Saritasa

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a system administrator and developer for a commercial upholstery and wall covering distributor.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Saritasa?

We wanted to develop a mobile app that would allow users to search for wall coverings based on industry criteria.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Saritasa developed our new mobile app for Android and iOS. Their team connected the product to an API backend that I wrote, enabling us to supply data to the platform. They created the platform’s graphical layout to establish its look and feel. We, however, supplied them with images that guided their building process.

What is the team composition?

A project manager and 1–2 developers worked on the project.

How did you come to work with Saritasa?

Saritasa developed our first mobile product around 2015. I initially found them by searching for developers within our geographic region. Saritasa’s close to our corporate headquarters, which made it easy for us to meet in person. They had a nice portfolio of projects that they did with other companies.

How much have you invested with them?

This latest project cost $25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started our latest project in July and finished it in November 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We haven’t publicly launched the app, so we don’t have customer feedback yet. However, the management team that initiated the project was happy with the final product. We’re all satisfied with the platform, which works exactly as it should.

How did Saritasa perform from a project management standpoint?

On the project management front, they were fantastic. Their project manager was extremely responsive. Anytime I emailed him with a question or issue, he addressed them quickly. The developers were offshore, and they had any issues fixed by the next morning.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their technical expertise was great. Their team didn’t have any problems addressing the challenges that we threw at them. We have a nonstandard backend, and their team didn’t have issues working with it.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I wouldn’t have made any changes to the process. It was smooth.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

To help make the project run smoothly, plan your requirements well in advance. Know what you need from them to provide Saritasa with clarity and limit back and forth.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president and CEO of Begerz.com.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Saritasa?

There were a couple of challenges that we needed to address with Saritasa. The first challenge was to launch my website, so I hired them to transform my goals into a viable product. The next challenge was to build a fully functional platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

During the project's first stage, Saritasa is building wireframes and branding for my website. Their team’s almost done with that first stage. In the end, I’ll have a site to show to potential investors, but the platform won’t be fully functional. Saritasa will also be able to estimate the price to fully develop the site. In the second stage of the project, their team will complete the website’s development.

What is the team composition?

About four people from their team have worked on this project.

How did you come to work with Saritasa?

I reviewed and interviewed three separate companies — two onshore and one offshore. I felt that Saritasa was a better fit across the board. I interviewed them, discussed the project, received a cost estimate, and then hired them.  

How much have you invested with them?

I’ve invested $25,000 in their services so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing project started in September 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re almost done with the first stage of the project and so far, they’ve exceeded my expectations. Their design team understood my vision and created a product that I can use. I'm able to take their work and relay my site's message. That’s the metric that matters the most to me right now. Their work also helped to increase traffic and the number of my users.

How did Saritasa perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project manager has kept us on track and on budget, which are two important factors to my startup. They’re responsive and responsible, meaning their team communicates any issues early. Their team’s also always on time and prepared for our meetings.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The Saritasa team is completely aligned with their company’s vision and my company’s goals.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they’re successful for a reason. They only need to continue to put great people on their team.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Ensure that your ideas and expectations align with theirs. Also, be prepared to think outside of the box and lead. Saritasa will listen but also help you through the process.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the manager of systems engineering for a medical device company. Our main focus is sensor technology.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Saritasa?

We leveraged Saritasa for their mobile development expertise.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Saritasa helped us build a continuous temperature monitoring app. The team was responsible for building the app from the initial development stages all the way through. We gave them some of our sensors and some libraries to connect them, and Saritasa handled the app UI. 

After, we collaborated together to put the final touches on it. The mobile app is compatible with both iOS and Android.

What is the team composition?

I work directly with Max (Director of Operations). He had a team of developers, both Android and iOS, as well as a QA team. I’m not sure exactly how many individuals are on the team.

How did you come to work with Saritasa?

The decision to partner with them by our leadership; I wasn’t involved in that process.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since July 2020. We’ve done our first release to the app store, and now we’re working on the upgraded version.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Most of the measures for success with Saritasa are anecdotal. The team was able to negotiate the timeline and meet the deadlines we expected from them. Whenever they found an issue or something was taking longer than expected, they always communicated well. The experience between our development teams was very positive. 

How did Saritasa perform from a project management standpoint?

