Award Winning Bespoke Software Development
Founded in 1994, DCSL Software has grown to become one of the UK's most trusted Bespoke Software Development consultancies in the industry, dedicated to helping its clients create efficiency-driving operational software as well as products and apps for resale on a subscription basis.
As a certified Microsoft Gold Partner, ISO 9001/27001 accredited firm and officially recognised by Clutch as one of the UK’s top software consultancies, DCSL utilises its own proven software development processes for delivering successful projects. DCSL has won numerous prestigious awards such as the UK IT Industry Awards 2018, and is a finalist in two categories for the Lloyds Bank National Business Awards 2019, including Scale-up Business of the Year.
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Digital-physical time planner
Intuitive modern data input and access portal to streamline financial calculations & reporting globally at Berkshire Hathaway Reinsurance
Berkshire Hathaway Reinsurance Group underwrites excess-of-loss and quota-share reinsurance for property and casualty insurers and reinsurers. The company is part of the global Berkshire Hathaway insurance group headquartered in the US.
The company's existing system’s front-end, which teams use to manually enter policy and claims information, needed updating: it had originally been built in the 1990s using Visual Basic 6.0. To bring everything up to date and be able to roll out the same actuarial and financial reporting capabilities internationally, the company needed a new, modern web-based front end for the system, with strong database integration.
In the search for potential development partners in and around London, Mr Dooner, Chief Actuary, discovered DCSL Software. Its considerable experience of developing sophisticated database-linked web sites and intranet portals with easy-to-navigate front-ends was reflected in numerous client testimonials, suggesting that DCSL would be an ideal partner. An initial meeting with DCSL’s owner and the project manager confirmed this.
“It looks attractive and modern – more in keeping with the kinds of technology people use and enjoy in their own time – and it is very intuitive and responsive,” says Dooner. “The clean look and feel and ease of navigation are very impressive, which is down to the design. I had very high expectations and DCSL delivered. The project manager always came back to us very quickly after any change requests and was extremely accommodating. There was nothing DCSL couldn’t incorporate into the web engine: whatever we needed, they could do.”
“DCSL did a fantastic job, and were a pleasure to work with,” Mr Dooner concludes. “They’re clearly extremely competent at what they do, and have produced a system that is very clean, modern and built using very well-structured code. That’s a real sign of expertise.”
Smart IoT- and AI-enabled Remote Care Monitoring App for Karantis360 Allowing Dementia Sufferers & the Elderly to Stay in Their Own Homes
Karantis360 is a new startup, set up to help the families and carers of dementia patients and elderly people who wish to continue living in their own homes. The AI-enabled software keeps track of the vulnerable family member, learn their routines and how they varied across the days of the week, so that it could accurately detect and alert carers if something seemed amiss. Professional caregivers signing up to the system would be required to log the kind of details families wanted to hear about every visit, and indicate that they had read and understood details of the individuals’ needs, interests and preferences before being able to proceed with a visit. All of this would offer families invaluable reassurance and transparency about the care they were providing, and become a service differentiator for care service providers.
Founder, Helen Dempster, set up a meeting with bespoke development company DCSL Software – a company already known to them.
“I walked into their offices with reams of paper and pictures of what I wanted,” she says. “DCSL were very responsive and incredibly helpful. They provided us with a sounding board for my ideas, and constructive advice and feedback about what was possible and how best to achieve it.”
DCSL Software, which specialises in realising companies’ digital and mobile ambitions using the latest software technologies and development techniques, created a usable web solution and mobile app in under 10 weeks. “It was incredible,” Helen says. “DCSL has experience of developing healthcare apps, which helped set the direction. That and their agile approach to development meant we could quickly see something and refine it to get to exactly what we wanted, working in two-weekly sprints.”
The Karantis360 app, which supports Android and iOS devices, is based on the IBM Watson AI-based analytics platform and hosted in IBM’s secure cloud. When professional caregivers log visits and provide information about the client’s current mood and state of wellbeing, they upload a photograph to support this: the AI-enabled app ‘reads’ this to detect whether the client is actually smiling. The app was built using the cross-platform Xamarin framework, alongside .NET Core for the business logic and web API, all coded with C#.
Norwegian start-up 100 Days disrupts leadership development field with digital best practice toolset from DCSL Software
100 Days is a new Norwegian start-up, founded to disrupt the organisational and leadership development field, via a bespoke suite of repeatable digital support tools.
100 Days was founded to meet a gap in the market. International executive search findings have shown time and again that 40 per cent of executives failed to transition successfully into new management positions, at great cost to all concerned.
“We had a very clear idea of the content but not the technology, so we needed a partner that could provide us with the best possible advice,” Richard Taylor, co-founder, says.
Seeing that DCSL was now a 100-strong development company doing impressive and complex work across a diverse portfolio of projects, the company was keen to know more. DCSL’s development philosophy was impressive to 100 days: "We could see there was a great culture – highly collaborative, where no task is allowed to get stuck – and knew that we had found our partner...DCSL’s success record is based on its ability to deliver."
The toolkit includes videos, text, checklists, worksheets and questionnaires to prompt new managers to fulfil their potential quickly, and deliver quick wins along the way, so that within 100 days they are delivering positive results for the business. A menu system means managers can mix and match preparations and tasks, or systematically work through all the tools, depending on their needs.
