WebbyLab

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the former VP of research for a public company trading on NASDAQ.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with WebbyLab?

We needed help building a customer-facing portal for our customers to log-in, view their data, finances, usage statistics, and other services.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They built our customer portal. They used PHP on our request and the Symfony 2 framework. We provided the design and they did only the development.

We gave them our product requirements and then had a round of discussions about those technical specifications. They developed specifications and then worked on the code. Our testers were involved to make sure that they meet the requirements that we set.

It’s a password protected page where our customers log in and see a dashboard for our services. They can see errors, problems, financial issues, and separate pages for the sent configuration and statistics. There are also some tools to help them understand why their mail hasn’t gone out, and somewhere to change their payment information.

What is the team composition?

We interfaced with the project manager and the general developer, but I don’t know how many people were on the team.

How did you come to work with WebbyLab?

We had a request for proposal with several companies and WebbyLab responded with a price and timeline. We talked about how to pursue the development and what the strategy should be. We liked what they had to say and chose them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from October 2013–May 2014.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were satisfied with the results­—it didn’t have a lot of bugs and was market standard for development. The development work and the changes done in the architecture met our expectations.

How did WebbyLab perform from a project management standpoint?

It was good and they were almost exactly on time. There were some issues with deliveries, but we managed to figure out how to push to production as soon as possible. Whenever there were slipups, they were able to pick up the slack.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They work late hours and during the weekend to get the results. Their attitude and pricing were very competitive.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

No.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the CEO of a sports data company. Most of our team are split across product, engineering, and data services, but we wanted to gain experience working with a new technology and with a remote team.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire WebbyLab?

We already have an internal mobile application, but we had a new idea that we wanted to test. Rather than immediately extending our internal team, we decided to build the initial proof of concept using WebbyLab before deciding whether to bring it in-house or not.

What were your goals for this project?

First, to quickly deploy a well-built application into production to test our hypothesis. Secondly, to test the effectiveness of React Native as a mobile development language, at least for points of contact. And finally, to introduce our internal team to the experience of working with a remote engineering office.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We found WebbyLab online, along with two other companies. After reviewing their materials and having a series of calls, we were happy to proceed with them. Before committing, we got a recommendation for another vendor in their city but decided to stick with WebbyLab, and we’re happy we did.

Describe the project in detail.

We began by iterating a product specification document to a stage where they felt comfortable enough to give us a non-binding estimate. Having worked with remote teams in the past, I felt that the best option was working on a time and materials basis, but an estimate was important for budgeting purposes.

They then worked on the application development using React Native as the development language.

What was the team composition?

We had a part-time project manager, a frontend developer, and a QA. These worked closely with our product owner, our designer, and one of our backend developers to tweak our API.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The bulk of the app was launched on time, which I consider a success. There were some delays, but I blame that mainly on us evolving the specifications as the app developed. They’ve also been very proactive in dealing with minor modifications and bug fixing requests since the delivery.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We flew over to visit them because it was important for me to meet in person, and the meetings we had in person were extremely effective. Following that, a mix of Slack, Standuply, and Github was sufficient to efficiently streamline our workflows.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They're really ambitious—they realize that the best way to grow is to produce fantastic work and have happy clients that keep coming back or recommend them. They're also still small enough to make a startup like us feel special.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Generally, the process worked very well. The developers could have slightly better English skills, but the project managers’ English was excellent and that was what really counted. The only area where I'd improve is on actively managing the long tail of the project to ensure effective completion.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the site manager of WorldTicket, a cloud solution for airline companies.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with WebbyLab?

One of our major customers requested a project that needed to be finished within a very short time frame without sacrificing quality. It’s a proprietary application that allows airlines to manage their reservations, sell tickets, etc.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They built the single-page app and integrated it with payment systems and a Magento CMS. We used the Java technology stack. They specified the requirements from the beginning, explained them to our business representatives, and then implemented the app. They conducted QA on their side.

They created a functionality that allows customers to book their flights and reserve seats. They designed the UI and ensured that the backend (e.g., heatmaps, reservations) matched. We also requested them to implement some additional requirements later on.

What is the team composition?

