Empat

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of Front Line Ukraine, an alliance website for scientists, medics, and the military for the sake of saving the lives of Ukrainian children and the Ukrainian population. It is mostly an informational website focused on the situation we’re currently living.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Empat?

We needed help with web development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Empat is the web development team that developed our website. Although we had in-house designers, they also helped us with the design portion, mostly related to the website’s frontend.

The project was divided into three phases. Empat took one week to design the website, two weeks to develop it, and some extra time to fix bugs and make changes.

What is the team composition?

Empat’s project manager was my main point of contact, but I also worked directly with a designer. Additionally, they had a development team that included front- and backend developers, testers, and QA specialists. However, I didn’t work directly with them.

How did you come to work with Empat?

I found Empat on Clutch. Then, I found out on social media that they supported Ukraine during the Russian Invasion by making free software solutions and development projects for Ukrainian nonprofit organizations. After I checked their website and saw the projects they were working on, I decided to work with them as well to support their cause.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent less than $14,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in April 2022, and they finished the website within 3–4 weeks.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Empat delivered a high-quality and well-designed website very fast, which was great because I didn’t know how much it would take.

How did Empat perform from a project management standpoint?

Empat worked on the project using mostly Google Docs and Jira. It was very helpful for me to use Google Docs, but I know that the development team used Jira, Confluence, and other tools to manage the project on their end. Given that I had direct communication with the project manager, I didn’t have access to Empat’s development team; I just told the project manager what I wanted, and he created tasks for the developers.

The team provided me with timesheet reports to see how many hours they had spent on each part of the project. Additionally, we communicated via Telegram to discuss the project points. We also had a weekly update call via Google Meet with the project manager to talk about the project status and ask and answer questions from each side. Whenever I had questions during the weekend, Empat still replied within a few hours. Initially, we communicated via email, but we simply moved everything to Telegram.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Empat’s commitment to deadlines distinguished them from other providers. If they told me that they would finish a task by tomorrow, it was finished by tomorrow; I was very satisfied with that aspect of theirs.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It would be great if Empat had a content manager or a content development team that could help us with that portion of the project. They don’t have it, so we’re now in charge of populating the site. However, it would be great to have some expert guidance because it is a big website, and we would like good recommendations to make the best of it.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

When looking for a company to work with, go to their Clutch profile and to their website to understand their main skills and see if they adapt to your project.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am a partner at Plfa, a financing and lending association. The company was registered last year, and we have around 20 members right now. We are a fintech association that focuses on making a network between different financing platforms in the Philippines. We’re also actually the pioneer in implementing some regulations and guidelines for this kind of platform.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Empat?

We hired them to create a website for us. Our goal is to expand and promote our platform in the Philippines.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’ve engaged with Empat to create our website. They’ve been taking care of everything; whenever we need something like a banner or a promotional idea, they’re able to help us right away.

What is the team composition?

We’ve been in touch with at least four people from their side.

How did you come to work with Empat?

We originally found them through LinkedIn. My partner, who is a Ukrainian national, also knew the CEO and had a great experience working with them before; he really trusted them. Hence, he referred Empat to our board, and we decided to go with them. 

How much have you invested in them?

We have spent about $15,000 USD.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them on this project in August 2021, and our collaboration is still ongoing as we try to create another platform with their help.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

So far, they have been able to meet our expectations with the website. Apart from seeing an improvement in site traffic, we’ve also been able to connect with new people in the market. 

How did Empat perform from a project management standpoint?

We mostly use email, WhatsApp, Telegram, and phone calls for communication.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We like the fact that they really work fast — whenever we want them to add, revise, or improve something, they’re able to take care of it within a few hours, which is really impressive. It’s also easy to communicate with them, and they are really young and focused, and very creative in terms of doing web design.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Overall, we are okay with everything; they’re professionals, and they’ve been able to meet and exceed our expectations.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you’re looking for a professional web development company, I think Empat is one of the most competitive and best options out there. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Alpha Strategies, an international consulting company. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Empat?

We hired Empat to develop a website that represented our company. We were a huge firm but didn’t have a successful website to market our services and attract customers. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Empat designed and developed our website from scratch. They did back- and frontend development and integrated business analytics software. Empat’s team also did some copywriting for the site. 

Now that the website is done, we’ve been working on smaller development projects with Empat. 

What is the team composition?

We’ve primarily had contact with Empat’s project manager. 

How did you come to work with Empat?

Empat was referred to me by a good friend of mine. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested around $70,000 with Empat. 

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement with Empat began in June 2020, and it’s ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Empat executes projects very well — the website development project went very smoothly. Empat is able to handle entire projects themselves, allowing me to focus on my business. 

How did Empat perform from a project management standpoint?

Empat sticks to schedules and our budgets. We usually communicate with their team through email, WhatsApp, and Zoom meetings. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’m really impressed with Empat’s quality of work — I appreciated that they worked independently and I didn’t have to check every detail of their work. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I have nothing for Empat to improve. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I’d advise customers to be clear about their project requirements so Empat can execute the project correctly. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Goloborodko.consulting - is an intensive nutrition management. Individual consultations. A conscious and sustainable approach to nutrition and health for everyone.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

I needed a website to sell my services. Most of my audience is on Instagram, but I needed a platform where clients could check out the service packages and see the level of service by looking at the number of awards our team has.

