Plego

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an account executive at Plexus, an events company. We handle creative production and AV services for corporate events.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Plego Technologies?

The COVID-19 pandemic stopped all events on our side, and we needed to quickly adapt to virtual platforms, so our team was looking to develop interactive websites that could replace live events.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Plego Technologies has been doing website development from scratch for one of our customers. In terms of functionalities, they create every feature according to our customer requests, including building agendas, going into scheduled sessions, and earning accreditations after viewing a video, chatting online, and checking in.

Currently, they’re providing maintenance and further component development to the platform.

What is the team composition?

We’ve been working with two members from their side, including Amin (Owner) and a programmer. Moreover, there was a team of developers working under them.

How did you come to work with Plego Technologies?

A partner who worked with them in the past referred them to us.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in January 2020, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our customers loved our work for them, and they keep coming back to us for more live events — Plego Technologies has been instrumental in that. Moreover, our customers noticed how the metrics had shown more engagement and virtual attendees to the events.

How did Plego Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management has been great; their team always addresses any situation that arises to take care of it immediately. Plego Technologies is responsive and communicates with us via text messages, phone calls, and email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They came back to us with solutions for our challenges through a flexible and tech-savvy approach.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think there’s anything they can improve on because they’ve done everything we’ve needed from them and are responsive to our requests.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an executive for a consulting and staffing company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Plego Technologies?

We needed resources in the cloud space for infrastructure support. One of our clients needed onshore resources first, and then they had an offshore need. We weren’t able to find them internally, so we had to reach out.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We gave Plego Technologies three weeks to find three resources for us, and they filled the positions in two weeks. They managed the resources and provided feedback about how they did.

What is the team composition?

We had a senior infrastructure engineer, an architect-level engineer on the infrastructure, and a DevOps analyst.

How did you come to work with Plego Technologies?

We met them through a referral. Someone worked with them and recommended them, but we initially didn’t reach out because we found another partner to fill our needs. However, when we exhausted our current Rolodex of partners, we reached back out to Plego Technologies and asked if they had the resources. Ultimately, we gave them a shot because we were in dire need.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $300,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve worked with them three times. The most recent project started in September 2021 and ran over to May 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We delivered the project, and our client was happy. As part of the staff, I only had to make sure the resources were there and delivered, so everything went smoothly. 

How did Plego Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

We initially communicated the budget, and they stayed within it. We used Jira for project management and Google Meet for communication.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They stood out for their quick response and ability to provide strong resources; they had a solid recruiting bench and resume database. At the time, unemployment was high and resources were thin, so it was surprising how fast they found those resources.

Are there any areas they could improve?

In the beginning, one of the resources didn’t have the necessary experience, but they quickly turned it around by providing someone with more experience. Also, they could communicate better all the services they provide. Plego Technologies did more than staffing, but we couldn’t offer other services to our clients because we didn’t know they had those skill sets.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be clear upfront; they’re easy to talk to. If you don’t have the budget for something, give them the price upfront; they’ll be able to work around it.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of an investment company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Plego Technologies?

We hired them to create an online marketplace for us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Plego Technologies provided us with e-commerce development services. After explaining to them our idea and vision, they proceeded with the work, building out an online marketplace from scratch that brings together vendors, sellers, and users in a single platform. They handled both front- and backend development efforts using these key technologies: Open Source, LAMP Stack, Laravel, and MySQL. The website is hosted on AWS.

Their team has already completed and launched the site, and they’re currently maintaining it and helping us implement any necessary upgrades.

What is the team composition?

We work with several people from their side, including a project manager, a customer engagement manager, a couple of UI/UX designers, a QA specialist, and a DevOps engineer.

How did you come to work with Plego Technologies?

We found them through an online search.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $150,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in August 2021, and our engagement is still ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since launching the website, we’ve already gotten at least 20–25 sellers. We’ve also received positive feedback from users regarding the site; they all love it.

