Wirtek

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are Mind Matters Software. I am a shareholder and partner in the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with CoreBuild?

We needed resources for developing a specialized billing CRM.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

CoreBuild developed our CRM framework. We also used them for some custom work on behalf of our clients, like a data synchronization system built for a charity. CoreBuild also developed a payment-facilitating system which was designed to be easily integrated by a web developer, allowing the charity to have access to credit card and PayPal payments.

How did you come to work with CoreBuild?

A very good friend recommended CoreBuild. We gave them a test project, on which CoreBuild performed brilliantly. They were able to work independently, not requiring me to write complex specs. I was able to discuss what I needed, and CoreBuild built the product.

When we first started working with CoreBuild, the company was at its very beginning with only 2 employees. Over our 2-year collaboration, I saw them growing from 2 people to almost 30 at the moment.

How much have you invested with CoreBuild?

The cost of our work with CoreBuild was around $30,000 per year.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with CoreBuild in 2010. Our project was completed and we no longer needed work, but I am thinking of contacting CoreBuild again.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I was very pleased with CoreBuild's performance for the demo project which we gave them. I wanted to set up a full development team there, in order to eliminate the need of having the management done from our side, in the Netherlands. The team needed to be able to talk to the customer in non-technical terms, pick up conceptual specifications, and deliver them. CoreBuild managed the test project very well. There were a few hiccups, but CoreBuild recovered quickly, so we ended up working with them for a long time. Based on our discussions, CoreBuild was able to send back written documents with the requirements as they understood them.

How did CoreBuild perform from a project management standpoint?

CoreBuild handled deadlines and budgets very well.

What did you find most impressive about CoreBuild?

I appreciated CoreBuild's ability to work with brief specifications, and through the distance that we had between us. Usually, entire armies of developers would be deployed for such projects, with very specialized resources. The big advantage for me was that one person from CoreBuild could accomplish several roles.

Are there any areas CoreBuild could improve?

CoreBuild could have improved communication during our collaboration.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Service Hunter is a startup in Switzerland. Our website allows private employers to hire nannies, babysitters, and so on. We take care of legal aspects like social security and accident insurance. We have around 14 employees and are the number-one company in Switzerland for this type of service. We intend to grow in the future. We've automated most of our processes.

I am the founder of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with CoreBuild?

We needed developers. Local resources are hard to find, and can be expensive for a startup.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I'm a computer scientist myself, so I was in charge of choosing the technologies that CoreBuild used to build our platform. We used ASP.NET, SQL Server, and so on.

I mainly handled the design, given that I'm the system architect. I was in charge of technological and architectural decisions. CoreBuild always had suggestions and solutions for me whenever I requested them, but they mainly acted as developers.

I used 3 developers from CoreBuild for my project.

How did you come to work with CoreBuild?

My wife is Romanian and she works in the IT field. I found CoreBuild's founder through her. We initially intended to use individual resources, but hiring someone in a foreign country is not so easy. CoreBuild eliminated this complication for us.

I visited CoreBuild's office, made some interviews, and eventually hired them.

How much have you invested with CoreBuild?

We agreed on an hourly wage for each developer from CoreBuild. I would rather not share this information, considering that CoreBuild has changed their pricing to account for increased competitiveness in the local market.

What is the status of this engagement?

We stopped working with CoreBuild 2-3 months ago. Since we're no longer a startup, we can afford to have on-site developers. It allows them to communicate directly with customer support and business development, which makes the process easier and speeds up development. We can consult each other in person instead of scheduling Skype meetings.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Like any startup, we constantly changed requirements, so it would be hard to judge CoreBuild by strict numbers. I always felt that CoreBuild was committed to deliver whatever we requested from them. CoreBuild acted as normal employees, completing any tasks that we gave them, working in a modular fashion.

CoreBuild's team were also nice persons. I liked working with them. We only ended our collaboration as a strategic decision to take development in-house.

How did CoreBuild perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management was handled by our own team. We gave tasks to the CoreBuild developers directly, after making estimations ourselves. Some tasks took longer to complete, but that was mainly because requirements weren't clear. I wouldn't judge CoreBuild in terms of project management, because this was out of their hands.

What did you find most impressive about CoreBuild?

I liked working with CoreBuild's 2 founders. Whenever I went there, we went out with the team and I felt welcomed. I liked having more than a business relationship and still keep in touch with CoreBuild.

Are there any areas CoreBuild could improve?

