JSGuru

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Cintellicon is a StartUp which helps mechanical engineers who struggle to find reliable manufacturers. We do that by providing credible industy intelligence and connection. Please take a look at our webpage: www.cintellicon.com I am a CEO and Co-Founder.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

As a StartUp we hired jsGuru as our CTO to develop a product and help us with creating technical solution ready for market. Our goal is to validate our idea and we needed someone who can develop mvp.

SOLUTION

How did you select JSGuru and what were the deciding factors?

I got in touch with the team from jsGuru through a previous recommendation coming from a mutual business partner. They acted in a very professional manner and approached the problem seriously. I really liked their experience with building solutions in a StartUp world and also their enthusiasm to support with their knowledge Entrepeneurs like me. 

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

Well, they worked with me from the idea stage and helped us create the actual mvp scope. We had a big idea and many features in our head. They helped us structure it and define the best way of pivoting.

After that they created mockups and moved into phase of developing actual product. Durring that phase we were communicating together and adjusted it to the actual needs of our clients. The repond to the changes were very quick and efficient. 

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

We communicated directly with their CTO. He was gathering the information and translated it to their team of developers and designers. We had a full team available there who would cover all segments of our product. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Well, they delivered all set KPIs on time. 

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

Very agile with open conversation about next steps. They act as partners and advisors while they deliver. They show big interest in helping our team to succeed in the long run. 

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

Their company's culture impresses us.

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

Nothing that comes to my mind at the moment. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

My position is the sales director for one of the largest computer parts shop in Bosnia and Herzegovina. My role is to organize and overlook everything regarding parts purchasing and B2B, B2C sales.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We hired them to change our existing website and make a new one with a better and modern design. They had the task to create everything from scratch, meaning UX design, coding and choosing the best possible way for us to do so. Our inventory is quite large and we wanted something clean and reliable that our buyers can use.

SOLUTION

How did you select JSGuru and what were the deciding factors?

We noticed them when they got a reward for one of the fastest-growing IT companies in our country at the beginning of this year. We approached them and chose them because of their friendliness, ability to understand our needs and ability to draft very good designs even before the project started.

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

After the first meeting, we waited for a couple of days to receive some design examples. In that phase, there were small changes and they suggested that we use third-party solutions for payments and CMS. We were able to create something market-ready very quickly.

This was hugely important for us! Our project manager communicated with them and JSGuru was crucial in defining everything technical because we don't have experience in this field. Technologies we used were JavaScript and WordPress.

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

One software architect briefly, one UI/UX designer, project manager and two developers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The outcome of the project was a completely new e-commerce website with all of our inventory. The deliverables are pretty simple and clear in our case.

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

We had a project manager from our side that dedicated a couple of hours weekly to this project. JSGuru also had a project manager on their side and she was communicating daily with us through Slack and emails. Everything was tracked on Trello.

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

The best value of JSGuru was that they were able to understand us quickly and find the best possible solution for that. We really have a feeling that everything done on the project had an excellent price to quality ratio.

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

At first, they thought we had a good web development understanding, but we are only slightly familiar with it, so we lost a day or two in explaining that our background in it is not so deep.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Telemax LLC is a privately owned company from Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The core business of the company is electrical installations (high and low power), smart grid solutions, and selling and later installation of the smart LED light systems.

As the crown of eighteen years of successful work, using the gained experience and the desire to use new technologies, we have created a brand of smart urban furniture – City Gecko. I'm the director of sales at Telemax.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We started manufacturing smart solar benches that converted solar energy into electricity. This energy is used to charge various devices (smartphones, laptops, etc.). Our goal was to be more competitive in the market. To achieve this goal, we needed to upgrade our products with sensors and an app that will present the data collected from the sensors.

We needed a company that could program Raspberry Pi and sensors, could develop a web and mobile app that will graphically represent collected data. JSGuru was the partner that we chose for this task.

SOLUTION

How did you select JSGuru and what were the deciding factors?

Because the project was funded by the Swedish government in the Challange to Change project we need a trustful and reliable partner. JSGuru was one of the three companies that we considered but we chose them because they had previous experience in similar projects. The reason that we choose them was their approach towards us. They showed the highest interest in the project and future cooperation.

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

The project had three phases. The first phase was the programming of the Raspberry Pi 4 and sensors that are attached to it (humidity, temperature, air pressure, air quality, electric consumption). They developed a web app in the second phase and the third phase was reserved for the mobile app.

