Softedge

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an executive at a sound system website for professional musicians.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenges were you trying to address with Softedge Technologies?

I needed help to develop the software for my solution.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Softedge Technologies is helping us with custom software development from scratch; they’re building the system’s engine based on the design and layout I created and the features I’ve requested. Regarding functionalities, the platform allows professional musicians to mix audio in practices, studios, and live venues.

We’re currently finalizing the product’s interface details to go through the testing phase.

What was the team composition? 

We work with Joaquin (Team Leader) and three software engineers from Softedge Technologies’ team.

How did you come to work with Softedge Technologies?

I found them through an online search and chose them from a list of 4–5 potential providers because they had the best experience in the audio industry.

How much have you invested in them?

So far, we’ve spent $100,000–$250,000 with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in January 2022, and the engagement is still ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It’s been a pleasant partnership; Softedge Technologies has met our expectations through their professional approach.

How did Softedge Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

We’ve had several meetings to discuss every step of the project, and the process has been going smoothly with no setbacks. In addition, they stick to schedules and stay within budget. Regarding communication, we use Slack, Google Meet, Zoom, and email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They have experience in the music industry, which is hard to find. Moreover, they’ve been professional and responsive to our inquiries.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think there’s anything they can improve on because I’m delighted with their work.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be thorough and responsive to give the extra mile so they can help you achieve your goals.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CTO of Boaz Bikes. We’re a micro-mobility service company. Our app allows customers to rent scooters in various cities. We use the same app for operations; our operations team performs various tasks through the applications to help maintain our scooters.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Softedge Technologies?

We brought them on board to support our API and roadmap development, with the latter focusing on new features for our application.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They built the app from scratch. Technologies include Node.js for the API, React.js for the backend and dashboard, and React Native for the mobile application.  There are also a number of Google Services in play, including Maps and others.

While Softedge offered a full suite of design services, we only use them for front- and backend development and specific tasks. Now, they support continuing development by working through a backlog of tasks that I upload to them.

What is the team composition?

Over the course of the project, we’ve worked with three individuals: the CTO and two developers. We keep one developer on retainer to support our ongoing efforts.

How much have you invested with them?

The total cost is around $30,000–$40,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since August 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve been able to push out over 100 successful services to our clients. Softedge's work pleases us.

How did Softedge Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

They communicate well and are very responsive. Collaboration happens over Jira and Trello, as well as Google Meet, Zoom, and Slack.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Softedge’s team fully understands what we need and fine-tunes the work to ensure it's executed fully and properly. Additionally, their communication and quality of work truly stand out.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No; they’ve been very good. I can’t think of anything at this time.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure you provide Softedge’s people with your full requirements for the project.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CTO of SaaS company developing software for industrial applications.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We engaged SoftEdge to expand our development team. They worked on our Web application supported by AWS cloud infrastructure. Using a serverless framework they developed login API, authentication and SSO built on AWS Cognito. They added to our Micro front end services, building REST APIs and GraphQL APIs. Our goal was to develop more customer features. They provided individuals with requisite skillset to develop advance our Web applications as well as increasing our automated test via Cypress. They also have experience developing Mobile Application with Flutter, however, we did not use them for much of this. Our in house team had built our mobile application on React Native.

SOLUTION

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

We found them through a referral. We had several rounds of interviews and consulted with two references before we decided to go with them.

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

We allowed them to have ownership over certain services in our platform. Our services are built on a distributed serverless framework on AWS. They managed their work in an Agile framework. We aimed for 2 week sprints with deliverables. They had a team lead who was responsible for coordinating all the work for the rest of the team. We had daily stand-ups with them to answer questions and remove blockers. Due to our compliance requirements, we did not give them access to our production environment

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

We had about 4 people working with us. There was a team lead who is also a Senior Developer. We had 2 other full stack developers and a front end developer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We had mixed results. This was primarily because the way we worked with them was different from the way they were used to working. They are accustomed to having close to full ownership of the workscope, as well as the Software Development Life Cycle. At Cumulus, we viewed them as an extension of our team. We asked them to develop code in javascript per our style, use our Serverless template/framework, and come up to speed with our ways of working, using a lot of AWS technologies that they were not familiar with. In addition, since they didn't have access to our production environment, they depended on us for troubleshooting production issues, which stretches feedback cycles. They came up to speed, and adapted to our ways of working. They successfully managed the integration of our tools micro front end, and we could depend on them to own and manage it.

