Integral Vision Ltd.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Menedek is a 25-year-old Hungarian NGO. We work with refugees and foreigners, offering social counseling, training, and advocacy in the topics we stand for. I’m a project manager in our organization, and I’m part of the management team, responsible for operations.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Integral Vision?

They’re our partner for all web-based solutions, supporting anything related to our online appearance.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Around a decade ago, Integral Vision produced our Drupal website — it’s been reshaped and reinvented since then. We’re constantly adding features and redesigning our site based on new trends.

The most recent upgrade came in 2020, where they added a donation module to the site. People can now make one-time or regular donations through it. Our team figured out the content and placement of the module for them to implement. 

We have a basic idea of our visuals. Fonts, colors, and other related features are regulated on the site, but the design is done partly by Integral Vision.

What is the team composition?

We can contact their CEO if we need to, but our main contact is the project manager. I’m also in contact with the person responsible for site updates.

How did you come to work with Integral Vision?

I wasn’t involved in finding their team — they were already a partner when I joined the organization.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Integral Vision around 10 years ago in 2011 and our engagement is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Integral Vision has been a reliable partner for several years. We know that the website is secure and stable. Security is a very important factor for us because we’re working with refugees, which is a critical topic in Hungary. The site might be attacked by anyone capable of doing so, but that hasn’t happened, thanks to Integral Vision.

We don't experience any crashes, bugs, missing pictures, or deficiencies of any kind. I haven’t had any negative experiences in our collaboration.

How did Integral Vision perform from a project management standpoint?

They have a really nice team, and I like how they connect with each other and with our team as the client. They communicate with us in an accessible way, and they have a large focus on client needs.

They have an agile approach and use sprints for their work. We’re always updated about the status of the work and the time needed for certain tasks. Together, we decide on starting times and deadlines. We also use Jira on both sides.   

What did you find most impressive about them?

It’s the human factor that's most impressive. It’s really nice to work with people who understand the importance of our work and our language. It’s nice to be appreciated, even by a service provider. They understand the reality we’re working with in Hungary, and that’s a big plus for me.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything they could improve at the moment.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are internation research center based at the University of Pécs (HU), with the scope of conducting and coordinating research on the Roman frontiers, with emphasis on the Danube Limes tentative World Heritage Site. We collaborate with colleagues from all over the European section of the Roman frontiers. The aim of our work is to provide reliable data for academia and tourism related development.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

For our daily work and long-range goals we wanted to establish an accessible, open, online tool (database platform) for managing and overseeing data from various sites all over the Roman frontiers. The number of these sites is in the thousands with numerous component parts (buildings, features within sites) and various auxiliary data (personnel, institutions, individual activities) so it was key to establish a manageable, clear system.

SOLUTION

How did you select Integral Vision and what were the deciding factors?

In Hungary, Integral Vision was the sole company with multiple years of experience in managing such an archaeological database. Given their success with Archaeodatabase and the generally favoured, positive response from users it was an easy pick.

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

First step was database planning, we established data types and volume, key functionality and some user must-haves (GIS display and measurements on front-end, a large set of user definable taxonomies, aggregate data between parents and children nodes). Afterwards data structure, access management, API, and layouts were gradually established in a Drupal framework and modules.

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

The core team included a project manager, a designer and a senior developer with additional people drawn in depending on project needs.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The site was launched recently on schedule and although it has been published only recently, it recieved generally positive feedback from our colleagues, testers and outside professionals of the field too. So far 463 nodes were uploaded (75 Sites, 49 Site components, 68 Component parts, 108 Persons, 39 Institutions and 124 Research activities), which is an impressive start. All our expectations were met and we look forward to working together, adding new features to the application.

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

Project management went smooth, all our needs and requirements were attended to at all times. All the deadlines were met, we experienced no delays nor any bumps from the vendor's part. Regular demonstrations were held on Hangouts and we followed development progress through Jira.

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

I admired that during development, we were often presented with the pros and cons of several solutions and we could take our pick after careful consideration. I believe we avoided many pitfalls thanks to this proactive approach.

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

Not really, our mutual work was perfect as far as it goes.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I work as the Director of Operations at Euroexam International Ltd. We provide language exams in German and English and also preparation materials, online and offline trainings for language teachers as well as for language learners.

Our core market is Hungary, but we have partners internationally, like in Russia, Turkey and Mexico.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Web development, web application design. We had an almost finished wireframe and user interface design, but the previous supplier couldn't finish it due some legal debate between the two company.

Integral Vision had to finish he design work and the specification and develop the whole project. Our main goal was to develop the project with agile method in a reasonable budget due finalising the functions and appearance step by step during the development process.

Business wise the main goal was to create a website with different types of user accounts helping the preparation and application for the language exams.

SOLUTION

How did you select Integral Vision and what were the deciding factors?

