The client's business model relies on a fleet of mobile units that travel to remote sites to perform medical tests, such as vision and hearing tests. A critical business problem was the inefficient, manual process for updating the devices used in these mobile units. This process was time-consuming, prone to error, and unable to sync to the company’s systems in a timely manner.
The technical problem stemmed from a complete absence of a centralized method for pushing updated software to the devices, which often operate in disconnected environments. The process required physically connecting to each device and manually installing updates, a method that was not scalable and created significant operational bottlenecks.
Trility engaged in a focused discovery project to understand the client's current workflow and technical environment. Our approach involved using a number of proofs of concept (POC) to help the client make informed decisions and see how potential solutions would work in practice.
Analysis: Worked closely with the client's team to map out the existing manual update process, identifying pain points and areas for improvement. This included helping them articulate and prioritize their requirements using the MoSCoW framework (Must, Could, Should, Won’t).
Assessment: Evaluated the client's technical infrastructure and challenges of managing devices in a disconnected state. This involved exploring a variety of tools, including PowerShell scripting, Chef, and Puppet, to see which best fit their needs. The team also examined the use of Azure DevOps pipelines and looked at potential migrations to GitHub and other options to alleviate some bottlenecks in their software development lifecycle in addition to the deployment optimization.
By the conclusion of the discovery phase, Trility delivered a clear and actionable plan that enabled the client to move forward with a modern update strategy. The key outcomes included:
A Defined Roadmap: The client received a well-defined strategy outlining potential solutions for moving from a manual process to an automated, centralized update system. This included recommendations for a new, scalable software architecture and a phased implementation plan with recommended tooling integrations.
Reduced Operational Friction: The proposed solution laid the groundwork to eliminate the manual effort and time previously required for managing device updates.
Foundation for Future Development: The project established a solid foundation for future development efforts, enabling the client to build new capabilities on a more robust and scalable technical infrastructure.
