CallCTO

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder of a chain of 25 fitness clubs. We are actively growing, and our goal is to make fitness accessible to everyone with the highest possible standards of service.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We were looking for a partner to develop a new web portal and mobile application for our customers. Our main problem was that the existing portal was outdated, not being updated, and worked very slowly. In addition, its source code was lost, and we had to come up with everything from scratch. Given the continuous growth of our client base, we offer our customers maximum flexibility in the choice of training both in the gym and online with our trainers. And for all this, we needed an IT solution as soon as possible.

SOLUTION

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

By recommendation from our friends who have already had a positive experience with these guys.

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

Our main requirements for functionality were as follows:

• The portal and gym owner can define the main conditions: gym availability (dates, time), payment conditions, promotion/ discount possibilities, etc.
• Different types of training to be held: Sports training, Luxury training, All-inclusive fitness, Health/relaxation boot camps, Triathlon boot camps training, etc.
• Sessions can be taught by multiple affiliated coaches. The coach can be an external individual but a business subject as well. The coach doesn’t need a certificate; s/he just needs skills and passion in a discipline to share with the attendees.
• The portal also allows businesses to register as a coach. Coaches interested in providing training or looking into using our setup on location can register interest to become a coach for a particular group.
• Holding a Series of Sessions: Coaches can list a Session series. These are sessions that run for more than one date. Members who sign up for a Session series commit to all the sessions in the series.
• Cancel a Session - Coaches have the option to cancel sessions due to fewer members than the minimum, sickness, or emergency at least 24 hours before the start of the Session. A notification e-mail will be sent out to members via Coach Dashboard.
• If the Session fails to meet the minimum capacity indicated in the Session listing, the Fitness portal should notify coaches 48 hours in advance of the Session date - to give the coach an option to either train with fewer members or cancel the Session. Coaches have an option to still train a Session with fewer members than the minimum.

In fact, for the rapid launching of the solution, we have agreed on a modular launch, gradually starting one module after another. The goal is to start in the minimum version in 4 months.

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

I worked mostly with their CTO, Oleg, and Lucas' PM. Designers, developers, testers, and analysts came to the meeting while I was working. All in all, about ten different people.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Most importantly, we launched MVP in 4 months and started migrating from the old portal to the new one. Within a month of launching, the app had more than 5,000 downloads, and we didn't include active marketing. In terms of functionality - in just over a year, the guys managed to develop all the functionality that was declared at the launch, and now we continue to work on new modules for the working solution.

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

I loved it — I got a detailed progress report every week, and once every two weeks, I was invited to a demo. When the team had questions about the business - they prepared them in advance, gave them to me, and then picked a convenient time to meet to interview me.

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

I wasn't interrupted from my work, I almost didn't notice their presence. At the same time, they completely helped me write the requirements specification, coordinate it with me, and develop an IT solution. I, as a non-IT person, could not do that.

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

I can't think of anything.Good luck with your new projects, guys!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO & Founder of Array

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Our company is a financial innovation platform that helps digital brands, financial institutions, and fintechs get compelling consumer products to market faster

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Our company hired CallCTO to develop a comprehensive platform for issuing short-term loans.
• We needed their expertise in building reliable, secure, and efficient FinTech solutions.

SOLUTION

How did you find CallCTO?

• Online Search
• Referral

Why did you select CallCTO over others?

• Great culture fit
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from CallCTO were assigned to this project?

10

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

The project involved building a platform to handle loan applications, approvals, and repayments efficiently. It started with the scoping and requirement-gathering phase, followed by designing the system architecture. 

CallCTO's team then developed the platform iteratively, incorporating features such as user authentication, loan application processing, approval algorithms, and secure payment systems. After completion, we went through rigorous testing, and necessary refinements were made before the platform was rolled out.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The successful launch of the loan issuing platform, which resulted in a more streamlined and efficient loan application and approval process, signifies the success of this project. Since the platform's launch, we've seen an increase in loan applications and improved customer satisfaction.

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

The collaboration was highly effective. We used an agile Scrum methodology with regular sprints and updates, allowing us to be responsive to changing needs and issues as they arose. The CallCTO team was very communicative and proactive throughout the project.

What was your primary form of communication with CallCTO?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

CallCTO's extensive financial sector knowledge, commitment to understanding our needs, and dedicated approach to delivering a quality product were truly impressive. Their willingness to work collaboratively and maintain open lines of communication stood out to us.

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

We had a very positive experience working with CallCTO. However, we might benefit from a more extensive post-deployment support phase for future projects to handle any teething issues more efficiently. This is not so much a criticism but an area we think could enhance our already productive partnership.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO of Avant

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Our company is a credit-first financial technology company that provides access to innovative financial solutions, including personal loans and credit cards.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Our company engaged CallCTO to help us develop an advanced payment processing system that could cater to our growing customer base.
• We required a scalable, secure, and efficient solution to handle high-volume transactions across various channels.

