Software, Cloud and Outsourcing Solutions
Flat Rock Technology is a leading software development company that serves as a reliable partner to businesses since 2008. We offer software development, cloud management, and outsourcing solutions to all-sized companies around the world.
Our company operates from seven locations - London, Amsterdam, Budapest, Varna, Burgas, Ruse, and Tbilisi and unites more than 400 + highly skilled professionals. Our people, location, and structure allow us to offer an integrated approach and deliver exceptional results at every stage of the project.
At Flat Rock Technology we are dedicated to helping businesses grow and achieve their objectives. Our thorough approach guarantees the success of your project. We cover the whole life cycle of the project, from detailed research to bespoke implementation and exceptional support.
We strive for excellence and are constantly working on updating our knowledge and services. We are proud to demonstrate the expertise and awards we have earned during our journey.
- Microsoft Gold Data Platform Competency
- Microsoft Gold Cloud Platform Competency
- Microsoft Gold Data Analytics Competency
- Microsoft Gold DevOps Competency
- Microsoft Gold Application Development Competency
- Cyber Essentials Certification
- ISO 27001:2013 Certification
- ISO 9001:2015 Certification
- Carbon Assessed Organisation
- Clutch Award: Top Laravel Developer
- Clutch Award: Top United Kingdom Custom Software Development Company
- Clutch Award: Top United Kingdom .NET Development Company
- Clutch Award: Top B2B Provider of Custom Software Solutions
- Clutch Award: Global Leader in Custom Software Development
- Clutch Award: Top United Kingdom BPO Company
For us, every new project is a challenge to create something unique, exceptional, and successful for our clients.
We would love to hear about your project!
https://www.flatrocktech.com/contact-us

headquarters
other locations
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bul. "Lipnik" 123Ruse 7005Bulgaria
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Smart Center, ul. Transportna 15Burgas 8008Bulgaria
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Recommended Providers
Portfolio
Audiocodes, Brompton, Motor Fuel Group, Hiddentec, gotikket, Lex Van Dam, Doppio

Marshal
Marshal is a computer software startup with the goal to help companies build resilience in the supply chain by providing an innovative solution in the personnel data management. It enables connections for the secure exchange of data through a SaaS marketplace and with it, solves the problem of inefficient access and management of personal data.
Flat Rock Technology created a cloud-based custom web application for Marshal. The Azure-based solution enables storing, sharing, screening, and contract-critical documents fast and effectively to ensure seamless employment and compliant, uninterrupted service delivery to clients. It is a system of categorized folders that can be shared both, privately and publicly and allows clients to respond to new operational challenges quickly.
Technologies: Ubuntu Server 18.04, PHP7, MySQL 5.7, Nginx, Laravel 5, Vue.js, Vue Router, Vuex

gotikket
Gotikket is a custom web and mobile platform for booking bus tickets for national and international travel. It connects bus companies to the customers and is an all-in-one solution for the travelling needs for both local and international travellers. It is a powerful, secure and easy to use platform that enables customers to purchase bus tickets on desired existing routes in the country or internationally at any time, even before boarding the bus.
Flat Rock Technology created Gotikket with user-friendliness and usability in mind. We developed the admin portal and API for multiple bus companies to place tickets effortlessly. With the custom design and UX, our team made sure that the platform is intuitive and easy to use.
Technologies:
Android: Kotlin, Firebase, Android Architecture Components, Paging Library, Navigation Library, Dagger, Retrofit, Espresso, Mokito, Fresco
iOS: Swift 4, MVVM, RxSwift, RxCocoa, RxAlamofire, RxReachability, Core Data, Crashlytics
BE: PHP 7.2, Laravel, MySQL
Admin Panel: Laravel Nova

Phone Number Connector (PNC)
AudioCodes Ltd. is a leading provider of advanced communications software, solutions and products for the digital workplace. With the wide range of innovative products, it provides, AudioCodes enables global enterprises and service providers to build and operate all-IP voice networks for hosted business services, contact centres and unified communications.
Flat Rock Technology developed a self-service online portal Phone Number Connector (PNC) that offers developers and companies an instant telephony-to-bot connection. The platform is cloud-based and uses 3rd party integration that enables end-to-end user flow. The user-friendly, self-service portal supports multiple bot frameworks from different providers under the same PNC account and provides scalable and flexible solutions. Users can acquire all phone numbers online, use built-in text-to-speech and speech-to-text capabilities and add and modify features.
Technologies: ASP.NET Core, Azure Technology, React + Redux, Entity Framework core, Dapper, ASP.NET Web API, Custom oAuth 2+JWT, Swagger

Motor Fuel Group
Motor Fuel Group (MFG) is the UK's largest independent forecourt operator. It operates over 900 stations under the well-recognized brand names such as BP, Esso, Shell, JET and Murco fuel brands. The client approached us with the request to design a sales reporting and information distribution system that would also allow system administrators to assign tasks and send personalized messages to the specific users.
Flat Rock Technology created the daily reporting system "Orange." To meet the huge demand for system resources and database capacity, we built the scalable cloud solution, which can adjust itself based on system load. "Orange" allows system management, daily reporting, system document, tasks and messaging distribution, permission-based access management, multi-Language management, and auto-populated Daily reporting.
Technologies: MVC, Azure Technology, .Net Core, Entity Framework Core, DAPPER, CQRS, MSSQL Server, RESTful API, JWT + oAuth2

Policy Wallet
Policy Wallet is an iOS and Android mobile application allowing the AJG customers to add and manage their insurance policies quickly and easily. The application was created for Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. a US-based global insurance brokerage and risk management services firm, which is the third-largest insurance broker in the world.
Flat Rock Technology created iOS and Android mobile applications with the purpose to make it easy for users to manage their insurance policies. The user is able to select from a variety of insurance types and categories and add a different level of details for their policy. The application also reminds about policy expiry and allows for a quick quote request for a new one.
Technologies:
Back-end: PHP, Symfony, MySQL, RedHat.
iOS: Swift 3.3, VIPER, Alamofire, Firebase.
Android: RxJava, Retrofit, Dagger 2. Firebase.

