Altamira

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the chief of operations and finance for Nelson Precast Products LLC. We’re a small business in a niche industry. We manufacture highly custom construction materials.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with GBKSOFT?

There are less than 100 companies in the country that do anything even close to what we do. And that was that's been a big problem for us because we've had a very hard time finding business software that actually understands the logic of our very niche business.

Everything we’ve tried in the past as off-the-shelf and was unable to adapt to our workflow and didn’t have a great interface, so we brought on GBKSOFT to create a solution specifically for our operation.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I put together a document explaining what I wanted the software to do. Then, I spent several months working with their business analysis team and their project manager and they asked a lot of questions. We tuned that document into our specifications. Then, they developed a product that met those specifications.

The software they built has a built-in browser PDF editor that connects annotations in the PDF to database objects, and significantly reduces the number of steps our project managers need to do one key aspect of their job. This dramatically reduces possibilities for error because they’re only entering data once.

What is the team composition?

We had a project manager and a few different business analysts because there was some turnover.

How did you come to work with GBKSOFT?

My boss heard about them from a colleague. He told us that they were reasonably priced and did very good work, so we looked into them. We had an initial conversation with them, and I gave them a scope for the MVP. They said they could get it done in six months, and for a price that was comparable to an off-the-shelf software system.

How much have you invested with them?

The MVP cost just shy of $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Development lasted from August 2019–January 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The product is beautiful, seamless, quick, and responsive. Everyone I showed the product to was completely blown away. I’ve thought about the impact that this would have on our business for nearly a decade, and when my team finally saw it, they recognized how much easier it will make our jobs. It’s going to free us up to move away from data entry and enables us to do more productive work. We’ve been training people to roll it out in March, but because of COVID-19, our implementation schedule has been delayed and I don’t have data yet to reflect the impact it will have.

Throughout the specification process, they asked excellent questions. They saw potential issues and contingencies, and they took that rough document and refined that to create a more complete workflow.

Some of the ideas I had were off the wall, but they went with it. They took on some unusual challenges and they created a solution that no one has made before.

How did GBKSOFT perform from a project management standpoint?

Jira and Confluence were the main project management software we used to communicate. That’s where all our specifications were written up. Their management was top-notch. I’ve worked with people in various industries, but GBKSOFT is good. They can be the single point of contact with the contact and can make sure that their team and our team have all the information we need. They kept us informed while keeping everything on schedule. Overall, their project management was absolutely excellent.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their price is very competitive. On top of that, they have an excellent project management team. They do wonderful work, and everything they built met our specifications exactly. Their design team is excellent—the program is beautiful.  Across the board, they provided a service I would have expected to pay 2–3 times as much for.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The turnover in the business analyst position was challenging to deal with. As a result, there were a few times where I had to explain our business logic all over again. That was a minor frustration, though. I would never hesitate to recommend them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It probably helps to have someone with a technical background on your internal team. I do think that accelerated our process. Be prepared, too, to have someone be responsive to them. They’re very productive and will give you specifications and designs every day that require your proposal. So, you need someone responsive to prevent the project from slowing down.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the owner of a mobile application that was designed to assist Military Aviators in studying for their designated helicopter. The application was designed to combine educational resources in one location.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire GBKSOFT?

I hired them to design an extended feature in the application that they had previously designed.

What were your goals for this project?

My goals were to add on an extension into the application and remove some features that I had previously requested. Most importantly it needed to be a stable application.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I had chosen them back in 2015 to originally create the application based on their communication and understanding of my intent. They were able to successfully put my ideas to paper and then into a digital form.

Describe the project in detail.

The project was designed to add another helicopter that was needed. There had been a few features that I had paid them to create that I needed to be removed in this latest update. Their job was to recreate features already present in the app and implement them in an organized manner.

What was the team composition?

I initially spoke with a liaison of sorts who then passed me off to the Project Manager. The Project Manager spoke with me about concerns and questions that the developers had. This individual served as not only a medium between my ideas and their implementation but also as a linguist as there could have been somewhat of a language barrier.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Within less than a month the team had successfully created the update to my liking. It is the most stable version of the app that I have seen and was done in an extremely timely manner. Any initial issues that may have risen were addressed immediately.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

I was very happy with the workflow between myself and their team. Responses were addressed quickly especially considering the time zone differences.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

What I found most impressive was their willingness to correct any shortcomings. If there was something that needed to be addressed it was immediately corrected.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I can not identify any areas for improvement at this time. They are a great company and I will continue to work with them on my mobile application.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are leading the way for the future of influencers across the globe by providing them the tools to automate the annoying tasks.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire GBKSOFT?

