Amsterdam Standard

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What values Lean management can bring to project and team management? Let’s take a look at this together.

#### What values Lean management can bring to project and team management? Let’s take a look at this together.


Lean management is mostly associated with manufacturing, but some parts of its philosophy can be successfully applied to project management and even team management.

Let’s start with Kaizen, a continuous improvement methodology that originated in the Japanese manufacturing industry. Kaizen principles can be well applied in other industries. I’d like to present to you the fundamentals of it and illustrate how we can use them in project management.

Maasaki Imai, who introduced the Kaizen approach described the whole concept in one accurate sentence: “Kaizen is everyday improvement, everybody improvement, everywhere improvement.” The word Kaizen stands for “Good” (zen) and “Change” (kai). 

1. The core of Kaizen’s philosophy are 10 principles that allow you to understand the whole mindset:
2. Let go of assumptions.
3. Be proactive about solving problems.
4. Don't accept the status quo.
5. Let go of perfectionism and take an attitude of iterative, adaptive change.
6. Look for solutions as you find mistakes.
7. Create an environment in which everyone feels empowered to contribute.
8. Don't accept the obvious issue; instead, ask "why" five times to get to the root cause.
9. Collect information and opinions from multiple people.
10. Use creativity to find low-cost, small improvements.
11. Never stop improving.

Teams that are already working in Scrum, might even not know that they’re already using camouflaged Kaizen’s technique: PDCA - plan, do, check, act.

- **Plan** - it’s nothing else than planning a Sprint and all the work that needs to be done
- **Do** - Ongoing Sprint while we’re delivering the work
- **Check** - demo and retrospective (what else is a retrospective meeting than seeking improvement?)
- **Act** - all the action items taken to improve the process, team collaboration, and delivered product

We can say that Kaizen gave birth to the idea of continuous improvement in Agile.

Taking a look at retrospective meetings, it’s team time to think about what went well, what could be better, and what improvements can be made, so it’s a powerful tool that allows the team to continuous improvement, therefore practicing Kaizen. They can identify small steps, be proactive about solving problems and make changes in an iterative way. 

From a project management perspective, a very useful technique might be asking 5 times why. Cast the first stone who was not struggling with the issue, racking his head about the root cause. So, when the problem occurs you can drill down in a simple way, to peel off the symptoms layers, discover ‘the truth’ and prevent issues from recurring. 


If Kaizen is about continuous improvement, we could also use it just for people. Companies, projects, and processes… but the heart of all of it are people. What’s the best way of using Kaizen for individuals? It’s a feedback loop. 
Asking for feedback or giving feedback is not a simple thing, but we all know it’s needed for both improvement and growth. Using the Kaizen philosophy in team management could be feedback based. 
First, we should focus on continuity. Giving feedback once won’t change much, improvement will take place if we will make it with a specific frequency, on a continuous basis. What’s also important is that it should be goal-oriented, not time oriented, and perfectly divided into smaller objectives. As Kaizen says: Let go of perfectionism and take an attitude of iterative, adaptive change. It also means that by giving feedback we should be as specific as possible to give improvement opportunities as soon as possible (in an interactive way). 
Good feedback also doesn’t give ready solutions. Empower people to actively seek improvements and growth opportunities, solving issues and being proactive about that. A perfect way to talk about feedback and shortcut the distance between the leader and team member is Gemba's walk.


Gemba is a Japanese word that means 'the real place', but lean management adopted it to describe any location where work happens. The most important aspect of Gemba is the “Gemba walk” which is literally a walk and it encourages leaders/managers to interact with people they work with, and interact with projects and processes. 
Why is it important? It gives both leaders and managers a better overview of the project and could help to obtain more details, and understand the team as a whole and all the members. 
What will it give you? More transparency and trust encourage greater communication which is a perfect ground for building strong, well-performing teams. 


Don’t forget to improve!

Amsterdam Standard officially announced the acquisition of the leading Laravel development company HighSolutions from Poznan. 


Amsterdam Standard officially announced the acquisition of the leading Laravel development company HighSolutions from Poznan. Together, they will grow their footprint over Poland and continue delivering team augmentation services for fast-growing SaaS companies in the Netherlands. The HighSolutions team will be fully integrated into Amsterdam Standard, and both companies will continue under the brand of Amsterdam Standard. 

