ITSharkz

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Executive Director of Wise Ancestors

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

WE coordinate and fund biodiversity conservation projects in collaboration with Indigenous Peoples and local communities, in part via a unique online platform.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Front end application
• Back end application
• Smart contract

SOLUTION

How did you find ITSharkz?

Referral

Why did you select ITSharkz over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from ITSharkz were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Commmon parts:

• Setup:
  • CI/CD configuration
  • Environment preparation
• Authorization:
  • sign in with login (e-mail) and password
  • reset your password (process)
  • create an account with invitation link
• Administrator
• List of challenges:
  • self-funded / in crowd-funding / ongoing / to validate / completed
• Creation of new challenge:
  • challenge form: challenge image, name, completion date, target date, funding target, description, labels validators, money distribution percentage, upload of the files, (to define)
  • possibility to flag challenge as "self-funded"
  • challenge contributors assignation (assigning contributors to the challenge manually by administrator)
  • Phasing inside the challenge
• Editing challenge (challenge details):
  • possibility to edit fields
  • possibility to activate / deactivate challenge
  • possibility to delete challenge
  • list of submissions (validated, to validate, rejected)
  • Phasing (assigning contributor to specific phase + unassigning)
  • Overview of submission (possibility to download the file, review information, validate or eject - with option to leave comments)
• Contributors:
  • list of contributors
  • contributor's page (with possibility to edit the details, list of submsission in specific challenges, possibiliy to remove the contributor)
  • Creation of contributors (1 - Provide contributors details: Name of organisation, type of organisation, description, contact details, e-mail address, (to deifne) ; 2 - send an invitation e-mail)
• First login of contributor:
  • Welcome to Wise Ancestors - set up your password
• Contributor's dashboard:
  • challenges: ongoing challenges, completed challenges
• Challenge:
  • display details of the challenge
  • submission to challenge (What data should we have here?), documents upload, metadata upload, submit
  • Assign to specific phase of challenge
• My profile:
  • possibility to edit account's details: Name of organiation, type of organisation, desccription, contact details)
• Funders:
  • visualization of active challenges
  • details of specific challenge
  • possibility to fund the challenge
  • funding by stripe
  • funding by crypto
  • generation of proof of payment
• Mailings (notifications)
• Contributors:
  • you have been invited to join Wise Ascentors as contributor
  • your submission has been accepted
  • your submission has been rejected
  • challenge you are contributing to has been updated
  • challenge has been validated (closed)
  • your phase in the challenge is ready to start
• Admin:
  • new submission to challenge
  • challenge to validate (all phases have been finalised)
• Funder:
  • thank you for your funding - here is your confirmation of funding
• Smart Contract:
  • Prepare smart contract
  • Deploy to networks (testnet, mainnet)
  • Publish code to public or private repository
  • Tests
  • Prepare workflow with secret keys of owners

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

A functional platform including an admin interface that allowed us to enter and manage Conservation Challenges, a public interface for teh general public to view Challenges, and a Collaborator interface for collaborators to upload data, reports and other information.

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

• Our project was very professionally managed.
• ITSharkz used multiple tools to track their work and to communicate, e.g. Slack, Loom and Google sheets.
• We met once a week over Google Meet to review progress and discuss issues. 
• They were extremely responsive to all of our requests both via email and Slack.
• Usually responses happened the same day, unless it was a weekend, but they did also respond on weekends when they could. 
• Excellent communication.
• They also were very accomodating with new requests that were not part of our initial contract.  

What was your primary form of communication with ITSharkz?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Working with ITSharkz felt like working with personnel within our own team.  They really understaood what we re trying to do and were extremely supportive.  They were also very personable which made our meetings enjoyable even though they were work intensive.

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

Nothing!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am COO and also responsible for Digital developments.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

I hired ITSharkz to outsource the development of a solution for media management and automatic video playing on a remote device. A part of the project was the management, storage and selection of medias to be integrated to a current Cloud ecosystem. The other part was client to this first project, triggering media display following a specific sequence.

SOLUTION

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

We knew ITSharkz from previous exchanges. They have been selected because of: - listening capabilities - interesting technical solution - fast replies and at least honest schedule - good price / development balance

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

I don't want to describe the project. Anyway, technology was free to be chosen by ITSharkz. They choose .NetCore and Angular technologies. I asked them Docker delivery and integration with gRPC and Kafka ecosystem.

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

1 person essentially for development, project follow-up, integration and support. Then 2 other for management and solution overview discussions.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The project was delivered on expected time. Few remaining bugs were instantly during staging deployment.

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

ITSharkz uses modern communication tools, such as Slack. We asked them to manage source code in our GitLab. No problem. They are very listening to your requirements and usually adapt very quickly to anything.

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

Ultra-fast reactivity and efficient implementation. They always looked for a way to solve a situation with customer requirements.

