Binariks

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the senior director of engineering for a company that places hourly workers into jobs and shift. So we built a gig-economy platform for shift-based work as well as a more traditional job board that helps users find hourly work.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Binariks?

They augment our staff as needs arise, whether it’s through attrition or because we need to increase capacity, we use them to find full-time resources.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Right now, two of their contractors are working alongside our scrum team. One is working on our mobile team and is converting our website to a progressive web app (PWA) that can be deployed on native technology. When we’re building new features so we don’t struggle with feature parity in the native app.

The other contractor is working on the website, focusing on marketing and acquisition. He works on our frontend pages that help employers and workers make decisions on whether they want to create an account and register.

Both contractors are working in our tech stack, which includes HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. The frontend of our platform is in Angular and the backend is Node.js.

What is the team composition?

We work directly with a project manager and a couple of different account managers.

How did you come to work with Binariks?

Our company already uses some third-party vendors like Upwork to supplement our workforce. When we began looking for someone to fill one of our positions, we found Binariks as an agency on the platform and began working with them directly.

How much have you invested with them?

We spend $40–$50 per hour. We’ve spent a little less than $200,000 in total.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our initial engagement began about a year ago, in March 2020, and is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Everybody they’ve brought to us has been excellent. In the past, other contractors we’ve worked with have needed strict guidelines to work with, which is time-consuming for us. In contrast, I’m able to bring Binariks in as a part of the team. I just need to give them a general idea of what we’re trying to develop. They consistently deliver work that is on-par with what we ask for. They even go above and beyond by suggesting alternative options.   

The first contractor we started working with is now completely embedded with our team. He helps keep the project on track and ensures that everybody is following the same process and standards.

How did Binariks perform from a project management standpoint?

Whenever I have new needs, I reach out to one of our account managers. They provide weekly updates, but we also have monthly check-ins to make sure everything is going well. They’re very transparent about tracking their hours and when they’re taking off

They’re based in Ukraine, but despite the time difference, they’re pretty flexible. They adjust their hours to work with our East Coast team.

Because they’re embedded in our team, they follow the same timelines and meet the same requirements as anyone else in our company.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We trust their resources and are able to rely on them. They’ve helped our team grow.

Are there any areas they could improve?

When we have an open position, we really want to fill it as fast as possible. Binariks does a good job providing candidates quickly, but selfishly, we would still like them to be a little faster. We also have a lot of special requirements for the positions we’re looking to fill, and they’re very accommodating.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be clear about what you’re looking for and what expectations you’re setting. Because we’re working with them as full-time resources, we benefit from working with their team and growing our partnership. Binariks has always done an excellent job at meeting the skills we need in each position.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m head of procurement for Pelican Procurement. We’re a procurement company that also offers procurement services. We have specialized software that helps with the order process from purchase to pay.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Binariks?

We wanted to scale up our development team to help with additional development in a cost effective and flexible way.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Binariks became part of our team, bolstering our internal development capacity. They offer actual development resources that act as our own resources. Their developer works on the same code base as our other developers, so there’s no separation. They take small and big projects.  Binarik's developers will either work on a task on their own or work on it with 2–3 other people depending on the sprint.

What is the team composition?

On the development side, we work with one person from Binariks. We’re looking to increase that number. There’s also a person on their side who manages the project from a business perspective.

How did you come to work with Binariks?

Binariks became our partner before I joined the company.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $100,000 at this point.

What is the status of this engagement?

I started working with Binariks in March 2020, they remain a partner and we are expecting to expand our collaboration with them further in 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Binariks brought quality skills that match our internal team’s skill level. The developer quickly understood our complicated code base that’s, unfortunately, not as well document as we would like it to be. He understood what we wanted to do, so it’s a great fit. We’re able to take advantage of his skills and basically, he’s one of our top performers.

How did Binariks perform from a project management standpoint?

We’re an Agile team, working as one development team in two-week sprints. We have daily stand-ups and follow a standard sprint process. The developer delivers all of his code with quality on time.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Binariks brings real value to our business with their contributions, and their positive and “can-do” attitude.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, not at the moment.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be clear about the skills you require. We gave Binariks specific technical skills, and they provided us with a developer who met our requirements.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder of IDkollen, an IT company. We work primarily with a national electronic identification method that allows companies, banks, and government agencies to authenticate people online or over the phone.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Binariks?

Before working with Binariks, we had a functioning platform but it was built on PHP and Java and wasn’t stable enough. We needed our platform to be very secure since we’re working with the national identification solution. Binariks rebuilt our existing platform from scratch.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They used Java backend and React frontend to develop the new platform. Using the existing system, they developed an understanding of how the platform should work.

