Chacra Software Solutions

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the development manager of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Chacra Software Solutions, and what were your goals?

We hired Chacra Software Solutions to design and build us a website to accurately present our luxury real estate project.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

I saw their portfolio on their website and contacted them. For me, the deciding factor was the first impression they made when we first met to discuss the project. They asked all the right questions which helped us understand the direction of the project, and they were very confident in their ability to deliver. It felt like they wanted this project to succeed as much as I did. I have worked with freelance web designers and developers before, and none of them made that kind of impression on me.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

We had a consultation then inital design session. After that we finalized design and implemented the website. We had discussions throughout. The technology used was NextJS

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

I worked with Jaad, who is the managing partner and a senior software engineer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

The deliverables were fantastic and exceeded expectations. I was specifically impressed by the speed and quality of delivery.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

I met with the owners in person and we discussed some of the project requirements. After that, we did some follow-up meetings online on Microsoft Teams that were scheduled at my convenience. There was constant and open communication throughout the development process over WhatsApp, where they would constantly update me on the progress of my website. This made the effort a lot easier and I really enjoyed being involved with the direction of the project.

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

My project deadline was tight and they met it. The quality of their designs exceeded expectations. Highly professional and reliable.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

Honestly I don't think there is anything they could do better.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Partner

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Chacra Software Solutions, and what were your goals?

Redesign and reimplementation of our legacy front facing company website. Our goal was to create a modern image with simplicity and uniqueness that still conveys our years of experience in the industry.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

Word of mouth. We saw their work and after meeting and discussing the potential design directions it was an easy decision.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

We explained our industry and offerings. They really took their time to understand exactly who we are as a company and what we offer the market. After studying our company and our competitors, we began having very productive mockup meetings where decisions were made on what information to include and how to convey it. Then came the wireframe design which was constantly being shared and reviewed. Finally the implementation phase brought the wireframe to life with animations.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

Jaad Chacra and Iskandar Chacra. They are both partners and software engineers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

They delivered with 3D rendered animations that are fast and responsive. It was very impressive.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

Their management style really shows that they enjoy communicating and understanding their customers. We had fixed weekly meetings for design reviews and implementation updates. We also kept an open line of communication on our WhatsApp group.

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

The 3D animation they made for us was very unique. It was also impressive in terms of quality and implementation on the site where it is fast and responsive. They clearly have a very strong understanding and experience in design and software.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

No

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are the Exclusive Agents of Max Weishaupt GmbH Middle East and GCC. I am a managing partner.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Chacra Software Solutions, and what were your goals?

Marketing our company and new modern website that they developed for us. Our goal was to enhance our online presence and market ourselves since we are the leading company for boilers and burners in the region for the past 40 years.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

They had developed a creative and unique website for us. We trust their experience in everything digital.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and marking tools used.

The scope involved marketing our website to increase traffic, social media marketing, and analytics. Social media marketing involved creating a strategy, content plan, design, and content creation. Analytics were added to our website code to generate important information used to analyze our marketing campaign.

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

Jaad Chacra and Iskandar Chacra.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

They marketed the website that they developed for us which won us awards. This brought buzz to both out website and our company. They also implemented a social media strategy for us with post design and content creation. They were digital experts, and our experience with them was outstanding and filled with positive results.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Having worked with them before we know that it is very easy to communicate with them and we trust their process. Their project management style is well structured, timely, and always open for communication. We exchange ideas on WhatsApp, email, and Microsoft Teams for calls.

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

Market expertise, communication, and design quality.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

No

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Management Executive, we produce synthetic diamonds for industrial use.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Chacra Software Solutions, and what were your goals?

Design and develop our Industrial website. Create a website that describes the industrial and technological implementations of our synthetic diamonds and captures our experience and dedication to clients who are visiting.

SOLUTION

How did you select Chacra Software Solutions and what were the deciding factors?

They have already designed and developed a website for us.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

The scope was to design and develop our website. Just like the previous time we worked together, we were involved in the design process and gave the approval for iterations and finalizing. They presented the progress with development consistently until completion. The pace was as promised, and the delivery was prior to the deadline.

They used Microsoft teams for meetings and demos. Everything was up to the same quality and standards we experienced in the first project we worked on together.

How many people from the Chacra Software Solutions team worked with you, and what were their positions?

I worked with Jaad Chacra who was in charge of design and front-end development.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

They used very creative and cutting-edge web technologies to create unique and interesting sections which were cohesive.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

They were organized and provided timely deliverables.

