DECODE

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a Software Engineering Manager.

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

We hired DECODE to help us develop a cross-platform mobile application. We've since rolled this application out to thousands of customers.

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

We chose DECODE after researching several agencies based on the strength of their work and the professionalism of their staff.

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

Our mobile application is a data-centric tool used in the manufacturing industry. It is used to deliver complex documentation and training material to companies all over the world. DECODE built the app primarily in Flutter and Dart, with the data for the application coming from our existing APIs.

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

DECODE assigned a full team to our project, including developers, a QA Engineer, and a project manager.

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

Our app is currently in production and DECODE is working on expanding the feature set.

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

DECODE is very organized and easy to communicate with. We meet once per week to check in on project status, and they have a channel on our company Slack. Considering the time difference (10 hours) they are very quick to respond to questions and concerns.

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

My favorite thing about DECODE is how independent they are. They really don't require much management at all, although they respond well to it when it is needed.

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

I've got no complaints! I'd recommend them without hesitation.

Please describe your company and your position there.

GDi is an innovative provider of applied technology solutions, with 30 years of successful growth and over 1,000 customers. Our software creates efficiency in both the public and private sector.

As head of Software Product Development I am currently focused on designing and developing multi tenant web applications as cloud products, with emphasis on single page applications (SPA) with responsive web design (RWD).

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

We created Ensemble W4 to fulfill the growing demand for workforce management software that is both efficient and simple to use. Ensemble W4 allows organizations to plan, forecast, and schedule work.

The entire stack consists of a web application that serves as the main dashboard, and native iOS and Android applications. Our solution is highly customizable, making it easy to cater to every customer’s demands.

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

We received a recommendation for DECODE. After the review process which involved senior members of the engineering organization, we decided to collaborate with them. Their expertise and focus on building complex mobile applications were the reason why we’ve chosen them.

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

Both iOS and Android applications were developed and delivered by DECODE a few years ago. However, as the business grew we decided to add new features, and our in-house development team doesn’t consist of iOS developers, so we’ve decided to hire DECODE again to take care of the iOS portion of this project.

Initial work consisted of modernizing the codebase, resolving some known issues, and updating the app to work with the latest version of the iOS operating system, which later expanded into implementing new features for both platforms - iOS and Android.

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

DECODE’s engineers worked closely with our in-house Android and back-end developers, as well as project managers. The contract started with one Android developer, which later expanded to a team of 4 (1 Android developer and 3 iOS developers), and will further expand to three additional Android developers and one QA engineer.

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

DECODE consistently delivered the app to our internal testers and project managers through automated deployment. Deliverables are high quality and we can rely on the newly implemented features without thinking about regression. Moreover, we got positive feedback from our customers as well.

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

DECODE team members joined forces with our engineers, using our development process, and the same tools like Azure DevOps, Microsoft Teams, etc. Given that fact, we have no communication issues whatsoever, as DECODE’s engineers personally take part in daily stand-ups and other meetings.

Their contribution goes beyond just software development, as they have the seniority and the expertise in automated deployment & testing and are introducing new development paradigms and workflows.

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

Working on several successful projects together, DECODE developers have become a valuable part of our team, supporting us in our mission of delivering top-quality workflow management solutions to our customers. They have in expertise in the area of mobile application architecture, automated deployment and testing, introducing new development paradigms and workflows.

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

Our collaboration with DECODE has been very good so far and there haven’t been any open pain points.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I head software engineering and oversee all software delivery programs for a cryptography startup in New York City.

For what projects/services did your company hire DECODE?

We hired DECODE to help us develop iOS, Android, and desktop applications for our secure communications platform, as we do not have a mobile software development team in-house.

What were your goals for this project?

The goal was to create a suite of appealing end-user applications that would utilize our state-of-the-art cryptographic technology and our secure communication platform. The main purpose of the mobile and desktop applications was to showcase our technology while offering an enterprise-grade UX and features.

How did you select DECODE?

Our CTO came across DECODE while researching the market of mobile development agencies. We went through a thorough, 6-months due diligence process on them, their references, previous projects, including an on-site visit to their offices by our chief product officer. The selection consisted of a series of meetings/workshops with DECODE’s senior staff, followed by an internal assessment.

