Yalantis

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president of a software development firm. We’ve found our own niche in the market where we create and build large-scale solutions and platforms and become an equity partner in those products, allowing us to reduce our rates and decrease the overall cost of the build. Basically, we take the place of an internal development team in our clients’ businesses, and they pay us internal rates.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Yalantis?

I needed additional talent and resources to scale my team while staying within our budget restrictions.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’ve worked with them on several projects for different clients at this point, but we generally follow the same process. My team handles the design in-house, and we share a clickable prototype with Yalantis though InVision. They do their own discovery phase to learn more about the client’s business and their technical requirements; then they analyze the UI elements and flow of the prototype. From there, it’s a lot of back-and-forth discussion. We incorporate their feedback on our original design and make small changes until everyone is on the same page. We choose the technology, cloud structure, and hosting services to use, and augment development between our team and theirs.

Once they’ve built the solution, they share it with us for testing. They have a QA person that reviews each element as they work, but we handle the final testing process. After looking the product over, we request any bug fixes, modification, or updates. Yalantis willingly makes the changes and sends us the final version. Usually, they provide a small team for ongoing support. Their team is heavily involved from start to finish in the development aspects of our clients’ projects.

Currently, we’re working with Yalantis to build an application for large education enterprises like public school systems or large childcare chains. When finished, it will be a full suite that connects students, parents, teachers, school board representatives, and the organization’s corporate body.

What is the team composition?

I’ve worked with a variety of people from Yalantis, including project management personnel, developers, analysts, and QA resources. For the daycare platform specifically, we have a fantastic and organized project manager, a smart business analyst, a Node.js developer, two frontend developers, two iOS developers, and two Android developers.

How did you come to work with Yalantis?

I own a different business that runs a local event listings WordPress site, and we were looking to build a corresponding set of native Android and iOS apps. We hired a different company initially, but we weren’t happy in the partnership, so we decided to switch vendors. I searched for an overseas team, and eventually landed on Yalantis. I was very happy with their performance on that first project, so I modified the business model for this business to include the Yalantis team’s assistance. We’ve been working together ever since. They’re just as, if not more, reliable than our local development options.

How much have you invested with them?

We’re paying $275,000 for the daycare project. In total, we’ve probably spent $1.2 million on their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working on the daycare project in February 2018, and we plan to launch the beta version late this quarter or early next quarter. The first project we ever worked on with them was in February 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their most notable accomplishment relates to a different project. A client was facing a Congressional investigation because their software had caused issues around the time of the 2018 primary elections. The software had been developed by a different contractor, and they came to us to fix it. The legacy system took two years to build, but with the help of Yalantis, we were able to rewrite it within three months.

How did Yalantis perform from a project management standpoint?

They manage their work excellently. We have daily standups and chat consistently over Slack. I have direct access to their entire team. The project manager handles high-level items like planning and billing to make sure we’re always moving forward. For strategic and technical discussions, we go straight to the development resources. They’re free to ask us direct questions without an intermediary. They have excellent English all things considered.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I haven’t seen a vendor work as efficiently as Yalantis using the agile methodology. We’ve worked with large organizations that have hundreds of developers, scrum masters, and project managers, and they still don’t compare. The Yalantis team understands that every customer and every project is a bit different. They expertly balance flexibility with organization, accommodating every project’s unique requirements, but still following a strict process that ensures they deliver quality results on time.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Quickly assigning resources to new projects can be a challenge. That’s not necessarily a weakness because it’s a common challenge throughout the development industry. Staffing a team is always a rushed process because everyone wants to get to work as fast as possible with the best resources possible.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the co-founder of Moja Market. We're the first super app to be introduced in Africa.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Yalantis?

We needed help with the Android development of our app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They're overseeing the Android development. We developed the UI and UX, overall architecture, and most of the backend in-house. We are a multi-function app with an e-commerce platform that includes a payment option. Yalantis handled the payment integration very effectively, working collaboratively with us and letting us know about potential issues. We began with an Android application because that is our principal market, but we're also planning to develop an iOS version with them in the future.

What is the team composition?

I mostly work with their project manager and an account manager, but they have about 11 people in total assigned to our project.

How did you come to work with Yalantis?

Our CTO worked with them previously and had a very positive experience.

