EBS Integrator

Please describe your company and your position there.

Memoria is a customer experience and loyalty business focussed on bridging the gap between online and offline data, driving hyper personalisation.

For what projects/services did your company hire EBS Integrator?

EBS were engaged to build my Android and Apple Mobile app, as well as manage the back integrations and API's necessary to use the product successfully in the market.

What were your goals for this project?

Easy to use and understand UX Agility Cost Friendly

How did you select EBS Integrator?

EBS were originally selected as 1 of 2 tech partners i worked with. They were recommended to me as part of an acquisition i made in 2016.

Describe the project in detail.

The first meeting took place to replace the UI of the existing app purchased, during the first meeting it was quickly identified that building on top of the existing product would not provide the agility we were looking for. Post this meeting, with my limited skills in this space I set out to design and document the product I was envisaging. This is where EBS stood apart and really differentiated their offering. Via my documentation and a couple of meetings the team were able to identify my needs, make recommendations and drive a usable product, that wouldn't require change after change.

The team (Vasille) was incredible value to myself and really went out of his way to understand what we were trying to achieve and ensure that I wasn't missing anything. I can not express how grateful i am for working with him and his team. Post Phase 1, We engaged Vasille and the team to continue and support and build new features as we progressed, again the feedback, insight and collaboration provided by EBS is what made this a success and resulted in over 10k thousand users in SG with a very limited budget.

What was the team composition?

Vasille, the legend and his team. Sergiu, the master at prioritising and ensuring my at times very unrealistic demands and requests were seen too.

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

10k+ users $2.5m in transaction data captured per year 60 Venues/ Businesses

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Couldn't have been any better, the team quickly realised that I preferred phone, email and chat, so adapted accordingly even though we we making it more difficult for them. They really felt like a business unit sitting under our business at Memoria.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The most critical thing was the ability to educate and think logically with the designs, nothing was left un-noticed, if they weren't sure they asked, if it didn't seem right they suggested, and their ability to communicate this with me was immense. In the end the trust i had for the team, it became a no brainer, i listened and took their advice almost every time. Other things include - Collaboration, Patience, Agility and Speed.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Not at all, I will recommend at every opportunity I get and I look forward to working with them again. Thanks Sergiu, Vasille, Alexandru and all that made this an enjoyable few years.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the administrator of the Moldova branch of the Precept International NGO, based in US. Our mission is to transform the world with God's Word, we recruit, equip, and resource Bible Study Leaders who take God’s life-changing Word to their communities.

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

Our previous application was developed over 10 years ago and we had trouble extending and upgrading it, therefore we hired EBS Integrator to develop a brand new application, which will suit our current needs, which have evolved as our organization has grown.

We wanted the new application to be user friendly, to integrate easily with our staff's worklows and tools that they grew accustomed to and also to feature a modern design.

How did you select EBS Integrator and what were the deciding factors?

One of our values and principles in cooperating with other partners is the ability to communicate efficiently and freely with them. Therefore we were looking for a company based in Moldova, but also for one that will have the expertise and the experience to build a future-proof product, that will be well designed with a scalable architecture (these were actually the main flaws of our previous platform).

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

We had a meeting to discuss the project overview and also the potential budget required for such a project. Then I was asked to develop and present a draft for the Terms of Reference.

After discussing it, we had another meeting and negotiated the price for the first step of the project - Frontend Prototyping - which was the basis for the calculating a final budget required for the project. The second step lasted 5 months.

Though it took 2 months longer that intially expected, it was mainly because our project was very specific to our domain of activity, to which the development team was not accustomed; yet they took all the time to make sure that the final product will be most-useful to us.

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

1. Vasile Diaconu, the project manager was our main contact and he does a great job at managing his team and providing a great experience for the client in the development process.
2. Ion Mindru, the backend developer, is a professional and has always been eager to provide all the needed insights and is never afraid to take a challenge.
3. Dumitru Danu, the frontend developer, did a great job at designing a user-friendly and intuitive interface.

