DrupalJedi

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the managing director and founder of a Malaysian company that’s focused on the global market. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with DrupalJedi?

We had a concept for an emerging area in the digital economy and needed a team to develop the platform we conceptualized. We needed assistance with making the contract into a working model.
 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

DrupalJedi first translated our concept a quantifiable project with a quote. During that exercise, the team gave me insight into our goals. Once we accepted DrupalJedi’s proposal, they used a structured procedure to manage the development. They seemed to have an intermittent understanding of different aspects of the business. 

The digital economy is still an emerging segment. It was important to us that they knew what we were trying to accomplish at the conceptual level. As we worked with a new concept, several questions arose. We adjusted the plan as we reevaluated it and found ways to improve the initial development.
 
We’re developing a platform that runs multiple systems. Three major components are social engagement, payment capabilities, and data analytics. We defined the requirements, and they created a scope broken down into development stages. For each one, they had to construct the build method and priorities. They used an Agile process and segmented complex tasks into smaller so we could better evaluate the progress. We tested each component to make sure it works and fits with the rest.

What is the team composition? 

The team included around six people. We had an assigned project manager.

How did you come to work with DrupalJedi?

Over a long process that took almost a year, we connected with a few companies and considered six proposals. Of all the ones we spoke to, DrupalJedi asked the right questions. A company we’d worked with recommended them. 

Based on our background check, DrupalJedi seemed to be conscientious. They’re not cheap, but their value outweighed the cost. They have a quite complete set of resources, a good-quality process. Their excellent project management was one of the crucial decision factors and outcomes of the project.

How much have you invested with them?

The cost of one stage was $50,000–$100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with DrupalJedi from January–August 2018. They were still making some modifications in September.
 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It’s still a bit early since we just launched three weeks ago. We went to market in August with a soft launch that mostly focused on populating content. In the last three weeks, we’ve gone live globally. We’re just starting to see some traction.
 
How did DrupalJedi perform from a project management standpoint?

In the beginning, I was concerned about using remote developers. I would have preferred a local company, but it was hard to find the right competencies and skills in the Southeast Asian market. The language barrier posed minor issues with articulating our philosophy, but we managed to communicate quite efficiently. That project manager asked questions until they were satisfied they understood. At times, we had to explain things several times, but being on the same page was valuable.
 
We only communicated with the team when necessary, usually to explain complex features if the project manager could not convey our request clearly. We mostly used Skype and Google Hangouts.

Having a capable, competent team was our best outcome. DrupalJedi followed up efficiently and effectively. I never had to ask what happened or if they’d considered something. They kept us informed at all times. This was one of the best project management experiences I’ve had in the development space.
 
What did you find most impressive about them?

I keep coming back to their project management. I’m not used to complex projects. If we don’t have a good project manager, I know all sorts of things can go wrong. Project management was the most critical aspect of our engagement. DrupalJedi delivered everything the way it should be.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’m beginning to see a few areas now, but nothing really jumps out that I can think of.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

DrupalJedi is a typical development company. They work best when they clearly understand the requirements. Any future client understands exactly what they want to develop. As the project progresses, they will ask questions that you’ll need to answer quickly and definitively.

Secondly, it’s important to allocate time. We went through months of daily conference calls. Every single one was valuable, and we never had to repeat ourselves. The calls were not redundant. It took time to address everything at hand. Clients should prepare to spend time communicating. Lastly, be aware of the scope of what you want to build. When you venture outside of that scope, it starts to get expensive.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the director and head of engineering for Visum in Germany. We apply for Visas for private and B2B customers. If someone wants to travel to Russia, Thailand, or Vietnam, we help them with their Visa application.
 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with DrupalJedi?

We wanted to develop new software for our company.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement? 

We told DrupalJedi what we wanted the software to include. They built our web application’s backend and CRM. For the design, they also created a custom template.

They built our site on Drupal and developed add-ons like a fully customized backend for the CRM software. We held meetings to discuss things, but they ultimately developed it alone.

What is the team composition?

We had one main point of contact from DrupalJedi, but many people were working on our project behind the scenes.

How did you come to work with DrupalJedi?

My boss has a history with them.

How much have you invested in them?

We invested around $40,000 USD.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

DrupalJedi delivered exactly what we wanted. Their development work and services have been superb. I don’t have to tell our point of contact anything twice. They always get it done correctly the first time. The team fixes any bugs or issues very fast. After I send them an email with notes and screenshots, they take care of the problem within 4-5 hours. 

