Sigmoidal LLC

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director of Data Science of Secur-o

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

US-based start-up that specializes in security risk assessment.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Sigmoidal LLC to accomplish?

• The full-fledged product: automated reporting tool capable of simplifying our survey data analysis and reporting
• Identify patterns, trends, and insights in specific data
• Develop a custom and the mist important thing, scalable, solution

SOLUTION

How did you find Sigmoidal LLC?

Online Search

Why did you select Sigmoidal LLC over others?

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

How many teammates from Sigmoidal LLC were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

The initial engagement with Sigmoidal was prompted by the need to develop an advanced automated reporting tool capable of processing, analyzing, and interpreting our substantial volume of survey data. Our existing methodologies had become antiquated, leading to a noticeable reduction in productivity and efficiency and hampering our ability to extract valuable insights from the data collected. 

The primary objective was transitioning from a largely manual and time-consuming process to an automated, AI-powered solution. This solution was needed to comprehensively analyze survey data, identify key trends and patterns, and generate insightful reports. The tool should handle various data types, including structured and unstructured data, and scale effectively as our data volume grows. 

The tool's design must incorporate a user-friendly interface, allowing non-technical team members to navigate the platform and easily understand the reports generated. A real-time monitoring and analysis dashboard was also requisite, enabling our team to act promptly on the insights derived.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since integrating Sigmoidal's automated reporting tool into our operations, we have observed a transformative improvement in how we handle our survey data analysis and reporting processes. The tool has indeed revolutionized our workflow, leading to an impressive increase in efficiency and a remarkable improvement in risk assessment accuracy. 

We noticed about a 30-40% increase in the efficiency of our survey data analysis and reporting processes. This enhancement can be directly attributed to the tool's ability to process vast amounts of data in real-time, sophisticated machine-learning algorithms capable of identifying patterns and trends, and the automation of once-manual processes. 

Simultaneously, the accuracy of our risk assessments improved substantially. We attribute this to the tool's ability to leverage AI for more precise predictive analytics, reducing the margin of human error and allowing us to make more informed and data-driven decisions. This level of accuracy has proven invaluable in mitigating potential risks and charting strategic paths for our organization.

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

We established a consistent communication rhythm involving daily stand-up calls, which was pivotal in keeping everyone aligned and abreast of the project's progress. These daily touchpoints allowed us to discuss any immediate questions, concerns, or roadblocks, ensuring that no issue lingered unresolved for more than 24 hours. 

In addition to our daily calls, Sigmoidal provided detailed weekly reports, meticulously documenting the progress, insights, and strategic recommendations for the project. These comprehensive reports, often accompanied by data visualizations, offered a clear, in-depth view of the project's trajectory, allowing us to understand the work's intricacies and make informed decisions about our next steps. 

Overall, the Sigmoidal team was very professional and easy to work with, and they were always available to address our questions or concerns. Their experience and expertise in the field also made a huge difference, and they provided valuable insights and guidance throughout the project.

What was your primary form of communication with Sigmoidal LLC?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

What truly stood out about Sigmoidal was their profound comprehension of the dynamic AI landscape and their remarkable capacity to tailor their proficiency to diverse projects. They provided us with incredibly talented and seasoned data scientists and machine learning engineers but also steered us competently throughout the process, ensuring our requirements were fully satisfied. Their professionalism, subject matter expertise, and meticulousness genuinely left a lasting impression on me.

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

Non that I can think of. Overall, we are very satisfied with the partnership, and I would definitely consider working with Sigmoidal again in the future.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO of one of Germany's leading real estate companies.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Sigmoidal?

We have been developing AI-based solutions to automatize our internal processes for a while now. In 2020 we started developing a system to help find buyers the perfect mortgage and suitable apartments. However, designing and development proved tedious and time-consuming for our internal team, so we started looking for a partner to help us speed up the process.

SOLUTION

How did you select Sigmoidal and what were the deciding factors?