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

Our staff and students love the updated design, but we have had some trouble with getting them used to the new workflows and options that the previous site didn't have.

Also, since we operate in more tha 36 countries, in which the site is used, there were a lot of change requests, which the team managed to succesfuly implement. Overal our staff and students are delighted with the new application.

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

We had weekly meetings with the Project Manager in which we discussed the progress and the details of project components which they didn't completely understand.

Otherwise, in the development phase I had little interaction with the team. When we entered the testing phase I was invited to collaborate with the team on task management in TeamWork.

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

EBS Integrator offers a great experience for their clients and always put the client first.

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

Though there is a 60% test coverage pledge in the contract, there is a lack of testing for modules that use third party service integration and it has been a headache for the maintenance of our product.

Our product uses SendInBlue for mail deliveries and since there wasn't provided a way to automate the testing of email notifications, it has been a headache, as some change requests would break some notification emails and the detection of such bugs is only possible if users report them.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Co-Founder and CEO of All About Parenting. Our company is committed to making learning about parenting a standard. I create contexts for trainers to teach about parenting.

For what projects/services did your company hire EBS Integrator?

We wanted to develop an app where parents could share meaningful moments with their family, meet like-minded parents and learn how to be the best parents they can be. We plan to make Parents a staple app for parents, where they can socialize, learn and store photos and videos of their favorite life moments.

What were your goals for this project?

Our main objective is to build an app that parents keep using daily after 3 months since they first created an account for the app. We want to provide an excellent experience for our users.

How did you select this vendor?

We relied heavily on recommendations from previous customers of EBS. We wanted to have good communication, fast implementation times and flexibility. We were surprised to also get the project manager's critical thinking and company management's support in tough times.

Describe the project in detail.

We worked closely through sprints, developing the app from an MVP to a fully functional app for both iOS and Android. The team offered Design services, API Development, Mobile Development, Project Management and Testing.

What was the team composition?

Our steady contact person was the project manager, but we were also in touch with other members of the team during QA and release periods.

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

The app is not final, but so far it's been getting positive reviews.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We highly recommend considering IM ”Enterprise Business Solutions” SRL, doing business as EBS Integrator, when you're in need of an experienced software development team that delivers.

As one of our provisioning partners, EBS Integrator does not disappoint. Our Deliverables are packed in time, on budget and we never had to sweat for getting insights regards execution.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their input delivers add value, specifically because EBS Integrator is not afraid to push back on technical changes that would cripple our service, while delivering lucrative technical workarounds to reach the end business objective.

They're always online, at one chat, or call away and we have never been put on hold. To conclude, EBS Integrator feels rather as an internal IT Provisioning department than a nearshoring team.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a startup that offers a digital marketplace for buying and selling.

What challenge were you trying to address with EBS Integrator?

We needed assistance in developing our platform.

What was the scope of their involvement?

EBS Integrator was responsible for building out our entire platform. The team provided front- and backend development and implemented our design elements.

The platform features key capabilities such as buying and selling, member registration, and third-party payment solutions. Members have a dashboard where they can view their profile and chat with others.

What is the team composition?

We worked with about three to four people, including a tech lead and a project manager.

How did you come to work with EBS Integrator?

The team had excellent recommendations, so we decided to partner with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $50,000 – $199,999 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with EBS Integrator in January 2019, and the work is ongoing.

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

We’re satisfied with the quality of work EBS Integrator provides, especially the speed with which they’re able to develop.

How did EBS Integrator perform from a project management standpoint?

They manage the project well. EBS Integrators has a great eye for detail. The team is also skilled enough to be able to come up with their own suggestions, rather than just following our directions without providing feedback. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

As a startup, we can’t always provide structured work. Ideas come quickly, which can alter the course of the project, but they keep up with the changes well. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Of course, we occasionally run into problems with EBS Integrator being a third-party solution, and the project would be more efficient if the team were inhouse. There’s always room for improvement in development work. Given that, however, the team performs really well as an offsite provider.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It’s really important to communicate the bigger picture of where you want to go as a business. Don’t just include EBS Integrator in the small details, but show them how their work will eventually contribute to your overall goals. 

