BRAINSUM

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Új Szó is the only Hungarian daily in Slovakia since 1948. Our website is the most successful Hungarian newspaper in the country – we cover politics, culture, sports, and everything that affects the Hungarian minority in Slovakia. We have more than 400 thousand real users monthly and around 14-16 millions of pageviews. Since 2020, I have been responsible for the development of the website.

Since then I work daily with Brainsum, We work on our updates and developments together. In 2022 We updated our whole site during a complex facelift.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with the vendor?

Brainsum has worked with us for a decade now, I have been communicating with them since 2020. We achieved many goals, and also fixed many issues on our site. They help us in CMS development, advertising, and also they suggest innovations for us. In 2020, I decided to refresh our whole design, and respectively add more features to our site. This one was probably the biggest update in ujszo.com´s history yet.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Without Brainsum the whole project would be impossible to manage. The whole website development belongs to them, We communicate on a daily basis. For example, during the facelift, I gave them the basic information about our needs about the new site and they offered us many variations and ideas about the project.

We worked with their external graphic designer, and with Peter K. (CEO of Brainsum) on the details of the development. Everything was fluid and fast, we received our new website before our deadline – also in a much better shape than We originally wanted.

What is the team composition?

Since I am the leader of the website, I am the one who communicates with Brainsum – especially with the CEO, Peter K. We work on our updates with Peter K., Peter Z. (Frontend developer) and Peter P. (CTO).

How did you come to work with the vendor?

Brainsum has been developing our site for over a decade now. I wasn’t in charge at that time.

How much have you invested with them?

We work on a daily basis, since the start of the co-work, we have spent probably hundreds of thousands of euros.

What is the status of this engagement?

Brainsum is our external company for developing our website. We work together every day and manage every update/development with them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since I am the Online Project Manager, our company has placed greater emphasis on our online results (mostly RU and PV). As a result of our tighter and result-aimed collaboration, ujszo.com became the most viewed Hungarian website in the country. This would never happen without the updates We managed to make with Brainsum.

How did the vendor perform from a project management standpoint?

Peter K. is our project manager at Brainsum, he is responsible for our needs. Peter K. is always available for us, he recommends innovations to Új Szó that help in our development. The communication with him is extremely fluid, we can always count on him.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They are always in touch with us> We have many examples when we had to solve an issue asap, and Brainsum helped us, even if it wasn’t their competency whatsoever. They always give us many options before the beginning of our projects. They also recommend faster and easier solutions for us, even if that means that we are going to pay them less for their work.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Honestly, I can't imagine anything right now. I am very satisfied with their work.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Head of Digital Commercial foundation of Novozymes

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are the market leader when it comes to B2B enzymatic and microbial solution for a vast range of industries, from Agriculture & Industrial solutions to more consumer facing Food & Beverages and Household Care industries.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire BRAINSUM to accomplish?

• Launch a new company website
• Introduce and anchor agile metholodogies when it comes to web development
• Help meet timelines and budgets

SOLUTION

How did you find BRAINSUM?

Online Search

Why did you select BRAINSUM over others?

High ratings, Great culture fit, Good value for cost, Company values aligned, Other

What was the size of BRAINSUM’s team?

15+

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

We've contacted Brainsum with a very important and urgent project of launching a new corporate website, after a problematic start with another agency. They have been incredibly resourcesful and willing to jump in and "save the day", and have provided help in everything from wireframe refining, to design & implementation, to infrastructure & security and ultimately training super users in the newly developed web application.

We've launched the new website on time and within budget, mostly due to their dedication and effectiveness in consulting and executing, but also their serious, pragmatic and solution-oriented ways of working.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

• Delivered on time and within budget
• Always met and exceeded sprint goals
• Proactive, solution-driven
• Professional team

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Brainsum's project manager was trully an important piece in getting things done on time and within budget. When it comes to their project management capabilities, I have been very impressed by their clarity in communication, the professionalism and level of understanding of the PM, even when it comes to more complex, technical things, as well as their willingness to understand our business, to make sure the project delivers true business value.

We've had true clarity when it comes to all sprint goals, demos were on point and explanatory, as well as a clear milestone for each sprint to be accepted and approved by us as customers, which madeus feel confident we're moving in the right path. Moreover, in true agile fashion, Brainsum have been fairly flexible in adjusting priorities and allowing for a specific level of uncertainty, which was crucial in a project like ours, where we had to learn and make decisions as we go.

What was your primary form of communication with BRAINSUM?

