abz.agency®

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'am sales and marketing manager and we are a german sports and event agency based in Munich, Dusseldorf and Brazil. We provide our private and business customers with VIP hospitality tickets / business seats, VIP-arrangements and complete travel packages in the areas of sports, culture and entertainment.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire abz agency, and what were your goals?

Our company website was outdated and no longer in line with the times. We therefore developed our new website including shop together with abz. As a company, we are now more present and can be found faster on the internet.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We have already worked with abz in the past for a completely different project. The experience was already positive and therefore we decided to work with abz again for the development of our new website.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

We left the development entirely to abz and only contributed our ideas and conceptions. abz designed, created wireframes and mockups and ultimately programmed the website.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

We worked with 5 team members. From the designer, the programmer to the frontend manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

Since the completion of the website, we have had measurably higher traffic on the website and are also faster and easier to find via search engines.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

We used Google Docs and google Excel sheets for our documentation, and the Skype Messenger for our daily communication. Communication was very quick and easy.

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

Their focus and dedication to implementing our ideas were impressive. Even if there were misunderstandings due to language barriers or differing ideas, we quickly found the best way.

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

A personal dialogue via video calls would be welcome in the future. But it doesn't have to.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are a financial services company from Switzerland. I am a product manager at this company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire abz agency, and what were your goals?

For our financial services we needed a web application tool that supported our legal team. The goal was to create an MVP, that could be used by clients as well as by our own legal department. It should be a online collaboration tool to work on regulatory documents.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

Our decision factors were based on skill and cost

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

We provided wireframes and a generic project descriptions with user stories, and a given tech stack (node.js, react.js, heroku). ABZ took this and created a more detailed specification.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

We had a project manager, and four developers that were working with us on this project

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

After completing the MVP we could use the app to gather client feedback and use it in a first project.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

We used a Google Docs sheet for our documentation, and Skype for daily communication. Unfortunately due to lacking English skills, we could not have calls, and therefore standups. However, communication via Skype also worked for the majority of times.

Code was kept in ABZ's BitBucket repository and was migrated to our repo only after project completion. Despite not using standard tools, the project management worked fairly well.

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

The quality of work was good, it was a good MVP that worked as intended. Also the testing and QA on their end was done very well. We rarely found any bugs. The design has been implemented quite nicely, considering the very simple wireframes that we provided.

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

In hindsight we would have wished to have a project manager that speaks well English, so that we could have in person calls and stand-ups. Communication via Skype only goes so far.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO and founder of a video editing agency.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with abz agency?

We needed someone to provide us with web development and design.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

abz agency is helping us build a website using JavaScript (React.js, Next.js) and PHP (Laravel).

What is the team composition?

We’ve engaged with around three people from their team, including the CEO and account manager.

How did you come to work with abz agency?

I screened multiple website developers and contacted abz agency directly from their website. I chose to work with them because of their honesty.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested over $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing partnership started in March 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re still in the process of ramping up our business at the moment, but we’ve been getting some positive feedback for our website. We’re very satisfied with their work and they’ve exceeded all our expectations.

How did abz agency perform from a project management standpoint?

The project management is great as they’re able to consistently adhere to our timelines and budget. We typically communicate through Skype and manage the project using Google Docs.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We liked that they scaled down the project significantly, so that a beginner like me can understand and follow the entire process seamlessly.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t have any problems with the service, but they could maybe improve their pricing and make it more cost-effective.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I highly recommend abz agency for people who are developing their websites for the first time. They’re the perfect partners because they’re rigorous, detailed, and they ask all the right questions.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the founder of a startup building an anti-scam application that helps people protect themselves against all sorts of e-commerce scams.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire abz agency, and what were your goals?

We hired ABZ to develop our project made of a browser extension, mobile application and website, with the goal of improving the quality of our development and improving it's process and costs.

SOLUTION

How did you select abz agency and what were the deciding factors?

