Bioledger

Why is Bioledger’s mission so important?

It would be trivial to say that sustainable energy is our future. It’s our do or die, and it’s a priority for now, not for 30 years from now. But for such a revolutionary industry, biofuels is lagging behind on technology when it comes to documentation and compliance.

Biofuel production processes are extremely complicated. The source material comes from hundreds of suppliers and goes through complex logistics chains. Yet almost everything is tracked on paper – including proof that the fuel was sustainably sourced. This breeds opportunity for fraud, and with substantial EU subsidies at play, some use this opportunity.

How Bioledger solves the problem?

Bioledger makes sustainability compliance simple, secure, and transparent. From local farmers and restaurants to largest biofuel producers, their software serves all in digitizing and tracking proof-of-sustainability documentation easily, clearly, and securely.

This aligns with the goals of the European Commission which has been working on creating a single biofuels database. Bioledger meets the demands set out by the Commission, allowing companies to remain compliant with EU requirements while using the platform for convenient stock management and day-to-day operations.

That’s impressive! How does Gorrion help?

Patrick Lynch, the founder of Bioledger, learned about Gorrion through a common connection with one of our clients. At that time his company was in desperate need for help. They already invested a lot of time and resources in the MVP, but they found the software agency they were working with lacking in skills and procedures. Patrick’s trust was betrayed – hence the search among dependable recommendations.

Before we set out to develop new features and functionalities, we’ve reviewed the code and recommended refactoring. Rewriting the code required an investment of six months, but since security and scalability are critical to Bioledger, there was no other way.

After rolling out the new version of the platform, we’ve stayed on to help Bioledger develop new features that would help them onboard more customers. Over the course of two years (and counting), Gorrion team has become an integral part of Bioledger. We’ve taken full responsibility for the platform – front-end, back-end, maintenance, design, testing, and project management.

Our next step is to create a headless service that will allow large companies in the biofuels industry to integrate Bioledger with their internal BSS and ERP systems while remaining compliant with EU regulations.

The challenges we’ve overcome together

Solid buildings need firm foundations

When Bioledger first approached us, they already had a minimum viable product (MVP), meaning an early version of the platform with basic functionalities. It was built in 2019 to show regulators and industry what digital traceability might look like. The next challenge was to transform the MVP to a scalable solution that could grow to support thousands of enterprise users in over 100 countries.

It was clear to us that the code-base written for the MVP by the previous development team had no structure that we could work on securely and reliably. To implement enterprise grade security and new functionalities, and be able to scale the app, we needed to scrap the MVP and build from the ground up in a structured way.

While this temporarily halted new feature development, it ensured that the Bioledger platform now stands on enterprise grade, logical foundations that safeguard stability, security, and scalability as the company grows.

Everybody, move

Bioledger already had existing platform users. Refactoring code meant we had to migrate them to the new version. Preferably without them having to do anything.

To make it as smooth as possible, we first had to test the app extensively to make sure no functionalities were affected by the rewrite. We also had to take care of the existing data and back it up securely. After all, traceability is at the core of the platform, so we couldn’t lose a packet.

As a result of the migration, we’ve rolled out what we call “Bioledger 2.0” – a more stable and secure platform which we continuously enrich with new features, such as recently introduced multi profile account.

One size fits all

A particular challenge that the Bioledger platform faces is the diversity of its users. The system is the most effective if everybody in the supply chain joins. That means both local farmers or restaurants, and global corporations. But they all have different needs.

Small providers want their app to be easy to use and hassle-free. Multinational companies want detailed data and integrations with their systems. Our challenge is to plan out such a roadmap that delivers features to both groups and satisfies all needs.

From a technical standpoint, we need to maintain one platform with different views for different types of users. Creating profiles that would have the right functionalities required us to thoroughly understand both the personas and the complex nature of the biofuels supply chain.

Trust above all else

Bioledger had years of experience in sustainable biofuels sourcing but zero experience in software development. That’s good, because we have years of experience in software development and knew nothing about sustainable biofuels.

So when developing new features we listen to them and their clients.Our goal is always to deliver the most value to the most users first, which is why we actively participate in client meetings and always remain close to the users.

In turn, Bioledger trusts us to maintain a feature roadmap that prioritizes users, sets ambitious goals and deadlines, and takes into account the budget and business needs. To Bioledger we’re not just developers for hire – we’re tech partners to an amazing start-up that makes the world a better place.