RST Software

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder and CEO of a smart financial advisor that determines if a purchase is affordable by analyzing historical account data and predicting future cash flow. Unlike traditional personal finance applications, our platform provides personalized, prospective insights and offers quick actions to make informed financial decisions.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire RST Software Masters (formerly Software Brothers)?

We needed MVP development of an iOS app and a backend system.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted a product that would be sufficient for end-user testing and would attract customers, all on a limited budget.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

They showed great interest in working with us and had experience in running similar projects, and their asking price was reasonable.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

They developed our software and offered project management and reporting.

What was the team composition?

We worked with two or three developers, a sales executive, and a product owner.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They successfully developed our MVP.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

The scope of our involvement had to be minimized due to a delay in the schedule. We had weekly meetings and reporting in place. They coordinated well.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They delivered a product that was ready for market.

Are there any areas for improvement?

They should offer more flexibility in their timing or add more developers who can program faster.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm an international business development leader at a technology company based in Poland.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with RST Software?

We hired RST software to help us build our product or platform, which we are currently selling to 45 countries in Europe. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’ve been collaborating for more than 14 years now.  RST Software is helping us create freight exchange with us for our supply chain management platform. The web-based platform is integrated with mobile applications for the users of our system. 

We started off by explaining our idea to connect shippers, couriers, and forwarders. RST Software has mainly been responsible for building the entire structure and architecture of our product. We design the UX aspects internally, while their team focuses on how it should work from the backend perspective. They also built the CRM.

What is the team composition? 

Right now, about 50 of our internal employees work with 150 people from RST Software including developers, testers, and scrum masters. The project and product managers from our side have dedicated points of contact from their team. We work together very closely in the same office. 

How did you come to work with RST Software?

Originally, the owners of our respective companies started cooperating when they were students. They were friends first. One of them had the idea, and the other had the skills to do it. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since the project first started in about 2004. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We're continuing to work on the project together daily. They even help us with our PI planning, which we conduct every two months. Our business meets regularly with the team from RST Software who are creating the platform and software. We provide feedback every three or four weeks because we were together on most of the sessions. They show us all the work they complete every single month. 

Every six months, we gather user feedback from users based on the net promoter score (NPS) index. Using these surveys, we ask our customers and users what they think about different parts of our company. The questions range from customer care to our product. For example, I know Apple currently has an NPS score of 70. Last year, we closed the process on ten points on the NPS scale, which ranges from negative 100 to 100. 

How did RST Software perform from a project management standpoint?

RST Software is responsible for completing all the tasks for our projects that relate to developing news functionality, models, or the CRM they created for us. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

From our perspective, communication is the most the most important part of our partnership. We've been impressed with RST Software's level of engagement. 

RST Software always cooperates with us. They also frequently suggest better ways to develop, import, and implement new features within the platform. They have their own ideas about our product, which is the best thing they could share with us. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. We've been able to manage any issues or problems we've had because they're always open to our feedback. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the CEO of Syz AG, a software development company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire RST Software Masters (formerly Software Brothers)?

We needed to develop an Android application for a logistics client that worked on Zebra mobile devices and retrieved data from our software (picking process).

What were your goals for this project?

We needed to develop the picking process, which included a REST API interface.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We viewed their website and looked over their previous projects. Our first interaction with them also impressed us.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

We provided the functional logic for the picking process, and they created a quote including the main steps, hours, and goals. Subsequently, they produced a prototype of the frontend so we could grasp what our clients’ UI would be like.

What was the team composition?

It changed depending on the skills we needed at a particular time. We were also assigned a project head that stayed in contact with us throughout the process.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Because Software Brothers delivered the product on time and budget, we could show it to our clients early. This was very important for our clients’ projects.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Their project management was professional and transparent. We communicated over Skype and understood each other well. They used a standard agile process and allowed one of our internal developers to contribute to the sprints.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Software Brothers showed us how important we are as a client throughout the project. They delivered top quality and were always available to answer our questions.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, not that I saw. They were very professional.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of Nordic Innovators, now called Mooji. We’re a startup that works with an image platform aimed at reducing stress, anxiety, and depression in hospital patients.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with RST Software Masters (formerly Software Brothers)?

