SapientPro

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the managing director of an online service that provides answers to legal questions. We offer subscriptions that give companies and individuals legal advice.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SapientPro?

Our collaboration is a staff augmentation for an ongoing project. We rely on them for web development and UX/UI work. We needed a flexible team of developers who could provide additional resources depending on our specific needs.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They currently delivering an MVP, so we’re currently going for as few functionalities as we can.

Since we want to maximize clarity and ease of use for a legal platform, the technology is fairly basic. However, we do have to optimize UX/UI, because legal services are complicated by nature.

The developers code for us using React, Mongo DB and Node.js. Essentially, they do all of the development work—which involved submitting forms, creating profiles and workflows, and structuring the information on a dashboard. They also used third-party API integrations to add a live chat and a payment system.

What is the team composition?

We initially contracted two back- and frontend developers, whom they provided on very short notice. Once our need increased, we hired an additional frontend developer. They provided two complimentary managers (despite the fact that we contract another agency for project management) who oversee the developers’ work.

We communicate with the COO and CTO of the company, who advise us on some of the technical aspects of the work.

How did you come to work with SapientPro?

We found them through a google search. We’ve worked with them on other projects, and they’d done a great job, so we took them up again.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $20,000 a year.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started in August of 2019, and it’s an ongoing collaboration.

SOLUTION

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

If we contracted an in-house team in Switzerland we would be spending roughly $400,000 a year. From that particular standpoint, they’re ridiculously cost-effective.

And, I’m very happy with their work. They deliver on time and are very efficient. I’m particularly satisfied with the velocity of the developments. They also go out of their way to accommodate specification changes, and they proactively seek solutions.

How did SapientPro perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re extremely responsive, and their management is extremely adept at handling client requests. They consistently meet expectations.

We use Slack and JIRA to make specifications and track all progress. The team has a very positive attitude, and they’re very professional.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re an excellent mix of quality, speed, technical expertise, and price. They’re really the best choice for me.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It would be nice to have native English speakers, but I really wouldn’t be enlisting a Ukrainian company if that was important to me. It wouldn’t make sense for me to have that requirement.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Specify your needs properly to enable them to do their best work.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder & CEO of a blockchain platform that aims to bring integrity to the steel industry by tracing the precise distribution of metal materials.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SapientPro?

I was looking to scale my technical team to implement our platform. We find the working culture in Ukraine to be admirable, so we were seeking to leverage SapientPro’s expertise and work ethic.  

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The team’s programmers have worked with our team to code for the platform, which utilizes Node.js and React. They serve as an extension of our in-house team, so we decide on a weekly basis what each sprint for that week will look like.

What is the team composition?

On the management side, we work with Sergiy (Full-Stack Web Developer, SapientPro) and the CTO, Max (CTO, SapientPro)—who jumps into the technical work whenever the developers hit a wall. We generally work with four programmers, although the exact number fluctuates depending on the scope of work.

How did you come to work with SapientPro?

They came recommended to me by someone I knew in the Netherlands. He recommended them to me because I spend so much time in Ukraine. I decided to give them a shot, and things really worked out.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent somewhere around $80,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in February 2019, and it’s an ongoing collaboration.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’ve delivered our platform, which is now online and on the app store. It’s been working very well, and it’s steadily gaining customers and users. Since the product is in its very early stages, its smooth functioning post-launch is currently the biggest indicator of success.

They’ve added substantial value to our project through their dedication and expertise. We really appreciate their willingness to learn and go the extra mile—sometimes, they’ll even work through the weekend. They have the right skills and are well-educated on top of being just great people.  

How did SapientPro perform from a project management standpoint?

We took it upon ourselves to oversee project management since they were a fluid extension of our own team. If they anticipated any friction with scheduling, they’d be quick to supplement the team with an extra programmer. They typically met all deadlines.