We hired GBK to develop a Chrome extension that can extract many data points and reformat the data to be imported into several different platforms easily. This significantly reduces the manual work from several hours a day to under 30 seconds.

What were your goals for this project?

We needed to be able to take a multi-step confusingly technical process and simplify it into 3 simple steps that anyone can enjoy using.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I've worked with GBK several years ago and had an amazing experience. It was a no-brainer to come back again.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

I provided GBK with an outline of the projects requirements. GBK put together a thorough documentation and together we refined every detail. GBK was responsible for everything from documentation, feasibility, design, development, and deployment.

What was the team composition?

While I was just one person, GBK had multiple experts assigned to my team. Designer, Business Analyst, Frontend and Backend Developers, Project Manager...

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

As always, GBK did an amazing job. My clients are amazed at just how well this was designed and developed.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Project management is a strong point for GBK. They truly excel in project management. Their PMs are on top of everything and are very knowledgable and capable of leading projects. They make sure the project keeps moving forward on time and within budget, ensuring all objectives are met.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I am most impressed by their teams vast knowledge and ability to comprehend complex projects. They know what they're doing and understand what you're saying. Additionally, they are absolutely transparent and excellent communicators.

Are there any areas for improvement?

From my perspective and from my experience, they are perfect.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

My company’s main product is a productivity app that helps people track their progress and schedule reviews through the Talmud, which is the Jewish anthology of customs and stories. The solution tracks your progress and motivates users to work through this daunting literature. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with GBKSOFT?

Similar programs were only available in the form of booklets that could be easily worn or lost. I wanted to add a progress tracker and turn it into an app. Their team assisted me in building the solution.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I was inspired to create the app because of my appreciation for the program. There was a particular exercise app with a UI/UX that I wanted to emulate. I drew out some sketches and wireframes based on that information. Additionally, I drafted a few Microsoft Word documents detailing what I wanted to accomplish and discussed the project with them. They didn’t have a Jewish background, so I explain that aspect of the project to them as well.

From there, they took my wireframes, provided feedback, shared their ideas, and created the mobile app. It’s available for iOS and Android. 

What is the team composition?

I was most often in touch with a project manager and a business analyst through Google Hangouts and phone calls. We also had contact with a sales representative and a designer. The developers operated behind the scenes, so we dealt with them indirectly.  

How did you come to work with GBKSOFT?

I originally wanted to work with a company that was Jewish and easily understood the concepts I was working with. After reaching out to them, they seemed to be too busy to take on the work. They recommended GBKSOFT to me. I got in touch with them, and they turned out to offer their services would be cheaper than expected.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $40,000 on their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them from March–December 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Overall, the app has received pretty positive feedback from our users. There have been a few crashes and glitches along the way, but that can happen so I can’t complain. Throughout the development, they were very patient with my occasional indecisiveness, making changes when I needed them. They did a good job of staying on top of that.

How did GBKSOFT perform from a project management standpoint?

We used Confluence, which I appreciated. That helped us stay organized. Our teams met using Google Hangouts, which allowed us to communicate. We also employed Invision and Google Doc to enhance our collaboration. Otherwise, we used email for day-to-day communication.  

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re very transparent and great communicators. Realizing that I didn’t have a tech background, they were willing to explain industry terms and their processes to give me a stronger understanding of their work. It was nice of them to do that.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Toward the end of the development, they started taking on other projects and giving us a little less time than normal. We became less efficient during that time, which was a little bit frustrating because we were almost done with the work at that point.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If I had my plan together from the beginning, things would’ve gone more smoothly. Things slow down when you have indecision on your end. With clear requirements, they’ll move through the work efficiently.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We take and store materials from various companies. We take calls, manage a warehouse, and oversee parcels and goods transportation for companies and consumers. We also run a postal service. Companies can optimize marketing campaigns through our services, and big clients can use our services for large mailing projects.

I'm a division manager. I organize our department heads, have a hand in HR, and act as the project manager for our IT department. I also communicate with external companies.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Altamira Softworks?

