Edvantis

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the former CFO of TechniSat R&D which is a consumer electronics company in Germany.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Edvantis?

An HMI needed to be reworked in all of our television sets. The old one was 10 years old. It had to be completely new, and scale 10 to 15 years of development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They did the frontend work which was the QML programming of the whole HMI. We did the backend which were the programs that were operating the system and they took care of the visual aspect. As part of the concept, we had design and functionality documentation that they then implemented.

What is the team composition?

In the top range, we had between 8–10  people.

How did you come to work with Edvantis?

We knew Ukraine was well-positioned for nearshoring. I can’t remember how I found them specifically. We screened the market and contacted them. We visited the companies we were interested in and Edvantis won the competition.

How much have you invested in them?

We spent between $200,000–$1 million.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started the project in 2017 and ended in 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

What they delivered was well-received. The feedback we got about the quality of their work was so positive. It was really amazing, and I would not have anticipated such positive feedback from the whole team.

How did Edvantis perform from a project management standpoint?

We were working with a scrum and agile project management. We had daily stand-up meetings to review the code and to check it into our system. They are very professional.

It’s easy to see that they have done lots of projects and that they need to perform well. They are highly professional in all types of project management. They have clear and strict guidelines on how to approach a project which helped a lot in kicking it off right.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I would say quality throughout all the levels, from the software developer to the project management, to the CTO and CEO. They were all high quality. Not only from the professional side, but it was quite positive and open-minded as well.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could move all their people here to Germany. There is nothing in particular that annoyed me, or at least nothing that I can remember.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Just a general thing regarding nearshoring, but you have to have a clear plan on what you want to have developed because they always require a fixed set of what they have to do otherwise they won't start it because most projects end as a mess which is something most companies can’t afford.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Martin Walther, FSD Fahrzeugsystemdaten GmbH. Head of Commercial Management, Legal

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire New Peak Solutions?

Structuring of ODX data for using it for our internal process.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We were looking for a software development partner, didn´t signed them but later realized they did data engineering too.

Describe the project in detail.

Edvantis helped us develop a usable searchable data structure for ODX data.

What was the team composition?

One person, data engineer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Process enhancement.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Their communication was always pretty good, and they adhered to the timing and budget as we agreed.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the managing director of ATR. We supply digital procedure lifecycle software to high-risk, highly regulated industries. We’re focused on the lifecycle of operating procedures so that workers get the job done safely.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Edvantis?

We wanted to have an independent testing organization that would be adjunct to our own internal testing organization.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Edvantis provides independent testing of various software modules, including low testing to verify that lots of people can access the software at the same time. They do conflict testing which involves looking at errors and checking the general usability, as well as helping to ensure that there aren’t bugs in the software or delays that could frustrate the end-user. 

We have 2–3 major releases per year, as well as some intermediate fixes. So, Edvantis is constantly looking at the software in different environments, different user stories, and giving us feedback so that our programmers can make corrections as needed.  

We were developing a product geared towards the COVID-19 virus and they did some low testing since it was going to be a public-facing iOS and Android mobile app. They volunteered to do the testing at their own cost to help people.

What is the team composition?

We work with 2–3 teammates.

How did you come to work with Edvantis?

Their president was visiting Houston and set up some time to meet with us. We liked what we heard and felt that Edvantis had the capability to do what we needed and to ramp up very quickly. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent close to $1 million of the years.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with Edvantis about 12 years ago, and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They routinely uncover issues and questions. Additionally, the team continuously provides feedback and has good communication skills. They work with our QA team to make sure that the information is tracked.

How did Edvantis perform from a project management standpoint?

They perform well. The team works under the direction of our QA manager, Philip Tao. He monitors their progress to make sure that they’re on target with what he needs. Edvantis has done a great job of the requirements from a project perspective.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their level of communication sets them apart. We’ve had great cooperation through the entire history of our working with them. We don’t have much experience with other testing organizations, but our relationship with them has been highly successful.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I have no specific issues with them at this time.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Try to understand their business model and capabilities. They have a variety of assets that could be used by software companies. We’ve been focusing on the testing aspect, but for companies looking to outsource, Edvantis has other capabilities that they can offer.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re an e-commerce platform and we serve about 60,000 clients.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Edvantis?

