Evergreen

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the strategic communications officer at the European Union Advisory Mission (EUAM) Ukraine, which is a non-executive mission of the European Union. EUAM Ukraine aims to assist Ukrainian authorities by forging a path towards a sustainable reform of the civilian security sector. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Evergreen?

Evergreen helped us design and develop a new website for the National Police of Ukraine (NPU).

What were your goals for this project?

Until the end of 2017, the NPU had an outdated website that didn't function properly or comply with modern technical requirements. We hired Evergreen to create a new communication tool for the NPU to help the agency's communication policies and standard approach adapt to current trends. 

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We found them the tender procedure and according to award criteria matrix.

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

Evergreen created a new website for the National Police of Ukraine.  The scope of their of services included web design, web development, and setting up and launching a production server except for content creation. The team also migrated three years worth of archived news from the old to the new website. Lastly, they provided support to our system admin with setting up servers during the website launch.

What was the team composition?

Evergreen assigned us a team that included web developers, a team lead, web designers, testers, and a team lead, project manager, and account manager. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Evergreen helped my company fulfill a critical part of our cooperation with the NPU by funding and launching the institution's new website.  The team used new technology and techniques to improve the agency's online presence. The site they delivered facilitates better digital communication with the general public.   

Evergreen delivered a modern, technically stable online platform for the NPU to communicate with citizens. The new site increases public awareness about ongoing reforms and demonstrates the NPU achievements, which will strengthen public trust in my client as a whole.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

This project was fixed-price to fixed-scope. Evergreen used the Waterfall methodology to deliver the new website on time and within the allocated budget.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Working with a government agency can be challenging, especially when it comes to IT series and web development. Evergreen overcame bureaucracy and a lack of software, hardware, and IT expertise resources to produce a satisfying end deliverable. ​

​​​​​​Are there any areas where they can improve?

They could always be more flexible and responsive to the client’s needs.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a co-owner of LuxCarte, a restaurant management company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Evergreen?

We have hired Evergreen to provide custom development for a restaurant resource and operations management system, including chat-bot, alert, and payment capabilities.

What were your goals for this project?

We want to simplify and integrate all of the operating activities of our restaurants into a single management system in order to avoid manually monitoring routine tasks. After first testing the system in our Argentina Grill restaurant, and then scaling the system to our other establishments, we want to create a ready-made SaaS subscription product for other restaurant businesses.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We held several personal meetings with a few development companies; of them, Evergreen impressed us the most with their professional approach.

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

Evergreen’s development has included: cloud-based software that reaches mobile and web-based clients; notification and staff group messaging functionality; descriptions for business processes and employee positions; staff scheduling and modifications; employee attendance capabilities; automated reports concerning enterprise performance; customization for each particular restaurant.

What was the team composition?

The project team includes one technical lead, one account manager, one UX designer, two senior backend developers, one QA engineer and one project manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

This project is—within itself—a startup. In order to test the application, we release individual portions of functionality to small focus groups of real, daily restaurant guests. Recently, we launched a chat-bot that allows customers to use their Viber messenger to call their waiter, who would receive a wristwatch notification. Recent tests have shown that this feature is unpopular with guests; therefore, we are now working on adding a streamlined, online cheque payment system.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

We are developing the project on a monthly scrum basis. For 3-6 month strategic planning, we use a Trello board, where we input all of our global modules. For 2 month tactical planning, we use a simple Google Spreadsheet roadmap. Each sprint is followed by hands-on application testing with customers, employees and administrators. This approach has cut excessive spending on unnecessary features. All communication is conducted via Slack and personal team meetings.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I have been satisfied with their partnership-like approach to development.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

I would suggest more flexible pricing.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the co-founder of a cost-per-lead (CPL) network currently under development.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Evergreen?

We hired them for the custom development of the network and an auction website for selling leads to clients.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal is to create a Russian-based system for generating applications for renovation and construction services based on the Post Affiliate Pro program. We want to elevate CPL business to a new level by researching and developing leads through our call center so our service businesses—mostly contractors—are not surprised or duped. We believe that our auction model is the best solution for providing targeted and enriched leads specifically prepared for our clients.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I found them on Corezoid, a business process engine platform.

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

They have been providing web development services for six months now, and the project is ongoing. The network is integrated with the following functionalities: Corezoid, a business processes engine; AmoCRM, a leads management system; Post Affilate Pro, an affiliate management system for webmasters; NLU-service Dialogflow for parsing descriptions of inquiries from leads; a WalletOne payment processing system; an online custom auction solution based on a Laravel PHP framework; and a web chat for webmasters to collect leads.  