We wanted a competent company that could make a connection between our internal tool—Microsoft Dynamics NAV—and our customers. We needed an automatic interface between our customers, online shops, and our tools.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The application they built includes a website where users can view their stock in our warehouse and place orders. Its invisible elements include connections between customer ERP systems, and the app transfers orders from online shops to Microsoft Dynamics NAV.

The processes they put in place allow us to fill orders. They wrote the descriptions of everything we have, and we discussed solutions through a few meetings with them. They gave their input, and we established the final descriptions of the process.

We've finished development, but we're currently working on extensions, particularly in connection with online shopping systems in WooCommerce, Magento, and Shopify. We're developing new functions all the time, and the system requires regular updates. Now that the first version is finished, we know what is possible and are thinking about where we can go next. We have a lot of future projects we'd like to work on.

What is the team composition?

I currently work with their owner and a project manager. There may be other team members who work in the background.

How did you come to work with Altamira Softworks?

A shop in Germany recommended them. We did some research, and we found they specialized in web applications. We made an inquiry, and they made a very good impression. Their cost structure was also very attractive.

How much have you invested with them?

The first project cost about €35,000 (approximately $39,000 USD), and our total expenditure is closer to €50,000-€55,000 (approximately $56,000-$61,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in September 2019, and the partnership is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We save money on our customer service, and we have several automatic processes in place now. Our customers get application information automatically, and it's not necessary to call or write us directly. The application is perfect, and it makes us better than our competitors. The process is transparent to our customers, and we have an advantage in our market.

How did Altamira Softworks perform from a project management standpoint?

Their responsiveness is wonderful, and they have a good structure in place. We hear from them immediately if we ever have an emergency, and we've never had any issues with communication. We use Trello, phone, and email, and they're very well-organized.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They know what we need, and they think ahead to offer things we might use in the future.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There's nothing I can think of they should improve.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Meet with them to discuss their process. They've been in this business for a long time, and they'll give you new ideas.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of CARimba.info, an electronic car comparison platform. I’m an e-commerce business consultant, and I decided that I wanted to use Shopware as the platform.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Altamira Softworks?

I needed a company to develop my e-commerce platform using Shopware.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They developed my e-commerce platform. They took Shopware and adapted it according to my specifications and mockups. The platform went live as of October 2019 and they continue to work for me on the e-commerce projects.

What is the team composition?

I had contact with the CEO at the beginning, and I was always in contact with a project manager. I occasionally talked with developers, but I’m not sure how many developers were in the background.

How did you come to work with Altamira Softworks?

I searched for certified Shopware companies in Eastern Europe that could develop the e-commerce platform according to my technical requirements. From the first moment I met with them, Altamira Softworks made a good impression on me. I also utilized reference calls to existing customers.

How much have you invested with them?

I invested 20,000-30,000 euros ($22,000-$33,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in February 2019 and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I have no concerns or issues. Everything worked as I described. There were some things limitations because Shopware changed. We found other solutions. In the end, I’m really happy with what they delivered.

I’ve gotten really positive feedback from everyone. Any negative feedback I've gotten has nothing to do with the work of Altamira Softworks.

How did Altamira Softworks perform from a project management standpoint?

It was nice having one contact person who was in charge cared about my issues, tasks, and questions. We communicate with Trello 95% of the time. We had a few emails. In the summer, I met them in person.

I’d never worked with an offshore team before, but I enjoyed that I could communicate with tickets and everything was structured internal. They were on time. I didn’t have to call them to clarify things; communication was very clear.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re really adept at this software. We had serious technical issues with caching of the platform and I had special needs. Their team found problems in the core of Shopware, but solved everything. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t say we had problems in any way.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I’m familiar with the thinking of software developers, so that helped. It was perfect; I would select them again. If I continue with other projects, I will use them. I’d tell other people to use them. Know what you want so that you can guide the agency in a positive direction.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m a senior sales account manager at an IT company that focused on IT business in development and reselling. We’re present in seven countries worldwide.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Altamira Softworks?

