DevCom

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO of The Five Agency, LLC

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We run esports leagues for kids in local cinemas.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire DevCom to accomplish?

• Create a data analysis tool
• Integrate hubspot
• migrate webservers and assume web development

SOLUTION

How did you find DevCom?

Other

Why did you select DevCom over others?

• Great culture fit
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

What was the size of DevCom’s team?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

We initially brought DevCom on to build us a backend data analysis tool to assess market potentials of future business partners. They handled it with such ease and speed that we then put them on our major CRM integration with HubSpot. Again they proved to be exceptionally adept at managing the process and making it easy on us so we have since turned our entire digital existence over to them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

• Make a tool that gave us all the detail we needed and stayed current
• build out hubspot integrations so that manual follow up was virtually eliminated
• take over the website so that we could make rapid changes and build in an api to automate updates to the site

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Yes, they always deliver and are excellent at projecting timelines. They have never missed a deadline.

What was your primary form of communication with DevCom?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Their intentionality and thorough understanding of my business impresses me. They take the time to think through all the outcomes and ask all the right questions to make sure we get what we need every time.

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

Not really. I wish I had a bigger budget to let them develop more. They are fantastic.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of software development for GENERAL DEVICES LLC, a company that develops EMS communication solutions. We provide a system with integrated hardware and software for pre-hospital communication between paramedics and emergency rooms.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with DevCom?

Our company deals with many customers, including paramedics and doctors, and every hospital is different. We were planning to launch the next generation of our products to replace the current version, and we wanted a whole new UI/UX. However, we’re not specialized in UI/UX design. As engineers, we’re used to thinking about features and functions instead of user interaction. We decided to look outside for a partner with more extensive experience and hired DevCom.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

DevCom helped us design the UI/UX of the new version of our product, focusing on creating a consistent UX across the platform. First, we had a discovery phase where they asked detailed questions about our business and why we wanted to change the UI/UX to get us thinking about what we wanted. 

From there, they moved to the proposals and gave us different options for our engineers to review. We passed them through our sales, marketing, and support team, who deal directly with our customers. After a proposal was approved, they went through several rounds of design and feedback. They used Flutter for the UI design. 

What is the team composition?

We worked with the CEO and COO for the initial discussions of the proposal. Then, they brought in the team, including a project manager, a project lead, and a graphic design team. Overall, the whole team was 4–5 people. 

How did you come to work with DevCom?

Our CTO found them. We looked at different options and landed on two candidates, one of which was DevCom. Their differentiation factor was asking very good questions — practical and deep — at the beginning. They didn’t get into a proposal until they’d exhausted all their questions for us. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $15,000–$20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project lasted from December 2021–March 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our internal team all likes the UI/UX design. DevCom delivered on time and kept all their promises. They were diligent, professional, efficient, and prompt in their work. The team thought out of the box and always listened and responded to our feedback. Moreover, they were very flexible. For example, they used a plug-in to convert the files into whatever format we were comfortable with. 

We have used outsourced services a couple of times, and our collaboration with DevCom has been one of the most successful. Our team was very satisfied with the value for money they offered. We’re so happy that we’ve put them among our candidates for mobile UI design and implementation. We’ve talked to other companies already that don’t seem to have as detailed a process as DevCom. Unfortunately, our collaboration was interrupted due to the Russian Invasion of Ukraine. Despite this situation, we’ll probably ask them to do some development work for us in the future. 

How did DevCom perform from a project management standpoint?

They stayed on budget. We communicated via email and had weekly meetings where they were always on time. We had points of contact who were always there if we had questions. Whether it was the project manager, CEO, or COO, someone always responded, so there was never an issue with communication. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

DevCom was very knowledgeable and thorough with discovery. They asked all the right questions and never hesitated to question our decisions. The team also gave us enough options, and once we chose one, they delivered.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything they needed to improve. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

My advice is to be straightforward with DevCom. Share your requirements, wants, and concerns; DevCom will be transparent.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

GBS Enterprises is a furniture warranty company. Basically, we provide warranties for furniture products and other products like that. I’m the platform engineer. We’re redesigning all of our systems and moving from a legacy environment to a more modern platform, so I’m helping that process along.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address DevCom?