We needed a partner immediately with huge flexibility, free development capacity and reasonable price. We asked cost estimation from 3 partners. We took into considerations their previous works, their Drupal experience, their project backlog and cost estimation.

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

We had a specification, a wireframe and a UI design from the previous supplier so we started with a kick-off meeting in order to clarify the scope, answer the questions and see the modifications needed on the existing materials.

Based on the kick-off meeting they made a rough hourly estimation. They delivered new ideas and improvement proposals week by week based on our business goals. We planned together the functions and the deliverable MVP and optimised it sprint by sprint.

They had to integrate three other platform and develop API endpoints for them which needed a huge flexibility and patience from their side, but they managed it. Big thanks and appreciation for that.

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

The project manager was the main contact during the whole process, but on the demos and on the API technical discussions the lead developer also attended.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

More than 2.000 registered users in 2 weeks :-) No drop in SEO rankings (normally the opposite happens in case of a new site launch)

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

We used Jira and planned in two week-long sprints. We finalised and prioritised the sprint issues with the project managers before the sprint started. She communicated with the team members and with me as well. Her communication is always clear, kind and punctual.

The whole team had useful ideas for improvements, worth to consider. They did their work very responsibly and in the agreed deadline. If they had to modify the timeline or the sprint scope, they always informed me in advance, so we had the chance to change the priorities and prepare.

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

They really work as a team with the goal of making good digital products. They love their work and - which is very rare - they are honest. They tell you if you are not right or if they don't feel comfortable with a project.

The "professional comfort" of their colleagues counts a lot for the management.

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

not yet

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the program and communications manager at an NGO that deals with laws and policies concerning nonprofit organizations.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Integral Vision?

We recently relocated from Budapest to The Hague. We wanted to revamp our organization’s website — and visual identity — to reflect this transition.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Integral Vision migrated our website from WordPress to Drupal, and they completely redesigned the platform. They revamped its functionality in addition to its design since we were specifically seeking structural changes. They gave us design plans and launched into multi-phase development upon approval.

What is the team composition?

We had an initial call with their executive director. Regularly, though, we communicate with our project manager and designer.

How did you come to work with Integral Vision?

I was looking through Clutch for a larger team that could deliver in English. I looked at Integral Vision’s portfolio and saw that they’d previously worked with similar NGOs. Incidentally, their program manager is a former staff member of ours, so that personal connection also fed into our ultimate decision to work with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent somewhere between $10,000–$15,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The partnership began in April 2020 and is ongoing. The original project is due to be finished in a couple of weeks, and we’ve signed a service agreement for continued maintenance.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The site has just launched, and our colleagues were amazed by their design output. Their work has been exceptionally received. Our partners have also commented on the usability of the site.

How did Integral Vision perform from a project management standpoint?

The entire process has been extremely transparent. They’ve had no trouble meeting deadlines, and we’ve been able to track progress by way of various project management tools. They’re flexible and receptive regarding feedback, which we’ve also appreciated. While we’ve had some bad experience with other teams, Integral Vision has been amazingly professional.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’ve definitely appreciated their transparent project management approach. We got a clear idea of what we can expect, in terms of deliverables. Their ideas and initiatives concerning the site's functionality also greatly helped our work. These truly set them apart in our eyes.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, not really. Any time that we’ve noticed a bug or come across a challenge, they’ve been quickly and efficiently addressed.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I’ve already recommended them to other nonprofit organizations. You can count on them for their reliability, speed, and work ethic.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of IP Systems Zrt., an IT provider.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Integral Vision?

We needed some support with web development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They have done several projects with us, the first being was a usability project; they planned screens. They’ve also developed web portals for both internal and customer use. 

In one of our most recent projects, we’ve summarized key business needs and briefly described mockup screens we wanted implemented. They developed those features mainly in Drupal. When there is a challenge integrating other solutions, the APIs must be defined separately.

What is the team composition?

We’ve interfaced with between seven and nine people in total. Our main interaction is with the account manager and the business workflow analyst. There are also between five and seven developers working, depending on the project.

How did you come to work with Integral Vision?

Initially, I was searching for developers that could create user-friendly screens. I reached out to Integral Vision, and we met to discuss it. We were pleased with the first project we assigned them, and have continued to work with them since.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve done several projects together, ranging from $20,000 - $30,000, with an occasional one costing $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in 2008, and it is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The first screens they created for us were for a customer who has now been using them for over 10 years. The customer still loves Integral Vision’s work and has no plans to update.

For one e-job portal they developed for our company, Integral Vision offered a few solutions to choose from, giving employees the opportunity to input their thoughts on functionalities and features. They understood quickly and thoroughly, what we wanted, and added some excellent features and functionalities. We were very happy with the finished product.

