EBS Integrator

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Global Database is a market leader in business intelligence. We provide company information through our online platform and integrated workflow solutions, lead sourcing, data enrichment, credit checks, and comprehensive business reports for our stakeholders.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire EBS Integrator?

We approached EBS with a processing dilemma. We manage hundreds of gigabytes of data and have encountered production bottlenecks. We wanted to reduce our server usage costs, outages, and latency-related issues on the platform. This had to be achieved quickly to avoid customer churn.

What were your goals for this project?

Our online platform required a fresh data processing paradigm. As we grew, the data we provided increased in weight, and response times slowed as a result. We needed to completely redesign the system and break a terabyte barrier while maintaining responsive service for our end users.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We considered a couple of vendors, however EBS Integrator was the only one to provide a reasonable execution timeline and viable data processing approach. Before we signed the agreement, they provided a prototype for our new system architecture, a well-designed data paradigm, and measurable outcomes. With all that in mind, our choice was easy.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

They completely rewrote our system's architecture. Based on stakeholder feedback, they also overhauled our UX and platform interface.

What was the team composition?

We work directly with a dedicated project manager, a UX engineer, two designers, two system architects, two data scientists, and four Python engineers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The clearest impact was the site's response time. Before the rewrite, processing data arrays could take up to a minute. Response times are currently less than 20 seconds per query and exceed all our initial expectations. We've also seen impressive cost savings on our server resources. On average, the new system design saves us an average of €100 per day, which amounts to a quarterly savings of about €13,000. At this rate, this project will pay for itself within 2.5 years.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

They are the most responsive vendor I have worked with, and they manage the project as well as an in-house team might. We had daily meetings and received weekly activity reports. Even their feedback times were incredibly fast.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their expertise and the quality of service, backed by their industry knowledge, helped us compete with important players in our market. Our new platform is more effective than some of the solutions put forth by the giants in our industry.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I can't think of anything they should improve about their operations. Increasing their presence in the EU would boost their visibility, which would generate more trust and business ties. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m a program manager at The Institute of Public Policy, a think-tank in the Republic of Moldova.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire EBS Integrator?

We hired EBS Integrator to create a user-friendly digital map that reflects Moldova’s electoral system and single-mandate constituencies.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to create a digital map, available in Romanian and Russian, that illustrates the changes introduced by the new electoral system in Moldova and informs voters about new candidates and constituencies.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We found EBS Integrator through a public tender.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

EBS Integrator designed, developed, and configured the digital map. After being selected, we met with them to discuss the details and vision for the map. Their team proposed several solutions for the product to the beneficiary. After one of their solutions was selected, their team implemented the product.

What was the team composition?

We worked primarily with a business development manager and a project manager, who communicated our requests to an implementation team.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We haven’t officially launched the product.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

EBS Integrator was professional and punctual during the engagement. Their team was extremely proactive. They delivered the map on time.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

EBS Integrator has a responsive team that was fully engaged in ensuring customer satisfaction and delivering an excellent product.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I can’t think of anything at this time.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the CTO and a full-stack developer at NFO LTD. We develop mobile applications.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire EBS Integrator?

We wanted to create a new mobile app utility for iOS and Android to help users clean their phone gallery in a fun way. We wanted to implement complex UX/UI with animation. The backend needed to be fast and handle memory issues on a variety of devices.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted a high-speed app that could hold and delete large amounts of pictures and videos.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We conducted an online search for skilled development companies and talked with select vendors via Skype. We chose EBS because they seemed the most professional.

Describe the project in detail.

We started the engagement with discovery meetings to discuss our goals and objectives. Our team provided EBS with the UX/UI designs. They tested the app before final delivery. The app went live in the App Store and Google Play Store. Their team did bug fixes and maintenance post-launch.

What was the team composition?

The team included a project manager, an iOS developer, an Android developer, and a business development manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The project was a success. The product has several downloads and great reviews.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We truly enjoyed collaborating with such a dynamic team. They delivered the product the efficiently and worked hard to maximize its success. The team completed all requests in a professional manner. To that end, they took responsibility for the bug and fixed them at no cost. We had daily Skype meetings.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They were polite, professional, and extremely skilled at all aspects of project design and execution. The developers implemented non-standard UX designs and memory handling. The team was responsive and meets deadlines.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, I can’t think of anything. I hope all future projects are completed to this level of quality.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

I am the director and owner of a cleaning company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with EBS Integrator?

I used several different types of calendars to organize myself and my employees’ jobs, but we still needed other features, like reports for hours worked and customer base. We couldn’t find an appropriate software for my business, and so I looked around for alternative solutions.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of the work and EBS Integrator’s involvement in greater detail.

