Supercharge

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CTO and co-founder of Sortter, a financial deals company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Supercharge?

We needed to outsource our UX/UI design and web development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Supercharge does the UX/UI design and development of our website from scratch. They use React and Gatsby on the frontend, and Node.js and Typescript on the backend. On the database, they used PostgreSQL.

What is the team composition?

There are three developers, one project manager, and one tester. There are also UX/UI designers helping us based on the demand.

How did you come to work with Supercharge?

I knew of them from my previous company, and the cooperation with them had been good. Now that I started my own company, I decided I wanted to continue with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in March 2019, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They managed to build the MVP within six weeks and managed to save us €20,000 every year. It might not seem like a lot, but as a startup, it was excellent because it's a complex project.

How did Supercharge perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management is good. Every time we start a new task, we estimate it, and they always meet it. In terms of tools and communication, we use GitHub, Clubhouse, and Slack.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Our cooperation has always been open with them — if there’s a problem, they're available for us. Communication is good; we work as a team, reflecting on the quality of what we’re doing together.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don't think there's anything they can improve on. Everything works well.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Keep an open mind and build good cooperation with them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP/Chief Architect for TrueMotion. It’s a data company that offers tech solutions for insurance companies. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Supercharge?

We needed mobile apps developed.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They have done several projects for us. They developed a mobile app for our clients that connected with their platform and integrated solutions for customers on the mobile app. It was built for iOS and Android. The version on iOS was built using Swift, and Kotlin was used for Android.

Some of our clients have more specific desires for the UX/UI design, and others give more creative freedom to the team. 

What is the team composition?

There are 20-25 people working with us on the projects.

How did you come to work with Supercharge?

Our team was looking for someone who could be physically present at times; they have an office in Budapest. The founders were also very knowledgeable and personable, so we decided to move forward with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in October 2018, and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Feedback from clients has been positive. The team is easy to work with, and we are very satisfied.

How did Supercharge perform from a project management standpoint?

On the projects they manage, they do a very good job.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They take ownership of their work. They understand what to deliver, and how to do create what you want, not just what you ask for. They feel like part of the company, not an outside vendor.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I don’t think there are any specific points for improvement.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They are mostly a mobile shop, with mobile developers, so if that's what you're looking for they are the team for you.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

OTP Group provides its universal financial services through several subsidiaries. In Hungary traditional banking operations are performed by the Bank while specialized services, including car leasing, investment funds are developed and offered by the Bank's subsidiaries. My role is innovation senior expert and working for the Innovation Hub of OTP Bank.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Supercharge?

Supercharge has already great reputation among our vendors and they are able to understand the needs and operation of the organisation entirely.

OTP LAB was about to launch an internal innovation program and as part of it, we needed to track and evaluate ideas coming from our colleagues. Moreover, driving them towards implementation.

What were your goals for this project?

The goal of the project was to deliver a software that complies with the task decribed above and fullfills the following requirements:

• transparency: all idea owners can see their progress and sponsoring departments can follow up their challanges
• flexibility: the application enables us to organize short or longer ideacontests based on sponsor department's need and also the visibility of each challanges
• gamified environment

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Official procurement process. We had a list of requirements that the vendor had to comply with. We separated the professional and financial offer. We invited 4 vedors to the procurement. The main factor that determined the professional decision is the deep understanding of the project.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

The whole time we were working very closely and actively together.

1. Product discovery WS
2. Wireframe drawing; wireframe testing
3. UI drawing; UI testing
4. Backend dev
5. Frontend dev
6. IT architechture prep and building
7. UAT
8. Installation
9. Pilot on production
10. Change requests
11. Launch new version

What was the team composition?

From client part there were 1,3 TMD dedicated to the project. From vendor's side, there were 1 product strategist, 1 UX designer, 1 UI designer, 4-4 backend and frontend developer, 1 tester and 1 PM, 1 Tech lead.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

After successful pilot with 600 users, we managed to collect few change requests. Having implemented these changes we released an idea contest for 4000 people within the bank in topic of cross selling.

