Blog

As we bid farewell to the first quarter of 2023, it's an opportune time to pause and reflect on the journey we've embarked upon. Q1 has been a time of growth, challenges, and valuable insights that have shaped our path forward. Here, we share some of the key learnings and observations that have emerged during these dynamic months.

Embracing Remote Resilience

The continuation of remote work has showcased our adaptability and resilience. We've observed that our teams are more adept at navigating virtual environments, finding innovative solutions, and maintaining strong communication despite physical distances. Flexibility and the ability to swiftly pivot have become integral traits.

Purpose-Driven Progress

Q1 emphasized the significance of aligning our actions with a clear purpose. We've witnessed that initiatives guided by a sense of purpose tend to yield more impactful results. This quarter, projects that were driven by a shared mission saw higher engagement, collaboration, and a shared sense of achievement.

Amplifying Wellness

The importance of employee well-being has become even more evident. Q1 highlighted the necessity of fostering a work environment that supports mental and physical health. Initiatives such as wellness workshops, flexible work arrangements, and mental health resources have positively impacted productivity and job satisfaction.

Data-Driven Insights

Data continues to be a driving force in decision-making. The emphasis on data analysis has unveiled patterns, trends, and opportunities that might otherwise go unnoticed. We've discovered that informed decision-making not only streamlines processes but also lays the foundation for strategic growth.

Innovation through Collaboration

Collaboration has proven to be a wellspring of innovation. Q1 witnessed how cross-functional teams working together can generate fresh ideas, efficient problem-solving, and out-of-the-box solutions. Our successes have been directly linked to the synergies created through effective collaboration.

Sustainability as a Standard

Environmental consciousness is no longer an option; it's a standard. In Q1, we observed an increased emphasis on sustainable practices and initiatives. This quarter reinforced that integrating sustainable practices into our operations not only benefits the planet but also resonates positively with customers and partners.

Agile Learning Culture

An agile learning culture has emerged as a cornerstone of growth. Q1 reminded us that embracing a growth mindset and encouraging continuous learning leads to both personal and organizational development. Teams that prioritize ongoing learning are better equipped to adapt to changing landscapes.

Celebrating Diversity

Q1 highlighted the beauty of diversity in perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds. Our diverse teams have brought unique viewpoints to the table, leading to richer discussions and more comprehensive decision-making. Embracing diversity enriches our collective journey.

As we step into the next quarter, these learnings and observations will serve as guiding principles. They will help us navigate challenges, seize opportunities, and continue to evolve in pursuit of our goals. Q1 has been a stepping stone, and with these insights in mind, we are poised to make Q2 even more transformative and impactful.

Here's to growth, resilience, and progress in the coming months!

We're excited to introduce the newest addition to our Support Team, Kadmos Efe! With a background in Technical Support, he’ll bring a wealth of knowledge and enthusiasm to our team. As Kadmos steps into their role on the 4th of March, we're looking forward to their fresh perspectives and contributions that will further enhance our support capabilities.

Working from home has become the new norm, and while it comes with its perks, it also presents unique challenges. Whether you're a seasoned remote worker or new to the game, these five tips will help you stay productive, maintain work-life balance, and make the most of your work-from-home experience:

1. Set Up Your Workspace

Create a dedicated workspace that's comfortable, organized, and free from distractions. A designated area helps signal to your brain that it's time to work. Keep essential supplies within reach and personalize your space with a touch of inspiration, whether it's a potted plant or your favorite motivational quote.

2. Stick to a Routine

Maintain a consistent daily routine, just like you would if you were heading into the office. Set regular working hours, take breaks, and don't forget to clock out at the end of the day. A routine helps establish boundaries between work and personal time, contributing to a healthier work-life balance.

3. Dress for Success

While the allure of pajamas is strong, getting dressed as if you're going to the office can boost your productivity and mindset. You don't need to wear a suit, but changing out of your sleepwear can help shift your focus into work mode and increase your overall motivation.

4. Embrace Technology

Stay connected with your team using collaboration tools and video conferencing platforms. Regular check-ins, virtual meetings, and team chats ensure you're not working in isolation. Leverage technology to foster communication and share updates.

5. Take Breaks and Move

Schedule short breaks throughout your day to stretch, walk around, or simply relax. Movement not only benefits your physical health but also helps clear your mind and enhance focus. Consider using techniques like the Pomodoro Technique (25 minutes of work followed by a 5-minute break) to maintain a balance between productivity and rejuvenation.

