Empat

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a project manager for Dominor, a web development company. I work on different projects involving different companies and also help with marketing efforts.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Empat?

We work in the B2B field and want to look more like a professional company, so we’ve asked them to create and design our website highlighting information about our company as well as the services we offer.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We met up with Empat to discuss our ideas on how we wanted our website to look like. After agreeing on the design, their team proceeded with the development of our site from scratch. They also continue to help us in adding information to our site and provide sales consultations.

What is the team composition?

We’re mainly in touch with their project manager, but we also work with several people from their team, including back- and frontend developers, sales specialists, a QA manager, and a designer.

How did you come to work with Empat?

We were searching for developers within our general area, and they were one of the 10 companies that met our internal criteria. After our first consultation with them, it became clear to us that they operate at a high level professionally and communicate very well.

How much have you invested with them?

I think we’ve spent between $15,000–$20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in January 2019, and our engagement is still ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’ve delivered a website that we’re very satisfied with — it’s both user- and mobile-friendly. As a result, we’ve seen an increase in visitors and new clients.

How did Empat perform from a project management standpoint?

They follow an agile approach for development, and we have weekly meetings and calls with their team. In fact, we can always call their manager and ask all the questions we have. We communicate using various platforms, including Slack, Google Meet, email, and phone calls. They also use Jira to manage tasks.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their attention to detail is really impressive. They’ve also been very easy to work with, and we can’t imagine working with a different partner for this project.

Are there any areas they could improve on?

I can’t think of anything; we’ve had no problems and are very happy with our collaboration.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure to listen to their advice — they have a lot of experience and can help you reach your goal.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a Project Manager in the Austrian Embassy in Kyiv with the ambition to build a modern partnership between the Austria and Ukraine. On this position I´m responsible for providing a full range of client side project and programme coordination.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Empat, and what were your goals?

We needed a website that would disseminate information about the project we were preparing to launch. Goal of this project is to bring together the creative potential of both countries and thereby facilitate stronger cultural and scientific cooperation between Austria and Ukraine.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We have worked with this company before on other side projects and I was generally satisfied with their work, so I decided to contact them this time too.

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

The first two phases of the project were on the Empat side. First, they worked on our request and created design of our future site. and after our approval they developed it. In the next phase, they helped with SEO optimization and content filling. They helped with the project launch a lot.

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

Our team included a Project Manager, UI/UX Designer, Back & Front Developers, Quality Manager and a SEO specialist.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The website turned out to be very beautiful and colorful, which, after all, underlines its theme related to the cultural unity of the two countries. We have received a lot of positive feedback from other managers and casual visitors to the site.

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

The communication was very sound. They’re strict, with a specific roadmap and task breakdown. They worked flawlessly. We had standups, weekly reports from engineers, and communicated through Slack.

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

They’re a small to medium-sized enterprise (SME) with a young team, so they’re forward-thinking.

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

No, everything was all good. I would advise others to work with them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm a project manager at the Austrian Cultural Forum in Kyiv, a part of the Austrian embassy in Kyiv. We're working on cooperation between Ukraine and Austria in culture, science, and education.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Empat?

We needed help with web design and development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Empat designed and created a website where we can present our activities in Ukraine. It was important that the website showed our identity and goals and reflected what we do in Ukraine. We also wanted to have all of our events presented there and the possibility for students or cultural activists to find scholarship information. We needed a few pages where our potential clients could find the information they are looking for.

We told them our ideas; they worked on that, and then we gave them some feedback and made the necessary changes.

What is the team composition?

There were five people in total. Most of the time, we were in contact with the project manager, who was our main point of contact, and any time we had a request, we'd turn to her, and she took care of it. We also worked with a designer on this project.

How did you come to work with Empat?

We found them on LinkedIn. We spoke to them and liked them because they showed us the previous websites they worked on, and my colleague contacted their previous clients, which gave positive feedback. In addition, the cost and the results they produced looked good to us.

How much have you invested in them?

