FlexMade

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Founder of AllDrafts

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

AllDrafts is a cloud-based editor designed specifically for lawyers drafting contracts.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire FlexMade to accomplish?

• Help with product development

SOLUTION

How did you find FlexMade?

I had successfully used them at a previous company.

Why did you select FlexMade over others?

• Close to my geographic location
• Pricing fit our budget
• Referred to me

How many teammates from FlexMade were assigned to this project?

1 Employee

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Our application provides a text editor (like Google Docs) with features that help lawyers structure their documents. The project has many AI features.

The key deliverables included.

• Implementing parts of AI related to finding similarity in text.
• Adding features to KNN search.
• Supporting and extending the API.
• Text editor enhancements.
• Fixing memory leaks related to Remix and Fastify.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Significantly enhanced user experience with better system performance and usability through new feature implementations. Additionally, system efficiency and security were improved, increasing the platform's reliability and safety.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

FlexMade's developer quickly integrated into our team, collaborating closely with our in-house engineers. Their proactive approach made our cooperation seamless, minimizing the need for close supervision. He handled urgent matters promptly and effectively, taking proactive steps and adhering to established protocols to ensure project success.

What was your primary form of communication with FlexMade?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

The company's seamlessly integrated a new team member into our workflows and communicated well. They consistently delivered on time and responded proactively to our needs.

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

No; I was very happy with FlexMade.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO of GSC Consulting and Management AG

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

GSC Consulting Services assists companies and individuals to established his business world wide. We assists with our network and know how.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire FlexMade to accomplish?

• We needed to grow our team with extra skilled professionals to boost our project's capabilities and capacity.
• We were looking for people who not only had strong technical skills but could also communicate well, making sure everyone on the team could work together seamlessly.
• . It was crucial that the new hires could easily integrate with our existing team, fostering a collaborative environment rather than just working as external contractors.

SOLUTION

How did you find FlexMade?

A company we contacted didn’t have the capacity and recommended their trusted partner, FlexMade.

Why did you select FlexMade over others?

• Close to my geographic location
• Pricing fit our budget
• Referred to me

How many teammates from FlexMade were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

The scope of work encompassed a variety of websites, including those based on WordPress, Squarespace, and custom-built platforms. Most of these websites were developed from scratch, although FlexMade also took over, supported, and extended existing sites when necessary. Key deliverables for these projects included fully functioning websites with ongoing technical support, the implementation of additional features, and free bug fixes, among other services.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

The project outcomes demonstrated significant progress and success. FlexMade successfully developed and launched fully functioning websites and custom solutions. Their ongoing technical support ensured operational efficiency and stability. Additionally, the implementation of new features enhanced user experience. Overall, the improved performance and positive user feedback highlighted the project's success.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

The management was top-notch throughout the project. There were no delays, and all deliverables were completed on time. The team and the project manager were incredibly responsive to our needs, promptly addressing any concerns or requests we had. Overall, the quality of work was exceptional.

What was your primary form of communication with FlexMade?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

FlexMade demonstrated remarkable proficiency by seamlessly integrating into our team dynamics and maintaining clear communication throughout the project. They consistently adhered to deadlines and proactively addressed our needs, whether it was during development or support. Their commitment significantly contributed to the project's success and garnered positive feedback.

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

FlexMade performed quite effectively throughout our collaboration. They displayed impressive proficiency, showcasing their adaptability in various situations. Their consistent commendable performance reflected their commitment to delivering quality outcomes.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am a director of BuzzFeed

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

BuzzFeed is a digital media company known for its viral content, entertainment news, quizzes, and investigative journalism. BuzzFeed's content covers a wide range of topics, including pop culture, politics, technology, food, and more

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire FlexMade to accomplish?

• Expanding the existing team, bringing in additional skilled professionals to augment project capabilities and capacity.
• Providing individuals possessing both strong technical expertise and effective communication skills, ensuring smooth collaboration and interaction within the team.
• New members were expected to integrate smoothly with our in-house primary engineers, promoting collaboration rather than functioning independently as vendors.

SOLUTION

How did you find FlexMade?

• Referral
• Other

Why did you select FlexMade over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me

How many teammates from FlexMade were assigned to this project?

14

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

• Improve analytics gathering and visualization.
• Integrating scripts for enhanced recommendations.
• Incorporating new advertising formats.
• Translating designs into code.
• Update the code base to be compatible with the latest software packages.
• Streamline performance and expand functionality.
• Develop various APIs

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

The project's measurable outcomes encompassed implementing changes to service providers, updating design components, and integrating recommendation scripts. These achievements reflected progress in enhancing user experience, optimizing performance, and improving feature effectiveness. Additionally, there wer enhancements in system efficiency and the successful integration of new advertising formats.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Under the guidance of our team leaders and line managers, the FlexMade team seamlessly integrated into our operational workflows. Their collaborative spirit facilitated smooth cooperation, alleviating the necessity for micromanagement. They consistently exhibited quick and effective responses to urgent matters, adopted a proactive stance, and adhered to established protocols.

