The Beaverhead Ltd

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Placepark is event base social network where you can find information about interesting events taking place near you.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire The Beaverhead Ltd?

The Beaverhead teat was responsible for the whole proces of bringing mockups into working product.

What were your goals for this project?

The goal was to create minimal valuable product at the minimal cost.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We share the same values as The Beaverhead so we quickly find the common ground. The decision was quick and easy and looking back also very good.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

We deliver to The Beverhead team the wireframes and the front-end part of the platform. The goal was clear - based on wireframes create working product and we achieved it. The Beverhead team help us in every aspect of bringing the product to world also including hosting.

What was the team composition?

From our side there was one UX Designer and from The Beverhead side there was Back-End Developer and Front-End Developer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We brought the idea to life and learn many new things thanks to this project.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

We share with The Beaverhead the requirements in PDF file and in response we received estimation in hours. The Beverhead took care of the whole proces of creating task and project management.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

No problem approach and we really feel that they wanted to help our business and not only make money.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Is hard to find any weak points. Maybe they could be even more precise in estimation and delivery time.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We offer bulk text and calls to churches and other religious entities.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire The Beaverhead Ltd?

We hired them to look at our current architecture and make recommendations to modernized our code case.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to decrease the number of hours spent on fixing recurring bugs. Improve the speed at which we can deploy new features. Create a mobile app using the best practices by building out a separate API server. Ensure our code is scalable as we grew.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

This company and Piotr, came highly recommended by one of my top developers who was taking up another assignment with another company. I was told that he contributed to the CakePHP framework (the framework we used), which indicated his above average experience and knowledge of what we had and where we could have gone. We did our usual interview process to ensure he was a good fit (questions online, phone interviews, etc.), and he and his company were perfect on all front.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

• Consultation
• Research and documentation of what we had.
• Creating a new architecture for the new app
• Creating the layout for an API server and separating design from code (react js)
• Created a timeline and estimates for each.
• Made suggestions for improvement of the current legacy app as we expected to maintain the current code for several more months.

What was the team composition?

Since it was more consultation and research, it was mainly one person. But we had access to their team, should we decide to move forward with full development. At that time, we had developers who worked for us so The Beaver Head provided the scope and actions our developers needed to take.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

This saved us thousands of dollars in the development of the new web app and we immediately saw improvements in our current app when we added the suggestions they provided.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

This is their strength. Very details using spreadsheets and docs. We had weekly calls, and often time, we used screen capturing to communicate any challenges, concepts, or questions.

Piotr is a huge stickler for documentation, project management and using the best practices. We did use my system to manage the flow. We use Trello, slack and google docs.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Everything. His company is built to work with the top clients in the world. He isn't doing this as a side hustle. Piotr and his company is very professional and delivers. The cost is affordable when you consider the value that you get.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Not sure. I think the challenge we ran into was the idea that we needed to follow all the proper steps of development vs a more agile take. That was more due to my budgeting constraints.

We didn't plan to skip steps but to develop a new app and maintain a legacy, you have to consider a slightly different approach vs coming to someone with a new idea. I think we eventually came to an understanding of how we can do both and still get the same results, though it may take a bit longer.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the cofounder of a small software development company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire The Beaverhead Ltd?

We hired The Beaverhead to help develop a web platform.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal was to have a solid, structured code base, that would be easily maintainable and provide a foundation to the product.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I found The Beaverhead on UpWork.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

They provided services from design to implementation of the web app. Piotr was very good at drilling down to the details and asking the right questions in order to fully understand the product before implementing the code.

What was the team composition?

Piotr lead the development and there were two other guys, one did back end and the other worked on the front end.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Unfortunately, we ran out of funds, but that was no fault of The Beaverhead.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

The project was well managed and code reviews were stringent.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The level of professionalism and attention to detail was at a high level.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I was very happy with the service provided, I can't really think of anything that could have been improved upon.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a startup that’s creating an app. I’m a co-founder of the business and have been working on this process for about two and a half years.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with The Beaverhead Ltd?

I put together a detailed stack containing designs and UX plans. We needed someone who could take those ideas and develop the mobile app for both iOS and Android, as well as provide all backend services. It was important that it would fit within our budget.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We needed to build an app that we refer to as a community-powered ultimate life list. Its intention is to take bookmarks and socially-focused functionalities and combine them. Users can save anything from a good book to helpful software, leaving them with a source of all types of your favorite content. That way, they can apply the content to their day-to-day and hopefully have better lives.

The community aspect allows others to see products and content that others are using. In terms of functionality, it’s fairly complex. The challenge is making something that’s complicated appear as since as possible through the user experience.

By the time we brought their team onto the project, we had plans for UI/UX in place. They helped to optimize the experience and ensure that the front- and backend would work together properly.

Their main focal point was the mobile app development and backend services, which they completed the entirety of. They developed native iOS and Android apps in React Native, proving us with all the functionality we expected in our original planning phases. The final app is launching this week.

What is the team composition?

I worked primarily with Peter (CEO, The Beaverhead Ltd). There were between 4–5 developers working on the project in the background.

How did you come to work with The Beaverhead Ltd?

I spent the better part of my search looking through web portals and platforms at potential vendors, trying to find a decent app company. While I found some very competent ones, they all seemed to be well out of our budget. Even for an MVP, it didn’t look like they could tackle the project within our cost requirements. 

