Iflexion

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a sales manager at a computational design studio.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Iflexion?

Iflexion was our web development partner. They helped us deploy and fine-tune our new custom CRM system. The team also delivered several custom features we requested.

What were your goals for this project?

We were using the basic Microsoft Office software and G Suite as our business applications. As our business started to grow, the number of Excel spreadsheets and Google docs started to snowball. It became difficult to keep all digital documents well-arranged and discoverable.

What’s worse, we also had customer data scattered across documents, so preparing any kind of sales reports was very time-consuming. Finally, our team agreed that it’s high time we adopt a CRM system to manage our sales tasks, set up proper customer management workflows and get accurate customer analytics. Those became our project goals.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

The final choice was mostly based on our online research. We checked out several listings and directories and preselected about 5-7 companies as our potential service providers. We had a phone call and an online meeting with each. At that stage, we narrowed down the list of candidates to two. We selected Iflexion after we met them on our site and discussed the project one on one.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

The team started with developing and setting up our web CRM system. One of the key tasks was to migrate all the documents and data from multiple resources to the new CRM. To do this, Iflexion’s team made a preliminary classification of our accumulated documents and data. Together we managed to sort them and remove all the outdated and irrelevant items. Then the team migrated all the documents and data in batches to a pre-configured storage.

The team also set up sales management modules modelled after our workflows. For us as a computational design agency it was important to store our 3D models and completed designs right in customers’ accounts, and Iflexion made this possible. The team also built in an analytical module and developed several custom features for data visualization.

What was the team composition?

We involved a mix of middle-level and senior web developers, three in total. A database administrator joined in to organize data storage correctly, and an assigned project manager was with us throughout the project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It was a project of a modest scale but it brought results. With the new CRM in place, we were able to centralize all the customer data and improve our customer relationship workflows. We also got access to nicely visualized reports, which made the reporting much easier.

All in all, we managed to create comprehensive customer profiles with complete communication histories, project details, and 3D models in one system. This made our sales activities and partnerships more transparent and effective.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

It went smoothly. We didn’t face any difficulties with neither communication nor development. The company is very experienced, so they approached the project very professionally and confidently.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They are very pedantic. We discussed the project timeframes beforehand and we expected possible delays, as it usually happens during software development projects. I should say that they adhered to the agreed timeline and even rolled out the final deliverables a few days before the project deadline. That’s why we had some extra days to try our new CRM in action and give our feedback.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Nothing really comes to mind. Perhaps I can mention that there was a little language barrier, but since most of their team members were good at communication, it didn’t affect the project in any way.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Freelance Java Software Developer

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Iflexion?

I was involved in a Java-based LMS development project for a manufacturing company. Iflexion provided me with consulting assistance in designing the solution’s architecture, preparing a migration plan to move the content of diverse formats from legacy content storages to a centralized database, as well as in planning AR-assisted learning features.

What were your goals for this project?

The goal was to help the client build a new learning management system while keeping the learning content they already had, yet dispersed over multiple tools. The client also wanted to try immersive learning, so AR features became the must-haves in the project requirements.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

One of my business partners recommended Iflexion. During an online meeting, we discussed the project specifics and I decided to go with them because they had the knowledge and past experience to bring the project to life.

Describe the project in detail.

Iflexion provided me with advisory assistance during the custom LMS development and customization.

The key challenge was to dismantle over a dozen learning management solutions in use and bring them all together into a centralized system. It was also critical to keep the content from all the solutions intact and move it securely to the new environment.

At this stage, Iflexion helped me with designing the solution’s high-level architecture and drawing up the content migration plan. As the volume of learning materials was impressive, we offered that the teams review it and sort it before the migration.

It was a reasonable step because it allowed for revealing outdated content that could take too much time to migrate or affect the performance of the new solution (for example, there was a large repository of MPEG learning videos that nearly nobody used while it was taking over a terabyte of storage).

We also made up a detailed LMS roadmap that covered all the requested features and their implementation specifics. Together with Iflexion we also build a concept plan of possible AR features for advanced learning with AR headsets and a mobile app.

We offered several scenarios of AR application in the corporate training process related to equipment maintenance and manufacturing workflows as well as modeling behavior patterns in case of emergency.

