Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or impact of the engagement?
We launched a bunch of phases throughout the last year and a half; working with Brimit and having their team help with development enabled us to meet our deadlines, which would have been a struggle without them. Their ability to ramp up, produce, and integrate well with our team has allowed us to get these projects to clients on the deadlines that were promised.
Brimit’s performance also has improved throughout the project. They have to use a lot of our proprietary processes and approaches to solve the problems and to meet the customer’s requirements. I noticed that they improved in learning our system, processes, and approaches; their knowledge level went up considerably over the years. Their level of English also has gone up from when we first started working with them. We now consider them to be almost like a local team, even though they are 8 time zones away.
Compared to other offshore companies we’ve worked with, Brimit’s dedication to quality and delivery is higher than anyone else’s. They put in whatever effort was needed to meet the deadlines. If we said, “We have to get this done,” then they got it done. They collaborated with our BAs [business analysts] and project managers to clarify issues. Traditionally, with offshore people, you send it over the wall and hope they do it. Brimit asks questions, makes sure they understand what they are delivering, and then deliver it. Their quality of work also was exceedingly better than other offshore teams.
How did Brimit perform from a project management standpoint?
We initially started working with 3 of Brimit’s developers (a lead and 2 additional developers). I think we had 6 developers at the peak of the project, and then toward the end of the project, we were back to 3. The initial developers were brought to the project under Brimit’s recommendation. Then, as we added more members to the team, they ran their selection process past us, and we got to interview them and decide if we wanted them to be on the team or not. That worked well for us.
For task assignments, we used JIRA. We also used email and instant messaging on either Skype or Slack. Our platform has changed a few times. We also did daily stand-ups where they called in.
I was consistently interacting with the wider team. Leads handled most of the stuff, but if the leads were unavailable or if the schedule didn't work because of the time difference, then the teams would step in and handle whatever communication was needed. Everybody handled everyone’s stuff well.
What did you find most impressive about Brimit?
Brimit’s work ethic and level of effort ensure that they produce quality products that meet our requirements. Even if we have a misunderstanding, Brimit puts forth the effort to correct any mistakes and make sure they’re made right. They have a strong drive to make sure that what they deliver is high-quality. It’s hard to come by people—vendors and employees—who have Brimit’s level of desire to make a quality product.
Are there any areas Brimit could improve?
Our day was their evening, which made it hard to coordinate sometimes; they get to have a personal life too, right? They tried really hard to be available all of the time, but sometimes some of the guys couldn't make it, and they also neglected to let us know they couldn't make it until the next day. I know it’s extremely hard from their end. The only thing I’d say they could improve is their consistency in communicating when they’re not available for a call. Of the team of 6, a few of them were always spot on and would always, always communicate. If they were away on vacation or something, sometimes the backup guys would not be as communicative.
Rather than just uploading client data as is, the team considers how clients use the software, ensuring a seamless upload and identifying areas for improvement along the way. They provide frequent updates, ask the right questions, and make themselves available, despite a time zone difference.