In-Person Meeting, Virtual Meeting, Email or Messaging App

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

One of the things that impressed me the most was their can-do attitude. It's not an easy task we've faced them with, and definitely in a complex and vast industry. All these considered, they really took on the challenge and turned it into an opportunity - to understand more about what is important and what brings value to us, to deliver in an efficient manner and to stick to our commitments.

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

I can't think of any. They've gone above and beyond in meeting and exceeding our expectations. I've trully, trully appreciatedour collaboration so far, and look forward to continuing on the same path.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the Programme Manager of the Communications and Public Affairs Programme of an Intergovernmental Organisation, which is dedicated to strengthening EU-LAC bi-regional cooperation.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We hired BRAINSUM for web hosting, website development and web design services. Our goals were to migrate the old content to the new Drupal 9 platform and achieve a better performance of the site. Moreover, we are working on several new projects, such as the development of specific databases for public access.

SOLUTION

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

In 2021, we launched a call for tenders for the conclusion of a three-year framework contract for the provision of Website Development, Hosting and Maintenance Services. BRAINSUM applied to the tender and demonstrated persistence and professionality during the application process. Additionally, their competitive rates were deciding advantages.

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

BRAINSUM handles our CMS management and all our Drupal-related issues and maintenance. Moreover, we are working on specific projects, for which BRAINSUM redesigned parts of our website according to our requirements and upgraded them to Drupal 9. Beyond the design process, they carry out the development of interactive databases and new features on our website, such as an Intranet platform, including UX Discovery.

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

We have worked, at different points of our project cycles, with 4 different team members of Brainsum, including the CTO, the Head of Business Development & Consulting and two programme managers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

BRAINSUM's work has helped to significantly improve our website and services, which has been recognised by our visitors. Since we started working with Brainsum, we have not experienced any major downtime or problems with the website that were not resolved within a very short time.

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

We communicate almost on a daily basis via e-mail. To address quick inquiries, we have also established a communication channel on Slack. Before starting to work on 3 different services, we used to have regular weekly meetings to discuss the required work on our general website. We then proceeded to change our workflow for specific projects, such as the relaunching of the Intranet, to 3-4 milestone video meetings in 2-3 months to discuss the progress of the development and to exchange feedback. Selective matters are addressed via e-mail, with additional shorter meetings if needed.

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

Since the start of our collaboration, BRAINSUM has made an exceptional effort to tailor our communication to the need of our organisation. They have been very respectful of our time, resulting in a productive and very efficient collaboration. Moreover, their constructive and honest feedback on our requests, combined with their solid expertise in Drupal-related projects, is much appreciated.

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

Due to parallel work on 2-3 different projects, we have experienced an exceeding duration of working periods invested in those projects in comparison to the original estimated term. For future projects, it is recommended to focus on one project at a time to not lose sight of the progress and delay the result.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the partner and creative director of a distribution company in the spa and aesthetics market.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with BRAINSUM?

We needed help with web development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

BRAINSUM redesigned our website according to our collateral and upgraded it to Drupal 9. We provided all the content and visuals. They also integrated the site with our existing CRM and created a mobile-friendly version of it. Additionally, they improved our e-commerce platform and connected it to our accounting system. BRAINSUM continues to maintain our website.

What is the team composition?

We work with five people, including a project manager and Riley (Head of Business Development & Consulting)

How did you come to work with BRAINSUM?

We hosted a request for quotation on LinkedIn and Riley responded via email. We actually got a lot of offers on LinkedIn, but BRAINSUM was the only one who went all the way and prepared a proposal for us, so we were delighted with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $70,000 CAD (approximately $55,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We signed a contract with them in August 2020, and the project is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our clients have been really pleased with the simplicity and ease of use of our new site. It’s also much more mobile-friendly now. Furthermore, since BRAINSUM updated our site, we’ve seen an increase in the number of clients who use our online shopping platform.

How did BRAINSUM perform from a project management standpoint?

They were very clear about when the development would start, but there was a delay initially. For the first 3–4 months, they mainly kept to the established timeline, but we ended up being two months behind. 

However, the communication has been excellent throughout the entire process. We’ve recently had issues with responsiveness, but if we really need to get a hold of someone, they always accommodate us even though they’re in a different country. We typically communicate through Slack, Zoom, and email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their expertise in Drupal is very strong, which is very important to us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could improve on their project management.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be ready for the amount of work involved. The process will be smoother if you prepare for the development process.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a co-founder of a specialized online technology media firm that’s been in business for over eight years. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with BRAINSUM?

