Achievion Solutions

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

I’m a partner at a fitness company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Achievion Solutions?

We ran into an issue where we lost our CTO overnight, so we reached out to Achievion to pick up where they left off, which was difficult. Achievion came on to help on the backend and frontend, and to pick up the pieces. They came on as pretty much full-time tech support. There was nothing really specific at the time besides saving the business and they did a great job of achieving that. Primarily, we wanted to keep everything going as planned. We obviously are always implementing new features into the websites. After a couple of weeks, we were actually able to achieve those goals and get those features in the backlog for Achievion, and once we got everything comfortably settled, we were able to start building out features within the site. Prior to Achievion, there was a previous agency working on it and once the CTO left, they left.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

We needed .net support and Achievion brought in their experts to not only rework and enhance what was going on, but build off of that. They picked up where the former tech team left off. They’re doing more than supporting the backend. They’re pretty much doing everything a CTO would do and then some. We had a landing page design, but didn’t have it built out. Once they got comfortable, we gave the task of building the landing page, which they did, and it looks great. They’re making some tweaks here and there such as including customer profiles with the websites, different data tracking tools, and a lot of smaller features here and there. The biggest one that they’ve probably taken on would be the landing page and then just assuring that our streaming capabilities, which is 90% of our business, are running smoothly.

How did you come to work with Achievion Solutions?

I was referred to Achievion through one of my friends out in D.C. I was looking for .net experts, which are hard to find these days. They just so happened to have a couple, and that’s how we got introduced and went from there. It worked out perfectly, and we’re really grateful for that recommendation.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

We started at $10,000 to $15,000 a month, and now we’re at about $25,000 a month.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in April 2017, and have been working together since.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

We’ve gotten great reception on the landing page. We’re like the Netflix for fitness. We’ve actually tried the design and developed a site based off of Netflix’s site. The homepage has brought a lot of life to the website besides just having different classes listed. They’ve also helped build out a blog, which has increased our SEO overnight. The highest success we’ve had was them taking over a lot of the streaming issues we’ve had with Microsoft and definitely building out the homepage. We probably wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for Achievion.

How did Achievion Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

They were perfect. We started with Alex [CEO, Achievion] and he’s very good with working by schedule and getting things done. A good word to describe him is militant. So, when there’s something scheduled out, he gets it done. When I say militant, I mean it in the best way possible. He’s a great communicator and communicates great with his guys to get the work that we’re looking for done in a timely manner. He is extremely responsive. Three weeks into the project, he was responsive even when he was in another country on vacation. When he’s not working, we have another point of contact. There’s never a disconnect between us and Achievion. We started off with him and one other developer. Alex [CEO, Achievion] started building up a team on his own and then once we wanted to get things turned around quicker, we asked him to grow it a little further. We now have a small tech team that we consider our own. We have about six developers now and a tester working on their end. It’s definitely built out, and we’re probably going to grow that as well once we finalize some funding. It started out small, but as we got comfortable with each other, we’ve definitely added on developers from their team. It’s been good ever since. As far as speaking on the phone, we do a monthly Scriptboard meeting with the whole Forte team and Alex [CEO, Achievion] for everyone to get caught up on everything. He runs a really solid meeting. I’m probably Slacking with him at least a couple of times a day. I’m in constant communication with him. It’s a great relationship. We 100% trust Alex [CEO, Achievion] and his team.

What distinguishes Achievion Solutions from other providers?

The most impressive thing was how quick they were able to understand the architecture behind the website, because it’s built on .net and it’s a masterpiece. For them to come on and to understand it as quickly as they did was extremely impressive. For them to start building off the current structure of the site and building out features within a couple of weeks was definitely impressive.

Is there anything Achievion Solutions could have improved or done differently?

Not currently.

Do you have any recommendations for others considering working with Achievion Solutions?

