WIS Software

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the managing director at Jobufo GmbH. We have 40 employees and work with corporate companies in Europe and Asia, providing an application process for recruiting departments and career pages for our corporate customers. Our software is connected to Telegram and WhatsApp and allows candidates to apply for jobs with personalized audio or video files. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with WIS Software?

When we started with WIS Software, we were only looking for a server administrator. We have a considerable workload supporting our corporate customers and needed an experienced company to help us create server structures. 

They've grown a lot throughout our partnership, expanding to about 60 developers, allowing them to offer even more services. Because of that, we expanded our collaboration to include software development when we brought on a new customer that we were doing white label software development for.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

WIS Software is our server administrator and provides developers to update and add features to our web-based software. We always do software designs in-house, including the wireframing, and then send the rest to their team. 

Our engagement with WIS Software started with server structure administration and creation. WIS Software coded a new frontend structure to connect to our backend when we moved into software development. They then completed several developmental projects in CSS to ensure our entire platform was well structured. 

Now, we are preparing a UX project to improve the usability of our frontend software because we have a lot of new corporate customers from the US. The WIS Software team will run an extensive frontend test to determine what aspects to optimize and then maintain browser compatibility for our new UX. 

What is the team composition?

We usually work with one project manager. However, as our projects expand, we bring on more teammates from WIS Software. 

How did you come to work with WIS Software?

A few years ago, I looked for freelancers on Upwork and saw that WIS Software had very good ratings. I got in contact with them, and after running a few projects with them, my trust in them improved. 

Now, whenever we need work done, we reach out to them because they'll give us a good offer, and their quality of work is always good. 

How much have you invested with them?

We've invested a little more than $100,000 with WIS Software. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We've been working for them for several years, but the main project we worked on with them began in July 2018. However, our partnership is continuing and we are about to move into our UX project. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Per year, we're now able to manage around 200,000 applicants and around 650,000 jobs posts on our web platform from Germany, Austria, the US, the Philippines, Singapore, and Malaysia. 

How did WIS Software perform from a project management standpoint?

The WIS Software team responds quickly to our communications through Slack, Skype, or Google Hangouts. That rapid communication is critical to us — we want to know that our work is being handled promptly. When I receive emails about software updates from Microsoft Azure, I can forward them to their team to cover; usually, their team has already handled those issues or will rectify them immediately. 

We do continuous integration, utilizing Jira, Bitbucket, and Jenkins for ticketing and seamless processing. The WIS Software team delivers within our budget and timeline, and if we need to expand our project, we can negotiate with them about changing the timelines. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I think WIS Software's quick communication and the fact that we've never had complaints about their work help them stand out, even though we're working with many of their services. 

Their team is very friendly, and their ability to communicate is excellent despite being an offshore company. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I would like it if their team would dive deeper into the services they offer, but on the other hand, I don't necessarily want their sales representatives to call me all the time to pitch new projects to me. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Customers who are looking to work with WIS Software need to contact them! It's also important to be transparent about the workload. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a co-founder of a Canadian software development company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with WIS Software?

We were looking for an advanced Angular technician, someone with deep knowledge and understanding of not only developing apps but also planning scalable angular solutions.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’re working with two developers. They’ve been responsible for developing out our angular infrastructure. Beyond application development, they’ve done code generation, standards definition, performance optimization, and cross-platform compatibility development.

The process has been collaborative with them and our in-house development resources.

What is the team composition?

We’re working with two Angular technicians.

How did you come to work with WIS Software?

I found them on Upwork looking for Angular developers.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent €150,000 (about $167,000 USD) so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working with them since January 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They were tasked with a combination of R&D work and general development work. They’ve successfully launched a number of projects (along with our team) and overcome many complex technical challenges.

How did WIS Software perform from a project management standpoint?

We handle project management in-house, so it isn’t particularly applicable. The two individual developers work effectively with our team, however.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We found the caliber of the developers to be excellent. It’s difficult to find really good developers, especially ones that can think abstractly and go beyond code to building systems and processes that are scalable. Their team provides a layer of insight and maturity that’s hard to find in any company, regardless of location.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Not that I can think of.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

We hired WIS for developers, rather than their whole development team, so I can only speak to the two individuals I’m working with.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work for a software company based in Norway, and we create software for student companies.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with WIS Software?

Our site is a marketplace where young business owners can market themselves and sell their products. We don’t have anyone in-house with programming knowledge so we needed an experienced development team to help us craft our platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

WIS Software was responsible for both front- and backend development for the site. They created a registration page that allows large amounts of students to create profiles for their company. Students can then add products and sell them to the public. 

What is the team composition?

We work with between two–five developers on the WIS Software team, depending on the stage of the project. We also were in contact with a member of their HR team. 

How did you come to work with WIS Software?

The head of our board had worked with WIS Software on a few other projects and knew one of their developers. We contacted their HR representative through an external website to see if they had developers available.

How much have you invested with them?

We have invested somewhere above $100,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing engagement with WIS Software began in October 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re not tracking any statistics, but we have received great feedback, both internally and from our customers. WIS Software was able to deliver on everything we were looking for, and all of their work has been high quality. We’ve had a really good working relationship so far, and are looking forward to continuing the work with them.

How did WIS Software perform from a project management standpoint?

Our teams have quite a bit of back and forth. We communicate our needs to WIS Software, and they help us understand any issues or tasks associated with them. Their team has helped us set realistic deadlines. WIS Software gives us updates every day to set the days tasks and check how far we are from deadlines. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

WIS Software really invests in you and your idea. It feels like they actually care. Whenever we talk to their team, it seems like they take their time to understand what we actually want. They come in with questions and try to figure out what will work best. They’re very responsive.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Every once in awhile, there is a communication error due to our language barrier. However, it’s always addressed very quickly, and we are overall very happy with WIS Software.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Talk to their HR department and figure out who is best for your individual task. It’s also helpful to express your future plans early on, not just your current plans. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the principal at a digital agency that works with remote talent to design and develop websites for clients across North America.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with WIS Software?

