Sigma Software Group

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.
I'm the customer success premium support manager for the EMEA region at an aviation company. I work in planning products for aviation crews, as well as web-based apps for customers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Sigma Software Group?
We had limited capabilities in hiring resources with the necessary skill set for maintaining and supporting our offerings and potential new developments, so we needed extra support to provide those services to our customers.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?
We've hired a whole team from Sigma Software Group to support our development needs, including a project manager and some developers. The team has developed the customer configuration layers of our offering. As a business, we provide a core app, but the ownership of the configuration stays with the customer.

However, for the specific app that Sigma Software Group has helped us deliver, the customer depends on our skill set for those configurations. Therefore, Sigma Software Group's developers have worked hands-on in that app, making the adjustments needed so that the customer can connect to and use our app.

As for the technology stack, we use our own systems, but the integrations were done in Python. We've also used some of the common web development languages to create components. To create this technology, we've used different authentication components, including WildFly (formerly known as JBoss) and LDAP.

Still, given that we've had a long-term partnership, we've used various tools, depending on how our platform changes. Sigma Software Group has followed up on that journey just as any other internal developer would, adjusting to the latest technologies to deliver to customers.

What is the team composition?
Throughout the years, we've had various team members from Sigma Software Group working for us. On average, we've had eight members on our team, plus or minus one or two members. Moreover, we've always had a project manager acting as a scrum master and team coordinator. The rest of the team are developers.

How did you come to work with Sigma Software Group?
The team was hired before I become manager for them. We have a strong collaboration with Sigma Software Group and we simply extended that collaboration by adding a specific team for web and mobile development.

How much have you invested with them?
Although the cost is confidential, I can say that we've been adjusting our budget cap to stay on the same level of services. We currently receive approximately 14,100 hours of work a year from Sigma Software Group team.

What is the status of this engagement?
We've been collaborating since December 2017, so it has been a long-term partnership.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
We assess Sigma Software Group's performance in the same way we measure our internal team's. We mainly keep track of the time in our tools, which also serve as a baseline for billing our customers. Sigma Software Group has been submitting the hours that are later billable to the customer in the same way our employees do.

In that regard, we can say that Sigma Software Group has been complying with our ways of working and policies. Thanks to their compliance, we've been able to bill for our services using best practices.

For every project, Sigma Software Group follows our R&D department's vision regarding how things should work in our products, which requires high compliance. Whenever they have customer meetings, they apply the same methodology as any other of our internal teams would do. Therefore, they've pretty much adapted to our processes.

Whenever we have a migration project or a change request, Sigma Software Group receives direct feedback from our customers, as they're the ones receiving, testing, and approving Sigma Software Group's work. Overall, it's a dynamic collaboration.

It's clear that the team takes responsibility and ownership for their deliveries, so they have direct communication with the customers in order to have questions clarified and sorted out. Thus far, we haven't ended up in a situation where we need to redo things due to bad-quality work, so Sigma Software Group's work is very straightforward and on time.

How did Sigma Software Group perform from a project management standpoint?
Sigma Software Group works very well. They offer transparent communication and comply with the best practices we use on our projects. Their project management fits perfectly with our ways of working, so I doubt that our customers know that Sigma Software Group is a consultancy team rather than an in-house team. From that point of view, the team is performing very well and as expected.

Our communication with Sigma Software Group is very dynamic. As mentioned, they communicate directly with customers or with other supporting teams whenever alignment is necessary. For some projects, our internal teams do one part of the project and Sigma Software Group does another, so the delivery is combined.

As a matter of governance, we have a weekly follow-up with their team to check the project status and forecast possible upcoming change requests or work that needs to be prioritized. As for the communication tools, we use Slack, email, and phone. Any communication channels available work for us.

Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?

I would like to give a shout-out to Andrei (Senior Software Developer), our oldest team member. He has been with us from the very beginning and has grown his skill set over time. He has also made sure that our whole team is on board with the technology and provides them with product knowledge.

To date, Andrei is still going very strong and very connected to our business. He's very curious, listens to our ideas, takes into consideration our thoughts, and brings our insight back to their team for guidance so that they can provide their expertise.