We used Slack and Telegram to communicate.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’ve appreciated the fact that their primary manager and point of contact lives in the Netherlands, where I’m from. There’s a cultural connect there, so things aren’t lost in translation.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We would appreciate if some of their programmers were better at English since that’s how we communicate. Having said that, we’re very happy with their work.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Communicate well to make sure that they have a good grasp of what the goal is. Involve them in the process—don’t just use them as an expendable resource. Give them the opportunity to creatively contribute to getting the most out of your collaboration.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I own e-commerce companies and started a school for refugees two years ago with my wife.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SapientPro?

We needed a way to record attendance because the government requires it. There aren't readymade systems for this on the market, so we decided to build it on our own.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

SapientPro developed a web tool for monitoring my students’ attendance. It allows me to export reports and send them to the parents. To start, I made a small briefing on the required features. From there, they created technical specs, and we had some Skype calls to go over all the features that should be included. Afterward, they took on the whole project, handling the app and web development.

The product is quite simple, with only one core functionality. It scans a student QR code to determine who is present. Users can enter the app as an administrator, school representative, or teacher. Each one has different rights and permissions. As an admin, I can create accounts for other schools, market the platform as a white-label product. As a school director, I can view attendance statistics, GPS locations, and real-time reports. We created the apps for Android and iOS natively, not using hybrid technologies.

What is the team composition?

I was in contact with their sales manager, and I mainly dealt with our project manager. Otherwise, I spoke with the designer and the app developer on Skype calls. But, for 90% of the partnership, I was only in contact with the project manager.

How did you come to work with SapientPro?

I studied with one of their owners and knew they'd started a company. After looking at their website and chatting about the project, I decided to use them. I’m very happy about my decision, and we'll likely do additional projects together in the future.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested €12,000 (approximately $13,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with SapientPro in January 2019. The majority of the work is done, but I identified some new features I want in the app. We’re reopening the project now.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

SapientPro did a good job of learning the scope, planning, and adhering to deadlines. I don’t have any statistics, but I’m happy with the results.

The main feature of the app is to scan a QR code. I’d used a similar product in the past, and I wanted that functionality in my app. With that product, it would take three seconds before the QR code got into the system and was scanned. If I had 10 students to scan and had to wait three seconds every time, it would add up. Now, it’s way faster, taking less than a second to scan. It saves a lot of time and frustration.

How did SapientPro perform from a project management standpoint?

They gave me a good outline of the timeline. It was clear from the beginning what we'd include in the project. Despite not having a technical background, I was able to communicate the features I wanted. This was due to their understanding and ability to translate my ideas into technical features. They even helped me approve those technical features before starting the project.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I thought they were flexible. Even if something wasn’t in the scope, it was easy to make changes without being charged more. We didn’t determine the design beforehand, but they took the time to get satisfactory results in that area. I also asked them to make some more design work for other products, and they did a good job with those as well. Flexibility was a big pro.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The project started in January, and I wanted to start selling the product in September. I got tied up and didn’t respond to their daily messages about the progress. Had they been more proactive with me, the project might’ve been finished in time.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

It's important that both parties understand each other before the project starts. All the client’s requirements should be listed, and both parties should know exactly how much time and money it will cost. These technical projects can be complex, but the primary functions need to work well before anything else. Get an MVP together before diving deep into functionalities.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the business development manager at a London-based software company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SapientPro?

We needed an additional PHP developer for one of our European customers.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

It wasn’t about staff augmentation, but more about tripling our productivity. To remedy this issue, we got PHP developers from SapientPro to work on different projects.

The client we were working with was in the software betting business. The product itself is a software betting platform.  The work they produced was top-notch.

What is the team composition?

SapientPro supplied three developers, who worked remotely within the client’s team. I also work with one mediator, and one project manager.

How did you come to work with SapientPro?

My colleague found them. I believe he made a Google search for providers in Ukraine. First, we performed a background check, looking at their stated feedback and rates on platforms like Clutch. The feedback was good, so we knew the company would be quite reliable.