Triple Jump Technologies
Triple Jump Technology is a leading provider of real-time venue management technology that delivers business solutions to the marketing team and finance operators in sports venues. Its real-real time venue system provides data analytics for transactions, attendance, and revenue, management of inventory, digital marketing and mobile connectivity across multiple venues. It offers cross-platform integration capabilities that serve to improve ROI.
The RTVM platform that Flat Rock Technology created for TJT aggregates, sorts and manages information from retail technologies and integrates crucial real-time operational & consumer data. The Big Data functionality provided in the RTMV platform is supporting the venue in understanding and developing its commercial performance, analyzing trends and the relationship between business entities.
Technologies: Entity Framework 6, .NET 4.0 / 4.5, MVC 4,5, HTML 5, CSS3, MSSQL, JavaScript, jQuery, Backbone js, knockout js, NServiceBus, Web API, WCF.

Book A Classic
BookAClassic is a platform for car enthusiasts who are passionate about classic cars. The platform has a system operating and serving clients in 37 countries. Before approaching us, the system had 37 individual instances of CMS, working independently without the possibility to share the information among themselves. BookAClassic needed a modern, flawless CMS system that would allow easy management.
Flat Rock Technology designed and developed bespoke WP instance and upgraded it to suit their needs better. While redesigning, we reduced the number of instances and allowed data sharing. Apart from the CMS that allows management of 37 countries, we created functionalities such as instant price calculation, booking, and submission of vehicles to be listed on the platform.
Technologies: Laravel, PHP, WordPress, VueJS, Tailwind CSS, Apple Maps, Google Cloud Services, Cloudflare

Wilbury Stratton
Wilbury Stratton is an international executive search and competitive intelligence firm providing world-class research and enabling companies to make informed executive-level decisions. With its online pipeline program clients can manage large and complex talent pools, view talents, analyze structures and expertise and build talent pipelines seamlessly and effectively.
Flat Rock Technology created the corporate website, WordPress admin panel and online pipelining portal for Wilbury Stratton. The portal's core features and functionalities include market and competitor intelligence, perception analysis, executive search, leadership risk mitigation, talent intelligence, mapping and pipelining, and diversity benchmarking.
Technologies: Ubuntu 16.04 running Nginx 1.10.3, PHP 7, MySQL 5.7, jQuery, Symfony 3.3, WordPress 4.9.6

Brompton
Brompton is the biggest bicycles manufacturer in the UK that operates since 1975 and builds over 50,000 bikes a year. Brompton needed a quick, modern and reliable platform that would allow manufacturers and dealers to customize their bicycle.
Flat Rock Technology created a bespoke custom web application and extranet system that allows the company to sell its bicycles via their distribution worldwide. Distributors and dealers of the bikes use a streamlined Extranet system to place their orders that feature multiple profiles and allows dynamic management of data including accounts, users, and orders. The system allows full customization, data management and a brand-new diagnostic tool for electric bikes.
Technologies: ASP.NET Framework 4, HTML 5, MSSQL, CSS, JavaScript, jQuery, Angular JS, RESTful WCF Services.

Lex Van Dam
Lex Van Dam is the world-class trader for whom Flat Rock Technology developed a website and a training academy. The academy allows people of all backgrounds to learn about financial markets, stocks and trading. It is designed and developed to provide an unbiased financial education that empowers people to make the best financial decision.
The trading platform is tailor-made to meet the needs and expectations of the end-users. The platform is user-friendly, easy to navigate and use even for the new users. All the users need to do is to register and choose the desired program. After which they will receive videos and documents, describing how to buy and sell stock properly, and at what time to earn the most profit.
Technologies: PHP, MySQL, HTML5, CSS, JavaScript, jQuery, Groupon Integration.

LabWorm
LabWorm is a social network and a tool aggregator for scientists and biology enthusiasts. It is a platform where users can share and download scientific tools freely. The network allows users to stay updated, receive the newest and most relevant tools for their research in the field of Biology, Microbiology, Bioinformatics and Genetics.
Flat Rock Technology created a platform for LabWorm to help it reach its aim: challenge the traditional way of doing scientific work and give power back to the scientists in the lab. The platform allows users to log in via Facebook or Twitter, start discussions, upload, rate or download tools and follow others. The platform is constantly upgraded by Flat Rock to add the latest and more valuable features.
Technologies: PHP, Laravel Framework, Standard FE Technologies, (HTML5, CSS3, JS, etc.), BackboneJS, AWS (EC2, S3, and RDS), Python, NodeJS, Grunt, Sass for FE Building, Other 3rd Party Services, Integration.