Technologies that have been used:

• Angular or React application for user display.
• Amazon Serverless architecture for client-server communication.
• Postgres relational storage database.
• DB document for storing source data or report documents.
• Node JS as the programming platform.
• Responsive user interface for neat loading on devices of all sizes.

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

There were 10 people involved in the project from JSGuru. Project manager, Raspberry Pi developer, two backend developers (junior and senior), AWS server administrator, Node.js developer, UI/UX senior designer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were able to launch the project on time. Our demand for smart benches is raised by 30% since we got the app. We are currently working on the fourth stage where we are adding sensors to the app.

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

Project management was great and fully customized to us since this was the first time my company is working on the app development project. We used email correspondence, Google Hangouts, Trello, phone calls, and direct meetings.

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

They are truly a client-based company, devoting their time and resources to the client and its project. Their professional approach in all stages of the project was really impressive. We truly found not the vendor but the partner for our future projects.

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

Reporting should be more frequent, they already know this and are improving it as I'm writing this.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We're building a construction document management system to serve several industries, including real estate. I’m the CEO and co-founder. The app will revolutionize documentation management for houses and apartments. We're aiming to make it so intuitive that people will feel like they always have their home in their pocket wherever they go.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with JSGuru?

We needed to develop a proof of concept and realize the vision we were developing.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They handled just about everything in terms of development, creating the base architecture for the MVP. Their work involved everything from the front- and backend development, implementing cloud solutions, and assisting with UX/UI work. They’re our main development partners and are responsible for making our product usable. After providing them with initial mockups, wireframes, and concepts, they got to work. We’re using React, Node.js, MongoDB, and AWS cloud architecture.  

What is the team composition?

We’re working with four people, one of which is a project manager. The others are developers. 

How did you come to work with JSGuru?

One of our co-founders has Balkin heritage, so we started searching there for quality developers on Google. We found a ranking list of top developers and choose them out of five options.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested about €50,000 (approximately $58,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since March 2020. Ideally, we’ll have a product completed by January 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve been pleased with the UI/UX and the technical infrastructure behind the product so far. They have a very solid understanding of what our end users want out of the product, which has helped us move forward. 

How did JSGuru perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve been great with deadlines and their pricing has matched their estimates. We use Trello and another platform to communicate and review their work. The communication aspect of our partnership has been outstanding because of their responsiveness.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re able to share our vision and enthusiasm for the project. It helps the relationship a lot when they display their eagerness to make the product great. Through the engagement, we’ve developed a true partnership. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

We’ve run into small language barriers with the developers, but we’ve been able to work through that easily with the help of our project manager. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be transparent with your mission to help them understand what they need from the development.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the head of sales for Telemax, which is an electronics and engineering business in the field of telecommunications.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with JSGuru?

We have a lot of construction and building sites, and we have to monitor our costs, materials, working hours, employees, etc. for each site. Since we’ve grown in the last year, we needed an app or program to monitor the costs of the various cities and sites and measure the effectiveness of our projects.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They developed our internal web program. The program stores the requirements for the materials we purchase, the number of people on the site, the number of working hours, and everything that needs to be done for one project, and allows us to compare and analyze the data in cross-sections.

The requirements were simple. We already knew what we needed. We wanted all of the details put into the program so we could monitor it every day. I wanted to see the progress of each project so I could project our sales volume.

The app is in the final phase. We now have the new site and we already use it internally, but some minor cross-functional data needs to be fixed. The more we use it, the more we discover other ways it can be improved.

What is the team composition?

I communicated with five people. One person worked in the UI/UX department, two people worked on the frontend, and two people worked on the backend.

How did you come to work with JSGuru?

A friend of mine recommended them because they were exceptionally solid and weren’t as expensive as the others. We asked JSGuru if they could make the program, and they made a presentation and gave us a cost estimate. I compared their offer with others and chose them because they offered the best price. I don’t regret choosing them. I’m truly satisfied with everything they’ve done.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in November 2017 and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Previously, we had a lot of site projects going on at the same time, and it was hard to monitor who needed what material and who worked where. Now, everything is clearer and I can monitor every site and see who works where. We’ve become more efficient. We started finishing our projects on time. We save a lot of costs because we don’t duplicate our orders for materials. I see everything clearly on my desktop; what I need to purchase, when, and why.

How did JSGuru perform from a project management standpoint?

