Qualifast

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Co-founder of finbryte

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Loan origination and mortgage case management SaaS

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Provide guidance and consulting for key technological decisions
• Lead and mentor our in-house dev team
• Provide additional dev resoures to meet tight deadlines

SOLUTION

How did you find Qualifast?

Referral

Why did you select Qualifast over others?

• Close to my geographic location
• Great culture fit
• Positive prior experience

How many teammates from Qualifast were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Qualifast provided key guidance and support for the timely execution of the finbryte loan origination system. While we have previously worked with Qualifast as a vendor, for this project they were crucial for building and strengthening our in-house capabilities. In the initial stages of the project a lot of the actual development work was done by Qualifast, while later on as  we began onboarding full-time employees, they switched to a technological consulting role. They have ensured this process was smooth and efficient, not only delivering all functionalities and features required, but also setting up our team for future success.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Working version of the finbryte LOS as per the project scope and requirements
• Helped us recruit a team of capable in-house developers
• Deployed and managed the infrastructure for the finbryte LOS 

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

We had regular planning meetings with  Qualifast, scoping and breaking down every chunk of work and estimating how long it would take to deliver. As all estimates, we were sometimes off-the-mark, but the collaborative nature of the process ensured that all stakeholders were informed and on-board the project delivery schedule at all times. At one occassion we had issues with a certain delay, but the Qualifast leadership took ownership and responsibility and quickly rectified the sitiuation. 

What was your primary form of communication with Qualifast?

In-Person Meeting

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

Their willingness to put our own company objectives as a priority

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

Since we are mostly communicating face-to-face, at times there were points discussed that we didn't remember / remember differently after a few weeks - better note-keeping / summary emails would have helped here (though this is something we could have also addressed ourselves).

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Co-Founder of Zimoti

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Zimoti.com is on a mission to make buying and renting properties in Bulgaria much easier and more transparent.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Build MVP

SOLUTION

How did you find Qualifast?

Referral

Why did you select Qualifast over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Qualifast were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

• They delivered an MVP and subsequentely numerous extensions and versions
• They setup analytics and a monitoring system which they constantly monitor and address problems proactively. 
• The projest is setup in the AWS cloud with all infrastructure maintained with infrastructure as a code.
• Recently they also started helping us with our tech interview process, but we still have not found the right candidate. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We started from scratch and now we have a launched product visited by tens of thousands of users each month. The product proves to be mostly stable with only very few occasions of crashes or bugs. They have setup effective DevOps as they release new versions in matter of minutes.

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

Qualifast were engaged in the project thourhgout the whole execution: we worked together on the requirements, streamlined phases with them, they were also quick to respond when we had to change priorities. Most of our requests were addressed/picked up within a matter of hours. 
They really strive to abide to estimates and when they don't we discuss the situation constructively trying to avoid reoccurence in the future.

What was your primary form of communication with Qualifast?

Virtual Meeting

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

Qualifast has two advantages for us: they are boutique agency with a small team and we engage directly with everyone, which speeds up changes. Furthermore, they are quite experienced in working with startups and react quickly to changing market needs and priorities. 
Given their experience with early stage ventures, they also have great techincal insights on how to build proposed functionality in the most lean possible way.

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

Keep doing what you are doing! They were a great partner for any early-stage venture. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO of Sheetly Ltd

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Product Management Solution for web merchants

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Develop MVP

SOLUTION

How did you find Qualifast?

Referral

Why did you select Qualifast over others?

• Close to my geographic location
• Pricing fits our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Qualifast were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Based on designs in Figma and blueprints of the data architecture then QualiFast rebuilt the front end in Angular, using AG Grid as the data framework and developed a new backend in JAVA to serve the complex data structures and requirements of the front end

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

After the first 3 months, we had bi-weekly deliveries and evaluation of set deliveries

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

This was very much a time and effort project, where we covered as much ground (features) as possible in each 2-week sprints - learning and evolving as we progressed. This was a collaborative effort scope and not a fix requirements scope effort

What was your primary form of communication with Qualifast?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting

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

That they understood the nature of a startup company. The project evolved in a fast and surprising manner.

