COBE

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the head of business services at a multi-partner loyalty program company. I'm responsible for all technical and organizational matters. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with COBE?

We hired COBE to provide us with development assistance. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

COBE provides ongoing development support for our B2C offerings, specifically our website and cross-platform mobile application. Their support fluctuates depending on our needs. They've helped us implement agile processes for app development projects. COBE's team also advises us on how we can improve our UX/UI. For our firm, our design is more focused on the interface's graphics. 

What is the team composition?

We've worked with 10-15 teammates from COBE over the last few years, including 6–7 app developers, 3 web developers, a UX/UI designer, a general manager, and three project managers. 

How did you come to work with COBE?

We screened several suppliers that could provide frontend development and UX design services. We picked COBE, even though they're not based in our region, because they understood our challenges and how our product could work better. Also, their pricing was very competitive. 

How much have you invested with them?

We've invested around €1 million (approximately $1.1 million USD) with COBE. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with COBE in June 2020, and our partnership is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We measure our end users' satisfaction through our app store ratings, which have improved in the last year. All in all, the product is much better than it was before working with COBE. However, we've had trouble identifying in-house metrics that measure the project's success with COBE. 

How did COBE perform from a project management standpoint?

COBE is very transparent and well-educated on project management. We use Jira and Confluence to manage the project. They're heavily involved with our team; they've quickly developed a deeper understanding of our product, which has helped improve their management competency. They'll escalate issues when they need to, but not so much that it overwhelms our in-house team.

What did you find most impressive about them?

COBE has integrated very quickly with our in-house team, which has been a huge advantage for us. They're more or less part of our in-house team, not just an outsourced service provider. I'm really happy with our collaboration with COBE.

Are there any areas they could improve?

At the moment, I have nothing for COBE to improve. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I'd advise future customers to be open about their challenges and involve COBE as much as possible in their projects. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Undabot is a custom software development company situated in Zagreb, Croatia, specializing in the design and development of mobile and web applications. Focus is on the development of top quality solutions, through close collaboration and open team-work with clients.

Some of their clients include Styria Group, A1 Telekom Austria Group, Foreo, POQ, Wiener Insurance, CARnet, Croatian National Tourist Board. Through different programs they give back to the community, help to develop young talents and share their knowledge.

Their ultimate goal is to help companies to scale their business on mobile and web platforms and enable users to enjoy their digital moments. I am the CEO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire COBE Tech?

COBE and Undabot partnered up for a competition called Smart Mobility Prototyping Days. The competition was organized by Pioneers.io and took place in Vienna. While Undabot worked on the tech side of the project and presentation, COBE delivered the design and created a prototype for the competition. Together, we took the first place and a chance to win a new client together.

What were your goals for this project?

The goals of the projects were to partner up again and show what we can do together. We created a new design for an existing mobile application, and built a prototype in only one week. Even though the competition was hard, with plenty of talented agencies taking part in the competition, we managed to impress the judges and win first place.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We had already worked together on a project before, developing native mobile apps for iOS and Android. The cooperation went well and we were both happy with the outcome, as well as the client. Previous to this project, we have organized events together and had great experience sharing the knowledge.

Describe the project in detail.

COBE developed a new design for the pitch with new fresh ideas we worked on together. Designers from COBE worked on a Figma prototype which we could then present to the judges at the competition.

What was the team composition?

The team consisted of a Business Representative and Software architect from our side, and two designers from COBE side.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Together with COBE, we have managed to create an excellent prototype, which has won the first award at the large event in Vienna - "Smart Mobility Prototyping Days".

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We covered the project management side and organization of the whole pitch. But during the process we worked as partners, both sides equally involved in the pitch preparation. The project was effective as we managed to win first place together.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

We were really impressed with the positive attitude and mindset of all involved Cobe professionals, from management to specialist. Also, they have demonstrated a very high working motivation, team collaboration and knowledge sharing, as well as brilliant thinking during the whole brainstorming and ideation phase of this project.

