Kellton

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a legal services firm, and I’m our operations manager.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Tivix?

Our company has been around for a few decades, and over that time, we’ve created a very complicated operational process. A lot of our day-to-day work was done manually, and we wanted to be able to scale our business in a more manageable way by leveraging automation.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Tivix came on board to design and build a custom software solution that would help us improve our operational processes. We handed Tivix an extremely rough workflow, and from that, they designed a beautiful data model to build a solid workflow. They also handled the UX/UI components.

The platform hosts CRM, case management, email management, document assembly and management, accounting, reporting and analytics, and marketing functions for our company. It’s primarily intended for desktop computers, but it’s also accessible on mobile devices.

On top of the product having multiple functionalities, it was also designed to be accessible by several different user bases. 

What is the team composition?

The number varied at any given time, based on what they were working on. However, we had one project manager throughout the project, two or three designers, a senior engineer, and about six other engineers. Two or three of those people worked on the project for the majority of the time we were building.

We also had a lot of access to Sumit (CEO & CTO), which was nice.

How did you come to work with Tivix?

We considered a few different types of technology solutions before getting involved with Tivix. We met with all sorts of vendors prior to engaging them, and we met with Tivix when we eventually decided we wanted a custom solution.

The thing that stood out to us about Tivix was that they allowed us to work with the same team throughout the duration of the project, so they could really get to know our business. We knew it would be a big project and we didn’t want there to be a knowledge transfer issue. Tivix also assured us we’d have full access to their team with a direct line of contact, which was important to us. 

What is the status of this engagement?

Our project kicked off in July 2018, and we just launched the first phase of the project in April. We engaged them for a second project, which they’re working on now.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The product has saved us a lot of time. It’s shortened our workflow from 20 steps down to about five, which has made our operations significantly faster. 

We have more access to data, which is really key in terms of engaging our customers and providing the best experience for them. It’s helped us create a more bespoke experience for our clients. 

The UX/UI components of the product were the aspects that we gave Tivix the least amount of guidance in, and they did a fantastic job. One of the most common pieces of feedback we get from our staff is how wonderfully designed the platform is. It’s really intuitive, easy to use, and visually appealing. 

How did Tivix perform from a project management standpoint?

Tivix is the most accessible team. They’re very communicative and very creative. Sometimes, we’d go to them with an idea without knowing how to execute, and they would come back with a solution that, 9 times out of 10, nailed it.

Meghan (Product) is our project manager, and she’s excellent. She’s very organized, which has been important because of how complicated our project was. She’s been available late at night and over the weekends — she’s very dedicated to our engagement and really understands our business. The legal field is very paper-based and people can be tech-averse, but Meghan has been excellent at helping our team through the engagement.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Tivix is a team of dedicated people who take a lot of pride in their work and in anything we ask them to create or do. They never told us they couldn’t do something — if they didn’t know how, they would learn. The project ended up being a lot bigger than any of us had imagined, so that quality was really important. There were a lot of new challenges for their team, but they handled it well. 

One of the most important aspects of the project was the accounting aspect. There was a lot of hesitancy to move forward with that part, and it ended up being a more complicated process than we’d anticipated. However, Tivix accommodated us very well, which we were particularly impressed by given that they’re not an accounting firm.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The most challenging aspect of working with them was understanding how the project was evolving and would continue to do so. Even that was more on our side than theirs. They’ve done a spectacular job — they’ve been kind, professional, and true to their word.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a product manager for Beamery.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Tivix?

We had a low capacity in our development team and wanted to build a new product. We needed to do it fast, so we hired Tivix to support us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Tivix developed a web app for recruiters and event coordinators in the recruitment domain. It helps them set up events, manage attendees, and communicate with guests. It’s an end-to-end product, featuring an event registration page, a check-in flow, and communication with guests pre- and post-event.

There was a lot of integration with legacy apps, which was sometimes very challenging. The Tivix team needed to learn the old apps, integrate them, and build the new app completely from scratch.

The app is also highly mobile-optimized, and Tivix participated actively in making sure that that experience was also well-defined. The app was built in React.

What is the team composition?

We worked with three people from Tivix’s team, including Greg (Software Developer).

How did you come to work with Tivix?

