Enjoyable workplace, but significant room for improvement - Software Engineer KRJA Systems Employee Review

Process-wise, the development team is a bit of a mess. The engineers are often left to their own devices as to what issues to work on, and most work is done in a bubble with no interaction. While at one point Maptek attempted to follow some Agile procedures, these were gradually abandoned in favor of a free-for-all system with no planning, no commitments, and no accountability to customers. As a result, critical bugs are often not discovered until immediately before release, or even after. The software releases are nearly always delayed because there is no oversight as to what work actually goes into the build. The managers in place are very good as one-on-one mentors and decision makers, but their effectiveness in managing a team is questionable. At times it seems like they are actively working against putting in the effort to become a high-functioning unit. There is a large gap between where the product development group is performing, and where they should be based on the capabilities of individual employees. Being a small company, there are nearly no opportunities for career growth and advancement at Maptek. Nepotism has played a role in the past in hiring new employees. While a stint working at Maptek may be appropriate for a new college graduate, or someone who is between jobs that just needs something to put on a resume, I cannot recommend the company for anyone looking for a long-term, fruitful employment. Senior positions in the team are mostly held by people who have been at the company for fifteen or more years, while newer employees have a much shorter tenure. A large part of this is because the new hires recognize the futility of trying to advance their career in a company such as Maptek.