Empeek

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a director at Praxis Cloud Solutions Limited, a financial software company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was the scope of their involvement?

Empeek provides IT development services. We do the business analysis and requirements gathering, and then we pass that onto Empeek. They develop cloud-based and mobile-enabled software using ASP.net, C#, and SQL server. We’re looking at working with Empeek in the areas of machine learning and Enterprise Modular Library (EML) as well. 

What is the team composition?

We work with seven full-time team members; over the years, we’ve worked with 12–14 people.

How did you come to work with Empeek?

I found Empeek on Upwork four years ago, and I hired them to do a six-week project. They did a good job. My client was happy with me and wanted more work, so I continued my engagement with Empeek.

How much have you invested with them?

My company has spent $200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in February 2017, and the work is ongoing.

SOLUTION

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

They continue doing a good job. Every month, we review whether there’s a better approach to what we’re working on, and they usually come up with one. I don’t need to worry about software development; I give them the requirements, and it just happens. They freed me up to grow my business.

How did Empeek perform from a project management standpoint?

We use their internal tool, and it’s working well. They’re not native English speakers. Sometimes there’s a spelling mistake in the spec, and then the mistake comes out in the software. However, we pick it up in testing and fix it.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They do everything very well.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I’m happy with them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the product manager for a tech startup. We're developing a white label platform for marketplaces to line up buyers with delivery people.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Empeek?

We needed a good development firm. We had all our requirements laid out, but we needed someone to build our platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They came up with good solutions and were proactive with new features and ways to use the platform. We had specifications, but they were very good at suggesting alternatives that would function properly. They used .NET, React, Ubuntu Core, and Linux to build the product.

What is the team composition?

We had a project manager and a team of five or six.

How did you come to work with Empeek?

Communication was always very good, and the price was good. I knew from the beginning that they were a good firm. They understood the project and had useful recommendations from the very beginning.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent roughly $50,000 USD.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in November 2018. The project is complete, but we have a second phase planned. If we need to outsource more development work, we will probably use them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They built a product we're very happy with, but we still need to do market testing to see how well the business model will work. We don't have any usage metrics or other data to support the results, but they developed very good deliverables.

How did Empeek perform from a project management standpoint?

They have an in-house bug tracker that they could improve. I've made some suggestions on that. The project manager was very fastidious and meticulous, and communication was very good.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were honest about hours and the volume of work. The most important thing in this collaboration was communication, and the code is very well organized. As we take it over, I'm glad the layout is intuitive. It makes learning new systems much easier for me.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don't have any areas of improvement for them, aside from the tracker I've already mentioned.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the business owner of a software agency. We allocate development resources for our clients.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Empeek?

Empeek has been our long-term partner for multiple third-party projects, specifically .NET-based engagements.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Empeek allocates and scales resources as needed per project. The team works with Angular, JavaScript, CSS, and security-based technology. Deliverables have included third-party integrations.

What is the team composition?

The team can range from 1–6 resources.

How did you come to work with Empeek?

We hired Empeek because they were a flexible and scalable team. They were available for both short- and long-term projects.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $300,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in December 2016 and the partnership is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

There’s no hard data available. We enjoy working with Empeek because they’re able to respond and scale quickly.

How did Empeek perform from a project management standpoint?

The scope and estimates are clear and accurate for each project. We communicate via Slack and Asana; those platforms benefit the partnership.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They have strong English skills and can accommodate the time zone difference.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, we’re very happy with them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the IT manager at Applicant Information. We are in the business of background screening and drug testing.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Empeek?

Our internal system for managing our drug testing results was about 10 years old and Windows-based, which didn’t make it very accessible to mobile devices. We engaged Empeek to develop an enterprise system with similar functionality that could also be accessed on various devices or while we travel.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I designed much of the product myself, and Empeek’s primary responsibility was leading the development and assisting in project management. Empeek built an Azure platform using C# and Angular as the frontend and Middleware and SQL Server on the backend. The project took a couple of years to develop, and at the height of our project, we had four developers working on the system. Empeek coordinated the tasks of all of those developers, while my role was to oversee that the project was in line with our requirements.

What is the team composition?

We worked with a project manager and, at most, four developers.

How did you come to work with Empeek?

After reviewing a few different firms on Upwork, we narrowed our search to three companies and had each develop a sample software. Through an evaluation of that sample, along with each team’s background and price point, we felt the most confident selecting Empeek.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $170,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement began in March 2017, and the product officially replaced the existing system in January 2019. We still work with Empeek on updates and new features, though.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The speed at which we receive and process results and send them to our customers has significantly improved as a result of having this new system. There’s a learning curve with any new product, but it’s been relatively small. They built the system in such a way that most screens and areas of the application are pretty intuitive. We're certainly happy with the solution we have going forward. We are afforded much more remote and mobile flexibility with the new system.

