Cognitive Creators

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder & CEO of Heimdall Innovations SRL. The main goal of our company is to launch on-demand professional services like cleaning, plumbing, and electrical in Central & Eastern European markets.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Cognitive Creators?

We needed to develop a technical solution for our business case.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They are building iOS and Android native mobile applications. We gave them a set of requirements to work from and they kept scalability in mind. First, they did case analyses with all the Cloud service providers available for the features we were interested in and made a recommendation.

We chose Azure Cloud combinations for infrastructure, platform, and service. Most of the scripting language used with Azure was JavaScript, but there was also C# in the backend.

What is the team composition?

There were five people on the team; a project manager, iOS developer, Android developer, UX/UI designer, and a business analyst.

How did you come to work with Cognitive Creators?

They were referred to us and we interviewed them for compatibility. When we presented our desire for cross-platform apps, they offered to give 100 hours to show us why that was an inferior option, for free. We liked their experience with Amazon Web Services and Azure Cloud services, as well as a number of other technologies.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around €60,000 (approximately $70,000) with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together around October 2019, and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The product isn’t live, so there aren’t any metrics to share in that regard. They came through on things that were important to us, however, delivering each phase on time and giving very accurate estimates regarding pricing and timelines.

We’ve tested the apps and are currently repairing issues that were found. We’re also updating and adding some additional features. We’re pleased with the work they’re doing; they’ve surpassed the experiences we had with previous vendors.

How did Cognitive Creators perform from a project management standpoint?

There is complete transparency. We have access to Jira, which allows us to see any blocks that may occur as well as communicate throughout the project. We were glad to see them using Scrum methods, as they are very compatible with our team. Communication is open and smooth.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They have a variety of skillsets within their team, which we find rare. We also really appreciated their accuracy in estimates and their ability to deliver on time. They have been very helpful to us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, not really.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They’re very helpful in making business decisions and will make a technology analysis that shows the pros and cons of each one.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Mr & Mrs Smith. We’re an online travel agent.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Cognitive Creators?

We needed to build a new version of our iOS app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Cognitive Creators developed the platform’s backend as well as handled technical integration. We provided specifications and wireframes. The app features full end-to-end booking technology and integrates with our booking APIs. It also has booking processing, a search feature, and account details.

What is the team composition?

It varies from 1–3 depending on how much work there is. However, there’s always one key developer. As the work scales, they bring on more developers.

How did you come to work with Cognitive Creators?

They came as a recommendation.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested about $150,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing engagement started in January 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

One of our goals was to improve the speed of download, and they achieved that. What’s more, communication is really vital because we’re in the UK, and they’ve been great with this. Overall, they’ve been excellent.

How did Cognitive Creators perform from a project management standpoint?

We used Jira for project management. The platform wasn’t delivered on time but that’s because we increased the scope and unavoidable things happened along the way.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their willingness to help and effective communication really set them apart.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Mapping out the time it’ll take to complete a task would be helpful.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Maintain regular communication and work closely with the development team.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Skonteo. We produce high-quality LED products worldwide.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Cognitive Creators?

We were looking for a vendor to support us with branding, marketing, and website redesign projects.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Cognitive Creators provided everything from strategy to marketing to the creation of our website and logo. Essentially, they created our entire online presence. 

The team designed and built our entire website, implementing video animation, among other functionalities.

They also provided our team with a two-day training on online strategy.

What is the team composition?

My main point of contact was Attila (Managing Partner, Cognitive Creators), but there were several people working with us.

How did you come to work with Cognitive Creators?

We held a design contest, and about 10-12 companies participated. Cognitive Creators presented the best design and strategy. We’ve partnered with them on many projects since then.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $280,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

This project with Cognitive Creators began in 2017, although we'd worked with them before that. The project is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

About a year after we launched our website redesign and brand strategy, our company revenue tripled.

How did Cognitive Creators perform from a project management standpoint?

Cognitive Creators’ project management style was excellent. The team provided creative, out-of-the-box thinking, and had an exact strategy to fulfill each specific project. 

There were, however, a few technical issues due to the website’s programming platform, which hindered some deadlines from being met.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Cognitive Creators produces modern, elegant design. The effort they put forth in their projects is most impressive.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Communicate your opinions and desires. Let them make the best from it.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing manager of a chemicals company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Cognitive Creators?

We needed a team to help us update our website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Cognitive Creators developed our website. They used their own technology to build our platform. Our internal IT department interacted with them frequently, and we assigned them additional tasks after seeing how skilled they were. We’ve continued to increase the amount of work they do for us from month to month.

We involved Cognitive Creators in the launch of a digital tool for digital farming that another consultant had developed for us. They also provided professional photography.

What is the team composition?

There are 10 people on the team.

How did you come to work with Cognitive Creators?

We invited them into the prequalification round along with a number of other companies. We made an extensive pre-tender. Cognitive Creators stood out from the beginning. They’re very customer focused and try to understand a lot about a client before they go in for the first meeting.

Cognitive Creatives speaks from a very strong basis of understanding. When we started, they already had ideas on how solve the problems for the customer in the pre-qualification phase. They presented themselves very well.

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent €250,000-500,000 (approximately $283,000–$567,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since 2017. We launched the new webpage and farming tool in fall 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Cognitive Creators is very customer-oriented and is genuinely interested in understanding our users. When we started the campaign, they took a thoughtful approach that always accounted for the current trends in various markets based on careful research. They designed the campaign based on what they learned about our industry. 

Based on what’s available in the market, they come up with specific designs that are always very creative. I’m impressed with their capabilities. They’re well-equipped to deal with a larger group, which helps with the complexities of all our processes. They’re always outstanding at managing all the stakeholders and are highly professional in everything they do.

How did Cognitive Creators perform from a project management standpoint?

The team used various tools like Jira to manage the project very well.  I wasn’t involved in the day-to-day operations, but I was in steering committees with them. 

Since we requested many changes, several things were late because they required lots of input from different people. Cognitive Creators always put in their utmost effort to accommodate us.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I would recommend them to any client who has a large and complex project. 
Cognitive Creators is a very customer-oriented, creative, professional, and reliable partner.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We were a demanding customer. Sometimes they should speak up if certain things aren’t possible. Sometimes they promised too much for them to deliver. They did deliver, but sometimes they could be a little stricter with us.