ict.lv

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a co-founder of ALINA, a startup company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with iConcept.lv?

We needed help with website development and design; we wanted to build a platform for paint and coating recipes. The recipes for building chemicals are complex, and it’s challenging to promote those products in the industry.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

iConcept.lv has created the overall idea for the portal, how it should look like, what content it should include, how it should align with the content marketing strategy, and so on. They’ve done the backend and frontend development using Drupal.

The most important feature is the UI. We initially discussed it because nobody had any clue how to find the information in the chemical industry. Therefore, we’ve focused a lot on how to display the information. We’ve identified two audiences: painting coating users and industry professionals. We have to divide everything in two so the content is organized for these audiences, and iConcept.lv has designed an accurate content distribution tree.

Additionally, maintenance is part of the 12-month contract.

What is the team composition?

In total, six people are engaged — there’s a designer, a UI specialist, a project lead, and some programmers. I know two of them, and others have been outsourced from Ukraine.

How did you come to work with iConcept.lv?

I did the bidding.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent €70,000 (approximately $77,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in March 2021, and our relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It’s already public, but we haven’t launched; we don’t have any public communication or money spent on promotion yet. While we’ve been live, we’ve had around 1,000 organic visitors, so the organic growth is quite good.

Right now, we’re running a test with customers — we’ve approached several chemical companies in Germany, Finland, Netherlands, Poland, and more. Everybody is amazed because they believe it’s a state-of-the-art website for the industry. iConcept.lv has made something very complex in a simple manner. Overall, we’re highly satisfied; they’ve met our expectations. 

How did iConcept.lv perform from a project management standpoint?

Communication has been turbulent during our development period due to COVID-19 and the Russian Invasion of Ukraine. We use ClickUp as a project management tool and have meetings twice a week.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re highly competent in UX for a company this size. Moreover, their service is absolutely world-class from many perspectives.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They struggle with execution. Also, they should improve on the alignment of deliverables. Since I’m not experienced in platform development, I didn’t understand some of the specifications on the contract.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Planning and progress tracking are key areas to focus when you work with this company, but they deliver outstanding results.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the deputy head of the communication department for a government organization.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with iConcept.lv?

When the COVID-19 pandemic began, we had the immediate need to create a centralized official information web page on the latest topics and where people could gather all the information about government decisions, different measures, and other important information.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

 iConcept.lv created an entire website for us from scratch; they looked for the best solution and new functionalities for the platform. As I took care of the content, I knew how I wanted it to be published and that we wanted to be able to post the content ourselves from our side using a CMS. It was very easy to learn how to use and operate it because iConcept.lv has provided us with all the technical solutions we asked for — they try to understand our needs and find the most appropriate solution.

We began with the basics like an FAQ section, contacts, and the latest news, and we published the website in March 2020. There were different parts of the webpage and development process that still needed to be done. Following that, they developed other functionalities and pages that we could use to publish different information. The website is in three languages; Latvian, Russian, and English, and it's also accessible to the visually impaired.

Currently, they're providing support and maintenance for the site.

What is the team composition?

For the first few months, we had two project managers that helped us build everything. After that, we've had a developer and one project manager who quickly and conveniently deals with any issues.

How did you come to work with iConcept.lv?

We announced a public procurement with an exceptional procedure where businesses had to be able to deliver their project within three to four days. We received 3–4 proposals from different companies. We evaluated our offers and decided to work with iConcept.lv.

How much have you invested in them?

So far, we have paid €68,000 (approximately $74,200 USD), including the website development and all the work related to all the different functionalities, safety measures, and other things.

What is the status of this engagement?

I started working with them in March 2020, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

As a content manager, I use Google Analytics to evaluate the success of the webpage. I can say that during these last two years, there have been more than 4 million visitors to the website, and there have been almost 16 million page views. The website is mobile-friendly, and around 70% of users come to the website using their smartphones.

How did iConcept.lv perform from a project management standpoint?

The communication is very professional yet friendly. I'm not very good with web development terminology. Still, our project manager has been very welcoming and patient in trying to explain all the technical solutions they are creating for us.

Overall, we've enjoyed working with them. Regarding the budget, I spoke to one of my colleagues who worked with other web developers, and it seems that iConcept.lv is one of the best teams in Latvia — their pricing is adequate according to the client’s needs and capabilities.

Regarding communication, we use email, phone calls, Zoom, and the Signal app — if there are any issues, we can quickly get in touch with them and receive the answers we need.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The communication has been very good. I know they're very busy with other clients, but whenever I turn to them and ask for help or for them to explain something to me, they answer me either immediately or will quickly respond and inform me when I will get an answer. I feel very comfortable working with them as a client.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The website that we worked on together has been quite successful, and so far, we haven’t encountered any errors or problems. The cooperation with them has been really good, and they're great partners because they understand our perspective and can offer solutions that work very well for us.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It is very important to let them know your wishes, needs, and requirements. Don’t be shy to admit that you don’t know something about the technical side of the project. Also, give them the idea you have and the objectives and ask them to come up with the best solution for you, and they definitely will. They will take all of the information you give them into consideration and develop the best solution.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the general manager of Fraudjudge, a Shopify app company located in the Netherlands.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with iConcept.lv?

We hired them for e-commerce development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

iConcept.lv built a risk management system for Shopify merchants from scratch. We gave them a one-page document that included a general business outline and a startup presentation rather than IT documentation. We started with a general description that they evaluated. 

From there, they gave us an overall price estimate. To fix the price, they went into the first phase of the project, which included the service mock-ups and an MVP version of the design. The purpose of this phase was to make sure we were on the same page before we signed the agreement for the complete scope. 

The solution they developed enables any Shopify store to manage high-risk orders. iConcept.lv added a feature that screens orders that fall out of the ordinary or need customer data verification. Once a purchase is made, the merchant receives a risk analysis based on the purchase amount, shipping address, items in the basket, and other criteria. 