We were an early-stage startup with a concept product that was tested in the market using mockups. Software Brothers was hired to develop our MVP.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

After agreeing on a concept outline, we had a one-day workshop with Software Brothers at our office where we discussed the MVP’s requirements. We scoped out all the relevant technical details — our product comprised of a frontend that controls the server backend. Content can seamlessly integrate on a digital screen. It works with Apple AirPlay and Chromecast.

We needed a scalable backend with a frontend that displays a specific feel. The backend is hosted on AWS, and the app is for Android. We also specified that the MVP needed to be built upon following our market test. Security aspects were also discussed. Software Brothers also helped create the graphic identity of the company. Their team developed a logo and some animations for the app.

What is the team composition?

We had a team of 5–6 people that included an account manager, a graphic designer, a project manager, and a development team. We worked with a frontend and a backend developer. Depending on the stage of the project, we could’ve augmented more.

How did you come to work with RST Software Masters (formerly Software Brothers)?

Software Brothers was recommended by various clients I worked with at another company. They’ve used Software Brothers to develop their solutions.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent €70,000–€80,000 (approximately $79,000–90,000 USD) so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Software Brothers around August 2018, and the collaboration is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re ready to test the MVP in the marketplace. The only feedback has been internal, and the overall team is satisfied.

How did RST Software Masters (formerly Software Brothers) perform from a project management standpoint?

Their account manager performs exceptionally well, but they changed their project manager twice, which caused a few issues. Specific members of their team are effective at communicating and meeting deadlines. Our project management software was Slack.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Software Brothers had a strong understanding of the product and market we’re trying to address. They assigned developers with insight into our business, which was nice.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Communication was difficult because of shifting project managers. This isn’t a general issue, but projects lose something when a person who was there from the beginning leaves. The exchange of project managers doesn’t benefit any engagement because the same level of understanding isn’t there.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Clients should do their best to make sure the same project manager is kept on the team throughout.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the head of engineering at City Pantry, a platform that helps deliver food from caterers to offices in London. 
 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with RST Software Masters (formerly Software Brothers)?

We needed a partner to expand our tech team of 10 in-house developers.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Software Brothers helped source and recruit potential developers, and now they manage a team of three developers remotely. Companies create an account on our platform, and then users can search through a wide variety of vendors that they can order food from. Our company takes care of the booking and communication between vendor and customers, including on the day of delivery. Software Brothers provides office space and HR for the three developers, who use Symfony for the backend and Angular 7 and AngularJS for the frontend, as requested.

What is the team composition? 

The have one lead developer and two mid-level developers, all who interface directly with our team.

How did you come to work with RST Software Masters (formerly Software Brothers)?

A colleague referred them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We partnered in July 2018, and the work is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They built some great features that benefit our overall work.

How did RST Software Masters (formerly Software Brothers) perform from a project management standpoint?

They don’t do project management, but we have regular stand-up meetings and communicate daily via Slack and Google Hangouts. They’re responsive to our needs and requests, solving problems quickly.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They worked quickly to ramp up the team and found great developers to work on our project.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They should try to do better at matching their environment to that of their client’s.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Make sure to maintain clear communication. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner and CEO of Infogym, a company that focuses on the relationship between the gym, the personal trainer, and the user of the gym. We’ve developed two applications: one is free for everyday users which can be used like any other fitness app, with exercises, fitness routines, and tracking, but we use 3D animation instead of videos to give users a better view of their exercise.

The second application is the professional, paid version for trainers. They can connect with a user, much like Facebook friend requests, and create workouts and routines on their behalf, track workouts through scheduled sessions, and have full access to users’ statistics and workout diaries.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with RST Software Masters (formerly Software Brothers)?

We have an in-house development team for backend and API work, but we had raised money and wanted to develop the frontend applications quicker than we would have done internally.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Software Brothers developed our iOS and Android applications (the trainer app is also available on iPads). We also have a mobile-friendly web version developed in-house by our team.