What was the team composition?

The team consists of a technical lead, two senior backend developers, two QA engineers, one mid-level frontend developer, a UX designer, an account manager, and a project manager. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We are still a startup in the minimum viable product stage, and not yet an established business. We will begin seeing metrics when we start testing our auction on a small group of real clients (renovation contractors) in the near future. 

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

They use a simple Google spreadsheet roadmap to manage the scope. The project is divided into sprints with established fixed budgets and delivery dates. We are finishing up the second of three sprints, after which we plan to launch a live beta version of the auction.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

We are impressed with the quality of the work and their detail-conscious product logic. 

Are there any areas where they can improve?

They can improve their QA and testing, specifically the percentage of test coverage. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the product manager of DreamHomeCreation, a firm that provides home-building and design services for designers and architects at every project stage.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Evergreen?

We hired Evergreen to develop our web portal at dhc.global.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted our platform to serve many purposes: provide a communications hub for designers and their clients; offer a designer’s catalogue; create a personal portfolio space for architects and designers; create an online store for interior design products.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We selected Evergreen based upon the quality of their past projects.

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

The company wrote SRS and drew prototype graphics before going through and drawing out a 140 page layout that covered important elements within the web interface. Evergreen developed project, article and specialists catalogs, specialist profiles, an online store, product inquiry forms and online payment mechanisms. They also developed the API for integrating the external databases of products, categories, attributes, orders and clients.

What was the team composition?

We worked with one technical lead, two senior back-end developers, one front-end developer, two QA engineers, one project manager, one account manager, one UX designer and one UI designer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The business is an early stage startup that just launched its web-platform one month ago; therefore, there is little to no measurable impact.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

The project was executed in three stages. First, we speculated on ideas and formulated projections; second, we focused on web design; third, they conducted web-development sprints that lasted 2-3 months each. This approach kept the project in-budget while still succeeding on our goals. We communicated via Skype, Redmine and personal team meetings.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I found the company’s strict adherence to deadlines—and their incredible competence executing the technical tasks of this project—impressive.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

There’s really nothing to improve on, we are happy with the work.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the sales director of UniSender, a SaaS [software-as-a-service] platform for email and SMS marketing.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Evergreen?

We needed help integrating our CRM [customer relationship management] system with the admin panel. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement? 

Evergreen has developed our website from scratch, from functionalities to design. It has been working well, and they continue to support it and develop a website for a different part of our business, which has been sold as a separate company. Evergreen installed the MODX CMS [content management system] on the backend.

We can receive payments from clients through the admin panel and register them on the site. Evergreen integrated the Terrasoft CRM and handled the business processes for this.

They researched our business sector and clients in order to come up with a design for the site. The platform consists of around 10 pages, including the homepage, the pricing page, a support page with helpful information, and a guide.

We are working with 7 people from Evergreen’s team, including 2 developers, a QA resource, a project manager, and a financial manager.

How did you come to work with Evergreen?

Our director knows their principal. Evergreen showed us their work, and we chose them based on that. We have only worked with Evergreen since then because they are the best in our segment.

How much have you invested with Evergreen?

I don’t have access to financial reports, but I estimate that the cost has been between $20,000 and $60,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Evergreen in 2012. The partnership is ongoing on an indefinite basis. We have a number of active projects. Evergreen continues to work on our site and CRM, and we plan to assign them another site in the future.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our site is the face of the company, and we now have one of the largest, most complex, and best-organized platforms online. Customers report that our site is highly effective in the field.

How did Evergreen perform from a project management standpoint?

We have worked with 2 different project managers from Evergreen’s side. They have been very helpful and provided consultation on our site and CRM. We use Redmine for connecting to the team, which gives us access to timelines on that dashboard. It’s very easy to communicate with Evergreen.

What did you find most impressive about Evergreen?

After working with other companies, I can say that Evergreen has high-level skills and organization abilities by comparison.

Are there any areas Evergreen could improve?

Their development speed could be faster.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We sell medical health products to retail and wholesale customers. I’m the marketing specialist.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Evergreen?

The main task was to create a profitable online store. The competition in the niche was too high, so there was a need to create a simple, attractive, convenient, and fast website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Evergreen proposed several prototype variants. We chose a prototype, and they offered design options. After selecting the design, they began to develop the sites. We have been working together for almost 3 years adding new solutions to improve business processes. We have 3 websites now, and 2 of them were built by Evergreen. They helped us improve the third website. All websites have an attractive design, high processing speeds, and are convenient for customers to use.

I work mainly with our project manager, but I also communicate with the designer, front-end developer, quality assurance specialist, and system administrator, if necessary.