We interviewed different IT vendors, but ABZ stood out instantly compared to others with their clear rules and processes that they proudly advertise on their website. Coming from another company where communication was a bit chaotic (complex topics discussed on the phone), the rules of ABZ seemed very attractive to us and like they could solve our problems.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

ABZ has re-built the entire system they inherited, it's made of : - backend : built on NodeJS/Nest and python for AI algorithms - frontend : browser extensions and website built with React, mobile apps built with ReactNative They delivered bug-free and well tested builds every step of the way.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

2 full stack developers, 1 designer, 1 project manager

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

With ABZ we were finally able to launch a bug-free application and we are at over 1000 users already after only 1 week live! We and our users couldn't be happier about the quality and stability of the browser extension.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timelines.

ABZ is VERY different from any other vendor we ever experienced. Everything is done in written through Slack and google doc, they are very clear on the timelines for each deliverable and take the time to clarify all the requirements.

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

They have a few strict rules that seem scary at first, but that we now love and wouldn't change for anything! - No calls : this rule is amazing ! Scary, but amazing! We were anxious that it would be an issue but we haven't had any problems, on the contrary, all the miscommunication that was happening with previous IT company due to lack of writing things down, is now gone! Everything is written, clarified, and findable again for later reference. - No coding before requirements are clear : they ask a lot of questions, and when I see how clean their delivrables are, I am thankful for all their questions. - Frontend starts in Figma : again, a great rule to avoid rework, design needs to be done 100% (for every single change) before frontend devs integrate it, there are no approximations, and the result is pixel perfect integrations!

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

I wouldn't change anything, we're very happy with our current collaboration structure with them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the former IT director of Danteez Ltd., a dentistry platform.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with abz agency?

We needed an agency to develop our dentistry web platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They developed our web platform, which is for dental services and products in the UK. The team did the design, wireframing, and coding from scratch. The project is on hold at the moment. After COVID-19, we’re going to resume and continue using them within a few months.

What is the team composition?

We worked with nearly 20 people over the years. My main points of contact were Ihor (CEO) and a project lead.

How did you come to work with abz agency?

Initially, I used them for a small project. I liked the way they approached and design in detail. They’re very good programmers. The quality of work was very impressive and I wanted to give them a larger project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in September 2014, and we wrapped up in June 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

 We’ve had very good feedback. We have many five-star reviews from the actual dentists using the platform. I’m very impressed with them. I’d give them any project.  

How did abz agency perform from a project management standpoint?

I was very impressed. Their project manager was meticulous, articulate, and detail-oriented. He’s one of the best I’ve come across.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They approach things very professionally. They do impressive, clean coding which I haven’t come across before. They follow all the standards.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It’d be good if the whole company could speak English. I’m guessing they’ve improved on that since it’s been a few years. Otherwise, we’re very impressed with their work so far.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They’re very black and white in terms of the hours that they do and the money that they charge. They don’t do favors. They charge for the hours they work. It’s as simple as that.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the owner of an award-winning events company in the UK.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire abz agency, and what were your goals?

We hired abz agency to conduct a discovery phase of some software we wanted to be built for our events company. Given the issues that the events industry has faced in 2020, we felt it would be a good time to do some discovery for development in 2021.

SOLUTION

How did you select abz agency and what were the deciding factors?

We selected them based on interviews and understanding of what we wanted to achieve.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

They were to write a document with their discovery outlining how the system needed to be developed and also wireframes.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

Two people. Ihor the owner and one other gentleman who was in charge of the discovery and worked as a project manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

The project was not completed as there was a minor disagreement about what the project should have as part of it. Ihor completely changed his attitude in a second, closed down the project, and withheld the information and work that we had already done.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timelines.

We used Slack and Google Docs for the main part of the project which was totally fine.

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

The work of the project manager was good.

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

Ihor has been one of the most disappointing company owners I have encountered. I contracted Ihor's company to do two product requirement documents for us. Ihor is obviously very smart and has some great members of his team. However as soon as we disagreed on one technical aspect of the development, Ihor's character very quickly changed, he became extremely defensive and aggressive and shut down the contract straight away.

