MAKING A SUCCESS OF DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
Since 2007, Devvela has helped businesses that range from daring startups and local brick-and-mortars to Fortune 100 enterprises leverage the power of technology.
By working with startups, Devvela has mastered the lean way of product development; the incremental implementation of features in a cost-efficient manner. On the other hand, through partnerships with established businesses, we have learned a lot about the challenges such firms face when improving their processes by the means of technology.
We merge these two areas of expertise to ensure successful digital transformation, smoothing typical bumps on this road.
Devvela begins the transformation of your business by introducing minor changes into processes, then analyzes the results with you and readjusts the development roadmap accordingly. Throughout this cycle, we replace outdated software and hardware with the latest, most secure and efficient technology.
The ultimate result we work toward is a whole new level of operational efficiency for our clients and the ultimate satisfaction of their customers.
Tap into our expertise for successful digital transformation.
headquarters
other locations
Focus
Portfolio
Among our clients, you can find a true variety of firms ranging from group of companies (Fortune 100) to startups (Player’s Health, Shoplocal) and local business (Chicago Electric Boat Company).
Manufacturing machine status monitoring
Apps for one of the leading CNC manufacturers, one of the Fortune 200 companies
The client requested the development of web and mobile apps that would allow engineers to monitor the performance of an appliance in real time. The appliance sends its performance data using MTConnect, a manufacturing technical standard.
The applications we built are able to identify XML schemas of different adapter types, determine the current overall state of an appliance (Normal, Warning, or Fail) and display this status with a corresponding color. Though developed from scratch and within tight time limits, both apps were successfully demonstrated at the world-famous event IMTS 2018 in Chicago in September 2018.
Shoplocal
Location-based retailer deal aggregator
We are immensely proud to have put the best of our technical expertise to develop Shoplocal, an intelligent aggregator of retailer best deals and ads.
The Shoplocal website is a responsive single-page application based on React JS. You only need to enter a ZIP code on the site once to be presented a complete list of deals at nearby stores. You can sort offers by category, subcategory, and retailer. Printed ads and nearest store information, such as address, phone, and open hours, are also presented on the website.
We dedicated a lot of effort to making the interface highly responsive. As a result, all features are available and easy to use whether you browse the catalog from your PC or mobile. Finally, we configured Google Analytics so that it provides detailed interface use insights.
Player’s Health
High-load sports injury management platform for web and mobile devices
Player's Health allows clubs, trainers and coaches monitor physical state of athletes. It’s also useful for parents of children who go in for sports.
It took us only six weeks to turn the idea into a fully functional application. From the very beginning we’ve been deeply involved in almost every stage of the startup’s development. Player’s Health has been popular among investors and soon become an official app of the USA Hockey National, compulsory for use by all its teams and clubs. PH won the Grand Prix at Google Demo Day 2016. Now, we’re helping the client scale the product further.
Exantra World
Mobile fitness role playing game (RPG)
The idea for the app consisted of two parts - a game-part and a fitness-part. We didn’t start the development process right away; instead, we decided to conduct a Discovery first, so we could define an MVP. Each member of the project team received an individual clickable prototype of the fitness-part of the app, which contained their personal training programs. Those prototypes were tested during real-life workout sessions.
As a result of the Discovery stage, we defined key features of the fitness-part, designed a new prototype, made a decision on the integration with fitness trackers, and defined the main requirements for the game-part.
In the 4 months since the end of the Discovery stage, along with Exantra’s team, we developed the fitness-part and prepared it for the massive beta testing. To collect a team of beta testers and raise some funds for the next stage of development, Edward’s team started a Kickstarter campaign. The campaign reached its first goal in 24 days.
Chicago Electric Boat Company
Boat Reservation system with very advanced features
One of the most popular boat lending companies in the region, Chicago Electric Boat, challenged us to improve their business processes through building a custom reservation system.
After just one season of using the system we’ve built for them, CEB saw a 35% increase in revenue which they looked at as a good indicator of success. Since then we’ve been helping them grow on a monthly basis.
