“Mission Control this is Challenger. We’re ready for launch.”
“All systems go Challenger. Five seconds to countdown. Good luck and God bless.”
“Ten, nine, eight, seven …”
Not every launch is a success, despite countless years, months, weeks, days and hours of preparation, rigorous testing, careful examination, and intense inspection.
The Space Shuttle Challenger disaster was a fatal incident in the United States’ space program that occurred on January 28, 1986, when the Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart 73 seconds into its flight, killing all seven crew members aboard. No one expected this to happen. Especially not with the extent of preparation that was done before hand. Everything was perfect, until that moment.
It is much less drastic and traumatic if the launch of a new computer system or mobile application goes South. The losses are not the same. After all, we are not comparing apples with apples here. None the less, when your business is developing computer systems and mobile applications, then launches are always quite stressful events.
Everyone has an expectation. Most importantly, the customer and the end users.
In the run up to the event, “mission control” clearly stipulate their instructions, and the “commander” relays those in strict commands. The entire team conducts its final preparations. The “engineers” perform their final tests, examinations, and inspections. The “crew” conducts its own. “Ground control” do what they must do. Everyone is a 100% sure that everything works perfectly. Every aspect has been taken into consideration and been provided for. Yet, an unexplained anxiety prevails.
“Five seconds to countdown. Good luck and God bless.”
The entire team holds its breath. Nervous, yet confident. Anxious, yet excited.
“Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three …”
A new mobile application is launched.
It is expected to have a great impact on the end users, as it offers them convenience. It simplifies many things for them, as it serves as a tool at their fingertips.
At first, all seems to go well. The “shuttle” has taken off. But no one rejoices, yet. No sigh of relief can be heard, yet.
Then, a few moments in, the unexpected occurs.
What is referred to, within the IT industry, as “bugs”, suddenly appear out of nowhere. No life is lost. But the end users are complaining. The customer is not happy. The “commander’s” tone of voice has changed drastically. The team jumps into action. They wipe their brows and sweat their rust. No effort is spared in resolving any issue. Forget about sleeping, now is only time for fixing.
At Articulate-IT our every intention is customer satisfaction and optimal user experience. Through our products and services, we endeavor to offer only immersive experiences to our customers. Not every launch is without issues. But we do resolve the issues. And as true as manned missions have landed on the moon, we do succeed.