Tivix was brought on board before I joined the company.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent somewhere between $250,000–$500,000 on the project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Tivix in July 2019, and finished in late April 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Tivix supported two of our major releases, and delivered very successful work, helping us acquire four customers in the first release of the events module. After the release, we sold the product to five more prospects, which makes nine customers in total. We’re working in the B2B world, so that’s quite a high number.

I think Tivix was the highest performer in terms of the number of stories they were able to finish within a sprint across all team members, including internal ones.

How did Tivix perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re amazing. I’m very happy about the collaboration. Greg was definitely a strong lead, and I’d be happy to work with him in any other project. Even though he was external, he made sure that the whole experience was aligned with the other teams. He eliminated cross-team dependencies as much as possible. He was very proactive, and I felt confident I could rely on him.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I always felt Tivix was part of our team. They were really interested in the product and determined to provide value. Everything they did contributed to that feeling of integration. The team was proactive and full of ideas. They always gave us guidance on how we could further improve the product, especially Greg. In general, the collaboration with our team members was very personable and professional.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There was some feedback about one of the developers, that he was a bit tough sometimes in his conversations with the team, but it was nothing major. In general, Tivix was amazing.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Treat them as internal team members and share your business goals. You don’t necessarily have to share numbers, but you should share goals in terms of number of customers to acquire and make sure that the team understands them. That way, they’ll be inspired to build amazing products and sometimes to go the extra mile. Tivix did that quite a lot when we needed to release the product.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a director at Berrison LTD, a management consultancy that specializes in leadership training and team coaching.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Kellton Tech Solutions?

We needed support building an online digital learning platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Kellton Tech Solutions is responsible for building the product. We provided the team with a wireframe at the start of the engagement, and they’ve taken over the development from there. 

Though we’re only in the initial phase, as of now the platform itself is an interactive micro-learning solution that includes video streaming and text components. We use questionnaires and quizzes, and the entire learning process is gamified.

In the future, we’d like to explore machine learning capabilities as well.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked directly with four people: one primary point of contact, and three developers.

How did you come to work with Kellton Tech Solutions?

One of our contacts, who we’d worked with previously, joined the Kellton Tech Solutions team, so we were familiar with their services. They visited our offices, and we ultimately decided they were a great fit.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between £50,000-£75,000 (approximately $64,000-$96,000 USD) on the project so far.  

What is the status of this engagement?

Our partnership began in August 2018 and is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re still far from deploying the solution, but going forward it’s going to be a large part of our business. We’re confident that Kellton Tech Solutions’ work is going to impact us positively. 

How did Kellton Tech Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve been very timely, and have handled all the delays from our end superbly.

Kellton Tech Solutions is an absolute delight to work with. They’re patient and have been mindful of aligning communication between our teams. They do a great job of paraphrasing and relaying our requests, which has been both useful and impressive. 

We keep in touch through emails and Zoom calls. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

We've been really impressed with Kellton Tech Solutions’ ongoing patience and understanding around our limitations.

They have an excellent ability to speak to us in a language we understand. As non-technical people, we’ve struggled with other vendors in the past who didn’t take the time and attention to make sure we were aligned in terms of what was happening in the project. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I don’t. They’ve been superb.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Go into the engagement knowing what you want. Make sure you’re prepared and clear about your goals.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the managing director of Protected Trust Services. We offer a software solution within the travel industry that allows companies to manage new inquiries, control bookings to suppliers, provide information to consumers, receive payments, and manage licensing requirements in line with EU regulations.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Kellton Tech Solutions?

We were looking to combine a multitude of systems into one product, allowing for the distribution of information throughout different departments, like sales, administration, or accounting.

This would allow us to aggregate consumer information and licensing requirements in one area. 

We were starting at the ground level and needed support figuring out how to integrate multiple facilities and module requirements within one product.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

When we brought Kellton Tech Solutions onboard, we had a beta version of the solution that had been operating for about five years. Together, we ultimately decided to set that version aside and start building a new product.

We used ProtoShare to scope out the project work, and after sending it to the team, they responded with a quote, project plan, and milestones. They worked to develop knowledge of our industry, using user research we’d previously conducted to have a better understanding of how our product would work. 

Kellton Tech Solutions started from the ground up to build the system, which operates mostly as a backend platform. The only frontend component is the consumer-facing portal, which displays information from the CRM system. We relied on the information we’d gained from the first version of the solution to determine the UI direction we wanted to go in.

