Synergo Group

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a sales marketing manager at Gemterra Development Corporation. Our primary business is condominium development.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Synergo Group?

We reached out because we’re looking to do a project in house sales where we needed to track sales, purchase information, registrants, and other related information.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We told Cristi (Founder, Synergo Group) what we were looking for and they designed it from the very beginning – a cloud program on our server. There were minor tweaks here and there based on what requirements we needed. But, aside from that, their team put together the whole thing for us. They did everything from the very beginning, from the UX to designing the program. It’s up and running and we’re using it for our upcoming project. We’re inputting data for the available units. We’ve also been using the backend database to record data about registrants interested in our units.

They started to design the UX based on our criteria: needed to track purchase information, sales price, deposits, information we’d be able to input regarding the particular units we’ll have for sale. Additionally, we needed to track registrants’ information regarding what they’re looking for and when they registered, as well as agent information, like if they’re working for a client.

It’s built in Java, and we’re able to access it through an administrative login. They introduced different levels of access based on user type. It’s a cloud product. We also had to be able to pull out reports to track the progress of the sales, how many recisions we had, and the total revenue for our finance department.

What is the team composition?

We interacted with Kristi, and two other resources, including one that did the UX design portion. In total, we spoke with 3–5 people.

How did you come to work with Synergo Group?

I found them online. We were looking for quite a while because we were worried about our information being shared. A lot of it is confidential, addresses and insurance, so we were very hesitant and wanted our own system. We brought them into our office to meet with our President/CEO and were very impressed by how they escalated and what they did. It seemed like a good fit.

They’re also helping us with a project for a subsidiary business. It’s been a good relationship. They’re attentive, and whatever concerns we’ve had they’ve been more than patient with. Especially with me since I don’t have an IT background. they take the time to explain, and our system’s working. It’s been good.

How much have you invested with them?

Not including harmonized sales tax (HST), we spent around $25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from May until October 2019. They delivered a demo at the end of August, but then we added on other features so it extended a bit.

We’ll have to upgrade and implement other areas because we have a massive planned community coming. We need to modify the program to accommodate that because we’re working with another real estate brokerage. We’re going to want to integrate them into our in-house system, so I’m sure we’ll reach out to Cristi at that time.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve had no problems. We’re able to pull out all the reports that we need. They’ve met and exceeded all our requirements, which is why we’re continuing to work with them for our other projects that we need programs for.

How did Synergo Group perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve met all the deadlines. The extension of this project was on our end. This was our first time building an in-house program that meets our needs so there was back and forth to alleviate that uncertainty.  They made a lot of suggestions throughout the design phase that helped the program run smoother.

They used Zoom, but, because my desktop doesn’t have a microphone, I had phone calls. They were able to address all the concerns that I had.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were very attentive and able to simplify things so that I could understand. Once they finished, after we found out we needed another backend database for agents, they were able to get that into the system. It’s working completely perfect for our needs right now. They’ve been great. They know what they’re talking about and have been able to deliver what we need.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Not so much. For this particular project, since so much of it is based on data, it’s pretty straightforward.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Know exactly what you want for your program. This was a first for our company, and we knew what we were looking for overall, but there were a lot of minor details we didn’t consider. They addressed them for us, but it’s better to know ahead of time.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of information technology at BestLifeRewarded Innovations. We offer a health behavioral change platform that we white-label and license to insurance companies in Canada.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Synergo Group?

We were looking to invest in newer technologies to push the innovation of the platform to help our business grow. We also wanted to introduce new UX and features on our personally developed UI platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Synergo is helping us build a new version of our platform. Their team is creating our system’s UI using ViewJS with Apollo, while we’re creating the backend. They’re also developing a CMS, using a .NET Core with GraphQL, that will integrate with the new platform and legacy platforms as well.

What is the team composition?

We work with Cristi (Founder, Synergo Group) and three developers from his team.

How did you come to work with Synergo Group?

After receiving several bids from larger companies, we decided that they were too costly and their processes would be too time-consuming. I found Synergo online while researching Toronto based groups that help small to medium sized businesses. After a few phone calls with their CEO, we were able to get a sense of their capabilities. There was a lot of the transparency throughout the recruitment process and we felt comfortable moving forward.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested $100,000 for our first SoW.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began this project in January 2019 and our work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We saw an immediate impact of their performance. They quickly developed a few pages of the UI and the integration has gone very smoothly. Our business team and UAT groups are very ecstatic with the quality of the UI work Synergo is building.   