We would have liked to assign some of the project management to CoreBuild's team, but they didn't have the resources. By now, they've expanded the company, but having to handle project management locally made things a bit more difficult at the time. CoreBuild has become much more professional in the last 2 years.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a US-based software developer. I am the owner and project manager of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with CoreBuild?

CoreBuild is an active partner of our company.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We've worked with CoreBuild for developing two iOS mobile apps and two e-commerce sites for various clients. .NET is one of CoreBuild's core competencies. They also have knowledge of several e-commerce platforms, including OpenCart, VevoCart and many others, except Magento.

Between ourselves and CoreBuild, we've been able to provide a local relationship for clients, as well as cover a good amount of time zones.

How did you come to work with CoreBuild?

I'm from Romania, and CoreBuild is a Romanian company, so it was easy to select them.

How much have you invested with CoreBuild?

This is confidential.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with CoreBuild in the fall of 2014. They are a close partner of our company.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

All clients have continued to work with us after product launches, which is a good testimonial of CoreBuild's capabilities. The main reason why we continue to work with CoreBuild is that they have a practical approach to projects, offering solutions and staying responsive.

How did CoreBuild perform from a project management standpoint?

We collaborate with CoreBuild, but project management is done on our side, from the client's perspective. CoreBuild is very good at explaining challenges and maintaining availability.

What did you find most impressive about CoreBuild?

It may not be a unique attribute, but CoreBuild is proactive about finding solutions to issues and thinking through options. Many clients may not know exactly what they want, and don't have technical skills. They simply have an idea. I can use CoreBuild to discuss various options and find a business model for clients.

Are there any areas CoreBuild could improve?

A fair number of clients want to know the final budget for a project. It's tough to determine this through a limited description and design. We always try to find a compromise between customer expectations and the information that we need in order to give accurate pricing. It's not necessarily an improvement for CoreBuild. They've been a good partner overall, and there's no evident weakness to be found for CoreBuild.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are an IT development organization working on web-based, mobile, and standalone Windows software for our clients. I am the Chief Executive Officer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with CoreBuild?

We needed additional development resources.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

CoreBuild co-developed an iOS application using Objective-C for us. They also developed the Android version of that application, as well as working on .NET, HTML5, and JavaScript solutions for us.

How did you come to work with CoreBuild?

My colleague came into contact with CoreBuild initially, based on a recommendation from the previous company that CoreBuild's owner worked for.

How much have you invested with CoreBuild?

We hired CoreBuild on an hourly basis, given that we didn't work based on full specifications. We work on project prototypes, without a clear image of what a product will look like. CoreBuild has co-developed with us, discussing solutions and providing tips. One of the main reasons for maintaining a relationship with CoreBuild was that they didn't simply work based on our specifications, but also enabled us to consider choices. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with CoreBuild 4-5 years ago. We don't need additional resources at the moment. We are doing all development ourselves and also searching for new development platforms. If we will come to need CoreBuild again, I know that we'll be able to easily contact their developers. If we can talk to the same developers 1-to-1, we won't have to explain requirements again and again.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The quality offered by CoreBuild was pretty good. Their team has skills which I was missing, even though I'm a developer myself.

How did CoreBuild perform from a project management standpoint?

If we need to implement specific functionalities and to make estimates for clients, we discuss timelines with CoreBuild. They provide us hourly or daily estimates. We handle project management for our own clients.

What did you find most impressive about CoreBuild?

CoreBuild allowed us to discuss solutions and gave useful tips. We talked daily through Skype about functionalities, so CoreBuild acted as more than a developer.

Are there any areas CoreBuild could improve?

There were occasions in which I was certain about the need for a specific function, so I didn't want to have an argument with CoreBuild about implementing it. This never happened directly and working with CoreBuild was a good experience.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a startup company wanting to change the way in which people travel by promoting locations which are unknown to wide audiences. For this, we created various profiles of typical travelers with different interests and personalities. 

I am the owner and project manager of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with CoreBuild?

We needed a developer for our app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

CoreBuild has developed the first version of our app for iOS. It features an offline map, given that mobile traffic can become expensive for people using the app far from their home. All other data for the app is accessible offline, but it allows users to visit specific venues' websites.

How did you come to work with CoreBuild?