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

Trade-off on automatic testing vs project development could have been more anticipated. Lack of automatic regression tests was also resulting from specific updates during the project.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Gdziemecz.pl, a sports social media app.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with ITSharkz?

We hired ITSharkz to create an app that could tell end-users when they could watch a sports match. Additionally, the platform also helps in finding restaurants to watch the game. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They developed the Android version of my app. End-users could choose which sport they’re interested in and the platform would show which matches are the closest. It also gives information about what the pub looks like, what the website is, and where the pub is located. When they click on it, Google Maps would pop up and find the pub. There were also phone numbers listed there that enables third-party users to connect with the restaurants. 

On the other hand, restaurants could put a short description of their profile including offering a promotional deal. For example, they could give discounts on their beer for people who would watch a certain match for a specific day. They could also add pictures of their restaurant and highlight it’s appearance. 

I told ITSharkz about the colors I would like to have and they did the job. In the end, I chose from 3 or 4 designs that they crafted. They also created icons of various sports. In the end, I wanted to put it on iOS but due to COVID-19, there’s no point right now.

What is the team composition?

I met with the owner and our first meeting was in-person. Overall, there were many people who took care of the design and development of the application. 

How did you come to work with ITSharkz?

We used to live in the same town and I knew the owner of ITSharkz from my high school days. I posted on Facebook that I was looking for someone to help me create an application. They reached out and in the end, I decided they were the best option for me.

How much have you invested with them?

I spent $7,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in August–September 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The app was perfect and it was more than what I imagined it to be. They made the platform even better with their ideas. Everything worked well. I was really happy that I cooperated with them. Overall,  I would recommend them to anyone who needs to create an app for their business.

How did ITSharkz perform from a project management standpoint?

Their communication skills were really good and they made everything simple. We used phone, email, and video conferences to connect and we were in touch 24/7. If something was wrong or I wanted to change something, they changed it within 3–4 hours. 

They were honest with me. As a result, our partnership with them was very satisfying. I didn’t have any problems with them.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I liked collaborating with them because I knew the owner. I remembered him as being a good guy. Most of all, they gave me a good price.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think they have areas they could improve on. I’m really satisfied with the app they developed. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be honest with them and they will be honest with you.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm responsible for providing my company with a strong online presence through managing prices and creating a creative marketing strategy. I also use my analytical skills to conduct regular competitive research.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire ITSharkz?

ITSharkz provides us with recurring services of maintaining and developing our e-commerce platform. They have developed dedicated backend modules to improve platform operation and also prepared landing page and custom blog

What were your goals for this project?

My goal was to raise the quality of the platform for our clients and to supply my office staff with solutions that can improve the work efficiency. Regarding landing pages - we needed them to maintain good relationships with partners.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I got a recommendation from a friend of mine.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

They have developed for us:

• custom module which enables us to import priceless data from our databases
• module which is connector between the platform, support staff and warehouse staff
• it helps us for better and smoother managing orders
• they prepared landing page of our partner Medela - https://medela.almamed.pl/
• they prepared for us custom blog based on woocommerce - https://blog.almamed.pl/

What was the team composition?

For backend modules, it was two developers and one project manager. For the blog and landing page, it was one developer and one project manager/contact person.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

As I have previously mentioned the backend modules helped us to improve working efficiency for office and warehouse staff. The blog - helps us for better communication with clients The landing page - helps us to keep good relations with our partner Medela

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Each step of the project implementation was described in detail. We were able to complete the order without delays.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Definitely the contact was great and theirs reaction time. If something wasn't working correctly during the tests - they were there to improve in 2 hour or even 1. Also they have best pricing among the companies i had contacted for.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Nothing at the moment

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a finance-technology firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with ITSharkz?

We needed someone to develop software to connect our bank with our system to integrate automatic cooperation.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They developed our software and created an environment based on Windows. It allows us to connect the ERP system with our microservice to their infrastructure. They’re now working on connecting other parts.

What is the team composition?

There are three people from ITSharkz that we’re working with. 

How did you come to work with ITSharkz?

We wanted to work with them because they had created a crypto exchange in Poland. They were the first choice for us to cooperate with.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested about $15,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in October 2019, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’re the core of our infrastructure and have become quite important to us. The quality is good. Everything is working well, and we’ll continue to get support from them.

How did ITSharkz perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management is good. We use Trello and email to communicate.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The price was fair, and the quality is good. Everything is still working smoothly. They’re good for us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there’s nothing we’d have them improve.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Prepare good documentation to specify what it is you want. The more clear you are on what it is you want, the better their estimation will be.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of Body Condition Center.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with ITSharkz?

We wanted a web platform to connect videos with online training with my clients.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The team at ITSharkz created a website that connects with online training.

What is the team composition?

I worked with two people from their team.

How did you come to work with ITSharkz?

I searched online and found ITSharkz. I contacted the owner and he helped me over the phone. We met at my office to talk about the project, and I decided to work with them.

How much have you invested with them?