From there, we started to develop a project plan. We provided the mockups and the descriptions and met with them regularly to discuss what we needed. They worked on developing of the first version of the portal for 4–5 months. Then we continued working with them to improve the platform and add functionality.

What is the team composition?

There’s a project manager, one lead backend developer, and a frontend developer. The Java developer is a very senior developer and has been working with us throughout the project. We’ve also worked with the same project lead throughout the entirety of the project.

How did you come to work with Binariks?

We needed a really good development partner that could understand our business model and could deliver quality work quickly. We needed a proactive partner who could see the whole picture.

I did some research online and found them on Upwork. They were one of six companies that we approached. We gave all the companies access to some of our Git repositories. Then we evaluated their skills and how they proposed to solve our problem. We chose Binariks because they understood everything better than the other companies we considered and asked the right questions.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $100,000–$150,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

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

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a photography company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Binariks?

We needed someone to develop a mobile app that would help small business owners.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Binariks first developed an MVP for our mobile app. Our team is in charge of the server-side, and Binariks is fully in charge of the development of the app. They’ve used React Native for both iOS and Android. They also helped with project management services as well as the final steps with QA.

We launched the MVP a few weeks ago, and we’re now in a phase of first feedback and then they will do the improvements accordingly. Our goal is to continue with the next version of the app with them.

What is the team composition?

Initially, we were in contact with their CEO. We’re mainly interacting with the developer and a project manager now.

How did you come to work with Binariks?

We found them through Upwork. We went through a phase of tests with different agencies and Binariks did a better job.

How much have you invested with them?

So far, we’ve spent $10,000–$49,999.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in September 2020, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I’m very happy with them. The developer is really professional and responsive. The quality of their work is good, and we’re satisfied.

How did Binariks perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re very flexible between full and part-time depending on our needs. Their communication and ability to meet deadlines are very good.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It feels like they’re part of our team. I’m very happy with their services.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Their QA service is an area where they are limited in the number of devices where they can offer testing of mobile apps. It’s a very minor thing with the overall project, and in general, I’m happy with them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have your plan ready and have your product specifications finalized before you start the project. This will ensure high-quality service.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of product of a configured price quoting (CPQ) platform. Our platform that allows companies to generate quotes easily and includes internal workflows, digital rooms to publish the quote, and lets users see the buyer’s signal and intent.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Binariks?

We needed to scale up our development resources.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’re using them for development. They’re helping us migrate our existing applications from AngularJS to the latest version.

What is the team composition?

We started the project with two people — one to work on the frontend and another on the backend. As we’ve refocused our project, we’re just working with one on the migration project.

How did you come to work with Binariks?

I found them through a project-oriented website. We had several conversations and they had very good references. We also tested them to assess their knowledge base.

How much have you invested with them?

It was around $70,000–$80,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in June 2019 and the collaboration is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I’m satisfied with their work because they were able to execute what I wanted. Their coding was good. They’re good at what they do. It was definitely a big challenge, and we’re now hitting the first major milestone in the project. It is something that we’re proud of.

How did Binariks perform from a project management standpoint?

I was really happy with the interaction. They were there every time we needed them, whether that was to make improvements or make clarifications. We’ve collaborated very well. We use Jira and Bitbucket.

It took a bit longer than I expected, but only because of things that can happen in any development project, so overall, I was satisfied with the timeline.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their technical expertise and responsibility for the project really stood out. They keep their promises and deliver what we need.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Nothing comes to mind.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If the project is similar to us, and the customer is managing an outsource team, I would advise them to treat Binariks as an extension of your team. Go into the engagement with a serious plan complete with milestones — just like you would internally.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the managing director of Mothership Tech. We’re a technology organization looking to build out products with a focus on marketing and technology.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Binariks?

We built an application that is at the crux of marketing and technology, and Binariks helped develop that product with new functionality. They will also be part of our development team to take that progression forward.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

It’s a full end-to-end solution. The current sprint we’re working on is feature-driven. They’re enhancing what we already created. The second phase that we’re about to start with them is focused on modernizations. They’re rewriting code to enhance our closed-service offerings.

The frontend is HTML 5, CSS, and JavaScript. On the backend, we’re on MySQL and PHP. The hosting environment is AWS.

What is the team composition?

There are five people on our team, including a frontend developer, a front- and backend developer, QA engineer, and project manager.

How did you come to work with Binariks?

During COVID-19, we started to struggle with another service provider and started to look for other partners, focusing on eastern Europe. We focused on Ukraine, Poland, and Romania because of the product stack we were looking to work with.