We found Sigmoidal while researching potential partners. They seemed to have the experience we needed, and we were impressed with their idea of Sigmoidal DNA and active engagement while cooperating with their previous clients. We scheduled a meeting with their representative, and after a few calls, we were positive about our cooperation.

They presented us with a comprehensive plan for the projects and a complete proposal for our partnership. It assured us that Sigmoidal would actively participate throughout the project and help us reach our ultimate goal. Shortly after that, we signed an agreement a started working together.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

After our first few meetings, we set up a kick-off conference when our team met their Sigmoidal counterparts. Together with our project manager, they established a structure and communication channels as we advanced. Then Sigmoidal performed Event Storming, which enabled us to see future challenges and deal with possible issues before they manifested.

Sigmoidal shared their proprietary infrastructure and shared their expertise with our team. Knowledge sharing that Sigmoidal provides is what makes them a perfect partner. In the production stage, Sigmoidal team complemented ours in every way possible. They obtained and structured all the real estate data - land records, title documents, purchase price, and even mortgage liens.

In addition, sigmoidal performed data exploration, feature engineering, and predictive modeling as they delivered parts of the software. We ended up with a product currently used by our employees and is still evolving, with Sigmoidal help.

Describe the recruitment process in detail.

We worked with 4-6 machine learning specialists from Sigmoidal, depending on the stage of the project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the engagement that demonstrate progress or success?

Software that we developed with sigmoidal utilizes Compass AI. It can evaluate the price of a property compared to other properties in the market, search for specific types of homes in ultra-specific locations, input desired square footage of indoor and outdoor spaces, and then get immediate alerts when something hits the market.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Communication and time management is definitely one of Sigmoidals strengths. In any project with a tight timeline, there are often corners you have to cut at specific points of time. To do so, you have to identify them early enough to make the right decisions, and the Sigmoidal did this very well. Their communication is robust, which is essential when working with a contractor.

Their lead engineer communicates with our stakeholders and project manager, guaranteeing excellent results.

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

All of the engineers at Sigmoidal are very comfortable communicating through our internal channels and quickly adjust to our way of work. I am impressed by their willingness to apply new tools and technologies to work within the confines of our organization's existing setup. Their ability to switch expertise to match customer needs has stood out to me.

Their flexibility in both skill and scope to adapt to the customer's ever-changing needs.

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

They are absolute experts in the machine learning field. I do not see any areas they could improve upon.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a Managing Partner of an innovative and fast-growing company specializing in blockchain technologies and cryptocurrency.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Sigmoidal?

After our successful release of the blockchain token, we decided to expand our platform capabilities further. Soon we found out that our internal machine learning engineers could not develop all the desired functionalities within the deadlines. So we decided to reach out to companies specializing in that area. We wanted to expand the platform's functionalities and include an option to track and analyze different tokens, providing our customers with better investment opportunities.

SOLUTION

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

We were doing well on the frontend part of the application, but soon we found out that our current team of data scientists, as good as they were, did not possess the expertise that we required to develop the functionalities that were needed. Our application is a complex system connecting deep learning components and other AI-based technologies. We reviewed many companies along the way, but their focus and dedication to machine learning were what got us to Sigmoidal. We scheduled a meeting and explained our vision for the project. At this point, Sigmoidal acquainted us with their experience and background in ML & Deep Learning technologies. You could immediately feel the professionalism and enormous understanding of the AI field. The deciding factor came down to Sigmoidal's unique ability to understand clients' products and genuinely apply their deep knowledge and technical expertise.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

First, we arranged an online meeting. It was very efficient and quick but still intense. The representatives really understood our challenge and had a ton of ready-made, proven solutions. It took us several conversations to work out all the details, discuss our requirements and their responsibilities, and then we could all get to work. The ultimate goal was designing and developing an operational AI-driven safety audit with many functionalities. Next, we held extensive weekly meetings. Sigmoidal understood our deadlines and always delivered with the required quality and on time. We started working together in 2021, and our engagement is ongoing. The product we’re currently expanding with Sigmoidal is relatively new to the market. Sigmoidal has proven as a professional and experienced partner. We are thrilled to be working with them.

