Relevant Software

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Splink Industries is developing the next generation of app-based learning. Practical learning apps are a proven market of scale, but they are often creatively dull, technically basic, and poorly designed. I’m SVP of commissioning and content.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We hired them for the full cycle of software development services, including business analysis, development, project management, launch, DevOps, and environment setup.

SOLUTION

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

We approached a number of potential development partners. We decided on a clear and detailed proposal with features description and estimates, availability of engineers to start ASAP, and the number and quality of previously completed projects.

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

Ongoing development and enhancement of an app for the UK’s future drivers who would like to learn how to drive interactively. Focused on passing the theory test but now with additional information of the subsequent practical test. All learner drivers must pass both. Available on IOS and Android platforms.

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

Six: Back-end Developer, Front-end Developer, Business Analyst, DevOps, Project Manager, QA Engineer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

To date, we have over 6.5k reviews on the Appstore with an average rating of 4.9. This makes our app the highest rated in this category in the UK. We have received the Highly Commended Award in the First Car App of the Year 2021 Category, as well as two 'App of the Day' features from Apple.

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

The workflow was smooth. Team's project management skills are excellent and communication was great. We have a regular weekly call to discuss and agree next steps. This works extremely well.

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

Relevant provide high quality and well-selected engineers which ensures a smooth development process. Communication is excellent.

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

Not at this time

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am a visual artist and the sole proprietor of the business.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Relevant Software helped me develop a couple of community art projects, one that involved artists worldwide and one that collected Covid stories for a public art installation.

Those two projects were quite complex. It consists of different parts, including a user upload page for pictures and text, the site allows users to crop pictures into perfect squares, change contrast, and write text. Once that data is uploaded into a database, the main drawing changes to include the user picture into one square tile of a digital mosaic. This mosaic is zoomable and searchable, a bit like Google Maps. There is also a blog part where I can post updates and contact information.

Relevant software also helps me regularly with the maintenance of my other websites. They recently very successfully totally redesigned my blog to make it look cleaner, modern and more professional. The transition to the new design went very smoothly despite my blog being quite complex, as it includes the blog part but also an online courses system with a shopping cart and users database as well as a grading system and feedback.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The transition to the new design went very smoothly. I also ask them to fix my artist website or my life drawing website whenever they have technical issues, they usually are able to do so within a very reasonable time.

How did Relevant Software perform from a project management standpoint?

We have kept in touch to see how the project was evolving. They always replied to our emails promptly. We didn’t have a fixed deadline, so it wasn’t an important issue for us. When Relevant Software gave us a completion date, it was followed most of the time.

UPDATED REVIEW

This review was published on June 15, 2017.

Sandrine Pelissier

Visual Artist

Arts, entertainment & music

1-10 Employees

Vancouver, Canada

$10,000 to $49,999

Jan 2017 - Apr 2017

Project summary

Relevant Software built a unique platform that combines images into a unified mosaic. Users can upload, edit, search, and view individual images. Developers also integrated an email newsletter on the backend.

Feedback summary

Relevant Software was the only vendor who grasped the project requirements during the bidding process, and the team delivered satisfactory results on time. The developers even added special features at no extra charge. Relevant Software was quick to fix bugs and answer concerns.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am a visual artist and the sole proprietor of the business.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Relevant Software?

I had an idea for a collective art project. Initially, it would be web-based, but it could be hosted physically later on. The project would be a large mosaic picture — a pixelated piece made up of photography and drawings uploaded by users. This collective artwork would have more than 10,000 participants. Anyone can upload up to 4 drawings along with text content. Each image would represent one tile of the mosaic picture. I paint forest scenes, so I chose the subject because it’s related to what I do.

The main challenge for me was displaying this picture. I wanted to have a zoom feature similar to that of Google Maps. I also wanted pictures to be searchable by name, country, and keywords. I know how to build simple websites, but this one was too much for me given the database, map display, and everything else.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Relevant Software developed my website, which was quite complex. It consists of different parts, including a user upload page and a page where people can fill out forms with their names, emails, and location. The site allows users to crop pictures into perfect squares, change contrast, and write text. Once that data is uploaded into a database, the main drawing changes to include the user picture into one square tile. The main picture is zoomable and searchable. There is also a blog part where I can post updates and contact information.

We had one main point of contact from Relevant Software, and we also interacted with one of their developers. The communication was simple, given that I have web design knowledge. I haven’t used Relevant Software’s services for other websites.

How did you come to work with Relevant Software?

My husband and I looked for and contacted many companies. We would usually start with a Skype interview. Most of the developers were good at building simple websites, but they didn’t understand what we wanted. As soon as we contacted Relevant Software, we could see that they understood exactly what we were talking about.

How much have you invested with Relevant Software?

