Stimulating the exchange of knowledge between research departments

The challenge

Our client wanted to stimulate the exchange of lab test results throughout the organization. They were looking for a user-friendly solution that would allow scientists to write summaries of their work and publish them internally. The current solution used Markdown language, which limited readability. Since our client already liked the quality and way our developers handled their workload, they hired VirtusLab to build a simple Markdown parser to replace the old solution.

The solution

Virtuslab created a custom text editor based on the Markdown language and a user interface that integrates with it. Our client understood that the research departments would be more willing to share their knowledge if the process was smooth and user-friendly. That is why the developers focused on 3 key elements:

• 70% of the application’s code underwent a series of end-to-end testing to ensure its smooth performance,
• the development team implemented continuous delivery and continuous integration methodologies to enhance future maintenance and minimize the number of errors,
• the application was also refactored to match current technological standards.

The results

The final product is a blend of Twitter and GitHub: an intuitive tool for sharing research findings with a text-based interface.

1. Scientists can now write summaries that can be filtered by location or topic. The Markdown-based text editor is designed to seamlessly integrate with any application, so it can be used with other tools that the client will build in the future.
2. The security is provided via a combination of VPN and Okta, meaning that it’s impossible for anyone other than the client’s employees to access the servers.
3. To add an extra layer of protection, the system also utilizes single sign-on authentication, which creates a cookie. The backend then verifies this cookie to ensure a secure connection.
4. Currently, the application has a user base of 5000 employees. Additionally, there are 2000 data aggregates, with each one being a discussion thread related to the ongoing lab tests. These threads cover multiple subjects and are combined within the application.