We worked with EBS Integrator to make a new program in three different platforms – software, mobile application, and invoicing functionalities. EBS worked from planning to implementation of the solution.

We wanted to be able to see employee tasks from different views. A customer, an employee, and I would each need to see the tasks and interact with them.

The web application was built using NodeJS, and we haven’t built mobile apps yet.

What is the team dynamic?

I have worked with my contact person and two other programmers.

How did you come to work with EBS Integrator?

I found them by searching for customer comments. They were Swedish guys who described how they searched and found the programmers. I connected EBS and got a fast and clear offer which I understood and accepted.

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

More than 10 000€.

What is the status of this engagement?

I connect with them in October last year, but the work was started in December. It was finished in around three months.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What are the results of the project, and are there any statistics or metrics you can share?

The work is done, and the software works as it should. My employees appreciate the solution, and they like the ability to use it for internal communication. Employees now see their new tasks through a message, which comes usually to their e-mail. That means that the employees themselves can be informed and the administrator doesn't need to reach them by phone on a regular basis.

How did EBS Integrator perform from a project management standpoint?

Everything went good from this point. EBS Integrator’s communication was good, and they understood my project well. I was in contact with one main responsible for the software development, but I was also able to ask general questions about the terms and costs with our project manager.

The work went as scheduled in most cases. They provided a contract in which all stages were scheduled according to a project plan.

What distinguishes EBS Integrator from other providers?

They made a clear and comprehensible offer. I had some more offers from other developers, and they were complicated. It was difficult to understand how many working hours they really need and how much can that cost. EBS was better.

I also appreciated their communication. They answered quickly, or they arranged another time to talk.

Is there anything EBS Integrator could have improved or done differently?

Not really.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of a Swedish educational company providing apps for various targeted skills, including those for driver’s licences and finances.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with EBS Integrator?

We had been providing our educational content in an offline, hard copy format, but we wanted to build apps that contained the same information. We wanted to find an easy way to roll out several apps without the need for too much technical intervention, or, an admin panel that allowed us to quickly scale the number of apps and content within.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We hired an external agency for design, but EBS was in charge of development for both the iOS and Android apps. They were using modern technologies, which was favorable for us because we had certain demands. We were unsure in the beginning if this would be a one-time or ongoing collaboration, but they’ve since become our outsourced CTO and tech team because it’s working so well. If at any point we wanted to work with someone else, we wanted to be sure that that person or team could take over from the work EBS did.

We wanted the ability to quickly replicate the apps, rebrand them, and relaunch them in the store, but we didn’t want to spend a lot of energy doing so. The apps needed to work and look the same, but have different branding and colors. They’re all structured around three basic parts: theory, quizzes, and exams. The first involves learning pages of theory, the second is a quiz, and the third is an exam that unlocks the next stage once you pass.

We also needed a user interface in the backend that would let us dynamically update the concepts inside the app. Users are notified with a prompt stating there is an updated version of a service whenever we make such a change. The backend was developed with Node.js. and the iOS version was done with Swift.

What is the team dynamic?

Our only point of contact was our project manager, who we worked closely with. This was beneficial to us because it prevented us from having to talk to too many people. I have a weekly call with the project manager, and then any other followups are done in quick chats over Skype. There was a backend, iOS, and Android team, but I’m not sure how many people were on each.

How did you come to work with EBS Integrator?

I was recommended to EBS by a colleague who had worked with them before. We held interviews with five other firms, but EBS was the only one who presented us with better approaches for our project. Instead of just doing what we told them, they gave us feedback and ideas, which we really appreciated. Communication with them has been good since the beginning, and they’ve remained professional throughout. We were also impressed with the high quality of previous projects they’d done.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent close to $22,000.

What is the status of the engagement?

We started working together in March 2017, and the relationship is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We charge an upfront fee to download the app, and a strong indicator of satisfaction is based on how high user retention is. We also measured the net promoter score, which has increased past what we expected. We kept an eye on how often users engaged with the app after downloading it, and after obtaining those metrics, we launched a big marketing campaign to drive growth. One-week retention is an important KPI [key performance indicator], and ours is roughly 80%, meaning users come back within a week of downloading the app.

How did EBS Integrator perform from a project management standpoint?

We mostly use Google suite, including Sheets and Docs. We also use Asana, which is basically a less technical version of JIRA.

Communication has worked great over the past 6 months, but what we enjoy the most is that EBS always provides honest feedback to our requirements.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’ve worked with many agencies and outsourcing companies, but EBS stood out because they care about the end product. They’ve remained honest with us, and they always deliver exactly what they promise on or before deadlines. I haven’t experienced this before, and especially not from an agency in a different time zone.

EBS has been extremely professional from the beginning with their client success team, to the development with the tech and product teams.