How much have you invested with them?

By the time we have an MVP, it'll be a little over $150,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in May 2018 and the relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We're going through the first phase of alpha testing. Our internal team has been very impressed with the functionality of the app.

How did Yalantis perform from a project management standpoint?

They're excellent communicators and provided us with all the documentation. We use Slack, Skype, Zoom, and email to stay in touch. They've been very accessible, often responding after hours if there is a pressing question. They're based in Ukraine, but we haven't had any complaints. They're so driven to make our project a success that they feel like part of our team.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We're a small team, so we were looking for a partner rather than just a contractor. They look at our project as a partnership and always make sure we're fully satisfied with their services. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. I couldn't have asked for anything more. It's been a wonderful experience.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Because of the time difference, you have to consider that there might be early phone calls, but they've been very flexible and made things easy for us.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Mikitsune is a digital solution for parents. We connect them with businesses offering activities, events, and classes with one app for scheduling, paying, and getting reminders.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Yalantis?

I'd designed the app and was looking for a team to take full responsibility for its development, the backend, and the CMS. I also wanted a team who would advise me technically.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted a clean code and a final product that's loyal to the design. We were looking for a fluid user journey and high quality.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I looked for digital agencies on Clutch and LinkedIn, and found Yalantis on Clutch. Their portfolio included a ticketing app, which added value. After a few emails, we finally came to an agreement.

Describe the project in detail.

They understood my needs and helped me prioritize and simplify some of the features in order to get clean results within my limited budget. The app includes a listing algorithm, tickets, and a sales platform.

What was the team composition?

We were assigned a project manager who stayed with us throughout the project. The team was made up of seven other members: an account manager, an iOS Developer, a backend developer, an architect, a recruitment analyst, and a QA.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The release on the App Store was very smooth. We've received very positive feedback from our audience, who say that the app is smooth and very easy to navigate.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The project manager who handled our project was very professional. Everything was clarified, from the first quotation onwards and the work was divided into biweekly milestones. I was then able to test the app and give my feedback. The communication was smooth, with a few small bumps when we were running out of time, but that's normal. We used Slack as our daily chat tool.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The team is patient and professional. The scenario sheet was very detailed and we had a feedback sheet to discuss issues that could be a bit vague. They also gave me advice on some marketing tools to use.

Are there any areas for improvement?

With the budget we had, it was a challenge to create such a good product. I look forward to making further improvements, but that's the continuous cycle of technology.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a technology manager for the Let’s Do It Foundation, an Estonian NGO organizing a worldwide cleanup action on the September 15th, 2018. The aim is to engage local communities and groups to clean up mismanaged waste in their neighborhoods.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Yalantis?

We need to know where trash is located prior to our event. We need tools to collect data, and we are building a mobile app for this purpose. The app allows users to mark trash points and create events.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Yalantis is developing a mobile and web app that allows every user globally to map trash points and create events. There are also options for country admins who can manage trash points and events remotely. Mobile app users need to be on-site when mapping trash.

Their responsibility is to deliver a user-friendly mobile app with a clear visual design that makes it easy to understand how to map trash points and create events. Our aim is to engage the community and make them aware of cleanup events and where they can participate in cleaning during this event.

We completed a previous version of the mobile app in September 2017. We wanted to improve it, adding an event functionality. We provided the existing architecture, code, and descriptions through GitHub, as well as wireframes and partly-designed development tasks. Based on this, Yalantis created milestones and detailed estimations. They offered suggestions on how we could improve the UI and more. The app was developed using the React Native framework. It will allow us to launch the app for Android, iOS, and web.

What is the team composition?

The size of the team depended on the task. We’ve worked with 7–8 people from their side.

How did you come to work with Yalantis?

One of our team members is very aware of new approaches and different companies worldwide. I don’t know how he found Yalantis, but he suggested them to us. We saw their portfolio, and their mobile apps looked great. We visited them at their office.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent €80,000–€100,000 ($93,000–$117,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

The work started in January 2018. The first part has been developed. We will release the full functionality at the end of June 2018. The collaboration is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We first approached Yalantis based on their portfolio. We liked their easily-understandable UI design. They fulfilled our expectations completely. We’ve been happy with them and with the amount of detail put into the backend. I believe that the current app will be much more stable than the old version.