It is also important to mention that besides all this, they have demonstrated a strong partnership approach, which was crucial in such time-sensitive engagement.

Are there any areas for improvement?

We don't recognize any areas for their improvement in this cooperation.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the head of product for Fineway. It’s a travel tech startup and we’re a tech enabler for B2C companies. We’re developing a technology solution for packaging multi-stop and roundtrips.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with COBE Tech?

We wanted to establish a strategic near-shore partner to make operations more flexible for delivery of product.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They act as a fully autonomous team, providing all the resources to deliver software features. They focus on mobile UX/UI design, and active allotment. They also do web development tasks for us. Verification of deliverables are handled by their QA resources, as well.

They use React with Script Tag, Node.js with Script Tag, and Python. Cypress was used for testing framework.

What is the team composition?

There are two UX/UI designers and 5–6 software developers, including for full-stack, backend, and frontend. There are also two QA resources, one full-time and one part-time.

How did you come to work with COBE Tech?

They were recommended to us by another agency.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between €250,000– €500,000 (approximately $279,000 - $557,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in June 2019, and it is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re happy with the quality of their work. They’re the best partner we’ve worked with. They work to achieve our objectives. We would rate them highly in performance, collaboration, and output.

How did COBE Tech perform from a project management standpoint?

The product manager is on our side. They’re fully implemented into our Agile Scrum management process, working in sprint cycles. They are pretty good at meeting deadlines and respond well to feedback. We used Zoom, but are switching to Microsoft Teams for video calls, and we also use Slack. They are very proactive, and we’ve had no issues with communication.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re fast learners, adapting to our technology choices. They’re highly responsive to questions or concerns we raise, and they are good at addressing it. They’re also very customer-focused and flexible, scaling their team to meet project needs. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I think it’s a global problem, not specifically related to them, but they have difficulty recruiting the right resources needed sometimes. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have an end-to-end team, including QA. That helps speed the process for delivery. Stay in close communication and involve them; they give valuable feedback.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

CROZ is based in Croatia and has a team of 250 people doing custom software development and serving clients around the world. Our clients are mostly in the UK, Germany, and other parts of Western Europe. 

The clients are mostly in the enterprise space. We work in various modalities, mostly building custom solutions for their business needs. I’m the CTO of the company, responsible for the technology and overall technical strategy.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with COBE Tech?

We were building a new website for our company, and we also wanted to do a bit of branding and public identity work. We hired COBE for web design and copywriting with the idea of building our new online presence.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We gave COBE our vision in written statements, and they were entirely responsible for the website design. We didn’t have any prepared sketches or other similar materials.

We collaborated through design sprints, but they did all of the work. The website was built on WordPress, with HTML and CSS.  

What is the team composition?

There were five people from COBE working hands-on on our website, along with several people from the management team. There were less than 10 people involved overall.

How did you come to work with COBE Tech?

We got personal recommendations from people we know in the market and took a look at COBE’s references. We found that they had an international arm and were connected to a similar company in Germany, which provided broader experience in design. That was important to us, and we engaged in communication with them. 

How much have you invested with them?

The contract was for around €30,000 (Approximately $33,300 USD), and we’ve spent an additional €10,000 (Approximately $11,100 USD) in the months after the end of the project.

What is the status of this engagement?

The initial project started in January 2019 and lasted for five months. We went into production with the new site at the beginning of July 2019. We’re still collaborating with them, working on some extensions, and adding new features for the website.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re very happy with the outcome we received. We haven’t tracked any metrics to measure success since we’re in the software development business and sales cycles are rather long. The new website has only been up for half a year, but we haven’t seen any visible outcomes in terms of new business generated.

On the other hand, the website achieved all our goals for the website. For example, we wanted to have a very visible identity that reflects our company culture. So, it’s very lively with lots of pictures of real people and no stock photos. We also wanted them to follow the coloring we had in our previous visual identity.

How did COBE Tech perform from a project management standpoint?

For project management, they relied on Scrum, which resonated well with us, as we use the same method in our work. 