Are there any areas they could improve?

EBS has a strong hold on app development, but they could benefit from incorporating some design talent.

They are based in Europe, so time zones may be a challenge if you are far away. However, our account manager is available via Skype during most hours of the day.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

DonateSmarter.com is a startup company that brings donors and charities together. Our target market is individual donors and smaller charities that are under the $25,000 annual revenue threshold that the IRS proposes. We give the charities an easy and affordable way to avoid some of the costs associated with having a non-profit in the US, as well as free resources on how to contact and stay in contact with those donors.

I am the owner of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with EBS Integrator?

We needed to upgrade our system to a new way of thinking. Users tend to lose interest when there’s an issue with a site, so we needed someone who had that eye for perfection. EBS needed to be able to create something that would convey a message quickly to keep the interest of viewers.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We did research for two years on donors and businesses. Our site incorporates e-commerce, yet the nature of a donation makes it a more complex transaction than a normal purchase. This nuance is a core differentiator for our business model. EBS needed to understand these subtleties in order to develop the systems and keep user experience "sticky" and users engaged.  

How did you come to work with EBS Integrator?

I was introduced to EBS by a third party who was using them.

How much have you invested with EBS Integrator?

We have spent close to $200,000 with EBS Integrator so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

It’s an ongoing project that started in 2013.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

EBS Integrator is a fantastic development company. We’re in the process of going to market now, so I don’t have any hard numbers. When I speak to individual charities, they’re overwhelmed by the technology that’s available to them for free. Donors can stay connected and feel like they’re making an impact.

How did EBS Integrator perform from a project management standpoint?

In the beginning, it was obvious that EBS Integrator was also working on other projects due to the lack of time spent on my company. I raised this in a conversation with EBS Integrator, and they responded by appointing a new account manager.

Since our new account manager stepped in, he has been able to translate what I am trying to do into an actual product. He knows what EBS is capable of and uses their resources very well. When there is an issue, the problem gets addressed immediately. They’re available and willing to answer my questions over weekends and late at night. Even though they’re on the other side of the world, it seems like they’re right down the hall.

What did you find most impressive about EBS Integrator?

They have a willingness to hear my concerns, criticisms, and calls for help and act on them immediately. I know my account manager is busy with other products, but I don’t get that impression when I talk to him, and that’s worth a million dollars to me.

Are there any areas EBS Integrator could improve?

During the first year we worked together, I wasn’t happy with how slow the work was going and the quality I was getting. That changed after I spoke with Andy. They assigned me a new project manager, and he’s wonderful. They can do just about anything, and are improving every day. You need to communicate with them and let them know what you need to be done, and they’ll get it done in a timely fashion for an affordable price.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We have developed a social dining app called Spots. It is meant to help students connect to each other for lunch or dinner. They can create what we call a spot at a restaurant, which then becomes available to all of their friends on Facebook and in their phone book.

I am a co-founder of the company. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with EBS Integrator?

We have worked with EBS Integrator on 2 occasions, with our latest project taking place 2 weeks ago. We needed to build the iOS and Android versions of our Spot app. For our second and most recent app, we needed EBS Integrator to build an iOS version. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We initially approached EBS Integrator for input into how our vision could be achieved technically. We had long discussions about how we could connect with a social network using both Facebook and a phone book while avoiding having duplicate profiles showing up. EBS Integrator came up with technical solutions, developed the APIs, the backend, and the Android and iOS mobile apps themselves. They also provided the designs.

The second app we built with EBS Integrator is intended for Harvard University students. The app allows students to share 1 key takeaway after their classes with each other and with professors. Then, the app creates a top-3 list by allowing users to vote on the takeaways. Additionally, the app has a second feature called a barometer, which acts as a way to capture the aggregate mood in the classroom. Everyone using the app has the opportunity to give a thumbs-up or confused face (if they didn't understand the content of the class). The professors can see the aggregate reactions. This app is only available for iOS at the moment, but we plan to create an Android version as well. For this second project, we were a bit more experienced and the app itself was a bit less technically challenging. We provided EBS Integrator with most of the general specs for its execution and the design we provided was more advanced. EBS Integrator did a great job taking it to the next level.

In terms of services provided, EBS Integrator came up with designs for both apps. They moved some of the wireframes around in order to provide a better user experience. EBS Integrator used different kinds of backend solutions for recording data and communicating it via different APIs to our apps. Our initial app featured Facebook login integration, a system for importing contacts from the phone book, as well as a system for sending text messages to friends who were invited to use it.

How did you come to work with EBS Integrator?

We found EBS Integrator on Freelancer.com or one of its competitors. I then spoke to 40 to 50 other providers over Skype. We chose EBS Integrator because they seemed to be the only team which understood what we were trying to achieve, without saying yes to everything. They also provided recommendations on how we could do things better.

