Case Study:
Othership
Workspaces & Collaborative Workplace Software For Everyone
Introduction
Othership collaborated with Synclovis to innovate the way people find and utilize on-demand workspaces. Othership sought to offer a comprehensive platform for flexible workspace booking and workplace management, and Synclovis provided the technical expertise to enhance their existing systems and deliver custom solutions.
Client Overview
Client Name
Othership
Product
Othership
Objective
To enhance the user experience of the Othership platform by streamlining workspace discovery, simplifying transactions, and promoting seamless collaboration within the hybrid work environment.
Othership is a visionary company that revolutionizes the traditional office concept. Their aim is to empower businesses and individuals with versatile workspace solutions ranging from on-demand private offices and meeting rooms to curated co-working environments. Othership’s platform is designed to facilitate seamless booking, collaboration, and connection for the modern workforce.
Project Overview
Synclovis was engaged to augment Othership’s on-demand workspace booking application, which was built on WordPress and WooCommerce. The project scope encompassed the following key areas:
Search Optimization: Implementing a robust filter-based search system, allowing users to narrow down workspace results based on specific criteria such as location, price, amenities, space type (office, meeting room, etc.), availability, and other relevant factors. This made the process of finding the right space significantly faster and more efficient.
Platform Maintenance: Synclovis diligently maintained the Othership platform. This involved keeping plugins and themes updated, testing the impact of each update, and carefully resolving any conflicts or errors that arose to ensure a stable and secure experience for users.
Digital Wallet Integration: Synclovis developed a robust digital wallet feature within the Othership platform. This allowed users to store payment information, make quick and easy bookings, and track their spending history. The team also implemented reporting tools, giving users and organizations valuable insights into their workspace expenditures.
Workplace Collaboration: Integration of the Othership application with HWMS, a workplace scheduling software, to empower teams to collaborate and plan their work location seamlessly. This streamlined communication and allowed teams to easily see where colleagues were working, book collaborative spaces together, and optimize their overall physical workspace strategy.
API-Based Authentication: Implementing security and seamless service integrations using API key-based authentication mechanisms. This provided a standard and secure way for Othership to integrate with other services and platforms, protecting user data and streamlining information flow.
Challenges
The project presented Synclovis with several technical complexities:
Customization within WordPress: WordPress, while flexible, has its own structure and ways of doing things. Accommodating Othership’s specific needs meant potentially working around or modifying core WordPress functionality, plugins, and themes to achieve the desired outcome. This requires careful development to avoid breaking the platform’s stability.
Plugin Compatibility: WordPress’s strength lies in its vast plugin ecosystem. However, updates to these plugins can introduce changes that conflict with Othership’s customizations or create unexpected bugs. Synclovis needed to thoroughly test updates, identify potential problems, and develop solutions to maintain compatibility without sacrificing custom features.
Complex Wallet Functionality: Building a digital wallet isn’t just about the user interface. It involves secure storage of payment information, integration with payment gateways, and ensuring compliance with financial regulations. Additionally, offering advanced reporting necessitates data tracking and analysis capabilities beyond simple transaction records. Balancing security, user experience, and sophisticated reporting features is a complex technical undertaking.
External Software Integration: Making Othership and HWMS communicate effectively isn’t plug-and-play. Different software platforms often have their own data structures and communication protocols. Synclovis needed to understand the technical details of both platforms, bridge any gaps, and create a smooth flow of information between them to support the collaboration features Othership desired.
Solutions
Synclovis Systems expertly addressed these challenges through the following solutions:
Search System: Instead of a basic keyword search, Synclovis built a search system with multiple filters. Users could specify criteria like location, amenities (e.g., Wi-Fi, meeting rooms), workspace type (e.g., private office, coworking), price range, and more. This transformed the search from something potentially overwhelming to a focused tool that quickly surfaced relevant workspaces.
Maintenance Practices: Established diligent upkeep protocols to maintain plugin and theme compatibility and safeguard platform stability. As a contingency plan, procedures were in place to roll back updates if problems arose, minimizing downtime.
Digital Wallet: Built a feature-rich, secure digital wallet with customizable reporting mechanisms for efficient financial tracking. Sensitive payment data was encrypted and stored according to industry security standards.User interfaces were designed to simplify adding payment methods and making bookings.
HWMS Integration: Facilitated communication between HWMS and the Othership app, fostering a more connected and streamlined work environment. Synclovis analyzed how data such as user profiles, workspace availability, and bookings correspond between Othership and HWMS. Established technical methods (APIs) to enable real-time or near real-time data exchange. Developed ways to gracefully handle situations where one of the systems is temporarily unavailable.
Secure Authentication: Implemented robust API key-based authentication to protect user data and bolster system integrations. Each integration with an external service gets its own unique key, allowing granular access control. Keys can be deactivated to limit access if needed, enhancing security. Key usage is logged for auditing purposes.
Key Achievements:
Enhanced User Experience: The filter-based search made workspace discovery faster and more intuitive. Users could quickly narrow down options based on the factors most important to them, saving time. Finding the ideal workspace became an efficient and targeted process.
Platform Reliability: Consistent updates ensured a stable and compatible WordPress environment. Users experienced a consistently stable and secure platform. This fosters trust in the platform and reduces the risk of disruptions due to technical issues.
Simplified Transactions: The digital wallet streamlined payments and provided insightful financial data. The digital wallet allowed stored payment information to be reused, speeding up the booking process. Integrated reporting provided clarity on workspace spending patterns for both individuals and organizations.
Optimized Collaboration: HWMS integration enabled teams to coordinate workspaces effortlessly. The HWMS integration created a centralized hub for workspace planning. Team members could effortlessly see colleagues’ location choices, book shared spaces, and align their hybrid work schedules—enhancing team efficiency and connection.
Results
Synclovis Systems’ contributions significantly elevated the Othership platform, resulting in a more comprehensive and user-friendly workspace solution. The project’s success empowered Othership to scale their operations, delivering exceptional value to both businesses and individual users seeking flexible work arrangements.
Elevated Platform: Synclovis’ work didn’t just fix problems; it transformed Othership’s platform into a superior product. Features like the search system, the digital wallet, and the HWMS integration provided functionality that likely sets Othership apart from competitors.
User-Friendly Experience: With a smoother search process, reliable platform, and streamlined transactions, the user experience vastly improved. This is crucial for attracting and retaining users in the competitive workspace solutions market.
Scalability: A robust, well-maintained platform is essential for growth. Othership is now better positioned to handle increasing numbers of users, listings, and transactions with confidence, knowing their technology foundation is solid.
Exceptional Value: Users now have a greater range of options when it comes to finding and managing workspaces. They can locate workspaces efficiently, pay easily, and collaborate effectively – all within Othership’s platform. This enhanced value proposition is a key driver of business success.
2.5K+
Monthly Active Users
£3K+
Monthly Average Sales
Conclusion:
At Synclovis Systems, we are proud of our role in empowering Othership’s success. Our development expertise and commitment to understanding Othership’s vision allowed us to augment their platform strategically. We enhanced search functionality, ensured platform stability, simplified financial transactions, and enabled seamless team collaboration. These improvements collectively transformed the Othership user experience, providing a powerful foundation for their growth. This case study underscores Synclovis Systems’ ability to deliver exceptional technical solutions that drive tangible results for innovative companies within the ever-evolving workspace industry.
