BVG Software Group

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am an executive for Beach.io

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

XR Experience Design and Development

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire BVG Software Group to accomplish?

• Bring our concept vision to life in Unity for a collaborative workplace experience
• Architect the unity application to support a globally distributed cross-functional team of contributors
• Collaborate with our other vendors as a single unified team to support our app launch
• Explore and validate technical feasibility of new technologies in our immersive application

SOLUTION

How did you find BVG Software Group?

• Online Search
• Upwork

Why did you select BVG Software Group over others?

• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Previous working relationship

How many teammates from BVG Software Group were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

The BVG team provided flexible support from project initiation, during which time we conducted many small experiments for concept validation, user testing and technical feasibility spikes. As the project matured, the team grew and BVG took ownership of core domain areas, individual features and game activities within the experience, ranging from 3D environment, game props and assets, audio & haptics, 2D UI systems, integration with our custom web APIs, AI LLM's and natural language voice systems. Mostly the BVG team operated like our own team, collaborating cross-functionally with our product, design and engineering leaders, and their peers across our team. Every BVG team member had their own individual skillset strengths and personality - they were team members not just a contractor.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Over the course of the project lifecycle, we succeeded in achieving research, product experience and technical milestones. These were partially our own internal business case metrics, but also directly related to grant funding initiatives that were awarded based on successful completion of each gate. Over the course of the three years, we achieved each milestone successfully, with BVG team support.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

BVG individual contributors worked effectively as a squad, and collaborated well with our tech lead to ensure that their individual responsibilities were delivered and owned effectively. BVG project management and account support staff ensured that administration was not overly cumbersome, expectations were clear and surprises avoided. BVG members showed up just like the rest of our team, which was just how we needed it.

What was your primary form of communication with BVG Software Group?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

BVG was very flexible, since the project evolved organically ranging from experiemental spikes through to fully productive systems with go-to-market plans. Having the ability to pose a new challenge and have BVG Software Group respond with solutions was a key success factor.

Are there any areas for improvement or something BVG Software Group could have done differently?

We actively worked on the visibility of work in areas that are harder to determine the contribution level - QA testing and internal project management. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the head Creative Director/Software Designer at Munk studios, a creative animation and VR studio that produces content for TV broadcast and corporate industries.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire BVG Software Group?

We engaged with BVG Software Group to develop the complex training software with VR content. The team needed to take on the full development cycle with the exception of the content design and artwork/asset production.

What were your goals for this project?

The goal was to create a complex software system that provides with the opportunity of creation custom builds for different clients and with required VR educational content.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

This project is extremely important and interesting for me and my partner and we had been looking for a vendor for a long time. At first, we started developing with a slightly cheaper team but the quality did not suit us. Hence, we were not ready to continue with them.

Regarding BVG Software Group, we worked with them a year before the start of this project and the work was impressive. Although the price is not really their best side, we decided that they should be able to cope with our challenging project. At the planning stage, we already got a great roadmap and after the thorough discussion with the developers, we found the confidence that the project would go well.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

We provided the team of BVG Software Group with the large project specification and meet with them in person in their Ukrainian office to discuss the project objections and the workflow. The team then created the roadmap that allowed to see the project structure, to make the detailed estimate and to divide it into the milestones. This program was planned as a combination of two windows applications, one android application (for Oculus GO), web-portal and server-side (with the custom builder on it).

What was the team composition?

