STDev

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder and CTO of ClikNview, a photography platform. Our typical customers are photographers and videographers who mostly handle events, like weddings, though it’s not limited to that. The goal of the platform is to streamline some of the communication and workflow of the artists and clients after the actual shoot.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with STDev?

We’d started working on the project a couple of years ago, but we stopped due to a lack of time and resources we were able to dedicate to it. We ended up bringing in STDev to help.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The team essentially took over all of our design work, and did almost all of our coding work. I’m a software engineer myself, so I look over the code and participate in some of the technical decision making, but STDev was the main contributor. They’ve provided other services as well, such as QA.

The nature of the platform requires large file uploads, which is a technical challenge because sometimes those uploads can be interrupted. We needed to find a robust way of supporting resumable uploads in the event that the action is terminated. STDev helped build that out, as well as several other features.The platform is on Ruby on Rails, and we used React as well.

The team also provided all the design work on our website. They sent us mockups, and we would iterate until we were happy with the design.

What is the team composition?

I’d say five or six people have worked on the project in total, including designers. The majority of our contact has been with the project manager, but we also keep in touch with their lead engineer and several other developers. 

How did you come to work with STDev?

We found them through UpWork. Our main objective at that point was to find a team that was familiar with Ruby on Rails. We had an initial call and it was clear they were well-versed in that technology, so we started with some small tasks and the relationship just grew from there.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $100,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working with them since January 2018. The project went live about a year ago, but we’re consistently working together to improve it and market it more widely.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Though the product is live, we don’t have that many users just yet as we’re still trying to get people to try out. I don’t have any success metrics in terms of users or numbers, but internally we’re satisfied with their work. 

STDev is very prompt, and they deliver really high-quality work. A lot of times, we come to them with half-baked ideas, and they’re able to go to the drawing board and really flesh out the idea in an impressive way. We’ll go back and forth on design and technical strategies, and it’s clear their work is well-thought-out.

Overall, the platform is very robust and we see hardly any bugs or failures. We’re very pleased.

How did STDev perform from a project management standpoint?

Our project manager handles most of the communication. She provides us with updates each week and liaises between our two teams if there are ever questions. She’s also available for calls when needed. Having one person as a contact throughout the project is a very valuable asset.

We use Slack to keep in touch, so I’ve had access to several of their engineers, not just the lead developer. Whenever we ask them to do something, they’re very quick about delivering. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their technical expertise is particularly impressive. I’m always pleasantly surprised by the ideas and innovation they initiate. They also make great recommendations in terms of technical design and just the UI in general.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing I can think of. They’re a pleasure to work with. STDev gives us the full stack of development: frontend, backend, project management, design. There’s nothing to point to that they could improve upon, nor is there any reason that we would switch over to another team. We’re completely satisfied.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Start off with a very clearly thought-out design for a minimal project, and then build off of that. Also, be prompt with your communication, and consistent so that you can keep the project momentum going.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a small business and I do graphic design and custom gifts.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire STDev?

I hired STDev to build a website from the ground up for my business. The technology that they did for my website wasn't being used by any other website at the time so they really had to create something completely new for me.

What were your goals for this project?

My goals were to create a website where my customers could design their own invitations, stationery, etc and they would be able to download it and print themselves.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

My friend connected me and I'm not sure how we found them.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

STDev created a website from scratch and incorporated all of my designs to be completely editable by my customer.

What was the team composition?

The project team had about 2-3 people at a time. I communicated almost solely with one or two people.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The work that was done on my website was phenomenal and it's completely changed my business.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Project management was incredible - we were working together while in two different countries. I would email in the evening and I would know that I would wake up with answers in the morning.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I didn't know what to expect when I first hired STDev but I was so impressed by how knowledgable they were. Anything I asked for, they figured out some way to do it. Their communication was excellent as well. They fielded a LOT of questions from me! :) I would highly recommend anyone use STDev for your website.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Nothing that I can think of

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of a texting and review platform for small businesses.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with STDev?

