SmartTek Solutions

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Polygon CGI. We specialize in 3D computer-generated images and mobile interactive 3D.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with AVRspot?

We needed help with mobile application development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

To date, we’ve collaborated on two mobile-based projects for iOS and Android; both were interactive 3D. For the car configurator project, they supplemented development for 3D content. The team helped with Google Analytics and Firebase’s new mobile-friendly version.

The second project involved augmented reality and VR for a nightclub environment. They created a virtual character for first- and third-person simulations. The VR also include multi-player options. Functionalities included audio streams and a live video plug-in, which allowed users to play their iPhone content within the virtual nightclub.

What is the team composition?

The team includes two resources; one was a dedicated developer.

How did you come to work with AVRspot?

They contacted me. Although I wasn’t initially interested, their international location made me think they’d be less expensive than domestic firms. The team was open to a “pay as you go” arrangement.

How much have you invested in them?

They charge hourly rates, which we negotiate. We’ve spent under £10,000 ($14,185 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

Work started in August 2017 and is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They increased my capacity to deliver results while charging me less than most British firms. AVRspot works well as an ad hoc partner. They’re always accessible, which distinguishes them from other firms I’ve engaged.

How did AVRspot perform from a project management standpoint?

They make remote development convenient. There’s no need for in-house resources, especially considering our ongoing relationship. We Skype when necessary; they speak English well.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They deliver accurate results and provide explicit instructions for integrations. The team is also responsive. They respond to emails within minutes.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can’t think of anything.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the managing director of a Virtual and Augmented Reality company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with AVRspot?

We needed extra development support to create a virtual reality (VR) Unity application.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

AVRspot developed our application using the Unity engine. They programmed our product using the coding language C#. The team integrated the app into our proprietary platform.

What is the team composition?

AVRspot assigned a lead developer, one junior developer, and a project manager to our engagement.

How did you come to work with AVRspot?

The team initially approached us to offer supplemental software development services. The first job we hired them for went well, so we sent them another project.

How much have you invested with them?

The cost of their work was €2,000–€3,000 ($2,500–$3,500 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with AVRspot six months ago in November 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

AVRspot delivered a viable app that we felt confident delivering to our client. In turn, they were able to distribute this VR content deliverable to his own customers.

How did AVRspot perform from a project management standpoint?

They communicated effectively through both Skype and email. We used Bitbucket, a collaborative Git solution, for code review and updates.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I appreciated the team’s flexibility. AVRspot includes a substantial number of resources. The team could always scale support to accommodate our needs.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We don’t have any complaints.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Verifacto, a U.S. software company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with UkrInSofT?

We were looking to outsource some of our development work for our application.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They helped us build the reports engine for managing insurance notices for our clients, specifically developing reporting features and some of the functions related to parsing some of the notices. The team used PHP as well as Python, and were in charge of developing the code and some testing as well. The project is currently on hold, but we’ll restart it soon.

​​​​​​What is the team composition?

They assigned four to five people to the project.

How did you come to work with UkrInSofT?

They were referred to me by a friend that had used them for a while. He gave really good feedback about their team, their capabilities, and their knowledge.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested $20,000–$30,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from May 2015–June 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The code they created is still used today in production and it’s currently generating revenue. We keep changing and adding to it. 

UkrInSofT provides a very wide spectrum of knowledge and was capable of handling simple design and development work as well as the implementation of all of the architecture that we provided.

How did UkrInSofT perform from a project management standpoint?

We used Skype to communicate with them as well as our in-house project management software. They have their own software for billing, which would tell us what they worked on and how many hours they spent.

We experienced a small language barrier but we made sure that everyone assigned to our project could communicate with us.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We were very pleased with their skills. There wasn’t anything that they couldn’t help us with.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could have another layer of management as a way to close the loop between their people as it’s very difficult to communicate between the teams. If they had a high-level manager that could see down and synchronize the team, it would be more helpful.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If someone in the U.S. wanted to get a good development team for the fraction of the cost, this is the way to do it. You’re getting good quality for half of what you’re going to pay in the U.S.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the CEO of a digital agency in Germany. We have 40 people on staff and work on a lot of projects, web software, and online marketing.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with UkrInSofT?

We mainly needed help with some technology that was difficult for us to handle internally. For that, we needed to expand our team. We also needed experts who knew the technology for our projects.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They worked on the Web 2.0 project which is an internal portal for citizen journalists. It was a huge project which took over a year and a half to complete. Different versions were developed as well. They did everything when it came to the development including the frontend which was very difficult in terms of the design requirements. It used a lot of Hx JavaScript, as well as normal HTML and CSS parts. It’s very interactive application with a lot of frontend and a lot of complex interactions.

They used PHP and different API technology for the backend. There was a lot of developers working on this project who did everything from the frontend, backend, and server. We had to deliver it to our customer and it was a stressful, but it worked out.

What is the team composition?

We had about six or seven developers working on this project.

How did you come to work with UkrInSofT?

We chose them because they are a close and personal contact, so they understand the requirements and challenges. It has worked very well, which is why we still work with them 10 years later. We’re happy with their work and found we were on the same level, understanding each other.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in May 2017 and the relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We received good feedback about the development. It was complex, but the customer was very happy.

