Altamira

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

The company offers cloud based solutions to the Governance Community of Independent Directors, Executive Directors, Company Secretaries and other board related groups.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire GBKSOFT?

GBKSoft have been the sole development partner for the first product of Tivus Limited - PrivateSec.

What were your goals for this project?

An organisational management tool for Board Directors with a slick User Interface and excellent reporting tools for regulatory purposes

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We conducted a tender process with 4 parties - three were Irish and GBK. GBK was selected based on skill sets, client references and costs.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

They developed from scratch a workflow management tool that used an email server for external communications and was founded on a unique CRM database

What was the team composition?

The team was comprised of 2 front end developers, 2 back end developers, a slicer, a project manager and a relationship manager

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The team worked diligently to understand the context in relation to which the product was developed - and gave valuable insights with regard to design and the tech stack employed. Their understanding of AWS and how to leverage that resource was invaluable.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Project management comprised of two weekly calls with the project manager. The developers were brought into those meetings on a case by case basis.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The communication between GBK Soft and me was excellent - facilitated by the project manager. She knew when to escalate and when to delegate in order to achieve the desired outcome as quickly as possible.

Are there any areas for improvement?

There were a number of changes to the project manager in the early days of the project which resulted in a loss of continuity. However, GBK did appoint a higher calibre project manager in the end which was very beneficial.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the project manager for a service-based startup company that creates software for smaller businesses.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with GBKSoft?

Our client needed help developing an app, so we looked at hiring an outsourced company.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

After hiring GBKSoft, we wrote out tasks and complicated questions for them. They worked on the assignments and answered our questions, implementing certain required features in the iOS and Android apps. The app allows mortgage brokers to research a specific commercial area, accessing things like specific addresses, nearby properties for sale, and other statistics. They also developed a complex mortgage calculator that people in the field could use to see different bank rates over time. GBKSoft worked on the UX/UI and installed a newsfeed with the latest commercial mortgage broker news.

What is the team composition?

We have a project manager, developers, and QA analysts. The number of resources depends on the phase. For example, we’ve had anywhere from one to four full-time developers for each platform.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $300,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since 2015.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our app is fairly complex, and they built it pretty well. Some of the features didn't work as planned, but they eventually fixed them.

How did GBKSoft perform from a project management standpoint?

They agreed on timelines and have kept us updated on project progress. If something were to be late, they'd let us know. We mainly communicate through Slack and Skype, and we use Jira to track the project.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re a professional team that is highly skilled and charges great rates. Everyone’s a pleasure to work with.

Are there any areas they could improve?

As with all outsourced agencies, communication can sometimes be difficult.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

You should hire someone to be involved with GBKSoft full-time. They need someone to provide tasks, direction, and assignments. Make your project as detailed as possible so that things run smoothly.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a co-founder of a managed services company. We bundle our IT support and service desk to sell to small and medium-sized businesses (and sometimes enterprises).

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with GBKSOFT?

We needed a partner to develop an app. We were looking for design, development, technical specifications, and writing.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

GBKSOFT did nearly the entire development process for a project management app that facilitates task tracking and collaboration. We did a lot of design and prototyping with them, using Azure and Photoshop. The app isn’t released yet, but GBKSOFT went all the way through backlogging and specifications. We’re now doing the rest in-house; we mainly just needed someone to get the project started.

They took us from the initial concept to a prototype wireframe to the full UI/UX design. They put everything together, so we could finish it by ourselves. They also did some HTML and CSS coding for our website.

What is the team composition?

We worked mainly with their project manager. They also provided a UI and a UX designer.

How did you come to work with GBKSOFT?

We found GBKSOFT through Upwork. We researched them on Google and Clutch to make sure they did quality work. After narrowing the choice down to a few different agencies, we looked at what technologies the companies used and their work experience. We chose GBKSOFT because of their reputation, and they were familiar with the dev stacks and coding languages we wanted. We felt confident they could accomplish the job.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent roughly $20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The partnership lasted from January–June 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their portion of work was early on in the project, but we still use what they created. We rely on their technical specifications and UX/UI.

How did GBKSOFT perform from a project management standpoint?

Our project manager was amazing. She was incredibly thorough, and her communication skills were some of the best I’ve ever seen. Their project management was one of the best parts about our partnership.