I had turnover with my development staff. I had one developer who was talented, but he couldn’t do everything. I needed an affordable and efficient means to have a full-scale platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They created my app first as a web app, and then as a mobile one. They built a product that was flexible and able to scale using Django and Python. One of the big things we can do now is text-enable a landline number.

What is the team composition?

I had one project manager and one primary developer. They reached out to others on their team when they needed help.

How did you come to work with STDev?

I found them on UpWork. I gave them and a few other development shops a test, and gave them 48 hours to complete it. I showed it to some people who were confident with technology, and they recommended STDev.

How much have you invested with them?    

We’ve invested $60,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in April 2017, and we wrapped up in March 2019. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They built a stable, usable, very effective platform that’s been used with a variety of customers. We’re very happy with it. A lot of our businesses fell in love with the new texting functionality, since they don’t have to change their existing number.

How did STDev from a project management standpoint?

They perform extremely well. The project manager was responsive and intelligent, had great communication, and I felt like I was in very good hands. We used Trello, email, Slack, and Skype for communication.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their value was incredible. I got a responsive team that built a strong product for a reasonable price.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There was a bit of turnover that they had, and I contacted the CEO. He assured me he’d have someone to cover it. The CEO was very honest and upfront with me.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

My advice is to make sure the communication is very clear. It’s probably going to take more time than you would think, with a lot of feedback and iteration. Time needs to be spent to make sure they have a clear picture, with the right guidance and goals. Outline the scope and make sure that everyone is aligned on expectations.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CTO of Nobel Globe SRL, a telecom and software development company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with STDev?

We needed a software development and technical support team.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

STDev transferred our system to a new infrastructure, moving it from a physical data center to a virtualized environment in the cloud. They continue to develop new features and provide support to our system. 

What is the team composition?

Five people are working on the project, including a project manager.

How did you come to work with STDev?

I knew the founder of the company and approached him for contacts for venture capital. I shared the project, and he mentioned that he had a software development shop.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in December 2018. Some parts are completed, like the cloud infrastructure, but our business is under constant development and maintenance.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I’ve engaged a lot of technically strong people who weren’t easy to work with because of the challenges that come with human interaction and different cultures. With STDev, it’s been a really pleasant experience. They’re technically strong, and there’s easy interaction between our teams. They have somebody on their staff who has worked in the US, which is another thing that makes it easier. They care about the work. If we have a problem, they take care of it. I’m very happy with them and am planning to continue working with them.  

How did STDev perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re a Microsoft shop and work in a scrum methodology. We have daily standup calls. They make everything transparent, which requires a big commitment on their end. We see their daily progress.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It’s easy to interact with them compared to previous teams.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They take ownership if they make a mistake. They are very honest. I don’t have anything that I don’t like about them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It’s good to talk through the agreement. Have a clear understanding and define expectations before you start.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We help buyers to find suppliers faster and online. Our main product is a marketplace allowing both parties to find each others and communicate. I am the CTO and co-founder of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire STDev?

We hired STDev to take over the coding and management of our web app.

What were your goals for this project?

The first part of the project was to take over and finish the coding of the marketplace so that it could be made live. Once live, the goal was to implement the new features and functionalities we designed.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We found STDev through another marketplace. They were very highly rated there and the communication was excellent from the beginning.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

They took over, re-factored and completed the code of our marketplace after we faced technical issues. They learned the existing code base with an impressive attention to detail and took it from here.

Once the marketplace was live, they helped us to come up with the real life implementation of the solutions we designed for our users. We would provide rough mockups, UI and UX and they would analyse, discuss potential pitfall and then code, test and implement when ready.

What was the team composition?

The project team had 10 - 15 people including a project manager, designer, front-end, back-end and admin coders, testers and network engineers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

This project was key to our business, and the successful completion by STDev allowed us to move forward and sign up thousands of users. The changes we made to the marketplace over time made a huge difference to our users.