They were great. They respond quickly. They had a little trouble understanding what I needed because they weren’t in the field, monitoring and measuring all the sites. If something didn’t work, I just called them and they fixed it within a day or two. Their response time was so quick that I felt like I was their only client. We communicated via email and phone. We have in-person meetings if there’s something we need clarity on. They were always available when I needed them. They were always helping explain to me what they were doing.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Whatever we need, we have their full support. They’re helpful and supportive. They’re good people to hang out with. Everything was on time. We had no misunderstandings.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the founder and product owner of an online shopping startup called iWaaant. We’re an innovative tech business with the potential to grow quickly and expand across the world.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire JSGuru?

Considering the importance of mobile apps in today’s society, I decided to invest in a new app for iOS and Android. I approached JSGuru to develop it for me.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted the app to deliver a convenient shopping experience while also being user-friendly. We hoped the app would appeal to a global audience.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

JSGuru understood how complex mobile apps could be. I felt certain that they could meet our requirements with minimal risks and costs.

Describe the project in detail.

Initially, they mapped out the all of our requests as blueprints for each functionality. After developing a function, they tested it, making any corrections before delivering it to us. Currently, they’re working on completing the app, and we plan to go live soon. The final app will allow sellers to offer merchandise and services as presents. Vendors specializing in event services and organization can also use our platform.

What was the team composition?

The team currently consists of two backend developers, two frontend developers, a UX/UI designer, and a project manager who is also a full-stack developer and product owner.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We haven’t launched the app yet, so we don’t have any hard metrics. However, from a qualitative standpoint, they’ve met our deadlines and kept within our budget. We’re satisfied with the team’s level of interest, professionalism, and ability to face challenges. Throughout the project, they’ve successfully identified all technical problems and quickly resolved them.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Most of our communication goes through the project manager, though, at times, we’ve also discussed things directly with the developers. We typically hold bi-weekly meetings. When we finish a task, we review the completed development, plan for new tasks, and go over possible risks.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I appreciate the amount of dedication that they put toward satisfying the client and users. Furthermore, they put in the effort to work well with our internal team, which adds positive energy to the project and helps motivate us.

Are there any areas for improvement?

There’s always room for improvement, but I'm satisfied with their work so far.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an executive consultant at T-Systems International.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with JSGuru?

We needed a team to work with JavaScript to develop the frontend of our new software.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They developed our frontend in JavaScript. We wanted 3-D objects to go inside in order to see parts of the system from different angles. We wanted interconnectivity between systems inside of the frontend environment. We've just finished a three-month phase and are starting the second phase.

What is the team composition?

We work with a senior developer, a junior developer, and a graphic designer.

How did you come to work with JSGuru?

We chose them because of their experience with JavaScript. If needed, they can offer us more people for the project. We had other offers, but we liked how JSGuru communicated with us.

What is the status of this engagement?

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

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re satisfied with what they developed.

How did JSGuru perform from a project management standpoint?

We’re pleased with everything they’re offering to us. They’re willing to do more than initially agreed to. We have weekly communication through Skype, WebEx, and email, while we use Trello for project tracking. We communicate weekly and as needed.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The communication is good. They support us in every way. They don’t ask too many questions, but if something is needed, they will support us. We're really happy about that.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Finance Plus is an accounting firm from Montenegro, providing a variety of business services like accounting, legal services, company organization, business consulting, and everything else needed to run a company. I’m assistant to the CEO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with JSGuru?

We had the idea to create a software that would be easy for customers to use and would provide multiple services, but we needed help with development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The software will provide services such as accounting, invoicing, payroll, and a place where clients can easily save their documentation. Basically, it's a web office.

What is the team composition?

I work with three people.

How did you come to work with JSGuru?

We did research, and my director decided to call JSGuru to do our project.

How much have you invested with them?

$7,000–$10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in August 2017, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The project is progressing well. The first phase will soon be finished, and we'll launch our product.

How did JSGuru perform from a project management standpoint?

On behalf of our CEO, we're happy with the deadlines being met. They have a project manager, and we have multiple weekly meetings where we give them deadlines and tasks to do. We use WhatsApp and Skype, as well as Jira to give them tasks and follow up with what’s happening on our project.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I recommend them to people who want to work with them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They’re efficient and do their job well. If you give them tasks and deadlines, they will finish them how you wish.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Our company provides management for education through a range of devices, including Chromebooks, iOS, Android, and Windows. We provide a cloud-based platform that gives students optimal usage through any mobile device for education.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with JSGuru?

We had a shortage of skilled developers for building our product. We first set out to hire AngularJS developers, but it extended to backend work. It was hard to find decent candidates, so we decided to outsource.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

All of JSGuru’s work has been focused on our main product’s dashboard interface that school administrators use to manage devices.

