The Fix It App

Project Description:

Project Description:
The project is composed of a mobile application that allows users to take a picture of a problem using their device, enter an optional description and submit the information to a cloud service. This report is then displayed on the FixIt web-based platform for administrators to determine what actions would be taken regarding the problem. FixIt gives administrators the means to organize their reports such as the severity of the issues, the type of issue being submitted, when the report was submitted, updated, and deleted as well as the location of the problem.
The initial scenario was to provide the City of Nanaimo, BC with the ability to turn it’s 100,000 residents into infrastructure inspectors. Instead of having to fill out a lengthy on-line form, or call the City’s hotline, residents could just take a picture of the issue/damage and report it directly to the City. By using the GPS data, the submitted report shows the exact location of the problem, enabling the City to identify and prioritize work crews. The benefits are clear, reduced risk, better service, and simplified work crew planning. This evolved quickly as we realized that commercial organizations, from oil companies to airlines to hotels, would also benefit from this capability.

Work Breakdown:
We started by developing a work breakdown structure, this was invaluable as a method of keeping us on track. There were no timelines developed at this point; just high-level tasks that all needed to be completed in order to successfully deliver the project.
An extensive series of requirements gathering discussions were held to make sure we understood what the client really wanted. Our team made many suggestions that were accepted and incorporated into both the features and capabilities of the application. For example, such as multi-language support and the ability to create customized reports, are two features that make the app attractive at a global, rather than a regional level.

One interesting aspect of working with the client was the constant discussion around whether a feature would be incorporated in the initial build or tracked for inclusion in version 2. Clearly defining a minimum viable product proved to be a beneficial approach and helped keep us on track to complete the project ahead of time (okay, just ahead of time).

Project Tools:
Once the project started, we met with the client weekly to review upcoming work. We used Jira and an Agile Model to plan tasks and keep track progress. We utilized an online collaboration tool “Miro” as our whiteboard platform to drive out capabilities and workflows. Finally, GitHub as our code repository. These tools proved to be foundational to our project as the client was relentless on driving an exceptional user experience. We learned a lot about the beauty in creating an intuitive user interface, and the complexity required to make it happen.

Finally, a huge thank you to Algonquin College, and especially our professors who have guided us over the course of this program.

Contact the Team

Gallery