its legacy application with Mendix. Kinetech's expertise in low-code development and history of past success with this Company ensured a successful transformation of the app into a comprehensive vendor management application tailored to the end user's needs. This project took eight weeks to build and launch. The revamped vendor management application includes several key features and enhancements. To tackle the ongoing issues with communication, Kinetech implemented multiple features that improve users' ability to communicate information across the entire app or by region. This way, users will always be aware of any news about the vendors in their area. Additionally, these communication tools let users effectively reach out to and communicate with vendors. Second, Kinetech upgraded features throughout the application to better fit user requirements. The application now includes more intuitive tools for locating the data users need and helps to cut down on time spent manually looking up and verifying data. The development team not only fulfilled the request to search for data throughout the application but also updated the application to highlight when key data points were missing or needed attention. This proactive approach demonstrates a deep understanding of user requirements. Lastly, administrators were granted autonomy with data management. In the Mendix app, administrative users have self-service functionality, enabling direct data management. This adjustment eliminates the need to pull in IT for assistance when the users need to make changes in the database. These tools further streamline communication processes, fostering improved collaboration and efficiency.
Results: - Efficiency Gains: The transition from a legacy in-house application to the Mendix low-code platform was completed in just eight weeks, demonstrating efficiency in project delivery. - Enhanced Communication: Improved tools for organization-wide updates and communication have streamlined information flow, reducing communication gaps and enhancing operational efficiency. - Improved Data Accessibility: Users can now easily access and manage data based on specific criteria, eliminating manual exploration and saving time. - Streamlined Vendor Management: The application now highlights vendors lacking necessary documentation, facilitating quicker decision-making and reducing potential delays. - Empowered Administrators: Administrative users can manage data directly within the application, reducing dependency on IT support and improving agility in responding to business needs. - User-Centric Features: The revamped application includes intuitive features that enhance usability and user experience, ensuring widespread adoption without the need for extensive training. - Future Readiness: The modernized platform with Mendix lays a robust foundation for future innovation and scalability, enabling the company to adapt quickly to evolving business requirements. Result and Future Outlook: The transition to the Mendix platform empowered the company to streamline vendor management operations. Early indicators and feedback suggest a significant improvement in user experience, with estimates projecting several hundred users benefiting from the enhanced application. The project concluded ahead of schedule and under budget, showcasing Kinetech's commitment to delivering value-driven solutions. The rebuilt application is intuitive and easy to use, eliminating the need for training. It enhances communication and user experience, is automatically updated and maintained, and lays the foundation for future scalability and innovation.