Atolye15

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm a product manager at Etventure, a digital consultancy headquartered in Berlin. I am guiding the development of the platform we're building with Atolye15.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Atolye15?

I’ve been working with them on building up a new venture. We started from the main idea, building up to a separate company that was founded a month earlier.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Atolye15 provides development and QA services for a responsive web app. I handled the product work on my side, including developing the concepts, writing requirements, creating mockups, and designing the UI/UX. I was also responsible for approving Atolye15’s work.

For the platform, we use an Azure infrastructure, with a PostgreSQL database. The frontend is built with React, and the backend is based on Node.js.

What is the team composition?

I work with a technical lead and a QA manager at Atolye15. I only work directly with those two people, but there is also a frontend developer, backend developer, and a QA engineer assigned to the team.

How did you come to work with Atolye15?

My company had previous experience with Atolye15, and I’d also worked with them on other projects. I chose them based on my experience and their good reviews. Once we started this engagement, we invited them on as a technical partner.

How much have you invested with them?

This project has cost €50,000 (approximately $55,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

This main project with Atolye15 ran from February–May 2019. We’re planning the next iteration of the product in October, which will take a few months.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I’m really satisfied with the speed and quality of their work. We’ve reduced our operational load drastically by introducing the product built by Atolye15. It would previously take us a couple of hours to process one lead on our side. With the system they’ve developed, it now only takes us a few minutes. 

How did Atolye15 perform from a project management standpoint?

We work within an agile methodology, and they’re flexible when it comes to receiving feedback, making adjustments, and giving support. They usually take no longer than a couple of hours to provide technical estimates, and we’ve met all our deadlines with them.

 We work in two-week sprints, and what we plan in the beginning is actually delivered by the end, so there have been no issues. We use email and Slack for communication and Jira for tracking tasks and requirements. We also use tools for video calls and sharing screens, like Skype and Google Hangouts.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I'm really satisfied with their teamwork and flexibility, as well as their fast reaction and technical support. I’m also happy with their delivery speed and quality. I haven’t found a lot of bugs in their work, and if I do, Atolye15 makes fixes very fast.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I just want them to continue with the same level of service. I’m really satisfied with their work, and I can’t think of anything that needs improvement.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a marketing lead in our organization, in charge of running campaigns. We’re a global meal kit delivery service. There are different recipes available, and users can subscribe to our service on our website to receive the kits on a daily basis. We operate in the US, Australia, Germany, Austria, The Netherlands, and Belgium.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Atolye15?

We wanted to create a blog page with our latest recipes and projects. This blog page would be on top of our current website and within the main, existing codebase. Our goal was to showcase our users’ stories in a better way and improve our organic ranking.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We started the engagement by discussing the characteristics of our target audience to identify our ideal user persona. Then, Atolye15 developed a blog for our website. We also worked through another provider on this project, who was tasked with the backend development work. Atolye15 looked at the ways we needed the blog from a design perspective, and they wrote the code according to that. We also provided the wireframes for this project. 

They built it so our editors can use the system to enter content the way they want to create it. If we need technical support or to add new features to the system, Atolye15 will jump in to implement those. It’s more of a CMS that Atolye15 is providing to our editors, for them to post content in their respective domains.

They’ve used different technologies and languages, including PHP. They took the lead in determining which feature would best fit our needs and followed our style guidelines. 

What is the team composition?

We have a project manager on their side and also work with some of the developers and designers. 

How did you come to work with Atolye15?

We wanted to work with Atolye15 because of a good previous experience. We found them online and, based on their website, we could tell they were experienced in creating clean landing pages. They perfectly matched our needs. 

How much have you invested with them?

So far, the cost has been below $10,000, but it’s a very rough estimate as we like to work with them on a month-to-month basis. Since the project is constantly changing, we’re expecting new work from Atolye15 and a larger project cost.  

What is the status of this engagement?