What was your primary form of communication with FlexMade?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

FlexMade's remarkable ability lies in seamlessly integrating new team members into our established processes, coupled with their effective communication skills. Their dedication to punctual delivery and proactive responsiveness to our requirements stood out as particularly noteworthy.

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

FlexMade showcased commendable proficiency throughout our collaboration, handling unexpected changes with grace and adaptability. While there were some unforeseen adjustments, their overall performance remained commendable, demonstrating their resilience and commitment to delivering quality outcomes.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO of G12 Communications

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Provide Cloud Communication Services to businesses

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire FlexMade to accomplish?

• We needed to attract more experts to our projects than we had
• We wanted software engineers with strong technical skills and good communication, who could understand our business processes
• The projects we worked on related to 3rd party integrations and business process automation.

SOLUTION

How did you find FlexMade?

Referral

Why did you select FlexMade over others?

• Close to my geographic location
• Pricing fit our budget
• Referred to me

How many teammates from FlexMade were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

• Customer portal design and development
• Phone number ordering flow automation
• Implementation of background queues for time-consuming operations
• Improvements in software integration with 3rd parties as Acrobits, PBX, FaxBack, TCAP, and Inteliquent
• SMS and push notifications sending implementation
• Adding unit testing as a part of the project processes

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We’ve reached many of the goals I described above, and we're adding new ones as the project continues. Our software is more robust and functional now, which positively affects both our work efficiency and our customers' satisfaction.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

FlexMade team worked under the direct supervision of our CTO. The guys are very comfortable to work with, and we never had to spend much time on management. Developers had a sense of urgency when we needed it.

What was your primary form of communication with FlexMade?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

We didn’t have much experience with software development outsourcing before, and we like how this collaboration is going. The developers know their job and they have proven to be responsible and professional. We like that we don’t have to micro-manage. The tasks we assign are completed efficiently and within the agreed-upon time frame.

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

FlexMade is a partner we can rely on. While we encountered some unforeseen issues, it's important to note that these were not directly attributable to anyone's fault, and I refrain from criticism in this regard.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the CEO of GleeFit, a digital platform for live, online, small group exercise classes.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

FlexMade created our MVP, based on a previously created UX/UI-design, and after we had two false starts with other programming agencies.

SOLUTION

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

FlexMade came recommended to me from a friend and entrepreneur in Seattle who had worked with the company previously. When we initially reviewed the (at that time unsatisfactory) status of the development work with FlexMade, we quickly gained confidence that they were the right company to turn the situation around and develop a marketable product.

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

Before we started working with FlexMade, we had a clear UX/UI design and some initial development work. FlexMade then created first a beta version of our product and then, after extensive testing, a fully live version. The product is a mobile enabled web site, with registered users, with a customised front end and a WordPress back end. It is integrated into a white label video solution (Samba). It is also integrated into Stripe and Paypal for payments.

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

We had one project manager as a main point of contact throughout the process, who was very responsive and always on top of matters. We also interacting closely with the team member who did the programming. In total FlexMade had a team of about 6 individuals on the project, including front and back end and project management.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Both the beta version and the launch version of the product were absolutely up to specification. We did have a number of pieces of feedback, which were reliably taken up and implemented quickly. The project manager has been very transparent about where things stand, and has communicated predicted timing and cost for all elements of the project. As a result, there were never any negative surprises around timing or cost.

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

We have weekly calls with the project manager, sometimes also involving the back end programmer. In addition, the team at FlexMade has always been readily available on short notice when needed. We manage the entire project through GitLab, which has been extremely useful and provided full transparency on open, in progress, and completed items.

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

Great value for money; the work was delivered consistently in high quality and at a very competitive cost. The other point is the responsiveness and the flexibility of FlexMade - from responding quickly to issues or urgent requests to immediately standing people down when they were not required, this really has been distinctive.

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

There really were hardly any issues. Even the number of problems we ran into was very much at the low end of what one would expect from development in my experience.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We create applications and systems that help people make better, actionable decisions with data. I am the co-founder and CEO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire FlexMade?

Take a spreadsheet based Health Risk Assessment system and create a multi-user, web-based, secure application.

What were your goals for this project?

Create an easy-to-use and understand system for healthcare providers and their patients to help them understand their health risks and give them guidance to better health.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Our client has worked with FlexMade and recommended them. FlexMade has the technical and project management expertise necessary to make the project successful.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Based on a design sprint and an existing spreadsheet-based prototype, FlexMade created a Python and Postgres based system complete with multiple levels of security. The web system is responsive for mobile and desktop. The system is hosted on AWS and local servers. FlexMade created interfaces with building access devices and payment processing systems.

