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Some history

In 2017, In The Pocket developed a mobile application for SD Worx, acting as a smart digital assistant for employees. This app streamlined various tasks, including checking salary documents, requesting holidays, submitting expenses, and providing company updates – essentially, it became the smart HR right hand for employees.

A few years later, as part of SD Worx's brand identity revamp, they approached us to align their web and mobile platforms with the new branding. Before diving into the project headfirst, we paused to consider if Xamarin was still the ideal technology for their app. After conducting a thorough technical analysis and evaluating options in collaboration with SD Worx, it became clear that a complete rewrite using a more future-proof, hybrid technology like Flutter was the way to go. This allowed us to seamlessly integrate and refine their new branding while improving outdated UX/UI flows, ultimately delivering a robust, revitalised mobile app.

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01 — Challenge

An outdated tech stack

The biggest challenge at hand was to maintain continuity for SD Worx’s users. That meant fully rebuilding the app in Flutter, while simultaneously maintaining the older Xamarin app. The goal was to ensure that users would not experience any inconveniences and would be presented with a more future-proof app. The decision to switch technologies was driven by the belief that hybrid mobile technologies, such as Flutter, offer several advantages in the long run.

02 — Solution

Switching to hybrid

To tackle the challenge at hand, we took a proactive approach by initiating a collaborative strategy track with SD Worx to discuss the future of their app. It quickly became evident that this was more than just a rebranding exercise; the mysdworx app needed to evolve to thrive in the years ahead, requiring a more suitable technological choice.

Working closely with the SD Worx team, we carefully identified the essential functionalities and evaluated those on their roadmap. Together, we meticulously weighed the pros and cons of various technology options. Eventually, a unanimous decision emerged – rebuilding the mobile app with Flutter, a future-proof hybrid technology.

And what about the initial rebranding, you might ask? Well, something with two birds and one stone. Since we were doing a complete rebuild of their app, we could immediately integrate SD Worx's new branding into the app, and even collaborate on their new look and feel. The longstanding relationship with SD Worx provided a sturdy ground for making bold but necessary decisions to ensure the app remained the best smart HR tool for users, now and in the years to come.

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03 — Approach

Revamping the new app, maintaining the old one

Recognising that switching technologies cannot be done overnight, we developed a clear roadmap for the transition process. Our approach involved working closely with the SD Worx team to keep the old Xamarin app operational on iOS & Android, while collaboratively building, revamping, and refining the upcoming brand-new mobile app.

During this period, we also took the opportunity to meticulously review every screen, seamlessly integrate the new branding, and enhance the user experience to higher levels.

Together with SD Worx, we identified several ways to make the transition for users as seamless as possible. We made it possible for users to update to the new version and added a subscribe form where users could get access to the Beta versions. From there, the user base could easily provide feedback that would go straight to our software engineers & designers. In total, more than 20,000 people subscribed to the Beta version.

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‍05 — Outcome

New look, new tech, ready for the future

Through careful planning and dedicated teamwork, In the Pocket successfully rolled out the new mysdworx mobile app, built with a next-gen tech stack. This hybrid technology choice ensures a stable future for further development. By embracing Flutter, SD Worx can continue to be the top Smart HR partner that provides employees all over Europe with a digital assistant right in their pocket. The app's modernised interface, improved performance, and future-ready architecture ensure that SD Worx remains at the forefront of HR innovation and continues to provide a seamless user experience to its 1 million users.