Softermii

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We're a planning website for adventure travel. We allow users to plan their own adventure travel by providing high-quality route guides for hiking, skiing, snowshoeing, climbing, biking, etc. We also work with tour operators around the world.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Softermii?

We wanted a solution that gave users more flexibility to plan their travel arrangements, and we hoped to build functionality that allowed our users to talk directly to tour guides.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They worked through all the functionality for the site, based on our concepts. They took time to understand our end users, and they developed a clean template to work from. Their work was designed to iterate with our existing site.

What is the team composition?

We worked with a team of five or six, led by a project manager. Some of them were full-time, while a few team members brought their expertise to specific parts of the project.

How did you come to work with Softermii?

We looked at about 30 teams on Upwork. After some good discussions, three or four companies made the final list. I really liked Softermii's portfolio and their flexibility, so we selected them.

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent about $15,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project started around October 2018. Funding to pursue the project further was contingent on the number of tour operators and countries we had on the site, and the project was put on hold in June 2019. Once we build that list of resources, we hope to start again in January 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They worked hard to understand the business, and they brought a lot of useful design ideas to the project. They contributed a lot to successful outcomes.

How did Softermii perform from a project management standpoint?

Our project manager was alright, but we worked much more closely with our UX/UI lead. For what we were doing, we didn't need a lot of project management, and the assigned project manager worked more as a developer. As a client, I would rather work directly with the subject matter expert anyway, so our collaboration was much more efficient than it might have been. A lot of our communication is through email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their team members were very invested in finding solutions for us. They brought in ideas we hadn't considered, and their suggestions made a lot of sense.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Communication can be challenging with this much of a time difference. One of our project managers left near the end, and they didn't alert us ahead of time, but that was the only negative moment in our interactions. For the most part, communication isn't much of an issue, and one of our contacts is fairly easy to contact.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure your team has the skills you need for your project. That can be said for any development company.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a software engineer at VideoNet, a telecommunications company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Softermii?

We have our own in-house development team, but we couldn’t keep up with all of our projects. As such, we needed a partner who could augment our internal team.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Softermii has worked on numerous projects, ranging from small to large. Most recently, they’ve been working on a HIPAA-compliant video communication platform. Our internal staff came up with the original concept and design, and Softermii has built on that. The product helps healthcare providers improve their telemedicine services, such as adding a note-taking feature and screenshare capabilities. We collaborate closely with their team, iterating back and forth on the product.

What is the team composition?

We typically work with 1–3 people at any given time. However, in total, we’ve probably worked with up to 12 different team members, depending on our needs.

How did you come to work with Softermii?

We reached out to a few different companies and had them work on small projects. We liked Softermii’s responsiveness and work quality, so we continued to give them more tasks.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $400,000.          

What is the status of this engagement?

We partnered in the first half of 2016, and the partnership is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They respond quickly, fixing any errors that either of us make.

How did Softermii perform from a project management standpoint?

They proactively let us know if one of them will be out of the office and give us someone else we can contact in the meantime. The team is extremely communicative and prepared, staffing to the appropriate level when we give them new projects. They’re flexible and willing to have meetings with us whenever we need them.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They have phenomenal customer service. They’re attentive to our needs and follow up with us to make sure we’re satisfied with their work.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of any ways they could improve. Any mistakes they’ve made have been minor and were addressed immediately.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

If you want them to work on just a particular portion of a task, explain the entire project because they’ll be able to contribute to the overall solution. By hiring them, you have a tremendous pool of talent at your fingertips.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a digital and creative agency from Munich. We develop media and digital solutions for our clients, ranging from social media campaigns and online presence to influencer campaigns. We create websites, content hubs, and mobile applications.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Movade Studio?

We create digital solutions, but for complex applications, we need some experts and that's where Softermii comes into play for us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We are working on a system for telemedicine with adaptations for our clients. Features include encryption on a P2P basis, so it's totally GDPR compliant. We translate what the client wants to do to the programmers because they don't speak the same language some of the time. I don't always know which language they need either, so Softermii can help with that.

Our solution was supposed to be released in three or four months, but it may take longer than that because of changes in requests from our client. That’s not an issue on Softermii’s part.

What is the team composition?

We are in direct contact with our account manager, Slava (Co-Founder, Softermii), along with a project manager. We also had contact with one of the two CEOs. We have no direct contact with the programmers.

How did you come to work with Movade Studio?

Slava had worked with us in the past and was very trustworthy. We can trust him to work like he says he will. We considered many providers, and SofterMii was the only one who'd had success with GDPR compliance. And that's why we picked them.