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of an online animal marketplace. We sell animals as well as related equipment and services.

What challenge were you trying to address with EBS Integrator?

Our legacy platform—built in 2003—was outdated and lacked mobile responsiveness. We engaged EBS Integrator to rebuild the platform from scratch and to build native mobile applications as well.

What was the scope of their involvement?

EBS Integrator revamped the platform using React for the frontend and Node.js for the backend. They developed mobile apps for iOS and Android using native languages such as Swift. The platform has new features such as a real-time chat tool, saved search with alerts, social logins, and highly sophisticated search functionality. 

The team conducted end-to-end development. We provided full tech specifications and designs for the frontend. We then offered feedback and testing throughout the project. 

What is the team composition?

We collaborated mainly with a project manager. They received support from a frontend developer, a backend developer, an iOS specialist, and an Android specialist.

How did you come to work with EBS Integrator?

We worked with their team on a smaller project before and were pleased with the results. EBS Integrator also has experience building marketplace platforms.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about €100,000 (approximately $112,000).

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from February 2018 until April 2019.

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

The website deployed in December and the apps have just launched. The platform ran into some issues and bugs upon its launch, but we still received positive user feedback. Overall, we’re satisfied with EBS Integrator’s work and feel that the project was a success.

How did EBS Integrator perform from a project management standpoint?

Our project manager stayed on top of tasks and kept in weekly—if not daily—contact with us. Resource turnover at point caused unexpected delays, but the management was otherwise excellent.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Highly skilled, EBS Integrator delivered high-quality work and detailed documentation at competitive rates. The team demonstrated clear expertise in their programming languages.

Are there any areas they could improve?

More quality assurance might have prevented bugs and issues that the platform experienced. We had to do a great deal of testing ourselves before and after the launch. 

Any advice for potential customers?

We wanted a fixed contract with EBS Integrator. As a result, we had to lay out a precise list of specifications, and the project lacked the flexibility of a sprint approach. However, this layout worked well for us, and we appreciated having a fixed price from EBS Integrator. 

Please describe your company and your position there.

Global Database is a market leader in business intelligence. We provide company information through our online platform and integrated workflow solutions, lead sourcing, data enrichment, credit checks, and comprehensive business reports for our stakeholders.

For what projects/services did your company hire EBS Integrator?

We approached EBS with a processing dilemma. We manage hundreds of gigabytes of data and have encountered production bottlenecks. We wanted to reduce our server usage costs, outages, and latency-related issues on the platform. This had to be achieved quickly to avoid customer churn.

What were your goals for this project?

Our online platform required a fresh data processing paradigm. As we grew, the data we provided increased in weight, and response times slowed as a result. We needed to completely redesign the system and break a terabyte barrier while maintaining responsive service for our end users.

How did you select this vendor?

We considered a couple of vendors, however EBS Integrator was the only one to provide a reasonable execution timeline and viable data processing approach. Before we signed the agreement, they provided a prototype for our new system architecture, a well-designed data paradigm, and measurable outcomes. With all that in mind, our choice was easy.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

They completely rewrote our system's architecture. Based on stakeholder feedback, they also overhauled our UX and platform interface.

What was the team composition?

We work directly with a dedicated project manager, a UX engineer, two designers, two system architects, two data scientists, and four Python engineers.

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

The clearest impact was the site's response time. Before the rewrite, processing data arrays could take up to a minute. Response times are currently less than 20 seconds per query and exceed all our initial expectations. We've also seen impressive cost savings on our server resources. On average, the new system design saves us an average of €100 per day, which amounts to a quarterly savings of about €13,000. At this rate, this project will pay for itself within 2.5 years.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

They are the most responsive vendor I have worked with, and they manage the project as well as an in-house team might. We had daily meetings and received weekly activity reports. Even their feedback times were incredibly fast.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their expertise and the quality of service, backed by their industry knowledge, helped us compete with important players in our market. Our new platform is more effective than some of the solutions put forth by the giants in our industry.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I can't think of anything they should improve about their operations. Increasing their presence in the EU would boost their visibility, which would generate more trust and business ties. 

