Insights

As business analysts in an agile environment, we tend to find that our requirements are guided and approved by the product owner.

When you just want to design UX/UI, code and then sleep…

That is what you can expect at a #Girlcode Hackathon (and some food and energy drinks every now and again).

This year’s Girlcode Hackathon (#GirlCodeHack) took place at 22 on Sloane, Bryanston, Johannesburg and it was an absolute blast.

From apps that give you more insight on tertiary education, to apps that educate you on recycling in your city, to water saving games - all designed, developed and finished in 24 hours. Who said ladies can’t code and UX like a boss?

The 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (Image below) of which we had to choose one or more, are the problems we had to solve.

Looking at these goals, you do tend to get carried away with ideas. When my team and I sat down to discuss a goal we could solve, Paballo Moloi (Pabi) mentioned the waste issue we are currently facing in Johannesburg, which led us to ‘recycling in your city’.

Recycling does not only cover Goal 11, Sustainable cities and communities but also; 6 - clean water and sanitation, 7 - affordable and clean energy, 13 - climate action, 14 - life below water and also 15 - life on land.

Our solution, recycling, led us to create an app, Greenly, that allows you to become more educated around materials that can be recycled and which cannot. You also get all the collection and drop-off points in your city where you can recycle, but not only do you just recycle, you also get rewarded for your recycling contributions. Throughout recycling, whether it is through a collection service or whether you drop off, you will receive a QR code for each time you recycle, the QR code will give you points and as they accumulate you receive vouchers from certain retail partners in South Africa, whether it is a R100 petrol voucher, to R50 off your next grocery purchase.

With a few power naps in between, we had time until 10:00 on Sunday morning to finish the whole project and get ready for the judging stages.

We had five minutes to present to one of the four judging panels, thereafter the four panels of judges got together and selected their top nine.

We are proud to say that Greenly made it to the top nine! (YEY! ?)

The top nine then had to present again, but this time to everyone and a panel of three judges. After all the teams presented, the judges made their decision for their Top 3 and the winners were announced.

So after 24 hours of coding, UX and UI design and some HTML and CSS we are proud to have ended up on the top nine. (And yes, we went home and slept and slept)

Thank you Pabi and Siphokazi, it was a weekend to remember - You are the best

The AI, Data and Analytics technology space is certainly in the spotlight. A great deal of coverage is being given to the potential application of these capabilities and almost the necessity to do so in order for businesses to survive in the competitive, digital landscape. That pressure though to adopt, use and disrupt comes with dangers that are certainly not receiving the same air time.

Business agility enables organisations to innovate and deliver goods. Learn the framework for business agility and tips on improving it in your organisation.

Growing your staff complement is a positive sign of growth and should be embraced, however, it should be done with caution. Wrong appointments will have harmful aftershocks - not only in terms of time and cost of people performance management but in reputational damage to your brand.

In today’s technology industry, companies are looking for the best talent to join their existing team and at the same time, the potential candidates are looking to join the best company. Appointing new staff is a two-way stream which must be navigated cautiously. Below are a few tips to consider to ensure a positive outcome:

1. Look beyond the CV

So you’ve found the CV that really stands out and speaks to your needs. Qualifications and skills are important, but remember that they can be taught. Unfortunately, good character cannot.

Be selective and allow soft skills to be a strong weight, as they are key to establish a professional workforce and a pleasant work environment. Effective communication skills, being a team player and having a good work ethic are some of those soft skills that need to be measured during the interview process. Ask the candidate open-ended behavioural questions to get them to talk freely. This will allow you to evaluate their soft skills.

Your company has values which all staff should live and work by. Keep them in mind when you screen and interview new candidates. If “taking ownership” is a value, then ask a related question to assess if your candidate is willing to take ownership for tasks and even failures. Appointing someone who doesn’t live by “integrity”, if it's your company value, will be fatal.

ALWAYS, do a thorough background screening and reference check. It's a good idea to mirror your interview questions to a fellow staff interviewer to get a second opinion on the same questions.

