eLuminous Technologies Pvt Ltd

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re an IT development company that services small to medium clients all over the world. We build websites and online solutions. I’m a shareholder and the COO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with eLuminous Technologies Pvt Ltd?

Programmers in South Africa are quite costly, even those with very little experience. I’d hire someone, pay them a very large salary, and would have to teach them how to work.

With COVID-19, we were already working virtually, so outsourcing made sense.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Most of the apps we build are web-based using PHP and HTML. A client might require a certain task to be done by their staff, for which they’d need a platform to exchange information. If we were developing native mobile apps, it would be too time-consuming to actually build anything.

It’s easier for us to build an HTML-based intranet app for the customer with PHP as the primary language and a MySQL database.

Most of the work done by their team so far has been for one specific client. Design is done in-house by us. We give them minimal documentation on the projects. The platforms we build are modular with the different modules working independently.

We build most of these in-house, and we got to eLuminous for additional modules. Tasks start with a simple email request followed by a Skype call. Because of the speed our clients require, I don’t have the time to sit and write everything down, make brief documents, purchase orders, and so on.

What is the team composition?

I have one dedicated programmer, and I’ve worked with three of their programmers in total. I also have a sales contact person.

How did you come to work with eLuminous Technologies Pvt Ltd?

They’d reached out to us in the past, asking if we needed coding services. I had quite a bit of back and forth with their salesperson over email and Skype sessions. It came down to them having a good sales rep with a trustworthy nature. I gave them a try, and it’s been a very good relationship since then.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing engagement with them started in April 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The work that eLuminous does is mostly behind the scenes. They solve logistical problems for the clients. When our client has a problem, eLuminous finds a solution for it.

For example, our client has POS software for multiple locations in the country, which also manages stock levels across the stores. They opened an e-commerce store. Normally, a business would keep dedicated stock in a warehouse for the web store, almost as if it was a separate entity. It was more beneficial to have and sell that stock inside physical stores.

Their POS software was archaic, and the people behind it refused to do development for it. We needed to integrate stock management for the site, but the software provider refused to do it.

What we did was to build a functionality through which the customer could integrate a CSV report received from the POS into the e-commerce system. We built a module that uploads the report and matches the data with the products on the website across different criteria: color, quantity, pricing, and more.

How did eLuminous Technologies Pvt Ltd perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicate through Skype and email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The best part about working with them is that they hire female programmers. I’ve hired many in the past, and 99% of them were male.

With eLuminous’ programmers, I’ve always had an open line of communication. They ask me questions about the project during the day, and they give me delivery times.

Working with eLuminous has been a pleasure. I’d always had to micromanage programmers, so I might as well’ve been doing the work myself.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’m happy with their programmers and the lines of communication. Because of how the economy is, the rand is much weaker than the US dollar, which we paid them in. I wish they were a bit cheaper.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I deal primarily with the developer, and I speak with the project manager only when there’s a problem. My recommendation is to keep an open line of communication with the staff and to treat them like people, not just as a supplier.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the managing director of a web design and development company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with eLuminous Technologies?

We needed them to undertake a client project for us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

eLuminous created a dynamic map for a client's website. I gave them the designs, and then their team built the interactive map with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. We delivered the map and its assets, and then the client managed the integrations into their website.

What is the team composition?

We worked with a project manager and a couple of developers.

How did you come to work with eLuminous Technologies Pvt Ltd?

I initially contacted their project manager, and we chatted about their company’s offerings. I then gave them a project brief, and they came back to us with questions and then gave us a quote. We approved their quote.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about £500 (approximately $700 USD) on their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked on this project in February 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It was a fairly difficult project but eLuminous completed it without any problems. Their team built exactly what we wanted within the timeframe exactly, which was quite tight. I’m very happy.

How did eLuminous Technologies Pvt Ltd perform from a project management standpoint?

We used Trello, and their communication was great. Their project management was one of the reasons I liked working with eLuminous. Their team was happy to jump on a call and review everything to ensure their understanding before moving forward. I was very happy with their project management skills.

