Flutter is a cross-platform technology developed by Google. It is an open source framework that allows the creation of applications with a single code for different platforms such as iOS, Android and desktop applications. At WATA Factory, we have been using this technology for several years. You can find more information on the topic at the following link.

We started the All Hands event with a Colombian breakfast. Our tradition of preparing breakfasts from the different countries of origin of our colleagues led us this time to arepas (corn patties that can be filled with different ingredients), patacones (fried plantains) and chicharrones (pork rinds).

After breakfast we started with the first part of the Flutter workshop, where the speakers Ana Polo and Óscar Martín gave a theoretical introduction to Dart (the programming language on which Flutter is based).

The lecture could be followed live on Youtube, but it was also possible to come to our offices and be there live. Those who attended in person were provided with a workstation with internet access so that they could work and make the most of the day.

After the first part of the workshop we had a lunch break. We went to a restaurant near the office where we enjoyed homemade food in a cosy atmosphere.

After lunch, the second and practical part of the Flutter event began. Different codelabs adapted to the different levels of difficulty of beginners and advanced learners, so that each participant could learn and programme at their own pace.

The Codelabs for beginners first included a part to familiarise ourselves with the Dart language. Soon we were able to start programming our first mobile application.

At the end of the day, a snack and drinks were waiting for us so that we could have a good networking session to share what we had learned, the challenges we faced and how we overcame them, as well as to share our impressions with the external participants.

Later, some of our colleagues went to the bowling alley to end the day with some fun.

The next day, our traditional Andalusian breakfast awaited us, marking the beginning of a more relaxed day.

On this Friday, the different teams came together to brainstorm, with the participation of invited experts, about improvement strategies for their projects, on which they are programming every day.

In the late morning, our colleague Julia from Germany presented GesA, one of the latest and most successful projects we have just completed.

As at previous All Hand events, pizza was not to be missed. After lunch, we played a kahoot together to test knowledge about the company and colleagues. The winner received a certified Data Science training plan.

Here are some more pictures from the event.

So that was our second corporate event in 2023. Our next get-together will have a very special theme: Quantum Computing. Keep an eye on our Meetup group so you don’t miss it .

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In order to offer our employees attractive events, we try to give each All-Hands a different approach. On this occasion, we decided to hold a hackathon, a format that not only offers the opportunity to learn, but also provides an additional competitive incentive, as the winning team usually wins a prize.

The term “hackathon” is a combination of the words “hacker” and “marathon“. There are many ways to organise a hackathon, but it usually involves teams of programmers meeting over an extended period of time to develop a collaborative software, i.e. the whole team working on the same project. At the end of the development period, the work is usually evaluated and the winning team receives a prize.

In our case, we formed three multidisciplinary teams: the red team, plus a green and a blue one (following the RGB colour scheme The team members were randomly distributed to ensure that each group had members from all profiles (project managers, front-end developers, back-end developers, cloud profiles, automated testers and manual testers).

The event started on Thursday with an Italian breakfast organised by one of our colleagues from Italy. He explained that breakfast in Italy is quick and usually consists of a croissant and coffee. In our case it was classic croissants with cream filling and chocolate coating .

After a presentation explaining the details of the hackathon, each team went to their own space to start working.

A couple of hours of work later, it was time for lunch. Following the line of the Italian breakfast, we stayed on the same line and had some delicious pizza for lunch. Then we did a little team-buildinground, it was back to the hackathon challenge.

At the end of the working day, we went to the centre of Jerez and attended a flamenco show together.

Later we enjoyed a delicious dinner in a wonderful restaurant in the heart of Jerez de la Frontera (Cádiz).

The next day, after our traditional Andalusian breakfast, we continued with the Hackathon Challenge All the teams gave their best to solve the final challenges in the most exciting hours of the event. Finally, the presentations of the three teams took place and the project leaders were able to present their work.

And here is the blue team, the winners of the event. Each member received a MagicBox containing a romantic getaway for two .

After the prize giving we ended the meeting with a good lunch. Here are some pictures of the first All Hands meeting of the year.

