DO OK

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We are a family-owned restaurant.

What is your position?

I am one of the owners.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with dook.pro?

We were using an intermediary online service for order placement. We had some success with it and managed to be ranked first among the restaurants it featured. We became too dependent on this service and wanted to start our own ordering platform. We want to digitize the entire process of ordering food.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

We're developing the end-user app for Android and iOS. We have built a back-end system using Django and have built an iPad app that our staff uses to take orders. The apps also communicate with our databases.

I asked dook.pro to make a virtual receipt that is generated after a payment is finished. They made an excellent implementation of it.

How did you come to work with dook.pro?

One of my friends suggested that Warsaw as a good city for finding developers. We went there and met with a few companies. We found dook.pro and decided to work with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with dook.pro in August 2015. We'll be launching the app soon. We plan on working with them again on a future project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

How did dook.pro perform from a project management standpoint?

We formed a contract with them and had no problems along the way. We had many different requirements and asked them to make different changes. They never refused us, and were highly professional, even when something was outside the scope of the contract.

What distinguishes dook.pro from other providers?

At one point, I asked the owner [dook.pro CEO and partner Dmitrij Zatuchin] to come to Denmark so that we could discuss the project. He came, I shared my vision and he understood what I wanted for the company. I knew that he was right for the job.

Is there anything dook.pro could have improved or done differently?

No. Everything was good.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

My organization developed a music project describable as an IMDb [Internet Movie Database] for music, with information on bands, singers, and so on.

What is your position?

I am one of the cofounders.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with dook.pro?

Our goal was to create the portal. We were looking for someone who could develop the entire project.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

They developed the back-end and front-end functionality using our specifications. They worked on the layout and all the programming work.

How did you come to work with dook.pro?

We researched different companies locally. We specifically wanted Django developers. We were looking for a vendor that would not be too far away from us, and dook.pro is located in the same city. They were able to complete our goals and made the best offer. It was a large project, and negotiations took a long time.

What is the status of this engagement?

The work has been completed.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

I cannot share any metrics. The project has shut down.

How did dook.pro perform from a project management standpoint?

They presented a mockup of the work to us, and made their own suggestions, rather than just following our plans. The work was separated into stages and done professionally. Their overall cooperation was excellent. Their time and people management skills were great. We addressed hundreds of issues in detail. Project management was done using Trello.

What distinguishes dook.pro from other providers?

We gave them 50 pages of ideas for our project, which they were able to translate into something tangible. They put a lot of heart into the idea and proposed many things. They understood us as a client, which was very important for us.

Is there anything dook.pro could have improved or done differently?

They didn't do anything wrong. Any issues were caused by interferences with us and other outsourcers.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

It's an entrepreneurial company.

What is your position?

I am one of the co-founders.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with DOOK.pro?

We were a two-man team working on this IT [information technology] project, and we couldn't get enough momentum on the development, so we were looking for a partner that knew Django. We needed more manpower, and we needed somebody who could think for them self, which is rare when you're outsourcing.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

We had a minor project. It was a system to make people do more exercise when they are working at a corporate building. We had some few core functions we needed to expand, and we needed some more functionality in order to gain more revenue. They've built the whole revenue platform for the system, and they challenged us on how to keep customers coming in and convert them from free customers to paying customers. They built the gamification part of the project as well. We had some few basic badges and a reward system, and they added to it. They took the core system and made it a good product.

How did you come to work with DOOK.pro?

I went to PeoplePerHour and I found Dmitri, the CEO from DOOK.pro. He had a profile in there. We had a brief talk through PPH and then we talked via Skype and laid out the basics for the project. Then, he gave me a price per hour, and we started with the project. It was a running project with an hour rate, with a running registry of the hours they produced.

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

I think so far we've spent around $10,000 with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began the project with them one and a half years ago. We are still working with them at the moment.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

We converted 10 percent of our customers when we didn't use the guys at DOOK.pro. Now, we convert around 30 percent. In our world, that's huge.

How did DOOK.pro perform from a project management standpoint?

In my experience working with many freelancers is that the project management is terrible, and they kind of lose interest, but that wasn't the case with DOOK.pro. They used Trello for keeping up with the tasks and assigning tasks to us, back and forth. If I should rate it, I would rate it excellent.

What distinguishes DOOK.pro from other providers?

DOOK.pro excels at understanding your taste and not just building the software you think you want, but building the software you really need. They don't just build software. They're your partner in your development project. That's a rare thing.

Is there anything DOOK.pro could have improved or done differently?

In terms of outsourcing, no, I can't say.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

PeopleRead.me is a social online platform that embraces e-readers, authors, and publishers. Its concept is based on book clubs created by users. People can look at and read the libraries of friends and celebrities.

What is your position?

I am a co-owner and CEO of PeopleRead.me.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with DOOK.pro?