What did you find most impressive about them?

eLuminous dedicated a project manager to our project who had excellent communication skills.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can’t think of any areas for improvement.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I would recommend initially working them on a smaller project. If you’re happy, you can then move on to a bigger project.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of a design consultancy that does everything from UI/UX to product design. I work as a freelancer and consultant, and I occasionally hire other contractors to help with the services that I provide.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with eLuminous Technologies Pvt Ltd?

I wanted to create my own website to make my company more discoverable through Google and ultimately generate more leads.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

eLuminous developed my site from scratch in WordPress. The site houses my portfolio and has easy call-to-action buttons. Clients can get in contact by emailing me or booking Zoom meetings.

What is the team composition?

I worked with 4–5 people from eLuminous, including senior developers and project managers.

How did you come to work with eLuminous Technologies Pvt Ltd?

I believe they reached out to me via LinkedIn. We started building a relationship. I’d interacted with them for 3–4 months and talked to them about other projects before I decided that I wanted to build my own website, so I felt comfortable using them. I looked at their portfolio and liked what I saw.

How much have you invested with them?

A rough estimate would be $1,000–$2,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

I started working with eLuminous in January or February 2020. I put the project on hold because of COVID, and we picked everything up again around May or June of that year. The final phases were done in August or September 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The site is done well in terms of usability and has good UI/UX design. It’s also responsive across desktop and mobile devices. Those were key success metrics, as was the ease of working and communicating with the team. eLuminous implemented all of the features and content that clients would want to see, such as use cases, portfolio pieces, and contact information. It was pretty straightforward.

Customer feedback has been generally good. I haven’t done a lot of research into getting feedback, but I’ve gotten a lot of leads through the website.

How did eLuminous Technologies Pvt Ltd perform from a project management standpoint?

I started the project during a difficult time, right after COVID hit. Nonetheless, I could always get in contact with eLuminous. There might’ve been times when I had to wait a couple of days for a reply, but I wasn’t very proficient in terms of communication, either. All of our communication was over email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their speediness in figuring out issues and resolving them was impressive. The process of working with them wasn’t tedious — in fact, it was fun to go through the different challenges that I had and determining how to solve them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It was a difficult time for all of us, so it’s hard to comment. They could’ve improved communication by getting back to me sooner, but other than that, I don’t have any negatives.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Having a clear goal of idea of what should be built will make the process much easier. I recommend listing the key features of the app or website and making a plan beforehand. I didn’t have an exact idea of what I wanted, so there was a bit of a waiting period while I figured that out.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the senior web developer for a marketing and technology firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with eLuminous Technologies Pvt Ltd?

We needed help with a business development project.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

First, eLuminous Technologies analyzed our system and came up with a project roadmap. They have enhanced our website and integrated it with external platform APIs, including Amazon and three other platforms. 

They’ve also integrated with the ClickBank platform, through which we sell our products. Previously, we had to log into several separate accounts. eLuminous Technologies did an integration so that we can access all of the data from one system. Now, we have all of the content and account data in one spot.

What is the team composition?

I am in contact with a senior web developer. I give him all of the requirements, and his team analyzes it and creates the development plan.

How did you come to work with eLuminous Technologies Pvt Ltd?

Our partner had hired eLuminous Technologies and found them to be helpful, so they introduced them to us.

How much have you invested with them?

My company has spent $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in December 2020, and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

eLuminous Technologies is professional and has excellent skills. We’re satisfied with them.

How did eLuminous Technologies Pvt Ltd perform from a project management standpoint?

They meet deadlines; they haven’t been any delays. They’re quite efficient and organized. We use a project management tool to organize the tasks. We understand each other.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their analytic skills are impressive and perfect for our requirements.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there’s nothing I’d have them improve.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

We have recommended our friends to them. I don’t have any advice other than to go ahead and work with them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m one of the co-founders of CN Marketing. We’ve been in business since 2012. I look after the business development strategy and planning. We’re a small company mainly involved in web and mobile app development, integration services, and hosting.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with eLuminous Technologies Pvt Ltd?

