Future of Work case set by Accenture
Athena: Remote Workflow Democratisation Productivity Platform for businesses
by Liam Byrne, Lucas Warwick, Sam Watson and Corbinian Kiby
Try it out: https://start-athena.web.app/
Demo Youtube Video:
Athena tackles a challenge organisations increasingly face today: How can remote workflows be coordinated efficiently?
We believe in the competence and responsibility of the individuals involved in organisations’ operations. Through our web-based platform all employees and external contributors can seamlessly both post and take on tasks. Relevant tasks are selected from a task pool and every user has visibility about open, completed as well as work-in-progress tasks. A matching algorithm helps task receivers to easily identify the tasks most suitable for their skills profile. 360 degree feedback both for task providers and receivers ensures “checks and balances” across hierarchies.
The boss as the “dictator” becomes unnecessary. Resource-consuming top-down decision making is significantly reduced. Leaders in organisations can shift their focus from everyday coordination to fundamental strategic decisions.
Employees and external contributors welcome the freedom and trust received through Athena's implementation. Employee satisfaction reaches unseen levels and each individual’s capacity to contribute is fully leveraged.
The working environment has been and still is changing rapidly. Remote work is only one of the effects of digitization. Organizations will not only have to adapt single workflows but their complete organisational philosophy. It is time to democratize working environments.
Athena is a digital accelerator and our customers’ closest partner on their uncertain, yet highly exciting path into the future of work. Existing project management tools have so far only provided a digital layer for already existing (and very traditional) workflows. Athena aims at a paradigm shift. Let’s make work feel like life, not vice versa!
Our full-stack cloud application is based on React, Firebase and Node.js. With our intuitive interface we aim to have its users look forward to start their workday with Athena every morning. Colour schemes assure that features such as a task's progress and priority can easily be identified. The key functionalities work intuitively via drag-and-drop.
Athena focusses on remote work and it has been built remotely in a joint project between British and German team members. An entrepreneurial journey is most often a rocky one, but who knows: perhaps Athena will be able to lead by example and as one of the first 100% remotely built gamechangers of the digital age.
The project was written in React with NodeJS, the backend uses Firebase Firestore and Authentication.
Figure 1: A new user signs up to Athena. They input skills they are proficient in and this is saved to their user. This will allow a matching algorithm to index available tasks in the 'Task Pool' in the order of how profient they are expected to be at that task.
Figure 2: A new task is created, it has associated skills and a brief. This task will be added to the 'Task Pool' on the Dashboard allowing users to undertake it.
Figure 1, 2
Figure 3 : The user is presented with a Dashboard split into 2 dynamic boxes. 'My Tasks' holds the tasks the user is currently pursuing. 'Task Pool' holds all tasks available to the user that have been released in their company. The user can drag and drop a task they wish to undertake in 'My Tasks' and the task becomes theirs.
This user is presented with a Firebase/TypeScript task first which is a skill they are proficent. In turn, improving workflow efficiency by encouraging those who are most applicable to undertake the task, no matter their position.
Figure 3
Thank you.