Digitalya OPS

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the head of the reporting team for DALOG Diagnosesysteme GmbH. We provide online condition monitoring for global customers. We remotely monitor critical machines, including gearboxes and electrical motors. We predict failures in advance to reduce production and maintenance costs and avoid unplanned equipment stoppages.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Digitalya OPS?

We were updating our reporting system but our in-house programmers didn't have the development expertise to do so. We had been sending PDF reports, which were quite static, but wanted our customers to be able to interact with the data.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Digitalya OPS has digitalized our reports so that our findings, conclusions, and recommendations are visible on a web platform. At the start of the project, they helped us design the web platform. We provided Digitalya OPS with an overall concept, and they designed the UX/UI, including the layout and presentation of data on the screen. Then, we discussed what tools they would use to develop the platform's frontend. We agreed on React, and Digitalya OPS explained the capabilities of various packages to build graphs to display the data. We purchased the license once we chose a package together.

The web platform consists of three main components. The first is the machine’s history, which contains a chat and task system so we can communicate with our customers and distribute tasks. This component also enables document uploads so our customers can share information about the machine. The second component is trend visualization, where clients can visualize data on the screen, adjust the timeframe, group and export signals, and analyze the data. The third component is raw data analysis, which allows the machine to be analyzed in greater detail. 

They continue to support the platform by fixing any bugs and adding new features. They exchange codes and distribute tasks with our in-house programmer. Digitalya OPS develops the frontend core, and our programmer implements the software on our web platform.

What is the team composition?

We interact with 5–6 of their teammates. The project’s team leader organizes the meetings and oversees the team. We also work with a consultant, a web designer, and three programmers.

How did you come to work with Digitalya OPS?

We interviewed several software development companies. Digitalya OPS demonstrated they had the ability to deliver this project; they had worked on similar projects in the past. 

How much have you invested in them?

The total project cost is over €100,000 (approximately $107,000 USD); we’ve spent €80,000 (approximately $86,000 USD) so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

The partnership began in September 2022, and it is still ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Digitalya OPS has delivered a good product we can share with our customers and use daily. They’re very knowledgeable about development tools; the platform they’ve built is more interactive than our previous report system, and they’ve optimized the UX/UI. However, there are still additional features that we want to implement.  

How did Digitalya OPS perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project organization is good. They work in a Scrum methodology. They run meetings well, accept feedback, and make necessary changes. We have two meetings per week where they check in about task prioritization. Every two weeks, we have a sprint review meeting where they show us what they’ve achieved in the past two weeks. We compare it with the agreed-upon action items for the sprint and define the tasks for the next sprint. 

In addition to the regular meetings, we also have feedback meetings where our in-house engineers give feedback on what needs to be changed or added. Digitalya OPS interacts closely with one of our programmers, which is ideal for us.

We use Azure DevOps for project management, Google Meet for meetings, and the Microsoft Teams chat function for quick communication. Azure DevOps connects to Microsoft Teams; when a new task is created, or confirmation is required to merge code with the existing code, we get a notification in Microsoft Teams and can react quickly.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re a very well-organized and well-structured team.

Are there any areas they could improve?

In the beginning, we had chosen a software package that we assumed was free, but in the end, we had to buy the license. It would’ve been great if they had researched license requirements in advance.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Regular meetings are important; it’s best to stick to the structure that Digitalya OPS sets at the beginning of the project. It’s also important to provide feedback to them in a timely manner so that they stay on schedule.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Portl provides fun and engaging in-car entertainment and targeted advertising solutions for riders and brands respectively. Portl software is live in thousands of Lyft and Uber vehicles across North America.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Digitalya OPS?

