In 2025–26, the PAAM App platform has progressed into a controlled live beta environment. While PAAM 3.0 is not yet feature complete, it is now being used in a real-world setting by a single tenant, enabling the collection of live operational data and structured user feedback to inform ongoing development.
Hotbox Studios has continued to modernise and restructure the application architecture to improve scalability, streamline code management, and enable more efficient long-term feature development. The aim remains to deliver a robust and modular platform capable of supporting increasing user demand and more complex operational requirements.
A key advancement during this period has been the transition from a development-only system to a controlled, live beta environment supported by scalable cloud infrastructure. The platform has been deployed using auto-scaling compute resources, managed relational databases, and distributed caching layers, enabling it to operate under real usage conditions while still undergoing active development.
This controlled live usage has allowed the company to begin validating architectural assumptions in a way not previously possible. R&D efforts have therefore shifted towards analysing real user interaction patterns, refining data flows between system components, and improving background processing and system responsiveness under genuine operational conditions.
The architecture continues to prioritise modularity and extensibility, supporting faster iteration and safer deployment of new features. Alongside this, work has progressed on improving developer productivity and maintainability, including reducing onboarding time for new developers and streamlining deployment processes to support more frequent and reliable releases.
In 2024–25 we've expanded our development team bringing in specialists with experience in developing scalable software-as-a-service (SaaS) platforms. This has enabled deeper exploration of architectural patterns and tooling to support a cleaner separation of concerns, enhanced component reuse, and more efficient onboarding of future development resources.
This year's work has built upon the prior development of the PAAM system and its associated Onsite App. Continued integration of the Onsite App into the wider PAAM platform has required considerable architectural rethinking, particularly in relation to real-time API interactions, consistent data handling across systems, and shared UI components.
The restructured platform architecture now prioritises modularity, extensibility, and performance, with efforts centred around improving codebase manageability while reducing technical debt.
A major goal has been to reduce time-to-productivity for new developers by re-architecting the codebase for greater clarity and modularity. The aim being to reduce familiarisation time from several weeks to under five days. The team is working to streamline the CI/CD pipeline, aiming to halve the time taken from code merge to live deployment, while increasing rollback reliability and minimising production downtime during releases.
In 2023-24, we further progressed the refinement of the architecture of both PAAM and its accompanying application, PAAM Onsite.
During this period, we have continued to dedicate our efforts to the underlying structure of PAAM's systems, focusing on the architecture and code base that powers the API. The PAAM Onsite App which was designed as a standalone software application has started to be integrated into the main app, with both it's UI layer and data layer which now powered by the API.
By continuing to prioritise the API, we're persevering in enhancing the interoperability of its software, reducing data response times and allowing seamless integration with external applications and systems.
We're continuing to work on transitioning the code base into a container based approach. This approach makes code management more efficient whilst enabling more modular code and allowing dependency injection and tests to be written across the code base.
We're also continuing to increase PAAM's code test coverage, now aiming for 90% of core functionality. At the same time reducing response time for typical requests to under 0.1s.
In 2022-23, the company has progressed in refining the architecture of both the PAAM (Personnel, Application, Administration and Management) system and its accompanying PAAM Onsite Cloud App.
During this period, Hotbox Studios has dedicated its efforts to enhance the underlying structure of the PAAM system, particularly focusing on optimising the architecture and code base that powers the API. The PAAM Onsite Cloud App, designed as a standalone software application, operates on a bespoke software stack, to ensure a tailored and efficient user experience is has its data layer now powered by the same API.
By prioritising the API, Hotbox Studios aims to enhance the flexibility and interoperability of its software, reduce data response times, and ensure seamless integration with other systems and applications.
Hotbox Studios is working to transition the code base into service based containers. This approach not only facilitates efficient code management but also promotes the development of a more modular, injectable, and testable code base.
As part of this process Hotbox Studios has endeavoured to increase its code test coverage aiming for 80% of core functionality whilst also reducing response time for typical requests to under 0.1s.
In 2021-22 during the ongoing global pandemic, we've moved forward with developing the underlying architecture of PAAM and PAAM's companion application the PAAM Onsite Cloud App; a standalone software application running on a bespoke software stack.
The overall aim of development has been to continue the work started in the previous year; looking to incorporate the varied technological advances in hardware and software that have become available. We have tested and developed new ways of decreasing the TTFB (time to first byte) of both applications whilst increasing the number of simultaneous connections. We have also reduced CLS (content layout shift) in our metrics.
To try to achieve this goal we are continuing to move PAAM to a Single Page Application (SPA) using a JavaScript front end and a REST-based API.
With PAAM Cloud we have been working to reduce the latency between data being entered by the end-user; it saving in the database correctly; and indicating to the end-user this has been achieved. We are aiming to reduce this entire process to under 0.2 seconds.
In 2020-21 despite the global pandemic we continued to develop the underlying architecture of PAAM and PAAM's companion application the PAAM Onsite Cloud App - a standalone software application running on a bespoke software stack.
The overall aim has been to look at existing technological advances in both software and hardware that have become available, using that as a starting point to test and develop new ways of decreasing TTFB (time to first byte) of the applications and increasing the number of simultaneous users.
To try to achieve this goal we are moving PAAM to a Single Page Application (SPA) using a JavaScript front end and a REST based API.