The information we found was quite useful, so we got in contact with a business manager afterward, to get some references and a portfolio.

 How much have you invested with them?

We started spending €1,500 ($1,700 USD) per month, and we continued to double this number, to €3,600 ($4,000 USD) As our needs grew, the project tripled from €3,600 going to more than €10,000 ($11,000 USD) per month.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with SapientPro in March 2019, and our collaboration is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have bi-monthly meetings with the customer, in which I’m checking how happy they are. We’ve had no complaints so far. In the beginning, when we tripled the revenue number, with both the customer and SapientPro, we had biweekly meetings with the customer, and the customer always had strong positive feedback on the operation. It’s been a great partnership thus far.

How did SapientPro perform from a project management standpoint?

One of the things the customer’s project management has said is that they have good communication with SapientPro, and that the team asks good questions.

As a mediator, we receive occasional feedback, either positive or negative, and I receive screenshots from the client’s project manager. When it comes to teamwork, if there’s some friction or tension in the team, I want them to tell me as well. Till now, I believe everything’s been alright.

There was just one slight moment when someone from the client’s side went on holiday, and our people didn’t have guidance on how to proceed next, what tasks to do, and how to prioritize everything.

We communicate through Skype, and we also use task managers. Besides task tracking, we also have daily reports, in which the people assigned to us have to provide us daily reports on their progress. We find that the system overall works well for us.

 What did you find most impressive about them?

I like the fact that they come with the initiative of seeing what else we can do for the client. When it comes to overdelivering, I know I can ask the business manager from SapientPro’s team, and it’s as good as done.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, everything has been great thus far.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

I’ve learned that communication via Skype is speedier than through email, and this is something that’s important to me. Whenever I have something pressing, I typically message their business manager or the team, and I receive replies instantly.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of a copywriting business. We primarily support students in Germany.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SapientPro?

We have several competitors in the market who have similar website structures and who successfully leverage SEO marketing. I was struggling to keep up, so I was seeking alternative solutions to outperform these businesses. I decided to corner the market through social media marketing and by modernizing my business processes.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

SapientPro has designed my website and managed my social media strategy. They initially improved my WordPress website, but they’re currently working to develop a new website from scratch. So far, they’ve delivered a price calculator for the different papers we create. It includes a sophisticated input function that allows the user to specify the length and type of essay desired.

What is the team composition?

I work primarily with a project manager, who also serves as a translator, since the team is Ukrainian. The team of developers working on the project consists of 2—5 people.

How did you come to work with SapientPro?

They were recommended to me by a friend who had worked with them before.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent somewhere around $15,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began our work in March 2019, and it’s an ongoing engagement.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their awesome team has utilized state of the art technology to improve my product offering. I’ve found them to be incredibly service-oriented and client-centric, which I appreciate very much.  

How did you communicate with SapientPro, and how responsive were they?

They’re very easy to communicate with. We used Skype, and we also chatted via Telegram messenger. I’ve visited them in Ukraine several times—I now consider them my friends, so I’m very lucky I found them.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They made project discussions very comfortable and easy. There don’t push for any contract—instead, they simply send me an invoice, which I highly appreciate.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I don’t think so.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Just do it.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Piktochart is a web app that helps non-designers engage with their audience through visual storytelling. Our tools and visualizations empower creation in an effortless, effective manner. I'm the chief product officer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire SapientPro?

We wanted to ensure a positive customer experience and brand impression. We needed technical web development expertise, but didn't have enough in-house resources. 

What were your goals for this project?

Our marketing team constantly develops methods to attract sign-ups, usually involving new functionalities or pages. Some of our issues and optimization needs also require development attention. 

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We found SapientPro through a colleague. We considered several other similar agencies, but chose them because of their portfolio and pricing. During our first call, they showed good communication and alignment with our needs.

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

Their WordPress and PHP experts help us build website functionalities. They also provide prompt updates to keep us all on the same page.

What was the team composition?