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

As I said in previous sections, they worked as an extension of our team. So we managed them more directly than they were used to. We held daily stand-ups and aimed for 2 week sprints. Internally, they had a team lead who was responsible for all communications, assigning tasks to other team members, and ensuring that they were keeping to the expected timelines.

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

They were easy to work with.

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

One thing we recommended was that they embed an SQA person as part of each cluster of developers to improve initial release quality.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the owner of a software company that provides software to the financial services industry, specifically capital introduction teams within the prime brokerage divisions of Wall Street investment banks (Citi, GS, JPM, etc).

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Our original software was designed and deployed in 2010. Subsequently, the UI and overall structure needed an overhaul. In addition a number of enhancements needed to be incorporated into the original design. So we really wanted version 2.0. However, before launching into the project, I needed major specification and wireframe work done to envision what the final product looked like.

SOLUTION

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

I had been introduced to partners of SoftEdge several years previously and reached out to them when looking for a team to do the work I've outlined. The team was very professional upfront about how this whole specification/wireframe process would work and did a number of things before even winning the mandate to make feel comfortable that they knew how to go about the process and keeping to budget.

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

There were multiple sessions bringing the David and Alejandro up to speed on how the present system worked and what was envisioned as enhancements.  They then documented those sessions for review and approval.  Then there were a number of sessions of feedback with the whole team regarding their design concepts before the project was final.

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

Four:
David Boucher – sales/partner
Alejandro Rama - CTO
Kiril - UX/UI Designer
Hairon - Web developer

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Estimates were really well presented and accurate as were the wireframes and UI pictures.

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

They did a great job with project management and communication, the project was finished on time.

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

The synchronization of the team given the dual locations both in the US and Uruguay needed in order to get the job completed efficiently and economically.

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

Not in my opinion.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the co-founder of a software factory.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Softedge Technologies?

We had a project for which we didn’t have enough developers. We needed to augment our resources so we contacted Softedge.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

This project involved a web platform, the frontend of which was developed using Angular and HTML while the backend was based in Node.js. We used SQL for the database.

What is the team composition?

We worked with three developers from their side on this project.

How did you come to work with Softedge Technologies?

We met their commercial representatives at a technology fair a few years ago and we’ve been in touch ever since. Later on, we set up a meeting with them to talk about a collaboration. 

I felt that we were a good match because they work with Angular and because we had a lot of things in common with the CEO in terms of values, work ethic, and way of managing an IT business.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested between $50,000–$60,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working in January 2021 and the partnership is still ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our client is very complex but, in the end, was pretty satisfied with the project. As for quantifiable results, we’re unable to tell yet since the platform hasn’t been launched. However, we are pretty sure that our client will have good results and an increase in sales.

The team from Softedge communicates well both with us and with our client. They are very flexible and able to adapt to any changes.

How did Softedge Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

Their communication is one of their main strengths. The project is agile, and they meet all the deadlines even though we are not too strict on this. We use Slack for daily and weekly goal meetings and feedback sessions.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their technical skills are very good.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything at the moment.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

As in all software projects, the clearer your goals are, the better. This will save you a lot of time. Even if you don’t have a complete picture beforehand, Softedge can still help draw out your goals.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of a tech startup focused on producing consumer software for music creation and audio. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Softedge Technologies?

We were looking for a full-stack engineer and developer. We had an idea and brand name, but we didn’t have the ability to produce the product. As a result, we were looking for somebody that could we could work with not only to develop the software that we sell on a technical end, but we also needed someone to help us with the website, setting up payment systems, delivery systems, and more. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We developed software that’s used in the creation and editing of audio for music videos. Additionally, our software can be applied to any creative platform where they typically use a computer to edit audio. We provide a sampling to them. Our company emulates physical pieces of equipment, so we provide the samples and they build the software around that. 

