Acropolium

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Head of Digital Marketing of Premier Hotels and Resorts.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are a distinguished network of 3 to 5-star hotels across multiple destinations offering exceptional service and an immersive city experience.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Our main goal was to move from one tenant to multi-tenancy. The initial hotel channel management solution was supporting only a single tenant, and we were looking for a company to support multi-tenancy. We already had legacy system functionality, which had to be implemented in a new solution.

SOLUTION

How did you find Acropolium?

Referral

Why did you select Acropolium over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost

How many teammates from Acropolium were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

Our primary goal was to find a dependable technology partner to transform the current single-server hotel management application into a scalable cloud-based hotel chain management software. This transformation aimed to enhance operational efficiency and elevate customer loyalty. 

The project's scope involved developing and implementing a multi-tenant SaaS application compatible with various mobile platforms. This application boasts advanced in-room dining menus, up-to-date hotel amenities, and a comprehensive guide to local and tourist attractions. It also offers an automated booking system for guest services and features a centralized control dashboard empowering hotel staff to update information effortlessly. 

Our approach was driven by the following key considerations for application development: 

1. Automated Booking Process: Streamlining the booking process to ensure efficiency. 
2. Centralized Platform: Creating a unified platform managing hotel, channel, and visitor information.
3. Real-time Services: Delivering real-time services and synchronizing information across the entire portal. 
4. Diverse Reservation Management: Handling various reservation types, including individual, group, company, travel agent, multi-legged, multi-rate, and waitlisted.
5. Seamless Integration: Integrating hotel information seamlessly with the existing in-house system. 
6. Intuitive User Interface: Designing an intuitive, functional, customizable user interface. 
7. Social Media Connectivity: Enabling customers to share, rate, and promote hotels through social media via advertising offers and campaigns. 

By addressing these considerations, we aimed to create a cutting-edge solution that not only meets the needs of the hospitality industry but also paves the way for enhanced customer experiences and operational excellence.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The project delivered promising and measurable outcomes, receiving positive feedback from all stakeholders. Key measurable results included a significant cost reduction of 40% and a 30% increase in annual profit. Moreover, developing the brand new solution on the legacy app led to a 100% optimization of the working systems. 

Regarding general feedback, stakeholders expressed satisfaction with the user-friendly interfaces and seamless integration with the legacy system. The vendor's focus on optimizing the load speed for critical pages and data processing resulted in improved speed for availability and rate calculations. 

They also successfully implemented promos, special offers, and loyalty programs that can be utilized across the entire hotel network, including 'in-room' facilities. Furthermore, the team developed a hotel chain management mobile application for iOS and Android platforms.

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

The vendor's project management style was outstanding due to its exceptional organization and efficiency. They fully embraced the Agile methodology, which allowed them to adapt and be flexible as the project requirements evolved. They utilized communication tools such as Jira or Trello to track tasks and progress. 

In addition, video conferencing and regular meetings played a vital role in fostering open and transparent communication with our team. Punctuality was a top priority for the vendor, as they consistently met all the deadlines that were agreed upon. 

They provided comprehensive progress reports and promptly addressed potential delays or obstacles during development. Collaboration was actively encouraged, and our team's input was highly valued, creating a genuine sense of partnership and ensuring that the solution catered precisely to our specific needs.

What was your primary form of communication with Acropolium?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Acropolium has impressed us with its remarkable ability to seamlessly integrate these two crucial aspects, leaving an indelible mark on our experience. In the fast-evolving landscape of the hospitality industry, finding a partner who possesses technical expertise and deeply understands the intricacies of the field is paramount. 

Furthermore, the vendor's unwavering commitment to tailoring the solution to align with our specific requirements perfectly stood out as a distinct feature of their approach. Their proactive communication and collaborative mindset cultivated a robust partnership, making us feel genuinely valued as a client and ensuring that our feedback was meticulously incorporated into the project. 

Overall, the vendor's exceptional technical prowess, industry understanding, and client-centric approach undeniably positioned them as the standout choice for our project.