Mainly, all the communication and planning we had with Project Manager but the team was attending some important meetings as well when we believed it was reasonable. The team included 3 Unity Developers, 2 QA Engineers of middle level and 1 of the senior level. At the later stages of the project, we had 3D artists joining us.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The results are great! 360 Videos, 3D cinema, 360 photo-locations, interaction with 360 video and photos elements, 360 Quizzes and VR Games supports high-quality educational content to provide training to big audiences.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

The project was divided into monthly milestones since the application is multiplatform, which means that any small bunch of features required a lot of development and testing. We had a demo at the end of each sprint, and I want to say that each of them was wonderful. We had small flaws related to insufficient testing, and it happened that the demo was postponed for 1 day, although, I do not consider this a problem. I was in touch with the team literally every day and was aware of any difficulty of the project and its progress.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They have a fresh, enthusiastic perspective. In light of our technical experience, they've been understanding and supportive about where we're coming from. They have really high knowledge of IT software development. I also appreciate that they have provided comprehensive support and involvement sometimes out of their working hours when it was extremely important. I feel it has added a personal touch to our engagement.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I believe that we are provided with what we planned initially and even more. The application turned out professional and smoothly working so we have expanded its functionality and BVG Software Group contribution to it can’t be overestimated.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Founder of my start up business. Hey Frendz is designed to help make researching easier, by connecting people together through the keywords they choose to share. Hey Frendz can be used for education and for leisure.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire BVG Software Group?

I am currently working in a University and my role is heavily based on student engagement. Through my interactions with the students, I realised that there is a need for a platform that would enable students to collaborate with each other easier. My project prototype was created by students from the University. I then consulted with BVG Software Group as I wanted to create a real product that I could release.

What were your goals for this project?

The goals for my project is to attract as many users as possible. BVG Software Group ensured that Hey Frendz was built to be aesthetically pleasing, functional and user friendly.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I advertised my project on Upwork. I ended up consulting with a few companies at first, having meetings and talking about my project and how each company could help bring my idea to life. I wanted to make sure that I chose the best vendor for my platform development. I decided to go with BVG Software Group as I was very pleased with what they could offer to my project and also their competitive price. I was very impressed with how they communicated, as well as the fact that they had several platforms in portfolio similar to mine. This showed me that they had experience and were the experts that I needed to get my project up and running.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

I provided for the BVG team the prototype which the students built for me. The team reviewed in a timely manner and we began talking about some changes to functionalities and features. The BVG Software team suggested a few things that would improve the programme which I considered. The development team then took over and re-designed the system, always keeping me in the loop during the process. They were constantly asking for feedback and were always willing to amend any changes that I thought were needed. I was very satisfied with the whole process. It was easy to work with the team. They ensured that everything functioned as required to ensure that the website worked properly.

What was the team composition?

The team consisted of a Project Manger, Account Manger (who was responsible for all funds transactions), 2 Developers, 1 Graphic Designer and 1 QA Engineer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The website was released mid semester but already has numerous users. I am confident that in time the user base will grow.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

The project was managed quite well. The team set up a skype group for me to be able to constantly communicate with them. The team set up regular meetings to ensure that each milestone was being achieved and that I was kept up to date, however I found myself chatting to them almost every day. The team was very accommodating and always responded to my questions in a timely manner.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

What impressed me most was how comfortable the team made me feel. They were very open and helpful, always thinking about solutions for the project and how to make it better. 

I am grateful to Ms. Anastasia Voloshyna, Business Development Manager. She is so patient and understanding. Throughout the whole experience, she always took into consideration my needs as a customer. This was my first project which I funded on my own. Anastasia always made me feel safe and sure about where my money would go towards and how it is allocated. She was very precise in the way she reported and always made sure that my needs were accommodated.

Anastasia communicated all the steps of the project to me and I always felt that I knew what was going on, what stage of development we were in and where we were heading. She was very committed to the project, even giving up her time during one of her holidays to send me a quick message. Even though I am from Australia and the team is from Ukraine, I never once felt there was a barrier in regards to communication or accessibility. My interactions with Anastasia were smooth and easy and as a customer, I always felt that she understood what I needed and would work out how it can be best achieved. I have so much praise and respect for Anastasia. She exceeded far beyond my expectations of customer service. She is a true credit to her company.