The cost of their work has been around $15,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Relevant Software in January 2017. From start to finish, it took us 4 months, which was great. The platform was completed in April. It has been launched, and it is working well.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

People have loved the idea. This was not something I did in order to make money, but I may decide to monetize parts of the website in the long-term. The participation is great, but it’s dependent on our effort on the social media side. I have done a lot of marketing for the site on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. We also have an automated MailChimp newsletter. People who participate in it receive updates from us. I have also started looking for sponsors, and a few companies are providing giveaways for participation.

Relevant Software has helped with this effort by building an extra page where people can share specific drawings based on the main picture. This wasn’t in the initial specifications. They have also made it so that participants’ email addresses were added automatically to our MailChimp list. We had to fix a few bugs when the site went live, but Relevant Software was prompt in addressing them.

How did Relevant Software perform from a project management standpoint?

We have kept in touch to see how the project was evolving. They always replied to our emails promptly. We didn’t have a fixed deadline, so it wasn’t an important issue for us. When Relevant Software gave us a completion date, it was followed most of the time.

What did you find most impressive about Relevant Software?

I always felt that Relevant Software was listening to us and doing the best they could. There will always be items that aren’t possible to build from a technical standpoint, and we have to understand that as a customer. As long as it was possible, Relevant Software tried to make us happy.

Are there any areas Relevant Software could improve?

Not from our experience. I didn’t have any frustrations.

Star Ratings

Overall rating: 5 – I have no negative comments about Relevant.

Quality: 5 – We are very satisfied with the work done by Relevant. There was always excellent communication during the process. After the website went live, they remained in touch with us.

Cost: 4.5 – Based on the quality of work, the price was reasonable.

Schedule: 5 – They were always on time. When there was a slight delay, we were told about it.

Willing to refer: 5

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Cofounder

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Full stack (React, Node.js) development. We are working on a dedicated team model.

SOLUTION

How did you select Relevant Software and what were the deciding factors?

My partner googled TypeScript offshore software developers and came across the Relevant website. Our decision was made based on the team proactivity and level of expertise they showed.

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

Our solution is the only unified search for messages, emails, and project files so that customers can easily search & share all of the information that actually matters. The tool integrates with applications such as Chrome, Slack, Google Drive, Salesforce, and more, and helps to create the ultimate collaborative space that makes (a) searching for files substantially easier; and (b) sharing of files and & more straightforward.

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

2 Full Stack engineers and Project Coordinator

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Thanks to the team extension in the right moment, we have delivered the MVP in a planned time frame.

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

We are super agile, have daily stand up meetings with a team directly where we plan the tasks and coordinate the process.

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

The Relevant Software team is very client-oriented — they are providing us with a customized recruitment process based on a range of our requirements. The interview with us is the final step, so we are talking only to the top 5% of the market experts who have already passed a number of checks, not only technical one.

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

Considering what I mentioned above, such a recruitment model could be more time consuming compared to our expectations.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Enterprise Architect and Research Engineer delivering SaaS projects on Cloud Native platforms.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Cloud Native PHP/Laravel Web Development with Social Login and E-Commerce built modular for whitelabel.

SOLUTION

How did you select Relevant Software and what were the deciding factors?

Relevant.Software received very strong reviews online, we submitted an inquiry and received professional responses from the Relevant Software Team, we find Relevant Software ready and able to pivot rapidly to our changing requirements.

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

We seek experienced PHP/Laravel engineers and located an article written by Relevant Software CEO Andrew Burak describing key reasons to use Global engineering Delivery from Ukraine resources.

The Relevant Software Team engaged quickly, got up to speed rapidly and delivered quality code and user experience. We scoped the project into phases with priorities, worked with their project management and delivery executives, and produced a rapid MVP platform in record time.

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

We engaged with Senior PHP/Laravel Engineering and Project Management.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Launched Version 1.0 of our File Download Portal with eCommerce integration. Relevant Software was instrumental in our launch.

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

Company and Team have strong communication skills using all methods. The team practices effective project management and has easily accessible stakeholders and executives.

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

"Anything is possible / Nothing is impossible" that is the motto of Relevant Software engineers and it shines through with the quality of their work and commitment to the Customer's success.

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

Nothing to change, keep going on great trajectory

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the founder of Biderator, a US-based construction startup that assists general contractors in conducting tenders for construction companies. We provide a construction community and a directory to our local area contractors in which they can showcase their work and advertise for free.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Relevant Software?