We planned to centralize our development process and deployments on AWS. We needed a company with expertise in that area to help us through the transition.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

DevCom helped us set up and deploy our systems. They initially set up our AWS environment with a number of tools, including APIs, Lambda functions, and an RDF database. Now, they help us leverage that environment.

Their team helps onboard our technical assets and optimizes the environment. As we start to deploy and use services, they monitor and provide feedback on how to optimize our use of the environment.

What is the team composition?

We initially had a larger team from DevCom but now, we’re working with two people from there.

How did you come to work with DevCom?

We did an extensive search through Google to locate companies that provided AWS-focused services. We then interviewed 10 different companies but DevCom stood out because their team quickly grasped our goals and had positive feedback.

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent $100,000 on the project.

What is the status of this engagement?

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

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We had an original vision for the project but DevCom gave us feedback that helped us better use the new environment. Their feedback prevented us from purchasing a bunch of services that weren't needed. They gave us alternatives for deployments, giving us a better cost profile. Their feedback helps us manage our cost structure on the platform. They’re sharp and not shy, which is good too.

How did DevCome perform from a project management standpoint?

We use our JIRA system. For the larger project implementations, we structure a project methodology. However, most of their work is ticket oriented.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They listen and understand what we want to do but also actively seek the best solution to bring to the table. Their initiative and drive are refreshing. When they see an opportunity, they’re not afraid to tell us. Their team’s working in our best interest. They’re constantly optimizing and enhancing the environment for us. We really like working with DevCom because their team’s proactive and responsive.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They’re AWS experts but occasionally, we need other skills. I can’t fault them for that because they focus on their expertise. However, I’d love to do more with them on a broader basis.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Don’t try to micromanage them. Give them a broad idea for what you want to accomplish and then let them help drive the solution. Once I stopped trying to specify every detail, they came back with more creative ideas and capabilities that were helpful.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of operations for a construction company. We have a staff of individuals that go out and perform inspections on new construction homes.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with DevCom?

Initially, we were working with a software called Coin, which is a construction industry software. It really didn’t fit our business needs and our IT department wasn’t capable of designing that type of system, so we partnered with DevCom and created our own CRM.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They created our custom CRM so it handles our entire business process, soup to nuts. This included design, technical coding, implementation, and QA. They also do daily maintenance of our web-based operating system. We work with them on a daily basis for anything ranging from designing new screens for the system to creating reports or making changes with our business model. They write all of the coding, handle the QA, and design anything we ask of them. 

DevCom worked with our corporate IT group on whatever backend support is needed, including the designs and the servers. 

They’ve also helped us develop an iOS app for our people in the field. We used to have our inspectors use computers and laptops, but that was problematic. We moved to iPads and DevCom created an app specific to what the testers are collecting in the field. Everything is JavaScript and web-based technology. 

What is the team composition?

In my experience, my point of contact is Roman (Senior Developer), so I don’t have to deal with multiple people. He coordinates the tasks and relies on his team to implement whatever we’re working on. They do have developers and people able to work on every type of task we assign. 

How did you come to work with DevCom?

Based on the working relationship they had with our organization, which was different than who we are now, I was introduced to them by our IT department. After they gave me the introduction, we started working with them.

How much have you invested with them?

It’s changed over the course of the engagement, but I’d estimate we spend around $100,000 a year, coming out to around $1.7 million in total.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since around January 2005. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

When we started, we were extremely small but we’ve now grown exponentially in sales and the volume of homes we’ve tested, with very little growth of our employees and staff. 

We’re a transaction-heavy company with an extreme amount of inputs we’re tracking, so if we didn’t have this system and their support, we would have had to quadruple our staff to stay in business. If we stayed with our older system, I don’t even know if we’d still be in business and definitely not near where we are right now. 

The system is the lifeblood of our company. We’ve used the system they built for us across all these years. It’s a national system so our national builders use it for documents and information, along with third-party testing companies, so it’s been very useful.

