Atta Systems (formerly AB4 Systems)

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the product manager for the digital platform at a financial research organization. 

What challenge were you trying to address with Atta Systems (formerly AB4 Systems)?

We had an existing digital platform, but we wanted it to be mobile-friendly and engaging. We needed someone to develop our mobile apps.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Atta Systems developed our iOS and Android app. One of the main key features we wanted was a nice display of our current publications which is papers, books, articles we produced, etc. We also wanted to have an engaging platform. We have content flowing through our engaging partners. 

They built the apps from scratch because we had a bad experience with the previous developer of our platform. The coding was terrible. When we started with Atta Systems, we tried to consider the possibility of working with the code but it would have been a bigger mess than starting with scratch.

We gave them our requirement documents. They gave us wireframes and the design of the whole project before we started. We went back and forth with changes. They also gave us advice.

What is the team composition?

We worked mainly with Andrei (Co-Founder) and Stefan (Software Engineer). We created a Slack group with all the members there. There were five maximum.

How did you come to work with Atta Systems (formerly AB4 Systems)?

We looked online and sent out emails to people randomly. We had them set up a quotation and their biggest work. They came up to be the most suitable.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $30,000-$50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from February-October 2020.

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

Our current users and internal users all speak positively of the app. It won’t be possible for 4-5 months to see the ratings. Atta Systems completed the apps within the timeline.

How did Atta Systems (formerly AB4 Systems) perform from a project management standpoint?

We used Slack to communicate. The main difficulty we had was with the time difference. Their response was very quick; it speaks well of their engagement. They normally responded back to us daily. We’d have video calls. We used Trello.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their commitment was very high. Atta Systems showed that no matter what it takes, they’re willing to accommodate. They made sure they understood. They’d ask for details.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We didn’t feel they had 100% control over the system. What we demanded of them was done properly though. Just if they wanted to notch it up a bit.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be open when working with them. They’re experts and know what they do. Have good communication with them.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of Bankata, a fintech startup. We are a financial aggregator, and we’re hoping to be the next booking for financial products in the Eastern European space.

What challenge were you trying to address with AB4 Systems?

We hired them to develop our technology.

What was the scope of their involvement?

AB4 Systems is developing the entire technology behind our product. They are doing the strategy, product design, UI/UX, data science, software development, QA, and AI pipeline. They are our strategic partner throughout the engagement.

They will also develop a mobile app, but we’re currently looking for more financing for the project. We’re creating an iOS and Android MVP right now for our financing efforts.

What is the team composition?

We’re working with a managing partner and a software developer.

How did you come to work with AB4 Systems?

I’ve known their managing partner for a long time and I trust him. We asked for quotations from other service providers in the market, but AB4 Systems was very helpful and gave us a lot of advice.

We had a lot of ideas at first, but they gave us a lot of suggestions for how we could move in one direction, which is why we decided to work with them. 

How much have you invested with them?

The cost is $25,000–$50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them in November 2019, and our engagement is ongoing.

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

Since I’m not a tech person, AB4 Systems has been very open and has managed to understand whatever I’m thinking without my having to explain it in a technical way. For one of the other providers I spoke to, it was very hard to explain what I wanted. The relationship is very smooth with this team.

How did AB4 Systems perform from a project management standpoint?

We’re working in an agile method. I really appreciate the fact that they respond in a very timely manner. Every time we have a request, want to add another feature or have a different setting for the app or the website, the team responds and moves quickly.

From the beginning, we knew exactly how we were going to move forward. We set a timeline and we’ve stuck to it. We communicate openly and freely through different channels, so everything has been working quite smoothly. 

Even though we’re probably not their biggest client, it seems like AB4 Systems is still allocating the time and effort to have everything in place. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their knowledge of and experience in the market is impressive.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, not at the moment.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be open and explain exactly what you want out of the partnership and relationship. Doing that proved to be the key to success.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder of a technology travel startup.

What challenge were you trying to address with AB4 Systems?

We needed help with frontend development. It was a technically challenging project. There’s a lot of work that goes into building an MVP. You have to build your data infrastructure. Then you have to present it in an easy-to-use UX for first-time users. 

The challenge we had was that the previous group that we’d been working with wasn't equipped to take the logic and build it into a custom-made database.

What was the scope of their involvement?

