Computools

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CTO of a logistics company. We design global supply chains that enable businesses to deliver products to customers. My responsibilities include organizing distribution operations.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Computools?

Our company is growing rapidly, so we needed an external firm to develop a system capable of managing customer data.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We started our engagement with Computools by determining the project’s budget, scheduling deadlines, and discussing communication methods. Afterward, we held a strategic meeting where we analyzed their proposal and asked questions. They helped us visualize the process by designing a workflow diagram. Then, their project manager and business analyst created a roadmap that outlined the rest of the project.

Before working on the final product, Computools developed an interactive porotype version of the software we requested. That helped us wholly understand what needed to change within our internal systems before we put a lot of money into the project. We agreed to their recommendations, so they started creating our data management system using Java. We use the software to store customer information and service requests. Accessing that data allows us to make informed decisions about how to improve as a business.

What is the team composition?

They allocated a project manager, a business analyst, developers, and several designers.

How did you come to work with Computools?

They were recommended to me by a business partner. After researching the company and some of their previous projects, I decided to hire them.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent roughly $85,000­–$199,000 thus far.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project began in April 2018 and was completed several months later. They continue to update the system as needed.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re satisfied with the quality of work they deliver. They listen and try to understand our needs instead of finding new ways to charge us. I happily recommend them to my colleagues.

How did Computools perform from a project management standpoint?

We’ve never had an issue with communication. They usually interact with us via Skype and Slack. We agreed to a comprehensive project framework, regular online meetings, and a weekly email report. They honored their promises and reacted quickly when we changed the scope of work. They offer reasonable pricing and deliver viable solutions.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We appreciate their transparent work structure. They kept us up-to-date regarding their progress throughout the entire development cycle. Knowing the system’s status throughout the coding process put my mind at ease.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I happy with how they perform, but every company has room for improvement.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be forthcoming with project information and Computools will deliver.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the owner of a small software company called Data Access Inc, based in North Carolina. We provide a custom CRM solution for specialized service/equipment companies.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Computools?

Part of our CRM system is a mobile website for technicians to interact with their jobs. We hired Computools to create a native iOS and Android mobile app to replace our mobile site.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to replace our existing website with a mobile app to give our users a richer, more responsive experience.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I found Computools on Upwork. I interviewed several companies during a trip to Ukraine, and Computools was the easiest choice. Their sales team impressed me by going above and beyond in presenting their process and ensuring I was comfortable with their plans. 

Describe the project in detail.

The Computools team developed the mobile app to perform the same tasks our website offered field technicians. They built scheduling and payment processing features into the app, and created tools for placing orders, resolving appointments, and checking in and out of jobs.

What was the team composition?

I work with one sales representation, a project manager, and two QA testers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The Computools team is still working on the project, but I’m pleased with the progress so far. My team has caused any issues we've had, and their developers have given us no problems.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Skype is our primary form of communication. Since most of my team consists of contracted employees who have other projects, we are often delayed in responding, which slows down the process. The Computools team has been understanding of our situation and work with us patiently.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their team has given us strong learning opportunities, and their developers are accommodating and collaborative. During the few times I’ve worked onsite in their office, I’ve appreciated their relaxed, friendly work environment.

Are there any areas for improvement?

There is nothing that could improve the project, aside from the slow responsiveness of my own team. However, we began the project knowing this could be an issue.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm a CTO at one of Boston's largest fintech companies, which has a digital lending platform focused on secured lending.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Computools?

Our project was based on blockchain technology. We didn't have enough knowledge and resources to complete this project ourselves.

What were your goals for this project?

To improve our business using blockchain technology, enabling us to simplify some financial processes.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We found them through consultants that had experience with outsourcing. We chose them out of several companies after reviewing previous projects and recommendations, and discussing the budget and timelines. It was to our satisfaction so we started to work together.

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

The project was eight months long. They began with studying our processes and laying out a project logic. They then developed a financial service based on innovative blockchain technology. They created a flexible architecture which automates and integrates core business processes such as taking customer orders, scheduling operations, and keeping inventory records and financial data.

What was the team composition?