We started our latest project with Atolye15 in June 2019, and it’s still ongoing. The overall project is expected to take more than a year.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re still in the beginning phases of the work, so I’m not able to share any statistics yet. Our big achievement will be getting the blog live with the new design this month.

Overall, we’ve been super happy with Atoyle15 in our previous projects and it’s why we’ve continued to work with them. They’ve shown us different perspectives that improve our work, and we’re delighted with their approach. 

How did Atolye15 perform from a project management standpoint?

We were using the scrum methodology in the past, but now we’ve given them their independence to take whichever approach they choose. We have weekly catch-up meetings but communicated over email, Jira, Slack, and Skype for daily needs for any urgent questions or concerns. Additionally, we share information through GitHub, which ensures a transparent collaboration.

We haven’t had any project management issues at all, so far. They do great planning sessions before the project starts and their team informs us of any external issues. There have only been two instances where we missed a deadline, but for good reasons. Our communication is great. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

The quality of work Atolye15 delivers delights us and we’re excited to keep getting their support. The team is comfortable explaining very complex development terminology. Aside from their expertise, we also appreciate their organized, detail-oriented, and goal-focused approach. They’re a business provider that has worked with clients from all over the world on similar projects. 

We also like that they push back on some ideas to make them better. It’s not easy for all agencies to suggest something different to a client, but we love to receive their feedback and insight. Sometimes, we’ll have a limited perspective and they’ll go out of their way to give us more ideas.  

Are there any areas they could improve?

They needed to redo their assessments in a couple of cases but we’ve spoken about this in the past. As long as the work is good quality and fits our expectations, we’re happy overall. The price has been a bit on the higher end, but it hasn't been a concern. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of Tourope UK Ltd., an international tourism and education company in London. We organize cultural and historic tours across the UK.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Atolye15?

We needed a partner to develop a customized CRM to manage our tour records and client requests.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Atolye15 is building a fully automated system that allows us to organize and quickly search all of our tours based on specific keywords. For example, I can enter the word “Tudor” and get a list of tours and events that are related to that theme. They’re building the CRM from scratch in .NET, following specific information and requirements I provided. We iterate back and forth on the product to improve its features. It’s an expandable module that allows for features to easily be added in the future.

What is the team composition?

They have a project manager and lots of team members behind the scenes.

How did you come to work with Atolye15?

I met with a few companies but was impressed by Atolye15’s solution-based approach. They were easy to reach and eager to work on our project, so I hired them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent under $250,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We partnered in January 2019, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Before hiring them, we did about 35–40 tours in London. Now, we’ve reached 105 tours.

How did Atolye15 perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicate every day, and they work hard to meet deadlines and provide high-quality service. We use Jira, Skype, and Slack to communicate.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They easily understood what I wanted to accomplish, and their team is incredibly talented. They’re trustworthy and complete tasks exactly how I ask without any delays. Beyond that, they also have excellent customer service.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Communicating in English can be a bit difficult, especially when we have to use technical terminology.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

If you’re unsure about partnering with them, ask for references. You’ll be impressed by the positive things we have to say about them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the managing director of First Step Consulting, a nonprofit social enterprise. We recruit and train ambitious volunteers to work with us on challenging consultancy projects in exchange for career-enhancing experience and transferable skills.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Atolye15?

We needed a website that would make a good first impression on potential clients and other stakeholders and effectively communicate what we do.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They built a custom-made website from scratch based on our website mockup. They also provided creative input and suggestions to improve the design. The entire web development process was handled by Atolye15 and their developers used PHP.

There are multiple application forms that they built from scratch and more than fifty pages on the website. That wasn’t in the original plan, but as we started the process, we realized that more pages needed to be added. The website is still growing. We continue to create content and change the design when we have the time and budget for it.

What is the team composition?

It was a team effort. We were in contact with two client relationship managers/project managers. There was 4–5 web developers. They provided us with 1–2 web designers as well, which wasn’t part of the original plan, but they had some free time and contributed to the process to make changes when necessary and to improve the UX and search navigation. Senior managers were also actively involved, and even their founder contributed to the project.

