Altamira

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder of a digital profile platform for pets. We have a lost and found function.

What challenge were you trying to address with Altamira?

We needed help with web and mobile application development.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Altamira has built three web applications that speak to a mobile app. They’ve used Flutter and Angular for development. Initially, we did a brief and talked to them to figure out a program that would do what we wanted. 

The app is a platform to store all the documents for a pet. It’s a digital profile for the vaccines, health records, and so on. Also, it has a QR tag that users can scan to send a notification with the geolocation of the pet ID tag. The web application is free for pet breeders, stores, and brokers. They can upload prior documents for the pet, and when the owner signs up, the information gets sent over to the mobile app on Android or iOS.

What is the team composition?

We have about 15 people working on everything from the front- and backend to design and business analysis.

How did you come to work with Altamira?

We hired a trusted person to interview companies for us. We chose them because they were the best developers who met our needs.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent more than $400,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began our partnership in May 2021 and are still working together.

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

We launched two weeks before Christmas, so we’re still new. However, downloads are up into the thousands. There have been quite a few bugs, but they’ve been pretty responsive. Overall, the app works well, and they’ve met our expectations.

How did Altamira perform from a project management standpoint?

The project is well-managed. Recently, they switched to Teams; we used Google Meet before. Additionally, they use Jira and Confluence as tools, and we communicate over Slack.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The project manager is one of a kind; she’s fantastic.

Are there any areas they could improve?

One of our biggest challenges is keeping an adequate staff through our low times. We’re new, so we need a big team, but we're in a transition right now. It’d be nice to have part-time people and not always commit to full-time developers.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have a clear picture of what you want before you start.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an information specialist at a design gallery and exhibition space.

What challenge were you trying to address with Altamira Softworks?

We needed their team to build a website for our users.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We had an existing website for our customers but needed to hire a team to upgrade its features to optimize our UX. Altamira Softworks replicated our content and migrated it into a new platform. They also integrated our local information systems and implemented a new design system to accommodate more complex functionalities. We hired an external UI specialist to produce detailed wireframes, and Altamira Softworks took charge of incorporating those into our platform using the new systems they built.

What is the team composition?

I worked with three resources from their team, including two project managers and a developer.

How did you come to work with Altamira Softworks?

We had a vetting process and Altamira Softworks was the team that met all our qualifications in terms of their skill set and price point.

How much have you invested with them?

The development cost was almost €22,000, and I can tell you about the SLA.

What is the status of this engagement?

We have a 4-year SLA contract with their team, but this particular development project ran from April–July 2021.

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

Altamira Softworks delivered each development phase on time and quickly dealt with the modification requests we sent, which allowed us to acquire the product within the timeline we set. Additionally, their deliverables had low bug rates according to the incremental software tests we conducted.

How did Altamira Softworks perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicate via email and direct messages and rely on Trello for project management. Altamira Softworks is a collaborative and deadline-oriented team, which makes for a smooth-sailing engagement.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Altamira Softwork's technical expertise was apparent in the design, screens, and transitions they created — they met our expectations with their high attention to detail and design capabilities.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We could've benefited from more maximized communication methods. As their client, we wanted to be involved every step of the way and have a detailed overview of the process to guarantee that our goals were met.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Determine your product needs with transparency and set up all the documents and requirements you have for their team before the discovery phase. Additionally, be in contact with them at all times to ensure that your expectations are fulfilled.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and director of Includmi, a UK-based digital well-being and inclusion platform for children with special needs.

What challenge were you trying to address with GBKSOFT?

We needed their expertise in mobile app development.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’ve already had the wireframes and prototype for our mobile app but needed another team to execute the development phase. GBKSOFT has referred to the prototype I’ve designed to build a functional version, integrating the user-specific features that we’ve planned to feature on the platform.

Our MVP is a well-being app, so GBKSOFT has customized its frontend to make it collaborative for teachers and children. Additionally, it serves as a social media platform that allows young people to openly share their thoughts and communicate with others. The platform has been made available in various app stores, mainly on Android and iOS.

