Category: Challenge

ADFS for Enterprise SSO: A Case Study

The big corporations require solid authentication solutions to ensure secure and seamless access to their applications. Single sign-on plays a crucial role in maintaining data security while providing users with a smooth experience in accessing the platform. For one of our clients who is a large enterprise with 30,000 employees in 13 different countries, we were tasked to implement a Single Sign-On (SSO) solution to streamline access to a custom application developed by us for them.

The client’s environment relied heavily on Microsoft technologies. We also hosted the application in a Windows environment, so using Active Directory Federation Services (ADFS) was the ideal choice for this process. ADFS not only integrates seamlessly with Microsoft ecosystems but also provides a robust and scalable platform for authentication.

To ensure the solution met the client’s needs, I began with a Proof of Concept (PoC) using ADFS 4.0 on Windows Server 2016 to replicate the client environment. This allowed for validation of the technical feasibility and performance of the solution before full-scale deployment. The authentication mechanism was built on SAML (Security Assertion Markup Language), a widely adopted standard for SSO that ensures secure and interoperable communication between the identity provider (ADFS) and the custom application.

Proof of Concept (PoC)

First, we needed to establish that the proposed process would work with the custom-built application. So, I conducted a Proof of Concept (PoC) to validate the solution. Here’s how I approached it:

Setup an ADFS environment

The first thing that I needed was a replica of our client environment. So, I fired up an old server and deployed ADFS 4.0 on Windows Server 2016 with active directory. As our client uses Windows 2016 with ADFS 4.0, I installed the same software on the machine.

Setting up the ADFS requires a fully qualified domain name. So, I used one of my domains to set up the ADFS name(adfs.mobyshome.com). I quickly organised an SSL certificate for the domain as well.

Once everything was set, the domain was ready for single sign-on via ADFS.

SAML Configuration

I Exported the ADFS metadata and shared it with the application team for integration.

Then worked with the team to configure the application to consume SAML assertions from ADFS

The next task was to Register the custom application as a Relying Party Trust (RP Trust) in ADFS.

And finally configure the SAML endpoints and claims rules to map user attributes (e.g., email, username) to the application.

Testing

I conducted a complete testing process to ensure users could log in using our test Active Directory (AD) credentials. Also, Verified that the SAML assertions were correctly passed to the application.

I involved some of our team members from the testing team to test the other scenarios, such as password expiration, account lockout, and multi-factor authentication (MFA).

The proof of concept was successful, confirming that ADFS could handle the authentication needs of the custom application.

User acceptance test(UAT)

All the necessary documents and information were provided to the client to confirm the proof of concept and ensure the client was happy with the setup and followed the instructions. Once they are satisfied with POC, the preparation starts to set this up in the client staging environment.

Even though we had POC with almost similar environments, our client did not find it easy to replicate the process. The POC was done on one server, but the clients with 30K employees have a different infrastructure. Through continuous communication with the team client to follow the right steps and fine-tune the SAML configuration, the client was able to establish a connection to our staging application.

Going Live

The go-live process was a critical phase, and we took several steps to ensure a smooth transition:

Pre-Launch Checks

Verified that all servers were configured correctly and synchronized.

Conducted a load test to ensure the ADFS farm could handle the expected traffic.

Launch Day

Monitored the ADFS servers and WAP servers closely for any performance issues.

Provided real-time support to the client’s IT team to address any user login issues.

Keeping all stakeholders informed about the process to minimize confusion.

Post-Launch

Collected feedback from users and addressed any concerns.

Monitored system performance and made adjustments as needed.

Implementing ADFS for a client with 30,000 employees was a challenging but rewarding experience. By following a structured approach—from the PoC to the live implementation—we ensured a seamless transition to SSO for their custom application. Thorough testing during the PoC and pre-launch phases eliminated most of the obsrtucle and ensured a smooth go-live. The success of the project depended on careful planning, thorough testing, and effective communication.

For organizations considering ADFS, this experience demonstrates that it is a reliable and scalable solution for enabling SSO in a Microsoft environment. With the right preparation and execution, ADFS can significantly enhance both security and user experience.

How I Stopped Scammers from Cheating the Choice Platform—While on Holiday!