I was regularly in contact with three people from their team, including the project manager. There was a solution architect, a business analyst, and a UI designer in contact with us too. They also talked to our customers and worked really hard to learn the detail of our business.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We had to meet a significant increase in the development, so we needed to scale up relatively quickly but cost-effectively. The result definitely meets our expectations. The completed project received positive feedback for features and overall design.

Our clients can easily monitor all their financial processes. The innovation brought huge improvements to the effectiveness of our company. Their top-grade work, coding accuracy, and delivery speed increased the work and time efficiency.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

The development team communicated clearly and demonstrated a comprehensive approach that brought success. We had no problems with communication. They've always been very good about reaching out by phone, email, and Skype.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Our good business relationship built on trust and understanding, and they fully reflect these qualities. They're very organized from a project management perspective and they're technically competent. We appreciated their innovativeness, professionalism, and great communication skills. I highly recommend them to others.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

I don’t think there are any areas for them to improve. I think they’re doing a great job.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I used to be the general manager of United Coding, but I’m now a member of the board of directors. We’re an IT development company working with agencies in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Computools?

A major university with 25–27 different PHP CMS and Symphony websites was a new client. As part of a test project, we needed to update all the websites. We had never worked with PHP CMS and Symphony.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The project scope had two parts. First, we needed to close security issues. Second, we needed to develop the university’s entire online presence. To start, we provided Computools with the client’s documentation—wireframes and prototypes—and the team received full access to the sites. They identified problems, which we subsequently communicated to the client. These parts lasted approximately two months each. Computools also consulted us on our own technical issues 24/7.

What is the team composition?

Their team has approximately 15 developers and two technical leads. I’ve served as project manager for the project’s second part.

How did you come to work with Computools?

One of our partners recommended them. We also considered a Ukrainian company, but the interactions with Computools went well from the first meetings. We had worked with Computools before, and we gave them a test for this project. They were aggressive and good at closing technical issues.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $48,000 on the project’s first part.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Computools in September 2017. The team completed work on the websites and we continue to partner with them on other projects. Our relationship with the university is ongoing because it’s such a large project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Computools’ reliability has enabled us to grow our business. They also help us get other projects. Likewise, the code is reliable as well. The client tested it with other programmers and couldn’t find an issue in any of the 27 sites.

How did Computools perform from a project management standpoint?

Computools worked without a contract during the first two months because the client preferred the waterfall methodology. Our company didn’t have a contract, so we couldn’t even subcontract them. During this period, we communicated with the client every Monday. Oleg (CTO, Computools) assisted me with answering questions and preparing presentations. Subsequently, the client pivoted to agile to streamline the workflow.

We now do daily standup sand double-check issues with the client. Computools answers our questions multiple times per day. We used Skype initially but have since switched to Asana.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We trust Computools to deliver on their promises. Although we can’t make precise estimates, nothing has fallen through. The team may work nights because they are always available and have fixes completed by morning. That efficiency has helped us with client relations.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They didn’t understand German and Swiss cultures completely. We’ve always taken the time to double-check that Computools understood the requirements.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

I highly recommend Computools for mobile and web projects. We’ve had a perfect experience.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO of an IT outsourcing company that develops websites and mobile apps.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Computools?

We were hired for development on a project, but we did not have the internal resources to handle it completely on our own. Specifically, we needed backend and iOS developers to work with our own designer, Android developer, QA specialist, and project manager.

What were your goals for this project?

The goal was to create a minimum viable product (MVP) mobile application for iOS and Android.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We chose Computools from among five companies. Their sales manager was the first to respond to our request that indicated we were looking for a team with fast communication skills and detailed and reasonable evaluations. We hired Computools because we initially believed they fit our needs.

Describe the project in detail.

The project involved creating an app that would be used in the healthcare industry. Specifically, the app would have administration panels with statistics and the ability to make payments and manage users. Backend development was to be done using Node.js with real-time data synchronization as the largest development challenge.

What was the team composition?

The Computools team consisted of backend and iOS developers and a project manager to work with our own team of designers and developers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our work with Computools was unsuccessful. The first bad sign was a delay in backend development tasks that were to be done in two-week sprint cycles. The architecture was very poor, and each time we added new a functionality the old ones stopped working. As a result, iOS and Android development was delayed by a month and a half. They eventually replaced their Node.js developer with a more professional one and he managed to fix the main issues in a month.

