Author: dev_nuvolar

Strategies for successfully migrate to the cloud

Posted on by dev_nuvolar

Strategies for successfully migrate to the cloud

Both consolidated companies and those in the process of growth should consider the option of managing their processes through “cloud” environments. The cloud model has been a revolution when it comes to automating and optimizing tasks, as well as facilitating access to company data and systems.

Thus, the transition from a traditional system to a cloud model involves some particularities that you must take into account. Probably the idea of migrating to the cloud generates numerous doubts and questions; therefore, below we will tell you everything you need to know about achieving a successful transition to the cloud, both technically and economically.

Main benefits of the cloud for your business

As soon as we start working in the cloud, the benefits are immediately visible. This is why more than 90% of large companies have already migrated part of their processes to the cloud.

One of the great benefits of the cloud model is access to services, platforms and applications from anywhere, 24 hours a day. Now your work environments can be used from any location and only need a device with internet access to use them.

The main precaution that companies using cloud models must take into account is to ensure that access to these environments is secure. Whether through the advanced use of user identification systems, the use of secure corporate VPNs, firewall systems, the use of encrypted data, or a combination of these, the client’s technical team or the provider company (depending on the service model provided) must introduce the appropriate measures to ensure secure and reliable use by employees and authorized personnel.

Likewise, the economic savings in hardware equipment, applications and software licenses make migration to the cloud an increasingly demanded alternative for all types of companies.

All these advantages make cloud computing an essential option to improve the efficiency and competitiveness of companies in today’s competitive market. If you want to know how you can apply the cloud model to your business, read on.

Differences between the cloud and traditional models

Under the traditional model, information is stored on the hard disk of a computer or on a server that manages the company’s local network. With this system, we take the risk that if a computer fails, we will lose some information, either on the user’s computer or on the server itself. However, in a cloud model, the information is not stored on the user’s computer; the cloud servers that provide the service are usually replicated to ensure that a problem on one of the machines will not prevent the entire system from functioning correctly.

In cloud models, it is also not necessary to hire large amounts of storage to cover the possible growth of the system. Cloud environments allow companies to increase or decrease resources according to demand. In addition, you pay only for the resources you use.

With the traditional system, updates had to be performed physically on each of the users’ computers or, in the best case scenario, on the server. With the “cloud computing” system, updates are performed remotely on the cloud server and do not require moving anyone from the computer to perform this type of action.

Cloud types

  • Public cloud: these are the most common type of cloud deployment. All resources (such as servers where applications are hosted) belong to the service provider and the customer only pays for the resources consumed, for example storage space or bandwidth.
  • Private cloud: consists of cloud resources used exclusively by a company or organization. This type of cloud makes it easier to customize its resources to meet the specific IT requirements of each company. It can be located on the company’s own premises or at an external provider’s premises.

  • Hybrid cloud: this type of cloud is theresult of a combination of the two previous ones. Data is stored in public or private clouds depending on the needs. The most sensitive information can be stored in the private cloud and less critical information in the public cloud, or the public cloud can be used for peak workloads that require higher performance. This type of cloud allows workload portability.
  • Multicloud: refers to the presence of at least two cloud implementations of the same type (public or private), from different providers. Although this cloud model may include two public cloud environments or two private cloud environments, the clouds will not be interconnected with each other.

Cloud structures

Today we can access all types of cloud services through three main types of cloud structures:

  • Infrastructure as a Service (Infrastructure as a Service or IaaS): allows us to have control of all the necessary equipment in a data center. It is the model that offers the greatest control to the client and, as such, the most complex to use. The IaaS model is ideal for projects where a fully customized configuration is needed, whether it is the Operating System, the amount of storage and any other requirement, thanks to the total flexibility of the model. We have IaaS models with Microsoft Azure or based on Amazon Web Services, but at the level of development environments, those based on Linux have already completely displaced Microsoft services, for cost and agility, among other advantages.
  • Platform as a Service (Platform as a Service or PaaS): With this model, the provider provides the platform for the development of applications, as well as their maintenance and management. In other words, it offers everything needed to complete the cycle and deployment of these applications or online services. Here the customer has no control over the storage or network infrastructure. The PaaS model allows great scalability, depending on what the environment requires at any given time. Google App Engine is an example of a PaaS environment where developers can create their applications in Java or Python.
  • Software as a Service (Software as a Service or SaaS): In this case, the client only has access to the environment where the software (set of code or programming) that will serve its application will be hosted in the cloud. Everything related to maintenance, development, support and operations is the responsibility of the company offering the service.

