LITSLINK

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the Managing Director of a web development agency. We design build and support websites for a range of clients across various industries, B2B & B2C.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Due to our team being fully resourced, we needed a competent developer to take on the support and maintenance of one of our clients websites. The ambition was for them to seamlessly integrate into our team get up to speed on the project quickly and then take ownership of the project in terms of all support and change requests directly from the client.

SOLUTION

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

I found LITSLINK from an online resource as the requirements for the role were quite specific. The reason we chose to go with them was the comfort of having another agency rather than an individual who's circumstances may change. We needed a guarantee of continuity from the chosen developer and the backup of a full development team should the need arise.

From talking with the LITSLINK team it become clear that they were fully capable of taking on the project and in a good position to deliver to a high standard. The development skillset is to a high standard and the initial tasks set were delivered quickly and competently.

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

The project that we hired LITSLINK for is a legacy website that has been running for a number of years, so the main goal for this project was the improvement and maintenance of the codebase. It is built on Ruby on Rails with a Vue.js frontend, Kentico Kontent and hosted with AWS.

We had a couple of initial calls to discuss the structure of the websites, how they fit in with one another, the technologies used and what our expectation of the chosen developer would be. We have a set number of days per week that the developer works on this project and this is on-going.

We have an open and transparent line of communication with the client and the developer works with the client to manage deliverables, gain further detail on tasks and also manage the delivery pipeline through to testing and deployments.

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

I have worked with two people from LITSLINK, a project coordinator and a developer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

To date we have received positive feedback from the client on the level of tickets that have been resolved month on month, the level of communication from the developer and the quality of code being implemented.

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

I opted to take on the project management of this particular engagement due to my relationship with the client. The LITSLINK developer has integrated into our ways of working, communicating with the client through Trello and our internal team through Slack. They have been a very positive addition to the team and have integrated seamlessly. He is pro-active in providing solutions and alternative fixes.

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

They have taken on a complex website and portal that has had many different developers working on it over the years and got themselves up to speed quickly to start producing fixes and updates. There is a good line of communication and they are always willing to help out where needed and go the extra mile. They have provided stability to what has been previously and unstable website.

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

I have no complaints to date.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Our company is an IoT company looking to limit muscular-skeletal injuries in the industrial workspace through our proprietary hardware and data analytics. I am as the lead software engineer for this company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire LITSLINK?

We hired LitsLink to help us build our IoT data pipeline and setup our infrastructure on AWS

What were your goals for this project?

The goals for our project were to build a scalable and reliable data broker application that could handle incoming data from our wearable devices and store it on AWS.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We were referred to LitsLink and picked them because they were able to quickly and efficiently layout a project plan for us and work with us.

Describe the project in detail.

We contracted LitsLink to build a Ruby Application for us that could control our bluetooth based devices and bluetooth routers at scale, as well as receive the incoming data from our devices. They also needed to help deploy this using CI/CD to our Kubernetes Cluster, as well as helped us setup CI/CD for another ruby app and a python based app. They helped us setup our Kinesis streams, S3 buckets, and Elasticsearch clusters for our data pipeline on AWS. Lastly they helped with further setup and deployment of our Kubernetes Cluster, as well as a third party application.

What was the team composition?

We were assigned a project manager, a lead developer, a dev ops engineer, and a ruby developer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were able to fully test our end to end software architecture with the work that they had and present demos to bring in further venture capital and help sign new customers.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow was very effective they quickly and reliably answered our questions and concerns, and were able to have biweekly update calls with us.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I found it impressive how knowledgeable they were on AWS and their communication skills.

Are there any areas for improvement?

N/A

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the international operations manager at EcoBioTech Ukraine. We produce and supply sunflower oil and related products.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire LITSLINK?

We needed to rework our mobile and web applications because the legacy technologies they were built with were slow and contained many bugs. This was affecting the market analysis we were doing.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to rework our applications, introducing best practices and the newest technologies. This would help us feel comfortable working with the apps every day.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

LITSLINK seemed to be the most reliable, successful, and client-oriented company.

Describe the project in detail.

We had several initial meetings with LITSLINK where we met their teammates and learned about possible technologies for our application. We decided to move forward with a React development, and their team began rewriting the app, using the old version as an example. There were no crises or breaks during development, and they delivered every stage on time. Before finishing, we asked LitsLink to bring in a QA resource

What was the team composition?