We provided documentation for our in-house APIs, along with requirements for how we wanted to build the apps. We also provided finished designs, not just wireframes. This helped the team see the finalized version, and they also completed the web version and created user stories.

What is the team composition?

We started with one project manager and, at one point, had around six people from their team working on the apps. We scaled it up and down as needed and had the ability to change speed, unlike with our internal team.

How did you come to work with RST Software Masters (formerly Software Brothers)?

We went on AngelList and a few niche sites, where we were approached by Software Brothers. We had a chat, and we decided to hire them.

How much have you invested with them?

The cost of their work was around $200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Software Brothers in February 2016. The free version was launched around December, and the trainer app was launched in June 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

In the first couple of weeks, we were the number one free app in Norway and Singapore, and the number one fitness app in the U.K. and Australia. In two weeks, we attracted 50,000 users.

The grade point average score they use for code quality is the highest we’ve ever seen.

I work for another company building a POS system, and, based on my experience with Software Brothers, I brought them into this other company as well, which shows how happy we are with them.

How did RST Software Masters (formerly Software Brothers) perform from a project management standpoint?

We had to change project managers, but the new one took over and did a fantastic job. Having a team like ours, with 4–6 outsourced people, we definitely needed a project manager to handle all communication.

We used JIRA for tracking the project—tasks, bugs, issues and so on—and Slack for communication. The language barrier caused some issues, but being in the same time zone helped, and Software Brothers has been responsive. We felt the manager was working fulltime with us, even though he had other engagements.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They provided a lot of help on user-friendliness. The app improved a lot because of the feedback from Software Brothers’ project manager and developer. We've tried a lot of offshore companies from India, Vietnam, Sri Lanka and so on—they would make whatever they were told, and didn’t care if it didn’t work. We didn’t have this feeling with Software Brothers. Everyone was on the same team, just like having them as our own employees.

They’re also not afraid of telling me when I have a bad idea, and it’s something I appreciated. It felt like the developers cared and were proud of what they were making.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The biggest challenges we’ve had were around planning. They have experience working with clients like us, but we don’t have experience working with other software houses, so the matter came down to Software Brothers knowing to ask the right questions without us prompting them.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

For any outsourcing project, it’s important to plan everything. It’ll make everything so much smoother because you won’t have any arguments over last-minute changes.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the COO of the company. We have developed a location-based enterprise platform called Tracers, as well as a consumer app for location-based messaging.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with RST Software Masters (formerly Software Brothers)?

We were employing developers in London but ultimately figured that Software Brothers could provide more flexibility and cost savings, with the same skill level. We were changing our software relatively quickly and wanted to have access to resources relevant to our particular needs at one time. We had been using a mixture of recruitment consultants and other resources in the industry, but none worked the way we had intended. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Software Brothers developed new features for our platforms. We needed to put together MVPs quickly and relatively cheaply, so Software Brothers initially rewrote the frontend and backend of our apps almost completely from scratch.

Our backend was developed with an obsolete technology, which clearly wasn't a long-term solution because it has been subsequently shut down. During the redevelopment process, Software Brothers made valuable suggestions and implemented new features.

We have used six developers and a part-time project lead from their team. I was responsible for managing the project on our side.

How did you come to work with RST Software Masters (formerly Software Brothers)?

I don't remember what our initial contact with them was, but I believe that they had been in touch with our CEO. They called me and we talked through what we were looking for, and they seemed to be a good fit.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Software Brothers at the beginning of 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

One of the things we wanted was for Software Brothers to turn our MVPs into scalable solutions. They created an app that could work reliably with a large user base. We're working with a large international multimedia company that wanted to know that our app would be stable, and assigned developers who tested the app's performance and scalability. They were very happy with the results of their tests. 

How did RST Software Masters (formerly Software Brothers) perform from a project management standpoint?

The answer is very much developer-dependent. We have worked with a few resources that, quite honestly, weren't as productive as the rest, so the team has been subsequently adjusted. The good developers from Software Brothers are really very good, so anyone being measured against them will have to work hard in order to achieve the same results.