What is the team composition?

We have one main point of contact who works with the admin team and the sales team. Aside from that, we worked with actual users on the beta version, who provided useful feedback we’ve been able to implement in new iterations of the solution.

How did you come to work with Kellton Tech Solutions?

We met them at the Travel Technology show in London. Eventually, I traveled to New Delhi to meet the team and ultimately decided to partner with them.

How much have you invested with them?

So far, we’ve spent between $200,000–$1,000,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Kellton Tech Solutions around November 2016, and the work is ongoing. We don’t have any plans to end the engagement.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve experienced two main benefits from working with Kellton Tech Solutions: the consistency of their staff, and the excellent project management team. 

The communication, specifically of system requirements, between our main contact and the developers who are actually building and testing the portal has been excellent.

It’s clear that the team has a deep understanding of our product. We’re really happy with the platform they’ve developed.

How did Kellton Tech Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project managers are fantastic, and the developers are very skilled. There’s a lot of depth within the organization. When they don’t know something, they’re quite prepared to say it and find someone within the business who does. It’s very difficult to criticize them.

Everyone on the team is easy to communicate with. The developers use a screen sharing and board system that allows them to assign individual tasks. The project is divided into small, piecemeal assignments, allowing the developers to link smaller tasks into the larger system on a consistent basis, rather than doing it all in one go. We use Jira to track progress.

Hitting deadlines can be challenging when working on multiple modules, but Kellton Tech Solutions is consistently able to pull it off. If there is an extended deadline, there tends to be a very good reason, such as additional testing requirements or questions. If there’s a module that absolutely needs to go live by a certain date, the team provides extra resources to meet the goal.

For Kellton Tech Solutions, deadlines aren’t just a date — they have real meaning, and the team strives to meet them. That element sets them apart from other providers.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’ve been consistently impressed by their level of communication. 

Also, they’re very prepared and well-equipped to handle growth. They have impressive documentation in place to bring in new developers. As our team is growing consistently, they’ve given us the opportunity to develop the product at a faster pace.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could improve on design, but we understand that we didn’t hire them for that. We brought Kellton Tech solutions on board to focus on the code, and they’re doing exceptionally well.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Clients should go and seek out Kellton Tech Solutions.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director for quality program management at Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Kellton Tech Solutions?

We had a very distinct need for a single source of truth for our data. We wanted to take that data from two system types and be able to collect it in an easy interface displayed on a dashboard that could be presented back to the sites and/or functions through visual display units or TVs. We wanted to bring up real-time performance metrics on service for those sites.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We had a very difficult brief concerning the constraints we had with procuring software from the mainstream. We had to go with some of the more readily available free-wares and maintain a very light touch.

When the app was ready, there were revisions to be made. We did a prototype where I was given access, so we went through it and gave comments and notes back and forth. Those notes were transcribed into issues for the team for them to work on and create a version two.

We went through 3 or 4 iterations in total to fine-tune it. What I had asked for by way of requirements was what I perceived the solution to look like through mockups. When the solution was actually delivered on screen, in terms of the end state functionality, we were able to take those minor adjustments and deliver.

What is the team composition?

I dealt with three senior managers and four SMEs and developers. There was a project manager on their side as well, which was key to working with such complex requirements.

How did you come to work with Kellton Tech Solutions?

Through my own research and network. We’d used Kellton Tech Solutions earlier in the year on a more strategic initiative in relation to the IT functions. It was from that presentation and ongoing discussions of that engagement that I reached out for additional engagements. That resulted in this smaller, yet just as strategically important, piece of work.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from January until March 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They built a solution that delivers data in a dashboard and shows real-time metrics. The measures of success are that we’re now making decisions based on that data and we’re making them faster than we used to. It’s been very successful, and we’ve gotten very successful feedback.

How did Kellton Tech Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

I was very happy with their project management abilities, which displayed at the offset. Having a project manager on their side, it really felt like we had somebody sitting beside us. That personal touch was very important for quick responses, understanding the feedback and business requirements, and translating that into a technical requirement. It was seamless and very well executed.