They clearly outlined the project timeline and kept us updated. We had daily calls, working on designs back and forth until they were fine-tuned. Communication is vital when outsourcing, and GBKSOFT did a great job.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re a highly organized company, keeping us on track so we didn’t fall behind. They thoroughly understood our company and the tools we use. From the beginning, GBKSOFT was professional, polite, and efficient. I've worked with a lot of outsourced companies, and I’ve never come across a team that was easier to work with. They strived to do excellent work.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, we got everything that we requested­—it was great.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Make sure you understand your idea fully before getting started. If not, you’ll lose a lot of time redesigning things.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the founder of a web design company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with GBKSOFT?

At the time, we had a contract with a private investor to build a social networking platform. The intention was that it would be used in schools in the U.K. to raise awareness of sustainability, carbon emissions, and pollution, to teach them at an early age and to make sure they are aware of these types of issues.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The platform that we were building was a type of networking platform, similar to Facebook, but would have a lot more functionality, allowing things like building your own webpages, creating groups, and adding friends. Kids could work on things together, while schools could join either as a school entity or as individuals.

We had graphic designers and people that did certain versions of it. We were initially using things like standard off-the-shelf content management systems [CMS] and components to demonstrate things we could do. At the same time, we were building the Spoke platform [learning management system], which GBK was handling. We were demoing and trying things out by cobbling bits together to show how it would work. GBK would look at that and build a more stable version, a working version.

What is the team dynamic?

We had at least three developers from GBK working on this project, including a project manager who was the liaison. I made several trips to Ukraine to spend time with them there as well.

How did you come to work with GBKSOFT?

We used a few offshore subcontractors, but I needed people that were good with PHP and Java. I searched on the Internet and came across them through a site to find subcontractors.

How much have you invested in them?

I cannot remember at this point.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them from 2011 to 2014.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The client was very happy with how it was progressing. We had a session in a hotel over the span of a day where we had pupils and students of various age groups come in. We let them play with it to see how they did with registration, and creating webpages and profiles. They were able to use and understand it, and could see how it could be used in their environment. The application itself was great, but unfortunately, the investor, due to changes in his other projects, cut back and pulled out on a lot of his investments overnight, basically pulling the plug on it.

How did GBKSOFT perform from a project management standpoint?

They performed extremely well technically as well as with their project management. Alexandra [Founder/Business Development Manager], who manages the development, was always available and always in touch.

We used a project management system called ActiveCollab, which Alexandra ran from their end. The developers themselves were very good, and I had no problems with them at all. I went out to see them several times and we got along really well. They were amenable, and you could discuss things with them. They were great to work with; they collaborated with us and contributed ideas.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It was very easy to communicate with them. We could have a meeting where we discussed what the next development stage would be, and it was done. I didn’t have to worry about it as I knew in a couple of days they would get back to me and would demo something we’d be happy with.

The communication was very good and open. Their understanding and ability to produce what we needed was very good and efficient. They are very intelligent, friendly, and open individuals who work hard and take their clients very seriously.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they did a very good job for us. Any issues that would come up would have been resolved very quickly, but I can’t really remember having any.

I have used some subcontractors in the past where I dealt directly with someone who might be offshore. GBK is a bit more of a unit and a team, and they have Alexandra who speaks brilliant English, communicates well, and does all the admin and project management. This has been really helpful.

BACKGROUND

Describe your company and what you do there.

We're a second-stage startup developing a directory and repository to centralize professional events throughout the world.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with GBKSoft?

We've got in-house backend and frontend web and API developers, but I was in need of mobile developers.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We initially started with the iOS application. All the design and architecture was by us. They were purely development. We also ended up creating an Android version.

How did you come to work with GBKSoft?

I've experienced a couple of individual freelancers before, but I was advised to go with a company. So this time, I decided to use Upwork. The other thing was I didn't want to go in the direction of China or India. I interviewed a couple of teams, and I decided to go with GBKSoft. They were very professional. The initial contact person I was speaking to, Aleks, wasn't a sales rep or someone who acquired people - he is one of the directors.