After COVID we were left without our team of Developers. We were looking for a quick and long term solution to ensure we did not see any downtime on our network. We were looking for seasoned developers who care about code quality, customer experience and are passionate about complex, interactive applications with a thoughtful UX/UI.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

After researching multiple offshore teams we found Digitalya through a recommendation from a fellow Techstars Alum. After a few calls we quickly realized that the team thought carefully about architecture and the full software lifecycle, scalability, and reliability.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

It is difficult to list out everything the Digitalya team has done. They have completely taken over the project and added significant benefit to product planning. The scope includes but is not limited to: - Classify issues & new features in Jira and manage the task backlog - Organize and plan agile sprints by prioritizing features, infrastructure tasks, and bug fixes across multiple applications - Communicate effectively through end of sprint reports and coordinate with different teams about tasks for the next Sprint - Design, build and maintain quality, scalable, secure and high-performance web applications for desktops and mobile devices - Help maintain existing Android Applications on the Google Play Store and provide improvements when necessary.

Participate in the technical design and implement product design iterations and experiments including automated test development, deployment, and code maintenance - Drive technical discussions on software architecture and testing, investigate alternatives and technologies to ensure we do not compromise on quality and performance - Mentor and support other team members by doing regular code reviews and applying your experience in process and technical leadership - Identify opportunities for innovation, improve the application deployment process from development to test to live - Work closely with operations to build and scale back-end services Develop and maintain integrations to multiple advertising partners and SSPs

What was the team composition?

• 1 Backend
• 1 Frontend
• 1 Product 
• 1 QA

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Several. We have launched 4 new revenue streams with the help of the Digitalya team. Our revenues have grown by over 50% and continue to climb with new additions being launched. They were paramount in the raising of our Seed round.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Excellent. The team is not shy to hop on a call with vendors we are working with on partnerships and help them across the line. We talk regularly throughout the day on Slack and have a standing morning meeting to discuss progress and blockers.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

We have been on the same page since our first calls with Digitalya. I felt like the team understands the vision. They have helped our non-technical team think through all potential outcomes and suggest solutions themselves. They have provided us with a level of comfort we were looking for in a Dev team. The team is not worried to provide their input which we love. We were not sure an offshore team would be able to be as effective as an in-house team, but we were wrong. .

Is there any area for improvement or anything that could have been done differently?

Nothing in their control. The only issue is the difference in time-zone. But this rarely is an issue :)

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO and was also responsible for the work with Digitalya.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Digitalya OPS?

We needed a simple and new re-design of our social network app SipTogether. The design should be intuitive and still implement all of our features.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We were in a common slack group and then we started chatting. We scheduled a quick call and after a few weeks, we started the work.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

The project was just set for one week so there were three or four video calls with the UX designer. The first call we had was to give an overview about the project, our current design and to set some goals for the work together. We could easily talk to the designer if something was missing or needed a re-work and at the end of the project / the week, everything we wanted was there.

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

We mainly worked with the UX designer but the administrative part was with the CEO.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We got a little bit of feedback from some of our beta users and the feedback was good. But in the next weeks we will test and continue developing on the new re-design.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

It was a smaller project with just two people (me and the UX designer) involved , therefore the workflow was easy and simple.

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

It's always easy to talk to the UX designer, and he really understands our vision for the app.

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

No, everything went smooth.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

SparkChange is a provider of specialist carbon investment products and data, serving global institutions and their clients. In my role as Head of Product and Partnerships, I work with the development team to build analytics products.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Digitalya OPS?

We had the idea and some high-level wireframes for our first analytics product and needed designs that we could implement for our MVP and to bring the product to the market.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We found them via our network and they were available immediately and as flexible as we needed them to.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

The main objective of the project was to turn an idea into a MVP design. For this, we worked with the designer Alex. He started by setting up an information architecture, then developed an overall product structure and then designed each feature individually.

He worked in Figma, using Highcharts and Material UI to ensure it was in line with the technology we use for the implementation.

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

We worked directly with the UX/UI designer Alex during this entire project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Over the course of the project, Alex managed to very quickly design a full MVP that we have now implemented and will release to customers early next year. He helped us to agree on an MVP within two weeks, allowing us to quickly go to market.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Alex and the team and Digitalya were very easy to work with. He easily integrated with the team, was proactive in presenting his results and reliable with his deliveries.

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

The team was very flexible to work with us on the timelines that we were working with. Alex also very quickly picked up the basics of carbon markets as needed for this project, this was impressive as this is a very niche market that he was not familiar with.