I was able to easily navigate from the general managers down to the functional heads. They were very approachable and pleasant to deal with. They identified the needs and the leads required to make this initiative. I communicated with them via phone.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They truly understand the business problem and deliver a solution to solve it. The vendor management and relationship management is very strong, and it was all backed up by their delivery. They don’t make cookie-cutter solutions.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We are very regulated as a pharma company. They’re not as familiar with this sector as they are with others, so I would have taken the time to onboard the developer to our network. He would have been able to access our network a lot easier, making the process quicker. We ended having to connect in the developer as we went through the process, and that took a bit of time. That’s really on our vendor set-up/onboarding piece.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If anyone is engaged with them, you’re going to be engaged with digital transformation initiatives. Any initiative like that comes with a level of complexity. My advice is to be very clear about your business requirements. Understand the problem you’re trying to solve. The solution is only as good as the requirements.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and director of a software development company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Kellton?

We had a client software development firm in Ireland that wanted us to enhance their delivery capabilities. We went to Kellton to subcontract the project.

Personnel availability was one of our challenges. This was all based in Ireland, which is a competitive market for developers. The budget was another challenge, and offshoring developers are cheaper, but the quality of personnel is really important. We wanted a consistent team as well, and one that could be quickly scaled up or down. If someone was to leave, we wanted to have alternatives lined up. All of those factors needed to be addressed.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Kellton provided everything from junior front- and backend developers to scrum masters, senior developers, UX designers, and project management. Effectively, it was personnel for all parts of the software delivery lifecycle.

We’ve worked with them on Java and AngularJS, and we use all sorts of continuous integration toolsets that go with those. We use SQL Server and Oracle Database too. We have a number of things running in parallel.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with 12–14 of their staff, on and off. They’ve done work ranging from frontend development and backend Java development to UX design. They’ve provided scrum masters and full-stack developers, in and out. General technical delivery would be the summary of the whole thing, with all the roles required for that.

How did you come to work with Kellton?

They have European headquarters in Ireland, and I found out about them through networking. I discussed a couple of opportunities with them and got to know them fairly well. When this project came up, I was very confident that they’d be able to deliver, and that’s exactly what they’ve done.

How much have you invested with them?

Our budget with them is a high six-figure sum.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Kellton in September 2018, and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Everything is monitored on a project by project basis with our client, and the primary KPIs are the schedule and budget. Internal to that, there’s velocity per sprint, but the overall project success is measured by customer satisfaction, a timely delivery, and whether it fits within the budget.

Kellton has succeeded on all of these fronts on every project we’ve gone through. We’ve been thanked very graciously by our client as well. A couple of the projects we’ve done have been the biggest successes they’ve had in software development. The end client is very happy, and that’s reflected in our continued relationship with Kellton. The team is being expanded even today.

How did Kellton perform from a project management standpoint?

One important thing is that Kellton has a presence in Ireland, as well as being offshore. Representatives and personnel from their company have traveled and worked with our client in Dublin for around three months at a time. Communication isn’t only electronic, though. They’re available on-site when needed, and their representation in the country is very useful. We have senior management from Kellton meet with us and our client once a month, as well as being available on the phone any time we want. In terms of day-to-day communications, there are standup meetings every day and scrum meetings every two weeks, conducted over Slack and Zoom.

The fact that they’re available whenever we need them is extremely useful, and the fact that they onshore means that we can meet regularly. We can get on top of anything, should any escalation be necessary, but that seldom happens. All the projects they’ve worked on have come in on schedule and under budget. We haven’t had any issues with project management at all.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The quality standard of the software they deliver is excellent and doesn’t need much in terms of rework. The communication is also good. The people in the teams we’ve worked with are quick to understand the requirements. It hasn’t been an issue we’ve experienced ourselves, but I know from other people who are outsourcing that language can be a barrier, and it really hasn’t been, which is great.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Not at this stage. Everything’s gone smoothly with them over these last 16 months. That’s a long time for a honeymoon, but it’s still working out pretty well. The collaboration is steady and predictable, and I’m pretty happy with what they’ve done so far.  

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

One thing that helped was getting the offshore team to the client’s office for a period of time to understand the context, individuals, and organizational culture. I strongly recommend that people engaging an offshore team from Kellton bring the people onshore for an induction period. We’ve done that with around 70% of the team, for a period of around three months each time. We also visited Kellton in India, which was worthwhile as well.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a company that collaborates with the UK Ministry of Defence and the Australia Ministry of Defence on their barcoding projects. I handle sales, operations, and product management for the typical project account.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Tivix?

