Extrums

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm a CEO of my own design and development company designstudio.AG.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Extrums?

We were working on a complex web development project for an online platform for hiring vets. We were in need of professional help and Extrums team offered their assistance.

What were your goals for this project?

The goal was to launch the product successfully and with Extrums' experience and creativity we were able to do it.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Their team had relevant experience and they were flexible enough for us to ensure seamless development process.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Development services, API integration, project management.

What was the team composition?

We were working with several specialists at the same time. If we needed to find more workforce Extrums were able to quickly add new people to the project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Extrums' team has shown great dedication to the project and helped us launch the product successfully.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Project management was effective and cost-efficient.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Skills, creativity, dedication.

Are there any areas for improvement?

There's very little things they could improve: I think brainstorming different ways of solving a problem before the actual implementation would be a great addition.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Children's Art Foundation - Stone Soup Inc is a US nonprofit. I am the founder and CEO. Children's Art Foundation was founded in 1973. We are the leading publisher of writing and art by children ages 13 and under. We publish a print and digital magazine - Stone Soup - entirely by and for children. We also publish books by children. The website is behind a paywall. Online subscriptions are available per user or via IP address.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Extrums?

Our website was a mess. We brought Extrums in to complete an incomplete installation of WooCommerce and to make structural changes to the way data was categorized and tagged within the main website, The WordPress website they are working on has numerous structural problems from poor programming practice from previous developers. One way to think about it. We hired Extrums to renovate an old house.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goals were, and are, to create an online ordering system that works flawlessly for our often elderly clients -- grandparents ordering for grandchildren. Our goals were and are to rationalize the organizational structure for the 2000+ pages on the website. Our goals were and are to speed up the site. It started out about rated about as badly as a site can be rated in Google's site speed test. Our goals is be well within the speed limits that Google recognizes as best practice. Once the site is working properly then our gaol is to work with Extrums and a designer to improve the site's look and feel.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We originally interviewed several programming teams on Upwork. This team was one interviewed. We appreciated the comprehensive way they responded to the initial project proposal. Their questions indicated that they were really focused on what we were asking for. Their questions indicated they were trying to actually find out what the project entailed and whether they were a good fit. We used the first project as an evaluation step. Were pleased with the results and are now continuing with Extrums.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

The project is to clean up an existing Woo Commerce installation and WordPress website. They are providing MySQL programming services, PHP, and other languages used with WordPress sites. Pages.They have produced an order form plugin to merge with WooCommerce. They are working through a long list of issues from minimizing image size to figuring out why the password reset screen isn't working to optimizing various back end processes to streamlining order processing systems in Woo. The project is, in a sense, "all over the place." They are thus providing solutions to a host of issues that cover many skill sets.

What was the team composition?

We work directly with an Extrums facilitator. The facilitator we are working with has technical knowledge. He assigns the work to the appropriate staff on his end. When we have lots of work then we get a dedicated programmer. I do not know how many people are called in to work on our job. What I know is that they get the work done cleanly, and quickly.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The work they are doing on the WooCommerce form is reducing the number of customer complaints. We are still not complete with the entire project. We can see that the site is now loading faster, but we are not finished with site speed improvements. We are expecting that when all changes that this project entails are complete we will see an increase in the conversion rate of website visitors to customer.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Project managent is impressive. My best experience working with developers. Management is through Trello and Skype. We check in with Trello every day, answer their questions, and then if needed communicate on Skype. We have never seen projects run more methodically. Using Trello we are able to get all issues clarified BEFORE a job is authorized. The WordPress world, and WooCommerce in particular, has its own "language." These terms are not always the same ones that we use in Standard English.

The Extrums project coordinator is nearly fluent in English, but sometimes uses non-standard constructions. The management system that Extrums uses makes it easy to be certain that we are both understanding the test and both understand each other before jobs are approved. We have had no misunderstandings. Most efficient system for working with programmers that I have experienced - and I have worked with both big and little shops.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Honesty. These people are direct. No BSing. If they say they can do it they can. They never say the can when they can't. If asked, they always explain how they intend to approach a problem. They are open to suggestions. They are never impatient. They do not condescend. They complete work when they say they will, usually that is immediate.