In a labor market where development talent is scarce, Amsterdam Standard has been delivering top-notch development power for almost 19 years. Employing ± 170 experts - spread over five offices in Poland and Amsterdam - both companies combine the power and flexibility of remote development teams with the advantages of local project management, UX/UI design and quality assurance.

Currently, the company delivers development teams for more than 40 innovative Dutch clients, such as MrWork, ChannelEngine, Nutricia, Orderchamp, LeadingCourses, Yesty, WPP, GoBoony, Tiqets and many more.
 
The founders of HighSolutions have acquired a stake in the holding company of Amsterdam Standard (Saasmore) and have already joined the management team of Amsterdam Standard.
The daily management of Amsterdam Standard is still in the hands of current Amsterdam Standard CEO Tomasz Rzany. In the next three years, the company will aim to double in size by expanding in Poland.


>"From the beginning, I knew that Amsterdam Standard was the right partner for us to join forces,"

explains Adam Matysiak, co-founder of HighSolutions. 


>"We were ready to take the next step. Thanks to a stronger operations team, more mature processes and a more efficient business model, we can deliver more value than before. The knowledge, experience, and team of Amsterdam Standard are just top-notch, and we will highly benefit from their culture. Moreover, their mostly Dutch clients will bring interesting new opportunities for our current developers. And I believe that we will also deliver outstanding results to Amsterdam Standard and their clients." 

Adam Machowiak, the second co-founder continues: 

>“We are pretty sure that we can double our team in Poznan now quickly to ± 60 colleagues. To accommodate that growth, we will move into a new office soon, and we are very excited about that!”


>"With HighSolutions, we onboard tons of experience to our team that will help us with our growth in Poland and the Netherlands,” 

says Tomasz Rzany. 


>“They built a very well-recognised Laravel specialized boutique agency with great clients. This deal will strengthen our position as a leader in team augmentation for SaaS businesses, and their access to high-end development talent in Poznan will help us achieve our clients' ambitions even better. In 2021 we experienced such a big demand from our existing clients that we rapidly needed to scale up our operations to stay a relevant partner for them. We always wanted to build a presence in Poznan since this city hosts an amazing eco-system for tech companies. The conditions and infrastructure are just perfect there. I am delighted that the team of HighSolutions will now join our ranks to help us achieve our mission."

Would you like to know more about this acquisition? Please contact Tomasz Rzany (tomasz@amsterdamstandard.com) or Adam Matysiak (adam@amsterdamstandard.com).


HighSolutions joins forces with Amsterdam Standard

In this article, we’d like to bring you closer to the roles of Project Manager and Product Owner in Amsterdam Standard, outline the main responsibilities and show how these two roles meet in our cooperation.

Simply put, Product Owner role is to “[maximize the value of the Produc](https://www.scrum.org/resources/what-is-a-product-owner)t”. Yeah, we have heard it many times, but what does it actually mean? 

#### Maximize the value of the Product

Value is nothing else than the financial benefit that the company receives by releasing a developed product (until it is pro bono). 
Now, knowing that, we can say that a Product Owner is a key person responsible for the Product, its management, its vision, and is inextricably linked with the Development Team who produces it. 

#### Product Owner responsibilities - a simplified version

###### Define a clear vision.
Product Owner is the person who should communicate with the rest of the company and understand business objectives. Then, understanding that he should be able to prepare a product Roadmap to easily present the business goals to the team. It’s on his shoulders to keep the product in line with goals and make sure that the Development Team understands where they are going. 

###### Prioritize.
As PO knows the goal, he can juggle budget, timeline, and scope for defining priorities: what should be done first, and what can be done next. 

###### Manage the Product backlog.
Ok, we already know that PO needs to prioritize, but what exactly? First, he needs to prepare a backlog (a list of functionalities that the product should contain). Then, he should manage it, which means: designing dependencies, blockers, priorities, create user stories.
Here I would like to stop for a moment and have a better look at this point.