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

The vendor's performance throughout the project was impeccable. They showcased the utmost professionalism, strong technical expertise, and an in-depth understanding of the hospitality industry. Their communication flowed seamlessly, their proactive approach was evident, and their strict adherence to timelines led to a flawless development process, surpassing all expectations.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Project manager of an it services company

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are an IT company that delivers tailored software solutions to supply chain and logistics firms

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Seamless integration expertise: Achieve smooth integration of the cutting-edge blockchain-driven logistics platform with existing systems and databases
• API standardization: Establish standardized APIs to facilitate efficient data exchange and compatibility between various components
• Phased testing proficiency: Conduct well-structured phased testing to ensure a seamless transition and identify and address any issues
• Maximizing transformative potential: Optimize the platform's transformative efficiency, leading to enhanced innovation and effectiveness in logistics operations
• User adoption and data security: Implement user training and robust data security measures to encourage successful adoption among logistics stakeholders and safeguard sensitive information

SOLUTION

How did you find Acropolium?

Referral

Why did you select Acropolium over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost

How many teammates from Acropolium were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

The scope of work encompassed developing and implementing a cutting-edge blockchain-driven logistics platform. The project was initiated with initial planning, requirements gathering, and design, followed by creating vital components, including the blockchain infrastructure, smart contracts, and user interfaces. The primary objective was to revolutionize the logistics industry by leveraging blockchain technology. 

Key deliverables included a fully functional logistics platform offering end-to-end supply chain visibility. The platform featured automated smart contracts streamlining payment settlements and compliance enforcement processes. Real-time analytics provided stakeholders with vital insights for data-driven decisions and operational optimization. Secure APIs and decentralized ledgers achieved seamless integration with existing logistics infrastructure. Security and data privacy were paramount concerns, leading to robust measures for safeguarding sensitive information and preventing unauthorized access. 

Additionally, the platform seamlessly integrated with Internet of Things (IoT) devices, enhancing tracking accuracy and data collection. Rigorous testing and QA ensured a reliable and issue-free deployment. Comprehensive user training and support documentation fostered successful adoption among stakeholders. 

The project also prioritized continuous improvement, with provisions for future enhancements to align with emerging technologies and industry requirements. Ultimately, the scope of work aimed to transform the logistics industry by fostering transparency, efficiency, and security for all participants in the supply chain.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Fully functional logistics platform: Successful development and deployment of a useful blockchain-driven logistics platform with end-to-end supply chain visibility. 
• Automated smart contracts: Implementing automated smart contracts that streamlined various logistics processes led to increased efficiency and reduced manual intervention. 
• Real-time analytics: Integration of real-time analytics capabilities, providing stakeholders with valuable insights for data-driven decision-making and improved operational optimization. 
• Seamless integration with existing infrastructure: Seamless integration with the existing logistics infrastructure is demonstrated by smooth data exchange through secure APIs and decentralized ledgers. 
• Enhanced security and privacy measures: Implement robust security measures to safeguard sensitive data, ensuring compliance with data privacy regulations and preventing unauthorized access.

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

The Acropolium project management style was characterized by its highly organized and efficient approach. They embraced an Agile methodology, enabling flexibility and adaptability to changing project requirements. Communication tools such as Jira or Trello were utilized to track tasks and progress, while video conferencing and regular meetings ensured open and transparent communication with our team. 

Timeliness was a strong focus for the vendor, as they consistently met agreed-upon deadlines. They provided comprehensive progress reports, promptly addressing any potential delays or obstacles that emerged during development. Collaboration was actively encouraged, and the vendor sought input from our team, creating a sense of partnership and ensuring that the solution catered to our specific needs. 

Moreover, the vendor demonstrated a keen understanding of risk management, proactively identifying and mitigating potential risks to maintain project momentum and deliver a successful blockchain-driven logistics platform.

What was your primary form of communication with Acropolium?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

What impressed us most about Acropolium was their exceptional ability to seamlessly blend technical expertise with a deep understanding of the logistics industry. Their track record of successful blockchain implementations within the logistics domain was particularly noteworthy, showcasing their experience addressing industry-specific challenges. Additionally, the vendor's dedication to tailoring the solution to meet our specific requirements stood out as a unique aspect of their approach. 