Reviews
the project
Mobile App Dev for Automation Company
"They are easy to work with."
the reviewer
the review
The client submitted this review online.
Please describe your company and your position there.
I am the business development manager for a factory automation company. our company has over 400 employees. i oversee software development and new product expansion
For what projects/services did your company hire Devvela?
we needed a mobile app to easily facilitate the consumption of machine data. we have internal developers but they were not experienced in mobile app design and we needed a way to develop the app quickly. the app needed to work for both iOS and Android.
What were your goals for this project?
we wanted to take advantage of a lack of mobile apps in the space as most solutions were desktop based limiting their consumption range. the app needed to be able to take data from a machine and display it in an easy to read format on the mobile app so users can get machine status quickly and easily.
How did you select this vendor?
We searched through many different vendors settling on 5 different companies. we interviewed the 5 companies and narrowed the choices down to two companies. Devvela was the easy choice as their communication and ability to grasp our project requirements easily had them stand out above the crowd. We had a team of 3 people choose the companies to present to our VP for approval
Describe the project in detail.
Once we decided on Devvela we had discovery meetings to make sure every detail of the project was understood. we then submitted to them a project plan of our requirements and needed functionality. We needed the app to work for both iOS and Android from a single source of data. Devvela gave us a sprint breakdown that showed what was to be developed and in which timeframe.
What was the team composition?
We had a project manager that was our single point of contact for the duration of the project coding development. Devvela utilizes Basecamp which allows everyone on the project to communicate and keep a running log of communications in one location. If we had questions/concerns outside the coding aspect we could go to others at Devvela as each person had a defined role to answer whatever we needed
Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?
The app met our stated goals. we keep adding features and continue to utilize Devvela. the added features are based on feedback we received from customers and also what we noticed in the marketplace to allow us to compete better. We found a couple minor bugs/hiccups that Devvela fixed right away for us. They are easy to work with to solve any technical issues that may arise.
How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?
we had one problem in the beginning where they changed the project goals in sprint 1. we worked through this issue and the rest of the project went as according to schedule. after that communication was on point. they are very responsive to feedback if we have questions/concerns about anything during the project or testing.
What did you find most impressive about this company?
Devvela has met our project requirements many times on budget and usually in the time frame specified or shortly afterwards. normally the shortly afterwards was due to project creep on our end adding additional time. we have worked with other vendors for software development who were constantly delayed with the projects or never met our desired goals. we have used Devvela again and now have another department looking to use them after we recommended them internally
Are there any areas for improvement?
just the initial communication problem of them changing the project outcomes for the sprints without communicating it to us. after this initial hangup we have had no issues
the project
Website Refresh for Transportation & Railroad Tech Company
"Our website launched on time and under budget."
the reviewer
the review
The client submitted this review online.
Please describe your company and your position there.
I was the Marketing Content Manager for Wi-Tronix. My job on this project was to enable the completion of the new website by providing copy, art and direction to the web design team.
For what projects/services did your company hire Devvela?
We hired Devvela to completely restructure and revamp the Wi-Tronix website, as we were looking for a new aesthetic, and to reach more customers, providing valuable information about our products and services at the click of a button.
What were your goals for this project?
Our goals were to have a new look and feel, using our latest branding standards. Additionally, we sought to give the site a helpful flow that would allow our users to access the information they needed when they needed it.
How did you select this vendor?
Our VP of Marketing at the time, Denise Senter, highly recommended their work, as she had worked with them in the past.
Describe the project in detail.
We restructured the layout of the site. We rewrote all copy, using new art throughout as well. The intent was to describe our IoT platform and SaaS solutions in a way that was easy to understand and accessible to all potential customers.
What was the team composition?
VP of Marketing, Marketing Content Manager, Graphic Designer and Devvela.
Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?
Our website launched on time and under budget. We were able to track metrics on day 1. This was crucial for our customers as well as for tracking the success of our email campaigns and show prep that happened shortly afterward.