The key reason for picking DECODE was their extensive experience in building carrier-grade communication applications for the telecom market.

Describe the project in detail.

The project aimed at producing applications for 4 platforms: Android, iOS, Windows, and MacOS. Mobile applications are native, using Kotlin and Swift respectively, while the desktop is an Electron app based on React JavaScript framework.

The applications provide chat, file-share, and audio/video calling capabilities using our own secure communication platform and cryptographic protocols. We managed requirements and provided UI/UX design, and DECODE’s team provided software development and quality assurance, including CI/CD, test automation, and manual testing.

What was the team composition?

DECODE’s team consisted of 2 iOS, 2 Android and 3 Electron/React engineers, as well as 1 QA expert. We provided the product owner and scrum master. The whole team worked closely with our UX designer and the platform engineering team.

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

The development went smoothly, and we were able to implement all the major features in the first 6-7 months of the project, as initially planned. DECODE’s team not only met but exceeded our expectations in terms of productivity, efficiency, and technical expertise. The app has significantly outperformed the old one and received positive feedback from the beta users.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The collaboration with DECODE was excellent. The combined scrum team: our product owner and scrum master, with DECODE’s development team, performed very well, as one team, although working on 2 continents with a 6-hour time difference. The work process has been carried out on our platform of choice, Microsoft Teams and DevOps, with all scrum ceremonies being observed and executed on time.

DECODE was proactive, responsive, flexible, and ready to assist in matters that went beyond their core of expertise.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

DECODE impressed us by their work attitude, team spirit, and in-depth knowledge of every aspect of the software development process, especially in the areas of delivery integration and automation, as well as test automation. They shared their know-how with our own engineering team, assisting them in solving some challenges and improving our own processes.

DECODE’s engineers are reliable, taking ownership of the work they do and actively contributing to making the overall product better, not just narrowly looking at their own responsibilities.

Are there any areas for improvement?

We were more than satisfied by our collaboration with DECODE and I could not single out anything in particular that would require improvement.

Please describe your company and your position there.

Contacts411 updates your contacts with the most comprehensive, up-to-date, public, personal and business information with the press of a button. Contacts411 makes your life simpler by delivering the most comprehensive, verified public, up-to-date contact information to you with one touch. We know high quality contact information is not easy to find or save, and searching is time consuming. With the Contacts411 app, all that is solved while keeping your address book information private to you.

As the president and co-founder I am responsible for making sure that we are constantly improving to meet our customers needs through innovation and quality improvements.

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

We hired DECODE to develop new features, upgrade and maintain existing codebase and to take care of our backend infrastructure. Specifically, this includes working on our mobile application using React Native, the back-end system written in Node.js, creating and maintaining our website and taking care of our AWS infrastructure where we host our backend, databases (DynamoDb) and other AWS services. DECODE has also created a database that allows our team to understand customer usage and potential issues while maintaining the anonymity of the user.

Goals were: We founded Contacts411 because we believe individuals and small businesses should have easy access to high-quality updated information on U.S. consumer and business contacts from over 13,000 verified, available data sources. Big businesses have been using this exact same data to keep their contacts up to date for years and we thought that individuals should get access to it as well to help them connect with others to enrich their lives and their businesses.

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

We received a recommendation for DECODE from our ex-employee. We then went through a review process involving senior members of the engineering organization. Decisive points for choosing DECODE were their expertise in building complex mobile applications with a big focus on scalability and maintenance, as well as their expertise with contact data which is at the core of our app.

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

The project’s goal was to develop new features, upgrade and maintain the existing codebase and later on to implement a new UX/UI for the mobile app. Regarding our backend system, DECODE was in charge of migrating part of our backend system from Python 2.7 to JavaScript (Node.js) for easier maintenance and integration with new features. They also worked on integrating new data provider APIs and creating complex algorithms for data filtering and decision making processes.

DECODE was also hired to implement our new website and to work on new features and maintain our Admin webapp, written in React.js.

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

DECODE’s staff was integrated into our product team, starting with 2 people and temporarily extending it later on to 3. Both members are full stack developers with a focus on developing mobile apps and backend systems using React Native and Node.js technologies and one of them is a Senior iOS developer. We also have a quality engineer from DECODE on the team part time as needed.