Be clear on what you’re looking for because the more clear you are, the quicker and better turnaround you’ll get. If it’s your company, you obviously understand it better than anybody else does, and when an agency comes in and you expect them to know everything, they really don’t understand everything right away. Just being clear and efficient in asking what you want makes it a lot easier on their end to deliver in a timely manner. I think it’s about the communication right up front and not expecting the world at the beginning, because it takes time to learn someone else’s business.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the executive director of Athletes United for Social Justice, which is better known as The Grassroot Project. We train university student athletes as non-traditional health educators who deliver our interactive sexual health curriculum in Washington DC middle schools.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Achievion Solutions?

Our organization won an award through 501cTECH to develop phase 1 of an app. It would be the first ever app for The Grassroot Project. The ultimate goal of the app is to provide time-saving efficiencies for our student-athlete coaches when they’re in the middle schools. For example, taking attendance and filling out required fidelity checklists.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We engaged Alex, Achievion’s CEO, and his organization to build out Version 1 of the app which was the time saving and efficiency piece. We’re now currently fundraising for the second phase of the project. Version 1 allowed our student-athlete coaches to take attendance in the classroom on the app as opposed to paper and pencil. It also allowed the student-athlete coaches to conduct their fidelity checklists which are required by many of the grants that our non-profit are a part of. This app freed the student-athlete coaches to spend more time interacting with the young people.

I only interacted with Alex and we had a good amount of contact. He was certainly responsive when questions arose. With any app or with any piece of technology, bugs need to be fixed and things need to be tested. He was always on top of that with us. We were checking in at a regularly scheduled time about once every couple of weeks as we were building it out. I never felt as if I needed to reach him and was unable to. I know there were people on the backend that were assigned to the project, but I don’t know how many.

How did you come to work with Achievion Solutions?

I had a conversation with a mutual connection of both Alex and myself and it was on an unrelated matter. I told this individual that we had just won this award and that I was looking for a recommended app developer to engage with. Alex was one of about 2–3 names that were recommended for me to follow up on. I interviewed each of them and ultimately decided that Alex and his organization was the one that we wanted to go with, partly because of his willingness to work with us and our budget.

He provided a nonprofit rate where the others that we had spoken to did not. He also understands that not everyone is a tech person; he was able to break down the process in steps in a way that I would understand. That was much appreciated because I needed to engage an app developer that I could trust, that would do the work on time and within budget, and that would help me feel comfortable along the way. Alex and his organization did just that.

How much have you invested with Achievion Solutions?

The first phase of the project cost $8,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in December 2016; Version 1 was piloted in a couple of schools in January 2017. We were able to track bugs and get feedback from our coaches so that we knew what changes needed to be made before we launched in each of our programs.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

We actually haven’t gone through all of the feedback that we got from our student-athlete coaches from the pilot schools that we ran it in. That’s something that we will do over the summer. I can say anecdotally that those student athlete coaches that were involved in some of the pilot programs found it useful and noted that it did save time in the classroom, allowing them to interact with the young people and with the curriculum longer than they had previously been able to.

How did Achievion Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

I was impressed and pleased with interacting with them and the work that they did. They communicated the timeline that it would take and they stayed within it. They also understood and recognized the budget that we had to work with and stayed within it.

I have every intention to engage with them again once we have the funds available for Version 2. Alex and I met in person initially, and about 50% of our interactions were in person. We handled on email what we could, but there were times we required a face-to-face meeting so that we could review different stages of the app as it was being developed.

What did you find most impressive about Achievion Solutions?

Alex was a big part of what impressed me about the company. We had not worked with the company before, so we didn’t have a belief or an expectation going in. However, my interaction with Alex gave me comfort that not only he but his entire organization, was qualified to do the work and that they were the best fit for us. He did whatever was necessary to help us understand and make sure that the communication was ongoing and clear.

Are there any areas Achievion Solutions could improve?

No. I was very pleased.

What tips or recommendations could you share that might increase the likelihood of success with Achievion Solutions?

