Ackee

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the database manager of Skály ČR (Rocks of Czech republic database). of Czech Climbing Association aka Horosvaz

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Czech Mountaineering Association aka Horosvaz. Our main mission is to support climbing in all its forms and disciplines and to create conditions for this sport to develop in the Czech Republic at a recreational and professional level.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• We asked Ackee to create a mobile app for iOS and Android. We wanted our database to be more approachable and handy. The app is called Skály ČR.
• The main goal was to make available to the user a complete database of all rock objects and climbing routes registered by the Czech Climbing Association, including clearly signaled information on temporary and permanent climbing bans due to nature protection. This app is designed to have up-to-date and verified information easily accessible from your phone.

SOLUTION

How did you find Ackee?

Referral

Why did you select Ackee over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing first our budget
• Referred to me

What was the size of Ackee’s team?

2-5 Employees

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

Ackee created a custom application for us. It was up to them to come up with a design solution and implement it for iOS and Android platforms. We, as the client, then delivered the complete database including other details we wanted to have in the app. The backend is provided by another vendor.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• I guess the biggest success for the Czech Climbing Association is the strong and active user base. Thanks to Ackee we got great reviews and feedback for the app. We believe this app helps a lot of climbers in doing what they love.

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

I would say our workflow was very effective indeed! Ackee takes a proactive approach and always strives to do the best job possible. Our collaboration has been going on for several years now, and our communication is seamless and meaningful (usually over phone or via email). We try to make sure that Ackee receives quality feedback from us, we are actively involved in testing the application ourselves and believe that this helps the product the best.

What was your primary form of communication with Ackee?

• In-Person Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Ackee works effectively and comes with good and meaningful solutions. The value for money they deliver is amazing.

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

In some cases, they gave more weight to UX/UI rules over customer need.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Boomerang Communication is a Czech content marketing agency. We connect strategy, content marketing and advertising. We work in digital, social and print marketing. I am Michaela Raková and I work for Boomerang as a Head of Strategy and Analytics.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

The Czech Red Cross approached our agency with a request for a complete modernization of the educational portal Mladý Zdravotník. The project which is designed to reach the target group of young people to be interested in first aid and blood donation. The main goal is to get the young generation interested in first aid, prevention, blood donation, and similar issues.

At the same time, to attract future members and supporters of the Czech Red Cross. On top of that we wanted to create a functional website with clear content, including a section with quizzes, worksheets for teachers and we are starting to implement small educational games. Czech Red Cross also requested to translate the whole website into Ukrainian language.

SOLUTION

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

We chose Ackee upon a recommendation and considered them among couple of other companies. The deciding factors were mainly experience with similar projects.

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

We wanted Ackee to perform UX and UI redesign, followed by development and testing, and last but not least deployment of the entire project. Every step was consulted together on a daily basis and of course there was a thorough acceptance before completion.

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

For this project we needed one UX and two UI designers, three frontend developers, one DevOps developer, two testers and of course one project manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The project was mainly about making the information available from the original website in the Ukrainian language. However, together we decided to take it to the next level, so we started working on a completely new website with more complex functionalities. The overall development and especially the final version are a great success for both - us and the Czech Red Cross. We believe that this will stimulate interest in the target group which is our primary goal.

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

We have to admit we are very satisfied with project management provided by Vojta. We work very effectively together on a daily basis, using Slack, phone and email most of the time. We also had some meetings with Ackee in their offices and we consider our workflow very smooth and meaningful.

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

The best thing about Ackee is their personal approach. Their price-performance ratio is unbeatable! They truly work magic. And as mentioned before we appreciate the hassle free communication the most.

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

Everything was smooth and seamless.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Festival One is a multi-day, Christian festival in Karapiro, New Zealand. Like the rhythm of a pulsing heart, these three things beat in the core of who we are. Music, Art & Community. Three practices in which we explore and find meaning. Music, Art & Community. Three forms of expression tying us into what it means to be human. My name is Adam Murray, I'm part of the management team, my responsibility at festival one is ticketing, transactions and technology.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We hired Ackee because of their App4event app. This app is great for events like our festival, an easy way to get around for our visitors. They can see the full schedule, check out the entire lineup, add their favorites to a personalized schedule, share schedules with friends, use it as a mobile map and so much more. App4event is a perfect event app, there is no need for printed programmes. Our goal were to deliver up to date information, simplify navigation for our visitors as much as possible and also to be more eco friendly.

SOLUTION

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

Ackee was recommended to us by Eventival which was a platform we used for backend of our festival. Eventival was already in cooperation with Ackee and everything worked smoothly so we didn't even consider any other vendor.

