itCraft

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the owner of the WebCraft4U, LLC in Florida.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire itCraft?

Help in stabilizing the voice service within our Mobile App called Uniti

What were your goals for this project?

Stability of the Voice channels for groups of up to 50 people per group and up to 3000 concurrent listeners.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Personal recommendation through a mutual acquaintance.

Describe the project in detail.

The project consisted of several discovery meetings, creating the specification and scope of the project, creating the test environment and series of test scenarios. After the initial preparation the development process began and lasted for 2-3 months. Testing phase and corrections took additional 2-3 months.

What was the team composition?

We communicated with a project manager who then translated our needs to a team of developers. Several developers were active during the project and responsible for different scope of work, from design, text/notification features, Live voice transmission and other...

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Although not without pain, over time itCraft managed to accomplish the initial goal of stabilising the Live Voice transmission, however due to technology limitation, not up to the original goal of 50 users in one group.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We had a direct communication with the project manager who passed on our concerns or feedback to the developers. Several solutions were used to manage documentation and communication during the development process, including email, Skype, physical meetings, etc...

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I would say that during the entire process, both sides were flexible in order to mutually reach the intended outcome. Even during the tougher situations, we were able to reach a common ground and move forward with the project.

Are there any areas for improvement?

In my humble opinion, any company which is providing a service to a customer, should strive to improve their processes and in this case as well we could find areas to improve on, however, I believe that issues we have encountered during the development process would most likely happen with any other development company. We are happy to say, that after completing the project, we are still on good terms with itCraft company.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the tech lead at Seaber, a platform and app development company for leisure boat owners.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with itCraft?

We needed to build our product MVP and do market testing.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

itCraft flew in two resources to do a full-day kickoff workshop. We laid out all of the different user stories and got a common understanding of the project we had ahead of us.

During the first phase of the project, itCraft did UX design. We went through a couple of iterations. They did market research and talked to stakeholders for one-and-a-half years before they started development. The team built the front- and backends of our iOS and Android app.

itCraft provides ongoing support, and we continue to collaborate on developing the MVP.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with a tech lead, a project manager, and a UX designer, who are my primary contact points. My team also works with three resources for front- and backend development. We engage a QA resource for MVP development.

How did you come to work with itCraft?

I came onto the project quite late. itCraft and other companies had already done some due diligence. Members of our team had previously worked with itCraft.

My company chose itCraft because of their ability to offshore the project and cut costs in comparison with Norwegian development companies.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent €100,000— €125,000 (approximately $110,000—$138,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

The engagement began in 2017, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Given the scope of the project and the timeframe we had, they’ve done a tremendous job. They help to align our expectations with the actual possibility of getting the work done. The team keeps us grounded in terms of the total cost picture.

How did itCraft perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicate through Google Hangouts and Jira.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’ve worked with overseas resources before, and one thing that stands out about itCraft is their availability. Having several contact points helped us be more agile in terms of when we did discovery. They’re very flexible.

Communication is really good. itCraft challenges us on our perceptions of how a feature should be or how we should solve a problem, which has been great.

Are there any areas they could improve?

At one point, some things got lost in translation in our communication with UX resources; however, they fixed the issue in the next iteration. It wasn’t a matter of refactoring code, but rather changing colors and that kind of stuff.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be very clear about what you want, and be ready to handle their input.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the B2C channel manager and chief product owner at Inter Cars S.A., a wholesale distributor of car parts.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with itCraft?

We wanted to build a solution that would allow us to offer the drivers the most comprehensive product for worry-free car maintenance and usage. Key part of this was getting data directly from vehicles. It’s a complex product that will basically take care of everything to do with your used car and just let you enjoy driving. We were looking for an experienced mobile app developer.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They developed a B2C mobile app for car owners. We’re about to finish the Android version, and depending on its success, we will build an iOS version as well. Android is the predominant operating system in the market we’re in. The app was built from scratch including some integrations with our existing backend systems.

Some processes are done by backend that we already have, but the whole user-facing side is built from the ground up by itCraft. We’ll soon complete the last development sprint. 95% of the app is already tested and up and running.

What is the team composition?

There was a QA engineer, a project manager, two developers, and an analyst responsible for the API. We also dealt with the co-owner and chief architect when we had some challenges or issues to resolve.

How did you come to work with itCraft?