Doppio
Doppio is a coffee beans supplier offering exclusive Italian coffee beans that suit all tastes. It was essential for Doppio to update its website to keep up with the latest trends, have a modern and simple website that provides e-space for offering coffee brands and equipment just a click away.
Flat Rock Technology has designed and developed a website with a simple, yet modern and elegant interface. Our team has implemented the e-commerce platform with a responsive design theme, chosen by the client and customized further to his specifications to make the website easy to use. Clients, coffee shops or coffee equipment manufacturers can easily find everything they need on the platform and purchase it with the simple and fast checkout process - available for both registered and guest users.
Technologies: Magento 1.8.1, PHP5, CSS, JavaScript, jQuery.

Purify Digital
Ella is a chatbot created for Purify digital to help its team in their intense daily agenda. It serves as a virtual account manager, assisting to the clients of Purify Digital regularly, to ensure that they do not miss any wish lists or new offers from the publishers and advertisers.
Flat Rock Technology created a chatbot that would allow Purify Digital to automate the company processes, create a back-end system that enables data access for configuration, extraction and analysis, and with it streamline their operations for the maximum efficiency. Always available and accurate, Ella is a powerful tool for optimizing brand-to-customer communication, while reducing costs and resources.
Technologies: JQuery, VUE.JS, MS SQL, EF, MVC 5, MS bot Framework.

MRH Retail
MRR is the UK's leading independent service station owner and operator, with over 450 company-owned service stations in its portfolio. The company approached us with the need to find a modern and efficient solution for communication retail operations information to a wide network of parties.
Flat Rock Technology developed a custom platform, RITA (Retail Information & Template Access) an intranet/extranet secure web database application. The platform supports the distribution and flow of information and documentation to their retail sites. It covers user management, Document processing, store management to control fascia and retail display on a store-by-store basis, Warranty and maintenance tracking for in-store point of sale and display equipment, News and FAQ sections, ticketing module, reporting issues and reports management.
Technologies: ASP.NET 3.5, LINQ extensions, MS SQL 2008, AJAX, HTML, CSS.

My Happy
My Happy is a mobile application that provides space where users can create inspirational visual messages and send them to their friends or loved ones to brighten up their day. It was created to help people share a little bit of happiness everywhere to inspire others and spread the power of positivism.
Thanks to the user-friendly design and simple navigation, it is very easy to use the app. Users can register with a simple, quick and easy registration process and start creating their visuals. On My Happy app, inviting your phone contacts is just a tap away. The app has a huge database of predefined pictures, fonts, and messages. Users can use them to create their inspirational visuals or create a completely custom one.
Technologies: Java, Objective - C, Android Studio, Xcode, XMPP, PHP, Laravel, MySQL, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, jQuery.

Toptask
TopTask is a mobile application that connects students from around the world with the people who need assistance in the field of tutoring, languages, child care, office work and much more. It enables students to find the perfect task-based work for themselves based on their preferences and abilities.
Flat Rock ensured that the app is equally easy and comfortable to use for students and employers. Both parties need to go through an easy and quick registration process and create their personalized profiles. The app includes an option to chat, so students and employees can easily contact each other. The comprehensive app has all features to ensure that both parties will reach their objectives in a few simple steps.
Technologies: Java, Objective - C, Android Studio, AFNetworking libraries, Xcode, Volley, Git.

Sharkhire
Sharkhire is an online assessment system for human resources companies and agencies that are interested in tracking and comparing their employees' performance and skills. It is an effortless and timesaving way to compare job candidates and employees' performance and is the perfect tool for any researcher, analyst, or HR manager.
Flat Rock Technology designed Sharkhire web application with flexibility, security and ease of use in mind. The web application does not need any installation and is available 24/7 anywhere. Sharkhire offers instant analysis of the results, reduces employee turnover and helps increase employee satisfaction.

SportScore
SportScore is a mobile app designed for football fans around the world to check the real-time football scores instantly on their phone or smartwatch. It allows you to track every football game as well as its results live through a simple interface, designed to share the most valuable information about matches with its user.
Flat Rock Technology designed SportScore to be user-friendly and responsive. While using it, the user's phone and watch will communicate seamlessly, so they can be up to speed on any device of their choice and convenience. Users can subscribe to a match or a club of their choice and get instant notifications to never miss out on the scores. Users can install the app and sign up instantly with no hassle, to follow current, past and future matches.

Contact Master
Contact Master is a mobile application tailored to professionals to digitize and organize all of their business cards and save time for what it is needed for – making partnerships and doing business. Users can open the app, scan the business card and see the scanned contact info in seconds. It splits out first and last names, email address, position, company, phone, etc.
Flat Rock Technology ensured to create an app that is comprehensive and includes all features needed to make networking easier than ever. It is easy to use, effective, and genuinely intuitive. Users can easily filter and search for specific people, position or firm within the contact list and send them messages in a few seconds. With it, users can set reminders, send meeting requests and include voice comments and attachments to contacts.

Insurance Vault
Insurance Vault is an Android and iOS application that allows you to quickly and easily store and manage your insurance data starting from policy details and personal contacts, to images and documents. Through a simple and modern interface, you can add and browse all your insurance forms. Reminders are available and adjustable according to the user preferences, and they pop up at the insurance due date.
Flat Rock Technology designed the app to include all the necessary insurance information and features, and at the same time, to be intuitive and easy to use for every user. Users can log in via email or Facebook, make an emergency or broker quick calls, request for a renewal quote, set reminders, upload copies of insurance documents and put an unlimited number of insurances under each category.