We mostly worked with JavaScript developers. I communicated with Anton (Co-Founder & COO, WebbyLab) and Iliya (QA Engineer, WebbyLab), who both managed the project.

How did you come to work with WebbyLab?

I’d worked with them in the past and was satisfied with the quality of their service. For that engagement, I’d searched on Google and selected another company at first who spent about 80% of the budget and only delivered 30% of the functionality. We immediately terminated them and asked WebbyLab to estimate the project as well as confirm that they could deliver on time.

This is why I asked them to work on this project also. I didn’t even search the market for other companies because I knew they were the best.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between €15,000–€20,000 euros ($18,595–$24,794).

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from September 2016–March 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They met deadlines and provided a really good-quality app. Our team found about 20 bugs that were fixed within 1–2 weeks at no charge. The most challenging things were delivering such a high-quality product with very strict deadlines. They met all of those requirements.

How did WebbyLab perform from a project management standpoint?

Anton and Iliya were very responsive and always answered us within 1–2 hours. They even worked on features during a holiday because we requested it after the integration of the project’s major parts. I liked working with them because they made themselves constantly available, even at night.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I like that they’re responsive and customer-centric. They’ll even implement some things for free on occasion to make the customer happy.

They’ve never asked me to pay until they’ve successfully finished a project. They always told us that if we didn’t like what they delivered, then we didn’t have to pay.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’m happy with everything about them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Modelate is a software company that develops software products, mostly in the pharmaceutical domain. I am the CEO and founder.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with WebbyLab?

We were looking for a reliable partner with deep technical development knowledge.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They take care of all the technical work. We do product design, UX and UI management requirements, and engineering, which they receive and do the programming from there. They are proficient in JavaScript, as well as web technology. They use Node.js, ReactJS, and general JavaScripting frameworks and have the tooling set up for continued delivery processes.

We often work with mathematical models, which are not always simple to program. A regular programmer cannot program them, and we must have someone with mathematical knowledge and background. They take of this for us, and we are very happy with the work. They've helped us out with around 20 projects so far.

What is the team dynamic?

I've worked with about 15 people; we have core teams, and sometimes the people change.

How did you come to work with WebbyLab?

They were suggested to us, and we found what we were looking for in them. They were rather small when we started working with them, and we grew together.

What is the status of this engagement?

We've been working with them since 2013, and the relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They are deeply technical people and can find a solution to any kind of custom problem, which is the biggest value.

Everyone has been satisfied with their work. From time to time, there are some issues as part of normal business, but they get fixed.

We partner tightly with them and they are integrated with us. Our managers talk to their managers, and we know the people who work with us by name. It is a solid collaboration, with a clear separation of concerns. Usually, the projects are not typical and involve a fair amount of logic and custom components.

How did WebbyLab perform from a project management standpoint?

They are responsive, and we communicate daily with the developers. We most often communicate through Skype, emails, Slack, and project management systems.

In terms of deliverables, the work is delivered on time, on budget, and without critical defects.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I like that they never stop searching to find a solution.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Not that I can think of right now.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Prix is building a web-based optimization tool for hotels. We take booking data, analyze it, and make forecasts on their occupancy. We use this to calculate the best prices for their rooms, allowing them to make more revenue. I am the head of products and growth for the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with WebbyLab?

We wanted to build a dashboard that would serve as the main frontend face for our technology, and we wanted to do it quickly in order to test it with customers and iterate on it. Unfortunately, hiring good frontend people in London is difficult, time-consuming, and expensive. We were looking for a more affordable and flexible solution.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The main technology we’ve used is React, which is what the dashboard was built on. WebbyLab has been helping with the frontend as well as some backend work. They’ve also provided small bits of web design work for our marketing website.

The main purpose of the dashboard is to visualize booking data from hotels. There are multiple graphs and numbers that turn this data into something that’s a bit more usable for customers. Secondly, the dashboard displays forecasts and price recommendations for hotels. We needed to create clear modules that are easy to read and actionable.

What is the team dynamic?

We’ve had 1 full-time developer for the whole duration. Occasionally, we also worked with a backup developer when we needed extra capacity for a few days.

How did you come to work with WebbyLab?

We were particularly interested in using React and searched online for good agencies. I don’t remember whether WebbyLab was recommended to us or whether we simply found them randomly. We considered 2 other agencies, but we chose WebbyLab in the end.

