Opus Online

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Rahva Raamat AS is the largest book retail and wholesale trade company in Estonia. We have ten stores in seven cities, and also an e-shop and a mobile app.

Rahva Raamat is a book business with long-standing traditions, and we have been in operation in Estonia since the year 1912.

I’m the Head of Development.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Opus Online?

Our previous e-commerce solution was getting obsolete, and we wanted to revisit all our e-commerce properties to address our current problems and provide for future needs.

In the end, we wanted to create the best and most modern web-store in the Baltics. Because of our successful cooperation, we also decided to let Opus design our mobile applications.

We wanted to create an online store that would represent Rahva Raamat’s timeless style and customer-friendliness that we are known for in Estonia, as well as be modern and future-proof for years to come.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Opus Online was fully responsible for our app design and development, both frontend and backend. On our online store solution, they were responsible for frontend and backend development and backend design. The frontend design and wireframes for the online store were introduced by other companies.

How did you come to work with Opus Online?

We contacted many different web design companies, but Opus Online’s competence and pricing ratio were the best in Estonia.

How much have you invested with Opus Online?

We have invested around 3,000 personnel work hours in total. The project’s total size in dollar terms was between $150,000 and $200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started the online store project in March 2013 and it was delivered in November 2013. The app project started in July 2015 and was delivered in November 2015.

We are developing both projects further on a smaller scale as we speak, as the e-commerce world and book business in Estonia keep changing rapidly.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

Both projects were successful. Our online store’s e-commerce conversion rate has improved by a third and Google traffic has doubled. Also, in February 2016, we received the award of the most user-friendly online store in Estonia.

Our mobile application has over 30,000 downloads and an average rating of 3.7 in the Google Play store. It has fulfilled our ambition to engage more mobile users and provide them with better content than web-based solutions.

We have a good working relationship with Opus Online. They are able to provide their own opinions and ideas to our development needs, which will result in a better product. Also, they are flexible and fast-moving partners. Sometimes it can compromise the initial quality of the product, but as they work quickly, most problems are resolved within hours. As Facebook’s motto goes, it is better to move fast and break things, than vice versa. This is especially important in the world of e-commerce, where sometimes campaign needs have to be met within a few days or even hours.

What did you find most impressive about Opus Online?

They grasp the e-commerce business quite well, and their practical no-frills attitude is useful for fast development. Less lengthy meetings provide faster development processes.

Are there any areas Opus Online could improve?

If anything, the development testing process could be a bit more thorough. In all other aspects, we are pleased with our cooperation.

What tips or recommendations could you share that might increase the likelihood of success with Opus Online?

I recommend Opus Online. They deliver award-winning and result-producing websites and mobile apps.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

Elisa is a telecommunications company, originally established in 1882 in Finland. Today Elisa serves nearly three million consumers total in two countries, Finland and Estonia. The consumers include private customers, corporate clients, and public sector organizations. We provide services for communication and entertainment, including tools for improving operating methods and productivity of organizations. In Finland, Elisa is the market leader in mobile subscriptions, and one of the largest telecommunications companies overall. In Estonia, Elisa is one of the largest in terms of market share of multiple telecommunications services, including mobile subscriptions, as well as one of the largest and most reliable ISP [internet service provider] companies.

What is your position?

I am the Chief Technology Officer and Member of the Board at Elisa Estonia.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Opus Online?

We wanted to transform our digital business and stand out from the competition with top web design and development. Our goals were to succeed online and professionally develop and implement digital solutions.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

Opus Online has been responsible for the web design and development of our main website, self-service portal, social network, and e-commerce development, as well as prototyping services and much more. Furthermore, their team partners constantly to strive to enhance our website on a daily basis and provide updates where necessary in order to meet the growing expectations of all the clients and customers we have.

How did you come to work with Opus Online?

We value the long term reliability of Opus Online and trust in the work they deliver. We used to make inquiries and ask for a quote from lots of development companies before, and Opus Online’s conditions along with their quality has proven to be a very wise choice when we decided to select our number one partner for web design and development.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

The ordered time resource is approximately 4,000 personnel work hours every year.

What is the status of this engagement?

Many of the projects are completed, however, the partnership is ongoing in a way because Opus partners with us constantly to strive to enhance our main website on a daily basis and update where necessary to meet the growing expectations of our customers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

The results have been remarkable in each and every digital channel. Opus Online has done a great job. They have been an impressive partner in web design and development.