I also had the opportunity to work with Mr. Andrew Vakulich, Project Manager and Mr. Eduard 'The Wizard' Bondarenko, Lead Programmer. The nickname was to Eduard given during the project as surely, he is a wizard and was creating magic for me! He made things work, pop-up, appear, disappear. I don't know much about the programming side of things, but I am sure there was some sort sorcery happening. I was amazed and very pleased with the result of the project.

Are there any areas for improvement?

This being my first experience developing a project, I have nothing to compare to. I was very happy though with my experience with BVG Software Group. They have set a high standard and I am hoping that in future, that I receive the same quality experience from other companies.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

My company manufactures Electro-Optics for the Outdoors Industry, we make many products for sportsmen and for the outdoors. I am the Director of Marketing. We have a global brand and are well known in our industry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire BVG Software Group?

We hired BVG Software Group to create an IoT solution to connect our hardware with a web-based software solution. Also, we had them redesign our website to be more modern and engaging with our customers.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to see our traffic double by the end of the year, and we wanted to increase the number of inquiries that we received through our contact form. We also needed the website to be easy to update on our end, so we were interested in a simple, user-friendly platform.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I found them on Clutch.co and verified a few references before selecting them.

Describe the project in detail.

I provided them with my original designs from sketches and they took it from there. They designed the wireframes so that they could lay out exactly how everything was going to look. Then, the development team took over to bring the idea to reality. They made sure that everything functions the way it needs to in order for the website to function properly and to work with a custom cart system.

What was the team composition?

We had a dedicated project manager who handled day-to-day communication. The team also consists of a frontend developer, a backend developer, a QA engineer, a designer, and an account manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It’s too early to share as the project is still ongoing. About 90% of the development is complete and we’re finishing a few project details at the moment. So far the team has done an excellent job of testing and making sure that everything functions the expected way.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We communicated through Skype and used Google Docs to deliver files. The project was executed in a sprint model using online project management and collaboration tools that allowed us to get a view into the project. Milestone deliverables were clearly defined for each sprint. Status updates are prompt, and all issues are highlighted early whenever possible.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

What we liked the most is their full-stack involvement and their top-notch, bug-free work. Despite occasional, minor delays, the team is reasonable and hard working. Also, there's no language barrier which is essential for outsourcing.

Are there any areas for improvement?

They're highly responsive and organized but their timeliness could be improved but, mainly, the project has stayed on schedule and we have been satisfied with our collaboration.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the CTO of a company that sells consumer electronics.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire BVG Software Group?

We hired BVG Software Group to create an online store and automate all processes related to ordering, selling, and shipping goods.

What were your goals for this project?

We needed to fix issues with our code and implement new features in a short amount of time.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We searched for quite some time, but couldn't find a company with the relevant experience and suitable pricing. We had no doubts when considering our partnership with BVG Software Group.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

They used Angular and Laravel to create a platform that helps people decide what to buy and flawlessly process orders on the backend.

What was the team composition?

We had a project manager as our main point of contact, along with two QA engineers, two backend developers, and one front-end developer. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

This platform had an enormous impact on our business and changed the interactions between our users. It has actually helped us develop a marketing strategy for monetization and future growth.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Their project management was strong, and our communication was easy and streamlined. We worked on a time-and-materials basis, spoke every week to discuss their work and plans, and took estimates in advance. They managed the workload efficiently, organizing their work through Jira and discussing the project through Skype and email. 

What did you find most impressive about this company?

We had a negative experience with our previous web developer, so working with BVG Software Group was refreshing. We're confident that choosing them was the best decision. They went out of their way to provide detailed lists of the pros and cons.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No one is perfect, but I have no complaints. They did everything we asked.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the CTO at a commercial freight transportation company that’s headquartered in Philadelphia. Our company has about 100 employees, and we serve corporate clients all along the East Coast. I oversee our digital products and vendor relationships.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire BVG Software Group?

We were initially engaged with a different service provider for our web platform and decided to change the team for a variety of reasons.

What were your goals for this project?