We looked at Clutch for feedback and selected five organizations. From there, we ran an RFP and selected Binariks because of cost, quality, and online feedback.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent just shy of $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in June 2020. We’re still working together.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re really happy with what we’ve achieved with their team. We’re winning business as well, which has been exceptional considering the global pandemic.

We’re hoping to expand the team as well and are thinking about bringing on two new backend developers from their team.

How did Binariks perform from a project management standpoint?

We manage our tickets through Jira and they track the sprints. We have two stand-ups per week. We have calls every Tuesday and Friday, and in between, we get varying updates via Skype and email.

They’ve been pretty on-the-ball. There haven’t been any communication issues and they’ve been very agile.  

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their communication has been spot-on. They’ve been transparent about how much time they spend on each sprint as well.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s always room for improvement, but I can’t think of anything specific. We’ve had to go through a few iterations after testing, but that’s the nature of developing software.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be very clear on the scope you want to engage with the team. You can’t just send the work to an outsource partner, you need to work hand-in-hand with them to ensure that they know your goals. With that information, they can help create a plan to get you there.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of a fashion sharing application.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Binariks?

We needed someone to develop an MVP. I only had a concept. I didn’t have any of the UI/UX developed and needed a company that could do that.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Based on my concept, they created an MVP that included every aspect of the Android application. They were very supportive. We're now in the first round of testing. They will continue to add updates and then it will go out to more users to test it. At the moment, there’s nothing for them to do until I give them feedback.

What is the team composition?

There was a project manager who I dealt with day-to-day. There was an Android developer, a backend developer, QA engineers, and a UX/UI designer as well. 

How did you come to work with Binariks?

I initially went through Upwork and spoke with three companies. Binariks was my favorite. They were very keen on speaking to me right away. They set a video call with me and were very helpful. My background is not app development in the slightest. They instilled a lot of confidence in me on the phone. I told them what I wanted and they gave me unique suggestions that would work. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent £30,000 (approximately $40,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in February 2020 and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’re great, and, as a result, have 20-30 initial users. They’ve done everything I’ve asked of them. 

How did Binariks perform from a project management standpoint?

I liked having a project manager as my key point of contact throughout the project. They give us weekly reports. Even though they’re in Ukraine and are three hours behind, they’re very responsive. I email them at 5:00 my time and they email me that evening. I couldn’t be happier with them. They keep on top of the hours and cost for me. They managed the budget well.

Every two weeks, they planned the fortnightly number of hours they were going to spend. They emailed me with their projections on how many hours and people needed to get through the milestones in that time period.

They would always check with me if I was satisfied with spending that amount of money. If I wasn’t, they’d cut back on the hours and delay it. If I was willing to spend more, they’d add a few more hours. They manage the project very well.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re very helpful being that I don’t come with any app development background. They explained everything. I asked them a lot of stupid questions and not once did they criticize. They explained everything to me. They made me feel comfortable with the decisions. They made a lot of alterations and have put a lot of input into it based on their knowledge.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The project was slightly delayed due to COVID-19. They prioritized me when I needed them to. They’re very good.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Take their advice when they offer it. They have the expertise to know what they’re talking about.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CTO of an automotive industry solutions company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Binariks?

We fell behind on an application and needed the solution launched relatively quickly. However, we didn’t have the resources to allocate to the project. We reached out to Binariks to provide resources and increased the number of resources along the way to actually help manage the project.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Binariks built a significant portion of the solution, which I started. I wrote the initial code and handed it to them. Their team was able to pick up and move it forward. Our tech stack’s Ruby on Rails and React.

In particular, the backend developer migrated the data from a legacy database to our new database and then built the API, which allowed the frontend developer to integrate that data. The frontend developer built all the screens that tied into that data. The QA team member helped to make sure that the product met all the requirements and specifications. The project manager managed that entire process.

What is the team composition?

Ultimately, Binariks provided a frontend developer, a backend developer, a QA person, and a project manager.

How did you come to work with Binariks?

Our CEO knew Binariks’ owner prior to my joining the company. As we already had the contact, we reached out to them when we needed to get the application out the door.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $90,000 on this project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started the partnership around December 2019, and they wrapped up in July 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Binariks provided the resources relatively quickly, and we were able to fully outsource the application. The transition went well because I was comfortable with the code. It was helpful to essentially hand it over and allow them to build out the application.

How did Binariks perform from a project management standpoint?