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

Through several app releases over the course of the project we managed to achieve a steady improvement of the app’ usability. We have added many new features in a timely fashion, and most importantly, we have added the unique and complex ability to update business and contact data at the same time.

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

DECODE team members were easily integrated with our staff, using our development process, and the same tools like Notion, Slack, Trello. etc. Given that fact, we have no communication issues whatsoever, as DECODE’s engineers personally take part in weekly stand-ups and other meetings. We treat them as our own.

Their contribution goes beyond just software development, they have the seniority and the expertise in automated deployment & testing and are introducing new development paradigms and workflows.

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

Working on several successful projects together, DECODE developers have become a valuable part of our team, supporting us in our mission of delivering top quality solutions to create connections to our customers. They brought in the expertise in the area of mobile application architecture, automated deployment & testing, introducing new development paradigms and workflows.

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

Our collaboration with DECODE has been excellent. We feel great about the value.  There is really nothing that we could suggest as an improvement.

Please describe your company and your position there.

Founder and principal of our boutique digital consulting firm.

For what projects/services did your company hire DECODE?

We were looking for a reliable partner in mobile application development to extend our own team’s capabilities and expertise.

We hired DECODE because of their track record in mobile development, their expertise in the domain of communication and productivity applications, and their ability to go beyond just the mobile developmen, e.g. services in QA and J2EE development.

What were your goals for this project?

The idea behind the communication app was to make the life and work of the client's staff easier by providing them with a unified access point for communication and collaboration and act as a gateway to personal and work-related technology interactions.

This project had a significant impact on the business because it was solving every day problems for thousands of staff members, and it served as a basis for creating a similar application for guests.

How did you select DECODE?

DECODE came highly recommended through our software development consultant and we performed a thorough screening of the company in general and each team member individually.

Our engineering leads carefully interviewed and selected every member of DECODE’s team making sure they adhere to our quality standards as if we were hiring them.

They were able to demonstrate software engineering and general skills required as well as extensive experience in building demanding mobile applications and distributed software systems.

Describe the project in detail.

Crew often use their private mobile devices and various applications to communicate with each other.

We wanted to provide them with a single application that is a unified point of access for communication, community and resource including features like 1-on-1 or group chat, news and events portal, staff directory, guest activity calendar, and family chat.

The app was designed as a hybrid one using React Native mobile framework containing common javascript code, as well as iOS and Android platform native parts.

DECODE also provided Java developers working on integrating the app with our backend systems via a microservices architecture, as well as quality engineers.

What was the team composition?

DECODE’s staff of 10 engineers was tightly integrated into a broader project team. They provided a well-rounded, self-sufficient team including a team lead, 4 mobile and 2 Java developers, as well as 3 quality engineers.

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

Despite being quite a complex endeavor, the project progressed as planned at a fairly fast pace.

Within 6 months we were able to make first beta tests with actual staff members and received very positive feedback on app’s usability, performance, and overall quality.

DECODE’s team were very fast in implementing fixes, changes, and quickly producing new app versions frequently.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

DECODE team members were fully integrated into our client’s own project organization, using their development process, and the same tools like Confluence, Slack, Jira. etc. Although working 100% remotely, located on a different continent and in a time zone 6 hours apart, we had no communication or collaboration issues whatsoever.

DECODE’s engineers demonstrated professionalism on all levels, including command of the English language, proactivity, responsiveness, and technical know-how.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Throughout a demanding project, the entire DECODE team remained flexible, productive and thoughtful. It was impressive to see such professionalism.

Are there any areas for improvement?

DECODE has lived up to our expectations, becoming a trusted and reliable partner. We are glad that they listened to our advice and invested in strengthening their DevOps skills, which enabled them to contribute even more.

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are one of the biggest banking software vendors in Central and Eastern Europe. With the staff of approx. 2300 employees , located in 19 countries, our products reach the market of 300 million people. My role is mobile solutions manager and I oversee banking applications engineering.

For what projects/services did your company hire DECODE HQ?

We hired DECODE to help our own development team redesign mobile banking application with features like wallet, PSD2 support, currency exchange, and card, receipts and payments management. We need it for Android and iOS platforms. We didn’t have enough internal experts to do the work so we engaged DECODE to help us out.

