DigitalSuits - Shopify Plus Partner

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a  development company building AI recommendation systems. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with DigitalSuits?

We were looking for a partner that could help us build a Spotify integration and application. We needed a partner well-versed in Shopify and back- and frontend development. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

DigitalSuits integrated Shopify with our APIs and then developed a corresponding app for the Shopify App Store. This project connected all of our services and APIs through a Shopify ecosystem. 

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with 4–5 teammates from DigitalSuits, including back- and frontend developers, a project manager, a code reviewer, and a product advisor who works on the app’s UX.

How did you come to work with DigitalSuits?

Not a lot of companies build Shopify apps, so we ended up finding DigitalSuits online. We had several exploratory meetings with them to evaluate their expertise. The price quote they gave us fit our company and our project, so we hired them. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested $35,000–$40,000 with DigitalSuits. 

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement with ​​DigitalSuits began in October 2021, and it’s ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

DigitalSuits has successfully completed this project, and we’re planning to begin another one quite soon — the app will deploy in just a few weeks. We had quite a complicated project, but DigitalSuits managed to lead and support us during a war.

How did DigitalSuits perform from a project management standpoint?

Despite being in the middle of a war, DigitalSuits’ team has been very responsive and has deployed every aspect of the project on time. They’ve delivered projects within our budget. We use Jira to track project progress and communicate via Slack.

What did you find most impressive about them?

DigitalSuits has excellent communication, and they are very responsive and professional. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I have nothing for ​​DigitalSuits to improve. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I’d advise customers to have a very clear project plan. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Operations Director of Ask Phill, an E-commerce Agency for D2C brands, based in Amsterdam. We develop brand experiences and e-commerce websites for international clients on Shopify (Plus), both headless and standard Shopify builds. We are also a Shopify Plus Partner.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We needed flexible additional development resources on a few of our projects, and after strict interviews and code assessments, we decided to collaborate with DigitalSuits. Over the months, we have been working with a few of their best Shopify developers on a dedicated basis, to work together with our internal developers on great projects.

SOLUTION

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

Good communication, transparent service proposition, fair pricing, collaborative and very flexible business attitude.

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

Several projects on Shopify, working with our own Shopify starter. A Scrum way of working with sprints, collaborate with and report to our PO/PM and also communicate with the client.

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

Around 6 of them: 3 developers, 1 tech lead, a project manager and de CEO.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The projects were broken down into multiple scoped tasks, for instance pages or sections. They were done without much rework in most cases. The developers understood the work fast, and picked up at the right pace. Most tasks were done within the estimated time.

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

Easy, flexible but professional communication via email and Slack. Open and thinking along towards solutions. Helpful and collaborative. Projects were managed in a structured way, very clearly.

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

Transparency, collaborative and proactive attitude and way of working. Great communication with the CEO, financial agreements and contracts were done fast and efficient. They really cared about us and took ownership when finding the right solution.

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

No.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am Co-founder of the recruiting agency and Software development company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We hired DigitalSuits to develop a custom eCom store to speed up the process and deliver it within the timeline.

SOLUTION

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

We completed couple of rounds of interviews. Base on the interview and their portfolio we made a decision to work with DigitalSuits.

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

We have a project vision but they had to gather all the requirements to prepare a scope of work. Their involvement was impressive. They provided a detailed plan of work split into milestones. We had a requirement to build a Shopify Plus store and their experience in it was the key point of our work.

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

Project manager, Shopify tech lead, 2 developers, a designer and QA.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We met the deadline and the quality of the project is at a high level.

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

They use Slack, Jira, and weekly demo to let us know about the progress. It was more than enough for us as they are very responsive to transparent in communication.

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

We appreciated their involvement in the process and transparency in communication. There was no feeling that it's a cooperation between client and supplier, but mostly like people who know each other for a long time. Their flexibility and commitment.

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

I think they need to increase their team to handle more projects.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a web development shop based in Japan. We build web and smartphone apps mostly for Japanese clients. I work with our Ukrainian development partners as a bridge or project manager for Japanese clients.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with DigitalSuits?

