CoreLine

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the managing director at Insync Insurance Solutions Ltd. We’re an insurance business focused on SEM businesses across the UK that mainly trade online in niche areas.

What challenge were you trying to address with CoreLine?

We’ve been moving more of our products into an online solution. Initially, we brought them on to build a number of customer portals. They were responsible for the frontends of these solutions that integrated with our insurance backends.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We began with one project and now have a monthly retainer with them. At first, they analyzed 1–2 of our products, identified the best UX for the frontend, and then developed it.

All their work has been web-based so far. This was based on their advice, as they thought insurance isn’t an industry that people desire mobile capabilities to engage with.

What is the team composition?

We deal with Dominic (CEO & Founder), and two of his full-stack development resources are also working with us.

How did you come to work with CoreLine?

We tendered the work to multiple people, and they responded. Based on their price and previous work, we thought they would provide the best value.

They showed enthusiasm for what we do and how they could add value. Not just inside the scope of the first project, but also within our entire business. The general view is that we see them as an extension of our business rather than a third-party contractor. We’re keen to develop future contacts with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $250,000 with them so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since September 2019.

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

We work with another vendor who on our back-office. They’ve reviewed CoreLine's work and have come away very impressed. In terms of how we measure them internally, we look at cost savings, customer experience, and retention. Retention has gone up 6% since we launched the portal they developed.

How did CoreLine perform from a project management standpoint?

They immediately set up Slack channels and other communication pathways with clear project plans. If anything, they were the ones pushing us along, and not the other way around.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their enthusiasm stands out. They get everything right the first time. They haven’t had to repeat any work. We previously had another vendor looking after our websites, but CoreLine has improved the speed on every site, taking our Google score from 70 to 96. They’ve moved us onto AWS in a seamless project. It was a high-risk strategy to move all the websites, but it went seamlessly.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think there’s been anything that they haven’t been able to find a solution for. If anything, I would suggest adding more regular strategic catchups, but that’s more up to me than it is to them. Rather than being strictly project-focused, we could work on high-level strategy together.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have a firm brief and a lot of planning sessions before completely finalizing the project. They’ll have lots of good ideas to bring to the party.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the chief administrative officer (CAO) of a video-on-demand streaming service focused on content from Croatia and neighboring countries.

What challenge were you trying to address with CoreLine?

We went to them to develop a CMS.

What was the scope of their involvement?

The project consisted of several phases, during which CoreLine developed several features to improve our platform and UX. They upgraded the frontend design and developed the backend CMS from scratch to fit our specific needs.

The CMS allows us to manage everything from registration to billing. We can also view statistics, such as viewing hours, to give us a better understanding of user behavior within the platform. They also developed a system that allows us to pull daily, monthly, and yearly reports on everything from platform usage and statistics to payment management.  

The third part of the CMS that CoreLine worked on allows us to manage the database that consists of the video files and the metadata. All the data is hosted securely on AWS.

Now we’re beta-testing the CMS and plan to continue working with CoreLine to develop mobile and smart TV apps.

What is the team composition?

CoreLine established a team of one designer, two developers, and a project manager.

How did you come to work with CoreLine?

We went through our address book and contacted developers we’d worked with before. A couple of them recommended Filip (Founder & CEO). They were well-experienced in the field, having worked on several similar projects in the past, so we had a meeting.

CoreLine met all of the requirements we needed we needed. They were a young team, but they were also experienced and efficient. Those were the key selling points for us.  

How much have you invested with them?

The cost so far is around €50,000 (approximately $60,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with CoreLine in the fall of 2020 and we plan to expand our collaboration.

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

They’ve had a positive impact on our business so far. CoreLine completely understands our needs and makes suggestions to improve the system, then they implement those ideas in the most effective way. We’ve received more than what we’ve paid for.

We expect the product to provide a better UX to our customers. It also gives us a better overview of the use of our platform. We’ll be able to work more efficiently on the backend because our workflow is more organized. Now we can manage the whole platform autonomously.

Going forward, we plan to automate a lot of our other processes so we can focus on other areas of our business as well.

How did CoreLine perform from a project management standpoint?