There isn't a fixed team. Instead, personnel join to meet our needs.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their technical knowledge has greatly improved our code. Since engaging them, we've accelerated development and created more value for our business. They've also cleaned up technical issues with our existing stack.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

There are bound to be challenges, especially considering the time zone differences, but they're diligent. They give us daily progress updates and are open to discussions about streamlining our processes.  

We mainly use Trello and Slack, which works for the tasks at hand. When things get tricky, we call them. English isn't a problem, since everyone at SapientPro has a good command of the language.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

We have direct access to their team, so it's easy to facilitate feedback. Their responsiveness makes our collaboration much better.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

Although they're diligent about their updates, they should provide more details. For example, they often tell us that a certain task has been completed and that we can update our site. However, they don't always explain how to configure the code. More proactiveness would make that process even smoother.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the director of export development for Dzintars, one of the oldest cosmetic and perfumery producers in the world. We're also the largest researcher and producer of perfumery and bio cosmetics in Northern Europe and one of the largest in the former USSR countries with more than 350 employees.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire SapientPro?

Our previous developers built an e-shop for us, but it had several bugs and problems with payment.

What were your goals for this project?

We needed to fix all the urgent issues we had that were critical for the e-shop's functionality. Afterward, we wanted to have them improve the e-shop and add new features to it.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We were referred to them by a Ukrainian SEO agency, which we had a very successful experience with and asked for recommendations when we started having problems.

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

They fixed all our issues quickly and handle ongoing feature development.

What was the team composition?

They have three or four people assigned to the project at all times, and we communicate with each other daily. It makes us feel as if we're their only client, which is really rare to find nowadays.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They now handle all development processes, which saves us time by enabling our employees to focus on project improvements and analyzing other work. Just their CMS improvements have saved us two to three hours on a daily basis.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

They’re impressive in this regard, especially compared with our two previous vendors. We communicate through a group chat on Skype and they provide almost immediate support, even during off hours. We use Redmine for project management, where we can add, edit, and track all tasks, allowing us to see and control the whole workflow.

Their team, and especially their process manager, are really professional. They've never missed a deadline and make all processes traceable and transparent.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their responsiveness on Skype is phenomenal. They’re also great at taking their time to explain their work in detail to me in ways that I can understand. SapientPro acts promptly and provides a quality service.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

There’s always room for improvement, but it’s seriously hard to find anything to suggest to them at the moment.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the product owner of a freelance copywriting platform that provides content marketing assistance to enterprises in nearly any industry.  

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire SapientPro?

Before working with SapientPro, almost all of our processes were completed manually with Excel spreadsheets. This was very time-consuming, hindering our ability to scale operations. SapientPro is helping us develop a platform to automate the entire content creation process.

What were your goals for this project?

The platform had to simplify our clients’ requirements for creating top-notch content while streamlining the process of briefing assignments and reviewing drafts. We also wanted to improve the level of communication among clients, writers, and account managers.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We met them at a networking event in Rotterdam. Although we considered about nine or ten companies, SapientProt’s flexibility, accurate pricing, and excellent communication were the deciding factors. 

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

SapientPro was responsible for all frontend development. We provided a mockup and detailed documentation for all key functionalities, as well as the designs for the most critical screens. Our business needs changed along the way, making our mockup obsolete, but I appreciated SapientPro’s flexibility and willingness to think creatively.

What was the team composition?

SapientPro provided a frontend developer, a senior developer as backup for the technical challenge, and a project manager who helped me plan sprints. The team also consisted of the CTO and one backend developer from Contentoo.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We are currently in our last sprint, so I have no metrics on impact yet.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

We used Trello for management; Google Docs, Sketch, and Zeplin for documentation and development briefings; and Slack and Zoom for communication. We experienced no language barrier; their English proficiency facilitated very efficient communication with our backend developer.  