How did Synergo Group perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve done a great job with project management. We currently use Jira Cloud, Slack, and Confluence Cloud. They invited us to their Slack channels; it’s been extremely helpful to have direct contact with their developers. They always keep us on scope and communicates whenever we ask for something that’s outside of our original agreement. They’re very collaborative and quickly make updates for us. We’ve had a very positive relationship thus far.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I feel like they’ve truly become an extension of our company. They push the quality of our technology and make recommendations that bring our product to the next level.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they’re a fantastic company and I recommend them to everyone in my network.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Transparency and open communication are important for any successful business relationship. Give Synergo a chance and allow them to work as an extension of your team.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m a product director for a technology company focused on career placement and development. We use AI, automation, and machine learning technologies to recommend opportunities that facilitate the continuous building of core skillsets.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Synergo Group?

We contracted Synergo Group to maintain a legacy product, sustaining critical functionality until a re-engineered platform could replace it. Our engineering staff focused on the buildout of the new platform.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to maintain the functionality of five key product operations that drove the majority of our business revenue.  

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Our organization's CTO did an extensive request for proposal on our new leadership's acquisition and felt that Synergo Group matched the quality, cost, and skillset required to facilitate the necessary support.

Describe the project in detail.

They were initially contracted for nine months to augment our staff, and then the project was extended to 12 months. Their services included managing data and maintaining the functionality of iOS and Android native apps. The team also implemented third-party integrations. They performed SEO optimization and other platform enhancements.

What was the team composition?

The team had a project lead as well as two engineers with expertise in Java and .NET.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Platform revenue generation has remained at the projected scale, and all necessary maintenance activities were completed each month.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We spoke on the phone twice per week about ongoing activities, as well as potential improvements and new objectives. Outside of these meetings, the team was self-sufficient with minimal need for oversight. The time gap between the US and Europe wasn’t an issue, as Synergo was always willing to work odd hours in support of our needs.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The team’s wide range of knowledge allowed them to understand difficult topics. They easily performed root cause analysis, demonstrating their efficient problem solving skills. It was clear they had a desire to produce excellent work.

Are there any areas for improvement?

While they were highly available and responsive, they could have been more proactive. Even though they weren’t the only ones managing the product, I wish they would have done a bit more to recognize and prevent maintenance issues with production.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m one of the two bosses of our company, which is developing an ERP solution for consultancy, engineering, and software development companies. We’re located in Belgium, and our customers at the moment are located in Belgium and Holland, but we expect to expand further into Europe at a later phase.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Synergo Group?

We’d developed an Android app already, and we needed to also make one for iOS.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our platform contains a couple of modules, including a CRM, a planning module, a timesheet module, and a tasks module. It’s built on PHP, .NET, and C#. People can check their own agendas, put timesheets into the system, check their contacts, and make notes, all via the app.

We gave them our existing Android version, along with layouts. They more or less made a copy of what we had for iOS, which is a very different language.

What is the team composition?

There were 1–2 people on our side, with the same on theirs. My technical lead managed the communication, and I believe they had a technical lead or project manager too.

How did you come to work with Synergo Group?

I was looking for companies on Google, and the information I found about Synergo convinced me to contact them. I felt we were at the same level, so we started working with them. I had contacted a couple of other companies, but I chose Synergo because it felt they understood what we wanted.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $16,000–$17,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked on this project between October 2018–January 2019. Our collaboration is ongoing for other projects.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve launched the app on the App Store, and we haven’t heard any complaints or seen any bugs. Everything’s going well. They delivered on time, with no issues in that area.

How did Synergo Group perform from a project management standpoint?

I’m a happy customer with no complaints on our side. They succeeded in what we needed and in what they promised, including timing. They assigned extra people as required, doing everything necessary to succeed.

We worked in sprints, using the scrum methodology. My technical lead is located in Romania, and he had contact with the people in Synergo’s team. He told me the communication was very good. It was mainly done over email and Skype, with Team Foundation Server on our side, which they used to track the work,

What did you find most impressive about them?

They committed themselves to a timeline and they delivered on it. I’ve used other service providers that were not able to do that because they didn’t have the skills or time management. For us, that’s what distinguishes Synergo.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can't think of anything from our side.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

No, I can't name anything specific.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the owner of Therapeutic Services LLC. We provide simple-to-integrate technology solutions for educators and their students.  

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Synergo Group?

Synergo Group was hired to build an app that organizes and manages all of a teacher’s educational apps. Teachers can create profiles for each of their students and permit them to use certain apps. They can also search for new apps by skill using our database.   

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to create a user-friendly and visually appealing app that allows teachers to easily organize their educational mobile apps. This will help them feel confident using tablets more frequently.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Synergo Group quickly established a supportive rapport with us and proposed a straightforward process. Their projected timeline and quote were reasonable, and they expressed a like-minded passion for supporting teachers and educational initiatives.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Based on our blueprint design, Synergo’s UX/UI Designer created an improved UX and layout. A mobile developer and a backend developer then developed our required features for both users and administrators. These included a web interface for teachers where they can compile and maintain a database of educational apps and specify their corresponding skills.