They were excellent. I’ve always felt Saritasa has had a good control and understanding of where they stand in terms of product delivery. Whenever there was any risk, the team clearly communicated and collaborated with us to mitigate any risk.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The most impressive thing about working with them is their commitment to meeting our timelines. They pushed hard to meet our final release. 

In times when the requirements aren’t clear, they’re able to make really good decisions. Saritasa works to keep both our needs and our customers’ in mind. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Saritasa has done a really good job, and we’re happy with what they’ve accomplished.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Work closely with them and make sure your requirements are clear. It’ll make things as smooth as possible.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the general manager of a company that manufactures aftermarket automotive parts. We make performance suspension systems, shock absorbers, and like components for off-road enthusiasts.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Saritasa?

We needed a partner to help us develop an app for a new product that we built.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Saritasa developed an app that's compatible with our new product. Their team designed the UI/UX and helped us procure a hardware specialist because the product required hardware development. Their team helped us develop the hardware and the software and helped with manufacturing.

The app is for our customers. When they buy a particular shock absorber, the platform helps them adjust the damping. Using their phone, they can decide to make their shock firmer or softer.

What is the team composition?

We worked with 4–5 people from Saritasa. We also worked with a hardware specialist on their team.

How did you come to work with Saritasa?

We wanted to work with a local company. After looking at Saritasa’s website, we gave them a call and talked with Michelle (Technology and Software Sales Lead). We talked for about 15 minutes and then set up a meeting with them. We then headed to their office and Nick (President and CEO)  sat in on the first meeting. We told him what we wanted to accomplish, and he said it would be no problem. He was proactive and focused.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent a little over $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We reached out to them in November 2019 and released the app in December 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They went above and beyond just building a product. Their team helped us from start to finish. When we tested the beta version of the app, it was pretty much flawless. We only needed to make revisions on our end.

How did Saritasa perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicated via phone and email. Their team was on the ball throughout the project. They wanted to ensure that they performed as efficiently as possible. Their team answered all of our questions, so I had zero complaints.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was impressed by their professionalism and ability to cover all aspects of our project.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can’t think of any areas for improvement.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

When you’re ready to start a project with Saritasa, have as much information as possible ready. Outline what you want to achieve. Their team will take it from there.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president of B.T. Trucking. We work haul dirt, sand, and gravel for contractors up and down the state of California.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Saritasa?

We decided to create a mobile application that would help our operations in the office.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The app is available on both iOS and Android. It tracks all of our haulers’ operations when they’re out on the job. That information is then relayed back to our dispatch team so we can update our contractors and keep them informed. Now that the main part of the project is complete, we’ve come up with new features that they will continue to add on to the app as we go.

What is the team composition?

I had one direct contact on the development team. Beneath him, he has seven developers working on our project. I’ve also worked with one other person for all of our billing questions.  

How did you come to work with Saritasa?

I read a lot of reviews on Saritasa and how satisfied their clients were. It was also very nice that they were only a few hours away from us because that prevented any complications from working with an offshore vendor.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $400,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in February 2020 and will continue to work with them as we move forward.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re launching the first few phases tomorrow. We’ve done a lot of testing and I’m very pleased with how the app is operating.

How did Saritasa perform from a project management standpoint?

We had some financial restrictions, so we took our time at the beginning of development. However, once we were nearing the end of the project, I proposed new deadlines. Saritasa was able to make adjustments and bring on more developers to meet the timeline I proposed. They were easy to work with and communicated with me several times a week.

I also appreciate that they go over all the hours they’ve spent on the project so I know what they’ve worked on and what to expect when I’m charged. I’ve never received a surprise bill. They’re very good at tracking what features they’ve worked on and have been very transparent.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were able to scale up and down depending on what I needed.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they’ve been wonderful.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

New clients need to be as transparent as possible, too. Saritasa tries to manage their operations based on what the client needs, so they need that information up front.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m VP of Strategy and Integrated Solutions within the Government Initiatives Division at iHeartMedia. We serve government media contracts all over the US.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Saritasa?

iHeartMedia has experiential capabilities, which means we put on events (whether that’s a fair, a concert, or a community gathering) to educate attendees about our clients’ campaigns. 

One of the things that we’ve wanted to do was create an interactive VR experience with gamification concepts. As a user plays the game, they’re actually learning about our clients’ messages and services. We engaged Saritasa to develop those experiences.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement? 

