Classic Informatics

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the manager of digital experience at Veracode, an IT security company. We’re a software as a service (SaaS) cloud platform.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Classic Informatics Pvt. Ltd.?

We wanted to move faster in making updates and changes to our website. I was the only in-house web developer and we had too much going on with our website for me alone. We’d recently rebranded our website and we needed someone to maintain and create to create new templates on Drupal. Essentially, we wanted continuous development services.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our Drupal website is growing quickly. They’ve worked on new templates for us, maintained our website, done security updates, and built new pages and landing page templates. We handed over the design photoshop document and then they implemented that onto our template.

What is the team composition?

We have two developers who are both very resourceful, the second of whom we brought on two years ago. There’s also someone I deal with for admin and contract related things.

How did you come to work with Classic Informatics Pvt. Ltd.?

My manager found them on Upwork, based on their reviews.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $30,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in December 2014 and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We like their work, which they do in a timely manner. I can’t compare the cost of having an in-house web developer to having an offsite person.

How did Classic Informatics Pvt. Ltd. perform from a project management standpoint?

It took us some time to understand each other’s working style, but once we were in cadence, it really was good. We use Jira to track each other’s work and have a daily status call and regular Skype calls. If there are any changes in the requirements, this helps us to keep track of the projects. There are times when deadlines slip, but they’re upfront and let us know ahead of time, with an explanation.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their knowledge of Drupal is really helpful, while they’re also open to learning any new system that I throw at them. I was able to quickly show them how to do development in Marketo, which is our marketing automation system. They picked it up really well and implemented brand new landing page and email templates, which was great.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Their communication style is a little different. I’m now used to it, but in the beginning, there were some issues in understanding each other. Currently, we’re in a really good place.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be very upfront about the development language and the design files that you need, as well as what you expect of them.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the CTO of a tourism company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Classic Informatics Pvt. Ltd.?

We wanted to speed up the work on our IT projects. The first was the creation of a custom online portal.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted an online portal where users can log in and manage their reservations. The portal had to fit with our existing database of products and bookings, which is updated through our backend system.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I selected a few vendors through Linkedin. I talked to them about their business logic, information regarding their team, and their specialties. Classic Informatics was the best solution, according to our technological needs.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Classic Informatics developed a custom portal for our clients. We provided them with project specifications, and their team developed the portal using agile CRM software.

What was the team composition?

I primarily worked with a senior business analyst, a project manager, and a business development head. I wasn’t directly involved with the development team.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were able to automate several processes through the portal. Customers can receive notifications and manage their reservations if a problem arises. Classic Informatics is now working with us on another project.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Their project management style was exceptional. We communicated through Skype and BaseCamp regularly and managed all tasks on Jira. A developer was involved in all of our Skype calls to receive requirements and show demos. We had meetings weekly. Conditions changed a few times, and their team was fast and receptive to changes.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

It’s a pleasure working with Classic Informatics. Their professional team is quick and reacts positively to any change.

Are there any areas for improvement?

After the first project was completed, I noticed a slight error in the code, so their team added code to manage exceptions and transactions. They were receptive to the feedback. While working with them on the newest project, it seems that was a lesson learned. Their team always wants to improve.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m a digital project manager at an e-commerce company that specializes in home storage solutions for outdoor spaces.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Classic Informatics Pvt. Ltd.?

We initially hired them to rebuild our website. Since the completion of the project, we’ve continued working with them for ongoing support and updates.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to provide a better customer experience and clean up our code.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We found Classic Informatics by researching top-rated offshore software development companies.

Describe the project in detail.

The project involved a complete WordPress rebuild. Classic Informatics was responsible for strategy, architecture, development, and design. Testing was also a huge part of their role. We’ve continued to work with them for support.

What was the team composition?

We worked with 2–3 developers and a project manager. I acted as a business contact for their project manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were highly satisfied by their stellar work and continue to work with them. Their build is still in place, and we’ve received great feedback from customers. Analytics support our success by showing improved bounce rates. We’ve surpassed our expectations regarding customer experience.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Their communication is exceptional. We communicate by phone, Skype, email, and Jira, the last of which keeps us abreast of what's being worked on. This helps us manage our timeline expectations. People might be reluctant to work with an offshore company, but we’ve aligned our schedules. They’re also very responsive.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They offer a strong degree of consultation and strategy. While you might think they’re just a development shop, they have extensive architecture experience and can help solve a wide range of problems.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Finding more overlapping work hours would be a definite plus.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the CEO and founder of RoamingDuck. We help customers navigate the vacation planning process. We advise travelers in planning their own trips, or we connect them with a personal assistant to put together a customized itinerary.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Classic Informatics Pvt. Ltd.?

