Digital services (websites, apps etc) are like coffee! They are an essential part of modern living and ubiquitous in today's society. There is a constant demand for new services and consumers are now very sophisticated in selecting the right people to make those services for them.
Just like coffee, there is an almost limitless number of ways to make a digital service depending on the skills and resources available and the desired outcome. Whilst in some circumstances customers will make do with a simple instant solution, in most, they need to see the right systems, processes, tools, skills and experience being applied to their order to get them exactly the outcome they require.
In short, customers demand a 'barista' experience from the agencies delivering their digital services. Most agencies struggle with this to some degree or other. Many digital services delivered to clients look the part, but blow away the froth and often you're looking at lukewarm brown water! With the constant pressure on resources, how can an agency avoid this?
I-ntarsia: the platform for "Digital Baristas"
The Power of Drupal 8
Just like the espresso machine at the core of a great coffee shop, the Digital Barista needs the right system at the heart of the service offering. Drupal 8 is the best content management framework available, blending ease of use with limitless flexibility. As a system for agencies, Drupal 8 is a perfect addition to the portfolio.
It is true that with this reputation for power and flexibility Drupal 8 comes with a reputation for complexity. That's not a bad thing. If you went into your local coffee shop and the 'barista' took your order and then simply turned to a machine and pressed a button, you'd probably feel a little cheated. That's how digital service customers feel when they discover that you have done no more than they could have themselves.
Using a powerful system, like Drupal 8, is not a problem if you have the right training and support, which is why we include those in the I-ntarsia platform proposition.
Clouds of Steam
Delivering a modern digital service requires flexible, scalable cloud services. Selecting the right type and setting these up are made to appear child's play by the vendors. However, just like the steam in the espresso machine if you get it wrong you are likely to get severely scolded, and if you don't know how to maintain them then, sooner or later, your whole system will blow!
As a Digital Barista, you need the steam to be right where you want it when you need it with the confidence that it'll be just the right pressure. With integrated, multi-vendor, cloud hosting that's exactly what I-ntarsia delivers.
Blend Your Own Code
Delivering a pure-play theme-based digital service to a client is commonplace these days. It's like popping a pod into a Nespresso and then taking credit for the outcome. In certain circumstances that's OK: simple requirement; short timescale; small budget. However, things get messy very quickly if the customer wants even a tiny variation.
I-ntarsia features an integrated GitLab code control environment. We use this to manage all end customer code, which can be pulled to your local dev or live I-ntarsia environments at the press of a button in Drupal 8. Even if you are just using an off-the-shelf theme, we'll get it set up this way so that you can handle those variations properly. Just tweak that stylesheet or javascript library if you need to and then sync to your production server with a button press!
Just like a coffee grinder in a coffee shop, some agencies never need to use this feature, but it is great knowing it is there.
Tools
Like all artisan processes, there is a myriad of tools and accessories that a Digital Barista might consider. Just look at the tens of thousands of modules and plugins available for all of the CMSs. Which ones are good and which ones will mess things up?
The I-ntarsia platform comes with an approved list of modules and plugins installed that our Digital Baristas can use to create their services. We are constantly evaluating and approving the tools that we know a good barista needs. We then update and support these going forward.
Just like a busy coffee shop hasn't got the time to test out the latest tools, a busy Digital Barista hasn't got the time to evaluate and test modules and plugins. That's why this is an integral part of the I-ntarsia platform.
Partner Care
To someone who's only ever made instant or pod coffee, the prospect of using a commercial grade espresso machine could be terrifying. That's how it might feel with a professional platform for digital services. We recognise that, which is precisely why the I-ntarsia platform is not a self-service process with a fancy web interface!
We select the partners we work with, listen to them, understand their processes and get to know the people and personalities. Only that way can we ensure that we deliver all of the care they need. This can be system training, commercial advice, technical training, infrastructure planning, development catalyst our even development outsourcing. Our partner care process covers the whole spectrum of needs required to help our Digital Baristas succeed. We'll even turn up and help you advise your customers if you want us to.
Become Digital Barista Today
If you are struggling to create the type of digital services that customers demand with the confidence and assurance of a Digital Barista, then complete the enquiry form below. We'll get in touch and arrange to have a chat about what you need ... over a coffee, what else?