Lefkada is a holiday rental marketplace built by a team of local travel experts who have an intimate knowledge of the areas of the island.
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.
Lefkada’s mission is to assist in finding the perfect holiday villa, apartment, yacht. The platform connects people who want to rent out their homes with people looking for accommodations in that locale. They also offer motor boats, car rental, and other activities.
The Ruby on Rails-based platform hasn’t been updated in 8 years. The outdated application was vulnerable to ransomware attacks, malware, and data breaches. Our goal was to maintain the viability of the legacy code without burning time and budget for the development of new code and at the same time, make the application scalable again.
We upgraded Ruby and Ruby on Rails backend to the newest versions.
We improved the speed and performance of the app.
All third-party libraries were updated or replaced with modern solutions.
We fixed all the bugs and made the app functional again.
Lefkada can finally start focusing on adding new features.
Security features were upgraded, and the legacy code was refined.
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.
When we approached them with our issues, small little things in the application were not working right. After a short onboarding process, they began eliminating some of our legacy code to make new feature implementation more manageable. I appreciate their professionalism and objectivity. Ragnarson really does care about their clients and goes above and beyond to meet their needs.