After getting our MVP up and running, we found AB4 Systems and engaged them to take over the work that had already been done and essentially finish it. The driver of the MVP was an itinerary database in MySQL. 

It was being served on a website through PHP and HTML on the frontend. AB4 Systems picked up the work that had previously been done there.

The project manager we worked with at AB4 Systems had to learn what we were trying to achieve, understand the mess of the frontend, and also help us plan the sprints and implement them.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with Andrei (Managing Partner), a frontend developer, and a contractor because our platform wasn’t easy to work with. The contractor was someone who Andrei had worked with before to clean up his backend.

In addition, we’ve interacted with the other co-founder. He was less involved in our project down the track, but it wasn’t an issue. 

How did you come to work with AB4 Systems?

We found them on Clutch.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent €25,000 (approximately $28,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in May 2019, and the work is ongoing.

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

It was time-consuming and difficult, but they did it and they did it really well. We’re very happy with their work. I was genuinely impressed by the time they took to understand the work that had already been done and then to actually complete it to get it up and running. 

It wasn’t an easy project but AB4 Systems did it very well. They listened to me and the other people in the company. They took a lot of time to understand what we were asking and evaluate different options together. 

I really felt all the options were on the table. The user feedback was also very good. People were really impressed with how it looked and the fact that it worked. Before that, we couldn’t launch because there were too many bugs.  

How did AB4 Systems perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management is very good. The project manager is very intelligent and capable. We always spent a lot of time planning before executing, which seemed to really pay off. We had situations where we had to pivot or make changes. 

I don’t consider myself an easy customer. I change my mind frequently, but the team is always available for communication. There’s never been a situation where I didn’t hear back from them the same day. 

They work hard for their customers, making sure we have access to the people in their team that have the best skillsets for our technology stack, which is amazing. I’m really impressed with them. Their frontend teammate had the ability to do truly modern and cutting edge work. Overall, we are so happy with the people we’re working with.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their sophisticated development expertise is impressive. They have an intuitive business mindset. I’m impressed with them. I think they’re going to grow a lot because of the quality of their service.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I have no suggestions. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Invest the time into the planning process and get it right. When you hand it over to them, it’s a really relaxing feeling to know that you’re in good hands and that the project will get done. Let them finish their work, and don’t bother them in the middle of a sprint.

Please describe your company and your position there.

United Pencils is a consulting studio with focus on design, branding and communication. We work with a wide range of clients, from start-ups to corporate brands. Owlight is a start-up based in Alba Iulia, România. The company is about to launch an innovative light system for bicycles. United Pencils is responsible for marketing strategy, branding packaging and so on.

For what projects/services did your company hire AB4 Systems?

Owlight needed a simple and clean website with focus on the features of the product. The time was short, the budget was tight.

What were your goals for this project?

To deliver a simple website with focus on the features of the product. The design was a key aspect of the project, as Owlight has a very minimalistic approach and philosophy in terms of design and function.

How did you select this vendor?

We have been working together on several other projects.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

First of all, AB4 Systems team understood exactly our needs and constraints. They were in charge with design, development, SEO and WIX configuration. The new website is wix based and met all our requirements in terms of deliverables, timing and budget.

What was the team composition?

Andrei Blaj was the interface between us and the developer and designer.

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

Our objective was to have an online presence in a matter of weeks and everything went as planned. As the product is yet to be launched, there were no other metrics.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Our communication with Andrei and the AB4 Systems team was very effective. They quickly understood our needs and delivered in time. After one round of feedback, the website was public.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

AB4 System works more like a department and less as a tech supplier. They are product-driven and capable of understanding the clients business. Everything went smooth and according to our initial planning.

Are there any areas for improvement?

We didn't have any glitches.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the owner and managing director of Octopus Translation. We are based in Bucharest, Romania and we have been in business since 2004. We are doing technical and specialized translations in several languages worldwide for a variety of corporate customers.

What challenge were you trying to address with AB4 Systems?

I had the idea to create an audio guide for tourists around the world. The first step will be to cover Bucharest and then expand to other destination cities, and AB4 Systems is our development partner for that project.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They are developing an iOS and Android mobile application, starting with design drafts and populating those with content from people working in the tourism industry. From there, the plan is to work closely together on the frontend of the application and to develop a backend structure that can support the interface that we want.