They’ve delivered all our development-related requirements, but we still rely on GBKSOFT’s maintenance services. They use AWS to maintain the data protection of our app and alter the code work when we need other features or app updates to be embedded.

What is the team composition?

My main point of contact is their project manager. We’ve worked with a team of 20 resources from GBKSOFT, including UX/UI designers, business analysts, backend developers, and Android developers.

How did you come to work with GBKSOFT?

GBKSOFT was recommended to me at an innovation hub. I then found out that they provided services for other companies I was familiar with, so I decided to onboard them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about £80,000 (approximately $111,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing engagement with GBKSOFT commenced in June 2020.

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

We’ve only recently launched the app, so there are no quantitative metrics to share at this point. However, I can confirm that I’ve gotten fantastic results from our engagement with GBKSOFT. I’ve asked them to deliver a robust platform that’s easy to download and highly functional, and they’ve delivered that.

Since our app is dedicated to a special audience, we need it to be seamless and compliant with all the security and privacy rules in our country. The British Standards Institution has conducted an external penetration check, and we’ve gotten positive feedback from their security experts — especially with GBKSOFT’s code work. GBKSOFT has addressed all the vulnerabilities that have been identified in that test, so our platform works like a charm now.

Overall, I’m pleased with what their team has come up with, and I’m hopeful that this MVP will scale up rapidly and position our business well in the market, so we’ll be on track to meet all our goals.

How did GBKSOFT perform from a project management standpoint?

GBKSOFT has delivered our needs in a timely and cost-effective manner. They have reliable analytical and communication skills, which help us speed up the process to meet our project timelines. Additionally, their team is keen on ensuring our satisfaction before progressing with a different phase and making any changes.

What did you find most impressive about them?

What stands out about their team is their detail-oriented approach — it enables them to understand and translate our needs into a fully functional platform. GBKSOFT is a proactive team that’s dedicated to getting things done the way we want them to.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They can benefit from a more structured staffing approach. We’ve had to make some adjustments because of their staff turnover, and we’ll appreciate it if they have a permanent group of resources to tackle each client project instead. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be clear in identifying your needs and ask their team to simplify the technical terms to help you articulate each project phase. If you know what route they’re taking and what steps are being done, it’s easier to determine if they’re meeting your goals.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a European laboratory that analyzes samples. We focus on a lot of things like food analysis, environment analysis, clinical testing, pharma-biological testing, and the like. We provide and service the local links for the laboratory system of the company, and we are a big organization so we have other IT departments in Ukraine, the US, China, and Japan, among others.

I'm the team leader of the small sea regions — Slovakia, Czech, Croatia, Hungary, and others in Eastern Europe — which we are supporting. I'm also the team leader for IT.

What challenge were you trying to address with Altamira Softworks?

We wanted to automatize and speed up the registration process with a mobile solution. We didn't have a mobile developer so we hired Altamira.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We first provided the steps that we wanted the solution to perform. Basically, we needed it to take a photo, transfer it to a PDF, and put numbering on the document. The mobile solution could then automatically manage and feed these photos to our system based on the numbering. 

When the mobile app is opened, the user could select who will be working on the device using photo identification and a barcode scanner. It then gives the user the option to finish or add more pictures. Once finished, the system will provide a number for each sample ranging from 1–999. Users can then connect the device to a computer using a cable to initiate downloads.

This is the first version of the app and it was developed for Android 9.0 Plus. I'm not sure about what version of iOS it can serve, though. We contracted Altamira twice: the first time was to have the app developed and the second was to have them add the company portal on the app, upload it to iTunes, and publish it as an official version on Microsoft solutions.

What is the team composition?

We had only one contact person who gave us all the feedback when the project was done, and that was Martina (Office & Account Manager).

How did you come to work with Altamira Softworks?

We were looking for somebody in Slovakia and found Altamira on Google. It was our colleague, the manager, who chose 2–3 companies, and only Altamira replied to us that they were open to provide us with the solution we required.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around €5,000 (approximately $6,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

The project started at the beginning of December 2020. Because of the COVID situation, the holiday season, and Christmas time, the delivery was completed in the middle of January 2021. It was done in the space pf one month.

