Devico

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the CTO of Lennd, an event software company. We build software for some of the largest events in the world.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We needed to augment our team with senior engineers to accelerate development of our multi-tenant, SaaS platform for events. We needed expertise across the stack, from back-end to front-end to architects. Our goals were to implement higher quality output while establishing a consistent velocity.

SOLUTION

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

We came across Devico via Clutch, actually (full circle!). The deciding factors were the reviews and our interaction with Oleg, one of the founders. We found our first call with Oleg to be extremely pleasant and he demonstrated a great understanding of our needs and what type of developers we were looking for.

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

The scope of work included development of our backend in node.js, our front-end in React 16+ with sagas and redux and vision for architecture of our PostgreSQL database. They key deliverables were our De-Duplication feature for our CRM product and accelerating development of out Customer Portal solution.

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

We had 5 people from the Devico that worked with the team. Two front-end, two back-end and one architect. Devico also provided test engineering support as necessary. All engineers were fluent in English and meshed well with our existing team. It was a pleasant staff augmentation experience.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The Devico team helped take us from a pretty dark place on our SDLC and bring stability to the team and product. They improved our overall velocity by 50% and improved overall quality of releases by limiting defects. The team acted swiftly on feedback from customers that was provided via our own Product Manager. Overall, in rare fashion, the team delivered the CRM Deduplication functionality on schedule.

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

We approached this as a staff augmentation model. The Devico engineers joined our existing team. We communicated daily via standups over Google Meet and communicated async via Slack. There was no issue with timezones or language as the team made it work for their days.

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

Having had bad experiences in the past, I was most impressed by the communication of the engineers and the Devico management. They were great partners and worked well to help us achieve our project goals. They provided flexibility when needed and helped us keep our project on schedule.

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

We had a few early points of friction with getting the team up and running, but that was do to our own dev environment set-up. We were able to optimize this even more during this relationship and it was no problem.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the chief Product and Technology officer for a cybersecurity company who is developing a novel approach to managed endpoint detection and response.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We hired Devico as a source of highly skilled technical resources to augment or direct engineering team with QA, Automated testing, DevOps and Backend Cloud development

SOLUTION

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

We found this vendor through LinkedIn and found their website and prior experience compelling. They had very flexible terms and allowed us to build our relationship through trust over time.

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

Devico was responsible for creating integration test cases for our product, automated those tests, Deploying the automated tests via DevOps Pipelines, and enhancing our cloud APIs. Technologies include, Azure Devops, C#, .NET, Allure

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

We currently have 4 team people:

• 1 in QA
• 1 in Automated Testing
• 1 in DevOps
• 1 backend Developer

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I find the work ethic and quality of deliverables to be outstanding. We have had no issues and work is delivered on time. The team is very independent, learns quickly and adapts easily to an agile work stream.

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

The team adopted to our communication platforms over email, Slack and Teams. Project billing is monthly and there has never been any issues related to project management.

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

I find the quality of the workers and the work ethic to be extremely impressive. I have had no issues with any of the team members or the management.

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

I was completely satisfied. They were very flexible and adaptive to our changing needs. I find them responsible and quick to deliver. I can't identify any areas of improvement.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the Group CTO at MARCOL, a private equity investor and operator. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Devico?

We own several large businesses across Europe, primarily in the healthcare space. From time to time, we need to boost the size of our team to meet cyclical demands for services and products. So, we've been looking for a staffing partner to help us with the peak and trough management of service and product demand. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We use Devico as an outstaffing partner to help with a range of projects, products, and services under development across multiple businesses. We use their highly-skilled developers, architects, and other technical professionals on our team when we don't, or won't, add full-time staff members to the teams. Or, if there is a tight to market challenge we need to meet, we'll bring in Devico's teammates quickly to achieve our necessary outcome. Their teammates become proxy members of my teams. 