What did you find most impressive about them?
Sigma Software Group's commitment, ownership, and willingness to be part of a bigger corporation and adapt to our ways of working has been outstanding. Their team always brings perspective and advice, but it's very easy for them to assimilate our processes and provide our services in a way that our customers don't really see a difference.

As a task is assigned to their team, I expect that they will drive and resolve that task. They're also great at following through, so there's no need to chase them around for them to deliver a great performance. From that perspective, the team is working very well.
Are there any areas they could improve?
I can't think of anything Sigma Software Group could improve on because our collaboration is great. In fact, I really appreciate that they're very open to new views and insights. they're always curious and willing to learn, so they always keep the door open for new technologies and new approaches. We can rely on them to always learn and adjust.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?
Be clear on what you need, how you need it, and when you want it so that the team can adapt to your ways of working and make them theirs. If you do that, they'll deliver.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of operations for an e-commerce company that offers grocery delivery to the entire US.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Sigma Software Group?

We needed help with our mobile application and e-commerce site.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Sigma Software Group provides frontend, backend, and native engineering support for our e-commerce marketplace. 

They’ve built our iOS and Android applications using JavaScript and provide QA support. Sigma Software Group facilitates much of the technology that displays items on our marketplace and coordinates the delivery of those items.

What is the team composition?

We currently work with a QA analyst, an iOS developer, and an Android developer, but the team was larger in the past. We used to have four teammates, but somebody rolled off the project.

How did you come to work with Sigma Software Group?

The relationship with our company started in 2020, but I didn’t start working with them until I entered my current position.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve probably spent around $40,000 monthly in the past few years.

What is the status of this engagement?

I began working with Sigma Software Group about two years ago, in February 2022. Our partnership is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I don’t have any numbers offhand, but we’ve definitely seen a significant increase since we started the project. Moreover, the percentage of users using a native app has essentially flipped. Two years ago, before we started working with Sigma Software Group, the majority of our users used our web platform. Now, most of them use either the iOS or Android app, changing user behavior.

Additionally, Sigma Software Group has implemented many features that have increased our average order value by about 12%. Sigma Software Group has exceeded our expectations.

How did Sigma Software Group perform from a project management standpoint?

They deliver on time and within budget and adapt to our constantly changing priorities. We’ve needed a bit of flexibility because we’re based in the US, and many of the people we work with are based in Europe.

Moreover, what really has stuck out to me is that they’re very contemplative about their work. Instead of going through their day-to-day, they’re often thinking about what recommendations they can give us to improve the product. They come to the table with a lot to offer.

We communicate primarily through Zoom, emails, Slack, and Jira.

Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?

We’ll give a shout-out to Olga (Test Engineer). She has done an excellent job at adapting to a fluid and ever-changing development pipeline. Moreover, she keeps up with the changes we request and takes a lot of the burden of testing our new products.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Everybody we’ve worked with has improved their understanding of our product, so they've consistently suggested improvements that we haven’t considered. In particular, our QA analyst started as a junior, but now she does an outstanding job running the show, developing test plans, and working autonomously.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can’t think of anything off the top of my head.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Over-communication is the most important thing, especially when you’re jumping on a new project and learning. Make sure you take the time at the beginning of the relationship to provide as much detail as possible; Sigma Software Group does an excellent job diving in and understanding the product. However, that’s an investment you must make in time, when you’re kicking things off.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the VP of engineering for a property management company. Our company focuses on uplifting the standards of living in our country while providing good investment opportunities. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Sigma Software Group?

We were looking for a way to expand our technology capabilities, so we brought them on for staff augmentation services. Our goal was to integrate the teammates from Sigma Software Group into our organization to support growth at a faster pace. It was important for us that we had a vendor that was compatible with our ethos and had the right dynamics to work with us. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We initially provided them with a detailed brief outlining what we wanted to achieve and how we operate as a business. After that, we went through a vetting process. This included initial conversations, a proposal from them, and detailed interviews where we went over scenarios and tried to see how compatible they were with our ways of working. 

Sigma Software Group provides engineers who work cohesively with our existing team. We also use their services for more delivery-focused design and development activities. We rely on them to answer any questions and provide solutions. 

What is the team composition?