AppBazzar
AppBazzar is an AppWall, a digital marketplace that features a beautiful and efficient way for consumers to view and research top-ranked apps in one place with fresh content that is continuously updated in response to consumer feedback. The latest version allows you to view top apps from top brands across all categories in a single marketplace. AppBazzar helps users to discover the latest and most talked-about apps for iOS and Android.
Flat Rock Technology the Appwall with a new, special design that will make users conversions rocket to the skies. Due to the transparency of AppBazzar’s workflow, optimization of traffic is now acquired effortlessly and targeting by device and geo is just a couple of clicks away. Users can have pop up banners adjusted to your CPA or CPL needs and manually delay the initialization of an offer or set the end date of its visualization
Reviews
the project
Azure Cloud Management for Translation Company
"They understood what we needed without a lot of communication and always delivered exactly what we had in mind."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m a manager at a translation company.
What challenge were you trying to address with Flat Rock Technology?
We needed help managing our Azure cloud infrastructure. Cloud infrastructures are new for many IT departments that were forced into this environment by the COVID-19 pandemic. Although we were early adopters, we didn't have the insight into how to take the took a step further. The idea of connecting with a third party was to free up resources internally and bring us a bit further in how infrastructure was managed.
What was the scope of their involvement?
Flat Rock Technology managed our Azure cloud infrastructure remotely. The team's primary task was the monthly deployment of our virtual desktop. We rotated all of the virtual machines monthly, and the team updated machines and redeployed them for us.
There were also a few one-off tasks they did for us. For example, they did a server migration; they migrated physical machines to cloud-hosted machines. They also purchased some resources within Azure for us. Additionally, they performed some maintenance work, reviewed performance metrics, and raised suggestions to improve our experience with the cloud.
What is the team composition?
We had one regular point of contact, and there were three more people from Flack Rock Technology involved.
How did you come to work with Flat Rock Technology?
They have an office in an area where we also have a location. We established personal contact with some employees on their end, and someone from our team recommended Flat Rock Technology.
How much have you invested with them?
They charged us based on a percentage of our total Azure spend, so the monthly sum fluctuated. I believe we paid them 20% of our spending, so we paid around £1,200 (approximately $1,500 USD) per month.
What is the status of this engagement?
We worked together from February 2021–February 2022.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
Overall, we were happy with the work Flat Rock Technology performed, which was very high quality. They always delivered everything we requested from them. Thanks to our engagement, we furthered our gain from being in the cloud and freed up resources during our partnership. We ended up with better processes than before, and we were pleased with their work on the server migration.
How did Flat Rock Technology perform from a project management standpoint?
They always delivered on time, and they were very professional in their deliveries and schedule. Although they suggested a ticketing tool, we didn't want to extend access to our internal team. We limited this project to one department that directly dealt with Flat Rock Technology.
Throughout the project, there were a few communication snags; I didn't always feel like they communicated clearly about what they were doing or delivering. We communicated via email.
What did you find most impressive about them?
I was very impressed by the quality of Flat Rock Technology's service. They delivered what we asked for without needing more details or for us to elaborate. They planned the deployment and execution of every request.
In my experience with third parties, a lot of communication is necessary to figure out our needs. With Flat Rock Technology, we felt well taken care of in that respect; they understood what we needed without a lot of communication and always delivered exactly what we had in mind.
Are there any areas they could improve?
Their communication could have been a bit better. Even though they always delivered everything in the end, it would have been easier for me to know what was happening if they'd been clearer about their activities.
Additionally, I was hoping to get a better idea of how to improve our cloud deployment and maintain it, which I told the Flat Rock Technology about. However, I don't necessarily think we know more or are in better hands now. We were paying a pretty large sum and hoping to get more than we could do ourselves, which we didn't. This is part of the reason why we called off our cooperation. Ultimately, they were a very good fit for us in some ways and not others. I don't necessarily think that's a point against them; it has more to do with where they are as a company versus where we are.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Have a very clear idea of what you want to achieve and try to communicate that very early on so it's completely transparent. You should set expectations based on what you're aiming to achieve. If you have clear expectations and a clear plan, Flat Rock Technology would be a good fit for most companies.
the project
Software Development for Computer Software Startup
"Flat Rock’s ability to grasp what we want to do and implement it quickly is really impressive."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the founder of Triteria, a computer software startup.
What challenge were you trying to address with Flat Rock Technology?
I came up with a concept for a piece of software. I turned to Flat Rock to develop that concept.
What was the scope of their involvement?
I approached Flat Rock with a written scope and some wireframes I’d drawn up, and told them I was looking to build a web-based application. The team worked on the front- and backend development, and had some free hand in design as well.
The team came up with the entire solution, based on Azure, along with several other technologies including PHP.
What is the team composition?
I flew to their offices at the start of the project, and interfaced with about seven people. After that, I sort of left them to it. I have a direct contact with a project manager and don’t really speak with anyone else.
How did you come to work with Flat Rock Technology?
We’ve had a professional relationship for about 10 years now, from when I worked with them in a different role. They were the first company I thought of to help me develop the concept.
What is the status of this engagement?
We’ve been working together since January 2019. They built it over about six months, and we’ve spent the last six months iterating and developing further.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
We just launched a couple of weeks ago, so it’s too early to speak to the success of Flat Rock’s work. However, throughout the project, they’ve delivered everything we’ve asked for. They’ve gone about the project extremely professionally and iterated very quickly.
How did Flat Rock Technology perform from a project management standpoint?