Their proactive communication and collaborative spirit fostered a strong partnership, making us feel valued as a client and ensuring that our feedback was incorporated into the project. Overall, the vendor's technical prowess, industry knowledge, and client-centric approach made them a standout choice for our blockchain-driven logistics platform project

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

Everything was perfect with the vendor's performance throughout the project. From the start, they exhibited high professionalism, technical expertise, and a deep understanding of the logistics industry. Their seamless communication, proactive approach, and adherence to timelines resulted in a flawless development process, exceeding all expectations.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a TOP manager at an international IT company that provide product development services for enterprise customers

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Our customer was looking for a reliable vendor to deliver the first version of a complex SaaS solution for global recruitment and HR in the short term. We did not have detailed project documentation, so we needed to make the investigation phase. We requested the Acropolium team to make the discovery phase and set up a team to deliver a quality solution in a short time.

SOLUTION

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

I got acquainted with Acropolium several years ago. I shared with them the request details, and they were the only ones among several competitor companies that showed a professional approach. Prompt communication, sufficient portfolio, deep technology background and price-quality ratio were the deciding factors.

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

First, the Acropolium team collected all the information required for evaluation. They made the discovery phase and suggested a detailed project delivery roadmap. As a technology step, our client has requested Java for the backend and Angular for the frontend. After all, they provide us with a team to deliver the project on time. Apart from the development side, Acropolium has also provided us with qualified Project Manager, Business Analyst, QA engineer and DevOps specialists. So, that covered all our development needs. After we agreed on the scope, we started the development project based on be-weekly sprints. They also went beyond expectations and advising us with the best methods, approaches, and even business ideas.

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

There were in total ten people in the team. A project manager/business analyst, two backend engineers, two front-end developers, one full-stack developer, UX/UI designer, QA, DevOps and dedicated Account Manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The Acropolium team delivered the first version ever faster than expected. Our client has already a quality and workable solution that brings business outcome. We are already planning the project scale. All steps were transparent for us. We did an impressive job together!

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

All our project communication was in slack. The development process was split into fortnight sprints. Before each sprint, we had a planning session, where the tasks were described in details. After each iteration, we have been testing the result and made minor enhancements.

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

The self engagement of each team member was the most impressive. They are result-oriented. The work process they’ve built is great, and we try following it even on other projects.

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

I don't think so. I am delighted with their services.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder and Managing Director of an international company specialising in export/import procedures and documentation.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

My business was almost offline and I was looking to build a solution for exporters to create export documentation online. The system was to make completion of paperwork much faster for exporters.

The goal was to convert paper-based work and manual tasks to a digital paperless process to increase client productivity. The digital solution would combine this facility with the ability to check requirements for shipping to a particular country. The system would replace the use of excel templates. Additionally, it would store order information and order/shipping templates.

SOLUTION

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

I was looking for a IT vendor with a fresh approach to software solution development. As my first experience with nearshore vendors, I engaged several recommended developers.

I selected Acropolium for an initial project after I met with their CEO. Who highly impressed me with his technology background and ideas.

My decision was further reinforced by the attitude of the team and now after almost three years of continuous development we have transformed our business and services. We have better relations with our customs and other stakeholders.

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

The project started with creating the ability to output pdf forms. The main principle was to provide end-users with an application where they can enter certain data and generate standardised documents common to the industry sector and approved by governments.

After we reached this goal the solution went live and we started extending the system with additional features. Acropolium team developed the project from scratch and now we are working on new modules and advanced features.

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

The team consists of a dedicated account and delivery manager, business analyst, technical lead, 3 full-stack developers and QA engineer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Acropolium has helped my business go online. We developed an export document system - digitized many customs forms and documents, implemented pdf generation and a solution for keeping track of content updates on external websites. Now, I can help businesses worldwide with all the processes of international transportation and customs clearance to anywhere in the world.

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

We conducted negotiations through email and online meetings via zoom frequently. I did not feel the language barrier with managers and the development team. Acropolium provided the evaluation and timeline for each particular feature and implemented a job on time.

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

I was impressed by the quality and delivery of work by Acropolium, their dedication to my business and level of communication. They always shared their vision and suggested useful feature ideas. Working with Acropolium, helped me to concentrate more on strategic goals.

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

We always discuss ways for improvement and make our collaboration process better. I am satisfied with the result.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm one of the SW architects at an innovative, international technology company, specializing in powerful, highly scalable Office 365 migration and management solutions. We enable our customers and partners to move quickly and seamlessly into Office 365 and then equip them with the tools they need to get the best possible ongoing experience with the service.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We needed an internal set of shared services, to provide us and our partners an easy way to manage their subscriptions and organizations in a flexible way. Management of multiple Office365 tenants is complex and complicated.