I was grateful for the individual that recommended them to me, and I, in turn, would be happy to recommend them to someone that asks me about an app developer.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

Our company provides a test automation platform. It's very user-friendly.  It's for users that do not have much technical background. It's mostly web testing. We also do some backend and mobile testing.

What is your position?

I'm the cofounder and CTO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Acheivion Solutions?

We want to continue to grow our development team. We've been contracting out pieces of our software to different teams for the past four years. We've had different experiences. Once we landed on Acheivion a few months back, we stuck with them.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

We started with a fixed-cost contract for a specific feature in our software. This was back in July or August of 2015.  They created this very complicated feature of our software. We are a startup and we don't have time to write up requirements.  After the engagement, I was engaged with the engineers who were working on this and asked Acheivion if we could have them, at least temporarily, fully dedicated to our team. That started two months ago. 

How did you come to work with Acheivion Solutions?

As a startup, we don't have time to go about finding contractors actively. Some of them just come about as a discovery process. We had a relationship with Alexey Jacome, the CEO, before. Acheivion is a little more expensive than the other firms that we worked with in the past. There was another firm that we approached also. Every time we start with a development partner, we try them out with a fixed-cost project to see how they perform. We engage with more projects if the fixed-cost project goes well.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

I can't give you an exact number but it is two full people onboard full-time. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

The feature that Acheivion worked on for almost 3 1/2 months, offered a huge boost in our user experience. We've been wanting to do that for almost two years now, but we never had time to do it. We never found a resource we could trust.  We can trust Acheivion with our source code and their technical knowledge is remarkable. They're very smart.

How did Acheivion Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

I work with two members of their team twice a day. At midnight, we have a meeting. That would be their morning and then when I wake up at 8 a.m. and I have a meeting with them. I've been working with them constantly.

What distinguishes Acheivion Solutions from other providers?

Acheivion's biggest plus is that they are very enthusiastic when they're working. They bring a lot of energy to the table. I'm constantly working. When I see somebody else constantly working on my team, it makes me more excited.

Is there anything Acheivion Solutions could have improved or done differently?

To give an honest answer, their English communication could improve a bit. However, having said that, they pick up things incredibly fast.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

My company is called STYLECABLE. It’s an e-commerce site that features independent fashion designers.

What is your position?

I’m CEO and founder of STYLECABLE.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Acheivion Solutions?

I approached Acheivion to build our e-commerce site in order to launch my brand.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

Acheivion provided web development for an e-commerce site as well as the backend configuration. 

How did you come to work with Acheivion Solutions?

Acheivion Solutions came as a referral from a friend of mine that I knew in the startup community. I went with Acheivion mainly based on the referral but I had also looked at other development companies in the D.C. area and outside of D.C. Acheivion has a U.S. based project manager that I could work with. I met with Alex Jacome [CEO, Acheivion Solutions], liked him, and thought he was knowledgeable. I decided that they were a great company and along with a referral, it made a lot of sense to work with them.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

Our partnership with Acheivion Solutions falls between $10,000 and $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

This is an ongoing partnership.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

The Acheivion team was able to deliver the work on time. I appreciated the project manager’s responsiveness, flexibility, and his advice. He was a partner in helping us find solutions, walking us through what was feasible and what wasn’t. I’m not a coder. I am new to the tech world and having the Acheivion team explain complex concepts to me was super helpful.

What distinguishes Acheivion Solutions from other providers?

They have developers in the U.S. and some in Eastern Europe. Having Alex, the CEO and project manager here was very helpful. They have a pretty robust backend system where you can track issues that you’re having, which is also really helpful.

Is there anything Acheivion Solutions could have improved or done differently?

Overall, I am very happy with their service. One thing to improve on would be offering more design type services alongside their development.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

It’s called Payment Partners, Inc. We develop ecommerce platforms for community organizations. 

What is your position?

I’m the chief executive officer [CEO] and president.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Achivion Solutions?

Prior to Achivion, we had a developer that had been working with us for a little over a year. We subcontracted programming, website maintenance and development services. That developer moved overseas and we were left in urgent need of a replacement. 