How did Plego Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve met our deadlines and stayed within budget. We communicate mainly via Google Meet and manage tasks on Jira.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’re impressed with their ability to deliver on their promise. From the get-go, they understood our vision and were very straightforward in terms of explaining how much time was needed and what things they required to get everything done.

Are there any areas they could improve on?

I can’t think of anything that Plego Technologies could improve on.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Work with Plego Technologies — they’re really good at what they do. Also, don’t be afraid to ask questions.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the principal attorney at AU LLC Koloden, a legal services company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Plego Technologies?

We hired them to assist us with web development. We had a customer-facing website and wanted Plego Technologies to do some design work on it and then build out some API functionality and a user dashboard for how the site operates.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We had an existing website, and Plego Technologies has redesigned it and built additional features. Initially, we provided them with a requirements document with steps and segments of the project, which we developed throughout our conversations with them. 

The website allows e-commerce resellers to register an account and integrate their accounts on storefronts like Amazon, Walmart, Wish, or eBay. We use visual search technology and natural language processing with proprietary databases of trademark registration to identify potentially infringing content in product listings in advance of rightsholders using scraping technologies. Our site gives the users a heads-up to modify or take down content that might result in litigation or platform strikes that can be extremely expensive. 

The team has worked on the website's frontend, moving it from WordPress to a React framework. They've also developed a CMS that enables us to edit the content on the front-facing pages. Plego Technologies has created a user dashboard and worked on how our site integrates with other platforms. Additionally, the team has worked on the backend billing technology, including referral codes and some light accounting features. They've built visualization through a dashboard that illustrates data about the user's stores, listings, and problems we're identifying for them. This way, users can keep track of what they need to do. 

At its most basic level, users can create an account and log into our website. From there, they integrate their other seller accounts with our dashboard through several steps, allowing us to see their other accounts on the backend. We use APIs to scan the user's data about product listings and give them notifications if they have a problem. Users can also register an account if they want a referral code, which involves the same process. Platforms or storefronts can also work with us on the API side. The tool scans platforms and gives them feedback so that they don't have to deal with subpoenas or court orders due to their sellers' actions. 

Plego Technologies is engaged with us on an ongoing basis to provide maintenance and technical support for the site; if something breaks, they fix it. Currently, they're working on some UX design. A tester provided feedback on the website's UX, we sent that feedback to Plego Technologies, and they're working on incorporating it. 

What is the team composition?

We primarily work with three teammates from Plego Technologies, although they have more team members working from offshore. 

How did you come to work with Plego Technologies?

I found them through a Google search. They were local, and finding a provider that was close was important to us. Moreover, software development tends to be hired through the big box or freelancing. The project scope was too much for a freelancer, and Plego Technologies was a medium-sized outfit. They were responsive and seemed to do good work, so we chose them.

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent between $50,000–$75,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We sent them an NDA in February 2020, started working with them in April 2020, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re satisfied with the work Plego Technologies has done and their turnaround time. Although development has been slow due to my demanding day job, we’re currently marketing the site. The site has come a long way from where it was when our engagement started. We’re not planning to change providers. 

How did Plego Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

They deliver items on time and get back to us when we reach out. Moreover, the invoices we receive from them are reasonable. We communicate through email, phone calls, and Zoom meetings. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Plego Technologies’ responsiveness distinguishes them from other providers. Before working with them, it seemed as though our requirements were indifferent to other providers at the outset. Coding is a unique product with unique characteristics. When we tried to explain what we needed to developers, they didn’t seem to be interested in the characteristics of the project but rather in onboarding us. 

Meanwhile, Plego Technologies demonstrates an appreciation for the project and what it could do. We’re not just another client to them; they’re interested in getting our project to work because they like it and see its value.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing they need to improve; we’re satisfied. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

My advice for collaborating with any developer is to have requirements at the outset to avoid spinning around. There’s some amount of brainstorming and exploration to any design process. Having requirements set out is important to determine if the provider met your goal and spent money and time appropriately.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president of an SEO, digital media, and web design company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Plego Technologies?

