In a world where sustainability is becoming increasingly important, many solutions have emerged to address the complex challenges we face. Food waste stands out as a critical issue, with significant environmental, economic and social implications. To combat this, forward-thinking companies are using cutting-edge technology to minimize waste and drive sustainability across the supply chain. These solutions are reducing food waste and making resource management more efficient.
This is where our client Winnow is making a difference. With their innovative AI- based technology, Winnow is helping a growing number of organizations cut down on food waste, turning a global problem into an opportunity for change. And COERA, as partner in business, assisted them with their technology challenges.
They were looking for a technology partner to assist them in introducing a Single Sign-On (SSO) capability, allowing their customers (being large travel and retail chains) to use their existing identity solutions for accessing Winnow's cloud platform. As Silviu Niculita, Winnow’s Head of Office & Technology Delivery, emphasizes it, „one of our major challenges with identity management was the need to work closely with our clients IT departments to secure exceptions to their SSO mandates.” Moreover, introducing SSO had the potential to greatly enhance user experience by eliminating the need for end users to manage multiple accounts, reducing friction, and encouraging greater engagement with the platform.
Through a sophisticated migration approach, we ensured a smooth transition of existing users and a just-in-time provisioning of new users. The solution facilitates the discovery of new SAML2 and OpenID Connect Identity Providers, making it well-suited for future client onboarding.
While recognizing the critical role of SSO in streamlining operations, it was equally important for Winnow to preserve a seamless experience for their non-SSO users. Our Engineering Lead, Laszlo, highlighted the key requirements for implementing this project: „Customizing an off-the-shelf application (the Identity Broker in our case) usually comes with limited possibilities. We managed to develop the most user-friendly option from the solutions discussed together.”
Laszlo described the development phase as an incremental, step-by-step process. The team explored various options, implemented features through prototyping, and collaborated effectively with Winnow’s DevOps team. This strong partnership made it easy to prepare and deploy the solution to Winnow's SaaS environments. The jointly defined migration approach including risk mitigation scenarios worked out successfully, resulting in a smooth and efficient migration.
For Winnow, this solution brought a positive impact: „we are now aligned seamlessly with customer IT policies, eliminated the need for exceptions and streamlined onboarding processes. End users benefit from a much-improved experience, with single, secure access to the Winnow Hub that enhances usability and encourages consistent engagement [on the platform].” They recognized the benefits of partnering with the knowledgeable team of COERA, that managed to collaborate effectively with Winnow’s internal engineers and to deliver a high-quality solution.
For our team, a major success of this project was „seeing Winnow’s customer happy about the overall solution.” Several key factors played a role in the project's success and client satisfaction. One of them was the strong working relationship between our team and Winnow, supported by consistent communication, fast resource access and in-person meetings. Winnow credited the project’s success to a rigorous problem-solving approach, technical expertise, adaptability and a commitment to align with goals and quality standards: „COERA’s dedication to creating scalable, secure, and user-focused solutions has not only strengthened our current platform but has also positioned us well for future growth. Their team has been a trusted partner, and their professionalism and collaborative spirit were key to the success of this project,” as Silviu Niculita stated.
While we are grateful to have helped Winnow achieve its goals and contribute to its sustainability mission, the value of SSO and Identity Provider Discovery extends well beyond the food industry. These solutions make perfect sense for any multi-tenant B2B application, streamlining user access and boosting security, as Laszlo clarified.
In fact, businesses across different sectors (whether B2C or B2E) can benefit from these features, from e-learning and healthcare to SaaS and finance.
As businesses continue to evolve and expand, adopting solutions like Identity Provider Discovery and SSO will be essential in simplifying access management, enhancing security and ensuring smooth user experiences. Whether you are operating in sustainability, Fintech, healthcare or any other industry, these solutions will help drive growth and improve operational efficiency, setting the stage for a more secure and connected future.