What was the team composition?

We worked with a solutions architect, a UX/UI Designer, a mobile app developer, and a backend developer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The app is currently in beta testing, but we hope our solution will provide a personalized experience for students and potentially address the imbalance of educational opportunities between rural and urban students. Furthermore, we hope to support educators in sharing experiences and generating new ideas.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

The Synergo solutions architect provided exemplary project management. They oversaw every aspect of the project and were available to answer any of our questions. The same was true of all their team members, who responded to our requests in a detailed manner.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Synergo Group is professional, patient, and knowledgeable. Responsive and communicative, working with their team was a sincere pleasure. They took my ideas and transformed them into the app I envisioned. I look forward to working with them again in the future.

Are there any areas for improvement?

My experience with Synergo Group was ideal. Any improvements they make would be a bonus to their clients.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the founder of a legal services startup. Our core offering is a web application that connects people who can’t afford traditional legal services and lawyers who provide unbundled legal services and coaching.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Synergo Group?

I engaged Synergo Group to develop an MVP of the web application.

What were your goals for this project?

I wanted a functional MVP that I could use for user validation and feedback.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I interviewed several web development firms. My conversation with Cristi (Founder, Synergo Group) led me to choose his team to complete this project. He took the time to understand my goals and explain his entire proposal as clearly and thoroughly as possible to me. The proposal came across as honest, cost-efficient, and carefully considered.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

I provided wireframes and a basic template. They then used those materials to build an MVP of the web application.

What was the team composition?

Cristi served as the primary lead. He worked with a technical expert as well.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Thanks to Synergo Group’s diligence and ability to stay on top of tasks, the project got off the ground faster than anticipated.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

The project ran seamlessly. We organized tasks, timelines, and necessary deliverables ahead of time. Synergo Group met every deadline.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The team demonstrated a high level of patience. They explained their processes as many times as I needed. They also provided helpful recommendations that I could trust.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, I can’t think of anything.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the founder of Travel Mobili, a group travel organizing app. The app shares information amongst all of the travelers in a group in order to bring everyone together before, during, and after the trip.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Synergo Group?

This was my first development. I needed to work with somebody that could build both the frontend and backend and manage all the phases of development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Synergo Group built my app from scratch for iOS and Android using Azur. I provided them with designs and we went through phases from design to development. We launched a few months ago.

The app allows every individual travel to enter their itinerary and see the itineraries of other travelers in a single tab. There are an internal chat system and a map to see everyone’s location during the trip.

What is the team composition?

My main contact was the project manager. I also communicated directly with the developers.

How did you come to work with Synergo Group?

When I started the project, I searched for a development team that I wanted to work with. I found someone that I started working with, during which time I came up with some of the designs. Then I put the project on hold for several months. When I started working on it again, I did further research. I put my project out there and received a number of bids from developers. After filtering through them, I went with Synergo Group.

How much have you invested with them?

I spent around $40,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from June 2017 to October 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Based on the experiences of the testers and early users, everything works well so far. Everyone likes the look and feel. I haven’t heard any complaints. I plan to make some change over time but it seems like the app was well-developed.

How did Synergo Group perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicated via email as well as phone calls and Skype. We used Jira to track bugs, fixes, changes, and tasks. I communicated with the project manager about general issues related to the project and dealt with the developers on the day-to-day tasks. The project manager would interject as needed if he had inputs. From our first conversation, they were always on top of things.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their response times were impeccable. There's a time difference with their team in Europe but I would send emails during the evening and would have a response by the next morning. When I wrote to the project manager, who is in my time zone, I would hear back within a few hours.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I didn't see anything that could improve. For me, the experience was great and I learned a lot as well.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It really makes a difference if you know what you're looking for or if you allow them to develop on their own. I had an idea of what I wanted so we really worked together. They didn’t just come up with ideas, develop them, and then ask me. It was a team effort. They’re willing to hear whatever ideas or comments you have and incorporate them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the CEO of a company that connects businesses and investors through a global database of the top stock exchanges around the globe.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Synergo Group?

I had prepared an outline for how I wanted our mobile and web applications to operate and how I wanted them to look, but I needed outside assistance with the coding and development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Synergo Group built our web application utilizing Laravel and Angular, along with our extensive backend database using SQL. I had initial design options, but Synergo Group polished those in their UX/UI design processes.

The apps allow users to scan financial offerings around the world. Synergo Group implemented filtering and mapping functionality. There is a payment portal, but we have yet to decide on that vendor. They have also created an employee data entry layout that makes it easier for employees to access the application online.

What is the team composition?

The CEO has handled many of the project management duties, and I’ve been in touch with the developer and designer.

How did you come to work with Synergo Group?

