BPO ZONES

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of ASAL Technologies, which is a software development house that offers services to international clients.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Unit One?

We needed additional help to meet some technical requirements and keep up with the demand from our clients.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’ve done several projects with them over the years. One of them was a mobile app for Android and iOS. Another involved web development using PHP and Ajax, among other technologies. We’ve also used them to develop frontend technologies like Angular, JSON, and React. In our latest project, they’ve been developing embedded software, as well as quality assurance and automation technologies, for a semiconductor and hardware company.

In terms of the projects, one of our clients is a hardware manufacturer for high-speed internet connectivity. We also serve clients in the communications and financial sectors, as well as e-commerce and online trading companies.

What is the team composition?

There are between 20–30 developers working for us. Our project manager coordinates with theirs to manage everyone.

How did you come to work with Unit One?

We wanted to partner with someone reliable who had a history in our market and with our client base. Unit One displayed a professional maturity, was eager to work, and offered cost-effective rates. We also liked their project management skills. We had considered a number of companies, but they consistently scored above their competitors.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working with them since 2016 and the relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Thanks to Unit One, we’re able to provide on-site engineers in one of our client offices and we’ve grown the development team from 5 to 20. They’ve also helped us to explore different options in Gaza when it comes to development and outsourcing our services.

How did Unit One perform from a project management standpoint?

Both their development and management teams are comfortable to deal with and proactive. They’re highly responsive and, thanks to their team’s size, they’re flexible whenever we need something urgent or we have to change course. They consistently accommodate us quickly and effectively.

In terms of day to day oversight, the project managers from our team and theirs hold weekly scrum meetings to discuss the development status. They also track progress regularly through Jira, which the developers can also access. In addition, we keep in touch via email and phone calls as needed. We occasionally meet in person as well, but it’s not necessary to keep the projects moving smoothly.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re able to respond quickly to client requests and they’re proactive in their project management.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Sometimes the technical engineers don’t have the greatest English fluency, although it’s better than at other companies I’ve worked with in the past. We also sometimes face slow internet connections when we have open meeting sessions, although that’s probably normal given the amount of traffic and the locations.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Start with a core team of three to five people and enlarge it gradually as they improve their understanding of the project and the clients or industry. Fostering that kind of long-term relationship means they’ll develop ownership over the project and bring in more relevant technical experts.