What is the team composition?

At the moment, there are three different people working on the project, which includes a lead developer, a project manager, and the owner of the company, all of whom we meet with regularly.

How did you come to work with AB4 Systems?

We examined the market a little bit and found their company in Bucharest. We liked that they were close by and had the skills and knowledge necessary for this project, so we decided to go with them.

How much have you invested with them?

Our plan is to spend about €30,000 (approximately $32,500 USD) on this stage of the development.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project started in August 2019 and is still ongoing.

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

We feel great about the work that has been done on the project so far. AB4 Systems understood our idea from the beginning and have delivered exactly what we wanted, so it is clear that everyone is on the same page.

The quality of their work has been very high as well. There are some competing apps in the market at the moment, but the product we are constructing is not even comparable to them in terms of features and usability because of the hard work of their team. We have received really positive feedback from many of our friends and business partners.

How did AB4 Systems perform from a project management standpoint?

Our offices are less than a kilometer apart, so we do exchange emails but most of the time we prefer to meet in person to discuss any significant parts of the project.

They are incredibly responsive to all of our communication and have consistently demonstrated real enthusiasm for the project itself. They frequently work ahead and come to us with ideas or perform steps to improve the product without having to be asked about them.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I have consistently appreciated the way they approach us not simply as a client, but as a partner working on something they are just as excited about. We had this idea and put it on the table, and they connected to our idea immediately, which shows in their preparation for meetings and the discussions we have.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I think they are doing a great job, so I don’t have any suggestions for them to change.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It’s very important to communicate your vision to their team because if they are excited about the project, there is no end to the flexibility and communication that they will bring to the table. You just have to be able to get them on board.

Introduce your business and what you do there. 

I’m the co-founder of SkinVision, a mobile app that allows users to analyze their moles and screen for melanoma. After stepping away from the executive team in 2017, I started another company called Medicai.

Medicai is a startup that runs a medical imaging platform for both clinics and patients. We target people with serious chronic conditions. Our goal is to improve the way multidisciplinary teams work with their patients. 

What challenge were you trying to address with AB4 Systems? 

After working with AB4 Systems to develop SkinVision, I approached them again to build out our medical solution for Medicai.

What was the scope of their involvement? 

AB4 Systems has developed Medicai’s entire medical imaging platform from scratch, translating our business needs into a solid product design. They use several technologies to develop the front- and backend.

The main challenge has been setting up the right cloud infrastructure. At the moment, the solution is mostly a web app that exists on a clinic’s local server. By pushing the system into a cloud environment, we could create new features for clinics to use that wouldn’t be possible with their current server limitations.

Besides scaling our product, AB4 Systems is also partially responsible for incorporating user feedback into the design. I work with them closely to ensure that the final build has a good user experience.

What is the team composition?

There are 8–9 team members, including a project manager, a systems architect, a graphic designer, a UX designer, and developers.

How did you come to work with AB4 Systems?

I’d gotten to know AB4 Systems through their work on SkinVision. At the time, I was having problems filtering user-submitted images, so I needed an iOS developer that also understood image analysis.

Their team stepped in and fixed the app for me. As the project continued, they grew as a company and gained a better sense of what I needed. It was a natural step to hire them for Medicai because if a team works that well, why break it up?

How much have you invested in them?

We’ve invested around $250,000–$300,000 so far. We have another $200,000 budgeted for next year.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together on this project toward the end of 2017, and the engagement is ongoing.

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

The product went public 3–4 months ago, and we already have users. Out of 200,000 requests, the error rate on our backend is only 0.0018, which is amazing.

As more users onboard onto the platform, who knows if that error rate will continue. It’s unrealistic to expect zero technical issues, but we’ll be fine if we try to limit bugs.

How did AB4 Systems perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve been great. We do 1–2-week sprints depending on what needs to be done, and they interact well with other parts of our company. In terms of communication, we use different project management tools like Slack to keep focused. 

I appreciate that I’m able to speak to any team member directly without losing sight of the project goals. If I have an urgent task, I know that I can call their developers and count on them to execute without messing up the sprint plans.

That level of coordination is not typical with other agencies. I’ve worked with disastrous teams that wouldn’t budget things properly and often choked on the work that needed to be done. They’d take on other projects without allocating enough time to properly finish ours, which caused month-long delays. With AB4 Systems, we’ve managed to avoid most of those things.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I appreciate how well they’ve integrated with my company. They have a bird’s eye view of our business and understand the complexities around the project. 