How did you come to work with Evergreen?

We asked several companies to give us an offer for the development of the site. Evergreen 's proposal seemed the most attractive to us. They showed their professionalism right from the start.

How much have you invested with Evergreen?

The total cost of all projects was more than $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started our cooperation in 2014.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

At the end of the first year, after the launch of the site and cooperation with Evergreen, we exceeded the sales plan by 30%. We regularly receive positive feedback from our customers. Also, our competitors often copy the most successful improvements. If competitors follow us, that means that we have the leadership.

How did they perform from a project management standpoint?

Evergreen has been a reliable and responsible partner for many years. It is very important that they have a great desire to work and they know how to do it best. They always react to my requests as quickly as possible and always ask clarifying questions to get the job done thoroughly. We know beforehand that the results will satisfy us.

What did you find most impressive about Evergreen?

What stood out the most was their great teamwork, efficiency, productivity, and friendliness.

Are there any areas Evergreen could improve?

Each company has areas for improvement. Without it, there is no progress. The most important thing is that they work hard for their growth. They know what they need to improve, and they do it. During the years of cooperation, we saw how Evergreen became a strong and competitive player.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the chief executive officer of Technolex Translation Studio. It is a translation services provider working mainly as a subcontractor for other agencies from the US, Europe, and Asia. Over the course of our work, we have developed 2 internal industry-specific software products. At one point, we decided to form another company dealing with our software.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Evergreen?

We were using a basic site which had been built when our company was founded, almost 10 years earlier. We didn't have the budget for a professional site at the time. As we grew, we decided that there was a need for a more attractive page, one which would reflect our professional agency image to potential customers.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Evergreen developed the website for our translation agency. Since we mainly work as a subcontractor for other agencies, we needed content that would attract those particular customers. I designed the site's flow but Evergreen helped categorize it and improve navigation.

The prototype built by Evergreen showed how the content could be arranged. Then, we discussed changes and started the design work. Evergreen provided 3 to 4 versions of the design, out of which we selected 1. After the site was released, Evergreen maintained support for the additional features which needed to be included, like a customer application form or holiday animations. Evergreen takes care of any modifications we ask for.

For our translation engine website, the process was similar. I had the idea for it, on the basis of which Evergreen led me through all the steps. They also maintained contact with the programmers who made our software since there is a level of integration between it and the website. Evergreen made some adjustments after contacting the programmers. They maintained support for the site, making adjustments based on our requests. The site is using the MODX CMS. Evergreen has also designed printed materials for conferences, including posters and leaflets.

How did you come to work with Evergreen?

We contacted several companies found through Google searches and recommendations. The programmer we employed for creating our software tools was brought in to provide an opinion for each potential provider. Some options were more expensive than others, depending on the level of personalization offered. We had a look at Evergreen's portfolio and saw that their designs were above the competition. First impressions were important to us, so we considered Evergreen's cost to be a marketing expense.

How much have you invested with Evergreen?

The cost of Evergreen's services, including development and support, has been between $25,000 and $30,000 per site.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Evergreen in the spring of 2014. The first website was released that same year. Evergreen continues to handle the maintenance and updating of our site. We are considering having a rebrand, for which we'll use Evergreen again.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We track analytics, but I cannot make a comparison with our previous site. The translation agency website is definitely generating more leads than before. The software site has given visitors a good first impression, although I can't compare its performance to other pages. We have a 50% conversion rate for the software site.

How did Evergreen perform from a project management standpoint?

Evergreen keeps daily records of our activity. Our discussions and requests are properly documented, with every task having an assigned person and deadline within our time-tracking tools. The communication always went smoothly. Evergreen always lets me know if a resource became unavailable and a deadline needed to be extended.

What did you find most impressive about Evergreen?

I find that Evergreen is able to develop catchy designs, suggesting visual solutions for attracting customers. The pages designed by Evergreen always make visitors click the button we want them to click.

Are there any areas Evergreen could improve?

There is always room for improvement for any company. There were some communication issues in the beginning, leading to unexpected costs, but they were solved. At the end of the day, I was satisfied with Evergreen's performance.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

MindCruncher provides business consulting, helping companies manage their everyday affairs. I am the chief executive officer of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Evergreen?

I needed to obtain web representation. I used a word-of-mouth business model, so I never had a marketing website previously. The previous page was only meant for client accounts. I had experience with other web developers, but I wasn't very satisfied. I was looking to have a long-term collaboration with a developer who could maintain and update the website. I also needed for the developer to be the driving force. I have a lot on my plate, so the website was not one of my first priorities.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Evergreen developed my website using custom coding. Instead of being dragged into the details, I could tell Evergreen what I wanted to see, how I wanted the site to work, and have them build it. 