They had an explicit product owner who communicated with us about priorities and detailed requirements. The product owner also organized weekly planning sessions. 

They also had a Scrum master involved in the project to organize daily communication between the team members and us. We also had status meetings at the end of each sprint. 

We used Slack for communication (daily chats), Trello for monitoring ongoing activities, and Jira for tracking details about specific details. We also had weekly planning and retrospective calls on Google Hangouts.

They communicated very nicely. We had the opportunity to interact with the team members all the time, not just the managers. We could give instant feedback to designers and developers. This communication method played a huge role in our success. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their design capability and communication skills stood out. We can find great developers everywhere, but good design capabilities and communication skills aren’t that easy to find. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Nothing has bothered us. At times, they might’ve had a lack of resources within the WordPress space, but that was resolved quickly. 

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

I suggest being open with COBE and accepting the approach they offer. I have the feeling that, had we insisted on a more traditional project management approach (with elaborate specifications and longer increments), we wouldn’t have been as successful.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am in charge of product development as a product owner at Qognify. We are a global provider of video management software. We have around 350 employees.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with COBE?

We started a new product two years ago. We decided to have a modern web UI and modern UX for this product. Since we don’t have any internal experience, we were looking for a company that could help us with that.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

At first, we only did the concept and all the UX consulting with them. After that, we decided to hire them for web development. Since then, they have taken care of the UI part of our product, and we take care of the backend on our side.

It is a product that we provide as a platform for our customers, and it can also serve as a standalone product for their internal environment. 

In the beginning, we didn’t have any internal know-how of how to create this. We did the research on the best technologies we could use, and they provided us with the concept. They do the frontend in React and use Flow framework.

We are still in cooperation with them as they take care of all of the improvements to our products.

What is the team composition?

We currently have two developers and one designer integrated into our team. We also have one person who takes care of QA for the UI. On average, there are four people from COBE involved in our development.

How did you come to work with COBE?

They were recommended to us.

How much have you invested in them?

We will have spent approximately €220,000 Euro by the end of this year (approximately $244,058 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in 2017, and we’re still working with them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We are really happy with their quality and the concept. We have received really good feedback from our customers when it comes to UX and design, and the quality of their code is really good. 

We have had only a few bugs in each release which is normal for this kind of software; there is no bug-free software. We have had some experience with other third-party development partners who didn’t write as accurate of code, and so we are really satisfied with the outcome of COBE's work. 

How did COBE perform from a project management standpoint?

We decided to follow more of an agile approach, integrating their developers and people directly in our Scrum process. 

They are a part of our team. There isn’t that much to manage, which is the benefit of an agile approach. When it comes to planning and budgets, they are really flexible and respond really fast.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their biggest benefit has been their fresh eyes. We really stick to our history while building software and designing our UI. 

They are really creative and fresh, and they provide us with good, new ideas. On the other hand, they are really flexible and motivated. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

We have been able to make really good progress with them, and I am really happy, so there isn’t that much to improve on. However, they are a really small company, and it would be nice to have more employees on their side. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I would definitely recommend having a meeting with them. Give them a chance to present their ideas. This was also a part of my experience. 

I wasn’t really convinced after the first call, but after we met face to face and they explained their approach and how they create their concepts, it really convinced me to start a cooperation with them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the web team leader at Qognify, a security company in Israel.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with COBE Tech?

We needed someone to help with our website’s UI implementation.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

COBE Tech did design and development work, and most of their focus was on implementing the UI. Another company in Israel had provided the UI mockups and wireframes, and we provided those to COBE Tech to implement. They wrote pages using HTML, CSS, and React. 

The site is essentially a configuration tool, as the end-user is an IT department. Site functionalities include importing and configuring sensors and viewing videos. The site also has a dashboard, but we implemented that in a different phase. 

What is the team composition?

COBE Tech provided a frontend developer and a project manager. The developer worked full-time, and the project manager worked about 20% weekly. His team leader also gave him guidance.

How did you come to work with COBE Tech?

