At Seekda, innovation isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a way of life. Drawing inspiration from Steve Jobs’ assertion that “innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower,” Seekda’s relentless pursuit of excellence has been underpinned by high R&D velocity. This strategic focus allows us to stay ahead in the competitive SaaS landscape, particularly in delivering cutting-edge solutions for the hospitality industry.
With insights from Klaus Niederacher, Managing Director at Seekda, this article delves into the principles, processes, and people-centric strategies that fuel our R&D success and drive groundbreaking products like SeekdaPay.
What is R&D Velocity?
High R&D velocity isn’t just about speed; it’s about optimizing the entire innovation cycle—from ideation to deployment. By maintaining agile workflows, leveraging continuous integration and deployment (CI/CD), and focusing on customer feedback, Seekda has mastered the art of delivering frequent, high-quality updates. This approach ensures quick iterations, faster bug fixes, and solutions tailored to real-time market needs.
Core Principles Driving Seekda’s Innovation
- Agility and Flexibility:
- Projects are broken into smaller, achievable milestones, enabling the team to pivot quickly in response to changes.
- Roadmaps are designed to adapt based on customer feedback, ensuring alignment with market trends and expectations.
- Streamlined Development with CI/CD:
- Frequent, small updates replace large, risk-prone releases.
- A unified codebase and rigorous test coverage ensure quality and stability at speed.
- Data-Driven Decision Making:
- Seekda’s data warehouse consolidates insights from production, monitoring, and finance systems, empowering teams to focus on impactful initiatives.
- Technical Debt Management:
- Proactive identification and resolution of technical debt keep the codebase lean, enabling faster, cleaner updates.
People at the Heart of R&D Velocity
Seekda’s team is its most valuable asset. By hiring for curiosity, problem-solving skills, and a passion for continuous learning, Seekda cultivates a culture of innovation. Developers are empowered to align their work with business goals, supported by regular feedback loops that enhance collaboration and growth.
Excellence in Action: SeekdaPay
SeekdaPay exemplifies the company’s high-velocity R&D ethos. Developed in just nine months, this integrated payment solution simplifies workflows for the hospitality industry by supporting features like payment links, virtual terminals, and automated payment schedules. With seamless booking system integration and compliance with PCI and PSD2, SeekdaPay eliminates the need for third-party providers, enhancing both user experience and operational efficiency.
Results That Speak for Themselves
Seekda’s high R&D velocity has led to:
- 100+ deployments per month, keeping systems current and innovative.
- 99.9994% uptime for core systems, ensuring reliability.
- A Net Promoter Score (NPS) of >50, reflecting exceptional customer satisfaction.
The Seekda Standard: A Framework for R&D Success
For organizations seeking to transform their R&D approach, Seekda’s model offers actionable insights:
- Foster agility through smaller milestones and flexible roadmaps.
- Embrace automation and rigorous testing to enhance speed and reliability.
- Manage technical debt proactively to sustain long-term innovation.
- Cultivate a culture that prioritizes collaboration, continuous improvement, and recognition.
Conclusion
Seekda’s success in achieving high R&D velocity demonstrates how a commitment to agile processes, empowered teams, and customer-focused innovation can drive sustainable growth. Whether through products like SeekdaPay or other advancements, Seekda continues to lead the way in delivering exceptional value to the hospitality industry.
This approach isn’t just about staying competitive—it’s about redefining what’s possible in SaaS innovation. At Seekda, the future is fast, agile, and built on a foundation of excellence.
Read the full article on Valsoft’s Blog: Seekda’s High R&D Velocity: Key Principles and Processes – Valsoft Corporation – Acquisition of Vertical Software Businesses