One of the major problems that I had or noticed before was that there’s a lot of fake accounts on Upwork. You can't know who you're actually dealing with, but GBK was very accommodating with that. We had a lot of Skype meetings, so I could be sure who I'm dealing with. They sounded very professional. They gave me a very professional estimate. I used to work for IBM, so I knew how things were supposed to be done. We had a very good conversation before we actually started, so I decided to give them a chance. And they've performed very well for me.

How much have you invested with GBKSoft?

Altogether, it’s about $18,000. It's not a very complicated app anyway.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in March 2016. They delivered the final iOS product in November 2016. I’m still working with them since I’m getting a couple of changes done. They're supporting me with the bugs, and I don’t think I’ll be finished with the bugs soon. Sometimes some of the bugs don't show up until way after. But the good thing on the iOS side is I've been able to fix some of the bugs myself without going back to them. But with the Android app, they’ve helped me with some very minor stuff within the past two months, which is good. The design was pretty terrible, so hopefully we'll have more major improvements, mostly UX. They’re supportive and responsive, and I'm going to stay with them.

There is also other work planned for them that’s still under wraps. We're working on it along with some of the legal things. There’s one piece of work bigger than the original project, and if that does liven up, I'll be asking them to go there and making sure we have the right developers because this time has to be done right. Before, there was no time issue, but this one is going to be on a very critical timeline and I can't afford any delays on this one. I want to make sure everything’s done right.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re now launching in different sites in Australia and the US. We're still working on some of the stuff in the backend and marketing, so we've done a lot of trials within our organization. We haven't actually launched so I don't have specific metrics. Within the businesses, everybody’s loving it, so it'll be a very big success hopefully. Since we haven't launched, the timing wasn't that important because we knew we had to get a lot of stuff ready. We're almost ready—in about two months' time. Just need to sort out legal issues and stuff. The user experience has been the time stopper throughout. We need to get into that as well.

How did GBKSoft perform from a project management standpoint?

Our communication was good and not a problem at all. I had full access to their leadership team when I needed it, which was really good. But it all comes to individual personal style, and Yana [Holtseva, designer] was very different. There were some difficulties. The project manager was fairly junior, and there was a lot of back and forward because of initial misunderstandings. I understand the role, since I spent 16 years at IBM. It did take a long time, but from my side, it was understandable. That’s the nature of the game.

There was a lot of rework, but the end product was good. With the regression testing, every time we learned what kind of bugs that we fixed before, they kept occurring back in. It took a bit of a long time. They could have done a bit better with the testing part of it, but that's because of the PM. I understand she's not with the team anymore. As soon as she left, the work has been brilliant. It became very accommodating and thorough. Even with the old PM, everything was good.

Their English proficiency is very good. That was one of my big requirements, so I wanted to make sure that happened, and it did happen. Our meetings were through Skype. For a bigger project that I'm planning, I'm actually going there and meeting their team. I’m looking forward to seeing who are the dedicated developers that I work with on a daily basis.

What did you find most impressive about GBKSoft?

Their communication is very good. Their responses were good. I’m not a full coder, but I believe their code was very well written. I had a couple of other coders look at it and said it was pretty standard. I'm just happy with the extent that they did a good thing. The new PM and Alex are very responsive. They understand the full life cycle, so they're pretty confident in what they do.

Are there any areas GBKSoft could improve?

The major one was testing. Testing is very important. Most of the testing was done on my part. I would've expected a much better testing procedure from their side. Most of the bugs were captured by me. I understood that I was actually paying for the testing part since that was part of the initial project. I'm a hands-on person, so I need to check everything myself. Testing could have been improved upon on their side, making sure when a new version is given, that regression testing is fully done on it before it gets to my side. Also, their estimation part in having a leniency on some minor changes that don't have any major impact. Some things, I know they take hours or minutes to do, because of change requests. They want to take it through this whole lifecycle in theory and that costs a lot, but I know it's something that takes two minutes of work— let’s say a little change on the color of a button.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a small application tech startup; we have only three employees total in the company. We created video apps that would allow users to record and upload on various social media outlets as well as our platform. I was the director of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with GBKSOFT?

As beginners to the industry, we had no prior experience or direction. We needed an experienced team that would not only help us create and code our app for Android and iOS from scratch and design the user interface, but would also mentor us and hopefully point us in the right direction. GBKSOFT is very professional and great to work with. They will make sure problems get solved, and they are always quick to improve on your ideas and product. They’re very hands-on, as if it's their own company.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

GBKSOFT developed our video-based app. They also created a backend server for the app.