We found them on Clutch after reading feedback and reviews. We were looking for an experienced company, the market leader in apps development. The cost factor was important but not the most as we know that quality costs. The portfolio of the apps they have built and the first two meetings we had made it clear we wanted to work with them.

How much have you invested with them?

The project has cost $70,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in February 2019 and the work is ongoing

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The car I’m in this moment is connected to the app and I’m recording live data from it. So far, everything’s been really good. They’ve been good about being adaptive, and they’re very flexible in their approach to our changing needs and the challenges we had during the project.

How did itCraft perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re the first company, out of over 10 IT vendors I’ve used, where I’m totally at ease with how things are going. The only downside was the time and material we are working on as that gives you flexibility but can also make the final cost and project length higher than anticipated. At the end of the day, though, it still was reasonable and again IT Craft proved to be a partner rather than just a vendor.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The best part of working with them is the time and focus they spent understanding what we wanted to build. They refused to give us estimates unless we really invested both time and money into making sure they understood what we want.

They’re a fairly small company and they manage to keep high ethics in what they do. They’re very open, very transparent, and very down to earth when it comes to managing expectations of clients. People like to work with them. I haven’t had a single person my team that would say something bad about the guys from itCraft.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We had a development plan for three months and there was a cost layer onto this for which we budgeted the whole project. After 7-8 weeks, we realized we were going off and the project would take a bit longer. The result was that the cost went outside of the budget. This again is the nature of working in an agile way so some estimated vs realized analysis needs to be done on both sides. This one aspect I would improve on both sides.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have a beer with them first. It is always useful to build relationships.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Respondent 1 (Founder & CEO): I’m the founder and CEO of a SaaS provider that offers a B2B platform. We also have an API that can link to most databases and systems in the real estate space. Some of our clients are in the aviation industry as well. Our technology ensures the authenticity of information related to ownership history and facilitates the transfer of records.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with itCraft?

Respondent 2 (COO): We used them to build out a product that serves as a marketplace where title firms can have abstractors bid for a project. Abstractors can use the platform to submit their research to the title firm that hired them.

These abstractors can record their data to the blockchain, which allows title firms to have their work recorded. These data chains serve as title histories that can be accessed at a later date.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

R1: The main project was the build-out of the platform, which they developed using Java. The team delivered some extra work as well, including new features for the platform.

What is the team composition?

R2: We had one point of contact, and there were two people under him doing backend development. We also had one person who did frontend development, and the other person who focused on designing the UI/UX.

How did you come to work with itCraft?

R1: We were working with another firm in Poland and weren’t entirely happy with them. They started a project with us, but the team eventually fell apart. Although we had established a long-term relationship with one of the developers, we decided to explore a partnership with an established company.

R2: I googled specific keywords like outsourcing, developers, and blockchain, and itCraft appeared in the top five search results. I researched them on other review sites and saw that they were ranked highly.

I spoke to other firms as well, and itCraft seemed to have the best onboarding process. The people that we talked to about the RFP were very friendly and transparent. They made us feel confident about the whole process.

How much have you invested in them?

R1: We spent a total of about $28,700 on the project, including the extra work.

What is the status of this engagement?

R1: We worked on this project with them from November 2018–April 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

R1: We had a great relationship with the project manager. Also, the team was able to build quickly and manage documentation well. We had a client that demanded short turnaround times for the documentation, and itCraft was phenomenal in their ability to meet that need.

How did itCraft perform from a project management standpoint?

R1: Overall, their project management was strong. They had a very quick turnaround time when it came to the development and were always available to connect. The only times they weren’t available were during Polish holidays, but they made sure to let us know about those days.

Slack was our primary method of communication, and we occasionally reached out over email. Whenever we need to share sensitive information, such as passwords, we used an encrypted chat room that included me and the CEO.

What did you find most impressive about them?

R1: Attitude is important to me, and the people from itCraft were both amiable and professional in their approach. Sometimes, individual developers can have a god complex, but I always found itCraft to be very humble and pragmatic. They were willing to listen to us and seemed to have a real focus on customer service.