LITSLINK's team consisted of a mobile developer, a web developer, a project manager, a QA resource, and a DevOps resource.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

After two months, we received a fast, quality product containing many of the new features we wanted to implement. Our employers were excited to work with the app and try out its new functionality because it will help them make their money easier and faster. Users have given us only positive feedback.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We communicated well with their team. The project manager was in-touch 24/7, and we had weekly meetings with the entire team. There was daily communication during the final QA phase. It was frank and effective.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

LITSLINK is an impressive company with a unique atmosphere and approach to work. They have specialists in different areas that can provide you with whatever you need for mobile and web app development.

Are there any areas for improvement?

We’re fully satisfied with LITSLINK’s team and can’t add anything.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CTO of a cryptocurrency company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with LITSLINK?

We were looking for a development house that could supplement our internal team as we built out the new version of our cryptocurrency app. LITSLINK came on board to help us with the design and development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

LITSLINK helped us build a complex web app for users to trade various cryptocurrencies. Rather than starting from scratch, we looked at our previous iteration to identify core functionalities and plan additional features. We then discussed the different screens we’d need, and their team created and implemented all of our UI designs.

They also worked closely with us to develop a gateway that consolidated several blockchain demands from about 100 cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum. It’s essentially an interface that connects our platform with the different cryptocurrencies, which allows users to deposit and withdraw coins.

The technical stack includes MySQL 4 and MongoDB for the database and Redis for the caching. Although we’ve recently launched the app, they continue to work with us on new features.

What is the team composition?

We’re currently contracting two developers and two designers, but there were also two additional developers in the past.

How did you come to work with LITSLINK?

I found LITSLINK on Upwork and reached out to them. After working with one of their freelancers, I ended up asking for more resources to augment our project. They provided a list of candidates, and I assessed their technical skills with small tasks. So far, most of them have done well.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about €100,000 (approximately $114,700 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

Their work started in January 2018, and we launched the app in November 2018. Currently, we’re collaborating on new features.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They supplemented our development team and helped us launch a functional app.

How did LITSLINK perform from a project management standpoint?

I handle most of the project management over Slack, and they respond to our needs. There have been some delays throughout the project, but that’s because we'd underestimated the amount of time needed to complete the project. Regardless, everything has been great so far. Whenever we encounter any issues, they’re proactive about discussing the problem and finding a solution.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The developers are good, and we’re happy with how they manage their team. I recently visited them in November, and they were all in good spirits.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can’t think of anything.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CTO of Codec, a company that uses AI and machine learning to discover and track relevant cultural networks so that consumers can unlock new growth opportunities for their brands.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire LITSLINK?

We contracted with LITSLINK for mobile application and web development services.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We found LITSLINK through Upwork, and we selected them based on reviews of their work.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

LITSLINK created a cross-platform mobile application utilizing blockchain technologies. They also created a complementary marketing website.

What was the team composition?

We worked with 3–4 developers at different times throughout the engagement.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The products were delivered successfully and have remained functional.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

There was very little for LITSLINK to oversee. We carried out most of the project management internally.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The developers were very responsive.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, there are no areas for improvement.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m product owner at BuyBay, which handles returned products for online retailers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire LITSLINK?

We needed external resources to help with our internal software development.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to increase capacity on our scrum teams.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

They were selected was before I was involved in the project.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

LITSLINK provided engineers to join our scrum teams. Working remotely, they worked on user stories alongside our other engineers. They worked in Ruby on Rails, as well as front- and backend development.

What was the team composition?

We worked with up to 5 developers. The number varied depending on the amount of work.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The LITSLINK developers helped us to create our new applications more quickly.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

The developers took part in scrum planning and standup meetings. They contributed their expertise in planning and developing stories.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their support allowed us to scale up and down easily. They were able to supply new front- and backend developers for us at short notice.

Are there any areas for improvement?

They were more focused on coding rather than providing solutions. We were required to provide precise instructions in order for the development to go well. A solutions-driven approach would be an improvement.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CFO and co-founder of a factory.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with LITSLINK?

We needed someone to develop an application to manage workers in our new factory. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They designed and developed an iOS and Android application from scratch that allows our management team to manage factory workers. They used React Native, Node.js, and MongoDB and handled testing. The app supports analytics so we can analyze worker performance and provide bonuses to top workers.

What is the team composition?

We worked with a project manager, two frontend developers, and a backend specialist.

How did you come to work with LITSLINK?

They were recommended highly by a partner of ours who’d worked with them before. We looked at a few other providers but chose LITSLINK based on our conversation with them and their proposal.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from August until November 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our technical specialists gave good feedback regarding the code quality. The application works well. We’re fully satisfied with LITSLINK’s work.

How did LITSLINK perform from a project management standpoint?

