SoftwareHut

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CTO of a SaaS-company developing a product helping food and beverage companies navigate EU nutrition and health claim legislation.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Our company is a early stage startup and we decided to hire a consultant to help us develop the frontend of our application while i focused on the backend.

SOLUTION

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

Our CEO had worked with SoftwareHut before at her previous job and had good results so after a few meetings we decided to use them again

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

The project consisted of developing a front-end application in Vue.js according to mockups and integrate it with our back-end over a GraphQL API. We started of the project with a kickoff meeting where I introduced the mockups and got the consultant setup in the development environment. When the project started I had not yet started working full time at Nuverica so we kept in contact over slack. When I eventually started full time we had a daily standup meeting.

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

We had one senior front-end developer from SoftwareHut working with us on the project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The product is not release yet but we got a boost and were able to start testing early with our customers who seem to be liking the product.

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

In the beginning when I had not started working full time yet we had daily contact over slack. When I started working full time about halfway through the project we started having daily stand up meetings over google meet as well as ongoing communication over slack. We worked with pull requests on GitHub where I would review the code before it was merged and deployed. Everything was delivered in a timely manner even though our mockups where a bit lacking in some places.

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

They quickly understood what we were trying to do and were able to get started and deliver value. They kept in contact over slack and where not afraid to ask questions when they got stuck on something which always kept the project moving forward.

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

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BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder and CEO of a cybersecurity software company. We provide software that automates processes around cybersecurity implementation.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SoftwareHut?

We were doing the core development of the product, but we needed help in frontend development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

At the start, SoftwareHut provided UI/UX design. They built mockups to give us a good idea of how the app’s flow will look like. 

After that, SoftwareHut worked with our CTO and designed our technical architecture. For cybersecurity reasons and robustness, there were unique requirements from our side that had to be fulfilled. SoftwareHut also suggested frameworks that we could use, which provided security and could interact with our core functions and code.

SoftwareHut then implemented a whole management portal that allowed us to configure and manage devices.

What is the team composition?

I worked with a UI/UX designer, a QA specialist, a project manager, and three developers.

How did you come to work with SoftwareHut?

SoftwareHut was recommended to us. We started with an introductory call to get to know them and tell them about our unique requirements in terms of security. 

During that phase, we had good discussions with one of their specialists. They immediately understood what we wanted and where we were heading to. They also acknowledged why security and robustness were important for us. 

Based on our discussions, SoftwareHut decided how the team should be set up and made an offer. With that, we decided to work with them. 

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement lasted from May 2019–April 2020. We stopped our partnership due to the COVID-19 pandemic since we were forced to pause our expansion.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

SoftwareHut’s design was a big leap forward for our product. Our external partners also gave positive feedback about their work — it was easy to understand.

How did SoftwareHut perform from a project management standpoint?

SoftwareHut’s project management was good. They delivered on time and within budget. We used Jira and GitHub to collaborate, and we communicated through phone, Slack, and email.

We had an iterative process, and as soon as they discovered any problems or bugs in the code, they quickly fixed them. We never experienced any problems in terms of production. The app was well documented, and we could improve it on our own.

What did you find most impressive about them?

SoftwareHut team’s flexibility was impressive. Whenever we needed more people, they could quickly provide additional resources.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Put effort early on in describing your needs and requirements. If you’re starting from scratch, discuss architecture and similar aspects.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Wovex provides Benefit Realization software to organisations around the globe to enable them to deliver the outcomes they plan to achieve from projects.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

As we developed our Enterprise solutions we needed deep knowledge and expertise in code development to enable us to provide the solutions within the sophisticated database spanning across an organisation with information continually updating and impacting the delivery of benefit realization.

SOLUTION

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

The most important factor was the ability to deliver at pace for some of our most important customers. We also needed the flexibility and resource availability. We needed an organisation who understood the requirements without going back multiple times for clarification. Finally we needed an organisation we could work with. Software Hut stood out as that organisation and have not disappointed in all the time we have been working with them.

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

They assisted in the design and delivery across multiple areas including high-level interactive mapping, Databases that work across multiple feeds, and integration.