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

For some decisions, I would have appreciate more input from Alex, so we could have benefitted more from his expertise.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the owner of an IT and Software consulting and development company. We help our clients to improve their processes and to transform their businesses for the digital era.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We developed an integrated HCP platform to support customer interactions for our healthcare client. As we needed to scale the project team with short notice we hired Digitalya to support our work and to speed up production. By doing so we aim to be more flexible and can react quicker on changing conditions with our client.

SOLUTION

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

We asked our network for references and recommendations and shortlisted a few. After interviewing them, we chose Digitalya as vendor based on their general skills, their past projections as well as their reputation for being a competent and reliable partner.

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

We started with a kick-off meeting and an onboarding process in regards of the already ongoing project and its objectives and dependencies. Quickly the team was able to start with smaller development tasks within the given infrastructure and delivered great results right from the start. After a while they started delivering whole projects on their own within time and budget and also took responsibilities for infrastructure and architecture decisions as well as testing strategies and so became an integral part of the team.

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

We have currently three frontend developers in the team as well as an test and QA specialist. A project manager was our main point of contact since starting this journey together.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We drastically reduced delivery times for new projects and therefore are also able to handle more projects in parallel in the same amount of time. This provides more options for our client in regards of flexible reactions on short-term changes.

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

We have a bi-weekly dev meetings with the whole team as well as daily stand-ups with the project manager. We communicate via dedicated team chat via Mattermost, using a shared ticket system (Redmine) and GitLab for code versioning and deployments.

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

They have a high work ethic but still maintain a great spirit of practical solutions if needed. There's an ongoing communication within the whole team and always a contact at hand for any questions. The overall handling is very easy and uncomplicated.

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

When starting we had some minor communication errors which we could have adressed earlier. But that was based on the fact that the whole team needed to come together rather shortly and was definetly not their fault.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder, owner, and managing partner for 2assistU, a small, mid-sized company in Switzerland.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Digitalya OPS?

We encountered various challenges in quality control activities that included internal and external quality control and documentation. We also wanted to find digitalization that’s easy to use and gets the most benefits.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We had a kickoff meeting about four years ago. We had our ideas on paper as far as what we wanted to achieve. We also had tight schedules and development phases because our company is also working for the authorities in Switzerland.

After two to three months, we had the reviews and the project meetings in order to really keep on track with the software development. We’re now able to conduct quality control activities, from the planning to the execution, reporting to reviewing all open activities all automatically.

The app is intended for small and mid-sized companies that have to conduct based on their International Organization for Standardization ISO certification. If someone is conducting audits, inspections, and tests, this system enables them to invite the auditee directly who is going to conduct the audit out of the system, creating such activities and reporting activities during the audit. We even have a web-based application for iPads, which can also be synchronized to have all of the reports in the system.

What is the team composition?

We were very happy because of their team size, and we had direct contact with the CEO and development team. It was basically top management, and we had weekly and bi-weekly calls with the developers.

How did you come to work with Digitalya OPS?

One of our managing partners was the one leading the project. He searched for a few weeks for good companies. The companies had to be in Europe so that we could reach them in the same time zone.

He kept us up to speed regarding his developments, and finally, he said that Digitalya OPS was the one. Not only because of their references, but because of the personal feedback and people. Their very strong team was interested in our case.

How much have you invested with them?

It’s around €150,000 (approximately $179,000 USD), but we’re still developing the system according to the customer’s specifications.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing engagement started in the first quarter of 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We look at the software and whether it is functional after all the testing. The biggest benefit is that we’re using the software and prior to deploying the system to all customers. We’re heavily testing it internally. I think that’s the best indication of a KPI that we can have.

We’ve had further developments over the last few months, and it’s about the speed of deployment. If a customer requests something, we have a quotation and deployment phase, which they’re very quick with.

How did Digitalya OPS perform from a project management standpoint?

We had some challenges where we also had to guide them, not from an IT and development aspect, but just overall project management. That was really only in the beginning, and now they’re really up to speed. If there was a challenge, they were able to address all of those challenges directly. Things were really being taken care of if there were challenges.