How did Yalantis perform from a project management standpoint?

They are very responsive. The project manager is very specific and gives lots of feedback. It’s been good working with them. We use Slack where we can ask questions directly to the developers or designers.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They are solution-oriented, and it’s felt easy for me to work with them. They suggest new approaches and point out potential risks or problems that we weren’t aware of. Yalantis has adopted the product as their own, and we are working together as one team.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

I recommend being open and flexible. Customers may sometimes want something that is not reasonable to have in terms mobile apps.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Optima Curis which provides a patient engagement and collaboration platform called eCuris. We combine social networks with patient engagement technology.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Yalantis?

We were building an MVP version of the eCuris platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We have built a sizeable platform application with Yalantis. This responsive web app works on desktop and mobile devices. It’s a Slack-like collaboration platform for the patient, their family, and the care team. It allows users to send surveys and other material for symptom tracking, quality of service, and patient satisfaction. The concept of social networks and moderated communities is meant to keep people informed and engaged on health topics and to connect with other people facing similar issues.

Yalantis developed and built the platform from scratch using custom technologies. The concept of the UI also started with them. We used custom technologies in order to have the right level of flexibility in the future. We invested in building an extendable foundation platform.

The UX design allows people to collaborate with each other. The app presents different information depending on whether it’s being used by patients or doctors. The design allows the same application to be used by different users of the system, but they get different experiences based on the data driving the app.

We’ve gone through pilots, and we currently have a live production version with paying customers. We have an extensive roadmap for our vision, and we are prioritizing additional features. Yalantis is working on designing, developing, and rolling those out. We have a single instance for the global customer base hosted on Amazon Web Services (AWS).

What is the team composition?

Yalantis modifies their team composition based on current needs. This is one of the economics of outsourcing to them. The team has flexed from three up to 10–15 FTEs. We’re currently in the development phase, using a dedicated team of six people.

We’ve collaborated a lot on some of the designs with the requirements analysis people. We’ve also worked with the project and account managers and development specialists.

How did you come to work with Yalantis?

We found them through online research. Yalantis built apps that were featured in a top 10 best apps of the year from a UI/UX point of view. One of the reasons we chose them was for their reputation for creating compelling UI/UX designs.

How much have you invested with them?

The total cost has been around $500,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The initial design discussions were started in September 2016. The minimal viable product took a year to complete. The work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve received very good feedback on the UI/UX, look-and-feel, and intuitiveness of the app from users and during demonstrations. Having a good user interface is important for the adoption of the product, which bodes well for the future of our product.

How did Yalantis perform from a project management standpoint?

We are very comfortable with their documentation process, templates, and technology used. They keep us informed and engaged if we want it to be, without making an unnecessary burden on us. We have a very good balance in terms of interactions.

There’s not a lot of overlap in our time zones. We have weekly calls and multiple calls per week during heavy design periods. We also communicate by Slack and email. We make the time zone difference work to our advantage, given that they work while we’re sleeping. We have an efficient way of working together.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The level of expertise within the team is very high. They’ve recruited and retained experienced people who are motivated to get the job done.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Whenever we’ve asked them to take a different approach, they were responsive to us. They’re working exactly how we want.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

They are a straightforward company, and they do what they say they’re going to do. I recommend them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO for BodyBarista, a U.S.-patented fitness app for iPhone that helps users track their progress via image analysis and data calculations.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Yalantis?

We started out developing our app with freelancers but they weren’t available as often as we needed them, so we decided to look for a dedicated development company.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our first step involved discussing UI/UX design. I didn’t want to influence Yalantis too much at the outset, so I asked them to interpret the description of what we wanted the app to do and they came back to us with wireframes and sketches.

Once we had the vision for the final app, they started on the iOS development. We chose to build a native app because we needed so much integration with the hardware and the camera. They did a great job of structuring the app so the front- and backend functions synchronized seamlessly for a good user experience. Since this is a fitness results app, it was critical for us that the data was stored and displayed correctly, since those measurements serve as a user progress diary. They worked a lot on making it smooth and well managed.

After the app was ready, they spent a lot of time on QA, inputting test images and letting the algorithms analyze the data in order to spot any bugs. Since we put the app on the market, they’ve been helping us to update features and improve the design based on user feedback.

