CodigoDelSur

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Fraud Fighter is a company that provides fraud prevention solutions to all sorts of clients like financial services, retail, and government. We’ve been in business for almost 18 years and have over 40% of the S&P 500 as clients. I’m the chief operating officer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with CodigoDelSur?

We partner with some companies for their licensed technology from certain providers. One of our vendors had recently released a mobile version of their identity document authentication solution, which uses the camera on a smart device to capture images of an I.D. document like a driver’s license or a passport. Then submits it to a cloud database that uses those images to compare the document being tested against the database of templates that we have. Then comes back with a positive or negative result. The vendor made this technology available through and STK [Systems Tool Kit]. We needed CodigoDelSur to take the STK and core technology and build it into a demonstration app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We used CodigoDelSur to take the STK and the core technology and build it into a demonstration app that we could use to send around to clients so that they could download it to their mobile device, test it, and see how mobile authentication could potentially work for their business. We took an existing technology and built our brand around it. It wasn’t core development from scratch on the technology. They built a user interface and an application flow for us.

Our original project was completed. There are periodic updates and enhancements that occur to the core STK. When that happens, we go back in and revise the version that we have out there. I do continue to work with them.

What is the team dynamic?

I communicated with a project manager but I don’t know how many developers they put on it.

How did you come to work with CodigoDelSur?

I searched for them on Elance. It turned out that they had done development on the same STK before for the actual company that built the STK. Reading through their profile, I saw that they had done a project for this vendor of ours. That seemed automatically the right thing to do is go with somebody that already had used this STK and was familiar with it.

How much have you invested with them?

Around $20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in October 2016 and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They did a fine job. They were responsive and turned things around quickly.

How did CodigoDelSur perform from a project management standpoint?

Most of the communication was done through email. We did the occasional video conference call. They’re in a Spanish speaking country, but I had absolutely no problem communicating with them in English. It wasn’t a complex project. There wasn’t a need for a project management tool. Once they gave me a schedule, they hit it. My only negative comment on the scheduling was getting them to schedule me on some of the follow-up work. Once they said they’d have it done by a certain date, they hit it pretty much every time.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It went smoothly. I didn’t have any problems.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There have been a few times when I needed to have one of these updates done and it took them a little bit longer than I had hoped for them to be able to flip it around. I can’t expect them to be sitting and wand waiting for me to call them. They have a workload. When a new project comes in, they fit it in as well as they can. That’s not a criticism, but more of an observation. It took them a little bit longer to get some follow-up work done than I would have hoped for. My hope may have been unreasonable.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I haven’t formed a corporation yet. I’m still thinking about the work still. I’m trying to get some investors so I can start the project.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with CodigoDelSur?

I had an idea for a booking app for the beauty industry that I needed to be developed.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They made a prototype for me and they gave me an estimate for the work. It’s similar to StyleSeat and Vagaro. It’s like a booking app for beauty professionals. Customers can make appointments for their hair stylist or any type of service related to salon service. It’s going to be a native app for iOS, Android, and website. It took about a month to have the prototype completed.

What is the team dynamic?

There was one main guy, Jorge [Project Manager, CodigoDelSur] and three others.

How did you come to work with CodigoDelSur?

We found CodigoDelSur through Clutch. I went through the list and saw they’re one of the Latin American companies.

How much have you invested with them?

$10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in July 2017 and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their work is really good. The team was great, as was the person who contacted me, Natalia [Head of Business Development, CodigoDelSur]. I had an idea and they created everything for me as I expected. They did the designing part. Now it’s just the matter of the next step. I need to come up with the money. They’re a good company.

How did Codigo perform from a project management standpoint?

They worked through one of their Teamwork sites. Every day I saw how much work they’ve done. We had a conversation every day for 30-60 minutes. It worked well.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I told them my ideas. I’m not a technical person. They came up with a lot of new designs and showed me their ideas and how we could do it differently.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they did a perfect job. I’m happy with their work.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a game development and production studio. I’m the managing director and founder. We’re a 10-person operation.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with CodigoDelSur?

We needed a gaming mobile app developed.

We’ve done previous game development for PC and have counseled other developers. We usually partner or outsource the work and act as more of a publisher, even though we do some development in-house.

Looking for a developer for mobile games specifically was new for us. Our objective was to stay within budget and to get a clear plan of how to deliver this type game, since we haven’t worked in that arena before.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

CodigoDelSur developed the multiplayer mobile gaming app using SpriteKit. They designed original creative content and artwork when necessary.