After the Choice Platform became available in high street shops (Introducing GiftChoice for Ultimate Gift Card Experience – A Product I am Proud to Lead), it was only a matter of time before it became a target for scammers. It was 4 AM in the USA, and I was in deep sleep enjoying my holiday when my phone buzzed with a message from my lead developer. Something wasn’t right. Our analytics showed that we were issuing more vouchers than actual sales—which meant only one thing: either we were doing something wrong, or we were being scammed!

I jumped out of bed and called my team. After investigating, we found out how the scammers were pulling it off, and honestly, I had to admire their creativity.

How the Scam Worked

Here’s what they were doing:

  1. They’d load up their shopping basket with groceries and 4-5 GiftChoice cards.
  2. At the checkout, they made sure the cashier scanned the gift cards first—activating them in our system.
  3. While the cashier scanned the other items, they quickly scratched the gift cards, got the voucher codes, and redeemed them online immediately.
  4. Within seconds, they received their preferred retailer gift card in their email.
  5. Then, they’d pretend they “forgot their wallet” and ask to cancel the purchase.
  6. The cashier could cancel the groceries but not the gift cards because they had already been redeemed.

And the end result? We were losing money by sending them gift cards without a sale.

A Quick Fix at 4 AM

We needed a complete solution, but a clean, fullproof solution required cooperation from retailers, payment processors, and our partners—which would take multiple days. But we couldn’t afford to lose money while waiting for a permanent fix.

So, I came up with a quick and simple hack:

➡️ Add a 30-minute delay before a card could be redeemed.

How This Stopped the Scam Instantly

When a cashier swipes the card, it gets activated in our system, and our redemption process checks if the card is active before processing it. I simply asked my team to add a rule that says a card must be activated for at least 30 minutes before it can be redeemed. Luckily, we managed to add this rule in a stored procedure that was quick to implement without any release procedure.

🚀 Result? The scammers were blocked immediately.

The best part? 99.99% of our real customers do not redeem their gift cards right after buying them, so the delay didn’t affect them at all. But for scammers, it completely ruined their plan.

It wasn’t the most high-tech solution, but sometimes, the simplest ideas work best. This quick fix stopped the fraud overnight and saved us a ton of money. The scam on the Choice platform was a wake-up call, but it also showcased our team’s ability to think on our feet and act decisively under pressure.

Moral of the story? Even on holiday, always be ready to think on your feet.

Introducing GiftChoice for Ultimate Gift Card Experience – A Product I am Proud to Lead.

A couple of months ago, In November 2018, we proudly launched GiftChoice, the first product under the “Choice Platform” series by Intelligent Card Services. This is not an ordinary gift card. It is designed to give people the freedom and flexibility to use gift cards with multiple retailers. Traditionally, the gift cards are tied to a single retailer/brand. Gift choice breaks this tradition and allows you to choose any retailer you want.

I had the privilege of leading the engineering team to bring this product to life in just six months—a dream come true for us. I am delighted to share the story behind the GiftChoice card and how it’s changing how we think about gift cards.

The problem that we want to solve

If you’ve ever bought or received a gift card, you have probably faced this issue: most gift cards are tied to a single retailer. For example, if someone gives you a £25 Argos voucher, you can only spend it at Argos. What if you don’t want to buy anything from Argos? The card might sit in your wallet for months and go unused. This limitation has been a frustration for both gift receivers for years.

We saw an opportunity to fill this gap in the market. Why not create a gift card that the receiver can exchange with any retailer that they want? That’s exactly what we did with GiftChoice. Now, when you give someone a GiftChoice card, they can pick from 30 retailers/brands, ensuring the gift is both thoughtful and practical.

The Challenge

The GiftChoice plan came to me in April 2018. The goal was clear: launch the product by November 2018 to capture the Christmas market. With other companies working on similar products, it was a race to be first in the market.

But here’s the catch—we had just six months to design, develop, and deliver the product. Typically, a project like this would take a year or more. So, I had minimal time to think about it. I had a quick meeting with my team and decided it would be a huge challenge, which we are happy to take. Even though not everyone was 100% sure about completing the project by the launch date, I was confident with my team.