He then removed access to all of the work that had been done and that I and my team had spent hours collaborating on. I've been very disappointed by this. However, I am somewhat relieved that this happened during the discovery stage and not during development.

In Ihor's words, he said explicitly, "Sorry. Maybe I'm harsh, I have such a character". He also proceeded to tell me how busy his company was and that they could pick and choose who to work with.

This is obviously a fantastic situation for Ihor's agency. However, his attitude of "We don't need you and can ditch you at any time mid-project" is not very satisfactory for the client and has left us in somewhat a difficult situation.

Again, I really don't appreciate it when a contractor brags and shows off about how well they are doing, especially during a time when so many around the world have suffered.

I believe in the importance of listening to both sides of every story. Most of the feedback I give to freelancers is five stars and I am sure that Ihor will have his version of events. However, I have spent over $7000 with abz agency and to have a situation where the contractor pulls the plug over a minor differing of views is absurd.

I was willing to spend another $100k with them for future projects. However, I am glad I didn't, given that he feels it's not enough for him.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of Colectik, a collectibles website.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with abz agency?

I needed someone to develop my e-commerce website and hired abz agency for the task.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

abz agency designed, developed, and tested my entire website. It’s a social network for people who collect certain types of items. There are options for trading, selling, creating albums, and more, and they did everything from scratch. I worked with abz agency from the ideation stage to creating an MVP without the design. We then moved on to an MVP with designs and main functionality. After everything was completed, I got feedback from my clients and we continued to deliver new features.  

abz agency used Node.js, Angular, JavaScript, and I believe, MySQL. The project took a while because I was adding new features. I tried to promote the website during its creation, but that doesn’t work. I had to change a couple of things to make promoting it easier.

What is the team composition?

I worked with their CEO directly. He managed our product, though I talked to the designer sometimes as well.

How did you come to work with abz agency?

I looked online and was contacted by 30 companies. After a small talk with all of them, I chose two or three and estimated the prices and timelines to get a feel of the way they work. Ultimately, I chose abz agency.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $25,000–$30,000 on this project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in March 2015 until November 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The platform is good, but it takes a lot of promotion, which is very costly. I’ll start promoting it in 3–4 months. My competitors are eBay, Amazon, and all kinds of social networks, so it’s not going to be easy. I’ve had success with the collectors that I know are using the platform. I was pushing it in Europe and Ukraine.

How did abz agency perform from a project management standpoint?

The communication with abz agency was great. They’ll ask immediately if they need an answer to any question they have. Also, if I have questions, they have the answer for us. If I change my mind or decide to implement something different, there are no problems. Additionally, we had an online platform where we could see all the designs. We used Hangouts to communicate and everything was clear and streamlined. I always knew what they were doing and there were no miscommunications.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their time and price estimates after they make a prototype are very accurate. Problems that come up during the project are solved very quickly, and although they take time and effort, they’re solved. abz agency will say yes and explain how they’ll carry out ideas, and while there may be some technical limitations, nobody tells us it’s impossible or that it will cost more money.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t have anything for them to improve. What they delivered was great, and if I need to do another project, I will call them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Do some research before you ask abz agency to create a product. People need to know exactly what they want in order to avoid a lot of back and forth. A customer may get frustrated because abz agency can’t estimate the price and time, but that’s because they don’t know what they want.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the owner and CEO of the company. We develop and promote digital products.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire abz agency, and what were your goals?

We needed a hands-on agency developing our websites from scratch with high reliability.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We had a very good experience with abz agency from previous projects.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

abz agency was really hands-on mentality, based on requirements you provide them. They worked a detailed and send you all approaches to review before developing.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

There is one project manager mostly in contact with you.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

Project was delivered as expected.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

Communication fully in messenger apps like skype, documentation in google docs.

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

Working reliable with high standards

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

QA can sometimes be improved.