How much have you invested with them?

The cost has been $20,000–$25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with WebbyLab in April 2017. The project is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Working with WebbyLab has allowed us to get our product up and running. We’ve onboarded 9 properties to the platform. Within a period of 2 ½ months, we went from having no product to having a live platform that customers are paying for. This has been the main result — the speed at which we’ve been able to add features and get to a point of having a live product.

How did WebbyLab perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management is exceptional. We work with a project manager who speaks amazing English, who helps guarantee that WebbyLab is working on top-priority tasks and resolves any confusion created by language barriers. The developer speaks good English, and his language is getting better and better, but having an additional person keep track of tasks ensures that they’re working on the most important things at any given time. Our project manager resolves any queries quickly and plans the roadmap of what WebbyLab is doing — what they’ll work on next and how long it will take. They’re doing a good job.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The project management makes it very easy to work with WebbyLab. They can take a fairly vague brief and turn it into a concrete plan. As a small startup, we don’t always have time to put together a detailed requirements document. A lot of the time, it’s just a sketch and a few bullet points. WebbyLab is able to take that and translate it into a plan and some questions. This lets us start building and resolving problems in a more Agile fashion than other agencies would have allowed us to. From experience, other developers require much more detailed plans up front, which means there is a lot more overhead in terms of explaining what we want from them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Not really. I’ve been happy with them so far. Most of the time, things go smoothly, but, every now and then, there is a bit of a language barrier. If there’s a misunderstanding, we can resolve it quickly.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the COO - Product Owner of Radius Advisory for Great Innovations/iFLO

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Technology, organizational, and product consulting and implementations. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Our client tasked us to improve their smart A/C drain line cleaning solution. During the initial phase, the WebbyLab team had to create a firmware and device controller PoC, mobile and web app SRS, and test the solution through its Alpha version.

SOLUTION

How did you find WebbyLab?

Referral

Why did you select WebbyLab over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from WebbyLab were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

Development of PoC device and preparation of recommendations for the hardware development team
Discovery phase of the project, creation and approval of the technical specification, and development of the architecture
Development of the design for the client mobile application
Development of the design for the client web application
Development of iOS and Android client mobile applications
Development of the adaptive client web application
Development of Cloud Software to ensure the operation of devices and user applications
Integration with BI and support tools
Development of requirements and the algorithm of the device operation
Development of firmware for the device
Analysis, verification, and consulting on the results of the hardware development team
Support during hardware manufacturing and QC 
Product delivery 
Continuous support, maintenance and growth 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

On-Time Delivery: Despite initial challenges, the team delivered the firmware for our IoT device within the agreed timeframe. Their ability to proceed with parallel development, even without having the device on hand for some time, ensured the timely launch of our production.
Feature Development: Over the course of more than 25 releases, the team successfully developed countless features for our client-facing mobile and web applications, the admin panel, and IoT cloud software. This consistent delivery of new features significantly enhanced the functionality and user experience of our solution.
Reliability and Efficiency: The delivered firmware and software updates improved the overall performance and reliability of our IoT devices, contributing to a seamless and efficient operation.
Scalability: The solution scaled effectively to support a large number of devices, demonstrating its robustness and reliability.
Customer Satisfaction: The enhanced features and reliable performance led to increased user satisfaction and positive feedback.

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

They are flexible with project management methodology and have seamless switched between Agile methodologies based on the lifecycle of the software development needs. They consistently deliver accurate estimates and timelines and hit milestones. They are very proactive if there are adjustments in schedule that need to be made or if urgent items that need to be reprioritzed. 

What was your primary form of communication with WebbyLab?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

What I found most impressive and unique about this company was their exceptional responsiveness and proactive involvement in the development of our product. They consistently adapted to changes and provided valuable insights that went beyond mere software development. Their dedication to the overall growth and success of our project was truly remarkable.

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

Honestly, I am very satisfied with the service provided by our software development contractor. They have consistently delivered high-quality work, met deadlines, and communicated effectively throughout the project. At this point, I can't think of any specific areas for improvement or anything they could have done differently. Their professionalism and expertise have exceeded our expectations.