How did you come to work with Atolye15?

We spoke to more than 30 agencies. Atolye15 stood out to us because they were diligent from day one in establishing a strong rapport with us. They never came across as a pushy sales team. They wanted to find solutions and partner with us. They’re a team of incredibly experienced, reliable, conscientious professionals. They have an impeccable reputation in their home country. They also had high-quality design products that they developed for other clients. I have no regrets choosing them.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $10,000–$25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from June until September 2018, and we continue to give them follow-up projects to make changes.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve seen significant improvements in all key performance metrics, such as the number of applications we receive from volunteers, website visitors, and potential clients. The new website is much more established and professional than our previous site. A large number of people reviewed the website, and the feedback has been highly encouraging so far. The website loads and responds quickly. The overall outcome met and exceeded our expectations in every sense.

How did Atolye15 perform from a project management standpoint?

They were understanding and flexible about the project evolving. Their team was great at solving problems and delivering on time. They didn’t compromise on quality at any point.

We used multiple tools to communicate, such as Skype, Jira, and email. Sketch App was also essential for the success of the project.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They pushed their limits to get the job done. They’re an incredibly talented team of developers and designers. Their team offers world-class quality services at a reasonable price. We received quotes from more than twenty companies, and their price level is one of their strengths.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t easily spot any agencies dramatically better than them. They have the skills, and this agency is ready to go global. They just need opportunities to establish themselves as a global player.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Do your homework before starting the project. Don’t rush things. Create your content and make sure everything is in place, and then start the process. Being organized in advance will allow them to do their job most efficiently.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m a marketing manager for RAPRO RUBBER, a rubber parts manufacturing company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Atolye15?

We engaged Atolye15 to revamp our website.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted a more user-friendly site with better performance. Customers needed to find our catalog and search through our products easily.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We were looking for a firm with a reputation for delivering high-quality products. We chose Atolye15 because they fit our criteria.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Atolye15 provided UI/UX design and development services to revitalize our site, improving its performance and usability. They revamped the admin panel and built a part gallery that allows customers to view our products and search for the ones they want more efficiently.

What was the team composition?

We worked with a project manager, a UI/UX designer, backend developers, and frontend developers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The updated site’s part gallery allows customers to more easily browse our products. The admin panel is also efficient and easy for us to use. We’re pleased with the improved site performance as well.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

We were constantly in touch with the project manager, which played a crucial role in the project’s success.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Atolye15 excels at problem-solving; they addressed all challenges and came up with solutions quickly. As promised, the team finished our site on time for a significant demonstration opportunity so we could debut it for the first time.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, Atolye15 provided a capable team that handled all issues well and came up with helpful solutions throughout our engagement.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the CEO & co-founder of StartupMarket. We gather startups and investors together to create an environment where they can collaborate on successful initiatives.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Atolye15?

We hired Atolye15 to build our MVP from scratch.

What were your goals for this project?

The platform needed to be able to reach startups and investors and give them a chance to collaborate, bringing successful projects to life.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

While we were searching for web development companies, we found Atolye15 on Clutch.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Atolye15 built our site to benefit all startups, mentors, and investors. All types of users can log in the website. Startups can post their initiatives on the platform and find investors.

What was the team composition?

We worked with frontend & backend developers, a UX/UI designer, and a project manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our business is providing startups with more opportunities. Atolye15 created a hub that’s mutually beneficial for investors and startups. The entire engagement was a success.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Communication between our teams was strong. We constantly received information about how the project was going.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I appreciated their previous experience with product development. Atolye15 found quick solutions, overcoming any possible obstacles.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Atolye15 is an expert in their field. Their team was eager and focused on delivering creative solutions and quality work. There’s always room for improvement, but we’re glad we tackled this project with Atolye15.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the product team lead at etventure. We execute digital implementations for small-to-large companies.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Atolye15?

