InternetDevels

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

In my spare time I help run a Norwegian nonprofit, which aims to stimulate and help parents at primary schools in Norway arrange science fairs.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Our website was created in Drupal several years ago and badly needed a migration to the latest Drupal version. All the original Drupal developers had moved on from our contractor, and we needed professional help with the migration.

SOLUTION

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

After searching Google, checking online reviews, verifying that the company had a long track record and submitting a request for quote we chose Internetdevels based on a combination of professionalism, understanding of our needs, demonstrated competence and competitive pricing .

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

After a kick-off where we explained our needs and the purpose of the site, we sent a dump of the current site to our account manager. They took it from there. Along the way we have mostly synched via email and Slack but with the occational VC.

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

One account manager, and one developer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The project is still ongoing due to bandwidth limitations our end. We now have access to a migrated version of the site with looks and feels exactly as it should. We are working on the last Norwegian to Ukrainian translation issues.

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

We had regular communication with the client manager, occasionally also including the developer. Communication and turnaround times have been swift and professional, despite a very pressed overall situation. We did need to adjust timeline once during the project, as there was a bit more complexity under the hood than expected /and maybe communicated by us). This was communicated and our expectations were handled in a professional manner.

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

They were able to do a wholesale conversion to Drupal 9 very quickly, and have been very responsive with all needed adjustments. Being able to keep running and delivering this level of quality during wartime is deeply impressive.

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

We could maybe have used a ticketing tool like Jira or Kitemaker to manage followup of bugs & copy adjustments, but so far the volume of those has been so low that this is not a big issue for us.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization

I am working together with InternetDevels on a software tool with time-shifted video interviews for HR [human resources] screening. When users are looking for new employees and receive a lot of applications, they can screen candidates with our software.

What is your role and responsibilities?

I am the founder of the company, the owner, and managing director.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was your goal for working with InternetDevels?

I used to work with a lot of different offshore IT [information technology] vendors. I met the owner of InternetDevels, Viktor [Levandovsky], one year ago here in Prague. The purpose of our engagement was to improve the software to a level where we can market the product online and have successful clients.

SOLUTION

What was your process for selecting InternetDevels with which to work?

We met first online, but then we met at the 2013 DrupalCon event in Prague.

Can you provide a ballpark dollar figure for the size of the work that they’ve done for you?

I would say approximately 3,000 man-hours.

Is the work still ongoing or is it completed?

Software development never finishes. It's ongoing, but the work volume is less than it used to be. We are fine-tuning certain things and keeping up with new developments, but we are continuously working together.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Do you have any statistics or metrics to track improvement from the project?

Their process of Internet development is pretty good. Naturally, there are always ups and downs but, overall, their work is very professional compared to the three or four other firms I engaged before.

Is there anything unique about InternetDevels Design that really makes them stand out, compared to other online marketing companies?

Not really. The communication is very good. I have consistently communicated with one project manager. It is a stable environment and their firm has low employee turnover. I assume the developers are also the same resources we started with.

Looking back on the work so far, is there any area that you think they could improve upon or that you might do differently?

It's difficult to say what InternetDevels could do differently without seeing the daily structure of their work. The partnership work for my firm and the results are fine, so I'm satisfied. There is no reason for me to say they should do anything differently. It is nice that oDesk offers the ability to monitor your employees online. However, I don’t actually use this function because I’m busy and I trust their team.

BACKGROUND

Could you describe your organization?

I work for a Danish retailer. We focus mostly on products for the home, such as furniture, fixtures, textiles, and decorative materials. 

What is your position?

I'm a project manager. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

Could you describe the business challenges that you were attempting to address when you first approached InternetDevels?

We had a capacity issue with our own internal development team. Basically, we had a lot of complex project work coming in and we couldn't manage the workload. We knew we needed to increase our capacity, but we didn't want to invest in permanent resources because we knew that the increase in demand might not last. We decided that we should look for some external expertise to augment our team. The next challenge was finding a development firm with the proper knowledge and grasp of Drupal, which is the primary system we use for our own projects. 

SOLUTION

How did you discover and then select InternetDevels as your partner?

We were already familiar with them. InternetDevels has a pretty well-established reputation here as a great Drupal shop. We reached out to them and a few other companies, so we could get a good sample of proposals. We conducted some phone interviews with all of the firms and were definitely most impressed with our conversation with InternetDevels. They asked very specific questions about our business and our goals, and provided some valuable recommendations right from the start. That's how we ended up with them. 

Could you describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail?

They basically operated as an addition to our internal team, working right alongside us on our various technology projects. Most of their work was relegated to custom development, module customization, unit and performance testing, information architecture, maintenance, and support. We handled the strategic and creative design elements in-house. 

Could you provide a general cost estimate for this particular engagement?

At this point, we've probably spent around $30,000 to $40,000 on their services, during the course of our yearlong relationship.

Their involvement is ongoing, correct?

Yes. It is. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

In terms of results, could you share any statistics, metrics, or user feedback that would demonstrate the quality of their performance?

We haven't been tracking any figures or metrics. It probably wouldn't be the most insightful anyway because they've been incorporated into our own development team, working right alongside them. Their work is almost indistinguishable once the final solution is built and ready for testing. Overall, though, I'd say that they have extremely high-quality developers. We haven't run into issues with defective or poorly written code. They're some of the most capable and talented Drupal developers that we've ever used. 

