Zitec

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an executive at a marketing automation company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Equilobe Software?

We needed assistance to accelerate our company’s roadmap based on the results we had.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’ve been working with Equilobe Software for six years. We work with part of their software engineering team on different tasks since this is not a project-based engagement. 

Equilobe Software assists us with different projects that involve product design and QA. They use different technologies, including Microsoft tech stack: C#, .NET, and Microsoft SQL Server. Equilobe Software also works with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript using Angular and AngularJS. Besides the software development services, Equilobe Software offers us technical maintenance and support as needed.

What is the team composition?

We work with six engineers from Equilobe Software, ranging from senior to junior levels.

How did you come to work with Equilobe Software?

When I started working at my company, they were already working with Equilobe Software. However, I believe a colleague who had previously worked with them referred Equilobe Software. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around £1 million–£5 million (approximately $1.2 million–$6.2 million) with Equilobe Software. We’ve invested around  £500,000 (approximately $600,000) per year.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Equilobe Software in June 2017, and our partnership is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Equilobe Software always meets our expectations. Our success measure is through our roadmap progress and sprint performance.

How did Equilobe Software perform from a project management standpoint?

Equilobe Software stays on budget and meets deadlines. We use Jira for project management and communicate through Microsoft Teams and Slack.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’m most impressed with Equilobe Software’s technical skills and software architecture knowledge. Moreover, Equilobe Software’s team has been able to integrate well into our company, to the point where most of our staff consider their team long-term employees.

Even though Equilobe Software is located at a different timezone, we haven’t had problems with that.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything for Equilobe Software to improve. I’m really happy with the engagement. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I recommend customers who want to engage with Equilobe Software do it in a similar model that we have to maintain their local product ownership.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Operations Manager at Narada, a Romanian Social Business based in Bucharest with its mission to democratize the access to education for every child to reach its personal and professional potential.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Our organization built in house two platforms which are at the core of our mission (hartaedu.ro and naradix.ro), but soon after launching the platforms, the demand we had, outgrew the platforms capacity. At that point, we contracted Zitec to take ownership of our platform's maintenance and future upgrade projects.

SOLUTION

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

Researching the options we had, Zitec proved to be one of the most reliable partners to take care of our platforms and after an interview we had with them, we decided we are going to collaborate. We chose them based on previous reviews they had from other customers and based on the knowledge needed for our platforms to perform.

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

We worked on multiple projects together, such as: Platforms optimization As we worked via Jira, the workflow for platforms optimization was: We conducted customer platform tests We identified bugs, ux/ui problems, etc We prioritize the problems and give them further to Zitec to be solved As they were solved, we were constantly updated on the process B.

Landing Pages Building We provided Zitec with the wireframes designed to be implemented Had a debrief call based on the objective of the LP Had constant check ups along with the implementation Had final check up when the implementation was finished C. We also worked on specific short term projects such as new features development. All the management was also happening via Jira.

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

Project Manager - Marius Wordpress Developer - Andrei Databases and Servers - Ionut 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We can refer as success to the two platforms they are covering the maintenance for: naradix.ro and hartaedu.ro and mention also the landing page naratix.ro/together which was a project started from scratch.

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

Everything was completed as required, always having a very smooth communication either with the developers or the project manager. We mostly aligned via online calls, but they also paid a visit to our office to better understand and align with our needs.

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

The workflow is always based on better understanding our core needs and very smooth communication and alignment.

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

At this point of the collaboration, no.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of the RX.DU LLC, a software consulting company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Equilobe Software?

We needed someone to help us build different projects for our clients.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Equilobe Software is our primary web and app development partner, helping us build different projects for our clients. The team mainly utilizes JavaScript technologies to build web apps that run well on desktop and mobile.

What is the team composition?

We mainly work with two senior developers.

How did you come to work with Equilobe Software?

We came across Equilobe Software through word of mouth.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested about $91,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing partnership started in December 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The team does a fantastic job of accomplishing their goals and delivering great results for the clients.

How did Equilobe Software perform from a project management standpoint?

They perform well from a project management perspective because they consistently meet their deadlines and respond to all our feedback despite the timezone differences.

We typically use Slack and Google Meet to communicate.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’re impressed with the quality of their work and their approach to communication. It took very little time for them to understand our needs, so now they’re contributing to our projects at an extremely high level.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I wish they could have more developers on board.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I’d advise you to trust their expertise.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

certSIGN is the main developer and provider of cryptographic solutions and trust services in Romania, with projects in the field of digital identity, trust services, legal archiving, and cyber security in over 20 countries.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

One of our core business focus is on digital identity. As cloud computing use is growing, we witness an identity shift - from the physical ID card to digital identity.

We were looking to develop a solution that encompasses all attributes that uniquely identifies a user, includes their identity in social media/networking, and allows for securely authentication to various online services, including government or banking. We also wanted to take it one step further, to identity decentralization, where the end-user is better protected against identity theft. This is why we teamed up with Zitec, to leverage their blockchain expertise and develop the first service in Romania that guarantees blockchain identity, certME.

