Anadea

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an independent designer. I have my own company, but it’s just me.

What challenge were you trying to address with Anadea?

I needed to create a program to translate a MIDI file, which is an audio file, into the music language that I made. It represented music through colors, and they had to develop a web application to create a music database based on my language.

What was the scope of their involvement?

I initially provided the design and how it should look, and Anadea made it from scratch. They developed it using Ruby on Rails.

What is the team composition?

In the beginning, I had meetings with a broader team of engineers, but only one person worked on the code.

How did you come to work with Anadea?

I searched on Google and looked everywhere. Then, I decided to book an interview with Anadea, and one of the senior engineers knew about proper music theory. When I talked to them about the music language, I thought that if they knew about code and music, they could be my team.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $8,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started our engagement in January 2022 and took a break in April 2022.

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

The project is private for now; I’ll wait to make it public. In terms of functionality, 60% of the songs would work in the beginning. Then, we refined the code. Now, 95% of the songs work in the system, so it works excellently.

How did Anadea perform from a project management standpoint?

It was good. A business development person oversaw the project and got in touch when something needed attention. However, I was generally in touch with the developer. Every time I needed to meet him or had a question, we had a Slack channel. The communication was fluid. Even when I raised issues, it felt very smooth. Moreover, I liked their attitude — everything was solvable.

We usually communicated through Slack for minor things or to set up meetings. Additionally, we used video calls.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They had a can-do attitude and delivered on their promises. Everything went great, and Anadea’s team was really professional.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It would’ve been great if the coder had better English, but I didn’t have complaints, honestly.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Give them a clear and detailed brief. Although they have design capabilities, they’re great at following the lead. In our case, it was really helpful to give them the design.

Please describe your company and your position there.

We develop a idea management software that we serve to our customers as a SaaS.

For what projects/services did your company hire Anadea?

We needed extra hands with Ruby on Rails development, from bug fixing to small features development, and specially to write a full test suite.

What were your goals for this project?

To reach a good level of code coverage with our test suite, so we would be comfortable to refactor and evolve the product.

How did you select this vendor?

We interviewed a number of competing agencies. We were looking for somebody on the East Europe area, for timezone and cultural closeness, compared to other regions popular for this kind of services. We wanted a developer that could join to our team as if he was part of it from day one, removing all possible bureaucratic and intermediate processes. We were looking for an agency with a strong record and we were looking for a reasonable cost.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Anadea placed one developer that joined our team as a remote, and worked alongside other team members in the selected tasks, specially in coding the test suite.

What was the team composition?

One junior developer, working with as full time.

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

All the goals were achieved in quality, time and cost. With the desired test suite, we were able to start a new phase for the product, that included its full revamping and update. This work allowed our in house team to move faster and more reliable.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Anadea succeeded in locating the right developer, setting a clear and agile administrative layer and basically getting out of the way as we requested. When any issue appeared, they were super fast to diagnose and find solutions.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Everyone we interacted with was driven, disciplined, understanding and intelligent. They were also very fast and honest in their communications, which made things really easy.

Are there any areas for improvement?

We had an initial developer working on the project with a very scarce knowledge of English, which was not a good fit for the kind of communication we required. That was exchanged fast, but it would have been better to know such limitation in advance.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the IT project manager for a biotech company.

What challenge were you trying to address with Anadea?

We needed someone to develop our app for patients who have a specific disease to help them monitor the progress of their treatment. We didn’t have the capabilities in-house.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We spent the first month going through a product planning and definition phase and then went through a six-month development phase. They built the app to collect information on how the disease impacts patients’ daily life and track how they feel throughout their treatment. If they fill out their surveys and provide information on treatments regularly, we can correlate the data to provide a picture of the impact that their treatment has.

Through the app, the patient has the ability to get access to blood tests, and we have a product that the patient can use to provide a blood sample. We analyze the blood samples in our lab for a biomarker, which is a major indicator of the patient’s health situation. The patient can share the results of the quality of life surveys and the biomarker tests with the treating physician. Based on the available information, the app displays the development of biomarker levels and quality of life. They also developed a website designed for physicians to retrieve their patients’ information.

What is the team composition?

Their internal project manager was my single point of contact. The team consisted of two iOS developers, two Android developers, a backend architect, a frontend developer, a UI/UX designer, and a QA specialist.

There was also a business analyst who looked at our business processes and made sure that what’s implemented in the app fits with our existing processes in addition to a solution architect who was responsible for system design and integration processes.

How did you come to work with Anadea?

We conducted a formal selection process and found Anadea through an internet search. We chose them because of their healthcare background, and they had the best offer.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent €150,000 (approximately $171,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in June 2018 and project went live in November. The addition of new features and improvements is ongoing.