The key feature of the site is the sales portal. We are a direct-to-consumer business. We have no physical product, so we rely on our advertisements on social media to get leads for our website.

Once people hit our website, our platform needs to provide information and instructions, collect payments, and deliver the installation instructions and license codes for the software.

We used Shopify for the payment system. They also built the backend system that coordinates all of our accounting, so when people buy products through Shopify on our website, all of that communicates back to our QuickBooks accounting system. 

What is the team composition?

We only communicate with Alejandro (Founder & CEO) and David (Wrg Account Rep). Alejandro handles the technical side while David is focused on the business side. However, both are capable of discussing both key areas. 

How did you come to work with Softedge Technologies?

A colleague of mine knew somebody that knew Dave. We found out what Dave’s company did and that they were an outsource development programming company. As a result, we reached out to them, and we liked their pricing. We liked the transparency of the way they presented options to us. 

The costing was very transparent and it clearly stated what we were going to get out of the engagement.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in July 2020, we continue to work with them on more products. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

When we partnered with them for one product, we’ve been impressed with their output and decided to continue working with them to build more. Essentially, we’ve had two ways to measure the project’s success. 

First, we base it on the software’s quality. We work with brand partners in the music space and all the software is subject to personal opinion and sound quality standards, and they’ve met and exceeded all of those. The other metric focuses on their speed on making a product, how quickly they resolve issues, and how fast they incorporate the changes we want to make.

So far, the website has gone off without a hitch. We haven’t had any issues with surges or slowing users down. Overall, we’ve been very happy. We feel that the money we’re paying is very well spent. 

How did Softedge Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

Whenever we have issues, we reach out to them. They normally implement changes fast, which is great for our business. We’re very old-fashioned with our project management, so we communicate either by email or phone. I like it that way because I can always go back and reference things. However, if there’s a big question or something we need to discuss, we set up a conference call. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

As I’ve said, their speed and high-quality work continually impress us. We’re a consumer business, so it’s really important for us to put out products as fast as possible. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Honestly, we’ve never had an issue with Softedge. They’ve been receptive to changes and I don’t really have anything to complain about publicly, which rarely happens. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

We’ve had a great relationship. When we start a project, we deliver a detailed outline of what we expect and we stay in communication with them throughout the development process to make sure that they’re on the right path. That contributes to a smoother project and allows us to receive exactly what we’re expecting. 

We’ve also had times when we weren’t clear enough, but the team has been quick to come back for clarifications.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CTO of IntegraIT, a healthcare technology company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Softedge Technologies?

We needed help scaling up our team.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They provided staff augmentation. I assign the resources tasks just like I would with any other developer in the team.

We explained our methodology, and the developers started being productive within 1-2 weeks of the project. We develop software using Angular as a frontend language and AWS cloud services as our system’s backend. We also use a framework called Amplify. They were working on both the front- and backend.

The software is for our client, an organization in Colombia that connects pharmaceutical companies in the country. They want to track all the clinical studies that are being done. It’s a clinical studies repository.

What is the team composition?

We work with Alejandro (CEO/Founder) and Sebastian (Full Stack Developer).

How did you come to work with Softedge Technologies?

I found them on Upwork.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $7,000–$8,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in October 2020, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They adapt to our processes well. They’re very flexible.

How did Softedge Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

They aren’t in charge of the project. They follow my tasks and procedures. We communicate through Google Suite. I created email accounts for them in my company so we can share documents, chat, and set up meetings. We have a daily standup on Google Meet. 

I speak to them in Spanish, but they speak excellent English too.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re very committed to their customers and projects. They were very motivated as they were learning new things. They’re good to work with. When we have a task, they commit to the delivery and spend extra hours to finish their work on time. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Everything was perfect. Maybe they could improve some communication because sometimes they get stuck in the middle of the day, and they try to resolve it themselves without letting us know. 