Before they develop anything, I’m always able to look through all the story points and ask questions about them. Integral Vision takes the time to explain the reasons behind my concerns, and are often willing to work with me to come up with cheaper, alternate solutions if we need budget flexibility. 

Everything they develop is technically stable, and the software is viable long-term.

How did Integral Vision perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re transparent and flexible. We meet weekly, or bi-weekly, depending on the project. Integral Vision listens to feedback and is willing to make modifications if we request them. They communicate well about timelines, especially if there are changes to the scope that will affect them. The team works with us to change stories in order to keep deadlines, or adjust the deadlines as needed.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re very professional, and understand what we need. They ask questions, make suggestions, and work hard to deliver beyond our expectations. Their solutions are impressive. 

Integral Vision is also honest. If I recommend them to another company and they don’t feel they’d be the right partner, they’re upfront and will even help that company find the right partner for their project.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Perhaps they could do more testing in earlier phases, and implement beta periods. Sometimes we find small bugs after they submit the final product to us.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be clear about your goal for the project, and collaborate on the planning phase for functionalities together. Integral Vision doesn’t need detailed specification to get started.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the head of IT at Mining and Geological Survey of Hungary, a mining company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Integral Vision?

We wanted to replace outdated desktop applications with modern solutions. It was important that we had a platform solution that was dependent for years to come. We needed to be able to manage it and know that it’d be a sustainable solution for our problems.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They developed our document management system. The started by getting to know what the project was about. After that, they planned the project. At the end, we had a presentation for the colleagues and leaders.

What is the team composition?

There were 5-6 people and I talked with 3-4 people. We were in contact with the account manager quite often. During the project, they involved two or three programmers. We interacted with their executive sometimes too.

There was a person from their team who took the effort to understand what we wanted. He did very well and was involved in the topics of the project. He knew more than some of our colleagues did.

How did you come to work with Integral Vision?

We had done a project with them previously. The built us a web portal and we were satisfied with their work, which is why we went to them for our next project.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from January–May 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The results exceeded what I imagined at the beginning of the project. Five or six of our colleagues were quite skeptical about this investment. They didn’t think it’d be successful. Only a few months later, these colleagues changed their mind and became quite optimistic. They then started working together and thinking together, which was really exciting for me. When we asked for feedback at the end, they gave really good feedback.

How did Integral Vision perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management was good. The account manager made an effort effort to understand our business. He made a connection between our business environment and the development, programming, and the Integral Vision environment. If he couldn’t answer a question, he’d get someone else who would have the right answer in a short time.

They worked using agile methodology. From the planning to the end of the project, we had a meeting every two weeks, sometimes in person and sometimes online. During the project, we had well-thought conversations and all the processes were transparent. There were many emails along with online tables and ticketing software.

Their agile development methodology works and they’re fast. They’re a company that not only gets the job done, but works to understand what the customer wants. They asked a lot from me and wanted to deliver exactly what I wanted, and they brought new ideas as well. We worked collaboratively and it was inspiring.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their collaborative environment is impressive. The agile methodology worked really well for us too.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Sometimes the deadlines were a little late, but 95 percent of the time they met deadlines.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be ready to answer their questions about the business requirements. You must think together with them.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

RailNetEurope provides project management and IT support to the European railway infrastructure managers, allocation bodies, rail freight corridors, and applicants. I work there as Head of PCS (Path Coordination System), I'm the product owner of the tool

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Integral Vision?

To develop an online application for publication of different capacity products on an international level. Presentation of capacity bands in such a tool was brand new. We are working right now to implement the new object as part of European standards (TAF/TAP TSI)

What were your goals for this project?

The main part of the application was the online chart (space-time diagram) that can present the capacity products. We needed a version control enabled content management system with special data visualization.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

My colleague found them for one of our previous project with our Drupal system. Finally they didn't take that one, however, it was already clear for us that they are ready for challenges. I remembered this and when we had to make a tender for this application, I invited them too. None of the bids were perfect, but the decision committee selected their offer.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

They prepared a Drupal based content management system for our capacity products (catalogue path, path, temporary capacity restrictions and capacity bands) with their attributes. They enabled us to prepare infrastructure data in the system (lines and locations). The attributes of the locations have been already prepared to connect to central European master database in the future. Connections and distances among the locations are also stored that helps the user experience in the tool.

They created a chart, the main page of the application, where the system can present the different products graphically (lines, rectangles and other shapes). User can apply different kind of search criteria, e.g. lines, timetable periods, statuses of the objects, etc.

The calendar handling of the different objects was solved in a very innovative way. Compared to other applications in the railway sector, the calendar days are stored separately (not in a bitfield) enabling us to add additional information to the days. It's especially important for the capacity bands, where the number of available capacity slots has to be stored separately.

What was the team composition?

