Netfork

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am an executive at Bonfire.com

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Bonfire is a free online platform where anyone can design, sell, and buy custom merch.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Netfork to accomplish?

• Create our internal DWH (Data Warehouse)

SOLUTION

How did you find Netfork?

Online Search

Why did you select Netfork over others?

Pricing fit our budget

How many teammates from Netfork were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

We needed to create a unified data platform that would contain all the data changes as a ledger, serve as a single source of truth for the whole business and allow better data visualization for our data analysis team. We required external assistance because we didn't have enough internal resources nor the expertise to develop such a platform ourselves.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Netfork’s data engineering architects planned the process of ingesting the data from multiple sources (databases) via Spark jobs of our existing system into a new unified data warehouse that would be built using Amazon Redshift. After the architecture plan was approved by Bonfire, Netfork’s Data Engineers implemented the proposed solution. After the successful implementation, Bonfire started onboarding internal Data Engineers to take over the maintenance of the platform from Netfork engineers, which was a process during which Netfork’s engineers provided all the needed support.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

There were recurring weekly calls with both parties, usually three times per week, to make sure we're on track and building things in way that is helpful to Bonfire.

What was your primary form of communication with Netfork?

Virtual Meeting

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

They possessed the relevant expertise we were looking for. As well as excellent communication from the team.

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

Nothing that comes to my mind.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Senior Director, Technology and Business Solutions of Merlin

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

The digital music licensing partner for the leading independent record labels, distributors, and rights holders around the world.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Netfork to accomplish?

• Build serverless data pipelines optimised for speed.
• Automate our CI/CD pipelines
• Build products beautifully designed to achieve business objectives.

SOLUTION

How did you find Netfork?

Referral

Why did you select Netfork over others?

• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Netfork were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Our project has three elements, each relating to a specific part of our platform. The first part is for our internal users—meaning our people handle business processes. The second part is for our members—meaning record labels, music distributors, and other rightsholders. The third part is our data processing.

Initially, Netfork only worked on the internal part of the platform. We then formed a core team that included people from Netfork. After we saw that Netfork had the necessary quality, we included more people from their team to work on all three parts of the project focusing on UX/UI design, data engineering and DevOps.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

• Increased compute efficiency 
• Further cost savings
• Faster value delivery

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

The project management for the partnership was handled internally by us. This meant we defined the project scope, set deadlines, and managed the overall workflow with the support of Netforks team. The Netfork team were able to meet our deadlines, communicate well and respon to our needs as defined in the scope. 

What was your primary form of communication with Netfork?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

What impressed us the most about Netfork was their ability to seamlessly integrate into our existing team and processes. This is often a challenge when working with external partners, but Netfork demonstrated a remarkable adaptability and commitment to collaboration. Furthermore, Netfork

• didn't just take orders; they actively sought to understand how our users interacted with the platform. This user-centric approach is crucial for successful product development.
• was praised for their clear and transparent communication. This openness facilitated smooth collaboration and efficient problem-solving.
• embraced our core value of transparency, eventually becoming comfortable voicing their opinions and concerns. This reflects a deep understanding of and alignment with our company culture.

Netfork went beyond simply providing development services. They became a true extension of our team, demonstrating a level of integration and commitment that is truly impressive.

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

None

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Head of Development of Decidio GmbH

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Decidio offers IT consulting services in the areas of custom software development, staff augmentation, IT infrastructure, rapid prototyping, as well as technology implementation, including Salesforce, Oracle and Microsoft technologies.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Netfork to accomplish?

• Assistance in development of a .NET CMS-based web application

SOLUTION

How did you find Netfork?

• Referral

Why did you select Netfork over others?

• Great culture fit
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Netfork were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

We discovered Netfork on the recommendation of their old associate. They acted quickly and recommended two outstanding candidates with .NET experience who could quickly join the team and learn new technologies.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

• We can confirm that the project was completed successfully with the assistance of provided developers.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

The PM team was responsive and fast with the overall process. Their developers were completely integrated into our processes and followed our guidelines in the same way that the rest of the team did.

What was your primary form of communication with Netfork?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

The recommended developers' quality, as well as the seamlessness of their integration into our processes and their quick responses to our needs. They were proactive in resolving issues and accepting overall responsibility.

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

I cannot think of anything at the moment.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Chief Executive Officer of Victor Media Group (VMG). VMG is an independent media company that provides high-quality content on various topics. Additionally, we have begun working as a Saas company within the translation/transcription space.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Netfork?

We needed a tool that would transcribe and translate podcasts from English audio to audio in other languages. Before contacting Netfork, we employed a variety of tools to help with various aspects of the process. The main challenge was to unify those processes in a single platform, capable of producing completely translated podcasts.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We spoke with companies that had previously worked with Netfork. Because they had a positive experience working with them, we decided to give Netfork a try. Also, Netfork provided us with examples of their previous work, which was related to the translation of textual and audio content.