What was the team composition?

I worked with a team of three from Iflexion. A Java software architect and a senior Java developer helped me with the overall solution planning and migration strategy. I also got consulted by an AR developer who shared his expertise in developing with ARCore.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Iflexion were indispensable in helping me strategize on the overall approach to the LMS development and to prepare detailed project documentation that was used during the migration and further customization of the system.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

It was a pleasure for me to work with Iflexion. By the time we started our cooperation, they had already had a bulk of experience in enterprise learning management technologies and tried their hand at AR. I got many valuable insights during every online meeting we had.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Iflexion was very open in sharing their knowledge. To be honest, I was skeptical about consulting services from an ITO company as they typically don’t like to engage in small collaborations. Fortunately, Iflexion were really approachable and gave me a helping hand.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Considering the nature of services I got from Iflexion, I can’t point out to any drawbacks. If you are looking for high-quality IT consulting, Iflexion is the company to partner with.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Managing Consultant at a multi-national IT company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Iflexion?

We needed to adapt one of our ECM solutions to business processes in construction. We collaborated with Iflexion to customize the system, build up connectors with the most popular construction management software products, and test the system.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal was to tailor the existing ECM solution to the specifics of construction companies. Apart from that we needed the paired mobile app to perform stably on the latest versions of iPad and iPad Pro so that on-site teams could use the app on their corporate tablets.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We sent out our RFPs to ten ITO companies from different regions to make it a fair competition. We got their proposals within two weeks and shortlisted the top three companies which we then interviewed online. Iflexion proved to have the necessary experience to handle the task. Their project estimates were also the most accurate and realistic.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Our joint teams developed and deployed a variety of features for content management specifically in the construction industry. We extended the default set of supported file formats to 2D sketches, CAD drawings, and 3D construction models, enabled file preview for all types of content for convenience, as well automatic file synchronization in on-premises and cloud environments.

Iflexion helped us build custom connectors to easily integrate the system with commonly used construction management systems, including Oracle Primavera, Procore, and Buildertrend. Additionally, we implemented several custom workflows that covered typical content cycles in construction firms. Iflexion’s testers worked concurrently with software developers to speed up delivery.

The team focused on unit, integration and performance testing. The latter was critical for us to make sure that the system behaved appropriately with large volumes of heavy files across all the environments and devices. We paid particular attention to the testing of the dedicated mobile app on iPad and iPad Pro to get rid of all possible performance bottlenecks.

What was the team composition?

The team included 2 software developers (senior and middle ones), 2 testing engineers, and a project manager. On our end, we completed the team with 2 senior developers, a testing engineer, and a project coordinator.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

When it came to implementing the ECM system at a construction company, we managed to cut the deployment time substantially owing to the pre-tuned features and ready-to-use connectors. We also spent less effort on testing the deployed solution to our our client’s benefit.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

We worked in a mixed team with members distributed across different time zones, so I can say that our smooth collaboration was the key to success.

I am glad that Iflexion adapted to our working pace and specifics quickly, so we could start seeing value in just a few days after the project start. We had daily calls to synchronize our work and discuss questions if there were any.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They are very diligent, which translates to the high quality they deliver. I also liked that they are proactive. I know, many companies need IT outsourcers that can perform specific tasks from A to Z. But it is also nice to meet software developers willing to step beyond specification borders and offer alternative (and often better) solutions to challenges.

Are there any areas for improvement?

We went through a rather lengthy coordination cycle prior to the project, including team selection and paperwork. All the rest went just fine.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Senior Application Consultant at a financial group.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Iflexion?

We hired Iflexion to take up the migration of our legacy financial analytics system as well as its further customization.

What were your goals for this project?