How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?
The workflow was seamless. As we sent instructions, they were followed carefully and integrated almost immediately.
What did you find most impressive about this company?
The most impressive thing about this company is that when you ask for something, it will appear within 24 hours. They know what they are doing and will guide you through every step of the web development process.
Are there any areas for improvement?
None at all.
the project
MVP Development for Medication Tracking Mobile App
“They always hit our quality goals for each sprint.”
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the CEO of an IoT medication monitoring company. We use Bluetooth sensors and a cloud application to help people track and take medication.
What challenge were you trying to address with Devvela?
My company needed someone to build an MVP for our mobile app.
What was the scope of their involvement?
We initially had Devvela build an MVP for both iOS and Android, but then we switched to just iOS. The app allows both individuals and caregivers to create a user profile, where they can set alerts and reminders. Users can even use Bluetooth to connect and pair sensors to each medication.
Devvela built out the app and developed the backend. They also built out the cloud aspect of the app; we use a Bluetooth to WiFi hub, and the infrastructure captures sensor data so that we can look for key events.
What is the team composition?
I interact daily with Nadya (Product Owner, Devvela), who acts as the liaison between myself and the rest of the Devvela team.
I’m not sure how many people are working on our project, but I’d say at least five programmers. I know Devvela has a backend team and a mobile app team. I also have some interaction with the CEO, who has offered to step in if there’s ever a problem or I have a question.
How did you come to work with Devvela?
We put out a LinkedIn ad and interviewed about five firms. Devvela had a good proposal at a price that we liked, so we decided to go with them.
How much have you invested with them?
My company has spent around $60,000.
What is the status of this engagement?
Our work together began in November 2017, and it’s ongoing. The app is very close to going to market.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
They always hit our quality goals for each sprint.
How did Devvela perform from a project management standpoint?
We work in sprints, and they’re very adherent to deadlines. At one point, I needed to speed things up for a product demo, and they made sure it was ready by the deadline. Both of our teams do testing. We don’t have any outstanding bugs; whenever they’ve found a bug, they’ve fixed it within a couple days.
My UX designer provides them with screenshots of what we want the flow to look like, which they use to do backend development. Devvela is very responsive to all members of my team. It’s easy to work with and communicate with them, especially Nadya, and we’re always on the same page. We use Basecamp and email to communicate.
Cost is also good. I’ve gotten other estimates, and Devvela’s costs are lower than others. Based on what the project entails, I know they’re doing a fair and representative job.
What did you find most impressive about them?
They feel like a part of our team, which I really like about them. Their communication abilities and cost also stand out.
Are there any areas they could improve?
Some of their design work could be better, but I also made my design budget very tight because I wanted to focus on building out core features.
Any advice for potential customers?
Engage the team and ask the right questions. You should be on the same page; make sure they understand you and you understand them. They’re very good about answering questions. Also, although we ended up doing an MVP for just iOS, they're capable of doing iOS and Android.
the project
Mobile App Dev for Fitness Role-Playing Platform
“Their collective experience enables them to be creative and provide complex solutions.”
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the founder and CEO of a game development company.
What challenge were you trying to address with Devvela?
I wanted to create a fitness platform that uses personal avatars, team gameplay, and in-app rewards to incentivize mobile gamers to exercise. I designed the app but needed an external firm to implement code and develop the platform.
What was the scope of their involvement?
I came to Devvela without knowing if the app should be built for iOS or Android. They researched the options and helped me make the decision. We opted to develop the game on iOS because the Apple Watch is conducive to the success of fitness apps. Another deciding factor was the existence of Apple Heath. That program facilitates iOS integration with a variety of wearable technologies.
Once the platform was finalized, Devvela began developing the application per my designs. The biggest challenge they faced was getting the tracking system to directly communicate with the Apple Watch while the app measures and displays the user’s heart rate in real-time. That functionally isn’t 100% stable at the moment, but it took a lot of innovation and hard work by their team to develop it. They implemented other gamification features like level bars, player rewards, and in-game characters that grow as you progress through a workout.
