GogoApps

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the lead backend developer for Epic! Kids, an online platform that provides learning materials for children.  

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with GogoApps?

We were having challenges with our previous developers, who were being outsourced from another country. We found communication and reliability to be a problem. We were seeking to diversify our outsourcing by looking at European developers.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

GogoApps has been a critical component of our staff augmentation efforts. They’ve assisted us in the bulk of our work; their engineers have integrated very well into our environment. They’ve provided PHP and iOS backend development. They’ve developed new features and have deployed production-ready systems. They’re familiar with APIs, Linux, cloud computing, and more.

They followed the exact same workflow that our in-house engineers do—they’re on Slack and GitHub and create PR requests for the work that they do. I review their work, then merge it into the rest of the project for production.

What is the team composition?

I’m currently working with an iOS engineer and a PHP specialist.

How did you come to work with GogoApps?

After experiencing difficulties with our previous agency, we were looking for development companies in Poland. I ran through my connections and stumbled upon GogoApps. I met with the founder and saw the engineers’ resumes, and that’s when I decided to work with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve probably spent somewhere between $50,000–$100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

I started working with them in August 2018, and it’s an ongoing relationship. They’re really part of my team, now.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’ve provided great services at an incredible rate. If I tried to find a good engineer in the Bay area, the cost would just be astronomical. They’ve provided high-quality engineers at half of that price, or better. That’s been a phenomenal value-add for us.

They also approach every project with great passion. We know that they’re not just going to disappear after finishing a product, and we hadn’t experienced that level of trust or commitment with an offshore developer, before. We’re able to hold them to the same standards as our inhouse engineers, which is great.

How did GogoApps perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicate on Slack and Github. While there’s a time difference, they’ve offered to work California hours, which we’re currently considering. They’ve been very flexible on that front. They partake in our standups and adhere to the exact same project processes of our own engineers.  

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’ve been wonderful to work with because they’re excellent communicators. While English isn’t their native tongue, they’re able to articulate and describe complicated engineering architectures clearly. Despite working with a second language, they’re able to drive projects, lead a team, and work through problems.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Although I hate to say nothing, I can’t really think of anything. Things have been great so far.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have patience, especially during that initial uptake or learning curve. Just stick with them, and they’ll understand your systems and deliver your product. You’ll soon be off to the races, and you’ll be getting great value for the engineering dollars well spent.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the head of engineering at EcoVadis, a corporate social responsibility (CSR) rating firm. We specialize in the supply chain industry, and in the B2B market alone, we have 30,000 clients.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with GogoApps?

We were seeking the frontend development of our SaaS portal.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

GogoApps developed the frontend of the B2B portal that we offer to our global customers and clients. After we provided them with wireframes, their team utilized JavaScript, React, Redux, and Webpack as part of their tech stack.

What is the team composition?

We started with five developers but had 15 at the peak. Currently, we’re working with three.

How did you come to work with GogoApps?

In our initial search for frontend agencies and software companies, we were looking to start with 5-6 developers who specialized in React. Out of 6–7 shortlisted companies, we chose GogoApps after interviewing them.

Their perks included the fact that they were local (they’re located in Warsaw, like us) and that they immediately assigned five developers to us, within two weeks. Their team came ready to hit the ground running. They also showed us a previous application of theirs, which we were impressed by.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent close to $1,100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

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

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

While we assessed the results in a more qualitative manner, we were happy with their work. Their developers were highly skilled, and the completed platform was successfully marketed to our clients.

How did GogoApps perform from a project management standpoint?

We handled project management on our side. The developers became a part of our own team. While their scope was purely technical, they also knew to join our team and be collaborative, which made the engagement a smooth one.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’ve managed to be in touch with a larger community of local developers in Warsaw, which proved to be extremely helpful for turnover. Each time a developer left the project, GogoApps were able to find a replacement within a week. They have a very robust network of developers, which we really appreciated.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Their communication at the beginning of our collaboration could have been improved. We were one of their first bigger clients, and they seem to have had some difficulty handling us.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the COO at Startup Funding Club. We have a network of business angels and early-stage investment funds. We basically invest in startups.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with GogoApps?

We were building a platform for ourselves to make our process more efficient and to facilitate work and communication with entrepreneurs and investors. We are trying to be a bit more technological in what we do.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We wanted to expand our website’s functionality. Currently, we have user accounts, startup accounts, and investor accounts. We also have an admin panel to manage the content and the process.

We initially asked GogoApps to do website design from scratch, and they then used those designs for frontend development using Java and PHP.

Our in-house project manager managed our backend developers. GogoApps adapted their frontend code to integrate it with our existing backend using a collaborative process.

What is the team composition?

We started with designers and one project manager during the design phase. Following that, we had one designer and project manager. When we started the frontend development, we had a project manager and one frontend developer.

How did you come to work with GogoApps?

