Espeo Software

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a project coordinator for Ensto, a family company that manufactures electric and electromechanical components for an international market. Designed for domestic and industrial uses, our product portfolio includes electric vehicle (EV) charging systems.  

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Espeo Software?

We hired them to implement a web-based EV charging station management system.  

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to quickly update our system with a new, modern look.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

One of our new directors recommended Espeo based on previous experience. 

Describe the project in detail.

The entire system was first modeled with InVision's design web service, which was fast and highly interactive. Espeo then started building the system base code. This phase required little interaction apart from progress reporting. The collaboration picked back up when visible parts of the system began surfacing, and we now communicate daily. We expect to release the final product soon.

What was the team composition?

The Espeo team includes two developers (one frontend, one backend), one designer, and a project manager, with the upcoming addition of one test engineer.  Our project owner and two of our project coordinators are also involved.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our sales staff and initial test customers were highly impressed with the design of new system as compared to our old one. We can consider the project a success, since all required features to date have been implemented.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We began with Kanban and Slack almost exclusively. We later switched to Scrum for the weekly meetings. 

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their communication is exceptionally responsive and effortless.  They speak fluent English and attend to every question.

Are there any areas for improvement?

We are concerned about the developers changing so frequently. Transferring domain and architecture knowledge from one developer to another always takes time and effort, at best, and, at worst, creates the possibility for system vulnerabilities. We also noticed that some service delivery frameworks were reused, which suggests to us that knowledge of the technology is a bit insufficient.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of an education technology company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Espeo Software?

We lacked development resources for a solution for early education teachers.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They built a web app using Ruby and React Native to improve pedagogical planning, documentation, and communication. The app lets teacher track their observations and what their students are learning and link that to targets. It also allows them to communicate with parents through videos, photos, and texts. Finally, they can use the solution to plan and evaluate activities.

What is the team composition?

We have two developers—one for the frontend and one for the backend—one tester, and project manager. I work with all of them.

How did you come to work with Espeo Software?

I found them based on a recommendation by a peer company. Their price point made sense, and, after a few background checks, I found them to be a reliable, credible company. We also wanted whoever joined our team to be able to adapt quickly to the education technology sector; they’d need to learn how it’s generally structured and how it operates. After working with them for a few weeks, I noticed that their developers were extremely professional and fast learners. There was no reason to stop working with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We spend approximately €18,000 per month, which means €144,000 ($164,341 USD) in total, so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since January 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were between development teams when they started and were about two months behind schedule, but we were able to catch our targets for this spring. We’re on schedule now, thanks to them.

How did Espeo Software perform from a project management standpoint?

We agree on what needs to be done and they get it done within the set time limits. We run weekly sprints, and every week we check what’s been done and what’ll be done for next time. These guys are really fast, so there’s no problem in that area. Communication wise, we use JIRA and Slack.

What did you find most impressive about them?

My overall experience has been quite good. They have a professional project manager and they found excellent developers for us. I’m happy with the people who’re working on my project now and it feels like they’re part of the team. It’s not like I’m just outsourcing to somewhere because they’re contributing and delivering things; not just what we say but things they come up with as well.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Looking at business targets, we’re doing really well. There’s nothing that has to change at the moment. We’ve been flexible on both sides, regarding holidays, and they put in extra hours when we need them.

Any advice for potential customers?

My recommendation is to be open with your company’s situation and needs. I opened our situation to them so that they would understand our challenges, and they were able to build a team to move us forward.

Also, be demanding so that you can request the best people they have. It’s not only about competence, but the ability to grow and learn new things. Try to find people you match with, because sometimes developers and business people can speak completely different languages.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of engineering for SecurelyShare. I run the team responsible for developing our unique cybersecurity platform, which involves both the server and client side.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Espeo Software?

Our office is small, so we have to use external providers to help us achieve what we need.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We worked on the first version of our mobile applications for iOS and Android. The app was to securely share files. These first versions of our software are to view our special type of encrypted files with our encrypted version of PDF document viewers.

We didn’t have very detailed specifications, so the first part involved doing the UI/UX design. Together we produced layouts, mockups, and wireframes. They then did the implementations, including special custom encryption libraries on our server side. They were responsible for developing mobile clients.

What is the team composition?

There was a project manager, a UX/UI designer, and two mobile developers.

How did you come to work with Espeo Software?

