The database and application “BaMo” (Basismodul Organisationsverwaltung Abteilung Wald) of the Canton of Argovia is the central knowledge base for various central organisational units including forestry, hunting and fishing. Application users can find comprehensive data, from geoinformation to owners, responsibilities, and permits. While the application functions as a tool for data maintenance and contact management for the aforementioned areas, BaMo’s database also serves as an integration layer for many other applications.

Prior to the start of the project, BaMo was a ten-year-old desktop application based on .NET with a small user-base comprising around 30 employees. In addition to functional limitations, such as a lack of LDAP connection to existing canton-wide user management, users complained about poor performance as well as the outdated look & feel. Furthermore, the application no longer fit the canton’s new IT strategy, which favours web-based applications, permitting .NET applications only in exceptional cases.

Project Goals

Besides technical aspects, the main goal of the project was to increase the number of users as well as their their satisfaction. This should lead to higher availability of the information stored in the database. Answering information requests by cantonal employees needed to be faster and more efficient, achieved in part by optimising the application for mobile devices.

Approach

The project was managed according to HERMES 5.1. Karakun’s role was project management and execution.

As a first execution step, our UX experts interviewed the users to understand how they had used the application to-date; and what was missing or required optimising from their point of view. Such information is crucial to develop an application tailored to the users’ needs. After these interviews, Karakun created the first mockups and discussed them with the users, who validated them. In close coordination with Karakun’s engineering team, a prototype was thus created in the shortest possible time in accordance with the canton’s style guide.

In terms of technology, we used the JavaScript library React for the front end and the application framework Spring for the back end. It became obvious from the start that changing the existing database would present a major challenge, as many applications relied on it. Close collaboration with the database’s operator GeoWerkstatt GmbH in Aarau proved critical and highly successful.

Collaboration and Design

An important project goal was to involve future users in the development process as early as possible. We therefore developed the MVP iteratively, using an agile approach, in collaboration with a small number of said users. Daily coordination meetings with the development team, regular refinements of the requirements, and weekly coordination with the canton, led to success within just a few months. In addition to the implementation of the application, Karakun’s experts assisted in creating documentation for the detailed concept, the information security and data protection concept, as well as the operating concept.

Result

The new BaMo application is a modern and concise web application. Thanks to optimisation for mobile devices and user authentication via OpenID Connect, BaMoWeb is now also accessible to external users. Thanks to containerisation, the application – designed in the look and feel of the canton – is scalable across platforms and infrastructures. It is therefore future-proof. Additional enhancements are already in the pipeline.