What were your goals for this project?

We were starting a major upgrade of the mobile banking application we were delivering to one of the big European banking groups. The app is a mobile banking client for banks’ residential customers and it needed a big makeover, especially in terms of usability and UX. We brought DECODE in for the expertise in the area of mobile application development/architecture, introducing new development paradigms and workflows. The project had a major impact on our business as the app was used in 8 countries.

How did you select DECODE HQ?

We got a recommendation for DECODE from our ex-employee so we went through a review process involving senior members of the engineering organization. Decisive points for choosing DECODE were their expertise in building complex and big mobile applications with big focus on scalability and maintenance.

Describe the project in detail.

Project’s goal was to redesign a tailor-made mobile banking solution and extend it with PSD2 support, wallet etc. The upgrade also included adding the mCash feature, enabling the customer to withdraw money from the ATM. DECODE was in charge of redesigning the iOS app architecture, implementing or refactoring a number of features on both iOS and Android, as well as improving the unit test framework for both platforms. They also contributed significantly to the new UI/UX look and feel.

What was the team composition?

DECODE’s staff was integrated into our engineering team, starting with 2 people and extending it later on to 3. Two of them are iOS and one Android developer. One of DECODE’s senior experts had a temporary team lead role overseeing our own developers too

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

Through several app releases over the course of the project we managed to achieve a steady improvement of apps’ usability, have been adding new features in a timely fashion, made the apps branding process more efficient, which has been reflected in a 10% download increase (on average) for each new release.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

DECODE team members were collocated with our staff, using our development process, and the same tools like Confluence, Slack, Jira. etc. Given that fact, we have no communication issues whatsoever, as DECODE’s engineers personally take part in daily standups and other meetings. We treat them as our own. Their contribution goes beyond just software development, they have the seniority and the expertise in automated deployment & testing and are introducing new development paradigms and workflows.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Working on several successful projects together, DECODE developers have become a valuable part of our team, supporting us in our mission of delivering top quality mobile banking solutions to our customers. They brought in the expertise in the area of mobile application architecture, automated deployment & testing, introducing new development paradigms and workflows.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Our collaboration with DECODE was very good so far and there were no open pain points.

Please describe your company and your position there.

Gentoo App was founded by William Skannerup, with Andrea Rumignani and Tim Evans joining later. Gentoo App was built to solve everyone’s pain of keeping contact details of others up to date. With so many ways of staying in contact, phone numbers, emails, addresses, social media tags can get complicated to keep organised. Gentoo App aimed to simplifying this by allowing the user to update their details on their own profile, and share the update automatically with all of their contacts. This later morphed into VeridenKey, and was a leading blockchain identity company based out of London.

For what projects/services did your company hire DECODE HQ?

We hired DECODE to create UI/UX, graphic design elements, app prototype, a working app for iOS and Android, as well as all the necessary services required for our trusted digital identity application and system.

What were your goals for this project?

Our idea was to create a mobile app and a system that syncs all your contacts across contact apps, social networks, different devices you might use. The goal was to onboard at least 100.000 user within first few months. This project had a paramount impact on our business, as the whole company was based around the app.

How did you select this vendor?

DECODE came in with high references from our business contacts and we went through a detailed review process involving CTO. We picked DECODE because they demonstrated top technical expertise as well as the capability to deliver on multiple tracks: UI/UX design, app prototype, Android and iOS app, as well as backend services, which covered all of our requirements.

Describe the project in detail.

VeridenKey provides a verified identity that represents you, both in the “real” and “virtual” world. An identity with you in control of your data—authenticated by government and non-goverment partners on the decentralised ledger—and a digital identity key that cannot be taken away from you. DECODE was in charge of the complete design and development process, including wireframing, storyboarding, creating mockups & graphical design elements, prototyping, software design, implementation, and testing for Android, iOS and the services. The apps were native and the server-side was implemented in Python Django framework.

What was the team composition?

DECODE had a team of 4 working on the project: 1 developer for each mobile platform, 1 for the backend and 1 in charge of QA. One of the developers assumed the team lead role and was our primary contact.