We needed someone to develop our application. PeopleRead.me is a cloud system that manages access to books. Each book is stored as an individual file and has a different appearance in the reading rooms, user accounts, and e-readers.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

DOOK.pro was the third company I cooperated with to develop the application. I found them, explained my idea, and told them what I wanted and what it would look like in the end. We had to write new code from the beginning.

How did you come to work with DOOK.pro?

They were recommended by someone, whose name I forget right now. They told me that dDOOK.pro was a good company that provided good-quality work. From there, I spoke with their head [Dmitrij Zatuchin], and we started work after that.

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

It was in the $50,000 to $200,000 price range. Cost was important to me. Compared to other companies in Warsaw, they were reasonably priced.

What is the status of this engagement?

We've been working together for a long. I started my corporation at the beginning of 2012 and finished the project at the end of 2014. I also did a little module at the beginning of this year. In total, the engagement lasted two years and two months.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

How did DOOK.pro do from a project management standpoint?

DOOK.pro has provided us with an excellent level of service. They have a great team that is open to listening to the client. We found them at a low point in our business; we were halfway through creating our platform that was full of software mistakes. DOOK.pro did a full analysis of what needed to be repaired. They made us feel like we were dealing with a professional technological partner, which was very important to our startup development process. I was satisfied with the product and with the price.

What distinguishes DOOK.pro from other providers?

When you have a startup idea, you count every penny. It's so important to work with a person who tries to understand your ideas, demands, and thoughts. They were always talking and discussing things and that was valuable. I felt like we were partners. DOOK.pro doesn't just say they understand – they discuss.

In hindsight, are there areas in which they could improve, or things you might do differently?

I don't think I'm the person to give them advice. I think their owner is talented. We have different ideas and business models. I am much more open to the clients and try to keep all my clients comfortable and try to talk to them a lot. He has a very strong, professional business.

We had a little problem with repairing bugs. When we finished the project, and I was no longer one of their main clients, it was hard for them to find time to help me with small problems. It's not anything major, they still will answer my phone calls and emails, sometimes; however, I had to wait in line, which isn't always comfortable.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company.

We provide a broad range of custom software development services across all industries. We have offices in Philadelphia, Chicago, San Francisco, and the Bay Area and currently have about 50 employees.

What are your role and responsibilities?

I’m the chief technology officer and co-founder.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

Could you describe the business challenge that you were attempting to address when you first approached Do Ok Pro?

We had a codebase in Python, and we wanted an independent assessment of the quality of the codebase and of any technical challenges we might be facing. We then asked them for their recommendations based on their findings. Python is a little outside our area of expertise, which is why we needed their help.

SOLUTION

Could you describe the actual scope of work assigned to them?

We asked them to audit the codebase, give us a list of what they thought we should do with it, and give us their assessment of the overall quality of the codebase.

How did you come to choose Do Ok Pro as your partner?

I believe it was a personal referral from a member of one of our teams that we were working with on another aspect of the same project.

When was this project completed?

The project was completed in August 2014. It was just that one specific project, so that’s the only engagement that we’ve had with them. Since that time, we haven’t undertaken new Python work, so we haven’t needed to go back to them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

In terms of results, could you share any statistics, metrics, or user feedback that would demonstrate the quality of their performance?

Their work was very professional. Their communication with us was excellent, and they produced the report in a timely fashion. From a project management perspective, they were entirely approachable and reliable. We sort of audited their audit, and another firm we were working with saw a few things they didn’t catch, but I don’t think any one group is going to catch everything. So, overall, we were impressed with what they delivered.

We weren’t really surprised by the results of the audit. Their findings were that the codebase needed work and had some structural weaknesses, and they gave us a list of those and how we might rectify them. The audit didn’t really blow us away in terms of new findings, but that was expected and understandable. It confirmed a number of things that we had already suspected. Based on their recommendations, the team that was executing the project went ahead and developed a list of fixes and needed changes.

When working with them, is there anything that you would consider unique about their strategic approach or the way in which they interact with clients that distinguish them from other vendors?

This wasn’t a very big engagement, and the work was very straightforward. What we were asking them to do wasn’t something that was going to showcase a unique set of talents. We do very little work with offshore vendors, so I don’t have a lot of basis for comparison. All I can really say is that the experience was positive and should we need Python-specific expertise in the future, they would definitely be on my shortlist of qualified vendors.

Would you feel comfortable approaching them for another project with a similar scope of work?

I absolutely would. I might look elsewhere so that I could work with someone in a closer time zone, but I’d certainly be open to engaging them again.

What advice, if any, would you give to a future client of theirs?

Nothing that they probably wouldn’t do anyway, which is, of course, that you want to screen your vendors thoroughly and directly test their technical skills.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Head of Business Development of Wisercat Software

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Wisercat builds next-level digital services to companies and governments that are highly secure and future-proof, holding up to changes the future might bring.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire DO OK to accomplish?