The overall design needed to be simple and easily updatable. Evergreen made an initial analysis based on my competition and gave me a few options. I chose one which I liked, and it was implemented. Evergreen only gave me the essential details, without taking up too much of my time.

How did you come to work with Evergreen?

Evergreen was recommended by some friends who had had experience with the company. I talked to a few other studios, but none of them could offer the same level of maintenance and support. Regarding earning money, this is less appealing for most developers. Evergreen offered whatever I asked for in terms of additional work.

How much have you invested with Evergreen?

The cost of my website was below $5,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in 2015. I have a maintenance agreement with Evergreen.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The people who have seen my website have complimented it for its ease of use and readability. Users have also contacted me through the form on the site, which I found surprising. I have recommended Evergreen to a few friends, who have also been satisfied with the results.

How did Evergreen perform from a project management standpoint?

I was able to tell Evergreen what I wanted and have them bring the results directly. After a few minor changes, the work was complete. Evergreen is a reliable and self-sufficient team. I was kept up-to-date, and the site was delivered within the deadline. Evergreen was persistent in getting the required information from me, which I also appreciated; not all developers have this approach.

What did you find most impressive about Evergreen?

I liked Evergreen's approach. They cared enough to research my niche, looking at my competitors. I haven't seen this with any other agency. Since I am not alone in my field, it's important to become a part of the environment.

Are there any areas Evergreen could improve?

I didn't find anything. I am satisfied with Evergreen, and I plan to have a long-term relationship with them.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the head of the digital marketing department in the crediting area - one of the best online platforms in Ukraine, which allows you to use micro-lending services in the shortest possible time. We understand the importance of urgent loans and how difficult it is to find a truly reliable financial partner. We are working to support you in difficult times!

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Virtual chatbot assistance for messengers Facebook Messenger, Viber, Telegram.

SOLUTION

How did you select Evergreen and what were the deciding factors?

We got to know Evergreen team when developing project related to design of our website, guys proved themselves as pofessionals and we liked the result delivered. And when we needed a chat bot, we knew whom to contact.

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

They started by creating a script and then completed the design. The chatbot or "virtual assistant" created by the Evergreen team, based on Kwizbot, is a self service chatbot orchestration and management that allows you to create chatbot interfaces in an easy-to-use visual editor.

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

Project Manager Back-end developer QA engineer

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The new Cashberry chatbot aim is customer convenience and it allows to, quickly pay the loan by phone number, contract number, apply for a second loan: registered users just need to indicate their phone number for authorization in the system the first loan is issued on the website find out everything about the services of the company in the Help section subscribe to receive newsletters about offers and promotions from Cashberry.

Contact support at any time and, if necessary, talk to the manager. You can reach the chatbot on the Cashberry website and on Facebook Messenger, Viber, and Telegram.

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

Process was organized by the company in a professional way, with all needed services provision and support

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

The team's flexibility and partnership approach were impressive.

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

Everything was fine. Maybe a little bit more communication to understand all technical details. But, nevertheless, we have support provided for the service.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a project manager at VUSO, one of the leaders in the Ukrainian online insurance market.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Evergreen?

We contracted with Evergreen for the development of our website, our support system, our CRM strategy, and some marketing automation.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal was to build a functional digital platform that featured a webchat function, insurance product calculators, and our contact information. The site needed to be operated by one CRM, and it required deep integration with our back-office systems. We also wanted to transfer to a new platform without losing our position on search engines.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We conducted two separate bidding processes for the website and the CRM.

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

They developed and launched the new website. During this part of the project, they integrated with our back-office system to make insurance products calculators work, developed an online payment system to make online insurance policy purchase possible, and directed accepted leads and purchased policies to our back-office. They transferred all important content from our old database. During the support and maintenance procedures, they created several interactive landing pages on the web portal. They also integrated all digital lead channels into our selected CRM, which was AmoCRM. Business processes were automated with Corezoid.

What was the team composition?

Our team with Evergreen included project and account managers, web developers, a support engineer, a web designer, a technical lead, and a QA tester.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The new site is an important part of our business process and our hope to centralize and standardize our content. It has helped us increase our online sales and maintain our position as a leader in Ukrainian online insurance. The alignment of our services streamlined our communication among all employees that interact with clients.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

We had one project manager, and each subproject had its own manager. Subprojects were orchestrated by the waterfall and fixed-price principle. We communicated effectively with certain project management tools.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Evergreen features a very professional team that is client-oriented and approachable. They consulted with us at every turn.