Agile working methodologies

When dealing with the migration of any management environment or application, it is important to rely on systems that facilitate the work of the entire team. If we talk about agile methodologies for development environments, these are some of the best known:

Scrum

It is a model based on the application of good practices to work collaboratively. In Scrum, partial deliveries or sprints are made in short periods of time, each one with its objective and defined tasks. At the end of each sprint, the team meets with the customer to evaluate the results and suggest corrections or possible changes. As many sprints as necessary will be performed to obtain an adequate product.

Kanban

This methodology from Japan divides the work to be done into three columns titled according to the status of the tasks: “Pending”, “In Process” and “Executed”. This method allows a very efficient task planning, a continuous evaluation of results with visible metrics and a better use of teamwork.

Lean Startup

Developed by Eric Reis in 2011, this is a development methodology based on “valid learning”. That is to say, to verify little by little the hypotheses that are raised before having the final product and to have a Minimum Viable Product (minimum viable product MVP) as soon as possible, which can grow and be improved later.

The objective is to define and shorten development cycles. This is achieved by launching proposals and obtaining valuable feedback from our target or user to improve the final version of the product.

Dare to migrate to the cloud

As you have seen, migrating to the cloud is a key factor in the digital transformation of companies like yours. However, to do it effectively and safely you have to rely on experts who know how to take advantage of all the possibilities offered by the cloud environment, especially in SaaS models. At Nuvolar we have worked on many cloud migration projects based on Salesforce, using Agile, SCRUM and Kanban methodologies.

For more information, contact us and we will explain how we have successfully solved cloud migration needs for all types of companies.

What are UX and UI designs and why are they so necessary?

Posted on by dev_nuvolar

What are UX and UI designs and why are they so necessary?

Countless organizations necessarily apply UX and UI designs in their digital interaction channels with the public. Why? Actually, because they don’t want to take risks. Have you ever stopped browsing websites because you didn’t get the product you were expecting or the page didn’t guide you properly to get it? Did you know that nine out of ten users who have bad experiences in a digital environment will not return to it and many will share it on social networks?

That is why it is vital to know and invest in the implementation of these design concepts, which are different from each other, but complementary. Both, together, allow us to offer our potential and captured customers a satisfactory browsing experience that increases their engagement with the brand. Do you want to know more about UX and UI design? Continue reading this post!

UX and UI Design: The concept of User Experience

Certainly the term UX or User Experience is contemporary and is associated with the interaction of people with digital environments and electronic devices. But the general concept of this design trend has been evolving since the second industrial revolution, at the beginning of the 20th century.

Already at that time, technology began to radically change the way of working and the interaction of operators with machines and tools. The aim was to make them easier to use and to optimize efficiency.

The application of ergonomics

Later, disciplines such as ergonomics and design currents such as the German Bauhaus transferred the concern for adapting workplaces and furniture to the user’s comfort. In the middle of the last century, market research emerged as a tactic to improve products and services based on user analysis. This facilitated decision-making aimed at improving consumer goods, making them functional. Even allowing the user to enjoy a good experience when consuming or using it.

By the mid-1990s, with the advance of IT and the Internet, the term User Experience gained momentum. In fact, it was first used in a job title by Donald Norman, then a user experience architect at Apple. User experience, according to Norman, encompasses all aspects of the end user’s interaction with the brand, its services and products. Together with Jacob Nielsen, he concluded that UX can be seen as the union of all these aspects. That is: “the way each person experiences the world, their life and also a service or product”.

UX and UI design: What is UX design?

As we indicated before, the term UX is the acronym for User Experience. And in the field of web development it is simply defined as what a customer perceives when using a brand’s digital product or service. Therefore, UX design is a design philosophy whose purpose is to create environments that solve specific end-user problems. Moreover, a satisfactory user experience must be guaranteed with minimum effort. Accordingly, the UX designer implements several multidisciplinary procedures and techniques:

  • User-centered research.
  • Usability testing.
  • Information architecture.
  • User interface (UI) design, which includes in part information architecture, plus interaction design and visual design, among others. This is the complementarity between UX and UI design.
  • Content strategy to offer.
  • Data collection and analysis with appropriate metrics.

Why is good UX design so important for your digital solution?

Basically because the plan and execution of this work will determine how easy or difficult it will be for the user to interact with the elements that the UI designers will provide. Based on this objective, three relevant aspects need to be taken into account:

  • Usability, which allows a digital environment to fulfill the purpose for which it was created, without presenting inconveniences.
  • Accessibility. It is about how easy it is for the user to understand the product and if it is easy to use.
  • Interaction between user and product, which will influence how the user will perceive the usage environment.

What are the main tools and methodologies for UX design?

Some of the methodologies and tools applied in UX design are mentioned here. With these, developers ensure that the usage environment gets the customer and users’ appeal and approval.