Describe the project in detail and walk through their service package.

We wanted to launch an MVP version of the product that relied on third-party solutions to solve the problem in its entirety. As a result, we wanted to build a platform that will enable us to start translating podcasts into a few languages. We needed a team to work on the platform's MVP development and later continue working on further improvements of the product.

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

COO, CTO and PM

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We developed the platform's MVP effectively and are continuing to build and maintain our platform.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Netfork fully owned the development process. The whole process was transparent, and our communication was impeccable. Netfork provided us with valuable input that allowed us to improve our product.

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

Transparency of the process, clear communication, and flexibility to adapt to our needs.

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

Over all strong team.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a CEO & Co-Founder of Reusables. Reusables.com is a zero-waste packaging platform that provides reusable packaging to businesses and their customers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Netfork?

As a startup, we needed to build the first version of the platform. The goal of our platform was to help restaurants and end users manage reusable food containers that we as a company provide.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We established first contact with Netfork during the Web Summit conference in Lisbon. Later, we contacted Netfork to see if we can work together. At the time, we were interested in creating a startup. During our initial conversations, we asked about their previous projects and talked to their previous clients. After we made sure that Netfork has the needed quality, we decided to start the partnership.

Describe the project in detail and walk through their service package.

We needed to create a project MVP with two main types of users - restaurants and customers. The project needed to make it possible for restaurants to request reusable packaging from us. Customers would then rent those packages along with the food they had ordered. Restaurants and end users were supposed to use the system through the mobile app. We needed a team that was capable of developing and maintaining the platform.

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

We organized reference calls with Netfork’s previous partners. We also asked Netfork to show us their previous projects that had similar scope and functionalities (tracking, etc). After verifying Netfork's quality, we chose to work with them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Netfork team has successfully developed an MVP of the platform, that we launched in fall 2021. Their team is still developing and maintaining our platform.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

From the very beginning, Netfork team took full responsibility for the development process of the app. They maintained a high level of transparency of the process, which is why we were able to know the development status at all times.

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

The level of transparency and clarity in communication, They were highly reliable from the start which is why we were able to give them full ownership without our supervision and management.

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

No, they were professional and great!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CMO at Zenegy, responsible for Marketing Strategy and execution at Zenegy. I work closely with our product teams and relevant development stakeholders. Zenegy was founded in 2017 with a desire to create a whole new generation of payroll systems, and rethink the existing ones. Our tech platform offers a digital, user-friendly, and flexible payroll system.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Netfork?

We wanted to add new team members to our existing teams in order to scale them. As a result, we needed backend developers with .Net experience on the back-end and Angular expertise on the front-end to join our existing teams.

SOLUTION

How did you select this agency and what were the deciding factors?

Netfork reached out to our former CTO. Following the initial contact, we discussed potential collaboration and developers that Netfork could provide for our needs. After onboarding their first candidates, we decided to extend our collaboration with Netfork, who recommended new developers suitable for our teams.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

We have created multiple products within our platform. Payroll is the current flagship of Zenegy and is a revolutionary Payroll system, which boasts of many complex, innovative and unique features. Time is a tool for tracking work and task related hours and minutes. With Admin, you get complete transparency and control over your customers' payroll administration, as well as the most innovative solution on the market.

We are still working on two additional products. Expense helps you by automating your entire expense management process, from submission of claims to their reimbursement. Finally, Numbers will be a suite of financial services. When the need arose, Netfork developers joined a product related team.

Describe the recruitment process in detail.

When a specific resource was required, Zenegy would then send a message to Netfork. Netfork would then send CVs of candidates they believe are a good fit for the appropriate role. It's always .Net and Angular expertise as a stack, preferably with Azure expertise as well.

Following that, we would organize a technical interview with a recommended candidate, during which our tech leads would assess the candidate's knowledge of the mentioned technologies. Following a successful interview, the candidate would be assigned to a project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our products' overall development has improved as a result of our collaboration with Netfork.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

All Netfork developers have successfully integrated into our product teams' processes and standards. The communication is excellent, and we consider them to be an important part of our teams. All of this has contributed to the fact that we now have ten Netfork developers on our teams.

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

Their adaptability to our processes and business requirements. All developers spent time learning about our products' requirements, while being determined to add value to us throughout the process.