We engaged Plego Technologies to develop an application and custom software for us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Plego Technologies has helped us develop an application for iOS and Android. First, we worked with the team to define our project scope. Then, they built a workflow that outlined how the application would work. Ultimately, we collaborated with the Plego Technologies team to design and build the application in phases, which worked well. 

Users can download the application to perform SEO audits for their websites. The application runs through their website, measures the efficiencies and inefficiencies, and compiles the data into a color chart. Plego Technologies has implemented an e-commerce feature that prompts users to set up a call with our team to review their results. Once users have met with us, they can implement the suggestions themselves or engage us. 

Although we’ve completed the application, we haven’t launched it yet. We plan to continue working with Plego Technologies to maintain, update, and add new features to the application. 

What is the team composition?

We’ve primarily interfaced with Saad and Amin (Co-Founders). However, Plego Technologies has a team of 12 developers who’ve worked on our application. 

How did you come to work with Plego Technologies?

We found Plego Technologies on Clutch. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested about $150,000 in the partnership with Plego Technologies. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Plego Technologies in May 2022, and the partnership is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since we haven’t launched yet, we don’t have metrics. However, the project has turned out really well and Plego Technologies has created a solid application. They’ve delivered even more than we asked for and we haven’t faced any issues working with them. We’re excited to keep growing the product. 

How did Plego Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

Plego Technologies has been a great partner; they’ve remained on top of the project throughout each stage. Since we’ve worked on the development process in phases, we’ve been able to see the application form in real-time. As a result, we’ve made many changes to the project scope, and Plego Technologies has been very accommodating. Despite expanding the scope, they’ve delivered the project on time and within budget. 

The team really knows what they’re doing; they’ve communicated effectively, and we’ve built a trusting working relationship. Even when we’ve reached out during inconvenient times, they’ve gotten back to us immediately. They’re actually local to us, which has been very helpful because we’ve consistently met at their office. They typically record our meetings and we’ve used WeChat to manage tasks and share feedback. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’ve been most impressed by their communication skills and ability to work within our budget. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I have nothing Plego Technologies could improve on; they’ve been fantastic. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

First and foremost, I highly recommend working with Plego Technologies. Try to prepare ahead of time and have a good understanding of your end goal so that you can provide the team with as much information as possible.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a team leader in a hardware and software development company focusing on testing in healthcare.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Plego Technologies?

We hired them for development services.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Plego Technologies has worked on several projects with us. They’ve developed a web application for medical records. The team has also built a tablet application for Android and iOS. For the tablet app, they’ve used React so that we could keep the solution multi-platform. Other technologies they’ve used for development are MySQL databases, PHP, and style sheets to ensure robust solutions. 

What is the team composition?

I’ve worked directly with four teammates from Plego Technologies, including two members of their management team and two development project managers. They also had developers working behind the scenes. 

How did you come to work with Plego Technologies?

We found them online. They were local to us, which we liked because we could work face to face with their team.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $200,000–$1 million.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in 2011, and the partnership is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re a small company that’s not metric-driven, so we measure Plego Technologies’ success based on our overall satisfaction with the projects. The team has been responsive, helpful, and easy to work with. They’re always the first partner that comes to mind when we need additional development help.

How did Plego Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management is good. They provide feedback and status updates and keep our projects moving forward. We’ve communicated via phone, email, face-to-face meetings, and Zoom throughout the engagement. We’ve met on all the modern platforms; the team has been very responsive and accommodating to our needs.

Plego Technologies being local to us has also been an advantage. Even though it’s easy to work in a distributed fashion nowadays, meeting the team face to face has made it easier to develop ideas together. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Plego Technologies listens and tries to understand how to meet our needs in a modern development environment where maintainability and scalability are critical. They work very hard to satisfy us as customers. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Nothing they need to improve comes to mind. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Communication is key! The clearer you are about your project, the easier it’ll be for Plego Technologies, and the more satisfied you’ll be with the final project. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the former marketing manager for Alyce Paris, a women’s fashion manufacturer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Plego Technologies?

