Diversity and geographic distance seems to be an important condition which helps for both companies to have fun and not to be bored! However you need to train to get most out of it and Kick off is nice way of doing it.
DEVELOPMENT KICK- OFF 2017
For a long time Xplicity works with such well-known Dutch company as Login VSI. Development teams here in Kaunas office supports partner’s in-house development capacity or in some cases have partial responsibility on products development. “Remote work has its own advantages and challenges, but nowadays it is becoming a casual reality” says Mark Plettenberg (Product manager at Login VSI). Despite the fact both companies already know how to deal with related issues, growing product success requires more quality, strategic architectural changes and closer collaboration when absorbing the newest technologies and information.
CULTURAL EXPERIENCE AND COMMUNICATION
That is why Xplicity and Login VSI started 2017 with bringing all people from development departments in a one room. Amsterdam colleagues flight to Kaunas (Lithuania) to have three days of pure fun as well as work related fun. The First day was dedicated to strengthening social experience through team building workshops. Participants were divided into teams and were requested to deliver a concrete solution to the customer. During activity, participants realized typology of different personalities: their characteristics, interactions, limitations and potential. It was also explained that every team has its tensions, misunderstandings and conflicts. Two methods on how to prevent and solve them where introduced. Teams discussed how to strengthen trust and rebuild it if needed.
Next two days were dedicated for technical discussions and working together. Developers initiated several topics: Definition of Done; Docker technology; Writing performance critical applications & Code obfuscation. Some of the presentations about personal and professional experience helped to realize creative ways of solving technical challenges even though it was not directly related to the new technology stack that company recently started to use.
For example, one of team leads Nikita Laukhin discussed how to write performance critical applications in .NET/C#. He based the topic on his years of experience and provided examples of low performance application. Tips and tricks were shared. Key aspect of the presentation – how to solve the most popular types of problems and speed your applications up with examples and tests for the different frameworks: .NET Framework 3.5, .NET Framework 4.6.1 and .NET Core 1.1.
KNOWLEDGE SHARING AND PROFESSIONALISM
And there was even more knowledge sharing: Nikita explained how to obfuscate your code and reduce by this a chance to steal your code or to crack your application. He covered a few obfuscation methods (both positive and negative aspects) and how to apply them in a solution. For all cases screenshots of IL code before and after all was provided, so that could be easily estimated and gained of each method.
After all, teams took time to work on their regular daily tasks, teams started to mix organically and to help each other. After all the development Kick- off 2017 will have a very positive effect. Teams actively collaborated while solving daily technical issues. People had a pleasant time working together, sharing experience and are more inspired to work with remote colleagues. Diversity and geographic distance seems to be an important condition which helps for both companies to have fun and not to be bored!
By Mantė
Xplicity HR Manager