Archives: Portfolio

ALA (American Library Association)

Education

The ALA develops and sells materials such as books, e-books, journals, online learning modules, and graphical materials such as posters, bookmarks, and clothing. Their online store was almost 10 years old, based on a legacy software package that was no longer supported by its original developers. The platform was nearing expiry date but ALA were not ready to build or purchase a new one. Ceylon Solutions stepped in to give a new lease of life to the ageing platform.

Overview

The ALA (American Library Association) is the oldest and largest professional association for librarians in the world. When ALA wanted to update their online store’s software (which was about 10 years old at the time with no support and original developers available), Ceylon Solutions came to the rescue. Ceylon Solutions not only helped integrate the store with the latest services through custom module development, but also stabilized the legacy code to ensure better performance and reliability.

The Wishlist:
  • Extend the legacy system’s termination date without deploying a whole new system
  • Revamp the existing software to be more responsive and provide better performance
  • Integrate the online store with other services and features
  • Keep investments to a minimum
The Outcome:
  • Initial team of 4 assembled within a month
  • New module development and stabilizing existing modules were undertaken concurrently
  • Within 4 months, testing on the new modules and integrations began
  • Within 6 months, the site is fully revamped, tested, and in full use
  • ALA was able to save north of USD 65,000 in just the first 6 months and extend the life of their legacy online store until a new platform was commissioned

Introduction

The mission of ALA is “to provide leadership for the development, promotion and improvement of library and information services and the profession of librarianship in order to enhance learning and ensure access to information for all.” When the legacy online store started to fail in delivering on some aspects of this mission, Ceylon Solutions bravely undertook the challenge of extending the legacy system’s expiry date. It was a tough ask as none of the previous developers or support engineers were around when Ceylon Solutions took over. However, in just 6 months, the Ceylon Solutions team delivered a fully revamped online store which was more stable, had more features, and performed better than the old one. Ceylon Solutions then continued to maintain the solution and engage with ALA until the legacy online store was finally decommissioned.

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The Requirement

The ALA develops and sells materials such as books, e-books, journals, online learning modules, and graphical materials such as posters, bookmarks, and clothing. Their online store was almost 10 years old, based on a legacy software package that was no longer supported by its original developers. The platform was nearing expiry date but ALA were not ready to build or purchase a new one.

The functioning of the ALA Store was mission critical for the publishing department. The website supported all of its marketing efforts, including quarterly printed catalogs and marketing eblasts which announced new products. It allowed for registration in online learning classes and sent orders nightly to the fulfillment center. The online platform needed to be modernized and stabilized.

The Solution

Understanding the requirements of ALA and their requirement to keep the costs minimal, Ceylon Solution proposed updating the existing modules and developing a few new ones to allow for integration and other new features which were essential.

Working closely with the ALA team, the Ceylon Solutions team ensured nothing was lost in any upgrade/new module implementation. Quality control was built into the process to ensure that all old and new modules were tested from the start of the development to ensure synergy with the existing legacy system. Different team members led the development of different modules to ensure the focus and clarity was not diluted for any single implementation.

Challenges

Taking on the re-building or upgrading of an existing software which was built by a different team and did not carry any on-going support was not an easy task...and not one that many companies would take on. However, understanding the needs of our Partner (ALA), and helping them reach their objectives was the main focus of the Ceylon Solutions team. These challenges were overcome through some amazing teamwork and dedication to achieving the end goal.

Ceylon Solutions has been instrumental in all of our development needs for many years. They understood our needs and worked alongside our team to develop solutions in a cost-efficient and timely manner.
DAN KAPLANMarketing Manager, American Library Association
DAN KAPLAN

Outcome

ALA was able to use its legacy webstore for at least four years beyond the expected termination date. The ALA team were extremely satisfied with the stability and added functionalities of the ‘new’ platform after the Ceylon Solutions team handed it over. ALA estimates that over USD 83,000 was saved via the development and maintenance done by Ceylon Solutions. The actual ROI is difficult to quantify in this case the user-experience and stability delivered can’t be calculated.

Long after the expiration date of the legacy system, ALA moved to a new e-commerce platform (after having had the breathing room to plan and fund that migration properly). Dan, who overlooked the project from ALA’s side claims that he was very happy knowing that the ALA Store was in far better shape after Ceylon Solutions upgraded it, than when he took over it.