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

Experience and proper communication which makes them reliable.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

No

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the founder and CEO of Amero. Our ecosystem is based on a decentralized network of manufacturing enterprises synthesizing large and pure diamond single crystals and gem-quality diamonds from them.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Chacra Software Solutions, and what were your goals?

We needed high quality branding and a landing page that described our ecosystem and offering which we can send our leads and clients to. We gave Chacra Software Solutions full freedom to decide on the direction and final design. They overdelivered.

SOLUTION

How did you select Chacra Software Solutions and what were the deciding factors?

We were near their office and dropped by to meet after finding them on Google. It was an easy decision to move forward with them after having a conversation. They are dedicated, driven, and experienced. All that put us at ease to move forward with full trust.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

Initially we needed branding. That involved logo, color scheme, fonts, etc.. After that was finalized and approved we moved forward with the website design. We provided the technical information and Chacra Software found great and simple ways of conveying that information with eye catching graphics and easy to understand UI.

After that the website was developed, tested and deployed. They used ReactJS to develop the website.

How many people from the Chacra Software Solutions team worked with you, and what were their positions?

We worked with Jaad Chacra and Iskandar Chacra.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

We were very relieved to see that a hands off approached worked perfectly well for the both of us. The end result was creative and delivered the effect we wanted to our clients. It gave a voice and image for our ideas which we are excited about.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

Chacra Software are always available to answer either by phone call, email, or on Whatsapp. We had weekly review meetings that were always fixed, and conversations during the week when necessary or if questions came up. They delivered everything within the timeline proposed.

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

Their creativity, communication skills, and professionalism were impressive. Also, their ability to put us at ease and feel that our product is in the hands of people who treat it like their own.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

Nothing we can think of.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder of NUMOO, an online digital coaching services company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Chacra Software Solutions?

We were focused on building an end-to-end customer-centric platform for the Middle East. We needed someone to help us build the platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They did the web development, backend development, database management, and UI/UX design for our platform. We requested that the platform should allow customers to create an account, browse different coaches that are available, watch videos about each of those coaches to get to know them a bit more, enable them to see their calendar, schedule sessions with them, and track all of their progress through their own personal dashboard. 

This dashboard should show how many sessions they’ve completed, how many they’ve missed or rescheduled, who their coaches were, and conduct payments.

The color palettes, the logo, and the branding was provided by us while Chacra Software Solutions built on it. They took the branding material from us and helped put together the layout and the visuals — we helped them out a bit with the wireframes and they provided a lot of input on the visuals as well. 

For the frontend, we used React, Express.js, CSS, HTML, JavaScript, TypeScript, Relay, and Netlify. For the backend, we used Node.js, MongoDB, MySQL, Microsoft Azure, and Express.js. They’re still available for support in case we face any bugs or crashes.

What is the team composition?

There were two people who were our main points of contact. One of them handled the frontend and the other one handled the backend.

How did you come to work with Chacra Software Solutions?

I was browsing another website and saw that they developed it. I went to their website and contacted them from there.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in May–June 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It was only delayed by a short bit due to the changes in scope.

How did Chacra Software Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

They performed relatively well. They’re masters of client management and there was constant communication from our side and their side. We used Slack on a daily basis for updates and had weekly update meetings where they’d show us progress.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They delivered value for money. Their overall business acumen and professionalism are impressive.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Their expectation management could be improved.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They’re nice people. Have open communication and always be transparent — you should always be super clear about what you want and expect.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the product owner

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Chacra Software Solutions?

A platform that users can go to for sales and discounts on all local clothing stores.

What were your goals for this project?

Users can choose which stores and categories to receive notifications from. They can search for individual stores and see their information and shop. The goal is to eliminate the use of spam messaging in order to stay updated on sales and discounts. Have personalized information come to you directly from the store.

SOLUTION

How did you select Chacra Software Solutions?

Personal contacts who I have worked with before, it was a no brainer.

Describe the project in detail.

Initial step was getting stores their admin apps so they can upload their information, clothes, and sale/discount information when they want. Then we build native mobile apps on Android and iOS for users to access all this information and be able to subscribe and unsubscribe from notifications. We used Android (Java), iOS (Swift), and ReactJS for the website.

What was the team composition?

I worked with Jaad and Iskandar for Front end and back end respectively.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They delivered everything that was planned on time.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Agile management, we communicated by phone calls and provided updates using Azure DevOps. It was very effective and streamlined.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I know and trust the people I am working with. Very skilled, hardworking, intelligent and kind people.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Given the advancements in React Native recently I would have used that instead of Android and iOS, but other than that nothing.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the project owner.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Chacra Software Solutions, and what were your goals?