Lean methodology:

It proposes to generate a more agile environment by accelerating design processes based on users, eliminating actions that do not generate value. Its origin comes from Lean Manufacturing, a method applied by Toyota to reduce the planning and production time of its vehicles.

Design Sprint:

It is a methodology deployed in five-day periods (sprints) to answer critical business questions. To do so, the developer designs and creates prototypes whose functionality and usability will be tested with real users and evaluated together with the client. In this way, he will obtain data to decide on changes and corrections in a short period of time without waiting to launch such a prototype to the market.

Some UX tools:

UXpin:

Undoubtedly, it is an ideal tool for developing interactive prototypes, design systems and documentation. It provides realistic animations, conditional interactions and data generators, among other properties.

Clicktale:

Very useful tool, as it analyzes the behavior of visitors to web pages, using heat maps. It also converts customer interaction into visible data to optimize the website and obtain maximum return.

Smartlook:

Registers users on websites and mobile apps through functions that give access to relevant information. It is also able to discover patterns in user behavior, which makes it easier to identify when they experience difficulties in managing some new features.

Adobe Target:

It is a tool automated by AI, integrated to Adobe Marketing Cloud. Among its properties is the ability to perform A/B Testing and multivariate tests that facilitate the optimization of websites, apps, social networks and other channels.

UsabilityHub:

Specifically, we are talking about a research platform that facilitates design decision making, based on real user validations. Its multiple functions allow the developer to create intuitive and satisfactory navigation experiences. You can also test interfaces, iconographies and interaction flows.

What is UI design?

Let’s start by stating the essential difference between UX and UI design. While the former focuses on the interaction between the user and the device, the latter defines the elements necessary to achieve a good experience. Specifically, the user interface (UI) comprises all the interface elements that enable user interaction with a web page, application, or any interactive environment (an ATM or vending machine). So UI design is the process focused on the visual components of the product and their distribution in the user interface. This will provide the latter with attributes of intuitiveness, usability and attractiveness.

The role of the UI designer

In reality, a UI designer validates the UX design approach and puts himself “in the skin” of the user. Only in this way can he or she apply his or her knowledge of visual communication to the structuring of the interface so that the user environment provides the customer with what he or she is looking for… with ease and comfort.

To achieve this goal, the UI designer:

  • Identifies the use cases and applies the design patterns they require.
  • Establishes the aesthetic concept of the brand according to its corporate identity and other criteria.
  • Takes into account the impacts of decisions on the interface, attending and analyzing relevant metrics.
  • Understands and adapts the fundamentals of conventional design to create interfaces.
  • Develops product prototypes following iterative methodologies, to evaluate, correct and improve them, until the optimal application, web or channel is obtained.

What is an “intuitive interface” and why is it a goal of UX and UI design?

Undoubtedly, “intuitive interface” is a common term to describe digital interaction channels for whose navigation the user does not require instructions. In other words, that the elements on the screen and their arrangement on the screen allow him to use his own intuition to achieve his goals. These may be: choosing products, buying, paying, requesting a service, downloading information material, listening to a song… and a long etcetera. On the contrary, if our application or channel requires an instruction manual and many explanations to use it, it will be a bad sign.

As we have already said: the UI designer must put himself in the user’s shoes when designing the interface of the digital product. If the Internet and increasingly advanced IT tools are good for anything, they are for making people’s lives easier, not more complicated. In this sense, the easier and more pleasant the user interacts with our channels, the greater the chances of increasing the number of visits and sales, with a better engagement of customers with the brand. Thus UX and UI designs should focus on these purposes.

Lean on UX and UI experts for your projects.

By now, we believe you understand the importance of providing UX criteria to your interaction channels. Therefore, it is advisable to invest your budget to optimize your company’s digital channels, relying on development teams experienced in UX and UI design. Do you want to approach your next project with guarantees? From Nuvolar we will be happy to provide you with specialized advice to meet your needs.

Product management and its importance for new technological solutions

Posted on by dev_nuvolar

Product management and its importance for new technological solutions

When we talk about product management applied to the digital environment, we must consider the concept of such a solution and the iterative process of elaboration, until we achieve a product adapted to the user’s needs. And even more, to monitor the performance during the useful life of the solution.

Product management involves a multidisciplinary team of professionals linked to marketing, technology and development. But it is the product manager who is in charge of leading the process and the person who will ultimately be responsible for ensuring that the result meets the objectives.

Do you want to know how good product management is the key to a successful cloud project? Would you like to know the profile of a product manager as a key figure in the development of digital products for companies like yours? Read on!

What is product management and what are the keys to a successful project?