**Papa Of User Stories**
Poor user stories or even lack of them is one of the biggest complaints from the Development Team. I used to caressingly call the Product Owner a Papa of user Stories, as creating them is one of his key responsibilities. User Stories are the heart of the PO’s role as they represent the tangible elements of the vision, are prioritized, and show detailed direction. It’s an instruction for the team. The Development Team can actively help PO and provide technical support, but PO is the only one and the right person to define the pieces that are creating the final product. 

###### Oversee development stages.
As some of the overseeing duties can be delegated e.g. to Project Manager, it’s important for PO to be present on Sprint Review and Refinement. Under these Scrum ceremonies is nothing more than checking the product under construction and seeking process improvements. 

#### Who should be a Product Owner?
In our collaborations, the Product Owner role is cast by someone from the customer's side. You know your product, vision, and goals better than anyone. If you don’t have such a role specified in your company it’s nothing to worry about! At the same beginning of our cooperation, we’ll consciously discuss the responsibilities and give you all the necessary support to fulfill that role. Our project managers can also act as Proxy-PO who could work with you hand in hand, if you need only partial support. For the full commitment support we highly recommend our close partner [Expandior](https://www.expandior.nl/). 




If you google “Project Manager” you’ll get a list of responsibilities that a person in this role is accountable for. If you talk to any Project Manager you’ll notice that it differs in the companies. If you think about Agile and Scrum you’ll find out that there’s no role like Project Manager, only Scrum Master. 
What’s the role of the Project Manager in AS then and why is it so important?

#### We’re more than Scrum Masters
We work in Scrum or Kanban and usually one of our PMs plays the role of Scrum Master, (until otherwise agreed at the beginning of the project). It helps our client to have the best focus on the PO role. 

Other Project Manager's responsibilities are as follows:

- Weekly health-check with a team.
- Key facilitator: Their goal is to empower their team and clear potential roadblocks, paving the way for project success. 
- Support the team with ‘inside’ issues.
- Feedback evaluations, team performance.
- Build process and seek improvements.
- Support PO in his role.
- Organize other ad hoc meetings, team integrations, and visits.
- Introduce new team members to the rest of the team. 
- Help manage holidays.

#### Project Manager - observer
For smaller projects ( <2devs) or projects where there’s a PM on our partner’s side, we’re supporting as active observers who start acting when the situation calls for it. It’s the minimum engagement that ensures that if something unexpected pop’s up we’re up and ready to help you. This approach is based on weekly or biweekly health-check with our partner and team, yearly evaluations, and ad hoc help.


To feel the roles and responsibilities of PO and PM better, let’s see them this way. You’re going on a cruise, but you don’t know how long it will take. It's the most important cruise in your life because it makes your dreams come true and will bring you money.

You’re taking a team with you, it's an experienced crew, very eager to sail with you. But they either don’t know how much time it will take and what’s the destination, they don’t know you, don’t know the boat, so it’s your first role to do. You need to explain what’s the objective of this sail, where are you going, and what you want to achieve. Human memory fails, so you can prepare for them a (road)Map showing the most important places you’ll be visiting and more or less when. If the weather disturbs your course and you deviate from the sailing course, don't forget to update your map! You have a budget for your trip, you know the desired dates of arrival and the scope of the journey. It’s up to you to make the priorities for this trip and plan the most important ones.

Ah, the scope. On your ship, each crew member has a task. All the tasks are important for the journey and its scope. They’re experienced guys, so they will be fine with outlined user stories. Just prepare the generally described tasks for two weeks. Don’t forget about the acceptance criteria. If you want them to bootleg rum in barrels, say it! Otherwise, if you just say: prepare me alcohol in barrels, you may expect anything else.
From time to time have a look if it goes according to your priorities if the process is well and if the boat is heading in the right direction. We don’t want to have a Titanic, right? As a captain of the ship, you have more important things to do than look after your team daily.

Luckily, you took the project manager with you who’ll be your right hand. He’ll perform standups, retrospectives, and other sailings (scrum) ceremonies. He’ll remove obstacles, take care of your crew's well-being, support you, and take care of process improvements. So, even if you get seasick, your crew will be taken care of and the ship will be on track! 


… is simple. We define the roles and responsibilities at the early stage of cooperation, together. We support each other during our common journey and always bet on clear and transparent communication.

