Requestum

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

As an Entrepreneur and Managing Director I develop and release digital products and new business models. This project will be the main and central product of a newly founded company as a start-up.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Requestum?

Even thogh the market offers diverse possibilities for video chatting and remote conferencing, as well as various platform to purchase and consume digital content and books, the area around families with children is not covered by established solutions to purchase independent digital content for children and youngsters.

While we combine established technologies we have developed an all-on one solution to digitize physical books, read them during travel or even conduct remote reading sessions by using screen sharing and video chat functionalities.

What were your goals for this project?

We had a vision of a product for families with children that love to read books and stories together. In case they are separated, e.g. during business travel, we still want to allow them reading bedtime stories together and continue with their family rituals by using technology that perfectly supports such use cases. So we started with a project to develop the MVP of this product.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We worked already together with requestum in several projects already for more than two years. During this time they have already proven to have the right way of working, mindset and service orientation needed for our agile approach. This made it easy for us to chose Requestum as our strategic technology partner for this brand new product and new company from scratch.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

In this early phase it is important to focus on the development of the Minimum Viable Product (MVP). While we could focus on developing the business, conducting user research and defining and prioritizing the backlog, requestum completely integrated into our product development process by ensuring timely and quality assured realization of the product.

They developed for us an iOS App, a web application and admin portal. During the product they covered all technical aspects as well as product management of the realisation in alignment with the Product Owner. We've chosen am agile approach with Kanban as our management method which turned out to match perfectly our approach in all other business-related workstreams.

What was the team composition?

We had three teams working in parallel for each part of the solution. Two frontend teams with 2-3 developer each worked on the web and admin app. One backend team consisting of two developers working on the backend and needed APIs. In addition to that we had a full-time project manager, as well as a part-time business analyst and a part-time QA engineer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

We have successfully released the MVP and are now in the process of promoting the product. Marketing activities have started a few weeks ago and we see already first positive results. This is the starting point of a new company and a new business.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

The project management offered turned out to be one of the most critical roles to understand and communicate the product owners vision and ideas. We can say, the project manager was not only managing the project and progress, as well as budget and available resources, it became a proxy and a remote extension of the Product Owner.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Requestum met all our requirements expectations and also came up with their own ideas. They had suggestions on what can be improved and always with an adequate solutions to challenges we faced. All together we became one team and worked highly integrated and fast.

Are there any areas for improvement?

During the high pace and time pressure we had in the last six months various changes to concept and the requirements happened. Even though all requirements, changes and decisions are well documented, we were a little lazy with documenting the software aspects of the solutions. This is now something we need to deliver later.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a small startup that specializes in sports technology to help college & American football programs and professional football organizations.  

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Requestum?

We hired Requestum to help us develop a tool that would calculate advanced performance metrics using Computer Vision.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The team at Requestum developed a proprietary algorithm that calculates player performance for American high school, college, and professional football players. Along with developing other algorithms to assess player metrics, we engaged with them to also design the UI for the consumer version of the solution. They used Python for their work.

What is the team composition?

We had a project manager and several developers. There were 3–4 developers, one of them being a senior developer on staff. My primary contact was with the project manager. I also spent time with one of the senior project managers. The first person I interacted with was on the sales side of things. I established the scope with him, sharing my vision and roadmap.

How did you come to work with Requestum?

At the start, we had a different service provider. We wanted to challenge them from a time and speed perspective. We felt that if we had a second team working on our solution, we could get to market faster.

We also felt that another team could be challenged to develop something more sophisticated and more accurate in terms of the Computer Vision technology. From a cost-efficiency standpoint, there is more leverage with multiple suppliers.

When we first brought Requestum on, it was a slow build. The initial challenge was to develop a proof of concept. Once they passed that milestone, we were able to give them an additional assignment.

How much have you invested with them?

The project cost around $21,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Requestum in October 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

In January, we had a soft launch of the platform. One of the ways we’re creating awareness is through a robust Twitter following that showcases the technology and what we’re able to do. During the soft launch, we were able to showcase our platform to several potential clients. As a result, we were able to increase our following by 26%.

We were also one of the few companies that had two head football coaches visit our booth during the showcase. If head coaches come to your booth, it means that they’re impressed with what they’ve heard. We also had two potential investors talk to us at the soft launch. Discussions have started because of that. Since then, we’ve had three different companies look to partner with us.

The Sports Innovation Society also featured our technology. The platform has been talked about in the industry as groundbreaking and innovative.

How did Requestum perform from a project management standpoint?