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

The iOS and Android app went live in November. We’re in a pilot phase with a limited number of users, but the feedback is exceedingly positive. We’re in an improvement phase where we collect user feedback. We’re looking forward to going live globally soon.

How did Anadea perform from a project management standpoint?

Communication was great. We were in close, daily contact. We had teleconferences, video conferences, and chats, and had data storage which we used to exchange files. The project manager did a tremendous job. He was especially transparent and always reported on time. He made sure that the team applied an agile project management approach with two-week sprints. After every sprint, we had demos of what they achieved, which were informative and instructive.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re excellent and reliable communicators. They understand the customer’s requirements quickly and translate them into solutions. They’re responsive if something comes up. They’re flexible with time.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could potentially improve the quality of their secondary topics such as their documentation, user manual, and more. Customer decisions that they did not fully agree with were asked to be verified several times, which led to an additional effort for repetitive meetings and discussions on the same topic.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be very clear in documenting requirements and insist on contractual clarity.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m CTO of an e-learning solutions provider that prepares users for state and national licensing examinations.

For what projects/services did your company hire Anadea?

We needed to build a platform that provides insights and analytics into the learning process. It should accelerate the performance of users and allow them to fine-tune their study plan based on actionable recommendations from the software.

What were your goals for this project?

The initial goals for the project were to build an MVP and validate that the end user found value with the way we chose to differentiate our mobile application from other e-learning apps.

How did you select this vendor?

We selected them based on the depth of their research into our initial requirements, as well as their ability to achieve our goals on time and on budget. It was clear from the initial discussions that Anadea was all about delivering results. There was a feeling of mutual trust and respect.

Can you go into detail about the services they provided and the scope of the project?

Using Ruby on Rails and Heroku, Anadea built the app from scratch. We quickly learned during testing that users found our analytical approach to be a benefit to their study progression. Anadea subsequently added additional features as requested by users.

They initially focused on the MVP by creating a solid architecture backend that we could build on. Next, they moved on to more dynamic tasks that involved a combination of front- and backend development and other dev-ops skills. It’s been two years and we aim to work together indefinitely as we continue to improve the app based on user feedback.

What was the team composition?

The project team evolves based on our requirements at a given time. Anadea matches us with the best team available and offers us options that work within our budget.

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

They continue to exceed our goals. The app is fundamental to our business as it’s the core product that our customers interact and engage with every single day. Anadea demonstrates incredible care and attention to detail to our architecture and requirements. They provide a collaborative environment that pushes us to improve features and deliver a better UX—and therefore more value—for our users. Their experience is clear so we trust their advice and recommendations. They’ve created an incredibly stable app without any uptime issues or interruption of service, just rock solid dependability.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

We communicate through Skype, Github, and calls whenever needed. Their project managers all truly understand our unique challenges as well as the underlying business logic. They’re able to provide excellent suggestions to accomplish tasks in a more efficient or cost-effective way, while still serving the business needs. It’s been a pleasure to work with each member of their team. Whether it’s a junior or senior developer, I know I’m getting quality work that is cleanly coded and well-thought-out.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They’ve been excellent in all aspects so it’s hard to name a single highlight. It’s been a series of good experiences resulting in the on-time, on-budget delivery of a project that is stronger as a result of everyone involved.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

There’s very little that could be improved as they offer optimal service and incredible value. They’re also wonderful people to work with. They truly care about the project. I couldn’t ask for anything more.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of Ask MUMM, which is a side project of mine. “MUMM” stands for “Make up my mind,” and it’s a social media platform where users can crowdsource answers to questions via their friends and followers.

What challenge were you trying to address with Anadea?

I’m not a tech person, so I hired them to develop my mobile app.

What was the scope of their involvement?

I’m not a big app user and my understanding of how to build social media platforms is very limited, so they walked me through the whole process. We started out by discussing my vision for the app. I had a clear idea of how I wanted it to function and their team assured me that all of my goals were achievable. They handled all of the design and development for both iOS and Android. The app allows users to pose questions and write their own multiple choice answers, which they can post to their followers for feedback. Questions expire on a timer and users can review the answers for 24 hours after that. Users can also attach images, share a location, and exchange comments and messages.

In addition to the app, Anadea also put together a simple website for me that contains the platform’s business contact information and an FAQ.

What is the team composition?

I primarily worked with the project manager, but there were also iOS, Android, and back end developers, QA testers, a designer, and an account manager.

How did you come to work with Anadea?

I found them on Clutch as I was researching different companies. I reached out to several companies and Anadea responded right away. I felt really comfortable with their team and decided to go with them.