In the meantime we are already upscaling, expanding the solution on group level. The average user feedbacks are potivive from both sponsor and employee side. The winner idea of the pilot program is already in implementation.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Very normal: 2 meetings per week with the PM, 30 minutes, very effective.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They're professional and passionate with a great approach to problem-solving. Highest flexibility.

Are there any areas for improvement?

As the system is flexible, we are able to expand it in 3 ways.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the associate director of sales and marketing for a medical device company. We produce handheld sanitation scanners that are used worldwide. It’s a box-like device where you insert your hands, and it’s able to assess whether your hands are properly disinfected or not.

We aim to market our product to the healthcare sector because it’s crucial that medical professionals are effectively cleaning their hands.  

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Supercharge?

There are two components to our service offering. There’s the physical product—which is the scanner—and the reporting software that processes the data. The software visualizes the data it collects, and users can filter the information based on different criteria.

We had received feedback that our machine had too harsh of a message. For instance, if a healthcare professional’s hands were not properly cleaned, the display message would simply indicate that they’d failed at their job. We wanted to redesign our user journey to make the product’s messaging more friendly and constructive.  

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

To kick off an extensive design phase, we held a collaborative workshop to gather data. In turn, this allowed Supercharge to conduct research and testing to assess the machine’s potential functionalities. Visiting hospitals in person, their team also talked with potential users to understand their needs, and to distinguish the personas that constitute our target demographic.

After they defined the goals for our end product, they constructed an entirely new workflow for the device. They returned to the same customers they’d originally interviewed to evaluate their new workflow.

Supercharge even delivered a new mascot as part of our marketing strategy. They’re currently making adjustments to our reporting software to reflect these changes.  

What is the team composition?

We had a primary point of contact. There were also two designers, two UX/UI engineers, and psychologists assigned to the project.

How did you come to work with Supercharge?

One of Supercharge’s employees had been a colleague of mine, whom I trusted. He introduced me to the founder of his company. After being impressed by their pitch, I selected them over two other competitors.  

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $7,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in October 2018, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They exceeded our expectations in many ways. We sent out a survey questionnaire to Hungarian hospitals before we launched the product; feedback about the new workflow has been overwhelmingly positive. Supercharge delivered an innovative and interactive product, so I’m completely satisfied with the collaboration.

Their success in this project led us to rely on them again for adjustments to our reporting software.

How did Supercharge perform from a project management standpoint?

I oversaw the project management and it went very smoothly. The collaboration between our two teams was seamless, and I could tell that my team was very happy working with them.   

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their enthusiasm, flexibility, and responsiveness were all stellar. They were eager to deliver, and they were always open for discussion.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there’s nothing I would change. I couldn’t be more pleased with the outcome.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be free to be unique, even outlandish, with your ideas, because Supercharge is truly willing to create something innovative. You can trust Supercharge to turn your ideas into a reality.  

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and president of the Revolution Robotics Foundation.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Supercharge?

We’re creating an open-source platform for robotics education and competition for kids. We’ve designed everything from the hardware to the software and mobile app with an open-source component.  We can do the same on the software side for the configuration and programming control of the robot creation.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our first step was a discovery phase in which we explored what features we really needed to make sure the app would function properly and be accessible for many kids. For example, we were looking to serve underprivileged areas, so we had to prioritize things that would help ensure functionality on older and cheap smartphones. We also had to make sure that the screen would give off as little light as possible to maintain battery power.

Then we started looking into the architectural implications of these features. We used Firebase to create the backend and Blockly to support the programming interface that would allow users to program robots. Then they developed the native iOS and Android app.

What is the team composition?

There were seven different people involved. At first, we had an account manager who then passed the project off to a project manager who coordinated communication between our team and theirs. Their technical lead was in charge of the full stack and was a backend developer. We had a graphic designer, and experts in UI, UX, iOS, and Android.

