CONTUS TECH

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

World Textile Information Network (WTiN) is an information provider, delivering unmatched intelligence and insight into the global textile manufacturing industry. Steve Ayres is the Head of Content & Technology at WTiN.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

To fill growing holes in the 2020 physical event space within the textile manufacturing industry WTiN took the decision to run a virtual trade show event, and to build the platform from scratch. Our goal was to bring exhibitors and potential customers together in the virtual environment.

SOLUTION

How did you select CONTUS and what were the deciding factors?

Part of the development was to build in real-time text chat and video calling capabilities. Contus were initially selected on the strength of their previous work and customer base, followed by impressive product demonstration and project proposal.

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

To assist with setup, deployment and customisation of the Contus/Mirror-Fly chat platform into our own infrastructure, following be integration within our own virtual trade show platform.

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

6-7 representative from the vendors team. Initially on the business side, then onto the support (technician and project management) sides.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Many of our virtual event exhibitors had never taken part in such an event. Many reported good lead generation and good levels of visitor/exhibitor engagement (beyond expectations).

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

Using Basecamp and Skype teams were in constant contact and all parties were always very quick and responsive where required. Vendor communication was always clear and detailed, to the point of outlining holidays, absence and alternative contacts where required, etc.

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

Their level of support and responsiveness was unparalleled with any company we have worked with previously.

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

The vendor team performed exceptionally throughout the project, always responsive and going the extra mile where needed. The development was done quickly in order to meet a specific requirement. In these circumstances there was very little that the vendor team could have done to differently (better).

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m one of the co-founders of an online learning platform.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Contus?

We needed a vendor to build our core platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We provided a design and prototype, and Contus built out the full solution for desktop and mobile devices. It allows users to stream our educational content and view other informational documentation like PDFs, PowerPoints, or audio files.

Contus used primarily PHP and Laravel to develop the backend and Drip for our CRM. They also worked with a variety of AWS, FlowPlayer, and Wowza technology. They integrated multiple features on both the front- and backend to create an accessible and stunning streaming platform.

What is the team composition?

I have two main points of contact, but there were about seven people working on the project full-time.

How did you come to work with Contus?

We found them through an online search for software development companies that specialized in video streaming platforms.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from March–September 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They delivered a scalable and reliable platform. Our internal team is very happy with their work. We’ve done multiple demos with the platform, and everyone has reacted positively so far. It has a real “wow” factor.

How did Contus perform from a project management standpoint?

They were very well-organized, following a clear and structured workflow. The team effectively managed our account, documented all of their work, and shared their process through Jira. We moved pretty quickly. In terms of communication, there was always someone available to help me. We had weekly calls, and the Contus team routinely came prepared. Overall, the collaboration was great.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I most appreciated their professional, transparent, and proactive approach to project management. There is a fair balance between the cost of their services and the value they provide.

Additionally, they were willing to go above and beyond to meet our requests. Relationships with most software development companies are solely transactional. They deliver exactly what we ask of them. Contus puts in extra effort, proposing new solutions or alternative options for our product.

Are there any areas they could improve?

At the beginning of the project, there were some issues with meeting deadlines. By about four weeks in, all problems were resolved. I also think they could be a bit more detailed in their QA processes. With that said, I would definitely recommend Contus to other businesses.

Any advice for potential customers?

Clients should have a clear idea of what they want and thoroughly describe it to Contus. Provide them with as much information as possible, but stay involved throughout the development process.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a co-founder of Skempi, a music streaming platform focused on independent music from the Caribbean. We’ve been in operation for approximately six years now and have a stable monthly average of 60,000 users mostly in the Caribbean and the Caribbean diaspora in Europe.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Contus?

During our first years of operation, we managed to get the business model rolling and acquire resources with our current platform. We wanted to take it to the next level. The biggest players out there are Spotify, Apple Music, and Soundcloud. We shifted our focus to 100% global independent music and needed a total revamp to bring our platform up to that standard. We struggled for quite a while to find the resources to achieve a world-class platform for us. We had done all the development in-house but decided that it wasn’t giving us the results we wanted.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Contus is currently completing the first phase to rebuild our platform, which is a significant update to the existing one. We have the web platform as well as Android and iOS apps. Our official launch takes place in two weeks.

The platform tries to adhere to the dominant design of music streaming that exists already. Many of the features that music users would expect from a service are embedded. We have automated playlists based on popularity or recent listens. Elasticsearch is built in to allow search within our database 240,000 songs on multiple levels like from song, artist, album. Users can create their own playlists. We have premium paid accounts that are ad-free and offer offline downloading.