We had expensive development resources, and we had various projects that we thought Edvantis could do for a more affordable price.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We brought them on for an aggressive product roadmap. Over time, they took on more and more responsibilities, especially around our payment integrations, our payments partners. They were integrated with our team.

What is the team composition?

We worked with between 30–50 people. It became a pretty big team.

How did you come to work with Edvantis?

They worked with my CTO at a past company. We worked on similar project then. They’re technically advanced, so they could work on extensive projects. They do a good job of retaining their teams and their developers are very knowledgeable and experienced.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $1 million–$10 million.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project lasted from June 2016–March 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They were subject to the KPIs we use to measure our internal team performance. They have a strong work ethic, they were committed to the deliverables, and they took it very seriously. If we didn’t acquire an internal team, we’d still be working with them. I’m always happy to recommend them and would like to work with them again.

How did Edvantis perform from a project management standpoint?

One of our directors managed them and treated them like members of our team. So they were very engaged and integrated with our team. They’re very proud of their work. The bigger the project, the more engaged they were. Unlike some other teams I’ve worked with, they want to be challenged.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They want their leaders to be entrenched in our business. They never hesitated to send their team to our offices to make sure the integration project went smoothly. They were very proactive on that front. Even post-integration, they were very engaged. They also didn’t have much turnover, so they were very reliable.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I was pleased with their work.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Don’t be afraid to engage with your team. Treat them as one of your own dev teams, and they’ll respond really well.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of engineering and operation for oil and gas analytics company in the energy market.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Edvantis?

There are just never enough good developers. From our perspective, getting teams with a wide variety of skills ramped up quickly is always hard to do. Additionally, one of the things we like is to have multiple time zones so we can work a little faster. We can run shifts and develop quickly.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We mostly do development and QA support across our products, with a mix of mobile development, .NET, and the occasional build. They’re to build analytics and data platforms.

What is the team composition?

It varies, we probably have 30–40 people working on our project right now.

How did you come to work with Edvantis?

I’ve worked with them on previous jobs and brought them in based on the excellent experiences I’ve had in the past.  

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in August 2017, and we’re still working together.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They have very highly skilled developers and QA. When we think about offshore, and Edvantis, we’re not looking at a cost model. We’re looking at a global development team with the ability to do anything we need.

How did Edvantis perform from a project management standpoint?

Normally, we manage the projects and we have them with blended teams. So one developer would be in our office, so we act like they’re an employee. We’ve had a few local developers, and they’re great. We prefer people who are tied in with the business.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’ve always found them to be attentive and they have very good attention to detail. The structure has made it so they participate in our standups and our agile flows. They’re an extension of our normal workforce.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they’re really good, which is why we brought them on for multiple projects.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Integrate your teams.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

My company is Oasis Corporate Housing. We provide short term rentals that are turnkey for B2B stays for people moving, relocating, working on projects where they need housing for a temporary basis. I am the CEO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Edvantis?

We were working to create an automated marketplace that we could use as a value-added tool for our clients. We wanted to be able to show them that we are accessing all of the best available temporary housing options in various markets around the world.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They’re practically a division of our company at this point. They started by developing a property database that syncs with our website and is integrated with markets all around the world. Then, they automated the process flow for client requests. It transfers information from our clients to the suppliers that meet their location requirements using geolocation. Based on an address or point of interest, it will automatically link users with the providers in that area, making is very easy to make an offer on the available property. In turn, providers are also able to see what each client is looking for.

It has an interface that we’re all used to, similar to a shopping cart. Then users can book through that feature, automatically taking that option off the market and informs the supplier that it has been booked.

The system retains a lot of data that is useful for our corporate clients’ reports. With the click of a few buttons, they can see where their employees are. For example, in the COVID-19 outbreak, they can use this feature to find out where their employees are and how to get them home.

What is the team composition?

We have 8–9 full-time developers.

How did you come to work with Edvantis?

I was contracting with a local company that was then outsourcing to Edvantis, who was being billed at 20% the rate I was paying the other company. I thought that this was crazy, I can’t spend that much money on development when I can contract with Edvantis directly instead.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $1 million– $1.5 million.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in 2017 and our work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Continuing to innovate using technology is a priority for us, so we’ll continue to keep them in our budget. We’ve created a good partnership and I try to refer others to them. They’ve done a phenomenal job.

How did Edvantis perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management is phenomenal. I can’t speak highly enough of the project manager and the rest of the team.