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m a program manager at The Institute of Public Policy, a think-tank in the Republic of Moldova.

For what projects/services did your company hire EBS Integrator?

We hired EBS Integrator to create a user-friendly digital map that reflects Moldova’s electoral system and single-mandate constituencies.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to create a digital map, available in Romanian and Russian, that illustrates the changes introduced by the new electoral system in Moldova and informs voters about new candidates and constituencies.

How did you select this vendor?

We found EBS Integrator through a public tender.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

EBS Integrator designed, developed, and configured the digital map. After being selected, we met with them to discuss the details and vision for the map. Their team proposed several solutions for the product to the beneficiary. After one of their solutions was selected, their team implemented the product.

What was the team composition?

We worked primarily with a business development manager and a project manager, who communicated our requests to an implementation team.

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

We haven’t officially launched the product.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

EBS Integrator was professional and punctual during the engagement. Their team was extremely proactive. They delivered the map on time.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

EBS Integrator has a responsive team that was fully engaged in ensuring customer satisfaction and delivering an excellent product.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I can’t think of anything at this time.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the CTO and a full-stack developer at NFO LTD. We develop mobile applications.

For what projects/services did your company hire EBS Integrator?

We wanted to create a new mobile app utility for iOS and Android to help users clean their phone gallery in a fun way. We wanted to implement complex UX/UI with animation. The backend needed to be fast and handle memory issues on a variety of devices.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted a high-speed app that could hold and delete large amounts of pictures and videos.

How did you select this vendor?

We conducted an online search for skilled development companies and talked with select vendors via Skype. We chose EBS because they seemed the most professional.

Describe the project in detail.

We started the engagement with discovery meetings to discuss our goals and objectives. Our team provided EBS with the UX/UI designs. They tested the app before final delivery. The app went live in the App Store and Google Play Store. Their team did bug fixes and maintenance post-launch.

What was the team composition?

The team included a project manager, an iOS developer, an Android developer, and a business development manager.

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

The project was a success. The product has several downloads and great reviews.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We truly enjoyed collaborating with such a dynamic team. They delivered the product the efficiently and worked hard to maximize its success. The team completed all requests in a professional manner. To that end, they took responsibility for the bug and fixed them at no cost. We had daily Skype meetings.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They were polite, professional, and extremely skilled at all aspects of project design and execution. The developers implemented non-standard UX designs and memory handling. The team was responsive and meets deadlines.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, I can’t think of anything. I hope all future projects are completed to this level of quality.

Please describe your organization.

I am the director and owner of a cleaning company.

What business challenge were you trying to address with EBS Integrator?

I used several different types of calendars to organize myself and my employees’ jobs, but we still needed other features, like reports for hours worked and customer base. We couldn’t find an appropriate software for my business, and so I looked around for alternative solutions.

Please describe the scope of the work and EBS Integrator’s involvement in greater detail.

We worked with EBS Integrator to make a new program in three different platforms – software, mobile application, and invoicing functionalities. EBS worked from planning to implementation of the solution.

We wanted to be able to see employee tasks from different views. A customer, an employee, and I would each need to see the tasks and interact with them.

The web application was built using NodeJS, and we haven’t built mobile apps yet.

What is the team dynamic?

I have worked with my contact person and two other programmers.

How did you come to work with EBS Integrator?

I found them by searching for customer comments. They were Swedish guys who described how they searched and found the programmers. I connected EBS and got a fast and clear offer which I understood and accepted.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

More than 10 000€.

What is the status of this engagement?

I connect with them in October last year, but the work was started in December. It was finished in around three months.

What are the results of the project, and are there any statistics or metrics you can share?

The work is done, and the software works as it should. My employees appreciate the solution, and they like the ability to use it for internal communication. Employees now see their new tasks through a message, which comes usually to their e-mail. That means that the employees themselves can be informed and the administrator doesn't need to reach them by phone on a regular basis.