How did you come to work with GBKSOFT?

The app takes video and pictures at the same time, which was a unique functionality. I had difficulty finding developers who could achieve this. I found GBKSOFT on a platform called Upwork, which lists companies and freelancers. They had all the right visual representation at the time, a great portfolio and a team with years and years of experience, which was a plus for us.

As soon as I spoke to GBKSOFT, I felt they extended themselves to me and my team; they broke down our project and projected our growth based on our market, marketing and strategy.

We did have a small minor issue which resulted in a delay, but GBKSOFT completely fixed the problem, and on top of that, they did a complimentary recreation of a new UX/UI design that would stand out in the market. Overall this was a big project that they were able to complete in the estimated 3-4 months.

How much have you invested with GBKSOFT?

The cost of GBKSOFT’s work has been between $10,000 and $15,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We found them in April of 2016 and the project was finished in August.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have had a couple thousand users. Everyone liked our app and found it usable at the time. I’ve since sold it to another individual. To some degree, I was successful in what I wanted to do relative to my budget. I got what I wanted from the app.

In terms of pricing, they will work with you to find solutions so that it will be more affordable, which is great, especially for a new startup looking to spend as little as possible. It was a pleasure working with GBKSOFT. Communication was great, the level of English very good. Overall I'm pleased with the work—they did exactly what they said they would do and more. They gave us outstanding work and I can't criticize them.

How did GBKSOFT perform from a project management standpoint?

I was assigned a project manager with whom I could speak whenever I had a problem. She would relay everything to the team, and also speak to me about any issues. GBKSOFT was quite professional, and, even when their output was not up to my standards, I could tell them and have it changed immediately.

What did you find most impressive about GBKSOFT?

They are polite, professional, and great at communicating,. GBKSOFT has many unique developers and skills available, and I always had the opportunity to talk to the directors directly when I had an issue. They’re a hard-working team and company.

Are there any areas GBKSOFT could improve?

They should hire English-speaking developers. That would allow me to have one-on-one conversations with the development team as well.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a worldwide travel service with a particular emphasis on inbound services for UAE and the Middle East. I was the founder of the website on which our company is based and acted as its managing director. I currently have other, broader duties. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with GBKSoft?

We needed a website built from scratch.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

GBKSoft developed everything from scratch. One of our biggest issues was design since it was very hard to establish which direction we wanted to go. GBKSoft managed to understand our goals by assigning a great designer. The team generally worked very fast, giving me a convenient experience. They came up with new solutions constantly.

The site needed to contain a number of images and video and be informative. GBKSoft suggested we put an emphasis on video rather than text since that is what generates traffic at the moment.

How did you come to work with GBKSoft?

They were referred to me by a friend.

How much have you invested with GBKSoft?

The cost of GBKSoft's work was around $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with GBKSoft in January 2016. We were a bit off schedule, but the delay came from our side. We didn't have enough free hands to focus on the website, but GBKSoft was much more proactive than us, always pushing to start the next stage. The website was launched in January 2017, roughly after a one-year period. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

GBKSoft's work reflects our initial requests perfectly.

How did GBKSoft perform from a project management standpoint?

We scheduled frequent conference calls, and GBKSoft's team was always on time. The whole project structure was smart and was broken into stages and deadlines. We provided approval at every stage.

What did you find most impressive about GBKSoft?

In general, I'm very satisfied with GBKSoft. I mainly liked their proactivity. GBKSoft gave us sample solutions for what could be done, so I wasn’t the only one approaching the direction of the site. Design-wise, the site is very good, and GBKSoft was always on time in terms of conferences and delivery.

Are there any areas GBKSoft could improve?

I can’t remember anything significant. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of a company that deals with football [soccer] analytics and statistics. We provide this information to the general public.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with GBKSOFT?

We needed help with building the company website completely from scratch, as well as our online analytics solution.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

GBKSOFT was involved in the development of the online solution that we provide at the moment, from the very beginning to the end of the process. The developers provided all the support for the website. They are still providing support at the moment, making changes when necessary. Although there's no mobile element currently, it is optimized for mobile. We are looking to develop one in the future. We mainly used JavaScript for the website, which was custom-built. We developed the statistics for the betting platform, and GBKSOFT just integrated that into the website as one solution. Unrelated, we also used Google Analytics for our own reporting.