We work with an account manager, four engineers, and a product manager. 

Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?

We’d like to shout out Alexandra (Senior Software Developer); we don’t want her to ever leave our team. 

How did you come to work with Sigma Software Group?

I had worked with Sigma Software Group previously. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in October 2022, and the engagement is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Sigma Software Group has become an invaluable piece of our structure, to the point that we simply consider them a part of our organization. Every member of their team is fantastic, and their output is consistently very high. 

How did Sigma Software Group perform from a project management standpoint?

They are always very responsive to our needs, and we’ve built incredible relationships with individuals on their team. We don’t have a traditional project management model but are very satisfied with their documentation and transparency. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Our partnership with Sigma Software Group is very strong and we hope to bring in more individuals from their team when we can. The team is friendly, collaborative, and enjoyable to work with. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing we can come up with at this point. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Look at Sigma Software Group as an extension of your team, and be open and honest about what is important to you. This isn’t in terms of output but rather what is important within your organization and what makes a good employee. The more open you are about this, the more successful they will be. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of an education technology company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Sigma Software Group?

We needed help with software development. We were a startup and didn’t know what we were doing.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Sigma Software Group developed a mobile application for iOS and Android; they created a virtual football academy for professional clubs. We initially provided rudimentary documentation. They did the frontend for us using Firebase and Flutter. We also used Django and Python for the APIs.

What is the team composition?

We had up to 12–15 teammates at one point.

How did you come to work with Sigma Software Group?

One of our team members worked with them when she worked for Yahoo. They had used them on several occasions, so she knew them.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $700,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them from June 2022–January 2024.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We wouldn’t have a product without Sigma Software Group, so their impact was huge. They developed the platform, and we loved working with them. 

Most of the team was in Ukraine when we started; we went through the Russian Invasion together and got them all out, so they felt like family. Overall, we were amazed at how they worked during this period. We had the greatest amount of respect and regard for their team.

How did Sigma Software Group perform from a project management standpoint?

We never worked with them on a project basis; we were developing our whole company with them, so it was sometimes harder to guarantee that the software would work. They were learning with us, so they had to solve things in their own time.

Sigma Software Group delivered on time. They respected deadlines and were always available. However, we consistently exceeded the budget because we were doing retainer work.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Sigma Software Group was willing to work with any project size. We weren’t too small or too big for them, and they were happy to meet us where we were. Moreover, the team was lovely, patient, and understanding; they never made us feel stupid. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

We got what we paid for; they created good software, but their prices were high. I don’t know if they could bring them down. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Don’t work with them based on retainer. Give them a project and a feature.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the head of information systems for a company in the construction industry. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Sigma Software Group?

We work on many different projects with Sigma Software Group, but we initially hired them for development work. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We use Sigma Software Group for various projects. We have used their services for development, business analysis, architecture building, security, testing, and project management. 

What is the team composition?

Our team size depends on our needs, but we currently work with about 33 individuals from Sigma Software Group. We are primarily in contact with about 5–6 individuals from their team. 

How did you come to work with Sigma Software Group?

I previously worked for Sigma Software Group. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in January 2008, and the engagement is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our management team is very happy with the work from Sigma Software Group. We are a profitable company, and a lot of that profit comes from code that was written by their team. 

How did Sigma Software Group perform from a project management standpoint?

We don’t work on a project basis, so deadlines aren’t entirely relevant. We work with a dedicated team in an Agile environment, and Sigma Software Group meets our requirements.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their team is made up of talented professionals. They understand our needs and are good at translating our requirements. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

It can sometimes take a while for us to find another person to bring in from Sigma Software Group, but this isn’t entirely their fault. We’re extremely picky about who we bring in, so it just takes a while to find the right fit. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Don’t be afraid to delegate tasks to their team. It takes time to build a relationship, but the longer you work with them, the more you’ll come to trust them. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am a department SVP at Nacelle Company

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

The Nacelle Company develops, produces, and distributes feature and documentary films as well as TV shows – both scripted and unscripted along with toys, merchandise, and books.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Sigma Software Group to accomplish?

• Increase SEO for 3 websites
• Re-design two company websites
• Maintain upkeep of three websites

SOLUTION

How did you find Sigma Software Group?

