Introducing data visualization at Adhese: My internship journey
For the past six months, I had the incredible opportunity to intern at Adhese, a company renowned for its cutting-edge technology in automated trading of digital advertising space, also known as an "ad server". Adhese's headquarters are located in Ghent, Belgium, while the branch I interned at is situated in Amsterdam. Adhese guarantees complete control and transparency for both buyers and sellers, providing software that brings digital publishers and advertisers together seamlessly.
The project
Previously, Adhese relied on Google Data Studio to visualize publisher data. While it worked adequately for simple datasets, it ultimately limited users in terms of capabilities. Some clients even switched to their own reporting environments to gain the insights Data Studio couldn't provide. Furthermore, Data Studio could become extremely slow when handling large datasets, with some clients dealing with databases containing billions of rows. Each displayed advertisement is logged, and some clients had to wait up to five minutes to view a dashboard. While this was not an issue for many clients, it caused significant frustration for others.
Opportunity
This presented a golden opportunity for Adhese to create its own application that would be faster, capable of manipulating data, integrable within the existing infrastructure, independent of Google, and aligned with Adhese's branding. This is where my role as an intern came into play. My task was to develop a new reporting environment that offered users more capabilities for gaining insights than Google Data Studio.
The solution
Combining various technologies, including CubeJS, ReactJS, and Adhese OAuth, I created an application that not only serves as a robust reporting environment but also will be utilized in future projects by Adhese. The application I built is now in production and is being used by client.
Key features
- Speed and efficiency: The new application significantly reduces the time required to load dashboards, even with large datasets.
- Enhanced data manipulation: Users now have more tools and capabilities at their disposal to manipulate and analyze data.
- Seamless integration: The application integrates smoothly with Adhese's existing infrastructure, ensuring a cohesive user experience.
- Customizable and scalable: It is designed to be easily customizable and scalable for future needs.
- Adhese branding: The application adheres to Adhese's brand guidelines, providing a consistent look and feel.
Development process
The development process was a collaborative effort with Adhese's development team, involving regular stand-ups, bi-weekly sprints, and a strict planning schedule. This structured approach ensured that the project stayed on track and met all the set requirements.
Conclusion
I am incredibly proud of the application I built during my internship at Adhese. The dashboard meets the company's requirements, and I can look back on this period with great satisfaction. This innovative application addresses existing problems and capitalizes on new opportunities, showcasing my ability to deliver impactful solutions.
My time at Adhese has been a transformative experience, providing me with valuable skills and knowledge that I will carry forward in my career. I am grateful for the opportunity and the support of the Adhese team, and I look forward to seeing the continued impact of my work on the company's success.