Donatix

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am manager of PHP web department at Vola Software Ltd.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We are working on an online platfrom for registration and management of Covid-19 tests for Germany. The project grew quite fast from business perspective: there are lots of new test types, locations, franchises. And we needed help with development and project management.

SOLUTION

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

Donatix are company with excellent reputation and we have done some projects in the past with them. They had the experts we need for the projects available.

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

We started this project in November 2020 and realeased initial version the next month. As the project grew we had to add lots of new funcitonalities. The team grew from just 2 developers to 6 people. And Donatix joined to help with 1 project manager and a WordPress developer.

The project manager is helping to put everything in order, to have some process, better communication with end client and better planning. The WordPress developer was responsible to build a structure that allows creating subsites for franchises, added lots of customizatoins on the WordPress Theme and also made it scallable, because we started to have over 20 000 unique visitors per day.

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

A Project manager and a WordPress developer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Currently we have much better process and organization of the work and planning of the project. The WordPress site is now stable, scallable and have lots of customizations that attrackts more customers and has improved user experience. The customers raised with over 100% to over 4000 customers per day.

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

The project manager introduced weekly meeting with the end client, also we have daily meetings with the tech team. Tasks are well described and tracked in Trello and we have constant communication on Slack.

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

The whole organization and project management are very well done: the tech team know exactly what to do and what priorities are set. And the end client knows what and when to expect. Donatix team has a lot of experience in technical projects and shows high professionalism in their work.

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

I don't have something in mind.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Brand Manager of the Consumer Healthcare division of Sanofi Bulgaria pharmaceutical company. We promote to consumers and medical specialists medicinal products, food supplements and medical devices.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Donatix?

We realized the need to become more digital in our daily operations and especially in the activities with medical specialists. therefore, we engaged Donatix to develop a series of product html apps used for digital product promotion to our customers medical professionals.

What were your goals for this project?

The goal was to introduce a different channel for engagement and communication with the healthcare professionals. The interactive detailing apps, called e-detailers, are being used during each face to face visit to doctors and pharmacists and serve to transmit in eye-catchy and engaging the scientific communication.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I have had previous experience with Donatix for websites development. The vendor was selected based on their reasonable costing and the excellent service and skills they have demonstrated.

Describe the project in detail.

We managed to complete the project without delays and interruptions despite the COVID lockdown. the communication between my team and Donatix designer and developer has always run smoothly and we were in constant contact to discuss, implement revisions and improvements.

After the completed design, the app testing phase followed. All needed revisions were implemented timely and with professionalism respecting the time of my sales team who are the actual end users of the app.

What was the team composition?

1 designer and 1 developer, who were both my contact points for their respective areas of expertise.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The apps are being put in use for 2 months now used for product benefits detailing to medical professionals. A second wave of apps development is being assigned to Donatix.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

I had absolutely no complaints with regard to the workflow effectiveness. Donatix team is easily approachable, responsive and proactive in the communication.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The attitude "we can do it" and flawless realization of the projects in practice is Donatix most valuable characteristic.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I would recommend Donatix to each company or individual seeking digital expertise.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Bitmap Bulgaria is established in 2010 by few GIS enthusiasts, who wanted to build a quality GIS services spot on Bulgarian market.

We think, that we succeeded and today – in 2020 we have enough experience and successful projects to stay stable as one of the most innovative GIS companies in Bulgaria. We are certified under ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 27001:2013

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Donatix?

We hired Donatix for mobile app development.They build for us an excellent application for iOS and Android OS.

What were your goals for this project?

To make a mobile guide for one of the highest and largest national parks in Bulgaria- Pirin national park. The main goal was to create a onsite interactive guide for making hikes and walks through the mountaing, using the integrated interactive tourist map and complex information section for the biodiversity there.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

1. Mobile app developers survey and short list preparing;
2. Offer receiving;
3. Price & features proposal assessment;

Describe the project in detail.

The Pirin National Park app contains all the information, needed to plan your vacation and choose the most appropriate and interesting route for you.

You have a wide range of great tools: an integrated topographic map, the ability to locate your location in it, interactive identification of landmarks, hiking trails, chalets and many other important sites. During the hiking tour you will be able to see how much you have left on the route and what is left.

What was the team composition?