The iOS version was bad as well. Basic functionality such as registration and login had multiple bugs. Then we faced the next problems when Computools fired their iOS developer and it took a month for a replacement to be hired. The new developer worked less than three weeks before he too was replaced, but it still didn’t solve the issues. When one bug was fixed, three more appeared and we were forced to stop working with Computools. Instead of three months, development took eight and the product still wasn’t ready. By the time we stopped working with Computools there were more than 120 bugs overall and around 30 critical ones. We were forced to rebuild most of the functionality for the iOS version of the app ourselves to get it working.

After ending our partnership with Computools I wrote to their CEO about the situation and asked for possible solutions. In response, he did not take responsibility.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We had daily scrum meetings with them and they never delivered what was planned. Every build was full of bugs.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Maybe the only good thing about working with them was the communication of their account/sales manager. I had the impression that he was doing his best to help us and solve issues.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am in charge of online marketing.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Computools?

We hired them to create online automation and customer flow systems, beginning at the point of inquiry on the website all the way through to acquisition.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal was to simplify the buying process and reduce the customer journey significantly.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I’ve operated in the web development space for over 11 years—I’ve had my own internal team and I’ve also outsourced work to India. I found Computools through research in 2015 and they’ve been a great partner ever since.

Describe the project in detail.

Computools has assisted my business in all sorts of ways, including web development, building CRM [Customer Relationship Management] systems, and API integration for clients across multiple platforms. They’ve been able to wholly understand the needs of my projects and create systems and processes that help streamline client’s progression online.

Explain how the solution addressed your business challenge.

The businesses I own is constantly looking for ways to help reduce client acquisition time and make the customer experience as easy as possible. Computools was able to fully implement the procedures required and they always had a great understanding of what was needed.

What was the team composition?

I worked with 2 developers and both were excellent, and even though the company is not based in the U.K., they were easy to communicate with and always delivered per their high standards of work.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What outcomes or results can you share that demonstrate progress and/or success?

Our customer entry acquisition progression used to take 2–3 weeks, however, as a result of their ongoing development, this has been reduced to 48 hours. All client acquisition and processing is done online and they have helped us to fully optimize our business practices.

How effective was the project management?

Their project management was excellent. The biggest challenge I’ve faced with outsourced companies is communicating exactly how the project will work, but Computools has been the best company I have ever worked with and I strongly recommend them.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I was most impressed with their honesty, integrity, and work ethic. Comparing them to companies I’ve hired before—which are only concerned about taking your money while providing poor customer service—Computools has always been able to manage our projects properly and efficiently, resolving any issues very quickly.

What tips or recommendations do you have?

My recommendation is to stop using other outsourcing companies and work with Computools.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We provide video recordings of user experiences at leisure venues, such as go cart tracks or paintballing arenas. I’m the director.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Computools?

We needed a freelance developer or agency to build our software from scratch.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our videos are normally recorded on wearable cameras. The software allows the user to upload the data from the camera to a computer, and then scrubs the camera memory. The user can then manage everything from the computer, including sharing the finished videos on social media. Computools had the first version of the software completed in about a month.

What is the team dynamic?

Four people from their team worked with us. Sergii [Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Computools] was our initial project manager, and our current manager is Marina [Web Developer, Computools]. They’re located in Ukraine, so most of our communication is via Skype.

How did you come to work with Computools?

We found them through oDesk [Upwork]. We considered three developers for the project, but Computools had the most experience with this kind of software.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $2,000 on the initial build.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started the project late in 2014. We still work together to fix bugs and amend the software.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The functionality is great when it’s working properly. The software does need minding, as it can be buggy and unpredictable at times. Overall, it’s been reliable, and I understand that bugs are normal for this kind of software.

How did Computools perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re great communicators, with great response times. There is a one- or two-hour time difference, but they’re happy to work late to match our schedule. The skills of their project managers are improving all the time.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I can message them any time of day, and I usually have a response back within a few minutes, even late at night. The software is really good, and a good value.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Overall cost has been difficult to predict. Bugs add hours to the schedule, so it’s hard to know what final costs will be.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Get a contract and plan ahead. Even simple feature changes can be costly, so it’s important to know what to expect, and to share your goals and future plans with your software company. Make sure you’re on the same page, especially for the project timeline and potential bugs.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the CEO and founder of a local services and marketing analytics startup.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Computools?