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

There were two times when fixing was needed for the performance as well as for a problem with the volume of the pictures. Altamira resolved all the issues in one week and everything was really good. 

How did Altamira Softworks perform from a project management standpoint?

They did really well. We did not use any project management tools but communication was typically done via email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They are really open people. There were no problems with communications and they had a fast response time.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There isn’t any. We would like to continue working with them. Our plan is to be more automatic with this application — like having the downloads accomplished online instead of via cable — and to contact them to provide that service. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Go with Altamira because we were satisfied with them.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

A medium-sized investment company focused on providing professional investment services, especially for retail clients. I am a Compliance Officer, I am also responsible for the operation of the company and the implementation of new company processes.
 

What challenge were you trying to address with Altamira Softworks?

Replacement of the main information system used by the investment firm for asset management.

What was the scope of their involvement? 

Altamira Softworks was the main supplier of the software solution.

What is the team composition? 

Our company's team consisted of two people. One person oversaw specifying the requirements, the other was in charge of testing the functionalities and implementing the software.

How did you come to work with Altamira Softworks?

Based on previous experience. It was not our first joint project.

How much have you invested with them?

The investment is calculated in tens of thousands in the range of 50 to 100 k.

What is the status of this engagement?

The first part of the project was successfully completed, the deployment of new software, which is 100% the original software. In the second phase, which begins, we want to expand the functionality of the software so that our company can offer new products.

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

The joint project is so successful that according to our model, the same software solution is implemented by other competing investment companies.

How did Altamira Softworks perform from a project management standpoint?

The project was managed according to our requirements. The team has always been able to respond flexibly to our requirements as needed.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Fast reaction time, understanding and cooperation in solving the problem.

Are there any areas they could improve?

In terms of deploying a new IT solution, it is very difficult to master accurate planning. If unpredictable circumstances arise that require unexpected solutions, we consider accurate planning to be one of the most complicated challenges to be met.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the co-founder of a small software company creating mobile and web applications to solve everyday problems.

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

We wanted to build a mobile application to help riders of the Washington State Ferry (WSF) network, one of the largest in the United States. We wanted an app that was fun to use and helpful for both the occasional ferry rider and regular commuters. We needed to integrate into the publicly available WSF REST API with caching, as internet access can be spotty when riding the ferry system. We wanted to build using Flutter & Dart so that we could have both an iOS and Android version of the app available on Day 1.

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

We had already shortlisted them from a previous project and were looking for the right opportunity to engage. This project was well defined and small enough to be a great pilot project. What really impressed us was the excellent communication and quick turn-around of questions.

The program management team really kept the project on track and were great a communicating. Language was never an issue. The developers seemed sharp and knowledgable, which gave us a lot of confidence that the end product would be good.

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

I started with a mini-spec that was turned into a set of project steps in Jira. A Confluence page was created for each piece of the application where we could discuss and refine. Once development started we had a mid-point check-in to review the app with the developer. The final coding sprints resulted in a completed app with only minor refinements required.

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

There were 4 or 5 people on the core team, including a program manager, developer, devops. Additional specialists were brought in as needed, for example to setup the application on the Apple iTunesConnect site.

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

We were able to complete the project ahead of schedule in time for the summer sailing season. Customer feedback has been very positive and we are working on a set up upgrades for a future version of the app.

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

We did weekly video chats, communicated on Slack almost daily, and used Confluence wiki pages as a way to capture project notes and feedback.

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

The process was very smooth and relaxed. There were no surprises and no drama.

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

The payment schedule was defined up front, but it took some time for us to set up international wire transfers facilities. Some assistance in this area could have really helped us get started more quickly. For example, having more payment options would be useful.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I work as a regional tourist information centre manager for a destination management organisation located in Trnava region, managing the destination of Trnava and surrounding villages.