We had to fix pilled-up issues with the code and implement new features on the platform in a short period. That was the main solution to optimize the platform.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We were looking for a development company for some time and couldn’t find an available team that had relevant experience, and that could meet our budget. Hence, we had no doubts while considering a partnership with them.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

The team refactored and wrote code in Angular and Laravel. The main concept of the platform was to help people find each other due to certain criteria. The team developed a sophisticated matchmaking algorithm and managed to improve some of our ideas.

What was the team composition?

We’ve had a project manager as our main point of contact, two QA engineers, two backend developers, and one frontend developer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We launched our web platform, and it’s had an enormous impact on our business. It’s changed the way that our users interact. As for now, it actually allows us to develop a further marketing strategy for monetization and future growth.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

We worked on a time-and-materials basis and required estimation in advance. They managed their workload with efficiency, and we discussed the project on Skype and email. The project management was conducted on Jira.

We had a call every week to discuss what had been done and what should be changed. Communication is quite easy and streamlined when you work with BVG Software Group.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Our experience with our previous web developer was negative, so working with BVG Software Group was very refreshing. They have very strong project management skills. We knew that we’d made the best decision when they went out of their way to provide detailed pros and cons lists.

Are there any areas for improvement?

As is well known, no one is perfect. However, I have nothing to complain about. They have done everything we asked for.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder of and one of the directors of sales for a travel site. Our company specializes in high-end trips to Latin America.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire BVG Software Group?

We hired them to develop multiple websites, both front- and backend.

What were your goals for this project?

We needed help building out several travel sites focused on different territories in Latin America. All of them need to be linked to one CRM and ERP to manage clients, services, and pricing across different regions.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

They were recommended by a colleague in our network who had worked with them for years.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

They worked with us to first understand our business in detail. Then they followed by providing numerous recommendations that we initially did not consider. After working out a price for their scope, they managed to hit all of the initial timelines to go live, and we had them perform more work.

What was the team composition?

We worked with Dmitry Buga (Project Manager, BVG Software Group) and Nastya Voloshyna (Business Development Manager, BVG Software Group). We finalized pricing with Alyona Dobroluobova (Head of Development, BVG Software Group).

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their team did a terrific job and greatly opened up opportunities to bring in clients. Our conversion rate went up by more than 12% since.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Dmitry handled all the project management. He was good, and there were no real problems besides some 3D design work that we weren’t crazy about but ended up using anyway.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They provided an intelligent and detailed analysis of our business up front. I also liked their quick responses and realistic timelines; we never had to wait days for a response. When we attempted to push them to go faster, they were honest with us instead of telling us what we wanted to hear.

Are there any areas for improvement?

There is always room for improvement. The design work could have been more hip and savvy, but I guess this is always subjective.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m an agile business analyst at Curve Tomorrow, a health innovation technology company that’s passionate about changing the direction of health. We provide consulting for health organizations, creating concepts and building products that improve the health and wellness for millions of people.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire BVG Software Group?

We were starting a new phase of a VR platform’s development and were looking for a company with experience in Unity to handle the work.

What were your goals for this project?

Our ultimate goal was to provide training through the use of VR.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We were looking at numerous teams with similar experience. We provided an outlined scope of work and expected the right team to thoroughly consider the project, provide a reasonable estimate, and prove that they had the adequate technical expertise. We were satisfied with BVG Software Group’s response to all those points, though we also asked for a personal review from one of their clients.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Their team is assigned to one of the parts of the whole platform—specifically where their expertise in Unity is involved. We gave them our technical requirements and design files before having them begin the work. We spent two weeks on planning and research and then moved on with 1–2-week milestones. I work with their project manager to keep track of the project’s lifecycle.

What was the team composition?