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

We had 3 major releases in the project - the 1st one was focused on UI/UX design, GUI artifacts and the screen flows. The second was the iOS app and the backend and the 3rd was around Android app. Apps were shared as mature beta.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Although remote, DECODE’s team felt like at hand. We had regular weekly sync video-meetings and communicated on a daily basis via Slack, InVision and Jira. Developers were very standalone in their work and have demonstrated in-depth engineering and other knowledge. We were able to communicate openly and freely, sharing feedback and ideas with no problems. We also visited them in Zagreb in few occasions where we had workshops and we brainstormed about next steps.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

What struck us the most with DECODE is the versatility of their engineers who were able to tackle every problem and respond to every challenge with diligence and persistence. Their UI/UX designer showed extraordinary creativity and was a source of excellent ideas.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, they were an excellent bunch to work with!

Please describe your company and your position there.

Bizzon is a SaaS company that has built a series of market leading capabilities to support merchants in their pursuit of having loyal, happy customers. Bizzon brings buyers and sellers together, building long term, loyal relationships. My role is to make sure that the tech team both internal and external help with achieving our strategic business goals.

For what projects/services did your company hire DECODE HQ?

We hired DECODE to help us develop iOS and Android applications for our platform. One of the key challenges was application’s communication with an external receipt printer and DECODE had a good track record of hardware-related projects.

What were your goals for this project?

The goal was to create a modern application as a front end to our platform with an excellent UX and ease of use, that would enable merchants and their customers seamless payment process experience. The application was one of the key factors for the uptake of our platform.

How did you select this vendor?

DECODE came highly recommended by trustworthy business associates. I got to know the founders, spent some time talking to them and their staff and they were able to demonstrate their expertise and reliability through references and domain know-how. We personally selected DECODE’s engineers for the project.

Describe the project in detail.

One of the project’s main goals was to add receipt fiscalisation and printing capabilities to our platform by the means of the mobile application, turning the phone/table into a POS device aimed at restaurants.

The application is a native iOS and Android app. DECODE also needed to develop drivers for low-level communication with fiscal modules and printers. These needed to be adjusted and tweaked for different countries and hardware manufacturers.

What was the team composition?

DECODE’s team consisted of 1 iOS and 1 Android engineers that worked closely with our UX designer, hardware providers and the platform engineering team.

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

Application releases have been happening according to the plan, even ahead of it, enabling us to roll out new features frequently. The usability was very good so we were able to onboard new users easily.

The short time to market also allowed us to enter new markets so we are now present in over 300 restaurants across Europe.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

DECODE’s developers were very autonomous and standalone in their work, demonstrating great seniority in communication, especially with the device vendors. We used productivity platforms of DECODE’s choice and the communication in the team was just swell, no matter what channel was used.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

We were impressed by DECODE’s technical expertise and in-depth knowledge of mobile app development. Over time we also got to know them as a reliable partner, the one that delivers and is transparent in their communication.

Their staff shown broader engineering skills, beyond just “mere” software development, like analytical approach, diligent troubleshooting and the willingness to learn fast.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Looking back at the collaboration with DECODE, there’s nothing specific I could single out as a problem or challenge.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder and CEO of Vitastiq Inc, an Indiegogo-backed lifestyle product startup from Zagreb, Croatia. Vitastiq is a company behind the world's first personal gadget that helps track your vitamin and mineral trend using a smartphone. Vitastiq provides information about 26 vitamins and minerals and their natural sources.

For what projects/services did your company hire DECODE HQ?

A companion mobile application is a crucial part of our product that is based on the vitamin tracking device. As a consumer product startup, we didn’t have the needed software engineering capabilities in house, so we hired DECODE to build the mobile application for us.

What were your goals for this project?

As a startup, we wanted our innovative product to grow fast. A mobile app is the only way to consume the device’s readings and derive value from them, so it was of utmost importance for us to be simple, intuitive and superb in usability and UX. The mobile app development project had a major impact on our company’s overall business, right next to the device itself.

How did you select this vendor?

We found ourselves in a position where we had to disengage from our initial app vendor on account of their inability to deliver such a demanding project. DECODE came highly recommended from our hardware platform vendor, who had done business with them before and were convinced in their capability. It was DECODE’s agility, overall technical expertise and previous experience with mobile-connected devices that made our core team decide to go with them.

Describe the project in detail.