Project Manager vs Product Owner

Developers around the world struggle to find new solutions for faster, more efficient, and effortless coding. Also, the constant lack of qualified IT specialists leads to the creation of new ways of engaging non-technical employees in the software …

###### Developers around the world struggle to find new solutions for faster, more efficient, and effortless coding. Also, the constant lack of qualified IT specialists leads to the creation of new ways of engaging non-technical employees in the software development process.

###### One of the existing options that can help to reduce talent shortage is low-code development. What is it and how can it influence the coding process?

Low-code is the software development approach utilizing a visual software development environment that enables the building applications by simply dragging and dropping ready-to-use, pre-defined components. Those tools are delivered with an easily navigable graphical user interface (GUI) and are equipped with various elements such as scripts, integration options, blueprints, testing and automation tools, and more. Then, those pre-defined components can be freely arranged into more complex modules and applications and perform desired functionalities.

Low-code approach can help to develop software for a number of industries, including business services, manufacturing, logistics, banking, telecom, education, and many more. Within the low-code environment, it is possible to build mobile and web applications, custom apps, microservices, and other types of software.

In addition, there is also a sister of low-code - the no-code development. Although both systems provide companies with similar benefits, they differ slightly. Low code reduces the amount of work but still requires some coding, while no code is based only on using ready-to-use components and doesn’t involve any programming skills to build simple applications. Then, this method is dedicated mainly to non-technical software development adepts.

Obviously, low-code development was not created for no reason, and now it provides businesses with a wide range of benefits and opportunities. Low-code development:

- Requires way less advanced programming skills than traditional software development methods. Thanks to this, it enables non-programmers to build simple applications to automate their daily work and get more engaged in the problem-solving processes; 

- Makes the software development process more enjoyable and more efficient as it reduces the need for writing code line-by-line;

- Allows companies to meet their customers’ demand and launch products faster due to a shorter software development process; 

- Helps to reduce talent shortage in the IT market, as it enables specialists from various backgrounds to perform software development tasks, and makes programming more accessible to adepts;

- Contributes to digital transformation, helps companies to benefit from utilizing modern technologies, and improves their agility.

Although the low-code development approach is undoubtedly promising, there are a few challenges that you need to be aware of.

- The low-code software development is usually more difficult to track and supervise for managers and team leaders. They typically have less control over their subordinates’ actions and the results of their work.

- Unwisely used low-code development can lead to non-efficient resource spending due to the higher independence of inexperienced employees utilizing this tool.

- Although the low-code approach accelerates software development, it still requires some programming skills to build truly functional apps. Software developed by non-technicians sooner or later will become difficult to maintain and scale, and might collect a technical debt.

As we have already explained, low-code development is based on intuitive visual tools coming along with a set of ready-to-use components that can be arranged into more complex modules. This is exactly what makes this programming method so effortless and fast.

There are a number of low-code development platforms available on the market, and the chosen tool may significantly influence the costs, quality, and efficiency of the software development process. Let’s take a look at the most popular solutions:

#### Lansa
Lansa is the low-code development platform equipped with IDE enabling the creation of different types of applications: desktop, web, and mobile. Thanks to extended functionalities, it helps to build apps easier and faster and allows for high control over the software development process. In addition, it delivers a variety of deployment, testing, and integration tools, which makes the creation of enterprise software more efficient, cheaper, and productive.

#### Retool
Retool is one of the fastest available tools for low-code development. Equipped with over 50 ready-to-use components, it allows for developing and launching software products much faster than traditional methods. Moreover, it offers the possibility to easily switch to JavaScript coding mode anytime the user needs to customize the app’s design or functionality. It also allows for smooth integration with a number of data sources thanks to API.

#### Appian
Appian helps companies to build a variety of applications that improves the quality and efficiency of business services. Like many low-code development tools, it comes along with drag-and-drop components, AI/ML services, and easy integrations with popular data providers and cloud systems, Moreover, it ensures the proper security of the developed applications and intelligent automation of the development process.

#### Mendix
One of the most popular platforms of a kind, Mendix helps to build functional applications for any type of device and is easy to adopt even by non-experienced programmers. It offers different types of deployment: on-premises, public cloud, and private cloud. It allows for agile project management, automatically creates backups, and operates in the offline mode. 

