Open Source Online Grocery Store
Overview
Prior to approaching SciMed, the client had developed an application internally used to research purchasing behavior and data for grocery store products. However, the application was limited. Their goal by working with SciMed was to expand the existing application’s functionality, improve its security, make it easier to maintain the application, and develop new features that would help to conduct research.
The Open Source Online Grocery Store has since been published in top-tier journals like the University of Chicago Press Journal and the Wiley Online Library.
Challenges
With an existing application in place, the client was aiming to improve existing features while adding on new features. Trying to do this internally required too many resources, which is why the client turned to SciMed. A few of the challenges the client approached us to solve were:
Maintaining and upgrading the current application
Improving security across the system
Creating an architecture that could easily be built upon in the future
Creating an open source application for other research institutions to use
Our approach
Our work started by gaining an understanding of the capabilities and limitations of the current application the client was using. To do so, we performed tests on the existing system and dove deep into consumer and market research. From there, we began planning.
To help keep costs down for the client, we extracted and reused as much of their existing code and features as possible. Some of the existing code base was difficult to work with. We rewrote the code as needed to make the application easier to maintain and work with going forward. Throughout this process, we maintained clear communications with the client to ensure the product was being built out to their expectations. Here’s what this client had to say about our working relationship.
I have only positive things to say about SciMed. They are extremely precise communicators, which means I always know what exactly has been done, how much it will cost, and when it will be finished by. Their work is also excellent, and I’ve never had a problem with any feature SciMed developed.
After cleaning up all of the existing code, it was much easier to add new research functionality and to perform ongoing maintenance efficiently. At this point, we were able to launch a minimum viable product that allowed us to get great user feedback. These feedback cycles went on until we had a solution that fits all of the clients’ needs.
Working closely with the client we were able to launch a product that was able to tackle their toughest data and workflow challenges.
Working with SciMed has allowed us to:
Work more effectively with collaborators, leading to many institutions using the tool
Ensure that all collected data is of the highest quality
Consistently make improvements based on topics of interest to academics and businesses
Results
Partnering with the client, we were able to build an application that fit all of their needs and enabled them to research purchasing behavior for grocery store products. As a result of launching this new product, they were able to:
Expand on the existing application’s capabilities
Improve their existing application’s security
Conduct research that they previously couldn’t
Better track research results (for example, they could download files of research participant actions and results)
