Exadel

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

If you go to our website and look up any of our projects, a contribution from Exadel appears. Our quality of work is high, and the defect level is low. Attrition is practically non-existent. Exadel’s level of expertise is extremely impressive.

How did Exadel perform from a project management standpoint?

Our teams work with Exadel on the project all the time. They have all kinds of technical management on site up to the development manager and architect, as well as their practical people and the senior developer. They have a couple of project managers, a durations manager, and a configuration manager.

Many years ago, most of their team members didn’t speak English too well, which created a barrier. We then carefully selected our teams so that at least somebody on every team would be able to take this information and share it with the rest of the team in their language. However, nowadays, everybody at Exadel speaks great English. From my understanding, they actually are running internal classes. If somebody isn’t communicating too well, they actually teach English as part of their own training.

The time barrier can be a disadvantage, but we’ve addressed this by asking Exadel to shift their working day. They’re normally accommodating as far as working later. Sometimes, we need to have early calls. We’ve actually turned this time difference into an advantage. If something needs to be done, I send them a note at the end of my day. By the time I’m back in the morning, the work is already done.

Our formal tool is Lync Microsoft and we use traditional Skype for 1-on-1 communications. When I need to communicate with a team or a channel, we use Slack.

Exadel feels like a permanent member of my team. They are very involved, engaged, and educated. One of their locations is in Belarus, which has favorable economic conditions and strong software development skills. They are members of the High Technologies Park.

I have a good relationship with Exadel, but in terms of when I need extra power, they give me candidates who I interview myself. Exadel is a bigger company with around 1,000 people. Since we are in multiple vertical markets and offer various products in different countries and business units, we are using a lot of technology. I can tell Exadel when I need someone experienced in certain blog technology, for example, and they either have the person on board or find someone in a few weeks. They are very flexible. I could never get that kind of talent sourcing myself in such a short amount of time.

What distinguishes Exadel from other providers?

They are not like a regular, huge outsourcing company. They are flexible in ensuring the right things happen. They can work in any engagement model. If an issue comes up, they are always able to find a mutually workable solution and accommodate me. Sometimes, I need a certain skill set for a short period, and they will give me someone for a month if that’s what I need. They are easygoing and serve my needs.

Is there anything Exadel could have improved or done differently?

I’d like it if they could lower their prices for me. They are worth every penny, though.

Do you have any recommendations for others considering working with Exadel?

Know your needs well and be able to describe them clearly. Exadel will be able to give you what you want. A lot of problems happen because clients don’t know exactly what they need or change their opinion 10 times a day. 

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

The platform itself is being used successfully across all of our programs. We've developed a balanced scorecard which helps us monitor the fidelity of the programs' outcomes.

We generate a huge report each quarter due to the current legislature, through which we pull data from all of our programs. The amount of data integrity we've received from this was phenomenal. We can look at the platform and determine the situation of our program. The accuracy and ease of our reporting are 100 percent better than our previous solution.

It has helped us tremendously in streamlining our data collection systems for all of our statewide programs. It also acts as a management tool for our local programs, featuring student onboarding, information storing and ways in which to attract donors. The platform offers the ability to build custom reports, which makes it possible for our local programs to create their own solutions. It was a paradigm shift for the way in which we do business.

How did Exadel perform from a project management standpoint?

We've never received any defective work from them. The platform was intricate and incredibly detailed. We worked and learned together during the process. There have been delays, but they have typically been well-founded. It wasn't a question of Exadel not committing enough of their team members to our project. We've had many problems with the data migration process. The amount of work it would require was not anticipated, and I can certainly understand that. It was a horrible system.

There were many details to work through, and delays are a usual occurrence within the IT world. Everything that happened during our collaboration was well-justified. There was never a moment in which we felt that Exadel were stalling the work. We are a nonprofit, not a sophisticated corporation, which also added to the difficulty.

As our development progressed, we've had to readjust our scope and extend our budget in order to make certain changes. Exadel were easy to work with in that regard. We had a genuine partnership and never felt that their team was ever unreasonable.

We worked within a formal structure and relayed our feedback and requests through the consultant with whom we worked.

What distinguishes Exadel  from other providers?

Their overall company mission matched ours. As a nonprofit, we aim to serve people. Exadel's general attitude is not that of a company building things, but rather a company building partnerships with their clients. This was demonstrated constantly throughout our relationship. They liked working on our platform because its goal was helping students, ultimately providing a social good.