Xebia

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of a travel and hospitality app development company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with PGS Software?

We were looking to create a proof of concept for a mobile app for travel companies. We wanted to do it fast and without having to hire developers.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

PGS Software has worked on a native app for Android and iOS and a user portal to manage the app’s content. They’ve mainly used JavaScript programming and Ruby on Rails for the portal development.

We initially gave some specifications, requirements, and documentation, and they built it entirely from scratch. They also used their in-house design team for the design elements.

The app allows people to load and view documentation, so it has wallet functionality. It also has maps, a weather forecasting integration, the ability to make content available even when a user is offline, and much more.

What is the team composition?

The team has varied over the years. We’ve worked with as little as 1–2 people and up to 9–10, depending on the requirements.

How did you come to work with PGS Software?

We spoke to several outsourcing companies, and another contact recommended them. We were impressed with what they said, so we went with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $1 million–$2 million.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them in April 2014, and our relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The business has been successful, and we’ve grown constantly. Moreover, we’re very pleased with what they’ve done.

How did PGS Software perform from a project management standpoint?

There have been ups and downs over these seven years, but it’s been very successful overall. We mainly communicate via email, but we use shared project management systems like Jira. Also, we have conference calls and physical meetings.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The quality of their people is outstanding. We’ve worked with 15–20 different people, and every one of them has been an excellent person to work with.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I wouldn’t. Our whole relationship has continually evolved on both sides. We’re a team.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It’s all about making clear deliverables and having an open and collaborative open approach. You have to engage with them regularly.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am an IT project manager for mobile applications at Schmitz Cargobull. We build trailers with telematic units which makes them trackable. We offer telematics services and a portal so that our customers can track and dispatch their trailers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with PGS Software?

We needed help in developing our mobile app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We have done two projects with PGS Software. They developed an Android and iOS app version of our telematics portal, which allowed users to see all the information regarding their trailers. Our customers can identify where their trailers are on the map, and they will receive a message if there is a problem.

The other project was a tire manager, which allows the telematics unit to know which tires from the trailer have been changed. There are six wheels on a trailer, and once they are changed, the telematic detects the new sensor. We released that app this year.

Our customers and stakeholders are involved in our services, and we gain new ideas from them. We analyzed their feedback to determine the project requirements. Then, we had a trailer trade fair, and we presented the app. PGS Software delivered the app and we placed the MVP on the market. 

We continue to update and add features to both apps with PGS Software. 

What is the team composition?

We have developers for iOS and Android, a QA tester, a business analyst, and a project manager who is also the Scrum master. PGS Software adds additional developers when we need to beat a deadline. During the trade fair, we had three developers each for iOS and Android. I act as the product owner, and I work with their team.

How did you come to work with PGS Software?

I used to work for a French multinational company when I first had a chance to work with PGS Software. I found the quality of their work to be excellent. Schmitz Cargobull had existing providers, but we wanted to look outside Germany, and we chose Poland. After comparing the vendors we found, we decided to work with PGS Software.

How much have you invested in them?

We have spent around €300,000 (approximately $360,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in January 2019, and we have an ongoing engagement.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

PGS Software developed a high-quality app that received positive reviews on app stores. They immediately take action if there is an issue. 

The web-based version of the telematics portal required the user to connect to a computer. With the mobile version, our customers can access the information they need any time, whether it is the weekend or they just got up. It has improved the quality of our services.

How did PGS Software perform from a project management standpoint?

We initially used Slack, but we decided to use Microsoft Teams to communicate since we wanted to do everything in one place, and we were both using it internally. We also used Atlassian, Jira, and Confluence for file transfer and everything that PGS Software implements. Every day, we have 15-minute meetings for follow-ups. 

PGS Software uses the agile development methodology, and the quality of their work has been pretty good. They make suggestions, understand the customer’s needs, and they adapt accordingly. They comply with our guidelines for design and other specifications.

They have a QA tester who shows us what and how they are testing. Internally, we also have a QA department, and they test everything from PGS Software — we haven’t had any issues. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

PGS Software understands the customer's needs right away and immediately finds a solution. Their quick and quality response to the customer is impressive — they always find people that can help us. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

We do retrospectives every month — if an issue came up, they could evaluate and act on it right away. With that, I don’t know what else they can improve right now.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I would definitely recommend working with PGS Software. They are proficient in modern technology, and they are really concerned about customer satisfaction. They work not just to get paid; they are doing what is expected of them. Until the customer is satisfied, they will continue to work on the project. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CTO of an on-demand digital staffing marketplace.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with PGS Software?

We needed help switching from a Java enterprise application to a serverless architecture on AWS.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

First, they provided an architectural review that followed the framework from AWS. They helped review it and provided recommendations. Next, they did penetration testing and a security audit.

Then, we entered a project with them to build the foundation for our serverless architecture. The team came up with the specific architectural designs, patterns, and technologies that we’d use. They also helped us get account management set up and coded it to the core foundational pieces of our architecture.

Lastly, we also engaged them in a QA automation workshop. The output was a report with several recommendations as well as on-site training.

What is the team composition?

We worked with 8–9 people from their team. There were project managers, software architects, software developers, and QA architects.

How did you come to work with PGS Software?

We consulted with AWS and they offered to put us in touch with some of their partners so we could make a decision. They put us in touch with three different partners. What made us decide on PGS was their specific experience in building serverless architecture. They gave us confidence that they had the necessary experience to help us.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent 300,000 Swiss Francs (approximately $328,100 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in February 2019, and we wrapped up in July 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were very pleased with the level of cooperation. The biggest success metric is how quickly we can release software; we were able to increase our velocity by over ten times. Not all of that was because of what PGS did, but a good portion of it was. In terms of penetration testing, we were able to have confidence in the security of our system. It was a key metric for us and we plan to complete it again over the summer.