The complexity of developing a web, application or cloud management solution does not only lie in the programming and technical details. When, as a customer, you state your needs and explain the objectives you want to achieve with a digital solution, we must take on the project holistically. In other words, as developers, it is necessary to go beyond the obvious:

  • Analyze the circumstances that will influence the execution of the project.
  • Then, research the market and reveal the real needs of your users.
  • Set out the concept of the product and its objectives. Here you will have to consider the user experience (UX) criteria that will guide the design of the user interface (UI).
  • Next, plan the work of the teams of professionals who will be involved in the implementation. To do this, it is necessary to select the agile methodology that best suits the project and establish the sprints and partial deliveries to be able to evaluate the evolution of the product. It will also be necessary to test with real users to assess usability and functionality, as well as user interaction with the solution.
  • Finally, consider a long-term vision of the digital product to add value to it in the future or define its useful life that allows to consider when it will be necessary to start working on another product.

All these events make up digital product management. Consequently, we can define it as the planning, execution, monitoring and evaluation of the development of a digital solution, from its concept to the end of its useful life.

Product management has its origins in the project management of conventional companies and has been adapted to the realities of online project development.

The role of the product manager in product management

In essence, product managers are project leaders and, among other responsibilities, they establish the connection between work teams. As we will see below, they are multidisciplinary professionals with extensive knowledge to make decisions during the process. They also ensure the alignment of objectives between the different groups.

In summary, a manager who takes on product management can be considered a “project CEO” and should have the following profile:

  • Have a clear user experience orientation. In particular, have the criteria and skills to establish a relationship between the objectives of the solution and the user’s needs. And based on the same, provide experiences that generate a positive perception of the user.
  • Demonstrate extensive knowledge of the market and its trends, as well as the ability to observe the competition.
  • Commercial vision. Having clarity to develop the commercial strategy, defining objectives, establishing deadlines for testing and launching the product to the market. Also to know how to choose the appropriate metrics to measure results. Be aware of pricing variables and financial fluctuations.
  • Hard skills. Obviously to gather knowledge, skills and experience in technologies related to web development: programming, data architecture, application design, etc. Apart from sufficient knowledge in related disciplines, such as marketing, finance and ergonomics, among others.
  • Soft skills, such as: ability to lead teams, assertiveness and ease of communication, empathy, adaptation to changes, etc.

Basic functions of digital product management

The digital product design and execution process should necessarily be efficient and take full advantage of the contribution of all work teams. Based on this, the product manager must ensure and direct the fulfillment of six fundamental functions:

Product management

As project manager and liaison between the different work teams, the product manager has to maintain consistency between the tasks and input of each department. Product management being a dynamic process where creativity and innovation are critical, the manager will be in charge of:

  • Generate, search, capture and evaluate the best ideas and opportunities both to define the product and each of its functionalities. Here, speed and selection criteria are vital. Based on the above, it makes the concrete approach of the digital solution, in addition to its purpose, features and value proposition.
  • Know the distribution of tasks among the different teams and monitor their execution based on User Experience (UX) criteria.
  • Generate a consistent business case taking into account the target audience, market opportunities and the scope of the application or solution.
  • Observe the complete life cycle of the digital product to ensure the fulfillment of each stage of the process with the minimum of unforeseen events.

Creativity, innovation, disruption

In the field of web development, innovation must be a constant. Therefore, one of the functions of our “project CEO” is to foster an environment of creativity among the participants in the process. Motivate the disruptive participation that adds value to the solution in execution during the entire life cycle. Within this line, it is essential to encourage “brainstorming” constantly, recording and valuing each contribution regardless of whether they are applied or not.

Likewise, the product manager must continuously research, looking for references and inspiration in different cases. Identify strengths and weaknesses in them to define innovative and disruptive proposals.

User experience and user interface

Undoubtedly, the most relevant criterion for designing a product or digital service is the user experience or UX. In this sense, one of the main tasks of the product manager is to maintain the priority of this condition. In this sense, it is important to analyze and shape the user/solution interaction and test it at the end of each iterative cycle. In this way we obtain decisive insights in the final configuration of the digital product.

In parallel, our “project CEO” will ensure that the user interface design is adjusted to the UX criteria. So he will check that the designers have the appropriate visual elements on screen to ensure intuitive user navigation, essential to improve the user experience.

Construction, operations and methodology

This function includes all actions related to the construction and support of the solution. Also included are the tools and agile methodologies that allow the progressive development of the digital product, with improvements and changes introduced in each sprint. In this aspect we must include product testing with real users and customer feedback in each partial delivery.