Describe the recruitment process in detail.

During the partnership with Sigmoidal, we have cooperated with 10 additional staff engineers on average, working simultaneously with our team on the project. The size of the team and the team members fluctuated based on the stage of the production process we were in.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the engagement that demonstrate progress or success?

We have a properly functioning platform for our customers with all the requested functionalities.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The entire project went smoothly, and we were impressed by how well organized the Sigmoidal team is. They are very transparent and constantly shared with us all the project information. Sigmoidal team was a perfect match for our internal team. We could reach out to them anytime, and we always received an answer almost instantly. Their data scientists were very experienced and confident with what they were doing. We used the encrypted online chat and a Kanban-style list-making application, which allowed both teams to communicate effectively - not a single task was missed or overdue.

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

Their transparency and proactive approach. From a management perspective, they were cooperative, understanding, and responsive. All the questions they received from us were promptly answered. The Sigmoidal team is very well organized in the way that they work. Communication and procedures stood out to us, while a clear status and results are always available. Development quality and pace were outstanding, and overall we’re genuinely blown away by the quality of their services. Sigmoidal helped us develop a phenomenal product that will give us a competitive advantage for a long time.

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

Their performance is consistent, always demonstrating their exceptional professionalism and expertise.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a CEO of a company that manufactures and sells through various online platforms silver and gold jewelry. We are located in Poland, founded back in the 1990s.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Sigmoidal?

My company was going through a massive scaling process. We expanded our manufacturing capacities and online presence, resulting in more orders than ever coming through. Additionally, we signed a long-term contract to deliver jewelry with one of the biggest European retail companies.

We had our small internal team, about three developers. We were looking for a partner to help us develop an AI-based system to forecast our demand for raw materials like silver based on our sales results and analyze the best option for a supplier.

SOLUTION

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

We found Sigmoidal through detailed online research. Many companies advertise themselves as experts in the AI field. Therefore, the challenge was to find a company that could potentially become our long-term partner. Another factor was discovering a company with genuine expertise in AI-based projects, and after our research, we concluded that Sigmoidals could be a perfect match for us.

Their proposal looked very promising. After an email exchange and a few online conversations, where their representative explained to us in detail their proposal, we started to work together.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

Our collaboration began with two or three online meetings and email exchanges. Our conferences proved very useful, as our internal team did not have the experience needed for this kind of project. The conversations themselves were very concrete, to-the-point, and efficient. Michał from the sales team and Andrzej from the engineering team were well prepared and easily able to find a solution to our problem.

During our conversations, I learned about their past projects. They showed us how they could embed their infrastructure and pre-existing patterns into our solution, making the design and development process much faster. In the early stages of the project, their team synched up with our internal developers and thoroughly designed the action plan for the project, including deadlines, features, and all structures.

Then their team focused on the production stage to deliver a product that we could immediately utilize in our efforts to scale, sell and manufacture jewelry more efficiently without incurring unnecessary costs.

Describe the recruitment process in detail.

Sigmoidal provided us with 4 data scientists to extend our already existing team. Andrzej from sigmoidal took the initiative as the lead engineer/project manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the engagement that demonstrate progress or success?

Our level of service has definitely increased. Sigmoidal utilized data cleaning and data exploration to create a clear and functional database we could then use in further project stages.

In addition, their team performed a series of event storming sessions and Predictive Modeling, so the result was a great piece of software with a scalable architecture. Sigmoidal team had a fresh and modern approach, showing the ability to lead and engineer great features every step of the way.

The software we created proved to be crucial in the coming months. We significantly reduced the time spent on research and risk assessment of our suppliers. Sigmoidal gave us the ability to predict our demand for raw materials accurately. We avoided the unnecessary manufacturing of jewelry which resulted in lower operational costs.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The collaboration was exemplary. I’m delighted with Sigmoidal. We had never used an outside company and were skeptical, however, Sigmoidal changed our perception. Sigmoidal data scientists were very engaged, proactive, and communicative, always displaying their high level of expertise.