We have spent approximately $30,000 with them so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them from June–November 2021, but we can get in touch with them if we want to make any changes or add additional features.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were happy with their work; the website has helped us present ourselves. We're a government organization, so we don’t sell anything. We have events, and we have seen that more people have been able to find out about our events. We have gained visibility thanks to the website. Many people have told us that they found out about our events because of the website.

We liked working with them. It was easy to explain what we wanted and what we liked. They always responded promptly, so there was no wasted time. We could also always be in touch with them. We enjoyed the design, and they understood our idea. With design work, there are a lot of details involved, and they were friendly and open to changes if needed.

In addition, many people have said that when they look at our website, they can see our ideas coming through. We wanted the website to be colorful and interesting for people to look at, and we are satisfied with the work they did with that. 

Overall, the website looks beautiful, and at the same time, it is very practical.

How did Empat perform from a project management standpoint?

They followed all the deadlines; we could launch our website when we wanted to, and they always did everything on time. Also, we all speak different languages, and there were no problems; it was easy to understand each other.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I liked how they created the design, and the communication was good, too; it was easy-going and fun to talk to them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think there’s anything they can improve on; we were perfectly satisfied with their work, and I can’t find anything they could have done differently.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I’d recommend working with them — it’s an easy process. Other than that, there isn’t anything specific to recommend, although it is useful to express your general idea. We talked to them about what we believe, and it helped them develop a website that showcases our values.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am CEO and founder of a dental clinic. We provide high quality dental care for mid+ clients.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Empat, and what were your goals?

I contacted Empat with the aim of creating a selling website for our dental center, to show its innovativeness and professionalism.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We considered several options for local companies and chose Empat. Their CEO held an intro-meet for us, where we asked all the questions and got to know their approach to work, and we were quite satisfied with it.

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

The team has packed the basic information and services of our clinic on the website. The main feature was the ability to record through the site. We were also able to provide educational content to increase the awareness of our clients about the procedures.

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

For the project, a standard team of 5 people was involved, including a manager: UI / UX Designer, Backend developer, Frontend developer, QA.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

As a result, we received the desired website, which reflects the uniqueness and customer orientation of our clinic for the VIP segment, the number of visitors who came to our clinic by looking at our website before has grown. We can easily set up advertising campaigns and direct all leads to our website because we are confident that our target audience will like it.

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

The Empat company works with 2-weeks sprints using the Scrum methodology. They had several meetings as sprint planning and sprint review. The dev.team used Slack, Jira and GitHub as project tools.

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

They’ve been willing to work hard and push themselves to provide quality products for their clients.

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

In general they've matched or exceeded our expectations.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

IPACT is a coaching academy with only certified coach trainers. The coach's task is to unobtrusively accompany his client in solving problems on the way to achieving his goal.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Empat, and what were your goals?

We wanted to create an online platform for the interaction of our community of certified coaches, as well as with clients, who are focused on solving problems, setting goals, and finding answers to emerging questions in their personal lives.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

Empat was recommended to us by a very happy previous client.

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

A feature of IPACT is the opportunity not only to be a direct participant in live and online sessions and seminars, but also to expand their theoretical knowledge by visiting the online platform. On this resource you can find many materials authored by experts in various fields of life.

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

We had:

• a project manager, Andrii
•  front end developer
• ui/ux designer
• two back end developers
• other people coming in and out of the project as needed

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

After the release of the platform, the number of coaches has increased, and participants note that their interaction with coaches has become much more convenient and efficient.

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

The work in the project was built in 2 week sprints. Once every two weeks we had a call where we discussed what was done and what we want to implement in the next sprint. If some elements in the design did not suit us, we reported about outside the calls and the manager reacted to our comments, corrections were made.

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

Empat's ability to tap into anything we need at a moment’s notice is impressive — they’re proactive at helping us grow. In addition, they’re very flexible and responsive about issues, including cash flow concerns.

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

They do a really good job of communicating and setting clear expectations in the beginning so as of right now I don't really see anything that needs much improvement.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Invest in Projects is a B2B Marketing Boutique operating across real estate and investments. We help companies to build brand awareness; strengthen trustworthiness & reputation; present projects & communicate to all stakeholders as an industry expert; generate more dialogues with investors, business partners/tenants; and make these dialogues work in sake of clients’ interests.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Empat, and what were your goals?