An example would be improvements to our chat system: changes made doubled the amount of messages sent over a month time.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

We always had one project manager which would be our main point of contact. We could follow the progress of each task on Trello, discussions on Slack and a weekly call.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I have worked with many agencies before and can honestly say that STDev stands out as a very competent and above all trustable company. They have been with us during our worst crunch time and never let us down. They are very thorough with their testing and always professional.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Good code takes time unfortunately. We often had to be patient for tasks and testing to be completed. On the plus side, this patience paid off when the new features were launched without any or very little bugs.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Jigsaw Collaborative Learning is an educational software company that provides web solutions for collaborative efforts in schools and school districts. Currently, we offer a web-based application that is being utilized in districts primarily in Alberta, Canada. We’ve also taken the ideas and overall design of that product to engage in a partnership with another company to develop a module that utilizes a lot of the same functionality in their educational software as well. It’s through our work with STDev that we’ve developed our primary product and an ancillary product with another partner.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with STDev?

We needed developers to build the web-based platform for our company. The platform allows schools and districts to create student profiles and contribute information and planning in regards to how they can best collaborate to support students within their schools. 

The application is accessed by school administrators and staff members only. It’s not for students or parents. It’s utilized for staff to note learning strengths, preferences, and areas that they’re working on with students. They do it in a collaborative setting so that when a team of educators comes together to talk about a cohort of students, they can add notes for each student as they discuss their programs.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They helped us to build the actual platform. There has been an evolution of our platform through our work with STDev over the last number of years. There are a few different components that we’ve developed over time. We developed an API call for information from a school or district’s student information system can synchronize student and staff rosters into our web-based platform. This makes it so there’s no need for multiple uploads of student and staff information. All of that comes straight across and it’s synchronized on a daily basis, which we set up through STDev. 

The platform itself gives each student their own profile.  What makes the system unique is that it records meeting notes in a team meeting format, but at the same time, it’s sharing all of those notes and updates to the individual student profile. So we could be talking about a group of 10 students and we’re going to put these 10 into this reading program over the next 3 weeks and watch how they’re doing. It’ll note that within the system, but then in each one of those 10 individual profiles, it’ll make that note as well. Typically, in student information systems, schools have to go and enter that information 10 different times in order to capture it within each student’s profile. This becomes much more seamless. There are a lot of different features functionalities within this that makes it as feature friendly as possible. With STDev, we’ve done a lot over the 4 years of development to enhance the system and make it a viable product.

What is the team dynamic? 

The team fluctuates depending on what we need from our end. For instance, we just contracted them for a major 2-month enhancement on the site over the summer based on feedback we received from users. During that time, the team of programmers has ballooned up to around 3 or 4 that are responsible for working with us. This is why every day I have tasks that are completed that I’m checking in on our test sites. When the work slows down and we’re only dealing with identifying and solving issues, then the team narrows down to one programmer who works with the project manager. Their organization, through a single project manager, has been absolutely fantastic.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together January 2013 and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We would not have been able to develop our platform without STDev. We could have gone with another Canadian company, but I don’t think that we could have met the goals we wanted in terms of the system’s growth and development. They’ve been instrumental in our success and bringing more options to how the software could look and then actually bringing that alive. For us to be able to describe things and create mockups and screenshots of how we want the screen to operate and make that happen, it’s been outstanding.

How did STDev perform from a project management standpoint?

It’s been fantastic. I’m in contact with them daily. There are very few days, other than the weekend, where I am not responding to questions that they have about ongoing development or recent requests. Their communication and diligence have been absolutely amazing. We couldn’t have predicted this strong of a partnership when we first began thinking about the project and who we could bring on as our developers. 

We utilize a common Google Sheet that captures all tasks and ongoing work. Any issues that come up in the system, I note. They have one project manager that is my primary source of contact and unless he has days off and assigns a different manager to the project, it has been a single point of contact for the past 4 years. That kind of consistency is absolutely amazing. Our project manager knows the software, and what we’re trying to accomplish. With a single point of communication, I don’t have to deal with different developers or programmers. We’ll forecast upcoming work and he’ll determine how many programmers are needed for it. It’s quite a flexible project management style on their end. It’s been outstanding. I couldn’t have asked for anything better.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The ongoing communication and clarification have been outstanding. Their responsiveness to issues has been off the charts. I haven’t felt like just another project they’re engaging in. By the communication, feedback, and partnership from our project manager, I definitely feel like our company is his sole focus. I’m sure it’s not, but it certainly feels like he’s there completely for us. 