We had a more comprehensive meeting every week, but they were in close contact with our internal team every day of the week. We were amazed by their level of expertise and ability to work in a cross-functional environment.

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

What separates Sigmoidal from other companies is that they had a clear and reliable plan for the project from the beginning. The amazing thing is that they immediately comprehended our market needs and were ready to suggest novelty technical solutions.

The sigmoidal team implemented technologies that perfectly matched our requirements, constantly coming up with valuable conclusions and ideas. Software sigmoidal delivered, defined our infrastructure for years to come, lowering our operational costs.

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

I’m delighted with Sigmoidal. No field for improvement that I see.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a CTO of an innovative startup. Recently, we have been working with US-based companies struggling to adapt their solutions to new digital realities.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Sigmoidal?

My company was hired by a US-based one, working in the retail sector and expanding their e-commerce presence. We were tasked with creating software to automatically extract, categorize, and process their customer reviews to reduce the number of unpopular products from the store and promote the favored ones. We were looking for a skilled team of data scientists to join our efforts, as the project and data involved proved too big for us to comprehend. In addition, we needed expertise and new solutions to deliver on our deadlines.

SOLUTION

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

I discovered Sigmoidal while searching for a company providing staff augmentation services. The search was challenging because many companies offer engineers starting from the frontend and going further to blockchain ones. This kind of solution was not working for us. What was unique for me in the Sigmoidal proposal was their focused and innovative approach to AI & ML. I’ve contacted a few of my colleagues working in the same area of interest and ended up receiving glowing recommendations on Sigmoidal previous work.

In addition, I’ve researched the information about Sigmoidal on my own and found that they possess the relevant experience to aid our efforts. We exchanged a few e-mails and scheduled a call to describe our challenge. I was simply impressed by the individual approach of Sigmoidal and how they immediately understood both our technical and business goals. Immediately they started suggesting new methods and technologies that we could leverage.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

During the first two weeks, we had daily meetings, and the Sigmoidal team was able to comprehend our approach and prepare the entire project scope with financial and time estimates. Shortly after, we put Sigmoidal engineers alongside our in-house data scientists, trusting them to lead the project due to their previous experience. Their exceptionally experienced data scientists were able to adapt their infrastructure, taking our requirements into account and working them into the architecture they had created. Their efforts ended up in us completing the project much quicker, from an estimated 8 months to a little more than 6.

Moreover, they were always proactive, supplying us with the knowledge of state-of-the-art NLP models like BERT, RoBERTa. The result was great software capable of automatically extracting, categorizing, and processing customer reviews. It enabled our client to get extensive reports and manage their enormous base of thousands of products by advertising more popular products and removing or reducing the number of offers gaining bad reviews. Also, it can automatically generate vast reports containing data gathered on multiple products and examine their performance over a set period.

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

Our team worked with 5 Senior Data Scientists, one of them taking the lead role, and acting as the secondary project manager of the whole project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Within the first month or so, we overcame our pre-existing technical issues, which enabled us to later implement the most recent technological solutions and extend our project’s scope, which ended up in our client providing us with a similar project shortly after.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

In my opinion, it was the most effective and tailored management style I had ever had a pleasure to experience. Sigmoidal engineers were always available, and the communication was done exceptionally fast. At all times, I knew exactly what was being worked on.

 Our in-house engineers were impressed by Sigmoidal's ability to perform that efficiently on the project with a pre-existing team, all on a remote basis. Sigmoidal proved to be a fantastic partner, transparent about its progress, providing us with the existing architecture and expertise we needed. In the end, the crucial factor that enabled us to deliver was Sigmoidal.