With PAAM Cloud we have been working to increase the number of simultaneous connections available. Increasing the current limitation of 50 shift supervisors and other staff able to simultaneously input and administer the app at the same time.
In 2019-20 we've continued to develop PAAM and PAAM's companion applications the PAAM Onsite App - a standalone software application running on a bespoke software and hardware stack, and the PAAM Onsite Cloud App - a standalone software application running on a bespoke software stack.
Following research, testing, and user feedback, in 2019-20 we've further developed the PAAM Onsite App; adding additional data management functionality whilst minimising administrative workload with a focus on UI refinements targeted at speeding up user interaction. All with a goal of reducing the requirement for supplementary onsite paperwork and databases.
In 2019-20 we've progressed the rewrite of the PAAM codebase to a Single Page Application (SPA) architecture using the React JavaScript framework. We’ve developed both a user and an admin side REST based API. Throughout development of the React JavaScript framework-based SPA and both REST based APIs; key components have been split into a micro architecture framework. Alongside the development of the React JavaScript framework-based SPA and both REST based APIs we are updating and optimising the user interface (GUI) and user experience (UX) of PAAM.
For the PAAM Offsite system we have continued to move towards a micro-architecture framework, away from a single monolithic codebase for the entire app which allows each component to be more easily developed, maintained, tested and updated.
We're partway through the development of a new front-end Single Page Application (SPA) architecture using the React JavaScript framework which is now talking with the prototype user and admin side REST based APIs. This is ongoing with many components still in the development phase; each component going through rigorous testing to confirm no impact to the front-end performance, usability, and ability for system customisation.
In 2018-19 we've continued to develop PAAM and PAAM's companion applications the PAAM Onsite App - a standalone software application running on a bespoke software and hardware stack, and the PAAM Onsite Cloud App - a standalone software application running on a bespoke software stack.
Following research, testing, and user feedback, we've further developed the PAAM Onsite App, adding additional functionality and data logging of staff and volunteer teams in an effort to further reduce the requirement for supplementary onsite paperwork and databases, and gave more focus to UI refinements targeted at speeding up user interaction with the software.
We've continued to progress the rewrite of the PAAM codebase; moving PAAM Offsite towards an MVC application with REST based API, whilst also splitting key components out into a micro-architecture framework, away from a single monolithic codebase for the entire app which allows each component to be more easily developed, maintained, tested and updated.
We have chosen a front-end JavaScript framework and have started testing a component based approach using the framework which will ensure the move from HTML views to Single Page Application can be accomplished without impacting the front-end performance, usability, and ability for system customisation.
In 2017-18 we've continued to develop the PAAM Offsite App, and PAAM's companion applications the PAAM Onsite App - a standalone software application running on a bespoke software and hardware stack, and the PAAM Onsite Cloud App - a standalone software application running on a bespoke software stack.
Following research, testing, and user feedback, we've further developed the PAAM Onsite Apps to enable the UI to respond and highlight errors before action is taken, to log additional data about staff and volunteer teams in an effort to further reduce the requirement for supplementary onsite paperwork and databases, and gave particular focus to UI refinements targeted at speeding up user interaction with the software.
We've progressed the PAAM codebase; moving towards an MVC application with API in preparation for smartphone and tablet development. We've initiated a scoping exercise to define how best PAAM can be transferred to mobile device applications; this exercise structuring the specification for the underlying API development allowing for the mobile device applications to be progressed.
We've continued to optimise the user interface (GUI) and user experience (UX) of PAAM, and have moved into testing a selection of front-end JavaScript frameworks in preparation for the move from HTML views to Single Page Application, and to ensure this can be accomplished without impacting the front-end performance, usability, and the ability for system customisation.
In 2016-17 we've continued to develop PAAM and PAAM’s companion application the PAAM Onsite App; a standalone software application running on a bespoke software and hardware stack.
Following research, testing, and user feedback, in 2016 we split the PAAM Onsite App into two versions; Cloud and Local. The PAAM Cloud Onsite App allowing for use in urban areas and areas with good internet connectivity; the PAAM Local Onsite App allowing for use in more rural and remote locations. The PAAM Local Onsite App offers sync capabilities for data to be updated to and from the main PAAM system when connectivity is available.
In addition, the main PAAM Offsite system, and both versions of the PAAM Onsite system, have been further developed through the addition of functionality; refinements to the user interface (GUI); user experience (UX) and underlying codebase.
In 2015-16 following a year of real-world testing and further research into user needs; we made design and development updates to the new PAAM Onsite App before it was launched to market.
The PAAM Onsite App has since been used for the management of tens of thousands of staff and volunteers across the UK!
In 2014-15 we completed beta development of what is now known as the PAAM Onsite App; a standalone software application that completely removes the requirement for spreadsheets when managing staff and volunteers at an event.
We then put the new PAAM Onsite App through a year of real-world testing where it helped companies to manage staff and volunteers onsite at events across the UK.
In 2013-14 we started research and development of the PAAM Onsite App.
The main PAAM system, now known as the PAAM Offsite App, was designed to assist with the recruitment and management of staff and volunteers before and after an event.
Users were talking with us about their work onsite, telling us that they were still using spreadsheets to check people in, allocate shifts, keep a record of resources allocated, track shifts, hours, and performance, and wondering if we could develop something like the main PAAM system but focused around working onsite.
For more about the early days of PAAM, from 2001-2013, please head over to our about page.