The team is composed of two Unity developers, a quality assurance specialist, a continuous improvement engineer, and a project manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The project is ongoing, so we don't have any outcomes to provide yet. However, everything is running as planned, with no delays. We feel that we’ve found a reliable partner for the development of this product, so we’ve decided to expand the platform’s functionality. We know that when it’s released, we’re going to have loads of positive feedback.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

We’ve successfully created an effective process aided by their iterated development approach. We’re pleased with each of the demos we’ve seen and are moving forward with work at a good pace. I feel that BVG Software Group is capable of providing experience-based feedback and performs thorough analyses when needed. We clearly communicate the project’s needs and feel that they’re able to meet all of our expectations.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The team they’ve assigned is responsible and trustworthy; they’ve proven to be more than capable of translating a problem into action. They’ve given us reasonable advice when needed and seem to be invested in our goals and results. They’re also friendly, responsive, and solution oriented.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Their communication is generally very good, but their developers could improve on this aspect a bit. It’s nothing serious to worry about though.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the managing director of Edg-VR. We provide VR training for different companies. We also work with schools in the education sector.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with BVG Software Group?

Because of the unique way we use VR, we need to be able to network the system. We needed a solution where we can work with 30–40 people at once.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

BVG Software Group wrote bespoke software for our VR platform. I’m not a technical person but I went over to meet with them. They used Unity and some other basic VR development software. They also had to dig into the hardware and change the way it hardware works. There were a lot of fundamental things they needed to do.

What is the team composition?

There are mainly two people that I deal with, one overseeing the project and one lead programmer. They've got a team of people working on our project.

How did you come to work with BVG Software Group?

I went through a programmer based in the UK. He found them by researching several development companies.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent over $50,000 dollars.

What is the status of this engagement?

The initial project took place from May 2016–January 17. We started working with them on a new project a couple of months ago.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Without their great work, we wouldn't be able to do our VR projects in schools. Some days we work with 10,000 people in one day. The system that they built holds up well, and there's very few technical glitches.

How did BVG Software Group perform from a project management standpoint?

Their team is really good. It's don’t regularly meet with them but I understand that our teams have daily meetings on Skype. Working closely is critical so that they get things right, and not have problems down the road. They're easy to work with. They use a dashboard that allows us to keep an eye on the project. We can monitor costs as well as the tasks that are being worked on.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They get results. Our system is used every day so we can't have it breaking. For some of the big companies we work with, it would be a disaster if the software or the hardware broke down. They're good about working on the things that we need them to deliver.

Are there any areas they could improve?

From my side, I want things ready tomorrow. I do understand that these things take months to complete. They're spot on compared to anybody else we’ve used. They know what they're doing and they do a really good job. There's not a whole lot that I would change.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Any time distance is involved—they're based in Ukraine—there needs to be transparency into what people are working on. Make sure that everybody knows the end result that you're trying to achieve, and what it's going to take to get there.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the director of Make Believe, a specialist communications and innovation agency that works predominantly in the healthcare sector, combining management consultancy with storytelling to foster impact and engagement.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire BVG Software Group?

We hired BVG Software Group to create two different apps to support medical education among doctors. The first was an innovative way to explore data by making content more engaging and memorable. The second tested their understanding of a new medicine by setting learning objectives. For both applications, BVG Software Group provided 3D modeling, experience design, and Unity development.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to build apps that made learning faster, more engaging, shareable, and applicable to real-world scenarios.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

A trusted partner recommended BVG Software Group after having a great experience with them.

Describe the project in detail.

We outlined specifications for the apps and had a few Skype meetings with BVG Software Group to discuss how our ideas could come to life. Within our tight schedule, they delivered prototypes and options for review. They met all agreed deadlines and quickly implemented changes.

What was the team composition?

The BVG project manager handled all of the communication. The team also included three Unity developers, two computer graphics (CG) generalists, a visual effects (VFX) designer, and a QA engineer. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Both apps were well received in early-stage testing with doctors. They will now be expanded prior to rollout across our target market.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We had an excellent experience working with the BVG team. The project manager was always available and responsive. Since our cooperation went so well, everything finished on time.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They provide great customer service and strong knowledge of app development, plus they’re easy to work with.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I have no suggestions.