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

We should have asked and allowed for their input more than we did and subsequently Qualifast should have insisted more on being a co-pilot and not so much a bus driver

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the founder, CEO of ATKAIROS LIMITED

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

AI-Based Executive Assistant mobile app.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Build v1 of iOS app
• Build v1 of back-end to handle product requirements

SOLUTION

How did you find Qualifast?

Referral

Why did you select Qualifast over others?

High ratings, Close to my geographic location, Other

What was the size of Qualifast’s team?

2-5 Employees

What was your primary form of communication with Qualifast?

Virtual Meeting, Email or Messaging App

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

Create v1 of back-end and front end of iOS app, supporting main team in executing against the product roadmap. Qualifast helped us scale the team, by giving us scale and picking up tasks and tickets to enable us to move faster. As part of the delivery, combined with the core team, the team shipped 7 versions into the app store, building on the original idea and adding features and functionality. They executed well, augmenting our ideas, and picking up tasks that were important and urgent for our continued delivery.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Speed of delivery of desired functionality (92 builds)
• Product Roadmap progress
• Speed of delivery of desired functionality (92 builds)
• Product Roadmap progress

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

They were Incredibly responsive and fast when it came to discussing urgent and important tickets. In terms of project management, there are areas of improvement, given the hybrid set up of remote employees and Qualifast team, but over time, adjustment got better and we were delivering faster.

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

They employed good long-term thinking, considering both speeds of delivery and meeting deadlines and flexibility for future functionality. Overall, good communication.

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

Speed of delivery could be improved with better communication and coordination. Clearer trade-offs (speed versus scale) when some of the decisions are made - it would be easier for me as the client to make decisions if I have a better overview of how long a task would take versus the impact of not doing it in a scaleable way.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an executive at a sports technology company based in the UK.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenges were you trying to address with Qualifast?

We needed a good partner to help us build one of our products, so we engaged with Qualifast to help us develop part of its software.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Initially, we worked with Qualifast to lay out the project’s structure and talk about the problem we wanted to solve. We also provided them with the product’s design, and they helped us develop the product roadmap. Then, we gave them feedback on its features and architecture.

Based on that feedback, Qualifast started working on the product’s front- and backend development. Overall, they’ve been actively involved in the product’s planning, execution, QA, and interaction with the market.

What was the team composition?

Four people from Qualifast have been involved in the project.

How did you come to work with Qualifast? 

One of the top engineers in the world recommended them highly, so we reached out to them, talked with their CEO, and met their team. We found out they were one of the best-qualified specialists in our area in the use of the technologies we needed.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in January 2022, and the partnership is still ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Thanks to Qualifast, our company got accepted into AWS; they were involved in the whole conversation with them. Recently, we signed one of our main technology partnerships, and Qualifast was also involved in that process. Overall, the impact of their work in our company has been great, and they now feel like members of our team.

How did Qualifast perform from a project management standpoint?

Working with Qualifast is very easy because they’re very transparent. It was very simple for us to agree on the project’s roadmap because they use a lean software development methodology, which we also use. Moreover, I’ve never experienced a lack of response from their end; they have very fast response rates and are always there for us if we have any issues.

Overall, Qualifast is highly qualified, and they always care about our project. They’ve delivered everything on time and within budget — we’ve actually spent less than originally planned and received features before we expected them. Additionally, working with Qualifast is very easy communication-wise. We use Zoom and Slack to communicate, and we’ve had a few in-person meetings.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Qualifast’s ability to work as part of our team is amazing.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, not really. They’re very adaptable, so whenever something needs improvement, we let them know, and they adapt accordingly.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be transparent and open about your project, and they’ll help you build the roadmap.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of a company that offers a cloud-based vocational rental software. Our solutions better help property managers to optimize their work.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Qualifast?

We wanted to extend our functionality by creating new modules and features for our software, and Qualifast has been developing those tools. Our business goal was to streamline some of our operational processes for customers related to cleaning and maintenance.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We outlined the scope before we started working together: developing an iOS and Android mobile and then extending our software’s features to better support our current infrastructure. All their work is written in Java. The mobile apps have a task manager which allows users to put together checklist of tasks that need to be done, as well as upload accompanying documents and photos.

What is the team composition?