Whenever we need their teammates, we request ones with specific skills. For example, if we're developing an app, I'll ask for a React developer with specific soft skills, experience levels, and a level of independence. Typically, I look for more senior resources for my teams. Once they identify resources that meet our needs, my teammates will interview them to determine whether or not we'll take them on. Usually, Devico delivers immediately or within 2–4 weeks. Devico can staff our teams far quicker than I would be able to, which allows me to focus on running my business.  

What is the team composition?

We've worked with 25–30 teammates from Devico, and one of the owners is my main point of contact.  

How did you come to work with Devico?

Devico cold-emailed me several years ago, and it just so happened that I needed resources the same day they reached out. I decided their services were too good to pass up, and Devico got me out of a bind with a small project that was easy for them to handle. That project determined whether or not they'd be a good partner. We've since built a relationship with them from that initial project, and they've been great for our business. 

How much have you invested with them?

We've invested $1–$5 million with Devico. 

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing engagement with Devico began in January 2018. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Devico's developers always work to the level we mandate; they meet the standards we set for them. We've never had to cycle anyone off our projects, which speaks to the level of Devico's teammate. At the same time, I've also demanded more senior-level support, so I'm setting a very high bar for Devico to meet. 

How did Devico perform from a project management standpoint?

Since we're utilizing an outstaffing model, my team is in charge of all the project management. Their team uses all of my tools and systems, from Jira to Confluence and Miro.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Devico has a no-nonsense approach and, from an engineering perspective, the candidates they provide are to a very high standard. Also, they're a big enough company that they can provide the resources we need but not so big that they treat us as just another account. Their company is the perfect size for us. Devico's owners care deeply about their customers. I always appreciate the personal relationship I've cultivated with Devico's founders. They always go out of their way to go the extra mile when we need additional resources. 

Considering all that Devico is going through — they're operating during the Russian Invasion of Ukraine — I think Devico is doing an excellent job. They've gone out of their way to look after their staff and customers, which is outstanding.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I have nothing for Devico to improve.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I'd urge customers to ensure they're a mature organization with well-understood processes, methods, and procedures that specify what they're doing. When working in a value-creation model, where there's a high element of technical entrepreneurship, customers need resources that can embed themselves quickly into an easily understood process. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a partner in a London-based consulting firm, helping European corporates and startups build their technology products.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We hired Devico for software development services, bringing in Devico's developers, quality assurance specialists, and project managers to assist our senior team on a green-field e-money and payment application startup project.

SOLUTION

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

I have hired Devico before as CEO of a startup myself for a similar project. They have demonstrated an exceptional level of professionalism in every aspect of the job, including quality of technical outcomes, management, and communication.

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

We assigned an in-house team of senior architects and business experts, providing general guidance and oversight. Devico's scope included digesting the requirements, liaising with our stakeholders during the development process, and delivering the code and corresponding documentation.

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

Different at different times - up to 7 people on the team at the same time, mainly developers, QA testers, and a project manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The project was phased in 8-week cycles, and every phase of the project was completed exactly on time. We haven't had a single overrun or had to compromise on the scope of the next demo we were preparing for the stakeholders.

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

Very responsive and agile. We used a number of different tools at different stages of the project, mainly focusing our day-to-day management and architecture discussions on GitHub, Miro, and a couple of other tools. Any difficulties we faced were addressed as soon as we flagged them, and we never encountered similar problems again.

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

The overall average quality of developers we worked with from Devico is exceptionally high, way above the average we experienced in the region. The staff, starting from the top management is exceptionally responsive and tried to accommodate every request we may have had.

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

Not much, perhaps could do more on the marketing front, having relationship people on the ground in major client locations. The exceptional quality of work they provide could use more publicity.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CTO at With Para, which is a software company that provided tools for gig workers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Devico?

We had various development requirements, including mobile, web, and backend development with Firebase. We needed engineers to help us with all of that, so we engaged Devico.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They’re responsible for speeding up a React Native mobile app from scratch. Currently, we’re doing beta testing on a test flight on both the iOS and Android versions. One of the features includes authentication, like email or text authentication. The user will connect their accounts and provide a username and password.

We use a third-party service to then take that login information and pull the earnings data and then make it available on an API. We save the data on our database and do some data manipulation, calculating statistics relating to work history, and then display it back onto the mobile app so that the user can look at their work history in a digestible format.

