How bTrade turns customer requests into reality in record time

Andrei Olin

Many of our customers often ask, “How does bTrade roll out new features and functionalities so fast without affecting quality?” The answer lies in the way we work. We follow modern software development practices, focus on teamwork, and use advanced tools to ensure everything runs smoothly. In this blog, we will explain how these steps help us create reliable Managed File Transfer (MFT) solutions for our customers.

Using Agile to Stay Flexible

At bTrade, we use Agile development methods. This way of working makes us flexible, lets us adjust to changes, and ensures we deliver value to our customers on time.

Key points of Agile usage:

  • Step-by-Step Progress: We break complex tasks into smaller, manageable parts. This allows us to test and improve features as we go.
  • Test-Driven Development: Before we finish a feature, we write automated tests to ensure the code works as expected.
  • Clear Plans: By using tools like Scrum and Kanban, we can plan better and keep track of progress.

Automation Speeds Things Up

Automation is a big part of how we work. With Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) pipelines, we can move from development to production quickly and safely.

Technical Details About CI/CD:

  • Automatic Testing:some text
    • Unit Tests check small pieces of the code.
    • Integration Tests ensure different parts of the system work well together.
    • End-to-End Tests simulate real-world situations to catch any unexpected problems.
    • Load Tests simulate performance of our systems under maximum load and help us to identify and resolve potential bottlenecks before we release our applications to our clients.
  • Code Quality Checks: Tools like SonarQube help us check if the code is clean and follows best practices.

A Strong Team Makes It Happen

Our team is the real reason for bTrade’s success. We believe in building and maintaining a high-performing engineering team where everyone takes responsibility and works together to achieve our goals.

How We Help Our Team Work Better:

Documented Best Practices for Coding:
We maintain clear and comprehensive documentation that guides our engineers in coding efficiently and consistently. These best practices include:

  • Clear and Descriptive Names: Variables, functions, and classes are named in ways that describe their purpose, making the code easier to read and understand.
  • Meaningful Comments: Important logic and decisions in the code are explained using concise, helpful comments. This ensures that even complex sections of the codebase can be quickly grasped by team members.
  • Wiki Pages for Key Implementations: We create and maintain internal Wiki pages that describe essential features, architectures, and integrations. These documents serve as reference points, enabling engineers to onboard faster and contribute effectively.

Efficient Tools:

  • Infrastructure as Code: Using tools like Terraform, we can manage infrastructure changes easily and with precision.
  • Advanced Debugging and Profiling: Developers utilize tools like Dynatrace and New Relic to analyze application performance under load and identify areas for optimization.
  • AI and IDE Assistance: We utilize tools like GitHub Copilot, ChatGPT, and advanced IDE features to build quality code. These tools help us automate repetitive tasks, improve coding speed, and verify the effectiveness of our solutions.

Learning Culture:
Regular training, peer code reviews, and knowledge-sharing sessions keep our team updated with the latest technologies and ensure continuous improvement.

Good Communication:
We encourage open communication through daily standups and retrospectives, helping the team align on goals and solve issues quickly.

Listening to Customers

Our customers are always at the center of what we do. By listening to their needs, we can create features that solve real problems.

Examples of Customer-Focused Features:

  • Load Balancing and Clustering: This ensures that our MFT platform works smoothly even when there is a lot of traffic​​.
  • Faster Transfers: With our Accelerated File Transfer Protocol (AFTP), customers can transfer files 10 times faster than traditional methods like SFTP or HTTPS​.
  • APIs for Flexibility: We offer APIs so customers can connect our MFT system to their existing tools easily.
  • Data Replication: Our TDXchange platform enables full replication of files between preconfigured servers. This feature works seamlessly both on-premises and in the cloud, ensuring that critical data is synchronized and available wherever and wherever needed.

Improving After Deployment

Our work doesn’t end after launching a feature. We keep monitoring and improving our systems to make sure they perform well.

Tools We Use for Monitoring:

  • Real-Time Tracking: Tools like Prometheus and Grafana help us watch system performance and identify any issues quickly.
  • AI Insights: Machine learning helps us predict problems and fix them before they affect customers.

At bTrade, we combine good practices, automation, and teamwork to deliver features quickly and reliably. Our focus on customers and continuous improvement ensures we provide the best solutions for secure file transfers.

If you’d like to know more about how we can help your business, contact us today at info@btrade.com.  Let’s work together to create something amazing!