Marketing and sales

Similarly, to make an application a successful product that is sustainable over time from the start, we must apply appropriate marketing strategies. For this purpose, the product manager has to coordinate with the marketing team a complete research and analysis of the market, the consumers and the competition. On this basis, a plan will be drawn up that will determine the most suitable moment for the launch, the price and/or the outstanding advantages of the solution. And of course, the promotional and communication plan.

Permanent communication with the customer, key for an efficient product management

At Nuvolar we know that the key to product management lies in clear and constant communication with our customers. Therefore, in case you need to develop a digital product, we will assign a “project CEO” who will be the link between your company and our development team. The person who will be responsible for ensuring that all the people involved understand the project requirements; the person who will present the progress of the project until the product is completed and who will be responsible for ensuring that the changes and improvements are addressed after each partial delivery, based on the defined objectives.

So far, we have described in broad strokes our approach to digital product development projects from Nuvolar. If you need an efficient product management and to achieve success in the development of technological projects, please contact us. We will be happy to study your case to offer you a professional and qualified advice, tailored to your needs.

Benefits of outsourcing new applications development

Posted on by dev_nuvolar

Benefits of outsourcing new applications development

Outsourcing the development of applications is an increasingly common practice to meet the needs of companies that require technological solutions adapted to their activity and needs. For a long time, it has been common for companies to develop in-house solutions with their own personnel and resources. However, this raises a question: if our company is not dedicated to technology, why creating a department for this purpose? And if we have our own team, is it possible for them to develop with guarantees a type of solution for which they have no experience?

Software has applications in the operation of companies at all levels (orders, sales, human resources, etc.), but developing solutions and updating them is not our business as a company. Especially when we talk about addressing very specific models such as a CRM or ERP, or solutions that require a very high level of expertise such as Salesforce. Their creation and maintenance should be outsourced to a specialized external provider, an option that will bring us advantages and benefits, which we will analyze below.

Outsourcing the development of solutions saves costs and helps us to focus on the business.

As we mentioned before, it’s possible to develop applications tailored to business needs in-house. But this requires investment in specialized tools and personnel, an alternative that increases production costs and reduces profit margins. Indeed, software design and development requires a specific team for these functions. This implies hiring qualified professionals, with the consequent provision of labor liabilities and other associated expenses.

On the other hand, we must consider the acquisition of technological tools that, in addition to requiring maintenance, are susceptible to obsolescence. Even if we opt for platforms and infrastructure as a service (PaaS and IaaS) in the cloud to develop our solutions, the subscription cost is unavoidable. Seen in this way, it is remarkable the amount of fixed costs that we would avoid by outsourcing the development of these services.

The IT department is not multi-task

We must be aware that, if the organization has an IT department, entrusting it with the development and maintenance of new applications may compromise its dedication to its usual tasks. That is to say, it may eventually affect its efficiency in the tasks aimed at ensuring the correct functioning of the different environments and maintaining the company’s operability. While concentration on the development of new projects and the fulfillment of their stages will also be impaired in order to attend to primary responsibilities.

The world of technology in general and programming in particular are complex and diverse. It is important to keep in mind that development and programming profiles are not valid for all types of projects. Often, deciding to have an internal team take on a project that is beyond their level of expertise and experience is often a source of problems. It is very common to suffer delays in delivery deadlines and requirements to be inadequately met. Also the budget may be increased to deal with unforeseen events and deviations, not to mention internal conflicts. Therefore, such decisions often result in the hiring of an external provider to take over the project.

Accessible infrastructure and personnel, another advantage of outsourcing application development

In fact, by outsourcing application development, we will have access to the most advanced technology and the most suitable professionals for this purpose. This guarantees that the most appropriate resources will be employed in the design and implementation of the solutions we need. Normally, the involvement of highly qualified personnel for such functions must be accompanied by the use of suitable development methodologies and solid design criteria to facilitate the user experience.

Similarly, this advantage extends to the evolutionary and corrective maintenance of the developed solutions, as well as technical support. This ideally includes updates and progress reports, among other services.

Agile methodologies for application development

When we decide to outsource the development of technological solutions, it is important that the project is based on agile methodologies. Although there are several ways to approach this style of work, this system allows us to approach projects in an iterative and progressive manner.

Specifically, it is about dividing the project into parts to be delivered in a matter of weeks. This provides the opportunity to achieve a quality product adapted to the changing needs of the customer or the market, through a continuous improvement model. The latter consists of planning, creation, testing and constant optimization. Thus, the classic model of medium or long-term delivery is discarded, due to the risk of obtaining obsolete solutions as the final product.

Other advantages of the Agile methodology in outsourcing development

By using this methodology, the applications we order will meet our needs beyond our initial expectations. And what is better, they can evolve constantly, including more functionalities over time.