From a project management standpoint, they’re fantastic.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their level of professionalism and responsiveness separates them from other suppliers. The developers’ level of sophistication of the tools and algorithms they bring to the market is also impressive.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The value we’ve been able to get from their team has been relatively stable. I don’t have many improvements from them. They’re great strategic partners.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Monitoring systems/hardware manufacturing in Telecommunication area, custom monitoring systems. Position: Head of Project Department – RIT LTD

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Requestum?

Remote monitoring systems for mobile operators, firmware assembly/upgrade/testing. Website updates, development and support.

What were your goals for this project?

Keep the projects website up-to-date in terms of content, plugins, functionality. Meet the SCADA communication protocol requirements for low-level equipment. Extend the team of developers without the need to hire full-time workers.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

They were recommended by partner who worked with the company and provided a positive feedback about their approaches and price/quality ratio.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

1. Prototyping, development and support of the project's internal website.
2. Examine SCADA communication protocol requirements for low-level equipment.
3. Provide recommendations about possible options of how to communicate with high-level SCADA software.
4. Development and further upgrade/maintenance of communication part of low-level equipment firmware.
5. Testing of the solution.

What was the team composition?

Business analyst Solution architect Frontend developer Backend developer 3 C developers Quality Assurance engineer

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

The project was really effective due to the fact that successfully completeness of this project opened new possibilities on the market for our company. Quick coverage of the on-demand development needs keeps us confident in the day-to-day operations with such a reliable partner.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Management is a separate topic. They've perfectly fulfilled the ''feel supported" need of a client. I never had feeling of being along with my affairs. Also special thanks for patience of management persons in case of emergency situations and technical requirements roll-up. Rapid feedbacks, best solutions, perfect timelines.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

These guys are true professionals. You have a need - you are covered. Communication is the key. Customer success is their religion. They help doing business instead of providing services.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Nothing to say.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder of Stillpoint Meditation for Mothers-- a meditation app that aims to educate and support mothers in a mindfulness practice.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Requestum?

We hired Requestum to handle all development of our iOS app called Stillpoint Meditation.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal for this project was to take our iOS app from design screens/wireframe stage to a fully functional app in the App Store.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We went through months of a rigorous screening and interviewing process of many different developers, from lone wolves to large development firms.

Describe the project in detail.

We had an entire UI/UX mockup in PNG files that were given over to the team, with the understanding that development would take 3 months. Andrey Blond was the project manager and was delightful to work with. Answered all of our questions and helped us get oriented to the process.

The development was broken down into stages and milestones, and development began fairly quickly, starting on the backend and getting the Admin Panel structured. There continued to be communication between us and the developers themselves over the course of the development, as questions would arise.

However I anticipated there being much more of this than there actually was. It seemed what I worried needed to be specified on every corner, was second nature to the developers and they were able to figure most of it out on their own. The app was built for iOS and the team also helped with development of a landing page, which was also done fairly quickly, and excellently.

We did not ask the team to do any other branding, marketing or strategy for us, strictly development. The project did take much longer than anticipated, sometimes it was a delay on our end, sometimes on theirs. The also walked us all the way through getting accepted for sale in the App Store, which was a longer process that anticipated, but the team was super helpful and made sure everything was completed as agreed upon.

What was the team composition?

We had a project manager, a couple of different team members served as points of contact, one of which was the COO--others I don't know their exact title, but were excellent at keeping communication going between us and the developers. As far as developers there was mainly one backend, one front-end (working with some support), and another Web developer that helped with the landing page.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We are incredibly happy with the final result. We feel like the app was built extremely well by competent developers. There were a few bugs that we ran into (there's no way around this), that were addressed and seen through to eradication. We have an extremely low crash rate, and have gotten all 5-star reviews in the App Store. Many users comment about the overall aesthetic of the app and ease of usability. We are very pleased!

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We tried a few different communication channels but found Slack to be the easiest, most relevant and efficient. The team was well organized and responded professionally to all queries and concerns. They responded well to feedback and always were reasonable and respectful. It was clear they had the client's satisfaction in mind throughout the whole project.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The company was very well organized and extremely talented. I was impressed with their professionalism, their seeing things through to the end, and very impressed with the value they provide. I feel like we got the best deal on the market and will continue to return to Requestum in the future for more development.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I would have really appreciated a little more closely following the deadlines/timeline outlined from the beginning. I can understand there were some unforeseen circumstances that cropped up, on both ends, but development time nearly doubled from beginning to App Store. That was disappointing. Also, there were some times when I would appreciated a quicker response to concerns. Sometimes it was not clear through which person I should communicate.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work for a specialist psychology training company that was founded in 1988. We teach therapeutic skills to practitioners from all over the world. Whether its lifting depression, smoking issues, or another situation, we can help. I’ve been working as a digital project manager here for about eight years.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Requestum?