What is the team composition?

At this stage, we’re utilizing JSGuru’s Android, iOS, frontend, and PHP developers. There are about six or seven people on the team. We interact with them directly and also have a head of development on our side.

I’ve stepped away from the development part and now mainly handle the commercial activities of the business. Our development manager and head of product work closely with JSGuru.

How did you come to work with JSGuru?

I came across Andrej [Co-Founder & CTO, JSGuru] while I was looking online for individuals with high AngularJS capabilities. We had a conversation about the early requirements for migrating our legacy platform to an AngularJS, and he seemed extremely confident and proactive in helping out.

How much have you invested with them?

We expect to spend more than $700,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working with them since June 2015 during our platform’s inception. They were operating under a different format at that time.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The user adoption and customer satisfaction we’ve seen are a net improvement. We’ve had competitors approach and compliment us on the quality and effectiveness of the solution we’ve produced. This is in no small part due to JSGuru’s output quality and the fact that their team takes ownership of the product. They’ve given us proactive suggestions for the improvement of the platform.

I don’t have metrics speaking to improved speed or user adoption since these are due to a number of initiatives, such as the increased functionalities we’ve added to the product, over a long period of time.

Cost savings is also an area where I can’t comment. We’ve had difficulties finding the candidates we want within our country, so I can’t say whether JSGuru has given us a reduction in cost. We had a budget and allocated as much of it as we could to our product’s acceleration.

How did JSGuru perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve been efficient. One of the group’s key differentiators is how self-managing they are. JSGuru can take ownership not only of the code, but also of time frame management. They are proactive when necessary.

It feels as if we’re in the same room, which is in stark contrast to the usual interactions with outsourced developers. It’s been a pleasant change and something that has continued throughout the years. We feel that we have a remote office in their location as opposed to a development contractor.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The main thing I’ve found impressive is the degree of autonomy in their work. To that extent, it’s changed our internal thinking because we’d always found that team efficiency was about having everyone in the same room. JSGuru has worked extremely well for us, and we will probably increase their involvement instead of onboarding other people.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’m not as close to their team as I used to be, so it’s hard to say.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Don’t be too descriptive, but instead allow them to get to a point of understanding and take ownership of the product. They need to be actively involved in its improvement in order to increase efficiency and quality.

BACKGROUND

What challenge were you trying to address with JSGuru?

They are our development arm. We set requirements for apps and they write the codes.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with JSGuru?

They are our development arm. We set requirements for apps and they write the codes.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The founder built the framework for a life cycle management app in Java; they use Angular, Node, and ODE languages. The app contains several APIs and internal self-contained modules that communicate with one another as a function of its microservices architecture. Each time the UI [User Interface] is displayed, it’s an API call to the database. APIs communicate with other applications to help users employ the app for business management.

The team used modern architecture and open source technology; the app is cloud native and runs on AWS. They replaced older JavaScript embedded BI [Business Intelligence] platforms with more cost-effective versions. Furthermore, the team used Google’s material framework to optimize the UI.

The team’s focus is divided between “stories”, which comprises writing for new functionality, and cleaning up bugs.

What is the team dynamic?

Currently the team comprises 4 staff with an occasional fifth member, but not in the last year. We have an internal CTO that manages the team.

How did you come to work with JSGuru?

The founder worked us as an independent developer before launching the company. We cycled through multiple agencies before we deciding to use his team.

What is the status of this engagement?

We have worked with the founder and/or his team for two years and it is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I use cost as a metric. The team charges approximately $35/hr, much less than their American counterparts who earn $200,000 per year. That math works for me. It’s not the greatest metric, but the proof is in the pudding.

How did JSGuru perform from a project management standpoint?

We have an internal coordinator directly overseeing their engagement. They do not do project management.

The Bosnia-based team speaks English well and they are easy to communicate with. They use Slack to communicate, JIRA for scheduling and as a code repository, and Kanban, through which they monitor projects and upload specific requirements. They maintain productivity no matter staff turnover. We built a good relationship and it would be difficult to proceed without them.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Skilled, flexible, but also economical, they’re a great value. The rotating 12 – 15 team members performed consistently.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Occasionally, they produce work too fast. The results are great, but in trying to please us, QA [Quality Assurance] is not 100% thorough. I wouldn’t mind paying for extra hours to improve quality reviews.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Internal project management is essential, especially for supervising offshore agencies. It’s essential to prevent redundancies in team settings. They may be experts but, infrastructure is invaluable to efficient operations. Developers perform well with proper guidance and coordination.