Technology Selection
We rely on a number of established technologies and systems that have proved themselves in many of our projects in our day-to-day business. Having said that, we always select the technology that is a perfect fit for your individual problem and requirements catalogue, and do not just rely on a system because we know it well. Our goal is always to meet your requirements and not to impose our preferred systems on you.
Workshops to clarify your detailed requirements
When embarking on new projects, it is therefore essential to jointly find the right system before embarking on the project. We always offer workshops in which you can specify your requirements when you are planning to create a new application or start a new (large-scale) project. During these workshops we work together with you to develop aspects, such as the objectives and target groups of your application, required touchpoints, and even corporate design, user guidance or data structures. The content as well as the results of the workshops will, of course, always depend on the upcoming project and your requirements and specifications.
We have briefly outlined below the possible subjects and results that can be linked to these workshops:
- Definition of personas and target groups
- Development of long-term, integrated concepts to support your business objectives
- Analysis and evaluation of current pain points
- Definition and development of the general website objectives and KPIs
- Development of a roadmap in the event of a possible change of system
- Identification of the relevant touchpoints to be used
- Presentation of various primary or third-party systems and joint evaluation and selection of the most appropriate system
Candidate Matrices
You have already defined the basic project requirements and system specification but have not yet decided on the system best suited to performing the job?
If this is the case, we would be glad to create an individual candidate matrix for you to find the right technology, and which compares your stated requirements against the features and possibilities of different systems. The fields of the matrix are filled by us through intensive and objective research, so that you can ultimately form a clear opinion about which system best meets your requirements.
Example of a candidate matrix: Selection of a shop system
| Shop system 1 | Shop system 2 | Shop system 3 | Shop system 4 | Shop system 5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Requirements | – | o | n/a | + | n/a |
| Documented APIs | + | + | – | ++ | – |
| Public documentation | + | + | – | ++ | o |
| CMS functionality | o | o | n/a | ++ | o |
| Cost of licence in € | more than €21,000/mth. | €32,000 | n/a | €39,999 | n/a |
| Country or origin | US | DE | DE | DE | US |
| Number of plug-ins | 10,000 | 1,000 | <100 | 3,500 | <1,000 |
| Service providers in Germany | ~ 20 | ~ 250 | ~ 90 | ~ 1,200 | ~ 15 |
| System-based shops in Germany | ~ 5,000 | ~ 5,000 | ~ 150 | ~ 38,000 | ~ 50 |
| Community in Germany | + | o | – | ++ | – |
Rating from -- (very poor) to ++ (very good). Based on publicly available information.
Technical evaluation of the system landscape and its components
If required, we can undertake a technical analysis of your system landscape in addition to a methodical analysis for clarification of the order. This is primarily to provide a deeper insight so as to provide you with even better advice and achieve better results.
Analysis of the current system landscape
We need to carry out an appropriate analysis of all the relevant components to obtain an optimum overview of the status quo of your current system landscape. To do so, you can either share all the necessary technical information with us or give us limited access to the relevant systems and tools for analysis.
In the process, we will look at the following:
- Which versions are you currently using for the systems?
- Which versions are used for extensions, plug-ins etc.?
- Which components or extensions have what purpose? Which requirement do they solve?
- Which database, frameworks, search technologies, or libraries are you using? What, if anything, will be available in future?
- What interfaces to third-party systems are already in place? Do they meet the requirements or is there a specific need for action?
- Analysis and evaluation of utilisation, traffic and performance or user behaviour by tracking
- Analysis of security measures for your systems
Evaluation & Next Steps
The results of the preliminary analysis can then be clustered into three types of recommendations for action:
- Possible improvements to the existing set-up
- New development or integration of alternative solutions for partial aspects of the existing set-up or
- Future-centric approaches for the further expansion of your platform.
The results of the technical analysis are also combined with the requirements and findings identified from the workshop.
Optimisation of Existing Systems
Possible findings derived from an initial analysis of the status quo are mostly indications of existing security vulnerabilities or outdated systems and components.
The results could be as follows:
- Your current system is not the most up-to-date version and could be patched with available updates.
- Official community support for your open source-based system will cease in the near future, and so moving to a newer version would make sense.
- The extensions or system components used reveal security vulnerabilities.
Custom Solution
The analysis also gives us an opportunity to individually adapt the future system landscape and associated components to your project if required.
The right tech stack can then be selected on this basis, which might involve the following:
- Could using a different database improve load times or similar?
- Does an AutoSuggest feature help your clients in their search?
- Which hosting environment meets all your needs?
- What tools or systems can improve the performance of your website?
Expansion of existing platforms
An initial status quo is developed and implemented after an initial set-up or project. However, we also regard part of our role as advising, supervising and supporting our clients.
This might involve some of the following:
- What concepts and solutions are available to develop the platform efficiently?
- What could benefit you and/or your clients?
- Which long-term digital methods and measures will support your core business and optimise your company's user experience and service?
When working on our client projects, we regard our partners as equals and thus are in continuous contact with our clients and their needs, pursuing a common goal. Individuality and flexibility are our watchwords to achieve a satisfactory result for our clients.
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or would like more information.