What distinguishes Opus Online from other providers?

The main strengths of Opus Online are their innovative and forward-looking thinking. The web development they deliver is frankly monumental. We love their honest, quick, and straight to the point communication. The web design that they do is fresh and stylish. What makes them very special is the amount of talent that has gathered together in the team at Opus, which is truly awesome.

Is there anything Opus Online could have improved or done differently?

No, there really isn’t anything I would do differently. In fact, is any partner 100% ideal in every aspect? Probably not.

What advice would you give to a future client of theirs?

I highly recommend Opus Online. As the demand for their work seems to be growing month by month, genuinely the best advice would be to not delay closing a deal with them.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We are an online marketing agency, offering services like digital marketing, web design, and web development. We've been in business for four to five years.

What is your position?

I am the managing director of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Opus Online?

I wanted to attract more high-profile clients, namely mid-sized to enterprise businesses. I needed to find a web design company that could portray our organization as an online marketing agency.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

Opus Online provided web design services for us initially. Once we went through consultations, our collaboration evolved into developing the site formally. I realized that it would be better to let Opus Online handle the whole scope in-house. They also helped with the UX design of the site and offered digital marketing services, including on-site SEO. Opus Online gave us some suggestions for off-site SEO as well, like building backlinks and so on.

How did you come to work with Opus Online?

I searched Google for top web development and design companies. The clutch.co directory came up, so I looked at some companies there. I'd also heard about Opus Online from multiple business connections. When they opened an office in London, it became more convenient to go over and speak to them about my project. Opus Online convinced me that they were the team for us.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

The total development cost of the project was between $10,000 and $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Opus Online in May 2016. The original website redesign was completed in early June. We've partnered with Opus Online for ongoing web design projects, so our company is selling their services to others.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

We've increased our website's monthly sessions by an additional 2,000, according to Google Analytics. I've especially appreciated that our lead generation went up by roughly 60%, which has been a huge increase and convinced me to keep working with Opus Online.

What distinguishes Opus Online from other providers?

I found Opus Online to be innovative and agile. They adapted well to my changing demands and also made good web design suggestions. Opus Online showed me things which I didn't think were possible in terms of UX design. I was overwhelmed by how good they actually were. I was initially expecting to work with a developer that would deliver my project, without much communication in-between. We've kept in touch with Opus Online on a daily basis and any changes were taken care of immediately.

Is there anything Opus Online could have improved or done differently?

I would have liked to have 1-2 extra consultation sessions. My demands began to change after our initial discussions, because I didn't realize what was possible in the beginning. I would have probably changed the requirements if we'd have had another session, but it wasn't exactly Opus Online's fault. They gave me some ideas and I wanted more.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We are developing the world’s first virtual weight loss advisor, Dietbooster.

What is your position?

I'm the founder, owner, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Marketing Officer, and product/concept developer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Opus Online?

We needed flexible and experienced IT/web developers who would not only develop the system by our specs, but would also help us with strategic and conceptual thinking.

What were your company’s business goals for the project?

We needed to develop a market-ready solution.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

Opus Online was responsible for participating in developing the system requirements, helping to choose the technology for an expert system, IT project management, user interface design, and IT development.

How did you come to work with Opus Online?

Opus Online was recommended to us by some of their previous clients that we knew. Also, we gave them a pilot project and we were pleased with the results, so we ended up going with them.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

The total cost is probably somewhere around $500,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

The project has resulted in them developing a working system for us. There are really no specific metrics that I can give you.

How did Opus Online perform from a project management standpoint?

Opus Online has done very well so far.

What distinguishes Opus Online from other providers?

I like that they are efficient and finish their work quickly.

Is there anything Opus Online could have improved or done differently?

There’s not really anything that I can think of.

What advice would you give to a future client of theirs?

I definitely recommend them.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We are company whose main focus is on providing IT solutions for the advertising and media management industries. At the moment we are focusing on our product called ADSCRM, which is meant for companies who own or manage advertising spaces (including shelves and special product displays in the retail environment). ADSCRM enables ad space owners earn more revenue by providing real-time transparency of the ad spaces and shelves status. Additionally, ADSCRM increases the efficiency of ad spaces management, saving time for our clients, which they can use to sell more ad spaces.