How did DevCom perform from a project management standpoint?

There has never been a situation where they haven’t met our needs in an extremely timely manner. There is a time difference, but we get on the phone in the morning and cover whatever we need to do. 

Whenever we need something done, they get it done during their work hours so that when the next day rolls around, it’s completed and waiting for me. You’d think the distance could be problematic, but it has worked in our favor. They do sometimes send their team over so they can have face-to-face time with our IT group, and we’ve gone to Ukraine to meet their staff, too. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They absolutely understand our business and can preemptively know what I need. They’re very reliable, professional, and exceptionally smart. They ramp up quickly and we haven’t had any type of turnover with them that causes any challenge; any pass offs have been smooth from one project manager to the next. 

We can modify things on the fly, which has been critical. Any type of change or immediate need, it can take forever with older systems. With DevCom, they’re affordable and understand our business so it is a completely different dynamic than using some of those bigger software companies like Oracle. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

The only thing I can think of is the language difference can sometimes mean there is a misspelled word in a title or a small blip. It isn’t an issue, but more QA could help that. This could also happen with any company you work with, not just them. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Dedicate time with them so they can understand your business and your needs. Be able to tweak what you need from there. It’s a bit awkward having to do Zoom meetings but it’s certainly manageable and ensures you can collaborate together. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the chief sales and marketing officer for Del-Air Heating and Air Conditioning, the largest residential air conditioning company in Florida.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with DevCom?

We didn’t have good lead management, and we needed someone to build our CRM.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

DevCom built our CRM and also worked on our mobile sales platform and business intelligence capability. They’ve done a lot of simple integrations to improve the data flow. They bolted SugarCRM onto our Hitachi FSA to capture leads in both systems and to track our customers’ actions. We now have the capability to have a status for customers across their whole life with us.

What is the team composition?

We work with a project lead and account manager.

How did you come to work with DevCom?

I’d worked with them at a different company. They did good work there, so I decided to hire them in my new position.

What is the status of this engagement?

We partnered in January 2016, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Because of them, we've lowered our administrative costs and increased our administrative quality. Our sales have gone way up because we've been able to successfully manage leads.

How did DevCom perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re responsive and do their best to understand our business. They deliver on what they promise and keep project scopes small in order to execute them to the best of their ability.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They helped build something that is right for us instead of just trying to sell us a product that we didn’t need. The platform is agile and customizable, which is exactly what we wanted. They listen to our needs and work closely with our team to make the partnership easy and effective.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Communication can sometimes be difficult because they’re overseas, and they could run more training modules.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

If possible, foster a relationship between them and your internal IT team to help them solve problems more quickly.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I do HR, accounting, and project management for TradeWeb Inc. We're a full-service IT company that writes code, hosts, and creates sites for our clients.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with DevCom?

DevCom partners with us and helps us handle the requirements for our customers. We had so much work coming in, and we wanted a supporting agency to help with code, websites, and other needs.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Members of their staff write code for me, and projects include mobile responsive sites for our customers. They test those sites, and set up special features like catalogs, stores, and sales tax rubrics. Other functionality they create centers around shipping requirements.

Some of our projects are long-term, and DevCom still works on some of the same accounts from very early in our partnership. Whenever we come up with a new project that we want their help with, we bring them in for a meeting to go over the requirements. They create a setup that we can test for each new project.

Our partnership is about 50% outsourcing, but we also have a project manager at DevCom that collaborates with our staff and oversees the team that works for us. The collaboration is closer than standard outsource agreements.

The industry progresses quickly, and we've moved through a lot of changes with them. Whenever we incorporate new technology, they do in-depth research and make sure they have the knowledge we need for our projects. We provide some documentation with specifications from each project. They go from there to build wireframes and complete requirements.

What is the team composition?

The team we work with is predominantly made up of developers. A few members of their team are responsible for QA, but the majority of their responsibilities are in development.

How did you come to work with DevCom?