R2: I appreciated how they were always available on email or Slack. We had one firm before them that would sometimes not respond to emails for days, if not weeks. Whenever we reached out to itCraft, they would have a response for us by the next day. Having communication lines that were always open was a huge positive for us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

R2: My only critique is that they should have different tiers for cost. They fall on the higher end of developers because of the superior quality of their work, which makes sense from a business perspective. My suggestion is that they could add multiple tiers—maybe one that includes only junior developers working on the project—to help control costs.

R1: Although they did let us know whenever there was a holiday, it would’ve been nice to have someone always available on call. They could've also provided a roadmap or calendar so that we could know their availability ahead of time. We would've preferred this over them giving us a surprise notification letting us know that they’re unavailable because of vacation or a holiday.

This delayed some things, but ultimately, they got the work done on time, if not earlier. It didn’t impact the project, but it very well could have. Everything else was fantastic.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the owner of Gastro Mix Service, a company hiring top kitchen equipment service specialists in the country. We specialize in refrigeration, plumbing, electrical, and other handyman services.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire itCraft?

I decided to create a mobile app for hospitality owners and managers that would streamline the process of finding and hiring the right servicemen for their needs. The idea was the result of a thorough analysis of the market and the issues it was facing.

What were your goals for this project?

The main objective of our system is to speed up the process of fixing issues in hospitality venues. Reporting issues with one click, assigning the right specialist to the problem—all done from the app and allows managers to save time and resources normally spent on a lengthy process of finding the “right man for the job." Our next project will allow even more direct contact between venue managers and required specialists.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I contacted several software houses regarding my project and itCraft proved highly engaged and quick to answer my query. Within a few hours of contacting them, we set up a meeting to discuss my idea in detail. After the initial meeting, at which they showed a good understanding of my needs and professionally answered all questions, an estimate was prepared. itCraft gave me an offer that was well within my time limitations and budget. After checking their references I decided to start my cooperation with them.

Describe the project in detail.

itCraft was responsible for the full implementation of the project. I gave them my vision and the graphics representing my company branding. The project started by preparing mockups of the app. I got direct access to the project and was able to provide constant feedback on the progress. The final design was prepared efficiently and included all of my suggestions.

Two weeks later the visuals were ready of all the screens of the system. After accepting those, the team started working on the implementation. I was invited to see the demo of my app four weeks later. After my feedback and first impression, it took another three weeks to implement final changes and improvements, mostly to the admin panel.

The solution was created using React Native technology for both iOS and Android platforms and published in their respective app stores.

What was the team composition?

I don't know the details of the team’s composition. My single point of contact was the project mdanager, and some talks with an analyst. During the demo, a programmer and a tester were present. I also cleared some details with the graphic designer at the initial stages.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The delivered solution is just the first phase of the whole project. We’re gradually introducing our clients to the app, but the proper launch will take place once the app for the service specialists is ready. Although we do get some service request through the app, they are still processed the traditional way. Once we are able to connect requests directly with service providers, we can market the solution properly.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The project implementation was done efficiently. The PM was responsive to my feedback. I did sometimes expect immediate answers but learned that the specifics of the development business don't always allow that. With time, I realized that the issues I brought up were not ignored, but simply had to be analyzed and addressed properly, which often took time. The communication with PM via phone and email was more than sufficient, and all matters of importance were addressed professionally and in detail.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The project implementation by itCraft was very professional. It’s obvious they know how to plan and carry out the work efficiently. As this is my first IT project, I can't really compare itCraft to other vendors, but the fact that I decided to continue working with them proves that they delivered to my satisfaction and share my business vision for this endeavor.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I can't point out any obvious faults in cooperating with itCraft. Initially, I had a feeling of not being “served” quickly enough, but soon learned that all work was progressing on schedule and the only issue was my own impatience.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a co-founder of a software development agency in Poland, Revolve - Software House. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire itCraft?

One of our customers in Austria needed help developing a POC of a web-based application in Angular. We did not have anybody with the required skill-set so I reach out to itCraft to ask for a skilled developer.

What were your goals for this project?