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

Our aim was to create a simple, easy to use audio guide for the town of Trnava to be used as a mobile app for visitors to the destination. We wanted the app to work in 9 different languages, provide the information about Trnava sights in written as well as in audio form, and to work as a navigation system, that will guide the user from their position to the selected sights in the shortest way. Part of the project was to create a web interface for managing the content of the app. The project was selected for implementation by a public vote as part of a participatory budget planning for the municipality of Trnava.

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

We set up a procurement process using tendering and competitive bidding process to obtain a company to implement our project. We searched for app developers with experience in tourism app development and asked them to bid their offer as a part of the process. The deciding factor was the lowest price offered.

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

We provided the company with specification for the app as a part of the procurement process. We had several meetings regarding these specifications, where we discussed what we wanted, as this was our first time working on developing a mobile app. We required the app to work for both Android and iOS users, and to incorporate REST API in order to ease the incorporation of the app into the existing web interface in the future.

We provided design manuals for our brand and our promotional brochures, which were used by Altamira Softworks as a basis for UI design of our new app. Two milestones were set up – one after finishing the development of the app and providing us with a working version of it, second one after incorporating the feedback from us regarding the first version of the app. Both milestones were met.

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

In the beginning, we mostly talked with the CEO, the lead developer and an account manager for Altamira Softworks. After we finished discussing the details and possibilities of the app development, I mostly interacted with the account manager. In the later stages of the project, I mostly talked with a project manager, who was assigned to our project.

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

Approximately two weeks after we started promoting our app, we reached 100+ downloads of our app on both Google Play and on AppStore. We also received highly positive feedback about the app from general public, as well as from tourist guides, professionals in tourism industry and professional in digital media and game design.

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

Both the account manager and the project manager assigned to our project were easy to communicate with, reachable and helpful. We had several online meetings via Google Meet about the project, since in-person meetings were impossible due to COVID-19 restrictions. Most of the communication was done via email or phone calls if faster reaction was needed.

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

The company was extremely helpful and willing to aid us with some technical difficulties on our side. The project manager walked us step by step through the process of setting up the necessary settings of our server to get the web interface for managing the content of the app running. The company was also able to use the assets provided and create a UI design that fits well with our own brand.

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

There were very few misunderstandings or inconveniences, which were easily and swiftly fixed. Overall, I do not see any area, which would need much improving.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a member of the board of directors, and co-founder, of Altamira.ai. It is a digital transformation company that provides consulting services to customers interested in business transformation. The company has several subsidiaries

What challenge were you trying to address with GBKSOFT?

We needed branding and web development done for Altamira.ai.

What was the scope of their involvement?

First, they researched our company and industry for color combinations and presented us with 4–5 options for the logo and branding.

Then, they designed and developed the brand, logo, and website, and deployed the website in the public domain. It was built on WordPress. They also did some design work for a white paper developed by our content writers.

What is the team composition?

We worked with 4–5 people on the project, including Alexandra (CTO), Irina (CMO), and three web developers.

How did you come to work with GBKSOFT?

They were recommended by one of our partners, who had worked with them previously. They offered the most services for the best price out of the companies we considered.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from November 2020, and we wrapped up in March 2021.

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

The two main metrics I looked at were budget and deadlines. They completed the scope for a reasonable price and met our strict deadlines. They were easy to work with and did tremendous work in their research for color combinations for our company.

How did GBKSOFT perform from a project management standpoint?

They used Figma for layouts and designs and Jira for project management. We communicated via Google Meet and email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They had a very collaborative approach; they truly valued our input and feedback. They asked project-specific questions and came back with good solutions based on our answers. I liked working with them; they make it easy to do so.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I don’t have anything to suggest.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Negotiate the terms of the engagement to your satisfaction. If you have concerns/ideas/thoughts, do not hesitate to discuss them with GBKSOFT; their team will turn them in good solutions

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO of CTRL. We have created a sports training compression sleeve that learns an athlete's unique ideal motion and teaches them to reproduce it every time.

For what projects/services did your company hire GBKSOFT?

My team is very small and we have had to prioritize our software development. We chose first to develop for iOS and hired GBKSOFT to port our application to Android and refresh our UI.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted feature parity with our iOS application and a new UI that built on and meshed with the high quality, luxury feel of our physical hardware.