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

I don't believe there are any significant areas for improvement.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

NFI is a transportation company. We offer a wide range of services, including distribution, brokerage, global logistics, etc. My name is Elliot Brazil and I am a Director of Pricing Strategy at NFI.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We needed a team that could help us build an internal app to help us respond to various quote requests from our clients. We required external assistance because we didn't have enough internal resources to focus on developing this internal tool ourselves.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We reached out to an established external partner with whom we collaborate on core services. They suggested Netfork as a potential partner who could assist us with our needs. The trust we had in our existing partner was crucial for starting a partnership with Netfork.

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

We received quote requests from our clients through a variety of channels, which is why we needed a centralized system to store all of them and process them manually. We also wanted to use that mechanism to contact external third-party services that could assist us in providing the best quotes to clients. The Netfork team collaborated closely with an existing NFI team to better understand the project's business needs and the business logic that needed to be implemented. They then produced the initial version of the previously described tool. Netfork continues to develop and maintain this project

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

Three to five individuals, from project management and QA to development work itself.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The initial version was successfully developed within the agreed-upon terms. Then, with the same team, we chose to continue perfecting and maintaining the tool, which we continue to do to this day.

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

During the development of the initial version of the tool, Netfork demonstrated the agreed upon results in a timely manner. Netfork development team received feedback from us, and implemented additional changes which enabled us to integrate them into our processes. This was crucial for maintaining good communication in future projects.

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

Their excellent communication skills and quick comprehension of our business requirements are impeccable. The second trait was crucial to the product's development success.

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

N/A

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Tom Ringenbach Head of Operations Founded in 2017, VNDLY transforms how companies manage the contingent workforce. With its SaaS Vendor Management System (VMS), companies can manage the entire non-employee engagement lifecycle from talent acquisition to training to payment and offboarding. VNDLY serves as the ERP system of record for multiple Fortune 500 companies to manage their entire contingent and non-employee workforce on a single platform.

VNDLY is a cloud-native platform that helps simplify the implementation, integration, and change management aspects compared to legacy VMS solutions. The VNDLY platform is comprised of four major modules: Contingent Workforce Management, Statement of Work (SoW) Management, Independent Contractor (IC) Compliance, and Total Talent Acquisition.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Netfork?

We hired Netfork after raising a round of investments. We needed to scale up our development efforts quickly by adding high-quality resources to our existing development team, so we decided to explore the options of staff augmentation through a partnership with an offshore organization such as Netfork.

SOLUTION

How did you select this agency and what were the deciding factors?

Netfork reached out to us offering their services and we decided to conduct a due diligence process and determine whether they are a good fit for us. After becoming acquainted with their organization in general, as well as the candidates they proposed as the addition to our team, we decided to start the collaboration with them.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

Our system initial version was built using Python/Django server-side rendered templates that were tightly coupled with our business logic, so after raising another investment round, we decided to bring in additional developers in order to start decoupling the existing system and migrating the front-end to React, while developing new features in parallel.

Describe the recruitment process in detail.

We were looking to add engineers with strong fundamental knowledge along with experience in any of the technologies we relied on (React or Django), so we conducted interviews that focused on those areas with live coding challenges in order to filter out the right candidates.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Through our collaboration with Netfork we initially added two experienced full-stack developers, and within a period of a couple of months increased the number of added developers to four. Over time, we have steadily been adding new resources when needed, either on the full-stack development or QA positions.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We have managed to integrate Netfork developers into our team and process seamlessly. Their developers managed to fit into our existing set up, while providing suggestions on how to improve our process and product as well.

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

The most impressive thing about the collaboration with Netfork is communication. We managed to communicate our needs easily in the beginning with their management, while also maintaining easy and efficient communication with all of the team members we have added to our team.

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

Not that I can think of.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

 I am the Founder of a software company 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

SaaS software for sales teams

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Netfork to accomplish?
Build initial solution

SOLUTION

How did you find Netfork?

Referral

Why did you select Netfork over others?

Referred to me

How many teammates from Netfork were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

We developed a Sales Collaboration Platform for Enterprise Sales Teams, starting with Mutual Action Plans. Our platform helps Enterprise Sales Teams build and share Mutual Action Plans, collaborate on next steps, track buyer engagement and book more revenue. 

There were two stages. The first stage was the development stage, in which we wanted to create an MVP dashboard, which we had already begun developing with the previous team. Our first goal was to create dashboard templates. On the backend side, we wanted to build user and admin panels. After this stage and the launch of the MVP, Netfork would continue the maintenance of the platform.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

The development of panels and features was completed on time, and current maintenance is performed satisfactorily.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Built out sprints and assigned tasks to developers, very professional.

What was your primary form of communication with Netfork?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Netfork developers understood our needs from the start and demonstrated a willingness to go above and beyond the agreed-upon terms in order to solve problems. They are highly efficient and energetic individuals who are not afraid to fully own the work in a transparent manner.

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

There is nothing noteworthy that they could have done differently.