How did UkrInSofT perform from a project management standpoint?

We had a combination of our project management and their project management. It’s definitely necessary to have both in order to centralize the communication and get it all done. Our experience has been very good. Our project manager was always there and helped us clarify certain important details.

The communication was in English and was transparent so that the developers understood what was going on. The project manager set the priorities and communicated them internally, which worked for us. We used Teamwork and Basecamp for project management tools. We also used bug trackers to organize the tasks.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Besides the project manager, the CEO was also involved in the project, demonstrating a high level of commitment. They helped anywhere it was critical, which was important for us. It was good to have that contact.

Are there any areas they could improve?

What they do, they do very well. I can’t think of any areas they can improve.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

For web development or development of web applications, it’s important to have clear definitions and clarifications about the scope of the project and what needs to be done. Speak with each other and take the time to clarify the scope.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m CEO of an online marketing and web development company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with UkrInSofT?

We didn’t have enough in-house staff to complete a development job we needed.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They helped develop a complex B2B and B2C solution for us. It was a VC [venture capital] funded project. It has a huge database and complex calculations. It’s complex because it includes the processes of dealing multi-million euro assets.

At first it wasn’t responsive, so we got it to be responsive and then relaunched it. We used PHP and later partly switched to NodeJS. The frontend used HTML and JavaScript.

What is the team composition?

We always booked six people because it’s easier to work with the same people. We had front- and backend experts. Some of the people changed over the years, as during specific phases of the project, we needed more people.

How did you come to work with UkrInSofT?

There was a middleman who contacted me. I flew to Kiev and met him and Yuriy [CEO, UkrInSofT]. I realized that the middleman was unnecessary and increased the price despite very bad project management. We replaced him with a project manager on their side and everything worked well.

How much have you invested with them?

Over $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in December 2011 and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They did what they had to do and it worked—I’m quite happy with it. We became a world market leader.

How did UkrInSofT perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re easy to talk to and make things simple. The team is willing to do overtime when necessary.

We used Basecamp and Jira as well as email and Skype, which worked well. They don’t just do what we tell them; they think about it and give recommendations. I’m quite happy with them.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They really try to understand what we’re doing and consult with us about how to reach our goals. They even came up with some good ideas that we didn’t expect.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think they could do better.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the founder and CTO of TrapX Security, a startup company dealing with cybersecurity. Our technology is meant to lure both human and malware attackers, fool them, and capture their activities. We intercept attacks, determine indicators of compromise, and upload all the data from the sensors to the management system. This can be done either on-premises or via cloud.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with UkrInSofT?

We were in the early seed stages of the company and needed a mature, experienced software house to help us with a quick deployment.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Initially, in order to see how their team thinks and reacts when starting a new project and validating technologies, we gave them research tasks knowing that they didn’t have technology or research experts. UkrInSofT came back with an excellent result.

UkrInSofT worked on the frontend systems, developing the software architecture, the database, and the UI. They are not a specialized security company so they’ve worked based on our specs definition.

What is the team composition?

Our company was self-funded in the beginning, so our budget was low. Once we finished the first funding round, we increased our budget and extended their team.

They provide seven developers and three QA testers. Yuriy (CEO, UkrInSofT) has acted as a project manager but we also talk directly with their team leaders who focus on database architecture. We also have direct contact with UkrInSofT’s developers.

How did you come to work with UkrInSofT?

One of our colleagues referred us to UkrInSofT. We called Yuriy and evaluated his experience and past projects and called their references to get an idea of the team’s quality and abilities. We also received good references from parties whom we trusted. They had expertise in several technologies, including PHP, Python, Node.js, and native mobile development so if we wanted to extend a project or start a new one, we could do so within one house.

How much have you invested with them?

The overall project cost has been around $1.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with UkrInSofT in April 2012 and the collaboration is ongoing. If they don’t change the way they operate or their team, we will continue working with them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Today, we have software competitors, but, back in 2014, we were innovators. We were the first company to deal with this subcategory of cybersecurity. UkrInSofT has been with us since the beginning and has helped us grow as a company.

We’ve dealt with some interesting challenges and tasks in the cybersecurity field. Most of our customers are Fortune 500 companies in the U.S. so they have high demands. It took some time for UkrInSofT to reach the level of quality we desired, but they’ve adopted the methodology to meet and cope with U.S. standards.

We track milestones and timelines, and there are strict definitions and quality assurance measurements in place. These come with a cost and extend our timelines, but we aim to keep track of progress and achieve greater results from one release to another.

How did UkrInSofT perform from a project management standpoint?

I would like to say that we are an agile software house, but we are not. Even so, we work through KPIs and measurements for each version or release. We plan milestones for smaller versions, working in an agile fashion, but, for major versions that require more iterations, the approach is less sprint-oriented and more waterfall.

We have daily collaboration using shared development and QA environments. We deal with any issues effectively. We communicate through Skype or WebEx calls and we share the same instances of Jira and Git. Everything is committed in our repository.

