Django Stars

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CTO of Elixir

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

AI assisted diagnosis and triage for paediatric care.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Django Stars to accomplish?

• Build software to enable user data acquisition during a healthcare study
• Ensure data security

SOLUTION

How did you find Django Stars?

Referral

Why did you select Django Stars over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me

How many teammates from Django Stars were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Based on previous work done by django stars, we wanted to increase functionality of the MVP software to:

1. Allow for clinical studies to be conducted using the web platform, including custom configuration for each study
2. Study forms sent to patients via SMS and email (using AWS SNS)
3. Patients can upload data securely using the forms, including media
4. Elixir users can view the uploaded data in a web view

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

1. Studies can be created, with configured forms and study information pages
2. Data can be uploaded succesfully
3. Data is secure and encrypted (both at rest and in transit)
4. Patients can be contacted to complete forms via both SMS and email

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

Project management was split into a few stages:

1. Project initiation - establishing our requirements and needs, raising any questions and potential issues
2. Front end development - Draft the front end and user flow. This really helped visualise the project and raise issues that may be problematic.
3. Back end development
4. Project closure - acceptance of project

The project only took a few months (much quicker than we were expecting).

Django Stars were quick to respond and were able to work independently in cases where someone from Elixir was not able to reply to them straight away. 

What was your primary form of communication with Django Stars?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

1. They were happy to work with us to ensure our needs were met within our budget
2. Fast delivery
3. Clear communication throughout

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

Improve handover documentation

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am an executive at EAT Club (part of Compass Group)

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Compass Group is the global leader in food service, providing great food and support services to millions of people around the world, every day. As part of Compass Digital, the digital hospitality experts, EAT Club brings their best-in-class technology and logistics to Compass clients in select cities across the US.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Django Stars to accomplish?

• Engineering team augmentation
• Domain expertise
• Reduce time to market

SOLUTION

How did you find Django Stars?

Referral

Why did you select Django Stars over others?

• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me

How many teammates from Django Stars were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

Our collaboration with DjangoStars has been instrumental in scaling our software engineering capabilities to address the expanding requirements of our product. DjangoStars provided a team of proficient software engineers who seamlessly integrated with our US-based team. This collaboration has been pivotal in implementing a continuous stream of features, adhering to our extensive roadmap. Key Deliverables: 

• Team Scaling: DjangoStars rapidly augmented our workforce with skilled software engineers, enabling us to meet our product's growing demands effectively. 
• Feature Implementation: Their team has been consistently delivering a steady flow of feature implementations, crucial for the continuous enhancement of our product. 
• MVP Development: DjangoStars played a critical role in developing the MVP (Minimum Viable Product) for a new product we plan to launch next year, showcasing their versatility and technical prowess. 

Overall, DjangoStars has been a valuable partner in our journey, contributing significantly to our product development and upcoming ventures.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Increased Development Velocity
• Project Timeline Adherence
• Cost Efficiency
• Culture Fit

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

DjangoStars has demonstrated a strong track record of delivering items on schedule. They consistently strive to meet deadlines, ensuring that project timelines are respected and milestones are achieved as planned. This punctuality has been instrumental in maintaining the momentum of our project's development. 

The team from DjangoStars brings a high level of professionalism to our collaboration. They have shown an impressive ability to integrate seamlessly with our internal processes, aligning their work practices with our company's culture and expectations.

What was your primary form of communication with Django Stars?

Virtual Meeting

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

The most remarkable attribute of DjangoStars is their exceptional ability to rapidly onboard highly skilled software engineers who not only possess the technical expertise required for our projects but also seamlessly align with our company's culture. Their efficient and effective hiring process stands out, ensuring that the talent they bring to our team is not only capable but also a perfect fit for our work environment and values.

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

While our experience with DjangoStars has been largely positive, there was an instance where the allocation of key personnel posed a challenge. We encountered a situation where some of our top-performing individuals from their team were proposed to be reassigned. This required active management on our part to ensure the continuity and stability of our team. 

Addressing this aspect could further enhance the effectiveness of DjangoStars' collaboration with clients, ensuring a more seamless and stress-free partnership.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CTO of MoneyPark AG

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

MoneyPark is the end to end company for real estate: from searching, then finance and own and sell.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Django Stars to accomplish?

• First develop and deploy a MVP of our Mortgage broker advisory platform
• Long term commitment to our development with talented engineers
• Quality of the delivery has to be high

SOLUTION

How did you find Django Stars?

Online Search

Why did you select Django Stars over others?

• Close to my geographic location
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned
• Other

How many teammates from Django Stars were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

MoneyPark is the Mortgage broker leader in Switzerland. MoneyPark DNA is expert advisory using expert software. The core solution was developed together with Django Stars. DjangoStars has heavily contributed to the code base and is a force of proposition for technologies and technical solutions. The main deliveries during this collaboration are:

• Digital customer advisory platform v1, v2 is a joint collaboration
• Successfully implemented various models for business needed calculations
• Technically leaded the implementation of the backbone software we use for managing our internal processes
• Implemented complex API with large b2b partners

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The collaboration between Django Stars team and MoneyPark has bring to life a digital platform to improve user engagement and quicker mortgage processing, resulting in higher conversion rates and enhanced customer satisfaction. Advisors efficiency increased by using a digital journey, while clients appreciate the information provided by MoneyPark via its software. Additionally, B2B partners are using APIs from MoneyPark for business purpose.