We’ve been working with three people: one project manager and then two developers, one who focuses on backend development and one who focuses on the mobile app.

How did you come to work with Qualifast?

One of our customers recommended them to us.

How much have you invested with them?

The cost is around $30,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since January 2022. The app is in the final stages of deployment.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We check their progress toward what we agreed on, and Qualifast has done perfectly.

How did Qualifast perform from a project management standpoint?

There haven’t been any delays; I’m very happy with their internal management, communication, and adherence to deadlines.

We typically communicate over Slack, as well as Soapbox and email. Weekly meetings allow us to collaborate and brainstorm

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’m quite impressed with their ability to propose solutions. We often have very specific requests from our clients, and Qualifast also has great previous experience to draw on.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could maybe increase their capacity to work on more projects and have an even more timely manner. I’m quite happy with how they’ve handled deadlines though, however. It would just be beneficial for them and their customers to increase their team a bit.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It’s important to have a basic concept of what you need to achieve, or at least some milestones or an MVP specification. This will speed up the process and prevent you from wasting too much time.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

The company's name is OMNIO, a startup that is automating back-office processes for financial crime prevention in financial institutions. I'm the CEO and Founder.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

The project was building out the company's main software solution which is a platform for financial crime compliance teams. OMNIO allows them to complete all of their daily tasks while maintaining a high level of automation, with respect to their manual work.

SOLUTION

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

We had multiple offers for the software development and Qualifast had the perfect offer in terms of time, price and a general understanding of the business need we are tackling.

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

The scope covered creating the entire web-based application, including several modules. They used Java for the backend and Angular JavaScript for the frontend. Firstly we worked on creating the basis for the web application and then we started creating the modules sequentially. After several months of development, we were able to create a system that was fully usable and presentable, that included several modules, and could showcase the abilities and benefits of the OMNIO product.

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

4 individuals in total. All of the software developers from the vendor were seniors.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Qualifast's work allowed us to sit down with tens of clients and present to them our solution. Most of the talks went extremely positively and we were able to continue the sales process with several companies. Generally, the software is robust and reliable and the technical expertise of the Qualifiast team is very apparent both in their team members and in the produced work.

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

In terms of project management, the responsibilities were shared between ourselves and Qualifast. We created all the tasks and set the priorities, while they helped us estimate the effort needed and provided expertise and advice whenever that was necessary. We had a shared board, where they could progress tasks and we could monitor their progress. They were always quick to respond and the main tool we used there was Slack. They prepared detailed timesheets at the end of each month, where we could review what they had done.

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

The software engineers that worked with us actually understood the product need and the requirements we set. Additionally, the team always proposed solutions or better approaches towards particular problems faced.

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

The people in Qualifast are true professionals in their field and it was a pleasure to see that our initial trust in their abilities paid off. We would continue to work with them and recommend them to anyone looking for this type of service.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am managing partner in Lab08, where we develop software products in collaboration with our partners.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We wanted to expand the SaaS-platform we were co-developing with native apps for iOS and Android for an enhanced user experience.

SOLUTION

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

We found Qualifast through our network as a highly competent partner for this specific service.

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

Qualifast delivered a quality app for both iOS and Android within 3 months and have since improved and supported the same apps. We are now at a stage where it is possible for us to take ownership of the apps developed.

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

Several senior Android and iOS developers worked for us,

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We are very happy with the outcome of this project. We have 2 stable and high performing apps which were delivered according to plan.

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

We had an active product management role in making sure the right communication was in place between our team developing the SaaS platform and the people from Qualifast. The process was based on agile development principles.

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

Their ability to forecast how much time is needed for reaching the milestones in the road map, and the ability to deliver (quality) on time.

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

Not to my knowledge.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Mindset Design, and we’re a startup from Bulgaria. We’re working on technologies for an automated coaching service that would enable us to build a sales platform for high achievers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Qualifast?

We wanted them to build the MVP of our platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

What Qualifast basically had to do was to make a panel for users to pay for certain packages, log in, and use our service from their profile. Through that page, they could have access to all the different components of our product.

Qualifast had to build both the user page, the test component with predefined questions, and a very simplified user-based management system — so they were mostly involved with the backend development.

What is the team composition?