We were looking for feasible ways of improving our legacy financial analytics system to make it easier to support and customize, as well as to reduce its TCO. We also needed to extend the functional capabilities of the system to align it with the existing banking standards and to make it more effective in the daily use of the analytical department.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We weren’t looking for just a software development company. We needed technology experts with relevant experience in building banking and financial software. Iflexion turned out to be the company that fit our primary requirement. We had interviewed other companies with similar expertise. However, Iflexion was more convincing during our initial project discussion and scoping.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Iflexion’s business analysts helped us understand that migration to the new technology was the most reasonable step from both functional and financial perspectives. We chose an open-source platform to get broader customization capabilities and to reduce the solution’s TCO. Iflexion’s team handled the migration process and moved an impressive volume of accumulated data to the new environment. After migrating the system, we moved on to the solution’s customization. Our prior focus was on broadening the reporting capabilities of the system, as well as on implementing professional data visualization tools. Apart from developing the requested features, the team was also involved in the solution’s redesign. This allowed us to make it more user-friendly and finally enabled our financial analysts to use the solution on their smartphones and tablets.

What was the team composition?

The team included five software developers with different levels of seniority, a software architect, two testing engineers, a web designer, and a project manager. Additionally, two business analysts were involved occasionally during the project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We saw the first substantial and, what’s more important, positive results already at the end of the migration phase. Even without further tuning, the system started to operate much better, owing to the performed code optimization. With every new feature implemented, the solution was becoming more powerful. We were collecting feedback from banking analysts about each particular piece of functionality, and they were mostly positive. All in all, both the migration and customization were a success, so we were satisfied with the project results.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

As I’ve mentioned before, initially, we were selecting a technology partner who would be competent enough in the banking domain. We knew that hiring someone technically cool but unaware of the banking realities could be a stopper. Fortunately, with Iflexion, we didn’t face any difficulties owing to their understanding of both technological and business aspects of the project. I would also want to highlight Iflexion’s effectiveness from the project management standpoint, which was one of the essential factors of productive workflows between our teams.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I am always happy to cooperate with enthusiastic software development companies. Throughout my career, I worked with highly qualified IT professionals who were quite passive during the development; they fulfilled the assigned tasks but never stepped up with their ideas or showed their keen interest in the solution they developed. Luckily, we had a true partnership with Iflexion, where we both partook on equal terms. I appreciated their dedication, critical thinking, and excellent responsiveness.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I think that collaboration with an outsourcing company from another continent is always a challenge, especially during active development stages, because of the substantial time difference. In the beginning, it was not so easy for us to set up a mutually advantageous communication pattern, but by trial and error, we managed to find the optimal interaction model.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m a compliance officer at an investment bank.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Iflexion?

Iflexion performed a range of testing activities to assess the functional stability and security of our existing anti-money laundering (AML) system.

What were your goals for this project?

Testing was an essential preparatory step before a planned security audit.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We checked several publicly available directories. We were looking for a full-cycle software development company rather than for an exclusively testing company because we wanted to find an IT services provider who could handle various aspects beyond testing. We selected Iflexion based on their references online and a subsequent on-site meeting.

Describe the project in detail.

The testing was to show the overall operational fitness of our system. The core of the AML system was implemented a while ago, and since the system is tuned and updated constantly its integrity might have been affected. Iflexion delivered a variety of system tests to make sure that all the components of the system worked properly. The team also performed integration tests to check if there are any connectivity issues between the AML system, our SIEM tool, and the security analytics system it’s connected to. As for penetration testing, we do it regularly to ensure that our critical security systems aren’t exposed to any kind of external or internal attacks. The pentest was carried out according to the OWASP methodology.

Iflexion provided us with a detailed testing report that included the revealed security issues, as well as the recommendations for fixing them.

What was the team composition?

A testing engineer, a penetration tester, and a test manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Iflexion did all the required testing within the planned timeframe. With the testing results on hand, we had enough time to implement the recommendations and got ready for the security audit.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Our teams had a positive collaboration experience. We spoke the same language in terms of business and technology, which is always a solid foundation for a successful project. While Iflexion’s testing team worked remotely, communication was not a problem owing to well-set management.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

We appreciated their transparent practices and attention to detail. They were very open in communication and reporting, which let us keep control over the project and be sure that everything was going as planned.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Our cooperation has been quite brief but intensive. They did a great job, and I can’t really recall any bottlenecks.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the CTO at a mobile tech company based in London, UK.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Iflexion?

Iflexion helped us build a custom mobile application for detecting overtime parking.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal was to develop a mobile application that would track parking time, notify car owners if they exceed the time limit, and let other users check car park availability in real time. The app would facilitate control over parking slots and prevent car owners from violating parking rules.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We made a shortlist of the tech vendors we researched online and sent them a project pitch so that they could assess the scope of work and provide relevant estimates. Iflexion’s offering was the most attractive for us from both technological and financial standpoints, so we chose them.