We haven’t created mobile apps before but needed an audio player app for our clients.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

This was an iOS development project. Initially, we had a brainstorming session where they introduced their team and provided us with their thoughts on approaching the work. During the development portion of the project, we met weekly to go over progress. In the end, they finished the work before the 40-hour estimate originally given, managing to complete it in 30 hours. 

What is the team composition?

I worked primarily with Andrey (PHP Developer, Requestum) on high-level business ideas. Otherwise, I also collaborated with Olga (Project Manager, Requestum) and Alex (Co-Founder, Requestum) on communications and development respectively. 

How did you come to work with Requestum?

There were over 100 applicants to choose from on Upwork and many requests came in for our projects. After reviewing everything and narrowing down our options, they seemed like the best team for the job. They responded to us with a very personalized proposal, which impressed us from the start.

How much have you invested with them?

In total, we’ve invested about $6,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

The project started in November 2018, and the first app release occurred in January 2019. We’ve worked together since then.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

We’ve made back the money that we spent in less than eight months of launching. That’s allowed us to profit since, giving us more opportunity to invest in updates and fixes for the app.

How did Requestum perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicated through Upwork daily. Otherwise, we spoke during weekly Skype meetings to catch up on progress. Throughout, they were friendly, polite, and honest. We appreciated their ability to communicate clearly. If they disagreed with our approach, they could offer advice honestly. We could tell that they were passionate about their work.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re knowledgeable within their industry. Taking their work seriously, they have a great sense of pride in what they do. They don’t cut any corners, which can be rare.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There were a few small delivery delays, which is very common in software development. Otherwise, I can’t think of a single flaw.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Do research about your own project beforehand. There’s only so much advice they can give you within the development. You need to have a brief before going to them. Our limited understanding of app development slowed us down a little in the beginning, so that’s the one thing I’d change. They were patient and helpful regardless, though.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Jalopy.io is a comparison website for car servicing and repairs. We help customers save time, money and the environment by booking through our web app. I am the CEO of Jalopy.io.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Requestum?

We hired Requestum for UX Design and Development purposes. Basically Requestum built our front end app for both car owners and garages.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to build an amazing customer experience and transform how customers manage the repair and maintenance of their cars. We were looking for a very collaborative team that communicated well and also brought significant technology talent to the project.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We interviewed a number of service providers and after very carful consideration we selected Requestum.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

• UX Design - they put an excellent UX designer on our project to ensure we were building a great customer experience using modern design techniques
• UI Development - Requestum provided an excellent Angular developer to build our web app
• QA - Reqestum also provided a QA resource to ensure the quality of what was handed over after each build was high
• Project Management - Requestum put a PM on the project to make sure everything ran smoothly

What was the team composition?

• 1 Designer
• 1 Front End Developer (Angular)
• 1 QA
• 1 PM

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

We are a startup so the impact has been massive. They have built the UX for our go to market product and the feedback from users has been excellent.

The design is great and we have no defects so the quality of the code was really high. This ensured that first impressions from our customers of what Jalopy is about was really positive, easy to use, efficient and reliable.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Over the duration of the project the partnership approach from Requestum was excellent. We had an "all hands" call every monday morning at my local time which ensured alignment. We used JIRA and Skype to track and log everything and it meant everyone was aware of priorities and any issues.

Overall, the project management was great throughout, and that made working with Requestum so easy and professional.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Collaboration... customer first ethos... professionalism throughout... dependable. Quality outcomes

Are there any areas for improvement?

I cant find much to highlight here. There was one occasion where there was confusion on cost but that was quickly cleared up and the PM resolved the issue very quickly.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of Soft-net.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Requestum?

We needed someone to develop a game app for our company. I wanted to have a lot of functionalities in the backend of the game.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Requestum developed a betting counter, which is a game where people can open an account and bet. They began the process by asking us about all of the game’s requirements. I described the type of software that we wanted, and they understood. They came back with a price and timeline.

They initially developed the game as a web-based platform, and then they developed a mobile app. Once the main structural work was done, we began implementing new functions. I wanted players to be able to get a scratch card in order to top up their accounts. To enable that, Requestum did a lot of work on the backend. For example, cards need to be blocked if they are lost, and they need an expiration date. Requestum developed the software in such a way that users can be autonomous; the more functions that the client can do by themselves, the less they will bother us.

What is the team composition?

I’m in touch with four people from their team, including the director of the company, two project managers, and an admin person who took care of the invoices and things of that nature.