They know that the product development team can’t be isolated from the rest of the company if they want to make the right impact; they need to be a part of the bigger organism. It’s about synchronizing with the marketing department, customer support team, and sales.

AB4 Solutions prioritizes our entire team’s needs and works flexibly to get things done.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t really put my finger on anything at this point. If there were something, I’m sure I’ve probably brought it up with them, and they’ve worked on it.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I’d highly recommend them because they really build world-class products. Usually, companies tend to want discounted rates, but then the quality suffers as a result. AB4 Systems is worth the cost.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of Anim’est International Animation Film Festival.

What challenge were you trying to address with AB4 Systems?

We thought it’d be good to have an app for the festival to attract new audiences. However, we needed to outsource the development work to a different company.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They developed our iOS and Android mobile applications. It contains detailed descriptions of all the films and programs we have. There’s a synopsis for each of the programs as well as the trailers for the films. They also linked the app to your ticket company. Users could buy tickets and passes through the app. Their team also modified the resolution of the trailer and posters that we provided for the app.

What is the team composition?

Andrei (Managing Partner, AB4 Systems) worked on our interface. There was one staff member that specialized in iOS and another on Android. Another person worked on content for the app.

How did you come to work with AB4 Systems?

We met 3–4 small companies about developing our mobile app. After this process, we decided to work with AB4 Systems. We saw their portfolio and got a recommendation from a good friend who worked with them on a previous project. They knew about the festival and had a plan for us during the initial meeting we had with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested $30,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in April until October 2019.

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

We just finished the festival and it was great. It’s a bit too early to determine statistics on ticket sales and downloads. We had more than 120 foreign guests at the festival this year. All of them told us the app was a great addition. They particularly liked the mobile badge scanning feature.

How did AB4 Systems perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management was really good. We had to rush a bit because we decided in June and the festival was in October. We didn’t have much time to do the project, but they managed it quite well. It was great they knew about our festival already, so we didn’t have to brief them from zero. We had a meeting once per month. Otherwise, we communicated via phone, WhatsApp, and email. If there’s a problem, they quickly respond.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re really fast, which is great because everything happens quickly in our industry. For example, this year we had a very late confirmation of one automation field that we needed. We figured we weren’t going to have it for this edition, but they confirmed it at the last moment. Within two days, it was on the app. Their speed was really good.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing I can think of for them to improve.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They know what they’re doing. The communication is really fast. If somebody wants to have a product and want it fast, they are able to do a very big job in a short time.

Please describe your company and your position there.

Coordinator of a voluntary community development group

For what projects/services did your company hire AB4 Systems?

To create an app to allow people access the heritage of our village

What were your goals for this project?

Simple accessible online heritage trail brochure

How did you select this vendor?

Websearch

Describe the project in detail.

Digitise photos, text and audio as well as online mapping

What was the team composition?

Team leader and tech leader

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

Super reaction to the app. Very well received.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Excellent. Andrei and Stefan were very quick to reply to all concerns and questions.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The speed and simplicity of their service is very impressive. Excellent value for money

Are there any areas for improvement?

No

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a former product manager at TME Studios, a mobile product company.

What challenge were you trying to address with AB4 Systems?

We wanted to diversify our business. We had 15-20 in-house developers, and they were all working on projects that were already making money and growing the company. We wanted to expand on the kinds of apps we were building and publishing.

We also wanted to build apps quickly. This would require testing new iOS apps, and we didn’t have an iOS developer in-house. We hired AB4 Systems because we didn’t want to take time from our in-house developers who were already bringing money to the company.

What was the scope of their involvement?

The main project that we completed with them involved developing an iOS and Android app that lets users send industry- or field-specific stickers in their own language. They created an animated sticker tool that integrates with other chat products like WhatsApp and Messenger.

We created the animations, and AB4 Systems built the mobile products. For the iOS version, they developed the keyboard from scratch. It has the same functionality as the native iOS keyboard and can suggest stickers to add based on what you are typing. The Android version provides a floating bubble on the screen that users can access whenever they want.

