When we at SaaS Innova take on a project, we ensure that the foundation is solid – and that begins with thoroughly understanding the client’s needs. For Sellamigo, operating within the equestrian industry, the needs analysis became a critical part of the early project phases. Under the leadership of Mårten, we gathered in-depth insights that helped us build a system designed to meet both present and future requirements.
Identifying the Needs
Sellamigo’s goal was clear from the start: they wanted to create a system where horse owners could register their saddles, mark them as stolen if necessary, thereby making it harder for thieves to resell stolen saddles. Additionally, the system would offer connections to insurance companies and establish a form of digital neighborhood watch. By building this network, saddles marked as stolen could quickly be flagged in the system, making them harder to resell on the secondhand market.
It quickly became apparent that security, simplicity, and scalability would be crucial components of this project. To ensure all perspectives were considered, we began the process with workshops alongside the Sellamigo team, where we explored their operations in detail. Through these workshops, we gained a deeper understanding of the necessary features and how they would be used in practice.
Requirements gathering and prioritization
The next step in the process was to thoroughly collect all requirements. To ensure nothing was overlooked, we broke down the project into smaller components and prioritized features based on Sellamigo’s objectives.
The key features identified during this phase were:
1. Saddle registration and ownership – The system needed a straightforward and secure method for registering saddles and associating them with owners. If a saddle was stolen, the owner could mark it as stolen in the system, immediately making it difficult to resell. By making the stolen saddle visible to other users, resellers, and insurance companies, thieves would quickly lose the opportunity to profit from it on the market.
2. Digital neighborhood watch – A unique aspect of the system was the creation of a network where horse owners, resellers, and other actors in the equestrian industry could collaborate to reduce thefts. By sharing information about stolen saddles with others in the area, the likelihood of recovering stolen saddles would increase significantly.
3. Integration with insurance companies – To make the process as seamless as possible, the system needed to connect directly with insurance company systems. This would allow users to easily manage their insurance cases through the same platform without needing to engage multiple systems.
4. Simplicity and accessibility – Sellamigo’s system needed to be user-friendly, regardless of technical skill. Whether it was a horse owner registering a saddle or an insurance agent reviewing a case, the system would be intuitive and easy to navigate.
Final result: A clear requirements specification
After conducting a detailed needs analysis and gathering requirements, we had a solid specification to work from. This document served as a roadmap outlining what the system needed to handle and how it would support Sellamigo’s long-term goals. By laying this groundwork and working meticulously, we ensured the project would move in the right direction from the start.
The next step was to transform these requirements into actual design solutions – a process we will cover in our next post.