Donatix(the Developer): Designer, team leader, iOS developer, Andorid developer Bitmap(The Client): Qeneral project manager, Content expert, QA stuff

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

This application was implemented under the project “Improvement of the conservation status of species and types of natural habitats in the territory of BG0000209 Pirin Protected Area for the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Flora and Fauna included in the list adopted by decision No 122/2007 of The Council of Ministers, (promulgated, SG No. 21/2007) / protected territory of Pirin National Park”.

Over 1 000 Downloads are performed in the first three months afre publishing the app.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Easy and effective remote work environment and progress- on site workshop weren't needed.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Good design skills, excellent developer skills, good knowledge in client needs.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, at all.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I work as an Operations Manager at JobTiger ltd. - a provider of complex HR services operating for 20 years.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We wanted to implement a new Employer Branding product as part of the features of our online job board www.JobTiger.bg. the product is consisted of several functionalities related to both the frond-end and back-end of the system. The main challenge was the age of the system and the variety of features that have been implemented during the long years of operation.

SOLUTION

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

We have been presented with Donatix contacts and worked on several small projects previously so were willing to try and take on a bigger one.

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

We had a kick of meeting presenting the idea of the desired product. Donatix's specialists got familiar with the present system and its features and provided us with a budget and time frame for execution.

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

The project manager was our main point of contact. In the majority of the project he acted also as back end developer. Front end developes and a graphic designer were also included in the several stages.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Now we have an entire new service in our portfolio and know that we can rely on support from Donatix each time we see that we can improve it. We have established a great relationship mainly as a result of their professionalism and easy way of communication and continue to work with them on several other projects.

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

We had scheduled weekly meetings with the Project manager going through the progress of the project. As the end customer we only used communication tools - Skype.

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

Although we had scheduled review meetings we had no issues to communicate any additional or urgent matter in case the schedule did not allow it. The team was always responsive and understanding, and we were confident enough that the project was in safe hands.

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

We are happy with the way they approached our project.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are an online financial platform for groups payments. The company was established 2018 in Bulgaria. I am co-founder and CEO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Donatix?

We hired Donatix to develop the whole platform from end-to-end and integrate it with core system of our partner.

What were your goals for this project?

The goals of the project are disign, development of custom financial platform.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We were looking for a company that has experience and knowledge in financial sector. We hired them because they had successfully delivered other projects for integration with the core system of the payment service provider that we are partnering with.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Based on our initial functional specifications and mock ups they made the design of the platform and the website of our company. They always explain how things work and give advices for better solutions. They pationtly listen our requerements and execute them promptly. The backend of the platform is very complex as many variables have to be taken into consideration. Integration with the PSP core system is through API specialy configured for our project. Donatix took active role in this configuration.

What was the team composition?

There are four people on Donatix side working on our project. The whole project team is very supportive. They alocate needed time for workshops and discussions regarding the project with us and/or with our partners.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The integration with the PSP core system is onging and the project is not finished yet. However, we are sure that the platform will work as it supose to.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

The communication with the project team is open and productive. The project manager and other members are very supportive. In case of doubts they give us proposals and working solutions.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Supportive, flexable and patient team who is ready to help start ups like us.

Are there any areas for improvement?

To onboard more people in order to avoid overload.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m a strategic buyer for a leading company in the consumer goods market, specialized in the production and distribution of innovative skincare products.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Donatix?

We needed to hire a technical partner to help us with mobile and web development for promotional campaigns of one of our brands.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to engage with our customers by creating an interactive tablet app that would be used in our stores.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We have strict procurement guidelines, and Donatix was one of the bidders during the process.

Describe the project in detail.

Donatix held several discovery meetings to discuss our goals as well as challenges that could arise. Next, they created a design of the app based on a similar promotion in another country. Once the design was finalized, they proceeded to actual development and testing on tablet devices that would be used in the promotion.

What was the team composition?

We worked with a project manager who served as our main point of contact. He led communication and distributed the work to their backend and mobile developers and a designer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The app helped us understand more of our consumers’ needs regarding skincare. Therefore, we were better able to determine which products to stock on our shelves.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Donatix’s workflow was quite effective as they quickly reacted to changes from our side.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

With a young but intelligent team, Donatix was both open to recommendations and aware of different IT solutions in the market.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, there were not any areas for improvement.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the co-founder and CEO of Trendsta, a start-up company that’s developing and marketing the La Koketa app.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Donatix?