We lack expertise in web development and specific programming languages. We needed to hire an external resource after one of my customers approached me for help with a project. The customer had an application left by their previous developer and running old code.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to be able to implement changes that the customer requested and transfer the rebuilt application into a working environment.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

They came to me through a recommendation. We were desperate to find a vendor that could satisfy the customer’s demands. Altamira Softworks had the resources and skills to take on this project.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

We provided Altamira Softworks with the original application files, with all codes and details included. Their first step was to understand the application code in order to repair mistakes by the original developer. That required a lot of reengineering and studying customer requirements. 

Next, they implemented changes and prepared the test environment. The customer did numerous tests and requested additional changes. Once the application was completed to the customer’s standards, it was launched into production and we closed the project.

What was the team composition?

I only worked with an assigned project manager and owner of the company. I’m not aware of how many developers were used for this project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Due to the success of this project, the customer approached us with new opportunities. They also specifically asked for Altamira Softworks’ services. This proves we’ve chosen our vendor wisely and can depend on the quality of their work.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

The project manager was in communication with me all the time. However, there was little communication on formal project timelines and critical paths. I assume the proper project management happened inside the team. I was only given the information and outcomes I required, which was effective. The project manager also provided reports for the customer on all project details.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

It’s quite a small company, but I found them to be very agile. This was a tricky project with complicated requirements. Also, the timeline couldn’t be moved because of state law. Altamira Softworks was up to the challenge of taking on a big project and meeting customer demands.

Are there any areas for improvement?

There was not much they could do to improve. Perhaps they could be more proactive in order to show their full potential for new opportunities in the market.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an IT manager in a state institute for drug control. We deal with the safety of medical instruments and other products. I was a project manager in this engagement.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Altamira Softworks?

Our main goal was to develop the best application for our businesspeople within three months. The purpose of the software was to help with the management of the lifecycle of the drug commission.  

Initially, we planned to use out-of-the-box software, but we felt we should give a chance to a supplier that could build a custom solution. We also needed someone to take care of app maintenance and provide support afterward.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Altamira Softworks built a custom web solution. While we let them chose their preferred technology, we wanted to have access to the database, use specific screens, and so on. We gave them access to our building and environment.

What is the team composition?

We communicated directly with one project manager, who was responsible for the basic analysis, and around three programmers and systems engineers.

How did you come to work with Altamira Softworks?

We needed to find the provider with the best price that could deliver according to our specifications. Being a government organization, we have a special law for public procurement. According to the procedure, we had to collect special requirements and post them publicly. We asked our business people to write a set of requirements, which I collected and posted in the public competition. Ultimately, Altamira Softworks won the competition.

How much have you invested with them?

The total cost of the project was €200,000 (approximately $222,100 USD), divided into two parts. We spent €100,000 (approximately $111,300 USD) for development and €100,000 (approximately $111,300 USD) for a three-year maintenance and support period, including possible change requests.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with Altamira Softworks from July–November 2018. Maintenance is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our procurement guidelines state that everything specified in the initial conditions must be fulfilled; otherwise, we can’t close the project. Everything was fulfilled 100%, so we closed the project on schedule. Our internal stakeholders were satisfied with everything.  

We were a bit nervous in the beginning, given that we were building a custom product instead of existing solutions that were known and widely used within the EU. We were surprised to find that everything had been done well at the end of the project.

How did Altamira Softworks perform from a project management standpoint?

We followed best practices, using RPINCE2 and project management tools. If there were any problems, they were solved immediately.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The Altamira Softworks team was friendly, skillful, and highly professional. They’re experienced in software development.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Everyone can improve, but I have nothing bad to say about them.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

At the beginning of a project, when the client requests the development or maintenance task, everything has to be put down precisely. If it’s not on paper, it won’t be in the project. If everything’s written in the scope, I believe Altamira Softworks will deliver on time and with excellent quality.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the COO of an environmental services company. We deal with wild bees and we have a wild bee population that we use to pollinate crop orchards in four countries in Europe.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Altamira Softworks?

We were looking for external software developers, as we didn’t want to build a big pool of internal software developers. This would give us the flexibility to hire people and scale up and down very quickly, should the need arise. We were also looking for a lower pricing level compared to companies in Switzerland.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We wanted them to help us further develop the software we were building in-house. It’s a web application (build on PHP and JavaScript) that acts as an ERP to support our business processes. it has a UI frontend that’s used both internally and externally, as well as a database and API component. The business analysis was done in-house, and Altamira is now responsible for executing and writing the code according to our requirements. They also managed the database.

