Promote: Turning an Internal LMS into a SaaS Product
Promote partnered with Beetroot to revamp Apex, its online course administration tool, and turn it from an internal product into a sellable platform. With a dedicated team, the client rebuilt the tool on modern frameworks and shipped new releases weekly.
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TECHNOLOGIES
- Python
- Angular
- PostgreSQL
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TEAM COMPOSITION
- Full-Stack Developers (2)
Background
Apex is an online course administration tool that stores information about courses and presents it in different formats across platforms. It was developed and used internally for 20 years.
In 2017, the client decided to revamp Apex and make it sellable. After a previous successful experience with Beetroot, it approached us again.
Project Recap
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Apex needed a revamp with modern toolchains and frameworks to move from internal use to an external market.
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A dedicated Beetroot team extended the client’s tech capacity and shipped new functionality every week.
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After a year, the client received a sellable, customizable platform that exceeded its expectations.
Challenge
Apex had served the client internally for two decades, but turning it into a commercial product required a modern technology base and more development capacity than the in-house team had.
The client faced several challenges:
- An outdated toolchain and frameworks
- Limited in-house tech capacity
- Making the platform easy to package for different customers
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Solution: Dedicated Team for a Platform Revamp
The client first hired Beetroot developers as subcontractors, then moved to a dedicated team model to work long-term and involve Beetroot more deeply in the process.
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Modern Tech Foundation
The team updated the platform with modern toolchains and frameworks, using Python, Angular, and PostgreSQL.
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Weekly Releases
With extended capacity, the client developed and deployed a new release or new functionality every week.
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Flexible Team Fit
When one hire wasn’t the right match, Beetroot quickly helped Apex find a better-suited developer.
The main, positive aspect of working with Beetroot is their Swedish mentality, which can be felt throughout the company. Plus, there is also the Ukrainian mentality, which is rather direct and straightforward, something that we swedes are also used to. As a product owner, this combination is very refreshing and valuable for me because I can expect the team to be honest about what we are working on.
Results
After a year of work, the client received a product that exceeded its expectations.
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“From a business perspective, this cooperation was a great success for us. We were flabbergasted with what so few people can do in such a short period of time — the platform they made exceeded all our expectations.”
– Andreas Kühne, Product Owner at Apex
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Sellable SaaS platform
A thought-through platform that can be easily packaged and set up for each customer.
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Fast feature delivery
New features, such as a customizable self-sign-up form, were developed in a short time.
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Growing user base
The number of users grew, including increased internal use.
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Long-term team
The client moved to a dedicated team model to keep working with Beetroot.
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“Try to invite your team to visit your office and treat them as a remote branch of your own company. You should also schedule calls and routines to make sure you are staying on the same page while working from a distance.”
– Andreas Kühne, Product Owner at Apex
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