What is the team composition?
I primarily communicate with multiple project managers that lead their team of developers. I’ve also spoken to both their CEO and VP to discuss strategy.
How did you come to work with Devvela?
I used Clutch and found 3-4 candidates to interview. Devvela said their estimate was 99% accurate, whereas the other companies notified me that the project could end up costing a lot more than my budget would allow. I needed a set price and Devvela provided that, so I hired them.
How much have you invested with them?
The project cost $40,000–$45,000.
What is the status of this engagement?
We started working together in Oct. 2017 and the project is ongoing.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
They coded the app nearly from the ground up. We ran an alpha test several months ago and received a lot of positive feedback and constructive criticism. Devvela is currently working to make the suggested improvements. We’ll be releasing a beta version to the public within a month.
How did Devvela perform from a project management standpoint?
Devvela’s project managers oversee my account and perform their allocated responsibilities consistently. This includes organizing spreadsheets, delegating tasks to developers, making decisions regarding the length of development sprints, and making sure I send over design materials on schedule. We communicate via UberConference, Basecamp, and Slack. I’m satisfied with their availability and responsiveness, especially considering the time zone difference.
What did you find most impressive about them?
Their collective experience enables them to be creative and provide complex solutions. They genuinely want the app to succeed and are willing to accommodate my needs if necessary. For example, they interviewed and hired game-oriented developers to ensure they could deliver the best platform possible. I appreciate the mentorship and general business advice provided by both their CEO and VP.
Are there any areas they could improve?
Considering they’re based in Chicago, I was surprised to learn that most of their developers work out of Russia. The language barrier was an issue initially, but that improved over time. As with most engagements of this size, we experienced delays when development tweaks needed to be made. I also caution future clients to expect unexpected costs to arise on occasion due to design changes or technical obstacles. This is true for all development.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
It saves a lot of time and money to start a project with them having used your own design services.
the project
iOS Development for Senior Care Platform
"[T]he work they did was of high quality and it looks professional."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the founder and CEO of Canary Care Solutions LLC, a senior care software startup company. Our solution provides information in the senior space about the care and condition of elders so that the family members are aware of not only the care and conditions, but they can also take active steps in the improvement or ongoing wellness of seniors in the care of others. We are located in Chicago.
What challenge were you trying to address with Devvela?
We needed an app developed but already had a backend set up for it. I was referred to Devvela for the creation of our app and engaged them in that process. They were successful in doing so and created a useful working app of our product.
What was the scope of their involvement?
They developed the mobile app from the ground up, which ties into the backend cloud-connected and cloud-located database solution that we had already created. I reached out to Devvela with a basic verbal architecture over the phone and followed up by sending them a written document that outlined the scope of what we were trying to create. We gave them a set of requirements that they needed to meet in order to successfully interface with our backend system.
They took my fairly broad ideas at the time, which we both refined, and created the front facing component for the product on iOS. This is a B2B solution; it’s an app interface with a series of questions that pertain to a senior’s actual daily care. They tailored it to work seamlessly with our backend system.
Devvela made it flexible, per my requirements, as opposed to hard coding very specific questions. We needed the flexibility to be able to change the question lists, for example, for each senior that would be involved in this program. We did that with the help our CTO, who developed our whole database solution and went back and forth in outlining some of the requirements that we needed to have developed by Devvela in order to meet that objective.
The app was completed, launched, and approved in the app store in late December 2016. We then engaged them again for some modifications. We broadened the scope a bit and had them create some additional functionality in April 2017.
What is the team dynamic?
I was in contact with two of their representatives, but I assume that there were more people working on the program.
How did you come to work with Devvela?
I was referred to Devvela by a friend that had used them on a sort of website or program development — it was not an app. He spoke very highly of his experience with them and mentioned that they were not only attentive to the time frames but that they were able to clearly understand the scope. They also did his work for a very reasonable price, and the quote that struck me was, “These guys do good work and they’re reliable.”