We have one internal team member that runs the software development from a business perspective that coordinates with them. They meet 2–3 times a week using video conferencing. Prior to our engagement, we had several people warn us not to outsource, but we haven’t faced any of the pitfalls associated with an overseas team.

When they're full time, they became invested part of our company. And so just like how we would train anybody you hire, we have to spend some time training them to understand our business.

They’re proficient in English, so we don’t have to worry about communication. Development walks the line between being methodical and being artistic, so I try to give them the time they need to get things done right. If there’s client demand, I’ll communicate that to them, but we trust them to be professional and work in a timely manner.  

What did you find most impressive about them?

I trust them as experts in development. The price point in Ukraine versus the US is much lower, so we can hire 8–9 developers rather than 1–2 developers. As a result, they can finish projects very quickly.  

Are there any areas they could improve?

I would like some guidance on metrics we should track to determine if we’re performing below expectations, meets expectations, or exceeds expectations.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

You have to give them a little bit of space to create a masterpiece, and make sure you have a good project manager. Interview who they would potentially put on your team as a project manager or lead developer. The success of these projects is closely related to who you get in that role, so assess their commitment, how long they plan to be in that position, and really, how you would hire internally for that position.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a business developer at Modulsystem — a parking and mass transit payment company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Edvantis?

We didn’t have the skills internally to complete an app development project. Our team’s Windows-oriented but we wanted to use Linux.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Edvantis first built a simple Android app. Then a major project started with Linux based development. For the last two years, they have converted that investment to Android with a Windows-based backend, so we have devices for the OS. We moved parts of our Windows development to their team because our department didn’t perform as expected.

Recently, Edvantis helped to build payment terminals in a special environment to support the Telium TETRA suite of payment products.

What is the team composition?

We started with four people, but that number grew to about 10 people supporting our project. One person heads our team and another person leads the different projects.

How did you come to work with Edvantis?

The CEO of Edvantis reached out to us repeatedly. At first, we were reluctant because that wasn’t familiar to us. But he didn’t give in and gave us a fixed price for the Android app, which wasn’t a lot of money. We decided to start with them and are quite happy with that.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in January 2012, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their work is well received. We’re satisfied with the way they handle the projects. It was hard work, but it was fun. The product works as an extension as we meant all along. We’ve always had a good relationship with the entire team.

How did Edvantis perform from a project management standpoint?

We use GitHub to manage our projects. At times when we had tough deadlines, their team worked hard to meet them. When we’ve left them to themselves, they managed to complete a lot of work. Edvantis is motivated and eager. We’ve always had a good relationship with the entire team.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Edvantis is always friendly and listens well. We also have good communication with management. We’re happy to partner with them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I have nothing negative to say.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Give them a chance.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CTO of Collenda, a software company. We develop software for the whole credit lifecycle which includes loan origination, loan management, collection, recovery of debts, and impairment of debts in the customer groups banking, corporates, and collection agencies. We also provide a software solution as a platform with different product modules within it. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Edvantis?

We decided to enhance our products in terms of digitalization. We wanted to help our customers by introducing new self-service portlets where they can apply for a loan or a restructuration of their debt. We needed help with the development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They helped especially in the digitalization part of our products. They developed our loan portal with React, JavaScript, and well-defined APIs to our software. They created a complete new React-based and browser-based user interface for our software.

What is the team composition?

We have had a maximum of nine developers. Currently, there are six working on the project in two teams. In both teams, we have one lead developer and architect.

How did you come to work with Edvantis?

There were a lot of suitable providers for evaluation and comparison. I shortlisted three of the companies for presentation, and we ended up choosing Edvantis because they seemed to be very professional in their way of working and were very flexible in scaling.

How much have you invested with them?

The total project cost was around $350,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in March 2019 and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their work solved two problems. We have a better picture to engage our end customers as well as a new user experience for the agents that use our software. We estimate user stories before we do them to sort the sprints in the agile development. We measure it by if the sprint goal is met.

Their work was well received by our internal team as well. We wouldn’t have gained this technology leap without them, and we really appreciate the work that they’ve done. The architects were very skilled and had their own ideas to implement the features.

How did Edvantis perform from a project management standpoint?

We decided to manage the product on our side. We have daily calls with them, write the user stories for the team members, and coordinate all the work for them. They are willing to do overtime if necessary, so we were able to meet every timeline.

What did you find most impressive about them?