The app enables the user to create entries (notes). It supports the creative notetaking process. Entries can be grouped in specific tiles, and the system has a corresponding functionality in terms of styling and cross-referencing. The user is able to seamlessly browse over the complete map (zoom, pan) that consists of entries and tiles. Entries that have not been edited for a specific period of time will be transformed into gaps to gain the user’s attention.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I have known the founders of itCraft for some time, and I knew they were a trusted partner.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

High-level scope of the development involved:

• Create entries (Create, Read, Update, and Delete), create tiles (collection of entries), annotate entries (meta links)
• Cross-reference entries based on specific content values, assign entries to corresponding tiles, assign meta links to corresponding entries
• Entries can be dragged to a new position on the map and be resized at will, dragging them on top of a tile assigns them accordingly
• Entries that have not been assigned to any tiles are located in the creation canvas
• A minimap shows a simplified preview of the whole working space and the user’s current position on the map
• All changes are automatically saved in the background

What was the team composition?

We have one senior developer working on the project from itCraft

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were able to help our customer from Austria, even though we did not have the proper resources ourselves at that time.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

The developer from itCraft was working directly with the project manager from the customer side in Austria. Daily standups were used to exchange information and plan the next steps.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They are very open and very responsive, which helps a lot in a fast-changing environment of software development.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Nope. I can truly recommend itCraft for anybody looking for a strong mobile app developer.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of product management at an IT company that delivers solutions to the financial market community, such as large banks and hedge funds.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with itCraft?

We’d tried to build an HTML5-based application for one of our products, but it wasn’t up to our standards. We needed a partner who could build a snappy iOS and Android app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our company has an extremely detailed and highly complex business logic, so we held a one-week kickoff meeting to help itCraft understand it. We had wireframes for the native iOS and Android apps but didn’t know how to make the app as pleasant and professional for users as possible. itCraft provided recommendations and worked closely with our designers to improve the UX/UI, developing the apps in the process. This is a companion app that comes along with a much larger and more sophisticated solution that end clients have to buy.

What is the team composition?

The team consisted of a UX designer, two QA testers, three iOS developers, three Android developers, a project lead, and the owner.

How did you come to work with itCraft?

We put a bid out to eight firms that included high-level vision requirements and a detailed document that described the project. itCraft provided the best proposal that clearly outlined their timeline, budget, and process. The other agencies failed to meet one or more of those criteria, so we hired itCraft. They answered our questions, asked their own questions, and had a strong sense of professionalism and expertise.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent just over $350,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The partnership lasted from November 2018–June 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Whenever we demonstrate the app to clients, it always receives huge accolades. People consistently ask when they can have it because they’re so excited by what it can do.

How did itCraft perform from a project management standpoint?

They worked with the liaison from our team daily. The in-person kickoff meeting helped the project run smoothly and successfully, and we initially held half-hour meetings twice a week to ensure everyone was on the same page. We also had daily 15-minute standup meetings to keep things moving at a decent pace, but those later went down to twice a week as well. They exceeded my expectations on all fronts, including communication, planning, and development.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were able to quickly adapt to changes we requested and understand our technology, which can be quite complicated. After just a few days, they understood our business logic.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I would’ve liked to see the app’s progress more regularly, but by the end of the partnership, we were able to see it once a week.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

We put a lot of time into producing documentation and onboarding itCraft, which led to a successful relationship. Know what you want and be as detailed as possible—it will make the partnership much more effective.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president of Uniscale, a fresh food product distributor.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with itCraft?

We were searching for a company to develop a web platform to sell our fresh food products. Our customers, who work in offices, could use the platform to order these products.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They helped us to tune up our specifications and then developed the web platform from scratch. We contact our customers through Facebook and other media; then they can select from the menu and order our products through the platform. There is the opportunity to order up to two weeks in advance, and then users pay by credit card. 

Based on those orders, we collect information about what we should produce each day. Our displays show every order listed, then we have printers connected to the system to print labels for the products. The goods are then distributed to the customers each morning. When they get to the office, their packages are ready waiting for them.

We currently have a maintenance agreement with them and sometimes have small things that we ask them to do.

What is the team composition? 

One of their owners was involved in the first stages of our collaboration. After we signed the contract, we had a project manager in the daily communication and management of the project. They had 5–7 people preparing the actual solutions.

How did you come to work with itCraft?

We contacted 10 or more IT companies that we found online and had an external consultant to help us choose the right company. After asking various questions, that consultant suggested itCraft. Most of the other companies gave us a rough price, but itCraft insisted on a meeting before to get to know more about our needs and then presented a decent proposal.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent 50,000 euros (approximately $44,100 USD). It would have cost twice as much with other providers.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in April 2018, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The system is working well, and the initial project was properly executed. There were some bugs in the beginning, but not as many as one would expect. We have a questionnaire on our website where we ask our customers to evaluate the quality of the product logistics and the solution itself—most people rate it five out of five.