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

This app has some default settings. The design is then modified according to our preferences. Ackee then also takes care of delivery and support before and during the event. After the initial launch, and using the app for a few years, we decided to switch our data source to Airtable, Ackee were more than happy to help us and now the solution isn't only simple for our audience, it's easy to administer too.

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

Team usually stays the same from beginning to end. The composition is 1 project manager, 1 iOS developer, 1 android developer, 1 backend and 1 frontend developer and 1 designer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We received great reviews on Apple's App Store and Google Play, we are constantly hearing from our event attendees how much they love it. We are overall very satisfied with the product, is it perfect for our event, and we think it's the best solution in the market at the moment.

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

We consider our cooperation very smooth and effective. We have some short turn around times for updates and Ackee always work with us to deliver these in a reasonable timeframe. Our experience is an "above and beyond" level of customer service.

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

Our relationship with Ackee has been fully remote, we are on opposite sides of the planet, but we feel as though they have partnered with us and are an important part of our team. They loved hearing our feedback and met our passion equally for delivering industry-leading products at a world-class level.

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

More options to customize the app would definitely be a plus, we understand this is achievable if we invested in the product more. Ackee had worked wonders within the budget we provided them.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am chief technology officer. We provide a unique shopping experience for our customers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Our goal was to have MVP apps in stores within 3 months.

SOLUTION

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

There was a multi-rounded tender with more participants. We also wanted to do some test tasks for us.

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

They developed, configured and launched a new native mobile app for Android and iOS and a new web service. They also provided backend support, testing and support with UX and UI design.

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

The team was growing during the process. At the end we had about fifteen people with two developers for each platform. We also worked with analyst, testers, project manager, web developer and one devops engineer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The solution was developed and launched as we said in the beginning - within three months. That was our main goal and we were very happy with the result. Both mobile app are just the way we wanted. Our cooperation still continues.

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

We had everyday stand-ups, demos and plannings on a regular basis and we communicated through Slack.

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

We were focused on the design of our new mobile apps. Ackee provided excellent service and was very helpful with our ideas.

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

Overall, we are very satisfied with their work. Of course, there is always room for improvement but I believe our daily communication helped a lot.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the project manager of Kiwi.com, a company providing an innovative technological solutions for the travel market. Being in Kiwi.com for 7 years, starting in Financial team, moving later on into the position of cross-organizational project manager with the specialization in FinTech.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We wanted to have a customizable mobile app that our company will be able to use for the coordination of internal events. First of all, we wanted to cover HR onboarding process, which is a regular monthly process. The app should help us to lead the newcomers throughout the whole process, be it the onboarding program and its timing, detailed schedule, information about key people in the company and the speakers, or information about other important stuff (navigation to the individual branch offices, useful contacts, etc.).

In next phases, we would like to build something more robust, covering more fields of our interest, not just HR onboarding process.

SOLUTION

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

We searched online for the vendors and found out that company Ackee built an App4event app which at first sight was covering our needs, despite it was built by Ackee for a different purpose and some customization was required.

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

We had an in-person meeting, where we discussed our needs, and confirmed that there is a legit business case. In a very short time, we agreed on cooperation, deployed the app, and start customizing that for our needs.

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

A project manager with the team was assigned worked with us (iOS and Android devs).

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

After the launch of the app, we saw great adoption by HR team and the newcommers. We've seen a tremendous improvement in the HR onboarding process and received also great feedback from the users.

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

The project manager was easy to communicate and provided always on-time reactions on our requests. Everything was delivered on time and in the required quality.

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

The speed of the cooperation and deployment was really impressive.

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

None identified.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a partner in EMMA Capital and BoxNow is our investment which I manage. BoxNow is a courier service provider delivering parcels from eshops to customers and between customers via the biggest network of automated parcel machines (lockers) in Greece, now covering Attica and expanding to the whole Greece.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Our goals was to develop from scratch a logistic platform with open APIs to support delivery process from eshops to lockers. Challenges are variety of use cases (warehouse to locker, locker to locker, locker to address, returns) and capacity management of lockers. Our key goal was to get operational with all the above scope in 6 months.

SOLUTION

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

We asked three IT companies with good historical experience and we selected based on proposed scope/price and competence in discussions. As expected fixed scope and price was not fully realistic and we ended up in mixed project where part was delivered based on time&material and it worked efficiently and fine.

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

Key deliveries:

• driver/sorter mobile app supporting the processes of sorting in our warehouses and delivering from eshops to lockers and backwards, including cross dock
• web platform with several roles to support customer service, warehouse head and route planning
• web platform for eshops
• APIs for public web and for eshop partners All based on google cloud and its DB.

