Cross-Platform Application for Homecare Services

In order to design and rapidly implement a beta release of the AMP smartphone app we:

• Quickly redesigned the user interface to move from the Web app to a more finger-friendly version of a true mobile app.

• Provided support for multiple platforms and multilingual employees.

• Architected the UI and the code to run a version of the app in a Web browser, allowing users to access info using tablets, laptops, and desktop computers.

• Coordinated all engineering efforts to efficiently adjust to changes in the back-end system which was modified and extended by the Addus internal development team.

The first release included a CSS framework, locked-down browser, login page and several “first-time” mobile features such as a Messages, Completed and Future Visits screens, and Get More Visits, by means of which Addus employees can book new appointments directly from their mobile device. To improve the user experience on this cross-platform app, Waverley also developed custom controls such as date/time picker wheel and a “chat view” in the Messages screen. AMP was then beta-tested with a limited group of users in several Addus locations across the US.

Waverley worked as a true partner in creating our first mobile app. Waverley’s designers, developers and project managers, whether located in Italy, Ukraine, or California, felt like an extension of our team in Illinois. With this new mobile app, we are seeing results that will position Addus as the innovation leader in our market. – Inna Berkovich CIO, Addus Homecare

All project work was done using Agile software development. Daily scrums were employed to coordinate the efforts of all team members, with Addus developing the back-end logic and stored procedures while Waverley used provided data to develop the AMP screens. User stories were developed jointly. This approach helped everyone to respond in a timely fashion to changing requirements and avoid redundant design work.

The original design request provided by Addus was missing some specific peculiarities of mobile platforms, so Waverley suggested a free prototype, made in less than a week, containing our app usability recommendations. After reviewing this version, presenting  a few draft screens and controls for Addus app, the client ordered a full-scale UI/UX design. The main challenge was that the Javascript-based app supported older versions of Android and iOS. In order to maintain the balance between the app performance and user experience, we designed and developed a delicate and elegant user interface, containing no complex animations, but beautiful in its simplicity.

A Triage meeting was conducted each week between Product Owner, QA Lead and Tech Lead(s). The QA Lead organized the meeting. During the meeting each bug was analyzed and discussed. Updates were captured in the bug tracking system. Frequency of these meetings depended on the project schedule, number of bugs, team availability, etc.