I began to engage with them after having a couple of other conversations. I got a quote for the scope of my project — which we both agreed to — and just took off with them.
How much have you invested with them?
We have spent between $10,000–$20,000.
What is the status of this engagement?
We started working together October 2016.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
Their work has been fairly central to our ability to take this solution to market. Without the app interface, presenting this solution to various customers would have been just an idea. Having a demonstrable element made the rest of our elements demonstrable as well, which allowed me to go to market with this product as opposed to just having conversations.
How did Devvela perform from a project management standpoint?
Project management was fairly clear. Quite honestly, it was a little better in the first development phase than it was in the second. There weren’t any surprises or anything and it was all handled adequately, but there were two somewhat distinct levels of communication.
Overall, I would rate it as a positive experience. They were attentive to both a slightly changing scope and the original time frames we had discussed. We used Basecamp on Devvela’s elective and I found it to be absolutely fine and totally adequate — it kept all the team members informed.
What did you find most impressive about them?
In general, the work they did was of high quality and it looks professional. It’s well executed and they were certainly able to follow our scope and deliver a product that was very close, if not exactly what my vision was initially. They followed general processes, refining things back and forth and improving each version. Devvela was really responsive to all my change requests and input of how things should be improved.
Are there any areas they could improve?
If anything, I would say timing. I would’ve liked for the second phase to have been executed a bit faster. It didn’t really affect the project, and overall, they did a good job in an adequate timeframe.
the project
Platform Development for Agency Client
“They’re very knowledgeable and they’ve helped us work through issues we weren’t sure how to solve.”
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the project manager for a digital marketing company. We do online web content, data aggregation, and media buying for several national clients.
What challenge were you trying to address with Devvela?
We approached Devvela because we had a request that was outside of the norm of our company. We don’t really do in-house web development, so they helped us build a website for an insurance company client of ours.
What was the scope of their involvement?
The client request was to develop a website where their client’s salespeople can generate, track and secure leads. The work with Devvela was to manage client expectations and to develop a prototype based on some data points. Devvela helped create the look of the site, develop the functionality and host. They also did content management when the client had updates regarding the changing industry.
Devvela’s resources included nine people. It’s mostly one person who I deal with, but they have a project manager, two developers, and two creatives.
How did you come to work with Devvela?
They came highly recommended to us. We pitched the idea to them and we liked what they proposed. We chose them partly because of their proximity to us; they’re right down the street. We also liked their site and the clients they’ve worked with, as well as their price point. They’re very knowledgeable and they’ve helped us work through issues we weren’t sure how to solve. They came up with some really good resolutions for them.
How much have you invested with Devvela?
I think it was between $10,000 and $15,000.
What is the status of this engagement?
The project started last April and the first phase rolled out in August. After that, they’ve been managing content through the open enrollment period, and once that slowed down in January, there wasn’t too much ongoing management. Now we’re doing a phase two rollout to make some improvements. We also just kicked off an additional website project last week.
Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?
Devvela was very responsive and very quick. There were very few changes from the client; they really liked what Devvela had done. Since this was a proof of concept, we don’t have any real metrics, but I do know that the client was extremely satisfied with them. When they came back for updates, we suggested using Devvela for the 2.0 project and they were happy to do that. The client was very happy with their response time and their issue resolution.
How did Devvela perform from a project management standpoint?
They use Basecamp, so they set me up with a login for that so we can communicate daily as needed. They’re really good at asking questions and then giving some suggestions along the way. That helps us make informed decisions with our clients. And like I said, they’re very responsive; it’s usually same-day turnaround on questions and answers.
What did you find most impressive about Devvela?
They have a competitive cost. I think they’re very easy to work with, very friendly, and very knowledgeable. Compared to the other third-party outsourcing companies that we were going to go with, Devvela just had the best credentials. When we ask them to design some concepts for a website, they give us several options. Everything they design is responsive, which is important for desktop and mobile, and I feel that they are very knowledgeable as far as what works in website design and hosting.