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

It is truly impressive how fast they adapted their methodology, architecture, and infrastructure for our exact needs. Working in sprints pushed the progress forward at an extreme pace, and at the same time, they found the time to share their knowledge and experience with us. The communication was on point, and their additional input was always there.

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

No, I don’t think there is. I enjoyed every aspect of our cooperation.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO and founder of a startup focusing on custom AI solutions. We specialize in niche/innovative products, based on broadly defined AI technologies.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Sigmoidal?

My company had recently acquired a new client - a prominent e-commerce company, based in Germany with a worldwide presence. They tasked us to development of a system, that would scrape free advertisements from other platforms, forums, websites etc. Ads that we collected were unstructured and written for native users in non-english speaking countries - Greece, Spain, Germany or Poland.

Our software had to extract main named entities from the advertisements, label it, and structure by standards provided by our client. In addition, our software had to have the ability to self-learn over time and provide our client with predictions and estimations concerning different products included in the advertisements.

SOLUTION

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

The contract we had secured had proven to be more labor-intensive than we had anticipated, so we had to look for a company specialing in staff augmentation. I found Sigmoidal while researching US-based companies specializing in both staff augmentation and AI-based solutions. I scheduled a meeting with their account manager, we talked about possible work on their side, and he presented me with their case studies.

It turned out that they had already done similar projects, which have perfectly fit my expectations. They offered not only to aid in software development but also consulting services, which was a perfect solution for me.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

During the first week or so, the Sigmoidal account manager provided me with their initial estimate and timeline for the project. During the subsequent talks, developers were also present - they showed me their vision of the project and gave many tips and ideas on the latest solutions and technologies.

After initial kick-off meetings with the engineering team from our side, they got to work at a rapid pace. In a matter of a few months their team, cooperating with our engineers were able to develop a proprietary AI-based engine, based on deep learning and natural language processing solutions. The end result was an innovative piece of technology, that could automatically scrape the advertisements, all in different languages, process them by converting and structuring in a matter expected by our clients.

Additionally, Sigmoidal team enabled us to develop some features meant for later phases, adding our software the ability to extract main entities, analyze them, and forecast data like pricing.

Describe the recruitment process in detail.

In total, we worked with five different people from Sigmoidal’s side. Sometimes more, depending on the project phase. Data Scientists provided to us were all at the Senior/Lead level. Additionally, they engaged an MLOps specialist to work in all software onto the production stage. All of them were highly qualified professionals, with expertise in Deep Learning.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the engagement that demonstrate progress or success?

I was thrilled with the solutions and the technologies utilized by Simoidal during this project. Because of them, we were able to finish the project about 1.5 months before the deadline and secured another contract with the same client, additionally being tasked with maintenance and future development of this one. Also, by finishing earlier than expected, my company received a hefty bonus, which in return allowed us to scale the company, and engage with more clients.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We felt good about our collaboration. They were good people to work with, full of energy, creative, and proactive. Our team was always up to date with their progress, and the information was given to me immediately. We had weekly meetings, and separate channel on slack for more urgent cases. It was enjoyable, and you could feel the professionalism, so I was calm about every stage of the project, end result being finishing 1.5 months before our deadline.

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

Time was a crucial factor, and Sigmoidal delivered earlier then everyone, including our client expected. Their team was well-organized and comprised of true experts in such a niche field of deep learning. Also, I think that knowledge and substantive approach to the topic was my essential requirement when choosing a partner; Sigmoidal has mastered it at the highest level.

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

I think not. It's a pleasure to work with them. They are my first choice when it comes to Deep Learning-based projects.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a COO and Co-Founder of an IT Staffing Agency. We are working with a number of clients providing them with candidates in different positions, ranging from back-end developers and going further into more niche ones like Deep Learning specialists.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Sigmoidal?

My company had gone through a massive scaling process, and with a lot of new clients on board, we needed to automate some of our processes. Our main challenge to overcome was the amount of manual labor we had to do in order to pre-screen candidates and find the right insights/technologies they had on their CVs.