We needed to make a platform that helps investors find projects to invest

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We knew one of the heads at Utility really well, so it was one of the first calls we made. Not many other suppliers were under consideration.

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

The website was needed to demonstrate to customers the update cases of various brands that have already been successfully implemented by us. The website also contains standard information about the company and a list of the services we provide.

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

The team comprises project lead, backend & frontend developers, QA engineers, SEO specialist, and UX/UI designer. The team has fluctuated in size based on need.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Clients have complimented the beautiful design, and ease of navigation. Any improvements made were smooth in terms of updating the website as well.

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

We had a lead project manager who was managing everything from start to finish, and there were various design and tech resources that were in and out of the project when needed. We also definitely had access to the top management at any time if we wanted to talk overall strategy.

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

We were really impressed with their attention to detail. They acted less like a hired company and more like a partner.

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

Empat is great about making this process easy on us, but it’s still a lot of work and one just needs to be prepared to be collaborative in an ongoing way.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Hey!Joy Toy Store is a chain of toy stores in the US. I'm a cofounder and member of the supervisory board of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Empat, and what were your goals?

Our aim was to create a space where adults discover the world through children’s eyes, share joy with their kids and create memorable moments.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

I have discussed the idea with my team to find the best app development service providers to build the solutions for our requirements. One of my colleagues came with this company, as he has already worked with them on his previous project, so we reviewed their client experience and communicated with them for further collaboration.

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

Hey!Joy is a discovery PWA project that promotes memorable interactions between parents and kids using Instagram/TikTok feed. We discover kids’ interests to find the most suitable gift and bring them joy. Technology stack: Vue.js, PHP 7.4, Laravel Framework ecosystem, MySQL, Redis, Algolia, Firebase, AWS S3, and more. In daily communication, we use Slack and email. For the development process, we use Atlassian’s package: BitBucket, Jira, and Confluence. Projects steps: Discovery stage & idea validation, Potential customers interview, design, prototype, interface validating, development, MPV launch, Sprint 1 launch...

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

During the first stage mostly I communicate with the project manager, BA and UI/UX designer. In weekly meetings also participate 2 backend developers, 2 frontend developers, a QA manager, and more. In total, we’ve interacted with 9–10 people. Also, Empath's CTO was involved in key meetings.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It's a very early stage to see the success so far our team is very happy with the outcome.

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

We have daily and weekly calls, so communication’s good. Their project manager maintains a bridge between their team and ours, ensuring we’re all on the same page. They meet milestones and deliver results on time. Their team’s efficient.

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

Their ability to work long hours until the customer is satisfied stands out.

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

I’ve not had any issues with them. They go the extra mile to make sure we’re satisfied.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

My name is Natalia Ponomareva, I am an expert in the treatment of children from 0 to 18 years old with more than 12 years of experience. I am also founder of the Caries Monster Fighters project for children's doctors, parents and children. Author of the book for children "Hunters of carious monsters." which gave me the idea to create an app for children.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Empat, and what were your goals?

To make it easier to work with children and in order to increase and more patient involvement, I developed the idea of gamification of the process of visiting the dentist. To implement my idea, I turned to Empat for help. They developed an iOS & Android app, also CRM system for project management. They also took a part of concept development. Caries Monster Fighters - an innovative interactive way to motivate and adapt children to dental care with elements of augmented reality. After the visit, the doctor gives the card with the monster to the child. The set contains 100 cards. Then the parents / children download the application and scan the card with the QR code and, after that, the monster LIVES and appears where the child wants to play with it.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

A positive recommendation from my colleagues helped me make a choice in favor of this company. They also worked for the DentalTech startup and it was a big benefit.

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

We had almost two months of the discovery stage to find the concept and do interviews. Then do a design, wireframes, and prototypes like a real app. And the most interesting thing we tested it with kids. I was impressed!!! Then we did new designs and do the cycle again. And only after that do we start the development process. I also love Empat's 3D artists, Diego makes my monsters alive and so sweet. Special thanks! We used native app development technology, iOS(Swift) and Android(Kotlin). Also placed everything in AWS.