We can make it happen!

Simplifya

Cannabis

Simplifya provides the most trusted compliance and regulatory auditing tools in the cannabis industry for all entities to ensure they are operating within the law. Ceylon Solutions built this entire solution from the ground-up with the vision provided by the executive team at Simplifya.

Overview

Simplifya is the number one compliance platform for the cannabis industry. We have been working with Simplifya from its founding in 2016, first with its website, then a web app, and then mobile apps. Today, we continue to provide full SDLC (Software Development Life Cycle) support for its web and mobile apps.

Simplifya strives to deliver easy-to-use tools to help their clients adhere to all cannabis based business compliance regulations in order to protect their clients' licenses, companies and investments. They built a revolutionary platform with Ceylon Solutions and continues to invest in their clients' by further enhancing the capabilities and services they offer - all whilst keeping development costs down by leveraging their off-shore team provided by Ceylon Solutions.

The Wishlist:
  • Put together a dedicated development team
  • Build a compliance platform to help cannabis business owners understand the nuances and keep on top of US regulations
  • Become a trusted name in the industry and ensure customer are kept informed in a simple manner
  • Build with scalability and a quick go-to-market strategy in mind
  • Keep investments to a minimum
The Outcome:
  • Team of 5 (1 BA/PM, 1 QA, 3 Developers) assembled in within 30 days
  • Prototypes and initial designs developed and approved in 1 month
  • Initial product launch achieved in 4 months
  • Current team off 28 dedicated developers have saved more than USD 5.46 million over 4 years, and ensured the growth of the platform with over 100 active companies as of September 2020
  • Simplifya is the most reliable compliance company in the cannabis industry

Introduction

Simplifya needed to solve a basic problem in the cannabis industry – help ensure that licensed operators were adhering to various compliance regulations all over the US. To do this, a dedicated team of five people with various skills were selected and assembled by the Ceylon Solutions management. Fast-forward 4 years and the Ceylon Solutions team has delivered a complete end-to-end desktop and mobile platform solution from the ground up for Simplifya’s B2B customers.

TOTAL SAVED IN JUST
FOUR YEARS

USD 5,464,000

by utilizing
CEYLON SOLUTIONS
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The Requirement

Simplify the navigation of the regulatory and compliance waters of the cannabis industry. Make it easy for companies to audit themselves, and ensure that they are always adhering to the laws applicable to the territories they operate in.

The Solution

Ceylon Solutions was able to deliver the most advanced platform of its kind to Simplifya’s B2B customers; to ensure they stay within the legal boundaries of the industry and relevant states. Self- auditing and documenting features relevant to the industry form the essence of the platform with ease and simplicity being the guiding light. Today, Simplifya customers include licensed operators, financial institutions, insurance companies, government, third -party audit companies and law firms.

Challenges

Collating and organizing legal requirements whilst safe-keeping the relevant documents have proved to be a complicated exercise. However, with the experience gained over the years and the ingenuity of the team has ensured that the Simplifya products continue to be ranked at the very top of the industry for its completeness, ease of use, and client-focussed approach.

I’ve been working directly with Ceylon for over three years, and our team always steps up to the challenge. Ceylon provides us with end-to-end software capabilities and performs strongly across all facets of deployment, development, and QA. Our team has been instrumental in the evolution of our product, most recently by leading us through an end-to-end overhaul of our software architecture. Their technical expertise and passion for collaboration are two of the biggest reasons our software is where it is today. Ceylon does everything possible to mitigate the complexities of being offshore, and truly functions as an extension of us.
DAVE NESTOFF DIRECTORProduct & Engineering, Simplifya
DAVE NESTOFF DIRECTOR
Ceylon’s team has worked hard to remove both traditional language barriers and time zone barriers of using an off-shore software developer. They understand how the cannabis industry is evolving, and how to foster growth in the industry. We greatly appreciate their willingness to work with us on creative solutions and we are looking forward to continuing our partnership for the foreseeable future.
RICK MATSUMOTO COO, Simplifya
RICK MATSUMOTO

Outcome

Simplifya is the leading regulatory and operational compliance company for the cannabis industry in the United States and plans to expand to international markets in 2021.

