Set up your development tenant

Set up your tenant to develop your app

We'll set you up with a development, test, and production tenant. You start by building in your development tenant. When you're happy, you can move your build over to your test tenant for User Acceptance Testing (UAT). When tested, you're ready to move your configuration over to your live production tenant.

Optional tasks

Set up a custom domain

A custom domain allows you to run Applaud using your own domain name. For example, dev-applaud.dovesatwork.com. test-applaud.dovesatwork.com, and applaud.dovesatwork.work (for dev, UAT, and production, respectively.)

Most organizations choose to use a custom domain for their production tenant, such as applaud.dovesatwork.com. However, it's entirely optional to do this for your dev and test tenants. You might do this if you'd like more memorable URLs for your testers; equally, you might be happy to use the default domain, such as test-my-company-com.tryapplaud.com.

See our knowledge base article, Custom domain.

Set up single sign-on

If you already use a system to verify your users, you might want to set up your Applaud app with single sign-on. Ideally, you would set this up before inviting users to access your app. See our knowledge base article, About single sign-on.

If you already use a single sign-on solution, such as Okta, you can configure your Applaud tenant to use this for sign-on instead of a separate password. With single sign-on, a user's Applaud account can be automatically created on the fly when they first connect to Applaud so that you don't have to worry about inviting users manually or bulk creating users through an integration. Roles can also be automatically provisioned using workflows.

Whilst you normally set up single sign-on in production, you may choose not to do this in your development and test tenants and instead ask users to sign in with their email address and choose a password.

Set up Google analytics

You'll want to set up different properties for each of your tenants that you wish to measure in Google Analytics. For example, one property for development, one for test, and one for production.

You don't need to use Google Analytics for development or test, but you may want to explore usage during a formal User Acceptance Testing round.

See our knowledge base article, About tracking site usage.

Set up Google Maps API

You can connect your app to Google Maps with their API in Applaud so you can create visualizations that make your data come alive. You can set up Google Maps at any time, but you won't be able to visualize any GeoPoint properties on a map until you set this up.

See our knowledge base article, Configure your Google Maps API key.

Package custom mobile app

You may simply allow your users to download and use the public Applaud iOS and Android apps. If, however, your mobile and security teams require all work apps to be distributed via a secure enterprise app store (such as an MDM or MAM platform), you'll want to package the custom mobile app for deployment.

Internal processes can take a while, so we recommend you kick-start this as soon as you can.

See our knowledge base article, About mobile apps.

Build your functionality in agile sprints

We recommend using an agile methodology to deploy Applaud. Applaud typically works in two-weekly sprints, where each sprint delivers testable functionality. In a sprint, we would build in development, collect employee feedback, deploy to the test tenant, and complete the testing.

You'll need enough sprints to deliver some great functionality for an initial go-live, but don't overdo it: start small and grow over time with ongoing innovation and sprints.

When you've finished building a feature and are ready to move to your test tenant, there are two steps:

1.  
   1. Package your features into your own private templates, and give access to your test tenant to install these templates. This packages all configurations except integrations.
   2. Package up your integration recipes into an integration manifest. This can then be exported to a file, then imported into your test tenant. This packages only integrations and no other Applaud configuration.

When you're done with your first feature, you're ready to start provisioning your test tenant.