How much have you invested with them?

The final cost was about $80,000 USD.

What is the status of this engagement?

They worked with me from April 2017–October 2018. The original estimate was for six months but I ended up needing extra time to fully fund the project.

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

I’m in the process of rolling out the app and launching my marketing campaigns, so I don’t have any metrics yet with regard to users.

How did Anadea perform from a project management standpoint?

My project manager did an unbelievable job of explaining everything to me in clear, straightforward terms. I had many questions throughout the process and she handled them very patiently. Even with the time difference due to their being in Ukraine, it was easy to reach out at any time. They were very quick to respond to requests and delivered all components of the project as soon as I asked for them. On top of that, they were very flexible about working with my budget and devising a financing plan I could work with.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The price was extremely reasonable. I’d researched quite a bit and they charged easily 30 percent less than if I’d worked with a company here in Australia. Their team was also very intelligent and professional. They consistently improved upon my ideas and delivered a final product that exceeded my expectations. On top of that, they delivered impressive customer service.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Not that I can think of.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

This is my only experience working on this kind of project, so I don't have any just yet.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of Spiderdoor. We build apps for companies in the self-storage industry. We provide a personalized, native-built system for each location with their specific logo. Each app also uses a keypad that works hand-in-hand with the platform.

What challenge were you trying to address with Anadea?

We needed a developer to help us build the backend of our system.

What was the scope of their involvement?

With some code written by our previous provider, Anadea finished the backend development for the management platform. Built on Ruby on Rails, the app allows users to rent a unit, pay their bills, schedule moves, report issues, and open electric gates. It processes payments through the API of the managing company.

The team is constantly working on new system updates, dashboards, and features. Additionally, they’re also quick to fix any performance glitches or bugs in the technology.

What is the team composition?

We interact with one representative on a daily basis.

How did you come to work with Anadea?

At first, we worked with a different company but realized we would need a higher level of expertise to complete the product. A friend of mine recommended Anadea after a positive experience. I reached out and decided they were a good fit for my project.

How much have you invested with them?

So far, we’ve spent around $500,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working in February 2016 and it’s an ongoing project.

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

As our main source of revenue, the app that Anadea helped develop is central to our company. Currently, we have approximately 500 different storage locations that use the system.

How did Anadea perform from a project management standpoint?

Anadea is extremely professional. We communicate mainly through email and they are very responsive. We track the project and share tickets through Basecamp.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Anadea’s team is smart. In terms of technology, there hasn’t been a problem that they can’t resolve.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a small software development shop in the UK. We’re a retailer of native apps, and I’m the managing director. We hired Anahoret (which is now Anadea) to help move to SAAS (Ruby on Rails).

What challenge were you trying to address with Anadea?

We needed help with Ruby on Rails development. The product itself didn’t make it to full distribution. We needed more money for it. We wanted to shift it to a cloud-based technology stack. I know PHP, and I’m very familiar with the standard stack you’d use, but we wanted something more dynamic, and that’s where the Ruby on Rails side of things came in. I saw that Anadea had a very high standing with that particular technology.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Ruby on Rails is a web-centric framework. It basically lives on the server but delivers HTML and CSS to the client. You can say front and backend; it’s mainly what I classify as backend database stuff.

How did you come to work with Anadea?

I found them on Elance. I looked at Ruby on Rails developers, and they had the highest rating. I submitted a request for them to send a quote, and we got in contact with them that way. The thing that impressed me the most was that they were the only company that sent an NDA and an NCA agreement upfront without any strings attached. I also looked at their past work. While they didn’t have a lot of major projects, the ones they did have were very high quality.

How much have you invested with Anadea?

We have invested over $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project ended successfully. We worked with them from January 2013 to September 2015.

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

The work was exemplary. I wouldn’t change anything that occurred. The only reason we stopped was because we ran out of funds for the project.

How did Anadea perform from a project management standpoint?

Their work was exemplary and everything was managed well during the project. They set my expectations properly and then delivered to that.

What did you find most impressive about Anadea?

They were based in a city in Ukraine that experienced a lot of violence during the time of our collaboration. They had to move their people to another city, which disrupted their business. They’ve done a considerable good turn in keeping their business going with all the issues that arose. I think people would appreciate the service more if they knew what the people at Anadea had been through. What they did as a company is quite astounding to me. Some of the developers I worked with were helped financially with the move, and I thought that was good on the company’s part.

Are there any areas Anadea could improve?

The code quality was above average, but it could have been better.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are essentially a peer-to-peer lending marketplace working across Europe, connecting various lending companies with retail and institutional clients. I am the COO of the firm.