2. Have an attractive Employee Value Proposition

Skilled professionals are in high demand providing your candidate with options from other employers. It could be reasonable to assume that remuneration is fairly aligned for the same occupations in the same industry. Therefore focus on the other aspects of employee satisfaction. Make sure that your employee value proposition beats your competitors.

Recent employee surveys (do you have a survey we can reference?) have indicated that when it comes to staff retention, monthly salary is not top of mind. People want to be part of a company that is willing to invest in them and assist in their career growth. A proper onboarding process and an effective support/ mentorship programme is non-negotiable.

People don't tend to make a lateral move in the market if you offer them their next big challenge and something to look forward to in the near future. Establish and encourage a thought leadership culture in your company allowing staff to give their views on aspects topical to your line of business.

3. Get your team involved in the process

Use your existing staff to attract new talent by introducing them to the new candidates. This interaction will give the candidate exposure to the culture, energy and experience (successes and failures!) of the existing team. Since the new candidate will form part of a team, it will be valuable for both parties. It will also empower your team and include them in the hiring process. Ideally, the exposure should convince the new candidate to join and become an asset to your company.

Finally, recruitment should not become basic or “old news” but should rather enjoy renewed attention. With so many options for candidates today, it's time to clean out the cobwebs and focus on attracting the right people for your business.

If you have ideas or suggestions on this topic, I would love to hear from you. Feel free to get in touch via LinkedIn.

A common misconception I’ve heard quite often is that gamification and game design are the same things.

In this tutorial we will learn how to authenticate using google sign-in. Google enables us to register/sign-in to our apps using different social accounts such Facebook, Twitter or in our case Google. Let’s get started!

Android studio project

Create a new Android studio project and name it “FirebaseAuthGoogle”. For the Company domain use “myricseptember.com” and ensure that the Include Kotlin support checkbox is selected.

Leave the minimum SDK as it is and click Next. Select “Empty Activity”, than click Next. Name the activity “SignInActivity” than click Finish.

Create a firebase project

The first step is to create a Firebase project within your Firebase Console. Click on Add project:

Name your project “FirebaseAuthGoogle”. Once you’ve given your project a name, read and accepted any terms and conditions, then click the ‘Create project’ button. Once done you should see the following screen indicating that the project was successfully created.

Click the continue button where you will be taken to the welcome screen. On this screen you are given the option to create either an iOS, Android or web app. We are creating an Android app so click on that option:

Another window will open requesting some information relating to your application. Fill in the package name “com.myricseptember.firebaseauthgoogle” than add your SHA 1 key. If you don’t know how to get your SHA key follow these steps:

• With Android Studio open, click on the Gradle menu on the right to open it.
• Open the folder structure as follows: FirebaseAuthGoogle -> :app ->Tasks->android -> then double click on ‘signingReport’

Note: if the packages are not showing in the gradle menu just click the refresh button:

A window will open at the bottom from which you can get your SHA1 key:

Note: Remember to select the app option in your Android Studio project once you have your SHA key, see below:

Add the SHA key and click On Register app:

Download the JSON file and place it within your android app as indicated by the arrows then click ‘Next’:

Once you get to the screen below just click next since we will be adding all the necessary gradle dependencies at a later stage. Also after the Add Firebase SDK screen Firebase will try to check if the app has made contact, just click on ‘skip this step’:

Great! Your application is now connected to firebase, but we still have some more work to do. Let’s get to it!

Enable Google Sign-In on Firebase

In your Firebase console on the left click on the ‘Authentication’ item. From the tabs select ‘Sign-In method’ to open the window below. Select the following:

Enable Google Sign-In in the top right corner. Also provide a ‘Project support email’ and click Save.

Add Gradle dependencies

Next, go to your Android Studio project. To enable social authentication we need to add some Firebase dependencies manually. It is import to use the latest Google Login SDK version which you can find here.

Here you’ll find the latest Firebase dependencies.