Describe the project in detail.

Iflexion has been delivering full-cycle development of a mobile app for parking time management. The app connects to city parking sensors, grouped according to their max allowed time limits. Meanwhile, car owners are grouped according to the sensor types they choose. The app displays to car owners the parking group they belong to and the sensor they are parked at. 

It can also notify users early about when they’re approaching the parking time limit and allow them to either extend their time or relocate their cars to avoid violation. The app stores users’ parking history, shows sensor statuses in real time (vacant or busy), and displays sensors with registered violations.

What was the team composition?

The entire team has consisted of two mobile developers, a software architect, two testing engineers, a designer, a business analyst, and a project manager—although, we only engaged the business analyst, designer, and architect early in the project. At the moment, we mostly work with the developers, testers, and project manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The application is operational and now in its testing phase. The greatest challenge for us at the moment is to ensure that the app backend can process data from 100,000 sensors and support up to 5,000 active concurrent users. So, we’re focusing on rigorous performance tests to check the app at peak loads.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Our cooperation is going smoothly. Iflexion’s team is very proficient both in technologies and project management, so we haven’t had any bottlenecks so far. We visited them twice during the project to discuss the most challenging features of the app in person. Their project manager is absolutely great, and, thanks to his effort, our teams feel very comfortable collaborating with each other despite different locations and time zones.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I’m impressed with their dedication to the project. We’ve cooperated with some software development companies before, and they typically just follow our instructions—nothing less, nothing more. It’s not often that you meet developers who treat your project like their own. Luckily, this is exactly what we got with Iflexion.

Are there any areas for improvement?

At the very beginning of the project, the mobile developer assigned to us initially had to be replaced because of his schedule clash, which was a bit unexpected. Other than that, we’ve been having a pretty painless experience with them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a medical research publishing company, founded to develop a platform that combines an open access publisher with a social media network.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Iflexion?

We needed a team with the technical knowledge and competence to help us develop a project roadmap for an open access publisher with a social network.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We wanted to eliminate biases in the current scientific publications system by combining an open access publisher with a social network to optimize the connectivity and collaboration between scientific researchers and healthcare stakeholders. We approached Iflexion with these preliminary specifications and ideas for the platform’s functionality.

Iflexion has conducted two comprehensive discovery phases, and from those, completed the wireframes and graphic design specifications, as well as mapped out all the necessary technical components for the platform. At this point, we have the full system designed from a conceptual standpoint. However, we ran into fundraising challenges and had to pause the project while we re-evaluate.

What is the team composition?

During all of the phases we’ve completed, we’ve worked with around ten team members ranging in roles from business analysts, to project managers, to graphic designers. Sometimes one member would have several responsibilities, such as a business analyst taking on project management responsibilities.

How did you come to work with Iflexion?

I was doing online research for companies with experience building social networks and was impressed with Iflexion’s website and experience. They had developed products within our scientific sector that were similar to our requirements, so we were confident in their team’s abilities.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $12,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together off and on from June 2016–September 2018. We first got in touch with each other in February 2016, the first discovery phase was in June 2016, and from that point on we went through a circular cycle of partnering for discovery phases and pausing to conduct fundraising.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Iflexion is extremely time efficient, especially considering our seven-hour time difference. They would adjust time zones to respond to us immediately and meet every deadline. They also had a keen sense for translating our vision into graphics. We were impressed with their graphic design work, but also their overall technical competency.

How did Iflexion perform from a project management standpoint?

We were in constant daily communication with them through email and project management software. With this software, we were able to track tasks, issues, and questions. Iflexion made sure that process was entirely transparent.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They have unparalleled reliability and dedication to their project and customers. During the years that we’ve worked with them, they have been incredibly patient and shown that they really care about developing a relationship with us. Additionally, they worked with us to bring and keep costs down, especially while we were submitting grants or required project descriptions.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they accommodated every request we made and I have no complaints.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the president of HearConnect. We're developing a social network for people with hearing loss. We're making a proof of concept and would like to launch the platform in Argentina.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Iflexion?