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

Django Stars has flexible project management skills that have evolved with time for the better. Discussion is always possible and appreciated. Over 10+ year of collaboration deadline reaching is positive. In terms of responsiveness: they have been quick to address our needs, demonstrating a proactive and efficient approach. The team is reliable.

What was your primary form of communication with Django Stars?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Django Stars has a very strong technical expertise that we recommend. They have a wide range of expert in house that could help on different topics. Django Stars "problem solving" and "can do" attitude is very impressive. Their flexibility in response of change is excellent.

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

We actively and openly discussed when we had an issue. Over the time the two company have growth together.

UPDATED REVIEW

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO of Trembit

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are experts in video streaming and communication solutions.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Django Stars to accomplish?

• Digital transformation of a a web application with possibility of video streaming for US logistics player.

SOLUTION

How did you find Django Stars?

Network recommendation

Why did you select Django Stars over others?

• Company values aligned
• has good reputation in my networking

How many teammates from Django Stars were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

Django Stars took the lead in the entire project, covering detailed analysis, architectural design, and user-friendly interface development. They seamlessly replace the solution with the client's existing systems, front and back offices, taking into account dependencies from 3-rd party vendors and critical integrations.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

 What to say, their proactive engagement led to a system perfectly aligned with the client's operational needs.

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

Yes, everything was as expected. We have 2 weeks of adaptation period where client was a l little bit confused, but then Django Stars assigned a dedicated Project Manager, keeping us well-informed through Agile/Scrum practices. We agreed on regular updates and demos, so client has progress tracking in this hand

What was your primary form of communication with Django Stars?

Virtual Meeting

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

Django Stars made our project better with their innovative ideas. They looked at both business and technology, which helped make things work smoothly. Our teams worked together really well, showing how good they are at tech stuff. They follow win-win approach - and this is impressive.

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

No, this is company of reasonable approach vs reasonable price and good standards.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO of DataRoot Labs

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

AI R&D Center

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Django Stars to accomplish?

• We had a project to create a transport management system for a big Logistics business. Our main focus is on AI and ML, and we were looking for someone with relevant expertise in these areas who could design and develop a complex solution via digital transformation.

SOLUTION

How did you find Django Stars?

• Referral

Why did you select Django Stars over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost

How many teammates from Django Stars were assigned to this project?

14

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

Our main challenge was finding a partner with relevant experience in the domain, as the client had been working on a technical solution that was outdated, restrictive, and no longer aligned with today's realities. To address this, Django Stars took charge of the entire product development cycle. We conducted thorough business analysis, designed the foundational structure and architecture, and focused on creating a user-friendly UI/UX.

They successfully integrated the solution with the client's existing software systems, including WMS, ERP, and billing software. Our company assumed responsibility for all the AI components, particularly the route optimization algorithm. Well, Django Stars has worked diligently to meet the client's requirements.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Django Stars consistently delivered project milestones within the agreed-upon timeline, demonstrating their unwavering commitment to timely delivery. A noteworthy achievement was the successful launch of the 1 product Milestone within the specified deadline, providing our Marketing team with a competitive advantage during an international logistics event.

Throughout the digitalization process, we were concerned about retaining users. However, Django Stars' implementation of a comprehensive data migration strategy ensured a smooth transition for existing accounts, preserving their data and minimizing any disruptions. Furthermore, Django Stars actively engaged in pre-implementation discussions, allowing us to align the system's functionality with our clients' specific business needs.

This collaborative approach enabled us to effectively manage the budget and allocate resources wisely, ensuring optimal outcomes.

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

Django Stars provided a dedicated Project Manager as our main point of contact throughout the project, ensuring effective communication and coordination. Additionally, the entire team was readily available to address any concerns or hold personal discussions when needed. The project followed an Agile/Scrum methodology with 2-week iterations, allowing us to have a clear understanding of the team's progress and the current stage of development.

After each sprint, the team conducted a Demo to showcase their work, and we received regular reports on its completion. Their responsiveness and proactive approach enabled them to promptly address our requests and provide valuable recommendations. The processes and delivery approach of Django Stars were consistently aligned with our project goals.

What was your primary form of communication with Django Stars?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

One aspect that truly impressed me was the exceptional consulting and advisory support provided by Django Stars throughout the project. They consistently offered alternative perspectives and insights from both their business and engineering teams, enabling us to identify optimal solutions more efficiently and meet our project deadlines.

The level of integration between our teams was remarkable, as we seamlessly collaborated as a cohesive unit. Furthermore, I must highlight the team's remarkable technical competence, which undoubtedly earned them the reputation of being true stars in their field.

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

It's hard to add anything, everything is great. Excellent team with solid experience.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am an executive of an education company

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are an e-Learning platform that helps Instructors create, manage, and publish their content 10x faster than other alternatives in the market.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Django Stars to accomplish?