We had a website built in PHP, and the web designer we had used was no longer with us, so we were looking to bring the site in-house. We needed a company to help design and develop our new website with a CMS so we wouldn’t have to rely on anybody to make changes because we had different dresses every season.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Plego Technologies designed and developed two websites from scratch using a Joomla CMS. Both sites had a similar look and feel; one was for bridal and mother-of-the-bride fashion, and the mirror site was for prom dresses, quinceañeras, and such events. 

First, we gave them our requirements, and they presented a proposal, showing us the look and feel and how we would add new dresses from the backend. We went through several design iterations; we drove the process, and they provided suggestions. At their recommendation, they built a landing page split into two sections: one for weddings and another for proms and quinceañeras, so users could choose where they wanted to go. 

Additionally, they helped us integrate Google Analytics into the new sites. Plego Technologies built a store locator feature where users could see a list of stores in their area to try on dresses they found on the site. They also provided consultancy about the CMS and walked me through the site.

What is the team composition?

I mainly worked with Saad (Co-Founder & Partner), who acted as a project manager. We also worked with a designer and a developer.

How did you come to work with Plego Technologies?

I was in charge of finding a vendor and found them through a Google search. I talked to several candidates and was impressed with Plego Technologies. We had an initial interview, and they were very professional, so we decided they would be a good fit for our company. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $11,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from January–July 2015.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Once we got the new site, our bounce rate went down, user time spent on the site went up, and sales also went up. The landing page they suggested helped drive users where we wanted them to go without them being confused about where to navigate; this helped with our bounce rate and drove user acquisition to where we needed it. The CMS also made it easy for us to log in and update our dresses every season or remove ones that were sold out or weren't selling well. This way, we avoided customers' confusion. Moreover, Joomla was easy to understand and get the hang of, which helped our bottom line as far as making changes ourselves. 

Plego Technologies was very accommodating throughout the design process; they listened to our feedback and gave suggestions. We appreciated their expertise because this was our first time redoing a website, and they'd done it several times before. 

How did Plego Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

They met the deadline and stayed on budget, so their project management was excellent. We were an old-school-style company, so we didn't use project management tools. Instead, we talked to them on the phone and had them come into our office to discuss their progress. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Plego Technologies' strength was their adaptability; they were willing to work with us and give us feedback. Since our initial meeting, we were impressed with the team's suggestions on what to do and about CMS systems. The team did a lot to ensure we were happy without add-on costs. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

They didn't need to improve; we were very pleased with them. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I would recommend having some face-to-face meetings with Plego Technologies. They were very good at whiteboard ideas for us, so I'd advise giving them a chance and hearing what they have to say.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Rxeed is an online pharmaceutical company. We connect consumers with independent pharmacies with each other, consumers, pharmacies, wholesalers all on one platform. Our marketplace facilitates the process of obtaining medications.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Plego Technologies?

We needed to find an informed, experienced technology company that could deliver a solid product.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I explained my vision and requirements to Plego Technologies, and they executed every step of the process to the letter. They designed and developed our online marketplace using PHP. Our project was unique in the market. They had to write the code line by line. Even when the project got very complicated, the team was able to overcome every challenge.

What is the team composition? 

The team includes eight people.

How did you come to work with Plego Technologies?

Before we were introduced, I’d had negative experiences with a few companies from India and the Philippines. I reached out to many different companies in the United States.  Plego Technologies developed a website for my brother-in-law who owns a cargo company. He was pleased with their work and recommended them to me. I set up a meeting to discuss our project. They presented a solid plan for the execution within a reasonable timeframe. I’m very pleased I ended up choosing them, especially since they’re local.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together for three months from September–December 2017.
 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The end product is marvelous. Plego Technologies delivered a very solid product. All the companies I’ve demonstrated it to have been quite impressed. They asked me who developed it for us because they saw it was a well done, reliable product.