DCSL’s contribution in taking the ELLA toolkit from vision to reality has been critical, Richard adds, confirming that the partnership will continue long into the future. As well as working on the next language versions and working on other updates over time, DCSL will develop new toolkits, starting with one designed to boost the impact of knowledge workers. “We hope to get this underway in 2020,” he says.
MiFID II Equity Broker Client Management System
Redburn is Europe’s largest independent equities broker, providing institutional investors such as investment banks and hedge funds with equity research and agency execution in Pan-European equity markets.
Redburn’s clients pay for equity research out of the management fees they charge to their clients. In January 2018, the European Commission introduced new regulatory requirements under the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID) II, to increase transparency and trust around financial investments and increase protection for those investing.
“We needed to industrialise our pricing methodology, and give more people secure and fast access to all the detail they needed in a user-friendly format,” explains Matthew Norman, Redburn’s Head of IT.
Redburn set out to find a reputable software development firm. When it came across DCSL Software online, it sounded like the perfect fit. "We liked their collaborative and agile approach to development, which is how we work internally,” he says. “We knew that the needs of our CRM team were likely to keep evolving and changing, so this was going to be important. DCSL also use the same sort of technologies that we do internally, so it was a great match. We liked their proposal and demo, and the price which was very competitive.”
The new company-wide pricing system has received impressive feedback for its accurate methodology and calculations, its look and feel, and its speed. “It helps that the users have been proactively involved the whole way through. It is critical to our pricing strategy, to our compliance with the new MiFID II regulation, and to our client relationships. We will use it to support all future negotiations, and to demonstrate to existing clients exactly how their money has been spent, giving them the visibility and detail they need to report back to their own clients.”
Grant Management System for WaterAid
WaterAid is an international charity with a vision of a world where everyone, everywhere has safe water, toilets and hygiene. Since 1981, it has helped millions of the world’s poorest and most marginalised people access these vital human rights, expanding into 35 countries across Africa, Asia, the Pacific and Central America. The charity is headquartered in London, UK. DCSL Software built a fund, grant and donation management system from the ground up. Now on its second iteration, DCSL has been a close partner to WaterAid throughout its engagement since 2016.
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the project
Web App Development for Contract Procurement Company
“Whenever there was a problem, they helped us come up with a solution.”
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the head of product development for a company that produces standard procurement contracts for the construction industry. We work largely in the public sector, helping construction companies win contracts for projects like Olympic stadiums, roads, railroad stations, and large buildings. In doing so, the procurement process is run more efficiently and collaboratively.
What challenge were you trying to address with DCSL Software?
Before, our users received hard copies of our contracts and a form to help them describe what their project was. However, details were often lost and it wasn’t an efficient system. We wanted to provide a digital tool that would let them fill out the data form that they can share with contractors.
What was the scope of their involvement?
We went through a discovery phase at which point we were able to clearly define what we wanted to achieve. They built a cloud-based web app to help users fill out our contracts.
What is the team composition?
There are 4–5 people working on the project regularly. They each had different skills and were brought on to help us as we needed.
How did you come to work with DCSL Software?
We looked online for potential partners and created a shortlist of 4–5 different companies. We sent each of them a project scope and they tendered against it. We met with each company to discuss what we wanted and outlined our budget and timeline.
We selected DCSL Software because they had worked on a similar project and understood our background. When they came in to meet with us, we really liked their attitude and how they worked with clients. They were the perfect partner for us.
What is the status of this engagement?
The project began around April 2019 and we launched in October 2020.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
The product has only been live for a few weeks, but the feedback we’ve received has made it clear that it will make a big difference for our users.
How did DCSL Software perform from a project management standpoint?
They performed very well. They worked really well with our technical business analyst. They gave us all the information we needed in sprint meetings. We always knew what was happening, what issues they faced, and how they planned to resolve them. They also let us know if we might face a problem, which helped us manage challenges that came up. Finally, they were transparent about cost and when they would deliver.
What did you find most impressive about them?
They were committed to finishing the project. They had a great attitude and worked with us very collaboratively. Whenever there was a problem, they helped us come up with a solution.
Are there any areas they could improve?
They were great.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
I’d recommend new clients invest in an initial sprint zero. We did that and it helped everyone understand our business requirements. As a result, our costs and timeline were very clear and it was easy for us to prioritize.
the project
Software Development for Construction Materials Supplier
"From start to finish, DCSL delivers a tailored solution."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the managing director of a structural steel company. We wanted to build a platform so that customers could purchase steel online.
What challenge were you trying to address with DCSL Software?
DCSL built out our online platform.
What was the scope of their involvement?
We started with a framework, overlooking views of how the software would look and work. From there, DCSL moved on to actually starting the project, a process that included about five stages. We’ve worked through each phase, building up the software to where it is now. DCSL is currently still working on software.
What is the team composition?
We worked with about 10 members of their team, with about two or three consistent people.
How did you come to work with DCSL Software?
I was referred to DCSL through a friend of mine who’s also having software built by them. We spoke about the requirements, and we found their approach to be quite professional. They were the right people for the job: they’re knowledgeable, experienced, and confident.
How much have you invested with them?
We’ve spent £130,000 (approximately $168,000 USD) to date.
