Systango Technologies

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the founder and CEO of a UK-based, pre-launch start-up focused on formalising loans between friends and family members.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Development of an MVP (no internal tech team). Including a review of initial thinking on flows and wireframes, translating this into designs, and then developing the MVP.

SOLUTION

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

Searched on Clutch and shortlisted 4 firms based on reviews, price, and past work. Had intro calls with each to discuss how we could work together. Deciding factors were past experience with FCA-regulated apps and the quality of case studies.

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

Architecture document produced. Then worked in sprints around agreed priorities.

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

Project Manager main point of contact. 2x full-time back end, 2x full-time front end, part-time designer, and QA.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Pre-launch - so nothing quantifiable yet. But all integrations working and quality seems very good.

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

Weekly touch-points with PM. Bi-weekly touch-points with Systango Directors. Demos every 1-2 weeks. Daily slacks / emails.

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

They're very responsive and easy to work with (including to UK time zone). Ongoing senior engagement in the project. Constantly looking for ways to better meet my needs. Design better than expected.

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

Nothing major. It took a while to get some of the loan calculation details correct in the back end, which delayed the timeline slightly, but understandable given the complexity of the maths.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

The company provides a web framework that includes event registration and membership activity tracking for the membership of PMI chapters. I am the President of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

I engaged Systango for a series of projects to add features to the framework.

SOLUTION

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

Systango was recommended to me by a colleague who had worked with them in the past.

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

The scope of work included web development with PHP, javascript, and MySQL deployed in a Heroku environment.

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

2 people: architect and web developer

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Everything that I requested was delivered. Any defects that were encountered were addressed/remediated and they endeavored to understand what was required to deliver results.

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

We used a spreadsheet to track daily progress. I delivered a list of high-level requirements and delivery estimates that I had them evaluate, adjust where needed, and work to achieve.

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

They provided functionality that was requested and did partner with me to suggest alternatives to the approaches I defined in advance. We had a collaborative approach to determining the ultimate solution which, I believe, ultimately made it a better one.

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

A miscommunication regarding some expectations occurred at the beginning of the project and they quickly addressed it and worked to make things right.

The documentation effort, as with most web development, was an effort that I worked on with them and kept pressing so that it would not be a last minute effort at the end of the project.

This was discussed and keeping this in mind at the outset and throughout projects--to capture and document as the work progresses--will ensure complete and accurate documentation that is complete in advance of the completion of the project giving ample time for review, questions, and knowledge transfer.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm CTO of a fintech startup delivering innovation within the household finance and utilities space.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We had mobile and test leads in house locally but where looking for a team to augment our leads and also provide additional capacity, while being able to adapt to our ways of working and coding standards. We essentially needed people who could really become part of the team.

SOLUTION

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

I had worked with Systango before at a previous role and was impressed by their capability, flexibility, and generally high technical standards.

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

Scope of work was to develop new functionality within our iOS app and produce an android app that has the same capabilities as our iOS app. We were going through a complete re-design and implementing new features as well, so the work needed close coordination between our in-house mobile team, backend team, and Systango team. The apps where developed natively for each platform using the VIPER architecture so that making changes would be easier.

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

We had 4 developers and 2 QA as our regular team. However we also depend on Systango when we have development spikes that result from opportunities that come up, without having to scale our internal team. At one point we had a total of 7 developers and 3 QA.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Systango are always good about working with us to ensure important milestones can be hit, and their estimations are generally accurate. The outcome is that we developed an Android app that has the same capabilities as our iOS app, and managed to add new features to both platforms. We also did a special web based project that was also delivered with the full requirements we needed. Deliverables quality is always high, and most importantly to us the Systango team incorporates themselves very well into our existing team so we all feel like one unit pulling in the same direction.

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

In our case we were managing the project on our end and the Systango team was using all our in house communications tools. However when I worked with them before in another role, they were managing the development. Their tooling is industry standard (JIRA, SLack, GIthub, etc..) and communication is always excellent.

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

That they truly try to understand how you work and what you are trying to achieve, not just treating it as having development tasks to do. They make an effort to understand the context and adapt to your preferences.

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

We are very happy with the results we've had.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the founder and CEO of Strata Alert. We help strata property owners and occupants stay up to date with alerts, notifications, messages, and groups. The platform ensures an efficient communication process and eliminates email chains and flyers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Systango?

