Zumba Fitness
From untapped market to rapid user‑base expansion
CASE STUDY
Minerva
From project inception to a robust, scalable platform
Results and business impact
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Successful development of a complex web platform frontend from scratch
6-month rapid development cycle, refactoring GUI functionalities developed over a decade
High client satisfaction with a 10/10 NPS score
Comprehensive and detailed documentation supporting user and developer engagement
Significant optimization for handling large datasets and complex molecular networks
Key insights and learnings
Effective resource management was critical in meeting budget constraints
Collaboration and continuous communication with the client ensured alignment and satisfaction
Transitioning from outdated technologies to a modern stack drastically improved performance and maintainability
Reimplementing a plugin system empowered users and extended the platform's flexibility
Strategic planning and agile methodology facilitated timely delivery while adjusting to evolving requirements
The Client
The MINERVA Platform (minerva.uni.lu) is a web-based tool designed for exploring, analyzing, and organizing molecular networks. It allows users to investigate complex relationships between molecules and analyze data in various systems biology formats, including CellDesigner, SBML, SBGN, and GPML. Networks generated by the platform can be shared via a web link, facilitating scientific collaboration. The project, commissioned by a public, scientific, and medical institution, posed unique challenges due to specific budgetary and scientific precision requirements. Notably, the project's significance is highlighted by its wide use in scientific community and as a research support service in the ELIXIR network.
A very reliable and flexible team, open for dialogue and clear on the progress of the work.
Marek Ostaszewski
Research Associate at Bioinformatics Core LCSB
Lead of the Minerva Platform project
Challenges solved
Developing the MINERVA Platform frontend within a fixed budget required precise resource management and financial planning. This involved estimating resource needs, optimizing developer allocation, and adapting to evolving project requirements, such as adding features or modifying existing functionalities. Ensuring timely delivery was crucial due to the impending presentation at a scientific conference in March, necessitating flexibility and continuous progress monitoring.
Another significant challenge was the need to rebuild the application using new technologies to replace the outdated and sub-optimally designed frontend. Collaborating with Piotr, the client's lead engineer, was essential to address issues related to the old API and application optimization, requiring frequent consultations and strategic adjustments.
Lastly, preparing the application to handle large data volumes, presenting charts, maps, and conducting data analysis for molecular networks was critical. This demanded efficient resource management solutions and performance optimization to ensure smooth and responsive operation.
Resource and financial management
We had a fixed deadline to meet but we didn’t want to sacrifice product development’s flexibility. To solve this, on one hand we established a short‑interval feedback loop with the client, where we focused on finding actionable takeaways. On the other hand, we used our Empowered Team setup to enable the product team to make the right decisions fast.
Plugin system and documentation
The product is designed to be used in custom and specific scenarios via plugins, which requires a very transparent line of communication between the product owners and end‑users. To enable that, we’ve adapted the existing plugin system, and delivered extensive documentation that supports users and developers, describing the application architecture, technologies used, file structure, component descriptions, modules, and plugin system API.
Technological overhaul
The product needed to improve its performance and maintainability. We opted for React and Redux technologies to achieve that and to eliminate technical debt.
Data handling and optimization
The product needed process and visualize large data sets efficiently, ensuring responsive and accurate performance. We’ve developed a custom-made architecture to handle these requirements.
Accelerated development through vendor cooperation
To meet the desired timeframes, we’ve cooperated with VisualPanda, who delivered the UI part of the solution, while we focused on solving the backend part. By implementing our delivery practices, we were able to synchronize the deliverables.
Decision-making insights
We started collaborating with the MINERVA Platform at a stage that could be compared to a startup: they had an expertly‑defined idea and they looked for ways of implementing it within a larger scientific framework. Through our joint efforts, the platform became a robust and scalable product. Key decision‑making factors included:
Focusing on product, not features
Our team prioritized fulfilling business goals over merely implementing features. By advising on the viability, timing, and implementation of features, we ensured alignment with current business contexts and measurable success.
Cross‑functional decision‑making
Our diverse skill set and knowledge base enabled quick, valid decisions and robust business testing frameworks. We leveraged successful solutions from other projects to reduce time‑to‑market.
Ownership through autonomy
When tasked with cost‑cutting, we carefully analyzed third-party digital services, identified patterns, and systematically optimized spending, achieving significant cost reductions.
Continuous discovery through workshops
Before the client engaged us, the project has been developed for 10 years. To gather know‑how we run various workshops which we also used to perform a thorough functionality analysis that allowed us to make faster and more effective decisions.