How much have you invested with EBS Integrator?

The cost of EBS Integrator's services was slightly above $50,000 for both of our projects.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with EBS Integrator in June 2015. The first project ended in October. Our second project started in October 2016 and ended at the beginning of December. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

Both app versions were created during the startup phase of our company. Our main goal was to create a product quickly, without any major bugs, while still having it look well-polished to end-users. I think that EBS Integrator did a great job within these dimensions.

Timing was the only aspect where EBS Integrator didn't exceed our expectations. They were slightly off, but only by a couple of business days. We appreciated the fact that EBS Integrator worked through weekends and at night in order to make the delay as limited as possible. Also, this incident happened partly because we didn't communicate our expectations well enough.

For our second project, EBS Integrator not only delivered on time but earlier than expected, giving us a product which was better than we'd hoped for.

There were very few bugs in our app, so we didn't have to go through numerous iterations compared to the apps’ functionalities. Because we were so happy with how they worked, we didn't reach out to anyone else for our second project. We went directly to EBS Integrator.

We've had very good app store reviews for our first app. It had a rating of above 4.5 for both versions. The second app has just been released, so it's a little early to look at its numbers. So far, people love the way it works.

How did EBS Integrator perform from a project management standpoint?

This is one of EBS Integrator's huge strengths. EBS Integrator is very good at handling clients. Their spoken and written English is good. EBS Integrator gave us a project leader who was able to speak my language, at a non-technical level, but also that of the developers. The team is proactive, responsive, and willing to work long hours. EBS Integrator usually starts work early in the morning, which is close to midnight in the US. When we wake up, they're still working.

EBS Integrator has a separate project manager and financial person, allowing the first to concentrate on delivering a good product for us. We were able to have separate discussions with them without worrying about our project manager being affected by us bargaining on the price.

What did you find most impressive about EBS Integrator?

I know that they have multiple projects running at the same time, but EBS Integrator gave us the feeling that we were their only client during our collaboration. The personal attention was a very nice advantage. Our products came out on time, looked nice, had very few bugs, and exceeded our expectations in functionality.

After talking to a lot of people, I found that in Moldova, and in Eastern Europe in general, the development quality is very high. That’s comparable to the US and at a much lower cost. It makes a lot of sense to work with EBS Integrator from a quality and cost perspective.

Are there any areas EBS Integrator could improve?

None of our teams fully understood the complexity of the math features in our social dining app. When creating a spot for dining or lunch meetings, displaying restaurants in a nice-looking way is a complicated task. Because EBS Integrator underestimated the complexity of our app, they overpromised in terms of time. This made the completion a few business days late. It doesn't sound like a huge deal, but it's still good to know that when setting a date, it won't be changed. EBS Integrator over-delivered in terms of time for our second project, so perhaps they've already made internal improvements. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the CEO of a health website that suggests appropriate treatment and medication based on the user’s profile.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire EBS Integrator?

I hired them for the full development of my website.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

They were a recommendation.

Can you go into detail about the services they provided and the scope of the project?

They designed a responsive web experience for My Pocket Pharma Web, including the web application and dashboard.

What was the team composition?

I worked with a project manager, a midsenior backend developer, a senior UX/UI designer, and a senior frontend developer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve successfully launched our startup. They delivered a high-quality website.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

They did their best.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They were serious about the project and offered a reasonable price.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

I wish they could expand internationally.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder of a simple yet powerful platform that offers content crowdsourcing, rewards, and customer loyalty. For companies and brands, we provide an interface for publishing mission-based campaigns for social networks. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what reason(s) did your company hire EBS Integrator?

EBS handles mobile app development for both Android and iOS.

What were your goals for this project?

We needed to launch great, easy-to-use mobile apps on Google Play and the App Store.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We discovered them on Upwork. EBS communicated promptly and quoted a good price for the project. Since then, we’ve worked with them many times.

Describe the project in detail.

For the iOS app, they used Swift 2.2. Our minimum requirements are iPhone 4s, Xcode 7+, and iOS 9+. For the Android app, they used the Java-based IntelliJ IDEA. Our minimum requirements are Android Studio 1.5+, API level 17, 4.8” display, and 540x960 pixel resolution.

What was the team composition?

The team includes Vasile [Project Manager, EBS Integrator], Alexandr [Creative Director, EBS Integrator], an iOS developer, and an Android developer. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Both apps work well, and our customers love their clean UX and simple interface.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow is excellent. EBS tracked their time thoroughly and communicated clearly and concisely.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I appreciate their responsiveness and professional timekeeping methods.

Are there any areas for improvement?

They need to update their Upwork profile.