Our startup was formed with a number of engineers and developers in-house who were originally going to build our platform from the ground up, but due to extenuating circumstances, they had to leave the company before the project was complete. We had a limited amount of capital available for contracting out our development work, and it was vital that we find a team to build and launch the product in order to attract investors. Because time and money were a problem, it was most important that they could reverse engineer the original website, simplify the content, and then publish the platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They needed to adapt the original, incomplete platform – built on Angular – into Node.js on the frontend and MongoDB on the backend. During development, they also worked with HTML, CSS, Javascript, MySQL, and other tools as needed. Computool’s primary objective was to simplify the central concept of the platform, refactor the code base, and launch a much more straightforward concept as a minimum viable product. When that was ready, we planned on releasing it to online pilot communities for their feedback. Unfortunately, we could only afford to engage Computools through the completion of a basic version of our desired product, and as such we had to suspend the contract until we can acquire further investment capital.

What is the team dynamic?

Computools’ team consisted of one project manager, two developers, one quality assurance tester, one designer, and a web page formatting specialist. Select team members were only engaged part time.

How did you come to work with Computools?

After a friend referred them, I studied their offerings and determined that their online reviews were suitable and the pricing was reasonable.

How much have you invested with them?

They charged $25/hour, but I do not have a final figure available.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began our collaboration in February 2017 and it had concluded by the end April, even though the product is not officially complete.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They were able to successfully release a working version of our desired platform. Since the project was incomplete at the time of the engagement’s conclusion, however, we do not have concrete evidence to share in terms of the success of their development work.

How did Computools perform from a project management standpoint?

As is the case with most development firms, it was clear from the start that their focus is on their own business, rather than prioritizing helping us to achieve our own goals. Their team often went the extra mile in terms of overtime hours spent working to complete their tasks on schedule. A few deadlines were missed due to stability issues inherent to finishing a dev sprint on Agile, which is to be expected. There were periodic miscommunication issues (wherein they did not fully understand the concept of what I had requested), but overall they handled everything professionally.

What did you find most impressive about them?

These Ukranian developers had a level of technical competency that I had not seen in any other web dev teams around the world. Their fluency in English, despite it being at least the developers’ second language, was both welcome and particularly admirable.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Do your due-diligence on the team being assigned to you to ensure that they are the people most suited to your needs. Keep track of the hours they spend on the work, and make sure you are willing to pay for all the hours billed.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a company that develops and supports a suite of public safety products and other applications in public and private markets. We also engage in custom software project development, often incorporating an offshore component.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Computools?

With the growth of the security video market, we decided to develop a software system that would allow private security camera owners to register their cameras with local police departments. When an incident happens, the police could access a map-based database of security cameras. This way, police officers can determine if any of the cameras were located close to the incident and may possibly contain pertinent visual information. Video recordings stored in such cameras could greatly benefit the police in their investigative work.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We are a development organization, so we had our people checking the proposals. We agreed to Computools’ proposed architecture and technologies. They wanted to do the work on PHP Symfony and MySQL, which all sounded good.

Once we finalized the specifications, they came up with a schedule that we thought was good and fair. After that, we began the development phase. We discussed the design and then followed up the development process, having regular status report meetings on Skype. We checked on them, and they reported to us on a weekly basis.

What is the team dynamic?

We work with two people—a developer and a resource on the architecture side.

How did you come to work with Computools?

We had already worked with Computools on several projects, so it was an easy decision to select them as software developers. They clearly possessed the technical expertise to develop the software. We had several reasons for choosing them, including their flexibility and price.

How much have you invested with them?

Computools provided us with an estimate and delivered the product within that estimate. Based on our experience, we felt that the estimate was fair.

What is the status of this engagement?

