At first glance, it looks like a sales stand in an electronics supermarket. In reality, however, it’s something much more than it seems. This is the story of the extraordinary tester’s stand at Divante and its co-creator, Paweł Gendosz.
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Paweł has been working in Divante as an IT Specialist for over a year. He has an important role as the go-to guy if some equipment doesn’t work or isn’t functioning to expectations. Or if someone needs an additional device of some kind. And much more.
I do a lot of things every day. Recently, I listed all my duties and stopped counting at 76. The most important, basic ones are taking care of the company’s infrastructure. I grant and deny access to systems and programs. I work on issues related to security. In our department, we also take care of company phones, cars, and monitoring. There is really no end to it all.
Paweł Gendosz, IT Specialist at Divante
After changing companies a number of times in the past, Divante is the first place where Paweł started to identify with his work and take it seriously.
I really found myself in Divante. It’s just great here because everyone can develop in the position they want. We have a lot of thematic training. The company is open to employees’ ideas, even the spontaneous ones. We often manage to start implementing them after just a dozen or so days. For me and many other colleagues, Divante is a second home with a special atmosphere.
Paweł Gendosz
Paweł emphasizes that he can take an active part in the life of the company. Both in everyday life and during various events. He feels that he has an impact on the functioning of the company and the office in which he works.
One place to test them all, One man to find them
The flagship example is the Testing Station in Divante, which was the idea of Arkadiusz Świerczek and Paweł Gendosz. It is a place where various software testing equipment is permanently available, from computers to smartphones and tablets with different software versions. Everyone can check the operation of their application at any time.
The main reason for the creation of the Testing Station was the repeated issue of losing the smartphones used for testing. Testers would keep them at home for a longer time and forgot to bring them to the office, meaning they were not available to others, which delayed the implementation of projects and caused frustration.
One day, we decided that it needed to be put in order. The idea was to group all the devices in one place. And that’s exactly what we did. At the moment, there are 12 smartphones and several tablets on the Testing Station. There are both popular smartphones with the latest Android and iOS software, such as Samsung Galaxy S10 or iPhone 11,as well as older models of systems, such as iPhone 5s or Android 6.0. There is also Mac Mini and PC with Windows 10, both with Adobe Creative Suite. Thanks to this, everyone can see how the applications we are building for clients work on different screens, in various resolutions, and even on different system versions. Such thorough tests help to maintain the highest quality of the supplied software. This later translates into customer satisfaction. It also reduces the number of errors and corrections.
Paweł Gendosz
Paweł sits right next to the Testing Station, so he sees how often it is used. There isn’t a day when at least a few people don’t come to test something. Sometimes these are big, serious tests, other times someone comes to just see how to work on a different system. In each case, the Testing Station is very helpful for Divante employees. It is a distinctive element of the company and few software houses have such a developed approach to testing.
It is also appreciated by those from outside. When groups of students come to visit Divante, the testing station is occupied for a long time and Paweł hears a lot of admiration for the project. The testing station is, therefore, not only a practical tool but also an original marketing tool for the company.
A professor from one of the universities in Wrocław wrote to us once. He expressed his admiration for the idea and said that it was a model that should be imitated in all companies. He wanted to come and take pictures to show to his students, like a model solution.
Paweł Gendosz
From idea to implementation in 2 weeks
Invention often relies upon the right mindset of decision-makers in the company. . Paweł repeatedly emphasizes that the Testing Station was a spontaneous idea, which was very quickly brought to life. The whole process, from the idea to implementation, took only about 2 weeks.
In Divante there are none of the long decision-making processes that can frustrate the employees of large corporations. The Testing Station didn’t appear after a string of long emails and endless pitch presentations and red tape. Paweł and Arek told a few people about the topic and explained how it wouldn’t come at great expense but could bring a lot of good. The immediate response from Divante’s COO was “Okay, guys, let’s do it”.
The implementation was made easier by the fact that we we already had half of the smartphones we needed. Both computers were also in stock. We were speculating about the next smartphones that were needed for testing, which took only a few days. A large adjustable-height desk was designated as the Testing Station and we then ordered special links for security. Some people laugh that it makes it look like a supermarket display, but that’s how we can guarantee that no one will lose the devices. We waited a week or so for these security features to be delivered.”
Paweł Gendosz
The Testing Station is now serving over 200 employees every day in Divante’s office in Wrocław.
Patience pays off
Paweł likes his work in Divante very much, although he also admits that he has had to learn a lot of patience.
Sometimes I sit over the repair of equipment for a dozen or so hours. We try many different methods and nothing works. Then it turns out that the solution to the problem is one click of a certain option somewhere deep in the system settings.
Paweł Gendosz
Patience for people is another skill that helps in his position. We are all imperfect: we make mistakes, we forget, we lose things. It’s totally normal and it is something that Paweł comes into contact with almost every day.
Divante is a dynamic company. Many things change quickly. Sometimes I am the bad guy who has to check something or take it away. Sometimes I have to ask numerous times and I wait months for an answer. Constantly answering the same questions, especially from new employees, is also par for the course, and is a big issue as we add more people each month. Fortunately, we have an internal Wikipedia, so the most common problems are described there. And it’s good for me; I’m learning to be more patient every day. I’m happy to learn it in Divante, where we have a really good atmosphere.
Paweł Gendosz
Test Divante for yourself
This little desk with many smartphones is something more than just a testing desk. It’s an example of Divante’s modern, agile, people-centric culture. A culture, where people’s creativity is rewarded; where the decision-making process is short, where it’s possible to develop careers fast; where employees are more than just colleagues, they are friends.
Of course, as in any company, not everything is perfect. However, if something bad happens, it usually turns out well in the end. It is a good atmosphere and a human approach to employees.
Test Divante for yourself. Reading the stories of some people who developed their careers in Divante. And if you have any questions, just drop us a message. We are happy to meet you.
Published January 7, 2020