Before we started the project, we went to Kyiv to see how everything worked and whether there was really an office with as many people as they said. With telemedicine solutions, we really have to minimize risks. We met the CEOs there and saw the facilities and the programmers. We saw the case they had.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent €100,000–€250,000 (about $110,670–$276,680 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in October 2018 and the partnership is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They're always on track with their timesheets and the milestones are being reached even earlier than planned. They plan their development schedule very well. The project is not yet live for the end-user. Some of the milestones are not yet possible to measure, but so far, the client is happy. The client's still adding features like crazy, but I also find that the client is happy with the development so far.

How did Movade Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

They are very strict with themselves. Based on our experience, we always try to build some buffer here and there, so if there are any delays, it’s due to expectation management. However, they are delivering on the clock with what they promised, and that's really great. Sometimes they are too punctual and we have to explain why deliverables are ready one week earlier than the client expected.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It’s our first telemarketing project, so in this case, we can’t judge. However, in terms of code quality, they are really up to any professional standard that you could ask for. They are way more reliable than other countries because we had to also experiment with Poland, with India, with Germany, and with the US. They are performing on par with our expectations. They deliver top-notch quality and are really reliable.

Are there any areas they could improve?

In terms of prices, sometimes a little bit less expensive would be better, and sometimes a little bit more expensive would be better so we could also get our percentage on top. But I think that's not the case. They're doing a great job based on the budgets we’ve seen.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Consider them. They have a very hands-on mentality and they try to solve any problem that you present them. They are really worth a shot. Programming is sometimes like a marriage–you have to find the company that really suits your needs. Softermii has provided us great value so far.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of 24 Hour Designs. We’re a UI/UX design firm serving all types of businesses.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Softermii?

We reached out to Softermii when we needed help building an app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We are working with Softermii to build a web-based rapid prototyping tool for the software space. Once completed, it’ll enable anyone with an idea for an app to start the process on their own.  

What is the team composition?

I interface directly with the project manager, who is in contact with the team and CEO. He’s my only direct point of contact, though. 

How did you come to work with Softermii?

We see quite a few developers in our industry, so we probably met them organically through LinkedIn or an event. I liked them and the potential for our overseas partnership. We have relationships with developers around the world, so their ability to stand out from the rest was impressive in itself. Additionally, they seemed to have good personalities and know what they were doing. 

How much have you invested with them?

I’m not sure of the exact numbers, but we’ve spent between $50,000–$100,000 with them. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in June 2019, and the project is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The project is currently incomplete, but I think I’ll be happy with the result once it launches and users begin picking it up. In their work, Softermii’s team has been great about listening to feedback, processing work, and determining solutions. 

How did Softermii perform from a project management standpoint?

Despite our remote partnership, communication has been good. Our project manager is pretty on top of things, and while there’s bound to be miscommunication at some point, we haven’t run into anything yet. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was impressed by their willingness to collaborate. They always reach out, asking how they can best add value to our business. That can be a risky thing to do, but they’re really good at showing how they can add value to our initiatives. We’ve built our relationship on that. With millions of developers in the world, connecting like this will help individuals stand out from the pack.

Are there any areas they could improve?

This is subjective, but any project could move faster.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be open-minded to working with an offshore company. There are definitely a few gems out there.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of a short-term job recruitment platform for pharmacies in the UK.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Softermii?

I’d hired another development company to build my app, and the original version was terrible. It was riddled with bugs and didn’t have a cohesive backend architecture. I partnered with a second developer, and they took ages to finish the work, which caused several delays. Eventually I found Softermii and brought them on to redesign the platform. I needed them to implement some immediate fixes and updates while planning for a major overhaul in the near future.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They began the project by auditing the existing codebase and identifying which issues they would tackle first. They fixed bugs, made the app more stable, and updated the UI. They also converted the code to make it compatible with iPhone X.

In addition to overall enhancements, the team built a new payment feature that allows users to charge people through the app. They developed the backend in Node.js, and the product is available for both Android and iOS devices.

Now that they’ve finished an initial sprint, they’re gearing up for the second phase of development. This next step will involve restructuring the backend architecture and rethinking some UI/UX elements.

What is the team composition?

We were assigned a web developer, an iOS developer, an Android developer, a backend developer, and a project manager. Occasionally, we communicate with one of Softermii’s co-founders.

How did you come to work with Softermii?

I found them online and chose them because they were willing to work with and fix code that had been written by other developers.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent approximately $25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project started in March 2019, and we’re planning for them to add more features and updates.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The app is now stable and entirely free of bugs. User volume has risen, and the number of complaint emails that we receive has gone down significantly.

How did Softermii perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project manager is dedicated and organized. He’s also great at listening to feedback and explaining problems. Whenever I share my concerns, their team responds right away. They were able to roll out a wide variety of updates in a short period.  