It was very difficult to find the right resources to build our client websites based on their business requirements. We needed to outsource a lot of these services.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’ve given a lot of outsourced work to them, mostly for website development services.

At that time, we weren’t doing app development. However, we’ve been doing that ourselves in recent years using Ionic, an open-source framework.

What is the team composition?

I always had direct contact with the owner. We even had a visit from him in the second year of our relationship. There were 3-5 people, but we could scale up when needed.

How did you come to work with eLuminous Technologies Pvt Ltd?

They offered to use a local resource to manage and close the gaps in the project. Their prices were quite competitive. We could also scale up quite quickly with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent between 600,000–800,000 rands (approximately $50,000–$55,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in February 2014–December 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our relationship was very fruitful and respectful. They were very accommodating, and we were happy with the relationship. It’s unfortunate that we had to end the relationship due to international matters that were outside of our control. We had no issues with them. They were always flexible, and I’d recommend them anytime to anyone.

How did eLuminous Technologies Pvt Ltd perform from a project management standpoint?

We ran our own project management using Teamwork. It made it easier to have everyone on the same platform. They were a very capable team. We were able to deliver on time and within the budget parameters.

It was nice having direct access to the owner of the company. We could speak to the top man right away to make decisions very quickly. The outcomes of those talks were always successful.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were very flexible, and their prices were extremely competitive. Their competency was strong.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They were more of a production house than a support and maintenance team. It would have been nice if they could have helped more in those areas. We picked that up on our end but would've liked to outsource it.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Digital Marketing Manager (Group) for a company that runs a global hospitality chain and private members club.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire eLuminous Technologies Pvt Ltd?

We wanted to build a mobile app for our members to easily access all their member tools and see the latest information. We tried working with other vendors earlier but they produced very poor quality apps and did not know how to create many of the features we requested for.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to launch a fully functioning mobile app for members that was user-friendly and comprehensive.

SOLUTION

How did you select eLuminous Technologies Pvt Ltd?

eLuminous came recommended by my professional acquaintances, who was from a tech company that engaged eLuminous to support their custom-built platform. They provided great quality at great value.

Describe the project in detail.

eLuminous was professional and organized throughout the mobile app development process. They were clear in what they needed to do at each stage, and even gave suggestions on how to improve the app in terms of functionality. They went above and beyond to assist in working through administrative roadblocks that we met along the way e.g. trying to register the app on app stores.

What was the team composition?

We mainly worked with 2 people on the team - a project lead, and a developer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We managed to fully incorporate all the features we wanted in the app, that previous vendors told us were not possible. We also gathered lots of useful insights and suggestions from the eLuminous team and look forward to implementing them in phase 2 of the app development.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Most of the delays came on my team's side, which explains the long timeframe for this project. However eLuminous stayed patient and professional throughout. At the start of the project, there was a little bit of miscommunication issues, but they quickly rectified and improved the moment we gave our feedback on any issue.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The large variety of technology capabilities in their team, the ability to quickly adapt, and the level of professionalism.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Higher level of communication, although this was resolved early on in the development process.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Cobblestone Paris Rentals is an hospitality portal offering accomodation bookings and experiences in Paris France. I am the CEO and Founder, of Cobblestone.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire eLuminous Technologies Pvt Ltd, and what were your goals?

Our company hired this team originally on UpWork/Elance in 2018 for several tasks regarding the customization of our website. We required additional pages that would provide users the ability to review, book, and pay for additional services that could be added to their travel experience.

SOLUTION

How did you select eLuminous Technologies Pvt Ltd and what were the deciding factors?

We required a responsive team that could perform the tasks promptly, and within budget. The team at eLuminous had the expertise and customer service skills needed, and we have continued the relationship with them for several years as a result of their excellent performance.

