Consulting IT

Application Testing

Audit and Error Fixing - Saved 97% of the Client’s Development Budget

Project Duration

May 2023 – June 2023

Team size

4 members

Industry

Logistics

Scope of Collaboration

IT and Business Consulting

Application Testing

About the Client's Business

Our client has been providing warehouse optimization solutions for nearly 20 years, including custom-built automated warehouse vehicles (AGV/AMR systems), milk run systems, and tailor-made storage solutions. Their autonomous devices reduce operational costs and improve efficiency in warehouses worldwide.

The solutions offered by our client are fully autonomous, helping companies lower warehouse management costs while enhancing operational efficiency in their facilities.

Goals of the Collaboration

The initial goal of the collaboration was to develop a new version of a 3D autonomous navigation system based on LIDAR, originally created by another company, to support the expansion of a new business line for fully autonomous warehouse robots.

Building a new system from scratch appeared to be a simpler solution than fixing the numerous errors and issues present in the existing code.

Problem

The initial goal was to develop a new version of the 3D navigation system for warehouse robots. It initially seemed easier to build a new system from scratch rather than fix errors in the existing code.

Solution

However, after conducting a code audit, we identified the root causes of the issues and determined that fixing them would be significantly more cost-effective than developing a completely new system.

Work Process

Code Audit and IT Consulting

System Audit

We began by auditing the system's code to diagnose the issues that were preventing further development. This step allowed us to understand the root causes and scope of the problems.

Error Fixing

We resolved the identified errors in the code, stabilizing the system and bringing it to a functional state. This paved the way for the client’s team to resume development efforts.

Documentation and Code Handover

Once the errors were resolved, we prepared comprehensive documentation and handed over the corrected code. This ensured the client’s team was fully equipped to continue developing and enhancing the system.

Thanks to the help of the iMakeable team, we avoided the need to create a new codebase from scratch. They brought our existing code to a usable state at a fraction of the cost of a new project.

Owner of the Client's Company

Mockup of a Dashboard for a Warehouse Robot Management Application

System Code Audit

The client's team was unable to run the system in virtual environments due to code issues, misconfiguration, and critical errors that they were unable to fix. As a result, they planned to rewrite the code from scratch and add new functionalities—an effort estimated to cost several hundred thousand złotys.

During the code audit, we discovered that the issues were largely caused by incorrect virtual environment configurations in Docker. One major issue was the misconfiguration of virtual environments, which prevented standardization and reusability. The navigation system code was placed in a Docker container, but its configuration only allowed it to run in the original development environment used by the previous developers.

After preparing the audit report and reviewing it together, we decided to proceed with fixing the existing system instead of rebuilding it from scratch.

Mockup Showing the Status of Warehouse Robots

Error Fixing and Work Process

We began a one-month project using weekly sprints, fixing errors and modifying features based on the client's team's needs. Successfully repairing the system meant cost savings many times greater than the cost of our work.

Due to the urgent timeline, we introduced daily short meetings with the client's team to make quick decisions on possible solutions, workarounds, and the direction of necessary changes.

As a result, we successfully fixed most of the critical errors that had previously blocked further development of the system.

Mockup Showing the Login Screen for the Administrator Application

Documentation and Code Handover

Alongside fixing errors, we began preparing the project for handover to the team responsible for further development. We updated the documentation, refined the functionality roadmap, and assisted the client in finding a verified partner to take over the system's future development. Additionally, we helped onboard the new team into the project.

What Did We Achieve?

Through our collaboration, we saved 97% of the budget that the client initially planned to allocate for developing a new warehouse robot navigation system.

Budget and Time Savings

Achieved business goals using only 3% of the originally planned budget.

Enabling System Development

We fixed critical errors in the navigation system, restoring functionality and enabling future work and maintenance of the code.

Project Roadmap Preparation

Together with the client, we created: A detailed list of functionalities and guidelines. Comprehensive documentation to streamline the development process and reduce costs for upcoming work.

Documentation and Project Handover

We assisted the client in identifying a highly experienced partner specializing in logistics automation. This partner will continue developing new functionalities for the navigation system while maintaining a cost-efficient approach.