We communicate almost entirely through email. On their end, they use ticketing systems and other project management tools on their end. On my end, I typically take screenshots of what I’m working on and send it to them through PowerPoint with comments and requests, which they deal with accordingly.
What did you find most impressive about them?
Flat Rock’s ability to grasp what we want to do and implement it quickly is really impressive. It was a rather complex piece of software, and trying to explain it in written form has been complicated. Very rarely has the team misunderstood what we’re trying to achieve.
Are there any areas they could improve?
There’s nothing that comes to mind. Any mistakes we’ve had in the project have been due to miscommunications on our side. They’ve responded well to any changes in direction throughout the entire collaboration.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Go and visit them if you can. A lot of what we’re doing is highly detailed and needs a lot of interaction, so it will be helpful.
the project
Chatbot Development for Telecommunications Company
"Flat Rock takes us very seriously as a customer."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the director of SaaS for AudioCodes, an international telecommunications company. My team is currently developing a new SaaS product.
What challenge were you trying to address with Flat Rock Technology?
We have a large team of engineers, but we needed more resources for a rapid solution project we had. We hired Flat Rock to help us enable voice technology for a chatbot.
What was the scope of their involvement?
The Flat Rock team set up our entire SaaS system. We created the PRDs and requirements for the team to work from beforehand, including graphics and UI. The solution enables developers, customers, and businesses to purchase a virtual telephone number, which is then connected to a chatbot. The process is voice to bot, rather than texting or typing. The team used Google Dialogflow to help build the web app.
What is the team composition?
Miroslav (Project Manager) was our main point of contact, and we also worked with about six other developers.
How did you come to work with Flat Rock Technology?
One of our executive managers recommended them. We brought them in and had a few meetings, and ended up being impressed with their experience. The team was competitive, responsive, and understood what we wanted to do, so we decided to partner with them.
How much have you invested with them?
We’ve spent around $30,000 so far.
What is the status of this engagement?
The project began in November 2019 and is ongoing.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
Flat Rock has definitely done a lot of the heavy lifting for the project. They’ve offered very professional services. We’re satisfied with the overall quality of their services.
How did Flat Rock Technology perform from a project management standpoint?
They know what they’re doing when it comes to project management. They’re smooth and professional, always giving us quick responses. They’re a team of creative thinkers who like to think outside the box.
What did you find most impressive about them?
Flat Rock takes us very seriously as a customer. They make themselves available to us, which is something we don’t always get from other providers. It’s been a great relationship.
Are there any areas they could improve?
They’re always improving on their technical skills. Our engagement has been really smooth so far.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
It’s really important to have a locked-in PRD. Know how your UI is going to be laid out. Also, understand that there will be a lot of surprises that neither you nor Flat Rock will be able to predict, and be prepared to be flexible, patient, and understanding with those additional hours.
the project
App Development for Insurance Broker
“Their project lead did a very good job bridging the gap between their developers and our team.”
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the digital manager for an insurance broker. Though our offices are based in the US, I work from our UK office.
What challenge were you trying to address with Flat Rock Technology?
We hire Flat Rock Technology to expand our digital footprint and develop a mobile app.
What was the scope of their involvement?
They built us a mobile app for iOS and Android. When users first load the app, it will provide instructions that they can click through. After providing a secure login and password, users can enter policy information, upload documents and photographs, and can contact us via screen to request a quote.
What is the team composition?
Our initial discussions were with their CEO, and we discussed the contract with their financial officer. Then we had a project lead, a product development lead, a senior developer, another developer, and testers.
How did you come to work with Flat Rock Technology?
We found them online, and they had already built a mobile app that was very similar to what we wanted to create.
How much have you invested with them?
We spent between $100,000–$200,000.
What is the status of this engagement?
The project lasted from 2016–2018, but we’re still in contact for maintenance and minor issues.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
They delivered everything as we expected. We use Google Analytics to track the app's success. Using the admin facility Flat Rocks Technology. Built for us, we’re able to monitor the number of policies uploaded, users, and the number of quotes we received.
How did Flat Rock Technology perform from a project management standpoint?
Their project lead did a very good job bridging the gap between their developers and our team. Many of their teammates were based abroad, but communication wasn’t an issue. They were constantly in contact with us, and they spoke very good English. Sometimes they weren’t available on national holidays that we don’t celebrate, but overall, they were very helpful.
What did you find most impressive about them?
I was impressed by their experience and ability to come up with innovative ideas.
Are there any areas they could improve?
Although our communication was very solid, I wish they had a local office where we could meet face-to-face.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
We’ve learned that it’s easier when you’ve already scoped out your work properly. Decide what you want to do before your engagement starts and provide your project requirements up front.
the project
Platform Dev for Financial Risk-Reduction Firm
"Flat Rock Technology is highly aware of the importance of meeting our targets, and we haven’t missed any so far."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I'm the CEO of Digilog UK, a company specialized in utilizing and deploying voice risk analysis technologies in various behavioral analyses for the purpose of fraud prevention and detection. We mainly operate in the financial services sector.
What challenge were you trying to address with Flat Rock?
Flat Rock Technology has an amazing team of developers that can help us with our technological work very quickly. Our clients usually require bespoke solutions that can be deployed with their legacy systems. We needed resources to address requirements from specific clients, and Flat Rock Technology not only helped us find the right team but also to understand what’s required to develop the product within time and budget. Flat Rock Technology has been our partner for almost three years.
What was the scope of their involvement?
