By Emily Gerson, Content Marketing Specialist
Navjoy prides itself in innovation and to do that we created a team that devotes at least 10 hours of their work week to research and development. Internally, we call this team our Gang of 4, or GO4 for short. The GO4 is comprised of two data analysts, a research associate, and a network technician.
This team was established to vet business ideas and advanced technologies, as well as enhance our software with new features and improvements. The group is involved in all phases of the software development process, from writing use cases and system requirements to completing proof-of-concepts.
“Generally, what we try to do is take our market research and boil it down to business requirements like what specific features or services can clients find elsewhere, and how can we meet and exceed that level of service,” Stew LaPan, GO4 member, said. “From there, we try to break it down further into specific needs from a user-perspective, such as how many steps should this process take, or how should this information be organized.”
This means that the team brainstorms helpful software features and then works with our development team in India to bring those ideas to life.
“It’s the nursery for ideas that will ultimately make up the universe of Navjoy products, services, and solutions we offer to our clients,” GO4 member, Ethan Alexander, said. “Research and Development is critical for making sure that Navjoy is current with trends and disruptions in the industry on the path toward becoming a global brand.”
In addition to software optimization and product development, the research helps us stay knowledgeable to the work already out there and productively contribute to the practical conversation with our work.
“Research is extremely important as to not reinvent the wheel every time we start a new project,” Marc Russell, GO4 member, said.
This quest for knowledge is in the interest of our company’s core goal: to transform the transportation industry with technology.
“As an industry, Research and Development helps us prepare for the future,” GO4 member, Will Fairbank, said. “As a company, it helps us capitalize on that future.”
Meet the team
Marc Russell, Data Analyst
“It's hard to pick the most interesting piece of research that I've come across. I like the research published in 2009 by Yoko Ishigami and Raymond Klein on the effectiveness of hands-free phone devices (it was nearly the same as holding the phone). I also appreciate the old research papers from the 50’s on traffic signal settings.”
Stew LaPan, Data Analyst
“I've really enjoyed contributing to our dashboard features in the solutions, as it draws directly from my background in data visualization. Dashboards are such a common feature these days that it can be easy to underestimate just how complex they can be under the hood. I'm excited to see what sort of expanded functionality we can continue to add in!”
Will Fairbank, Network Technician
“As a team we can utilize our different skill sets to empower our research."
Ethan Alexander, Research Associate
“There are lots of interesting things happening in the industry today, one that stands out is roadway signs that feature both human readable and machine-readable messaging. They hold promise for the emerging hybrid human and autonomous driving environment as a key safety and connected infrastructure component.”
Justin Healey, Team Lead
"I think it is essential that companies in the transportation technology sector engage in their own research and development. For us, it helps us stay on the cutting edge for transportation technology when advising clients, and get hands-on experience developing our own products."
Vinod Chandran, Software Development Liaison
“Research is the life-blood of any technology company. It’s exciting to be a part of this team that has its sights calibrated on solving for tough transportation related problems.”
Overall, this team has so much potential to propel us toward relentless innovation and we can’t wait to see everything they accomplish.