Saritasa has created about three separate VR experiences: two for the Vive VR headset and one for the Oculus Go. For each project, they’ve been involved throughout the steps, from the initial discovery to brainstorm the client’s concepts to the content and game development all the way through to testing and location support. 

What is the team composition? 

I interface with 3–5 people, including an account manager, a project manager, the head of engineering, and a developer on occasion.

How did you come to work with Saritasa?

My colleague had found them, so we flew down to meet them in Southern California and walked through our services. They had competencies across a wide range of things, including IoT, UX design, and app development. When we got to their VR labs, our in-person visit and interview sealed the deal.

The main issue was if they knew their stuff. VR is still so new, so it’s rare to find a lot of people who can confidently get you what you need. Saritasa helped us understand what services we should be using, which platforms fit our projects, and how to develop our solutions. It was amazing to see them do this within very tight deadlines.

How much have you invested with them?

 We’ve spent between $10,000–$50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in April 2016, and our engagement is still ongoing. The last project we did was probably back in early 2019. COVID-19 has since shut down all events. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We measure their success based on our clients’ happiness. These government agencies want to know that we’re doing innovative things to help people experience their services in a new way. It says a lot that our clients understand our work and are happy with the results — especially when someone tells us that we’ve produced a game-changer.

Each of our projects has gone to 10–15 events a year, and several thousands of users have used them. Anecdotally, it seems like everyone is blown away by our VR experiences and walk away with an understanding of our clients’ concepts.

How did Saritasa perform from a project management standpoint?

The project management is stellar. We do weekly meetings with multiple touchpoints, depending on how tight the timeframes are. The team always comes in on or under budget and always on time. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I find their transparency and collaboration the more impressive. I can come to them with a half-baked idea, and they’ll show me how to make it better while keeping within our budget. 

Additionally, the expectations are realistic given the time in which we need things, so there are no surprises. That’s a big deal for us. We can’t just promise our clients something and then come back and say, “No, we can’t do that.”

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can’t think of anything. After working with so many development houses, I expect screw-ups to happen because these are complex projects. Sometimes, an individual decides to go rogue and do something without telling you, and I’ve never experienced that with Saritasa. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Just be honest with your expectations and about your understanding of what you’re dealing with, and their expertise will take over from there. They’ll take you a long way in terms of your understanding so that you’re in the right frame of mind to develop your project.

For example, there are things that people aren’t ready to experience in VR because the technology can cause vertigo easily. They needed to educate me on that point so that I could better calibrate my ideas.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an independent architect and contractor who does both residential and commercial projects.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Saritasa?

I needed help in creating a training module for building and safety inspections. The solution would be based on VR technology.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement? 

Saritasa is developing a VR platform to train inspectors on how to inspect commercial and residential projects. Having a virtual environment rather than a mock construction setup allows us to build a variety of different projects. The project itself is accessible via the Oculus or any other VR headset.

What is the team composition? 

I work with three people, including the company owner, project developer, and project manager. Then, there’s the larger staff working behind them.

How did you come to work with Saritasa?

I started the project thinking that I could develop the platform myself. But, once I ran into some complications, I searched online to find a vendor that specialized in VR technology. Saritasa was one of the first three to come up in the Orange County area.

How much have you invested with them?

The project cost is approaching $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in August 2020 and are just about to finish Phase 1. The development is continuous, so we plan to engage them on an ongoing basis.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have a usable product within the virtual environment, so I’m actually able to interact with their work.  

How did Saritasa perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re doing excellent. We have weekly design meetings and talk throughout the week, so I understand what they spend their time on. If they need any information or have questions, the team corresponds over the phone or email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Saritasa knows how to translate my ideas into tangible products. They understand what I want to do and how I want to do it, which allows them to piece everything together in a satisfactory way.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, we’ve been right on schedule so far. There haven’t been any hang-ups or mishaps. COVID-19 posed some challenges because I couldn’t go down to their office to try on a headset and see the designs live, but that’s not their fault.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner and president of a software company that produces solutions for the banking industry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Saritasa?

I’ve worked with Saritasa on a couple of different projects, ranging from building iOS/Android apps for my other businesses to providing programming resources for some of our banking solutions.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement? 

Saritasa has been involved in taking an initial app idea all the way through design, development, and launch in app stores. That was the case with our banking app, which we signed off on at the very end. There have been other projects where they’ve replicated an existing app that was older and needed to be updated.

