'The hardest thing there is simply playing football'

The challenge of simplifying

If you know little about a specific topic, it quickly seems easy. But the deeper you go into it, the harder it is to look at it soberly and from a distance. In many organizations, IT solutions have evolved over the years and adapted over and over again. Change after change and exception after exception has led to a kind of “spaghetti code”: a confusing spaghetti of code that no one understands anymore. It is logical that you then lose yourself in that complexity and no longer see the forest for the trees.

You won't solve anything by rebuilding.

For example, we were recently hired by an organization that had been around for quite a few years. An originally simple system had become increasingly complicated over the years. Exceptions were made to the existing rules all the time, and so the system became a bit cluttered over and over again. This ultimately resulted in such a complex work process that collaboration became almost impossible. A developer who is less critical, analytical and creative is quickly tempted to simply build the existing solution. After all, is that what the customer is asking? But whether this will simplify things and whether cooperation within the organization will also improve, I dare to doubt.

Understanding the problem

In our approach, we want the problem first penetrate. What exactly is the problem you want to solve? What is the purpose of all the workarounds that have been created over the years? What does your organization need? But above all: How do you like that? success looks? If you keep asking, you often find out that the process itself isn't that complicated. The exceptions arose because the old system was not flexible enough. So you have to build a system that is flexible.

Iterative and transparent development

Once we have a clear idea of the — simple — process, we get to work. We do this in biweekly sprints, providing new software for full transparency after each sprint. This approach enables us to continuously collect feedback and make adjustments where necessary. In the implementation phase, train your team, observe the practical effect and adapt where necessary. We measure performance and remain flexible enough to make quick adjustments, even after going live if necessary.

Simple football requires a simple approach

“Football is simple, but the hardest thing there is is simply playing football.” True like a bus, but when you agree about the approach, it's not nearly that complicated anymore.

Curious about our approach?

Do you also want to benefit from Quatronic's standardized approach and customized solutions? Please contact Auke Akkerman via mail. We'd love to talk to you to find out how we can help improve your business.

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