We established a timeline at the beginning of the process, and CoreLine not only managed to deliver, but they were faster than expected at some stages.

They’re open to communication. We communicate through Google Meet and Slack. They’re always responsive — they always get back to us in a matter of minutes. When it comes to deadlines, they’ve met every single one that they predicted six months ago. As a result, we’re saving time with project development.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The CoreLine team is well-organized and structured. Each person involved in the project knows their field well. They’re clearly experts.  

Additionally, they work great as a team. When we go to their office for a meeting, we get a clear sense of their team atmosphere, and it’s great. Everyone seems to enjoy working there, which helps with client relationships. They’re very interested in the projects they’re working on.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I really have no complaints. CoreLine is very professional in executing the project, and I couldn’t say what they could do to improve.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Someone looking to work with CoreLine shouldn’t hesitate to approach them. I would recommend new clients write to Filip, who’s always ready to find the best possible solution for your problem. Having direct communication with him can be the best way to assess them.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the COO of a clothing trade startup. 

What challenge were you trying to address with CoreLine?

We were looking to partner with a development shop for the medium to long term.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They rebuilt our iOS/Android app, which was quite messy, using React Native. They replicated the entire codebase and improved functions, such as messaging between users and push notifications. Then they cleaned things up, making the app more maintainable and scalable. 

What is the team composition?

There is a tech lead, project manager, senior software developer, a couple developers, and a designer. 

How did you come to work with CoreLine?

They were recommended by a different company. We spoke to them and decided they were the right partner for us because they were very upfront and seemed capable. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $50,000–$99,999.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in June 2020, and it’s ongoing.

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

They stepped up to the plate and worked very hard to get things done. 

How did CoreLine perform from a project management standpoint?

They meet deadlines relatively well. There were several delays because we underestimated the scope.

Communication has been quite smooth, and they are very available. I speak to most of the team daily.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They do a good job. They are more like a partner than just a vendor. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, not really. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Clearly describe what you’re trying to achieve. They may be able to offer a better solution. Communication is key.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Awaken Solutions Inc. is a web development firm based out of Montreal, Canada. I’m the owner and lead developer. There is one other developer who works with me.

What challenge were you trying to address with CoreLine?

I needed expertise with AWS and deploying a full-stack project that was going to be used by my client for their day-to-day CRM use. My client had grown out of their current CRM because they couldn’t integrate it with their investment software. The reliability and backups had to be extremely well done.

I also just needed more developers because the project had a tight timeline, so having my colleague and myself as the lead developer wasn’t enough to get the project done on time.

What was the scope of their involvement?

The deliverable was a new CRM integrated with the client’s investment software. We built out a system that allows the client to CC or BCC a unique address, which then automatically logs all interactions with certain people within the CRM.

We also created a secure Google login and made sure that there was no way anyone else could access the CRM without an administrator’s permission. Finally, we built a complex reporting functionality with all of the possible filtering and searches in any field, whether it be the investment data or just generic contact data of all the contacts in the CRM.

What is the team composition?

I was the project manager, and CoreLine provided two developers and one designer. They were very professional.

How did you come to work with CoreLine?

I did a search on Clutch, and I looked at different companies and expertise. I reached out to them that way.

How much have you invested with them?

I’ve spent about $70,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our work together began in November 2019, and we finished the CRM project in May 2020. We’re working with them again for the same client, but on a new project.

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

Their level of expertise is excellent. They’ve been able to troubleshoot problems that arise, particularly with AWS, so their DevOps has been great. Anytime I hit a snag, I know I can ask one of them, and eventually someone’s going to figure it out. 

How did CoreLine perform from a project management standpoint?

CoreLine did very well. They were always available and able to meet deadlines. They provided good feedback and made suggestions, which led me to see that they could’ve easily managed the project as well. Because of the collaboration and my work with the client, I handled the actual project management. They were excellent.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their professionalism sets them apart. They take themselves pretty seriously and are trying to achieve good things.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Right now, I can’t think of anything. It was a great experience.

Any advice for potential customers?

Have your own needs well lined up; they work very well with a good structure.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm a co-founder of the MachFastGroup.com. We are building a b2b marketplace. Our first services are EnergyBillKIll.com & MachFast.com. We are first-to-market in the UK.