SOLUTION

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

We went through a list of web development companies. They had a strong process that we felt would get the job done correctly for us. Hire for DNA and aesthetic first.

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

They provided design and coding for the website. We gave them a checklist of everything we wanted to see on the website. At the end, we got a website and an admin management system that allows my team to go in and make updates to the site. The web design, development, training, aftercare, and some marketing was handled by them. The project lasted about 6 months and then we continue working on monthly aftercare.

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

An account manager initiated the kickoff meeting and handed the project to a project manager. The project manager brought together the development team of four software developers as well as SEO specialist and designer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They did a phenomenal job on building our website; we were very thrilled with it. As a result, we started to get a lot of traffic and received several emails from potential clients.

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

I was happy with the fact that my PM was available to us each week, we received weekly progress reports. That helped me know where we were and what direction we were going in.

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

I liked knowing that my questions or concerns would never go unanswered. If I ever reached out to my project manager, I always got a response.

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

No. We are happy with them and would definitely work with them again.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and an orthopedist at Just Smile, a dental care company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Empat?

We needed to partner with someone who could create our company website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Empat built our website from scratch. They shaped the content to show our basic information as well as the services of our clinic. The team also included content that could educate our clients about various dental procedures.

What is the team composition?

There was a team of five people, which included a manager, a UI/UX designer, a tester, and back- and frontend developers. 

How did you come to work with Empat?

I found them when I was searching for local companies through Google. We chose them because their manager arranged a meeting to answer all of our questions. We got to know their approach well that way.

How much have you invested with them?

The cost of the project was $15,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together for the whole of March 2022. It was a month-long engagement.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We went from having no online presence to now having various people reading our web content. Empat did a great job, and it was the best partnership I’ve ever had with a provider.

How did Empat perform from a project management standpoint?

They were able to build the website in one month at an affordable cost. The team worked in two-week sprints and used Slack, Jira, and GitHub.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Empat provided quick, quality work. I don’t think anyone else could’ve built my site in one month. Other companies would’ve charged a lot more for this type of work. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they delivered everything I wanted.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Communication is key if you engage with them. What made our project so successful is that I could contact them anytime I had a new idea or needed changes to be made.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a project manager for Dominor, a web development company. I work on different projects involving different companies and also help with marketing efforts.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Empat?

We work in the B2B field and want to look more like a professional company, so we’ve asked them to create and design our website highlighting information about our company as well as the services we offer.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We met up with Empat to discuss our ideas on how we wanted our website to look like. After agreeing on the design, their team proceeded with the development of our site from scratch. They also continue to help us in adding information to our site and provide sales consultations.

What is the team composition?

We’re mainly in touch with their project manager, but we also work with several people from their team, including back- and frontend developers, sales specialists, a QA manager, and a designer.

How did you come to work with Empat?

We were searching for developers within our general area, and they were one of the 10 companies that met our internal criteria. After our first consultation with them, it became clear to us that they operate at a high level professionally and communicate very well.

How much have you invested with them?

I think we’ve spent between $15,000–$20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in January 2019, and our engagement is still ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’ve delivered a website that we’re very satisfied with — it’s both user- and mobile-friendly. As a result, we’ve seen an increase in visitors and new clients.

How did Empat perform from a project management standpoint?

They follow an agile approach for development, and we have weekly meetings and calls with their team. In fact, we can always call their manager and ask all the questions we have. We communicate using various platforms, including Slack, Google Meet, email, and phone calls. They also use Jira to manage tasks.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their attention to detail is really impressive. They’ve also been very easy to work with, and we can’t imagine working with a different partner for this project.

Are there any areas they could improve on?

I can’t think of anything; we’ve had no problems and are very happy with our collaboration.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure to listen to their advice — they have a lot of experience and can help you reach your goal.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a Project Manager in the Austrian Embassy in Kyiv with the ambition to build a modern partnership between the Austria and Ukraine. On this position I´m responsible for providing a full range of client side project and programme coordination.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We needed a website that would disseminate information about the project we were preparing to launch. Goal of this project is to bring together the creative potential of both countries and thereby facilitate stronger cultural and scientific cooperation between Austria and Ukraine.

SOLUTION

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

We have worked with this company before on other side projects and I was generally satisfied with their work, so I decided to contact them this time too.

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

The first two phases of the project were on the Empat side. First, they worked on our request and created design of our future site. and after our approval they developed it. In the next phase, they helped with SEO optimization and content filling. They helped with the project launch a lot.

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

Our team included a Project Manager, UI/UX Designer, Back & Front Developers, Quality Manager and a SEO specialist.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The website turned out to be very beautiful and colorful, which, after all, underlines its theme related to the cultural unity of the two countries. We have received a lot of positive feedback from other managers and casual visitors to the site.

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

The communication was very sound. They’re strict, with a specific roadmap and task breakdown. They worked flawlessly. We had standups, weekly reports from engineers, and communicated through Slack.