What is the team composition?

The team has around six or seven people in total, but my main points of contact are the project manager, designer, and then the front- and backend developers.

How did you come to work with Yalantis?

I found them via online search and contacted them directly.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $40,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in December 2016 and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have a lot of users and we’ve received a lot of positive feedback now that we’ve gone from being a pure camera app to being a measurement app.

How did Yalantis perform from a project management standpoint?

We use Skype and Slack to keep in touch and they’re very responsive. The project manager does a good job making sure I always know what’s in the pipeline for the next few weeks. I’m also able to contact the developers directly, which is a really nice second layer of communication.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Of all the iOS developers I’ve worked with, Yalantis is the best by far. The code is excellent, they keep it clean and structured. They’re responsive and they use the correct principles in order to make updates.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am one of the co-founders, in addition to my daughter, of Jet Journal. We are a small software startup building a lifestyle travel application to help people remember ideas, places, and recommendations, as well as to help with planning.

I have been handling the server infrastructure, APIs, and assist with the project management as I own a software company myself.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Yalantis?

Although we had the capabilities to complete the project, we were looking to outsource the iOS development for the application. At this time, we are just developing a native app for iOS. Our plan is to launch in the App Store shortly, gather some feedback from iOS users, do a minor update, and then begin work on an Android version of the app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement? 

Yalantis were in charge almost everything except for the API. We had the infrastructure set up in the cloud for hosting API servers. We had some rough mock-ups and wireframes, and some basic user stories, then Yalantis flushed it out and did some requirement gathering. Once the requirements were all gathered, the user stories were generated. The design team then came in and refreshed all the screens. After that, we went into development and QA.

Nothing was built from scratch; we repurposed old code, and pulled the imaging libraries off the shelf. I don’t believe we created anything that was unique. At the end of the day, the goal wasn’t to define a new user interface [UI], it was to pull together features from Instagram, Pinterest, and so on, and get them under one umbrella, working a little bit better. We wanted the user experience to be as seamless as possible throughout.

What is the team dynamic?

We have 7 people working on this project. There are 3 developers, a QA, a requirements analyst, a project manager, and a designer.

How did you come to work with Yalantis?

We found them online. I had found 10 mobile application developers around the world, and asked my daughter to take a look at their portfolios, their work, and websites. She narrowed it down to 2 or 3, and then we did in-person phone calls with them. After speaking with them, she wanted to go with Yalantis, who were my first choice as well.

How much have you invested in them?

Approximately $110,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in February 2017, and the work is ongoing. They have done such a good job on this application, that I have asked them to work on a new mobile app project for my own software company.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have about 15 internal customers now and the feedback has been very good. The UI has gotten a lot of really good feedback so far. It’s very close to what we envisioned, and so much better. Their design team did a really fantastic job of taking our sketches and bringing them to life. There are a couple of things that can be enhanced, but it functions the way we want, and works fantastic.

How did Yalantis perform from a project management standpoint?

They are the best team for project management that I have ever worked with, no one even comes close. We use Slack to communicate, and I talk to the developers, project managers, and QA team all the time. They are super responsive and it is very easy to work with them. Their work is really top notch.

We did some contracting with a marketing team, and their schedule and project management is ineffective compared to what we get from Yalantis. From Yalantis, we get detailed user stories, and our estimates have always been very close. We have been mostly under budget on every sprint we have done. When you look at the original estimate, there is an overall 10% overage in the budget, due to change requests, but for the most part, we usually came in under the higher estimate they gave us.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We have an account executive who always follows up with us at the end of a sprint. Everything has been fantastic. The team is good, and for the most part, they have really been great to work with. They are very thorough which meant they found a lot of small logic issues that I might have missed. They thought about all the nuances that can be detrimental to an application early on. They were great about identifying those things ahead of time, rather than doing a lot of development and then finding the problem. Out of thousands of user stories we went through, there was only one when we actually got it onto the app and noticed there was a security flaw.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I think they are one of the best teams I have ever worked with in over 20 years of being in the software business.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the co-founder and CEO of a software application.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Yalantis?