How did EBS Integrator perform from a project management standpoint?

Everything went good from this point. EBS Integrator’s communication was good, and they understood my project well. I was in contact with one main responsible for the software development, but I was also able to ask general questions about the terms and costs with our project manager.

The work went as scheduled in most cases. They provided a contract in which all stages were scheduled according to a project plan.

What distinguishes EBS Integrator from other providers?

They made a clear and comprehensible offer. I had some more offers from other developers, and they were complicated. It was difficult to understand how many working hours they really need and how much can that cost. EBS was better.

I also appreciated their communication. They answered quickly, or they arranged another time to talk.

Is there anything EBS Integrator could have improved or done differently?

Not really.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of a Swedish educational company providing apps for various targeted skills, including those for driver’s licences and finances.

What challenge were you trying to address with EBS Integrator?

We had been providing our educational content in an offline, hard copy format, but we wanted to build apps that contained the same information. We wanted to find an easy way to roll out several apps without the need for too much technical intervention, or, an admin panel that allowed us to quickly scale the number of apps and content within.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We hired an external agency for design, but EBS was in charge of development for both the iOS and Android apps. They were using modern technologies, which was favorable for us because we had certain demands. We were unsure in the beginning if this would be a one-time or ongoing collaboration, but they’ve since become our outsourced CTO and tech team because it’s working so well. If at any point we wanted to work with someone else, we wanted to be sure that that person or team could take over from the work EBS did.

We wanted the ability to quickly replicate the apps, rebrand them, and relaunch them in the store, but we didn’t want to spend a lot of energy doing so. The apps needed to work and look the same, but have different branding and colors. They’re all structured around three basic parts: theory, quizzes, and exams. The first involves learning pages of theory, the second is a quiz, and the third is an exam that unlocks the next stage once you pass.

We also needed a user interface in the backend that would let us dynamically update the concepts inside the app. Users are notified with a prompt stating there is an updated version of a service whenever we make such a change. The backend was developed with Node.js. and the iOS version was done with Swift.

What is the team dynamic?

Our only point of contact was our project manager, who we worked closely with. This was beneficial to us because it prevented us from having to talk to too many people. I have a weekly call with the project manager, and then any other followups are done in quick chats over Skype. There was a backend, iOS, and Android team, but I’m not sure how many people were on each.

How did you come to work with EBS Integrator?

I was recommended to EBS by a colleague who had worked with them before. We held interviews with five other firms, but EBS was the only one who presented us with better approaches for our project. Instead of just doing what we told them, they gave us feedback and ideas, which we really appreciated. Communication with them has been good since the beginning, and they’ve remained professional throughout. We were also impressed with the high quality of previous projects they’d done.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent close to $22,000.

What is the status of the engagement?

We started working together in March 2017, and the relationship is ongoing. 

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

We charge an upfront fee to download the app, and a strong indicator of satisfaction is based on how high user retention is. We also measured the net promoter score, which has increased past what we expected. We kept an eye on how often users engaged with the app after downloading it, and after obtaining those metrics, we launched a big marketing campaign to drive growth. One-week retention is an important KPI [key performance indicator], and ours is roughly 80%, meaning users come back within a week of downloading the app.

How did EBS Integrator perform from a project management standpoint?

We mostly use Google suite, including Sheets and Docs. We also use Asana, which is basically a less technical version of JIRA.

Communication has worked great over the past 6 months, but what we enjoy the most is that EBS always provides honest feedback to our requirements.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’ve worked with many agencies and outsourcing companies, but EBS stood out because they care about the end product. They’ve remained honest with us, and they always deliver exactly what they promise on or before deadlines. I haven’t experienced this before, and especially not from an agency in a different time zone.

EBS has been extremely professional from the beginning with their client success team, to the development with the tech and product teams.

Are there any areas they could improve?

EBS has a strong hold on app development, but they could benefit from incorporating some design talent.

They are based in Europe, so time zones may be a challenge if you are far away. However, our account manager is available via Skype during most hours of the day.