Strata Alert applied and received an MVP grant to deliver a working prototype. We wanted to take that MVP solution to the marketplace as well. I lack tech experience, and I needed step-by-step assistance for the whole product development process, starting with managing the project, choosing the technology to use, and beyond.

What were your goals for this project?

Initially, our goal was to deliver a working prototype. The complexity of different property types and property users was difficult to account for in our functionality and userbase. Our short-term goals were to streamline the onboarding process, simplify the types of properties that may use Strata Alert, and create a more efficient communication process for all property owners and occupants.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I met with Vinita (Co-Founder and CEO, Systango) while she was in Sydney with her team exhibiting in Australia. It established trust with the overseas team after we meet them once and find them exhibiting in our hometown. The relationship continues to grow as my project has rolled out new many developments.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Systango built the website and app for both iOS and Android for our platform. I started with an idea to disrupt the strata sector, which is riddled with inefficiencies and time duplicates for strata managers, property owners, and occupants. Systango had to take the idea and put it into a working model to meet my expectations. 

I initially had some meetings in Sydney with Vinita. Our meetings were not tech-specific, but an opportunity for me to understand the character and substance of Vinita, which I hoped would filter into her Systango team. Likewise, Vinita assessed my personality traits and matched me with a senior project manager from her side. 

Strata Alert has a lot of user types and applies to many types of strata properties. We started with many Skype chats discussing user stories, and their team started with the wireframes and mock-ups. Every deliverable for this project was divided into numerous milestones, and Systango diligently adhered to each. I never felt alone in this journey; I had a great team backing my project, and I trust them to complete my expectations. If not, it could be fatal for any start-up, especially since I still have no in-depth tech knowledge or understanding.

What was the team composition?

We had a dedicated project manager who had access to the resources and team at Systango as required. In the early stages, when discussing user stories for the wireframes, we had dedicated individuals who joined each Skype chat and made ongoing comments in Slack channels. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We met the government grant requirements and went on to win a very prestigious national competition in Australia. We made the Westpac Top 200 Businesses of Tomorrow for 2018. Our technology is a high-end property tech app delivering real solutions to strata managers, property owners, and occupants. We have recently been granted a City of Sydney grant to explore the well-being benefits of using our platform for strata living. Millions of people are living in shared spaces as our cities go bigger and bigger. We have some exciting ventures at early stages with multinational corporations (MNCs) who are interested in our product and wish to disrupt the strata sector with us. 

You can approach 100 technology companies with an idea, and I would estimate 20 technology companies can meet your expectations. From that list of 20, I think you would be lucky to get five that can do better than your expectations. Systango is one of those five technology companies.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

We have daily calls and document everything on Slack channels. We’ve also used Trello at times, but the project manager manages the Systango team on my behalf as if she was a part owner of our company. Everything was documented in advance. Even our Skype chats were converted into minutes to make sure that all parties were on the same page. 

My project manager can make a non-tech founder feel included and important. A team requires strong management with a clear message and vision to anticipate variables, expected and unexpected without any stress as part of delivering the milestones. The Systango team is agile and robust as our demands change. Their structure and agility continue till today.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Systango plans the customer’s applications not just for today but for the future. They have a long-term view of the product and consecutive execution. As a non-tech founder, that was a rest-assuring factor for me. For our company to disrupt the strata sector, we needed a long-term technology partner that can see past today. 

I shared with Systango what Strata Alert should look like in the future. Even when we started on the wireframes, I was always telling them the future of the strata sector and smart property technology. If they wouldn't have imagined the best of the product themselves and provide me with ideas, we would not have had such a good ongoing relationship. We have now created a team which fosters new solutions and opportunities.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Nothing at this stage that comes to my mind.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the managing director at HSA DEV, a non-profit web and app design and development firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Systango?

We needed frontend and backend web development.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted an MVP for a website.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We received a referral from a coworker.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

The engineer from Systango did all the coding and tech architecture planning.

What was the team composition?

We worked with one engineer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It helped our business to try outsourced engineering for the first time.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

We did project management ourselves.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They built an effective communication process into the infrastructure.

Are there any areas for improvement?

The engineer worked more hours before he communicated it to us, so we paid a few extra hours. The hours were necessary to finish the project, so it wasn't too big of a deal.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of a travel marketplace startup that’s launching in the next few months.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Systango?

