Software Engineering

Do you want to make changes? We’re happy to listen!

Agile or waterfall? We’ve made our decision. And it’s because we simply don’t think long product cycles and errors during the test phase are cool. You probably don’t think so either. This is why we place our trust in innovative Software Engineering, seeing this as a holistic discipline. What does this mean for you?

It’s simple. We’ll provide support in short, iterative cycles right up to production. This ensures maximum transparency while minimizing risks: No cost explosion during the course of the project. No “ready” product that nobody actually wants to use. A constant focus on the most desirable features. Our experts think and act in an agile way, just as any true developer should.

We can prove our claim with facts:

Our process model

For many years, we’ve been developing software with agile methods. In this way, we significantly reduce the risk at the same time as quickly creating permanent value for your business. In our process model, we complement agile methods such as Scrum with important aspects of Software Engineering. This combination is key to developing software for you quickly and with a high quality.

The agile Novatec process modelSource: Own representation

Vision

As can be seen in the diagram, we start by defining a product vision. We do this with you at the start of each iteration, to make sure that we’re on the same page. Instead of using elaborate requirement specifications and functional specifications, we find it much more useful to obtain feedback from end users and to use it to refine the product vision.

What advantages do you get as a result of this approach? In all cases, you and we are speaking the same language, and misunderstandings are avoided. The constant improvement and adjustment of the product vision also ensures that we’re building the right thing for your needs. This means that we can sustainably increase the value of the product, minimize the risk, and make prototypes and completed products available in fast succession.

User experience (UX) & user interface (UI)

The successful implementation of a product vision is greatly dependent on the usability of the resulting solution. Here, we do not mean only the obvious aspects of the usability of a graphical Web interface or an app but also critical quality requirements for using the system, such as the execution speed, reliability, and security of the product. The sum of these factors defines the user experience (UX).

What does this mean for you? We keep the UX and UI in mind right from the start, continuing to develop both in accordance with the evolution of the product vision. Whenever possible, the user experience is tested and measured in early iterations of the implementation. Our experts then optimize it on the basis of the feedback received.

Implementation (dev)

Technologically speaking, we’re most comfortable with a modern Java stack, gladly incorporating use of Kotlin, Spring Boot, Micronaut, Quarkus, and similar frameworks for the back end. For the front end, we implement modern and well-known frameworks such as Angular, React, or Vue. It is particularly important to us that the architectures we build and use are future-proof and scalable.

We master container technologies and now realize practically all of our projects on orchestration platforms such as Kubernetes and Cloud Foundry. We strive for as much automation as possible in the entire build pipeline along with highly automated tests.

The result? We create your software using high quality standards. For us, software handicraft is our duty: We’re proud of the excellent software systems that we’ve created for our customers.

Operations (ops)

Generally speaking, we’ll place your application into use with full automation using continuous integration (CI) and continuous deployment (CD). This means that the code is integrated several times a day, automated tests check the integration, and the deployment of the software in all environments (i.e. in production) takes place automatically. In production, we ensure reliability and resilience, using methods for the automatic monitoring of the system at runtime.

A further important advantage is in the simple opportunities for scaling. We have experience in scaling up a system, even at short notice, to several million end users around the world or enabling the processing of several tens of thousands of calls each minute.

How does this benefit you? Changes to the software, whether in the form of fixing bugs or important enhancements to improve your business, can be in production in just a few minutes. Not months, as used to be the case! In addition, with the help of automation, we can achieve a constant improvement in quality. This means that we often detect errors before end users notice and report them.

Our cooperative model

Reliability, long-term partnerships on an equal footing, and a trusting working relationship at all times are the cornerstones of our project commitment.

The agile development of software is our passion – but the setup’s down to you.

• You have the requirements but not the development team. In that case, we’ll be happy to build your software and provide the entire team in order to do so.
• Got lots of plans and need lots of development power to go with it? Then let’s work together to build teams with exactly the skills you require.
• Do you need targeted reinforcement? We can support you with the right colleagues in your cross-functional team.

You see… everything is on the cards, everything’s possible! And it’s even up to you whether we work on your premises or in our own offices.

But the cooperative model still hasn’t reached its limits. Thanks to agile nearshoring via our Software Engineers in Granada, Spain, we can cover your scaling needs with no problems at all. Unlike in the case of offshoring, these colleagues are in the same time zone, and they have the same expertise and enthusiasm.

What’s special about our software developers?

All of our software developers see agile development as part of their DNA. They have broad know-how of all the required tools and techniques. Their passion lies in code rather than PowerPoints. And if really specific expertise is needed, we can think and act across the disciplines: With the help of our consulting colleagues, we can provide advice on lots of topics so that you can make the right decisions for you.

We turn your ideas into reality – with agility and passion!

Most of our employees work for a single customer for several years. Quick, unnecessary project rotations are not part of our cooperative model. However, if a change is required, we’ll select the new team members in close collaboration with the customer and will ensure their smooth incorporation into the team.

Naturally, when working on projects over the course of years, it’s important to see the bigger picture. We ensure that our consultants and software developers get sufficient opportunity for the exchange of professional know-how by using our 4+1 model: As long as the project situation allows – and naturally, project requirements take precedence – our team members spend 4 days on customer project work and one day per week on internal further training projects and our communities of practice.