What is the status of this engagement?
The project began in November 2019, and is still ongoing.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
It’s still too early to be able to provide metrics, but generally, the people we’ve directed to use the platform really like the way it works. The site is simple to use, and we’re confident that we’ll see great results down the line.
How did DCSL Software perform from a project management standpoint?
Their project management is good. Our project manager oversees two or three developers on the project. We have weekly calls with updates on how things are going, as well as constant releases so we could test the system and how it was performing. We were informed all the way through.
We used emails and phone calls to stay in touch.
What did you find most impressive about them?
From start to finish, DCSL delivers a tailored solution. Throughout the project, they’ve made sure to make us feel involved and comfortable. They’re a team of really experienced developers. They’re local to us as well, which is nice, because we can stop by and talk to them if we have any issues.
Are there any areas they could improve?
No, we were very happy with everything. In my experience, everything was fine. They’ve done a top job.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
There are a lot of software companies out there, but DCSL is a team of reliable people who will do what they say and produce a good quality product. Give them a try.
the project
Online Portal Cloud Integration & Mgmt for E-Sketch Company
“Comparing them to the previous provider we used, I’ve been extremely impressed in various ways.”
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the founder and CEO of FloorplansUsketch, an outsourcing provider for floor plan drawing and photo editing.
What challenge were you trying to address with DCSL Software?
We have an online portal where clients can register and upload their sketches and photos. Their content then goes out to our office in Sri Lanka, where we process the photos and return them to the customer. All of this is done via the portal.
What was the scope of their involvement?
With DCSL Software’s help, we moved the platform into Microsoft Azure and the transition has gone very smoothly.
Since the new system went live, we’ve been working through enhancements and minor bugs that have lingered from the previous provider.
What is the team composition?
We work with Nick (Managing Director) and Jake (Business Development Manager) who was very helpful. My main point of contact is Alexis (Technical Director). Alexis manages the day to day things with his team.
How did you come to work with DCSL Software?
I did a Google search for a local developer. The previous company was a bit further away and that was a bit of a pain sometimes when we had to go and see them. We also shortlisted another company but we picked DCSL Software because they were quite big and had a fair number of developers.
We didn’t want to be with a firm where we were always waiting for development to be done. We’ve had struggles in the past where it takes months and months to get anything done purely because they’re disorganized and don’t have enough developers.
DCSL Software clearly has a lot of resources and they’re organized. We also wanted to retain control of the Azure account ourselves, but other providers insisted on taking that over.
How much have you invested with them?
We spent £15,600 (approximately $20,000 USD) for the initial phase of getting over to Azure and into the new platform. Since then we've spent £11,500 (approximately $15,000 USD) on monthly support and additional development.
What is the status of this engagement?
We started working together in April 2019 and the work is ongoing.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
Comparing them to the previous provider we used, I’ve been extremely impressed in various ways. DCSL Software has a quicker and more cost-effective way of doing things. Their hourly rate is similar to the previous company I worked with, but DCSL Software is faster.
They're very open-minded and they look at different ways of doing things. That benefits our customers who then see the improvements in the platform – as does my team who can set things up more quickly. We’re able to automate the creation of preferences and all sorts of different things because their costs aren’t restrictive.
Moving our platform was a big decision, and we were quite nervous about it, but they handled it very well.
How did DCSL Software perform from a project management standpoint?
Project management has been good. Development can take longer than expected, but that isn't their fault. They’d present us with things to test and we’d test them when we had time. We could always get a hold of Alexis or one of the developers. The communication was good and it worked well. The fact they’re local, we went to see them on a number of occasions.
What did you find most impressive about them?
Their proactiveness and technical knowledge stand out. I was impressed that they proactively suggested things they can do that would benefit the business and the system. Several of their ideas were things I wouldn’t have thought of.
Are there any areas they could improve?
Nothing stands out.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Generally, it’s always important to give a clear specification of what you want. If you don’t, then developers often misunderstand and develop something incorrectly. Provide lots of information of what you intend to do. The more visuals, the better.
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Custom Software Dev for Consulting Engineering Practice
“They come up with how to achieve my ideas, and in doing so, they challenge my logic. It’s a breath of fresh air.”
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the managing director of a consulting engineering practice.
What challenge were you trying to address with DCSL Software?
We needed to develop some software. They brought about the database construction and UI.
What was the scope of their involvement?
It’s a database and project management tool for a construction environment. It’s a SQL database with an HTML5 frontend. It records progress of construction work through a procedure for certification.
The platform records issues, actions, operational risks. It has field observation facilities, automatic reporting, dashboard functionality. Now we can have a suite of notes that includes every piece used in a building, which is useful for ongoing maintenance and operational efficiencies.
At the beginning of the project, I sat down with the architect and we developed the prototype.
What is the team composition?
We worked with five people in total. We had an architect, two developers, a UI expert, and a project manager.
How did you come to work with DCSL Software?
A colleague of mine recommended them. Then, I interviewed them and asked them to go through a tender project, and they won it.
How much have you invested with them?
We spent £180,000 (approximately $225,000 USD).
What is the status of this engagement?
We started in May 2019 and it wrapped up in April 2020.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
So far it has been very well-received. We have a few people using it in the UK and colleagues in the US that want to develop it further. Their developers are excellent.