We had the hardware figured out but we were looking for a dependable partner to develop the app that would sync with the hardware pen that scans vitamin and mineral levels. The goal of the app was to display and track the data from the vitamin checks and help their users make educated decisions about their health.

Accurate and reliable communication between the mobile phone (app) and the pen was one of the key technical requirements. In addition to implementing native mobile applications for iOS and Android, 3 different versions for each platform, DECODE also worked with our team on the backend web system. DECODE also provided consultancy on all technical aspects of the product.

What was the team composition?

DECODE’s team consisted of 1 Android, 1 iOS developer and a technical lead that managed the project.

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

The first app versions were more than good enough to attract early adopters, technology enthusiast, and journalists - WIred named us “the coolest thing in their office” at the time. Based on that initial feedback and learnings, we worked with DECODE on quickly releasing subsequent versions with improvements and new features, which led to thousands of downloads in the first months.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Working with DECODE was no different than working with our own staff. The communication was very open, both ways, which enabled us all to be very efficient. Our offices are literally “across the street”, so most of our meetings and workshops were face to face. DECODE delivered on their promises, making set deadlines with no exceptions and being much more than “just” a vendor, a true partner.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

While working on Vitastiq, DECODE pulled all the stops. Of course, they delivered the project, but what’s also important is the relationship with us and the way they work. Their communication was highly responsive, they were proactive and had that youthful zeal. I don’t know how they did it, but the whole time we were working together, we felt like we were their only client!

Are there any areas for improvement?

The only thing I “regret” about working with DECODE was not knowing them earlier so we could have hired them from the very beginning. 

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are one of the longest-lasting telecom software vendors. We are powering more than 1,000 service providers globally, including tier-1 telecom operators. I am a director of engineering in charge of client products for mobile phones and desktops.

For what projects/services did your company hire DECODE HQ?

We hired DECODE to work jointly with our in-house engineering team on improving the existing and develop new mobile products for Android and iOS platforms.

What were your goals for this project?

Our mobile communication clients had to provide carrier-grade group communications services to network operators by blending the native dialer of the smartphone with network-based voice and messaging, multiple personas, unified communications, and collaboration. Mobile apps complement our backend platforms enabling us to offer an end-to-end solution to our customers. We want mobile clients to be state-of-the-art, having superb UX and quality of service.

How did you select this vendor?

We compiled a list of potential vendors for the project, based mostly on referrals and previous experiences from our organization’s members. Initially, there were 3 vendors which we contacted and reviewed, 2 of which went through a thorough selection process involving senior members of the engineering organization (VP level). Decisive points for choosing DECODE were their agility, previous experience in similar projects and expertise demonstrated in the selection process.

Describe the project in detail.

DECODE were responsible for design and implementation of enhancements and features of Android and iOS apps based on specifications and UI/UX designs provided by us.

What was the team composition?

Changed over time depending on our demands - 1 or 2 leads, with 3-7 engineers.

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

We managed to have the first version of one of our new apps ready for commercial trials in well under a year of starting to work with DECODE and maintained a steady release cycle over the next year adhering to the highest quality standards. The UX and the overall usability of our apps increased significantly as a result of DECODE augmenting our development capacities. We are seeing low numbers of bugs and issues in the apps and DECODE are addressing them promptly.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

DECODE team members are embedded in our engineering process, using the same development and collaboration tools like our staff (e.g. Jira, Slack, etc.). Inter-teams' communication was smooth and effective, especially between our designers and DECODE’s developers. We held regular conference calls and face-to-face meetings when needed. DECODE engineers’ work attitude and professional ethics met our expectations, very similar to our own and we experienced no cultural or any other discrepancies. With DECODE being based in mainland Europe, we only had 1-hour time difference which posed no practical problem.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

DECODE are one of our most trusted suppliers and we’re pleased to have them as a partner. They have built a reputation as supplying quality code at the exacting standards we expect of our own developers. Working with DECODE is a pleasure. Their expertise on iOS and Android is excellent and as well as working well with my team they’ve also presented workshops on mobile development to help train up my less experienced engineers.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Our collaboration with DECODE was excellent. One area that we’d like to extend is testing and we’d like to see DECODE taking on more responsibility for not just unit testing, but fully owning functional testing as well and we are already working with them on making that happen.