SOLUTION

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

Zitec provided engineers to certSIGN to develop a distributed application that runs on an Ethereum-based private blockchain, enabling users to perform trusted digital onboarding on their mobile devices with supported online service providers.

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

It’s 100% online, with many services - from banking to utilities - that are accessible anytime and anywhere, directly from the user’s phone. The personal data of certME users is stored encrypted only on their mobile devices. The blockchain is used to record proofs of verification of the user's identity.

As a result, users are guaranteed that their data cannot be accessed without their consent, and the complete record of access to their data is transparent and anonymous on the blockchain. On the other hand, service providers are guaranteed that the data received from users is valid and that their identity has been verified with a substantial level of assurance.

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

• 1 Blockchain & Mobile Engineer
• 1 Android Engineer
• 2 iOS Engineers
• 2 Quality Assurance Engineers
• 1 Software Engineer

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

certME is the first solution in Romania that allows the management, verification, and guarantee of reliable digital identities, with clear benefits for users who no longer waste time traveling to the supplier’s headquarters and enjoy a digital experience in accessing a wide range of services 100% online.

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

We used various approaches in different stages of product development including scrum, kanban and hybrids thereof. We used MS Teams to communicate and coordinate and Jira to track development.

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

We had direct access to the whole team, which made it easier to communicate our ideas. Things can be lost in translation if you're only talking to a project manager.

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

While the most senior developers show imitative and independence, the less experienced developers sometimes need closer guidance.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the managing partner of an ISV. We develop custom financial and financial-adjacent software for the private and public sector.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We won a bid to implement a supplier contract management platform for a client in the public sector. Our small team needed to be augmented in order to deliver the submitted software product within the time and monetary budget offered. As a result we hired Equilobe to provide a small development team of highly experienced developers that would work on certain aspects of the software product alongside us.

SOLUTION

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

The decision was made based on previous experience of them doing light consulting work and knowing the caliber of their developers and their excellent work ethic. Because of this, we were confident that they were a good fit given especially the time constraints of the project.

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

Based on the draft SRS provided by us and which we finalized together, they developed several modules of the application (data processing, messaging, notifications, events calendar, document uploads, custom document fields management), using .NET Core for the back-end, SQL Server and very complex audit triggers for the data storage and VueJS for the frontend. We settled on a scrum methodology, and the project elements developed by them were done in 6 two-week sprints.

At the end, we also set aside one week for importing data provided by the client in the new system and tweaking after the go-live. Currently the system is still in use in almost exactly the initially-delivered form, with very little ulterior tweaking done by us as we are the support provider for the final client.

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

There were three people in the vendor's team, one senior and one mid-level developer and one part-time team supervisor.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were able to go live without any incidents and on time, which was the principal requirement. There were no ulterior issues with the system, it worked as per requirements and has helped the client engage multiple departments in the contract management workflows, eliminating situations where contracts were in danger of expiring or going over the allocated time and financial budgets. The new system also helped the final client with preparing complex audit reports regarding their ongoing contracts.

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

Project management went smoothly, the team was very self-organized and any possible issues were communicated ahead of time. Because of the pandemic, we only communicated remotely, using Slack and Zoom. Development was done on GitHub and AWS for the test environment.

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

Very self-motivated and self-organizing team, and also quite excellent technical level on their end. They went out of their way to find the best technical solutions while keeping the project deadline in mind.

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

Documenting design decisions, which we had to deliver to the final client alongside the source code, was something their team was not accustomed to and they had to figure it out on the fly, which caused a bit of friction initially.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am Co-Founder & CEO of the most relevant software marketplace in the region, which helps companies to choose the right software solution, based on their Digital DNA.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We were growing our presence on the local market and our digital strategy included SEO activities (to improve our ratings, grow website traffic and generate more leads) and performance marketing campaigns.

SOLUTION

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

Considering the previous experience of ZITEC team with IT companies and their needs, we found a good match with our main objectives.

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

We have already prepared a brief before signing the contract, so the next steps included brand positioning, setting up the OKRs. Zitec helped us with the keyword research, copywriting and feedback for part of work.

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

We worked with an integrated team (Project manager, SEO specialist, 2 performance marketers).

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We managed to improve our ranking on Google for several key words and we have also generated more qualified leads.

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

Zitec was great at managing our expectations and meeting our deadlines. Mostly, we shared insights and feedback through e-mails, but we also planned weekly calls.

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

Their capabilities to understand specific characteristics of every business, industry, processes.