What is the team dynamic?

We had 1 designer and 2 developers working on the project, one working on the frontend and iOS implementation, and one working on the backend.

There were more team members doing support in the background. They assigned multiple people to a task when we needed them to.

How did you come to work with CodigoDelSur?

I called several people I knew in the gaming industry, but that came up surprisingly shallow. After a couple conversations, we weren’t too impressed with those referrals. They either didn’t have experience in the right area or they were way over budget or off-base in understanding our goals.

We met CodigoDelSur through a site called VenturePact that refers developers based on the project type. We talked to 3 different studios through them. We had lengthy discussions with 2, including CodigoDelSur.

We chose CodigoDelSur because they were much more amiable about contract discussions. I always felt that they really wanted this to work and were confident that they could accomplish it. When we sat down with them and a lawyer with our agreement, they made sure we were comfortable with it. They didn’t want us to feel like they were pushing us around on the terms. This proved to be a recurring theme with them. We were able to get the document signed much faster than we would’ve with the other developer.

As a manager, that’s indicative to me of how things will go over the course of the project. If coming to terms with a simple operating agreement is difficult, finishing on the agreed timeline won’t be likely. CodigoDelSur stuck out to us because of that experience.

They were willing to work with us and tenacious in pursuing us. They followed up with me often, but not to the point of being bothersome. They displayed a lot of determination to get a relationship going with us. I appreciated that.

How much have you invested with them?

$107,880.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in May 2017 and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I can’t give concrete numbers on the app because we just launched it. We’re still in review with the App Store process.

CodigoDelSur was incredibly flexible with us. We got to the last month of the project and our budget was stretched. At the same time, we realized that our feature set meant a larger project than we had set out to build. It was no fault of theirs, but we needed a bit more money and time but still wanted to get the app to market. We explained things and asked what they could do to work with us.

Based on previous experiences, I was expecting a difficult conversation with Nicolas [CEO/Founder, CodigoDelSur] and the business dev rep, Natalia [Head of Business Development, CodigoDelSur]. But before we had really gotten started, they told me how much they believed in the project and were willing to work together to get it out. They laid out a plan to meet us halfway on the remaining work and did free design work for the last leg.

The fact that I didn’t have to fight them for that means a tremendous amount to me. There’s a huge amount of integrity involved in keeping their word to finish the project. I didn’t expect that of them, and I’ve never seen anything like it before.

That’s the reason I would recommend them to anyone. Not only do they operate with a tremendous amount of integrity, but they do a great job on top of it. We got the results we wanted and for the budget we had set. I don’t think that would’ve happened with another studio.

How did CodigoDelSur perform from a project management standpoint?

We used a site called Teamwork. There was a bit of a learning curve, but I liked it. It accomplished what we needed it to.

Our project manager, Jorge [Project Manager, CodigoDelSur], is excellent. He always gets to the questions I post quickly; he’s faster than I am at getting back to him.

One of the things we worried about in choosing an overseas developer was the language barrier. I’ve worked with Ukrainian developers before, and there are always slight miscommunications. I felt none of that with CodigoDelSur.

Our project manager has a very solid grasp on everything that I say. I was surprised that he understood things well enough to creatively iterate based on suggestions of mine that weren’t completely fleshed out. I’m happy with their creative license 99% of the time, which shows how well they grasp things outside of their native language. There is no friction there and I’m very happy with my project manager.

They have a lot of resource support there when we need it. I always appreciate that. It feels like we’re getting more for our money.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They made getting our app to market an easy experience. I’ve never had a vendor take such an active interest without having equity in the project. When there were pieces that didn’t work in the exact way we expected, they took the adjustments on themselves. That should’ve fallen just on me.

They clearly care about this project more than just receiving the payment for the work. Multiple team members have offered suggestions they thought of after they had clocked out. The team doesn’t act like an outsource team. They act like an in-house team that’s as invested in the project as we are.

Figuring out the right balance of features for completely new IT like this is challenging, so their level of engagement is a tremendous boon. That was especially unexpected since I’m not sitting in the office with them every day. When considering a New York-based studio, we had thought they would be more emotionally involved than an overseas company. That turned out not to be the case. I don’t think we could’ve asked for a more invested partner. They went above and beyond in the creative process to make this a fun game rather than just delivering what fit our specs.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’m largely satisfied with the work that they did.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

The company is a manufacturer of managed file-transfer software. I’m the founder and president. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Codigo?

