In the ever-evolving landscape of Idaho’s IT modernization, each phase sees the integration of new technologies, people, and practices. For the AppDev team, this means managing applications from a diverse mix of programming languages, versions, and architectures, each developed with unique coding styles and practices.
This often results in custom applications arriving in various stages of completion such as Idaho State Liquor Division’s (ISLD) new handheld project. These handheld devices are essential for inventory management across state liquor stores, forming a crucial part of ISLD’s enterprise resource planning infrastructure.
Clerks use the devices to scan bottles, and these inventory counts are transmitted to the liquor warehouse for processing, reconciliation, and order fulfillment. The efficiency of these handheld devices is vital for smooth business operations, automating much of the manual work involved in inventorying and ordering stock.
The existing handheld models had reached end of life, with significantly outdated software. This necessitated new devices and software for continued seamless operations. The initiative became a top priority for ITS.
Each year ISLD managers gather in Boise for their annual meeting and trade show. It’s an excellent opportunity for vendors to showcase their products to store managers and prospective clients. When it was time to present our progress on the new application, we were given the choice to either demo it at the meeting or set up a booth at the trade show.
For our team, the decision was clear. Who wants to attend a formal managers’ meeting when you can attend a liquor trade show (no alcohol was consumed). Also, most testing scenarios are conducted remotely, making this a rare chance to gain customer insights as they use the tool we’re building.
The AppDev team responsible for the handheld project sprung into action designing an engaging product demo. Our goal was to engage customers and test the handheld project in a fun way.
In tech it’s easy to overlook the ultimate goal of helping people. Face-to-face interactions with software engineers, centered around the tools being developed, reinforces our customer-centric approach.