I’ve known them for some time. They were very convincing in the initial conversations and understood the requirements clearly. They asked the right questions. We were convinced by that to move forward with them.

How much have you invested with them?

45,000 euros [$55,400 USD].

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from November 2017 until January 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re pretty happy with the application. We did a lot of internal testing with our team of up to 10 people.

How did Espeo Software perform from a project management standpoint?

Everything was well organized, on time, or ahead of time. We used Slack for everyday communication and InVision for UI/UX. We also used Jira for small changes.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re professional. They solved complex issues within hours. I’d give them top marks and I’d work with them again at any time.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They were very flexible, but they should show all their methodologies on their webpage, whether it be Agile, Scrum, or Kanban. That would make it easier for other clients to understand they can do them all.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

What they cost and what they deliver is great. It’s good value for the money.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the CEO of Pentaleap Oy. I specifically handle the operative tasks of the company as well as social media and marketing.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Espeo Software?

We were trying to address a business opportunity in the civic application world. We didn’t have the proper in-house capabilities for fast-paced application development, so we decided to outsource the work in order to go to market faster. Our challenge was to find fast and trustworthy application development.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal was to build an easy-to-use civic engagement application with a pleasant design. Our app increases participatory democracy and aims to grow knowledge-based decision making in both city and state governments.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We vetted different software production companies in Finland and abroad. Espeo was recommended to us by a friend, so we decided to meet them through Skype. We had a very good impression of them from the start and combined with their very competitive offer, we decided to choose them. Our whole team was involved in the selection process.

Describe the project in detail.

The overall scope of the project consisted of design and back and frontend development. We provided a very basic list of features, initial mockups, and a description of the project and its goals. The vendor was responsible for the entire application development and design.

What was the team composition?

There were seven people involved in the development process including a graphic designer and a project leader. The size of the team changed depending on the development pace.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Just within three months of development, we’re basically ready to launch the application. We’re not able to share user feedback yet because the larger scale beta testing and actual launch haven't been done yet.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Our project manager was great. She provided constant constructive feedback and was active during the development process and Scrum sessions. We had no issues communicating with their developers during meetings or through Slack.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

We were positively surprised with their active development approach and with the ideas their designer and project leader shared. We also appreciated the down-to-earth attitude of all the developers when asking questions about certain designs and features. Espeo provided an overall collaborative and positive experience.

Are there any areas for improvement?

There were connection issues during our Scrum sessions, which took a bit of time, but it was a minor problem. Other than that, we were definitely satisfied with the overall cooperation and we hope to continue working with them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the Director and Co-Founder of a company that builds custom web applications to help organizations improve their sustainability.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Espeo Software?

We needed frontend and backend developers for a web platform we’re building.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The platform is a large database program that we wanted to create with open source technology. Espeo’s developers built it using a Node.js framework. They used React.js for the frontend and MongoDB for the backend.

Espeo also supplied UI/UX designers who spent a lot of time ensuring the interface was user-friendly.

What is the team composition?

Dominik Zyskowski [Software Consulting Director, Espeo Software] served as our product manager and we worked with three developers. Ariel Hajbos [UI/UX Designer, Espeo Software] worked with us on design, and I can’t give him enough praise.

How did you come to work with Espeo Software?

I was searching for different providers of software development solutions and discovered them during a conference in Amsterdam. It seemed like they understood what we wanted to accomplish and offered good rates.

How much have you invested with them?

Over €50,000, so between $60,000–$70,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together between May 2017 - December 2017. We put the project on hold to deal with internal transitions in our company, but we may engage with Espeo again in the future.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

In terms of the code they produced, we now have an up-and-running application that meets the specifications we provided. It's incomplete since it's a massive project, but they were able to accomplish a lot in six months.

In terms of UI/UX design, we prepared over 100 slides and Espeo was able to incorporate a majority of those into the prototype before we halted the project. I’d say that’s pretty significant.

How did Espeo Software perform from a project management standpoint?

We used Slack and Google Docs to coordinate the project, and they also used their own internal Scrum application. Dominik was always on task and readily available.

There were occasional miscommunications about what would be accomplished in any given sprint. We found that certain tasks were not completed as scheduled, but they quickly addressed the issue once we pointed out the error.

What did you find most impressive about them?