Are there any areas Devvela could improve?
Not really. Everything has gone extremely well.
the project
Web Development for Electric Boat Company
"Seeing a 35% increase after one season of using Devvela's system was a good indicator of success."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
Our company rents electric boats on the Chicago River. They can be operated directly by clients, or by a captain. I am the vice president of the company.
What challenge were you trying to address with Devvela?
Our business grows each year, and we've increased our fleet. Given how our dock is set up, there is a limited number of boats that can go out and come in within each time slot, in order to avoid overlaps. When we first opened in 2012, we tried YouCanBook.me, which was an okay solution, since we were working with up to 4 boats at a time, but we've realized the need for a custom reservation system. After doing a lot of research for development companies, we chose one that made a very basic custom system, which didn't meet our company's needs. In-between years 2 and 3, we went on a search for a custom developer that could work with what we already had, and communicate with us in layman's terms.
What was the scope of their involvement?
Devvela has rebuilt our web reservation system. Our company runs specials, which come with a need for marketing optimization and tracking. This will be a big part of our work in the current session.
How did you come to work with Devvela?
Our president also started a tech company which helped clients source the writing of technical specs. With that help, we interviewed some companies, including Devvela, which caught our attention. They're based in Chicago, which was an improvement to our last partner. There were many occasions when I thought that face-to-face communication was necessary. We've looked at other big tech companies that could build reservation systems, but none of them could do it based on our specs.
As a small company, we also appreciated Devvela's quick response time, and we had a good initial meet-and-greet.
How much have you invested with Devvela?
The cost of our first project with Devvela was around $50,000. The second phase will cost between $15,000 and $25,000.
What is the status of this engagement?
Devvela initially worked on our system during the off-season between 2014 and 2015. We're now working on the second phase of development, changing and rebooting aspects of our system. We maintain communication with Devvela's team even outside of our winter development runs, and they've been available for any tweaks that need to happen, getting back to us in a timely manner.
Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?
The reservation system has turned into a huge asset for our company, one in which we've invested a lot of money. We've seen a return on that money.
Seeing a 35% increase after one season of using Devvela's system was a good indicator of success. The platform has made it easier for people to make bookings online, cutting down on the calls.
How did Devvela perform from a project management standpoint?
Devvela has maintained a contact person for our project. We've worked on sprints based on our lists of requirements and their priorities. We're a small company, so money doesn't grow on trees for us. It was important for Devvela to understand that, and they have.
Devvela's principal took part in our meetings and was able to suggest functionalities that we could build (like text-message notifications) based on his experience with rental platforms. He always seemed very up-to-date with technologies and practices. He has suggested MailChimp, for instance, which was an improvement to our old system.
Devvela used Basecamp, and, as a non-technical person, I liked the ability to have that kind of communication, sharing images and so on.
What did you find most impressive about Devvela?
Devvela's principal is a great businessman. He has a passion for what he does and has built a great team, which is able to stay on the same page, while also challenging each other during meetings. Devvela has a very positive attitude.
Are there any areas Devvela could improve?
Not that I can think of. Devvela has always done what we wanted.
the project
Web Development for Hospitality Software Company
"Devvela has attention to detail and writes code keeping in mind that other people will build on top of it later on."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
Coral is a software platform designed for short-term hospitality, hosts, and renters, allowing them to better manage their bookings and have insight into the pulse of their rental businesses.
I am a product designer of the business.
What challenge were you trying to address with Devvela?
Our biggest challenge was not being able to move fast enough in building the project we'd specked out. We only had 2 developers at the time.
What was the scope of their involvement?
Our web app has a few components. Devvela has been working on our hosting dashboard and other elements we had specified, revamping our existing user interfaces and building a foundation for our product.
How did you come to work with Devvela?