#### Quixy
Quixy is a cloud-based platform dedicated to non-technical users. The tool allows for building and automating workflows across all business departments with no need to use coding skills. It highly contributes to improving business efficiency thanks to the significant elimination of manual coding. It comes along with a text editor, QR-code scanner, facial recognition, e-signature widget, and other useful tools. It also allows for easy integration with 3rd party solutions through connectors and API and is also available in the offline mode.

#### Creatio
Creation is an intelligent platform offering a variety of templates and ready-to-use solutions for low-code development. It allows for building functional applications and automating routine tasks and manual operations. The provided tools, such as the BPM engine and automation solutions, help to build software easily and flexibly. It also comes along with Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning tools that can be used to improve business processes, structure analytical work and ensure the right security.

#### UI Bakery
UI Bakery, the last popular low-code platform in our overview, allows for the building of functional apps with the help of pre-defined and custom components. It also comes along with a number of data source connectors including HTTP, and SQL. Thanks to this, it ensures fast development while keeping high customization of the solutions thanks to the possibility of using JavaScript. Their prices and packages are cost-friendly for small and medium businesses



Low-code development will surely benefit a number of developers and companies worldwide. It successfully accelerates the software development process and makes it more enjoyable. Thanks to this approach, programmers don’t need to struggle with writing the code line-by-line and can take on more complex tasks, and complete them within shorter deadlines.

However, although the solution is becoming more advanced and popular, we should not expect that the low-code approach will fully replace developers. Human involvement will be still required to build really functional solutions which would be easy to integrate with third-party, maintain and scale. The process will still need to be supervised, as software development performed only by non-technical people, even with the support of dedicated tools, will come along with risk.

So, there’s no need to worry that low-code development will replace regular software development. There’s still the need for improving your software development skills as the software developers’ profession will remain reputable and highly desired in the upcoming years.

christopher-gower-m-hrflhgabo-unsplash.jpeg

Low-code development: pros and cons and best tools

More and more people use the opportunity to work remotely from a number of attractive European …

If the COVID-19 pandemic brought anything positive to the world, that’s definitely the increased popularity of remote jobs. Most of us are no longer stuck in tiny offices but have more freedom to explore the world and work not only from home but simply wherever we have access to the Internet.

Therefore, more and more people use the opportunity to work remotely from a number of attractive European locations. The number of digital nomads increased, but there is also another trend that has emerged - workation. What is it, why is it so popular and what are the best workation locations in Europe in 2022?

Workation is a term combining two words: “work” and “vacation”. This means nothing but combining traveling and exploring another location while working remotely. In this way, it is possible to travel much longer than during a typical vacation as there’s no need to take days off. You can still continue working 9-5 and enjoy a new location in your free time.

Workation obviously has many benefits. It helps to get away from the daily routine, get more relaxed and simply spend much more time in beautiful locations without the need to rush back home to work after a week or two. It’s a priceless opportunity to feel like a local person and enjoy the daily life of habitants which is usually not accessible during a short-term visit. The ability to change the environment and work from a much more appealing place also boosts motivation, improves creativity and impacts the overall attitude toward work.

How to start your vacation in Europe? There are only a few simple rules that must be applied:

- the ability to work remotely and from abroad

- income able to cover costs of living in a foreign country

- ability to travel freely (with limited luggage and a Schengen visa)

- booking accommodation in advance (to get the best prices)

- choosing a digital nomad-friendly location.

Now, let’s move on to the top European workation locations to provide you with an outstanding workation experience.

Before we start to dwell on the topic of places worth visiting, let’s see what factors are important when choosing a location for remote work. You should definitely take into account:

- Prices. It might be challenging to live in a country where daily life is much more expensive than at home. This is why we decided to focus mostly on affordable locations and some European hidden gems to make sure that you will be able to enjoy your workation to the fullest.

- Internet speed and coworking spaces. There’s nothing more annoying than a poor Internet connection while you’re trying to work remotely. Also, the presence of coworking spaces where you can meet digital nomads is valuable.