How did Empeek perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management was acceptable for the way that we wanted the development process to unfold. In hindsight, I wish that they had offered more guidance from a design perspective given that I managed the design by myself, but their lack of input may be due to their unfamiliarity with our business. But overall, they communicated well and kept their developers focused.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We were confident in Empeek’s technical ability from the start, and they delivered on our expectations. We relied on them to determine what technology we should use in certain areas of the development, and they made well-reasoned decisions.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’ll reiterate that I wish they had taken more creative liberties when implementing the product’s design. They did not provide as many recommendations as I had hoped for. Early on, the screen mock-ups and the UI design were quite bland, and I hoped that they would apply some visual improvements instead of creating the system exactly as the plans detailed.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm an IT director at Northern Physicians Organization.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Empeek?

We were looking for a vendor to help us with custom development for some of our clients.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We were working on an application that would help us track social determinants of health care, such as homelessness, transportation, and employment. Empeek helped us develop an app for Android as well as a web-based version. The app allows us to screen patients in waiting rooms and then route the information to the appropriate public health care department. The health care department can reach out to patients and use the app to stay in the loop on whether the patients received the assistance they needed. Empeek used Windows server and .NET MVC for development. They also helped us build a few iOS apps.

What is the team composition?

We had a project manager and we worked directly with their developers.

How did you come to work with Empeek?

They asked a lot of questions about our product and made recommendations on how we could improve it, so we felt they were really engaged in the project.

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent under $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in 2017, and the relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Empeek met all of our needs. We were able to screen thousands of people and we got excellent feedback from our users. We even created demos for other groups that might want to use the app later.

How did Empeek perform from a project management standpoint?

They're great communicators and work well as a team. Also, they're very organized and met their deadlines.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their feedback on how we could improve the product, especially the UI design, was very helpful.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. We haven't had any issues and I've already recommended them to other people.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We supply wholesale hotel rooms to companies throughout the world. I am the chief technology officer of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Empeek?

We had taken over a very old, poorly-supported site from a previous company, and needed to turn it into a modern, functional site, at a reasonable cost. Empeek has provided very good options for doing this.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our site was built using the Microsoft stack, and we've worked with 1 developer and 1 UI [user interface] designer from Empeek for this work.

How did you come to work with Empeek?

I found Empeek a few years ago, while I was the director of engineering for another company. I was looking for an outsourced group that could perform some UI work and found Empeek through the web. They did a phenomenal job, and I've been working with Empeek ever since, on multiple projects.

How much have you invested with Empeek?

The cost of Empeek's services is in the range of $20,000 per month.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started the current project with Empeek 5 months ago. We plan to continue our work with Empeek for the long-term.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I work with another group located in South Africa, who has also used Empeek. They've given them glowing reviews, just like anyone else who's worked with Empeek. The team is easy to work with, communication is great, and I appreciate their friendliness. I've not had an issue yet.

How did Empeek perform from a project management standpoint?

Empeek was assigned with direct project management on my behalf for another project. With very little input from me or my business team, Empeek did an excellent job. They provided a nice interface for us, allowing our team to see the current status, and also gave us updates on issues. For the current project, I've handled more of the project management work.

What did you find most impressive about Empeek?

Empeek's English communication skills have been very good. I've outsourced to other locations, including India, but the personal dynamics with Empeek have stood out. The communication was always clear and direct, which is the main reason I continue to use Empeek.

Are there any areas Empeek could improve?

No. I've been very pleased with Empeek. They're a young, nice, and experienced team. I've worked with them for close to 2 years overall and would recommend Empeek to other friends in the industry.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder of Revive Telehealth

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We provide 24/7 behavioral health consultations to emergency and inpatient settings. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Empeek to accomplish?

• Develop software

SOLUTION

How did you find Empeek?

Online Search

Why did you select Empeek over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Empeek were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Clean up code from existing software. 

Remove bugs

Streamline needs

Create new features

Transition to new database hosting

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Delivering the final, cleaned, implemented version for use. 

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Yes, extremely on time. Very organized and knowledgeable. 

Yes, very attentive to needs and any changes we had at the time. 

What was your primary form of communication with Empeek?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

They had a full team that was very knowledgeable and great communicators. 

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

No. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Director of Operations for the Safety Council of Southwest Louisiana. We provide training and other products for the Petrochemical facilities in our area

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Empeek?

Our company had a need for updating our software used for a specific process in our business. Empeek updated the software per our agreed to plan and 2% under cost

SOLUTION

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

Empeek built the software in the beginning and was the best company to update

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

The project required us to identify y8 key changes and agree to the path forward. Empeek's project Manager provided a spread sheet with ever detail on the task, cost, estimated hours.

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

One project Manager

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Project was completed before expected timeline and at 2% less cost

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Excellent communication between our team and the Project Manager.

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

A project Manager that knew how to write up a project plan and mange the project. He was right on his estimates of cost and time

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

None