How did you come to work with Supercharge?

I was exploring several options, but a few different people independently recommended Supercharged. One of their clients, in particular, had glowing things to say about them. It’s just really rare to find an actual client that will still recommend an outsource web development shop after their project is completed, so that made them stand out.

Unlike other agencies I talked to, Supercharge’s team was full of people with the skillsets we needed—graphic designers, UI/UX specialists, front- and backend developers, and full-stack developers. While other agencies either focused on the interface or development, Supercharge had the resources to complete the entire project.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $135,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in February 2019, and our work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve only found two bugs, and Supercharge was able to fix them quickly. I was really impressed by that because this project was so comprehensive and had many features. Although the app went live at the end of July, we’re now in the final days of testing and will expand our user base soon. 

How did Supercharge perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management was definitely one of their strengths. They clearly laid out the project timeline and managed it. We used Slack and met weekly to track progress in a number of different areas and manage expectations. I always felt like we were being kept abreast either through the weekly meetings or through separate communications. I always knew if things became difficult or if they were ahead of schedule.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re a comprehensive team that can manage and complete the project end to end.

Are there any areas they could improve?

At the beginning of the project, we gave them a very tight timeline, not realizing that we would have to sacrifice a user acceptance and testing period. Although it was because of our timeline, I wish we had fit that in, because I think we could have benefitted from it.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure you can fit in user acceptance testing.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the business change manager for IAG Cargo. We’re responsible for cargo operations for several airlines, including British Airways, Iberia Airlines, Aer Lingus, and others.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Supercharge?

We were focusing on improving communication between the two teams responsible for putting freight onto flights and carriers. These teams are in disparate locations within the buildings, and we needed to better the way they interact to prevent failures in our processes. To help with this, we hired Supercharge to observe our London Heathrow Airport flight planning process and suggest and implement a solution. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

To start this process, Supercharge spent a few days working with our agents and operatives within our operational areas to get their own view of the issue. We then workshopped together to identify key problem areas and pain points regarding the two team’s communication. From there, they recommended introducing and implementing a communication tool that would enable more collaboration. 

Once we established the need for such a tool, Supercharge made several suggestions for the features and functionalities. We brainstormed on how different devices would affect the workflow between the teams and also thought about how to incentivize people to utilize the tool. They put together a report before beginning the development process. Their team refind the initial conceptual design, worked on created the UX/UI, and completed the implementation phase of the web-based system. 

There are three parts to the software they created. The first is for our warehouse staff and it is designed for handheld devices. Supercharge built it to enable realtime communication for problem-solving needs and pickup requests and instructions. The second part functions on desktops for our planning offices, in which they lay out their plans and visions. The third element is a dashboard that shows us an overview of the process, any conversations, and various stages of interactions. 

What is the team composition?

We primarily interacted with three people. Daniel (Head of Product, Supercharge), Jake (Account Manager, Supercharge), a project manager, and UI designer were our primary points of contact for different stages of the work. 

How did you come to work with Supercharge?

Our innovation team was responsible for finding a team. They looked for small scale development companies and considered several options in the market. Supercharge ended up being chosen because they were available, reasonably priced and had a clear message about wanting to understand our problem. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $50,000–$100,000 on their services. 

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement ran from August 2018–February 2019. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Although we haven’t been able to fully launch the tool as an operational product yet, the feedback has been fantastic. Both teams continue to use it and speak to how it enhances their workflow and overall communication. Although it can’t replace phone calls, it has added immense value to the process for our workers, especially because of the image-sharing tool. 

We’ve been collecting case studies and examples throughout the trial, and the positive impact is very noticeable. From a management perspective, it has helped us resolve issues quicker than before and also stop problems we were previously unable to prevent. We’re able to proactively recover situations and change our plans before issues arise, which would be impossible without the tool. 

How did Supercharge perform from a project management standpoint?