I've been with the company since 2011, and we started doing business with them before I came onboard. I believe the owner of our company was introduced to them some time in the 2000s. When we got a large project early in the relationship, we approached them about augmenting our staff to help meet requirements. They have a competent team that does good work, and we don't have any complaints. They know what they're doing, see the big picture, and know what their code will affect.

How much have you invested with them?

For several years, we've done an average of around $100,000 of work each month with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

I'm not sure when the collaboration started, but it was already strong when I joined the company—so it goes back around a decade. It's quite a long ongoing partnership.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They help us fulfill jobs within the time periods our customers need. Through several projects with a variety of companies, they've never disappointed us.

How did DevCom perform from a project management standpoint?

We work hand-in-hand with them. They're excellent project managers, and their staff is very knowledgeable. Their people skills are good, and they understand the concepts we tackle. We have weekly meetings via Skype to go over the projects they're working on. Most of our communication is through Skype and email, and we speak with them daily.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They are dedicated to perfection, and they get projects right the first time.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don't have any recommendations for improvements. We've had so few issues, and whenever we bring a concern to them, they work with us and resolve it immediately.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Communication is key. Their staff is very open-minded, and they will address your immediate needs or your long-term projects. They are an excellent extension of our company, and would probably do the same for any of their partners.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the CEO of a SaaS provider providing operations management.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire DevCom?

DevCom has provided development and other services in a long-term partnership.

What were your goals for this project?

We want to develop innovative solutions to serve the needs of our client base. Our expectation is that our solutions are intuitive, secure, and user-friendly, and that the development efforts utilize best practices to ensure ongoing support and maintenance of the applications.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We established a relationship with DevCom for a small project 10 years ago and we have continued to work with them ever since. They have a proven track record of great development and customer service.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

They do full-stack development for simple to complex applications. Their services also include database management and technical advice.

What was the team composition?

Our team is comprised of lead developers, programmers, systems engineers, and QA managers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

With the assistance of DevCom, we have grown our application base from a single application to a multi-module solution suite.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

We have a full-time project manager on our side, but for some projects, we utilize the project management team at DevCom.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The quality of work at all levels has been excellent, from the baseline programmers to the management team.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, we’re very satisfied.

Do you have any advice for future clients?

As long as they continue to invest in their people and their company, I feel they will continue with their success.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a social and data development company that provides investment management services. I’m the CEO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with DevCom?

We wanted to find a competent, reliable software development partner.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’ve worked with them on three major projects over the past six years, each of which has grown in complexity. The first was a simple database system. The second was a more complex online database system in Microsoft SQL. The last, and largest project involves database development and geographical data development in a cloud service. They also work in HTML.

What is the team composition?

The team size varies, depending on the project. We always have a project manager who oversees a team of 2–5 developers.

How did you come to work with DevCom?

A partner of ours worked with them on a programming project and felt they’d be a good fit for us. The recommendation came during a search process, but after we interviewed them we didn’t feel the need to speak with other companies.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in 2012 and have worked together on a per project basis ever since. They’re a development partner and do work for us all the time.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

If we can build sophisticated software that runs well for a low cost, we consider it a success. They’re specialists in making efficient, inexpensive software that can process data quickly and correctly. When the idea and the logic work, the software writes itself. They know how to go in and fix errors without destabilizing the whole program. They have a good understanding of development and design and they create useful programs for our users.

How did DevCom perform from a project management standpoint?

They are good listeners and they work hard. They're respectful and they take us seriously. We have a good collaboration and we communicate frequently.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re perfect for our needs. We have a strong knowledge of our market and our users and can communicate with DevCon to help them fulfill their programming and software mission.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They’re perfect with small projects. By their nature, larger, experimental projects make estimating overall timelines difficult, since restrictions and problems arise as part of the process. DevCom has no major limitations and can do a lot of things. If they want to grow in the West, they should grow their team to better engage in sophisticated debates with their clients.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Start with a small project to get to know each other and build on trust and performance. They’re good at isolating business problems and providing technical solutions for companies that are unsure of what they want.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CTO of EasyCount, which makes counting inventory simple. Our platform allows business owners to full control over their operations while saving valuable time and money. Say goodbye to pens, pencils, documents, and most importantly, double entry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire DevCom?