- Quality of life. No one wants to worry about high crime rates, poor access to health facilities or insufficient infrastructure. All the places in our interview meet European standards and will provide you with a comfortable and undisturbed stay.

- Visa and COVID-19 situation. Although in summer 2022 most of the restrictions are already gone, the situation is still dynamic and unpredictable. This is why we suggest places with easy access without the COVID-19 certificate.

- Culture and attractions. Of course, you travel for a reason - you want to really enjoy whatever your workation spots have to offer. Therefore, we provided you with outstanding locations with great nature or historic or cultural heritage to explore. 

- Friendliness of locals and English speaking. Living abroad, even for a short while, comes along with integration with local people. Then, the ability to communicate with them will be definitely a plus.

#### Canary Islands
The Canary Islands has been one of the most popular workation destinations for many years. Affordable prices, amazing weather all year long, a variety of landscapes and easy access from a number of European locations make it a perfect spot for digital nomads. In such a location, you can successfully combine working with all the playful activities that the islands have to offer.

Most of the islands are accessible by ferry or plane and it’s pretty easy to get around by car or even public transportation. A stable Internet connection and London timezone make connecting with workmates or clients convenient within standard working hours. There is also a number of cafes and coworking spots for digital nomads and a friendly international community. Affordable accommodation is available at both luxury hotels and private, cozy apartments, which makes it easy to find comfortable short-term or long-term housing.

#### Albania
Thanks to a number of tourists that visited this location in 2020 and 2021 due to the lack of pandemic restrictions, Albania gained in popularity. In 2022, it is the 9th most popular workation location according to the [Work from Wherever Index ](https://www.kayak.co.uk/work-from-wherever/rank)published by KAYAK, and 15th place in the global pool overtaking iconic digital nomad hubs such as Thailand or Mexico. 

And this has not happened for no reason. Albania offers breathtaking nature, and pleasant weather all year long, and a number of great apartments to let at one of the Mediterranean locations such as Vlore or Durres. For those who prefer city vibes and less touristy spots, Tirana, the capital, will be also a perfect choice. No matter where you stay, there is always a stable Internet connection and one of the lowest hotel and housing prices in the world, which makes Albania a perfect location for all digital nomads.

#### Montenegro
As a Balkan sister of Albania, Montenegro is also attracting tourists with breathtaking, one-of-a-kind landscapes and nearly untouched Mediterranean nature. The country, despite the EUR currency, also offers affordable prices and convenient locations to stay both short-term and long-term. If you don’t mind summer crowds, you can first try out Budva which is just a short ride away from one of the most stunning European spots called the Bay of Kotor. However, if you prefer finding accommodation in smaller but cozy locations, you can always turn your steps to Herceg Novi or Bar region. 

Much cheaper than nearby Croatian, Montenegro will soon attract many tourists as well as digital nomads. From there you can also easily move around the Balkans and explore the variety they have to offer. 

#### Amsterdam
As the first European capital in the overview, this vibrant city will provide you with a variety of attractions related to art, culture and music. Much more modern than the Balkans, it will be a perfect spot for those who prefer Western vibes. In the city, you will find a number of cozy cafes by the stunning Amsterdam channels where digital nomads can spend their day working, enjoying completing daily tasks and exploring the magic of the Dutch iconic city. Amsterdam is also a perfect starting point for tours around the Netherlands, Belgium and Northern Germany.

At Amsterdam Standard, we are huge fans of Amsterdam as well as remote work. Our employees are free to spend their workation at our Amsterdam apartment fully prepared for short-term and long-term stays. Thanks to this, they can use the opportunity to work from another country and enjoy all the workation benefits.

#### Budapest
If you haven’t visited this spot yet, you should definitely do it! Budapest is one of the most beautiful European cities - some sources and visitors claim that it even outshines the iconic Rome or Vienna. Vibrant nightlife, affordable prices, excellent wine, and a lot of greenery make the city one of the best places to visit - and work remotely, too. 

Staying in Budapest is a great idea all year long. In summer, you can spend some time at Margit Island, the island on the Danube river, or relax at one of many thermal pools available in the city. You can also make a short trip to one of the remote spots accessible by trains, such as Visegrad or Szentendre. Winter is a perfect time to enjoy amazing ruin pubs and hot thermal baths, not even to mention the rich historical and cultural heritage that the city has to offer. Affordable rent and food prices make it easy to stay long-term - you can get a coffee for just 1.20 EUR and rent a room or small apartment from 400 to 800 EUR per month.

