An app designed to restore your confidence in taxis
Customer
02 Taksi
Industry
Commerce & Logistics
Services
Full stack, mobile
Technologies
React, React Native, Node.js, AWS, Serverless, JavaScript, TypeScript
Rakettitiede 02 Taksi create an application that aims to restore the Finns’ trust in taxi travel. Today, 02 Taksi is one of the top apps in Finnish app stores based on user ratings.
It was 2018, and the domestic taxi market was opening up with a bang following changes to the taxi legislation. At Nollakakkonen, the need to offer a safe, fast and straightforward way to order a taxi was identified. The number 020202, familiar to the whole country, provided excellent conditions for a broad user base.
Today, 02 Taksi is among the top apps in Finland's app stores based on user ratings. Reviews have especially praised the app's ease of use and usefulness. So much the better, as the goal was to create Finland's best taxi app.
Results with a committed core team
“The project needed highly skilled and committed developers, especially on the systems development side. Thanks to their quality software expertise, Rakettitiede came onto our radar. In the end, a lot depends on trust between people, and finding the right talent creates a strong foundation for the success of the whole project”, says Petteri Niemi, Operations Director at 02 Taksi.
Tuisku Salminen of Rakettitiede, who works as one of the app's lead developers, also agrees with the idea of trust. Salminen has been involved in developing both the app's front end and back end in a variety of ways and is currently working on 02's team as well.
“The 02 Taksi team is an exceptionally welcoming bunch and a relaxed working community. There have been four Rakettitiede developers in the team in total, and we have been given room to make decisions and expand our own professional skills. We are at our best precisely in these situations, when we can solve the customer's challenges”, says Salminen.
CHALLENGE
The goal was to create the best taxi app in Finland. The project required highly skilled, committed, and business-savvy developers.
Good interaction carries the project over the finish line
Three separate interfaces were created for the 02 Taksi service: customer service, web and mobile. At the beginning of the collaboration, Rakettitiede developers created a Finland-wide GIS system (geographic information system). The backend of the online service ran on a fully serverless AWS cloud platform. Since then, Rakettitiede developers have taken on the role of lead application developer.
“We don’t believe in micromanagement. Instead, we want to let the developers themselves solve the challenges they face. Being able to have an open discussion about difficult topics or slip-ups is an absolute prerequisite when working with us,” summarises Petteri Niemi, CEO at 02.
“The 02 Taksi team is an exceptionally welcoming bunch and a laid-back work community. The team has had altogether four developers from Rakettitiede, and we’ve been given the opportunity to make decisions and develop our own professional competence,” says Tuisku Salminen, who is one of the main developers of the application.
SOLUTION
Developers got to solve the challenges themselves. Unnecessary management, jargon, and barriers were eliminated. Close collaboration and interaction were the keys to success.
Your pile is my pile too
Petteri Niemi points out that the client needs to provide sufficient support to make the developers’ work a success. When a software project fails, it’s often because the client hasn’t made the goals clear enough or because the developer has been too optimistic about the schedule. With Rakettitiede, creating an active dialogue was easy.
FINAL RESULT
When simplicity, a relaxed work community, and expertise come together, the outcome is inevitably good. The user-friendly app is one of the top apps in Finnish app stores based on user ratings.
What has Niemi been particularly pleased with during these years?
“Outside programming work, I’m immediately reminded of the positive experiences we had with sales promotion. Rakettitiede’s developers won us a new customer under some intense time pressure. A similar project could have easily taken a week or two to complete, but we and the Rocket finished the job within days. As a client, I can appreciate the fact the developers are able to step outside their basic role and tackle challenges in the event of a critical disruption or a sudden sales opportunity. In situations such as these, hardcore talent really stands out,” Niemi summarises.
“High-quality software development also requires that the developer understands our business and sales.”
Petteri Niemi, CEO, 02 Taksi
“When everything goes according to plan, the developers of a software development project start to feel like your own employees.”
Petteri Niemi, CEO, 02 Taksi