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

We have a lead and support technical person and that was supported by 1 to 3 people every month. We have retained Software hut on a monthly basis over the last 4/5

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were able to secure a number of large Enterprise customers specifically because Software hut delivered on time and on budget. We are currently negotiating further contracts which we believe will increase our work with Software Hut

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

We work in an agile way. The only way we can work with the demands from our customers. We have a conference call every day over Skype and the work is progressed and planned with a monthly larger session to evaluate.

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

These guys are not clock watchers. They focus on delivering on time. Software Hut always exceeds expectations. A rare commodity.

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

Nothing comes to mind

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are a mobile app software house based in Poland, providing clients from around the world with apps for smartphones and tablets. We work with forward thinking brands, enterprises, startups and advertisers. I am a CEO of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We have been leasing SoftwareHut developers for multiple projects over the last two years. They have been supporting us as an extended team, lending us their specialists.

SOLUTION

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

We have selected SoftwareHut based on the skills they have and an opportunity to hire their developers as an extended team.

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

SoftwareHut’s team has been working with us on multiple projects, including mainly product development. Hence, they have been supporting us on various stages of software development, including many iterations and changes to the scope. They proved to be very adaptable, and always come up with solutions to the challenges they face.

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

We have been working with a couple of specialists. They work with us as an extended team.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The results they show are always of good quality, addressing the scope. As we work very close, they respond to feedback very well. The projects they work on are different in size and complexity, but they always show hands on attitude, share professional advice and are keen to be a part of the projects’ success.

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

They work with us as an extended team. We only hire specialists from SoftwareHut, keeping the entire project management in house.

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

SoftwareHut’s team is very responsive and adaptable to changes. As we develop some projects for our clients for a long term, there have been multiple stages of product development already. Working their way through many iterations, they always keep their heads fresh and come up with the right solutions.

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

None that I can think of.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are a UX/UI design agency located in Poland, specialised in delivering stunning IT solutions for our clients. We offer UX research, product and web design, product development and design for innovative solutions, including VR/AR interfaces.

We are also a part of UX Fellows, a global network of experienced user research companies. Providing our global clients with design services, we often need a hand with software development, which SoftwareHut developers are great at. Working with their employees in extended team model, we can deliver complete products to our clients.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We need to have access to experienced software developers on demand, ready to join our projects and work with us effectively as a remote team.

SOLUTION

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

We have worked with the company before.

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

As we offer a wide range of custom software development and design, we need to have access to web and mobile app developers, experienced in a wide range of programming languages and frameworks.

Having worked with a proptech company, ecommerce brands, mixed reality solutions, etc., we wanted to make sure that we can find support to our team whenever we need a skill that we don’t have. SoftwareHut continuously supports us with their developers, working with us as our extended team.

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

The team consisted of software developers, a project manager, and QA testers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Working with SoftwareHut, we continue to complete the projects that are meeting our clients’ business goals. SoftwareHut team delivers their assigned tasks on time, and the code is always of good quality.

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

For the majority of the projects, they include a project manager responsible for maintaining ongoing communication between us and their software developers and software testers. They have been open to feedback and easily share their own ideas for improvements.

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

Currently, we still work with SoftwareHut software developers, and this cooperation continues to be satisfying for us.

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

I can’t think of any major area that they could improve.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m a Business Director of the company. Zonifero is a rapidly growing proptech platform offering workplace management, parking reservation system, lobby management and guest reception.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

SoftwareHut has created Zonifero as an internal project, initially aiming to solve office management issues. The tool has grown from an internal project to a 6 figure startup in just 3 years and is now an independent company.

We needed to create backend and central database for our solution, as well as iOS and Android applications for mobile devices.

SOLUTION

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

We have worked with the company before.

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

We have worked with the company before. The solution evolved from digital office management app to a complete proptech solution, which involved constant testing and development, as well as seeking new business opportunities and veryfing the solution with the market.

SoftwareHut provided us with custom software development of the backend, database development, and mobile app development for iOS and Android devices.

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

The team consisted of software developers, a project manager, and QA testers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Zonifero has grown from an internal project to a rapidly growing startup. Our solution has been already implemented in offices in Poland, and we’re working on attracting new clients. We maintain and develop new features of the app, adjusting to the needs of our clients.