Contus works in Laravel and with AWS as well as a proprietary solution of their own developed primarily for video streaming platforms.

What is the team composition?

We worked with an account manager who scoped the project and managed the onboarding process. Since then, we’ve worked with a project manager, who owns the product, and a senior developer, who oversees the entire development. In the early stages, we also had a frontend/graphic designer on the team.

How did you come to work with Contus?

We started a very intensive search to outsource the development. We needed a company that already had vast knowledge, experience, and intellectual property in this area. We shifted our focus from white-label solutions to power streaming applications.

We found very few players in our search. We didn’t even find Contus in the first round. We found two others, neither of which was exactly what we were looking for and one of which was very expensive. The first partner had a SaaS model, which didn’t give us the look and feel that we wanted. We did a second search and went deeper, which is when we found Contus. We reached out to them and they were extremely responsive. We started discussing the project scope. We looked at an application they had built before and felt they were right for the job.

How much have you invested with them?

The first phase is capped at around $60,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in October 2017. The work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I don't really have any tangible performance details yet. But from testing and everything I've seen so far, I can confidently say that we are getting the results we were looking for. That’s very positive in our eyes. I'm very happy.

How did Contus perform from a project management standpoint?

Communication happens pretty smoothly. We speak to the project manager and senior developer on a daily basis. The graphic designer used to join those calls as well. We either do a Skype call or they call me on my mobile phone. I even communicate with them on WhatsApp. We also use Basecamp and Jira for tracking bugs.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re extremely committed to delivering according to our requirements. They’re very flexible and continue to mold the product until we’re completely satisfied. One hundred percent satisfaction is one of their main focuses. They cover everything that is relevant on both the front- and backend; things like SEO aren’t forgotten. They’re also very proactive in strategizing and thinking along with the client. I believe they have the right attitude.

Overall, they're patient and proactive—very nice people to work with. It’s been a very pleasant partnership.

Are there any areas they could improve?

When they’re working on a specific part, they don't tend to focus as strictly on a set deadline. I understand that it’s hard to predict it will take for a customer to be happy with, say, the design before you can move on to development. That means the deadline or launch date is only clear when you’re more than halfway through the project and can see what’s realistic. On the other hand, that process ensures that nothing is sped up that could hurt the project. They really take their time to get everything right before going to market. That can be both a pro and a con.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Try to negotiate with them on the initial proposal. They tend to be somewhat flexible at that stage but, afterward, they stick to a price, which I believe is fair given the amount of time that they put into the project.

I also definitely recommend making sure that they work according to a business requirement document (BRD) and the scope of work document. Make sure that the BRD meticulously includes all the features to be developed because, once you sign off, that BRD defines the scope of that entire project. It's better to take a lot of time upfront to ensure that everything is considered before any actual development starts.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Bobbie is developing the construction material industry’s first online pure play digital store with a unique hybrid dealer/marketplace approach. This market features high commercial and physical transaction volumes, and the goods tend to be very heavy. Our vision is to digitally revolutionize the building materials trade.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Contus?

We were a young startup and could not afford to hire expensive permanent contract developers, but we also needed significant Magento development experience. Contus satisfied both of these needs and was an ideal choice for us.

What were your goals for this project?

To differentiate us from the competition and enable construction material training, we needed to integrate a marketplace Magento extension and add new functionalities. Those features included an Ajax update of all product information, such as price and amount calculation rules for configurable products; transparency in the sellers’ terms and conditions; price and individual product requests; online tender capabilities; real time freight calculation; and a Lookbook-inspired style.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We filtered out a lot of potential suppliers by first benchmarking available marketplace extensions and then requesting further development quotes. We conducted some additional smaller-scale development tests before hiring.

Can you go into detail about the services they provided and the scope of the project?

We managed the project following an agile approach with several Contus developers and designers on multiple parallel development streams. Contus was responsible for end-to-end development and the associated web design while we handled specifications and testing for the benefit of immediate feedback on new features. Communication was primarily conducted via Basecamp, FogBugz, and Slack.

What was the team composition?

The team consisted of between one and three Contus developers and one designer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

We are not yet live, but we will certainly share that when the website launches.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

We did not have deadlines—code is done when it is done, not when a deadline passes—but we closely monitored development progress and spot-checked every line of code via Git (version control software). Communication was responsive, as would be expected with hiring full-time developers. Neither the language nor time zone differences were issues, but we did experience some cultural challenges, such as explaining the complex German Value Added Tax system.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The staff was very flexible in scaling to project needs.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

Although we had to replace one developer for inadequate skills, the Contus team management handled the situation quickly and professionally.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the founder of FLASHA, an e-commerce platform for the advertising, events, and sponsorship industries.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Contus?