Flat Rock Technology has given us two lines of service. The first line of support is internal and for simple issues. They provide a second line of support for whatever is needed around our technology. For tasks that are a bit more complicated or that require integration, Flat Rock Technology will develop, help us integrate, or support us in resolving issues around the solution.
The main area of our relationship with Flat Rock Technology is the continuous development of the application—anything to do with databases, interfaces, cloud databases, and so on. Flat Rock provides these services on an ongoing basis.
Since November 2018, we’ve broken our scope into various stages and phases of development, each one with a list of tasks to achieve, from integrations to UI development, databases, and cloud servers.
We customize our systems for specific clients, based on their specifications, and we make sure we’re in line with whatever technology’s in the market. We always have to keep updating and improving on this. It’s a never-ending process. We use Flat Rock Technology for all tasks of this kind. They have the expertise, the knowledge, and the people, and they’ve done a fantastic job so far, so we’ll continue to use them on future phases.
What is the team composition?
Roussi (PMO Lead, Flat Rock Technology) is our account manager and main point of contact. We do visit Flat Rock Technology sometimes to meet more people from the team, including the developers and the QAs. However, we go to Roussi for everything we need, and he delegates it down internally.
How did you come to work with Flat Rock?
We did a lot of research before deciding on Flat Rock Technology. The team ticked all the boxes for our requirements, and we knew their capabilities well before starting any work.
How much have you invested with them?
It’s in the hundreds of thousands of pounds range. It’s been a very high investment from our end.
What is the status of this engagement?
Our collaboration with Flat Rock Technology started in February 2017, and it’s ongoing.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
We have development cycles that end with a feedback and review section during a site visit. Flat Rock Technology gives us all the mechanisms and safety nets we need at the end of a phase to ensure the quality of the outcome. Even if something doesn't work quite right—as we would expect with any technology development—the team is always there to rectify it. We only came across this once, and they addressed those issues reasonably quickly.
We have a scoping session for every phase with Roussi and everyone else relevant to the job. We will outline the project and receive from them a timeline and a project plan that breaks down all the dates and what will happen at each stage. We can then evaluate our status within the project as well as add and subtract things. As we get closer to the end of the phase, there will be some mechanism of review and summarization before we move into the next stage.
We’re now at the end of phase three, and we’ve already gone through a couple of very long phases. It’s worked very well for us.
How did Flat Rock perform from a project management standpoint?
In our development cycles, we utilize target dates, but they are very much dependent on client information. Once that information is there, however, it’ll usually only take us a week to meet all the targets required. It’s crucial for us to meet the deadlines that we communicate to our clients and ensure that they see the results we promise.
Flat Rock Technology is highly aware of the importance of meeting our targets, and we haven’t missed any so far. We’ve shifted some deadlines between us because of factors out of our control, but Flat Rock Technology is generally exceptionally well managed.
We use Jira for the project outline and timeline, and we mainly communicate over the phone, Skype, and video conferencing. We also have face-to-face meetings once every two months or so. It’s always easier to go through the details and address the issues that may come up when we’re in front of someone. After that point, we’ll use email as the main line of communication between our teams.
What did you find most impressive about them?
Flat Rock Technology has various departments with different capabilities. The best thing is to work with someone who has access to each department and can delegate the work within the timeframe and scope. We don’t have to get involved with the work; we just see the end products.
Are there any areas they could improve?
I don’t think so. Ever since we started working with Flat Rock Technology, we knew what their capabilities were and what they could do for us. There have been no surprises or disappointments during our three-year relationship.
the project
Database Dev for Investment Company
"Their post-production support is as good as the actual work, and that’s been quite important for us."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m self-employed, as is my colleague. We work for the chairman of an independent investment company.
What challenge were you trying to address with Flat Rock Technology?
We hired them to create a database for our employer’s personal art collection. We had initially hired another company to make a bespoke database, but they didn’t have the proper developers in-house. We eventually decided to find another company because maintenance was becoming too difficult.
What was the scope of their involvement?
We started the partnership by sitting down with Flat Rock to discuss the nuances of the database. We had them complete some smaller tasks to gauge their competency. The actual redevelopment of the database didn’t happen until further down the line.
Flat Rock took over the system and made sure that it was running properly. They soon made it clear that the system was poorly written and that the code wasn’t going to sustain itself over time. After some negotiation, we decided to accept Flat Rock’s proposal to completely redo the system.
They set up a curatorial database that serves as a private, in-house system. We have an ongoing support and maintenance agreement, and Flat Rock continues to host the platform and troubleshoot as needed.
What is the team composition?
They assigned a project manager to us. Originally, we weren’t sure whether the contract was for a UK-based project manager or not, but it ended up that he was based here more permanently. Most recently, we’ve been assigned a kind of customer manager as well, and she has a colleague that assists us when necessary.
How did you come to work with Flat Rock Technology?
We were originally introduced to someone who’s no longer working at Flat Rock. Our old IT company had a change of ownership, and the person who originally developed the bespoke system recommended that we reach out to Flat Rock. The rep that we spoke to was very knowledgeable and gave us a detailed breakdown of the services that they offer. We built such good rapport with the rep that we only reached out to one other company.
We didn’t have extensive knowledge of web-based platforms, but we felt that we didn’t have to shop around too much. We’re based in the UK, so the proposition of using a provider with very low comparative costs was attractive to our employer. Flat Rock was the best of both worlds. They were affordable but also had a London office. Although they’re based in Bulgaria, their proposal included a permanent contact in the UK, should we like one.
What is the status of this engagement?
We started working with Flat Rock in September or October 2017. We finalized the development plan in March 2018. I believe that development took about six months, including a three-month warranty period.
The warranty was quite useful for us in ensuring that the system did what we wanted it to do. We were able to make amendments within that time, as per the original scope.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