It is such a relief to work with people who one can actually communicate with -- that I'll say that is what makes them super impressive. Also, they think of issues that we may not have. This is so rare! They are thinking. They think in terms of the whole system. These strengths - honestly, self-awareness, whole system thinking, and patience - are what make this company impressive.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I can honestly say that this Extrums has done and is doing good work for us. I'm totally satisfied. I know it is said that there is always room for improvement, but in this case, I honestly don't have a suggestion for improvement on their end. On our end, we sometimes don't keep up with the rate at which the complete work and ask for feedback. If you are not efficient on your end, then you will not get the most out of this well-run company.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We own a marketplace which allows users to by and sell worn clothing. The company was founded in 2015. I am the founder of the business.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Extrums?

We hired Extrums for everything web development related. This included daily maintenance, implementing new features, trouble shooting, bug fixes. Everything and anything related to web development on the site.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal was to hire a full time team that would enable us to grow and expand our business at a fast pace. They did not let us down with this.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Through searching for a new development team, I had shortlisted three teams asking each to offer a solution to the coding issue we were facing. Extrums provided the best and most concise answer by far.

It was straight to the point without any waffle. This along with their extensive portfolio of awesome sites, just confirmed they were the perfect team for the job.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

They have done a tonne on the site! From implementing new designs, adding new and extensive features, fixing long-term bugs, optimising code. They have improved the site ten-fold.

What was the team composition?

Their team consists of a lead project manager and a number of web developers. I would liaise with the project manager and provide him with all the briefs and he would then pass this on to the web developers. We found this the best solution as I was able to discuss the bigger picture with the PM, and give the developers solely the code to worry about.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our revenue has increased dramatically. With the teams ability to work at the pace that they do, we've been able to add more features, more content and resolved customer queries at a pace that we have never done before.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

As I previously mentioned, I would liaise with the PM and he would refer to the developers. This has worked perfectly for us.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their time management and efficiency have been amazing. I never had to worry or chase them about completing a task. I know it'll be done when or before expected and to the highest standard.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Nothing that I can think of.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the owner of an Irish website agency that specializes in e-commerce. Our websites process about 10 million a year in transactions. As the owner, I'm really responsible for everything.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Extrums?

I used to do all the development work myself, with work building up and more clients coming in the door I needed to replace myself. I needed someone to do the coding work for me but I needed someone I could trust would not only do the work right but better then I would myself.

What were your goals for this project?

My goals were to have a team that I could send work, that could do the work with minimal contact with me and go above and beyond in doing the work to their best ability and questioning methods and decisions when needed. They needed to be able to handle Woocommerce and Shopify. This would result in me being able to focus on the growth and development of my business.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I posted a request for developers on all of my own social media platforms, freelancer platforms and through my connections. I had over 100 potential users but nobody gave me the attention that Nik gave me. I asked all users for portfolios.

I saw Niks site and I thought the development was good, I didn't always like the design but as a web developer, I knew this wasn't their task. When talking to Nik I saw that he really cared about what he was doing and didn't just want some quick money, most other candidates just asked 'when do i start' where Nik really wanted to understand the business and how he could help me.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

I would provide his team with designs and specs, Nik the project manager would then work with the team in making this happen. They would also help in advising me on solutions for difficult problems and in general trying to make our client happier. I saw most previous freelancers just wanted to get the job done, but these guys wanted it done right more then they wanted it finished.

What was the team composition?

Nik has a huge array of skills in his team that are always available to me. The team has grown to about 3 people and will continue to grow next year.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

My company has gone from 1 full-time worker to sometimes 3 workers with Nik. I can now focus on client relationships and getting more clients. Before Niks team my client relationships were really hurting as I was always coding and my replies were slow. I lost a client from this and decided I wouldn't let this happen again. I am now able to scale other parts of the business like sales from the free time Nik's team has given me.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

The project manager, Nik, is the core of this team and the reason I chose Extrums, and stay with Extrums. He truly cares about his work and that's what you need when trusting your business in someone else's hands.

At the start we used Skype but now we use Jira, which was Nik's suggestion and it has really helped. Nik's English is surprisingly good, better than a lot of native speakers English.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The two things that differentiate this team is 1) the quality of work. Their whole team has amazing experience and they are all willing to give ideas when needed. 2) Nik's attention to detail and want to please the client means you can always trust that decisions are made in the best interest. You can also let Nik make some vital decisions on your behalf if you need a less hands-on approach like when I'm with clients.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I don't think there is. I hope their business grows.