The initial motivation was getting a minimally viable app out there. We are not designers, and I only knew a little Swift code for the iOS side.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Yalantis helped make our app a fully fleshed-out product. Yalantis was thorough in terms of discovery. We started off with wireframes and design work (such as image assets and logos), eventually turning it into an InDesign prototype. They perfected what we gave them. We were satisfied with that they did, so we had them develop MVPs for two separate apps, which ended up merging into one.

Yalantis also handled some Swift work for iOS and illustration work for the app. We built the backend on our own.

What is the team dynamic?

We used Skype for video conferences at the end of their day and the beginning of ours. Email communication was the quickest and easiest. We also used Slack.

Yalantis assigned two lead iOS developers and one main graphic design person to the work. Others pitched in from time to time, bringing the total closer to five or seven.

How did you come to work with Yalantis?

We found them through oDesk before it was acquired, but contacted Yalantis directly.

How much have you invested with them?

We have spent around $30,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Yalantis in April 2016, and we finished in September of that year.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve had to take a break to do fundraising and finish out the backend scope of the app. For various reasons, we ended up not launching until a few weeks ago. There was a slight technical problem with Stripe, our payment processor, which had to be fleshed out. The past two weeks were our first in business.

It’s a B2C app, and we’re in the process of recruiting merchant partners. So far, the people who have seen it have been impressed and have given their verbal commitment to us. It’s now a task of onboarding them. It’s too early to give a final verdict.

How did Yalantis perform from a project management standpoint?

I’ve worked with other dev shops, and Yalantis stood out through their attentiveness. We’re working in completely different time zones, but, if I had a question, it was always resolved by the next day. This is important, given that I’ve dealt with people who took several days or weeks to get back to me. There was also no language barrier with Yalantis.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’re a bootstrapped company, so cost was something we prioritized. Yalantis did a great job with this, compared to a provider in the U.S. who could have been three or four times as expensive. Having that competitive advantage with the same quality was key.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They’ve since expanded the breadth of what they offer, but we wanted more variety at the time. It’s a challenge for any startup or dev shop to stockpile many developers with different skills. Had we started this year, those issues likely would have been addressed.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

GrowFit is a healthcare and wellness company operating in India for about two and a half years.

Basically, we do three things. The first is we offer expert advice. People come on our app and give their body profile in terms of their body measurements, their weight, height, and whether they have any kind of medical conditions, and then we connect them with a dietician, nutritionist, or cosmetologist based on their profile. Then they chat and we give them a diet chart and a solution offering to help them to achieve their body goals.

The second thing is we have an e-commerce website where we sell functional foods including low-carb, high protein food such as staples, cookies, mixes, etc..

Third, we have a mobile app. We have a few players in the market who are doing chat commerce with a nutritionist and then the products are curated and specifically made to help people with their concerns.

I’m a member of the founding team and I am the head of products and marketing.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Yalantis?

In India, there are a lot of Android agencies as well as developers, but it’s very hard to find a good quality iOS developing agency. We interviewed a lot of candidates, and nobody was even close to what we were thinking of in terms of maintainability of the code and good logic. At that time, we were planning to raise our next round of funding, and we needed something that was optimized and that we could scale for a large user base quickly.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

From the initial stage, Yalantis gathered the requirements and business insights very thoroughly. They reviewed every product we are using, and learned the business domain, how the apps work in India and how the market is and developed with the requirements for the app. While we were brainstorming, they came up with new features like appointment scheduling for the nutritionist, which was initially not a requirement. They were also involved in designing the entire app.

They did everything from the scratch. We had a version of iOS app already on the App Store. It was written in a different language, which was Objective C. We wanted them to do it in a certain code, but that was not usable so they completely scrapped the entire thing and began from scratch. They did everything from the wireframing on. It’s a native app.

What is the team dynamic?

There were eight to 12 people. There were two developers, one designer, and one head designer that consulted from time to time. There were two testers, a requirement analyst, an account manager, a finance support guy, and a program manager.

How did you come to work with Yalantis?