Referral

Why did you select Sigma Software Group over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me

How many teammates from Sigma Software Group were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

We needed help revamping our websites, maximizing potential from our storefront, and increasing SEO across the board. We also needed a team that could troubleshoot on a daily basis in case any complications would arise.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We recently did a pre-order sale for a product, and with Sigma's help - it went flawlessly - and was our most successful pre-order to date.

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

The communication has been outstanding. They not only respond quickly, but any help that is needed is guaranteed and we don't have to wait business days for replies. It is always same day, and things are taken care of immediately.

What was your primary form of communication with Sigma Software Group?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

We were assigned a great team with Ian and Ihor - and they have been extremely clear with communication and setting expectations. They also bring up opportunities we have never even considered, so really just a great team on the Sigma end.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Sigma Software Group could have done differently?

None that I can think of

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the head of engineering at Checkmarx, an application software security company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Sigma Software Group?

Sigma Software Group provides us with staff augmentation services.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement? 

We integrated Sigma Software Group's team members into our team like any other employee, following the same work processes. They work alongside us within the organization and are considered a part of our HR resources. 

The team at Sigma Software Group primarily focuses on three areas: development, DevOps, and quality automation.

What is the team composition?

We work with 10 people from Sigma Software Group, including software developers, DevOps engineers, and quality automation engineers. My main points of contact are Artem (Senior Project & Account Manager) and Oleksandr (VP).

How did you come to work with Sigma Software Group?

I'm unsure how we found Sigma Software Group, as I wasn't involved in the selection process.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with Sigma Software Group in August 2019, and it's an ongoing partnership. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I don't have any hard metrics to share at this time. One of the primary KPIs is the fact that we've had a longstanding partnership. The retention is excellent, and we're very satisfied. Those two factors clearly show that we're happy with them. 

How did Sigma Software Group perform from a project management standpoint?

Sigma Software Group is one the best outsourcing companies we've worked with. We're very happy with the services we're getting from them, including the project management. We typically communicate through email and in-person meetings.  

What did you find most impressive about them?

One of the most impressive qualities of the Sigma Software Group team is the high level of professionalism exhibited by their employees. Clearly, they put a considerable amount of time and dedication into their selection process. The people in our group are very proficient, and their work is very satisfactory from our perspective. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Overall, the process is good, and the people are professional. There is nothing in particular that I can point out. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I would recommend them to my colleagues. They're not cheap, but there is good value for money. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CTO of Blockthrough. We’re a technology firm in the ad-block recovery space, and we support businesses of all sizes to recover revenue lost when users use ad-block software. Our clients include publishers and household-name brands in the news and other industries. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Sigma Software Group?

We hired Sigma Software Group to supplement our existing employment base. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We use a number of teammates from Sigma Software Group and treat them as our own employees and an extension of our engineering team. We have a standard onboarding process, but we usually have them work on our existing projects. Our team gets their engineer up to speed on where the code is, how it works, what the product is, and so on. 

One of the features their resources have worked on is improving the system we use to detect acceptable ads. This technology is built into our product and allows certain ads to be shown to ad-block users when considered acceptable. Sigma Software Group has helped improve this piece of software. 

This is a custom product, but our technologies include containers running in the Google Cloud, such as Docker, Golang, and JavaScript. The database is PostgreSQL. Sigma Software Group also uses Chrome instrumentation technologies. 

Moreover, many of the installations we maintain on publisher pages are time-consuming. The Sigma Software Group team frees up our time by building automation features or doing the installations themselves. Maintenance is a big part of their role. 

What is the team composition?

We’ve had 2–4 full-time engineers throughout the years. Mariia (Recruitment Team Lead) has been our longest-tenured resource. 

How did you come to work with Sigma Software Group?

Sigma Software Group was a referral by one of our long-time advisors who worked with them. He suggested we talk to the team to see if their services fit our needs.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $700,000–$800,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started the partnership in November 2020, and it’s ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We review the performance of the Sigma Software Group engineers working for us using the same KPIs that any new employees would have. They’ve met our expectations. On average, the quality of their resources has been high. They have some strong teammates, including Mariia, who has been a truly strong engineer. If there are any performance concerts, they’ve been able to replace teammates quickly. 

