Rolls Royce’s Competitive solutions for nuclear power plants are developed by the nuclear division using data analytics, engineering, and support services.
The Problem
Rolls Royce made a lasting impression on their audience at the Nuclear Information Technology Strategic Leadership (NITSL) conference in 2023 when they unveiled their SDS website. This generated a great deal of excitement amongst customers, and they looked forward eagerly to the potential of a more comprehensive mobile version being presented at NITSL 2023.
The initial version of Sensor Data Sharing (SDS) was a desktop-friendly website that enabled access to data from sensors at the Power Plant. Although it demonstrated a great deal of potential, it was missing a number of necessary features.
It was initially anticipated that a mobile application (mSDS) would be developed in order to provide users with an improved version of SDS, offering them access to real-time system monitoring as well as other additional functionalities. The aim was to make use of cutting-edge manufacturing technology to increase the value of the product in the market, whilst maintaining accessibility on mobile and tablet devices.
In order to keep up with the changing times, Rolls Royce recognised that it was essential to modernise their outdated technical structure and software development processes. Our Delivery Team Approach provided a solution that was tailored to their specific requirements, thus allowing them to stay competitive in the ever-evolving digital landscape.
The Staffing Team at Works worked swiftly to identify the roles and necessary skill sets that would guarantee the implementation of best practices in coding, software quality, and an improved user experience. This rigorous process was designed to ensure that only the top 1% of talent in the market was selected.
Following a two-week Discovery Phase at Rolls Royce’s headquarters, where a Project Manager and Tech Lead collaborated with the product owner to develop the project’s technical stack, scope, and backlog, additional personnel were brought on board to commence development. This included React Front-End engineers, Quality Assurance engineers, and User Experience engineers.
mSDS This novel software offers a variety of exciting and unique features for easy access to sensor data and diagnostics in real-time. Key features include the ability to set local alerts and receive mobile notifications when certain values fall within certain defined ranges, access sensitive information from power plants, and select and compile various data points. Administrative users also have the potential to create their own categories and customizability settings for both groups and data points, as well as the ability to set global alarms that alert all users at once.
The importance of time-to-market and the capability to deliver immediate commercial value were essential criteria in the development of mSDS version 1.0. As a result, the team decided to create a progressive web application (PWA) so that the web and mobile versions could utilise the same codebase while still benefitting from the features of a native app. Upon completion of the minimum viable product (MVP), Works provided an effective on-site knowledge transfer.
For this project, React and Xamarin Forms were selected as the technologies to be utilised. Xamarin Forms is essential for providing iOS device notifications and for delivering a consistent experience for app download and use across various platforms, including the web and both Apple’s App Store and Google Play. Native versions for version 2.0 will be included when mSDS progresses further in the future.
In the works
Going forward, Works intends to persist in developing an environment of applications designed according to the most advanced software guidelines, while Rolls Royce has an extensive programme of mSDS functionalities they intend to include in subsequent releases.