We needed them to update a previous mobile application that they developed for us. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We have a managed file-transfer server, and we needed an Android and an iOS app developed that could be used in a client capacity for communicating with the server. Codigo designed and developed these apps.

How did you come to work with Codigo?

We were looking for a company that had extensive experience developing iOS and Android apps. We did a competitive bid and looked at several companies. The reason we chose Codigo was because they had previous experience developing similar apps for companies in the file-transfer space. We felt they had better insight into what we were looking for.

How much have you invested with Codigo?

We spent between $15,000 and $20,000 on each phase.

What is the status of this engagement?

This was the second time we engaged them. The first time was a few years ago. We’ve used them as we needed updates. The first phase of the project took three months, and it was the same for this phase. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or impact of the engagement?

They’ve met all of the promises they made in the initial scope. They’re very responsive. Their quality of work is excellent. We don’t have any metrics on the product yet.

How did Codigo perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re very responsive and on top of the project from start to finish.

Are there any areas Codigo could improve?

No.

What tips or recommendations could you share that might increase the likelihood of success with Codigo?

Know your project scope and make sure it’s clear. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

I used to work for an insurance tech B2B SaaS [software-as-a-service] company.

What is your position?

I was the CEO but have moved on. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with CodigoDelSur?

Our goal was to build our B2B SaaS product cost-effectively while maintaining high-quality code. 

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

Codigo provided software engineering and project management. I found them from a friend's referral. We started work in May of 2016 but decided to put the work on hold in March of 2017. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

How did CodigoDelSur perform from a project management standpoint?

They really care about the work they do and about the success of the project. They are very personable and excellent at communication. They also are heavily invested in the project's successful conclusion.

They have a truly professional team of top-notch engineers and a great process. I would highly recommend them and hope to work with them again in the future! 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a national appraisal and adjustment service located outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I am one of the appraisers of the company, overseeing our staff in the tri-state area. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with CodigoDelSur?

We decided to take on an app-building project for one of our clients. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

CodigoDelSur provided mostly app development for iOS and Android as well as building a landing page related to the apps, using Heroku. The goal of the application is to allow our client to capture photos related to the insurance claims being made, in an intuitive and easy-to-use way.

How did you come to work with CodigoDelSur?

I began a general search, looking at 5 to 10 United States-based developers. The quotes I received were fairly high, given that some of these companies typically dealt with much larger projects. I was referred to CodigoDelSur by one of the companies I contacted, who used them for outsourcing smaller projects and tasks. The company that recommended them was one of the top developers in the U.S., and I felt that this would be a strong indication of who CodigoDelSur was. After a bit of research, I found out that CodigoDelSur was the top developer in the European Union at that time, as well as in Latin America. I was impressed with some of the companies in CodigoDelSur's portfolio, which included Fortune 500 names. Our project wasn't anywhere near that level, so I was confident that CodigoDelSur would do a good job with it.

We were a bit reluctant to work with an overseas company at first because there may have been a language barrier. From our initial Skype meetings with CodigoDelSur, all of this was put to rest, and we've had a great working relationship during the past 6 to 8 weeks [as of October 2016].

How much have you invested with CodigoDelSur?

Our project with CodigoDelSur has an expected cost of between $50,000 and $60,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with CodigoDelSur in 2016 [in August]. The project is within its last stage. We're buttoning up a couple of details.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

I've been extremely impressed, and can't say enough things about CodigoDelSur. Our project lead has been excellent, and very helpful throughout the process, making it easy to collaborate. The results have surpassed my expectations.

We've done all of our testing in-house, so the results are all anecdotal. We plan to track cycle times for completing assignments, but this isn't an indication of the app itself.

How did CodigoDelSur perform from a project management standpoint?

CodigoDelSur has a short, 2-week sprint process. We can set up a meeting at the beginning of each one, going through what needed to be accomplished within that time, and communicated via email and Skype along the process. CodigoDelSur is also paid on a sprint basis. Other companies may be incentivized to drag the work along because there's more incentive to do so, but CodigoDelSur's concern within our project was to get the work done efficiently. Everyone was kept on task and involved, as opposed to receiving a product that we may not have been happy with at the end of an 8-week period and being overbilled. If anything, I extended the project with changes and ideas that I came up with along the way. CodigoDelSur tackled them with enthusiasm.

One of the reasons I've been so pleased is that I've been involved in the process from start to finish and know how hard CodigoDelSur has worked.

What did you find most impressive about CodigoDelSur?