How did Sigma Software Group perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re generally good at project management. We haven’t hired a project manager since we’re keeping the cadence, but they’ve done well keeping up with us. For tools, we use Jira for ticket and project management. To communicate, we usually use Slack and Zoom calls. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

The quality of their resources makes them stand out — that’s the main reason I’ve hired them. Moreover, they have a great ability to find teammates quickly and a deep roster of resources. I’ve sprung up requirements for them, and they’ve been able to fill roles fairly quickly. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there aren’t any. I don’t have any complaints about them. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Partner with your account manager and ensure they understand your business and product. This way, Sigma Sofware Group will help you find the right people. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the product owner of an equestrian training company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Sigma Software Group?

We needed a company that could provide us with mobile app development support.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Sigma Software Group handles all of our mobile app development initiatives. They’ve developed a mobile app for horse riders and owners. The app features a streaming service that horse riders can use for digital training.

What is the team composition?

We currently work with two developers and a project manager from Sigma Software Group, but we’ve scaled the team up and down over the years depending on our needs. Our current team consists of two app developers, Eduard (Software Developer) and Maksym (Junior Software Engineer), and a project manager, Artem (Account Project Manager).

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Sigma Software Group’s support has been vital to our success. They’ve delivered a top-notch technical solution and provided us with valuable insights and knowledge.

How did Sigma Software Group perform from a project management standpoint?

Sigma Software Group has performed well in terms of project management. They’re able to scale the team up and down quickly, depending on our roadmap. They also provide timely, detailed reports every week.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It’s sometimes tricky to estimate how long a project will take, but Sigma Software Group has done an excellent job of that.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, nothing comes to mind. We’ve been very satisfied with Sigma Software Group’s work. The current resources are a solid part of our team. We also appreciate how involved they are in our discussions on how we want to build our product.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It’s a good idea to have the same people as part of your team so you don’t have to explain what you want and how you want things done over and over again.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm a product manager in the training department of the International Air Transport Association, also known as IATA. We’re an airlines association.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Sigma Software Group?

We’re in the training business and provide different training delivery methods. We have a traditional classroom delivery and digital self-study training. We needed to develop additional training tools, specifically a digital simulator of real-life scenarios for students that are enrolled in our training.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Sigma Software Group has designed and developed a digital tool integrated with our training. We initially sent an RFP which detailed our project’s requirements. We needed a simulation tool with an emphasis on graphic abilities that supported 3D images. We also required the students to be able to manipulate the images. 

After Sigma Software Group completed the software’s development, they continued to provide maintenance and tech support services. Sigma Software Group also developed extra functionalities.  

What is the team composition?

I worked with around 10 teammates from Sigma Software Group, including a project manager from the business side, a project coordinator, a lead engineer, a software architect, a business analyst, and a graphic designer.

How did you come to work with Sigma Software Group?

I found Sigma Software Group through online research. We wanted to work with a company within our same region and checked different service providers.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested around $100,000–$500,000 with Sigma Software Group. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with Sigma Software Group from December 2019–November 2020. The project was extended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Sigma Software Group was professional and met our expectations. This project was part of our overall strategy to create a unique business proposal. We wanted to offer unique training tools so our customers didn’t have traditional training. The software developed by Sigma Software Group supported our new product line and allowed students to practice without going out of the classroom. 

How did Sigma Software Group perform from a project management standpoint?

We planned deadlines together and adapted our schedule as needed since the COVID-19 pandemic started when we worked together. Sigma Software Group was flexible and organized. Sigma Software Group was good at planning and meeting deadlines. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, we had in-person meetings, and then we changed to Zoom.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was most impressed by Sigma Software Group’s professionalism and quickness to respond. Sigma Software Group also had a wide team of specialists, which was really positive for me because I didn’t have experience in software development. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of any significant thing for Sigma Software Group to improve. Overall, I wish in-person meetings came back to business like they used to be before the COVID-19 pandemic. I think it's important for creating business relationships. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Listen to what Sigma Software Group has to offer because it will benefit your company. I really recommend Sigma Software Group’s work quality — they responded to our project’s request.