Other teams in our company recommended them because they had engaged with them and been very pleased.

How much have you invested with them?

My company spent €35,000 (approximately $38,700 USD). 

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from June–October 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The metrics were to get the UI done according to the wireframes, and we had set milestones. The developer performed the work on time and with high-quality.

How did COBE Tech perform from a project management standpoint?

It was highly effective. COBE Tech was very aware of and strict on timelines. They were proactive and always wanted to have meetings to touch base on timelines and progress.

What did you find most impressive about them?

COBE Tech is very responsible and professional. They care about the product and the outcome. They want the customer to be pleased, and they do all they can in order to make the customer happy.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Their site is pretty small. If they want to expand their team, it’s pretty impossible at the moment.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Work with them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder of a startup skincare company working on a smart body-sprayer. We’re developing the technology side of the product as well as the actual cosmetic product.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with COBE Tech?

The sprayer can be connected to a smartphone through an app to read user data. We brought on COBE Tech to develop that app for us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

COBE Tech developed our iOS/Android app—which we call a skincare consultant—and it has the ability to provide customized information for individual skincare.

It can determine the user’s skin type and location to generate recommendations on which sunscreen or SPF to use. For example, someone with a certain skin type in the Sahara would need another type of protection than someone in Germany. The app also connects to the sprayer to detect the remaining amount of product and battery life.

We met with COBE’s Croatian team (they have another one based in Germany) for the initial kickoff, where we discussed our strategy and concept. From there, we followed a basic agile framework of development. We defined milestones and paths from week to week.

They quickly produced wireframes to work from, and while we provided a framework of requirements, their team ideated original features and functionalities.

What is the team composition?

I believe there were five people in total. We worked with a project manager, an iOS programmer, an Android programmer, a designer, and a backend programmer.

How did you come to work with COBE Tech?

We had a typical selection process where we considered different agencies, and COBE Tech seemed to be the best fit for us. They also offered the most cost-effective package.

How much have you invested with them?

Around $130,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with COBE around November 2018. We’re nearing completion in the sprayer’s development, which has to be wrapped up before we can further develop the app. We will continue our work with COBE in December 2019 or January 2020.

After all of the development is finished, it’s likely that they’ll provide ongoing support: maintenance tasks, minor bug fixes, and app updates.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’ve done an excellent job—while we offered some strategic direction, the product is basically their baby. The designs they implemented are particularly impressive.

They also gave us amazing support when we had a lot on our plate. They were proactively producing ideas and finding solutions. They provided constant input even when we weren’t actively working on the app. Whenever we experience any bugs, COBE fixes them immediately. We haven’t had any major issues, and it seems to be working smoothly.

We’ve only just tested a few of the app’s features with a small group of people. While we don’t have metrics yet, I wouldn’t associate those KPIs with the success of the agency. We’re very pleased with the app so far and with what they achieved during the course of our engagement.

How did COBE Tech perform from a project management standpoint?

COBE’s Croatian team delivered within time and budget, and even beyond specifications. Communication was fairly smooth, and there was no language barrier. If we had a question, they’d answer or resolve it immediately. Although we primarily interfaced with their project manager, we also directly communicated with the programmers on Slack. Confluence was another tool that we used.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their design and UX skills really blew me away. They delivered these without our guidance. They immediately understood our brand and knew where we wanted to go.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t know how they compare to other agencies, cost-wise. They're premium-priced, but I think it’s worth it.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Clients have to understand that such an agile process also requires work from the corporate team, and if the corporate team, like ours, doesn’t spend enough time on it, the programmers will have problems. We had some issues because we weren’t responsive enough, and COBE sometimes had problems working with us.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the founder and CEO of Agilab. We're a consulting company that focuses on product strategy, conception, and projects, especially app and platform development.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with COBE Tech?

We needed someone to help us with app design and development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

One of our clients is a publisher, who releases 1–2 Catholic books each year. With COBE Tech, we began two years ago with a digitalization project for the publisher. We created a new website, did online marketing, and developed two applications.