How did DCSL Software perform from a project management standpoint?
They’ve been okay. The project manager reports where we are in the process and are in an administrator type role. Their added value is elsewhere. We had bi-weekly sprints. They gave a link to what we’ve done.
What did you find most impressive about them?
I found them to be very cooperative. Their techs know more about the technology than I do. They come up with how to achieve my ideas, and in doing so, they challenge my logic. It’s a breath of fresh air.
Are there any areas they could improve?
Cost management. It’s not a fixed price, and I don’t want to pay for them to fix a bug. I already paid them to test it, so when I ask them to fix it, I shouldn’t have to pay for them to go back in. They should tighten up what is and isn’t chargeable.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
You can’t put too much detail in the spec. And sit on top of the financial reporting.
the project
MVP Development for Digital Procurement Platform
"They’re always honest and are willing to work collaboratively."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the COO of a digital procurement platform that uses data, social listing, and other techniques to weed out stories and information on suppliers, trends, and other companies. We then package up and feed it in the form of dashboards to our clients.
What challenge were you trying to address with DCSL Software?
The main challenge was in controlling the data ourselves. We were really dependent on third-party systems to provide our services. We needed a fully functioning real-time system that would give us a lot more power in being able to design our own dashboards and make it more user friendly.
What was the scope of their involvement?
We went straight into a proof of concept with one of their solution architects. We did a standard MVP of the minimum set of specifications that the platform could have before we go live. They’re using Zero for the platform. They’re also using Vue.js, Cosmos DB, and MySQL database. The caching is on the server at the moment. The platform is live now, and we’re doing a little bit of infrastructure work in the background now.
What is the team composition?
We have a consistent solution architect, developer, scrum master, and dedicated UI person. There’s also testers and QA as needed. The solution architect, two developers, and the scrum master control all our stuff on a daily scrum. UI support is probably 1–2 days per week. There’s also a project manager.
How did you come to work with DCSL Software?
We were working with another company that wasn’t meeting our needs, so we needed to find another company to work with. I found DCSL Software through Clutch. We didn’t go with them the first time but then decided to take a chance with them.
How much have you invested with them?
We spent between $100,000-$150,000.
What is the status of this engagement?
We started working together in August 2019 and the work is ongoing.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
Although the platform was launched, we still have another 12-week phase ahead of us. We’ve got quite a lot of traction so far with some of the biggest companies in the world.
Most things get turned around quite quickly without any issues. The first MVP work was a little delayed because of our fault. Any issues we do find, are small. Most of the time we go beyond what we thought was going to be in a sprint. Our biggest success is driven in how we collaborate to make the product as user friendly as possible.
How did DCSL Software perform from a project management standpoint?
Project management was really good. One of the scrum masters left and we were waiting for a new one to come on, but they’ve always done their job well. The overall project management is good. We have conversations way ahead of anything if we’re going to have budget issues. They use DevOps.
What did you find most impressive about them?
I’ve worked with too many companies that go off in their own world and I had no idea what they were doing and who is working on the project. The best thing about DCSL Software is that they always have a proper discussion from a technical level around how to best do things. They’re always honest and are willing to work collaboratively. We get along well. No one steps on each other’s toes. This kind of collaboration can be very hard to find.
Are there any areas they could improve?
The main thing is having a balance of genders. We’ve been lucky the scrum masters have been women which makes an enormous difference. Having women on a team can be really important—without them, it’s easy to forget 50% of the market. Having equal representation across teams can provide a different perspective on how things work.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Embrace agile. Don’t take it too seriously in terms of what that means in terms of contractual liabilities and the statements of work. Allow them flexibility so you can get the true value of the people you’re paying for.
the project
Web Dev & SI for Car Repair & Delivery Service
"With DCSL’s software, what used to be three people’s jobs can now be done by one person."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
LCH is a luxury hired vehicle company based in the UK. We supply vehicles to customers who have contracts with Mercedes Benz, BMW, Rolls Royce, Audi, and a few other manufacturers.
Over the past two years, we’ve extended into different areas of the automotive industry. We’re now the sole providers of the BMW iPerformance vehicle breakdown, covering all their plug-in electric vehicles. We also deal with Mercedes Benz Mini electric vehicles.
I’m the marketing manager of the company, and I sit on the senior management board within the company. I also deal with internal software development. I used to be the operations manager of the company, and I’m still involved with that department as well.
What challenge were you trying to address with DCSL Software?
We had about 50 cars when I started working with the company, and only about 12 people were working for us. Back then, we had one software, and it worked quite well for the scope of work and demand we had. As we got more contracts from manufacturers, our company grew very quickly. We have over 60 people on staff now.
Unfortunately, the software we had wasn’t scalable for the work we received, and we tried to adapt it by adding loads of different software, like Google Sheets, PDF tools, and calendars. At the time, we were working with a customer service agency for booking, and we’d have to use about eight different systems and duplicate a lot of work across them. With that manual duplication came plenty of human error, in addition to many lengthy processes.
We needed to combine all of this into one system that would serve multiple parts of the business, including sales, logistics, customer services, and finance. We wanted a single system that everyone could use.
What was the scope of their involvement?