What is the team composition?

We work with two people; one is full-time and the other is part-time.

How did you come to work with Devico?

We have a friend who was a founder of multiple companies, and he used Devico for every single one of his projects and they all turned out really well.

How much have you invested with them?

So far, we’ve invested about $30,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in September 2020 and the partnership is still ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve gone through a number of data users and we’ve seen those users coming back, so the app is definitely working, at least from a small scale of about 25 users.

How did Devico perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management skills are great. There’s constant communication and if there is any issue with a task, they’ll come back with feedback about the task, which is something I appreciate a lot. We use Figma, which is software that we can share screens of mobile design with developers. We talk probably 4–5 times a week to check on progress and decide what to do and then if we encounter issues, decide how to deal with those.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their speed and flexibility are the most impressive. We have to change our specs a lot and they just ride with us on that and deliver every time. Some of the spec changes are pretty drastic, so they’re pretty adaptable in that sense.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Being in a different time zone can be difficult, but other than that, not much.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Work with them and establish a line of communication where you’re at least talking to them twice a week. That way, if there are any problems, you can at least plan around that.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Skillied was a start-up built from the ground up. It was a platform where people could find and book local classes in their community. People came onto the platform, searched for classes, booked them, and then attended the classes in person. These were not online classes. I was the founder and CEO

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Devico?

Devico came on after the MVP was launched. Our MVP was built with another dev shop and had A LOT of bugs. Devico helped us fix everything and build new products.

What were your goals for this project?

To fix bugs and add new functions so we could do more business. Devico also helped us launch in our second market.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Referral

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Devico served as our development arm. We didn't have any inhouse developers except for a CTO who planned out new functions and made quick fixes or helped with customer service.

What was the team composition?

Skillied Team:

• CEO
• 1 Sales person
• CTO 

Devico:

• Senior Developer
• Later a project manager

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

This was my first startup and I didn't have a tech background. We had an awful experience with the dev shop who built our MVP, but Devico gave me peace of mind again and got everything working really well.

They were extremely organized, really easy to work with, and flexible. Our senior developer genuinely felt like part of our team. We had an incredible experience working with them. Both the owner of the shop (Oleg) and the developer were always easy to access.

We are based in Miami, FL but we didn't feel the time difference. I would recommend Devico to everyone building a product. Because of their work, we were able to gain many more customers and even expand to a new market.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

At first our CTO managed the Devico developer and that was perfect. When our CTO left and left us high and dry, Devico assigned us project manager who was incredible to work with. They both genuinely cared about the success of the business and felt like full-time members of our team.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The seamlessness of working with them, despite the fact that we were on a 7 hour times difference. It felt like they were right down the street. Also, nothing ever fell through the cracks. Everything was really well organized. And they were always in a good mood and had an incredible willingness to help.

Are there any areas for improvement?

It would have helped if they spoke more English, but if we communicated in writing (building Trello etc) it was fine.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the product manager of Arab Millionaire, a charity-based lottery platform for the Middle Eastern market. We have a weekly lottery drawing for €1,000,000 euros and other smaller prizes.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Devico?

Devico was responsible for developing the entire frontend of our web application, as well as QA.

What were your goals for this project?

Our initial goal was to build an MVP of our web app. We kept Devico on to add additional features and build out the full system.  

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We reviewed multiple companies and received many positive recommendations for Devico. They had a reputation for being hard working and building quality products in a very efficient timeframe.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

They built our web app based on conceptual design requirements and now maintain it, while also implementing the occasional redesign. Devico worked closely with our backend team to build the system and ensure quality and correct functionality. They continue to take responsibility for our entire customer-facing platform.

What was the team composition?