I had a project involving Shopify app development, but it was difficult to find partners with deep knowledge of the platform in Japan. We only knew companies who could create Shopify sites without implementing a lot of customization. However, our customer was looking to finish a project that required heavy-duty backend work.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

For the first project, DigitalSuits developed a menu and ordering app where restaurant customers could order through their smartphones. Shopify was used as a backend because the client wanted to cut down on development time to complete the proof of concept (POC).

The team is now completing our second project, which has nothing to do with Shopify. They’re using another custom API to complete a musical web app, which allows customers to order things online. The two apps are quite similar on the frontend, but what’s happening on the backend is quite different.

What is the team composition?

I’m the single point of contact on my side, and I serve as a bridge to our clients. On the DigitalSuits side, I normally work with two frontend engineers, 1–2 backend engineers, a part-time DevOps engineer, and a project manager. The DevOps engineer is in charge of setting up the environment and infrastructure.

I’ve also talked to Artem (CEO) at the beginning of a project, and they have a part-time CTO who works with us every few days. He oversees the engagement, helps with decisions on architecture, takes part in decision-making on what type of setup or technology we should use, and more.

How did you come to work with DigitalSuits?

I came across DigitalSuits on Clutch or a similar website. Shopify companies tend to be more-or-less specialized in Shopify, but building custom apps were not their strong suit. As a result, when we found out that Digital Suits had a dedicated team for building custom apps, we decided to hire them. Another consideration we had was their expertise in Shopify.

How much have you invested with them?

The first project cost around $40,000, and they’re going to charge more or less the same for the second one. Right now, they’re charging me around $15,000 per month for the second project, and we’re set to complete it within three months.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing partnership started in December 2020. Our first project ended in March 2021, and we started another project in mid-August 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The Shopify project worked well, but we faced some limitations with the backend, so it remained in the POC stage for a long time. However, the client was generally happy with what we delivered. We were able to provide them with a unique skill set that was very hard to find in Japan.

On top of that, we made the right decisions around the technologies we needed to build the apps. As a result, they keep hiring us for more projects — it’s not easy, but we’re making solid progress with them.

The good thing about the client is that they’re also a tech company, and the person I’m working with there is a project manager and developer. He’s methodical and doesn’t dump random things on us. They're an easy client to deal with from that standpoint, but they obviously have their expectations, and we’ve exceeded what they wanted to get from us.

How did DigitalSuits perform from a project management standpoint?

I’m very happy with DigitalSuits. They’ve provided us with a different project manager for each of our projects. The manager I’m working with now is young and has made some errors, but she doesn’t get offended when I give feedback. It wasn’t easy in the beginning because we had different expectations and ways of doing things, but we’ve made adjustments, and everything is going smoothly now. In fact, we chat and have become friends with their project manager. 

We receive daily update calls from them. We also use tools such as GitHub Issues, Slack, and Google Meet. Overall, DigitalSuits offers a complete package. They have good project management skills, and their CTO is involved with our projects.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re a young company, but they seem to be skilled with different projects. We also like that they don’t just throw engineers at us and let us deal with it. We’ve worked with a lot of companies in Ukraine because their country has a reputation for having good engineers. However, at the end of the day, we have to work with teams; we can’t just hire a super-engineer and have that person do everything.

Additionally, I don’t like pushing them to work overtime, but they’re willing to do it. It shouldn’t be a requirement, but it shows that they’re dedicated.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They’re busy, and resources can be an issue, but that applies to everybody. Despite that, we always make adjustments; if I have a suggestion about the workflow or anything else, we talk about it and find a solution.

Overall, DigitalSuits is pretty good, and I can’t think of anything in particular for them to improve. Building an app isn’t an easy job so I can’t just let them handle it and come back three months later to find everything working perfectly.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Im CEO and Co-founder of Soyuz Brands GmbH. Soyuz Brands is a new innovative and exciting Berlin-based DTC brand-builder focused on e-commerce and social media trends. We are psyched about creating brands in health, beauty, and sports categories, which are loved by consumers and making a meaningful impact on their lifestyle. We are obsessed with innovation, creativity, quality, and simplicity, making sure our products are to the highest standards and expectations of our customers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We hired DigitalSuits to build an e-commerce platform for our Athleisure and Sportswear brand ME ON ME. we choose the Shopify platform and the main challenge was to adapt it to the CIS market ecosystem.

