BeKey LLC

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of a consulting business with a focus on the certification of goods and services, mainly in Russia. We’re a holding company, and we operate under a different name in each city we’re present in for marketing reasons. Gortest is one of the most well known of those brands.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with BeKey Inc?

Our goal was to create a CRM system for our specialized business processes. Making changes to an existing solution would have been hard to do and expensive, so we started developing our own CRM system. We used Excel as a CRM, and it was enough for us, but we had several needs that couldn’t be addressed that way. Our attempt to build our own software development department failed; we spent a lot of time and money, and we had to change developers again and again.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

BeKey Inc developed our CRM using PHP and a free database. My managers have access to it through a web interface.

We also hired them for marketing and SEO work. We had our own department, but it was less expensive to hire resources abroad. They worked on a few Russian-language websites for us.

What is the team composition?

We worked with their CEO/CFO at the beginning of the project, and we had several project managers. If one went on vacation, we were assigned another. We didn’t usually interact with the developers, but we were in contact with the designers at times as it was more effective.

How did you come to work with BeKey Inc?

I knew BeKey Inc’s principal, who told me he’d started his own business. We started step by step, with a simple version. They impressed me, producing good results in a short time. We continued developing the system, which became quite complex. It’s customized for our unique business problems.

How much have you invested with them?

For the CRM and marketing, we’ve spent $200,000–$250,000. It’s been worth the cost because it’s reduced the work being put in by our manager.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with BeKey Inc around January two years ago. The first version came out quickly, within 3–4 months. We liked the result and wanted more functionalities, so we continued working on it until the complete working version of the CRM was finished about a year ago. We’ve had new releases twice per year since then.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The CRM they built has allowed us to save time and money and to stay organized. Given the current economic problems in Russia, the CRM is a key for our future success—for optimization and for cutting marketing expenses. We’re able to save money on staff outsourcing by using it.

How did BeKey Inc perform from a project management standpoint?

We used Bitrix24 and Trello for project management, but we could also get in touch with their managers directly. BeKey Inc has good quality management.

We hired a project manager/secretary on our side, who was responsible for the development of our CRM and a few websites. She communicated with our lead managers, discussed their needs, and assigned tasks to BeKey Inc.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It’s hard to find the same level of expertise in Russia, and, even then, Russian developers are much more expensive.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s always something to improve, but I know they’re doing a brilliant job. They could broaden their staff, but this requires more customers.

UPDATED REVIEW

This review was updated by the client on March 4, 2020. The original star ratings were: Overall – 5, Quality – 5, Schedule 4.5, Cost – 5, NPS – 5. New content is below.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Gortest, a consulting company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with BeKey Inc?

Since building our CRM, we’ve relied on them to continue developing new features and other products.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They function as our R&D department, the CRM being their main focus. They still improve it from time to time and are doing well on that front.  

One of the new features they’ve created is a module that interacts with our server and database. It’s a very useful service that allows us to distribute important data to all key participants in a business interaction, from the user to the manufacturer. With the module, we can consolidate all documents required to sell goods, for example.

Currently, we’re looking to launch a startup in the healthcare industry, and BeKey Inc is working on building out an HR product for it. It’s a pretty simple function, but we still have to build a customer development backend. For now, the solution is internal.

What is the team composition?

Normally, I just discuss projects with their project manager.

How much have you invested with them?

It started at $5,000–$10,000 per month, but they’ve increased their costs. That makes sense because they do their job well. Now, we spend between $25,000–$30,000 per month, which is still great for the quality of work.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in January 2016, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re still satisfied with their work. Recently, I surveyed my colleagues about the effects of our CRM, and they’ve reported that it saves them 30% in time. That’s significant! As I mentioned, we’re also broadening our domain with a startup in the healthcare sector, so they’re helping us there, too.

How did BeKey Inc perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re the best, especially compared to other teams we’ve worked with, and that’s why we continue to work with them. They deliver on time and are communicative. We touch base on Skype, WhatsApp, and Zoom. They also use Trello.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’re hooked with them. They’re good in all aspects of software development, have strong discipline, and offer reasonable prices. On top of that, they’re very friendly, which makes for easy collaboration.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I have no complaints. They’re not just trying to get more money — they prefer long-term partnerships.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have the right person on your side to work with them, and you’ll succeed.