It was good. They communicated with us weekly and were available when we needed them.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We had a great experience with them and would work with them again.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I don’t think so.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They’re a good company to work with. We’d recommend them to any of our colleagues or partners.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the CTO of Exatronix. We offer custom software development for clients in a variety of industries. We also provide telecommunication, IT construction, and other similar services.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire LITSLINK?

We outsource a portion of our work to freelancers and digital agencies, one of them being LITSLINK. For this specific task, we asked them to develop an element for a custom application to manage historical objects.

What were your goals for this project?

We needed a fully functional solution in a short period of time.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Initially, we were looking for an autonomous team of resources that we didn’t have to spend a lot of time managing. After searching through Upwork, we decided on LITSLINK.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

We provided them with a set of specifications for this project, and they created a UI design that met all of our needs. They worked primarily with React.js technology, using complex development techniques.

What was the team composition?

I worked with a team lead and a developer for this project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

With LITSLINK’s help, we completed a bug-free solution by the scheduled launch date.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

They were excellent and efficient. We got real-time feedback and updates from their team without much oversight from our end. Working with them was a pleasurable experience.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I most appreciate their communication skills, planning approach, and quality of work.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, nothing comes to mind.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the founder of Digital Future Council. We're a private members club for creative leaders and technologists.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with LITSLINK?

We were looking for a company to develop a responsive website for us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

LITSLINK built two websites that we use as educational portals for our new members. We provided them with the designs and they handled the development. They also helped us with the testing and the launch. Two important features of the websites were animation and integration with Mailchimp. They continue to maintain our websites.

What is the team composition?

We mostly worked with their web developer.

How did you come to work with LITSLINK?

They were recommended to me.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $4,000–$8,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them between April–September 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They delivered a high-quality animation in a very short time. The websites are an essential part of our brand and the feedback from our members has been very positive.

How did LITSLINK perform from a project management standpoint?

They worked very fast. Also, they were accepting of my feedback and implemented all of my edits. We worked together every step of the way.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were exceptionally responsive and met all the deadlines.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. The person I worked with was an excellent developer.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder of a company that is creating a platform to bring volunteers and nonprofit organizations together. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with LITSLINK?

We hired LITSLINK to build upon our existing platform. The code we had in place was bad quality and didn’t work correctly.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our business contracted LITSLINK exclusively for development services. They came on board to help us complete our app. We flew to Kiev to meet them in person and spent two days discussing how to rewrite the entire frontend within our strict two-week deadline. 

Users can create accounts, browse volunteer opportunities, and sign up for activities at the touch of a button. Clicking on a project shows details about the mission including its purpose and when and where it will take place. Each completed volunteer project is added to the user’s profile, similar to a CV. The search function includes filters for location. We also implemented a blog.

LITSLINK used React Native to develop our app cross-platform for both iOS and Android. We sent them finalized mockups and concrete designs to use as a basis for the technical components. They wrote all the code and collaborated with our CTO, who coordinated the process from our side.  

What is the team composition? 

LITSLINK assigned two React Native developers to build our platform. Toward the end of the project, they added a third full-stack resource to fix the API issues. The project manager assigned the tasks we requested to the rest of the team.  For the web app build, they assigned us two developers for the first month scaled down to one for the remainder.

How did you come to work with LITSLINK?

After becoming dissatisfied with our previous provider, we searched for a new agency. Our ideal partner would have several types of experts on staff to support each other. LITSLINK applied to our job through Upwork. After interviewing the team, we were happy to hire them. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent at least $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

This project with LITSLINK lasted from July–November 2018.  We focused on development until the end of October. We’re still fixing bugs and plan to build more features in 2019 with a larger team. Previously, we developed a React Native web app for a nonprofit together in April 2018. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

LITSLINK’s support enabled us to publish the app by our challenging deadline. At this point, we’ve established a presence in one city and are continuing to expand. We’ve received outstanding user feedback. Nonprofits can find our website easily, which is typically a challenge in the field. People have found our concept easy to understand.

It’s hard to measure the exact code quality, but LITSLINK’s output is generally clean and well-structured. We’ve been very happy with their deliverables. The product had almost no bugs aside from minimal UI issues.

How did LITSLINK perform from a project management standpoint?

LITSLINK established an effective process, stuck to deadlines, and even worked overtime when needed. Communication was excellent. We collaborated well and never experienced any problems at all. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

There’s never been a time when LITSLINK told us something we asked for was impossible. Even if it didn’t turn out to be the solution we initially thought of, LITSLINK found something that fit what we wanted. The experts on their team can always find a way to solve even our most complex problems. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. I’m a design perfectionist, so I’d have preferred for their developers to spend more time making the product resemble the mockups more closely. Since this hasn’t been a significant issue, it’s not a real criticism.