We were looking for a company to help us develop a PHP web platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We already had key features of the website in place, so they migrated the PHP platform to Framework 3. Then, they took full charge of the project. They're overseeing the development process, while we provide the content that needs to be uploaded. They're also helping us optimize the website.

What is the team composition?

We have a main point of contact and we also work directly with the lead developer.

How did you come to work with them?

We talked to three of four companies that had expertise in PHP, and Iflexion seemed to be the best fit for us.  

What is the status of this engagement?

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

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We're still testing the website on our side and we haven't used it for any large marketing campaigns. Iflexion has been great at resolving the existing issues with our website, so the site has improved drastically after they took it over.

How did they perform from a project management standpoint?

They're very responsive. We use email, Jira, and Skype to communicate.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They have a talented team of developers. Also, they address issues right away and their turnaround times are great.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can't think of anything.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They're a great company, so give them a chance. They do high-quality work and have affordable rates. Besides, they're very friendly. I recommend them 100%.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am a part-owner and technician at an auto repair shop. We specialize in servicing German-made vehicles.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Iflexion?

We wanted to increase our efficiency by transitioning our internal operations from a paper-based system to a digital solution.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I provided a document that detailed the kind of solution I wanted but I wasn’t sure what type of software I wanted to use. Iflexion recommended we use Odoo as the foundation for our system, and we took their advice. The team customized the open-source software to meet all of our needs. The main functionality manages our work orders. When we get a vehicle, we create a digital work order and it is shared with our automotive technicians. After the car is serviced, the technician can update the work order and the system will create an invoice to send to the customer.

What is the team composition?

I worked mainly with one representative, who listened to our needs and communicated them to a larger team.

How did you come to work with Iflexion?

I searched for agencies on Google and narrowed possibilities down to a few software houses. Iflexion provided the most detailed quote for a competitive price.

How much have you invested with them?

I spent $15,000 on this project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in October in 2017 and the partnership is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We haven’t used the system yet, but based on scenario testing, I expect positive results. The platform is very professional and exceeded our expectations.

How did Iflexion perform from a project management standpoint?

We mostly communicate via email to accommodate for the time difference, but they were also available through video calls.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They really surpassed my initial expectations and provided more than we asked of them. They were very accommodating of our needs and consistently provided valuable recommendations to make our business better.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the director of technology at Tangipahoa Parish School System.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Inflexion?

We needed to update and rebuild an existing district-wide educational application for K-12 personnel that was about 12 years old.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Inflexion provided full architectural services for the project. First, they evaluated our legacy system’s frontend and backed, then planned the scope of the rebuild. Their team built the system on SQL using .NET, then tested the product to check its performance and functionality. One of the main elements was an evaluation system. Inflexion upgraded the single-option system to one that allows users to create custom evaluations and assign them to various classes. Currently, we are creating and integrating new features to capitalize on the potential of our new software.

What is the team composition?

I worked mainly with the project manager, but also interacted with two developers. The project manager accurately communicated my ideas to the developers.

How did you come to work with Inflexion?

I found a few companies through an online search, including Inflexion. Their team seemed very accommodating and knowledgeable, while the other potential agencies didn’t seem to understand what I was trying to do.

How much have you invested with them?

We have spent between $100,000–$200,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in November 2016 and the project is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We are just now rolling out Inflexion’s upgrade. We gave the beta product to one user for a testing phase. They provided valuable and constructive feedback, which the team addressed and corrected immediately. Overall, the user praised the programs accessibility and more streamlined operative processes.

How did Inflexion perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicated mainly via email, which is my preferred method of communication. We also schedule video conferences as necessary. Now that the main project is over, Inflexion is still diligent in their troubleshooting process and involved in the development of additional features.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I really appreciated the project manager’s professional approach to the project. She skillfully and accurately conveyed our ideas to her development team.

Are there any areas they could improve?

In my experience, I can’t think of anything. It was a very positive experience.

Any advice for potential customers?

I would recommend clients be as specific as possible when discussing the initial scope of work. Inflexion is very detail-oriented, so they will include every element you ask for, but if there is anything you leave out, it won’t be in the final product. The team will do exactly what their client says, but they have to say it.