Remember, finding what works best for you might take some trial and error. Experiment with these tips and adjust them to fit your personal preferences and work style. By implementing these strategies, you can create a productive and enjoyable work-from-home routine that keeps you motivated and engaged.

We are thrilled to spotlight an incredible milestone as we celebrate Teresa Jones' remarkable journey of dedication and contribution over the past 10 years. Teresa's unwavering commitment, passion, and expertise have left an indelible mark on our company, shaping our culture and driving our success.

Throughout her tenure, Teresa's innovative thinking and proactive approach have driven numerous transformative projects, leaving an enduring impact on our products and services. Her ability to navigate challenges with grace and find creative solutions has set an example for us all. We give the word to her:

From tackling challenges to celebrating victories, it's been a whirlwind of growth and laughter. Here's to a decade of learning, leading, and sharing some unforgettable moments with this amazing team!

- Teresa Jones

Please join us in congratulating Teresa on this incredible milestone and thanking her for her exceptional contributions. We look forward to the journey ahead as we continue to thrive and grow with her leadership and expertise by our side.

Remember to use your physical/outdoor activity! You can use one hour of your work time every week to do so. This is in addition to your normal breaks and is counted as regular working hours. You can also divide it into smaller chunks throughout the week, 15 minutes being the minimum for one entry.

Report it in Flexr under project “Outdoor activity” (Stockholm) or under time code “PHYS - Physical acitivity” (London/New York).

We're thrilled to unveil a groundbreaking enhancement to our platform that puts you in the driver's seat of customization. With the launch of our latest feature, you now have the power to add custom CSS to the app interface, transforming it into a canvas for your unique vision. While this exciting capability empowers you to craft an interface that resonates with your end users, we want to be transparent about its implementation and support policies. Read on to discover how this feature can amplify your user experience and unleash your creativity.

Unleash Your Creative Expression

With the ability to inject custom CSS, you can now tailor the look and feel of the app interface to perfectly match your brand identity, user preferences, and design sensibilities. Every pixel, color, and element can be fine-tuned, offering an unprecedented level of personalization that sets your app apart.

Create Seamless User Experiences

Imagine harmonizing the app's visual elements with your branding, creating a seamless experience that feels like a natural extension of your company. Custom CSS enables you to rearrange components, tweak fonts, and adjust layouts, ensuring that every interaction resonates with your end users.

A Word of Caution

Self-Sufficiency and Limitations While we're excited to provide this feature, it's essential to be aware of the responsibilities it entails. Custom CSS introduces a level of self-sufficiency that allows you to shape the interface to your liking. However, it's important to note that our support team will not be able to assist with issues arising from custom CSS implementation. As our software evolves and updates are introduced, custom CSS may require adjustments to remain compatible.

Embrace the Learning Curve

Custom CSS offers a world of possibilities, but it also requires familiarity with coding and CSS principles. For those well-versed in this realm, the feature is a playground of innovation. For others, it presents an opportunity to explore and learn, backed by online resources and CSS tutorials.

Maximize Your Customization Safely

To ensure a seamless experience, we recommend that users who opt for custom CSS stay updated on CSS best practices and keep an eye on any compatibility notices with upcoming updates. Regularly testing your customizations and being prepared to make adjustments will help you maximize the benefits of this feature.

Leverage agile frameworks to provide a robust synopsis for high level overviews. Iterative approaches to corporate strategy foster collaborative thinking to further the overall value proposition. Organically grow the holistic world view of disruptive innovation via workplace diversity and empowerment.

Bring to the table win-win survival strategies to ensure proactive domination. At the end of the day, going forward, a new normal that has evolved from generation X is on the runway heading towards a streamlined cloud solution. User generated content in real-time will have multiple touchpoints for offshoring.

Capitalize on low hanging fruit to identify a ballpark value added activity to beta test. Override the digital divide with additional clickthroughs from DevOps. Nanotechnology immersion along the information highway will close the loop on focusing solely on the bottom line.

We are thrilled to announce that Alto has once again claimed a spot on the esteemed "Best Workplaces" list! This recognition wouldn't be possible without the passion, creativity, and dedication that each member of our team brings to the table. Here's to achieving new milestones and another great year to come.

We’re looking to grow the team even further this year. Here are the new roles we are looking to hire:

• QA Analyst

• BI Specialist

• Product Manager (Cross Platform)

• Support Engineer

We’re migrating our code from node.js to vue.js.