We worked with two frontend developers and a QA engineer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Today, we have a fully functional ecosystem that Devico continues to maintain, in addition to developing new products, payment solutions, and games. Their development speed allows us to make changes quickly based on customer feedback and disrupt the market. We currently have over half a million active users thanks to Devico’s team.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Devico took an agile approach to development, working in 1–2-week sprints directly with our CTO and product manager. They delivered changes quickly and never compromised on quality. Responsible for the QA process, they found and fixed problems internally without any oversight from us.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their ability to independently translate high-level business requirements into a development strategy was outstanding. They also executed and implemented these developments extremely quickly and paid keen attention to detail.

Are there any areas for improvement?

There’s very little to improve. One small thing would be to tell us more often where we could improve our designs. I really appreciate it when vendors suggest better alternatives.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO and founder of a small German startup funded in mid-2017. We currently have six employees.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Devico?

They helped us prototype and build a web application for document management.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We mainly used the React and Node.js technology stacks to build the app. We had ordinary agile sprints, with deliverables for each one.

What is the team composition?

We started with just one developer, but we scaled up mid-process, adding three developers, two QA engineers, and a project manager. We worked with one of their owners as well.

How did you come to work with Devico?

We found one of their team members on GitHub as we were looking for specific technologies.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $120,000 on their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Devico in early 2017, and the project lasted more or less one year.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They built a document management application from the ground up, and we’ve seen an impact. As with every development process, there’ve been some issues and bugs that we had to solve on the way, but there was nothing really striking. We also had some issues due to changes in requirements, but all in all, the work was quite good.

How did Devico perform from a project management standpoint?

We started off by handling project management ourselves, but we then hired one of their managers, which smoothened the overall performance. We used Jira and GitHub for regular sprint organization, and we also had daily Slack or phone conversations.

What did you find most impressive about them?

What had the biggest impact on our business was their flexibility. Whenever we needed something, Devico was able to double up the work within two weeks. They were always flexible and able to adapt to our current business situation.

Are there any areas they could improve?

With international collaborations, some issues can get lost in translation. This means that we’ve had to put a lot of effort into defining tickets properly in order to make the scope of the expected situation understood.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

The good thing about working with Devico was that we could start with a smaller team in order to see if the individuals fit our own management skills. They were very flexible in adapting or changing the current team so that they could actually grow with our business requirements. This is why it’s important to have proper project management from the start.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the product manager at a software as a service (SaaS) company. We work with natural language processing and artificial intelligence to provide the best search experience for our customers, which are consumer goods companies. Our services consist of search and library functions in which client reports get automatically classified.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Devico?

We had difficulties recruiting good developers in a short amount of time. While we were looking for people to have on site, we were widely searching for consultants that could start immediately.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Initially, the plan was to only work on development, but a QA specialist ended up helping us as well. Their team mainly worked on frontend tasks, and we still use their QA services for another project.

What is the team composition?

There were two frontend developers and a QA person assigned.

How did you come to work with Devico?

We reached out through different channels. When talking to Devico and learning about their previous work, we chose them over the other providers.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in April until September 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The work they delivered exceeded our expectations. We don’t have metrics in place yet because the project is still at a pretty early stage, but their code quality is great. Their development work is currently in use by our customers. Overall, we’re delighted with the collaboration.

How did Devico perform from a project management standpoint?

They have a support mailbox where all main discussions took place. They also had a dedicated person that we could talk to. Communication was great; we used Jira and Slack, among other programs. They were willing to participate in our daily standups and responded very well during the entire project.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I think it’s great that they form their own small teams, which work together to help each other out. They’re very dedicated to their work, are responsive outside office hours, and are willing to work overtime if necessary. They’re very thorough in what they do and make sure that what is marked as completed is actually completed.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The two developers could be a little more consultative. The QA specialist is really good.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Their process is efficient thanks to the timesheets they use. Make sure they have dedicated resources, and if there’s more than one, request for them to be in the same location.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CTO of a financial services company

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are a decentralized digital wallet that empowers users with seamless, secure, and efficient management of their cryptocurrency assets across multiple blockchain networks.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• augmenting development team
• accelerating our project timelines

SOLUTION

How did you find Devico?

Referral

Why did you select Devico over others?