DCSL developed a web-based system for us that’s hosted on Azure. It has integrations with Google Maps and DVLA, which is a vehicle registration system in the UK that pulls the entire specs of a vehicle from the national record. The system has a postcode search and address integration features as well.
What is the team composition?
We had five people from DCSL working for us. Alfredo (Technical Architect, DCSL Software) was our main point of contact.
How did you come to work with DCSL Software?
We were working with another company initially, but the scope of the project was too big for them. After 6–8 months, they turned around and said they couldn’t deliver the project to us and refunded our money. It was a bit of a setback for us.
We started searching the market for a new provider and shortlisted three companies, including DCSL. Nick (Managing Director, DCSL Software) grasped what we wanted from our first meeting with him. He immediately had a solid grasp of what we did as a company and the kind of software that we needed. He also connected with our team on a personal level pretty quickly.
Nick also provided case studies of what they’d done, and we spoke with a few companies that had hired DCSL for software development. We did our own research outside of these conversations, and DCSL seemed to be the right fit. We were happy with the quotation and signed a contract from there.
How much have you invested with them?
The budget was for £200,000 (approximately $250,000 USD) but I think we paid £230,000 (approximately $300,000 USD) in total. The budget did increase, but that came about because of changes that we requested throughout the project.
What is the status of this engagement?
We started working with DCSL around May or June 2018, and we just finished the project last month. Now that we have an MVP, we’re planning to use them for more development. We’re hoping that this partnership will carry on for a few years.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
The impact’s been massive. As I said before, we used to have multiple systems in place, and maintaining that process while we grew as a company just wasn’t financially viable.
With DCSL’s software, what used to be three people’s jobs can now be done by one person. It’s done wonders for our efficiency, even from the financing and invoicing side. Those tasks were taking a lengthy amount of time, and now they’re being done automatically by the system. It has fundamentally changed the way we work.
The platform is also very reliable. We encountered a few bugs, and it took some time for the staff to get used to the new system, but once it was implemented and everyone got used to it, it worked fine. DCSL provides excellent support, as well. If there’s an issue that comes up, they’re quick to jump on it and get it fixed.
How did DCSL Software perform from a project management standpoint?
The communication was outstanding. We had two-week sprints, and, during those sprints, we spent a lot of time collaborating with the DCSL team. They provided us a rundown and brief of what they’d done at the end of each sprint, covering where we stood price-wise and what they were planning to do for the next sprint.
We also had a web portal with them where we could test our system. We used this user acceptance testing (UAT) website throughout the development process and posted any bugs we came across. They would see the bugs we found and add them to their list of things to address. This workflow made it so that we didn’t need to keep having meetings and calls.
We kept all five members of our team in the loop with every communication. They’d always get back to us within an hour. It was also quite easy to get a hold of someone if we needed to speak on the phone.
What did you find most impressive about them?
They brought innovation to our system, whereas the previous companies we’d worked with operated strictly based on our directions. If we went to Alfredo with something, he’d also suggest things that would work better. He gave us ideas for how to streamline what we thought was already quite a streamlined platform. DCSL was great about narrowing that down for us.
Are there any areas they could improve?
No, they’ve been a brilliant company all around, and we’ve been really impressed by them. Alfredo, in particular, has been great all the way through. We’re happy to be using them, and we plan to stick with them for the next phases of development.
Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?
Clients should make sure from day one that the developer understands what their company does. When Nick did the original quote, he came to us for a day or two and spent time with each department, watching what they did. I think that’s really beneficial because it helps you prepare for changes.
We have to make sure that DCSL is aware of the changes that are happening at our company and that they have a full understanding of what we do as a company. For example, we might assume that they know how each feature will affect our work, but they’re not experts in our field and wouldn’t necessarily know to make those assumptions. We have to ensure that they fully understand what we do, including all of our internal processes.
the project
Web & Mobile Data-Brokering Tool for Medical Device Company
“They had a varied team of very intelligent people who fundamentally grasped the structure of our technology.”
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m a senior scientist working for the Orthopedics Research Technology and Innovation team at Smith & Nephew, a global medical device company that operates in multiple countries worldwide. I am the project leader for this UK grant-funded project.
What challenge were you trying to address with DCSL Software?
We wanted to develop a dashboard tool that could access, organize, and log case data associated with our NAVIO robotics system. This is a surgical system, endowed by robotics technology, which is used to implant orthopedic devices with increased precision and accuracy.
The procedural data accumulated by the NAVIO system during surgery (in CSV format) is difficult to interpret in its current format, and it usually resides in the laptop of a service engineer or field representative. Currently, there’s no centralized system on the internet that allows us to broker procedural data into the cloud. We retained the services of DCSL Software to design and build a data-brokering tool for both web and mobile users.
What was the scope of their involvement?
For the first 3–6 months, DCSL Software worked to gain a fundamental understanding of the database structure and content associated with the NAVIO 7.0 case log file, which is the current version of the software that includes a new intuitive interface, expanded surgical preferences, and a streamlined workflow. It runs on JavaScript Object Notation (JSON)—a file structure that stores simple data structures and objects unique to the NAVIO robotic workflow. It arranges information in a series of schema, or tables, which is specific to a procedure, such as knee replacement surgery. Once they understood the fundamentals of the case log file (specifications, database tables, attributes, and relationships with the targeted user groups), they created storyboards to demonstrate how the web browser and mobile version of the CUMULUS app would interact with these targeted end-user groups.