We’re a startup, so we needed a dedicated development team to bring our service to life.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted an MVP with an amazing UX for a price that fell within our budget.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We interviewed eight different teams in three different stages. We ultimately chose Classics Informatics Pvt. Ltd. for their abilities and collaborative skills.

Can you go into detail about the services they provided and the scope of the project?

I provided designs and a prototype; then they handled the front- and backend development using React.js. The team also set up and managed our server.

What was the team composition?

We had a project manager who led a team of developers. After the initial build, they provided a new project manager to fix bugs and make performance improvements.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We launched the initial beta version on time and stayed within our budget. After some live testing, we requested some changes that resulted in a few more bugs. Classic Informatics Pvt. Ltd. took longer than we expected to fix them, but we still managed to put together a customer-ready product. We’re currently preparing to launch the updated site to show investors.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

They efficiently managed every task, paying close attention to deadlines. We communicated regularly through Skype and Asana. They’re based in India, but the language barrier never came into play.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They genuinely cared about our success. It’s hard to find this trait in an outsourced team, but we clearly shared a common goal throughout this process.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

They’re a well-rounded team, but they understated estimated on occasion. Accurate estimates are almost impossible, but there were a few surprises.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I own a website and app called the Dollar Birthday Club that allows people to send their friends $1 or more on their birthdays. Some money also automatically goes to a charity at the same time.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Classic Informatics Pvt. Ltd.?

I originally hired a company in Canada that promised to develop my app and website in 9 months. A year and a half later, it was still not finished and the product was lacking in quality, technology, and the scope was incomplete. I hired Classic Informatics to finish the project.

What were your goals for this project?

To fix and complete my project, while also fixing complex problems within the site. The app also needed completely retooling.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I selected them because their responses were the most professional, our meetings were always productive, and I could tell that they were excited to help me. They reassured me that my worries were over.

Describe the project in detail.

They fixed web related issues, interfaced and completely reworked our app for Android and iPhone, and then got the apps approved by the AppStore.

What was the team composition?

We had a project manager and a web designer/developer. For app development we had the same—a project manager and a developer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They fixed every issue and improved our the site in just six months. They achieved what the other company couldn’t, and in a third of the time.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

It was very effective and very fast. They worked while I slept, due to the time difference, so I always woke up to new work completed and was able to see results from my feedback very fast.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their communication skills, use of Basecamp to keep in touch, and ability to get work finished. They stuck to deadlines and are very quick generally. The also listened very to feedback very well.

Are there any areas for improvement?

There are none I can think of.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a co-founder and the CTO of UdenomBanken. We’re a fintech company providing alternative mortgage loans to unbanked consumers. We give people the opportunity to buy their own homes, after not being given a fair chance by regular banks and mortgage providers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Classic Informatics?

We were creating the first version of our website and wanted to start automating small workflows. We also wanted to build our own application for handling the loan workflow. After a consumer reaches out to us, we find a lender for them, create contracts, and finalize everything from our side.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Classic Informatics developed our platform using PHP. We’ve also worked with some integrations requiring Java and other technologies.

What is the team composition?

They assigned three core developers for our project, along with a couple of ad-hoc resources during peak periods.

How did you come to work with Classic Informatics?

We found them through oDesk (now Upwork). We did try working with some Indian freelancers before settling for Classic Informatics, but they were not as established or professional. We needed an actual software development company to engage with.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Classic Informatics exactly three years ago.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We wouldn’t have gotten nearly as far as we did with Classic Informatics had we spent the same amount of money working with a local or nearshore company. Working with Indian developers can come with minor challenges and cultural differences, but based on the product we received for the money and the general feeling we got from the collaboration, Classic Informatics proved to be a very good partner.

A Danish developer would be closer to us in terms of culture, so we probably could’ve developed the product faster and with higher quality, but we would’ve quadrupled our spend. As a startup, we didn’t have the means to do this. We’re happy with the value for money we got from Classic Informatics.