This was a fairly complicated project, both in terms of the technical aspects, as well as understanding the overall vision. Espeo grasped the project quickly and was enthusiastic about the work. Their intuitiveness saved us the time of having to explain every concept.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Communication could definitely be improved. We initially tried to do weekly calls, but soon found this to be completely unproductive. They preferred to use appear.in for these remote calls, but the connection was always poor. The project team was based in Poland, so it was sometimes difficult to speak directly given the language barrier.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Before engaging with the development team, be sure to have your UI/UX worked out. We ended up hiring developers before they were needed, which created a lot of idle time. As long as you’re clear about where you are in the development process, Espeo will help you determine what resources are needed.

Company Responses

Thank you for the review, it will definitely help us improve our services. We’re glad you were generally pleased with what we delivered, and that you appreciate our technical skills and the high level of UX/UI services provided. As you’ve mentioned, we had a good grasp of a fairly complex project and were quick to respond to issues and requests. Therefore, we think that the 1-5 star rating you’ve given us is too harsh, and it doesn’t reflect the content of the review (which we consider to be generally positive).

As for the quality of communication - we pride ourselves on good communication, both in terms of our ‘verbal’ skills and the technology we have at our disposal. We have a high-speed connection in the office and the quality of video conferences is always high. Occasionally, however, some issues resulted from the connection on the client’s side.

We’re very glad to have been involved in your project and we’re happy to continue working with you once your company has dealt with its internal transformations.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the co-founder of MapVida, which offers a series of consumer and business tools to help find “lookalikes.” It helps consumers find the best neighborhoods to stay in compared to what they already know, and it helps businesses determine the best neighborhoods for advertising and customer acquisition.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what reason(s) did your company hire Espeo Software?

Our mobile application that utilized our beta app’s infrastructure, but it needed additional work.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to enhance the app with much better functionality, performance, and UX.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We interviewed the team and recent clients.

Describe the project in detail.

Espeo completely overhauled our app, providing new UI and business layers, and integrating our APIs.

What was the team composition?

We had a project manager, along with two mobile developers and testers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

By far, they're the best third-party mobile development with which we have worked. Espeo feels like an extension of our team.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Communication was excellent, with with daily scrum meetings using Slack and weekly updates and product walk-throughs.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Along with their communication, the work product was top-notch.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Nothing beyond what you would normally encounter during a longer project; there are always ways to improve communication or product knowledge.

Company Responses

CONTENT QUALITY = B

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work for a digital education company that was founded in 2015. The founders were EdTech [educational technology] professionals with years of experience in developing digital products, games, and services for learning. Our mission is to help companies create products with the highest educational quality and the best pedagogical design.

We use a method based on Finnish pedagogical knowledge and research. Our evaluation method measures a solution’s educational quality and finds out how effectively it supports learning.

Kokoa Standard is a service for evaluating the educational quality of a product. All reviewed products have a chance to get awarded with the Kokoa Standard certificate, which helps them stand out in the EdTech market as a pedagogically validated professional solution. All certified products are displayed on Kokoa's website for great industry visibility.

As the head of operations, I am responsible for leading the internal and external projects for R&D [research and development].

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Espeo Software?

The market for digital and non-digital educational solutions is growing rapidly and overflowing with products of varying educational quality. We realized through research and firsthand observation that independent quality verifications are essential. We want EdTech industry stakeholders around the world to trust Kokoa to ensure solutions are independently certified and meet high quality standards.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Espeo is helping us develop a complex web-based evaluation tool that follows a scientifically proven method in every aspect of the reviewing process. We provided 95% of the design for this project.

Our tool evaluates the learning aspects of digital or analog products, including applications. We have a set of 50–60 questions made in cooperation with university researchers, who evaluated these questions based on their expertise in the field. Aside from answering these questions, researchers also input all the curricula and basic information that we display on our website. The tool also exports each evaluation to a Google slide presentation that we can provide to our customers.

Espeo is also developing the main Kokoa website, which includes a catalog for displaying certified products.

What is the team dynamic?

Espeo provides us with frontend and backend development resources. We requested developers who are proactive. We wanted to work with people who would highlight concerns or additional development ideas.

I’m working as Kokoa's project manager in cooperation with Espeo's project lead. We have 2 developers for the evaluation tool project, 1 frontend and 1 backend, as well as a project manager. For the Drupal website project, we have just 1 developer.