However, it’s typical for developers to try to fix the issues themselves before asking for help. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Spend some days reinforcing the methodologies, frameworks, tools, and whatever is needed to start working with the team. Have daily meetings to make sure everything is on track.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder and CEO of a company called Accomplish. We have a mobile app for entrepreneurs and experts to connect in their communities for advice. The marketplace app serves as the permission to talk with your neighbors about their skills and information you need. The idea behind the platform's that having a conversation with someone who is nearby is more effective than reaching out online or googling everything. We’re beta right now in New York City only.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Softedge Technologies?

We needed help with our app. I’m not a coder but at the time I would have to go into our product and write code for each user who wanted to charge for their time, which was dangerous. We wanted a web-based admin portal but didn’t trust anyone to do it. We’d worked with four development firms over two and a half years and experienced many issues.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Their team has worked on our iOS app. Initially, Softedge Technologies made a web-based admin portal for us in Firebase, which is where we host. To charge for your time in the Accomplish app, users have to be labeled an expert. Basically, now all I have to do is click a button to label a user. They have also built the web-based portal to provide and track more data. Their team has enabled the product to track a list of around 100 KPIs about what all of our users are doing, where they are, and where they check-in. Our team had never even thought of the concept. For our next big project, they’re building an Android version because Softedge Technologies made a good case for it. Their team has also been involved in daily bug fixes and enhancements.

What is the team composition?

I’ve communicated with Alejandro (CEO and Founder, Softedge Technologies) and Andrés (Software Developer, Softedge Technologies) directly. Andrés is our dedicated developer but there are other people working on the project.

How did you come to work with Softedge Technologies?

We weren’t looking for a development firm because we had so many issues with our previous service providers. But then, we were introduced to someone who had worked with Softedge Technologies and was singing their praise at an investor's meeting. We talked to their team and liked them but weren’t a place to afford their services and said we’d love to work with them in the future. Two weeks later, we got an email from their team saying this is a gift from Softedge Technologies. They had gone ahead and done exactly what we needed for free as a commitment to our work and idea. It was serendipitous because we had just got a big investment at that time.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $55,000 so far and plan to spend up to $200,000 with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

They’ve been our partner since June 2019 and their work’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

There are no bugs; their code’s fantastic. We had zero partnerships before Softedge Technologies created the admin portal. We partner with coworking spaces and coffee shops because our users work in those places. Since we’re able to track all these metrics, we can give redacted data to potential partners. We now have 28 partnerships.

How did Softedge Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

We decided to track everything in Trello, which is where we review our road map and go through bug fixes. Communication with Softedge Technologies has been outstanding. Their team has been so good at keeping everything up to date in Trello and then sending follow up emails when a sprint’s complete.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Softedge Technologies cares about the product they deliver. Unlike our prior service providers, their team has been invested and has worked harder than we could’ve asked them to. It's a world of difference working with their team. It’s like having my own CTO without actually having a CTO. We feel that we have a partner in them. They’re honest about what’s in our best interest, answering our questions about features as if it were their product, which isn’t something we’ve experienced with other developers. Their dedication is beyond what's expected.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There isn’t anything I’m wishing for them to do and I’m a tough customer. They’re incredible.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

When it’s your own company, you have to let go and trust them because their team has your best interest at heart. Accept that Softedge Technologies is the expert and that their suggestions are for a purpose.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the operations manager at Sigma Móviles, a telecommunications company that provides services for mobile phones.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenges were you trying to address with Softedge Technologies?

We needed help with platform development.  

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They developed our platform for us from the ground up. It integrates with phone operators in order to send content to our subscribed users and then allows them to upload and download that content.

What is the team composition?

I interacted with three people on their team. 

How did you come to work with Softedge Technologies?

I met them at a conference and thought they were very interesting. They’re in Uruguay but they have people in New York.

How much have you invested in them?

We've spent about $150,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them between April 2017–July 2019. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They became the tech face of our company, meeting up with our partners and attending many events. They worked complicated hours due to our needs and were always focused on making a good impression and moving the project forward.

How did Softedge Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

We used WhatsApp and Trello. They always met all deadlines and even delivered things before we expected. Their work was flawless, and they always did what was needed to finish up quickly.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They take meeting their clients’ expectations very seriously. We had a very good experience with them and will certainly continue working with them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t have any complaints.