What is your position?

I am the Product Manager and head of the ADSCRM business unit.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Opus Online?

We needed to have a development team, starting from analysts and developers up to quality assurance specialists. Since we currently do not have an in-house development team, outsourcing was the only option for continuing with the projects and product.

What were your company’s business goals for the project?

To create a tool for ad space owners that enables them to earn more revenue.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

Opus Online provided the team consisting of analysts, developers, and quality assurance specialists. The project and product manager was from ADSCRM. The product manager coordinated the activities of Opus’ team, but all IT know-how and best practices related to technical solutions were provided by Opus Online.

How did you come to work with Opus Online?

When I started at ADSCRM, the development partner had already been selected and I had no reason to change them. The reasons for selecting Opus Online were: geographical location (close to the product manager and the end customer), IT expertise, availability, and excellent recommendations from their previous customers. Based on this, it was decided that Opus Online would not only provide resources, but a team that would think along with the end-customer and also the product manager, and would be aimed at achieving the best possible result for everybody on time, within the budget, and in accordance to the scope. Additionally, Opus Online is very flexible and professional regarding any future development requests and maintenance issues. For them it was not just a project that they deliver, they also stay on board and care about the next versions of the product.

Can you give us a sense of the size of the project in financial terms or personnel work hours?

One year of full-time work for a team of eight people.

What is the status of this engagement?

It is ongoing as the solution is now live, but in the stage where clients have new development requests. Therefore, we are working on the future versions of ADSCRM with Opus Online.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

The project was finished on time, within budget, and in accordance with the initially agreed scope. The end-customer is very satisfied with the solution.

How did Opus Online perform from a project management standpoint?

On a scale of 10, I would give Opus Online a 9.5.

What distinguishes Opus Online from other providers?

Opus Online is different from most IT companies because they think along with the customer and help with finding the best possible solutions, instead of just doing everything they are asked to do. They always try to understand the business need behind every request and requirement. Furthermore, the people in Opus Online’s team are very passionate about what they do. Therefore, working with Opus Online has been and still is a pleasure, which can be very rare with software development companies.

They truly care about their work and do not close the door on customers after a project has ended. Opus Online has helped to develop a product and while doing it, keeping in mind that it will need to be maintained, and there will be many future versions.

Is there anything Opus Online could have improved or done differently?

As a product manager, I would start the project using agile methodologies instead of waterfall. This was the business side’s decision even though Opus Online recommended agile from the beginning. We could have achieved some of the business goals sooner if we had used agile methodologies from the start.

What advice would you give to a future client of theirs?

Listen to the advice Opus Online gives you, they have their client’s needs and goals in mind when they recommend something.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

I am an entrepreneur who has started four companies through venture funding. The most recent startup I've been involved with is a content marketing company which worked with large brands in order to manage their content marketing, including social, email, and other web activities. Our clients included Anheuser-Busch, IBM and Mary Kay, among others. We were in charge of anything from managing their incoming social media and everything that was being written about them online, to taking that content and repackaging it into what we call packets, which are distributable to microsites. Anheuser-Busch, for example, has 250 brands globally, and needed platforms on which to place all the existing content for Stella Artois, Skol, and so on, and redistribute that content to their audience.

What is your position?

I was the chief executive officer and founder of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Opus Online?

Our entire activity included Opus Online as our development team. They were by our side from day one, building our core platform. They created the brand experience for each individual brand we were in charge of.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

One of our clients was one of the biggest advertising agencies in the world. They needed a microsite for their Cannes Film Festival presence. It had to feature all of their speakers, the events, and everything else relevant to their presence over the two-week period at the Lion Awards. We built that site for them, through our platform.

How did you come to work with Opus Online?

The first company that I started was located in the Bay Area. I moved to New York for my second one, and the Chief Technology Officer of that company moved with me. He eventually had to go back to his home in Estonia due to personal reasons. We continued working with him and he came to found Opus Online in his country. He left Opus after some time, but we continued working with the company since the relationship was so strong.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

I’d rather keep that confidential.

What is the status of this engagement?

I've been working with Opus Online for around six or seven years across a number of companies.

