Ruby-based Fire Inspection SaaS
Upgrading the back end and implementing new functionality for the fire inspection SaaS platform
ABOUT
the project
Client:
Location:

USA
|New Jersey
Company Size:
Industry:
Fire Protection
Solution:
Services:
A scalable SaaS platform for safety inspections and reporting. This solution enables customers to efficiently request and manage fire inspections. The project focused on two key areas: enhancing the backend with new reporting-focused functionality and developing additional features like a payment portal and an admin panel. In this case study, we explore the Ruby-based app back-end improvements.
We helped the customer run a complete redesign of their fire inspection platform. With our Ruby expertise, we optimized the app’s back end to conform to the customer’s needs and modern industry standards. We also expanded the app’s functionality to help them reach new markets. Overall, we took the solution to the next level, providing the client with a modern, stable, and maintainable app ready for continuous upgrades.

Customer
The customer is a notable company with a long history of presence in the U.S. market. For many decades, our clients have been providing different enterprises and private entities with fire protection and safety services. The customer relies on modern technologies to streamline their operations and provide better quality services to the clients. They approached Leobit with a request to upgrade their existing solution by optimizing its back end and enhancing some basic app functionality.
Business Challenge
The customer required specialists skilled in Ruby on Rails to develop and optimize different parts of their SaaS platform. Speaking of the Ruby-based part, one of the main challenges was the lack of critical documentation required for optimizing the product. Our team had to explore different parts and connections within the solution’s Ruby-based back end at a limited time. Our primary task was enhancing the performance of the solution’s back end. Before the Leobit team stepped in, the processing of long-running tasks on the platform had been associated with performance issues. In particular, the report generation feature, one of the most important attributes of SaaS, could lead to website hangs.
Why Leobit
The customer wanted to get two separate teams skilled in Ruby and .NET to cover different parts of the project. Leobit is a leading .NET development company with expertise encompassing a wide array of other software development technologies, including Ruby. We provided the customer with teams of specialists skilled in Ruby and .NET, respectively. Leobit’s vision of the system’s upgrade is also perfectly aligned with the client’s vision. As a result, the customer found a technology partner with a clear vision and understanding of their needs, as well as readiness to cover both primary directions of their project.

Project
in detail
Our team of Ruby specialists had little time to explore the customer’s existing cloud-based back-end architecture. We had to jump into the project on the fly.


Optimized app back-end
By improving the solution's back end, we ensured higher performance, scalability, and maintainability of the SaaS system. In particular, software architecture redesign allowed us to exclude the probability of costly errors later in the development process. The integration with New Relic allowed our team to ensure software quality and rate application performance across the environment in a unified manner.
We also optimized the system's scalability in order to guarantee that a slight change in the environment wouldn't affect the robustness of the SaaS. The Leobit team also improved the solution's multi-tenant database architecture in order to optimize the use of database resources. This allowed us to set up configurations without changing the underlying codebase. The primary benefits of such an enhancement are reduced infrastructure costs and boosted provisioning of new tenants.

Enhanced reporting functionality
Our team enhanced the system's report generation functionality by implementing mechanics for an instant generation of branded reports with contact information and the logo of the company performing inspections. This enhancement eliminates paperwork and saves technicians' time. We also updated existing reports to include a visual representation of data with various filters and flexible reporting filters.
Over time, we also added a new type of report formatted specifically according to the requirements of the healthcare industry. All the reports are kept in a secure storage with excellent search functionality. Users can access the collection of legally valid electronic signatures and reports after completed inspections and deficiency identifications within minutes.

Features for communication and process tracking
Apart from the app's rich reporting functionality, we developed a convenient interface and real-time tracking feature for the inspection business so users can optimize the human resource allocation process and never miss important updates or upcoming inspections. To ensure greater efficiency of the processes, we implemented channels for communication between the field, office, and technicians with flawlessly synced time and name-stamped messages.
Later on, we also added a communication channel for seamless linking between prime companies and their subcontractors. This intelligent, event-driven approach to in-app communication ensures that all stakeholders are promptly informed of any inspection updates or changes.
Technology Solutions
- Multi-tenant app back end powered with Ruby on Rails and enhanced with New Relic to ensure consistent app performance across different platforms.
- 95% coverage of the project with unit tests to create a reliable engineering environment, thus saving development time in the future.
- Optimized database architecture aimed at optimizing the use of database resources and setting up configurations without changing the underlying codebase, which reduces infrastructure costs and speeds up the provisioning of new tenants.
- Code and infrastructure redesign significantly enhancing the solution’s scalability.
Value Delivered
- Ability to expand the solution globally and to new industries, such as healthcare, achieved through the implementation of new reporting features and new report types.
- Automation features that enhance the app’s reporting capabilities and make the solution more user-centric.
- Stable, scalable, and modernized SaaS solution prepared for upcoming upgrades.
- The solution became much more convenient in maintenance due to the integration of unit testing features and best practices.