Cross-Platform App Development for a Job Board
SkillLab's application is operational in over 20 countries, facilitating the career advancement and recruitment processes for users worldwide. The company approached Techstack with a request to enhance the user experience within the SkillLab application, specifically for Ukrainian users.
The key objective was to streamline the user journey from initial sign-up to effective job searching and matching by integrating the platform with the Ukrainian State Employment Center, allowing seamless access to its vacancies for relevant users.
Industry:
Digital Transformation
Services:
Back End Development, Front End Development
Location:
The Netherlands
Challenge
The integration of the Skillab platform with the Ukrainian State Employment Center presented a unique set of challenges that required innovative solutions and close collaboration between the SkillLab and Techstack teams.
These challenges encompassed various aspects of the project, including communication, technical hurdles, legal complexities, data management, and security considerations.
Resolving legal issues to obtain the production token for SSO use
Obtaining the production token for Single Sign-On (SSO) use required navigating legal complexities and ensuring compliance with the regulations of both countries involved.
Implementing Diia's verification process for Diia SSO
Implementing Diia SSO required meticulous attention to detail and close collaboration with the Diia team. The user verification process itself is handled entirely by Diia, which meant that the team had to ensure a smooth and secure handover of the authentication process to the Diia system. This required a deep understanding of Diia's authentication protocols and the establishment of secure communication channels between the SkillLab platform and Diia's servers.
Decoding IIT's signature library
Integrating with IIT's signature library presented technical challenges that required the team to decode and understand the library's functionality to ensure seamless integration.
Systemizing different-format data
The product development involved working with data from various sources and in different formats, requiring the team to develop solutions for standardizing and integrating the information into the SkillLab platform.
Facilitating 3-way communication between 2 countries
The development process required coordination and communication between SkillLab, Techstack, and the relevant authorities in both the Netherlands and Ukraine, presenting some challenges.
Working with outdated third-party technical documentation
Our team had to navigate and interpret outdated technical documentation from third-party providers, which required additional effort to understand and implement the necessary integrations.
Solution
Implemented a client-driven architecture for the API integration
This architecture ensured modularity and code readability. The team designed and implemented a client-driven architecture that focused on the codebase's modularity and readability. This approach facilitated easier maintenance, debugging, and future enhancements to the integration.
Utilized a singleton implementation to expand the vacancy providers
By employing a singleton pattern, the team was able to efficiently manage and expand the various vacancy providers integrated into the SkillLab platform, ensuring scalability and maintainability.
Maintained effective team communication throughout the project
Clear and consistent communication channels were established between the Techstack and SkillLab teams, ensuring that all stakeholders were kept informed of progress, challenges, and decisions throughout the project lifecycle.
Implemented Single Sign-On via Diia.Signature
We successfully integrated the Diia.Signature system, allowing Ukrainian users to securely access the SkillLab platform using their Diia credentials, streamlining the user registration and login process.
Incorporated location and publication date filters for enhanced job search functionality
To improve the user experience and the relevance of job search results, the team implemented location and publication date filters, enabling users to refine their job searches based on their preferences and requirements.
Technologies Used
The project utilized cross-platform technologies to ensure compatibility and seamless integration between the SkillLab platform and the Ukrainian State Employment Center. The specific technologies used were carefully selected based on their robustness, scalability, and ability to handle the complexities of the integration process.
The workflow
While building the solution for Skillab, we followed a standard agile workflow with an incremental approach to development and regular communication. The workflow included the following key stages:
Requirements gathering and analysis
The team collaborated closely with SkillLab to gain a comprehensive understanding of their requirements and objectives. This stage involved analyzing the existing systems, identifying potential integration points, and defining the project's scope. Special attention was given to the legal and security aspects of handling sensitive user data across different countries.
Architecture design and planning
Based on the gathered requirements, the team designed a robust and scalable architecture that could accommodate the integration with the Ukrainian State Employment Center. This stage included planning for the implementation of Diia's verification process for SSO and decoding IIT's signature library. The team also considered the operational obstacles of dealing with sensitive data and developed strategies to mitigate potential risks.
Development and implementation
The development phase involved the actual coding and implementation of the planned integrations and features. The team worked on decoding IIT's signature library to ensure seamless integration with the SkillLab platform. We also implemented Diia's verification process for SSO, ensuring that users could securely access the platform using their Diia credentials. Throughout this stage, the team maintained close communication with SkillLab to resolve any legal issues related to obtaining the production token for SSO use.
Testing and quality assurance
Following the iterative approach, the team conducted thorough testing and quality assurance processes to identify and resolve any issues or bugs in the implemented solutions at every dev stage. The testing process was comprehensive and meticulous, covering every aspect of the system. As part of the quality assurance process, the team maintained a detailed list of all the items that required extra attention or further refinement. This list was regularly updated and shared with our partner, SkillLab, to ensure complete transparency and collaboration.
Deployment and integration
Once the developed solutions passed the testing and quality assurance phase, they were deployed and integrated into the SkillLab platform. The team worked closely with SkillLab to ensure a seamless integration process, minimizing disruptions to the existing system. They also provided documentation and training to SkillLab's team, enabling them to manage and maintain the integrated solutions effectively.
Maintenance and support
After the successful deployment and integration, the team provided ongoing maintenance and support to ensure the stability and performance of the implemented solutions. They monitored the system for any potential issues and promptly addressed them to minimize downtime. The team also provided guidance and support to SkillLab's team in handling sensitive user data across different countries, ensuring compliance with international data protection regulations.
About the team
The project team consisted of skilled professionals from both Techstack and SkillLab, working together to ensure the successful completion of the integration. SkillLab's team included Product Owners, who provided guidance and direction on the product's objectives and requirements, and a software engineer, who worked closely with the Techstack team to ensure smooth integration with the existing SkillLab platform. The Techstack team included:
Team composition
Project manager
1
Software developer
1
Manual QA engineer
1
Impact
The successful integration with the Ukrainian State Employment Center through the SkillLab platform resulted in significant benefits for both the company and its users:
Successfully integrated a foreign job board with the Ukrainian Employment Center
The product demonstrated the feasibility and value of integrating international job boards with local employment centers, opening up new opportunities for cross-border collaboration and job market integration.
Reduced effort for future application expansion
The modular and scalable architecture implemented during the integration process laid the foundation for easier future expansions and enhancements to the SkillLab platform.
Simplified sign-in and job application
One of the most significant impacts of the project was the successful integration of the Diia Single Sign-On system. This integration allowed Ukrainian users to easily and securely access the SkillLab platform using their Diia credentials, streamlining the sign-in and job application process. This successful integration showcases the potential for collaboration between private companies and government initiatives to create more accessible and secure digital services for citizens.
Facilitated an efficient user job search process
The incorporation of location and publication date filters, along with the seamless integration of the Dutch SEC Vacancy Board, significantly improved the job search experience for Ukrainian users, enabling them to find relevant job opportunities more quickly and easily.
Infrastructure cost-savings by utilizing existing resources
By leveraging the existing infrastructure and resources of the SkillLab platform, the company was able to achieve cost-savings in terms of development, deployment, and maintenance
The successful integration with the Ukrainian State Employment Center through the SkillLab platform has not only provided Ukrainian jobseekers with a convenient and efficient way to find suitable job opportunities but has also showcased the potential for international collaboration in the field of job market integration.
The product's success serves as a testament to the expertise and dedication of the teams involved and highlights the importance of clear objectives, effective communication, and a well-structured approach to project management.
Reviews
Techstack is a team of incredibly nice people with a very high degree of professionalism.