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

I worked with cca 4 key people but I know there were more working in the team. Those I met were solution architect, project manager (working often as an analyst), analyst and back end developer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We got up and running with new business, built 200 lockers by end of 2021 and they all serve customers, we connected several pilot eshops and deliveries are running with no problems. Success rate of deliveries is over 99,5% and SLA of delivering within 24h as well. In order to make this we had to rescope a bit to make the deadline. This was the most critical point, not easy, but from saying we have a problem to solution was less than two weeks, full of good discussions on what is possible/clever and what not.

We managed to simplify some processes and it helped to deliver on time. Honestly great step, because most of the simplified processes we keep as they are and they work fine, only few we are now taking to the original more complex design.

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

Management style: open, strict on cooperation, scope, pushing us to deliver as well. But in case of problem (not realistic to meet deadline with given scope) they were able to open the scope, time discussion and while initially some team members were not happy to change course, they were able to quickly realign with our changing needs and accept a new direction without being difficult or trying to use this for some unfair price renegotiation. Honestly pleasant experience having worked in their side (similar company) before I knew how difficult this was.

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

Ability to agree on fixed price fix time with not perfectly clear scope, they knew it was risk and took it to get interesting project. There was a good mix of delegation and the involvement of key architects and owners in critical moments. Ability to manage myself who id demanding, difficult and in case of need not afraid to change direction, they were able to adapt.

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

Few minor things (accepting a challenge to change scope a bit faster; few small process designs done more simple, …) but overall I would hire them again knowing how it will work with them. Plus we still continue to add functionality with them and we like it.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

The Association of Czech Film Clubs is a film distribution company and film events organizer. The Summer Film School Uherské Hradiště is the largest event of the year for us. My role is a Marketing Director for the Summer Film School.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Ackee?

We hired Ackee to develop an event app for the film festival. We needed a ready made solution for Android and iOS that could be connected with our own administration system.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We already have worked with Ackee in the past. As the cooperation has always been very smooth and without any problems, we decided to ask them again to develop the app for us.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

Design, development, firebase service, automatic debugging, statistics, automatic data import, design templates to use on social media. The essential part of the development was to set up a working API to automatically import data from our own administration system.

What was the team composition?

The team consisted of 1 developer for each platform, backend developer, frontend developer, UX designer and account manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were very satisfied with the outcome. The feedback from the audience was positive, the number of downloads met our expectations and the app store ratings are high.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

There were basically two Ackee employees in contact with us. There was one account manager who negotiated the deal and one supervising developer who communicated with us all the technical details. We found it efficient enough to understand the process.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They are always willing to find the best solution possible. Even though we came across some technical difficulties, they were able to solve them very quickly and efficiently.

Is there any area for improvement or anything that could have been done differently?

The project was rather small so there were no major mistakes to mention.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I´m a co-founder and CEO of AIMS API a music similarity search engine based on ML/AI.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We needed to come up with a high standard, informative microsite. The objective was to ensure that our product would be understandable for everyone visiting the website. That was the main challenge for the Ackee designer. The timing was tight and it was important to us to release the new website as soon as possible.

SOLUTION

How did you select Ackee and what were the deciding factors?

They were recommended to us by our business partner. Their high level of expertise met our expectations.

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

They collected a detailed briefing from us, asking about all functionality requirements and needs. Then they presented various prototypes. After several feedback cycles, they coded and designed the website. Also, the designer created original illustrations and infographics.

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

As the project was a rather small scale, the team only consisted of a project manager, designer and web developer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The website captures our product very well. The result met our expectations in every way. We have positive feedback from our current customers and the website is very informative for new customers too.

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

Given the COVID situation, we only cooperated remotely. Ackee team was highly responsive and they met every deadline with quality outcomes.

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

They are real professionals. They managed to explain everything to us in a very constructive manner and a way we understood. We even changed our opinion on several things as we trusted Ackee knows the best for us.

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

There might have been some minor mistakes during the process, but they were always fixed swiftly.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

AutoMat is a Czech NGO that promotes a better environment for a good-quality of life in the city. We support sustainable city development with the main focus on public, pedestrian and bicycle traffic (as well as the rational use of cars), human-oriented public areas and thoughtful urbanism solutions. My position is coordinator of Bike to work challenge as a tool for promotion sustainable development.

The project’s goal is to motivate as many people as possible to learn to use a bike as a regular urban means of transportation (alternatively to walk or run). If more people switch from cars to bikes and other non-motorised vehicles, they will not only improve their physical condition, mood and work relationships but they will also jointly contribute to cleaner air and more pleasant, safer and healthier cities where they live and work.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Ackee?

We have felt the need for a mobile application for several years. However, the budget of a non-profit organization is tight and we have never had a chance to allocate enough resources to develop the app. Fortunately, this year we partnered up with Ackee. They designed and developed the mobile application for us.