From the above, we visualize another great advantage in outsourcing application development; the resulting solutions will be adapted to the real situation of your company, with functionalities that fit the dynamics of your business. Moreover, the solutions will be flexible and will adapt to your processes and not the other way around.

Nuvolar, specialist in application development

At Nuvolar we are experts in software design and development, an activity in which we invest large doses of innovation and passion. Therefore, we are able to understand the needs of each client and the purposes of each project to make them a reality.

Accordingly, we use design thinking techniques to maximize collective creativity. We approach projects using Lean and Agile methodologies to improve processes and achieve faster and more sustainable results. We use the latest web and mobile technologies available in the market and the most appropriate environments for these developments. In this sense, we are certified Salesforce partners, on which we have deployed critical solutions for a wide variety of businesses for more than ten years.

We have more than 60 highly qualified professionals, that love their work and are passionate about technology. A team of people who are fully involved in each project to ensure its success and that the result meets the real needs of the client and the product to be developed. Projects where we like to involve the customer and consider him as an essential part of the team.

Contact us and we will explain why we are your best option to outsource the development of your web applications and solutions.

Picking the right Salesforce Consulting Partner for your Business

Posted on by dev_nuvolar

We can hear it and see it everywhere: “Pick us!”- so many companies tell us this and it can be really overwhelming. There’s often a reason why we listen; or why we don’t. Nowadays, there are plenty of official Salesforce Consulting Partners listed on AppExchange and it can be really difficult to choose only by looking at that page which consultancy will best suit our needs. You must keep in mind that hiring a Salesforce Consulting partner will determine significantly how your business will take full advantage of the capabilities of the Salesforce CRM platform.

Written by: Andrea Onhaus, Senior Salesforce Consultant at Nuvolar.

Why is Nuvolar your ideal Salesforce partner?

At Nuvolar Works our purpose is to help you reach all the potential that Salesforce can offer to you. We invite you to read some of our best practices and methodologies that allow us to implement your Salesforce platform in the right way!

  • Nuvolar consultancy is following the software industry best practices and methodologies. We work in an Agile environment with a focus on delivering strategic business value by involving business stakeholders in the development process. Our clients are part of our team. We give them transparency by involving our clients throughout the project lifecycle.
  • Our Salesforce team is passionate about technology and about our clients success. When we start a new project we begin with the end in mind. How do we do it? We believe that every change , every request from our clients should be prepared carefully. We obey the following steps when working with clients: planning, development and deployment.
  • We are not afraid to ask: We always keep the bigger picture in our mind: will the change be beneficial in the long run for the platform, our users and the company? When our clients come up with a request, our strategy is to carefully review all aspects of it, so there is no downside to it. It is our job to pursue a win-win situation. And we do want our clients to be successful in their business.
  • At Nuvolar, our Salesforce implementation projects don not simply end with the official go-live date. We are proud to say that we support our clients after the implementation. We are there for them with any request or help they may need.

  • We have broad experience with the following industries: aviation, medical and consumer goods but we have a team that can take on any challenge. We are used to working in English language and across the globe and we are ready to take on new projects for companies at any sizes and/or for companies based abroad as well.
  • We believe in a saying : Work to your strengths and develop your weaknesses. Our colleagues’ success is our personal success. We trust that bringing and sharing our skills and experience across the team is the firmest way of developing and consolidating our own abilities. We are continuously gaining new Certifications within the Salesforce environment. And we won’t stop doing it. We love our shiny superbadges and certifications.
  • We believe that: Diverse teams make better decisions. Having a diverse team makes us more innovative and often more open in our communication leading to better, well designed solutions. Having a team of different views on the same issue means that we are more likely to get fresh ideas, thus improving the creativity of our team and boosting its capacity for innovation. Our team members diverse skills base allows Nuvolar to offer a broader and more adaptable range of products and services.

Who are our diverse teams of expertise ?

Andrea Onhaus

Sziasztok! My name is Andrea. I am a Hungarian living and loving Barcelona. I have 10+ years of experience in CRM, Salesforce, Customer and Project management. I like to define myself as a bridge, a bridge between Business and IT . Outside of work, I am a co-leader of the women in Technology group, an organisation committed to improving the networking and success of women in technology in Spain.
I love Salesforce because it’s a great and reliable CRM. Many companies, from small startups to large enterprises use Salesforce to improve the business relationships with customers. I love the platforms flexibility and customizability. This is one of the main reasons why Salesforce has so many customers.