The Race Against Time

We had to move fast, but we also had to be innovative. After tirelessly working with the product and design teams, we finalised the physical card design and the function design of the platform. I set up two development teams spread across the UK and India and worked tirelessly to meet the tight deadline. I started one development team to work on setting up the framework of the project to cover the standard functions of an application. I also took the executive decision to use technologies like ASP.NET, Angular, and SQL Server, which our team was already familiar with, to speed up the process and to keep it simple. Also, decided to use a SAAS (Software as a Service) model, which allowed us to create a flexible platform that could support multiple “Choice” series in the future. The plan was to use each choice card as a client and have their own branding.

Once the functional design was ready, my idea was to prepare the customer-facing product first. This meant that some of the back-end processes, like automating voucher deliveries and setting up customer ticketing systems, would be developed after the initial launch. It was a bold move, but it paid off. After tirelessly working with my team (and a pregnant wife), GiftChoice went live in mid-November 2018 and was ready for the holiday season. Currently, the GiftChoice cards are available to purchase from every Sainsbury’s and Argos in the UK.

How GiftChoice Works

Here’s a simple breakdown of how GiftChoice works:

Purchase the Card: You buy a £25 GiftChoice card from Sainsbury’s, Argos, or our website.

Activate the Card: When the cashier swipes the card at the till, it gets activated by calling our API.

Scratch and Reveal: You scratch the card to reveal a unique voucher code.

Visit Our Website: Go to the GiftChoice website and enter the voucher code to exchange or redeem.

Choose Your Retailer: Our system validates the code and lets you select one retailer from a list of 30.

Confirm Your Choice: Once you’ve chosen a retailer (e.g., Argos), you confirm your selection.

Receive Your Voucher: We mark the voucher as redeemed and instantly email you a £25 Argos voucher that you can use in-store or online.

What’s Next for GiftChoice?

We plan to launch Style Choice, Social Choice, and Grocery Choice in 2019, each catering to different interests and lifestyles.

We are also expanding our reach. The first batch of GiftChoice cards is already available at Sainsbury’s and Argos, and we plan to make them available at most high-street retailers over the next two years.

Currently, we are using a stock of vouchers from each retailer, but we’re working on something even more significant. Our next project involves connecting directly to retailer APIs to generate vouchers on demand. This will eliminate the need for stock management where possible and make the process even more seamless.

Launching GiftChoice in just six months was one of the toughest challenges of my career, but it was also one of the most rewarding. Seeing the product on the high street shelves makes me proud. A big big salute to all the members of the product, design and development team who made this possible. Especially the development team, who worked a lot of weekends without any additional benefits to finish the product on time. That is where I see the value of team bonding and the passion for completing a challenge kicked in. The development team that I set up were ready for any challenge, and they delivered. And this is just the beginning. With more “Choice” platforms on the horizon, we’re excited to continue innovating and bringing even more flexibility to gifting.

So, the next time you plan to buy a gift card for someone, consider purchasing a GiftChoice card.

Setting Up a Daily Server and Application Check Process: Ensuring Seamless Operations Across Time Zones

In today’s globalized world, businesses often rely on web applications and services that operate 24/7 to serve customers and employees across different time zones. Ensuring the reliability and availability of these applications is critical to maintaining productivity and user satisfaction. For organizations with teams spread across regions like the UK, EU, and India, setting up a robust daily check process for servers and applications can provide a significant advantage.

To give the UK and EU teams a head start, I have introduced an early morning server check process handled by a dedicated tester based in India. This process ensures that potential failures in applications or services are identified and reported before the primary workday begins in Europe.

Why a Daily Early Morning Check Process?

The primary goal of this process is to proactively identify and resolve any failures or issues in the web application or servers before they impact users. Even the checking of blacklinsting an IP address that is used to send out email is also checked. By conducting these checks early in the morning (India time), the tester can provide a status report to the UK and EU teams at the start of their workday. This ensures that any critical issues are addressed promptly, minimizing downtime and disruption.

Key Components of the Process

Application Functionality: Ensure all critical features of the web application are functioning as expected.

Server Health: Monitor server performance, including CPU usage, memory, disk space, and network connectivity.

Service Availability: Verify that all dependent services (e.g., databases, APIs, third-party integrations) are operational.

Error Logs: Review application and server logs for any errors or warnings that may indicate potential issues.

Automated Testing Tools: Use tools like Selenium, Jenkins, or custom scripts to automate the testing of key application functionalities.