Our original engagement was in 2008, but Opus Online was formally founded in 2009-2010. There was an initial, smaller company that was formalized into their existing one. They've grown by leaps and bounds in terms of team size. They used to be a group of four programmers and designers, and as they started getting more and more work, they came to their present formula.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

The best measure of quality is the fact that their work has been used by some of the biggest companies in the world. The results speak for themselves in the sense that we've engaged in a long-term agreement with their whole team.

We've always been able to deliver on time, at a significantly lower rate to anyone else. The reason for outbidding companies like Adobe in terms of content marketing was that we were able to deliver much faster. Our work has been overall good. We've grown the company from a startup to having several million dollars in revenue within the first year. The majority of what we created was built by Opus Online. The best way of expressing this would be to say that my relationship with them has been so strong as to use their team for every company I've started over the last years.

What distinguishes Opus Online from other providers?

They go above and beyond in terms of working in a non-standard contractor relationship. They work incredibly long hours. I start out each day at 7 AM my time by having a conversation with their managing director. The last point of contact is usually at 11:30 in the evening. We've had a very close relationship and their work is superb overall. Opus Online's strength is that they've built up a very strong backend team, including everything from programming, database management, and algorithms. Their design team is terrific overall. I can count on them to satisfy any need on the design side within a day or two. They have an incredibly fast turnaround and I couldn't imagine working without them.

Is there anything Opus Online could have improved or done differently?

Many of the problems we've experienced happened early-on, when they were scaling the business. One of our big clients wanted to go from a standing start, to having us handle dozens and dozens of brands, which is not something that a small company is likely to do quickly. The biggest challenge we've had was putting together a team that could match their requirements. Those problems are pretty much gone. They've developed expertise and partnered with companies for mobile development and other facets. If they don't happen to have the necessary team for a client, they can use a partner company and put together the right people within a few days. This approach has gone from a weakness to a strength in their case. It was a frustration early on, but it's no longer an issue. I don't have any negative feedback for Opus Online due to this.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We are a mobile app developer.

What is your position?

I've held several positions within the company, moving from work within the online shop to managing our website from a technical perspective.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Opus Online?

They were already working with the company when I joined. When I took over the web presence management portions, they came as part of the job.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

Opus Online was the subcontractor used for a content management system for the original company website. We worked together during a three-year period. They handled the implementation of the custom system, customizing it for our needs on the backend and building a portal.

When I joined the project, the site was already in a production and maintenance mode. My work with Opus Online was mostly related to modifications, updates, security patching, and other ongoing, day-to-day activities associated with a large website. We get two million hits per month currently.

They acted as consultants for our company and also handled a WordPress project a few years ago.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

I don't have any knowledge of the original project cost. Maintenance was run through order-based billing, so we didn't pay Opus Online a monthly fee. Whenever we needed an update, they made themselves available to us. Being a relatively static environment, it would have been pointless to run a steady service from them. They were competitively priced. We ran the setup on our own infrastructure, so hosting was not one of the costs.

What is the status of this engagement?

We went towards a new direction at the end of last year. We ran our content management system with Opus Online until December 2015. They were in charge of all maintenance. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

In terms of qualitative data, it would be difficult to provide some insights. I think that, over the course of our three-year collaboration, we only had two security issues, which is certainly below the average bug count that is typically found in this type of software.

Our custom content management system was perhaps not the best choice, but it served us for a number of years. Right now, I'd be happier in choosing mainstream platforms due to the multiple support resources and flexibility offered.

In terms of performance, they were solid. We had a performance issue that was more of a problem with customization. A feature was overrunning our system, so we switched it off. We never had any big issues and communication with them was always good. Opus Online WAS prompt in fixing anything we needed.

How did Opus Online perform from a project management standpoint?

Whenever we had any problems, I could contact them on Skype even though we didn't have a support contract in place. They'd reply within a couple of hours and things got fixed quickly.

What distinguishes Opus Online from other providers?

Due to our size as a company, when we say "Up!", everybody tends to jump. I would not even talk to a vendor that didn't provide the level of quality found in Opus Online. I'm very picky in terms of companies that I work with. They met my expectations in this sense.

Is there anything Opus Online could have improved or done differently?

We've had a specialized collaboration, given the level of customization done to their content management system on our behalf. We made it impossible for Opus Online to run scheduled maintenances because of this. It was difficult to say whether they were doing their work at a good level or not. When we requested work from them, communication was as good as possible and their price was right.