SOLUTION

How did you find CallCTO?

Online Search

Why did you select CallCTO over others?

• Great culture fit
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from CallCTO were assigned to this project?

13

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

Our project involved creating a comprehensive payment processing platform featuring multi-currency transactions, anti-fraud measures, and seamless integrations with existing systems. The initial stage involved scoping and defining the project requirements and designing the system architecture. CallCTO's team then developed the platform iteratively, testing and integrating each module. 

Post-implementation, we worked together on thorough system testing and troubleshooting before the successful roll-out.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We saw significant improvements in our transaction processing speed and efficiency upon implementing the new system. The incidence of transaction errors and fraud has also decreased substantially, demonstrating the success of our collaboration with CallCTO

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

The collaboration with CallCTO was seamless. We adopted an agile Scrum approach, with regular communication and updates. This methodology allowed us to maintain a dynamic project environment, making adjustments as necessary to ensure project success.

What was your primary form of communication with CallCTO?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

CallCTO's in-depth knowledge of FinTech and its commitment to delivering high-quality solutions were exceptional. Their team's professionalism and dedication to meeting our needs made them a reliable partner in achieving our goals.

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

Our experience with CallCTO was very positive, and we appreciate their hard work and dedication. It's difficult to pinpoint areas for improvement at this point, but we look forward to exploring new technologies and methodologies in future collaborations with them.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a Managing Director for a Advertise and Marking Company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire CallCTO?

We needed IT process management consulting for our company's services

SOLUTION

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

We were choosing companies with experience in building IT processes and were advised to contact the guys from CallCTO.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

Within our company we use a large number of cloud services that are disparate and sometimes unconnected. What became a particular problem was that some services duplicated each other's functionality, and we didn't know about it. So for example we used Miro and LucidChart in parallel for whiteboard solutions, SalesForce and HubSpot for customer management, etc. The main task was to survey the current solutions in use and propose migration plans.

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

We had 2 people working with us - a CTO and a business analyst.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Absolutely! There was a map of services, their users and their main functionalities. With the right advice, we were able to eliminate several expensive solutions, and start using new, cheaper ones with sufficient functionality.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We all liked it - at the start there was an in-depth interview with the key people of our company and then the results were put together and broken down into components, after which we got a project plan and we moved on it! Everything was very transparent and convenient, with weekly reports on where we are.

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

The speed and expertise of the people, of course!

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

There probably are, but we liked everything now!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the general project manager of a construction company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire callcto?

We were looking for a development partner to build a bespoke solution from scratch for the automation of our business processes in the construction industry, i.e., to effectively manage and track projects and daily activities within different departments.

SOLUTION

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

We spent almost a quarter finding the right developers for this project, and CallCTO turned out to be the best - we were able to conduct an in-depth study of the requirements and define the scope of the project to start development.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

ERP systems, in general, are rather complex solutions, as they incorporate the operation of multiple sectors and departments. We needed a comprehensive solution with unified login and UX interface across its different departments (Procurement, Operations, Sales, HR, Finance, etc.). The main outcome of the project was the streamlined process in the company and improved decision-making, which will reduce the overall costs and increase the efficiency of the business. The general requirements included:

• Easy to learn and simple to use solution.
• Can be accessed from any browser. - Highly flexible and stable.
• Can work in a single-user and multi-user environment (on one or more computers in a network).
• Designed using leading-edge technology.
• Providing analyses and reporting on a weekly and monthly basis, so they will facilitate the company’s decision-making.
• Possible integration with other clients’ applications. In our case, the construction ERP project has been broken down into the modules described above.

All activities and modules operate and store Material and Labor (human) resources. The main implemented functions of the ERP were intended to:

• Procure material on time, and track its usage. Track costs of the activities.
• Schedule labor appropriately and track their time sheets. Track costs to the activity.

The above steps involve planning, execution, and reporting from the site;

• Handle quality issues;
• Handle change orders;
• Project cash flow.

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

The project team consisted of 9-11 people on the CallCTO side (Backend and Frontend developers, QA, and project manager) and two project managers on our side. Occasionally, other experts on the CallCTO team side joined the project to solve specialized issues.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Once the MVP of the ERP project was completed, our employment's were able to utilize the benefits immediately. In addition, we received a structured description of our business processes in the form of a diagram. We were able to adjust some complex processes and implement all this within the new self-written system at the stage of preparation of tasks for development. In general, I can confidently say that the digitalization of our processes was able to increase the speed of work by several times.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Everything was organized at the highest level - we worked together on Scrum sprints for two weeks, with the results showing the rapid dynamics of change at the end of them.

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

Working together as a team with a group of professionals allowed me to quickly get the declared goals and new experiences. The experience of building complex processes in the face of complete uncertainty is certainly memorable.

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

So far, everything is going great, and we continue to develop our common cause, so I wish you not to stop at the achievements and continue to work actively!