We shared their web-browser version of the prototype dashboard with targeted orthopedic surgeons to conduct user analysis where we balanced customer satisfaction with the functionality of a given feature through paired questioning. Once we collected their feedback and supplied it to DCSL Software, they upgraded the dashboard with the suggested changes and then transitioned it to our product development team in Pittsburgh.
We proceeded with the functional development of the mobile version of the dashboard, which was followed by UX/UI, taking into account our unique branding. They designed the CUMULUS so that it could be sold as an adjunct to our existing products.
It’s been two years since the project start, and we’re currently thinking about how the product can be deployed in the right type of cloud environment. We considered AWS, but we’ve finalized our decision to go with Azure as our service provider. We’re also looking at data visualization software, as well to help us create a more immersive experience for our users.
What is the team composition?
We had access to a diverse team of software architects and software developers to implement the UX/UI design work.
How did you come to work with DCSL Software?
We found utility in their background and expertise in Microsoft products. They’re a Microsoft-approved company.
How much have you invested with them?
The cost model is slightly complex because we don’t pay 100% for their services; they are part-funded by the UK government, with the remainder subsidized by Smith & Nephew. We are projected to spend roughly $317,000 by the end of the project.
What is the status of this engagement?
We began working together in November 2017, and the work is still ongoing. It is a three-year project that is due to end in November 2020.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
Since the software allows us quick and easy access to procedural data that has been parsed from our robot to the cloud, we can better understand its impact on our patients. That, in turn, empowers us to access vast amounts of data in the future to help us continuously improve our products for our customers.
Without the dashboard, we’re not able to generate timely clinical evidence reports, which are essential in keeping the robot on the market. DCSL Software's work will help us ensure that our products remain viable.
An increased understanding of the procedural data also means an increased likelihood of selling a premium-service package to our customers. The actual sales for the NAVIO system have increased over the last 2–3 years, which we hope to maintain with the future launch of the new software. The development of CUMULUS has also had a positive influence on research and development spending in the robotics team, a great side effect of the collaboration with DCSL Software. Both of these have secured the future success of the robotic platform technology.
How did perform from a project management standpoint?
I would give them a 9/10. We both agreed that the agile methodology was the right way to move forward. We used Microsoft tools for project management—Microsoft Project, Microsoft Teams, and Skype. Skype was an invaluable tool for sprint meetings and the site for our meetings.
We adopted an agile management methodology with DCSL Software that allowed us to use sprints to continuously focus on the development of the functional and UX/UI aspects of the product. We had frequent online meetings. We also utilized a software called Microsoft Sifter, which allowed our IT teams to log and review bugs in the software.
What did you find most impressive about them?
They had a varied team of very intelligent people who fundamentally grasped the structure of our technology at an early stage. Their familiarity, know-how, and expertise on the JSON index file structure has become an invaluable asset for us. It allows us to dial them into other NAVIO project opportunities in the future. They were able to absorb and understand the information at an early stage of our relationship.
Are there any areas they could improve?
With the app that we’ve created, we’d like to take one step further to utilize AI/machine learning to develop an intelligent dashboard powered by machine learning algorithms. We want to explore the opportunity of using pattern and object recognition capabilities in the app, but this may put them on a steep learning curve.
This is something we’re looking to include in the last year of the project. Machine learning is a capacity they’d have to adopt quite quickly if they want to compete and differentiate themselves in the software space.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
First, get everyone on board as quickly as possible to explain what the overall project goals and objectives are and ensure that there is a communication and project plan that everyone is comfortable working with.
the project
Online Cloud-Based Platform for Corporate Intelligence Firm
"DCSL Software was willing to step outside their comfort zone."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m a senior analyst at a consultancy firm.
What challenge were you trying to address with DCSL Software?
Broadly, we needed to provide information to our clients in a more modern, accessible way. We tended to produce lengthy reports, meaning details can be missed. We wanted to provide our clients with a searchable, centralized database of clients, their companies, and assets.
What was the scope of their involvement?
DCSL Software developed an online database that uses cloud storage. Initially, we envisaged a directory of people. As the conversation progressed, we realized this idea wouldn’t link individuals to companies, business associates, family members, and their assets simply.
To discuss high-level requirements in-depth, we invited DCSL Software to a kickoff meeting. Their team considered the product and then provided us with a quote and timeframe estimate. We needed the project to be done quickly—within three months.
From that point, we quickly moved into production. They helped compile the mathematics for product features, making sure their team could build the database within the agreed-upon timeframe and budget.
DCSL Software handled the front- and backend development of the database. The platform is web-based. They relied on Azure to support cloud hosting, which means clients can access information from anywhere. For security, their team implemented two-factor authentication.
After the initial sales/scoping conversations on which the budget was proposed and commercials agreed upon, we then worked closely with DCSL Software on their “Sprint 0” process, so the team gained a more detailed understanding of the product. As a result, when the timeframe and costs were adjusted, they were a little higher than we were expecting, mainly because DCSL Software did not pick up on some of the detailed intricacies of the features required early on in the process. However, it was still within expectations.
What is the team composition?