Simplifya currently serves 144 companies across many states. Leveraging the knowledge, skills, and ‘let’s get it done’ attitude of the development team based in Sri Lanka, the Simplifya executives in Denver, Colorado are able to think up the next wave of innovative solutions. In just 4 years, the Simplifya team has saved over USD 5.46 million by engaging with Ceylon Solutions as their development team. Today, the 28 members of this team continue to add value and improve the Simplifya product and legacy on a daily basis.

We can make it happen!

Leafwire

Cannabis

Ceylon Solutions has partnered with Leafwire, an online marketplace connecting investors to cannabis companies looking to raise capital.

Overview

Ceylon Solutions engineered a complete end-to-end web app social network solution from the ground up for Leafwire’s B2B and B2C customers. Leafwire customers include consumers, licensed operators, and every type of ancillary company in the cannabis industry.

The Wishlist:
  • Build up a development team from scratch
  • Develop a social media/networking platform from the ground-up for the cannabis industry
  • Build with scalability and a quick go-to-market strategy in mind
  • Keep investments to a minimum
The Outcome:
  • Team of 3 assembled within 60 days
  • Prototypes and initial designs developed and approved within 60 days
  • Initial product launch achieved within 4 months
  • Current team off 11 dedicated developers have saved over USD 1.66 million over 2 years, and ensured the consistent growth of the platform with over 34,400 active users as of September 2020
  • Leafwire is now the world’s largest cannabis social network with a huge growth potential yet to be explored

Introduction

Ceylon Solutions is an extension of the Leafwire team providing the entire development effort from the requirements designed by Leafwire. We quickly created a strong process that includes regular communications between the product and development teams that keeps the teams aligned to the full vision of the platform. Built upon innovative big data technology with cutting-edge user interface built in React JS on a services architecture, the Leafwire/Ceylon team operates on a high-pace development schedule with weekly sprints and monthly release cycles; allowing Leafwire to quickly capture market share and roll new features out to their community. Over the last 2 years, Leafwire has evolved significantly, where a significant increase in Marketplace, Jobs and Events functionality has provided users with unmatched information and access to the cannabis market industry potential.

TOTAL SAVED IN JUST
FOUR YEARS

USD 1,657,000

by utilizing
CEYLON SOLUTIONS
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The Requirement

Leafwire wanted to launch the first social media/networking site focused on the cannabis industry. They needed a development team who could quickly launch MVPs and new features. Being in such a fast- growing market meant the need for fast development was essential. A team with an understanding of the cannabis industry was prioritized to enable clear communication about the project, the customers, and the features to be developed.

The platform needed to be easy to use, and engaging enough to inspire consistent repeat users.

The Solution

With an ever growing presence of social media and new features to be introduced into the system proper prioritization as well as clean delivery has been a constant challenge to ensure Leafwire was first to market in this space. Ceylon Solutions was able to aid in phased out delivery creating an essence of social functionality to ensure more user interaction and revenue streams, which enabled Leafwire to acquire significant market share within the industry. Furthermore, creative and competitive design has been a focal point to increase viewership as well as increase revenue.

Challenges

With an ever growing presence of social media and new features to be introduced in to the system proper prioritization as well as clean delivery has been a constant challenge to ensure first to market, CS was able to aid in phased out delivery creating an essence of social functionality to ensure more user interaction and revenue streams which enabled Leafwire to acquire significant market share within the industry. Furthermore, creative, and competitive design has been a focal point to the increase in viewership as well as increase in revenue streams.

Throughout my career, I have worked closely with offshore, nearshore and local development teams. Ceylon Solutions’ team rivals them all. We were able to quickly establish a strategy and a rhythm that allowed us to develop with both quality and velocity. Although Ceylon is an offshore extension of my business, it feels like we are working side by side with a local development team.
PETER VOGELCEO, Leafwire
PETER VOGEL

Outcome

With Leafwire teaming up with Ceylon Solutions, Leafwire was able to introduce a state-of-the-art application which enables the leaders of the industry to consume information as well as create connections within the industry that would be mutually beneficial for all parties. Furthermore, it has become a platform to market and increase awareness of companies and products to ensure higher revenue generation for the Leafwire users.

Leafwire has gained over 34,400 subscribers and has managed to save around USD 1.66 million over just two years in operation. Today, a team of 11 dedicated developers from Ceylon Solutions work constantly to improve the user experience and increase the features of this platform.

We can make it happen!

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