I was impressed by the positive references we found when searching for them online.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent close to $30,000 at this point, but I expect to spend closer to $45,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement lasted from March–October 2018. The main development is complete, but we’re currently coordinating the final maintenance tasks.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The early reviews of the product cite the clean design and the intuitive nature of the system.

How did Synergo Group perform from a project management standpoint?

They were hands-on and attentive for all aspects of this build. They had internal project management tools available, but I felt more comfortable using Slack, so I appreciated their flexibility in that regard.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re comfortable working at different speeds when I think it’s necessary depending on the specific task.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We had some minor miscommunications on the design, but those were corrected easily. And their team was not always fully understanding of the financial terms I would tend to use, but that also was not a major concern.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

This isn’t necessarily advice—more of an overall review. I thought they were an excellent team. They’re attentive to all of the important details.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of WERSTARS, a photo-sharing platform.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Synergo Group?

I needed someone to turn our photo sharing web platform into a mobile app since the developer that created our website couldn’t take it any further.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They developed our iOS and Android application, which can be used on iPads, tablets, etc. They’ve also taken over tweaking, editing, and adding features to the website as we built new features for the app.

The idea of our platform is that a user can save his/her special moments on a page that we call a “sky”. This filters the dates of when photos are uploaded and shows their whole life in one place. This display has to be optimized on the app, which they managed to translate seamlessly, whereas it can all be seen easily on a desktop using the dragging feature. I was really concerned if it would load well on all phones, but it works excellently.

Other features include the ability to filter by different keywords so users can find specific moments or events. It also has a relationship feature, where the sky will display the pictures of your friends or loved ones. The platform also has the options of saving things publicly or privately and sharing pictures across users by tagging them.

What is the team composition?

I’ve been in contact with three people. The first person I spoke with was their CEO, who oversaw everything. I also worked with the development lead and one other person.

How did you come to work with Synergo Group?

I looked on Upwork for firms in India and also searched locally in Toronto, interviewing several companies. The reviews of Clutch and other places made Synergo Group seem legitimate. The biggest challenge I faced was that I was getting all sorts of different price ranges. The firms from India charged very little and the ones in Canada asked for a lot of money.

Clutch helped me decide thanks to their thorough process for submitting a review. I was comfortable with Synergo Group during the interview, and their price was within my budget.

How much have you invested with them?

I spent over $15,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in November 2017 until October 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Overall, people who understand it like the final product. Some young people don’t use platforms like Facebook anymore but still want somewhere to save their pictures. When they see our product, they appreciate that they can still share moments and tag others without any social approval involved.

All the feature requirements were fulfilled in the requested timeline. The challenge with the app was to find a way to make it easy and smooth to see your whole life in one page. Synergo Group did a good job with that specifically. They delivered a platform that works really well.

How did Synergo Group perform from a project management standpoint?

This team is significantly more organized than the web developer work worked with before. They use Jira and tickets for following up with things. We were able to track tasks and make sure everything was taken care of.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re organized, efficient, and did what I expected them to do. What I’ve experienced with developers is that they often disappoint. I’m really impressed with the fact that I gave Synergo Group an idea, told them how I wanted it to happen, and they pretty much nailed it without too many hiccups along the way. Any issues that came up were easily resolved.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There were times they perceived what we were saying differently. When working with abstract ideas, one has to go over the requirements a couple of times to clarify exactly how things should look or function. It’s not a major thing; it’s probably pretty normal.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO and creator of an app that tells people how busy a bar is by using GPS location. It creates a demographic profile of the bar to figure out its capacity.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Synergo Group?

I needed a partner to build the app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I used a prototyping tool to provide Synergo Group with wireframes and sketches of what I wanted the app to look like. They built it as a cross-platform app for both iOS and Android. Users can check into a location, take pictures and video, and connect their account to other social media like Twitter and Facebook. People can comment on pictures and interact with one another.

What is the team composition?

I worked with one UX designer, a junior and senior developer, and the owner. The owner was my main point of contact.

How did you come to work with Synergo Group?

I found them on Clutch.

How much have you invested with them?

I spent $28,200.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from March 2017–January 2018. I put the project on hold to work on a different app.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They produced everything I asked for and fulfilled all my requirements. A lot of my friends have seen the app and really like it. I’ve received lots of positive feedback.

How did Synergo Group perform from a project management standpoint?

I don’t have any other experience to compare it to, but their project management was good. They were quick to respond, and we communicated via Jira and email. English isn’t their native language, so we did have to clarify things a few times.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their strength is definitely their UX design. They’re a highly competent team.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I would’ve appreciated if they’d explained the difference between a platform being native or not. They should give their customers all the possible development options and explain the pros and cons of each.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Do your own mockups and explain everything in as much detail as possible; this will minimize errors. I’d also suggest using an agile approach, so you can see portions of your product before the whole thing is complete.