We had had poor experiences with development shops in the past. Devvela contacted us and showed examples of their previous work. Even though I was hesitant, Devvela appeared to be very professional. I gave them a trial project and planned to give Devvela the rest of it based on their performance. Devvela had good attention to detail, and I could tell that their code was scalable, instead of just being made to get the job done. Devvela thought ahead in terms of how we'd be able to build on top of the software.
How much have you invested with Devvela?
The cost of Devvela's services has been under $5,000.
We specked a couple of projects with Devvela, which although reasonable, weren't ultimately built because of budget limitations.
What is the status of this engagement?
We started working with Devvela in July 2016. We plan to meet with them for an upcoming project, and Devvela has been continuously working on our product since we began.
Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?
My subjective impression of Devvela's code, versus what we've seen from other developers, is that it has been very thorough. Devvela has attention to detail and writes code keeping in mind that other people will build on top of it later on. I'm not as fluent in terms of backend coding, so I can't speak to it.
Devvela has also worked on our Amazon Web Services infrastructure and did a great job. We saw performance improvements immediately after launching it. Their infrastructure work has been fantastic.
How did Devvela perform from a project management standpoint?
The Devvela team members are very good communicators, from their project manager to the business developer and system administrator. Our site went down on a few occasions and there were unexpected issues. Within 5 minutes, our contact reached out on Skype and was ready to fix the problem.
What did you find most impressive about Devvela?
Devvela has provided project managers, quality assurance, and development. I've been happy with their communication, the code written, and all the other work done. We haven't had to make many revisions to the code.
Are there any areas Devvela could improve?
Devvela's budget didn't match estimates at times, but this isn't necessarily their fault. I don't consider Devvela to be an expensive company.
the project
Web Development and Design for Artist Workshop
"Devvela does a good job of getting back to you quickly."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Please describe your organization.
We're an artist workshop. We sell merchandise for a famous artist. We make all of his merchandise, such as prints, glass, apparel, printed goods, and publications. We used Devvela to help us develop our website and make changes to it.
What is your position?
I'm a graphic designer. I handle a lot of the website changes and updates.
What business challenge were you trying to address with Devvela?
I started working here a couple of years ago, and they had already built the website. I think that's how we got in contact with Devvela. I've been working with them ever since I've been here, but I wasn't at the company when they first built the site. Since I've been working here, we've been doing updates.
Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.
One of our goals is that we wanted to add ways that the user could sign up for email lists through MailChimp, so connecting our site to MailChimp was a big thing. We also did a mobile-responsive redesign. That was a big project that we conducted in the middle of the year. We're always looking for ways to increase our flow to social media. They were able to add icons and buttons to our site strategically, as well as the footer and header, adding pages, doing updates, and handling other small fixes.
Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?
It depends on how many changes we ask for. The month we did a big redesign, we spent $20,000. When we're only doing basic changes as we go, then it's a couple thousand per month.
What is the status of this engagement?
I believe they started in 2012. I'm not sure how long it took, but we are currently working with them on those side projects that I mentioned.
Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?
I don't have the exact numbers in front of me but, before we did the mobile-friendly site, we had around 70 percent of our users who were on desktop and 30 percent on tablet and phone. After the redesign, it's closer to 50/50. Our bounce rate also went down by a lot when we switched to mobile.
What distinguishes Devvela from other providers?
Devvela does a good job of getting back to you quickly. Some agencies are hard to get a hold of. I like how all the work is managed through Basecamp and online transactions. I personally don't like to call anyone, so I like that.
Is there anything Devvela could have improved or done differently?
There have been times where we've made changes, and they came back to do some other work, like for example when we introduced the mobile site, and some of the changes that we did before were gone. They saved over their work. Also, because they are in a different time zone, some of the changes might not be done until later in the day, but it's not that big of a problem. I guess it might be an issue if you need to get something done right away.
the project
Front End App Development for Sports Injury Tracking Startup
"It gave me a certain peace of mind, knowing that things were going to get done."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Please describe your organization.