What is the team composition?

We had one main point of contact who occasionally passes on certain work to someone else on the team when he's away. It was my requirement to have one person that I could speak with who was familiar with my company and project. I didn’t want to have to speak with a different developer every time there was a change. It worked pretty well.

How did you come to work with Altamira Softworks?

I believe I found them online through research, along with three other companies I spoke with. I let them offer their services to us and asked if they would be able to support us in this project. In the end, Altamira made a very professional impression with their website. I had a call with one of the managing partners, and he was very responsive and seemed to understand what I needed and have solutions.

How much have you invested in them?

We have spent around €100,000 Euros ($112,400 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

I began working with them in February 2018, and the work is still ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The IT team is happy with the quality of work that has been delivered. It is very robust, and the code normally works without us having to test too much, which is always very important. The unit tests are being done by them, and once it gets delivered, it's usually very solid. There are always a couple of bugs, but I feel they are within very tolerable limits. Overall, we are happy with the quality they deliver. They make a competent impression.

How did Altamira Softworks perform from a project management standpoint?

They are easy to get a hold of. We normally communicate via Trello, but we also have calls and chat over Skype. Their language level is very sufficient in order to easily communicate with them.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We are a young company that’s growing fast, and we never know what is going to come up next when it comes to IT. I need someone who is flexible enough to handle several areas of our stack. They are ready for more or less anything we can throw at them, be it at the database or UI level.

When we come to them with a backend development task, they have someone that can do that. When we come to them with a website creation task, which is really something else, they also have someone that can do that. They will always find someone who is competent and can handle the task, no matter what. This is why we’ve stayed with them.

When we specify a functionality for them to develop, they come back with a lot of questions. Many of those questions are things that we haven’t even thought about. They give feedback on what we’ve specified, which is much more than having someone that just executes. They’re trying to implement something that makes sense.

Are there any areas they could improve?

From a sprint management perspective, my business analyst mentions that she would like to get more proactive feedback on the status of certain items. It would be good to have a more active two-way communication when something is delayed, or if something isn’t being worked on although it should be.

From my perspective, I would be happy to talk to them more about the strategic orientation of our stack when discussing architecture in general. For example, it would be good to know if our IT is up to par, or if the IT stack is way below the standard nowadays. I’m aware that I didn’t pay them for that, but it would be good if they could provide that as well—and I wouldn’t mind if they charged me for it. They could add that type of soft service in addition to the coding services they provide.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Agree on a contact point. It is good to have someone that is responsible for your project and who knows your project really well. Having one person I can talk to allows me to let them know what I want, and they can take care of the rest.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the former sales director for a consulting and research company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Altamira Softworks?

Our company had an online platform, that was a business intelligence tool, to help our clients track sales representatives’ interactions with doctors. We were working with doctors who would fill out a questionnaire after a discussion with the sales rep. The questionnaire and answers were transferred to our company and included and delivered on the online platform. I needed help with the support of the platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We relied on Altamira Softworks to manage the IT support of the online platform. They handled everyday maintenance and made functionality upgrades based on feedback received from clients.

The platform includes a set of graphs of changing trends on a specific market of drugs, so we wanted to enhance the platform’s experience in hopes of encouraging users to review that data themselves. Altamira Softworks also introduced automated email alerts to our client base.  

Altamira Softworks also helped create forms as a means to collect data and store it in what we called an electronic case report. That data is gathered from patients during clinical studies and then sold to pharmaceutical companies. I was not involved in that segment of development, however.

What is the team composition?

I had two central points of contact.

How did you come to work with Altamira Softworks?

They were already working with my company before I took my position there.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from 2015–2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I was satisfied with their work.

How did Altamira Softworks perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re quite experienced in project management, from the first meeting until the final delivery. They’re very serious and are sure to follow-up in the tracking of the project. It’s well-structured and done professionally. I was completely satisfied with their responsiveness.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They listen to the needs of the clients, and they maintain a very good follow-up of the project.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could make better recommendations when it comes to developing mobile applications. In one case, we didn’t think they provided enough guidance while developing an app for patients. We could have used their expertise during the development process to better address our clients' needs.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Future clients should request Altamira Softworks share their expertise from previous projects rather than executing exactly what the client requests.