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

I communicated with the project manager Valeria and the product manager Vyacheslav at the Discovery Stage and Product Development stages. A rather large team, which consisted of 12 people, including managers, worked on the project.The team is young and ambitious, so sometimes we'd been moving too fast, but when I asked for some more detailed workflow for my better understanding this problem was gone, and I could focus on other aspects of my business, such as cust journey improvement.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

After launching the application, we managed to increase the number of repeat visits, as the children wanted to return to our clinic and get a new monster in the application. I was also pleasantly surprised by the engagement of users: more than 5000 cards with monsters were scanned in 2 months and in general, we managed to get a rating in the market of 4.9.

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

We had sprint planning biweekly and communicate through Telegram and email. For design approving and improving we used Sketch and Zeplin. In general, the processes were clearly lined up, which led to compliance with all the agreed deadlines and the release of the project on time.

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

Previously, I had never been involved in the application development process, so it was important for me that the team was always ready to answer my questions and took into account my ideas and comments. The team instilled reliability and willingness to perform their task in the best possible way. They also helps me as startup advisory.

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

I am fully satisfied with the cooperation and have already recommended Empat to my friends and partners.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

CBRE is the largest consulting company in a world that provides a wide range of commercial real estate services.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Empat, and what were your goals?

We had a request to create a site to provide information to potential customers about us and the services we provide, to publish for our segment of professional impact reviews of market situations in general and trends that have dominated the office real estate market.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We considered several options for local companies and chose Empat. Their CEO held an intro-meet for us, where we asked all the questions and got to know their approach to work, and we were quite satisfied with it.

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

The website consists of blocks of information about our services, market research, information about our company and career opportunities.

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

For the project, a standard team of 5 people was involved, including a manager: UI / UX Designer, Backend developer, Frontend developer, QA.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

As a result of our cooperation, we received a platform on which we can place information about our company and thus become closer and more open to our potential clients/partners. Also, the results of our research can be published and everyone can get acquainted with them. We are glad that we can broadcast information about ourselves and the fruits of our work to the masses.

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

After all the requirements and desires were agreed, we started working in the mode of 1 status check per week. Depending on what stage the project was at, the manager organized both internal meetings to discuss emerging issues and meetings with team members to present the results of the work done. The agreed deadlines were met.

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

The team was quite open to communication and to possible changes during the entire project. After the completion of cooperation, a couple of times we performed work to update the site and information on it.

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

In general, everything is fine, we’ve got the desired result!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a co-founder and CEO of a marketplace of contemporary art registered in UK and operating globally.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Empat, and what were your goals?

Our aim was to create a mobile application as a platform to sell and promote art.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

I was looking around and there are so many firms out there, it’s daunting. But when I talked with Empat, it was really natural and I felt like it was going to be an educational experience, and that they were going to care. That meant a lot to me as a founder of a startup.

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

Cittart is a mobile marketplace for contemporary art. Unique value proposition is at the overlap of both marketplace’s and social media’s features in one place, which allows to disclose added value of art works and set up deep emotional connections for buyers. We had a good development process and tested a lot before releases. It allows us to release app with minimum bugs there.

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

Empat’s project manager was our lead contact, and there were also technical specialists who were brought to the table as well. There were also UI/UX designer, Product Manager and delivery manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The application is currently launched in Europe and can be downloaded in AppStore and Google Play Market. This is the 1st digital solution for selling art, where users (sellers and buyers) directly engage with each other with specific features. Once we finalize product market fit here, we will raise VC funds to launch our solution on a new market.

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

It was seamless working with Empat. We communicated daily, sometimes multiple times a day. We got together in person when needed, without much advance notice, and our teams gelled well together on all aspects of design and development. We used Google Calendar, Jira and Slack.

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

Their attention to detail was really impressive, not just on the design end, but on matching the designs during the engineering process. This thing was very important for me.

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

They were really good and did what they said they would.