At some point, a key programmer, who was with the project from the start and knew the ins and outs and was the actual code writer and programmer, moved on from the project after a couple of years. I really thought we would be dead in the water and that there was not going to be another individual who would know the code and be able to respond. They’ve brought on another 2 or 3 programmers that have easily been able to engage in that work, which was surprising to us, but it really speaks to how well they are organized.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The only challenge we have is in working with an overseas company. English is their second language, so there have been times where we needed further explanations or Skype calls to explain. There have been small grammatical or spelling mistakes built into the program that we’ve had to catch and clean up, which I don’t think we would have if we were utilizing an English based development team. That’s not their responsibility though. It’s something we knew we were taking on when we chose to work with an overseas company. They have done their absolute best to ensure that language hasn’t been an issue for them in development. It’s been a challenge, but it’s nothing they can work on or improve upon. They’re doing all they can in that arena.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We're an online marketing firm. Essentially, we make sure websites are converting traffic to the highest percentage. People don't want traffic; they want the phone to ring. We're doing web development based on empirical data we know gets results.

I'm the owner of the company. I started it 16 years ago in a little office, and now we have 10 folks here.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with STDev?

Outsourcing some of the development work has always been preferable, but not all of it. We like having local help and our clients love having local tech talent, but if we get overloaded we need some way to quickly scale up and scale down as client demand increases or decreases.

We struggled for years, trying a number of different firms. They always cost us twice as much as doing the work internally. These firms either lacked an understanding of requirements or an understanding of who the client was and our relationship with them. They would dictate policy or functionality that was not in keeping with our clients' intention. We had numerous problems. In fact, when I ran into STDev for a very particular application, I had almost given up, but we've had great success with them.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We've used them for a variety of different things that require different skill sets. The initial project was one that started out as a mobile app, but I realized that what the client really needed was a responsive website that worked like an app on any device. For the strongest return, the client initially needed a website, with the understanding that major portions would become an app.

STDev did an amazing job. They were quick, they were responsive, and they were willing to be flexible in their availability even though we were in completely different time zones. Almost all of their stuff was bulletproof from minute one. There wasn't a lot of back-and-forth on bugs. There wasn't a lot of waiting when something needed to be corrected, and the overall cost made the relationship profitable for us all along.

I don't know all the technologies they're using off the top of my head, but I think they're using Django as an MVC [Model-View-Controller]. Right now, we're doing a LAMP-based solution. They're flexible in terms of working with requirements that they would normally prefer not to.

How did you come to work with STDev?

I don’t recall.

How much have you invested with them?

We have invested $20,000 to $25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We're on our third or fourth project with them. We have been working together since 2016, so just shy of a year total. In the scheme of things, it's fairly recent, but I have a good enough sample of their work and their ethic.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We use them to save us time and money. These two are obviously intimately connected. We measure their success by how much time they save and whether they're able to get requirements right the first time, code them quickly, not have bugs, and respond to challenges or misunderstandings when we have them. I can measure success in terms of what I spend on a project versus what I made on it, and those numbers are always favorable.

But for me, as a business owner and parent among other things, I am so darn busy. It's not always about an exact measurement, but sometimes it's measured perception, like the fact that I can trust them to handle almost every aspect, including project management and design.

How did STDev perform from a project management standpoint?

They're timely, communicative, and organized.

What did you find most impressive about them?

In the past, I was beaten up enough by other companies who would start trying to explain to me how something was to be done. With STDev, I wanted to make it clear how our reporting worked and that they needed to do what my clients asked, not just do what they thought. STDev genuinely seems like they are hungry, and they understand that their success hinges heavily on my satisfaction. They care.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Recently, we hit a little bit of a snag on one project and I communicated some concerns. While they haven't been ironed out yet, STDev's response and their concern for our company satisfaction is there. They're looking forward to addressing the minor issue (a work relationship), and we are both looking forward to resolving it, and continuing to nurture the relationship.