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

Our partnership with Achivion Solution has lasted about 16 months since we engaged in a business relationship. Their team provides programming and web strategies for undertaking various projects. They have been responsive and efficient in following through with the services they provide. They have also provided a broader scope of services beyond programming and coding.

How did you come to work with Achivion Solutions?

Alex Jacome [CEO, Achivion Solutions] was referred to us by a family friend and has proved to be exceptional in what he and his team can do.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

Up to this point our partnership is in the $10,000 to $50,000 range.

What is the status of this engagement?

This is an ongoing partnership.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

Achivion’s responsiveness and efficiency is great. We’ve met periodically over the course of the relationship to plan ahead for some upcoming strategies. Some time ago we went through and developed a list of tasks that we prioritized, and developed a timeline. Their CEO came back and provided cost estimates and time estimates.

What distinguishes Achivion Solutions from other providers?

Achivion Solutions’ ability to adjust, their flexibility, and capacity to follow through with promised tasks and timelines has been extremely appreciated and very valuable for us.

Is there anything Achivion Solutions could have improved or done differently?

There’s nothing I can think of. There have been minor instances where my initial feeling was that we were being billed for something that might have been the responsibility of their developers. But we were able to discuss the issue and resolve it without any residual bitterness. It facilitated a very functional working relationship.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.
I'm a partner at a technology development company. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Achievion Solutions?
We're in the early stages of developing machine learning and AI software. We hired Achievion Solutions to work on a software solution that would leverage some existing aerial imagery to apply AI to our data. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?
Achievion Solutions has built a small engine leveraging existing aerial imagery and built an algorithm around that, which continues to learn as we feed data. Our objective for this particular software engine is to use it in the roofing industry since it's designed to perform automated measuring from aerial photography. 

What is the team composition?
Early on, we worked with Alex (CEO), who conducted the initial conversations and work proposals. Then, as we moved on with our engagement, Tony (Technical AI Project Manager) became our primary contact. We also worked with an offshore software developer. 

How much have you invested with them?
We’ve spent around $50,000–$55,000 on this project.

How did you come to work with Achievion Solutions?

One of my partners referred Achievion Solutions to us, and we also searched for similar development companies on Google. We talked with around five development companies and presented our idea. We knew this functionality could be useful but couldn't find the existence of it. We shared our idea with Achievion Solutions, who searched for comparable technologies on our behalf and couldn't find anything. Achievion Solutions had built other pieces of technologies with similarities and helped source data, proposing a development plan. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with Achievion Solutions in May 2023, and they've completed our project's first phase. We must gather more data and train the model before Achievion Solutions develops the project's second phase.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Achievion Solutions has delivered a prototype and is currently working on a technical issue regarding our data source. This has been a first-of-a-kind project for us and probably for them. We're dealing with an R&D phase; overall, the team has provided a positive working experience.

Achievion Solutions has managed our expectations even though we've had challenging points where we haven't accomplished what we needed because of external factors. We had 2–3 solutions that might work, and Achievion Solutions tested each one. Looking back at the team's work, I see that Achievion Solutions has done well. The team is patient with me, and I appreciate it. 

How did Achievion Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?
Achievion Solutions has successfully devised a schedule and stayed on time, delivering work on time and on budget. We have productive standing meetings via video calls and also communicate through email.

Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?
I'd like to highlight Tony's work. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I'm impressed with Achievion Solutions' ability to stay on budget and adapt as the project progresses. The team has integrity and honesty and hasn't been deceptive at all. Achievion Solutions has open communication and is willing to do due diligence, which gives us confidence in the project's success. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

The only Achievion Solutions can improve is for their communication to be quicker. We've had stumbles on some meetings because the communication with an offshore teammate has created latency, and we've lost momentum. 

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

I think it's beneficial that contractors are aware of the importance of deliverables. We didn't really understand how critical our deliverables were at first, and I lagged in getting back to them asking for some deliverables, which ultimately hurt our timeline.