We needed to create a functional e-commerce minimum viable product (MVP) for the market.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We did some research and found that Contus fit all our requirements for the development of our MVP and the tools for our next generation platform. Their staff really made an effort to understand our goals.

Describe the project in detail.

The project consisted of creating a unique MVP for our e-commerce site, connecting complex variables in order to make the checkout journey as simple as possible. They also configured the backend to accommodate our needs.

What was the team composition?

I handled the project management and there were three people from Contus involved the whole time. They even made a plan to keep the same team in place for the extra work we had after the first job was completed. They made our life easier.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What outcomes or results can you share that demonstrate progress and/or success?

They understood every discussion we had and to back that up, every conversation was recorded to confirm tasks before executing them. They were always going forward.

How effective was the project management?

Their team was great. They kept to their timelines, occasionally finishing the work sooner which allowed them to complete smaller details that I had overlooked. They were very helpful, even when things weren’t in the original scope.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

We appreciated their communication and willingness to help us find solutions.

What tips or recommendations do you have?

The team I worked with, and will continue to work with, had it all under control.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the founder of FloorFindr and we display tiles from recognized manufacturers, receive quotation requests for the products, and send these out to our retail stores. The stores provide unique quotes for our customers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Contus?

We were having difficulty finding a web builder that could build our website in the right amount of time and for the right price. The website required a lot of customization, so it wasn’t really a straightforward build. This meant that it was vital for us to work alongside a team of developers that had the ability to completely follow our requirements for the build of the product.

What were your goals for this project?

The website had to be able to receive quote requests and automatically send these out without us having to manually handle them. The design had to be beautiful and not just on the frontend for customers, but also in the backend for the stores and manufacturers.

We wanted to build a website that was yet to be seen in the industry. A seamless user experience was a focal point for us in order to achieve success through the website.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We stumbled across Contus whilst searching online for different website developers. I ran through multiple options, considering hiring a single developer or buying a UK website and editing its existing code to suit our needs (which we couldn't do).

There were a couple of different companies we considered, but Contus’ team was professional and reliable in their approach. They sent a project plan within days of the request and were very keen to get started. Agraj Sethi (Senior Business Development Consultant, Contus) was the main person we dealt with during the selection process. His enthusiasm was fantastic and a massive factor in our decision to run with Contus.

Describe the project in detail.

Contus designed and developed the full website from beginning to end. We threw in our ideas and expectations, which they exceeded at times. We began the process by outlining our needs and listening to their suggestions. This was followed by mock-ups, testing, improvements, and constant feedback. The whole development was extremely thorough, with no task proving too much for their team. Every member was more than willing to help.

What was the team composition?

We mainly stayed in contact with the project manager and Agraj Sethi. Contus used different teams for different parts of the project; they had a design team, a development team, and a server team. I also stayed in contact with one of the developers for support after the project was completed.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What outcomes or results can you share that demonstrate progress and/or success?

The feedback on our website has been amazing. They more than exceeded expectations with the overall cost of the work. Our new website has a real purpose.

How effective was the project management?

This aspect was really good. We are based in the U.K., so the time differences are quite large, but it worked out much better than we could've expected. The team put in late shifts and were always available whenever we needed to discuss the project. Some of the tools we used were Skype, Google Docs, and Gmail.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their work rate is admirable and they have a very personable approach. Their desire to complete the project to the highest standard is what separates them from others. We keep in touch constantly even though the project is complete.

What tips or recommendations do you have?

There's very little we can think of for them to improve on at this time.

BACKGROUND

I am a student and an entrepreneur specializing in Internet business development.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

I had an idea for an iPhone app. It involves a male-only clothing application that aggregated preppy clothing styles targeting 16 to 24 year olds. I had no mobile coding experience. I am a student so have a limited budget.

SOLUTION

I chose Contus because their portfolio showed quality work in the past, and their quote for my project was extremely affordable. The team from Contus assigned to my project used Basecamp to contact and discuss the project with me.

The project wrapped up successfully, and communication was very fast and clear. The Contus team was in charge of everything from A-Z, and did a very good job in maintaining the application. The total duration of the project was about six or seven weeks, which I did not have a problem with because I kept requesting updates and changes last minute.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Contus did a fantastic job. My app launched on the App Store just yesterday, and I already have 40 downloads. Every user has given great feedback so far. Contus is definitely a great choice for a smaller budget project because they provide quality service, which is hard to find. I would highly recommend their services.