How did you select GBKSOFT?

I searched online for app studios and spoke with a couple of friends that had used app development studios before. All other companies I met with, even with personal references, failed to present themselves as organized and committed as GBKSOFT. From the very first call to the proposal I received, it was clear that GBKSOFT would produce a very high-quality application and UI.

Describe the project in detail.

The project was to develop and new, refreshed UI and port our iOS application to Android. From the beginning, we knew that the port would be a difficult job. We have developed our own proprietary motion sensors and GBKSOFT would need to integrate with them seamlessly to accomplish our goals.

We began with a kickoff meeting to meet our dev team (PM, SM, designer, dev, QA). Then week by week we groomed the scope of the project. The PM would constantly contact us with any questions they had and help us lock down our tech specs and design for the developers to implement. At the same time, we would update the iOS application to match the new UI.

What was the team composition?

We were assigned a project manager, scrum master, designer, android developer, and QA engineer. The team was amazing and did their job extremely well. Team members did not change during our project, barring one or two instances where one member would be gone on vacation and we were assigned another team to take their place for that short period of time.

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

Our app is set to be released in just a few short months. During the development period and after, we have had internal testers tell us that they love the functionality, flow, ease of use, and visual style. Overall, they are very impressed by the UI/UX that was created by GBKSOFT.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow was truly amazing. Their team was organized, reached out whenever a question needed answering, and they work fast. We used a combination of Slack and Confluence to handle quick communication and show the plan moving forward.

Throughout the project, they asked for feedback on how they could improve their services, and I had none to give. That is how well they worked together and with us. I cannot understand how they are able to balance multiple projects and still make it feel like we are their #1 priority. It was a fantastic experience.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I was blown away by how organized they are. It taught me quite a bit about running an effective software development team. Their abilities to manage the scope and put ideas into an actionable plan are unmatched. They sought to understand not just our product, but the industry we are in so that they could build the best user experience possible.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I really can't think of anything they can improve upon. We had a wonderful experience working with GBKSOFT

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the project manager here at HDR Print, where we specialize in wholesale large format printing.

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

We originally built a custom website when we started the business but it didn't have the functionality and the pizazz that we needed to get the business to where we wanted it.

After working with our previous developer we realized that they didn't have what it takes to be able to build such a robust website.

How did you select GBKSOFT and what were the deciding factors?

After speaking with many developers I was almost ready to give up as no one was able to help with the features that I wanted.

I than heard about GBK Soft and was highly recommended by a few other companies to use them.

Since we started I have never had such an easy time! Wether it was communication, tight deadlines, and robust features, GBK Soft was there and over delivered!

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

Since we started from scratch we started from the basics of the website and went through each feature and each plugin together with the team.

Everything was tracked and managed through confluence with such detail, it was hard to make mistakes!

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

There were 4 amazing people that I spoke to on a weekly (or daily) basis and then many more that were working behind the scene.

Alexander Nesterenko was the salesman and stuck with us through every update, and every meeting. I couldn't be happier with a salesman! Always looking for the best solution, and always with a smile!

Alexandra Restova is the team leader. She was my mane point of contact for the web development. It was unbelievable how she would explain each robust feature in a simple way. And there was never a time where there was a feature they didn't have a way around!

 Anastasiia is the in charge of the finances. When spending a great amount of money on a project everyone is always asking where the money is going. Well Anastasiia always went through our weekly finances and down to the penny what our bills were accounted for, also with weekly reports.

 And last but not least Denis, who is the head of front-end development. Your demo's were amazing each and every week rolling out new features as we went along the project, it was amazing to see the project come together more and more each time!

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

With rolling out this project we were able to cut manpower as the website did a lot more work than the previous one, also the mistakes that happened while ordering won't happen again, because of the clear cut process of our new website!

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

The project management was impeccable! Everything was done through Jira and hangouts, which was a blessing especially during COVID.

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

We were able to communicate on a level of my understanding which is really important that you have a team that will take a feature that you explain and put into writing so that every part of the project will work together.

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

I have absolutely no complaints they did something no other company was able to do!