We have weekly meetings and pending item lists. They’re working with different systems in order to track the development level and management level. Things are working fine now. Jira is used by the developers, and on a management level, we work with Trello.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’m impressed with the way they tackle things. It is never a no. If we do have a bug, they have a very positive attitude to tackle new challenges. They also have stability in the project team. There is one guy who has been on our account from day one, which helps a lot.

Are there any areas they could improve?

As I mentioned before, I would say the overview of the project management. At this current phase, the offers, reviews, and statistics always look the same. We try to get an overview of some challenges we’re having in the project as quickly as possible, and I think it would help if they standardized their working tools more.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

We have set it up where we have a person who knows something about IT development on our team. This isn’t just for working with their team, but I know that after being a part of so many IT projects, that it is very advisable to have a counterpart in your company like an IT businessperson who can be in between.

They don’t have to know how to program, but that person should know how developers think, and I would really strongly advise having that bridge. Otherwise, I think we would have had many more challenges if I, being a simple user, would’ve directly been put into the project team of Digitalya OPS because there are certain things I just don’t understand.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the network administrator for a digital advertising company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Digitalya OPS?

We needed to build a mobile application.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Digitalya helped us with strategy and developed a mobile application from scratch for iOS and Android. The app allows agencies to track their advertising campaigns. A live streaming feature will enable them to see their ads when they run on our screens, and they can view all campaign-related documents. Another feature allows users to create campaigns from scratch, choosing banners, budgets, and everything else.

Initially, we had a desktop platform. We gave Digitalya access to our backend, including databases, customer APIs, and so on. They integrated all of it into the mobile app.

Their team is currently working with us to integrate new features and functions.

What is the team composition?

Alex (Project Manager & Business Developer) is our main contact. He oversees their team of 10–12 people.

How did you come to work with Digitalya OPS?

Our friend recommended them as an experienced team.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent €10,000 (approximately $13,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together around September 2020, and our relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They helped us get the application published in Google Play and the Apple Store, and we began beta testing in January 2021. We’ve already had 2,000 agencies download it to set up their accounts. The app is highly responsive, and the feedback has been positive. We’re continually amazed and content with every aspect of our collaboration with this team, including the financial side.

How did Digitalya OPS perform from a project management standpoint?

They do a great job; they ask the right questions to gather necessary information. There haven’t been any delays or financial issues. We communicate via email, Zoom, and in person.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re a professional team. We didn’t quite expect it, but they’ve kept their word. We look forward to the continued collaboration of our teams.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Go for it. They’re professional and trustworthy, which isn’t something easy to find here.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the IT manager at Da Vinci Forum GmBH, a company with two firms. Our other area of business centers on providing online memorial services for the loved ones of our Catholic and Christian clients.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Digitalya OPS?

We needed them to rebuild our three websites from scratch.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our websites were over 10 years old, and we thought it was about time to upgrade these by entirely redoing them into a new web structure. That decision meant we had to deal with a 10-year old database and improve our UX for a better mobile experience. 

Digitalya OPS started by redoing the code work and reviewing our platforms’ technology. They decided to transform our platforms into a cloud-based server in order to streamline our operations. Additionally, they redesigned our outdated UX for our clients to get a better sense of our services.

Though the websites are now completely developed, we are still working with their team for continuous site maintenance and bug fixing.

What is the team composition?

We mainly work with Ovidiu (CEO), especially in the planning stage. During the project’s development phase, we’ve worked with at least four of Digitalya OPS’s web designers and programmers.

How did you come to work with Digitalya OPS?

We were searching for a programming website that could make the changes we needed for our platforms. Digitalya OPS had a promising business website that easily impressed me because I found that it was not based on a template — that was the kind of development work I needed to see on our website, so I was convinced that I found the right team.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $200,000–$250,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project started in July 2019. The website development took a year to finish, and they now provide us with site maintenance services.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

All the websites are currently functioning well, and they look appealing, too. Digitalya OPS has reinvented our outdated servers and web platforms, and they’re one of the main reasons why we’re still operating. That’s a great metric of their service — if someone saw our websites from years ago, they wouldn’t have imagined that these new websites also belonged to us. They’re now unrecognizable in a good way.