For the last five years, our app has suffered from a steady decrease in impressions and downloads because of an obsolete code base and outdated functionalities that impaired UX. After reviewing market dynamics, we decided to pivot the product to target fashion and the way women build outfits and buy clothes. Since we don’t possess an in-house development team, we outsourced the backend and mobile development.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to reposition our app as a unique solution that digitized users’ wardrobes and advised them on what to wear. This required redeveloping old functionalities and introducing new features and third-party services. Specifically, we hoped to see improved download volume, conversions, user engagement and retention, and key market penetration.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

After our first vendor couldn’t deliver, the founder of another startup referred us to Donatix. We signed on to have them develop our backend system, covering user management, third-party service integration, and development of the algorithm that creates outfits for users. Later, we assigned them the mobile app development to better facilitate communication and improve process efficiency.  

Describe the project in detail.

Initially, we had several meetings to discuss requirements, the prototype, user stories, and deliverables. We also organized a meeting with our former vendor so Donatix could better assess the existing code base and plan their process. The planning phase was very thorough, covering all potential pitfalls and scheduling functionality deliverables.

During the development phase, we had regular meetings and calls to discuss algorithm implementation, test new features, report bugs, and come together on some of the essential specifications. Their team tried to stick to the projected timeline, but changes in product requirements and team composition led to delays in the first iteration’s release.

What was the team composition?

We were first assigned an iOS developer and a backend developer, who also served as a project manager. The iOS resource took over the development of both platforms when the backend developer left the company.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Donatix delivered an app that fulfilled our requirements and launched successfully. Unfortunately, UI changes, third-party selection considerations, and resource turnover led to delays in the development process and a doubling of our timeline. Final success will only be determined after proper marketing investment since ours is a consumer-driven product.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Their team was extremely responsive, communicative, and quick with updates. If something needed our attention, they brought it to us right away. We used their planning and feature tracking system and communicated regularly via email, text, and video meetings.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

We were greatly impressed by their proactivity. They were quick to propose actionable solutions to user flow problems, feature improvements, and backend tweaks.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Though the planning process was thorough, development took longer than expected and product delivery was delayed. Both sides shared responsibility, however.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the CEO of a tech travel startup that allows people to book hotels and activities through a chat feature.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Donatix?

We needed a vendor to take over our codebase, do some debugging and refactoring, and be our main development partner for adding features and maintaining the website.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted a stable website that would allow us to add features quickly and effectively. Our previous vendor had built the code with minimal testing, rendering it unstable. We also wanted to follow an agile and test-driven development process.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We reviewed multiple vendors, analyzing their skills, team, and cost, and selected Donatix primarily for their team’s skills and excitement to take on the project. We gave them a small task to start with to see what our working relationship would be like, and carried on with them after that.

Can you go into detail about the services they provided and the scope of the project?

They fixed the codebase, liaised with our designer and infrastructure teams, and developed multiple new features for our website. This included Node.js, Amazon Web Services, and MongoDB. They handled end-to-end development, including weekly releases.

What was the team composition?

There was a CTO-type lead developer that pulled on additional resources as needed.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since hiring Donatix, all bugs were fixed efficiently, and we’ve had a steady and reliable feature release schedule. This has helped us tremendously in planning the next phases of the business.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Project management was great. We had weekly sprint planning calls and shared progress on our scheduling app. Issues were quickly addressed, and new ideas were suggested to better meet our requirements.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I found Donatix to be a very reliable and dedicated company that genuinely cares about their clients and do their best to meet or exceed expectations. It was very easy to communicate with them, and they have top-notch developers.

I was also impressed by their professionalism and how errors were quickly addressed with a root cause analysis that went above and beyond their immediate development tasks. They gave me the confidence that any new challenge will be reliably tackled and solved. They’ve done everything with a smile and genuine care. They’re definitely my go-to development house for the foreseeable future.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

Honestly, I can hardly find an area for improvement. Perhaps they could add a better way of tracking and documenting issues. That said, I felt that I always knew the status of our work, and if I needed anything, they were easily accessible.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the vice president of customer development of a global IT solutions firm. We’re an end-to-end solutions provider for utility companies. We take care of billing, CRM software, portals, and bespoke development for our customers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Donatix?

We needed the skill set to develop a web platform for our firm because we didn’t have the in-house resources.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They integrated our customer’s portal with an external system which dealt with technician booking for visits to users’ homes.

