BookingSync
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BookingSync grew out of a single line of code into a community of 160 investors. In 2014, they raised the first round of investment of more than $1M in a fundraising blitz that lasted only 15 days.
Studies have shown that less than 6% of Africa's farmland is irrigated, highlighting the urgent need for innovative solutions like solar-powered water pumps to enhance agricultural productivity and resilience. In many regions, farmers face significant challenges in managing their water resources efficiently to sustain their crops and livestock. Erratic rainfall patterns and prolonged droughts exacerbate these issues, making access to reliable water sources critical.
Solar-powered water pumps offer a sustainable solution, but determining daily water consumption needs and the technical requirements for these pumps is a complex task, often beyond the expertise of the average farmer. Traditional methods involve navigating intricate Excel spreadsheets, leading to frequent errors, delays, and the need for expert intervention. This inefficient process needs to improve farmers' ability to make timely and accurate decisions, affecting their productivity and livelihoods.
Ragnarson, specializing in climate tech and startups, partnered with Margraf Publishers and GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit) to develop a custom software application. This case study outlines how Ragnarson addressed these challenges by focusing on the client's software and business goals. The result was a user-friendly, impactful solution that empowers African farmers to optimise their water usage effectively, thus improving their productivity and livelihoods.
BookingSync is a vacation rental software offering centralized property management with distribution to platforms like Airbnb, Booking.com, and Trip Advisor. It centralizes all marketing efforts, reservations, payments, and so on, and continues with steps like email notifications, generating websites for clients, and providing invoicing.
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Booking itself is made through a co-product and many modular apps using our public API. One of the biggest challenges was to build a central app. There’s the main operating system with apps plugged in on top of it. Some of them are made by the BookingSync team, and some by other developers and external vendors. BookingSync needed a robust system in terms of APIs, authorization, record control, etc.
Our work resulted in a growing community of developers building distributed applications with the new API.
The new API allowed a successful migration from a monolithic system to a microservices architecture.
We reduced the time required to build new channels integration to about 30 days.
We used the API to build two-way integrations with multiple channels, such as Booking.com, HomeAway, and Airbnb.
We introduced PCI DSS-compliant architecture for credit card payment processing.
Along the way, we increased our involvement by up to 7 developers during the peak.
We helped improve all areas of the application taking responsibility for the technical side.
We utilised Ruby on Rails for server-side development, ensuring simplicity with core functionalities focused on authentication and data persistence.
It was built using React for a dynamic and responsive user interface.
Implemented Tanstack Query for advanced caching and offline support, ensuring the application could function without a stable internet connection.
Used React Router for straightforward routing and DaisyUI for system design, ensuring a user-friendly interface.
The development process involved iterative cycles with continuous feedback from the client, ensuring the final product met the users' specific needs.
Original complex Excel formulas were simplified and integrated into the application with the help of the client’s experts.
The new web application replaced complex Excel files, reducing errors and eliminating the need for expert intervention. Farmers can now easily determine their water requirements and the technical specifications for solar-powered water pumps.
The offline mode ensures that farmers in regions with poor internet connectivity can still use the application effectively.
The app’s design is simple, straightforward, and accessible, catering to users with limited technical expertise. Responsive design ensures usability across different devices, including mobile phones.
Users can download detailed PDF reports of their input data and results, providing a valuable resource for record-keeping and decision-making.
Ragnarson successfully developed a web application for Margraf Publishers that addressed significant challenges faced by African farmers. Leveraging expertise in climate tech, startup development, and impactful software solutions, the team delivered a user-friendly, efficient, and accessible tool.
This project streamlined determining water and pump requirements, empowering farmers with reliable, easy-to-use technology. By providing a solution that simplifies complex calculations and reduces errors, the application significantly contributes to sustainable agriculture practices in Africa.
Through close collaboration and a focus on the client's software and business goals, the project ensured the success and growth of Margraf Publishers in the climate tech sector. This strategic partnership met immediate needs and laid the groundwork for future innovations in sustainable farming solutions.
The API we've released has around 200 partners currently. Some of them have told us that the system is one of the best they've seen in the industry. We've had fast integrations with partners like Airbnb, for which the process took 34 days. Some of our competitors still have problems after one year, so it was a huge difference. Airbnb has come to value our technical skills, which also speaks to the capabilities of Ragnarson.