How did you come to work with Espeo Software?

My colleagues met them at an event where Espeo was showcasing their services. They made a positive impact, so my colleagues remembered them when we were looking for someone to develop our product. We looked at a couple companies, but Espeo seemed to be better in terms of quality and price.

How much have you invested with them?

So far, we’ve spent $75,000 on their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started the project in April 2017, and the projects are ongoing. The website project will be ongoing for some time. The evaluation tool is finished, but we are building additional features.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The evaluation tool is being used internally, and users have been excited about the outcomes. It has made our work efficient, reducing the time needed to do the evaluations. The tool has also improved the quality of the evaluations.

How did Espeo Software perform from a project management standpoint?

We’ve experienced few issues in the past 4 months that we’ve worked with Espeo. Schedules have been met 90% of the time. Any delays were mostly because of urgent mid-sprint change requests or other unknowns that could not be planned against.

Project communication is handled professionally, from planning and follow-ups to demos. We currently have 2-week sprints, but we also communicate as needed. We have a Slack channel to discuss things. When we have something urgent to discuss, we can do that right away by appear.in, phone, or Slack. Aside from team meetings based on the Scrum schedule, we also have planning meetings and a demo meeting bi-weekly about the work that’s being done.

Based on our experience with various game and software projects, we were expecting to have more issues and problems. That’s why we decided to have a kick-off meeting face-to-face with the development team in Poznan, Poland. It was a great opportunity to build a long-lasting relationship with the team members. We met again 2 months later, when we started another project with a second team.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Espeo delivered as expected, and in some cases, beyond our expectations. They work in an effective manner and follow industry standards.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I only have positive things to say about them. They speak good English, but sometimes the communication breaks down because of Internet issues. That isn’t their fault; it’s just what happens when working with a remote team.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of development for a distribution company in Finland. We distribute city papers and advertisements. I’m responsible for the IT and development in the organization. My team includes a lead developer, a software architect, and system specialists who do maintenance as well. We employ 5,000 part-time workers, 100 van drivers, and 50–60 office workers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Espeo?

We are redoing our core distribution software since the system is quite old. We use it to manage our work orders, which go from the area managers to the end runners and the van drivers.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We did a small project with Espeo before, and it gave us a really good first impression of their services. Initially, we created some specifications in Finnish. While we were reluctant to change the language in the design process, we ended up doing that because the project started to go really well. The language translation wasn’t as big as we first thought.

Since this first project went smoothly, we decided to continue working with Espeo. We sent them quite detailed technical descriptions. We wanted to make sure they understood our terminology and our ideas. We’re also planning to do a mobile app for the runners.

We started with 2 developers when we were experimenting and trying to find a good partner. As our confidence in Espeo grew, we increased the team size to 5 developers in December. Currently, we employ 8 developers. The project has been growing all the time.

How did you come to work with Espeo?

We thought about doing this locally with Finnish developers. However, the software we’re using was quite popular last year so it was almost impossible to find developers from Finland. Our chief architect had experience doing offshore projects. He suggested that trying to find resources offshore would be the best thing.

How much have you invested with Espeo?

The current budget is €45,000 [$51,602] per month. In total, this project would probably cost us €500,000 [$573,365].

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in August 2016, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

We have been satisfied. They appreciate it when we give as many details as we can to avoid misunderstandings. They have educated us in Scrum, and I’ve been happy with their approach. On top of software development, we are also getting an understanding of how to do development better and how to improve ourselves.

How did Espeo perform from a project management standpoint?

We have visited them several times. We have Skype meetings regularly, and we have additional meetings as needed. They have encouraged us to use video so that the collaboration feels more like we’re doing it with actual people and not just some guy somewhere. It gives us the feeling that the project is more of a joint effort. I really appreciate that. It’s reassuring to see that the team is communicating with our developers. I can see the feed constantly, so I can get a general idea of what the issues are that the team is working on. We have even increased the frequency of video conferences. I was watching the demo of one of the sprints, and I can’t help feeling that Espeo’s understanding of our system is getting better all the time. It’s been a beautiful experience.

We needed to work with a slight cultural difference, but their customer relationship manager spoke excellent English and it was easy to relate to him. There have been some small surprises. We have a different holiday schedule than they have in Poland. It’s nothing major, but it’s something to consider when doing a multi-cultural approach. Otherwise, the differences have been quite small.

