12.30.2024 by Tess Zurawski

Wrapping Up 2024: Reflecting on Our Projects, Challenges, and What’s Next

As 2024 draws to a close, it’s the perfect time to reflect on the year’s journey — the projects we’ve undertaken, the challenges we’ve faced, the lessons we’ve learned, and the exciting opportunities that lie ahead. For us at Scandia, 2024 has been a year of growth, adaptation, and resilience. In this post, we’ll take a moment to look back on what we’ve accomplished, the hurdles we’ve overcome, and what we’re excited about as we head into the new year.

Projects That Defined 2024

This year, we embarked on several exciting projects that have pushed the boundaries of innovation and allowed us to deepen our commitment to excellence. Whether it was launching new products, refining our services, or enhancing our digital presence, each project was designed with one goal in mind: to deliver value to our customers and partners.

One standout initiative was Standard Motor Products, which allowed us to explore new ways of delivering content management solutions to non-technical editors. This project not only tested our team’s creativity but also strengthened our collaboration with partners across different industries. We were thrilled by the feedback we received and are looking forward to building on its success in 2025.

Challenges We Faced

No year is without its challenges, and 2024 was no exception. From navigating market uncertainties to adapting to changing customer expectations, we faced several hurdles that tested our resilience and agility.

One of the most significant challenges was handling the expectations around staying up-to-date with older versions of Umbraco. Specifically, with Umbraco 8 being End-Of-Life (EOF), we needed an efficient way to transition many of our customers away from the outdated version to the new Umbraco roadmap. This forced us to re-evaluate our processes, build cost-effective tools for migration, and find new solutions to ensure that we could continue delivering the features that some of our clients can’t live without.

Another challenge was the ongoing shift in the digital landscape and AI. As technology evolves rapidly, staying ahead of the curve is both a challenge and an opportunity. In 2024, we encountered unexpected roadblocks in implementing new systems and tools, but these challenges only strengthened our ability to adapt and problem-solve under pressure.

Through it all, we learned valuable lessons in resilience, flexibility, and the importance of being proactive in identifying potential risks. Every challenge was an opportunity to sharpen our skills and deepen our understanding of what it truly means to serve our customers in a fast-changing world.

Key Lessons Learned

Reflecting on the year, several key lessons stand out:

  1. Adaptability is Key: In a world that’s constantly evolving, adaptability has been crucial to our success. Whether it was adjusting to new technologies, pivoting our strategies, or reevaluating our business model in response to unforeseen events, we learned that staying flexible is essential for long-term success.

  2. Collaboration Drives Innovation: This year reinforced the importance of teamwork. Whether working internally across departments or externally with our partners, we learned that collaboration accelerates innovation and helps us achieve goals that would otherwise be out of reach.

  3. Customer-Centric Focus: In an era of information overload and rapid change, we found that maintaining a customer-centric approach is more important than ever. Listening to our customers’ feedback, staying responsive to their needs, and continuously improving their experience have been critical to our growth this year.

  4. Sustainability is a Long-Term Commitment: Sustainability is not just a buzzword but a long-term commitment that requires intentional effort at every level of the business. In 2024, we learned that small, consistent steps towards sustainability can have a big impact — and it’s a journey we’re proud to be on.

What’s Ahead in 2025?

As we close out 2024, the future is looking incredibly bright. Our team is energized and ready to take on the challenges and opportunities that 2025 will bring. Here’s a glimpse at what’s ahead:

  1. Expanding Our Digital Reach: The digital landscape continues to evolve, and we’re excited to invest in new technologies and platforms that will enhance our digital presence and provide even more value to our customers. Whether it’s expanding our e-commerce capabilities, improving our website’s user experience, or exploring new social media channels, we’re committed to staying ahead of the curve.

  2. Building on Sustainability: Sustainability remains a top priority. In 2025, we plan to take our sustainability efforts even further by implementing more innovative solutions across our operations and platforms. In alignment with Umbraco, we strive to improve on our sustainability benchmarks year over year. 

  3. Strengthening Our Team: Behind every project and success is a dedicated team, and in 2025, we will continue to invest in our people. From professional development to creating a more flexible and supportive work environment, we’re focused on building a team that is not only skilled but also motivated and inspired.

  4. Exploring New Markets and Opportunities: Finally, we’re looking forward to exploring new markets and business opportunities. As we continue to grow, we’ll be seeking out strategic partnerships and entering new sectors that align with our values and vision for the future.

Final Thoughts

2024 has been a year of growth, learning, and innovation. We’ve tackled challenges head-on, celebrated our successes, and learned from our experiences. As we reflect on the year and look forward to what’s next, we’re filled with gratitude for our customers, partners, and team who made it all possible.

Here’s to closing out 2024 with pride and anticipation for the incredible opportunities that await us in 2025. We can’t wait to continue this journey with all of you and see what we can achieve together in the year ahead.