Open the project level Build.gradle :

Then add the following dependency:

Next open the Module:app level gradle dependency:

And add the following dependencies:

Once all these dependencies have been added, Android studio will require you to sync the project. This will download all the dependencies from the internet and will require you to have an internet connection.

Note: It is very important to ensure that you have “Google Play Services’ installed. You can do so by clicking on ‘Tools’ than selecting ‘SDK Manager’ as seen below:

After clicking on ‘SDK Manager’ the below window should open. Select the ‘Google Play Services’ checkbox and click apply. This will ensure that Sign-In works as expected on the Google Emulator as well.

Create a simple UI

Next we will create a simple UI with a single button in the middle of the screen. You can make your UI pretty but for demo purposes we are going to keep things simple.

Add the following to your “activity_sign_in.xml” xml file:

Since you need to connect to the network to authenticate with Firebase you will need to add the internet permission to your AndroidMenifest.xml:

Integrating Google SignIn

Within the SignInActivity add the following variables for the GoogleSignInClient and GoogleSignInOptions.

Next add the following method to your code. The method is used to request the user data required by your app such as the users’ ID and basic profile information, email address and Id token. Call this method in your OnCreate() method.

Add the setupUI() method to set up the OnClickListener for our login button. This method gets called in the OnCreate() method:

Next, we add a singIn() method which will be called when the user presses on the log in button. The user will be prompted to select an authentication account. The signInIntent is used to handle the sign in process and for starting the intent the startActivityForResult() is used.

Once done the onActivityResult() is called in which the selected google account is retrieved and sent to Firebase for authentication.

Note: the implementation for the firebaseAuthWithGoogle() method will be discussed below.

The authentication with Google step is now completed. Next we need to authenticate with Firebase. Declare an instance of the FirebaseAuth object.

Then in the onCreate method, get the shared instance of the FirebaseAuth object

After a user successfully signs in, gets an ID token from the GoogleSignInAccount object, exchange it for a Firebase credential, and authenticate with Firebase using the Firebase credential:

Note: The HomeActivity will be created soon

To avoid the need for the user to sign in every time the app is launched it would be better to check if the user is signed in already. This can be achieved by checking if the current user is already signed in from within the onStart() method:

Create a companion object to open the SignInActivity via intent.

Great! Everything for authentication is set up. Next we just need to create a second screen (HomeActivity) to which we will navigate once the user is successfully authenticated. You can use this screen to retrieve and display the current user’s information from the Firebase database, but that is out of the scope of this tutorial. We will simply display some text congratulating the user for successfully signing in and have a log out button at the bottom.

Home Screen

Create an Activity called HomeActivity. The activity will look like the screen below once done:

The XML for activity_home.xml should look something like the below:

Within HomeActivity add the setupUI() method which will be used to set up the click listener for the sign out button. Call the setupUI() method within your onCreate() method.

Next create the signOut() method which will be used to sign the user out of the application.

Finally create a companion object to to open the HomeActivity via intent.

We’re Done! Let’s run the application and celebrate our hard work.

Conclusion

In this article we have built a simple application that makes use of Google authentication. Firebase is great and there is much more you can do with it. I will be posting more Kotlin articles and will be using more of Firebase. I look forward to your feedback and would advise you to take a look at the repo.

Thank you for reading this article and follow me on Twitter and on Medium for future articles.

Article also published on Medium.com.

In this article, I'll discuss how design teams can adopt Agile and use the Scrum framework to achieve delivery in terms of customer experience journeys, prototypes (low and high fidelity) and services blueprints.

The background

When I first joined the design office nine months ago I didn't have a clue how I was going to be a Scrum Master to a design team. I was unsure of end delivery from a full design perspective. From past experience, I was used to working with technical teams (developers, testers, BA’s architects and one or two designers).

The first few weeks were spent trying to understanding what the teams deliver and handover and this left me somewhat confused. I then remembered no matter what needs to be delivered, if the Agile principles are followed anything is achievable with the right team and skills.

Let's look at how the Agile principles were followed within the design team:

Principle 1

Our highest priority is to satisfy the customer through the early and continuous delivery of valuable software.