What challenge were you trying to address with Anadea?

Our objective was to develop a native mobile application for our investment platform, on the iOS and Android platforms.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They also did all screen designs, [but didn't provide marketing or other services].

How did you come to work with Anadea?

When we started the project in the spring of 2016, we created a tender briefing with a presentation and sent it out to approximately 15-20 companies offering mobile-application development services that we found online. Anadea was one of them.

How much have you invested with Anadea?

The cost was between €30,000 and €35,000 [approx. $36,000].

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Anadea in the second half of May 2016. The initial estimate was around 3 and a half months, but it took longer than expected, due to various reasons. We launched the first public version of the Android app in November and iOS in early-December.

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

The development side was okay, I would say, but the whole project estimation and project management, especially the sales process at the beginning, were not as we would've expected. 

As it would be for a first version, there are some bugs and things to improve, but, from a standalone point-of-view for the application, it is in-line with what we expected. We are looking to continue fixing some of the things which need to be fixed in the coming weeks.

We don't have any hard numbers at this point, that's not relevant, in our opinion.

How did Anadea perform from a project management standpoint?

The day-to-day project management and communication were quite good, but we were most unsatisfied about their initial proposal. They provided one proposal with certain cost and time estimates, and all other standard questions covered, but, once we got into the development process, they started picking on every little thing which wasn't written, but was discussed over conversations. This was a lesson for us; had we known that the project would evolve like this, we most likely would have chosen another partner in the first place.

The 2 main factors for choosing Anadea were timeframe and the estimated cost quote. If we look back and compare the timeframe and total cost to what other companies proposed in the beginning, they most likely wouldn't have been our first choice anymore.

Are there any areas Anadea could improve?

The main thing is to involve the project manager from the very beginning so that there are no conflicts later on. When we sent out a tender presentation, there were mostly sales agents involved. When we gave the approval for going forward with them and had already discussed all the requirements, only then did the project manager get involved. Those are 2 different people going around in circles: "Yes, but the other person did this estimate."

What tips or recommendations could you share that might increase the likelihood of success with Anadea?

Be careful and outline all project requirements in written detail, including them in contracts, so that there are no budget extensions and timeline extensions when the project is already on-the-go, and it's not convenient for the client to change providers.

Our company is a sports participation-focused company that allows people of all ages and abilities get involved in sports. I am the co-founder and manage our technical solutions.

We had grown significantly using various 3rd-party solutions. However, we reached a point where we needed something more custom to cater for future growth and set ourselves apart from any competitors. We predicted a growth in the following year of more than 100 percent and needed an online platform to allow for this.

We undertook an extensive period of evaluation to choose a suitable technology partner. This involved sharing the technical specifications and then having further discussions about the partners approach to the project, timeline, and cost. Throughout this process, we found many providers that were willing to do the project for a cheaper price, but none that understood all the requirements and were realistic with timelines and cost like Anadea.

The project has been an overwhelming success. The project initially began at a much smaller scale than it turned out to be. Throughout the process, we were able to work with the team to assess new solutions and plan suitable system architecture. At all times, the communication was extremely good and the technical skill of the team excellent. During the months of the project, a great rapport was developed with all team members and made for a very successful and enjoyable partnership.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Our company has developed an app for the golfing industry. I am a co-founder of the company.

What challenge were you trying to address with Anadea?

We wanted to build a minimum viable product which we could start testing with users.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We handled the design and I wrote the backend portions. Anadea developed our app for iOS.

How did you come to work with Anadea?

We contacted a few development shops in the US and the rest of the world. We liked some of them, but they proved to be too expensive. A friend recommended Anadea to us and we decided to take a chance.

How much have you invested with Anadea?

The total cost of our project with Anadea has been between $10,000 and $15,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our work with Anadea is ongoing. We started working together 2 months ago.

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

We're very happy with the results so far. Anadea has done an excellent job. I'm a developer myself, so I know what to look for.

We haven't done any user testing yet, but we plan this for next month.

How did Anadea perform from a project management standpoint?

I appreciated Anadea’s way of working. They focus strongly around user stories, rather than planning out all the work from the start and quoting us for the length of time. I preferred not establishing the total duration from the start. Anadea assigned a project manager to our project, which worked out very well.

What did you find most impressive about Anadea?

Anadea had a good understanding of what we were trying to do.

Are there any areas Anadea could improve?

The English skills of the developer assigned to us could improve. He can handle written communication, but he doesn't speak well. Anadea is also not as creative as I would have expected a US-based development shop to be. They've done a great job at implementing our designs to the letter, but I would have preferred alternative suggestions based on user perspectives from Anadea, and seeing more initiative from them.