Mono Software

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO at Irish Recruiter. We’re a recruitment agency that offers a recruitment automation product.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Mono Software?

We’d designed our product from a business perspective, as a product owner, but we didn’t have a development team. Mono Software came on to create a wireframe and prototype.  

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They were involved in the very early scoping and minimum viable product (MVP) process. After we showed the MVP to our customers, Mono went on to build the proper enterprise solution. The project is never-ending because we’re always building a new integration or application system or API to a customer relationship management (CRM) like Salesforce. We handled the design work ourselves to start, but we quickly realized they were better at it than we were.

They’re responsible for the whole UI/UX now. The platform, which they did all the code for, includes job portals and application tracking systems. Mono integrated the solution with the systems both our customers and we use (HubSpot, Salesforce, and Pipedrive), as well as the well-known job boards.

They’ve delivered a number of additional projects for us and are currently building a startup software: an automation tool for LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook. We’ve also given them a number of projects on our behalf for our clients. Most of the Irish recruitment agencies, including the largest ones, had their websites developed by Mono Software through us.

What is the team composition?

We assumed the product owner role on the agile team and let them handle everything else. They assigned a project manager and a lead developer, in addition to a second project manager that handled business case testing. She writes the test cases ] and does the first part herself, before handing it over to us.

How did you come to work with Mono Software?

I got connected with their founder through a social network when they were a very small company.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $5 million so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since January 2015.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Every year or year and a half we give a similar project to another development company to see whether we’re still getting good value from Mono. Sometimes we let them know that the project will be done by two companies and they’ll work together. Otherwise, they’ll still work separately. However, we always come back to Mono Software.

The quality is good, and we wouldn’t have worked with them for all these years if it weren't. There'll always be issues when technologies and requirements are changing, but there’s been nothing major that has made us stop working with them.

How did Mono Software perform from a project management standpoint?

We use Redmine to track everything they do and we have morning calls as often as we need. We either send one of our people down there or bring one of their people up to us once a year whenever we kick off a new project. It’s been such a long-term partnership that it’s hard to distinguish who’s an employee of ours and who's theirs.

What did you find most impressive about them?

While most offshoring or nearshoring companies sell you on delivering a certain project and then staff up, Mono hires people first and then sells their capabilities. We’ve learned how to plan projects with them and give them enough heads up so they can staff around specific projects and tell us how many hours something will take from the start. They manage that entire process.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They don’t know how to market themselves or showcase the work they’ve done for our clients and us. They lack the ability to present and position themselves. On the other hand, they teach us a lesson on almost every project; it couldn’t be better.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you have extensive experience with offshoring, then you'll know how to manage Mono and talk to them. If they get a call from a founder who wants a project developed but isn’t experienced in management, offshoring, or nearshoring, they might have problems.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the owner of a data solution company. We help medium and small sized businesses outsource their software development and other data projects. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Mono Software?

We're working very closely with Mono Software on two different projects. For this one specifically, a company had hundreds of thousands of contacts that were duplicated with different information throughout the various mailboxes and backend systems they were using. They wanted an application that could serve as a database with one record per contact and sync with everyone's folders and backend systems. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Mono Software learned the infrastructure of our client's Microsoft Exchange structure and the two homegrown backend systems. They synced all of them to the main contact database. The team had to understand what the company does, how it works, and everyone's different roles to map out a plan to integrate all the systems and users without any duplication. 

We collaborated from the beginning to the end of the project and gathered requirements and specifications together in conjunction with the end client. Mono Software designed the UX/UI and wrote the program in .NET code. They made the application compatible with Microsoft Exchange and the company's proprietary backend systems. 

What is the team composition? 

We worked with approximately five developers during this project. Mono Software also assigned us a project manager from their team. 

How did you come to work with Mono Software?

I got a recommendation to use them many years ago. My contact introduced me to Mono Software. 

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent approximately $100,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started this project in January 2018, and our engagement is ongoing. Since deploying the solution, we've maintained basic interaction as the project comes to a close. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It's hard to find quantitative statistics for software development projects. We're more concerned that we have a good relationship with Mono Software and that they built a system that works. They delivered the systems to spec, and our collaboration couldn't be better, even after finishing the development. Qualitatively, I couldn't be happier with the work they produced. Their coding and work ethic are far above where other companies I've dealt with stand. 

