SBase

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Chief Technology Officer of Rehab Media Network

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Our company provides innovative wellness solutions for individuals battling addiction, guiding them to quality resources and treatments.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• To develop and integrate new data extraction modules into our existing PHP system to enhance our information gathering capabilities.
• To streamline and optimize our web scraping processes, targeting key websites crucial to our business operations.
• To provide recommendations and strategies for future-proofing our codebase, ensuring scalability and efficient maintenance.

SOLUTION

How did you find SBase?

• Online Search
• Other

Why did you select SBase over others?

High ratings

How many teammates from SBase were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

The primary objective was to extract data from several websites integral to our operations. The tech stack involved PHP, XPath, JavaScript, and Regular Expressions.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Successful development and integration of over 40 specialized modules for web scraping, leading to a 60% increase in data acquisition from targeted websites. A 30% improvement in the efficiency and speed of our data extraction processes, reducing operational delays and resource overheads. A 15% reduction in system-related issues and bugs, attributed to the optimized and future-proofed codebase recommendations implemented by SBase.

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

We utilized Asana for task tracking and Slack for day-to-day communications. The developer was consistent in delivering daily progress reports and sought clarifications as needed.

What was your primary form of communication with SBase?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Their ability to produce exceptional quality work within a feasible timeframe stood out. Their communication was also commendable; they were not excessively inquisitive but ensured we remained informed throughout the process.

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

Honestly, given our project requirements, they were spot on. I cannot identify any areas that needed improvement, and our in-house developer consistently expressed admiration for the quality of the deliverables.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder of an e-commerce company that is trying to develop a new method of home delivery of groceries and other items

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

There was no e-commerce platform to do what our business required. So, we had to develop custom software. The first company we chose was horrible and then we selected S-Base. They transitioned the work successfully and create the platform for our e-commerce. They have a great laravel/php developer team and our work with them is ongoing.

SOLUTION

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

There are 3 things we look for in a vendor -- -- Can they do the work? -- Do they have a good set of developers (i.e. can they deliver quality work)? -- Are they affordable for a long-drawn project?

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

We use laravel/php based solution that is used to create an online store and custom delivery software.

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

We typically work with a lead part-time developer and a full-time developer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The quality of work delivered by S-Base is outstanding. The system once designed don't break and when they do, it's usually an easy fix. They are masters of Laravel/PHP and easy to work with.

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

We primarily use Asana to manage projects and chat for communication about the project. Being in different timezones, these tools have worked great for us.

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

Customer support is unique about this company. It's really easy to work with the team and resolve problems. Responsiveness is great. There are many great Laravel companies but very few know how to work well with their clients.

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

I think SBase can continue to improve communication. Security is a big deal for any e-commerce company, it's an area that needs more focus and discipline from the developer team.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CTO of a financial media information provider that focuses on distressed debt and other areas of credit. We have a team of editorial employees who write content based around the companies we cover in the distressed debt space. Our company also has a platform that houses content as well as some database and workflow tools that we built. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SBase?

All of our technology work was originally outsourced. Our CEO hired them to build out the initial versions of our platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

When I came in to run technology internally with my team, we decided to keep up or partnership. Over time, we’ve added several developers, QA engineers, and data management employees. At this point, they do development, data entry, and QA work for our team. They used PHP, Laravel, MySQL, MongoDB, Sphinx, and Python. They’re also familiar with Linux systems and AWS.   

What is the team composition?

We have six developers, three QA engineers, and one data entry employee. 

How did you come to work with SBase?

Our CEO found them through Upwork originally. 

What is the status of this engagement?

Our company started working with them in November 2012, and the collaboration is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their team has a lot of background and experience in architecture. They’ve built many important features for our platforms. We hope to continue to see them succeed and grow as we continue on with our relationship. It’s been a very fruitful partnership.   

How did SBase perform from a project management standpoint?

We treat them as an extension of our development team, so we don’t have a project manager with them. Instead, they’re directly integrated into our processes. However, many of the requirements are funneled through two of their business leaders. They’re great communicators and utilize Jira for organizational purposes. Otherwise, both of our developers and QA teams work hand-in-hand. We haven’t dealt with significant communication issues because of our effective collaboration. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re our preferred outsourced partner, and we plan to continue our investment with them. Their team is skilled with the technologies they know, but can also learn new technologies very effectively. They have no problem tackling and solving complex issues.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They do a great job, so I can’t think of anything.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of a marketing agency in Amsterdam.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SBase?

I needed a partner to build platforms for my clients who needed development services.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

SBase built several web platforms including two complex websites and numerous static websites for my clients. They’ve created websites using Laravel framework but also the basics such as HTML and PHP.

What is the team composition?

I communicate with one person mainly. At a minimum, I worked with 3–4 people from their team.

How did you come to work with SBase?

The first project that their team worked on was a personal project. I wanted to build a product that gave chefs in Amsterdam a platform to sell meals made at home. While I created websites, I needed to use the right framework and knew this project would take a lot of development. Initially, I looked for a team with competitive rates, which is how I found SBase.

How much have you invested with them?

I’ve spent between $15,000–$30,000 with SBase.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in May 2015 and it’s an ongoing collaboration.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I can call on their team to complete a last-minute project for a client. I called SBase in the evening with a deadline for the next day and, somehow, they’re able to make the projects happen. It’s rare to find a team like that. They’re hard workers who you can count on.

How did SBase perform from a project management standpoint?