They are based in Poland and I am based in London. I was speaking at an event, and one of their sales managers approached me asking for a collaboration. She was interested in us introducing their services to our network of entrepreneurs.

When the need for a new design arose, I reached out to them to ask for a price. I also spoke to three other service providers, but GogoApps’ quick response and ability to start to the project promptly, in addition to their pricing, made us choose them.

How much have you invested in them?

We spent around £25,000 (approximately $32,462 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked on this project with them from August 2018–June 2019. We still work together sometimes on changes and updates.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They provided me with estimates and a project plan, and there were very few differences between those plans and the results. Those are the basics that I now expect from future partners. Everyone likes the design, which was very refreshing for us. We are still doing a lot of backend work, so the frontend they delivered is not fully deployed because the backend is taking a lot of time. Generally, the reception has been very positive, and I would give them an eight out of ten for how well they captured our vision for the frontend design.

How did GogoApps perform from a project management standpoint?

They were excellent. Their process was well-organized, and they were always available if I needed them to be. I knew what the cost would be, what the schedule would be, and how it would be phased, and I was very happy with the timing.

They were very open to finding solutions. They used Google Spreadsheets, which were shared with me and updated on a regular basis. From a project management point of view, I think they did very well.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It was my first project of this type, and I think GogoApps did much better than what my backend developers are doing. I was happy with how they worked on the frontend, and how they worked on the design. The design itself was approved and I think everyone is happy with it.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I had hoped I could rely more on them than they would rely on me to come up with the visual design concept. I understand that they needed guidance from the client so that the client is happy, but at the same time, I hoped that they would put something in front of me that I wouldn’t have to figure out myself because I can’t look out of the box in many ways.

However, I’m happy with the design and I think they came up with something that was very nice. My general experience with GogoApps has been very positive, and I think they do a good job. If I had more experience in dealing with this type of service, I could say more. Right now, they are my number one.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

There isn’t anything I would do differently in working with them. The only advice I would give is to just go ahead and try them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an IT project manager at Grupa Wirtualna Polska,

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with GogoApps?

We hired GogoApps to develop an application to manage photos. We needed a company with a lot of expertise in Golang.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

GogoApps developed our server-side app using Golang. We anticipate the app will be useable by the end of the month. As of now, our developers have reviewed the code and GogoApps has delivered work without any issues. The final product will allow users to aggregate photos and resources, and make it easier to find photos within a repository. 

What is the team composition?

There are four backend developers, five frontend developers, one quality and security (QS) teammate, and a project manager.

How did you come to work with GogoApps?

GogoApps came as a personal recommendation from our developers who knew we needed specialists in Golang. They seemed to know exactly what to do and explained the process very well. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in February 2019 and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The final product is high quality. We anticipate the app improving the speed of the overall processes for our business. 

How did GogoApps perform from a project management standpoint?

Our teams use Jira to communicate and manage the project. It feels very natural to work together.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We like that they think similarly to us and work hard to accomplish our goals. They feel like a part of our company. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

More QA at the beginning rather than just at the end could be helpful. We have some bugs that need to be fixed, but it’s not an issue.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Believe in their abilities. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Empik is a Polish chain book store and distributor of international press and other media products. Part of the group is Empik Foto - the biggest photo printer in Poland, subscription applications for Empik Go and Empik Music, a platform selling tickets for events.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We worked with GogoApps to create software for the SKU (e-books and audiobooks database) management with machine learning elements with a machine learning upselling system. The main goal was to increase sales through upselling funnels on web and mobile browsers and, after the tests, implement the changes in the mobile apps.

SOLUTION

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

We chose GogoApps, because we got to know their previous custom data management solutions they worked on for one of our partners. We were looking for a complete solutions vendor who could start with the business problem and lead the process to the final deploy.

Since we wanted to focus on the business side of the problem, trust and transparency in communication were among the main factors we were taking into account when making the decision. Since we had a personal recommendation, the choice was easy, and we are happy we took this route. Our business objective has been fulfilled, and we can strongly recommend GogoApps for custom software development.

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

We kicked off our cooperation with UX workshops to align our business goals with the development team. To prepare wireframes that would serve as a reference point throughout the whole development cycle. After that, the developers started working on the software. The project was created in React and Golang.

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

The team consisted of 2x UX/UI specialists, 3x developers, and a Delivery manager. There was also a QA doing manual testing of the front-end.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The project increased our sales in the upselling cycle. We can not share numbers, but our initial business objectives were met.

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

Communication went very smoothly from the start of the talks to the final deployment. During the cooperation, the delivery manager served as the main point of contact. The work was scheduled around weekly sprints with asynchronous communication. The dedicated channel on the "slack" gave us access to the whole team and served as our main communication tool between the meetings.

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

Were most impressed by the ease of communication and smooth operation. Everything was extremely transparent and understandable. The speed of work was also positively surprising.