How did Digitalya OPS perform from a project management standpoint?

We mainly communicate via Skype and have personal meetings when necessary. Communication has not always been easy, but we still managed to meet up and update our teams, that’s why we got through the development process and finished the initial project. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Digitalya OPS is a highly flexible team. It doesn’t matter when or where — their team always manages to show up and address our concerns. It’s wonderful how we’ve found a team that’s constantly there to support us. They’ve connected with us and understood our vision in such a short period of time.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think so. They’re a professional and flexible team that always gets our needs.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Just be prepared and know what you want from their team. Trust their competitive team to do all the work for you.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

ClientZen measure agency clients'​ happiness in real-time by leveraging the benefits of Sentiment Analysis and AI. I'm one of the co-founders of ClientZen and also head of UX.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Digitalya OPS?

Most of the needs for a SaaS MVP product were provided by Digitalya. From the validation stage to the app launching stage.

What were your goals for this project?

1. Test and validate the project idea
2. Test and validate features and user experience
3. Design the app
4. Build and launch the app

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I previously worked with the CEO and I was well aware of their quality standards and professionalism, so we chose them for developing our software product.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Digitalya helped us to create a web application that is identifying how a customer is feeling while working with you, based on AI and Sentiment Analysis.

What was the team composition?

Four developers, one UI/UX designer, one project manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

What we highly appreciate about them is their user-centric mindset and the fact that they are always questioning the process of the platform to ensure that we are delivering a great experience overall. As a result, we received very good feedback from our customers.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

As we’re in different countries all the work has been done remotely. We use Jira for task management and Gmail and Skype for discussions. During the sprint, we discussed plannings and they did demos every two weeks. They really went above and beyond to deliver the project.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

While working with Digitalya OPS you just feel like you have a reliable partner. You can fully trust the fact that they will deliver a gorgeously looking, high-quality software - really great interfaces, and flawless functionality. While working with them you feel that is not only about the code it is about providing value.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Honestly, no. I wouldn’t change a thing.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO and founder of Lolly List. We’re a social shopping platform.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Digitalya OPS?

We were trying to monetize our site. We need to convert URLs on our site into trackable links without having to manually plug in the link to every affiliate platform. They did a similar project for another client, so they were willing to do it for us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They created an API that basically scrapes every URL on our site and checks the retailers against our approved retailers list on different affiliate platforms. If there is a match, it converts it into a trackable link and reposts it back on our site.

The code on our site is in PHP and I think they wrote the API to match that.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with Ovidiu (CEO) and Bogdan (Delivery Manager).

How did you come to work with Digitalya OPS?

A year before we partnered with Digitalya OPS, we were considered partnering with one of their clients. We met them through that engagement and found them easy to communicate with, clear, direct, timely, efficient, and nice. The manner in which they conducted themselves and their deliverables truly are superior. When we decided just to build the technology ourselves, we were comfortable in our decision to work with Digitalya OPS.

How much have you invested with them?

It was two payments of $4,096 dollars, plus a $45 exchange rate conversion fee. So it was about $8,000 in total.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started the project in March 2020 and it took 2–3 weeks to build it and hand over to our team to implement it. That’s like lightning speed in developer terms.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The project is finished and has been implemented. All of those links have successfully been changed to trackable links. The first day it was implemented, we earned our first commission.

It’s pretty easy to test what they built for us. We just need to click the “Buy Now” button on any item that we have an affiliate partnership with, and then when we’re redirected to that retailer’s website we see our trackable URL.

How did Digitalya OPS perform from a project management standpoint?

Our developers were having trouble integrating the affiliate API, and Digitalya OPS was so available to help us and they checked in to make sure it was integrated successfully. When we had an issue, we had three calls with them after they delivered the final product so our developers could ask them a few questions. They were so nice and they were able to answer the questions immediately.

Even after that, they. Made asked if we needed help with anything else or had more questions. They really went above and beyond.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Number one, timeliness. Number two, communication. Number three, caring about the customer.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Honestly, no, which is shocking to say. I wouldn’t change a thing.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

As always, clear communication and setting expectations are crucial for this sort of thing. Make sure you’re on the same page.