When working with InternetDevels, is there anything you'd consider unique about their strategic approach or development methodology that distinguish them from other vendors?

The developers themselves are fantastic. They have a deep and wide ranging knowledge of Drupal, and they understand how to make the most of the platform's flexibility. They're also extremely responsive to our needs. 

BACKGROUND

Could you briefly describe your organization?

I head up a Web design and development agency. We offer a range of strategic, business, and technology services to other businesses and organizations.

What is your position?

I’m the president and CEO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

Could you describe the business challenges that you were attempting to address when you first approached InternetDevels?

We’ve been working with outsourcing firms for a number of years, and tried different firms in India and Pakistan. We decided to go to the Ukraine to try a new firm. We tried three different firms, and they were one of the three. We needed increased development support, but from a vendor what had a lot of experience working with open source solutions, Drupal, in particular.

SOLUTION

Could you describe the scope of their involvement?

Only technical development, and we’ve only used one of their developers. We used him full time for about four months. He worked on a lot of custom code for us and offered testing, too.

How did you select InternetDevels as your solution partner?

We connected with the Drupal Association, and they recommended them to us.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

In terms of results, could you share any statistics, metrics, or user feedback you’ve received that would demonstrate the quality of their performance?

They have about 75 developers in their company, and we asked for their best, so he was one of their supposed three hero developers that were extremely sharp. We were paying a higher fee to get him, and he actually jumped onto a project that we’ve been working on for quite some time, and had some serious performance issues. He was able to solve those performance issues, so that was a pretty big win for us. We were immediately impressed with his technical capabilities and his grasp of Drupal.

When working with InternetDevels, is there anything you’d consider unique about their approach or development methodology that distinguish them from other vendors?

One of the things that they really try to do is ensure effective communication with account managers and developers. They see this as a big plus. For us, being an English-speaking firm working with developers with broken English is sometimes quite challenging, especially if you run into assumptions or miscommunications around language differences. So, they see that as a significant piece that they’re offering, but at the same time that is the biggest challenge when working with developers in Ukraine. There is a serious language barrier. However, the guy we got, even though he wasn’t the best at English, he was extremely conscientious. He put all of his communications in writing to ensure sure it was clear communication. Their account manager really assisted in the communication process, too.

In retrospect, are there areas in which you think they could improve as a service provider?

They definitely need to get the majority of their developers learning English if they want to work with English-speaking countries, because it is a strain. They have such great development capacity, but a lot of those efficiencies can really be hindered by lack of communication or miscommunication. We have video meetings with our team and, often, they’ll put their account manager on the call with our developer from their team, to ensure he understands everything. Sometimes, we’ll have to repeat things and go a little slower than we normally would with the rest of the team, just to accommodate him. However, that is something that all companies have to deal with when they use offshore teams.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director of Rijschool Codrive

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Driving school

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire InternetDevels to accomplish?

• Website refurbish
• Seo

SOLUTION

How did you find InternetDevels?

Online Search

Why did you select InternetDevels over others?

• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

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

Drupal based booking system

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Successful debugging of existing code within deadline

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

Clear and transparent communication. Task-based approach.

What was your primary form of communication with InternetDevels?

Virtual Meeting

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

We highly commend their technical skills, project management approach, and transparency.

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

Meet me 10 years ago

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the General Manager of Stilpalast AG

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Leading online life-style magazine for trendy women and men.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire InternetDevels to accomplish?

• Migration from Drupal to Wordpress
• Totally new frontend and setup
• Efficiency increase in operations

SOLUTION

How did you find InternetDevels?

Online Search

Why did you select InternetDevels over others?

• High ratings
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from InternetDevels were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Full migration of existing project from Drupal to Wordpress and development / integration of new frontend together with company Vintage from Kiev. Data migration into back-end and adjustment of all interfaces/APIs to other software packages integrated.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• The project achieved all project goals.

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

Very responsive and fast turn-around times / cycles.

What was your primary form of communication with InternetDevels?

• In-Person Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Very hands-on and fast and pragmatic. Hard-working.

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

Overall, InternetDevels did a great job.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the consultant / advisor of EyeSmart | fondation images et société

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

EyeSmart Tools to question infox and see smart EyeSmart is a set of multi-public activities designed to democratize a "smart way of seeing" adapted to the current challenges of our society of multiplied images and infox. EyeSmart offers a space for exchange and reflection to reinforce transversal synergies and develop "decoding" skills.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire InternetDevels to accomplish?

• EyeSmart's goal is to offer practical and accessible tools to sharpen the eyes and democratize smart seeing, reinforcing community living and diversity.

SOLUTION

How did you find InternetDevels?

Online Search

Why did you select InternetDevels over others?

Close to my geographic location, Pricing first our budget, Good value for cost, Company values aligned

What was the size of InternetDevels’s team?

2-5 Employees

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

Improvement, debugging and migration

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Getting a standart complied WebSite

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

They did deliver in time and always responded to our needs and ... always with open ears to listen to our demands. All this despite a dificult geo-political situation.

What was your primary form of communication with InternetDevels?

Virtual Meeting, Email or Messaging App

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

They understand what you need or want and are able to make appropriate recommendations.

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

Being physicaly present in our region ;-)