Ivejas

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a SaaS subscription service company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Ivejas?

We needed someone to implement our frontend web application.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We provided the designs and then they used React to develop the frontend. We worked with them by specifying an API, to which they adhered to, and they developed the frontend. Then, they integrated that to the rest of our web application.

What is the team composition?

We have a main project manager, and we’ve worked with three other people on their team.

How did you come to work with Ivejas?

I found them online and interviewed a few. When we spoke with them, I felt like they had the right overall experience and architectural expertise to bring the project to life.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $50,000–$200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started with them in October 2018 and we’re still working with them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our clients like the UI, and so do we. We think they did a very good job of, not just implementing what we specified, but also by suggesting improvements. They have significantly contributed to making the product better.

How did Ivejas perform from a project management standpoint?

We have very good communication with them, despite the distance. They have good internal project management, so we can send things to them and they give us reasonable estimates to when things will be done. Generally, they’ve been on schedule. They’ve been responsive and are responsible. We use Jira, phone, and Slack to get in contact with them. So overall, we’re satisfied.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their architectural and frontend expertise is excellent. They also are very communicative and keep us informed on the development situation.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I have no specific input on that.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

From the beginning of the project, open communication channels between your team and theirs. That will help you integrate their services with your workforce. By defining what you want, you’ll end up with a successful implementation process.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the director and co-founder of an online social media platform with the goal to end loneliness through activity.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Ivejas?

Design our website and the database to host our web platform. To be compatible with our existing iOS APP.

What were your goals for this project?

Improved communications compared to our previous developer. To bring the development into the EU region. To also have a fully functioning database to be able to provide the same functionality as our iOS APP to our website.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Initially through an online search, then after a number of calls with KRis their CEO we decided to ask Ivejas to provide us with a quotation for the services.

Describe the project in detail.

Once selected Ivejas helped set up lines of communications using Slack and Trello. We held monthly conference calls and also specifc reviews at each sprint stage. Due to our U.K. base face to face meetings were held only at critical points during the development.

What was the team composition?

Ivejas handled the graphic design via one of their own subcontractors. We were then also assigned a dedicated member of the Ivejas team for the project. This was supported throughout with additional calls with Kris.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Additional work is still under development. Feedback so far from closed group is favourable.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We found the workflow between ourselves and Ivejas was greatly improved compared to our previous developer. The set up of Slack and Trello by Ivejas definitely helped as well as the single point contacts throughout.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their open and honest approach. They're always willing to provide advice and guidance to our queries even when there was no cost-benefit to them.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No I have no areas of concern that warrant further improvement.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m a co-founder of W3Connect, a startup with the purpose of creating a platform to connect students of different universities. We wanted to boost job/internship search opportunities by allowing the students to see where their fellow alumni are working and ask for referrals that could land them the internship they’re looking for.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Ivejas?

Back in March 2016, my co-founder and I had an idea but not the tools to create it. We wanted to build a multi-level, user-friendly platform that students from different universities could use, so we hired Ivejas to develop it.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We looked on different channels for web developers and ended up finding Kristijonas (CEO, Ivejas). We had an initial phone call and were impressed by his professionalism, perfect English, and the ease with which he understood our project.

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

We started this project with a basic idea. Ivejas took over the entire web development of our project, handling coding, implementing all the functionalities, and doing testing. They also advised us on what to prioritize according to our limited budget and what technologies or ideas would work better. We provided a few guidelines, which they followed and improved. 

What was the team composition?

Kristijonas and another team member worked on our project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Working with Ivejas allowed us to bring our idea to life. Over the course of the collaboration, we had new ideas and changes that their team had to implement or advise us on. We kept the basic structure of our initial idea and went on to develop something better together. Kristijonas made sure that their work was on par with what we had imagined.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Project management was better than expected. I was working first from Geneva and then from Stockholm, and my business partner was in Dubai; at no point did I feel that this wasn't working. We used Skype and Slack to communicate, Google Keep and Docs to share information, and email to keep everything written. The team spoke perfect English and was easy to work with.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Kristijonas’ professionalism and understanding of the projects he takes care of are outstanding. He’s a fun, dynamic, and innovative guy to work with!

Are there any areas where they can improve?

Most challenges came from our side. When considering working with Ivejas, I would say do it!

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the managing director of Rontgen. We have a crowdfunding platform dedicated to investing in real estate projects.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Ivejas?