SOLUTION

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

We have had look on multiple out-sourcing providers. Each of those were given a small tasks and to provide the results back. The deciding factors were (in no particular order):

• Speed of work
• Technology stack / libraries used
• Architecture
• Design patterns

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

Since the early days of delivering just the Proof of Concept of the new set of services, we have seen a big drive to get everything implemented in the best possible way. Big time and effort was spent on analysis and identifying all the bounded contexts (Domain Driven Design) of initial deliverables.

This helped also us to split the individual parts to their own set of libraries / services. Allowing us to have specific and focused services by individual highly-specialized teams.

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

We have had multiple team-leads with individual teams spreading architects, senior and junior C# developers on back-end, UI/UX front-end developers (React). The width of the teams were dynamic (sometimes more, sometimes less) based on the demand from product.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have grown from a small set of shared services to a full set of services. Those services are now used as a platform for vast majority of our SaaS products.

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

We have daily stand-ups. Originated with Scrum, with Kanban where it makes sense. All the work was coordinated, implemented, and released by leveraging Azure DevOps service.

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

Great and very smart people working there. Whomever I interacted with was impressive, both from technology and human side. I truly believe they are always doing everything they can, to make their code, documentation, tests as good as possible.

And when something needs to change (because the business requirement has changed) - they think through all the implications, adjust the models and get the product/service in better shape as it was before.

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

Nothing comes to my mind. Great overall.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the CTO and lead developer of a cryptocurrency trading platform.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Acropolium?

We wanted to speed up our development and partner integrations, integrating with a lot of different external partners.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Acropolium does full-stack development, frontend and backend, as well as QA. The frontend is in Node.js and the backend is in Vue.js.

What is the team composition?

We started with one frontend developer and one full stack developer, and then we scaled up to have a team of 11 people. The majority of our team is being handled and organized by Acropolium. 

We also have a delivery manager and an account manager. I mostly interact with the developers and the project manager.

How did you come to work with Acropolium?

We interviewed three different agencies from Ukraine. In the end, the decision was made from the impression we had from the calls with Acropolium and the price. The quality of the interaction for the price that they offered was by far the best. They seemed very engaged from the beginning.

How much have you invested in them?

The total cost is between $150,000–$200,000 right now.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in January 2020, and we are still working together.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve worked with developers on all levels, from entry-level to senior level. Each developer we work with is always very on point, and they met the expectations that we had from certain roles. We did not have a single issue where we had to let one of the developers go; on the contrary, we kept hiring more.

One thing we really appreciate about them is that they went even beyond what we paid for and kept offering us consulting when it came to architectural decisions. They also gave us access to a business analyst if we needed it. Acropolium really made sure that we had everything we needed to grow in the best possible way.

How did Acropolium perform from a project management standpoint?

Our account manager is always very proactive, and we are in contact on a weekly to bi-weekly basis. We mostly communicate via Telegram chats with the delivery and the account manager. The developers are all in our Slack and email systems.

In the beginning, I handled the project management myself. Now that we have one of their project managers part-time, the process has improved significantly. We have bi-weekly sprints that their project manager now manages. We have daily stand-ups and the deliverability of our sprint plans and the outcomes have definitely improved. We use Jira as our project management tool.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I felt that from month to month, the more people we hired through Acropolium, the more I was able to turn down my active involvement in the day to day development. I really feel like the team that we now have acts as a team and acts independently. We give them the sprint priorities and they act it out without needing to be managed on a constant basis which has been a huge relief.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think there is anything specific. We, as a trading platform, need 24/7 support for our customers and as Acropolium is based in Ukraine, we cannot deliver that tech support through them during US hours which is why we still have a developer in the US as well. It would be perfect to hire through them if they had people in the US, but I don’t think that is their business model.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I would definitely encourage them to work with Acropolium, and also tell them to be open to their suggestions. In the beginning, we had a pretty good idea of what we thought we needed, but they offered us much more than that at the beginning, free of charge, and then after a while, we had to pay for it. Their suggestions on how they think they can contribute to the business have always been on point.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

A digital agency that provides IT consulting and development services. I'm a CTO here.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

One of our clients from Australia needed to develop a complex property system using Node.JS tech. Without any doubt, we have reached Acropolium to get complete support. Since Acropolium has a strong technical background and high specialization with this technology - we have established close cooperation.

