In a previous article we outlined exactly how product development works for us as a social enterprise, discussing where ideas come from and how they come to fruition.  

The main source of development requests are our users themselves, often via the Feature Request form. As the previous article outlines these requests form a key strand in terms of ideas that will feature in our roadmap for the months and years ahead. 

Whilst we would love to commit to doing lots of developments as soon as possible, as a social enterprise ourselves with limited resources and funds, elements of our roadmap have to be prioritised to meet the needs of the majority of the community.   

But what if there is a development an organisation would like to see on the system sooner? 

At times, a potential development may be important for a particular organisation’s current or future use of the system. Here at Upshot, we are always open to collaborative discussions and partnerships which could enable faster development, if it is in line with the needs of the sector overall.  

When submitting a feature request there is a question ‘What lengths would you be prepared to go to for this enhancement to be made?’ with options available to indicate either:

• Invest money directly into the feature
• Take part in a crowdfunding process
• Partake in a discussion around the development of the feature

Whilst this may not be applicable to all organisations, for some this can provide a way to collaborate on the development of the system, helping to meet and prioritise specific needs. 

Previous Examples  

Several much-loved features have previously been discussed, part or wholly funded by organisations and are now available to the whole Upshot community. 

For instance, several organisations provided important feedback on the development of the Upshot Mobile App and for the integration with Eventbrite, users participated in a vital user testing before launch.

At the start of 2024, the Attendee Profile Picture was funded by Newham Council. A helpful way to verify the identity of attendees as well as brining some colour to their profiles.    

For Surveys, the introduction of the Matrix question type as well as the ability to have Conditional Questions was part-funded by our friends at the Dutch football league: The Eredivisie.

And in a fundamental update for those using Timeline Events, the ability to Edit an existing event was funded several years ago by Blackpool Council.

What next?  

For most organisations there may be no actions here but rest assured that the system will continue to be developed with new features big and small available for all. To keep up to date, don’t forget to click on What’s New on the system and look out for Product Corner in our quarterly newsletter which goes to users. If you would like to subscribe to the newsletter, click HERE. 

For others we hope this helps to illustrate the option to be more involved with future developments for the system, as we continue to build and make Upshot the most effective tool that it can be.

For the coming year we have several existing ideas that organisations can choose to play a role in bringing to life.  

• Check out the new public roadmap which shows the developments we are targeting for this coming year.
• Submit a feature request if there’s a future development you would like to see
• Or alternatively contact us at support@upshot.org.uk for an initial conversation.