How did itCraft perform from a project management standpoint?

They were easy to work with. They took responsibility for the work and knew how to talk to us as non-IT people, which was very helpful. They were also responsive, and if they needed something, they’d ask. If we weren’t performing, they pressed us for the information they needed, which was good. We used Skype, telephone, and email to stay in touch.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They have a positive approach and were dedicated to the success of the project.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I was disappointed about the number of clicks required to register an end user in the beginning. We had to do extra work to make it right. They could have been a little more professional about that, but it was a very minor issue compared to the size of the project.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

No, I can't think of anything.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the chairman of the board of LUX Med Tabita. We’re a developing physical rehabilitation and care center. We offer medical rehabilitation and around-the-clock care for patients of all ages that require continuous specialist support. We’re also part of Bupa, an international healthcare provider.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire itCraft?

We needed someone to design, implement, and deploy a system of dedicated solutions for the management of long-term care facilities. The system comprises a mobile app (for tablets), web app, and a dedicated backend.

What were your goals for this project?

This project would allow us to organize and manage the work in our facility based on accurate data, rather than intuition and informal conversations.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

itCraft is renowned in Poland for their healthcare-related IT services. I’d also had the pleasure to work with itCraft while at my previous company, which largely influenced my selection of their services this time.

Can you go into detail about the services they provided and the scope of the project?

itCraft provided complete software production and continues to offer on-going support and further development. Their initial work involved UX/UI design, Android development, web app development, backend development, and QA. The system itself enables us to manage individual patient and client plans, organize work processes, and make data-driven decisions to increase efficiency and drive up the quality and safety of care. We use the web app to plan and monitor daily work, and employees in multiple locations use the tablet app to monitor and record the completion of scheduled activities.

What was the team composition?

We work with a team leader, a UX/UI designer, two web developers, a backend developer, two Android developers, and a QA engineer.

What was the cost of the project?

We’ve spent around $100,000 so far.

What was the timeline?

We began working together in 2014. The system launched within four months, and we’re continue to cooperate.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Thanks to the system’s sophisticated work reporting, we have access to data not previously available for long-term care or at other facilities. This lets us answer detailed queries regarding how much time patient care takes, how much it costs, and how many tasks each employee performs. In turn, this leads to higher efficiency, better quality of care, and increased patient safety.

The system’s co-designed change management functions also us adapt to changing patient preferences and staff roles more easily. Sudden interventions can be detrimental to both efficiency and patient care, but the system has eased those worries. It’s also allowed us to track unperformed tasks and ensure that we follow established procedures for medical activities. 

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

We work through a single point of contact – their team leader – who has great experience regarding long-term care management systems. We communicate clearly and effectively and check our work schedule on tablet modules. These messaging modules allow us to communicate with specific itCraft employees about unforeseen events or recommendations.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They’re highly professional in all their interactions and work hard to find the best possible solution. I commend itCraft for their outstanding communication, understanding of our business values, and adherence to deadlines. Our business partnership has been a great pleasure.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

It would be hard to point to a specific area that requires significant improvement.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the IT manager at Cosmedica. We’re a drugstore chain.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with itCraft?

We wanted to connect more with our customers by sending them promotions and information about our company via a mobile application.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

itCraft developed iOS and Android mobile applications that allow our customers to check the availability of our products, find any promotions, view our newsletters, and search for locations on a map. Basically, we shared our idea, and they built everything. They continue to provide support.

What is the team composition?

We work with a project manager.

How did you come to work with itCraft?

We reached out to them following a very impressive recommendation.

How much have you invested with them?

So far, we’ve spent $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in October 2018, and it’s an ongoing relationship.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

When we want something, they make it happen. They delivered high-quality products, but we’ve yet to deploy them to our customers yet. We plan to launch in the next two months. We’re excited to continue working with the itCraft team.

How did itCraft perform from a project management standpoint?

They were great. We mainly interacted via email and video calls. Overall, we’re happy with the experience.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re flexible. They don’t just do whatever we ask of them, but they think about the task and suggest improvements that better address our needs.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can’t think of anything.

Any advice for potential customers?

Work with them. They’re a great partner.