Consulting IT

Audit and Error Fixing - Saved 97% of the Client’s Development Budget

Project Duration

May 2023 – June 2023

Team size

4 members

Industry

Logistics

Scope of Collaboration

IT and Business Consulting

About the Client's Business

Our client (name protected under NDA) has been delivering solutions to optimize warehouse operations for nearly 20 years. Their offerings include:

Custom-built automated guided vehicles (AGV) and autonomous mobile robots (AMR)
Milk run systems
Tailor-made warehouse solutions

The company serves corporate clients worldwide, providing fully autonomous devices that reduce warehouse operation costs while improving efficiency for their customers.

Goals of the Collaboration

The initial goal was to develop a new version of a 3D autonomous navigation system based on LIDAR. The system, originally developed by another company, was meant to support a new business line focused on deploying warehouse robots using fully autonomous navigation.

At first, creating a new system from scratch appeared to be a simpler option than fixing the numerous issues in the existing codebase.

However, the client’s team struggled to test the code and implement changes due to compatibility issues with virtual environments. After conducting a code audit, we identified the root causes of the errors and determined that repairing the existing system would be significantly more cost-effective than starting from scratch.

Collaboration Process

Code Audit and IT Consulting

System Audit

We began by auditing the system's code to diagnose the issues that were preventing further development. This step allowed us to understand the root causes and scope of the problems.

Error Fixing

We resolved the identified errors in the code, stabilizing the system and bringing it to a functional state. This paved the way for the client’s team to resume development efforts.

Documentation and Code Handover

Once the errors were resolved, we prepared comprehensive documentation and handed over the corrected code. This ensured the client’s team was fully equipped to continue developing and enhancing the system.

Thanks to the help of the iMakeable team, we avoided the need to create a new codebase from scratch. They brought our existing code to a usable state at a fraction of the cost of a new project.

Owner of the Client's Company

System Code Audit

The client’s team was unable to run the system in virtual environments due to issues with the code, environment configuration, and critical bugs they couldn’t resolve. The client initially considered rewriting the codebase from scratch, adding new functionalities during the process. However, this approach was estimated to cost several hundred thousand PLN.

Key Findings from the Audit

During our code audit, we identified issues that prevented the system from functioning correctly and hindered the configuration of virtual environments. For example:

Improper Environment Configuration: Virtual environments were not standardized, which blocked reusability.

Docker Configuration Issues: The navigation system’s code was stored in a container configured in a way that made it incompatible with any environment other than the one used during development by the original team.

After preparing a detailed audit report and conducting a joint analysis with the client, we decided to move forward with fixing the system’s code rather than rewriting it from scratch.

Error Fixing and Collaboration Process

We began a month-long collaboration structured into weekly sprints. During this period, we:

Worked on resolving critical bugs and modifying functionalities as per the client’s requirements.

Highlighted the potential for significant savings by repairing the existing code—reducing costs to a fraction of a complete rewrite.

Daily Meetings for Agile Decision-Making

Given the tight deadline, we held daily meetings with the client’s team to:

Discuss potential solutions and workarounds.

Decide on the direction of required changes.

This agile approach allowed us to address most of the critical errors that had previously stalled the project.

Ikonografia wireframe w kolorystyce iMakeable

Documentation and Code Handover

Simultaneously with fixing errors, we prepared the project for handover. Our work included:

Updating documentation and the roadmap for future functionalities.
Assisting the client in finding a verified partner for further system development.
Supporting the new partner during their onboarding and implementation phase.

What Did We Achieve?

Through our collaboration, we saved 97% of the budget that the client initially planned to allocate for developing a new warehouse robot navigation system.

Budget and Time Savings

Achieved business goals using only 3% of the originally planned budget.

Enabling System Development

We fixed critical errors in the navigation system, restoring functionality and enabling future work and maintenance of the code.

Project Roadmap Preparation

Together with the client, we created: A detailed list of functionalities and guidelines. Comprehensive documentation to streamline the development process and reduce costs for upcoming work.

Documentation and Project Handover

We assisted the client in identifying a highly experienced partner specializing in logistics automation. This partner will continue developing new functionalities for the navigation system while maintaining a cost-efficient approach.