CodigoDelSur's team has been very personable and professional. Our project lead is a young person in their mid-30s. It's been a joy working with CodigoDelSur, and we've had the feeling of collaborating with close friends. CodigoDelSur made me feel comfortable not only through how they carry themselves but also through their competency throughout the process. If we ever have additional work in the future, I won't even consider using anyone else.

Are there any areas CodigoDelSur could improve?

The only criticisms I have for the project are for myself. It was the first time I tackled such a project, and I couldn't foresee many elements that could have made the work more efficient on my end.

It is a bit difficult working with a remote team, but this was no fault of CodigoDelSur. Ultimately, it wouldn't have mattered if they were located in Washington or Uruguay.

What tips or recommendations could you share that might increase the likelihood of success with CodigoDelSur?

Clients should not only plan out and storyboard the project but also actively work through the steps in a tangible way, in order to foresee issues that might arrive and improvements that can be made. I was a bit too conceptual in approaching the work, instead of being more detailed, which could have eliminated certain issues that prolonged the process.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We builds apps to help people improve their healthy habits and assist in weight loss, improvement of overall health, decreased risk of disease, and more. With an easy-to-use interface, we provide users with personalized fitness, nutrition, and sleep coaching to help them achieve a healthier lifestyle.

I am the Director of Products.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with CodigoDelSur?

We needed a quality company that was able to jump right in and help us build our Android and iOS versions of our core product.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The scope grew over time because of the growth and success of the app.

How did you come to work with CodigoDelSur?

They seemed friendly, very willing to get their hands dirty, and to jump right in and offer a competitive price.

How much have you invested with CodigoDelSur?

We have invested between $200,000 and $500,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

It lasted from April 2014 to February 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

The app is currently listed as #36 in the Top Grossing Health & Fitness Apps list from the Top 50 Health and Fitness Apps.

What did you find most impressive about CodigoDelSur?

Codigo has great communicators! Their team is very organized, and kept me up-to-date.

Are there any areas CodigoDelSur could improve?

Their work on Android wasn’t necessarily built to scale over time, so we ended up having to re-do a lot of it, but Android is tougher and so this was generally expected.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We are an online graphic design company which provides services to small businesses. We believe that designs should be affordable, so we've developed an online platform which minimizes the back-and-forth between clients and designers. By doing this, we've reduced costs for customers.

What is your position?

I am the Chief Operating Officer of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with CodigoDelSur?

We're constantly trying to improve and develop our platform, making it even easier to use for customers and improving the UI/UX [user interface/user experience] interaction. We believe that this is critical to what makes our company successful. 

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

CodigoDelSur is helping us improve our software platform. Right now, the majority of their effort is software development.

How did you come to work with CodigoDelSur?

I had known CodigoDelSur for a couple of years, and had worked with them in the past. I reached out to their company again more recently.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

The approximate yearly cost for Codigo's services is $300,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We have been working together for over a year. We have an ongoing relationship with CodigoDelSur and are planning to use them on an indefinite basis.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

Since working with CodigoDelSur, we've launched 3 separate major modules for our software. The biggest metric for the success of the work was being able to do this.

The flow of our platform has doubled the capacity of each of our project managers, bringing revision time down by about 40%. Codigo handled the coding, not the actual UI/UX design, so it's hard to give them credit in this respect, but they executed their job well. There will always be bugs, so the work was by no means perfect, but we were satisfied.

We used to have an internal team and have worked with other offshore developers. CodigoDelSur is better than the teams I've worked with, including an American firm that is well respected.

How did CodigoDelSur perform from a project management standpoint?

When working with an offshore agency, the cost includes developer time and project management. The project management from CodigoDelSur was overall good. At one point, one of the project managers had to leave for personal reasons in the middle of the project. The transition was very smooth. They've always taken the time to learn about the process and the project itself.

What distinguishes CodigoDelSur from other providers?

Since we've been working with CodigoDelSur for a while, they've come to understand our business motives, so they're able to make the best decisions for our interests, without us having to go to them. We've saved a lot of time and energy in this way. Codigo has adjusted the team and the flow of the work on a case-by-case basis in order to meet our goals. Nine times out of ten, they made the right calls. The fact that Codigo can do this, makes them feel more like an internal team, as opposed to an offshore contractor.

Is there anything CodigoDelSur could have improved or done differently?

We've sometimes struggled with the time zone difference. We're based in New York, and CodigoDelSur is one hour ahead of us. Half of our team is working within the Pacific Time, with a 4-5-hour difference. It's not the fault of Codigo though, it's just coordination. They've tried to do a good job of arranging their hours in order to meet our schedule.