I believe it was around $7,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from March–April 2020. It took about a month.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The website is a lot better now than it was three months ago. They’ve helped my company significantly. I now have new clients and connections for personal training. New clients have gotten in touch with me through the site.

How did ITSharkz perform from a project management standpoint?

We talked by phone and email. We also had meetings onsite at our office. Whenever I had questions, I would just give the owner a call.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The price was very good for this project. I looked at a lot of companies, and ITSharkz was the best fit for me.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I’m very happy now. I have 50% more clients, and I’ve made more money than I did three months ago.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I found great opinions of them on Facebook and Google. After seeing those, I decided to give them a call to talk about my project.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the operational manager of Alsal Sp. z o. o. Sp. k. We’re a construction company working in the aluminum and glass spaces. We mainly do facades for construction, and I’m responsible for day-to-day operations. That includes setting up construction sites, ensuring that materials are going to the right ones, etc. I’m also responsible for developing new strategies for the company. I’m part of the owning family, so I have to do a lot of things.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with ITSharkz?

Our website was quite old-looking, nonresponsive, and slow. I was looking to build a new website and found ITSharkz.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

ITSharkz developed our new site in WordPress as well as handled a performance upgrade. It was a simple job from an IT perspective — just a new website for a small company. We don’t sell anything online; the platform simply presents our services and pictures of our past work. ITSharkz just made it more modern-looking.

What is the team composition?

There were two people involved. Kacper (Founder) helped us choose the site’s design and an IT specialist helped with the site’s performance.

How did you come to work with ITSharkz?

I found them through a friend of a friend. I was looking for an IT company to work with, and he knew ITSharkz’s owner. It wasn’t complicated, so I didn’t think about it much.

How much have you invested with them?

The project cost was below $5,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project lasted from March–May 2020. There were a lot of pictures to upload, and the process took us a long time to gather everything. Then we had to give feedback and comment on what services needed to be added to the website.

The overall process was quick, but our decision-making process was quite long. The collaboration is basically done, and now we go to them to ask questions on how to add new photos, etc. Handling those tasks on our own has been a learning curve.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The impact has been very positive. Compared to our old website, the new one makes us look more like a modern company; especially considering that many construction companies don’t pay that much attention to their websites.

How did ITSharkz perform from a project management standpoint?

Whenever I sent them an email asking to change something on the website, it was completed by the next day, or even within two hours. ITSharkz even made some touch-ups after the work was concluded and the invoice was paid. They did it for free and with no questions asked. Their team knew that we’d need a couple of months to get used to the site and wanted us to be satisfied.

My team had direct contact with their designers via email. I never needed to phone them because everything was easily explained. Also, when it came to how to use the website, they made a video with a voiceover explaining all the details. We have it in our files, and I can watch it whenever I forget how to upload a picture or something else.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Everything went smoothly. The company’s principal is my friend’s friend, and he wanted us to be satisfied in hopes that we’d collaborate more in the future. It was also a simple project, so I don’t think there could’ve been many problems.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It would’ve been nice to have some sort of overview presentation of the website to help our employees understand how to navigate it.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

I advise being straightforward with them. Tell them what you like and don’t like, ITSharkz wants to satisfy. They were willing to accommodate us whenever we wanted to do something different, although they gave their opinion on it.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CTO of a BPO company.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Business Process Outsourcing (BPO)

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Frontend development in React

SOLUTION

How did you find ITSharkz?

Referral

Why did you select ITSharkz over others?

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

How many teammates from ITSharkz were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

All front dev based on Figma

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The deadlines were met, and their work was of good quality.

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

We schedule a backlog with Figma for each page
What was your primary form of communication with ITSharkz?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

technical quality

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

no

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Head of Engineering of Flexiroam

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Mobile data roaming

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Recruitment process of Lead React Native Developer

SOLUTION

How did you find ITSharkz?

Referral

Why did you select ITSharkz over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from ITSharkz were assigned to this project?

1 Employee

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

• providing candidates 
• prescreening of candidates

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Process finalized in1 month

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

Always delivered on time and adjusted to my needs in very professional manner

What was your primary form of communication with ITSharkz?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting

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

Their engagement was very high. 

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

I dont know

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO of Medicalib

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We help people to find heathcare profesional at home when they need it.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• city page template creation for SEO
• recruiting tech profiles to expand our team of developers

SOLUTION

How did you find ITSharkz?

Other

Why did you select ITSharkz over others?

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

How many teammates from ITSharkz were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

development of a template for city pages based on the retrieval of information from a specific API. the template had to allow the generation of city pages with specific content and have a good performance in terms of SEO (fast loading, etc...)

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

we have improved the referencing of our pages and gained traffic

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

the project was completed on time, and Itsharkz was able to invest a great deal of time and resources to meet the objectives and deadlines, which is always appreciated in an IT project.

What was your primary form of communication with ITSharkz?

Email or Messaging App

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

They invested time to meet deadlines and performance targets.

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

Nope