We launched our business on WordPress, but we outgrew the platform. Our team decided to move to Drupal since it could provide better performance and scale a higher level of innovation. With that, we needed a development partner to help us transition to Drupal.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

BRAINSUM is providing us with full-service CMS management, and they are handling all our Drupal-related issues. Initially, they transferred our site from WordPress to Drupal. Since then, they’ve been updating and customizing our platform, and they’re working to improve its performance, security, and accessibility. They do everything to keep the site running optimally. 

In addition, BRAINSUM is also adding new features to our site. They’ve included an audio mode that allows our readers to listen to our articles. They’ve also added a feature that gives the reader an option to use a dyslexic-friendly font — very few websites have that right now. 

We also work with BRAINSUM to define our roadmap. We plan to integrate more subscription-based functionalities into our site. For example, they’ve embedded a good search engine for our platform that our readers liked. We also plan to add compatibility with external audio- and video-based services, such as home devices from Amazon and Google. 

What is the team composition?

There are usually 3–4 teammates on our team calls. Peter (Owner) is our point of contact, but we also work with Riley (Head of Business Development) and Balazs (Art Director).  

How did you come to work with BRAINSUM?

Our team found them through online search and recommendation while we were searching for good Drupal development partners. We knew that US-based web development could get incredibly expensive, and BRAINSUM provided us with a very affordable offer.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in December 2018, and it’s ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our site’s uptime has been tremendous — we’ve never experienced any downtime in years. It’s an important metric since some of our partners ask for that information on their contracts. 

Additionally, BRAINSUM’s work for us has been well received by the public and even gained a third-party award. Today’s media industry is very competitive. To create a profitable niche website is no small task, and we couldn’t have done it without BRAINSUM. 

How did BRAINSUM perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicate daily through email and JIRA. They also use JIRA to track their projects and for ticketing — when they need our input, they can tag us on the platform. We also have weekly Zoom meetings. 

BRAINSUM has told me that their best developer is working on our account — they invest in and prioritize their relationship with us. Beyond that, their team members bring diverse skills to the table — one of them is forward-thinking, and some are technical-minded. 

In addition, our weekly meetings with BRAINSUM’s team help mitigate the potential downsides of working with a cross-cultural team. They’ve been very accommodating. At one point, one of our managers even visited and spent a few days with them in Hungary. 

Both our teams work hard to avoid culture and communication barriers. I’ve seen real growth in our relationship through the years. I’m based in the US, one of our technical advisers is in Scotland, and BRAINSUM is in Hungary — we’ve been able to work efficiently despite our different timezones. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

We appreciate working with a whole team and having a collaborative environment. BRAINSUM brings a lot of skills to the table, and they are committed to excellence. 

BRAINSUM is eager to do cutting-edge projects; they’re not contented doing backend tasks. Many firms just want to support websites, but BRAINSUM wants to be a part of something special. They like to challenge themselves, and that’s very similar to how we want to work. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

They’re not always the best at updating on email, particular with a project status update or delay.  When our team has an issue, and we email them, they work to resolve it quickly, but they aren't always quick to send us email updates. We’ve had productive conversations about this issue, and come up with some prioritization tactics. Lately, they’ve been working hard to give us a heads up when they encounter delays.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Unless you’re also based in Budapest, having regular video check-ins is important, especially when you’re in the middle of important projects. You can try to communicate through email and Slack, but there’s always the potential for miscommunication if you don’t check-in in real-time. Put in the time to build your relationship with BRAINSUM. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a private hospital offering a range of services from obstetrics, to pediatrics, over 40 medical specialities, state-of-the-art operating rooms, exclusive surroundings and patient accommodation. I’m the head of marketing.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with the service provider?

We asked for a new website which reflects the high quality of our private hospital services and presents all of our specialties and services in a way which meets the visitors need.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Brainsum developed our new website, after a UX research. They merged 2 separate former website.

What is the team composition?

There was a project manager during the whole development, at the beginning we also worked with a UX expert and sometimes with frontend and backend developers.

How did you come to work with the service provider?

They were recommended.

How much have you invested with them?

The total cost was about 16.000 EUR.

What is the status of this engagement?

We still have been working on maintenance and new features of our website.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have a beautiful, user friendly website, which perfectly presents the uniqueness of Dr. Rose Private Hospital, the visitors of the website have been continuously increasing.

How did the service provider perform from a project management standpoint?

It was and still it is a very smooth cooperation, they have the expertise, they react fast and they are solution focused.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They are effective and solution focused.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t highlight any.