BACKGROUND

This involved a small, individual development project for S&P 500 Financial app. Our customer provided business requirements for the app and functional feedback for the app development. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

The work included development of a mobile app that can combine and calculate third party API [application programming interface] live finance data with data presented in custom cloud based server, via custom APIs. The target market is consumers looking to become their own personal finance managers. The goal is to achieve gradual adoption over time with a free/low cost app and to build a consumer investor community. 

SOLUTION

The solution provided was Mobile/iOS development for the personal finance app. We chose Contus originally because of their local office location and price competitiveness compared to other global development organizations.

The app was originally designed and developed on Android one year prior as the initial project. I provided the original rough design and Contus took it from there. By the time we developed for iOS, the Contus UI [user interface] team was more than up to speed and took more of a leadership role for the user experience piece.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

The initial iOS development only took a little more than one month but seems to be performing well. I was very happy with the new improved UI for iOS as compared with the original Android design.

The quality on this particular project was very good, I found less than five to 10 issues after implementation and Contus has been responsive with support. The most important thing is that after publishing the app, Contus follows up and fixes new issues found after initial development. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company.

Our company is located in Saudi Arabia and is involved in the e-commerce industry. We completely focus on targeting the Saudi Arabian online shopping market.

What is your role and responsibilities?

I’m the founder and managing director of 3lamodak.com.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

Can you describe any target metrics for the initiative?

Our product is a daily deals website, which we wanted to develop using the Magento platform for the Saudi market. Our customers are mainly retail business owners and service providers like spas and bars. They send us special offers for their services.

What problem were you trying to solve and what was the impact on your business and customers? The problem we had was developing a software mechanism, which could perfectly match with the requirements of our daily deals website. As Groupon is the market leader, we were hoping to create something similar, but with some different features.

SOLUTION

What software or technologies were used?

We utilized Magento, the open source e-commerce platform.

How did you discover and select Contus as your service provider? Were there any attributes that set them apart from other firms considered?

We discovered Contus through Internet research. Their experience in e-commerce and Web development was strong. The dedicated technical team they have and their impressive client list won us over.

What was the overall scope of the initiative?

We preferred the ready-made solution proposed by Contus called the Grouponclone. This ready-made script was a perfect fit to launch a group-buying website. However, this script was customized according to our proposed UX [user experience] and UI [user interface] design concepts and various other functionalities were integrated.

They customized vital features of our site. These elements include the payment gateway, log-in function and discount section.

We had a few queries regarding the installation and usage, which were promptly addressed by the technical department through the support team.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

How is the software or technology performing? Where is it meeting or not meeting expectations?

The Grouponclone is performing well and is helpful in meeting our business expectations.

What advice would you give someone else considering this software?

For those who prefer to use this software, we would suggest that they go in blindfolded as it can be customized to any level to meet any specific requirements.

Did Contus cover the agreed scope and deliverables in the agreed schedule and budget?

Yes, Contus was prompt in its service. We were updated by Contus during the project and given updates about the testing process. Testing was carried out simultaneously in order to fix bugs and technical issues.

Is there anything unique or special about Contus?

Their strategic planning and timelines set Contus apart from competing firms. They understand our requirements to the core and planned accordingly to generate results in the quickest time possible. They were supportive and helpful throughout the process.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company.

We do Web application development for PCs.

What is your role and responsibilities?

I’m the project manager.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was the reason for working with Contus?

I know Contus through a friend, and we liked their profile on the Web. We liked their sample products and client feedback, so that’s why we selected Contus.

What was your goal for working with Contus?

We wanted to develop an app for one of the agencies here, and Nick was using a map, graphics, and complicated development That was a difficult challenge, but Contus did a good job in attaining the goal.

SOLUTION

Can you provide a ballpark dollar figure for the size of the work that they’ve done for you?

I don’t want to give out that information. They did a very good job for us, but I cannot give out the cost. There work was successful, and the app they built worked well. We didn't provide the graphics. They handled that work.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

How did Contus perform during that work? Were you satisfied?

Yes. We are satisfied with their performance.

Is there anything unique about them that really makes them stand out, compared to other companies?

They were sophisticated and unique. It’s not like Googling it, and taking somebody else’s pictures.

Looking back on the work so far, is there any area that you think they could improve upon or that you might do differently?

I don’t think there is anything like that. I’m very satisfied with their work.