We've used JIRA, Trello, and Slack for our collaboration with Software Brothers. JIRA proved a bit too complex for our needs, so we've mainly only used the other two tools.

What did you find most impressive about RST Software Masters (formerly Software Brothers)?

They're the only company of this kind that I've used, so it would be hard to compare them to anything similar. Our contact from Software Brothers has been available and keen to not only respond to our questions but also to inquire about our satisfaction. He has pulled everything together on Software Brothers' end, checking if we were happy.

Are there any areas RST Software Masters (formerly Software Brothers) could improve?

They could always work cheaper and faster, but this isn't really a criticism. This is more of a general commentary on the nature of tech services.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm COO of a startup that creates digital social marketing applications and an online marketplace for fashion retailers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were trying to address with RST Software Masters (formerly Software Brothers)?

We needed to outsource the software development of our social application which will integrate to our existing internet retail marketplace project. We wanted to create a product which met the designs and requirements we presented so that it integrated seamlessly with our existing internet project. Our goal was to ensure that this product was delivered on time, with high-quality assurance, and within our budget.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We presented them with our requirements for definition, logical design overview, test specifications, and graphic design. Software Brothers was responsible for implementing this with the physical design, implementation programming, and testing.

They also provided a project manager that worked closely with our team to ensure that the requirements were understood and the project was delivered on time. They also provided integration and acceptance testing. With Software Brothers’ strong quality assurance practices, we were able to work well together in partnership on the project.

How did you come to work with RST Software Masters (formerly Software Brothers)?

We approached five different software development companies that had a good reputation and received quotes which we further evaluated. Software Brothers gave us the best proposal.

How much have you invested with them?

This was a medium sized project, but I’d rather keep the cost confidential.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started requirements, logical design overview, definition, and presentation to Software Brothers in August of 2015. All the graphic design and documentation had already been prepared well in advance by us. Software Brothers started physical design and implementation in October of 2015 and completed the work at the end of February of 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The project was delivered on time and within budget. It was all broken up into sprints, which were implemented, tested, integrated, and analyzed in terms of quality control, schedule, and budget risk. Each sprint was managed by both parties and delivered on time. Software Brothers also added extra small features on their own initiative which worked well with the user experience of the software application.

Software Brothers had very good team dynamics with strong quality assurance practices. We would be happy to use them again for any future outsourcing.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were very efficient in their approach to different aspects of the project, and also given that our employees are from a computer science background, we recognized that they were very professional in software quality assurance practices which is key to a successful project. They also communicated very well and worked in a fair partnership in negotiations.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I think that in hindsight we would have liked to have discovered them earlier.

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

Our key approach was to understand the importance of good quality assurance practices to work well with Software Brothers. Through this, we were able to succeed in completing a project that we are happy with and was a good experience for our team.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the CTO of a startup company in Dubai, providing grocery delivery services. We are similar to Intercart, but with a different slant. Consumers can download our app and order groceries which are delivered by each shop independently. We don't use freelancers who actually pick up the products and deliver them. The platform we've built works by partnering up with as many grocery stores as possible, which then take care of deliveries themselves.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with RST Software Masters (formerly Software Brothers)?

Unlike other models, we're heavily dependent on grocery stores. We're trying to become a big grocery store front by building ourselves out of many small ones. This can generate a problem because a lot of our stores don't normally have inventory systems or a POS in place.

The biggest challenge was inventory management and the onboarding process. We needed to identify what products each store had and bring that data onto our platform, for it to be available to consumers. It was a bit tricky technology-wise. It meant identifying each product based on its barcode. Not all products have the same type of barcode and companies sometimes put out seasonal products.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We've built a custom app for deploying merchandise from grocery stores. It needed to be very easy to use in order to be handled by people who are not necessarily technically-savvy. It had to be customized for each grocery store in order for them to scan products, take pictures, and add items from our global products list, and so on. In addition to the customer app, we worked with Software Brothers in order to develop a grocery store-facing app. Both were tied in using a cloud infrastructure which needed to scale and be very flexible in order to support different regions, geo-sensing, and other things of this nature.