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

-Creation of mockups for website pages -store front for experiences -payment gateway -automated email system for notifications to 3rd party vendors.

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

I have only had 2 points of contact, which has greatly streamlined the process and made communication much more effective.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The website has continued to grow and users have reported a positive experience with the site and its features.

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

One team member is assigned to liase with me to get the scope of work required, and establish pricing and timeline. The execution is led by the lead member, and information is gathered in cooperation with one or two other support members until the project is accomplished.

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

Several years have passed and I have always been able to contact the same people, and receive the same excellent service and attention.

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

I have been pleased, and see no reason to rehire for my web support and development needs.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the executive director of a legal education company. In short, we produce educational content for attorneys throughout the US. We provide online content, teleconferences, webcasts, and in-person.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with eLuminous Technologies Pvt Ltd?

We partnered with eLuminous to develop our web platform. The frontend needed e-commerce capabilities and needed to provide content to students while the backend needed features for us to log analytics.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

eLuminous built our responsive website. While they created the blog with WordPress, their team built the rest of the platform using custom JavaScript. They built a shopping cart where customers can preview online content and created a ticketing system for live events. Although we sell tickets via the website, we host the live teleconference through API connections.

eLuminous integrated the website with other APIs, including Vimeo. That allows us to upload online videos. There’s a system that tracks students’ progress on the videos in real-time. After the system confirms that the student watched the video, it gives them a test. There’s then a certification process. That information generates reports that we send to the respective jurisdictions in which we do business.

Their team also organizes and transfers data for new site launches, builds and maintains websites, and manages SEO initiatives.

What is the team composition?

The team’s composition depends on a project’s stage. When we migrated data from one site to another, for example, we had six people and a project manager on the team. During website development, I’d estimate the team size was between 10–15. I work with their project manager, who coordinates everything.

How did you come to work with eLuminous Technologies Pvt Ltd?

A friend recommended eLuminous after working with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We spend between $50,000—$60,000 per year on their services and have an ongoing maintenance contract with them. In total, we’ve spent somewhere in the $200,000–$1 million range.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with eLuminous around February 2008, and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

When we rebuild our platform with eLuminous, we have two goals: improve the customer experience and monetize more potential clients. Our business grows with each rebuild, and every project has enhanced our sales.

How did eLuminous Technologies Pvt Ltd perform from a project management standpoint?

Each part of the project has a dedicated leader while their project manager oversees the different segments. Their team is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Everyone in their company, from the owner to a new hire, provides me with their phone number. There are 2–3 times a year when I wake up their team around 2 a.m. their team, and everyone is happy to help. They’re incredibly responsive and resolves any issue within a 24-hour period.

Outside the pandemic, their performance is terrific. I can’t fault them for how their performance changed throughout the pandemic. There are many factors outside of their control. In the normal world, I have no complaints about how eLuminous’s team operates.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Regardless of the functionality or the issue, they always find a solution. Their team does their research and never says no, which empowers us. I have true confidence in their abilities. That’s why we’ve worked with them for a long time.

I’m also impressed by their responsiveness. If you have an e-commerce business, you’re on call 2 hours a day and issues constantly pop up. eLuminous is always there. They’re my partner that really cares about their work product. If the product isn’t right, their team will put in the time to ensure it’s done to my satisfaction.

Are there any areas they could improve?

As with any partnership with a vendor outside of the US, there is a communication barrier. Although all of their employees fluently speak English, they can miss little nuances. Other than that, I’m incredibly happy.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

When entered into the engagement, I had a lack of knowledge about processes. Before undertaking any type of development work, it's helpful to understand the processes involved. eLuminous will do exactly what you ask of them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a digital marketing agency that supports independently-run fitness facilities in the UK.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with eLuminous Technologies Pvt Ltd?

We hired them to create our primary platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement? 

eLuminous Technologies developed a membership subscription platform from the ground up. The main feature was a subscription model with different tiers. Given our tight project costs, we opted to build the solution in WordPress and PHP. They did some design work, as well.