We have a great relationship. Mono Software is easy to work with and very responsive. We've fully deployed the system and are now just finalizing different features the client wants us to add. When bugs or crashes occur, the team logs problems in our Redmine reporting system. They're constantly monitoring the system and immediately fix anything that gets reported. 

How did Mono Software perform from a project management standpoint?

They assigned us a project manager who performed above average. We communicate via email and Skype. Along with weekly standups, we have meetings upon request. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was most impressed by their communication and the quality of code they produced. When outsourcing a project to an overseas company, communication is usually the main obstacle. We determined that Mono Software's developers not only program quality code but also understand what we need and react quickly to our requests. They comprehend how we work and are excellent in all areas of communication, which is key to our success. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

There's nothing that I would document. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It's important to be comfortable with Mono Software’s working hours, which applies to any outsourced company. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the IT operations lead of Croatian Transmission System Operator, a transmission system operator that distributes electrical energy nationwide. We provide public services for electricity transformation on the regional market. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Mono Software?

It’s crucial for us that our grid operates without issues. When any problems arise, we need to be notified immediately and track how each one is solved. As a large company, this process requires extensive communication between our employees. Solutions need to be propagated quickly and efficiently so we can analyze what went wrong. We needed a vendor to develop our software solution based on specific requirements.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Mono Software developed a complex, custom internal solution that tracks the performance of our energy grid and to discover key operational events.  They were involved right from the beginning. We came up with the basic requirements and discussed them together. They were in charge of developing, testing, and maintaining the solution.

Mono Software initially built a foundation with basic functionalities and continued to improve it. We sign new contracts and receive many new requests each year, so the solution evolves all the time. The team wrote the software using Microsoft Tools like ASP.NET and the C# programming language.  They used Microsoft SQL Server as the central database for the web solution and Xamarin for the cross-platform mobile app.

What is the team composition? 

The number of people we worked with varied over time. At its peak, the team included 10 members. In addition, we had at least one assigned project manager if not multiple ones. We had 1–3 permanent point of contact to discuss different functionalities.

How did you come to work with Mono Software?

As a public company, we have to choose our providers during the public tendering process. Initially, we hired Mono Software based on their previous references and price. As our cooperation progressed, they proved to be the only right provider for us. We had used other software companies for tasks at different levels. My personal experience with Mono Software was the best.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $500,000–$600,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in May 2005, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The fact that we’ve been working with Mono Software for so long speaks to our level of satisfaction.  Internal analysis shed light on what we gained and lost by using this solution., and the results were very positive. Beforehand, we had done this operation on paper or using obsolete computer systems. The new solution lets us perform the same number of tasks in a much shorter amount of time. 

The internal feedback from our employees who work in the field was really positive. The software empowers them to focus on the work they’re qualified for and want to do, instead of wasting time on constant paperwork. We cut back on the number of employees doing manual processes and assigned them to tasks that maximized their engineering knowledge.  

We requested that Mono Software’s code go through a QA process, and they did a good job. After the solution went to production, we didn’t have any significant outages. Everything was in line with our requirements. The team built a scalable solution that possesses failover capabilities. As we’ve operated around the clock for the past 13 years, we haven’t had a single critical event. We’re satisfied with the results. 

How did Mono Software perform from a project management standpoint?

Mono Software employs Agile product management methodology, which is what we prefer to use for our projects. Our cooperation went by the book. Development is completed over a number of 2–3-week sprints. We meet after each one to assess and discuss the results and point out issues and areas for improvement.

I was deeply involved in communication and project management. Mono Software uses Redmine as an issue tracker. We’ve been pleased with their performance and the end results of the entire process.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I appreciate Mono Software’s enthusiasm and positive attitude. Instead of finishing a job only to take the money and run, they’re dedicated fulfilling what we ask them. Their commitment to doing tasks the right way is the main differentiating factor I noticed between Mono Software and companies.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

We’re a local company, and Mono Software speaks our language and understands our business concepts. I recommend them but have no special advice.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I work in the IT department of an institution that processes billing information for dozens of US-based hospitals. I was in charge of defining requirements for the software system that is used in our everyday work.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Mono?

We hired Mono Software to replace an outdated desktop-based solution that we’d had in place for over a decade. It was becoming obsolete and presented severe limits to our further growth.

What were your goals for this project?

We planned to reimplement the existing functionality using up-to-date technologies. It was a combination of "smart client" architecture and pure web application. We introduced mobile apps later. Mono Software developed the solution in the .NET framework and used a SQL server as the central database.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We selected Mono Software based on their previous work in the medical sector. We did extensive online and offline research. Our board decided on the final solution based on our opinion about the application’s technical quality and feature set.