Monitoring Tools: Implement server monitoring tools like Grafana or AWS CloudWatch to track server health and performance.

Scheduled Scripts: Create scripts to run daily checks at a specific time (e.g., 6:00 AM IST) and generate reports automatically.

Assign Responsibilities

Tester in India: A dedicated tester or group of testers based in India will execute the daily checks, review automated reports, and perform manual verification if needed.

Selected Person in UK/EU: A designated team member in the UK or EU will receive the daily report and take necessary actions based on the findings. If the issues are not resolved by the team in the UK/EU, it will refer to the team in the USA.

Create a Standardized Reporting Template Develop a clear and concise report template that includes the Date and time of the check.

Summary of application and server status (e.g., “All systems operational” or “Issues detected”).

Details of any failures or errors.

Screenshots or logs for reference.

Recommended actions for the UK/EU team.

The report can be delivered via email, a shared dashboard, or a collaboration tool like Slack or Microsoft Teams.

Establish Escalation Procedures

Critical Issues: Define what constitutes a critical issue (e.g., application downtime, server crash) and establish a protocol for immediate escalation to the UK/EU team.

Non-Critical Issues: For less urgent issues, include them in the daily report with recommended actions for the team to address during their workday.

Feedback Loop: Regularly review the process with the UK/EU team to identify areas for improvement.

Refine Automation: Continuously update and refine automated scripts and monitoring tools to cover new features or address emerging issues.

Training: Ensure the tester in India is well-trained on the tools, processes, and escalation procedures.

    Benefits of the Process

    Proactive Issue Resolution: Early detection of issues allows the UK and EU teams to address them before they escalate, minimizing downtime and user impact.

    Improved Collaboration: The process fosters collaboration between teams in different time zones, ensuring seamless handover and communication.

    Enhanced Reliability: Regular checks and automated monitoring improve the overall reliability and performance of the application and servers.

    Time Efficiency: Automation reduces manual effort, allowing the tester to focus on critical tasks and analysis.

      Example Workflow

      6:00 AM IST: Automated scripts and monitoring tools run daily checks on the application and servers.

      6:30 AM IST: The tester in India reviews the automated reports, performs manual checks if needed, and compiles the daily status report.

      7:00 AM IST: The report is sent to the designated person in the UK/EU team.

      7-8:00 AM GMT: The UK/EU team reviews the report, prioritizes issues, and takes necessary actions.

      Follow-Up: The tester in India follows up on any unresolved issues during their next check.

      Implementing a daily early morning server and application check process, led by a tester in India, is a strategic approach to ensuring the reliability and availability of web applications for global teams. By combining automation, clear reporting, and effective collaboration, organizations can proactively address issues, minimize downtime, and provide a seamless experience for users. This process not only enhances operational efficiency but also strengthens cross-regional teamwork, making it a valuable addition to any organization’s workflow.

      Automating the Specsavers County Cricket Giveaway: A Digital Transformation

      We all always talk about big projects and significant achievements. But sometimes, a small project can give you a lot of satisfaction if it is related to your passion. As a lifelong cricket enthusiast, I was thrilled when I was assigned a project that combined my passion for the sport with my professional expertise. The project was part of Specsavers’ marketing campaign in partnership with County Cricket, a historic competition that has been a cornerstone of English cricket for over 126 years. Specsavers, Britain’s largest optical retail chain, has been the main sponsor of this prestigious tournament and recently secured a four-year extension to their sponsorship. Our task was to revamp the competition’s fulfilment process, transitioning from a traditional, physical approach to a streamlined, digital solution.

      The Challenge

      Specsavers had initially planned to distribute competition prizes through physical letters and tickets. Winners would receive a printed letter notifying them of their win, along with instructions on how to redeem their tickets. While this approach had its merits, it was time-consuming, costly, and lacked the immediacy that modern consumers expect.

      The Solution

      I approached to provide a fresh, digital perspective that would enhance the customer experience, reduce costs, and ensure faster prize delivery.

      To meet Specsavers’ goals, I designed and implemented an automated digital process that streamlined the entire competition fulfilment journey. Here’s the step-by-step breakdown of how I transformed the process:

      Step 1: Daily Data Import

      The process begins with Specsavers sending us daily customer data to an SFTP location, including each participant’s favourite county cricket team. This data is the foundation of the competition, as it ensures that winners receive tickets to matches featuring their preferred teams.