Everything was delivered on time. We had no issues with how they communicated or interacted with our team, as they were highly professional. We used Google Hangouts for most of our conversations, but also shared screens and emailed back and forth. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

The way they threw themselves into our operations and were able to pick apart the problem was exceptional. They truly understood our needs and had a grasp on how our team functioned. The level of enthusiasm they showed toward solving our problems was superb. Instead of treating it like a job, they were excited to solve it and had great ideas. They were eager to produce a solution that benefits everyone and provideS a positive experience.  

Are there any areas they could improve?

They ticked all of our boxes, so nothing stands out for them to improve. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Let them have free reign to understand your needs and think of a creative solution. You have nothing to lose by letting them get as involved as they can. They’ll find new solutions and perspectives than the ones you have.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO and co-founder of a manufacturer of hybrid and electric heavy-duty vehicle technology.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Supercharge?

We initially needed a new website, and that grew into developing a much bigger CMS.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Supercharge worked on our project from start to finish, updating the hosting, backend, CMS, UX/UI, etc. They redesigned and redeveloped the entire site, giving it a completely new look. We told them what we wanted, and they took over from there, using our brand guidelines to create designs and content. Supercharge built the site on a platform that lets us manage the website without relying on a development company.

What is the team composition?

We had two main points of contact who communicated with their overseas team.

How did you come to work with Supercharge?

I knew their founder and had seen some of his work at his previous company. I realized his new company could meet my needs, so I hired them.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between £20,000–£25,000 (approximately $25,600–$32,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from April–August 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Customers like the site and consistently ask who made it; it’s received a highly positive response. Supercharge built the site so that we can change things without having to have any coding skills, which is exactly what we wanted.

How did Supercharge perform from a project management standpoint?

They have probably one of the most enthusiastic project managers I’ve ever worked with. He was always willing to take on new tasks and spent hours working with our team to understand our goals and create a product we’d be satisfied with. We communicated via phone, email, and Skype.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re one of the best web development firms I’ve ever worked with. My team loved the partnership. We were quite picky about designs, but they had no problem reworking concepts until they reached something we liked.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO for Eastern Europe for Delivery Hero. We’re an online food ordering platform.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Supercharge?

We hired Supercharge to build a new mobile application from scratch based on the insight we gathered from over 40 markets. We wanted a cost-efficient development process.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We collected our experience and user feedback. Supercharge then created the app’s look and feel, as well as the functionality. Our internal team developed an API and gave Supercharge access to the data and end points.

Next, they developed an iOS and Android app using React Native and one codebase. The solution enabled users to order food delivery to their address. Features included a reordering option and a recommendation engine.

What is the team composition?

I worked directly with 10 people including the project manager, developers, and UI/UX designers. Supercharge had more resources working behind the scenes.

How did you come to work with Supercharge?

We looked at several companies in a range of local, domestic, and international markets. Our organization found Supercharge through a referral. The team listened to us, understood the problem well, and produced a good proposal.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in March 2017 and the project ended in February 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The solution reflected Supercharge’s attention to detail; its personable look distinguished it from other corporate apps. What’s more, the codebase will make future development highly efficient.

Additionally, customer retention was strong for our position in the market. Reorders increased and users enjoyed the app. The features helped customers order food easily and conveniently.

How did Supercharge perform from a project management standpoint?

As with any larger project, we ran into occasional delays. However, the team was communicative and provided timely warnings. Supercharge was dedicated, especially given the time crunch surrounding their other projects.

Their attitude and approach exceeded our expectations for an outsourcing company. Even when they were short on people, they did their best to ensure the resource gaps didn’t impact results. The team’s excellent customer service included communication via email, Slack, and in-person meetings.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were attentive and kept us in the loop during development. The team regularly reached out to ensure everything was okay on our side. They genuinely cared about our feedback.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They made a few mistakes that aligned with the project’s complexity. Supercharge did run into staffing problems that caused the delays, but still performed better than other vendors I’ve worked with. They went out of their way to onboard extra resources to make the delays as minimal as possible.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the former digital services director at an independent creative agency based in London. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Supercharge?