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

We hired CoreLine to provide end-to-end software development & support service. We use a variety of technologies - AWS, React Native, APIs, Node.js; Lambda; etc...

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

The founders understand the nature of startups (having worked at one). They got outstanding reviews from existing clients. They are full-stack and enabled us to consolidate our end-to-end development processes.

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

1. Fix / Correct accumulated technology debt
2. Implement app enhancements
3. Manage end-to-end development & technology cycle (from coding to app store & web deployment)

Tech: React Native, React, AWS, Node.js, APIs, Lambda etc...

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

4-5 people inclusive of the 2 co-founders of the business.

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

1. We are a very demanding client
2. The team reacted well to our commercial needs & technology requirements
3. When the team hit blockers, they thought how to address/overcome them
4. The team is open to discuss technology & decision making as their main objective is to ensure the client's ability to achieve commercial objectives.
5. In our past experience, developers can be very protective of their domain (e.g. coding etc...); which may get in the way of innovation at speed that is directly linked to commercial outcomes
6. The team generally delivered on time, & turned the dial to 11 when hitting major road blocks.

What I particularly appreciated is that the most experienced/senior developers were able to jump on an issues that arose to help out. When the team came up with tech solutions/ideas/work arounds, they ensured to socialis and get a buy-in from us. That is a critical skill when the two worlds meet (i.e. commercial and coding).

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

The team uses all the communication tools one would expect (slack, whatsapp, jira etc...). The team is generally timely. They streghened their project management capability by adding a dedicated team member who can take over the entire PM role.

In our case it was a hybrid exercise as our software was at a fairly advanced stage, hence we could not entirely outsource the PM function. CoreLine's PM is a great asset, and if we were starting from scratch, I would not hesitate recommending their PM capability.

As a client you need to set your expectations clear whether you or do not need the PM capability and in what form.

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

Good guys. Hard workers, creative, react well to pressure. When the team take the wrong turn, they own it and fix. They are loyal, & curious. They can think outside of the box, and love challenges.

At the same time, they can focus rapidly on delivery. When fires occur, you could not ask for a better 911 service as these guys understand commercial imperatives (a skill that is critical).

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

Throughout our work together we have made a number of suggestions. I have to give kudos to the team for being open & taking action. For example, when we required an infrastructure improvement the team came up with an elegant solution to simplify our stack; without sacrificing robustness & reduced our costs.

When we suggested a few improvements in project management, the team actually created a dedicated solution that is now available to all the clients. They don't mind burning the midnight oil if that is required (but try not to abuse that as a client as these guys need to relax as well).

If you want great development partners, in our experience, these guys are first rate. They can give the best agencies in the world a run for their money.

Please describe your company and your position there.

We sell gift boxes with high quality baby products.

For what projects/services did your company hire CoreLine?

CoreLine built our webshop and CRM

What were your goals for this project?

We needed a simple and user-friendly interface for quick shopping

How did you select this vendor?

We heard the recommendations of our partners.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

They covered everything for our e-commerce solution: CoreLine team provided a full design service, developed a robust e-commerce solution and helped us publish the product. We described our needs and they led us through the whole journey of transforming our idea into a product.

What was the team composition?

The project team had 2 developers, designer, project manager and tester.

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

After releasing the site, our sales grew over 3 times.

Everything was done within the estimated time and the speed of their support is really impressive. Finished product satisfied all our needs - a stable solution with integrated payment and a simple but intuitive design. Definitely loved working with CoreLine!

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

They proposed scrum approach which we accepted. I’m not an expert in that area, but weekly demos were a great thing.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I loved the engagement they provided. I almost felt like they were building a product for themselves.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I can’t think of any...

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the CTO of Creeact. We have a product called Bazeat, which is a concatenation of "bazaar" and "eating." We provide a platform for direct sales of food between consumer and producer.

What challenge were you trying to address with CoreLine?

I’ve been dissatisfied with the work of two development teams—one from India and one from Italy—as we’ve tried to create this platform. We engaged CoreLine to help us fix the faulty code and move our project in the right direction.

What was the scope of their involvement?

