Timeline:
January 25th, 2021 - February 23, 2021
Team:
1 UI/UX
1 Project Manager
4 Full-stack Developers
Executive Summary
In a landscape where speed and innovation define success, this case study highlights how Equilobe partnered with METRO AG—a Fortune 500 leader—to transform a visionary concept into a tangible proof of concept (POC) in just two sprints.
Recognizing the challenges faced by executives in managing complex data ecosystems,
Equilobe embarked on a mission to create a user-centric app that streamlines decision-making. Drawing inspiration from industry-leading applications like Strava and Vivino, the team developed innovative solutions, including a groundbreaking forecasting feature that enhances strategic planning.
The result? A powerful, intuitive app that empowers METRO’s leadership to make informed, data-driven decisions swiftly. This collaboration not only showcases Equilobe's ability to bring bold ideas to life but also serves as a roadmap for CEOs and CTOs eager to drive innovation within their own organizations.
Discover how, with the right partnership, even the most ambitious visions can become reality in record time.
The 2 Sprint POC challange
As Managing Director of METRO’s AG tech company, Nadas Dan understood that data is the backbone of performance for Fortune 500 companies. A passionate runner, he envisioned a groundbreaking app—akin to Strava—that would empower his organization to fully harness its data, KPIs, and OKRs.
Recognizing the need to maintain operational efficiency, Dan sought an external product development team to create a proof of concept without disrupting current workflows.
To identify the best fit for this innovative project, Dan launched a competitive 2-Sprint POC challenge between
Equilobe and another leading firm. The mission was clear: the team that best brought his vision to life in just two sprints would secure the funding to develop the final application.
Scope of the Challenge
Empower METRO AG to Harness Its Data: Build a POC app that enables METRO AG to fully leverage its data, KPIs, and OKRs for informed decision-making.
Deliver a Functional POC in Just 2 Sprints (4 Weeks): Achieve rapid development without compromising quality.
Ensure User Convenience Comparable to Strava: Design an intuitive app experience that empowers users to navigate and utilize data effortlessly.
Adopt a Mobile-First Approach: Create a fully responsive app that delivers a seamless experience on both mobile devices and desktop platforms.
Innovate Data Visualization for Mobile: Develop creative methods to present large datasets in a user-friendly manner, ensuring clarity and accessibility on smaller screens.
The project timeline
1.Understanding the Problem
On Monday, January 25th, 2021, the team gathered for the first time, resolute in their mission to gain a deep understanding of the challenge at hand. As Harvard Business School professor Theodore Levitt aptly noted, "People don't want to buy a quarter-inch drill. They want a quarter-inch hole!"
The product team concluded that the issue wasn't a lack of reporting or BI tools—METRO already employed the best. Instead, they discovered an overabundance of tools that complicated processes and extended the time required to drill down to specific business levels.
From a Jobs-To-Be-Done perspective, the team determined that the app should serve as the single go-to resource for organizational executives, empowering them in decision-making while streamlining processes to save time.
2.Generating solutions
To quote Steve Jobs, "Good artists copy; great artists steal."
Drawing inspiration from successful analogs, the team looked to Vivino (a wine app with 50 million users) for ease of navigation, Strava (a running app with 70 million users) for goal setting and benchmarking, along with other top-rated applications.
At this stage, the team began generating a variety of solutions as they envisioned the ideal final app. One particularly intriguing concept was the forecasting feature.
Imagine, for instance, that you are a CTO needing to hire several developers by December 2021. This app’s forecasting feature would predict and graphically display your anticipated achievements at the current pace while offering smart suggestions to enhance performance.
3.Envisioning the Final App
As development progressed, the team made critical decisions regarding the features to be included in the final app. All ideas and proposals received validation from Dan before approval.
The UI/UX designer initiated the creation of storyboards and low-fidelity wireframes. By involving the entire team in this process, they positioned themselves to implement the proof of concept app within a tight timeframe.
In the final demo, the team successfully showcased data in a more user-friendly manner. Instead of relying on a predefined set of charts, they tailored visualizations to specific use cases. They determined that a Gauss-inspired density plot, for instance, would better illustrate overlapping compensation levels than traditional bar charts or box plots.
4.Envisioning the MVP App
Following the principles popularized by Steve Blank and Eric Ries, the team identified the features necessary for a minimum viable product (MVP) that early adopters could use to provide valuable feedback for future enhancements.
The UI/UX professional began crafting high-fidelity wireframes, which were validated with METRO, leading to a final UI iteration before development commenced.
With METRO operating 680 stores across 24 countries in Europe and Asia, the team’s most significant breakthrough was designing a navigation menu that effortlessly addressed the challenge of drilling down into any metric across various business levels and locations. A quick demonstration revealed that this navigation occurred in the blink of an eye.
5.Building the Proof of Concept
After further narrowing the feature selection, developers embarked on creating the proof of concept (POC). Their goal was to confirm that the MVP implementation would function as intended.
Front-end React developers tested multiple charting libraries and styling frameworks, selecting the most suitable option. Meanwhile, other team members ensured seamless connectivity to various APIs provided by METRO’s third-party data tools and platforms.
Although a web-based mobile-first app sufficed for the POC, the team utilized Capacitor, a cross-platform native runtime for web apps, preparing an Android APK file for the final demo. The client was thoroughly impressed by the team’s extra effort to go above and beyond.
The end result
On Tuesday, February 23, 2021, after only two sprints (four weeks), METRO Digital’s Managing Director, Dan, witnessed the latest version of his app in action.
It was precisely as he envisioned: not merely another tool to monitor KPIs, but a means of empowering his organization to make the most of available data in a smarter, more comfortable way—much like a running app such as Strava.
Delighted by the swift delivery, product mindset, and high-quality outcome of the proof of concept app, Dan decided to seal a deal with Equilobe to begin building the MVP just a few weeks later.
Impacts and Benefits
Partnering with Equilobe enabled Dan Nadas, Managing Director of METRO’s AG tech company, to avoid disrupting internal teams and workflows. By leveraging an external product development team, METRO maintained operational continuity while driving innovation forward.
In the realm of Fortune 500 companies, securing stakeholder buy-in for new initiatives can be a lengthy endeavor. However, Equilobe’s agile approach delivered the proof of concept (POC) in just one month—two sprints—setting a new benchmark for speed in the corporate environment.
The partnership not only accelerated delivery but also reduced development costs. By collaborating with Equilobe, METRO was able to spend less on the proof of concept (POC) than if they had relied on their internal teams, which were accustomed to longer timelines. Equilobe’s rapid delivery cadence translated into significant budget savings, allowing METRO to achieve high-quality results more efficiently.
Ultimately, this collaboration empowered the client's managing director to secure funding for the development of the MVP and the final app for METRO AG, positioning the organization for greater success in an increasingly competitive landscape.