Our agency had come up with an app idea. We needed to partner with a development company who could build it for us as we led the project creatively.

In London, people had been living in fear of the frequent knife assaults. Since one can’t call the police preemptively, we wanted a way to stop attacks from occurring. By creating a digital neighborhood watch, we aimed to give the community its power back. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

After detailing our app and its intended functionalities, we leaned on Supercharge’s expertise to keep the development simple and effective. Since this was a joint venture, we didn’t have a set budget from a third-party client.  We worked together to create the user journey. Supercharge transformed our TopLine designs into an app for iOS and Android. Since this development, we’ve brought them on for UX/UI design and a campaign-based web application.
 
Our neighborhood watch app includes geolocation, anonymous tags, and a Google Map API. Users can quickly drop an anonymous location pin when they feel endangered. Any other users within the search radius will receive a notification so they can get to a safe place. These pins are displayed in a heat map that shows the severity. If no one else reacts to a pin after an hour, it fades away. While our app isn’t endorsed by the police, it could be useful for them in the future.
 
What is the team composition? 

We worked with three people. When we got closer to launching to the App Store, we worked more hands-on with the developers. 

How did you come to work with Supercharge?

We found Supercharge through a recommendation from a satisfied former client. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $50,000–$199,999.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from April 2015–August 2018.
 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I’ve had great feedback from friends about the app Supercharge helped us develop. Everybody thinks it’s a great idea; it just hasn’t launched yet. 

How did Supercharge perform from a project management standpoint?

When we started the engagement, Supercharge assigned us a really nice project manager who we spoke to daily. We communicate via phone, email, and face-to-face. They were flexible about making changes. During our later projects, the project manager worked with our dev team in Budapest, and we held a Google Hangout. 

Adam (Managing Director, Supercharge) worked with us closely from day one. He attended all our meetings and was easy to contact. He was so amenable to our idea it felt like he wanted to build it as much as we did. We’ve never had any problems.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Supercharge was extremely easy to work with. I recommend them, and I’d use them again. The timezone difference posed no issues. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I believe they under-scoped what they charged us on the first project. There seemed to be quite a significant jump in the cost for the second one because they were no longer trying to win that business. Adam is very honest. He apologized about the issue, but that could have been communicated earlier. I understand why he did it, though. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We supply telecommunication equipment across the globe and are one of the biggest companies in our industry. My key responsibilities include IT and digital services for the company as well as prototype and operational support system development.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Supercharge?

We hired them to produce some of our prototypes and demos. Their greatest involvement precedes an event we hold each year.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They develop user interfaces to help users navigate several dimensions of data and understand a variety of business tasks. I engage them mainly to support our big annual conference, which has a broad audience. We deliver a short value proposition and illustration of how our products help solve different use cases and demonstrate their value. Supercharge supports those efforts. Last year, they did about four demos with us. The stakeholders vary from project to project.

What is the team composition?

I interact with a primary point of contact and a few other individuals on their team.

How did you come to work with Supercharge?

We have a development unit in Budapest and engaged Supercharge initially to do some smaller projects for us. We considered working with other companies in other countries, but Supercharge offers a very good return on investment.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in 2006 and work with them on a daily basis. Our engagement is most intense from December–February each year.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Through the demos we develop with them, we generate a lot of leads. They’re an important part of our success.

How did Supercharge perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management is one of their strengths. Because our timelines are very intense from December—February each year, we have an iterative process to make sure deadlines are met. They’re very responsive and willing to accept changes to the project's structure. Though there is a lot of pressure in the process, they stay on track.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They're very flexible and responsive. The return on our investment is good, and they give us useful ideas for improvements.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything they should improve.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Work with them. Start with a small project and make sure it delivers good value, then see what else they can provide. It’s important to have clear requirements and know what you want to accomplish from the beginning.