What is the team composition? 

They had a team of three, including a business development manager, a platform development manager, and occasionally one of their directors.

How did you come to work with eLuminous Technologies Pvt Ltd?

We ran an RFP process, looking in markets across the US, the UK, Canada, and the Asia Pacific regions.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $7,500.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project lasted from September–December 2020. It finished seven days early. I actually plan to talk to them about what a second release would look like soon.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The work was under constant review by those within our business. I personally checked in biweekly for delivered work, and we also had a couple of existing client members jump in to give feedback near the end of the project. There was nothing negative — for things that did crop up, eLuminous resolved them very quickly.

How did eLuminous Technologies Pvt Ltd perform from a project management standpoint?

They ran the project in an agile manner using three sprints. I’m nitpicking here, but they could’ve communicated their progress at a higher level. That is to say, I would’ve liked to have had a business update that I could then communicate to other leaders on my team.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their speed and agility were impressive. Nothing was ever an issue for them. We threw two big curveballs at them that were large development changes: one came from our CMO, and the other from our CEO. 

Not only were they able to take on those changes, but they made sure that they didn’t hurt the timelines by re-evaluating resources and prioritizing to get the job done. We just discussed the scope creep and sorted out the pricing beforehand. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Having formal documentation would be good, especially when closing a project. That would help us keep track of how everything works together since we’d have an architectural reference point.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Always ask and don’t assume. You should also give regular feedback because they’re happy to adjust. If you have an idea, make sure to express it because they like to be challenged. Finally, ask for a formal reference point if you’d like one.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director for a company that offers car parking solutions.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with eLuminous Technologies Pvt Ltd?

We use automatic license plate recognition to record cars that enter and exit the parking lot. Every month, we import data into our system and invoice the customers that use the parking lot. Previously, we used Excel to collect the data, and that was fine when we had a few hundred customers. As the company grew and we started seeing several thousand customers, this process wasn’t scalable.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

eLuminous Technologies Pvt Ltd to develop a custom solution that would track the cars that enter and exit the parking lot each month.

What is the team composition?

We worked with a senior software developer, two software developers, and a part-time developer.

How did you come to work with eLuminous Technologies Pvt Ltd?

Initially, we were working with another company that was outsourcing to eLuminous Technologies Pvt Ltd. After a few months, we decided to work with them directly. In doing so, I assumed the role of overseeing the project and the price structure changed. Instead of having a fixed price structure, we pay for the developers on a monthly basis depending on what we need.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about £50,000 pounds (approximately $68,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in October 2019 and the software was complete in April 2020. However, they still provide ongoing development support.  

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We no longer have to refer to the Excel spreadsheets because the new system is effective.

How did eLuminous Technologies Pvt Ltd perform from a project management standpoint?

They work in an agile manner and we meet daily. In each meeting, we talk about what they worked on the day before and what they plan to do going forward. They’re based in India, so we use Zoom to communicate.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’ve done a good job developing a few challenging features. eLuminous Technologies Pvt Ltd stands out from others in the industry because they work on a very tight frame when undergoing a billing run. When there’s a problem with the software, they fix it immediately.

One of their software engineers was instrumental in building a specific part of the project, and they were up in the early hours of the morning helping me with it. I was really that they stuck with me and ensured that it was delivered on time.  

Are there any areas they could improve?

There are two things they could improve on: testing and development. When they produce a piece of software, I have to do all of the testing. If I uncover a serious bug, it takes a significant amount of time to fix it. They're always able to solve it, but it can create extra work.

Their development process could be more rigorous as well. We often have to work on the live server rather than the user acceptance testing (UAT) server when we need to fix issues. I would prefer if they made sure everything was running smoothly on the UAT server and migrated it to the live server.  

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

New clients should try to work on a fixed-price basis, but that does require very detailed requirements. I found that we got better results and it was more cost-effective.