From a design perspective, testing is always an important task that needs to be fulfilled as the customer's experience is extremely important, which requires improvement regularly.

Principle 2

Welcome changes in requirements even late in development.

Agile processes harness change for the customer’s competitive advantage.

When business requires a certain feature to be improved, the team then works towards a solution. Pitfalls are noted immediately and the direction is changed.

Principle 3

Deliver working software frequently, from a couple of weeks to a couple of months, preferably on a shorter timescale.

The team always aims to deliver a shippable product or feature after each sprint which can have an immediate impact on the customer's experience. As an example, suggesting the removal of steps in the customer journey which can improve turnaround times.

Principle 4

Business people and developers must work together throughout the project.

As a Scrum Master for design teams, we realised that most people within the organisation don’t understand what designers do. We then started to include the relevant stakeholders and decision makers during the problem and solution discovery. The benefit - everyone is kept in the loop until the final product or feature is handed over. Additionally, it eliminates the pressure from stakeholders pushing for timelines as they are then aware of the process.

Principle 5

Build projects around motivated individuals. Give them the environment and support that they need and trust them to get the job done.

This also relates to Principle 4. Once individuals are enabled and trusted to deliver, they will do their best. In our case, the design team gained trust among each other and with their stakeholders.

Principle 6

Efficient and effective method of conveying information is face to face conversation.

The team was co-located however two of the designers were based in Cape Town which had no negative effect on delivery. The team used a tool called Zoom for all ceremonies, ideation sessions and check-ins which allowed for face-to-face interaction.

Principle 7

Working software is the primary measure of progress.

Teams should always strive for the primary objective - improved customer experience.

Principle 8

Agile processes promote sustainable development. The sponsors, developers and users should be able to maintain a constant pace.

Working together effectively and maintaining consistency with business stakeholders and decision makers was key to our success. Aim to deliver consistently for customers across different channels and platforms to improve the experience.

Principle 9

Continuous attention to technical excellence and good design enhances agility.

Our team learned to design with reusability in mind, questioning fit for purpose. If the experience designed does not fit the criteria then the approach is adjusted to be fit for purpose.

Principle 10

Simplicity and the art of maximising the amount of work not done is essential.

For this team it was simple: ‘Is it fit for purpose?’

Principle 11

The best architecture requirements and design emerge from self-organising teams.

Our team became accountable and responsible to each other. Our biggest fear was to disappoint each other in terms of failing to deliver. This meant that we were cross-functional and assisted each other from time to time.

Principle 12

At regular intervals, the team reflects on how to become effective, then tunes and adjusts its behaviour accordingly.

Our team had different skill sets such as UX, UI and service design. The youngest team member was 23 and the oldest is 51 and the level of respect and value this team had for each other was incredible. They were open to learn from each other and to handle criticism well. They didn't get attached to ideas and learned from past failures.

Lessons learnt

Agile can be implemented and followed in design successfully. Just remember to stick to the principles and it will more than likely come naturally to you.

Account Manager – it’s a common title in our industry, and yet so often means very different things to different organisations.

Some account managers mainly focus on sales, others consider themselves project managers first and foremost. Some double as IT advisors, while others spend all their time nurturing customer relationships and keeping customers happy.

At DVT, an account manager is all of these things. But more importantly, the skills it takes to become a successful account manager have less to do with technical proficiency and more to do with the ‘softer’ skills that are critical to every single aspect of the role.

In our fast-paced, highly competitive industry, the human side of the business too often plays second fiddle to the technical. But as we seek to help our clients digitally transform their businesses to better compete and succeed, the process is as much about the human side of change and growth as it is about crunching numbers and coding software.

The following steps are used to guide the development of any successful account manager in our business, and could likewise be valuable to yours.