Marc Vivas

I am a computer engineer and the CEO of Nuvolar. The thing I like more about Salesforce is how quickly you can onboard a customer on the platform and start changing the way they work, improving the way companies perform their operations, streamlining their processes and automating some of the tasks that they used to do before Salesforce. At Nuvolar, we bring in our engineering expertise, developing complex web and mobile applications in the cloud to the Salesforce realm. We complement Salesforce as needed to provide a customized experience for our customer that aligns with their way of working; whether that means building a mobile application with offline capabilities that syncs with Salesforce or building a custom interface for their users on top of the Salesforce platform. In my free time, I like spending time with my family and reading books.

Pere Martí

My name is Pere and I am the Tech-Lead for our Salesforce team. 9 years ago I started my career as a developer in the university developing apps in the research department for public transportation, where I published my first research paper. After a short period developing mobile apps in Berlin, I joined the Nuvolar family, where for the last 8 years I have been involved in the design, architecting and development of all Nuvolar’s Salesforce projects. These 8 working in the Salesforce platform have been a wild but amazing ride. Despite being an expert on many areas of the platform, its constant growth and evolution make you stay on your toes. Thank god for the launch of trailhead which makes this task so much more easy and fun!
Moreover, its incredible breadth of functionality ensures that there is always a new area to dive in. With Salesforce you can never get bored!

Víctor Pérez

Hello! I am Víctor a Salesforce developer that enjoys video games, board games, reading and collectivism (especially lego and minifigures ). My favourite part of working with Salesforce is that it’s a constant learning curve. I continuously learn new things and there are always new challenges to overcome.

Luka Glusic

My name is Luka and I am a software developer.I have experience working as a Java and C backend developer as well . Working with Salesforce has been a great journey for me. I have learned so much and I really love helping our customers during their Salesforce journey. In my personal time I love to do sports, hike and hang out with my friends.

Maria Mategna

Ahoj! My name is Maria and I am an Associate Salesforce consultant in Nuvolar. I fell in love with Salesforce two years ago and decided to change my career from scratch. Since then I got 2 Salesforce certifications, working as an associate Salesforce consultant in Nuvolar, I am involved in an amazing project and the most important part, everyday I learn something new. Salesforce allows you to grow, enjoy and never get bored. I am a very active person, like to spend my free time traveling, in nature, doing sports and spending time with my family.

If you want to hear more about us, feel free to Contact us, we’d love to hear from you!

Advanced trends in the development of innovative applications

Posted on by dev_nuvolar

Advanced trends in the development of innovative applications

The exponential evolution in the development of applications makes it possible to create management solutions for all types of business purposes, beyond the standard CRM and ERP programs. Thanks to this progress, assembling technological solutions fully adapted to the circumstances and needs of each business is a reality. From applications for e-commerce environments to solutions that use virtual reality or augmented reality to test or demonstrate products. Even those that incorporate artificial intelligence to interact with users and provide an excellent user experience.

In this post we will learn a little more about the innovative techniques that are currently used in the development of applications. We will also review agile development methodologies and techniques used to ensure innovative and effective products.

Current techniques in web application development

Among the techniques and functionalities in application development that we will discuss below are those that have been in use for some time. While others of more recent use are part of the trends in this area.

Voice user interface

The increase in voice searches and the evolution of AI devices such as Alexa or Siri are circumstances to be considered by developers. Therefore, it is ideal to move beyond the use of conversational elements such as chatbots in applications and move towards designs that simulate human interaction. For faster and more accurate query and remote command results, it is imperative to incorporate VUI (voice user interfaces) design.

VUIs are interfaces that make it possible to interact with computers and devices using the human voice and receive feedback in the same way. Although it is not a new technology, since it has already been applied to smart homes or vehicles, these systems have taken the user experience to another level by enabling hands-free mode to various devices and equipment.

In practice, VUIs combine AI technologies such as automatic speech recognition, name entity identification, speech synthesis, etc. The back-end infrastructure that includes the AI technologies that integrate VUIs is generally stored in the cloud. There, the processing of the user’s voice, the identification of its intent and the generation of responses to the device or application occur.

Interactive 3D elements: increasingly present in application development

Until recently, videos were the most commonly used option to show different aspects of the product on the web. Now the trend is to have interactive 3D images that we can move on the touch screen of mobile devices and computers. In this way, the user will have the opportunity to see the products of interest in different angles, to better appreciate them. This feature provides an attractive plus to e-commerce pages, as it avoids opening several photos for this purpose or settling for a single view.

Animation and effects in design

Movement and effects provide dynamism to the content, as well as helping to keep the user’s interest in the pages and applications they visit. As an illustration, there are statistics in which a result is superimposed on the rest of the information just by touching it on the screen.