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their team is energetic and committed to meeting my needs. They were also quick to start working on the project, which was not the case with any of my previous developers.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of any areas where they underperformed.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Give them a call. They’re one of the best companies I’ve worked with for development.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CTO of Universal World Passport. We offer a unique branding and customer retention platform.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Softermii?

We had a codebase for our product that was built by freelance developers, but there were many problems. The code was unstable, work wasn’t being completed on schedule, and we were without a finished MVP. We discovered Softermii, and hired them to develop two cross-platform mobile apps.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They analyzed our existing codebase and rewrote legacy code to make it workable for newer operating systems. Their team also rethought some of the key user-flows and extended the functionality of the platform, including a new medal feature. The codebase is now formatted in a way that allows for cross-platform updates. They developed both applications using the MEAN Stack.

What is the team composition?

My primary contact was Diana (Chief Business Development Officer, Softermii), who oversaw three developers and a development team leader.

What is the status of this engagement?

They began working in August 2018 and released both products in March 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Both apps have launched and are available for download on iOS and Android devices. The code is stable, and we’re collecting feedback from users to validate our concept.

How did Softermii perform from a project management standpoint?

Their team was always accessible, and there were never any lapses in communication. There was even a situation where the team lead had to take time off, and their replacement ensured that development continued without a hitch. They handled even the smallest of issues, and whenever I had questions, they were quick to respond and adjust as needed.

Development occurred in biweekly sprints. Their team followed detailed timelines and made exact recordings of the hours that they worked. They were attentive to details, and accounted for every variable throughout each of the build phases.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their team was genuinely invested in the success of our platform. They were also personable and provided a high level of customer service.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think there’s an area where they need improvement. They were terrific.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure to state your intentions clearly at the beginning of the project. This will help you avoid unnecessary changes later on, and will likely reduce your timeline and budget.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder and CEO of an engraving company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Softermii?

My website didn’t have the software I needed for my company’s in-house processes. I hired Softermii to build out my functionality requirements.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

First, I discussed the scope with the team and they then created the documentation. Softermii built the e-commerce platform and admin panel from scratch. In addition, the team developed custom CRM and HR systems. Currently, they are providing SEO and building corresponding mobile applications for iOS and Android. Softermii is now maintaining the site as I use with my other businesses.

What is the team composition?

The project manager is my main point of contact, but I also interact with Softermii’s senior leadership. The team size has fluctuated between 3–8 people depending on need.

How did you come to work with Softermii?

I looked for vendors on different platforms. I then visited Softermii’s website and filled out their contact form. Initial communication was smooth and responsive. Their high-quality sales process included detailed advice and project outlining.  

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $160,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in May 2018 and the partnership is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our sales increased fourfold post launch. The site has also improved our analytics dramatically.

How did Softermii perform from a project management standpoint?

During the build, the team provided demos every two weeks, which enabled me to limit my involvement in the process. I always know what they’re working on. We communicate via phone and email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’m satisfied with the results, as well as Softermii’s approach. They are responsible and stick to timelines. That distinguishes them from other vendors I’ve worked with.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can’t think of anything.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I don’t need to go anywhere else because they have everything I need. They augment the team with external partners when they don’t have expertise in a specific area.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the managing director of TempTribe. We provide temporary workers to the hospitality and leisure sector. Our business runs primarily via a proprietary web platform and a user app.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Softermii?

The platform contained many bugs left behind by previous developers. Softermii was initially brought on to resolve those issues by rewriting some of our Visual Basic .NET and Node.js code. After that ended, we decided to have them migrate us from VB.NET to JavaScript and React Native.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to stabilize our platform. 

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We researched numerous vendors and shortlisted a few with consistently good reviews. After a Google Meet conversation, it was clear Softermii was the best fit.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

We created an Asana board with tickets for bugs and new features, which we then prioritized for Softermii. They addressed these issues using all our technologies (VB.NET, React Native, Node.js).

What was the team composition?

Softermii supplied one VB.NET developer, one QA tester, one JavaScript specialist, and a project manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Before bringing on Softermii, page speed was extremely slow because of the amount of data we were handling and the poor quality of our queries. After Softermii consolidated our queries, loading time dropped by a factor of ten. This has affected meaningful improvement in our team’s ability to execute their daily activities. We’re hoping the forthcoming migration project will provide us with a best-in-class product for several years.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

We've successfully managed the project between our in-house team and a dedicated project manager from Softermii. They've helped us move toward a better platform effectively.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their responsiveness is outstanding. Things inevitably go wrong when working on this type of project, but we’re able to contact their team any time, day or night. They provide immediate support, especially their VB.NET developer.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Naturally, we strive for faster bug fixes and more robust solutions and testing, but I have no specific ideas for improvement. We’ll continue to work with them to deliver a high-quality product.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the CEO and founder of a small property management startup in California.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Softermii?