SOLUTION

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

We searched for recommendations through our network and partners, as well as online. Afterward, we shortlisted studios and scheduled online meetings to get to know the teams better. After we chose DigitalSuits, the Clutch reviews were also quite helpful as a positive factor to lean towards starting cooperation with DigitalSuita.

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

The project was kicked off from scratch, so we started from choosing a platform for the development, 3 options were considered - Shopify, Woo commerce and Ad Cart (which is quite popular in CIS markets). Decided to proceed with Shopify, afterwards chooses the theme to work with as a speed of launch was the main priority for us. Afterwards the team created all the needed functionality quite fast, within a month and we went live. Now we are in the process of constant improvements of the website to boost conversions.

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

3 people - Project manager, CTO, and Developer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our main goal was to launch within a short period of time, and they achieved that. Also with the front-end functionality we required.

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

we had weekly regular calls to check the status of the project and define the next steps. We are using Slack as a daily communication tool

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

Customer service is great, very responsive, and fast. Reporting on hours spent on the project is also very transparent and detailed.

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

We had other back-end tasks like payment gateway integrations and fulfillment integration, after evaluating the task we both decided that it's better for us to work with a local developer who partially created a needed solution. I appreciate honesty and following our (customer) interest from the side of DigitalSuits.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a co-founder of a direct-to-consumer e-commerce startup.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with DigitalSuits?

We needed to develop a website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We provided designs, which were done with another vendor. They developed our website on Shopify.
They created a custom template to bring our designs to life. They also did API integration and created an algorithm.

What is the team composition?

Yana (Customer Service Representative) is the project manager. There is also a lead full-stack developer, a junior frontend developer, a part-time backend developer, and a QA specialist. We interacted with Artem (CEO) at the beginning of the engagement.

How did you come to work with DigitalSuits?

We found them on Clutch. We liked their experience with startups and e-commerce projects, as well as their reasonable pricing. They also had good suggestions for solutions to specific challenges we faced.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $10,000–$49,999

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together around July 2020, and the project ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The website is getting traffic, with good conversion rates and sales. We are satisfied with the work they are doing for us.

How did DigitalSuits perform from a project management standpoint?

Overall, they did a good job. We communicate via Slack, and they are extremely responsive.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They have creative solutions and are great problem-solvers. We were happy with the effectiveness of the solutions they presented. They're also dedicated to completing tasks given to them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could hire more people to help the project manager avoiding being overloaded. There were times when she was unable to allocate her time as effectively as we would’ve preferred. We also found some minor bugs, so they could pay a bit more attention to detail.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have clear plans and estimates. Take time on negotiations to make sure everyone is aligned on scope, timelines, and expectations. Stay involved on a daily basis to keep things moving.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the owner of the company Company specialties in online marketing and affiliate tracking platform

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Our tracking technology involved multiple types of development skills. Involving PHP, JS, DB, Servers, and many more. Our goal was to learn our system and develop any additional features and improvements to it.

SOLUTION

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

I found them on the Upwork platform. I choose them mostly because they seem to be a very loyal and professional company.

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

The project was the first to learn a complex system involving Shopify API, BigCOmmerece API, WooCOmmerece API, node.js, php server and DB structure. At first we setup successfully all environments and then started to develop.

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

2 tech 1 for Project managment and consulting 1 for developing & support the project

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

After complete development, we see everything is working fine and we have full support for our complex system application

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

Comminucatio is great They have very good English skills and project management, great team!

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

They really care about our business and would like us to achieve success. Also, they are very very responsive which is great while working onboard.