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

They involve project managers in every project, who is responsible for maintaining the project documentation and communication. They are very open to feedback and respond quickly to request.

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

SoftwareHut hires a wide range of specialists experienced in different technologies, meaning that there is rarely a task they can’t do.

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

None that I can think of.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We provide communication services to small businesses worldwide and have paying customers in 170 countries. Over 1.5 million small businesses have a Sonetel account. We are listed at Nasdaq First North Growth Market in Stockholm.

Our main service in the past has been to help entrepreneurs worldwide increase sales by providing them with low cost local phone numbers in remote countries where they want to increase their sales. Showing a local phone number at your web site increases trust and conversions.

Since 2017 we have been investing further into our SaaS platform, by expanding its capabilities into text communication - with support of Artificial Intelligence. This is offered within a Freemium model to small businesses worldwide. The new services were launched in BETA during fall 2019 after several years of development. I am the CEO, founder, and largest shareholder in Sonetel.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire SoftwareHut?

We needed to develop a brand new customer web portal and mobile apps to cover the functionality of both our old phone number related services, and our new text/AI related services. In addition to this we needed to develop a chat widget for customer web sites and some backend micro services - although most backend work was to be done by us.

What were your goals for this project?

To create easy-to-use apps for mobile and desktop covering both text and voice communication - for both customer and team communication.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We received quotes from a number of vendors. We selected SoftwareHut based on their proven experience, reasonable size (not too small and not too large) and the price that they offered.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

The project involved the development of a Web app and native mobile apps in REACT, as well as the development of a chat web widget for customer interactions, and various backend micro services.

What was the team composition?

The team consisted of a project leader, a few QA resources and handful developers with different skill sets.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The project has allowed us to move our business from being a provider of local phone numbers with call forwarding, to being a full-range provider of communication services (text and voice) to small businesses.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

There has been a project leader assigned by SoftwareHut, that has managed the scheduling of work - based on the priorities we have provided.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The project was complex and large. The original estimates did not hold - which commonly is the case with such projects. Softwarehut however took responsibility and absorbed a reasonable share of impact of this, and have additionally worked hard to find constructive solutions allowing us to make the project a joint long-term success.

Top management has been involved on both sides in a constructive dialogue, which eventually enabled us to launch the new services during fall 2019. This personal engagement from SoftwareHut management has been instrumental. Their team and resources have generally been of high quality, with a great deal of personal commitment and pride.

Are there any areas for improvement?

We have kept the responsibility in house for UX design and architectural work for backend components, and most of the backend development - as this wasn't a key strength area of SoftwareHut - at last at the time we took that decision.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the general manager of a financial services company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SoftwareHut?

We wanted to create a mobile app that allowed our customers to access their bank accounts but didn’t have the expertise to build it in-house. Another company created a series of designs, but we didn’t want them to deliver the app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

SoftwareHut designed and developed our mobile app, which is for Android and iOS. They developed the apps natively.

We first introduced them to our products, team, and goals. We then shared the wireframes and let them have a look. Their team then worked in Agile-based iterations, delivering the app in stages.

We began with a simple bank account app where users could log in to view their balance and recent transactions. Their team expanded on it, so customers could do more with it. Users can activate and use a MasterCard. They can contact us and set up direct debit, which is essentially a means of making regular payments to bills.

What is the team composition?

We worked with a general corps of 5–7 people from SoftwareHut.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around £20,000 (approximately $24,900 USD) a month.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started our engagement around November 2016 and their team iterated on the app until 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The evidence is the app, which is reliable. We haven’t had problems with it. SoftwareHut did a good job designing it. We’ve had positive feedback on the platform.

How did SoftwareHut perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management was excellent. They were efficient and straightforward. We could rely on them to be proactive and do what we asked of them.

We were impressed with SoftwareHut. They were better than any other supplier when it came to meeting deadlines or be straightforward if there was a reason why they couldn’t.

What did you find most impressive about them?

More than any other provider, we enjoyed working with their team. It felt like we were on the same team. We trusted SoftwareHut to make the right suggestions and calls for our product.