What were your goals for this project?

The main idea behind this project is to make the data entry and ride tracking much easier for the participants of the Bike to Work challenge. We wanted to acquire an user-friendly interface which will increase the engagement of the participants and will help them to keep track of their progress. In general, the user experience optimization was the most important aspect of the project.

SOLUTION

How did you select Ackee?

This is quite interesting, because we didn't select the vendor, the vendor selected us! They contacted us with a message that they would like to support some meaningful non-profit project. They had already participated in our Bike to Work challenge in previous years and they support the idea behind it. So it was a natural match I think.

Describe the project in detail.

We already had our designs and design guidelines so they adjusted the app designs to our existing materials. They developed and tested the app for both iOS and Android platforms.

What was the team composition?

As the project is of a quite small scale, also was the team. We worked with 2 developers for each platform, 1 tester and project manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The Bike to Work challenge takes part in May every year. We haven't had the chance to evaluate the outcome yet. But to this point, we are more than satisfied with the cooperation. We are beyond happy that we could connect with such a strong partner and we are looking forward to using the app on a daily basis.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

I would describe the cooperation as rather waterfall than agile, but given the scale of the cooperation, I would say it was an optimal choice. We were in touch exclusively with the project manager, we had regular remote meetings where we discussed the progress of the project.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I really appreciated their overall positive approach to everything they do. I was even surprised by the level of enthusiasm they showed about the Bike to Work challenge. It was clear to us that they identify themselves with the project and they are truly willing to help.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the CTO of Lidé PRO, and we are a political movement emerging in the Czech Republic. In my jurisdiction, there are five companies and freelancers, and I manage all the IT projects and IT and software development and activities.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Ackee?

We needed help with backend and CRM development for our organization.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I hired them to do all the IT infrastructure and coding on the backend. They connected the existing software because we aren’t creating everything from scratch. Some parts of the system are purchased, but some code is written, and some are done from scratch by the development team. It is a mix of already existing software and our own proprietary software. They also consulted regarding the best solution for us. They helped us find what we really needed. We have a lot going on the website with online petitions and different parts where people can register as volunteers and other things. Ackee made all of that happen.

They’re also creating a CRM for us. They did the payment infrastructure for donations, and there is also a business intelligence reporting system. They did all the compliments that are running as well. We’re also going to use them for the next packs of software that we will be developing in the future. The first phase is now rolled out and live. We are entering phase two now and we have another two phases in the future.

What is the team composition?

I worked with Marek (QA Team Lead & Project Manager).

How did you come to work with Ackee?

I hired Ackee because I had a very good recommendation from a founder of a digital agency from Prague who I worked with two years ago.

How much have you invested in them?

We have spent between $25,000 to $30,000 so far. It will be around $50,000 by the end of the second phase.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working on the infrastructure in October 2020, and we launched in December 2020. We are still working with them on the other phases.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The project was very successful. Even though the whole system was tested very hard in the last few days and there were some problems, Ackee fixed everything within the timeline so we were able to launch on the right day. We had 50,000 people on the website in the first two days and everything worked properly. For me, it was a successful delivery. We are very satisfied, and the cooperation was very good in that way.

How did Ackee perform from a project management standpoint?

They are really responsive through email, messenger, and Slack. They respond within a few hours, and sometimes in 15 to 20 minutes. They are really fast at solving every issue. We also communicated through Google Meet and we had a stand-up twice a week, on Monday and Friday, to talk about the work for the week. We tried to stick to the schedule. We also met 3-4 times in person.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They are not just subcontractors but also business partners; they’re really involved in the process of making the infrastructure, planning, and roadmap. We are trying to find the best solution in a business way and the most effective way. They have really great ecomanagement. I think the best thing about them is that they really care about their customers and really try to help as fast and as best as they can.

Are there any areas they could improve?

For now, I am very satisfied. I don’t really think there are negatives. When something went wrong or if there were tickets that needed to be solved quickly, sometimes the co-founders and owners stepped in and did the coding themselves. It was really nice to experience such a commitment from a big company like theirs. I want to have more agile processes with them although I don’t know how it will be but they are trying to be helpful. I don’t think there is anything I am dissatisfied with now.

It isn’t a bad thing, but it might be good if they were a little more proactive when it comes to educational materials and more robust blogs and that type of thing, but education isn’t primarily their problem. It is my problem as the CTO to have all the information on hand and to be informed. It isn’t a bad thing from their side. They are really helpful.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

The biggest tip that I can give is to prepare the project documentation and anticipate more of the complexity that might evolve in the project because the team at Ackee is really helpful. Define your vision for your business and IT infrastructure, as well as precisely what you want to achieve. The better the preparation from the client-side, the better Ackee’s delivery will be.