1. Working to a set of values

Every business, DVT included, has its own set of cultural values, honed over time and passed down to successive employees through recruitment and training programs. These values cover a range of different aspects, describing how we conduct ourselves personally and professionally. For example, ‘doing the right thing’, ‘making an impact’, keeping it simple’, and ‘work-life balance’ are all shared values common to the company culture and its employees. If you haven’t defined your values as a company, you can’t expect your account managers to follow them.

2. Emotional intelligence (EQ)

Perhaps the most important part of an account manager’s job is managing people. In fact, if you substitute the word ‘account’ for ‘people’, you’d get a good idea of how many account managers spend most of their days. Managing people requires a very different set of skills to managing numbers or IT systems, and yet too many account managers are only trained for the latter. Knowing when to push back, or when to give more; being able to read someone’s expression and reaction, their body language and the tone in their voice; and having the ability to think before speaking – these are just some of the critical skills that make up an account manager’s EQ.

3. Understanding culture and unique conversation style

No business relationship is ever the same. The way we speak with one person will always differ, even if only slightly, to the way we speak with another. This doesn’t necessarily come down to our level of seniority or skill, but rather to intuitively knowing (or learning) the best way to connect with a person based on their personality style, the history you have with them, or the way they treat you at face value. Taking the time to learn and understand how to speak to different people is a stepping stone to building lasting relationships with them.

4. Getting personal with consultants

We’re all pushed for time, and therefore making time to get to know our consultants is often last thing on our daily To-Do list. However just a little effort made to spend time with each individual on a regular basis to get to know them, and for them to get to know you, builds a rapport that encourages trust, openness and honesty. These qualities in a working relationship help keep consultants engaged and retain staff.

5. Understanding talent acquisition and retention

DVT recruiters make excellent account managers, not only because of the recruitment cycle they go through to on-board new consultants, but also because of the interview and assessment processes our consultants go through with our clients. Recruitment in the IT industry can be highly competitive given the skills shortage in South Africa, which is why it’s important to learn to connect to consultants on a personal level, and to constantly stay informed about their relationships with clients. That way, any ‘issues’ are identified and resolved before they escalate, and the cycle of trust is constantly restored.

6. Project management

This may not appear to be a ‘soft’ skill like some I’ve already covered. However, an account manager is, at some level, also necessarily a project manager. DVT account managers work very closely with each practise and competency team, along with several other teams: development, business enablement, data/analytics, testing and automation, and so on. To work effectively and equally with each team means the account manager must always be proactive, communicative, transparent and organised. Involving multiple teams on a national basis while managing an important assignment requires a high level ‘people’ project management skill.

7. Knowing when to say ‘No’

It can be daunting to say ‘No’ to a client (or a colleague or a boss for that matter) but it’s a skill that needs to be learned and used effectively for successful account management. It’s even harder to say no to new business, especially if you are measured and rewarded for the business you bring to the company. But if taking on new requirements from existing clients – or business from new clients – that is unrealistic, or compromises values, or negatively affects delivery standards on other projects, ‘No’ is sometimes the only safeguard. Using measurement metrics helps to identify which opportunities are worth focusing on, but the ‘art’ of knowing when and how to say ‘No’ is often just as important as the science.

8. Thirst for knowledge and personal development

There is an overwhelming amount of information available to us as account managers, and it’s constantly changing. It’s not good enough just to know what our company does; we should also want to know the trends and topics of industry. This improves our confidence and encourages like-minded conversations among peers and clients. As account managers we need to set aside time every day to upskill, learn and improve – so it helps if we have a natural learning instinct, or learn to develop one.

9. An Agile mindset

Agile is a word synonymous with DVT on a business level, but it’s also a critical component of the very human skills we instil in our account managers. As account managers we understand better than most how direction, goals and purpose constantly change, both internally and for our clients. This means that we don’t always have a clear view of what’s coming, regardless of how much planning we do. We therefore need to learn how to be adaptable and flexible every day, to be open to new, as-yet untried and unproven approaches, but most of all, we need to accept that there will always be a mix of achievements and missed opportunities in our line of work. If managed properly, the ups and downs make us highly resilient, humble and motivated to ensure continuous improvement in our way of work.