One of the things that I would look for with regard to Codigo is more development and operations expertise, specifically server configurations and having more expertise in choosing between technologies like Rackspace and Heroku, or configuring Amazon Web Services servers in terms of security requirements. Ultimately, I am looking for a turn-key approach, where Codigo would take care of all requirements and deliver a complete app.

A third issue is in terms of CodigoDelSur’s design skills. We haven't hired them for design, but their lack in this capability has shown for HTML-type projects. Codigo has a culture of coders, as opposed to one of designers. Everything on the web is focused on design and UX, so small details often require a designer's eye. There has been some back-and-forth on elements which weren't picture-perfect. As a design firm, we are very sensitive to this issue. I would say that this is Codigo's biggest area of improvement. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We are what may be described as a mobile applications company. We are trying to solve a problem within the trucking industry.

What is your position?

I am the Chief Technology Officer of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with CodigoDelSur?

We needed a developer who could build our application.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

CodigoDelSur created Android and iOS implementations of a customer and driver app for our company. The driver app is aimed at truckers who haul around dirt, while the customer app is for the people on the job site who are contracting that service. The closest analog to our service is Uber, which posts a need across a network of readily-available people willing to provide the service. We identify the right person for the job through our ranking and identification system. The requests are communicated to the driver through our application.

CodigoDelSur's involvement with our company has been strictly for mobile app development.

How did you come to work with CodigoDelSur?

We were looking to offload some of my efforts, since we're running a lean shop in terms of development. Part of our solution requires a lot of full-stack server and mobile development. In order to increase our velocity, we were looking to bring on a partner that could assist with that development. We reached out to CodigoDelSur through Upwork. At that point, we had already done a good portion of the work for our Android customer application, as well as having built a smaller portion of the iOS version. There had been no work done for the driver portion.

Our process for selecting CodigoDelSur needed to be quick in order to reduce our liability. We considered both contracting the work and hiring internal developers in the beginning. Being in an early-stage startup, we preferred waiting for a couple of years until we could offer someone the guarantee of a long-term employment. Being able to pull talent on without the degree of commitment that comes with it, made us decide to hire a contractor. We considered a list of people, ranking them based on cost, ability to communicate, and ability to work within our time zone. We have been able to improve communication, since all parties were working within the same hours. There was never an occasion of losing a day's work because someone had a question during another partner's night time.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

The total cost of CodigoDelSurs's services has been between $45,000 and $50,000. Had we not made a pause in the development, the cost would be double so far. Much of the development has been based on our ability to resume the timeframe.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our contract with CodigoDelSur lasted from January of 2016 until June. We have recently paused our contract because we're focusing on a more manual solution which does not involve mobile applications. Our tech-based solution was created in order to feel-out the market and get an early read on how people want to interact with technology, as they perform jobs that typically require a lot of paper. As we came to push efforts into that and needed additional efforts to integrate the services that would be needed for the mobile application on the server side, we came to a one-month pause and hope to resume as soon as we can, in order for Codigo to pick up and assist us with server integrations on the mobile application side, as well as finishing out some of the features which we're trying to build into the customer application. We're trying to get the driver application launched first. CodigoDelSur finished 95% of what's needed on that front. As soon as the remaining 5% is built, we are going to take the driver application to market and get it tested by some beta drivers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

I have managed teams in the past. Rather than having CodigoDelSur work according to sprint points and assessments for tracking their velocity, I became involved in their daily standups, which included anyone who was actively working on the team. Codigo assigned a project manager to ensure that the work was going smoothly and there were no blocks on it. Each day, I gauged their performance based on my previous experience. I don't have metrics beyond sprint point velocity, which is already hard to extrapolate into a quantifiable number.

How did CodigoDelSur perform from a project management standpoint?

From my previous involvement with other offshore teams in terms of project management, I have found that developers will typically use platforms like Upwork to track their work, since they're not really business people. CodigoDelSur’s focus is to provide the talent, for which they charge a fee. Many times, the person seeking a product to be developed will need to be the product manager.

With my experience in the field, I didn't have to leverage or put many responsibilities on the project manager, like the card buildout for the tasks to be completed, which was largely done by myself. The cards were reviewed by Codigo's project manager. If there were any questions prior to the software developers receiving the tasks, Codigo got in touch with me to clarify some requirements.

What distinguishes CodigoDelSur from other providers?