So this was our first corporate event in 2023 . We are already preparing for the next edition with a new format full of surprises .

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WATA Factory‘s original focus was on human resources, and this is still reflected in the company’s attitude, which is concerned about the welfare of its employees and is committed to social and team-building initiatives.

On the other hand, we are also aware of the dizzying speed at which the technological world evolves these days. Today’s technologies are already outdated tomorrow, so continuous training is essential. We want to offer our clients the best trained professionals who can easily meet the challenges of everyday life. Our employees are all computer enthusiasts and therefore the first to be interested in these training days, which provide them with the knowledge they need for their professional development.

The event started with a typical German breakfast, as WATA Factory is a Spanish-German company. On Friday, however, the plan was to welcome our employees with a typical Andalusian breakfast.

After breakfast, our CEO, Germán Lorenzo, gave a welcome speech and an introduction about the upcoming event. Afterwards, the first training session, the Next Challenge, started.

For the Next Challenge, we split into groups by department to run a specific workshop on topics we want to focus on in the coming months. For example, developers looked at the S for Solid, project managers at KPIs, testers at Xray and q.Beyond Ibérica at the Cloud.

After a coffee break, the pair programming sessions began, where employees got together in pairs or small teams to share interesting topics and technical knowledge.

At lunchtime, we opened the doors so that people from outside the company, interested in attending the open talks, could share some networking time with us. We ordered 8 meters of pizza, which we enjoyed in a relaxed atmosphere.

In the afternoon, the public talks began, which anyone from outside the company could attend by registering in advance at the corresponding Meetup event. The first talk, “Serverless Application: cloud development workshop”, was given by our colleague Daniel Buenestado. The second, “Zero to production with Kubernetes”, was given by Laura Morillo.

After the talks, a beerworking session took place where colleagues from WATA Factory and q.Beyond Ibérica as well as external participants could share their experiences and impressions about the talks as well as about technologies in general.

The evening ended with a catered dinner on our premises.

On the next day, the Andalusian breakfast awaited us. Additionally, workers who wished to do so had the opportunity to undergo an occupational health checkup.

In the morning, the colleagues were divided into main topics and continued the pair programming of the previous day. Afterwards, the TalentPool was presented, an online tool developed by our company for the German market.

After a great lunch, we played a fun kahoot with questions about the event and the company, and the winner received a prize.

Here are some pictures of the funniest moments of the event.

And here is also a video of our gathering.

So this was our company event in October. We are already looking forward to the next meeting where we will include interesting news for our employees :-).

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Less known are the excellent universities, which provide a large number of highly educated computer scientists, or also the well developed IT infrastructure.

From the question of how can we, as WATA Factory, contribute to the region or even give something back to it, the idea of the WATA ACADEMY was born very quickly:

The aim is to create a dynamic, interacting, steadily growing community, in which methods and techniques of continuous quality improvement (TDD, Continuous-Integration, Continuous-Delivery, etc.) in software development are the focus.

The exchange about current impact topics and the identification of future tasks in the IT sector should also become elementary components of the community. In a 4-week cycle, speakers from different fields of expertise around the topic of “software development” are invited to join us in order to impart specific knowledge, and also topics “beyond the edge of one’s own nose” and put them up for discussion.

The participation is free of charge – whether for internal employees, partners, software developers or simply interested parties.

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Docker is an open-source project to isolate applications through container virtualization.

Docker simplifies the deployment of applications because containers, which include all necessary packages, can be easily transported and installed as files. Containers ensure the separation and management of the resources used on a computer. For several months now we have been using Docker in new projects and, as far as possible, are converting existing projects to this technology.

At WATA Factory we promote the continuous training of our employees through the WATA Academy.

The WATA Academy is an initiative where software developers and testers can participate free of charge in expert lectures and workshops on various technologies.

This Docker introductory workshop enables employees to learn the basics and consolidate their existing knowledge, thus improving the practical use of Docker in a wide range of projects.

The session was for the first time developed in a special and different way.

Some of the developers attended the workshop directly on-site, while other employees were able to follow the training from their workstations thanks to our streaming system.

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