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their key strength is their commitment to us as a client. They believe in our success and are willing to go the extra mile every day.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

There is little they need to improve. My only suggestion would be that, prior to execution, they take more time to define the scope’s key functionalities. This can prevent misunderstandings about what is and isn’t in the scope, which was a big learning point for me as the product owner. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the CEO and co-founder of PRICEBLOCKS. We're an online marketplace for youth sports.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SapientPro?

We were looking for a company to develop our website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We're building a WordPress platform and they're in charge of all the UX/UI design and development. They're building out databases, user dashboards, interfaces, and different functionalities within the marketplace. It's a very collaborative process and they always give us their feedback. They also fix any bugs we have and help us optimize our website.

What is the team composition?

We work with three members of their team.

How did you come to work with them?

We were referred to them and they turned out to be a class above everyone else we were considering for the project.

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent about $30,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in February 2018 and the relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Within the first six weeks, we received about $1 million from transactions. Initially, we were not sure how to handle the process but they were always by our side, helping us fulfill the requests from our sellers and users. Without them, we could have gone out of business.

How did they perform from a project management standpoint?

They understand all of our needs and go above and beyond to meet them. They're located in Ukraine, but we haven't had any issues with the time difference–they're willing to jump in any time of the day or night and help us. They've become part of our team and feel comfortable making recommendations. In fact, two of our team members are flying to Ukraine to meet with them next week.

They're great communicators. We use WhatsApp to stay in touch and they send us daily updates. In addition, they're using a project management platform, so it's easy to see the status of different tasks they're working on.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They genuinely care about the product. They took ownership of the project and have been supporting us on all fronts.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. We could find a cheaper company, but they probably wouldn't do such a good job.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Let them share their opinions. They bring a lot of experience and great ideas to the table. Also, they're receptive to feedback and want to make sure their client is happy.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of the Ministry of Flowers, a premium seller of potted and boxed flowers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SapientPro?

We didn’t have an appropriate website. We had bought a WordPress WooCommerce theme and customized it for our business and our clients’ delivery needs.

I had worked with freelancers for cost reasons, but I wasn’t happy with their work and it didn’t work out well. It’s ideal to maintain a collaboration with a single IT company that will come to know more about an organization’s needs. If the relationship works properly, it will be more beneficial going forward.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We started with a few small projects in the beginning, and I continued to give more and more work to SapientPro. They help me with my internet site. I believe that our system is Magento.

We have worked on numerous projects related to the website, including a configurator that helps clients customize products in many ways. We offer flowers in 26 colors and different box shapes.

What is the team composition?

I have worked with four people from their team. I could go to their general manager for any issues or if I wanted to change the direction of the collaboration. We worked together to decide on the team members and departments used.

How did you come to work with SapientPro?

One of my colleagues recommended them to me.

How much have you invested with them?

The cost of their work has been $5,000–$7,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with SapientPro around the time we started our business, around July 2017, because they delivered good work and their prices were reasonable. The work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They established our presence on the internet. It’s easy for clients to use our page and to get the right product delivered. The configurator feature on our website provides a good advantage compared to our competition. I am satisfied with their work. We’ve worked on numerous projects together, all of which have been successful.

How did SapientPro perform from a project management standpoint?

We have a group on WhatsApp where we have good discussions and I explain what I want to have changed and ask questions. They provide recommendations, and they’re open to finding new solutions. If they can’t resolve a problem immediately, they will look for support on our behalf.

This was our first year in business, so we don’t have a lot of experience with managing budgets. We’ve kept an open budget and focused more on the time needed to complete projects. We have worked with them on a task basis and haven’t had any problems with time and money.

They can deliver anything we want in a very short time. Some projects aren’t resolved too quickly, but it’s not always due to a mistake on their side. We have sometimes made changes to ongoing projects. We haven’t always given them proper instructions and we don’t describe our solutions in much detail.

We have open communication with SapientPro. We’ve done a lot of work on our page over the last year, changing many things and their work has been good for our needs.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I am happy to work with them, and we will have much more work in the future. They are an open-minded team.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. We’ve been happy with our collaboration.