Business scaling thanks to state-of-the-art mobile app
How rapitag GmbH got ready for its next growth phase thanks to a newly developed app for iOS and Android
rapitag GmbH, based in Munich, is a leading provider of intelligent anti-theft solutions for the retail sector. Founded in 2017, the company developed the world's first patented IoT anti-theft device that enables mobile self-checkout. Customers can pay for products directly via smartphone and automatically remove the security tag without having to wait in line at the checkout. This improves the shopping experience, significantly reduces the number of thefts, and lowers personnel costs.
The project at a glance
- Newly developed, high-performance mobile app enables entry into the next growth phase
- Significantly higher stability thanks to less complex code and the establishment of a comprehensive testing process
- Significantly improved maintainability of the new solution thanks to streamlined monitoring
- Flexible deployment as “Interim Head of Software” enables smooth project progress
Background
rapitag GmbH offers innovative solutions for protection against shoplifting. Whether fashion retailers, electronics stores, or drugstores: numerous customers rely on the scale-up's anti-theft solutions.
The anti-theft protection is usually unlocked at the checkout. In some situations, however, such as when a customer wants to view the product on the shop floor, in the event of rare technical problems with the checkout system, or in the warehouse, it is necessary to be able to unlock the anti-theft tags via app without going through the payment process. For this purpose, rapitag provides a mobile app for iOS and Android that allows sales staff to manually unlock the tags. This is the “last line of defense” for rapitag's customers and must therefore always function reliably.
Over the years, significant technical debt had accumulated in the app, which ultimately posed a threat to further scaling: errors were reported where there were none, performance suffered noticeably, and compatibility was no longer guaranteed for new requirements, e.g., from app stores. With the departure of internal developers, knowledge about and responsibility for the app also left the company. In short, no one was able to tackle the considerable challenges posed by the aging app.
The CTO of rapitag had already worked successfully with codecentric in the past and therefore turned to codecentric again. The decisive factors here were the quality of the previous work and the fact that codecentric is good at dealing with abstract requirements.
Solution
At the start of the project, three developers from codecentric first scrutinized the current app. Among other things, they noticed that it had numerous functions that were not needed at all – and yet still logged (false) errors in the app's monitoring. The excessive complexity of the application's architecture was also identified as a key problem.
Together with rapitag, the pros and cons of a redesign or a new development were discussed. Since the technical debt was too big, it was decided to develop a new app. The goal was to develop a solid, high-performance, and reliable app that covered all the necessary use cases and omitted irrelevant functions.
During the planning phase, the basic assumptions of the old app were questioned. Based on this, the architecture of the new app was designed and functions were determined that were needed and would bring real benefits. These were then implemented successively over the course of the ten-month project in close consultation with the customer.
The app was built using the Expo framework with React Native. This had the major advantage that both apps (iOS and Android) could be built at the same time (“cross-platform development”). This also ensured that both applications contained the same functions. Another major advantage is the significantly more efficient and easier maintenance of both apps.
Throughout the development process, care was taken to involve the rapitag development team and share knowledge. codecentric also created a test catalog that a rapitag working student can use to systematically test the application. At the end of the project, responsibility for the app was handed over to the developers at rapitag.
An additional challenge in the project was that rapitag did not have a “Head of Software” for a period of one and a half months. For this reason, codecentric took on the role of “Interim Head of Software” for this period, ensuring that all software development processes at rapitag ran smoothly.
Result
With the new app developed by codecentric for iOS and Android, rapitag now has a reliable and robust product that its customers can rely on. The new app is high-performance, reliable, and significantly less complex, which also makes it easier for new developers to familiarize themselves with the code. Thanks to the streamlined monitoring, no more “false errors” are output, which significantly simplifies app maintenance.
While the old app was a growth inhibitor due to its central importance in the product context, rapitag can now enter the next scaling phase with the new application. Responsibility for the app now lies in the hands of rapitag, where it is maintained.
Vladislav Sabolotny
Head of Software Engineering at rapitag GmbH
During a difficult phase, external support from codecentric was crucial: technical debt was consistently reduced, the app was revamped, and all of this was achieved through close, focused collaboration on an equal footing. A real turning point for our scalability.
Vladislav Sabolotny
Head of Software Engineering at rapitag GmbH
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Further reference projects
Find out about other successful projects that we have completed with our customers. Perhaps you will find inspiration for a use case in your company here.
Maximilian Berger