I interacted mainly with the project manager. This was much easier since I’m not a technical person and it would have been a bit difficult to get into all the details. I prefer to explain it in plain language, and then let them come up with a solution. Afterward, they discuss if it’s possible and how much it will cost.

How did you come to work with GBKSOFT?

I found them via an online platform called Upwork. We discussed details and started working with them. What gave me the confidence to work with them is that one of their staff members was quite knowledgeable about football analytics and statistical surveys, so we thought that it would help us save time as we won’t be needing to explain details a lot. Their knowledge and understanding of the topic we are concentrating on definitely helped.

How much have you invested with GBKSOFT?

We spent roughly about $25,000 in a year and a half.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started discussing details in November 2014. Actual development of the final website took about a year, and the website went live in October 2016. At the moment, we’re still working with them as they’re still customizing and making minor changes to our site.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We get about 180 unique visitors a day, and that number increases during peak times. We feel that this number is growing gradually. Users actually do engage quite a lot because they visit about seven or eight pages and spend a few minutes before they leave the site. We wanted to engage and make our end users come back, and that’s what’s actually happening—we have a return rate of 48% at the moment. This is what was achieved through our efforts and GBKSOFT’s design.

How did GBKSOFT perform from a project management standpoint?

Communication was very fast. We got emails, phone calls, or whatever we want from them at any point. They’re very responsive towards our needs. They work towards satisfying what we need up to the final detail, so I have no regrets in starting this project with them. While we were building the website, I got detailed weekly reports via email from the project manager. We were working via Upwork, so all their time was logged in there and could be checked at any point.

The only thing that was a bit frustrating is that our project manager changed twice in a short period of time. That was a bit of a miscommunication there because we had to explain it to the new project manager. As soon as we explained things, the project manager was changed again, probably because he was made redundant or just left the company.

What did you find most impressive about GBKSOFT?

They’ve done really well in terms of making sure that every single detail of the website is finished accurately, including the design and functionality.

Are there any areas GBKSOFT could improve?

No. I have nothing to recommend for them to change. They do a great job.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We are a recruitment and headhunting company for employers on the African continent. Our clients are mostly Western companies and organizations.

What is your position?

I am a managing partner and one of the company's shareholders. I lead recruitment projects, ensure quality, and also manage the software implementations for our website.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with GBKSOFT?

We decided to expand our service with a job board, but did not have the right software to do so. GBKSOFT helped us launch our jobs board.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

GBKSOFT built our framework and website from the ground up. We had a close collaboration through which our side provided full specs, which were then translated by GBKSOFT's programmers into what our website has become.

We didn't want to use WordPress, but we did want an open-source platform. I don't know what framework GBKSOFT ultimately used, but our site does have a backend database for our candidates. It holds over 9,000 CVs, which can be sorted through and annotated. We also have PayPal integration. GBKSOFT adapted the site to our designs.

How did you come to work with GBKSOFT?

One of my best friends is married to someone from The Netherlands. His company works with Ukrainian companies, so he helped me ask around for services. His partners recommended GBKSOFT. We made inquiries with a few companies, but GBKSOFT's team seemed the most knowledgeable. They also told us what was not possible, which I appreciated as someone without IT knowledge. GBKSOFT made things sound simple, which I really liked.

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

The cost of our initial build has been around $9,000. We have spent an additional $9,000 for ongoing updates.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with GBKSOFT in August 2015. The first version of our site was delivered in March 2016, after a long back-and-forth testing period. I changed my mind a lot, but GBKSOFT was flexible. Now we have a big update every three months after we make a list of changes for GBKSOFT's programmers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

We have over 9,000 candidates in our database, and over 300 employers. We have 60,000 page views, and between 11,000 and 12,000 unique visitors per month.

How did GBKSOFT perform from a project management standpoint?

This is a good area for GBKSOFT. Their English is perfect. They work fast, answer all of our questions, and collaborate through a product sheet. We have timeframes for every point; they keep us updated, and the delivery is usually on time. We can update sheets after testing, assign new tasks, and so on.

What distinguishes GBKSOFT from other providers?