We had an internal solution that was built in Excel and SQL. It allowed users to view their tasks every day through file transfers. It worked for internal purposes, but we wanted to make it accessible to customers. Our goal was to make it more web-enabled so we could utilize it for clients. We didn’t have the internal resource to manage this alone.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The platform is able to function by allowing our clients to speak directly to production. They can relay their locations and have all units order from us on the site before verifying and validating for barcoding reasons.

Then, it communicates with our ERP system, makes tags, and ships them out, and allows clients to install them. They used Python and Django as well as React to product the solution. After completing the main part of the development, we moved to a retainer model where we spent most of our time correcting bugs and adding smaller features.

What is the team composition?

The project has been completed in two separate stages. In the first, we had a product manager, an architect, and a few developers. For that year, we had a full team before moving to more of a retainer model. At that point, we’ve worked with a number of people on smaller projects.

How did you come to work with Tivix?

We found them during our online research process. Our company approached them and was impressed with their abilities. We hired them based on that knowledge. My colleague found them and viewed them as an industry leader in technical work. Because he had the technical knowledge to make that claim, I decided to support this decision. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $500,000–$1,000,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in 2016, and our teams still collaborate on an ongoing basis through our monthly retainer. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

From our point of view, they set a very high standard with the quality of their work. At times we were concerned with skilled resources leaving the company over time, but they continued to hire the best of the best. We never missed a beat when new people joined projects. Since our launch last year, we’ve been very successful and have earned a few new clients. Overall, the project has been successful. 

How did Tivix perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re very good. Originally, they asked us a lot of questions about what we wanted from them. At the end of week two, they presented their thoughts on what they thought we wanted, and it was very close to our concept. They’re very good at understanding problems, scoping the effort, and thinking through complex variables. 

This was a complicated project, and while there were mistakes along the way, they figured things out through excellent communication. When we were doing a lot of development, we met three times each week. At this point, we meet biweekly because there’s less going on.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The caliber of their employees is phenomenal. Every single one of their resources was an outstanding contributor to the effort. They hire to a very high standard, giving them one of the best teams I’ve seen in the consulting world. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

The most difficult thing about digital transitions with older companies is making sure that your team is educated on technology upgrades. Companies like us can be naive, not knowing all the complexities of the development.

Sharing that information would be helpful because it would’ve given us the foresight we needed to be more comfortable undertaking a project like this. However, they do an outstanding job from a pure development point of view.   

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Don’t skimp on the initial scoping of the project because that’s the best money you’ll spend. We were on the same page from the beginning because of the understanding that we built in that phase. Our team was nervous to do that, but it allowed us to get on the same page early. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a financial advisor at Alpha Blue Ocean, an investing firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Tivix?

We wanted custom software that would replace our process of manually inputting data into Excel.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I gave Tivix an overview of my desired functionalities but gave them free rein over the design. I just wanted something clean and basic that could be easily used.

They’re now building the software—which we hope to use for over a decade—from scratch. It includes CRM capabilities, as well as a backend database that can be easily manipulated. With it, we’ll be able to manage the contact details of every client and prospect. It’ll also streamline finance systems and business processes like Profits & Losses (P&L) calculations. While I’m not aware of the full scope of their technology, I know they use Pico.

What is the team composition?

I worked with two project managers, two engineers, a designer, and 2–3 additional team members.

How did you come to work with Tivix?

I met with 10–15 different software development teams over a two-month period. Tivix was the most expensive, but they seemed to have the best understanding of the financial world.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $200,000-$300,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

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

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

While development is still underway, I’ve been very pleased with the work they’ve done so far. They’ve provided great advice along the way. They’re not mere yes-men; if I ask for something but they know that something is better, they’ll offer improvements and alternative suggestions. I really appreciate that.

How did Tivix perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve been good.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’ve been impressed by their flexibility. If you need a daily meeting at 8 AM, they’re happy to accommodate that. They’ll go above and beyond to accommodate your needs.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The discussions about the timeframe and cost could have been more lucid. I had a hard time understanding the cost, at the very beginning. I had to write everything down and inquire about details multiple times.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I’d recommend them for their flexibility.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of product management at Accucode, a system integrator. We do a lot of different projects, including traditional IT reselling, wireless networking and networking in general, 3D printing, and drone and software development. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Kellton Tech Solutions?