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

Mono Software designed, developed and deployed the entire solution. I was solely in charge of documenting our business processes. Subsequently, we used those materials to produce a technical design document specifying the system's functionality. We used it as a basis for all the work.

What was the team composition?

The project team had ten people at its largest, but team members came and went based on our needs. We kept the same project managers and senior developers as contact points throughout the engagement.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our project’s outcome has helped us to stay competitive. The nature of our business requires constant new reports, updates, and analysis. Since Mono Software exceeded our initial expectations, we have been renewing their contracts for years.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

It was impressive. Mono Software complied with deadlines and communicated all issues clearly and on time. We used several modern communication and management tools including Skype, Redmine, and Google Hangouts. Even though we worked on different continents, we didn't have any problems. When urgent issues arose outside their business hours, the team resolved everything swiftly.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I most admired Mono Software’s attitude, enthusiasm, problem-solving skills, and professionalism. Compared to our previous providers, their proactivity and understanding of our business needs definitely distinguished them from the competition.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

There are none that I can think of.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the head of engineering of a custom development shop. In addition to our services, we also have several of our own products.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Mono?

Our client needed assistance with both web development and backend business logic for their Azure-based product. There was an aggressive timeline for completion, and we were looking for experienced partner to augment our internal staff.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We provided Mono with a system requirements document (SRD) that described the project’s specifications, including expectations regarding design, workflow, the scope of effort, and sprint breakouts. Following that guide, Mono completed most of the design and development work for this specific project. It was a collaborative relationship—there was a lot of back and forth.

The end product is a web-based consumer-facing real-time funds movement application in the Azure environment using a software as a service (SaaS) model. It’s a multitenant solution for financial institutions. The system will pull relevant information related to a consumer from its backend servers, render that data, and run a set of custom steps to complete authorization.

Our relationship started with that application, but we’ve continued to work with Mono on multiple projects, including both in-house development and client-facing projects. Their work spans both front- and backend systems.

What is the team composition?

Mono provides a steady stream of about eight developers for our projects. Depending on the workload, they’ll scale up the team to around 10-14 resources. We always have a project manager, who manages the development process. There’s very little overhead; our internal developers communicate directly with their team without an intermediary.

​​​​​​How did you come to work with Mono?

In the past, we’d worked with offshore groups all over the globe. For this specific project, we were looking for a vendor closer to our time zone. We came across Mono, and their location fit what we were looking for. Also, they had some experience working with cloud technologies, so we reached out. After a couple of Skype calls with their CEO, we decided to give them a shot. We started with a small engagement. That was successful, so we moved into the main project.

​​​​​​How much have you invested with them?

In total, we’ve spent over $1 million.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in May 2013, and it’s an ongoing relationship. We have visited their facility on number of occasions to connect faces to names, making our collaborations more efficient.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I don’t have any concrete metrics, but we do track reports of any bugs or issues. We’ve received positive reviews from our customers for the software that Mono’s delivered.

How did Mono perform from a project management standpoint?

Their communication skills are excellent, in terms of both written and verbal interactions. We use a combination of email and Skype, with the occasional phone call. Our in-house project manager speaks with their entire team directly—the management on their end is less formalized but still effective. They’re responsive, always checking for emails and available to chat over Skype. If a specific person is out, a different representative will take their place. With that said, there’s still a bit of a lag during off hours.

It’s a largely open partnership. We welcome Mono’s suggestions and feedback. If something doesn’t make sense, they’ll let us know. If they feel that there’s a better way to do something, they’ll push back. Through this candid back and forth, we create high-quality work. We’ve developed a strong relationship over the years. It really feels like they're part of our in-house team.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their developers are proactive and autonomous. With other development teams, we noticed that they stopped working when they encountered a complex task that they didn’t fully understand. In contrast, when Mono is left on their own, they try new approaches and present different solutions to the problem. Overall, their team is more dynamic. They do their best not to interrupt the workflow.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could improve their documentation process. It’s not lacking, but they could be more detailed. Our communication falls short occasionally, but probably equally guilty in that area. There’s also room for improvement in terms of code quality, but that’s the case for a majority of software builders.

Any advice for potential customers?

Based on my experience, if clients are expecting a more traditional consulting relationship—a large group with structured project management—then, Mono isn’t the best fit for them. I don’t want that level of handholding, so I’m happy with the partnership.