One of their best qualities was that there wasn’t staff turnover. We generally worked with the same people, so they developed a deep understanding of our product and company. They were one of the best suppliers that we’ve engaged with, if not the best.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Paxport. We work in the travel industry, on the software tech-side. We aggregate fares and hotels and run a virtual card payment B2B service for our customers. We also provide outsource operations for leisure charter airlines. We take the bookings and control prices and manage processing. We’re essentially a technology software company with an outsource service.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SoftwareHut?

The project was to be an extension of our development team. They maintained and set up integrations with the suppliers. The software connects carriers to the reservation inventory systems so we can aggregate that into the book system that we offer.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We get an API provided from a carrier. Then, SoftwareHut foes the work connecting it to our main system, which then it’s configurated so we can offer one API to our customers with all of those carriers and hotels. SoftwareHut conducts the integration, and helps with some frontend work. We have a pack shop where passenger can choose seating and things like that. But the bulk of their work is the backend integration and maintenance.

What is the team composition?

On average, there were 7–8 people. We directly dealt with a project manager and one other person.

How did you come to work with SoftwareHut?

We were working with another development company that didn’t go very well. We found information on SoftwareHut when looking at some information from another company. So we went to see them in Poland.

How much have you invested with them?

We spend between €25,000–€45,000 per month (approximately $27,000–$50,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started in October of 2018 and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Most of our customers are online travel agents, so if there are bugs or problems, it’s an issue. SoftwareHut has gradually decreased the downtime we have. Ultimately, the quality of their development is critical. They can integrate quickly as well.

How did SoftwareHut perform from a project management standpoint?

They performed very well. We liked that they have some developers on the bench, or not fully utilized, so when we needed to add more people, it was a quick process. They’ve reacted quickly and have been very flexible. When we communicate, they’re transparent and clear.

They have some knowledge of the airline business, which is definitely beneficial for us. The CEO has also been involved when it’s relevant.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’ve needed to reduce the number of resources due to budget cuts because of the COVID-19 outbreak, and they’ve been very cooperative. I think that shows that they’re dedicated to a long-term partnership.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of any major criticism.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Scoping and identifying your key factors, and transparency in your expectations,  all of that is very important.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of a venture builder.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SoftwareHut?

We were looking for the flexibility of augmenting staff as needed because we have limited operational in-house developers.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They’ve worked mostly on web development, some Shopify projects, Android and iOS mobile projects, UI/UX design, and general app development.

Some of the technologies they use include Liquid and Liquid.js in JavaScript, CSS, CMS platforms, and MEAN Stack. Additionally, the team has provided some advice on architectural design.

What is the team composition?

The team size varies with project size and complexity. I’ve worked with at least 20 of their staff and we’ve had multiple project managers over the course of our engagement.

How did you come to work with SoftwareHut?

They reached out to us initially. We’ve worked with several different offshore and nearshore contractors over the years, trying to find the right fit. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $500,000–$1,000,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in September 2016, and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We do internal evaluations on projects, measuring on-time delivery and budget. On both metrics, they’ve met our expectations. That is where profitability lies for us.

How did SoftwareHut perform from a project management standpoint?

They are very organized and have helped us set up smart structures. The team ensures that we’re aligned before a project starts, setting expectations. SoftwareHut uses a starting point methodology and, learning from them, I’ve relayed this methodology to others. 

The team is proactive, has good communication skills, and gives honest feedback. This is superior to the experiences that I’ve had with other contractors. We have met face-to-face a few times, and there’s no language barrier for us because our main point of contact speaks Swedish.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They deliver what they promise. I’m impressed with their ability to deliver on time and within budget every time considering the number of projects we’ve done together. SoftwareHut has high technical knowledge and skillsets, and they’re willing to advise us on how to set up architectural structures and run projects. Additionally, they make suggestions for shortcuts or anything else that might benefit us. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I have no suggestions. My only complaint is the bad currency rate we currently have, over which they have no control.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be as specific as possible about your goals and expectations. If you write them down and make sure the team fully understands what you’re asking for, you won’t be disappointed.