How did PGS Software perform from a project management standpoint?

They performed very well. It was a collaborative and exploratory partnership. On the things that did have deadlines, such as the QA recommendations and the architecture reviews, they definitely had on-time delivery. We had weekly calls and I was in regular communication with our project manager through Slack and Microsoft Teams.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They bring their expertise in a very collaborative way. The team already had a lot of expertise in an area that we wanted to move in. They were flexible in learning alongside us while bringing their expertise to the table.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We had one team member who was a bit less engaged. That might’ve been something for them to be aware of sooner. When we brought it to their attention, it was managed well and quickly.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Don’t be afraid to have high expectations. We worked with some very senior people there and found that they provided a lot of value. Sometimes companies assign you senior-level people at first and then hand you off to more junior-level employees. We didn't have that issue with PGS Software.   

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We help organisations create the right digital foundations that drive productivity, insight and innovation – all while remaining safe, secure and compliant. We enable our customers to achieve increased efficiencies, savings and growth opportunities through focused, right-first-time software solutions that evolve with the changing needs of their business and the markets they operate in.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Projects:

• Re-developing the core functionality of an existing system, utilizing a cloud-native approach, and leveraging various AWS services, to improve scalability and performance
• Accelerating the development of a group-wide platform service

Resources:

• Developers
• Tech Leads
• Solution Architects
• Business Analysts
• Scrum Masters

SOLUTION

How did you select PGS Software and what were the deciding factors?

A proven track record over several years from a previous company determined the decision.

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

• Large scale data processing
• Keycloak IdP integration
• Dashboard UI components
• Platform framework - Java, Python, Node
• Many AWS services

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

Project 1 = 8 developers, 1 business analyst, 1 solutions architect Project 2 = 14 developers, 3 business analysts, scrum master and a project manager working across both projects.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Projects are still ongoing but deliverables are met on a sprint by sprint basis and demo'd to stakeholders on a bi-weekly basis.

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

We have worked multiple models with PGS depending on the make-up of the team...

1. PGS become an embeded part of our development process - hybrid teams consisting of both PGS and in-house resource - engagement is continuous and project management is focused more on administration and is light touch by choice.
2. Teams consisting primarily of PGS resource - PM is fully engaged in the detail and is involved in all aspects of the development process. Both options work well and suit the needs of the specific project. Communication is tailored to our needs using our tooling and communication lines - Jira, Teams etc

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

The high capability level of all resources... From junior to senior level, everyone I have worked with from PGS is knowledgeable in their discipline, professional in their approach and proactive in their engagement. The ability to access an expert for almost any subject, especially AWS is impressive.

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

Nothing comes to mind, the engagement with PGS has always been successful.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the IT director of a European airline carrier operating in Spain, Italy, France, and Greece.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with PGS Software?

We outsource our development needs to them.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’re outsourcing the development of PGS Software. They perform customizations of our website and internal application. They’ve implemented new backend technologies and have helped update the look-and-feel of the site. 

What is the team composition?

We have around 40 people from their team working with us at the moment.  

How did you come to work with PGS Software?

They were referred to us by a good friend of the company. He told us that PGS had good skills and a competitive cost, and we gave them a try. We started with a couple of people, and we grew the team step by step.

How much have you invested with them?

We’re spending €500,000–€700,000 per year ($605,730–$848,022 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with PGS Software in 2015. The website is a huge project, and it’s been in development for the last three years. The first version was launched in November 2020, but we’re constantly evolving it. 

Digital channels are key for us, and we’re constantly investing in new functionalities and technologies. PGS Software is a key partner in this, and we’re growing the team on their end every year.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We test the deliverables from all our partners and track the number of bugs found. PGS Software has the lowest number of bugs. The new site is working great, and its conversion rate is slightly better than that of the old one.  

How did PGS Software perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re very strict, with well-defined project management roles. They meet due dates most of the time, and they tell us in advance if they can’t.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They have a lot of flexibility in growing or decreasing the size of the team. Adding new people to a project can sometimes impact the quality, but we haven’t seen this with PGS Software. They have a good technical skill level, and I can tell that they invest a lot in keeping their team’s training up to date.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They can be quite strict in terms of the development process. It could be a cultural thing, but we can ultimately understand each other. I don’t know what they could actually do to improve.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

We’ve had a few partners over the years, and PGS Software is one of the few that are still with us. This demonstrates their level of engagement. I’d recommend them to anyone looking for their types of services.  

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Founder of (a/an) Information technology

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Mobile apps for travel companies

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Xebia to accomplish?

• Provide developer support

SOLUTION

How did you find Xebia?

Referral

Why did you select Xebia over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing first our budget
• Company values aligned

What was the size of Xebia’s team?

6-10 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Developed proof of concept and then full implementation

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

• Customer take up

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Mostly delivered on time and on budget

What was your primary form of communication with Xebia?

Virtual Meeting

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

We were impressed with their teamwork.

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

Framing of problems and understanding strategic challenge could have been better

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are a Surplus Asset Management business

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

To develop surplus asset technology

SOLUTION

How did you select PGS Software and what were the deciding factors?

Initial recommendation from someone I know

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

Building a sophisticated database on a nodal platform in Java

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

Initially 5 then reduced in Covid to 1

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Project is ongoing but all sprint goals were achieved and the product has been stable since the original release

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

Relaxed but at the same time accurate and exact

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

It felt like they were part of our business, they integrated into business seamlessly.

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

Not for us. I hope that when our business returns to normal we can work together again.