I have been already working with an agile team, I had a similar experience. The team had UX designer, infrastructure engineer, product owner proxy who helped me to work with the backlog. There was a technical lead and leading senior developer who did the majority of the development. Also, a frontend developer responsible for the theming of the sites.

Of course, there were other developers who joined and left the project whenever it was necessary from the work and functions point of view.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We received the request from our users quite late that they need an online application for this task. That is why we had a really tough timeline. Luckily, we found the perfect company for the task and they finished the development with a very short timeline, but also with really high quality. The user satisfaction so far is the best among all my company's applications.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

We finished the development in time and in the planned budget, even if the scope was extended during the project. That explains everything. The two weeks sprints helped us a lot to control the work and the deliveries, also measuring the development's speed.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The team was really motivated. They didn't say it cannot be done—they were ready to face the challenges. I had the pleasure to work with them in an innovative environment.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Industry-specific (railway) knowledge should be improved for the future.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Salt Communications Kft. is an integrated advertising agency in Budapest, Hungary. We provide services for cultural organizations, state background institutions, small and middle enterprises, NGOs and foundations. I am a co-owner and Art Director in Salt Comm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Integral Vision?

Complete website development for the Hungarian Institute for Educational Research and Development, and Várkert Bazár (Cultural Center in Buda Castle, Budapest, part of UNESCO World Heritage) and IEC 2020 / 52nd International Eucharistic Congress in Budapest.

What were your goals for this project?

Our agency is strong at visual design, social media, and PR but is lacking expert web developers. Integral Vision is our subcontractor and strategic partner in that field. We have been in contact with them for 6 years. We needed full service including project management, front- and backend development and design. We asked to unite the different criteria, needs, expectations, and to work out the specification. Altogether, to create a user-friendly product that meets the acceptance criteria.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

One of our ex-colleagues recommended Integral Vision.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

The first step was a kickoff meeting with our client, the Hungarian Institute for Educational Research and Development. The next step was a workshop with the representatives of all the organizational units—mainly researchers of the institute. They defined the goals and objectives. Integral Vision set up a team. The Project Owner and another expert conducted interviews with all the participants. They created briefs and rebriefs and had them accepted by each unit. Integral Vision worked out the specification of integrated needs and content accepted by the Board of the Institution. They reached the consensus of different units. They set up typical end users and created user stories. Then Integral Vision moved the project forward in two-week sprints. Every second week, they held a demo to show what was completed and delivered. They created sprint stories, a project vision, a roadmap, and a release plan. They proceeded step-by-step until the end.

What was the team composition?

We met the owner, the project owner, the scrum master, and a developer during the project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The Board of the Institute was completely satisfied with the website. The quality of the finished product gave us an excellent reputation with our clien.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

The PO helped the effective collaboration between the stakeholders, checked the work and cleared the air of the story.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

We liked the reliability, felt comfortable, confident and safe enough. The project remained in the time-cost-to do triangle.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Perhaps to stay motivated enough for the last bit of work.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a team leader at Newdoor Communications, a digital agency focused on performance marketing. We run online advertisements on different platforms and we are producing and providing content marketing for our partners.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Integral Vision?

We were trying to find a partner for our existing client. Our client was looking for a development agency that could create a new web portal for an invoicing and stock handling system because theirs was quite outdated. They were using an offline version for the invoicing and stock handling and they had to always refresh everything when any sale was completed online or offline. The system wasn’t suitable for them and they wanted a new solution.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They developed our client’s webshop using Drupal. It’s developed mostly for content management, but they showed us how it could work as a webshop. They also did SEO.

First, they created the design layout and then they had two-week sprints. The first stage was to create the homepage of the web shop. After that, we started to create the subpages and the menu system. Then, they integrated the invoicing and stock handling system into the web shop.

What is the team composition?

We worked with 2-3 developers. We were in daily connection with the CEO as well. When the development was almost ready, the project was given to an account manager.

How did you come to work with Integral Vision?

We did an online search. My previous team leader was trying to find a solution and they were told by another agency to reach out to Integral Vision. We found them to be the most valuable solution for our client. They have experience in developing web shops. They had a few projects before and were working simultaneously on similar developments, which is why we chose them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested $35,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in August 2018 until January 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The new webshop is live and running. The client is happy with the results. It’s a much better system than the previous one. Everything is good.

How did Integral Vision perform from a project management standpoint?

The project management was good. We spoke with them on a daily basis. The sprint presentations were every two weeks. The client was there for the presentations. If we had any questions, we could ask them. The whole process was fluent and we were satisfied with the whole process.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were friendly. We didn’t know the Drupal system, but they convinced us that it would be good for us. They showed us good examples. With the two-week sprints, we always knew what stage of the development. The whole process was transparent.

Are there any areas they could improve?

If they give a proposal, their suggestions could also be advised at the beginning of the project.