How did Classic Informatics perform from a project management standpoint?

The nature of our business is a bit complicated in terms of legal aspects and calculations, so we needed to onboard and maintain the same development team. Apart from changing our key account manager on one occasion, Classic Informatics was able to maintain the same three-person development team across our three-year collaboration. The team is small but very efficient, and we like working with them.

We’ve used a few different channels for communication, including Basecamp. It’s the standard tool used on Classic Informatics’ side as far as I know. We also use Skype for the daily workflow. It has been easy to get a hold of their developers and managers depending on our needs.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re a caring company that makes an effort to keep employees happy. I visited them onsite and met with their CEO. I also visited the development team, which is located one hour away from New Delhi. It became clear to me that there’s a good philosophy behind the whole company, which flows directly back to the client.

We’ve never had any misunderstandings. They have a great attitude and I find this to be a positive and unique quality.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I advise them to keep up the good work and explore new technologies. The team should be a bit more proactive in recommending new types of solutions and applying them throughout the project. This is important to do when building a product across many years while keeping its performance sharp.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the digital and creative services manager for a nonprofit publishing organization.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Classic Informatics?

We needed website maintenance and development using Magento, server and platform upgrades and maintenance, and search engine installation and customization. We also needed to clone a WordPress site and set up its server.

What were your goals for this project?

We aimed for quality, excellent performance, and a timely launch.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We found them online. They built a small web app for us and we liked their work, so we contracted them for our larger scale projects.

Can you go into detail about the services they provided and the scope of the project?

The largest undertaking was the build and maintenance of a Magento Community Edition website.

What was the team composition?

They assigned a team lead that has a broad skill set and is great to work with. He’s brilliant at managing and executing the work while being responsive. Their team is highly talented and able to accomplish large amounts of work with about five people.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We wouldn’t have web revenue without a functional, performance-based website. Their team supported us completely throughout the development and refinement of the site and truly felt like an extension of our company.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

They held daily calls with us depending on the stage of the project and we would meet twice a week during maintenance mode. We used an agile project management style.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their client engagement and breadth of knowledge were noteworthy. They’re a great company that employs only the best people.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

The only criticism I have is that they do exactly what you ask them to do. It would be helpful if they would explore alternative solutions for bug fixes or dig deeper into a solution so that it is completely solved in the first phase.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

 I am the Founder & CEO of a software company 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We develop digital solutions in the retail sector like eCommerce, Self Scannning and Apps.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Classic Informatics to accomplish?

• We have agreed on full-time dedicated resources

SOLUTION

How did you find Classic Informatics?

Online Search

Why did you select Classic Informatics over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost

How many teammates from Classic Informatics were assigned to this project?

1 Employee

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

In the past, we had recruited an entire team of PM, Backend, and Frontend developers.
Now we only have one dedicated resource for React Native app development.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We consider the resource as part of our direct team

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

They no longer manage projects but we have a dedicated resource

What was your primary form of communication with Classic Informatics?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

None.

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

I would not know

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Software Engineering Manager of a software company 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Workforce travel platform

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Classic Informatics to accomplish?

• Providing Experienced Full Stack Developers

SOLUTION

How did you find Classic Informatics?

Other

Why did you select Classic Informatics over others?

Great culture fit

How many teammates from Classic Informatics were assigned to this project?

1 Employee

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

Full Stack Development Experience to supplement various projects on the team.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Successful Deployments of Projects to Production 

What was your primary form of communication with Classic Informatics?

Virtual Meeting

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

The candidates provided were skilled.

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

N/A

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Head, Country Technology Management of a Bank

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

A banking institution

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Classic Informatics to accomplish?

• To develop an API as a payment collection platform
• To automate our manual registry

SOLUTION

How did you find Classic Informatics?

• Online Search
• Referral

Why did you select Classic Informatics over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fits our budget
• Good value for cost

How many teammates from Classic Informatics were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Development of payment gateway for the National Revenue Authority tax collection and the Freetown City Council rate and permit fees collection.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• APIsuccessfully deployed 
• Improvement in our collection revenue 
• Better and insightful reporting for management consumption

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

Agile project management method was employed and agreed timelines were met

What was your primary form of communication with Classic Informatics?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

There understanding of customer requirements and how fast they respond to fix issues.

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

They were excellent. They just need to build on that.