We hired them for full-cycle product development. We wanted to partner with experienced people that could build what we were looking for in the proper way. We needed to develop a platform that serves as a directory for simplifying the tendering process.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to build a scalable web platform to assist construction customers throughout the entire process of choosing the right executors for their business. This includes features for a transparent bidding process, bid comparison, a feedback system, and ways to connect with trusted contractors.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We found them online and they showed us what the solution would look like and how they would work with us in terms of communication, development process, resources, etc. With this approach, Relevant Software convinced us that they were a reliable partner that we should work with.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Relevant Software’s team of software engineers developed a landing page that helps potential construction companies find contractors according to their needs. This platform includes a scope of questions for bid proposals that helps contractors be at the same level of competition. We also plan to develop a bonus system for inviting new people to the platform and a payment system with the help of internal currency.

What was the team composition?

We’re working with a project manager, a business analyst, three software engineers, and a QA engineer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Relevant Software contributed their efforts to the website development process, and we hope to collaborate with them in the future.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Relevant Software is good with communication. We coordinate through planning sessions, daily scrums, and weekly online videos that allow us to significantly reduce communication time. Furthermore, they have a clear reporting system and easily keep track of all activities and estimates in the task management system. They’re also flexible in arranging meetings concerning new ideas, even when some functionality is already completed.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

We needed skilled staff and no downtime, which is what they’ve delivered. We also really like their performance, transparent processes, and regular communication.

Are there any areas for improvement?

We haven’t had any delays or problems in our cooperation.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I work at a German-based company that delivers solutions for the construction industry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Relevant Software?

We needed to extend our technical team with experts to build our technology. Relevant Software offers a dedicated development team.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted an easy-to-use and scalable platform that makes order management more efficient for our customers. With our products, we empower clients to successfully run their businesses on the go. The platform would help guide the value of the creation process of small business owners.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

During a business trip to Berlin, Relevant Software scheduled a meeting with us, and we decided to collaborate. Because of their experience with projects in the construction industry, Relevant Software seemed the right fit for delivering a dedicated development team.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Their team of software engineers developed a web and mobile app that guides our customers in supplying construction materials. The system avoids delays in product procurement and decreases its timing. Relevant Software assisted with the frontend, implementing push notifications, and more.

What was the team composition?

We worked with a project manager and three software engineers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

With the help of Relevant Software, we sped up our development process. We hope to collaborate with them in the future.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Relevant Software excels at communication. We coordinated through daily standups and chatted with their developers using the Kanban methodology. Our team enjoyed working with Github and their project management skills. The board was frequently updated, which was nice for us.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

We were impressed with their communication and quality code. Our engagement was professional and helpful. We would be pleased to continue our collaboration this year.

Are there any areas for improvement?

There were no delays or problems, but it would be nice to see an estimation of issues and why they happen.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am an advisor to the Lviv City Mayor. Our City Council decided to develop a platform where scientists can submit online applications.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Relevant Software?

Since we couldn't accomplish our goal technically, we wanted to cooperate with a professional IT company.

What were your goals for this project?

The platform needed to solve a complicated competition participation process. Not many platforms in the scientific field can show the terms of the competition and track the status of participation.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We found them through personal recommendations.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

They built a web portal that helps scientists participate in online competitions and easily track their progress. It includes a personal panel where users can submit an application and check the procedure for filing an appeal. There is also a panel where the admin can edit to the website and application. It was important to store the change history within the admin panel. The administrator can also download data and create a results page of participants.

What was the team composition?

The team included a project manager,  front- and backend engineers, a designer, and a QA specialist.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

With this web portal, we simplified the difficult process of participation in competitions. There was no such platform in Ukraine before, so it was an innovation.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

It was easy to communicate with the team through emails, face-to-face meetings, and daily standups using the kanban approach. We enjoyed our transparent communication with Relevant Software.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their IT experts knew how to deal with technology. They proved it when we successfully released our platform.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, they did their best.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Life Moments are a customer obsessed business on a mission to help 10 million people to play life better.At. We strongly believe that people need more help and guidance navigating complex financial decisions at different points in their lives.
We're a profit and purpose business working in partnership with some of the best financial services firms to help bridge the gap.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Relevant Software?

We brought on Relevant Software to provide full-cycle product development for our web application.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to build a scalable, highly secure web application that guided customers through the entire property-buying process. It handles transactions' financial aspects and connects customers with trusted advisers to help them with mortgages, insurance, and legal paperwork.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We needed a flexible, reliable partner that could turn our idea into reality, one who could quickly provide a team of experts that could design and build our product and infrastructure. Meeting with some of the Relevant team in London, we were impressed by their approach. They showed us what the solution would look like and how they would work with us (communication, development process, resources).

We narrowed our choice to two companies and spoke directly with the developer who’d be working on the project. Relevant’s team’s quality and approach left a favorable impression on us, so we proceeded with them.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Relevant’s software engineers designed an app that helps potential property buyers create a personalized plan, analyze the costs and expenses involved, and track the process at every stage. They paid the utmost attention to how the system stores users’ personal data, ensuring tight security. Overall, they were responsible for selecting our technology, designing our security and architecture, and providing technical resources.