With a few exceptions, I do all of the designs for the platform and make my recommendations for the technology we should use. We discuss each module individually and find the best approach based on their ideas because they are still savvier with the technology than I am.

When I first met CoreLine, I had an MVP of our web-based platform. It was functional when I demonstrated the product to potential clients, but I’ve relied on CoreLine to make the code more effective and utilize automated tests using a continuous integration/continuous development (CI/CD) pipeline. The platform is hosted on AWS and features a Node.js and MongoDB backend. We’ve enhanced the search function using Elasticsearch, and we leverage Prometheus for system monitoring.

What is the team composition?

In addition to Dominik (Founder/CEO, CoreLine), we work with 4–5 developers and a part-time designer.

How did you come to work with CoreLine?

We learned of CoreLine through an agency. We initially worked with just one developer. Because we had a positive experience with that lone developer, we asked CoreLine to contribute more resources and take our engagement to another level.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent more than $200,000 USD.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement began in January 2017 and remains ongoing. I expect that CoreLine will be with us for the long run.

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

Their team has always delivered on time, which I appreciate. I’m very satisfied with the quality of their work to this point. They have lifted my platform from being an MVP to something commercially viable.

How did CoreLine perform from a project management standpoint?

We have developed an effective workflow from the ideating stage through development and testing. We have a Kanban and Trello approach that has worked well to track all of our modules.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I can call Dominik on the weekends and ask for help. That’s been very convenient and a service I have not received very often elsewhere.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I think they need to scale their number of resources. There is a point where if they had more, I think they wouldn’t be stretched so thin. Otherwise, they’ve been a delight to work with. They’re a good team with good people.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Following the experience I had with the two teams prior to CoreLine, I entered with the mindset that I needed to have more control over the entire process. In retrospect, that’s probably not necessary with Dominik and his team. They know what they’re doing, so I think they’re worthy of more slack. As customers, we should be more project-oriented and focused on the results. I’d recommend future customers not micromanage as much as I have.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Foam Comforts Europe Ltd. We sell sleep solutions, such as mattresses and other products that help people sleep better.

What challenge were you trying to address with CoreLine?

We needed an IT expert to automate some of our manual processes and develop our website.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They helped build our website and create forms and questionnaires that people can fill out remotely. They also wrote the algorithms that process the answers and give the results to a person in real-time. We use CoreLine for a few other IT projects, such as some design work and running our Squarespace platform. I tell them what I want on the site, and they implement it.

What is the team composition?

We had one main point of contact and another person for design.

How did you come to work with CoreLine?

My predecessor found them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $15,00–$20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

been partners since February 2018.

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

We wouldn’t have been able to deliver our final product without their help. We’ve received positive feedback on the site, and it has very few bugs. It does exactly what we need and works seamlessly.

How did CoreLine perform from a project management standpoint?

They provided a lot of time and attention outside of their normal working hours so that we could accomplish something on time. We communicate via Google Docs, Google Hangouts, email and phone. They’re always available whenever I need them.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They proactively engage with our project and resolve issues quickly. They pay attention to our needs and stay on schedule. I haven’t experienced such fantastic support in the 20 years I’ve been in business. We’ll definitely be staying with them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. They accommodate my lack of IT experience.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Build a good relationship and let them know how they’re doing.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the IT director for Portman Recruitment. We are a boutique recruitment consultancy that helps match people with appropriate positions in the social care sector.

What challenge were you trying to address with CoreLine?

We wanted to implement a tool that could efficiently collect relevant job listings from other vendors and aggregate the data into a single database. We could then use this information to enhance our larger digital marketing efforts by sharing only relevant and pertinent job postings to our customers.

What was the scope of their involvement?

CoreLine designed a tool to extract job listings from disparate systems and organize it into a database built on a DynamoDB schema. The tool is built on an Amazon Web Services (AWS) platform with a rendering engine to collect jobs from our version-controlled database using Git. The jobs in the database are rendered through a pipeline to the production site. The backend of the website and database are serverless, preventing any defacing of the data. The aggregated data is then manipulated out to Git and JSON before being published on a content-driven site. CoreLine has helped us integrate this information into our digital marketing strategies and we are now working to optimize our approach to audience targeting. Additionally, the team continues to maintain and improve the program.