How did you come to work with Requestum?

I have been in the betting business for ten years and have made other software with various companies. My friend found Requestum through a freelancing site. After a month or two, we decided to visit and talk to them. This project was something new for them as well.

How much have you invested in them?

We have spent between $50,000–$100,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them in March 2018, and the work is ongoing. We are now deploying the latest version and making additions.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

It was good. They made an effort to understand something that was new for them. Betting is a delicate subject because it involves someone else’s money, so if something happens, we could lose users. 

I appreciate that they are always available. I don’t like it when something breaks or we have an issue, and it takes people 3–4 days to answer. Requestum is always very fast to respond. We’ve established a good way of working together, and I would work with them on other projects as well.  We will likely be adding functionalities for another year, and I also hope to create a new website.

How did Requestum perform from a project management standpoint?

They are very responsive and always try to understand what I want. I’m Italian, but I live in Poland, and there is a direct flight to their city. I have been to their office in Ukraine a few times. We’ve had a lot of discussions and meetings, especially at the beginning of the engagement. We communicate via Skype.     

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’ve had bad past experiences with other IT teams, so I love it when I work with someone who responds very quickly. Requestum also takes the time to check-in.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They should determine the way that they will work with their clients straight away. We did it a little bit later on, but this is something we agreed on.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I have been very happy with their work, and I would advise working with them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am a senior developer for a mobile wireless solutions provider.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Requestum?

We collect various types of traffic information, and we needed a way to visualize the information.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Requestum created a data visualization program that allowed us to see statistics and information on a map. Using Vue and Apache, we’ve been developing an API that incorporates risk technology and only allows someone with the proper credentials to view the data.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with a project leader and their lead developer. At one point during our engagement, we started working with a new developer, but the transition was smooth.  

How did you come to work with Requestum?

We had a competition between three companies. They each built us a demo and we evaluated their work. Requestum’s proposal seemed the most promising to us.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $25,000-$50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in May 2018, and the project is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

The program works really well. We have been using this tool to sell products to our clients, and they’ve been really impressed by it too. Our end product shows that Requestum has a great designer on their team. They made our tool look better than we thought possible.

How did Requestum perform from a project management standpoint?

We share documents on Google Drive, and we are able to update them as the project progresses. We also communicate via Skype, phone calls, and emails.

They always meet our deadlines and let us know if something will impede our work. For example, there was recently a holiday in Ukraine, where they are based, and they let us know that we wouldn’t be able to contact them two weeks ahead of time.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were really responsive to feedback. Any time we suggested a few tweaks or wanted something improved, they were able to alter the product very quickly.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There is nothing they need to improve on. It has been a really good experience.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the owner of a custom website and application development company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Requestum?

I needed additional developers to help complete the work in my agency.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Requestum has provided me with full stack Drupal developers to help build and maintain Drupal projects for multiple clients. The team has also provided a QA engineer to test all my work and that of their developers, ensuring tasks are completed accurately. Regarding the Drupal projects, Requestum has worked on major version upgrades, full custom Salesforce sync for Drupal 10, custom Drupal Coerce functionality, advanced analytics and pricing calculation for a custom Drupal investment CRM, and ongoing general maintenance.

What is the team composition?

I've worked with three teammates from Requestum.

How did you come to work with Requestum?

Requestum was highly regarded by another business associate.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working around January 2018, and the project is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Requestum's work has allowed me to complete projects and take on more work faster than I could alone, doubling the amount of revenue I could make on my own. Overall, I've increased my profits by approximately $50,000 last year.

How did Requestum perform from a project management standpoint?

Requestum delivers on time and communicates well. We have a brief meeting each Monday to touch base with the developers. We communicate via Slack.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Requestum is very flexible and feels like an extension of my team. Other companies I've worked with felt more cold and transactional. I feel like Requestum actually cares about the success of my business.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Requestum could be better about letting me know when something is going to take longer than originally estimated.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director of Product Management of EKOS, Inc

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are a software for fleet and fuel management

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Requestum to accomplish?

• Design new pages for our flagship product

SOLUTION

How did you find Requestum?

Online Search

Why did you select Requestum over others?

High ratings

How many teammates from Requestum were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Requestum has been amazing to work with. They have helped with some critical UI design for some pages in our web app. They are quick to turn requests around and have been nothing short of amazing!

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

They finished many pages of design for us.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

They were very timely and responded to all of our needs quick.

What was your primary form of communication with Requestum?

Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

How fast Requestum works and the quality of their work are commendable.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Requestum could have done differently?

no!