Spiek App

Product

This is a specialized app for the conductor on the train. The request is to validate that an app will help the train conductor to deliver a more pleasurable journey to the travelers on the train. Another thing they wanted to incorporate is personalized content for the NS staff, to reduce information overload.

This product is newly developed product using Lean prototyping.

Context

2018/2019, Secondment at NS on behalf of Luminis. They needed specific senior engineering skills on a development team at NS at the start of 2018, so that’s when I joined the team.

I’m part of a team doing cutting-egde agile, lean and devops software developments (as seen from a perspective of this large, semi-government organisation).
The team took on a mission to prove business concepts using fast iterations and tight coupling with end-users and the business. ‘Spiek’, is one of those business concepts.

My part

I took part in the creative process, called ‘design sprint’. For 5 days we discussed with all involved parties the needed functionality. (Business, designers, UX, developers, Conducters).

This creative process included: business interviews, group priority sessions, group design sessions, end-user interviews, group decision sessions.

We wanted to develop the app using Xamarin Forms, so I prepared a scaffolding Xamarin App with an attached Azure DevOps CI/CD pipeline, incorporating app UI testing and delivery using Microsoft AppCenter. In one day.
I did prepare a scaffolding process for future POC app development.

I did a large part of the Xamarin code-behind.

Related stuff

Random order, tooling used

  • Xamarin Forms
  • AppCenter Metrics
  • Azure Devops (VSTS)
  • GIT sourcecontrolC# .Net Core / Full
  • Continues Integration, Continues Deploymeny (VSTS Build / Xamarin Build / AppCenter UI testing / Release pipeline)
  • Testing (Unit testing, SpecFlow Xamarin UI tests using AppCenter)
  • SCRUM (Workflow, Stand-up, Refinings, Planning, Retrospectives, continues improvement, team maturity)
  • Lean prototyping, value driven development