We have very high standards because our internal staff is excellent; it’s hard to find people who are in the same ballpark as our development team. We’ve worked with other outsourcing development partners in the past with mixed results.

When we need to develop new customer or internal products and don’t have the internal bandwidth to do so, Kellton Tech Solutions augments our team.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’ve done multiple software projects with Kellton Tech Solutions, and we’re getting ready to have them quote another one. They do both partial and complete projects for big enterprises.
These projects vary in nature; Kellton Tech Solutions has done everything from mobile app deployments to more hybrid solutions, where they create a new software app that has desktop as well as iOS and Android components. 

In our work with Kellton Tech Solutions, we tend to utilize open source components. We use Java quite a bit.

What is the team composition?

We keep a core team of about eight people from Kellton Tech Solutions on staff. We work with project managers and QA specialists. We also work with different types of developers, depending on what we’re doing. For instance, we do a lot of integrations with accounting systems, and Kellton Tech Solutions has developers that specialize in that area. They also have people who are more UI-oriented.

How did you come to work with Kellton Tech Solutions?

Accucode is a multi-national corporation, and our AI group is located in Ireland. Kellton Tech Solutions is headquartered in India, but they also have some of their employees, including a VP of sales, in Ireland. After a few conversations, we began working with them. 

Kellton Tech Solutions has a US presence, but I’ve never interacted with their US team. It’s been great working with them out of Europe, and I continue to work with that team from a project management perspective. Their developers are in other areas of the world, and it seems to work out just fine. One of the key things about Kellton Tech Solutions is that they’re a Java shop and also good with both Apple and Android. 

How much have you invested with them?

My company has probably spent close to $400,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We initiated conversations around June 2017, and the collaboration is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

What I like about Kellton Tech Solutions is their customer-focused attitude. They want to make sure that we’re happy. We deal with large, complicated software projects, which means issues are inevitable. Kellton Tech Solutions works hard to take care of these problems, and they’re willing to add extra team members to a project to ensure they meet the set timeline. They put a lot of effort into making sure they’re meeting expectations. 

From the very beginning, both their VP of sales and I have wanted to establish a partnership, as opposed to a customer-vendor relationship. There’s success for both sides if we’re able to create successful products. For instance, if they develop a product that doesn’t meet the needs of the marketplace, I’ll stop engaging them for development services. 

It’s in both of our best interests to have a successful product that generates growth and revenue so that we can continue funding additional development work. This is a simple dynamic, but it’s amazing how many people out there don’t focus on establishing a relationship in that way. Kellton Tech Solutions strives to establish an ongoing, long-term partnership by creating a great product that people love. 

How did Kellton Tech Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve performed very well and have been better than the other outsourcing firms we’ve worked with. I wouldn’t keep going back to them if they weren’t meeting our expectations, and we’ve done multiple projects together. They make it easy to work with them. The team adapts to time zone differences. We have multiple meetings each week with them to ensure that we stay on the same page. I don’t just engage with the project managers; I often speak directly with the developers over the phone and explain any issues we’re having or what we’re trying to accomplish. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They have a good range of knowledge within their staff. They’ve done a lot of different software projects for other companies, and that knowledge is useful; for example, if I need to do an integration with SAP, they’ll bring in the person on their team with that specific expertise to provide advice. Sometimes, they’ll even put that person on our development team to help with that particular part of the project. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Overall, I’m very happy with what they do. They put a ton of effort into their work and try to meet expectations. Regardless of whether you’re working with Kellton Tech Solutions or somebody else, getting good requirements in place is hard. I will say that they’re willing to put in the hours to get the requirements right. For the last project, we went well over the allotted time period to define the requirements. They put in the time to ensure the requirements were done correctly, without charging us extra.

Any advice for potential customers?

Treat your work with Kellton Tech Solutions as a partnership. The more invested you are, the better the outcome will be. Make sure everybody is on the same page and focusing on the same goal. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the development manager of a refrigerant tracking firm. We specialize in refrigerant leak protection and energy monitoring products for military and commercial customer bases.