We came up with an idea to create a system that would automate the whole process by labeling desirable data, and flagging pieces of information that, we knew, were unacceptable by our clients.

SOLUTION

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

I found them through a friend’s recommendation, we had a meeting where they presented me with their portfolio and relevant experience. We discussed the main points concerning the scope of work. Shortly after, we held another meeting, that also included their CTO, where they presented us with specific time and budget estimations. In addition, at this early stage, they had prepared the infrastructure, and architecture that would prove to be crucial during the development stage.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

In the first weeks of the project duration, Sigmoidal, working closely with our in-house front-end engineers designed a cohesive roadmap for the development cycle. They explained to me their choice to build the solution using Natural Language Processing techniques, and Computer Vision technologies. We had weekly meetings, to stay on top of all processes.

Sigmoidal worked out a timeline for every feature, so we could be realistic on the release of the full-fledged platform. The end result was an application with a complex backend that converted the CVs into text and saved it onto a global database.

From there it labeled our desired points from the CVs, flagged the most concerning data, and provided us with a short report on every single candidate. Profiles of specific candidates that included some unresolved concerns were marked for the manual check, which reduced the possibility for an error while enabling a small amount of human work to improve the system.

What’s unique is that the system had the ability to learn over time, so we could re-apply it to the different recruitment processes, without much input from our side. All was packed into an easily accessible frontend, enabling our recruiter to work on it without any additional training.

Describe the recruitment process in detail.

Sigmoidal provided us with 4 Data Scientists, experts in NLP and Computer Vision. Three of them were at the senior/lead level, and one was a late mid engineer. All in all great mix of people with a fresh outlook on my case.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the engagement that demonstrate progress or success?

As of 2022, my business relies greatly on a platform developed in cooperation with Sigmoidal. After the application was launched, we finally had the ability to accommodate more clients. We were able to reduce the manual workload on the employees linked with pre-screening and the whole discovery process while focusing on interviewing the candidates, a system flagged as a fit for specific recruitment processes. All in all, by our estimates we were able to speed up the discovery process by about 30%.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

On my end, there was me and my front-end engineers. At first, our whole interaction was me communicating my vision for the platform to Sigmoidal’s team. They understood me perfectly, even helped me improve on my initial plan. They were able to work side by side, with my developers, and communicate their progress, so everyone included knew exactly where do we stand. We had weekly meetings, and a channel on slack. The whole process was very transparent, I knew exactly what part of the implementation is now underway.

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

People from Sigmoidal were great at their work, open for cooperation, creativity, and most of all, they have a lot of experience in the field, which they turned into amazing solutions. What surprised me was their ability to adapt their methods to my ideas and work with my in-house developers. They are very communicative and involved in the project from the beginning till the end. Their consistency in delivering high-quality results ensures a long-term partnership.

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

Not that I can think of. I am happy with their performance.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m a founder and CEO at Jutro Medical - primary care clinics powered by technology.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Our goal was to build a mobile app in React Native for our clinic - both Android and iOS.

SOLUTION

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

I stumbled upon their website, while looking for advice on AI implementation in another project. It turned out that they provide a much wider range of services, including full-stack and mobile app development. We had three exploratory calls, then they prepared a detailed roadmap and proposal. I was really impressed with their professionalism and how they managed to explain everything in a simple manner. They used InVision for some design sessions, which was really helpful. These factors sealed the deal for me.

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

Sigmoidal prepared a detailed roadmap and outline of the project, which we accepted. We started with a few brainstorming sessions on Google Meet, where we discussed how we envision the app to look like. They suggested using InVision, which helped a lot, as we could see the design progress in real-time. The next phase was the development. They were concurrently working on Android and iOS versions. After each milestone of development, they invited us to a longer feedback session, where we could both share our thoughts. They finished the development ahead of schedule and left the last 2 weeks for minor changes. I really liked this approach.