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

They’re a small to medium-sized enterprise (SME) with a young team, so they’re forward-thinking.

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

No, everything was all good. I would advise others to work with them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm a project manager at the Austrian Cultural Forum in Kyiv, a part of the Austrian embassy in Kyiv. We're working on cooperation between Ukraine and Austria in culture, science, and education.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Empat?

We needed help with web design and development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Empat designed and created a website where we can present our activities in Ukraine. It was important that the website showed our identity and goals and reflected what we do in Ukraine. We also wanted to have all of our events presented there and the possibility for students or cultural activists to find scholarship information. We needed a few pages where our potential clients could find the information they are looking for.

We told them our ideas; they worked on that, and then we gave them some feedback and made the necessary changes.

What is the team composition?

There were five people in total. Most of the time, we were in contact with the project manager, who was our main point of contact, and any time we had a request, we'd turn to her, and she took care of it. We also worked with a designer on this project.

How did you come to work with Empat?

We found them on LinkedIn. We spoke to them and liked them because they showed us the previous websites they worked on, and my colleague contacted their previous clients, which gave positive feedback. In addition, the cost and the results they produced looked good to us.

How much have you invested in them?

We have spent approximately $30,000 with them so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them from June–November 2021, but we can get in touch with them if we want to make any changes or add additional features.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were happy with their work; the website has helped us present ourselves. We're a government organization, so we don’t sell anything. We have events, and we have seen that more people have been able to find out about our events. We have gained visibility thanks to the website. Many people have told us that they found out about our events because of the website.

We liked working with them. It was easy to explain what we wanted and what we liked. They always responded promptly, so there was no wasted time. We could also always be in touch with them. We enjoyed the design, and they understood our idea. With design work, there are a lot of details involved, and they were friendly and open to changes if needed.

In addition, many people have said that when they look at our website, they can see our ideas coming through. We wanted the website to be colorful and interesting for people to look at, and we are satisfied with the work they did with that. 

Overall, the website looks beautiful, and at the same time, it is very practical.

How did Empat perform from a project management standpoint?

They followed all the deadlines; we could launch our website when we wanted to, and they always did everything on time. Also, we all speak different languages, and there were no problems; it was easy to understand each other.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I liked how they created the design, and the communication was good, too; it was easy-going and fun to talk to them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think there’s anything they can improve on; we were perfectly satisfied with their work, and I can’t find anything they could have done differently.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I’d recommend working with them — it’s an easy process. Other than that, there isn’t anything specific to recommend, although it is useful to express your general idea. We talked to them about what we believe, and it helped them develop a website that showcases our values.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am CEO and founder of a dental clinic. We provide high quality dental care for mid+ clients.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

I contacted Empat with the aim of creating a selling website for our dental center, to show its innovativeness and professionalism.

SOLUTION

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

We considered several options for local companies and chose Empat. Their CEO held an intro-meet for us, where we asked all the questions and got to know their approach to work, and we were quite satisfied with it.

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

The team has packed the basic information and services of our clinic on the website. The main feature was the ability to record through the site. We were also able to provide educational content to increase the awareness of our clients about the procedures.

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

For the project, a standard team of 5 people was involved, including a manager: UI / UX Designer, Backend developer, Frontend developer, QA.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

As a result, we received the desired website, which reflects the uniqueness and customer orientation of our clinic for the VIP segment, the number of visitors who came to our clinic by looking at our website before has grown. We can easily set up advertising campaigns and direct all leads to our website because we are confident that our target audience will like it.

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

The Empat company works with 2-weeks sprints using the Scrum methodology. They had several meetings as sprint planning and sprint review. The dev.team used Slack, Jira and GitHub as project tools.

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

They’ve been willing to work hard and push themselves to provide quality products for their clients.

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

In general they've matched or exceeded our expectations.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

IPACT is a coaching academy with only certified coach trainers. The coach's task is to unobtrusively accompany his client in solving problems on the way to achieving his goal.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We wanted to create an online platform for the interaction of our community of certified coaches, as well as with clients, who are focused on solving problems, setting goals, and finding answers to emerging questions in their personal lives.

SOLUTION

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

Empat was recommended to us by a very happy previous client.

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

A feature of IPACT is the opportunity not only to be a direct participant in live and online sessions and seminars, but also to expand their theoretical knowledge by visiting the online platform. On this resource you can find many materials authored by experts in various fields of life.

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

We had:

• a project manager, Andrii
•  front end developer
• ui/ux designer
• two back end developers
• other people coming in and out of the project as needed

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

After the release of the platform, the number of coaches has increased, and participants note that their interaction with coaches has become much more convenient and efficient.

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

The work in the project was built in 2 week sprints. Once every two weeks we had a call where we discussed what was done and what we want to implement in the next sprint. If some elements in the design did not suit us, we reported about outside the calls and the manager reacted to our comments, corrections were made.

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

Empat's ability to tap into anything we need at a moment’s notice is impressive — they’re proactive at helping us grow. In addition, they’re very flexible and responsive about issues, including cash flow concerns.

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

They do a really good job of communicating and setting clear expectations in the beginning so as of right now I don't really see anything that needs much improvement.