If you want to introduce new technology to your team, the input coming from Edvantis helps to speed up, helps to find new ideas, and helps find developers that have these skills.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It could make sense to install a proxy product on Edvantis’ side, which we haven’t done.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

The most important thing is that the developers know what they are developing. The more complex it is, the more important it is to explain why they are developing it.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a platform that helps high-end consultants find work at major enterprises. I’m the CIO at the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Edvantis?

We needed an expert team to work independently while taking feedback to deliver a highly scalable solution that we could build off in the future.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They built our entire web app from the ground up. Everything from data design to API integrations was handled by their team. They collaborated with our frontend team to put together interactions for our users. Their team holistically built the entire platform with our guidance. We worked within Microsoft Azure and .NET frameworks. 

There are two intended users for the app. The first set is high-end consultants or contractors who are looking for work at large enterprises for 2–3 years at a time. The platform is intended to aid staffing firms. We started using the product for smaller firms, which worked well. Candidates could update their availability when they deem necessary. Because the platform is able to update at this rate, we can provide high-end consultants to agencies in a matter of hours. 

What is the team composition?

We worked with six people from their team. Our main contact is their dev lead. They were responsible for disseminating and checking work. Through that process, they managed their team. 

How did you come to work with Edvantis?

I originally found out about their services through a large company I collaborated with. They’ve been working on projects with me ever since. At this point, they’re my go-to partner, and I commonly recommend them to others. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $500,000 on their work. 

What is the status of this engagement?

This project ran from May 2016–December 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our biggest early success was that users were finding us and having no problem setting up an account. They built the main app in addition to the entire backend management console for our team. One of my metrics was how quickly I could onboard a new customer with the tool. For us, it ended up taking 5 minutes. I’ve seen average times of 24-48 hours and some take as long as three months.

How did Edvantis perform from a project management standpoint?

Even though our teams are located in different countries, communication was excellent. We had several Skype calls as well as steller written and verbal interactions with them. Everything was clean and clear. We communicated primarily through Trello, email, and Skype.

I was responsible for determining which tasks were the highest priority. They would ask the right questions when they didn’t understand something. That helped me become a better communicator. They were focused on making the best solution as opposed to simply completing the code.  

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re able to come up with their own ideas to contribute to our aims. Their ability to communicate around the solution makes a huge difference. Each of their developers asks succinct, insightful questions. I’m confident that their entire team is strong in their skills. That’s helped me keep our full-time team pretty lean.  

Are there any areas they could improve?

They’re so malleable and easy to work with that I can’t think of anything for them to improve upon. Even their cost isn’t a deterrent to me because of the quality we’re receiving. They’ve bolstered their position in the market by teaching their teams how to effectively work with clients.  

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Trust their team. If you treat them as part of your team, you’ll be very successful. Additionally, it’s important to be specific in what you’re asking from them. When we relay that information, they can contribute to thinking through the problem. In the end, they often find things that I didn’t address. That helps me get the most out of working with them.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Doc Cirrus is a software company developing next generation products that connect and enable doctors, pharmacists, patients and other healthcare providers. I lead the software development team, currently around 20.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Edvantis?

We needed to flexibly grow our software development team and have had great success with Edvantis providing a fixed near-shore team of highly skilled developers. Some key product components are developed by Edvantis.

What were your goals for this project?

Create the most modern innovative software product, that allows our company to fulfill its mission.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We started with small projects at several Eastern European providers and stayed with the best one.

Describe the project in detail.

Starting with a team of 3 developers, we have grown to a strength of 7. Edvantis regularly offers new developers for the team. Departures are immediately filled with equivalent personell. The team is 100% dedicated to Doc Cirrus, and all tasks are led and managed from our Berlin offices. Because the team has stayed stable, tech onboarding of new team members is handled remotely and efficiently.

What was the team composition?

1 Agile scrum team of 6 developers and 1 lead developer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our large customer base stands for the progress and success of our work.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The team is fully integrated in our agile Scrum method, meaning daily standups and daily technical meetings. Additionally, the team participates actively in all sprint reviews/ planning meetings, etc. The team is highly reliable and always responsive.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Excellent offering - great developers with great value. They have an awesomely friendly company culture that makes a stable team possible over 4 years and counting!

Are there any areas for improvement?

Prices have increased in the past years as the Ukrainian market approaches Western standards.