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

An extra dose of creativity is always appreciated.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Startarium is the most complex digital platform for early-stage entrepreneurs in Romania, works on 4 pillars, meant to support the 4 entrepreneurial growth verticals – know-how, tools, a network of people and organizations entrepreneurs can get in contact with and active funding and development opportunities. My position is as a Community & Product Owner.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Our main scope was to improve the users' experience on the platform and, through that, to increase the time spent on the platform. We needed to relaunch a better version of our platform. Zitec was working with us throughout the whole development process. They are providing us constantly support for our technical challenges and the further development of the platform

SOLUTION

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

We already knew each other, and the Zitec founders already supported Startarium and our community, so when the time came for us to design a new digital platform, they were the first that came to mind to join forces with.

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

We have worked in sprints, first discussing our goals and objectives and building a road map together. Next, they provided mock-ups and wireframes and we had various feedback loops, followed by implementation.

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

We work with 1 project manager and 3 developers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The new version of the platform is performing better, and we see an increase in the time spent by the users.

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

They are super responsive, whenever there is a thing that we need to fix, they are managing to find a solution ASAP. We use different channels for communication: Slack, email, Jira & Video Calls.

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

They are determined and enthusiastic when it comes to working on a new project. They try to find an easy way to explain technical information to non-tech people, which is very helpful.

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

For the moment I don’t have any kind of recommendations.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the sales manager of the online pharmacy. Our company has also a regional pharmacies chain and a pharmaceutical warehouse.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We hired Zitec to help us create and implement a complete marketing strategy. We wanted to increase our brand awareness and to grow faster the online sales.

SOLUTION

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

We were already working with Zitec on another project and we were very satisfied with the collaboration. They recommended us their marketing department. We had a meeting and decided to work with them because they understood our needs and the challenges we were facing and we knew that Zitec is a reliable company.

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

They made a complete marketing stategy based on our needs and goals. The plan included: brand awareness and performance campaigns (Google Ads, Facebook and Instagram Ads, Bing Ads, Youtube Ads, Programmatic and Direct Buying on local websites, Outdoor, Radio), social media strategy, email marketing. They also created content and visual elements (including videos) for our online and offline campaigns.

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

We worked mostly with 2 persons: Creative Director and Digital Marketing Strategist

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

After 1 year of collaboration we had a 48% increase in website traffic, more that 50% new users and 40% growth in sales

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We work very good together, we have a good communication. They are always very responsive to our needs and open to new ideas, they are creatives and most important hard working.

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

Their creativity, the willing to learn and explore new things

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

Not for now

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a Development Manager and Board Member within the company, also in charge of various core internal IT projects and initiatives. Honest General Trading practices wholesale trade to trading companies. The company is a supplier of various DIY items: tools and hand or power tools for construction, gardening and landscaping

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Zitec was tasked with rewriting the Android mobile application, which is mainly used for placing orders. The app has approximately 150 internal users, sales agents and managers, who use the application in their daily job.

SOLUTION

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

We select 3 potential collaborators after a web search. We chose this vendor based on their past projects, and cost estimate.

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

The Android application was developed using CROSSWALK. Due to the incompatibility with API 31, we wanted to migrate the application to android.webkit. Zitec proposed that we rewrite the application altogether, following a modular architecture, in order to simplify future app updates.

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

• 1 Android mobile engineer
• 1 QA engineer
• 1 Project Manager

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Can not comment at this time.

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

The project was organized using agile methodology and principles. The one-week short iterations were very effective, with weekly brief statuses and on-demand discussions with the technical team.

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

I was impressed with their communication skills.

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

I don't find at this point things that can be improved with a considerable impact on collaboration.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Cars2View was developed to meet the market and client's needs for comprehensive data that would drive business goals further, faster, more efficiently, generating demand and establishing thought leadership for the next generation of automotive sales technology. I am the IT Director of the company in charge with all developments deliveries.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Zitec?

For managed services, Dev-ops and cloud counseling.

SOLUTION

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

We have first analyzed the cloud service providers (AWS and Azure). After we have decided to go with Azure we have received a recommendation to use Zitec services to implement the cloud solutions.

Describe the project in detail and walk through their service package.

Cars2View is a new online data driven solution developed for the automotive industry to help dealers make informed business decisions based on market input. By scanning and tracking market prices, Cars2View eliminates the guess work and delivers fact based results. Cars2view is used to track trends and pricing in automotive industry. Cars2View is an AI driven platform that generates real time results

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

CTO was the main contact person, then the head of Dev-ops and other resources like Security, collegues from dev-ops team and of course the project managers and account managers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The solution we developed is using the full potential of the cloud services we decided to implement together with Zitec. For example, we had implemented a specific process of ETL which is using Azure functions together with Azure queues that ingest a huge amount of data in a very short time with a fraction of the cost. Also, the solution requires very little maintenance, so is cost effective from dev-ops as well.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow is very effective, we have dedicated persons for each topic we need to address. Of course, the CTO was involved in all major decisions about the architecture and design of various components.

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

Was very impressive the one stop shop kind of IT service provider. All our requirements and needs for our cloud infrastructure were delivered on time by Zitec.

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

Proactivity in terms of upgrading to the next generation of services, when they appear.