There was an internal news platform and gallery that showcased events and pictures. It was integrated with the internal authentication, authorization systems, and identity management.

They also developed an internal Internet portal where our customer could communicate with their employees. They helped with the design and custom development of the portal. They used PHP and Javascript for the frontend.

What is the team composition?

We worked with four people from their team. We worked directly with the designers and developers, but the project management stayed with us.

How did you come to work with Donatix?

We were looking for resources and got in touch with Donatix’s management after some colleagues recommended them.

How much have you invested in them?

We’ve spent around €50,000 ($62,335 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in July 2017 and the relationship is ongoing as we work on other projects.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The feedback has been positive. There hasn’t been any significant negative feedback either. We had one bug fix, but it wasn’t anything critical or disturbing.

How did Donatix perform from a project management standpoint?

They are excellent. They give us daily updates on the work they’ve completed the day prior as well as work they’re planning to do. They report on time and let us know if there are any obstacles.

We have occasional in-person meetings but mostly communicate via phone, email, and Skype.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They are able to respond quickly and professionally to our team’s demands. They meet all of the tight specifications and customer requirements. They’re a reliable partner who is professional in what they do. We’ve never missed any deadlines or commitments to our customer and their quality of work is very good.

They are very flexible and we’ve managed to establish a good rapport with them. Our relationship is smooth and straightforward.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CTO of Cocoa Invest, a European fintech company that provides online investment services.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Donatix?

We had developed our product’s backend and web version, but the bank we were negotiating with at that time really wanted us to go live with a mobile version. We decided to reach out to a third party.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The initial involvement was to develop native iOS and Android applications. Since we’d already developed the web version, we had an exact vision of what we wanted to do and how we wanted it done. The spec was firm and detailed in every aspect. Donatix started development right away, and although this was the sole basis of our relationship originally, it evolved into something more over time.

They also got involved with our business, and have a great understanding of our business domain in general. We sometimes went through with their ideas when they challenged us, but other times, we told them how things needed to be.

Initially, we were only working on development for the two mobile platforms. Now, they’re doing the mobile products’ design for the next version. Afterwards, we’re also going to release those ideas to our web version of the product.

What is the team composition?

We work with five people, including a product manager, two developers, a tester, and a person who handles documentation.

How did you come to work with Donatix?

We searched online and found Donatix, 2–3 companies in India, and one from Slovakia. We told each company about the idea and had them all sign NDAs before proceeding with anything.

Donatix stood out as a good team, and they were strong in communication as well as realistic about their own skill set. Many organizations we’ve spoken to claim to be able to do everything, but that’s impossible. Donatix’s cost-effectiveness was also a deciding factor.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around €10,000 ($11,964 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in October 2017, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’ve delivered the first release despite us being a bit late providing information to them, which proves their performance abilities. We haven’t launched the product yet. We ran user acceptance testing on it, and everything is functioning properly. That’s as far as we can get with this release.

Donatix has performed with accuracy, and their final delivery definitely met expectations.

How did Donatix perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve been great. They have a very good project manager who is strong in communication and language skills, as well as with conveying decisions to his teams. If we talk in the morning, the developers know what’s going on by mid-day. This can be a challenge if far away from one another, but their project manager passes information on with precision and detail. We use Skype, and it’s efficient for presentations.

They challenged us if we really wanted to do something for the user experience. We have a very constructive collaboration with them. We’re very open to hearing their ideas when they present them, which are usually good. We’re also aware that core features and functionality must remain here in Copenhagen due to us being a highly regulated business.

We’ve done continuous delivery throughout the process. We knew where they are with the product, and they delivered a mobile version weekly that we could check out on both devices. We knew all along that we were making good progress and that they were on schedule.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They greatly respect their clients and relationships with them. They came back to my colleague and asked him if it was okay if they engaged with a similar company. We told them it wouldn’t be okay because it’s too close to what we’re doing. They weren’t obliged to ask us because there’s no NDA or clause that tells them they can’t develop in this area, but they asked us out of respect. When we told them no, they were fine with that decision. This shows that they really respect their clients and look towards building long-term relationships.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be open about what is wanted, but also be specific. Specificity is important when engaging with third parties. It’s also important to be receptive to new ideas with Donatix, because it might help the relationship develop into something more.