Lead IT

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the founder and director of RaRaRe.com. It is a platform that enables access and collaboration between people and relevant authorities, with a focus on African communities.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Lead IT team?

We needed an engineering team to provide functionality to our platform. Previous developers built the site, but we identified challenges with quality, delivery time, and synchronization.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They refactored our APIs on the backend, built in the JSON format. The frontend was built with PHP, and the backend was built with Laravel. The platform was both web and mobile-enabled.

Also, they helped re-engineer and rebuild the mobile app, which we had in iOS and Android. Soon they will be assisting in language translation and adding location services as we expand jurisdiction.

What is the team composition?

Depending on the point of the process, there were between 2–5 people working with us, alongside one lead consultant.

How did you come to work with Lead IT team?

We found them through Upwork.

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent between $25,000–$50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them in March 2018, and the relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

People have been quite impressed with the end product thus far.

How did Lead IT team perform from a project management standpoint?

They are very structured and methodical. Our communication took place via Skype and email. At the beginning of any piece of the project, we would have a call to map out the work.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I felt like our successes were their successes. They challenged us wherever was necessary so that we could increase the value of their work.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can’t think of anything.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Engage them; be clear and concise about your vision and delivery expectations. Tell them your business story, not just the technical aspects.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CTO and founder of my company. My company aims to create innovation for companies by exploiting IT tools.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Lead IT team?

I have hired Lead IT for many projects, and they have always been excellent and reliable.

What were your goals for this project?

Complete the project in the agreed times and provide my client with a quality product that is functional to his business.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Our company is always looking for new suppliers, and Lead IT is the reality we were looking for for our business.

Describe the project in detail.

Application for a fashion company, to be used by its commercial agents to improve the flow of sales.

What was the team composition?

1 Project manager to manage the project together with Lead IT.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The project was a success, now our app is used by our client and has greatly improved their sales flow.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Communication with Lead IT was fantastic, we communicate via Skype. They are very helpful and always available.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They have an ability to solve complex problems as well as a familiarity with the technologies applied by them. They have proven to be able to manage even large projects very easily.

Are there any areas for improvement?

At the moment I didn't notice any area to improve.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the COO of Garage Man, an auto parts company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Lead IT team?

We needed help with building software from scratch for our mechanics that are dismantling cars. The main goal was to save time for our mechanics while having a place to display all the vehicles that we have in line for them, tell them what they should remove and process, and consult each car’s progress.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We came up with the basic concept for the project and Lead IT team designed and developed a web-based program that’s in the cloud. Each mechanic has their own tablet with the software installed, and I have one with the admin panel. I add the cars and the parts they have to remove, and when they’re done with the tasks, they can move onto the next car in line.

What is the team composition?

They assigned five to ten people to the project, but I only spoke with one person.

How did you come to work with Lead IT team?

I submitted a project on Upwork and Lead IT team came up with good reviews. We had a quick chat via Skype during which they sent me a basic concept of the project free of charge. We liked it and decided to move forward with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $5,000–$10,000 on Lead IT team’s services.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from February until June 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The software works well and saves a lot of time for our mechanics. They can use their tablet to search for information, which means that they don’t have to come to me with questions. It’s time-efficient for everyone.

How did Lead IT team perform from a project management standpoint?

They divided the project into three sprints. During each sprint, they gave me an explanation of what was going to be done, and we communicated through Skype calls and chat. The time management was great.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We liked how Lead IT team works as well as their reasonable prices. Other companies wanted to bill us twice as much as what they did.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We were happy with Lead IT team’s work. They told us in the beginning that it was going to be three-to-four month project and it was, but I would have liked it to be faster.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

We’d definitely use them again.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the founder of Rolulo. We offer a mobile application called Me’n’us; it allows restaurants to create interactive menus.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Lead IT team?

We engaged Lead IT team to develop our app for Android and iPhone platforms.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to build an MVP to test our concept.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We were looking on Upwork for developers with a specific set of technical skills. Lead IT team came up at the top of our search results. After a price offer and a smooth negotiation, we brought them on for this project.

Describe the project in detail.

Lead IT team built a mobile application for iOS and Android using Flutter and Firebase. They programmed specific app elements using native languages like Java and Swift.

What was the team composition?

We worked with a few developers, a designer, and a project manager. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The app arrived on time and fully functioning on both platforms. We were able to test our concept as a result.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The project manager was highly responsive and available throughout the project. We spoke daily over Slack and weekly over Skype. We used GitLab to manage the project and code versions.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Lead IT team’s flexibility and creative problem-solving stood out the most to us. The team worked hard to understand each issue and find solutions. They worked diligently from start to finish—even on weekends when necessary.

Are there any areas for improvement?

We could have used a UI/UX designer at the very beginning, but Lead IT team lacked those resources.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Project manager of a Mobile application that provides custom audio tours from guides around the world

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Lead IT team?

Сross-platform application development

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal was to develop an application with a modern intuitive design

SOLUTION

How did you select Lead IT team?

We've chosen them from more than 9 candidates, based on their previous experience and great communication. They always kept their promises and deadlines

Describe the project in detail.

Mobile application that provides custom audio tours from guides around the world

What was the team composition?

1. Pm
2. developers
3. 2 ux designer

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The highest level of communication and experience. I can't imagine a better choice for our project. Communication and the final result exceeded our expectations. It is very rare to find a team that does a good job, but finding a team that takes the initiative and is focused on the end result is a great success. I highly recommend this company, with such a team the success of the project is guaranteed.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Always in time, They always kept their promises and deadlines

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Constant contact with the client, regular updates on the project and many reasonable suggestions for improving the final product

Are there any areas for improvement?

They were perfect team for us, this is a very responsible team, I am sure that they treat all their projects in the same way

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Director of a wholesale coffee roasting company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Lead IT team?

To build a mobile app for a loyalty program

What were your goals for this project?

Create a user-friendly loyalty system

SOLUTION

How did you select Lead IT team?

Upwork

Describe the project in detail.

A loyalty program was created within an app to enable paperless within our retail store.

What was the team composition?

I was dealing with two people from the team whom worked with me to create, edit and design the app,

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Quick, efficient and to the point we enjoyed being part of the development.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very effective using a chat based interface through Skype we were able to work smoothly.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

We were impressed with their understanding of our job, to the point, and effectiveness in doing so.

Are there any areas for improvement?

In the end very happy with the quality.