Our company is an electronic medical record for athletes called Player's Health. We have a record that includes current medical conditions and previous injuries of young athletes, specifically 6 to 17 years of age. There are 35 million athletes, the majority of whom play more than one sport. Our record is completely portable. It can be shared by the parent and managed by the organization to track all injuries by the incident that happened.
What is your position?
I am the CEO of the company
What business challenge were you trying to address with Devvela?
We had already created a prototype. We had roughly 21,000 users on our application via this prototype we had built. Literally, we had six weeks to get from a prototype to a fully developed product. It was a web app, and we went with a hybrid model. They built it into our system, along with our web application, we had a hybrid model built into Cordova. We launched a hybrid web interface, which had iOS and Android. We had a native framework wrapped in a web application.
Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.
They had to build our entire infrastructure. How our system works is there's a huge on-boarding component where custom landing pages are created for organizations. Then they had to build features from our health records and complete analytics dashboards that tracked injuries within that organization in time. Then, there are four or five key users. There's an association administration.
A few of our clients are huge national governing bodies like USA Football and USA Hockey. They have an interface where they can track injuries down to the ZIP code. Then, there are club organizations that are soccer clubs that have 15 teams with them, and they want to track the injuries for the thousand athletes that they manage. We build a top-down approach from an NGB [national governing body] to a club, to a coach, and to a parent.
You can now track information from the national level all the way down to a specific individual. Now, the parent has this individualized profile that they can share with every organization that their kid plays for. They've built the front end for that. We actually had our own backend guys that we worked with, but the entire front end they built.
How did you come to work with Devvela?
We were actually considering a few other firms, a development shop in India, another shop, and a couple of freelancers. My reasoning for going with Devvela was mainly that they were fascinated with our idea, with the concept, and with the amount of traction that we had based on our prototype.
I had a clear understanding for exactly what we wanted to built, so they knew going in that the scope of the project was not going to fluctuate as it normally does with most startups. I think their understanding of our problem and the solution we were building was spot on. I knew that within a short amount of time, their understanding of the complexity of our application and speed to market was important. The fact that they understood everything was great. I think they also had a clear understanding, and they were really motivated to see it come to fruition because they liked what we were doing.
What is the status of this engagement?
The project was roughly six or seven weeks. We're just finishing the project now [August 2015]. We started in the first or second week of June 2015. I came to them at the end of May. We reached a decision in two weeks, came in and started working.
Could you share any general feedback from this engagement?
Honestly, they were probably the best software developers I've ever dealt with. I've been in tech, building technology for three and a half years now, and I've built a few applications before this. In terms of speed, quality, and communication, they took responsibility for the project, which is what most organizations don't do, and they weren't scared about it either.
What distinguishes Devvela from other providers?
Devvela owned the deadline, and they owned the scope. I think that's the biggest differentiator they have from any other development shop. They weren't afraid to say, "We are going to put this on contract, we are going to hit this deadline, and we are going to do X and X." It gave me a certain peace of mind, knowing that things were going to get done. They didn't wait for me to tell them certain things. They were super proactive. They were thinking about things that I wasn't thinking about, making sure we have them in place, without saying it wasn't in the scope. They would tell us about things that we'd need to do.
They were true advisors as we went through this. I didn't just tell them what to build, they built it and that was it. They didn't draw the line at that. Their philosophy was, "Here is a product that has our brand on it. We want to make sure that it's the best thing that it could be."
Is there anything Devvela could have improved or done differently?
Initially, when we started setting up the infrastructure, they had a way in which they wanted to set up our infrastructure, and we had a different way of doing that. I know they normally have their particular process around whether they want to go with GitHub or Gitflow, or whatever it the case may be. But, communicating that to a client from day one, talking about how they want to set that infrastructure up, would be helpful. Outside of that, there's nothing I could say. I'll sing their praises forever.
Devvela's development process met goals. They successfully added features and worked with all technical issues. They satisfied the project requirements and had great communication during sprints.