Povigo: initiating release 2

Exciting times, and not only because of the new way of living and working that we are all trying to find somehow these days. Today we entered the release 2 development phase of Povigo, the growth-app Kunlabora is building with ESF funding. People that are re-entering the labor market after a burnout and are receiving coaching can use this app together with their job coach.

People looking for a new job register what keeps them busy in their job search. They are supported with information, encouragement and tips concerning the soft skills in which they want to grow and the (small) steps they want to take towards the labor market. Supported by narrative visualizations and analysis (data science techniques), together with their job coach, they discover patterns and connections in the search for a job, and together they decide which next steps seem most appropriate. In this way, people take charge of their own growth process, and the job coach can offer stronger support. Many concepts in our app are based on the theory of effective feedback and are further finetuned for our vulnerable target group of people who just recovered from a burnout and engage in a job search journey, which can be stressful at times.

In this project, Kunlabora facilitates a service design approach and develops an initial ‘Minimum Lovable Product’. Expertise in job coaching is assured by Groep INTRO. Expertise in soft skills and effective feedback is provided by the AP educational research unit. Later this year we will validate our concept in a pilot phase. IDEA Consult will conduct the impact evaluation and assess whether our underlying assumptions about effective feedback can be confirmed. A most exciting and socially highly relevant software project!

Let us take you through the process of how we have handled this project so far!

Delivering value to your customer: fast prototyping!

We started off with an impact map and personas. This gave a clear picture of our goal, our users and stakeholders, and the way in which we could offer added value. This was further explored in customer journeys: as is and to be. We then mapped out these features in a user story map and worked out a first prototype on paper. After merely two weeks, we had our first low-fidelity prototype! Very simple, with sketches and click areas on these sketches in the prototyping tool Marvel, but enough to withstand a first validation with potential end users.

We continued by gradually finetuning our prototype into high-fidelity screen designs (with some Fectiv power) and started developing a working basic version of the Povigo app.

Our lessons learned from the prototyping:

• It is very powerful to validate and adjust your prototype quickly and often.

• It is very powerful to prototype in different areas and from different angles: we consulted both job coaches and their customers, both in the context of burnout, but also people who return to the labor market after a long illness like cancer. We explored both the employee's and the employer's perspective. All these different angles provide a rich context to finetune the challenge we are trying to solve with our software tool.

• A strong and complementary partnership is vital in realizing added value for the end user:

  • Groep INTRO: domain expertise and customer access;
  • AP: expertise in soft skills and effective feedback;
  • Kunlabora: service design and software development;
  • IDEA Consult: impact evaluation;
  • ESF: actively engages in the projects they support: “challenger, problem solver, networker”.

• In the specific context of impact evaluation, we experienced the importance of early involvement of our impact evaluator: together with our impact map, this ensures focus on achieving impact.

• With Povigo prototypes we create a software tool: it is important to give the feeling of a software tool as soon as possible in the validation of the prototype.

• A good tool choice is vital; we found these tools doing an excellent job:

  • Miro: an online whiteboard to visually bring ideas together;
  • Marvel: a tool to digitize paper software prototypes;
  • Balsamiq: a tool to quickly create mock-ups.

During the development project we can off course fall back to our typical Kunlabora software delivery toolbox, with e.g. context & container diagrams, quality attributes and a user story map, in our typically highly visual approach. How will we move forward? We are happy to release the first initial version of the Povigo app and engage in release 2. After this second release, we will launch a 6-month pilot phase and validate Povigo's underlying assumptions. And together with all of our partners we do hope to be able to grow Povigo into a powerful app, making a difference in society, also after the ESF project is finished.

Corona

And yes, unfortunately, like people and organisations all over the world, we feel the impact of Corona. All Kunlaborants have been working at home since mid-March and some projects have been put on hold. But surprisingly, the projects that remain active continue smoothly: teams sync twice a day in their 'daily' stand-up meetings, they kick-off user stories together and even pair program, new sprints are started and requirements are still being gathered with their customer: all in a remote way! We beat Corona by proving that business CAN continue!

How about your business?

How about you? How is your business impacted by Corona? What will your business look like when this horrible Corona crisis is averted?

At Kunlabora we want to help organisations get ready for the post-Corona era. Or we want to look into this IT-opportunity you always pushed forward until the time is right: if you have some extra time now: the time IS right.

Kunlabora's answer?

STEP 1. A Think Forward session with our experts, free of charge.

STEP 2. One of three tracks, depending on your project, time and budget - and always together with you:

• a Service Blueprint: an in-depth blueprint, scrutinizing your project on the functional and technical level, rolled into a period of 2 to 3 weeks;
• a Demonstrator: a minimum lovable product, to enable you to validate assumptions of your idea;
• a Minimum Viable Product: to release the first version of an operation-ready application.

Do you want to talk about how we can beat Corona together in your business?

Email us: he listens carefully to your concerns and thinks along towards a solution.

Or book your Think Forward session here: free of charge, exclusive and when it suits your agenda.