To have a platform for ordering groceries online in Mali that can be integrated with any supermarket and minimart and eventually customized to my own store that will be opened.

SOLUTION

How did you select Chacra Software Solutions and what were the deciding factors?

I was introduced by Tamara Kenia, a colleague I worked with, about Chacra Software Solutions. The project is something I have been wanting to work on for a long time and after hearing Tamara’s raving review I decided to go with them.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

The first is to be able to provide any store the capability of listing their items on our platform. We collect that data and list it, and give the users the ability to order items and select different payment options. Finally, we need a system to track the deliveries and history of orders. A customer support chat section is also essential. We will be using React Native to reduce the costs of developing on two mobile platforms. They have demonstrated proficiency in that framework and it has improved to a point where the previous UI limitations are all but gone. For the backend and database, we will use .NET Core, CosmosDB, Azure. I prefer the Microsoft stack when it comes to the backend.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

I am working primarily with their backend engineer Iskandar. He is managing the team and we need to make sure we have strong architecture and infrastructure before going into the user interface.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

So far, Iskandar’s insight and approach to architecture and implementation are very impressive. As a software engineer, I am actually learning from him in the process. He plans ahead for scalability, security, and usability in a way that shows he is very skilled and experienced.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timelines.

Agile Management style. We’re using AzureDevops to keep track of Sprints and PIs. We chat on teams when needed.

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

It shows that they have a lot of experience in the field. They passed all my tests prior to starting and maintained superb quality and communication throughout the work.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I have other projects that I would like them to work on, but their schedule is busy. I would like it if they had more developers to handle my other projects faster. But at the end of the day, quality usually suffers when the company is too large so I’m not sure I can complain. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO of the company. Our company teaches group and private Arabic classes.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Chacra Software Solutions, and what were your goals?

For a platform to increase our lead conversion and serve our clients with list of classes, appointments, payments, and a review system/community.

SOLUTION

How did you select Chacra Software Solutions and what were the deciding factors?

I found them on a website called topfirms. To start with, they had a good ranking. Second, they offered a free consultation. It was from that consultation that I was so impressed and decided to move forward with them. I was using GoDaddy Builder before getting my free consultation with Chacra Software Solutions. They pointed out all the improvements we can make to our site which would increase our conversions. They explained how analytics would help track exactly how much our conversions improved, and they provided sample design improvements that they can start with. Since then we were fully on board with working together to improve our business, and that decision has fueled our excitement and business focus.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

The scope of work and key deliverables are to implement a landing page for our company that we will funnel all our leads to. The website should also have client sign up and login. Any user on the site should be able to look at our list of courses and request to book a course. They can also request to book a free assessment. Payments should also be implemented on the site. The design with be modern with animations that make the website more appealing. Finally review sections and comments to create a community for our teachers and students. The technologies used are AdobeXD, Next.js, .NET, and MongoDB.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

After communicating with sales and getting my free consultation, I worked directly with Jaad. He is a senior software engineer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

They are providing demoes after every sprint and delivering the promised tasks. So far everything is as planned and we are very excited about the results and progress.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timelines.

They are very open and always available for conversations, suggestions, and feedback. Their management is organized and planned accurately, which shows that they know their capabilities and how to handle the workload and estimate it properly. We are communicating using WhatsApp as it is convenient for me.

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

Their creativity and insight. They always communicate ideas that are useful and make suggestions that fit what we need. This shows how much they are listening to us.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

We can’t think of a complaint. They are always available and constantly providing demos and work updates.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Project Manager.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Chacra Software Solutions, and what were your goals?

Our Project Management Service and FZE Website. Create a website that expresses our PMS and FZE based on our designed template and animations.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We had already struggled with a previous software company. We found Chacra Software Solutions by searching on Google and being impressed by their website. After multiple discussions, we were confident they can get the job done. They communicated very clearly and were very knowledgeable.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

We already had the design and animations ready. Chacra Software Solutions began implementation immediately of all the different sections and components of the website. One of our main requirements was not only mobile responsiveness but exact design dimensions for specific devices. We already required technology that is fast and SEO friendly. They delivered all the above and used JavaScript to custom make the animations as opposed to large-sized videos.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

I worked with Iskandar Chacra and Jaad Chacra.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

They delivered everything faster than expected and with amazing quality and constant communication.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

We communicated via phone calls and WhatsApp as that was convenient for us. We had daily communications and they delivered the project before the projected time by 2 weeks.

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

Their understanding of the technology they work on and ability to quickly implement complex solutions were impressive.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

No