In the past, these kinds of agencies haven't cared just as long as they get their project done and get paid. They don't understand the value of a long-term relationship. STDev seems to get it.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

I’m the CEO of a company that provides software for consultation management. We help our users make sure that they’re paying their employees fairly compared to the market. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with STDev?

We needed a full software application to be built. I was looking for a partner that had a good reputation and a lot of experience building sites. STDev really met those requirements.

They’re not merely software developers; they’re also our business partners. They help us solve serious problems. 

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

Our platform allows users to upload their employees’ jobs, salary structures, and salary surveys and search through all of that data quickly by reporting analytics and creating relationships between the salary survey data and their job data. STDev’s work is ongoing. We have a really good understanding of how to troubleshoot and go through questions. The software is serving a niche, and few people would be able to see the software and understand exactly how it works just out of the box. STDev now has extensive familiarity with the product and its function, which allows them to address potential issues and make suggestions based on what our users prefer.

STDev also assisted us with the overall design of our website. Our site is primarily targeting HR professionals. The design I had come up with was pitiful compared to theirs. They turned it into something that is beautiful. I get compliments on that regularly. They completely created the UI and overall layout.

How did you come to work with STDev?

I found STDev through Upwork. At the time, it was called Elance. Their ratings were quite high, and they had tons of hours logged. Their project completion rates and success rates were some of the best, and they were also fairly affordable. Karapet [Co-Founder and CEO, STDev] had a background in Microsoft Access, which is what my prototype was built in. I felt comfortable with his team taking a prototype application and turning it into a web application. I had a lot of confidence their skills.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with STDev in November 2015 and have been partners since. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

We’re measuring success by having a working application that’s quick and easy for people to use. STDev has really delivered as far as designing and creating a user-friendly website. They took our platform and made it easy for people to understand.

STDev doesn’t just take specs and build them. They actually go through and review what we’re putting together and suggesting, and they offer recommendations to make the process better.

How did STDev perform from a project management standpoint?

We used a Scrum board called Trello. I don’t have any questions as far as what’s being worked on, what’s done, or what’s coming up next. We rarely have any surprises, although sometimes certain aspects of the code take longer than expected to finish. We communicate constantly. Recently, we were stuck on some backend work. They identified areas that were slow and spent 25–30 hours optimizing the code without billing us because they weren’t satisfied with the original work.

Initially, I wanted to provide a bonus for on-time performance and delivery of services. But, when I mentioned this to Karapet, he suggested it was unnecessary because they do not miss their deadlines. I was not entirely convinced at the time, but over the course of this project, I’ve noticed that items rarely take longer than estimated.

What distinguishes STDev from other providers? 

I’ve worked with other developers before, and they’ve gotten either bored with or tired of the project. They just did whatever they could do to get the solution finished. That’s not the case with STDev. They actually put a lot of work into making sure that the software is optimized, works quickly, and has a friendly UX. They take much more of a partnership role in developing the code. They don’t just take specs and put them into a screen.

This project would not be what it is without the STDev team. I have come to rely on them not just as developers, artists, and project managers but also as an extension of my team.

Is there anything STDev could have improved or done differently?

When using Trello, I wish there was a way to attach how many hours a particular task would take. But, I don’t think I’ve ever been unfairly billed. They always provide a summary at the end of each week. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are an online wedding platform connecting engaged couples with suppliers in their area. We are a one-stop wedding destination which brings planning into the digital age.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with STDev?

We had just started out and didn’t have a website at all. The online platform is at the heart of our business model, so we wanted the ability to launch it in the German, Austrian, and Swiss markets.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

STDev built our platform from the ground up and brought vision on making it an inspirational and interactive tool. We provided detailed ideas of what we had in mind, and they made it all come to life. The design was made elsewhere, but STDev handled the backend and frontend coding of the functionalities we were looking for. The site was developed from scratch using PHP, as well as JavaScript and HTML on the frontend.