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

Not much - overall is great

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Artisan Revere is a US super steel kitchen knife maker. I'm the owner.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We hired DigitalSuits to develop our website in conjunction with our designer. Our goals were to get the site pixel-perfect compared to our designs. We also needed some help ensuring that our site logic was correct for a variety of things like add-on products, variants, etc.

SOLUTION

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

I selected DigitalSuits after interviewing approximately 10 agencies. I hired a software engineer to consult for me as we interviewed various agencies. We were 100% aligned that DigitalSuits was the best agency for us.

Their team is extremely responsive and always tries to help. They're a pleasure to work with.

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

The deliverable was an e-commerce store: artisanrevere.com. The site needed to be responsive for mobile and flexible in a variety of ways. Our store was built in Shopify.

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

I worked closely with Yana, a project manager, and two developers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our site is far easier to navigate. Unfortunately, I can't share any metrics, other than to say, DigitalSuits achieved everything we asked for.

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

Yes, absolutely. Project management is superb. Yana did an amazing job.

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

Leadership is involved in every step of the process. They're also extremely focused on making sure results achieve your standards. They'll keep making changes until you're satisfied.

Are there any areas for improvement?

One issue was QA/QC. Building a website requires tremendous attention to detail. We found some small issues, but the team was always eager to fix them and did so ASAP.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a software design and development company, and I’m the CEO of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with DigitalSuits?

We needed an e-commerce development team for two of our projects.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They started building from scratch, using Shopify. The application includes headless e-commerce, so e-commerce features are able to run independently of Shopify. The platform is maintained through a CMS system, making it easy for the client to edit and input new information. The web app was built using React. 

What is the team composition?

I worked directly with the CTO, a project manager, and a developer. There were other teammates working in the background. 

How did you come to work with DigitalSuits?

I met with the CEO and CTO before hiring them, and they were pretty confident about their ability to deliver. Their experience with Shopify was impressive, and they were willing to take on challenges. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $30,000 on their services. 

What is the status of this engagement?

The first project was built from June–September 2020. Since then, we’ve started another project with them and continue to rely on them for maintenance.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’re an accountable team that has experience in the industry. Even when they don’t immediately know an answer to our questions, they take the time to dig for a technical solution. They’re a great team to collaborate with.  

How did DigitalSuits perform from a project management standpoint?

Their availability, project management, and sense of accountability are great. We never have to hold their hand through issues, which is a big reason why we continue to work with them. We communicate with them through Slack, Google Drive, Jira, and Zoom. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their accountability was the most important. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could have been more thorough budgeters from the beginning of the project. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They’re a great team.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Laurus Law is a firm of Solicitors representing clients on matters relating to estate planning and administration, property sale and purchase and family. I am the Chairman of the company

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire DigitalSuits?

They have developed a case management application that allows our users and clients to more seamlessly interact with each other.

What were your goals for this project?

The main goal is to digitalize and automate the current process of buying/selling property on the UK market which takes from 6 to 12 weeks on average.

RPA solutions in the documentation, identity verification, data collection, and other processes will reduce time to receive a mortgage offer, conveyancing including signing and exchanging contracts, and then to complete the sale/purchase.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

My Partner suggested them as he had been working with them and still working.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

They provided full-cycle, project management, development, QA, DevOps. They are responsible for every delivery cycle and doing it well.

What was the team composition?

The team has about 6 people, but certain individuals would be assigned depending on the skills needed. I have a stable project manager who is our direct and permanent point of contact, his manager who has a deeper understanding of the product and a technical leader who joins our meetings depending on the requirements.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We are about to go-live, so I don’t have any performance that demonstrates the impact yet, but I have strong expectations about it. DigitalSuits team has been highly motivated and invested in the project in terms of the time and energy they put into their work. They always go above and beyond.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Project manager is very dedicated and responsible. I always have reports about any updates and releases. They regularly communicate well. We use email and Google meet for communication and weekly calls.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

DigitalSuits dug deeper into the business and the idea to have a better understanding of the business and the market. They quickly grasped what we wanted to do and have designed and delivered solutions to achieve this.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, I'm very happy working with them and looking forward to doing their work with the same level of commitment.