      Step 2: Automated Data Import

      We developed an automated process for importing customer data into our database. This step eliminates manual data entry, reducing the risk of errors and ensuring that the data is processed quickly and efficiently.

      Step 3: Data Verification and Qualification

      Once the data is imported, we run an automated verification process to ensure its accuracy and completeness. For example, if a customer’s entry lacks an email address, it is flagged as invalid and returned to Specsavers for correction. This step ensures that only valid entries are included in the competition, maintaining the integrity of the process.

      Step 4: Lottery Selection

      After verifying the data, we run a lottery process to select the winner once a week. To keep it simple and under budget, this is done through an SQL job randomly selecting a row from the database. The randomness ensures fairness, while the automation ensures speed and efficiency.

      Step 5: Winner Notification

      Once a winner is selected, an automated email with a link to claim their ticket is sent to them. The custom email template, which includes a deadline for claiming the prize, was confirmed with the client, creating a sense of urgency. We used MailGun as our email management service to track the delivery rate and monitor how many users successfully claim their tickets, providing valuable insights for future campaigns.

      Step 6: Voucher Redemption

      When the winner clicks the link in the email, they are directed to a digital voucher that admits two people to their selected county cricket ground. This digital approach eliminates the need for physical tickets, making the process faster and more convenient for the winner. A small ASP.net application was created to generate the voucher based on the user selection of the county.

      Step 7: Voucher Printing

      The winner prints the voucher at their convenience. This step ensures that they have a physical copy to present at the ground, while still benefiting from the speed and efficiency of the digital process.

      Step 8: Match Day Entry

      On the day of the match, the winner takes the printed voucher to the cricket ground. This step maintains the excitement and tradition of attending a live cricket match, while the digital voucher ensures a seamless entry process.

      Step 9: Ticket Validation

      On the ground, staff members validate the voucher using the reference number provided. This final step ensures that only legitimate winners gain entry, safeguarding the integrity of the competition. The same ASP.net application for step 6 was designed with an API interface to validate the ticket.

      By moving from a traditional fulfillment approach to a fully automated digital process, we significantly improved efficiency and cost-effectiveness. The digital approach achieved an impressive 81% attachment rate, meaning 81% of winners successfully claimed their tickets. Eliminating physical mailing costs and manual intervention led to significant cost reductions for Specsavers.

      This project was a perfect blend of my love for cricket and my passion for digital innovation. By automating the process, we not only enhanced the customer experience but also demonstrated the power of digital transformation in marketing campaigns. As Specsavers continues its partnership with County Cricket, this automated process can serve as a foundation for future initiatives, ensuring that fans can enjoy the thrill of the game with the convenience of modern technology.

      Managing a Huge System Built on Top of a Temporary Project: Challenges and Solutions

      During my time at Avinity, I experienced firsthand how a small internal web application, initially built to solve a minor problem, evolved into a large and complex system. We used to call it the “Imagine Platform”, and honestly, it ended up beyond any imagination at one point in time. What started as a temporary project quickly became critical to business operations, requiring continuous development and management. This experience taught me valuable lessons about handling the challenges that come with managing a system that was never meant to scale.

      Challenges of Growing a Temporary Project into a Large System

      Lack of Proper Architecture: Since the initial system was never meant to scale, it often lacks a robust architecture, making future development difficult.

      Technical Debt: Quick fixes and workarounds accumulate, leading to inefficiencies and bugs that slow down development.

      Performance Bottlenecks: As the system grows, performance issues arise due to poor initial design choices.

      Security Risks: A system that started as a small project may not have been built with security in mind, leading to vulnerabilities.

      Scalability Issues: The system may not be able to handle increased load or integrate well with newer technologies.

      Steps I Took to Manage the System at Avinity

      Gradual Refactoring(Most significant): Instead of rebuilding the system from scratch, I initiated incremental updates to modularize components and introduce microservices where applicable.

      Performance Optimization(Most significant): By analyzing system performance and identifying bottlenecks, I was able to implement targeted improvements, such as database indexing and caching strategies.