#### Slovenia
Slovenia, although frequently skipped in a number of overviews of the best locations for workation and digital nomads, is a hidden European gem definitely worth exploring. You would be surprised by the beauty that this country has to offer, starting with lovely Ljubljana, the capital, and finishing with iconic locations such as Bled Lake, Triglav peak and Postojna Cave. If you’re craving adventure, you can also try out one of the rafting organized right there.

For your workation, you can choose either the vibrant capital offering rich cultural life or one of smaller town of spots for more relaxing and cozy experience. As Slovenia is a part of the EU, you can enjoy all the benefits offered by the European country, such as fast Internet connection, easy access to healthcare, and overall safety.

#### Malaga
This iconic city of Andalusia is a great choice for an all-year-long workation stay with its amazing weather and great access to beaches, natural landscapes and vibrant nightlife. While staying in Malaga, you can enjoy the vibes of Spain away from the crowds, and you will be just a short ride away from stunning attractions such as Ronda, Gibraltar or Seville. Malaga is definitely one of the best workation spots in Spain considering prices, climate, weather and access to culture and Mediterranean nature.

Moreover, Spain is the world’s second best country for remote work, according to the [Work from Wherever Index](https://www.kayak.co.uk/work-from-wherever/rank?region=europe). This result is based on fast internet speed, a high number of restaurants and cafes per capita, access to co-working spaces, and the availability of remote visas for freelancers. Then, feel free to explore also other locations in Spain. 

#### Lisbon
As this is Portugal which [was ranked the best country to work remotely](https://www.kayak.co.uk/work-from-wherever/rank?region=europe), we simply couldn’t skip Lisbon in this overview. Similar to Malaga, it’s an all-year-long sunny and affordable destination for digital nomads. Lisbon offers amazing wine and food, excellent sweets and the soothing presence of the ocean. On the other side, it’s a European hub with all the modern facilities required by digital nomads, including a vibrant community and access to co-working spaces. Moreover, the city is not only accessible from many European cities with just a short flight, but also it’s a great spot for flying off to Portuguese islands such as Azores or Madeira.

#### Bari
If you’re a fan of Italian vibes and cuisine, Bari will be one of the best places for you to go. With affordable prices and excellent Italian food, you will surely enjoy small and less touristy spots far away from huge locations like Rome or Milan that will provide you with the most authentic Italian experience. From Bari, you can also reach and explore a lovely region of Puglia.

Regarding the prices, renting a studio flat in Bari should not exceed 700 EUR for two people, so it’s a great opportunity for all digital nomads or workation enthusiasts that would like to spend some time at the Italian seaside and enjoy the opportunity to integrate with locals.


#### Tallinn
Last but not least, this hidden gem will be a great choice for those who prefer more chilly weather and stay away from crowds. If you have never thought about this destination, you should definitely try it for yourself. The capital of Estonia perfectly combines modern and medieval styles and offers a friendly vibe for both locals and incomers. In summer, you will experience long days without paying Scandinavian prices, while in winter you will enjoy a traditional Estonian sauna or even a glimpse of the northern light if you’re lucky. From Tallinn, you will be also able to explore the shore of the Baltic sea or take a short trip to Helsinki as it’s only two hours away by ferry.

The other things that make it a perfect workation location are fast Internet connection, the opportunity to meet other remote workers and ability to communicate in English.


 

So, which location do YOU choose for your next European workation?






10 top workation locations in Europe

1563268297_white-paper-a-tight-labor-market-in-dutch-ict.pdf

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The influence of the pandemic on the ICT market

How can your company adapt to the new reality

Stories

Our thoughts and ideas

Don’t forget to improve!

HighSolutions joins forces with Amsterdam Standard

Project Manager vs Product Owner

Low-code development: pros and cons and best tools

10 top workation locations in Europe

WHITEPAPER

A tight labour market in Dutch ICT

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Nearshoring in (post) COVID-19 times