As part of our ongoing commitment to delivering a seamless and innovative user experience, we're thrilled to unveil four recent updates to our code base. These enhancements reflect our dedication to continuously improving our software, ensuring that you have access to cutting-edge features and a smoother workflow. Let's dive into the details of these exciting updates!

1. Lightning-Fast Loading Times: Optimizing Performance

We understand that your time is valuable, and waiting for software to load can be frustrating. That's why we've invested in optimizing our code base to deliver lightning-fast loading times. With this update, you'll experience quicker access to the app, allowing you to dive into your tasks and projects without delay. Our performance enhancements ensure that you can maximize productivity and focus on what truly matters.

2. Streamlined User Interface: Enhanced Visuals and Navigation

A clean and intuitive user interface is at the heart of a great user experience. Our design team has been hard at work revamping the visuals and navigation of our app. You'll notice a fresh and modern look, along with enhanced usability that makes finding features and tools a breeze. This update reflects our commitment to providing you with an interface that not only looks great but also enhances your workflow efficiency.

3. Advanced Collaboration Tools: Empowering Teamwork

Collaboration lies at the core of successful projects, and we're excited to introduce advanced collaboration tools to our code base. With this update, you can expect seamless real-time collaboration, allowing team members to edit and comment on projects simultaneously. Share ideas, make edits, and achieve more together, all within the familiar environment of our app. Collaboration has never been easier or more efficient.

4. Personalization and Customization: Tailor Your Experience

We believe that software should adapt to your unique preferences and needs. That's why we've introduced a new level of personalization and customization to our code base. You can now tailor the app to suit your workflow, arranging features, and tools to match your usage patterns. Customizable shortcuts, themes, and layouts empower you to create an app interface that truly reflects your individual style.

Andrea Gabriela is going to takeover as our new Marketing Manager. She’s been with us since the beginning in the developer team, and is now taking on the new challenge of heading up our marketing team!

In our ever-evolving tech landscape, the release of a new product is an exciting yet complex endeavor. A well-orchestrated product release process not only ensures that our customers receive a top-notch experience but also enables our teams to collaborate seamlessly. In this blog post, we'll provide an overview of our streamlined product release process, highlighting the key steps that lead to successful and efficient rollouts.

Step 1: Ideation and Planning

The journey begins with a spark of creativity. Our product teams brainstorm ideas, analyze market trends, and gather customer feedback to identify opportunities for new features or offerings. Once the concept is solidified, detailed planning takes place, outlining the scope, objectives, and expected outcomes of the release.

Step 2: Development and Testing

With the blueprint in hand, our talented development teams spring into action. They code, design, and create the magic that brings the idea to life. Rigorous testing is integral to this phase, ensuring that the product is robust, free from bugs, and aligns with our quality standards.

Step 3: User Experience and Design

User experience is at the heart of our products. Our design teams collaborate closely with developers to craft an intuitive and visually appealing interface. User-centric design principles guide us as we refine the user journey, ensuring a seamless experience that delights our customers.

Step 4: Deployment and Monitoring

As the product takes shape, it's time to deploy it to a controlled environment for further testing. Continuous monitoring and performance evaluation help us identify any last-minute glitches and make necessary adjustments. This phase prepares us for a confident rollout to a wider audience.

Step 5: Communication and Marketing

An integral part of a successful product release is effective communication. Our marketing teams create tailored campaigns, generate buzz, and craft compelling messaging to inform our customers about the upcoming release. Clear communication helps build anticipation and excitement.

Step 6: Release and User Onboarding

The big moment arrives, and we release the product to our eager customers. As they explore the new features, our dedicated support teams are on standby to address queries and assist with onboarding. User guides, tutorials, and webinars enhance the user experience and help customers make the most of the new offering.

Step 7: Feedback and Iteration

We value feedback as it drives us to continuously improve. Post-release, we actively seek user feedback, analyze usage data, and assess the product's performance. This input fuels our iterative process, allowing us to make enhancements and introduce updates that align with user needs.

TLDR

Our streamlined product release process embodies collaboration, innovation, and dedication. By meticulously following these steps, we ensure that each release is a success, leaving a positive impact on our customers and bolstering our reputation as a tech leader. As we look ahead, we remain committed to refining and perfecting our process, pushing boundaries, and delivering exceptional products that shape the future.

Stay tuned for more updates and insights as we continue our journey of innovation and growth!