• Pricing fits our budget
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me

How many teammates from Devico were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

The scope of our partnership with Devico was broad and multifaceted. The primary focus was to enhance our existing Wallet - a decentralized digital wallet that provides a user-friendly interface for managing multiple cryptocurrencies across various blockchain networks. Key Deliverables included: 

• Integration of Additional Cryptocurrencies: Another key deliverable was the integration of additional cryptocurrencies into our wallet. This required technical expertise and knowledge of different blockchain networks, which Devico’s team provided adeptly. 
• Security Improvement: Given the sensitive nature of our application, improving security features was a priority. Devico was tasked with implementing advanced security protocols and features to ensure our users' assets are safe and secure. 
• Functionality Extension: Devico’s team was also tasked with extending the existing functionality of our wallet. This included adding features such as staking, yield farming, swapping, and compatibility with DeFi protocols. 
• Performance Optimization: The team at Devico conducted a thorough performance analysis of our application and implemented measures to optimize load times, response times, and overall performance. 
• Testing and Bug Fixes: An integral part of their work involved conducting rigorous testing of new and existing features to ensure seamless operation, followed by timely bug identification and resolution.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

One of the key objectives for hiring Devico was to expedite our feature development cycle and they delivered splendidly on this front. With their team augmenting our engineering resources, we managed to reduce our development timelines significantly. The increased bandwidth allowed us to simultaneously work on multiple features, resulting in quicker rollouts and faster time-to-market. 

Furthermore, the addition of Devico's skilled engineers contributed to a more robust development process. Their meticulous approach and attention to detail led to a substantial decrease in the number of bugs found in our live product. They introduced rigorous testing protocols and automated test suites that ensured all features were thoroughly vetted before being pushed to production. 

This resulted in a more stable application and a better user experience. In essence, partnering with Devico not only increased our development capacity but also improved the overall quality of our software. Their involvement indeed translated into us shipping features faster, having more engineering resources at hand, and encountering fewer bugs in our product.

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

Devico's project management was exemplary and played a critical role in the success of our partnership. From the onset, they demonstrated a clear understanding of our objectives and timelines, which was reflected in their systematic and strategic approach to managing the project. They employed agile methodologies, which facilitated flexibility and allowed us to adapt to changes quickly. 

Their team worked in sprints, delivering functional modules at regular intervals, making it easier for us to track progress and provide feedback. A dedicated project manager was assigned to our project who served as our main point of contact. This manager ensured seamless coordination between our team and Devico's, aiding in clear communication and efficient resolution of any issues. One of the standout aspects of Devico's project management was their punctuality. 

They consistently met deadlines, delivering high-quality work on time. Even in instances where we had tight deadlines or last-minute changes, they displayed great adaptability and commitment to maintaining the project schedule. Their response to our needs was exceptional. They were proactive in understanding our requirements and prompt at addressing our concerns. 

Their solutions-oriented mindset was evident in their approach to problem-solving, always keeping our business objectives and user needs at the forefront. Overall, Devico's project management was thorough, efficient, and responsive, contributing greatly to the smooth execution and success of our project.

What was your primary form of communication with Devico?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Devico demonstrated a deep understanding of our industry and the nuances of our specific challenges. Their team took the time to thoroughly understand our goals and vision, which they incorporated seamlessly into their development process. This thoughtful approach resulted in a product that was not just technically robust, but also uniquely tailored to our business needs and user expectations.

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

In retrospect, our experience with Devico was overwhelmingly positive, and their contributions to our project were substantial. They displayed high professionalism and efficiency, and their performance largely met, if not exceeded, our expectations. However, there's always room for improvement. In our case, we noticed that the initial onboarding and ramp-up phase took slightly longer than we anticipated. 

While we appreciate the thoroughness with which they approached understanding our project, quicker integration into our workflows and systems could have led to an even smoother start of the project. 

In addition, while their communication was generally excellent, there were minor instances where language and cultural differences led to slight misunderstandings. To avoid this, implementing cross-cultural communication training could be beneficial. To reiterate, these are minor areas of improvement in an otherwise highly successful collaboration. We were pleased with their work and the value they brought to our project.