MyDello came to life because the shoe was tight in the logistics sector. There were no comprehensive digital logistics platforms in the Baltics. Therefore the shipment management was quite messy and time-consuming. In order to solve it there were two options: either integrate with an already developed solution and modify it according to your needs or take a big bite and develop one from scratch. Here are some key takeaways that we learned during this process:
There have been other digital platforms on the market similar to MyDello. The ideas behind them have been good on paper to solve the customers’ issues but the execution has often been far from the end-users expectations. One cannot win the battle if you don’t know the field that well. That is why the MyDello team excels with their industry knowledge as it consists of long-time logistics experts and has carefully chosen IT-industry experts on their side, combining the best from logistics and IT development.
MyDello came to life from the idea of making the customers’ life easier. One mistake that enthusiastic changemakers usually do is that they become too familiar with their idea concept and they forget to step aside and place themselves into the customer’s shoes. That’s why the MyDello team included end-users in the development process so that the ones who will use the platform can have a say in the functionalities, interface and everything else that is important to them. What the developer might consider comfortable might not be intuitive for the customer, therefore it has been important to walk this road together with our end-users.
“Oh we won’t make the same mistakes as others did!” one might think before they take up a large development project. On paper, the idea seems clear as daylight, achievable and all of the obstacles seem to be considered… Seems like smooth sailing ahead. Unfortunately, there are always unforeseeable obstacles that might set back progress. Perhaps the contracts take a longer time, a crucial UX/UI flaw is found or the end-user expresses expectations different from your initial plans. Keep an open mind towards changes and be flexible!
As mentioned in the previous paragraph, then flexibility is important, unless it has a negative effect on your budget. Cooperate with your IT partner(s) and map out every single possible step during the process. The better you prepare the closer you will perform to your initial budget. For example from MyDello’s experience – if you decide to change something fundamental halfway through the development, then if you’re lucky, it will cost you only thousands of extra money. Worst case scenario – your budget might double or more…
Even though at first the challenge seems too difficult to overcome, eventually you will get the thrill of success once you see the results. One is for sure – when the challenge seems too large at first, the experience you gain will be priceless!
Luckily development projects will never cease to surprise you, as you will always find new things to improve. Even though MyDello has reached its current phase within 3 years, it does not mean that the work is done. It is only the beginning and we will keep you posted on what we learned during the next steps!