The search capability was another big issue. We had to come up with the right technology in order to make sure that all the products would be easily searchable, and feature all of our analytical data.

How did you come to work with RST Software Masters (formerly Software Brothers)?

I've worked in startups for many years. There are certain technologies I've preferred over time, based on my resource limitations. I screened no less than 25 companies, interviewing each one. I outlined the technologies that I wanted to use, which they needed to adopt. 25% of the candidates dropped off straight away because they were either unfamiliar with those technologies, or they were specialized in different ones with which I wasn't comfortable.

Software Brothers was one of four companies that checked that box for me. They understood the latest trends and offered a comfort level by using the same tools that I liked. We talked about specific scenarios on how to tackle a problem when it comes to scaling, and getting the right approach generally. At that stage, the development of our product was still relatively fluid, so I didn't want to work with a rigid company that didn't allow me some room for maneuvering. We weren't 100% certain what the end-product was going to be.

I narrowed my choice to Software Brothers and another company. The final approval piece was their team's personality and chemistry click. They were very easy to communicate with. Because we were outsourcing the work, this was a major criteria. It was very easy to communicate with them; their English was perfect and the documentation level was good. I could have a brainstorming session with the team. I've worked with many companies from across the world and can say that this was a significant aspect of Software Brothers.

How much have you invested with them?

The total development cost was between $50,000-100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

I've been working with Software Brothers for over a year.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

As a general example, I was working on a side project for a friend's startup. He was demoing for a big company in the US. They were working on a proof-of-concept that had to be finished within three days. Software Brothers got the work done, but just before the demo, the service went down. They got their engineer up at three in the morning in order to get it back up and running. I messaged the technical project manager and he moved quickly to fix our problem.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I know that we're one of many customers with which they work, but Software Brothers have brought their CTO along for every single call. It was good for me to speak to him directly, on every call. They had no problems in giving me their personal phone numbers, so my mind was set at ease.

I've only communicated with Software Brothers through Google Hangouts and Skype, so I don't have a clear picture about the size of their company. I assume that they're quite large, but they have the feel of a startup and understand our mentality. Software Brothers is very accommodating towards the peculiarities of entrepreneurs. I am planning to meet them in person in May, which will be the first time I've done it in over a year.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could do with more resources. I don't know if it's specifically a negative, but Software Brothers could double up their team and still work at full capacity. I would definitely encourage them to find talent outside of their company. I haven't encountered anything significant in working with them though.

BACKGROUND

The company is a multi-country startup focused on designing, creating and marketing connected wearable devices.

I work as the Chief Technology Officer and I’m responsible for covering project development of the hardware and software for a connected device brand.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

The challenge was to convert an existing iOS project that was undergoing on-going development to Android. Basically, to have the Android app catch up and develop alongside the iOS project. This was a key requirement for us, as we needed to allow our customer base to be spread across the two main mobile app platforms.

SOLUTION

Contact was made with the Software Brothers at a Trade show. They seemed keen, experienced and showed a substantial portfolio that clearly displayed their ability to deliver results. They appeared to be able to deliver high-class development services at competitive rates.

The main project management was undertaken by the service partner. Continuous feedback and updates were given, allowing the project to be managed in an economical manner, meaning no time was lost which allowed us to progress the project further across all platforms simultaneously. The project duration was 8 months.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Software Brothers delivered results in a way that we have not witnessed from any other service provider used to date! They covered the agreed scope and above. Their ability to adapt and work with a tricky and agile, ever-changing project showed that they were more than capable. The strongest part of Software Brothers' contribution was their ability to manage locally very well. We were able to trust their development progress to a degree that we have not experienced elsewhere. It was like they were being a department within our own company.

They do require full and detailed instructions, just to make sure nothing is left to guesswork. Without this kind of professionalism, the results they achieved wouldn’t exist. There is nothing that I can find to say that Software Brothers could improve on, since every day they were continually pre-empting all hurdles and handling them with minimum fuss, other than requiring the detailed documentation they needed.

This project was no mean feat and it involved more than just plain app development as it delved into a deeper understanding of connected wireless technology, of which Software Brothers handled seemingly naturally.