We needed additional Python development support for a client project.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

WIS Software provides web maintenance and development support for one of our key clients. In addition to maintaining a website, they also add new features, content, and functionality as needed. 

What is the team composition? 

It's always evolving, so I've worked with a number of different programmers on their team.

How did you come to work with WIS Software?

We searched for Python developers online, but I believe someone familiar with Russian vendors also recommended them. 

How much have you invested with them?

We've invested over $25,000 thus far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We've been working with them since April 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

WIS Software provides responsive development support that's been very well received by our client overall. Despite some persistent bugs, the performance of their code has been decent. 

How did WIS Software perform from a project management standpoint?

They're reliable and responsive overall.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They're very clear in communications even though they're not native English speakers. Despite their distant location, they make the process relatively seamless. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could do a better job of testing their code to ensure it has fewer bugs.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Invest the time in communicating the needs and details of the project upfront and request additional testing. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Sandstorm was a gaming platform developed with a distributed team of freelancers and IT agency employees. I have been a co-founder and CTO of this project.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire WIS Software?

We hired several Python developers from WIS on a full-time basis.

What were your goals for this project?

Sandstorm was providing both B2C as well as B2B services on multiple markets. Our primary goal was driving revenue up by enhancing our platform's offerings, mostly by increasing the amount and depth of our partner integrations with game providers and payment gateways. 

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Mr. Vulfovich and associate were visiting Israel and introduced to us by a common acquaintance. We remained in touch and I continued to share open vacancies with WIS until satisfactory candidates were provided.

Describe the project in detail.

The developers who passed technical interviews were integrated into our distributed team. They worked from WIS offices, but took part in the entire development cycle of the Sandstorm project.

What was the team composition?

There were a senior and a mid-level Python developer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I have come to regard WIS employees as motivated and qualified, and in that regard an excellent value for our money. Additionally, when one of the WIS employees made a decision to leave WIS, I was positively impressed by WIS's willingness to resolve the situation constructively, reaching an agreement permitting the team member to continue performing work for Sandstorm.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The WIS employees were directly integrated into the rest of our team, and as such, were fully managed by us. WIS was helpful in communicating employee needs and providing us with peace of mind and the ability to get work done.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

WIS is professional, straightforward to deal with, and reliably delivers on its promises.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Comparing with other agencies who suffer from various typical industry "diseases" such as account managers wasting your time, and HR that's getting in work's way (representing the agency's interests, rather than the client's), WIS is wonderful.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of CryptoChess. We’re launching an online chess application that allows users to bet on games and win money. We’re still in the registration process and ironing out various legal details.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with WIS Software?

I had an idea that people were interested in, but I have limited programming experience, especially with web apps. I needed a competent team to bring my idea to life in a timely manner.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I described what I needed, and the WIS Software team developed a plan for the project. They constructed a user interface and identification system to process Bitcoin payments and PayPal transfers, then used Python to build the app. It was a turnkey development project for their team.

We conducted an acceptance test. WIS Software set up a server in their office and set up a trial game to make sure the payment features would work.

What is the team composition?

I worked with Andrey (Senior Project Manager, WIS Software) who managed the project.

How did you come to work with WIS Software?

I found them on LinkedIn. They presented themselves as a competent team and seemed affordable for the development space. I reached out and scheduled a visit to their offices. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of their operation there. I liked their size and location, so I hired them.

How much have you invested with them?

So far, we’ve spent about $40,000. Our payment plan is based on milestones; we pay them as they complete each phase of the project.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project started in October 2018 and is ongoing. We’ll be ready to launch once we finish up the registration process.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The bulk of the work is complete, and all of the features are functioning. It will be ready to go after a bit more legal research.

How did WIS Software perform from a project management standpoint?

Overall, I was satisfied with their ability to manage the project. Their project manager was always available to provide any clarifications, updates, or to address any change requests we had.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I don’t have much experience with outsourced partners, but I was confident in WIS Software. I’ve had negative experiences with developers in the past because they lacked the necessary knowledge for a project, but the WIS Software team was always clear and honest about their capabilities.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Most of the communication was done through the project manager. While their project manager was always available, I would have liked for their developers to have more availability outside of the working hours overlap between Eastern Time in the US and Russia (-8 hours).

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I would recommend visiting their office. For a small company, their setup is on par with bigger corporations.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder of a FinTech company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with WIS Software?

We were a startup and needed help with development.  

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

WIS Software developed the backend using Ruby on Rails and the frontend using Bootstrap.

What is the team composition?

At the beginning of our work together, we engaged with one developer. Then, I worked with the CEO to find more people, who ended up coming from within WIS Software and other companies.

How did you come to work with WIS Software?

I found them through Upwork. Before starting my own company, I spent ten years working with Ruby on Rails, and I felt it was the right language for the system. When I saw that WIS Software was strong in this language, I went with them right away.

How much have you invested with them?

My company spent $50,000–$100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in July 2016–August 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The first developer that we initially worked with was very good. Within a week, she created the system. When we began working with other developers, they didn’t work as efficiently.

How did WIS Software perform from a project management standpoint?

We were in contact every day during development. We used Trello, Skype, and Slack. Our first assigned developer was capable of working independently, but she was also always available if we needed her.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The CEO was a very nice person. When his company didn’t have resources that matched our criteria, he talked with other companies to provide us with people.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they were very good.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Know exactly who the person is that you’ll be working with. Make sure there’s good chemistry between you and them, and that the expectations are clear.