When the site went online in 2019, it was still launched under ALDI Green Energy.
ALDI Green Energy is a cooperation between the discounter and Pfalzwerke AG. In certain region of Germany, electricity and gas can be obtained here.
In every project there are delays, that this is nothing unknown should be clear to everyone in the industry. In this case, however, we only had 4 weeks. On the one hand, because the upstream project was behind schedule and, at the same time, because our department head at the time had agreed to an inquiry that I vehemently advised against. More about that later.
The designs were supplied by an external service provider. The cooperation with him went very well. Simple coordination and working hand in hand as well as a complete acceptance before the start of development. Here a big praise to designer and project manager.
What was the challenge? Pimcore as technology, one of the best frontend developers I know on board, everything was approved. So everything can only go smoothly, right? No! Because middle management knows better, as we all know. Originally, the tariff calculator including the closing section was to be integrated via iFrame. Shortly before the start, Pfalzwerke AG asked if it was possible to integrate the whole thing natively and not by means of iFrame into the page. The reasons for the request were all completely valid, but "no" is always an option as an answer to a question. I suggested to take the site online as planned and implement the rate calculator natively in the following weeks. Reasons I put on the table as I gained more insight over the years. Issues such as IT security, IT infrastructure and other factors were urgent to consider.
Nine mothers can give birth to a child in a month - that or something like that was the middle management's motto in this case. Ignoring all arguments, he agreed and took over the development of the necessary resource himself, without knowing the context. An application was then developed in .NET core, which had to communicate with SAP. Since they didn't listen to me, the whole thing then had to be implemented again in Pimcore, because the IT security concept was not taken into account by our "solution architect".
But when the deadline stands, it stands. And when you have made a commitment, you can't go back on it at such short notice. I'm also not someone who simply leaves a challenge unresolved. Overtime and a well-coordinated Pimcore team made it possible. I'm still proud of that today.
Everyone makes mistakes. To hold these against someone would be just as bad as not naming them or, even worse, not learning from them. For me, I took away two experiences.
Since I was in some kind of responsibility role myself, it was confirmation for me to listen even more to the people on my team. The closer an employee is to the base of the company, the more you have to listen to them as the person in charge. Even if it means that it hurts the purse strings, otherwise it hurts more because it costs more, in doubt even one or the other employee.
Another experience I had at the time? Sitting in the last train home at 23:30 at night, one day before the site goes online, the project manager on the phone who was still testing and found a bug in the software I had nothing to do with at all, which was written in a technology (.NET core) I didn't know. Reading code and fixing a bug in the text editor to roll it out to live without testing and it works the first time? I don't think that's cool, but I can.