We needed help with web development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They made all the frontend for our website. A user comes to the website and logs in through Facebook or Google, and we are planning on adding LinkedIn. We have integrations with client identification tools, such as a mobile signature or video identification. After the user is identified, the profile is set up, and they can review a project and generate a contract from a template. The payment page then uses payment initiation or a simple bank transfer can be made. They use PHP and some other technologies for the build. Currently, we’re in a support mode.

What is the team composition?

I work with the project manager and a junior developer. The project manager has a technical background and is a senior developer as well. We discuss the topics, then he gives tasks that are manageable to his junior. If he sees the junior is having problems, he takes over and finishes the work.

How much have you invested with them?

30,000-40,000 euros [$37,000–$49,400 USD].

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in January 2016 and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Whatever the task, they get it right on the first try. The general feedback from our customers is that the website is nice and easy to use. The response to the product has been very good.

How did Ivejas perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re proactive. Sometimes I give them a task and they offer a solution or integration we could perform. For example, when we were discussing how to ease the registration and identification of companies, they came up with the VAT tracker code, which is common in Europe.

We use Trello and Slack to communicate and have weekly or biweekly meetings with the project manager. We discuss our needs, issues, and what new functionalities are needed from our experience. They go, do the tasks, and come back to us with deliverables. We test and then launch to production.

During the project, we had some changes in our vision for the product. We had to switch to agile. Through that, we gained a pretty good understanding of each other. The part of the job we planned in waterfall, they delivered on time and in budget.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re proactive and independent. I value that they work without a lot of supervision. They come up with solutions, provide feedback, and express their own opinions. If there’s something they don’t know, they do the research to make it happen, and don’t charge us for that time. They have good business ethics.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They need to increase the team size. It’s a limiting factor for them becoming a better company.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It’s important to describe your ideas—they can then give good suggestions. Agree upfront on the functionalities. Start the contract with waterfall and then continue with agile.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work for a PHP-focused company in the IT industry with a focus on marketplaces and e-commerce platforms. We offer software solutions, system integrations, and consulting to high-profile brands. Our services help merchants expand their reach into digital marketplaces like eBay.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Ivejas?

We lacked the internal resources to implement a challenging project, especially in light of our limited timeline.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Ivejas developed and implemented a job search platform for the Lithuanian market. Developers programmed our unique system in JavaScript using a Meteor framework. They developed the source code and formulated the paging and life environments. The pricing model is different than most Lithuanian professional networking platforms.

A secure contract requires a government-implemented online signature. They built this complex feature in the final stages without any notable issues. After soliciting customer feedback, we included these new requirements and divided them into sprints. As an additional service, I requested a system architecture for databases and the server infrastructure. Ivejas deftly fulfilled each of our requirements and suggestions.

What is the team composition?

I worked with a project manager and two developers from Ivejas.

How did you come to work with Ivejas?

Ivejas is one of a select few teams certified by Meteor to provide their solutions. After weighing our options, I decided to find a nearshore outsourced provider. I considered 2-3 alternative vendors before starting our partnership.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent €10,000-11,000 euros ($12,370-13606 USD) on this engagement.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our project began in November 2015. We launched the final product in September 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Ivejas delivered on all our expectations within reason. As a seasoned developer, I know exactly what to look for in code reviews. They programmed functional, strong code that was both clean and well-documented. I was able to understand the rationale behind everything they executed.

The deliverable has required minor changes that minimal cleanup and refactoring easily resolved. Ivejas skillfully navigated an additional hardening sprint to improve the strong performance even further. They’ve provided great results and I have no complaints.

How did Ivejas perform from a project management standpoint?

Using a Kanban method proved very effective. Both of our teams made reasonable adjustments to the scope. It was easy to agree about additional costs and add-ons. They always responded within 2-24 hours and we spoke on the phone regularly.

The project manager quickly grasped the entire scope. We sent the development team customer definitions in story form. Jira visualized how all the content would be implemented. Each task the developers completed in Jira was immediately available for review and acceptance testing in a staging environment.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’ve had a lot of experience working with development agencies, and Ivejas did by far the best job. They promptly understood all the requirements. The team’s sharp, nimble mindset made it easy to convey our expectations.

Are there any areas they could improve?

At times, I wished the developers had a bit more experience with Meteor. It has changed a lot since launching in 2015, so they should keep abreast of changes and updates.