Flat Rock delivered a scalable system that we hope to update in the future.
How did Flat Rock Technology perform from a project management standpoint?
There was a short period of time when our project manager had to return to Bulgaria, but that didn’t affect his responsiveness. He still got back to us within the same day. When he couldn’t give an answer, he would offer a detailed timeline to let us know that someone was dealing with the issue.
Now that the product is finished, our resource is somewhat less responsive, because most of our requests are less urgent. When we do have an important fix to make, they’ll typically get back to us that same day. Quite often, they can make small fixes within a couple of hours. They’re good about managing the time difference.
What did you find most impressive about them?
We’ve loved their can-do attitude and refreshing approach. Our previous provider could no longer offer support or a plan to deal with concerns that mattered to us. It got to the point where we could tell that it was a hassle to deal with us when we had an issue, particularly as we eventually found out they had no backup or record of the product’s code.
There were certain tasks that we couldn’t evaluate the complexity of because we didn’t have a background in IT. Despite this, Flat Rock handled every request in the same way. In other words, they never belittled our requests and were transparent with us if they felt that some tasks were relatively small or unimportant.
From what I gather, Flat Rock is still small enough that the people at the top are involved in most of their projects. Chris (CFO, Flat Rock Technology) is still copied on our correspondence, and this shows me that he’s committed to staying informed. They seem to be quite a cohesive company.
Aside from being a cohesive firm, Flat Rock was very flexible and accommodating. With my colleague and I, it was important that both of us could work from the office and at home, and Flat Rock was flexible around that. Also, our project manager was always reasonable in trying to get at what we wanted.
We needed to clarify some things with our project manager during the warranty period, and there was a bit of back and forth about what had been included with the original estimate. There were some instances where we had different perceptions about how things should be set up, and we struggled to communicate our concerns from an IT point of view. On the occasions when we were adamant about specific changes, they were accommodating. Our project manager and his team were understanding and open to negotiations.
Similarly, they were quite understanding about renegotiating our monthly maintenance. We were able to structure it so that we could pay quarterly or at six-month intervals. They’re a good company to work with from a maintenance perspective. Their post-production support is as good as the actual work, and that’s been quite important for us. Most companies don’t bother with maintenance after they’ve received their payment.
Are there any areas they could improve?
Ideally, we would’ve wanted to have a maintenance person that had been involved in the development, but the resource that we got was sufficiently updated regarding the work.
Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?
It depends on the size of the company, but, if they have the time, it’s definitely worth it to have a face-to-face meeting, even just to present the requirements and to set up the workflow.
It’s important to get a feel for the project manager. Depending on the project, there can be a lot of things that Flat Rock can help with, and it’s a lot easier to get those things right from the beginning. That way, when you have an estimate drawn up, the actual desired outcomes will be made clear.
the project
Online Portal Dev for Vehicle Booking Service
“…their range of different skills make it possible for us to do things we couldn’t do before.”
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the CEO of a platform for booking classic cars.
What challenge were you trying to address with Flat Rock Technology?
We needed to upscale our development team and didn't want to hire internally. Instead, we wanted to work with a development house that would have all of the different skills we needed including design and frontend and backend development.
What was the scope of their involvement?
Flat Rock Technology built a custom web portal for us including design and development. We’ve also been discussing with their mobile development team.
What is the team composition?
We work directly with a project leader and the head of development.
How did you come to work with Flat Rock Technology?
My partner worked with the owner of Flat Rock Technology. We interviewed about five different companies and chose them.
What is the status of this engagement?
We started working with them in September 2017 and it’s ongoing.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
They have several developers on their team which allows us to both upscale and work at a faster pace than we could with our in-house developers. The development phase has thereby been shorter for us since we are less dependent on one person. We have a team at our disposal and their range of different skills make it possible for us to do things we couldn’t do before.
How did Flat Rock Technology perform from a project management standpoint?
We communicate with them several times a day. We set up all of the tasks with their own message boards through which we can communicate. We chat and have regular meetings via conference call to go through tasks and prioritize them.
They’re quick to respond and willing to help in any way they can. Sometimes we would like them to be quicker in delivering on project tasks. It’s hard for me, without programming skills, to understand how many hours some projects take. I would like them to work faster but it’s simply not possible.
What did you find most impressive about them?
I haven't had much experience with other companies to compare with. I can say that, compared to what we could do before with in-house programmers, this works much better because we are less dependent on one person.
Are there any areas they could improve?
I'm sure there are but nothing comes to mind at the moment.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Organize your projects into small tasks so that it's easier to estimate time requirements and set goals with timelines. It will be easier for them to understand what you want and the projects will be more transparent.
the project
Mobile App Dev for University Student Marketplace
“I've been in business for 20 years, and they're the best team I've worked with.”
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I'm the managing director at S2DNT UK. We're a mobile and web platform that connects small businesses with talented students from London universities.
What challenge were you trying to address with Flat Rock Technology?
I needed a company to build our student-recruitment platform from scratch. I was looking for contractors because it was more cost-efficient than having a full-time team.
What was the scope of their involvement?
We shared our ideas with them and they put together all the architecture and functionality. Then, they proceeded to deploy a native mobile app for iOS and Android. They handled all the development aspects, including the construction of the CRM, CMS, and APIs. Flat Rock Technology continues to manage our updates, so we don't need a full-time in-house technical team.