We're working to create software that centralizes communication between tenants, landlords, and contractors. Having already created the iOS app internally, we needed a contractor to build the Android version.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The app enables people who rent their apartments or homes to easily report any needed maintenance. With a similar look to Instagram or Snapchat, it’s very user-friendly. Tenants can take a picture, add a description, and submit a maintenance request to the landlord. The program generates a group chat including the contractor hired for repairs. This social layer helps all parties involved easily coordinate to get the job done. At the end of the process, contractors can invoice the landlord. We’re working on additional features, including a billing option.

Having completed all the design, user stories, and the iOS version of the app, we were able to start coding right away. Their maintenance of the iOS app has helped us keep pace with the Android development. Even though we built the iOS version first, we lack the same resources.

They re-architected our backend technology, which is hosted on Firebase. Development moved quickly, and they built all the functions, including sign up, chat, networking, and photo capture.

What is the team dynamic?

For the first phase of the project, the techs focused on Android development. Currently, Evgeniy Kuropatenko is working with Firebase, and developers provide additional support for the iOS version.

How did you come to work with Softermii?

I initially found them through UpWork. Of the several providers I considered, they were the best to fit our needs. I used the first week as a trial period and they proved their merit via quick deliveries and strong communication and execution.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project just started in July 2017, and we are continuing to work with them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It's been a very closed beta version, so we don’t have quantitative metrics to share. We’ve been pleased with them internally, however. They remained under the set budget from the very beginning, and were able to deliver significantly ahead of time. They’ve remained supportive outside of our periods of larger engagement, and quickly make minor changes or fixes.

How did Softermii perform from a project management standpoint?

Since they’re based internationally, our communication took place online. Even with the time difference, communication went smoothly, and they have strong English language skills. We held major meetings via Skype, and used our group chat and specific topic channels on Slack to stay in touch on a daily basis.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The speed and quality of their work was excellent. We saw eye-to-eye, and developed strategies together that kept things quickly moving forward. All work was completed ahead of schedule.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the senior director of product development for an e-commerce site.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Softermii?

We have a website where customers can buy items. We also have iOS and Android mobile apps, and Softermii provides contract services to augment our existing in-house team.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Softermii helped us with different development requirements for our mobile apps. We have an internal ticket flow that we added. I’d have to go back and look at the exact features of what they worked on, but they tackle everything from performance improvement to layout and UI/UX. They really work in concert with our internal team. Everybody kind of works on everything. We don't hand them a big project in its entirety. They basically follow our prompts and implement the results. On iOS, for instance, they developed a peek-and-pop implementation, and on Android, they recently helped us refactor our checkout flow. Softermii’s resources are kind of utility players. I know they also provide project management, product development, and UI/UX design, but we don't really use any of those services.

How did you come to work with Softermii?

We have a couple of people who worked with Softermii in the past when they were called IT Rex. We got in contact with them and went from there.
We do use other offshore contractors and contract groups that we choose based on recommendations. On the web side, we use some people from a different vendor. Softermii’s price was in our range, and we wanted to give them a try with no commitment. We did go through a couple of resource iterations, but the people we have now seem to be working out well, so we continue to use them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve worked with Softermii for 5 or 6 months, since about January 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or impact of the engagement?

We’re happy with the work that Softermii is doing, and they’ve been receptive to feedback. We have no real complaints. I would say they’re satisfactory in that they’re able to deliver exactly to spec but not really anything more than that. In terms of speed, they’re okay. I wouldn't say that they’re exceptionally fast or accurate, but the timing is what I expect.

How did Softermii perform from a project management standpoint?

We mostly communicate through ticketing and Slack. Our lead engineers, on Android and iOS respectively, manage their tasks in a ticket flow. The senior engineers then report to me.

We take the development resources we’ve sourced through Softermii, and we onboard them with our own team and provide mentorship, guidance, and training. We invest in these people. We’ve also worked with them to find the right individuals. Sometimes, that takes time. We may try out a developer who may not work out due to the skill fit or a language barrier. They’ve been great about working with us to identify the right resource and making that resource available to work in whatever way that we feel is appropriate. They’re very flexible in that way.

We’ve used up to 4 of their resources at a time, but right now we just have 2 intermediate to senior people. We purposely sourced people like that because we want them to be self-starters and proficient on their own.

What did you find most impressive about Softermii?

Their onshore contact and representation are valuable.

Are there any areas Softermii could improve?

They’ve met every request we’ve had, and they’ve been responsive, so I have no complaints.