• Develop backend using Django and the Django Rest Framework
• Define User Stories and Acceptance Criteria based on customer feedback
• User Experience (UX) Design
• Develop React frontend
• Build CI/CD pipeline for Kubernetes and AWS

SOLUTION

How did you find Django Stars?

Online Search

Why did you select Django Stars over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost

What was the size of Django Stars’s team?

6-10 Employees

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

Based on an existing frontend we had of our platform and a framework proposal they’ve given us, Django Stars has been providing custom software development in Django. They also use open-source tools to orchestrate different services, like automated grading. Regarding features, the platform is an educational technology solution, a next-generation learning management system powered by AI. The product helps instructors create and sell their content online 10 times faster than they would with other solutions.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• The project is split into two-week sprints. Progress is measured by how the scope of the sprint is defined vs the deliverables after every sprint. To date, all sprints have been completed in a timely manner.

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

Django Stars respects deadlines and stays on budget. In terms of communication, everything's clear and responsive despite the three-hour time zone overlap.

What was your primary form of communication with Django Stars?

Virtual Meeting, Email or Messaging App

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

In addition to providing excellent project management and development services, the team's ability to understand the customer's business needs is impressive, which accelerates user story and acceptance criteria definitions required by the team.

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

Regarding engineering, Django Stars' team should ensure that their products' frontend uses a more modern stack. Nonetheless, they're already working on that. In addition, we've had a couple of bugs throughout the process, but they're also working on that.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of IllumiDesk, an e-learning platform.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenges were you trying to address with Django Stars?

We moved our internal software to Django and needed a development team to handle it.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Based on an existing frontend we had of our platform and a framework proposal they’ve given us, Django Stars has been providing custom software development in Django. They also use open-source tools to orchestrate different services, like automated grading. 

Regarding features, the platform is an educational technology solution, a next-generation learning management system powered by AI. The product helps instructors create and sell their content online 10 times faster than they would with other solutions.

What was the team composition? 

We’ve been working with a project manager, a product owner, a backend engineer, a frontend engineer, a QA specialist, and an automation engineer.

How did you come to work with Django Stars?

I found Django Stars online and chose them because, after an initial trial period, they seemed experienced in Django, their pricing was attractive, and we enjoyed their methods, quality, and organization.

How much have you invested with them?

We invest $50,000 every month for this project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in January 2022, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We've received positive market and customer feedback on Django Stars' work.

How did Django Stars perform from a project management standpoint?

Django Stars respects deadlines and stays on budget. In terms of communication, everything's clear and responsive despite the three-hour time zone overlap.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Everything about our partnership with Django Stars has been good.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Regarding engineering, Django Stars' team should ensure that their products' frontend uses a more modern stack. Nonetheless, they're already working on that. In addition, we've had a couple of bugs throughout the process, but they're also working on that.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a Vice President at a large distribution company in the US with hundreds of thousands of customers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We needed a robust portal to provide our sales people with market intelligence and lead information. The site also needed to be integrated seamlessly into our CRM and cloud data warehouse.

SOLUTION

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

Django Stars came highly recommended from people in my network that I trust.

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

The Django Stars team integrated well with our tech teams and the Agile-based project went very smoothly.

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

5-6 Leads and developers (front-end and back-end) + PM.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The portal was very well received by the business and helped our sales people discover leads and insights about their markets / territories. The app was very easy to extend by internal technicians after our project was completed with Django Stars.

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

Their communication and consultation skills were top-notch. No issues, whatsoever.

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

We engaged with Django Stars before the Russian Invasion broke out and have stayed in touch. There was little to no disruption to our project support despite the challenges their teams faced (and are still facing).

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

No, I'm looking for more opportunities to use Django Stars this year.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Position: Delivery Lead Company description: Online retail/e-commerce, Consumer electronics, Insurance, Travel, Mobile, Internet. Private label and Marketplace.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Application development specialising in Django framework/python development. Ability to work autonomously within an agile framework and familiarity and experience using agile methodologies and tools English language speaking

SOLUTION

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

Vendor was selected based on particular skillset (Django framework) and experience working with similar sized companies within agile framework. Based on positive feedback reviews and competitive pricing, Django stars was selected.

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

• Influencers project - development of Influencers functionality which allows users to earn money from affiliate links
• Product landing pages - development of special pages for product departments, categories, and collections with TOP-brands, TOP-products, and TOP-deals functionality
• Testfreaks Reviews Integration - integration with Testfreaks service which allows companies to extend product reviews from a huge real reviews database

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

7-8 Full time employees: 1 x Project manager 2 x Front End engineers, 2-3x Back End engineers, 1x Quality Assurance

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

All are on track to meet key objectives Django Stars was instrumental in the successful delivery of these projects

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

Project management was excellent with constant communication on progress of deliverables. Being on a 7 hour time difference with Australia it was critical to maintain high level of communication flow. Django stars worked with Kogan at how we should continuously improve and better our communication both online and offline.

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

We appreciated their willingness to adapt their processes to not only align with our way of working but also to actively collaborate on improving practices, communication and alignment on delivery

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

Although manageable, splitting front-end and back-end development would sometimes create dependancies that needed to be managed carefully.