We’ve engaged Atolye15 for several custom web development projects. They supplement development resources for those third-party engagements.

What were your goals for this project?

We have separate goals for each project.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

One of our business contacts recommended Atoyle15 due to the team’s professionalism, energy, and forward-thinking approach.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

We assign portions of the entire scope to them. Atoyle15 has done testing and built MVPs.

What was the team composition?

The project manager is our main point of contact and we work regularly with frontend and backend developers. However, the exact composition changes depending on the project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have received nothing but positive feedback from our clients; they are impressed with Atoyle15’s high-quality work.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

They adhere to our designs and coordinate each step of the project well via Jira. The team is also available via Skype, phone, and email.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They are agile, adaptive, and easygoing. Atoyle15 responds well to changing conditions and maintains a good long-term rapport with our team.

Are there any areas for improvement?

While we haven’t experienced any delays, the team could work within shorter timelines.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there. 

I’m the co-founder of a marketing agency in Brazil called Key Marketing.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Atolye15? 

I hired Atolye15 to create an exclusive CRM platform for my clients that would allow us to share their marketing results, aggregate relevant documents and content, and schedule meetings. 

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to deliver information to our clients in a dynamic way. With the platform, we would save time and encourage customer loyalty.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor? 

I initially found Atolye15 through a referral from another company. They responded promptly to my email, and I scheduled a call to better explain Key Marketing’s project. Their team then developed an easy-to-understand presentation about viable solutions, proposing a plan of action and providing budget estimates. After a few additional meetings to grasp the scope, we decided to move forward with them.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail. 

To develop the CRM, they split the workflow into two phases: the UX/UI designs and then the front- and backend programming. I was able to keep track of all phases throughout the process, reviewing screens and pages weekly as they completed them. They recently finished the platform.  

What was the team composition?

The team consisted of a managing director, a project manager, a lead designer, a head of UX, a frontend developer, and a backend developer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Atolye15 delivered the CRM ahead of time, which was great. With the new platform, we’ve greatly optimized our work with our client. It’s now much simpler to maintain communication with them and keep them informed about the results they receive from our services. 

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

The project manager was amazing, and the team was easy going and professional, They were in constant contact with us via Skype and Slack. I really liked the way they worked. They reassured us whenever we had doubts and provided solutions to our project. 

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Since we’re not technical people, I was amazed that Atolye15 could create a complex CRM in such an effortless way. Their technology solution impressed us a lot, and they had great service. 

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, I can’t think of anything. We were very satisfied with the service, and I endorse their work to our clients.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the CTO at Voscreen. We help people improve their English skills in a fun way.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Atolye15?

We hired them for the UI/UX design and frontend development of our core product.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal was to create a responsive, optimized web application for mobile and desktop devices.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We knew them for years and had seen the great projects they created for other clients. We didn't need to talk to any other agency, since we knew that Atolye15 could deliver our project in the best way possible.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

The app is a highly innovative way to improve English language skills without an outside instructor. It also gives teachers the tools to develop student language skills in an engaging, interactive, and challenging way. We gave Atolyte15 all the required assets. They chose the necessary technical specs to enhance outcomes.

What was the team composition?

Atolye15 assigned a project manager, back- and frontend developers, and designers. The team has evolved to reflect changes in project requirements. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

With the responsive design and faster user interface, we immediately achieved a 25-30% increase in session durations and user retention rates.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

It was great. They used Jira for project management and provided updates or feedback whenever needed. Someone always answered our questions. We've had several Skype calls to keep each other updated, which I find efficient and useful.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Atolye15 is unique. Their methodology represents itself in the outcome, and their past work shows what they can achieve in a short time. These guys are fantastic.

Are there any areas for improvement?

They are good at what they do. We had some delays, but they were quite normal. I wanted to change aspects of the project multiple times. I can only thank them for their tireless efforts.