I had worked with CoreBuild for another client and appreciated their commitment and drive to get the work done. During my experiences with IT suppliers, I've seen that whenever the work becomes complicated, there will be discussions about pricing and what was or wasn't within scope. Even though I've encountered this with CoreBuild as well, the way in which they handled discussions triggered me to come back to them. CoreBuild invested in customer relations and understood that by doing a good job, the client will be more inclined to do business in the future.

How much have you invested with CoreBuild?

The total cost of our project with CoreBuild was between $15,000 and $20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started discussing the project with CoreBuild at the end of 2015. The work started in December, and the main part of the work was finalized in March 2016. The first version of the app has been published on the app store. We've done an update since then and are discussing version 1.2 with CoreBuild. We continue to develop the project, based on market response. There's a lot of content which needs to be generated for the app, and we're working with local bloggers for this purpose.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We haven't seen significant feedback so far. We have gone through a test round, working with a group of people. We have made a differentiation between user types, finding that older users tended to find the fonts used too small. That was one of the things we changed, as a result.

How did CoreBuild perform from a project management standpoint?

The project was too small to call for significant project management. I was in charge of tracking tasks, while CoreBuild focused on development. Deadlines were kept, although unexpected issues will always occur. The main issues were with the content creation team on my side, which impacted CoreBuild's team as well. Without access to the right content, they couldn't make adjustments to the application. We had small delays, but they were caused by us, as the customer.

What did you find most impressive about CoreBuild?

I appreciated CoreBuild's commitment to the customer. Anyone could build an app and there are many good developers to choose from, but without the proper commitment in overcoming difficulties, a project won't be successful.

Are there any areas CoreBuild could improve?

The communication from CoreBuild was not always timely. They are very proactive, but we sometimes burned our budget on items which were not meant to be built yet. CoreBuild should stick closer to the scope and try to validate if a certain feature is needed at the time. This is only a small remark. The overall communication from CoreBuild was good, they are proficient in English, and testing was also performed well. The only suggestion I have is that CoreBuild should not work faster than the customer.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Our company has launched a multi-social app called Visor. It's a telepresence-based app which works like a real-time version of Google Street View. It enables users to see how long the line is at an Apple Store or nightclub, for example. Someone at that location needs to activate the camera on their smartphone and show the other person whatever it is they want to see at the location of interest. I am the Chief Executive Officer of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with CoreBuild?

The CoreBuild team was involved in the development of our app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The first version of our app was built for both iOS and Android. The 2 members of the CoreBuild team were involved in the Android development exclusively, without taking part in the iOS build.

How did you come to work with CoreBuild?

I found CoreBuild through word-of-mouth. Some of the people on our existing development team knew some of the individuals who came to be involved in our project.

How much have you invested with CoreBuild?

This is confidential.

What is the status of this engagement?

We first reached out to CoreBuild 2 years ago. Our work has finished.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I was very pleased with the work provided by each of the 2 individuals from CoreBuild that were involved in this project. They offered excellent quality, based on the many developers I've managed throughout my career. CoreBuild was reliable in execution, committed to project timelines, able to forecast deliverables, and estimate schedules well.

The nature of the work that CoreBuild was involved in was fairly complex. We were pushing the boundaries for some of the features of our app. I would certainly work with CoreBuild again. They're very good, and I have a lot of confidence in the abilities of CoreBuild's leadership and team.

How did CoreBuild perform from a project management standpoint?

CoreBuild was as good as any outsourced shop I've worked with in the past, if not better. They seemed to be very professional and held multiple internal meetings around client guidelines, communication practices, and so on. There was little need for handholding on my part on a day-to-day basis. I was very pleased with the communications and practices I saw on CoreBuild's part.

What did you find most impressive about CoreBuild?

Of the 2 people on our team, one was a senior Android developer, while the other was junior-to-intermediate. With the second individual, the speed with which he accommodated himself with the subject matter stood out to me. He had a very impressive work ethic and commitment to the project. I find that it's very rare to get even one high-quality individual from an outsourced shop, never mind a few. We only had a sample size of 2 out of a total team of around 30 people on CoreBuild's side, but I was impressed. All of my interactions with the head of CoreBuild were extremely professional. He was always responsive. CoreBuild is a high-quality shop, which is why I'd be happy to work with them again.

Are there any areas CoreBuild could improve?

Not off-hand. I've worked with many development shops in the past. CoreBuild sits at the highest end of client satisfaction, from my point of view. It's possible that my standards are biased, given what I've experienced in the marketplace, but I was very pleased with what I received from CoreBuild.