Then, the app allows the shop owner to choose whether the process is automatic or manual, and they can block the transaction, put the customer on a blacklist, or put them on a whitelist. iConcept.lv also ensured that merchants can request additional data verification for the buyer. This feature is used if the shop owner detects something wrong with a very large order, if they’re selling an age-restricted product, or to lower the possibility of chargebacks in case of fraud.

Additionally, iConcept.lv was slightly involved on our server-side when building our cloud infrastructure, using AWS and Microsoft Azure.

Currently, we’re in the closing stage of the second phase. The service is live, and as we get feedback from our customers, we incorporate small details. iConcept.lv is helping us with maintenance and IT support when needed and handles minor updates. We’re already working on the next phase with the team, which will be larger in scale.

What is the team composition?

We’re mostly in contact with the project manager and 1–2 people daily or weekly, depending on the phase. We’ve worked with 4–5 people along the way. I’ve been involved in workshops with more iConcept.lv teammates, though. 

How did you come to work with iConcept.lv?

I found iConcept.lv through a referral, and we were initially going to work with them on a different product. However, when we talked to them, we realized they had experience with e-commerce development, and this application would be the right fit for them. Working with iConcept.lv would enable us to build the product faster and everything meshed, so we decided to work with them. 

How much have you invested in them?

So far, we have spent roughly €80,000 (approximately $87,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in January 2022, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve focused on two core metrics: on-time delivery and budget compliance. iConcept.lv has hit both those targets. Market results fall on our side and how we promote the project. iConcept.lv has advised us about analytical tools that we can incorporate regarding advertisement. 

Although we signed the agreement with more or less strict milestones, we’ve had to find compromises to get the product launched, even if it doesn’t exactly match our requirements. However, we see this as a normal process because we can’t always put everything on paper beforehand. We understand that the project demands compromises from our side. Ultimately, the product is live; people are using it, and we’re trying to grow.

How did iConcept.lv perform from a project management standpoint?

From a project management standpoint, the team manages the tasks, specifying them for the developers. With us, they provide more generalized feedback that they break down into smaller tasks. This approach is great compared to other developers who require us to get involved in detailed Jira tasks or other management systems. I appreciate that I don’t have to go into that much detail when following the team’s work.

They use Asana and GitHub, where they deliver the code so that our team can review it and take potentially take over parts of the project. We mostly use Google Meet and Slack to communicate. Due to specifics from some stakeholders involved, we’ve also used Skype. iConcept.lv adapts to the channels that people on our side use. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

iConcept.lv understands our goal and expectations — that’s the core advantage of our partnership. In many cases, developers have a translation issue between what you expect and what is delivered. The iConcept.lv team pushed us to work in a detailed manner with the initial mock-ups and user stories, which has helped us avoid 90% of the usual problems along the way. They understand our business and provide suggestions to help us make decisions. 

In my experience, this has been one of the best encounters I’ve ever had with developers. This is the first time I’ve seen deadlines and budgets met in IT projects, which is always critical and tends to deviate startups. Overall, working with iConcept.lv has been a good experience.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there isn’t anything they need to improve.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be open to iConcept. lv’s suggestions. They provide value in regard to meeting deadlines and understanding the project’s core goals.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

TVG Cloud is software subscription services provider which delivers cloud solutions of Major software vendors (Microsoft, Adobe etc) thru cloud services provisioning portal - cloud.tvg.lv

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire iConcept.lv, and what were your goals?

We hired iConcept for addition platform features development and finetuning existing ones, as well as for bugfixes or/and changes implementation.

SOLUTION

How did you select iConceptv.lv and what were the deciding factors?

Their expertise of Magento solutions and ability to dive-in into other technologies which we support in our platform.

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

Variety of works include: User interface improvements for front-end, billing engine improvement, security solutions implementation, reporting tools development at backend.

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

5-6 developers and project leads

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

All works led to TVG business continuity, which is the key factor in customers ordering and solutions provisioning processes. TVG business YoY reached 75%, which is remarkable result into industry.

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

All possible channels were available for communication. For project management purposes we used Click-up tool. Designated approach for TVG was clear, understandable and easy on daily-use basis. iConcept followed proposed timelines and derail from designated scope was minimal.

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

Ability to listen and willing to understand core problems and impact on business processes in general. Expenses ration always been realistic, so TVG avoided extra expenses. iConceptv.lv valuates every partner, and we do not need to fight on their priority list. So we assume project management processes within this organization works excellent and balanced.

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

Nothing on top of mind, yet.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Production and quality operations manager of Snores Ltd

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Manufacturing

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire iConcept.lv to accomplish?

• Takeover and maintenance of custom-made CRM system
• Web platform development for B2B segment partners

SOLUTION

How did you find iConcept.lv?

Online Search

Why did you select iConcept.lv over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

What was the size of iConcept.lv’s team?

2-5 Employees

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

1. Custom-made CRM system takeover, development and maintenance
2. Concept development of the B2B section structure in the CRM system
3. Wireframes development
4. UI/UX
5. Usability tests
6. Development of technical specifications
7. Implementation of the B2B platform
8. Adapting the CRM system to the needs of the B2B platform

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

1. The project fulfills all the scope given beforehand.
2. We are satisfied with the outcome of the project.
3. The project will be completed within the given amount of budget.

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

Communication is fast and accurate. The people involved in the project are professionals in their field. We highly value the ability to delve into and understand our business needs.

What was your primary form of communication with iConcept.lv?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email
• Messaging App

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

Professional solutions are found for several challenges without drastically changing the framework of the project.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Concept.lv could have done differently?

Reduce risks by involving only one programmer on a project that will require maintenance.