We used Asana and had a resource on our side who managed their tasks. To touch base, we used Slack. We had status meetings twice a week to make sure that everyone was on the same page. Binariks also provided us with a weekly status report on completed tasks and the time spent on them. Their project manager was thorough and ensured that we were up to date. She communicated well and helped quite a bit.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their backend development most impressed us. They were able to transition the application from a legacy database to a Postgres database. I appreciated the ability to brainstorm with them. Their team was able to present solutions for dealing with complex features.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The only area for improvement would’ve been the occasional delays in response during the day. That was partially due to our difference in time zones.  However, it wasn’t to the detriment of the project.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Depending on the project’s complexity, you may want to involve a senior developer. That definitely helped us. It’s also beneficial to have a QA resource.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a software developer for a health care solutions company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Binariks?

We wanted to improve products from companies that we acquired. We also wanted to develop a new product and needed a team to help with these challenges.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Their team works to improve our existing products, which include web and mobile apps for iOS and Android. They manage databases, maintain backends, and address new feature requests. Our end goal is to merge the existing products with our new platform, which they're helping us to develop.
 

The iOS app was written in Objective C, which is no longer used in current apps. Binariks rewrote the platform in Swift, enabling us to change the product.
 

Their team also works on the Android app. The platform features a kiosk mode that locks devices and makes any other apps unavailable. Primarily, caregivers that attend to patients with long-term disabilities use the app. The platform also features a GPS visit verification that's provided to the insurance company when the caregiver makes a visit. 

What is the team composition?

We work with about six people including a project manager, PHP backend developers, an Android developer, an iOS developer, and an Elixir developer.

How did you come to work with Binariks?

Our CTO conducted market research into outsourced companies. We liked the flexibility Binariks offered.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $200,000 on their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in January 2020, and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They keep up with sprints, which we conduct over two weeks. Their team also handles any tickets. We're highly pleased with their team and their work.

How did Binariks perform from a project management standpoint?

We speak weekly and use Jira. I handle operational project management such as planning work, distributing tickets, and organizing stand-ups. Their project manager handles other tasks such as collecting and reporting hours. They're responsive, meet deadlines, and communicate well.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re a team of mature, professional, self-starters. I don’t need to push them or watch them every step of the way. Binariks is accommodating and meets expectations.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, nothing comes to mind.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Don’t micromanage them. They're hungry for work and approach it professionally.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the VP of Engineering and am responsible for Engineering, Product Testing, Tech Support and Quality.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Binariks?

We hired Binariks to build a web application with Xamarin app (related to web app) and mobile application as well as to rebuild existing SDK.

What were your goals for this project?

The main goal of the project is to monitor scanner activities, collect, analyze metrics and rollout smooth updates to existing client applications.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I interviewed more than a done vendors. Once I was down to 3 candidates, we met face-to-face twice and had several online meetings. I requested that Binariks demonstrate all of their project management tools during a video conference and they explained their PM process. I challenged them with difficult project scenarios and they had great ideas to address the problem.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Few components were added to fulfil the business need of Integrated Biometrics: - SDK Android service apk - application is based on android Kotlin, decouples client's custom android application from scanners C++ sdk. Allow scanner SDK updates to go separately and do not require the client's custom application to be rebuilt or reinstalled. - Agent apk - application is based on Xamarin Forms, responsible for device registration in the Charlie ecosystem and sends scanner logs to the server. - Distributed Network Webservice system - variety of webservices wrapped into the docker swarm stack that allow users and devices(scanners) management, accept/verify received logs and forward data by schedule to the head-office. Technology stack: C#, ASP NET Core 3.1, Blazor, Mysql, Grafana, Hangfire, Powershell script, docker, docker compose,Git

What was the team composition?

Integrated Biometrics team consists of 5 teammates: 1 Android dev, 1 .NET dev, 1 .NET/Xamarin dev, 1 .NET Architect and 1 Project manager. QA Engineer is going to join the team further.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We work according to the Scrum framework based on 2-weeks sprints and constantly get new releases of the application, where we add new functionality that Binariks team does for us. For today we are provided by the last version of products: Charlie zip, Xamarin apk and Android apk +sdk apk.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

The team has created and implemented a suitable workflow in Jira and was connected to Bitbucket for the development management. So, we use Jira for managing tickets and Confluence IB space for documents storing. Also, Binariks provides weekly status reports with a detailed description of the work accomplished. We also run demo meetings at the end of each sprint.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

What I really appreciate about Binariks is their mature technical expertise and high level of responsibility on given commitments: each expected increment was delivered as it was planned and just on time. As well the IB (Binariks) team has good presentation skills that simplify demo presentation for the whole IB (US) team.

Are there any areas for improvement?

There is always a slot for improvement, but nothing specific comes to mind. We are going to join QA further in order to complete the workflow and fully cover a quality index.