SOLUTION

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

We have been working closely for over 5 years. Acropolium is our trusted partner as well as a highly qualified and reliable software provider. We always maintain contact and appreciate our partnership.

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

The implemented client's idea. This cooperation has begun from the need to consult a high qualified software development provider in Node.JS. As the client received much support from Acropolium, he decided to hire several specialists to develop a complex system.

After some time, the system's performance was growing much, so there grew a need to hire a whole development team. The client got many benefits for his business as a result.

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

More than 20 specialists were involved in the development process.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Thanks to our effective cooperation, we have always achieved the desired result. We can say about Acropolium as a responsible, honest and result oriented team. Well built the interaction processes inside the company as well as with customers. So due to well-coordinated work and high level of tech skills - Acropolium produces powerful results.

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

Well-coordinated work within teams and customer interaction. Each team has a team lead and a project manager. The delivery manager looks after all processes, including Scrum applying. Teams conduct retrospectives, sprints to achieve the maximum result in the allotted period of time.

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

The most impressive is their rich tech background. Acropolium developers are passionate about what they do. That's why they always explore new technologies, dig deep into tech updates and seek for the right solution. They prefer transparent relationships and keeping promises.

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

We can't say anything bad about this highly qualified company. It's a big pleasure to work with them.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m a business developer for Aciety, an IT services and products provider. It’s a platform through which European providers can submit their products and offer their services to clients all over the world.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Acropolium?

We had a client—a large logistics agency from Malaysia—that had a bad experience with outsourcing, so they picked us to help them find a match.

What were your goals for this project?

We needed to find a reliable, hardworking partner to help our client improve their services and implement the latest technologies, customized for their particular needs.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We knew of Acropolium’s experience and line of work, so it was easy to recommend them to the end client. We picked three companies from our platform but knew right from the start that Acropolium would offer the best value for that particular client.

Can you go into detail about the services they provided and the scope of the project?

The project involved a custom-made system for all logistic needs, starting from simple integrations of GPS trackers and growing into a fully-capable software. What was initially a rather straightforward, short-term project immediately escalated into a whole new, and much larger, open-ended one. We expect the project will extend for at least three more years.

What was the team composition?

They've assigned a team lead, five senior .NET developers, a QA specialist, and a project manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Right now, the client can easily track parcels, trucks, and other information; the software then visualizes the data and displays it on screens. We're currently collaborating to make a whole new, updated database with more internet of things (IoT) features added.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

They’re very effective, conducting frequent sprint calls and briefings. All communication is supervised by the CEO, but it’s mostly directed by the team lead. This means that all questions get answered right away.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Acropolium’s advice and recommendations have made and continue to make a great impact. There have been significant changes to the system thanks to their knowledge and willingness to take on the work. They make sure that the end client gets the most modern and useful solutions.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

They should consider opening an office in Malaysia.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.
I am the Founder/CEO of SWIFT Weather, a hazards alerting company. Our solutions enable businesses, agencies, and citizens to predict accurately where severe weather will strike, maximize preparation time, and formulate appropriate response. SWIFT Weather solutions turn raw weather data into actionable, easy-to-read information that fuels some of your most critical decisions.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Acropolium?
Our challenge was to see if by focusing on unique ways to monitor hazards, and trigger and route alerts, we could significantly improve upon traditional models of alerting without creating fatigue from "noise" and at the same time ensure accountability and audit trails throughout the organization.

We were trying to improve the signal-to-noise ratio when it comes to severe weather and crisis alerting. On any given day, there can be dozens or hundreds of alerts that affect an enterprise. Many solutions over-alert. This creates fatigue and leads to poor utilization and poor response times in actual emergencies. Our main concept for the new project is to build an efficient alerting system that would be able to contact anybody connected to an organization no matter what platform they’re using, including email, cell phone, web applet, or any kind of custom API. We also wanted to make sure that we would be able to solicit an acknowledgement that the alert had been received. The project has features like that built into it along with some other proprietary features with patents pending that would make this product unique in the marketplace. When we reached out to Acropolium, the product was only at concept stage.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?
From the technology perspective, I had a basic concept in mind with a list of requirements and features. During first phase they [Acropolium] helped me create architecture from a software and hardware point of view to see how I could build that kind of a product. I was impressed with their architecture results, and so I hired them to do the build.