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

Four employees from Sigmoidal worked with us. 1 Senior PM, 2 React developers, 1 UX designer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We launched the updated version of the app a few weeks ago and have been collecting positive user feedback since then. So far, we have managed to get a 4.8 rating on the App Store.

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

We had two weekly meetings and received a detailed report every four weeks (with deliverables). In the last couple of weeks we managed to finally meet in person as the pandemic situation has gotten much better. The overall workflow was great.

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

The design is top-notch. Their resourcefulness, ability to meet deadlines, and communication were impressive.

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

The app looks and works great. I hope to work with Sigmoidal in the future.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m a Managing Partner & Founder at stwear.pl - a streetwear fashion marketplace startup, operating on the CEE market.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We wanted to build a solid website for our marketplace, putting a strong focus on intelligent analytics. The main goal was to design the backend of the website in such a way that it could efficiently track the behavior of visitors, aggregating the data. We wanted to develop the backend of the website in such a way that it could easily work together with Ahrefs and Google Analytics later down the road.

SOLUTION

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

Sigmoidal is a brand I've known previously as it's pretty well known in the AI communities. I scheduled a call on Zoom, which went really well. I liked the estimates and business-focused approach.

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

Their team was responsible for both designing the website and the analytics engine, as well as the development. We started with a few days of workshops remotely on Zoom due to the pandemic. We established that the best way to move forward will be to work in 1-week sprints. After each sprint, we received a detailed report on the progress, suggestions for improvements. Apart from that, we had weekly calls on Mondays.

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

We hired a team of 3 people in total (2 FTE). Full-Stack developer full-time, Senior AI engineer half-time, Project Manager half-time.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The project has just launched, yet we already acquired our first customers. With the custom-built analytics engine, we can easily get to know which products we should focus on more. As for the graphic design part - we wanted to go for an early 2000s’ style of the website and it was accomplished wonderfully.

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

The workflow was great. We had weekly calls on Mondays. We started the project from a few days of workshops, which helped a lot. We had a few ad-hoc sessions in the meantime. The availability of their team was great. They were responsive even in late evening hours.

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

The business-focused approach was impressive. Instead of asking “which CSS version should we use” and similar technical things, they started with “Ok, but why do you want to do this in the first place? What are your goals? Who will be your customers?”. We really liked it.

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

In hindsight, I think a few of our meetings were unnecessary - they could just send a few emails. Apart from that, they really did their job well.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the owner of a software development company, headquartered in Warsaw, Poland. We develop custom web and mobile apps. I am responsible for managing the team and handling the most important business relationships.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Sigmoidal?

We had been developing a web application for one of our clients in the retail industry, who asked if we could add a recommendation system. As ML is not our main line of work, we hired Sigmoidal to help us with that challenge.

SOLUTION

How did you select Sigmoidal and what were the deciding factors?

We wanted to hire somebody from our area and searched online for experienced ML engineers in Warsaw. I found the Sigmoidal profile and was happy to find out that it's run by people from Warsaw's University MIM faculty which guarantees great scientific skills. I scheduled a call thourgh their website through Calendly.

The call went well, so two of my engineers visited their office to discuss the details of the project.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

After we signed the contract, we had a 3-day workshop to align on the priorities and discuss how we envision the recommendation system to look like. Sigmoidal showed an excellent understanding of the business side of the project. After the workshop, we had a few two-week sprints with different iterations of the solution. We've seen promising results soon after the project start.

The final accuracy of the recommendation system was around 85%, which we found great, considering the relatively short time of the project

How many resources from the Sigmoidal team worked with you, and what were their positions?

Two machine learning engineers. One senior and one mid-level.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Very good accuracy of the system (85%). Our client was very satisfied as well. They achieved a significant increase in sales after introducing the new web app.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow was great. We had daily standups and a demo after each sprint (every two weeks). We used emails and slack for communication and JIRA as an issue tracking system.

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

Their outstanding technical skills and a good understanding of our business goals were impressive. They had Impressive ML skills as well.

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

The project went really smooth, no major concerns.