With UkrInSofT, we are almost like a family. We visit them in Ukraine every two months, and they’ve come to our office. Beyond just sending out tasks, we establish a relationship to have a closer look and speak to the people directly.

We have a couple of Russian expats working for us so we have a common language, which is a huge advantage. The team’s English is quite good; they send their employees to English courses.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Because UkrInSofT is not a large software house, their developers are more invested in the company and they emphasize the importance of expanding their knowledge. Some members have been working for the company for three or four years, and we have appreciated the consistency.

They also invest in client relationship and want us to be happy. It’s important to them that we give good feedback, so, if something is wrong, they invest more in fixing it. They learn new technologies quickly and invest in research without billing us. They understand that they can learn from the experience.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Getting to a full synchronization took some time in the beginning. It’s a matter of establishing a relationship, understanding their culture, and sharing the same mindset and goals. We were like a mentor for them, and they’ve learned a lot from our projects.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

It’s important to have someone on the client’s end focus on working with the offshore partner.

Also, having a Russian speaker on our side has been a major benefit. Visiting Ukraine at least twice per quarter has also been imperative. Working with an offshore company requires some investments; it’s important to be open-minded and understand the partner’s culture.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am an executive at LA PIEC

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Food delivery

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire SmartTek Solutions to accomplish?

• Design website

SOLUTION

How did you find SmartTek Solutions?

friends

Why did you select SmartTek Solutions over others?

High ratings

How many teammates from SmartTek Solutions were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Redesigning the website to take into account user behavioral patterns and designing new functionality. Also, some developments on the design of the mobile application. The goal was to improve the UX. Analyzing Google Analytics and Microsoft Clarity, we realized that there are many features that could be improved or new ones added. As a result, in a few iterations we got a design that we will gradually implement.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Fulfillment of all our wishes, as well as interesting solutions for new functionality.

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

Everything was done on time and quickly, when we asked for an acceleration. We are satisfied with the speed and professionalism of their work.

What was your primary form of communication with SmartTek Solutions?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Punctuality and meeting deadlines.

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

I can't suggest anything from my side.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Co-Founder of NVelUp USA Inc

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Mental Health

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire SmartTek Solutions to accomplish?
Take website from design to implementation phase.

SOLUTION

How did you find SmartTek Solutions?

Referral

Why did you select SmartTek Solutions over others?

• Great culture fit
• Referred to me

How many teammates from SmartTek Solutions were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

The project was to take design and create a functional website from it.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Successful website launch

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

Constant communication, progress daily/weekly. Very responsive.

What was your primary form of communication with SmartTek Solutions?

Virtual Meeting

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

What shines most about SmatTek Solutions is their great communication and high quality work. They asked the right questions to guide us into a perfect final project.

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

No, there was nothing they needed to improve on.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

 I am the Business Development Manager of a hospitality & leisure company 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We create a mobile app that helps hosts and guests save time and money by providing home information in AR. I'm the Business Development Manager at ARGuide.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire SmartTek Solutions to accomplish?

• Create a mobile app (development and design)
• Software consulting

SOLUTION

How did you find SmartTek Solutions?

Online Search

Why did you select SmartTek Solutions over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost

How many teammates from SmartTek Solutions were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

SmartTek designed and developed a mobile application for iOS to provide our audience with a working solution to achieve their goals.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Overall, the project was successful and we look forward to new projects with the SmartTek team in the future. The end result was that the product was in use by the target audience. In terms of speed, design and the technology used, everything was good and acceptable. We released the digital product on time.

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

The team performed very well and kept us informed on a daily or every other day basis. We've primarily communicated with the developer, but the project manager has helped us with estimates and other project logistics. The vendor uses an agile project management style (with a mix of tools and processes) to ensure timely project completion. We use Jira as our main project management tool.

What was your primary form of communication with SmartTek Solutions?

Email or Messaging App

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

The most important aspect of our experience with this company was their solid development expertise, coupled with a personalized approach throughout our partnership. SmartTek's developers demonstrated a deep understanding of our specific business requirements and effectively translated them into well-crafted technology solutions. Their remarkable technical skills and meticulousness culminated in a perfect end product that met our expectations.

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

No. Everything was okay.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a co-founder of Add Reality, a UK-based development agency that creates a number of mobile solutions, including AR apps and games.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire AVRspot?

We hired AVRspot to develop an MVP of an AR solution.

What were your goals for this project?

We hoped to test an MVP version of the concept.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

An AVRspot employee contacted us on LinkedIn.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

We discussed our solution through a video call. We only briefed them on basic UI requirements because our in-house team will complete the concept. AVRspot’s tasks included working with the Unity programming language and a number of C# scripts.

What was the team composition?

I communicated with a project manager and the developers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We are still working on this project, so the full impact has yet to be realized.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

We listed project requirements in Trello and allocated time for them to accomplish each task. Our teams communicated via Slack for the lifespan of the project. We found this arrangement to be very effective.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I was impressed by their grasp of the scope and how quickly they worked.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Overall, we were very pleased to work with AVRspot. My only advice for them to improve would be to ensure as best they could that the original team structure remains intact throughout the project.