I was an IOS developer myself, and I used to explore different kinds of libraries. I discovered them through a couple of libraries that they were doing like an object mapping, JSON conversion, and animation libraries. One of them was Koloda, which was swipe animation. I kept on exploring a lot of code, and that’s when I came across one of their GitHub codes. Since then, I was hooked onto them. Yalantis had a very good reputation and they were popular. I found them primarily through a Google search.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $25,000 and $28,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started talking with them in January 2017, but the work started in May. We released the first version of the app in the App Store, and we have been engaging with them for the release the second version of the app. It’s on hiatus now because we need more funding before we commence the work with them. Also, our backend work is not complete.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I went through the code myself. They have followed a lot of design principles, so the code is clean and it’s very optimized. The app size was not as big as we expected, and we haven’t faced many crashes so far. Also, the navigation of the app is pretty seamless. We are happy with the overall design. I am sure they will make it even better for the second release.

How did Yalantis perform from a project management standpoint?

We had a little bit of difficulty in the beginning, but it was managed pretty well. We are from different continents so the time zone and syncing up is always an issue. Our program manager helped us, and it was seamless thereafter. The program management is very professional. They communicate at regular intervals. They were there to answer all our queries. They even provide support during weekends when we had urgent releases to be done. They also worked overtime during holidays when a particular release had to be made for a bug fix. We are very happy with the overall support.

We communicated primarily using Slack and Skype. Emails were used for confirming any sort of urgent decisions that had to be made. For example, feature changes, feature requests, and new requests that involved some kind of additional budget management.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Yalantis is the most professional bunch of people I have ever come across. These guys own up to everything they do. The quality of their app developers is exceptional. They code incredibly. If you go through the code, they stand out by far from any other agencies I have worked work in the past. Also, their design work is very nice; it was also very clean and it stands quite differently from the other apps in the similar healthcare space. They are a little bit pricey, but then it’s worth what they’re asking for. They did a fantastic job.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They are good on all fronts. Communication might be an issue in the initial phase mainly because of the language. I am saying that because that is one thing that I think that they can improve on from a feedback perspective. It was in no way a hindrance to our communication. I was able to communicate pretty well with them, but that’s one area they can improve on slightly.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the CEO and co-founder of a Swiss company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Yalantis?

I wanted to scale up the development team. I tried getting some offshore freelancers, but the experience was not very positive. It took time to find them, and the deliverables were not at the quality level I expected. At that time, we already had an in-house lead developer.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They helped develop our web application. I designed the process, screens, and workflow, while Yalantis’ developers implemented my designs. I usually handled the design work beforehand, which the developers had to replicate exactly.

The frontend work was short-term, focusing on several screens that will be released as an update to our existing application. They implemented these pixel perfect wireframes successfully.

What is the team dynamic?

So far, we’ve worked with three developers from Yalantis’ team. One of them has been with us since March. He now works with us on a permanent basis and provides backend Ruby on Rails development. The other two developers work successively on the frontend part of the web application using HTML and JavaScript.  

How did you come to work with Yalantis?

A friend of mine had worked with them before, so we tried them. The important thing for me was to have access to the workforce but not the overhead. I was not interested in paying anything for the managers since I planned to work directly with the developers.

How much have you invested with them?

So far, the cost has been around $25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Yalantis in March 2017, and the collaboration is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The platform will be released in two weeks. However, it’s very difficult to showcase Yalantis’ work since they did not create the design, and users cannot attribute what they see to them. Other people who have been seen the application do not understand what it is exactly.

Fortunately, my lead developer and I are very happy with the backend developer. He respects deadlines and provides quality code. Aside from being open to criticism, he often comes up with proactive suggestions. This is the case with the two frontend developers as well.

Initially, we had an interview for the backend developer, but we don’t do this anymore. Since I trust Yalantis, I would usually go with the resources they offer. They’re close to Europe, so their work ethic and approach are similar to ours.

How did Yalantis perform from a project management standpoint?

We work through two-week iterations with the Ruby on Rails developer. I prepare the different tasks for him at the start of an iteration and he implements them. After my other developer reviews the code, they make technical decisions together. Finally, we test and deploy the results.

We have Skype meetings once a week and use Trello the rest of the time. We understand each other quite well because they all speak good English.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We have a one-hour time difference, which is an advantage. They offer a good balance between price and work quality. If the same developer came from our country, we would be paying five times more. While we could also pay five times less using someone from India, I’m not sure about the quality they could deliver.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I had around three points of contact in the beginning, which made it hard to determine whether I was talking with salespeople or project managers. It got messy at some points, but it became much clearer once I told them about it.