How did Plego Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

We had a phone call every other day. Plego Technologies sent constant updates through email. They always kept us informed and up to speed. Anytime I had a question or wanted to check on progress, the team invited me to their office to show me what was going on. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Everyone on the team is very knowledgeable and provides excellent support. Whenever I brought up an issue, they resolved it by the end of the day or the next morning at the latest. Plego Technologies a team you can rely on. They always deliver.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, Plego Technologies did a great job.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I suggest being engaged and asking questions. Plego Technologies is very helpful.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I act as the executive director for the Society for Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery. It’s a global organization of orthopedic surgeons and neurosurgeons that specialize in spinal surgery.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Plego Technologies?

My company took over managing the society in November 2017. At that time, the group’s website was outdated in terms of both design and functionality, so we decided to do a complete redesign.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

After browsing the websites of other similar societies and associations, we constructed a basic framework of webpages for the new site. Plego Technologies helped us conceptualize a concrete design before building it out on a WordPress platform.

The team integrated the new site with our broad membership database, which allowed us to implement a “find a surgeon” feature for our users. Potential patients can search for doctors by a specific country, state, city, or name. The system then populates a list of members that suit those fields.

What is the team composition?

I worked with two project leads, but I’m sure there were other team members working in the background.

How did you come to work with Plego Technologies?

I searched for local vendors, and Plego Technologies appeared on that list. After viewing their website and portfolio of past clients, I hired them.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $32,000 on this project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from February–June 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Responses to the new site have been largely positive, specifically regarding its navigable interface and updated aesthetic.

How did Plego Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

Overall, they were great to work with. We spoke daily, and their team was consistently responsive and organized. If we ever ran into an issue or fell behind schedule, Plego Technologies let us know right away.

We shared information via Dropbox. It was the easiest way to provide their team with open access to all of the images and content we wanted them to include on the new site.

What did you find most impressive about them?

With strong attention to detail, Plego technologies delivered what they promised on time and within our budget.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything off the top of my head.

Any advice for potential customers?

We had an initial meeting to discuss the entire project, using example websites to determine what we wanted to see in the new build. That kickoff meeting played a key role in the eventual success of our project.

Additionally, I recommend potential clients use some kind of project management tool. Sharing files through Dropbox was much more efficient than sending a multitude of emails.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

My name is Ron Albanese and I am the owner of Wisconsin Trigger Company. We manufacture and sell AR-15 rifle target triggers for high-powered shooters and national match shooters.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Plego Technologies?

The original challenge was we wanted to turn a bullet power calculator we’d created into a usable program.

After that, we asked them to step in and fix our website that had been abandoned by a previous designer.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’d written the algorithms for a bullet power calculator, and they wrote a program that to does the math for you.

Plego quickly got an emergency website up and running when our designer disappeared, leaving an unfinished site. They took over the project of building a new site. The site is a mix of informational (e.g., instructional videos) and some e-commerce where we sell our product triggers.

What is the team composition?

I worked with three people, but I couldn't say who else was involved on their end.

How did you come to work with Plego Technologies?

I found them after doing a web search. I spoke with them on the phone, and liked how ambitious they were to take on the project. They were anxious to help us by writing the bullet power program, and thought it would be fun and interesting.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $12,000-$13,000 on everything.

What is the status of this engagement?

Work began in June of 2015. The bulk of their work was completed in early 2016, but they continue to host the site and make the occasional tweak.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re pleased with the positive comments on the website. Customers are very happy that they can access the trigger installation instructions online, and watch videos of how to do it.

How did Plego Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

They were great. They asked a lot of questions about the website and what we wanted it to be able to do. If I liked something, they implemented it. They were very good about sticking to what I wanted to see happen. Some of my ideas turned out to be not the best decisions, so they changed them after the site went live.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re very responsive; when I call, I get a response right away. If they weren’t able to answer the phone I would get a call within an hour to address my concerns.

They came to our office to talk about the business, which showed me that they really wanted the job. They didn’t just take our money and shoot over a website, they actually took an interest in what we are doing and what we want to accomplish.

They were really timely. Everything was done when they told me it would be done.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could try harder to convince me when I'm making a mistake.