The initial phase of the development took about two months. We’ve decided to significantly expand the functionality of the software. Currently, Computools is still working with us on this project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The first phase went very well, and we were very pleased. The final product had the functionality we agreed upon. We examined the code and found it well written. The quality of the product was very good, that's why we didn't hesitate to engage Computools in the development of phase two of the product.

This is not the first time we’ve used an outsourced organization, but Computools is really one of the best that we’ve worked with. They’re absolutely honest, and I haven’t experienced any problems in that respect. Overall, the experience has been very positive. It is more advantageous to have some of our people working on internal projects or projects with our customers while we use Computools to develop something at a reasonable price.

How did Computools perform from a project management standpoint?

The project development is managed internally by Computools, so we are mostly overseeing the process. The project management is included in the price, so we do not have to pay for the extra manpower they provide in managing the project internally. For example, when they say “500 man hours,” that is development man-hours. The internal management that they’ve provided is included, which was very good. It alleviates some of the pressure U.S.-based organizations have when they have to spend more of their own manpower to run projects. In that respect, all we had to do was a higher level of follow-up.

What I like about Computools is their communication skills and their ability to hit deadlines on time. They perform on schedule, and the delivery is good in terms of quality. I don't have any problems communicating with them. They write all of the reports in English. They use Redmine, a project management tool, and that was all in English.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They have a very positive attitude, which I enjoy a lot, and their technical skills are impressive. During this project, I got acquainted with their VP in charge of technical development, and he’s very impressive. Technologically, they are on the cutting edge of what they do, even if they don't do everything. They use a lot of interesting technologies, which is good.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The developers are in Ukraine, so their English is not perfect. They will have to work on it, and I understand that they are doing so. If there is something they could improve, their English skills would probably be it.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a U.S.-based SaaS platform that combines hundreds of applications and coordinates the different systems to act as one. Our initial focus is on marketing systems that handle artwork creation.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Computools?

The challenge we have is immense because there are thousands of potential applications to integrate with. The opportunity is to become a single platform that best combines all of the different systems into one solution.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We used PHP and Node.js as the development languages. PHP is our “legacy” version and Computools is redoing it on Node.js. The platform itself is comprised of a bunch of different integrations. We integrate many different applications together to provide one single system that our users are able to access.

We combined emails, CRM, digital asset management, product information management, workflow, and any flavor of those that the client might have when joining. For example, if a user has a CRM that they’re already happy with, we can integrate that CRM into our system, but they will see the same interface. Whether you’re switching from Salesforce or some other CRM, the user interface on our side looks exactly the same.

What is the team dynamic?

After choosing Computools, I started bringing on one to two people a week from their team. After one guy was trained, he would then start training the next guy so that I didn’t have to train them. I now have over 12 people from their team working on this project.

How did you come to work with Computools?

I was contacted on LinkedIn by one company who, after hearing my requirements, said that they wouldn't be able to fulfil them. They then referred me to Computools. Computools provided me with the initial developer to start with and he did a great job. At that time, I was trying out two other companies and Computools was the only one that was proficient.

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent $50,000 a month for the last two months because the project has ramped up. So far, we’ve spent at least $200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

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

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

When we first launched our product at the beginning of the year, we were at 30,000 users a month and now we’re at 70,000. The bump in users is a result of the increased option rate and the new toys that Computoolls have built for me. We’re about to start onboarding 600,000 people in two weeks.

How did Computools perform from a project management standpoint?

Computools has been great on delivery. We had some hiccups in the beginning, but that was because I was bringing on too many of their developers too quickly and I didn’t have enough support on my side to handle it. It was definitely not on them. It was more of a limitation on my side.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They are very accommodating. They have very talented people. I’ve worked with hundreds of overseas developers and it’s not normal to have such excellent overseas developers. I don’t have to babysit Computools. They speak great English. They’ve also really helped with making suggestions on how to improve the product. A lot of overseas development teams will just do what they’re told and don’t really provide any thought into what they’re doing. Computools definitely does a great job at that.

I highly recommend Computools, they have been an exceptional partner and we will continue to use them for the foreseeable future.

Are there any areas they could improve?

When we were ramping up, there were some problems. I asked for more developers when I should have asked for more business analysts, which in turn caused problems because the developers didn't understand everything completely. We should have slowed down initially to understand the whole system.