There are 3 key features, including a directory which helps couples look for matching wedding vendors. Users can sort by category (wedding cakes, flowers, and so on) and location (city or area). Suppliers can create their own profile and manage their own backend information.

The second part is an inspiration gallery with imagery uploaded by ourselves or gotten from our wedding suppliers. The photos are sorted by category and color, helping couples find inspiration for certain types of flowers, colors, and styles, from traditional to bohemian.

The third part is an interactive and personalized account for users. They can manage their guest lists, budgets, and go through an interactive checklist which tells them which tasks they should focus on prior to the wedding. They can save favorite suppliers, images, and mood boards.

How did you come to work with STDev?

We found them through Upwork, which was previously called oDesk. STDev had some great reviews and recommendations and looked like a group we could trust, and which could make our money go further as a startup company. We approached them through the platform and started working together. It’s been a clear and simple process in terms of payments and flexibility, to managing the hours we need them to work on the project.

How much have you invested with STDev?

The cost of the project was $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with STDev in November 2015, a little over a year and a half ago. They continue to provide maintenance and bug fixing whenever we have an issue, or something isn’t working properly. The maintenance part was included in the main project, so STDev has taken full ownership of the website. We also add new functionalities to the site once in a while. We are also planning to have a site relaunch in the future.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It’s tricky to say since, as I explained, the platform we developed is at the heart of our business model. As a business, we wouldn’t be able to operate without it, so STDev has had a substantial part in the success of the business. They are almost a part of our team, and we’ve worked closely with them, especially in the beginning.

How did STDev perform from a project management standpoint?

We have good, regular contact with them over Skype calls. We can communicate with STDev through Skype chats over live Q&As whenever we need to. We share documents online using Asana, in order to make sure that the project is managed in an efficient way. They’re responsive across all different channels, but, for the project management part, we usually provide a detailed brief and share documents in order to remain updated on every task. We also have weekly calls to make sure we are all on the same page.

What did you find most impressive about STDev?

STDev contributed a lot. They weren’t afraid to make recommendations whenever they thought that we needed some advice. The openness and honesty were great, and it was more like a dialogue than us telling them what to do. We’ve enjoyed working with STDev; they’re very professional, fast, and have a sense of urgency which is great, especially when running an online business and relying on the functionality of a website.

Are there any areas STDev could improve?

There was a transition period with some staff changes, but everything went smoothly in the end. The fact that STDev continued communicating with us on a regular basis was crucial. They made sure to stick to the deadlines and keep us posted on any delays proactively so that we could manage expectations. There is no huge area of improvement or dissatisfaction from our side.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO of commercetools

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

commercetools is a global commerce company and the market leader in composable commerce. We enable companies to flexibly customize, tailor and scale shopping experiences across markets.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire STDev to accomplish?

• Redesign a website.

SOLUTION

How did you find STDev?

• Online Search
• Clutch Site

Why did you select STDev over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from STDev were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Website design and development (redesign) to improve user experience by suggesting content and structure, use a platform (Wordpress) to facilitate updates and additions, and align with business branding.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Progress was measured by reaching milestones in a number of phases, including quality control, testing and approving the homepage and subpage designs, finishing the site map and content strategy, and activating the test site on the development server.

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

Deliverables were made on schedule, yes.   Due to competing occurrences on our end, we periodically have to significantly change the timings.   Part of the reason for this is the need for official reviews at various levels in our sector.   All of the STDev team members react quite fast.

Throughout the project, I made frequent comments, and they were promptly addressed.   Every request for an ad hoc meeting was approved.   In addition to making ensuring the site met my current requirements, they went above and beyond to lay the groundwork for future one

What was your primary form of communication with STDev?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

What most impressed me was the team's ability to understand the needs of the customer in such detail that they act as an extension of our team – they become a true partner. It's not by accident; they take the time to learn about the company and your goals, your audience, what inspires you, etc. The fact that our working and project management approaches and communication are completely compatible also helps to ensure that everything runs smoothly. Having worked with them on two previous web design projects at other organisations, I knew this coming in. The ability to provide that information up front and STDev's willingness to truly understand it sets the project up for success from the start.

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

Not at all