CodigoDelSur’s additional management capabilities would be a nice offering for clients who don't interface through a technical person, but I didn't use them very much. They could easily work with non-technical clients and do a fantastic job.

Is there anything CodigoDelSur could have improved or done differently?

Early into the contract, for the first 2-3 months, CodigoDelSur occasionally assigned a more senior developer for doing spot-checks. There was a good degree of confidence that came through that approach, and that developer did a good job. I think that senior developers tend to bring added perspective, even if they're not the main resources on the project. Codigo could do this a bit more, since it didn't continue throughout the entire project. I can only guess what someone with a bit more experience could offer to a project in general but, when there was a senior person working with us, I got the feeling of a more continuous technical insight, besides my daily standup meetings, when I had the opportunity to assist the team.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

Our effort is to create technology aimed at better connecting citizens to probation, parole, and other re-entry services. Prisoners coming out of incarceration have access to a mobile app called Sprocket, while the probation and social services have a web-based tool for controlling the application.

Our business provides a service primarily for probation, but because of the reform movement happening in criminal justice, whereby incarceration periods are being reduced, many offenders are being diverted into community programs. The courts want to know if those in question are actually attending these programs. Our software is also a way of monitoring these programs. This said, our business model includes charging fees to probation offices, courts, or social service agencies which use the platform in order to monitor and guide the offender.

What is your position?

I am the Chief Executive Officer [CEO] and a co-founder of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with CodigoDelSur?

We needed help in developing our platform. We didn't want to have an internal group in the beginning because we wanted to create a minimum viable product fast. Rather than putting together an internal long-term team, we thought that it would be best to go to a third party.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

CodigoDelSur developed our mobile app and built the web-based dashboard for administrators.

How did you come to work with CodigoDelSur?

We interviewed a number of organizations which offered development, both domestic and offshore entities, in order to find who would give us the best services, on-time and on-budget, which were very limited factors for us.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

The total development cost with CodigoDelSur will be in the 6-figure range.

What is the status of this engagement?

There are some tweaks that are being done at the moment in order to integrate the app into the web-based dashboard. I keep in touch with CodigoDelSur frequently. My co-founder, our Chief Operating Officer, has the most interactions with CodigoDelSur. Our relationship has been ongoing since July, 2015.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

Our app is in its pilot phase. Our users seem to be very happy with it. There are a couple of issues which are more about how administrators are responding to certain issues. A tool is only as good as whoever wields it. The responses so far have been less about technical issues, and more about how the tool is being deployed by administrators. We're working with them in order to make them understand how to use it best.

The development process went way better that I'd expected. I have worked with offshore entities for decades, in a number of different industries and in different countries, from Eastern Europe to Asia and South America. This has been the best experience that I've had, both in terms of quality-of-work and also CodigoDelSur’s enthusiasm and dedication to the job.

How did CodigoDelSur perform from a project management standpoint?

Given the tight timeframe and our limited funds, the services we received could have suffered. The quality of CodigoDelSur’s work was always extremely high. They've always been by our side and responded quickly. We work in the Pacific Daylight time zone, so the connection to Uruguay isn't too distant. The collaboration always worked fairly seamlessly. We never felt that they were on the other side of the globe, and there were no language issues. CodigoDelSur has very good English-speaking liaisons. There were no misunderstandings in terms of what we were requiring and what was accomplished by CodigoDelSur.

What distinguishes CodigoDelSur from other providers?

Top to bottom, CodigoDelSur is very impressive. It seemed that, if there were any bumps on the road, their CEO and founder jumped in right away, instead of hiding behind the curtains. Codigo's project managers were also very strong and had a good command of English. The team responds quickly to any issues.

We finished the first build by December of 2015, and went into the pilot phase. There are always little tweaks which need to be done, which can be hard to address when working with an offshore company. The team which was working on the original project will usually be suspended after the release, and the additional costs will be small. Dedicating a new team to the work will be unlikely and the client won't always get the best service. I was surprised in Codigo's case. We asked for tweaks which they turned around quickly. Even though they may have had a different team, they were always on-board and turned things to us with really good quality. If I had to work with an offshore group again, I'd take CodigoDelSur in a second.

Is there anything CodigoDelSur could have improved or done differently?

CodigoDelSur has been fantastic, so it's hard to answer. I've worked with many offshore companies and always had the worry that, when I hung up the phone and left them to do the work, they wouldn't care very much, or even put the team onto a bigger project that would generate more revenue. We knew that we were a small startup business, but Codigo treated us with a lot of respect. I'm very positive about them.