Similarly, we have pages and applications where we scroll and notice that the background moves at a different speed than the content. In the process, a depth effect is generated and we discover elements that we did not see before. This is possible with parallax design, a trend in full effervescence within application design.

Personalization, a trend in the development of applications

Thanks to Big Data, AI and machine learning, we obtain sufficient data on user behavior when interacting with websites and apps. This allows developers to create customizable environments and solutions, adapted to the visitor’s circumstances and interests. This process is feasible in aspects such as:

  • The geographic location of the user, which implies offering relevant content based on the place from where he/she connects.
  • Content adapted to the user’s preferences and shopping habits. This is what brands like Amazon, YouTube or Spotify are constantly doing.
  • Interface design In this particular, it is very useful to provide the user with the possibility of adapting elements such as colors, typography or font size. For a moment, let’s think about Internet users who have a physical condition: being left-handed, having hyperopia, myopia, color blindness, etc. Allowing content to be adapted for their comfort creates a very positive response from users and a higher frequency of interaction.

Agile methodologies for application development

Apart from the tools and platforms required for application development, the approach to task design and execution is paramount. In this particular, within software development, agile methodologies are essential resources for the organization of tasks.

Agile work methodologies originated precisely in the application development environment, during the 90s of the twentieth century. Whether companies from different sectors adopted them to their processes is another matter. What is certain is that after a decade of discussions, a group of software developers launched the Agile Manifesto, which would serve as the basis for the various styles of work organization in this field.

In short, the promoters of Agile questioned the traditional “waterfall” method of project execution, with delivery times of up to three years. In this time, a software developed could become obsolete, because it could not be adapted to the changes experienced in the contracting company during that time.

As we said, there are several agile methodologies that we could already call “classic”. Among them, Scrum, Kanban and Lean Startup.

Scrum

In short, the Scrum methodology is based on incremental development by parts. Therefore, the premise is to act on the fly, dividing the project into partial deliveries or sprints, each with its objective and defined tasks. At the end of each sprint, the team meets with the client to evaluate results and suggest corrections and/or changes. These are to be executed in the next sprint. For this reason, as many sprints as required to obtain a finished product will be carried out.

Kanban

Also known as “visual card”, Kanban proposes a work scheme outlined in three columns titled according to the status of the tasks: Pending, In Process and Executed. This method allows a very efficient planning of tasks, a continuous evaluation of results with visible metrics and a better use of teamwork.

Lean Startup

Proposed by Eric Reis in 2011, Lean Startup is a development methodology that proposes a three-stage iterative cycle:

  • Launch of a minimum viable product (MVP).
  • Evaluation of user response.
  • Learning, during which the results obtained are evaluated and the changes to be introduced in the application are defined in order to restart the cycle.

In this way, we avoid wasting time and resources trying to obtain a final product that does not meet the user’s requirements. And we can achieve a solution with continuous improvements.

Most used technical methodologies for application development

On the other hand, application development also requires methodologies more focused on the technical aspect. We will briefly describe the most commonly used ones at present:

RMM or Relationship Management Methodology

This is the process used in the analysis, design and development of hypermedia applications, being applied in domains with defined objects such as catalogs or traditional databases. This in turn offers a language that allows us to describe the objects of said domain, defined with the help of entities, attributes and associative networks.

OOHDM Object-Oriented Hypermedia Design Method

This model proposes an application development managed through a process composed of four stages or types of design:

  • Conceptual Design: As its name indicates, in this phase we identify the concepts implicit in the solution domain. Then we describe them in diagrams that allow us to accurately express the behavior, structure and relationships between such concepts.
  • Navigational Design: It is focused on the canonical elements of hypermedia applications: nodes, links, anchors and access structures.
  • Abstract Interface Design: In OOHDM, abstract interface design describes the user interface of the hypermedia application.
  • Implementation: This is the implementation phase, when the designer defines the information items that are part of the domain. In the same way, he must establish the organization of these items according to the user’s profile and functionality. He must even decide which information should be stored.

UWE-UML Based Web

It is a methodology that uses object-oriented techniques to determine hypermedia applications. UWE proposes an iterative cycle of four stages:

  • Requirements analysis
  • Concept design
  • Navigation design
  • Presentation

Ultimately, application development demands from developers knowledge and skills on all the elements involved in the structure of such solutions. At the same time, it also demands updates on trends in key functionalities for the user experience, in particular, design and cutting-edge technologies. Obviously, to take advantage of all this background, work methodologies in line with the magnitude, characteristics and purposes of the project are essential.

If you need to develop innovative applications for your company, at Nuvolar we use methodologies that have proven to be the most effective for this type of projects. Contact us and we will tell you how we have successfully addressed and solved needs like yours, for all types of clients.