What is the team composition?

I work with two representatives from CoreLine. I speak with one person in particular about my architectural ideas for the project.

How did you come to work with CoreLine?

I was familiar with the success of a small project they did for another business. I described our project to them and they said that it was within their capabilities.

How much have you invested with them?

We have spent about $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in March 2018 and the partnership is ongoing. Their team completed all deliveries and is now working on marketing campaigns.

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

CoreLine’s program has been useful to us as an internal product and digital marketing resource. The program has only just launched, but we are optimistic about the results.

How did CoreLine perform from a project management standpoint?

The CoreLine team put a tremendous amount of effort into meeting our company’s expectations. They used story points to illustrate a predictable outcome and instilled a degree of confidence on our part. They hit all major deadlines and took ownership of their work and processes. We communicated and tracked progress through Pivotal Tracker. We are happy with the agile approach, but plan to do sprints to reassess and then reprioritize the approach for our ongoing relationship.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their approachable customer service system distinguishes them from other offshore or nearshore outsourcing agencies I have worked with in the past.

Any advice for potential customers?

Do not try to preemptively estimate the necessary time to complete the project. Allow CoreLine to determine the scope and in trust their ability to deliver.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the managing director of BORN.com, a company based in Europe.

What challenge were you trying to address with CoreLine?

We needed to find an independent development team with expertise in React.js (for the right price) to develop and maintain our marketplace.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Their team worked on our two business units: the BORN Awards website, a yearly competition with 7,000 candidates, 196 nominees, and 48 winners, covering six regions; and BORN.com, a B2B service platform that allows brands and professionals to connect and discover products.

For the website, their team configured it to gather candidates, nominees, and winners effective. They developed a feature that allows the uploading of text, video, and pictures. Then, they implemented geolocation to allow access for users in different countries

For the platform, CoreLine implemented password-protection and created a dashboard where brands can upload text, images, and videos to showcase their products.

CoreLine is continuing developing both the front- and backend of our platforms. They are configuring the solutions to be mobile-friendly and acting as our for-hire maintenance team.

What is the team composition?

My only contact is Dominik (CEO and Founder, CoreLine). He has a team of three engineers and one graphic designer. If we need more people, we have access to additional freelancers, who are also managed by the CEO.

How did you come to work with CoreLine?

I found them through word of mouth. They were part of a small community that used an obscure technology in the React.js field; they were exceptional on it. They had experience in retail and with building mobile platforms. Naturally, we tested and choose them for the project.

How much have you invested with them?

We have invested around $80,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started the engagement with CoreLine around July 2017 and it is ongoing.

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

CoreLine's architectural work alleviated a significant amount of our website's speed problems, nearly doubling our traffic. They made sure our servers were efficient and not overloading on calls. This first step was critical for me, as they re-engineered our previous work be robust and fast. I am not an engineer,  but even I can appreciate tangible results. 

How did CoreLine perform from a project management standpoint?

So far, they’ve been very responsive and methodical. They are extremely accessible via Skype, WhatsApp, or email. We have a weekly call, usually on Mondays. We also have an assessment calls on Fridays. Their approach has worked well for me.

They use Slack with my team, but I prefer Skype and WhatsApp. They have also introduced us to an online-ticketing tool called Trello. It works well for my team and manages all the features we’ve asked them to do.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Compared to a lot of suppliers we've used in the past, CoreLine stands out by being able to easily translate my problem in layman's terms. They really understand what I am trying to achieve and translate our requirements into an architecture that works. A lot of engineers and developers are sometimes a bit obtuse (using only technical language) and lose information during translation. CoreLine understands my commercial, non-engineering words and makes them into a technical reality—a trait I truly value.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, nothing so far. Perhaps, they could cost less, but they’re not the most expensive. 

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Clients should communicate with their CEO. I am based in London, while CoreLine is based in Croatia. It’s good to meet in person, and their CEO has no problem with traveling.

Also, having a monthly or quarterly physical review helps communication a lot. It’s not mandatory, but I would suggest having a beer with the CEO as well. Virtual collaborations do work, but I felt that meeting him in person to explain our business in detail has been beneficial to our relationship.