      Automating Processes: To improve efficiency, I introduced automation tools for testing, deployment, and monitoring, reducing manual effort and increasing system stability.

      Implementing Documentation: Another step I took was to create some documentation(the idea was to create some detailed documentation, but it never happened for an internal project), which helped developers understand the system structure and avoid redundant work.

      Introducing Code Reviews: To improve code quality and reduce technical debt, I enforced a strict code review process that ensured best practices were followed. Modified some poorly written codes and eliminated a lot of not used modules.

      Budget Constraints and How to Overcome Them

      For small to medium-sized businesses, budget limitations are a significant challenge when managing and upgrading such systems. Investing in a complete overhaul may not be feasible, so companies must find ways to improve efficiency without excessive spending.

      Prioritize Critical Updates: Instead of rewriting the entire system, focus on fixing the most pressing issues, such as security vulnerabilities and performance bottlenecks.

      Use Open-Source Solutions: Many open-source frameworks, tools, and libraries can help modernize the system without the high costs of proprietary software.

      Incremental Refactoring: Instead of a full system rebuild, update parts of the system gradually. Start by modularizing key components and introducing microservices where possible.

      Leverage Cloud Services: Migrating parts of the system to cloud-based solutions can improve scalability and reduce infrastructure costs.

      Seek External Funding or Partnerships: In some cases, government grants, technology partnerships, or investors might help fund critical technology upgrades

        Best Practices for Managing Large, Evolved Systems

        Managing a system that started as a temporary project taught me valuable lessons. It is essential to plan for the future. Even small projects can grow, so design with scalability in mind. It is also important to avoid technical debt. Cutting corners may save time initially, but it will cost you in the long run. Clear documentation is essential for maintainability and onboarding. Finally, the system should be regularly reviewed and improved to prevent it from becoming unmanageable.

        My experience at Avinity taught me that while budget constraints can make upgrades difficult, strategic planning and incremental improvements can help businesses modernize their systems without excessive costs. By focusing on critical updates, leveraging open-source solutions, and implementing best practices, businesses can ensure their systems remain efficient, scalable, and secure for the future. If you’re facing a similar situation, remember that it’s never too late to make improvements. With careful planning and execution, you can turn a chaotic system into a well-oiled machine that drives your business forward.

        Challenges of Starting a New IT Team from the Ground Up

        When I joined Avinity, the company had been outsourcing all its IT work. They decided to bring everything in-house and hired me to build an IT team from scratch. My task was to set up the team and transition the outsourced work within 1-2 years.

        Even though I had some job offers from some big corporations, I decided to join Avinity when I heard about this challenge.

        Starting an IT team from nothing is an exciting challenge, but it comes with many obstacles. The biggest challenge, in my opinion, is the unfamiliarity between team members. If you hire an entire team from the market, you have no idea about their strengths, weaknesses, or how they will work together. It takes time to build trust and relationships.

        My Approach: A Mix of Known and New Talent

        To overcome this, I hired a few people from my own network—people I had worked with before and knew I could trust. These familiar faces helped set the foundation and brought stability. The rest of the team I hired from the market, bringing in fresh perspectives and skills.

        This mix-and-match approach gave me both comfort and flexibility—I had trusted people to rely on while also bringing in new talent to innovate and grow.

        Hiring the Right People

        Finding skilled professionals who also fit the company culture is tough. Just hiring the most talented developers is not enough—if they don’t work well together, the team will struggle. I focused on attitude and teamwork as much as technical skills. It is important to make sure every new hire is aligned with the company’s vision and work culture and has the freedom to open communication from day one.

        Setting Up Processes from Scratch

        Since there was no existing IT team, there were no processes, no documentation, and no guidelines. Everything had to be built from zero. This is where your experience comes to play. If you have a few people in your team who you hired from your network(or previously worked with), you have similar experience fo the process. I started with basic project management tools to track tasks. Slowly introduced coding standards, deployment processes, and documentation habits. I kept things flexible—adjusted processes as the team grew.

        Knowledge Gaps and Learning Curve

        Since IT was fully outsourced before, there was no internal knowledge base. The new team had to learn everything while taking over projects. So I worked closely with the outgoing vendors to document everything before they left. Also encouraged team members to ask questions, experiment, and learn quickly.

