Graduation Assignment – Back-end Development

What are you going to do?

How can we reduce state queries and and increase the efficiency of our systems?

Our software maintains a digital view of retailers' stock inventory. This means that millions of items are continuously scanned, processed, and updated in our systems. Think of processes like receiving, counting, moving, or selling items. These mutations result in billions of database operations annually.

Many software applications continuously query the exact state of items to make decisions. This puts a heavy load on our databases. Consider the following scenarios:

• Assigning newly arrived stock to the correct store without counting existing stock again.
• Ensuring that already existing stock is ignored during a new shipment scan.
• Verifying whether an item is sold before leaving the store to prevent unnecessary alarms.
• Preventing e-commerce sales from being mistakenly counted as sellable store stock.
  
  
  

To reduce the load on our systems, we want to gain insight into how often an item's state is queried and explore ways to reduce these queries. This requires smart analysis of large datasets, potentially using data sampling techniques. Additionally, you can investigate how filtering and state checks can be performed more efficiently without always querying a central database, for example, using Bloom filters.

With your insights, Nedap can handle large amounts of data more efficiently, making our software faster and more scalable. This not only improves performance but also reduces costs and enhances the experience for our customers.

Responsibilities

Your responsibilities

During this graduation assignment, you will:

• Analyze: Map how often an item's state is queried and determine its impact.
• Optimize: Research ways to reduce the number of state queries and improve performance.
• Experiment: Test techniques such as data sampling and decentralized calculations.
• Implement: Develop a practical solution and validate its impact.
• Collaborate: Actively contribute ideas for optimizations within our stock management system.
  
  
  

You will have the freedom to further scope the assignment and shape its direction.

Your team

You will be part of Nedap Retail, where we develop advanced software solutions for stock management using RFID technology. Our team consists of experienced developers who will support you in your research and technical development. Throughout your graduation project, you will receive guidance from experts within the team, helping you with both the technical and research aspects of your assignment. There will be opportunities for discussions, feedback, and knowledge sharing to help you get the most out of your project.

We expect you to be present at our Groenlo office at least two days per week.

Our offer

As an intern or graduation project student at Nedap, you can work either remotely or on our amazing campus in Groenlo, in consultation with your team. The choice is yours. You will have plenty of space to take the lead in your assignment, with personal leadership and individual responsibility being central. You will collaborate with passionate professionals from whom you can learn a lot.

As a token of our appreciation for your efforts, we organize a 'Nedap Student Day' every six months, a fun day with all interns, graduation project students, and working students at Nedap. Additionally, we offer a monthly internship or graduation project allowance ranging between €325 and €650 per month. If the collaboration is mutually satisfactory, there is a chance for a job at Nedap. Many students have stayed after their assignment.

Required

Required experience and skills

You have an analytical mindset and can transform complex datasets into valuable insights. You are curious and proactive, allowing you to conduct independent research and explore new techniques without hesitation. Additionally, you can translate theoretical concepts into practical applications and clearly communicate your findings within the team.

You also recognize yourself in the following:

• Educational background: Bachelor or Master in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field.
• Programming skills: Experience with Java, Kotlin, or Python (proficiency in at least one of these languages is required).
• Language skills: A good command of both Dutch and English.