What was the team composition?

We worked with senior and junior developers, a QA resource, a solution architect, a DevOps resource, a business analyst, a project manager/Scrum master, and several security experts. Some of these people were assigned to the project full time while others worked on a part-time basis. The size of the team depended on the stage of the project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Relevant was critical to designing and building the app and its infrastructure. The site went live last year, and we continue to work with Relevant to enhance the product.

We have continued to work with Relevant over the past 4 years. During this time team members have come and gone but the overall quality of individuals assigned to the project and the working methods have improved.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Relevant provided a project manager and account manager to oversee everything. Communication was good, and problems were dealt with well. Our in-house team worked closely with them, coordinating via daily scrums and weekly demos.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their pre-sales process was robust and forged trust between us. They made experienced team members available to show us what our solution would look like and how our cooperation would flow. This showcased their reliability and established transparent processes and regular communication.  

Are there any areas for improvement?

Overall, they provided high-quality resources, but a few team members left the project and it took a while to replace them. I would like to see improvement in their recruitment and staff retention processes.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the current CEO of Webfy AS, a technology powerhouse that delivers goods and services suited to the digital age. Our team develops both simple and complex websites, online stores, software, and more advanced mobile applications for iOS and Android.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Relevant Software?

Relevant Software provides team extension services for custom software development. They perform both front- and backend development for our webshop platform and will later provide QA and testing services as well.

What were your goals for this project?

Our primary requirement was to develop a user-friendly webshop that would help our corporate customers order specific equipment. We were attempting to solve several problems to ensure a simple and efficient process when purchasing products.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We’ve been in touch with Relevant Software for a long time, and they’ve already delivered a few projects for us before. This time, we had the chance to meet with their CEO personally during his stay in Norway, so we hope for further successful collaborations together.

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

Our internal engineering team built the platform initially, and Relevant Software joined the project to augment our development capacity. They helped us add user and admin parts, including corporate user details, orders, data importing and exporting, a filter sidebar, and more. The user part involved user-friendly authorization, profile viewing, and order previews.

What was the team composition?

We work with a project manager and a team of front- and backend engineers. Later, during the final stage, they’ll assign a QA analyst.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

At the moment, we’re still in the development stage, so our webshop isn’t live yet. However, Relevant Software has contributed greatly, and we hope to continue collaborating with them in the future.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Relevant Software is part of our team and works closely with us. We keep open communication, coordinating through daily scrums and weekly demos.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

We had a tight schedule and needed skilled staff with no downtime. Since then, our companies have collaborated on the projects smoothly. We really liked their performance, transparent processes, and regular communication.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

As the CEO, I didn’t see any delays or problems in our cooperation.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Gofamer is a marketplace for influencers. Using the app, companies can track social and earned media to determine the reach and effectiveness of influencer content. This helps to derive the value of influencers in a balanced way. As the CTO, I’m responsible for making key technology choices, overseeing the development team, and maintaining coding standards.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Relevant Software?

Relevant Software provides team extension services for frontend development, working seamlessly with our in-house team to build our app. The work centers on developing new features as well as fixing existing bugs.

What were your goals for this project?

Initially, we wanted to develop a dashboard inside the app, which would enable companies to track activities and measure key metrics for social influencers on the system.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Our lead developer has worked with the Relevant Software team before and was fully satisfied with their service, including the code quality and communication processes. Having seen the quality of their work myself, I was more than happy to follow his recommendation.

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

Our in-house engineering team has been working to develop the app’s core, but we needed additional support to create the analytical dashboard. Relevant Software built the dashboard, which allows companies to view the overall statistics for one or more influencers. We’ve started the project in July 2018 and plan to continue working with Relevant Software into next year.

What was the team composition?

They’ve assigned a remote frontend engineer and have just added a QA specialist. We’re looking to add a PHP developer in the future.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Although we haven’t gone live yet, Relevant Software is helping us gear up for our product launch by providing the necessary manpower to complete tasks. I review their code regularly and am confident in its quality.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

We mostly handle the project management ourselves, but they’ve provided an analyst to support us. The entire team, including the remote developer, participates in regular stand-ups and sprint-planning meetings. In terms of communication, we use Slack and our own project management tool to coordinate.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

We like their performance, transparent processes, and regular communication. It’s easy to work with them, and their developer has integrated well with our internal team through our project management software.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

There have been no critical issues. Initially, we were concerned with their level of spoken English, but Relevant Software takes the time to provide language lessons where necessary. They have strong written English skills, too, so we’re able to communicate easily through Slack.