How much have you invested with them?

In total, we probably spent about $55,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

The project lasted from December 2018–October 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Like I said earlier, we have an app that is launching this week and are really pleased with it. We aren’t sure how many users it’ll pull in yet, but our internal team is ecstatic and confident in its success. They’ve functioned like true partners for us. They’ve made recommendations throughout the process, and we’ve been able to have conversations that have guided the project. Because of that, we ended up with something that’s better than we originally planned.

Our positive results stem from the team’s understanding of our goals. It’s sometimes pretty difficult to explain our app and its benefits, but they comprehended the context of what we’re trying to achieve. They went beyond our expectations because they showed they cared about our UX and app performance. 

How did The Beaverhead Ltd perform from a project management standpoint?

We had the CEO acting as our account manager because their team was small enough to do that. In that respect, we were given the gold service. They’re a young, very talented company that was key to this project being successful. We kept track of the project through Excel spreadsheets, bug-logging software, and meetings every 2–3 days. From a governance perspective, it was set up nicely in an agile process.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re a nice team and a very pleasant company to work with. When we collaborate, it feels like we have our own in-house team. We don’t need to worry about the expensive process of building up our own dev staff. That’s why I’m happy to review and endorse them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

If they want to scale up, they’re going to run into some challenges that any small company that’s been taking on new clients will face. We haven’t felt any of those pains, though.  

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Come up with a model that allows you to scale your project, but not too quickly. Overall, we had a great experience. It feels like we’re working with a team of friends as opposed to a supplier.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Lab31 is a professional photo laboratory. He provides the highest class prints and photographic prints for the needs of individual clients as well as companies and institutions.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire The Beaverhead Ltd?

We've employed The Beaverhead Ltd to create an online ordering platform.

What were your goals for this project?

The project involved the creation of an easy-to-use, intuitive platform that allows you to specify the parameters of the order, send files and pay for the order online along with extensive backend functionality to speed up the order.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

The contractor was selected from a large group. The Beaverhead impressed us with its professionalism and commitment. They were the only ones who fully understood our needs and ideas of the project.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

The Beaverhad took care of practically everything. They have created a new, intuitive solution that allows you to place complex, complex orders in a simple way. They took care of the page loading speed and responsiveness. They took care of online payments and file transfers to the server. 

In addition, they designed the architecture of the system in a way that would allow it to expand with many functionalities in the future. They created a transparent panel for our staff that significantly accelerated the implementation of orders and facilitated communication with the client.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The project allowed us to move from a local to a nationwide market. We have gained many new customers and accelerated the order processing process.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Communication with The Beaverhead has always been at the highest level. The problems were solved immediately and with full commitment. The Beaverhead team provided us with full support and developed many solutions that improved the project.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their combination of professionalism and speedy action along with sensitivity and flexibility stood out, and that is hard to find in "large corporations".

Are there any areas for improvement?

The cooperation was great. Deficiencies are hard to find.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the owner/operator of a small business that supplies visual effects to the episodic Television.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire The Beaverhead Ltd?

The Beaverhead created custom project management software for us.

What were your goals for this project?

Take our existing workflow of spreadsheets and FileMaker and combine them into a piece of software that functions to our exact needs. Work in the APIs from 3rd party SAAS software that we already use as well.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Selection was made based off a of Skype call and the Functional Requirements doc created by The Beaverhead

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Piotr and The Beaverhead team are extremely professional, very knowledgable, and have excellent communication skills. Their greatest strength is probably their ability to talk through the needs of the client, eliminate the confusion of the whole process, and find the best solution. They are also organized, timely, and give regular updates. Everything you would want out of someone your hire for any job. This was our first venture into hiring a developer and we couldn't be happier.

What was the team composition?

I don't understand the question.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The Beaverhead's work has allowed us to focus on creativity knowing that our project management is exactly where it needs to be.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

The Beaverhead was always timely and communicative. They were extremely effective at explaining the entire process and how our requests can best become a functioning product.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The whole package. Speed, communication, suggestions that would help our needs without breaking our budget, quality of work.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

The company deals with the broadly understood healthy lifestyle, both on the level of training and nutrition. Services are available nationwide.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire The Beaverhead Ltd?

Creating a place on the internet for people whose passion is a healthy lifestyle.

What were your goals for this project?

The platform is to bring together people who are fascinated by sport and healthy habits, as well as to motivate and inspire to act.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

The company was recommended by a friend.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Each of the logged in users can share their passion by inserting photos and assigning them to appropriate boards, such as: training, meals or everyday life. Other users can respond to the inserted content by posting comments or liking.

What was the team composition?

Apart from The Beaverhead Ltd, the team included a graphic designer and UX team.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Increasing users' awareness of the operating company and the services it serves on a healthy lifestyle level.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Project management was done by prior setting deadlines by which individual things were to be done. We discussed it by e-mail, skype or telephone. Beaverhead Ltd always meets the predefined deadlines while keeping my team updated.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The Beaverhead Ltd is very professional. It meets the most important aspects: meeting deadlines, reliability of employees, very high commitment to the project, availability and ensuring all formalities. Company for 6!

Are there any areas for improvement?

I have no objections.