How Norse Feedback developed a complex dashboard in just four months with the help of a Vaadin Mentor.
Norse Feedback, a Norwegian health tech company, is making waves in the SaaS industry with its innovative, dynamic feedback tool for mental health care. 3,000 mental health practitioners in Norway already use the tool, and it is currently being piloted in Sweden and the UK.
Norse Mental Health and Substance Use is the first feedback system that dynamically adjusts to the respondents' answers and needs. The tool has been developed in close collaboration with therapists and patients and is continuously being revised. Norse Feedback aims to reduce reliance on paper-based forms and to improve clinical practice with the system.
Using Vaadin, Norse Feedback has created a powerful dashboard for mid-level leaders that gathers and analyzes large amounts of data. This helps managers find important insights for improving patient care and safety.
Since I’m not a front-end developer, I need something that can build great-looking UIs without too much work for a guy who doesn’t know CSS too well.
- Rolf Woll, CTO, Norse Feedback
The Challenge
Dissatisfied with their previous system, which was built using Angular and a REST backend, Norse Feedback was in search of a new framework to enhance its quality. Given the team's prior experience with Vaadin and Java, it was logical to transition to Vaadin for their project needs. This choice was particularly influenced by the team's desire for a solution that could deliver high-quality user interfaces without requiring extensive front-end development skills.
Rolf Woll, the CTO of Norse Feedback, highlighted the rationale behind the switch: “Since I’m not a front-end developer, I need something that can build great-looking UIs without too much work for a guy who doesn’t know CSS too well.”
Opting for Vaadin was a natural choice, given the team's familiarity with the platform and its capabilities, promising a smoother development process and a superior end product.
The Solution
Norse Feedback embarked on developing its dashboard application using Vaadin 24, Spring Boot, and MariaDB, with Vaadin Charts for advanced data visualization. To enhance the development process, Norse Feedback brought in Herberts, a Vaadin expert, to assist its team of five developers. In addition, the team had meetings with Vaadin designer Ibrahim Alkali, and Rolf Woll said, “We're very happy with the input and suggestions he provided. We have worked with him before; getting his perspective on things is always valuable.”
Since beginning to use Vaadin in 2018, Norse Feedback has relied on a consultant from Vaadin for several projects. This partnership has been essential for overcoming technical challenges and securing quick solutions. Their close relationship with Vaadin has even resulted in customized updates tailored to their specific needs.
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CTO Rolf Woll praised the use of a mentor, noting, "Having a Vaadin mentor onboard is invaluable. They provide deep framework insights, expedite ticket escalation, and have enabled customized feature backporting to meet our specific project requirements. Their expertise was pivotal in the rapid completion of our project."
The benefits of working with a Vaadin mentor extend beyond immediate project assistance. They serve as insiders with direct access to Vaadin’s engineering team, offering Norse Feedback a significant advantage in navigating potential technical challenges and ensuring project alignment with best practices. Vaadin mentors bring a wealth of experience and proactive guidance, helping teams avoid common pitfalls and steering projects toward successful outcomes.
The Result
The team built a sophisticated dashboard, accomplishing this in an impressively short time frame from September to December 2023. The application was demonstrated to health districts across Norway, where it collected widespread positive feedback.
Looking back on the collaboration with their Vaadin mentor, Herberts, Rolf Woll praised his expertise: "Herberts is a great developer. His help was key to us finishing our project so quickly."
Norse Feedback is on track to launch the dashboard in March 2024 and plans to further improve its functionality based on client feedback. This project shows how Vaadin helps speed up development, supporting Norse Feedback in pushing healthcare technology forward. We're excited to follow Norse Feedback on their journey!
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