I’m responsible for the hardware and software development teams that generate our products. This is split into physical product design, manufacturing and development, and a software product. We have a web portal that goes alongside our physical product. It allows our customers to see the information collected from all of our equipment located in various installation sites.

They can see various metrics from that system and receive automatic alerts about events they may be interested in. For example, since we manufacture products that detect refrigerant leaks, the web platform allows customers to subscribe to be notified when a leak is detected. They’ll get these notifications via email or via a dashboard in the system.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Kellton Tech Solutions?

The product we have is about 10 to 15 years old. The technology is outdated, and the product has evolved rather than being designed from the ground up. 

We didn’t have the ability to scale that legacy platform very easily. As we grew and won more customers, it was difficult to scale the platform because of the way it was structured. 

It has become big, complex, difficult to maintain, and difficult to extend. So, we made a decision to start from scratch and redesign the system from the ground up. 

We wanted a partner that could help us determine the most appropriate technologies and tools to use to develop the system. We also needed help designing and developing it.
 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Since we wanted to make the web application easy to maintain and scalable, so they recommended that we use Microservices Architecture. They also recommended that we use Angular for the frontend and Laravel Lumen for the backend.

Previously, the web application was one large codebase with lots of different modules interlinked together. Microservices architecture allows us to split the system up. It’s compartmentalized into a collection of very small services that communicate with each other through APIs.

Each one of those services could be running on a different server around the world. You can have as many different servers as needed, and there could be many different combinations of services running on them. 

An arbitrator sits above those servers and targets your traffic to wherever it’s best served. It is very scalable and very maintainable.
We had a pretty strong idea of what product features were required, and we didn’t really need any assistance in that respect.

What is the team composition?

The team size flexed over the duration of the project. We started with four people, and we had nine people at its peak.

How did you come to work with Kellton Tech Solutions?

Our product manager was involved in finding the candidates for us to review, so I can’t comment.

How much have you invested in them?

We have spent around £350,000 (approximately $449,440 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

The project started in September 2018, and the work is still ongoing. 

The work will continue, and we’ll continue to use Kellton Tech on the same system. But now, it’s less of a formal project as we’re moving into the sustaining period. They’ll also be involved in another project that deals with adding a major new feature to that platform. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The product that Kellton Tech helped us develop has won four awards. We had some issues with quality, which is a reason the team size increased. We realized we needed some quality assurance from their team. Once that was in place, we saw the quality improve. However, the delivery times were longer because the QA had to be implemented on their side before we saw it.

How did Kellton Tech Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

Initially, we didn’t have a project manager on the team, and we realized fairly quickly that we needed one. The project manager did a good job of managing their team.

During the project, our internal team had resource issues, meaning we couldn’t feed the right level of details to the Kellton Tech team. Since there were these issues with resourcing and design input from our side, they were kept waiting. Consequently, the implementation didn’t happen as quickly as it should have. Or, if it happened it wasn’t as we needed it because we hadn’t defined it clearly enough.

What did you find most impressive about them?

This is the first time I have worked with a partner in this area, so I don’t have a reference to compare them against.

One really positive aspect of the project has been their commitment. During the first phase of the project, which was a really intense period of development with a hard deadline, they worked more hours than I would have liked. They worked very hard and long days to complete it, and that was really appreciated.

In the end, we were a couple of weeks late, but had they not put in that effort, we would have been a couple of months late. We made changes in phase two to ensure they didn’t have to work in that way again.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Quality is the main thing they could improve. Unfortunately, we haven’t had the resources to back up the work they’ve done. 

Ordinarily, I would expect to do our own quality checks, but because of the time pressure of this project, we’ve had no opportunity to do that. So, we’re in an unpleasant situation of not knowing the code as the system is built out.

As a result, we’ve become aware that the code isn’t ideally structured. For example, we’ve seen evidence of sections of code being reproduced elsewhere rather than being reused. If we were to run the project again with more resources, we would have spent a lot more time reviewing the code quality. 

Also, their developers seem to be a little quick to mark a task as complete. Rather than doing their own testing and reaching a point where they’re confident in the code, they send it to QA right away. Within a few minutes, QA finds a problem and sends it back to the developer. This leads to longer development times. 

I asked the project manager and management team to encourage their team to take responsibility for their own development rather than developing something quickly, handing it off, and moving on. They should pay close attention, make sure it’s working correctly, and then hand it over for QA testing.