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

There is a higher cost associated with the quality of the delivered effects. We expected to spend a little less on software, but seeing the final result, we are satisfied.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

My company is the leading omni-channel betting and gaming operator in Central and Eastern Europe. We started in the Czech Republic and, through our passion and expertise, have become a truly international operator. Our footprint now extends to the Slovakian, Polish, Romanian, and Croatian markets. There are now more than 6,000 of us that we call colleagues and friends and we are proud to be the largest Central and Eastern European betting and gaming operator with over 30 years of experience.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

GogoApps was hired by us to design and program a new mobile application for online sports betting

SOLUTION

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

We chose the contractor on the basis of experience, location and knowledge of the Central and Eastern European market

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

The commissioned application was to be prepared for both Android and IOS devices. The technologies used to create the application are mainly Kotlin and Swift. We used Kubernetes and GitHub as supporting tools. The purpose of the new application is primarily to increase the attractiveness of our services for mobile users, access to new functionalities, and transparency of services. We worked in weekly sprints where we discussed the next steps

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

The following were assigned to the project: Lead Android Developer, Mid android developer, Senior IOS developer, Project Manager. From time to time, a person from the Design Department took part in the consultation

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The application was developed in accordance with the assumptions. All our expectations were met. We expect an increase in the number of users and an increase in profits.

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

Communication tools: Slack, mail, meets, Jira . Project management method: very communicative team, availability at different hours of the day after prior arrangements. The way the project is conducted suits us very well

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

Great customer approach. Involvement in the project. You can see that GogoApps is a team of well-coordinated and very experienced specialists.

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

We have no objections to this company and we will be happy to cooperate on future projects

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO of a company where we make mental wellness epic.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire GogoApps?

We wanted an easy, intuitive user experience design for a journaling feature in our app.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We searched online on Dribble and Behance for designers who had a distinctive signature, who were different and could create something delightful. GoGo fit the bill 100%.

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

The team were extremely efficient in gathering the requirements for the project. They listened thoughtfully and carefully to what we needed and suggested some great ideas based on their experience. From then on, the process was extremely seamless and we were blown away by the level of organisation and communication they provided. Made everything super easy for us!

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

We worked with a UX designer, a UI designer, two project managers and a senior supervising designer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The results were great. We loved the designs and the new workflow felt pleasing and intuitive for our users.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

It was seamless and they made everything really easy for us.

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

They have a phenomenal design sense, and their process is a breeze.

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

Nothing I can think of.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Designing machines and production lines. Company owner.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Software development for exchange data from the vision system installed on the machine with the system used by the customer. Creation of a database and deskop application enabling to manage and visualize records

SOLUTION

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

Due to the large amount of work in my company, I was looking for a subcontractor to carry out the above-described task. The company was recommended to me by a friend.

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

The aim of the project was to download data from the vision system and send it to the customer's system. Then the create of database with results and prepare a desktop application that allow to manage and visualize records from database.

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

QA, PM , 1 Backend developer, 1 Devops

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Developed software allows client to collect and view production data. Both me and the client are satisfied with the results.

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

Work in SCRUM. Communication: phone, e-mail, sluck.

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

Their good communication and efficient execution of all tasks are impressive.

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

I am satisfied, no complain.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Senior Sales Executive

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire GogoApps?

GogoApps has prepared for us software to manage the circulation of invoices, money flow and having the function of a settlement system between us and restaurants and other contractors

SOLUTION

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

We tried to find people with experience in this type of software. We found them in GogoApps

Describe the project in detail and walk through their service package.

We started cooperation with getting to know each other and understanding their needs. After two operational meetings (the first with the sales department, the second meeting with the technical department), we started working. We met with the designated project manager in weekly sprints where we discussed the next steps. Technologies used during the project: Python, Angular JS, Golang and others

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

Frontend developer; 2 Backend Developers; PM; QA

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Facilitating settlements with contractors, improving the flow of information. Easier reporting to management

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

I have no objections to the way the team works. They work in Scrum, which suits me very well.

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

The team's understanding of the topic, quickly proposing a solution, and immediate implementation were impressive.

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

I have nothing to complain about

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Cofounder

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We chose GogoApps because of a personal relationship with one of the employees, and after hearing the company's portfolio.

SOLUTION

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

We chose GogoApps because of a personal relationship with one of the employees, and after hearing the company's portfolio.

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

We are not specialists in the field of IT, therefore we fully trust the professionals of GogoApps. Every week we had a meeting with a representative of Gogo and during these meetings we discussed the next steps or actually listened to what was to be done and gave approval :)

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

one fullstack developer, one designer, project manager

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The benefits are huge! Satisfied parents, less paperwork, employees can focus on children and not on filling in and checking documents

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

Meeting - proposal - acceptance - execution. Everything was going very smoothly

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

Awareness that, the people working on our website were professionals and, above all, enthusiasts of what they do

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

we spent a little more than the original budget assumed. The end result was worth it