I was working with different companies individually but wanted to have a whole development team based in one place.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Systango is developing the front– and backend for a full-stack travel marketplace. It’s now web-based, but we’ll start creating the mobile version as well. There were different travel integrations, and they complete all the design work. They used Skyscanner API, which is an airline API. The frontend was built using Mix.js, and Node.js, Express.js, and MongoDB were used on the backend.

What is the team composition?

We’ve had one project manager since the beginning. Our backend person has switched, and two developers who work on the frontend. There are also team members who assist with marketing.

How did you come to work with Systango?

While we found them through a Google search, I’ve also heard about them from a few other people. After meeting the CEO in London, we hit it off, and I felt confident that they could get the job done.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Systango in May 2018, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Systango did an excellent job with design and implementation. It’s taken a bit longer than planned, but that happens with every project. It’s been great working with Systango, and everything is turning out the way I wanted it to. While we haven’t tested the marketplace yet, we’ve gotten positive initial feedback and are confident it’s going to be fine. Before, I was working with various individuals, and now I can come to one place to see one team where we can sit together in one office, or I can go to where they’re located. It’s made the workflow much more efficient.  

How did Systango perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management style is great, and our assigned project manager is fantastic. We were using Jira but switched to another management tool. Communication is seamless; their team is friendly, welcoming, and direct. I was even invited to go to the CEO’s cousin’s wedding, where I sat with their team, and we went over the plan. They’re available for most of my working hours.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their skilled expertise is strengthened by their willingness to tackle new coding languages. Systango has around 150 flexible employees that have a slow growth model. My experience with their team is more intimate from other development houses I’ve tried working with.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It’s relatively new, but they should increase the marketing side of their business.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and managing director of a peer-to-peer learning platform for SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) housebuilders.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Systango Technologies?

I hired Systango Technologies to develop further features on our platform and build a mobile application.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Systango Technologies implemented a payment feature and an automatic notification system on the platform. They also made three API integrations on the site as well. Their team, using React Native, built the app from scratch for iOS and Android. The backend has multiple complex API integrations and webhooks. We worked with a different company for branding and design.

What is the team composition?

I acted as the project manager. Systango Technologies assigned three full-stack senior backend developers to our project. There was also a frontend developer who worked on the app.

How did you come to work with Systango Technologies?

Systango Technologies was recommended to me by another entrepreneur who worked with them in the past. I spoke to Vinita (Co-Founder and CEO, Systango Technologies), who gave me confidence that they’d be the perfect partner.

How much have you invested with them?

The project cost £100,000 (approximately $114,202 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Systango Technologies in October or November 2017, and the work wrapped in October 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Systango Technologies’ work with the platform and app increased our clientele. We’ve received positive feedback. Onboarding has also become much more straightforward.

How did Systango Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

Their flawless performance was top-notch. We coordinated the project using Skype and Trello.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Systango Technologies’ main selling point is their talented full-stack developers.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could improve their UI capabilities.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Clients should know that Systango Technologies is a reliable and professionally-run organization.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the development team manager for Glyph.id. We provide software that allows users to better protect and control their data.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Systango Technologies?

We engaged Systango Technologies to build a blockchain data marketplace.

What were your goals for this project?

The software would reinforce our existing application and backend and bring us closer to an MVP.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We received several bids to complete this project. Systango Technologies demonstrated expertise in understanding our architecture and offering recommendations; they also communicated promptly and consistently throughout the bidding process.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

We provided Systango Technologies with an overview of our existing architecture and the blockchain’s requirements. They returned with an overview document that outlined their understanding of our needs, potential challenges, and goals. They guided us through their written proposal and recommendations—complete with diagrams and wireframes—over multiple conference calls. Once we agreed on the project’s scope, budget, and hours, Systango Technologies started to build the software.

The team created a designated number of Glyph-specific tokens than we can issue and control as admins. They made a workflow on how to generate crypto wallets for each user and how to import and exchange tokens. Systango Technologies also created transaction rules that we can configure and change as needed. They finished within four weeks and then worked with our development team for testing and integration with our existing app.

What was the team composition?