We had an initial meeting with Jake from (Business Development Officer, DCSL Software) and Nick (Managing Director, DCSL Software), who comes from a software engineering background. I engaged with David (Project Operations Manager, DCSL Software) and 1–2 techs behind Andrew (Software Engineering Director, DCSL Software), who built the database. A graphic designer built the UI.
How did you come to work with DCSL Software?
The company looked at a few providers, and a colleague recommended DCSL Software. We met with Nick, whose team seemed competent enough to work on the project.
How much have you invested with them?
In total, the bill was £35,000 (approximately $45,000 USD).
What is the status of this engagement?
We worked with DCSL Software between April–September 2019. We’ll definitely be continuing to work with them for this and future projects.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
Anecdotally, the database has been really well-received by clients. We’re also very happy with the platform.
We had a few issues with the login at the beginning, but everything seems to be working now. There are still some bugs in the system, to be expected, but they are being ironed out. Also, as we started putting data into it, we realized that we missed components, which is on us.
How did DCSL Software perform from a project management standpoint?
DCSL Software used a system called Sifter to log errors and changes. The project management was very engaged. We had a ‘snapshot meeting’ every week with David via Skype to review what needed to be done. The meetings sometimes seemed a bit unnecessary, but I guess they would rather over-communicate, which I know some people prefer.
Having said that, the meeting with the development team – the sprint meetings – were really effective. They allowed us to see progress, discuss the upcoming sprint, decide on priorities – overall, they were very engaging and allowed us to shape the project. DCSL Software cleverly ensured we kept on track in terms of timescale and budget while providing us with flexibility.
Their team managed the budget fine. We were happy with the final cost. It was more than the original quote, but we needed the platform to be more than initially envisaged. The database wasn’t going to do what it needed to do unless we spent that money. Overall, we received excellent value for money.
What did you find most impressive about them?
DCSL Software was willing to step outside their comfort zone. Andrew was dealing with an unfamiliar subject matter such as complex corporate structures. I took it upon myself to educate him on the topic, which he came to understand and used to build a very good product. His ability to step outside a software developer’s head and into our world was useful and impressive. I think what is most impressive is that they delivered a complex system on time and budget, which exceeded expectations.
Are there any areas they could improve?
They need to be sure about the likely price and timescale before entering into the engagement, as it increased from the original proposal that we signed off against, albeit we were aware this was a time & materials engagement. This is obviously easier said than done, and I can see they have processes in place to protect against this and warn early on. Apart from that, I cannot fault the process.
I really would want to see them change their “snapshot” process, which seems a bit redundant. I have already discussed this with them, and they have taken it on board.
Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?
Clients need to make sure DCSL Software fully comprehends the requirements from the onset, and those guidelines should be clear in their own heads before going down the road of engagement. But in terms of advising clients, DCSL Software is very competent. They quickly grasped the complex requirements and delivered a final system, all within three months.
the project
Web App Dev for Tech Co in Charitable Sector
"DCSL Software has been flexible, honest, and communicative."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the COO of The Good Exchange. We’re a UK-based tech company that’s operating in the charitable sector.
What challenge were you trying to address with DCSL Software?
We worked with a web development company that built and managed our web application. The company didn’t have the capability or capacity to take us from a startup to early growth. We wanted a partner that had greater, more relevant skills and were better placed to help us as a client. We needed an organization that could actually take on best practices and help us scale going forward.
What was the scope of their involvement?
Initially, we partnered with DCSL Software to review the code our past development company had written. It became clear that our providers weren’t capable of moving us forward because they were using legacy code and frameworks as opposed to best practices. Then, DCSL Software inherited our web application, which creates a single-stage-one application form and matches charities to multiple registered grant-making organizations that have funding schemes.
DCSL Software managed two key projects, working from existing code. They’ve moved us out of our Windows hosting environment and onto a Microsoft Azure server. Due to the legacy frameworks, that was actually quite a large task because the code wasn’t conducive to the switch. This enabled their team to build a proper deployment pipeline that we’d never had before. Now, we’ve got multiple test environments including UAT, test, live, and development conditions. Their also team fixed a lot of bugs they’d inherited. They’ve done a lot of work helping us through the use of Elasticsearch.
Recently, they’ve been working to rebuild the way we charge fees through the platform. Users who're giving money to charities can now contribute towards the fee that we charge. It’s been a huge amount of work from a backend and database perspective. Their team has finished phase one. Now, they’re working on phase two as well as providing support and maintenance to the platform.
What is the team composition?
It fluctuates. Currently, we’ve got about five or six on the project including a project manager.
How did you come to work with DCSL Software?
We went through quite a tough recruitment process of development companies, of which DCSL Software was invited to after having reviewed the app’s code. Of the six or seven agencies considered and interviewed, we went with DCSL Software.
How much have you invested with them?
We’ve spent about £100,000 (approximately $124,400 USD).
What is the status of this engagement?
They came on in October 2018, and it’s an ongoing partnership.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
DCSL Software has delivered results on time and on budget. Moving us into Microsoft Azure has given us a far better deployment mechanism. Every time they’ve done a release, we’re not having the same problems we had before.
They’ve redone our fee model, which was also huge. That was a major piece of work in terms of how that’s calculated and presented to clients. That launched recently, and we’re starting to see positive signs. We’re starting to see donations coming in through the process.