The app connects employers with university students across London. We screen and interview the students on our platform for easy recruitment. Employers then use the platform to give the best students tasks in the fields of research, design, and social media.
What is the team composition?
We usually worked with our project manager.
How did you come to work with Flat Rock Technology?
I met their managing director through common friends.
How much have you invested with them?
We spent about £140,000 ($183,000 USD).
What is the status of this engagement?
The project started in October 2015, and we went to market in January 2017.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
They worked quickly and efficiently. They produced some very effective technology, and I'm happy with the results.
How did Flat Rock Technology perform from a project management standpoint?
The process was very smooth, and they sent us weekly updates. I've been in business for 20 years, and they're the best team I've worked with.
What did you find most impressive about them?
I can't really compare them. I've mentioned everything above.
Are there any areas they could improve?
I can't think of anything. From my experience, they're spot-on.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Be very clear about what you want to achieve and how you want to get there. Since I was the only one designing the system, it was easy to maintain clear communication, which made things so much smoother for everyone.
the project
E-Learning Platform Development for Trading School
"They're the most reliable, knowledgeable team of experts I've ever encountered."
the reviewer
the review
The client submitted this review online.
Please describe your company and your position there.
I'm a director and the chief global strategist at the Lex van Dam Trading Academy.
For what projects/services did your company hire Flat Rock Technology?
We hired Flatrock Technology team to build a bespoke online learning platform.
What were your goals for this project?
Our goal was to have the first and best e-learning platform for retail traders and investors.
How did you select this vendor?
I interviewed through my network, searched for developers online, and came across Flatrock Technology on a review website. I was pleasantly surprised with their professional handling of my inquiry.
Can you go into detail about the services they provided and the scope of the project?
They designed, developed, configured, and launched a bespoke front- and backend system that operates e-commerce, e-learning, database hosting, and voucher redemption. They also provide ongoing maintenance. We've updated the website many times to meet our changing business needs, and Flatrock Technology always offers cost-effective solutions, timely deliveries, and attention to detail.
What was the team composition?
About 10 people were involved at the early stages, but professionals come and go depending on their skills. Our main point of contact is a stable project manager with whom we can communicate at any time.
We met their teams in the U.K. and Bulgaria and were thrilled with every member. We've seen their team change, but every recruit is excellent. We're happy to see that their teams maintain Flatrock Technology's friendly, dedicated culture.
Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?
We run a successful e-learning and e-commerce website thanks to their work. Industry colleagues and partners have given the site positive feedback. It has run smoothly for over five years with only minor updates and fixes, which Flatrock Technology has executed without disturbing our day-to-day sales and business operations. More importantly, we sleep calmly at night knowing they always have our back.
How was project management arranged and how effective was it?
Their project management is impressive. They do a fantastic job meeting our needs and managing the work internally. No other service provider is so patient and wonderful. We have direct access to our project manager and their team, who always help in a timely manner. Flatrock Technology treats every urgent situation as a priority and solves them in the blink of an eye.
What did you find most impressive about this company?
They're the most reliable, knowledgeable team of experts I've ever encountered. They're also humble, which makes them an absolute pleasure to work with. They explain the technical aspects of their decisions patiently, and we always work out a reasonable solution together.
Are there any areas where they can improve?
Life is a learning journey for all, and they're professionals who continuously learn, reflect, and improve. All I want is for their team to stay at the forefront of the services they offer.
the project
Custom Software Dev for Service Station Operator
“They were very focused on meeting our needs and delivering everything on time.”
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I'm a project manager at a large petrol stations operator. We have about 500 stations across the United Kingdom.
What challenge were you trying to address with Flat Rock Technology?
We wanted to upgrade the software that Flat Rock developed for us years ago, so we reached out to them again.
What was the scope of their involvement?
Petrol stations have convenience stores and we provide those shops with planograms that help them distribute their product on the shelves. The tool that Flat Rock developed enables us to communicate with our retailers and keep them up-to-date with the requirements. For this project, they upgraded the software–from the on-premise version to the Cloud version with the same functionality.
What is the team composition?
They're a small team based in Bulgaria, so I mostly worked with their project manager.
How did you come to work with them?
The relationship started before I joined the company. Flat Rock developed the first version of the product in 2009.
How much have you invested with them?
We spent between $50,000–$100,000.
What is the status of this engagement?
The project started in January 2018 and it ended in May 2018.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
They delivered everything we had requested on time and on budget. We're very happy with the results.
How did they perform from a project management standpoint?
Our dedicated project manager did a great job, so I didn't have to be involved in too many details. We usually used email and phone to communicate, and they also provided us with weekly reports. If we had any issues during the testing phase, they addressed them quickly.
What did you find most impressive about them?
Being a small company, they're very cost-effective and able to give one-on-one attention to their clients. Also, their technical team is very competent.
Are there any areas they could improve?
They didn't keep any documentation from the time they developed the original tool, so they had to train their team internally to understand the software. It was more of an internal issue for them, so they didn't charge us for that.
Also, their team is quite small, so there was only one person who interacted with us. We were OK with that, but I was concerned there could be a problem if that person got sick.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
They're very competent and do an excellent job. They were very focused on meeting our needs and delivering everything on time.
The client was happy with Flat Rock Technology's high-quality work, which yielded better processes. The team was accommodating to the client's requests and very professional in their timely deliveries. Their quick understanding of requirements and ability to meet them perfectly stood out.