We worked with a project manager and two developers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The software has yet to launch, but having a working blockchain proof of concept on hand gives us much-needed credibility with investors for our second round of funding. We’ve received compliments from advisors, partners, and potential clients on how quickly Systango Technologies had this marketplace built and integrated into our MVP.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Systango Technologies set a high bar for contract management and communication. The team made efforts to be available despite time zone differences and gave frequently progress and challenge updates. They delivered within our agreed-upon timeline and collaborated with our internal dev team seamlessly. From start to finish, Systango Technologies was highly accessible, reliable, and transparent. We communicated through Slack, Google Hangouts, Github, and Jira

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They demonstrated outstanding communication skills, availability, and in-depth expertise. We hope to collaborate again with them in the future.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, we’re highly satisfied with their work.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a CRM software consulting company that integrates various business systems with one another. I'm the founder and director of the business.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Systango Technologies?

Our team is half consultants and half developers, so we needed a reliable source of development team members for custom integrations, apps, and extensions for our clients.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We do a lot of work with Zoho CRM and interact with about 40 different applications. Our company is a qualified Zero developer, so they help us with financial integrations. We also work with a lot of email marketing tools like ActiveCampaign, MailChimp, and Campaign Monitor. Other software includes WooCommerce, Shopify, project management tools, and a variety of custom integrations.

Their breadth of knowledge is really great, and they support PHP coding as well. We have good documentation and process maps set up, and bring them in whenever the scope allows.

What is the team composition?

We have a team of about five, including a project manager, a QA specialist, and other developers. The processes we’ve developed over time are robust and work really well. Whenever possible, we include them in scoping sessions with our clients.

How did you come to work with Systango Technologies?

They were recommended by another partner of ours. We used one of their developers in a trial a few years ago, and that particular developer now acts as a project manager for the rest of the team. We chose them for their straightforward communication and their skill level, and they’ve been able to scale up with us as we grow.

How much have you invested with them?

We spend between $100,000–$150,000 a year on their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

The collaboration started in 2016 and has grown since then.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our partnership is hugely successful, and they help us deliver services at a very competitive rate. There is no way we could afford this level of quality or this number of developers in Australia. They allow us to build out our market extensions and give us more options to sell within our market.

How did Systango Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

They do really well. I work very closely with their CEO and the other project managers to make sure our processes are all in place. They work within our software and participate in all our team meetings and daily communication. A few of their developers tell me they feel like full-fledged employees of our company.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their communication and reliability really set them apart. Most offshore resources can’t match their consistency and professionalism. They’re extraordinarily well-organized, and their CEO ensures we have a proper partnership. Whenever she’s in Australia, she reaches out to us. We’ve met a number of times, and our relationship is strong.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Our projects often require quick scaling up or down for the resources we use. If they could increase the flexibility of the people they have available, that would help some of our six-month projects, but that’s the only change I would make.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of SmilePass, a biometric platform as a service that helps businesses and government organizations prove people’s identities.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Systango Technologies?

We had a product concept but wanted to outsource the development to make the actual platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We provided a set of requirements, and Systango Technologies built the platform from scratch. They built the mobile frontend and backend and are currently working on APIs and software development kits (SDKs). They mainly use Java and work with various partners to expand the biometric capabilities. For example, they integrated document matching and voice recognition programs into our platform, which currently focuses mainly on facial recognition. The biometric profiles are held in our backend, and organizations can use that data to verify customers and citizens during transactions and relationships.

What is the team composition?

They provide six team members: a project manager, QA analyst, front- and backend developers for Android and iOS, and architects.

How did you come to work with Systango Technologies?

We did online research and found about six firms. We sent them our requirements and did a procurement process, and Systango Technologies’ proposal stood out the most. They were more expensive than a few others, but they understood our project best, so we hired them.

How much have you invested with them?

We spend between £12,000- £14,000 a month (approximately $15,500–$18,100 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We partnered in December 2017, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They helped develop our product and get it ready for market on time and on budget. Users like its UX/UI and say it’s easy to use and doesn’t require much training.

How did Systango Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

They have good project management skills. We can meet with the business owner whenever needed, and they even offered to fly a project manager over to us, so we could meet face-to-face. They recognize the importance of an effective working relationship, and the communication is as good as it can be with an offshore partner.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re highly skilled in mobile frontend development. Most other partners just do what’s asked, but Systango Technologies challenges us and contributes their own ideas to improve the product.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could make their computer vision and QA supervision and test automation more rigorous and proactive.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Closely analyze your project and make sure everything makes sense before starting a partnership. Learn from their feedback.