Acropolium recommended the technologies that should be used and did the actual design of the hardware architecture in terms of databases, platforms, etc. For the layout and graphic designs, I gave them concept drawings that they implemented. They used Node.js with a Redis database, PostgreSQL database, and some other modern web UI languages including Bootstrap, etc. Everything was hosted on an Amazon EC2 instance.

How did you come to work with Acropolium?
We initially posted the project on Elance/Upwork and Acropolium was one of the bids. They provided the most compelling approach by first delivering a detailed architecture that proved they understood the project better than anyone else. They were subsequently awarded 4 more projects, each one building upon the original framework, and we are still working together nearly 3 years later.

How much have you invested with Acropolium?
We’ve spent between $30,00–$50,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?
We started the project in September, 2014, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?
The deliverables from Acropolium always exceed my expectations. We work very diligently to provide clear requirements, which they meet, but often they will improve upon our requirements by suggesting options we haven't considered. This may be in the form of open-source solutions, payment systems, or email providers. As long as my requirements are clear up front, they are quick at fixing bugs. They are a tremendous value as an outsourcing partner.

Because I’m the point person who communicates requirements, I don’t know about metrics. The marketplace to sell this product is still being developed. The reason I keep working with them is that they consistently meet or exceed our expectations in terms of the quality of work. Oftentimes, they are able to implement a feature in a better way than I had suggested. They show motivation to think outside the box. Other outsourced teams that I’ve worked with stay on time and on budget, but they won’t offer excellent work or have best possible implementation.

How did Acropolium perform from a project management standpoint?
If I give them requirements, they’re always on time and within budget. We use Codebase for project management, which is Acropolium’s ticketing and code repository system.

What did you find most impressive about Acropolium?
When bring ingenuity to their solution implementation. I can rely on them to let me know if there’s a better way to do something.

Are there any areas Acropolium could improve?
If we’re not in the middle of a sprint, it can take a while for them to get back to us if there are bug fixes or updates to an existing product. Usually they respond within a few days, but it’s hard as a business owner to know when something will be fixed in a predictable manner.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a company that focuses on connecting Belgian and Dutch clients to foreign developers. We work with trusted suppliers from around the world, whose management and development teams we’re familiar with. We manage the complete development process alongside our clients.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Acropolium?

We have worked on several projects with their team, including a fixed-price ReactJS development effort.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Acropolium supplied a ReactJS developer who built a native Android and iOS app. It is a tool for people with drug and alcohol problems that provides questionnaires through which users can determine if they have an addiction.

How did you come to work with Acropolium?

One of their account managers reached out to me on LinkedIn. I set up a call and tried to get an understanding of what Acropolium did and how they worked. I was quite impressed with them and thought that they would be a good choice for a future opportunity. I continued to look for clients in The Netherlands and Belgium and finally found a project that fit Acropolium.

How much have you invested with Acropolium?

The cost of our project has been around $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Acropolium in March of 2017. We delivered the ReactJS app, and it will be launched on app stores soon. We are in the process of starting a new, larger project on behalf of a Belgian company that is looking for a dedicated PHP team for resource augmentation. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I always sit in the middle, connecting developers with my clients. I am responsible for ensuring that processes are working well and have received good feedback from clients. We are discussing a new Drupal project with Acropolium, which is a compliment for their team.

How did Acropolium perform from a project management standpoint?

We work in a Scrum way with 2-week sprints. We review the output at the end of each period, and, if everything is okay, we start the next step. Contracts are updated at the same interval.

They provided a developer and CTO on their side. I worked as project manager and have also depended on the project manager and developer from the client’s side. I have been very satisfied with how Acropolium’s developer performed. He was fast, had high-quality output, and did even more than he was supposed to do.

I use Google Docs for management, and we also work with Git. I am not technically involved in the details, but I keep a general overview of the developers working in the client’s system.

What did you find most impressive about Acropolium?

I appreciate the speed of their work, quick reaction time, and, last but not least, the quality of their work.

Are there any areas Acropolium could improve?

They should focus on explaining who is responsible for pricing. There was a bit of confusion around this at times. This is a small issue. I could arrange everything perfectly, but, if Acropolium had not done the work, we’d have a huge problem. In this case, the client was happy.