What is the team composition? 

I’ve worked with six people, including Stan (Client Engagement Manager) who handles all of my business with them.

How did you come to work with Saritasa?

I found Saritasa online and gave them a call. Not only were they local, but I also liked that they weren’t tied to particular product or niche. It meant that they could take on whatever content or subject matter I had and work with it.

How much have you invested with them?

With all of the projects we’ve done, it’s probably upwards of $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

I’ve worked with them since 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The main thing is that their team meets my criteria as I specified. Obviously, it’s also a good sign that the apps have successfully deployed to app stores and are doing fairly well.

How did Saritasa perform from a project management standpoint?

Saritasa can pretty much give you what you want—if you ask for a lot of project management, they’ll do that. If you don’t, then they won’t. 

I’ve done a couple of projects where I’ve dealt with their developers directly in an agile format. In larger projects, they’ve put project management personnel in place to interface with us and provide communication. Both of those arrangements have worked out, so far. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

It’s their ability to work in an agile way that stands out. They can adapt to whatever capacity, speed, or even app type that you need. They’ll make sure to get the appropriate resources on the project and take a suitable approach. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can’t really think of anything at this point.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

The most important thing is having your thoughts and designs well-developed prior to going in.
 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a senior attorney at a law firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Saritasa?

We wanted to update a form on our website and integrate a CRM platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They added Gravity Forms to our existing WordPress site, collaborating with me to add the form to our platform. From there, the Gravity Form was integrated with a Pipedrive CRM that we use to manage the forms.  

What is the team composition?

There were two business representatives that took me through the initial stages of the partnership. After, we worked with one person to define our project needs before being assigned to a project manager. We had communication with their lead engineer, but there were others working in the background. 

How did you come to work with Saritasa?

We did a Google search for web developers with WordPress experience. It was important to us that our partners didn’t give their work to independent contractors. They were good fits for us.  

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $8,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from June–July 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

This is a game-changing internal solution. We made a few tweaks after they completed the work, but there haven’t been any issues with the functionality of the product. Things have been running smoothly since the launch. 

How did Saritasa perform from a project management standpoint?

There was one project manager that handled all communication with me. I always knew where to turn with questions, so that was helpful.  

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were reliable and transparent throughout the project. We appreciate that their team had control over the project, knowing who was assigned to each task. Their cost and time estimates were pretty accurate as well.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We didn’t have any issues.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be clear about your needs, and they’ll be easy to work with.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a developer at a national commodities trading company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Saritasa?

Our company’s principal focus is not on software, and it was a risk that I was the sole silo of knowledge of custom software systems that I’ve developed.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

After some initial calls trying to identify what we were trying to do, we came to an arrangement where we have 20 hours per month from them. We use that time to make sure that Saritasa is engaged in the project and working on tasks. 

When we need to build things quickly, we also have the option to scale up the number of hours with them to accelerate the development of certain tasks. The team works on specific programming objectives in the project that I map out. 

The principal goal of our engagement is to have a backup in the event that I’m not available, in which case they can step in and support the project in the future. We can keep them at a consistent monthly engagement to build their experience. 

What is the team composition?

We typically work with two teammates: a project manager and a developer. In the past, when we needed more help, we worked with 3–4 teammates. 

How did you come to work with Saritasa?

My boss looked at a bunch of different companies and, ultimately, what we liked about Saritasa was that they were totally happy to be flexible in terms of what service they provided. They didn’t push us to do more than what we needed, which is what a lot of their competitors were trying to do. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $30,000–$40,000 so far. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them in February 2020, and our engagement is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

As a developer, I’m happy with the quality of work that Saritasa has produced. The work they do is very good, better than I could do on my own. They’ve been a great benefit to the project. We’ve been happy with their overall flexibility, their competence, and the quality of their work. 

How did Saritasa perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management is fairly okay. Sometimes I would prefer a little more communication from our project manager. Generally, when I give them requests, we only hear back when it’s done, which, especially when we’re up against deadlines, is something that they could improve. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their flexibility and lack of sales pressure are impressive. When the pandemic hit, our software development budget got frozen for six months, and Saritasa said it wasn’t a problem. Six months later, they came back and picked up right where we left off.

Are there any areas they could improve?

As I mentioned, their communication could be better. Otherwise, we’re happy with the quality of their work.