All our collaboration is done over email, so we don't need to communicate with GBKSOFT over Skype or other channels. Everything is documented and functional, and GBKSOFT's team is very helpful. They can think along with us, which is great for me, since I don't have a lot of IT knowledge. We may provide GBKSOFT a list of 20-30 tasks, but they can understand an issue from only a few sentences. If we run into issues or bugs, GBKSOFT is fast in solving them.

Is there anything GBKSOFT could have improved or done differently?

No. I'm very happy with GBKSOFT.

Do you have any recommendations for others considering working with GBKSOFT?

I don't know what size of project GBKSOFT would be able to cope with, but they seem to be fair and open, so clients can ask them anything. The team will let people know when they can't do something because of cost or unrealistic expectations. They're nice people to work with.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company.

Our company is a cloud-based mobile marketing company. People use our software platform to send SMS [Short Message Service] messages via push notification with a link to a mobile landing page built on our platform. Typically, it would be for one of our clients, such as the marketing department of a telecom company. For instance, you could get an SMS from your phone carrier on your mobile phone. When you click on the link, you’ll see an offer, for example, to upgrade to an iPhone 5. That’s what we use on our platform.

Most of our clients are European-based, although we have clients in the United States. Currently, we are focusing on the markets closest to us.

What is your role? 

I am the chief technology officer. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was your goal for working with GBKSOFT?

They are the development team. They do everything. I’m an ex-web developer. I thought it would be quicker just to hire someone to redesign everything.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their work.

We send them the descriptions, and they code it. My partner is a telecom expert, so we design everything and send it over to them to code.

Now that the company is growing, we brought in a project manager who works at GBKSOFT. She is very efficient. The owners of GBKSOFT were very receptive to this, and it has saved a huge amount of time. She is in the office with them the whole time. One of our full-time people got food poisoning and went to the hospital. That put me under a lot of pressure because we have a lot of deadlines and work coming in. The upside was that they were able to loan us some developers. If I had a dedicated team here in Dublin, and one of my people was out sick like that, I wouldn’t be able to do that.

Their costs are about a third less than what they would be in Dublin. There is a little disconnect because we're not in the same room, as well as cultural differences. Eastern Europeans are not always as innovative as Westerners are. We come up with harder ideas, whereas they are used people telling them which task to do. You have to be prepared for that kind of tradeoff. We are going to continue with them.

What was your process for selecting GBKSOFT to work with?

We found them on oDesk. We had a Pakistani team before that, and we weren't as happy with them. Initially, we used the head of the company. Our process was initially based on ratings. We were also prepared to drop them if they didn't meet our standards.

Can you provide a ballpark dollar figure for the size of the work that they’ve done for you?

Initially, it was about €50,000 [$53,000] per year. Recently, we have upped it to about €200,000 [$214,000] per year. We have a set amount of developer hours every month for the project manager's time because she juggles multiple clients. We use other people part time because we work with the apps as well. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Is there anything unique about them that really makes them stand out, compared to other companies?

GBKSOFT proved to be very good, and they’re very reliable as well. They are quite conscientious. They will go the extra yard to make sure we're happy. They're not always trying to get the extra bit of money. Sometimes, I have to remind them to charge us.

Since our process is being refined, particularly in the area of testing, they have implemented a much better system. We’re using Selenium as well as combined manual and automated testing. That’s just a normal evolution. We’ve been with them since March 2012, so that’s 5 years. Obviously, things get better, particularly in the testing area.

How did GBKSOFT perform from a project management standpoint?

In terms of project management, they’ve taken on more of a lead role. I was more hands on in the last interview. They have very strong project managers who take great personal responsibility. That’s actually less work for me. They’ve taken on a broader role than before, and the testing has improved.

Looking back on the work so far, is there any area that you think they could improve upon or that you might do differently?

As of right now, I don’t have any suggestions. I’m very happy with how things are.

The only drawback is that if you have a senior developer in your office here in Dublin, he or she would take the lead on a project. GBKSOFT doesn’t really do that; they code. They are looking for innovation from us, which we're happy to do. That’s not a criticism, and it’s what we want.

To be fair, we’re not in a position where we’re waiting for the coders to be innovative either. It’s paint by numbers, so we’re very specific in what we want them to do. They don’t have much of a chance to be innovative.