        Gaining Trust from the Business Team

        The company had relied on outsourcing for years, so other departments were used to working with external vendors. Convincing them that the in-house team could do better was not easy. So, to win their trust, I made sure we solved and delivered small but important issues quickly and more efficiently. Also maintained regular communication with stakeholders to understand their needs.

        Managing Workload and Expectations

        When a new team starts, everyone expects results immediately. The reality is, it takes time to set up, hire, train, and build efficient workflows. However, I set some realistic but challenging timelines for transitioning work. It was important to prioritise critical projects first, rather than trying to do everything at once.

        Starting an IT team from scratch is a long journey, not a one-time task. It takes careful planning, the right mix of people, and patience to make it work.

        For me, the biggest lesson was that relationships and trust was as important as the technical skills. By building a team with a mix of trusted colleagues and new hires, and by focusing on process, learning, and trust-building, we successfully transitioned the work within the expected time.

        Quiet time in office- is it worth it ?

        One Monday morning, we received an email from our CEO introducing quiet time.

        Dear All,

        I would like the business to trial having some quiet time, over the next 4 weeks…

        One of the great things about this business, is that everyone is always happy to help and support their fellow colleagues. This is a brilliant culture and I would like it to continue but sometimes we need some quiet time for ourselves.

        “I love my kids to bits but sometimes its great when they are in bed and we get a bit of peace to get on with stuff around the house…”

        I would therefore like to propose some quiet time, so that everyone has the opportunity to concentrate and focus on their own job and task in hand. Sometimes we simply don’t have this opportunity.

        I am therefore proposing that on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday between 9.30am and 11.30am we have some quiet time.

        What does this mean ?

        There should be no meetings, no internal commercial conversations, no colleague interruptions, no internal calls, no emails etc….

        I would like to do this during August and will obtain feedback at the end, to see if this trial has worked and if it has given you time, to do what you need to without interruptions.

        Thank you

        CEO

        Quiet Time is a scheduled period, typically ranging from 1 to 3 hours, during which employees are expected to minimize distractions and focus on deep, uninterrupted work. During this time, meetings, phone calls, and non-urgent communications are discouraged, and employees are encouraged to work independently in a quiet environment.

        What has improved in our case

        Initially, it seems to be a good idea to improve focus and productivity. Quiet Time allowed employees to concentrate on complex tasks that require deep thinking, free from the constant interruptions of emails, messages, or casual conversations.

        By providing dedicated time for focused work, some employees completed tasks more efficiently, reducing the need to work overtime or take work home. Some introverts, who often thrive in quiet environments, find Quiet Time particularly beneficial, as it allows them to work in a way that aligns with their natural preferences.

        What are the challenges?

        However, implementing the policy came with its share of challenges. To begin with, quiet time cannot be enforced company-wide, as teams like customer support and sales are required to interact with clients during office hours, and clients are not bound by internal quiet time policies. Additionally, in an open-plan office setup, enforcing such a policy proves to be particularly challenging.

        While quiet time can be beneficial if uniformly adopted, coordinating it becomes complex when teams operate across different time zones. One solution could be to establish separate quiet time slots for each time zone. Still, this approach reduces the available window for communication and collaboration, potentially diminishing the overall value of the effort.

        Is Quiet Time Worth It?

        The answer depends on your organization’s unique needs and work culture. If your employees frequently struggle with distractions and express a need for more focused work time, Quiet Time can be a highly effective solution. It can lead to increased productivity, reduced stress, and a more respectful work environment. If your workplace thrives on constant collaboration and communication, Quiet Time may not be the best fit. In such cases, consider alternative solutions, such as flexible work hours or designated quiet spaces, to accommodate different work styles.

        The policy did not work for us in the long run. Our open-plan office, which housed customer service and sales teams in a collaborative environment, made it challenging for client-focused teams to receive timely support from other business units, which affected our SLA.

        However, Implementing Quiet Time in the office can be a powerful way to enhance productivity, reduce stress, and create a more balanced work environment. However, its success depends on careful planning, clear communication, and a willingness to adapt based on employee feedback. By weighing the benefits and challenges and tailoring the approach to your organization’s needs, you can determine whether Quiet Time is worth implementing in your office. If done right, it can become a valuable tool for fostering both individual focus and team collaboration.