We needed to develop an Android mobile app that will link to our web-based platform. We had already created the APIs and designs for the app.

What were your goals for this project?

Our biggest goals were performance and a clear UI, which had to be easy to understand and navigate.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We came across DevCom via a freelance agency. Initially, we went to Poland to meet with their project manager and explain our requirements.

Describe the project in detail.

They developed an app from the supplied designs. One of the features was a local database for offline storage. Users also have the ability to add new locations, add new products, and insert products into existing locations. Data is sent back and forth between the server and the app. I worked closely with the mobile app developer in order to ensure that the app was properly communicating with the web platform.

What was the team composition?

The project involved one mobile app developer that was assigned to us on a full-time basis. A project manager from DevCom was in charge of the entire process.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They delivered an outstanding application that received a lot of positive reviews from our early adopters. The solution was developed within the given time frame.

How effective was the project management?

Compared to some of the companies that we have used in the past, I was very impressed with DevCom’s project management. They met deadlines while happily accommodating all of our additional requests. The communication was outstanding, with the team being always available through Skype. We had weekly meetings in order to discuss developments that were completed and ones that were coming up. They also submitted daily updates through GitLab, which made the testing very quick and easy. Any issues that were found were resolved instantly.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Communication and attention to detail are definitely DevCom's strongest points. They are always there to assist with any questions that we might have. The quality of work is also outstanding, with the latest technologies being used.

What tips or recommendations do you have?

Our project went as smoothly as it could. I don't think that I would've changed or improved anything in the way they operate. They know what they're doing. I would happily recommend DevCom to anyone who needs a custom software development on any platform.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder and CEO of an online marketplace that strives to provide a safer platform for college students to buy, sell, and trade items.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire DevCom?

We hired DevCom to prototype and scope out our entire platform and unique algorithms, as well as develop a complete website and two mobile applications.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal was to establish a long-term, cost-effective relationship with a development company who not only knows the technical aspect of what they are doing but truly cares and believes in what they are building.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Because we have had numerous experiences with terrible developers and development companies in the past, we were very thorough in our interview process. We were impressed by the first representative we were in contact with, Natalya [Designer, DevCom]. She was very professional and thorough in communicating with developers and providing an initial detailed estimate. On our second interview, Dima--one of the company's founders--and his team spent two hours on the phone with us on Thanksgiving Day brainstorming project ideas, setting clear expectations of how we would be working with their company, and discussing the value that they would be able to add to our project.

Describe the project in detail.

CollegeBom is an online marketplace that allows college students to safely buy, sell, and trade all types of items with other students at their college or university. CollegeBom is unique in the aspect that it has complex matching algorithms that automatically find compatible buyers and sellers on campus and pairs them, allowing them to complete an exchange or transaction in a significantly shorter period of time.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The development of our project has been progressing well. I can't stress enough how much the detailed elicitation process recommended by the DevCom founder has helped to clearly outline the full project scope, facilitated smooth technical development, and really helped us stay on budget. This has been undoubtedly the smoothest and most progressive development project we have been a part of, from a client standpoint.

How effective was the project management?

We work directly with about three members from DevCom, including the company founder. They provide excellent communication and are very professional and thorough in all that they do.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

What we find most impressive is the fact that everyone in the company genuinely seems to care about the project. They are not a bunch of "yes men" who will do and say "yes" to whatever you propose. If they believe that an idea may not be the best for the project from a technical standpoint, they will say so. Or, if they believe that they may have a better solution to accomplish the collective vision, they will propose it. My business partner and I make it a point to always strive to work with professionals who are much smarter than we are in a specific field, and, with nearly two decades of experience in software development, this couldn't be more evident than with DevCom. You can tell they really know what they're doing and they are very good at it. You can tell that everyone in their organization is passionate about what they do, almost as if they do not work for the number of hours that they can bill a client, but for the amount of value that they can add or create in a product.

What tips or recommendations do you have?

DevCom has hit the nail on the head with everything they have done, and we are glad to be working with them for the years to come.