I have my own project manager. When I come to them with an idea, they give advice and feedback—even when it’s not what you want to hear. Their team’s not afraid to push back. I worked with many other teams that do what you say but two weeks later the product doesn’t work. With SBase, they’re part of the team with a focus on reaching the same goal.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their flexibility and availability are stand-out qualities. They have a good set of brains, so their team’s good at solving problems. They ask the right questions. Even with a bare minimum description from a client, their team knows what to ask to find a solution that makes sense.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’ve given them feedback throughout our partnership and they always improved.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Principal of a real estate investment company 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Canadian investor in private and public markets

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Develop dashboard to retrieve, store and display options trading data

SOLUTION

How did you find SBase?

• Online Search
• Other

Why did you select SBase over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from SBase were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

1. Retrieve data using an API
2. Save data to AWS cloud database
3. Automate regular data pulls
4. Create dashboard to display results (graphs and tables)

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Accurately pull and display market data

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

Yes, project delivery was smooth. Sergey and Yuri are extremely professional and knowledgeable! 

What was your primary form of communication with SBase?

Virtual Meeting

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

I was impressed with their excellent attention to detail and execution.

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

None. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Sole Trader of RSWM

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Software Agency in Australia

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Front end web development

SOLUTION

How did you find SBase?

Upwork

Why did you select SBase over others?

• High ratings
• Good value for cost

How many teammates from SBase were assigned to this project?

1 Employee

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

We are looking for an experienced VueJS Developer with Laravel experience to work on an ongoing project. The majority of the database work is complete, and we have a dashboard template for the front end scaffolding, with designs mostly completed.

The successful candidate will be responsible for implementing the remaining front-end functionality using VueJS, building front end using components from an admin dashboard template, integrating with Laravel for server-side functionality, and helping with BE and FE integration via API or Laravel Livewire/similar package.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The project was completed to my satisfaction

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

Yes they delivered the items on time

What was your primary form of communication with SBase?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Good communication, time and cost effective

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

Not really

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am an executive of a healthcare company

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Provides therapist-led treatment plans to people experiencing problems with their mental health

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Build specific features for the platform

SOLUTION

How did you find SBase?

UpWork

Why did you select SBase over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit

How many teammates from SBase were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

SBase implemented extensive features into the therapy platform. This includes:

• Video sessions and messaging using Twilio. 
• Booking capabilities 
• Questionnaire creation and computation of scores 
• Notifications including SMS and email

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

All features have been implemented, tested and are currently working in production.

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

The project manager was always on call and responded promptly to any questions or queries I had. The process feels collaborative; I am updated on the status of the work.

What was your primary form of communication with SBase?

Virtual Meeting

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

They seemed to care about what they were building rather than just doing it to reach end point. This created a layer of trust that I was in safe hands and could rely on the solutions that they proposed.

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

Nothing in particular springs to mind

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am an executive of Portal

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

E-commerce platform management.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Portal development
• Email marketing solution

SOLUTION

How did you find SBase?

Online Search

Why did you select SBase over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from SBase were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Our company hired SBase for the Selldash email project, an AI-enabled marketing engine. The primary goal was to develop an advanced marketing automation platform that sends personalized messages to the right audience at the right time, leveraging high-quality Tier-1 ESPs and AI technology.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The web portal project resulted in a successful AI-enabled marketing engine that provided effective marketing automation for our company. The deliverables met our expectations in terms of functionality and performance. Specific measurable outcomes include improved email deliverability rates and enhanced marketing campaign efficiency.

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

Yes, on time and great outcome, very responsive to emails and feedback.

What was your primary form of communication with SBase?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

One of the most impressive aspects of SBase is their team's extensive knowledge and expertise in Laravel web development projects. Their technical skills and dedication were evident in the reliable performance of our portal and platform.

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

While our experience with SBase was positive overall, there were a couple of minor issues, particularly related to parallel email campaigns getting stuck for tenants. Addressing these issues promptly and enhancing communication channels for issue resolution would be areas for improvement.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Web developer of Waterfront DIGITAL

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Digital marketing

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Modifications on a project

SOLUTION

How did you find SBase?

• Online Search

Why did you select SBase over others?

• Pricing fit our budget

How many teammates from SBase were assigned to this project?

1 Employee

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

I don't remember. I think an extension on a data table

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They did the work

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

Everything delivered quite later than discussed and promised

What was your primary form of communication with SBase?

• Email or Messaging App

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

Be faster on deliveries and quality of results to be better

Company Responses

The vendor responded on September 7, 2023.

Hello Alexander,

I hope this message finds you well. I wanted to address your recent review and express our gratitude for your openness in sharing your thoughts. Your feedback is invaluable to us as we continuously strive to improve our services and client experiences.

In your review, you mentioned that it seemed there might be some oversight regarding the work we accomplished together, given that you had previously provided a positive review for a portion of the work completed. Additionally, it's essential to highlight that while no specific deadline was set during the project's course, we provided you with an estimated timeframe for completion. Despite the project evolving into a more extensive task than initially anticipated, we upheld our original pricing agreement without any adjustments.

Regarding the project scope, your mention of a "data table extension" has prompted a clarification. Our main focus was on the development of custom elements for Laravel Nova, which also included the implementation of scheduler functionality.

We regret any delays experienced during the project and sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. Your insights are invaluable, and we're committed to using them as a foundation for improvement. Our team is actively refining our processes to ensure timely project deliveries without compromising quality while maintaining consistent communication throughout.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. Your feedback is central to our ongoing commitment to enhancing our services. If you have any further questions or observations, please don't hesitate to reach out.

Warm regards,

Sergey Shmigelsky
CEO, SBase

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Consumer healthcare.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Portal development & maintenance

SOLUTION

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

I hired them on Upwork.

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

Portal development & maintenance

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

2 - 3

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Everything is going well now.

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

Their communication is good.

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

Attitude.

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

They have taken over the project without any support from the previous developer.