We worked with Mario (Co-Founder & Web Development Lead) and Boris (CEO).

How did you come to work with Qualifast?

They were referred to us by another startup company. They told us about their positive experience working with Qualifast and how they developed their mobile app.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent €5,000 (approximately $5,800 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from March–June 2021. We’re now in that phase where we sometimes have to remove bugs and make small fixes, but in general, the project was already completed and delivered. They occasionally provide support for the platform, which they don’t charge us for. We’ll get in touch with them again when we have to develop the mobile app.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They were able to build a cost effective and simple solution for us. Now, we have an app we can use to onboard users at a very good price. I also think their attention to detail was very important, as they demonstrated it in every aspect of their work — they were always very thoughtful and focused on every small aspect of the product.

Additionally, the feedback from users on the website was that it was very user friendly and clear, so the feedback was generally positive.

How did Qualifast perform from a project management standpoint?

Their communication was pretty clear and timely, so the whole flow of the project management was very good. We didn’t use any tools for project management, but we mainly communicated through emails and phone calls.

I trusted them to choose the right tasks, approach, and most of the time, I felt pretty calm that they would handle everything well.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We were impressed with their ability to build high-quality MVPs quickly. That aspect is critical to startups like us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They underestimate their own work, but I think they can charge more for their services. They should also improve their website because the information there is a bit hard to read and follow.

Any advice for potential customers?

If you’re looking to work with Qualifast, you must first understand what your goals are, so that they can easily proceed with the project. Do your homework so that their team can produce something beautiful and high quality.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the founder and CEO of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We needed to develop a from-scratch platform for online credit requests in different business lines, as well as create a new website for our client, as theirs has become outdated in terms of technologies used and design. At that time, we had only business and project management resources available on our side, so we needed partners for the development part.

Our in-house business analyst was working directly with both the client and the Qualifast team in order to ensure proper understanding of the goals and structure of the project. Our main goal was to position our client as the leading brand in online credit requests in a specific area, while giving them the tools and flexibility to grow in terms of market and recognition on a national level.

SOLUTION

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

Having worked successfully already with them for another project, we chose this vendor based on their past projects, design skills, and cost estimate.

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

We had a kick-off meeting to discuss our goals and objectives. From there, our business analyst delivered mockups and wireframes for the site and the credit request platform. Regular follow-up meetings were set in order to define, plan and control project progress. After several iterations, the new website and the very first version of the credit request platform were delivered. Focus was done on landing page and contact form for the website, as well as ergonomic design and client-centered approach for the platform.

Dedicated user area was also put in place, allowing users in different roles to access personal data, credit request status in real time and ensure proper portfolio follow-up for business and management use. Qualifast team also developed a dedicated integration interface between our platform and an external solution provider as per our client’s request.

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

Their project manager was our main point of contact throughout the process. There were also 2 full stack developers who were as well available for direct communication over the requirements and implementation, giving you the feeling you are really working with a dedicated team that knows well and understands the project’s goals.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

After launching the new website, we saw a 70% increase in traffic, and our incoming leads doubled month over month thanks to the landing page. Client loved the updated design, and they now have better understanding of our client’s services. Our client’s team themselves use the credit request platform on a daily basis and have confirmed its usability, user-friendliness and potential to grow in their business and facilitate them in developing their portfolio and market share in the domain.

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

We had daily stand-ups with their project manager, who communicated with the rest of the team. If there were any delays, they let us know ahead of time so that we could prepare and communicate properly to all affected parties. We used Slack, Trello, Jira and GitHub to coordinate, and they worked well with our team.

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

They were focused on efficiency and delivery quality, as well as on keeping reasonable pace in development progress. Easy to reach to and available whenever a delicate or blocking issue might arise. Problem solvers and goal-oriented, hitting development straight to the point, while trying to keep proper understanding of the project goals and client’s needs.

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

When we first launched, there were some minor bugs. We let them know and they were quick to fix the issues. At the very beginning, our team only dealt with their project manager in person, which sometimes led to partial misunderstanding of specific details in the requirements.

We had a talk about it and we resolved that issues by empowering all team members to proactively participate in discussing project requirements and to request clarifications and support when they find a gap in the business analysis.