How did DrupalJedi perform from a project management standpoint?
DrupalJedi performed very well from this perspective. Our point of contact there is very competent. He’s creative and knows what he is talking about. We communicate through email, phone, Skype, and Google Hangouts. We haven’t met them in person.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Everything has been fine. Whenever I request changes, DrupalJedi gets them done quite quickly.

Are there any areas they could improve?

From my standpoint, I don’t see any ways they need to improve.
 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a publishing company based in Jordan. We mostly focused on paper books, but now, we’ve started publishing e-books. I’m the deputy for the company director, and I oversee everything IT-related.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with DrupalJedi?

Since we started offering e-books, we needed to rebuild our website in terms of graphics and code, as well as build an Android and iOS app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our website’s design wasn’t good, which made it difficult to understand and use. DrupalJedi followed modern UX principles to create a version that was easier to understand, rebuilding it entirely using Drupal. They also built our iOS and Android app, using Java for the Android version.

They started off by auditing our previous website, putting together a description of it and our requirements in terms of UX and design. We checked that documentation to make sure we were heading in the right direction. Their team also drafted a scope for the apps, after which they began working on graphic design and coding. Additionally, they implemented functionalities that would make the site more attractive to users, such as social login.

The performance of the website is very important for things like SEO. We didn’t have a sitemap before, which caused several problems with search engines, so DrupalJedi built one for the new version.

What is the team composition?

I don’t exactly know how many developers were involved. They assigned groups of four or five people as well as a project manager for each product—the website, the Android app, and the iOS app. I had a point of contact for the website, who took care of everything, and another for the Android app, who worked with the graphic designers and coders.

How did you come to work with DrupalJedi?

Our website had been built in Drupal 7, and its performance wasn’t good enough for us. We started looking for Drupal companies with five or more years of experience and received good references for DrupalJedi from our network.

They were described as a responsible group that had enough experience to do what we required. I’ve been working with them now for three or four months, and I’ve been able to confirm that those things are true.

How much have you invested with them?

The project total will be around $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with DrupalJedi in May 2018. The collaboration is ongoing as we plan to do everything with them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Everyone I know has said that the website looks great and that everything works well. I hope that this will be the case in the future. The current website is much better than the previous one, but we still have a long list of modifications to make.

How did DrupalJedi perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicate with them in many ways, including phone calls and Skype. They also gave us access to a web platform, where we can see all the tasks they’re working on, the estimated completion times, and the work itself. Overall, I’m pleased to be working with them.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re a responsible group that takes their work seriously. If I have a question, DrupalJedi will respond within 24 hours, and if I don’t understand something, they’ll call and explain it in detail.

The most important thing for us was to work with a team that we could reach at any time and which would provide the services we needed, which we couldn’t find in Jordan. I can reach DrupalJedi’s team 5,000 km away at any time of day or night and get an answer, which is the most noteworthy thing about them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. They have a customized plan for each customer, and they perform well. I have clear notions of what they’re doing and how much I will pay, and I can get in touch with them anytime if I need to clarify or change something.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of People Teach Me IVS. We’re a C2C knowledge sharing platform.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with DrupalJedi?

We needed a developer to create our company’s platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The UI/UX of the website had already been designed, so DrupalJedi completely built out the Drupal backend. The core of the platform is booking system that was developed by another company. DrupalJedi upgraded it to serve as a not only a booking system but payment and customer handling system as well. They utilized third-party technology to integrate website features that aren’t standard to Drupal development.

What is the team composition?

We worked with two project managers and 2–3 backend developers.

How did you come to work with DrupalJedi?

I came across them years ago on Drupal’s list of partners. As an entrepreneur, project costs are important to me. I assumed they’d be too expensive; however, I gave them a call and was surprised by their price point. It’s exceptional considering how well their organized and the quality of code they produce.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around €15,000 ($18,635 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

The project took place October 2017–December 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve experienced a few feedback elements issues, but those are marginal compared to the size of the product. We have few if any negative criticisms of what they’ve produced.

How did DrupalJedi perform from a project management standpoint?

All deadlines were held with few exceptions. All communication goes through the project manager which is a different process than what I’m accustomed too. Considering the results, they’ve performed flawlessly. The project manager was available to speak with me each day and I’m very impressed with his team. They’re extremely open about what they do and the process is very clean. Each element they produce is well-tested and rarely necessities repeat development sprints.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I know from working with large development firms how difficult it is to find a development team capable of accomplishing a complex project. DrupalJedi is by far the best company I've ever worked with outside of Denmark. They take tasks seriously and are open to customer feedback. They believed in our vision and produced an excellent product. We had a polite and productive rapport even during development crunch-times. They live up to the reputation of being Jedi.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. They’re awesome.