Are there any areas Espeo could improve?

You need 2 people for communication, and sometimes it’s not just them that needs to improve; it’s also us. The Polish business culture versus Finnish business culture is different. The active communication culture is something I encourage on both sides to avoid misunderstandings. When things were misunderstood or not communicated correctly, they’ve been quick to react. Their customer manager has been really sensitive to our needs and has improved their communication accordingly.

For North Americans and Europeans, I know the culture is different. It can be misleading when you hear someone speak British English. You think you’re doing business with someone from the UK, but they’re not; they’re Polish and you have to figure out their way of thinking. We had good luck with the project culture because our lead developer’s wife is from Poland. He frequently visits Poland and has Polish relatives, so he’s been a big help with the cultural differences.

What tips or recommendations could you share that might increase the likelihood of success with Espeo?

I would encourage people to challenge them and ask things from them. They are surprisingly well connected in Poland. They can produce resources amazingly fast compared to Finnish companies. I’m interested in learning more from them. So far, they’ve been able to produce different kinds of talents for the project when we needed to go deeper in certain areas. I encourage people to see what they are capable of doing. So far, we haven’t reached the limit.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

Eximap is an innovative mobile solutions provider for the automotive industry. We produce cloud-based services and smartphone applications which connect customers with service providers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Espeo?

Our original mobile app (AutoMopus) proved to be a valuable tool for drivers. Finding a car service station or spare parts store in the vicinity of a user’s location wasn’t a problem for AutoMopus users. We decided to keep up the momentum and create a solution that would allow providers to gain clients more swiftly and easily utilizing the information we have on the cars. This is a task we entrusted Espeo with. The project called for the creation of a web application for automotive service providers such as service stations and spare parts stores which would communicate with the mobile app. It was designed to manage existing orders as well as promote special sales or service events among the users of the mobile app and regular customers. 

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

Espeo created a web application using the Flask framework and the PostgreSQL database. The application allows for processing automotive data from various sources, making orders, and contacting current and potential clients. What’s more, repair workshops and spare parts salesmen can use the system to create special promotional campaigns for regular customers and users of the AutoMopus mobile app. The mechanism of reaching potential clients involves the use of email, push notifications (Google Android, Windows Phone, iOS), and text messages. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

How did Espeo perform from a project management standpoint?

Frequent videoconferences and Espeo’s commitment to the project allowed us to consult changes and track their progress on a regular basis. At every stage of the project, it was demonstrated that Espeo doesn’t only focus on programming but also works to become a trusted consultant, one that doesn’t hesitate to suggest better solutions. Differences in native languages or cooperation with a remote team never prevented us from reaching our goal. That is why we can recommend Espeo as a truly trustworthy technological partner.

Is there anything Espeo could have improved or done differently?

In hindsight, the Espeo developer should have spent more time at our office, but this was more of a common outsourcing process issue. Even having daily Skype meetings did not guarantee 100% common understanding of the requirements, and we needed to do more fine-tuning ourselves than we were hoping. 

BACKGROUND

As Oracle’s representative to the public sector, I selected Espeo as the development partner for a project for Policja, or the Polish police force.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

The Polish police wanted to implement a command and control system to manage incident reporting and delegate police units to event sites. Creating a stable, scalable application that could successfully deal with so much data was a formidable task. Oracle would provide the tools and Hewlett-Packard the servers, but the application development was largely Espeo’s job.

SOLUTION

Espeo’s job was to create a desktop application to handle the difficult task of harnessing the enormous amount of report-related data. Basing on (and in partnership with) Oracle, as well as Java, Spring and Hibernate, they created two systems: a huge, distributed system that dealt with managing the work of over 1500 dispatch units and as a central management system.

This was a huge project that was one of the biggest Polish police history. It was completed in about 2013 but the exact timeline is confidential.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

The result was the largest solution of its kind in Poland. Previously, such systems only existed on a local level. To ensure the stability of the application, Espeo carried out a range of performance and scalability tests. They carried out all these tasks very proficiently. The best evidence is the fact that the system is still very much in use today, which is why I would especially recommend Espeo for projects that rely on high performance and scalability. It was also Espeo’s responsibility to implement the Agile process, based on Scrum, for a 20-strong development and test team. I can safely say that they are both great developers and true agile experts.