• Define general technical principals and approaches for solution integration in close cooperation with Customer and team members Gather and create a list of security requirements for the solution implementation/integration based on discussed and approved threat mitigations, system performance or implementation efforts

SOLUTION

How did you find DO OK?

Referral

Why did you select DO OK over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from DO OK were assigned to this project?

1 Employee

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

• Create a security project & test plan, High-level
• Threat Model of the solution Support for checking server logs
• Support teams in security via scalability
• Review and express obligations on used of established data standards
• Code Quality Analysis Advice and support technical product owners
• Proposals with coding and infrastructure requirements Identifying system deficiencies and bottlenecks
• Uncover vulnerabilities and potential types of attacks 
• Formulating and documentation of identified system defects and vulnerabilities
• Сonverting test results and threats from identified vulnerabilities into suitable countermeasures
• Participation in architectural and software development activities
• Providing expert opinion and evaluation

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Performing the necessary security checks for the developed solution
• Usual security test for the planned Releases
• Security test reports after test executions
• Documented and approved new, additional and improved security approaches to be followed 

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

Everything was delivered in timely manner. The response to our need was full and comprehensive.

What was your primary form of communication with DO OK?

Virtual Meeting

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

We're impressed with their knowledge and experience. Delivered results

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

For now everything is ok.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO of Allies

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We build software development teams. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire DO OK to accomplish?

Software Development

SOLUTION

How did you find DO OK?

conference

Why did you select DO OK over others?

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

How many teammates from DO OK were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

We have used DO OK's team members for various projects - large and small - on a staff augmentation model. Their experts' skill sets were diverse, and we were able to source niche expertise that was hard to find elsewhere.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Customer NPS close to 100 

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

DO OK has been in the business for many years, processes for smooth project management are well in place. They're a rare small-mid size software houses to have ISO 9001 and ISO 27001 certificates.

What was your primary form of communication with DO OK?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

quality of work output. 

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

No

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO of YOLI

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

YOLI offers a new and unique approach to learning with a fun, interactive board game

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire DO OK to accomplish?

• Improve our application

SOLUTION

How did you find DO OK?

Referral

Why did you select DO OK over others?

• Close to my geographic location
• Pricing fit our budget
• Referred to me

How many teammates from DO OK were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

The objective is to develop a creative AI storytelling service that small children can use to co-create stories. The service must adapt the group of children and to keep them engaged.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The service was developed and fulfill all our requirements. DOOK is today a key partner in in all our R&D activities. 

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

On budget and on tim. This is why we have made DOOK a key partner in all our R&D activities.

What was your primary form of communication with DO OK?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

They’re good at finding the best solution for our company.

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

No. Like it as it is - working for us

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director, Business Development of Digia Plc

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

IT Consulting & Services

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire DO OK to accomplish?

• Provide suitable IT developers

SOLUTION

How did you find DO OK?

Online Search

Why did you select DO OK over others?

Good fit

How many teammates from DO OK were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

React Native coding

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Customer's willingness to continue with DoOk:n resources

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

No visibility

What was your primary form of communication with DO OK?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Good and timely communication

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

-

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Brand and Product Director of Beha Elektro AS

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Beha design, manufacture and market electrical heaters, along with sourcing complementary products such as fans, ventilations and kitchen appliances ("brown ware").

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire DO OK to accomplish?

• Resolve issues regarding existing application.
• Establish a roadmap for new functionality.
• Implement a new app with improved UX, functionality and branding.

SOLUTION

How did you find DO OK?

Exisiting partner

Why did you select DO OK over others?

• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned
• Had knowledge about our system

How many teammates from DO OK were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

The currect application was not working optially, it was unstable and not connecting to wi-fi as intended. We started with describing the problems/issues, recreating as many as possible, and setting up possible actions to find the the root cause. The application has 7 languages so finding a good way to share translations and corrections was also key. 

• Fixing issues related to version of the app
• Testing and bugfixing
• Deploying new versions of the app
• Developing and deploying a new app with new skin and functionality, based on exisiting code
• Ongoing support

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• We improved the app in steps
• Launched new version with improved functionality
• Launched new branding
• Applicaton is now running
• More positive feedback for end users and reviews in stores

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

Scope of projects were always closely defined and in accordance with what we agreed. It was always sent timely and along with an estimated cost and timelines based on short/long development time. This gave us an option to consider cost vs time. Do Ok presented a team which in their opinion would not only meet our needs for development, but also budget restrictions. Even though we are a small company we felt we got a premium product and service. 

What was your primary form of communication with DO OK?

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

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

• This team has the ability to make you feel seen and heard. no matter if your comapny is small or large. 
• Do Ok always took us seriously and were very understanding in times which were very demanding/critical to us. 
• To us, DO OK has been an extension of our in-house department and far more than a supplier. This itself underlines how these employees meet, greet and work together with you. 
• They are very professional in every way. 
• Do Ok are extremely skilled and have a very wide range of competency. 
• To us they are a one-stop-shop. 

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

Keep doing what you do.