AB4 Systems also guided us in terms of identifying web services and implementing search functionalities. We wanted to manage everything in-house, but they had experience with some technologies that we were less well-versed in. We completed another large project with them as well.

What is the team composition?

There were four developers. We had both a full- and part-time developer for the Android version, and the same for iOS.

How did you come to work with AB4 Systems?

I heard good things about them from colleagues, some of whom have worked with them directly. I knew they would manage the project well, and that was one of our main requirements.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent €45,000 (approximately $50,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in June 2016 until May 2017.

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

Using our in-house team, we had tried to develop a third-party keyboard on iOS, and it was very poorly done. With the keyboard developed by AB4 Systems, the metrics were two times as good, and it only went up from there. It was properly developed, and people loved it.

How did AB4 Systems perform from a project management standpoint?

I was very happy with the project management. We had very little to worry about. They respected every deadline and sent us updates every two days. We had a meeting every 2–3 weeks, usually through a video call.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I appreciated how one of the founders would often step in with suggestions. He’d send recommendations for improving things that were outside of the scope, like creating a better onboarding experience. He went above and beyond to support our business. Also, the quality of the development work is better than other outsourcing companies.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I was very happy with their work.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Treat them as consultants rather than an outsourcing company. The best way to work with AB4 Systems is to reach out to them when you don’t have a very clear idea of what you want. Discuss it with them, because they have the expertise to help you.

They’ll do research and will find the proper way to develop your product. They’ll find the optimal approach with cost-effective servers and infrastructure. You might not get the best value if you come with a set plan for them to execute.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CTO and co-founder of an e-hailing transportation app.

What challenge were you trying to address with AB4 Systems?

We needed additional help with building our mobile application.

What was the scope of their involvement?

AB4 Systems helped us develop a product related to mobility and transportation. They were very proactive in a time where our development was accelerated, and we needed an additional task force.

In terms of development specifics, they worked with Java and Kotlin for Android. For iOS, they used Objective-C and Swift 3. For the backend, they used PHP and integrated JavaScript. It needed to connect with our native code, so they created a JavaScript bridge.

One of the features they contributed heavily to was the location manager. Everything related to getting the location, maps, and getting the core features ready for mapping was done by their team. There was a long list of improvements and bug fixing that took care of as well.

Apart from the development part, they were very agile and contributed by giving advice. Overall, they were a dedicated and productive development arm for our project.

What is the team composition?

We had one Android developer and one iOS developer from their team. We also interacted with the project manager that was assigned to us, who made sure everything was going according to schedule. He was available to discuss all the administrative and task-related things.

How did you come to work with AB4 Systems?

We chose AB4 based on price and the skill set they advertised. After discussion with the project manager and the developers that were going to be assigned to us, we chose them based on their technical skills as well.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our work spanned August 2017–January 2018.

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

After partnering with AB4Systems, we noticed a large reduction in complaints that users had towards our support department. Additionally, there’s been a visible improvement in the quality of the app. The app works seamlessly without any bugs or crashes. We have had some good crash rates which have been under 0.5% after working with them.

Their development team managed to stay within budget. We only stopped the contract because we added to our internal team, otherwise, we would have continued development with their help. In the end, they delivered additional man-hours for other tasks that we needed without charging us. It was a great partnership from our perspective.

How did AB4 Systems perform from a project management standpoint?

For project management, they have the manpower to complete tasks they assigned to themselves consistently on time. They had better skills than we anticipated, and they worked in a very agile way. Their skills allowed them to finish projects with enough time to make sure everything is truly polished. They managed to meet deadlines before our team did.

Communication-wise, they were very flexible. We agreed on a set number of days and hours they would work for us. Even though we agreed on this beforehand, they found time to squeeze us in on days when they weren’t scheduled to. Their dedication to our success was always clear.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their team has worked on other known apps here in Romania and they’re famously versatile. They can program excellently, but also analyze problems and create top-notch algorithms.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I think this is a trait for all the developers who work on one product for a long time to get bored. They could improve by allocating the developers on different projects, on a sort of rotating basis. Other than that, everything has been fine, and I see no cause for improvement.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Leave them to do their job. Take their advice because they are professionals. If they want to assign a project manager to your project, trust in the project manager they assign to you and let them give you advice and suggestions. They are very professional, and all the developers participate in making the decisions. They have worked on several apps and they're very reliable.