To take this on, we had a couple of initial workshops with them where we explained what we wanted to do. As part of the discovery phase, they conducted surveys to better understand the users. We already had a concept with wireframes. They handled the design iterations iterated a few times to finalize the design, using Sketch and InVision for user testing. In the second phase, they began with the native development of both apps, each made for iOS and Android. They used Xcode software in the development.

Additionally, they spearheaded a redesign of our website, also taking over its development. We began with simple things like speed optimizations. Afterward, they built the new homepage.

One of the applications allows users to read a book in multiple languages. In the app, there are standard features, social media integration, and an image-focused study guide. The second app examines provides a place to read from the Gospel each day. There is also social media integration.

What is the team composition?

They've been very flexible. Originally, we wanted two people on the project, but that grew to 12. We also had a project manager and also one person who did QA.

How did you come to work with COBE Tech?

We had multiple offers and chose COBE for a number of reasons. They're very experienced in design and presented a compelling price.

How much have you invested in them?

We have spent around €150,000–€200,000 (approximately $163,977–$218,637 USD) for those three projects.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them in September 2018, and the work is still ongoing. They're currently doing maintenance and taking care of any bugs that come up. We'll be continuing with development as soon as the budget allows

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They came up with a very nice design which fit very well with the corporate identity of our client, who has published eight books with their designs. They found a good way to bring those offline ideas into the digital world, keeping their work fresh and youthful.

Everything they do is high-quality. Problems and crashes are rare, which is unusual in software development. I've built many apps in the last eight years, and very few started up that smoothly.

How did COBE Tech perform from a project management standpoint?

They were very strong with project management. We have a dedicated project manager, and she stays proactive and up to date on issues using her solid communication skills.

In the beginning, we only wanted to do one application with them. After witnessing how service-minded they are, we changed our minds. If we had any questions or issues, they made themselves available at all times to solve them. We're very happy with their commitment to the project. For communication, we used Zepplin, Jira, email, and Skype.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They've consulted for well-known companies. Every time they do a project, they do a knowledge transfer to their Croatian colleagues as well. They're strong in their design skills, very competitive in price, and have great communication skills.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I am not aware of any issues. We've have had feedback, and in the first iteration after six weeks, we came up with improvement ideas. They've now been addressed.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

 I am the Product Manager of a construction company 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We sell windows, doors and facade systems

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire COBE to accomplish?

• MVP Developement
• Prototype Design

SOLUTION

How did you find COBE?

Referral

Why did you select COBE over others?

• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from COBE were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Development of a functional e-commerce prototype with APIs to hubspot and mailing services.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We created a constant flow of incoming leads via our newly developed website. Every second visitor that opened the configurator also added it to the cart. Qualitative customer feedback shows huge satisfaction with the UX and the overall customer journey on the website.

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

Very flexible reaction to changing requirements and demands. Super fast, professional and kind communication with the project manager but also with the team. We really appreciate their way of working.

What was your primary form of communication with COBE?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Flexibility and the skills to transform the requirements into design and later into reality.

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

Not for now

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Head of Smart Solutions at AL-KO Gardentech, a manufacturer of premium gardening tools

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire COBE, and what were your goals?

Develop a renewed version of our end consumer app, allowing our customers to connect to and interact with their smart-connected AL-KO gardening devices

SOLUTION

How did you select COBE and what were the deciding factors?

We searched online for the best possible partners and then went from longlist to shortlist to final decision

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

We had a series of conception topics where we presented the requirements and the design, then we iteratively developed the app together.

Our team defined the scope of each iteration, COBE delivered the implemented product after each iteration

How many resources from thCOBE team worked with you, and what were their positions?

A project manager was assigned as primary contact. Then we had some developers and QA engineers on the project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We are very happy with the result we developed together in a great team work

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

Very good communication and project management

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

They have good communication and project management.

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

Sometimes they were overcommitting on scope for an iteration but were not able to deliver. Would have been better to tell already in advance.