Since DCSL Software has come in, the platform has been incredibly reliable. We haven’t had any downtime apart from scheduled maintenance. Their team has turned what should have been according to best practices into best practices. It’s far easier to use and a better platform.
How did DCSL Software perform from a project management standpoint?
DCSL Software has been exceptional. Their team has been very responsive and we’ve got a good system with them. Their team hasn’t missed a date that they promised to deliver on. For the fee project, we gave them a very tight timeline to deliver on and they delivered on it. They have managed projects efficiently and effectively. Their team will continually ask questions to make sure they’ve understood the requirements. They’ve been good at providing suggestions to improve the project. It’s been a good, collaborative relationship in terms of structure and managing this project moving forward.
What did you find most impressive about them?
DCSL Software has been flexible, honest, and communicative. Their team has a positive attitude and work collaboratively. They’re a pleasure to work with.
Are there any areas they could improve?
We weren’t a standard client for them. They inherited our platform, which their team would've built from scratch for most clients. Managing the terms and conditions became more difficult because their standard terms weren’t necessarily effective for our product. We had a few problems with them in the initial phase and trying to set our own budget moving forward in terms of cost. Now that we’ve been given a direct project manager, costing has been very accurate.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
If you’re going into a costing phase, make sure you’re speaking to your project manager. I think they were rapidly recruiting so we got bounced around to different members of staff who would learn our product then move on. Now we’ve got a quorum, which has been excellent.
the project
Web Dev for Waste Management Simulator Startup
“DCSL Software’s professionalism is of the highest order and in the truest sense of the word.”
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the founder of a waste management startup called LDAT Online Ltd. (Landfill Degradation and Transport). I’d developed a simulation program under the same name while I was in engaged with various universities and waste management research projects.
What challenge were you trying to address with DCSL Software?
Originally developed 20 years ago, the LDAT is a simulator for the processes that take place in landfills. I created the first model myself, and it’s been through various iterations until it got to a stage where I felt I could distribute it online.
Since I’m an amateur, I enlisted DCSL Software to help refine and build out the web version. I needed them to expand my program’s storage and processing capabilities through the cloud and make the UI more professional-looking.
What was the scope of their involvement?
I’m collaborating with DCSL Software to further develop my landfill simulator for the web. Before, I was mainly using open source technologies to build the solution (i.e., ASP.NET MVC, Azure as the server and host, WebJobs). However, it wasn’t that user-friendly, and the way I’d connected everything had led to pauses between the client and server sides.
DCSL Software sped up this process by using Node.js and Vue.js, which has resulted in much faster response times since more work is being done on the client side. Likewise, they investigated using parallel processing to speed up my C#-based calculation engine. They also updated the UI design to improve its look and usability.
What is the team composition?
I’ve worked with Nick (Managing Director, DCSL Software), Alexis (Technical Director, DCSL Software), and Dennis (Technical Architect, DCSL Software). They have a small support team, whom I visit every 4–6 weeks.
How did you come to work with DCSL Software?
I was searching online for development houses fluent in Microsoft technologies. DCSL Software is a Microsoft Gold Partner, and everything that I’d read in their reviews seemed to work well. So, I talked to Nick about my project and asked if we could meet up to discuss it more.
How much have you invested with them?
I’ve spent about £50,000 (approximately $60,400 USD).
What is the status of this engagement?
I started working with DCSL Software around June 2018, and the collaboration is ongoing.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
They’re still in the process of replacing our current website, which isn’t very user-friendly and suffers from long loading/processing times. As such, we’ve only had about 40 client institutions using it with about 500 hits so far.
The new iteration is much stronger and more secure than our current site, so we expect it to be a game-changer once it rolls out. I hope to make sections of the code open to users so that they can customize it for their particular methods and share their changes with the community.
How did DCSL Software perform from a project management standpoint?
They’ve consistently delivered reliable work on time and on budget, involving me every step of the way. Nearly every month, they come up with detailed roadmaps and keep me updated on their progress.
Communication is really transparent. If there are any changes, cost overruns, or difficulties, they’ll inform me. I’ve also asked them to deliver and publish their code through my Azure account. During meetings, we’ll go over a demo, and I can read the code to see what they’ve done.
What did you find most impressive about them?
I’ve spent my life working in universities and as a civil engineer, so I’ve been involved with various companies. Compared to my past experiences, DCSL Software’s professionalism is of the highest order and in the truest sense of the word. Their work ethic alone is admirable. The team pays attention to what I want to do and have expanded upon it very well.
Are there any areas they could improve?
It's not always easy to see how their fees are being allocated on their invoices. Sometimes we have conversations about that, so I know that they’re working on improving it.
At the moment, the invoice lists the hours and rates for all resources involved, but they don’t specify who is doing what. I’m able to work it out based on the quotes and how they’ve partitioned the work, but I’d prefer it if what they were delivering were more closely related to the breakdown of the cost.
I need that information to explain to my collaborators how we’re spending their money, especially in terms of tangible output.
Although the project recently launched, the client expects that this project will streamline processes for their clients. DCSL Software clearly communicated how the project was going and provided regular updates. Committed to the project’s success, they were collaborative and easy to work with.