What was the team composition?

The project team was fewer than 10 people including DBA, security specialists, Python developers and project managers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The system is being rolled out to multiple clinics and is becoming the basis for improving patient's health.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Project management is very effective and through. We used Trello to manage tasks and communications are clear and concise.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

FlexMade is flexible, responsive and creative. They have many excellent recommendations and impressive expertise.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of a business that provides research and analysis services to investors in the US loan market.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with FlexMade?

I commissioned Flexmade to develop my website, where registered users can access the research files that they have permissions for.  

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Flexmade developed the web-based platform in accordance with the design I provided. They consulted me on my web hosting options and programmed all of the necessary pages and links.

The primary page is a user portal; their team constructed a user interface where users can log in and get notifications for new file uploads. They’ve also delivered an admin page where I can upload files, manage clients, and oversee user activity.

I trusted their technology recommendations, so I’m not certain which ones were used. Their recommendations were largely helpful because I’m not coming from a technical background. They’ve ensured that I can manage user access. Each user only has access to the files of certain companies, so they created a robust permissions system that secures these limitations.

What is the team composition?

It was a team of 4–5 including a project manager. He was my primary point of contact, but there were several programmers involved. The team also consisted of a QA manager and a designer.

How did you come to work with FlexMade?

I found them through Clutch, where I’d made a job request. FlexMade was among the companies that responded, and their previous projects showcased their capabilities. They were also relatively cost-effective; many of the quotes I got weren’t feasible for an early-stage startup.

They had strong reviews on the site, and I was impressed that they came to me with a list of thoughtful, specific questions. I got the impression that they put care and diligence in understanding the exact requirements, so I decided to go with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $8,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project officially commenced in August 2019. The bulk of the project is wrapped up, but we’re in a user-testing and debugging phase.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

FlexMade exceeded my expectations. They turned my vision into a reality by creating a quality product that I’m proud to present to my clients. Given their very reasonable cost, I was surprised at the high quality of their work. I didn’t have to micromanage them at all; they exercised great autonomy in building my site and in making the necessary changes and updates.

While it’s too early for me to have any solid metrics, I’ve received great user feedback about the site’s design, layout, and functionalities.

How did FlexMade perform from a project management standpoint?

They performed well. Their project manager responded in a timely manner and excelled at identifying flaws in our plan. He had great foresight in optimizing our strategy and in making recommendations. He was also communicative and speedy in resolving issues. We had standup calls on a weekly basis.

What did you find most impressive about them?

FlexMade went above and beyond to ensure the functionality of the site and took their own initiative to make improvements. They really took ownership of the project and guaranteed that it was flawless.

Other outsourced groups that I’ve worked with over-promised and under-delivered. They had their own interests in mind and didn’t really care about the quality of the product as long as it was delivered on time. In comparison, FlexMade demonstrated great professionalism.

Are there any areas they could improve?

While it was never a major problem, communication sometimes posed a challenge. Every so often, my comment would go over their heads, and there was more back and forth that I would’ve wanted. It was a minor issue where I’d have to take extra time to explain things to them over the phone.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Clients should have a good sense of their design and UX requirements. This will eliminate open-ended questions and streamline FlexMade’s process. I also recommend that you’re open to FlexMade’s original ideas. They offered a lot of good advice, and they proved that they knew what they were doing and could get this done.

In terms of project management, I’d recommend for you to be prepared to have ongoing calls with them. My weekly calls with them were helpful in steering things in the right direction. Keep a record of issues and the necessary changes to your project, and be cognizant of their workflow as well.  

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the finance and administration director for Pasado’s Safe Haven. We’re a small nonprofit organization dedicated to ending animal cruelty.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire FlexMade?

Our web system was created a few years ago and hasn’t received an update since, resulting in slow performance and several annoying bugs. Since we lacked an IT department and access to the original developers, we reached to FlexMade to find ways to improve it.

What were your goals for this project?

To maximize cost efficiency, we wanted to update the existing system rather than create an entirely new one. We also wanted a partner for support and maintenance after the project ended.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We searched online for local software developers with excellent client reviews, and we found FlexMade. In a conversation with their leadership, FlexMade demonstrated both a high level of competence in software development and respect for intellectual property. These factors were important to us, so we chose them to complete this project.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Given the lack of technical documentation, FlexMade reverse-engineered the system to understand its implications, limitations, and entangled database relations. We provided them a list of known issues and desired change requests. They then implemented fixes to streamline the system and added new features.

FlexMade ensured that there was no noticeable downtime during system upgrades so we could continue our work without interruption. Their most time-consuming and resource-intensive operations happened at night to have minimal impact on our day-to-day activities.

What was the team composition?

We worked with a project manager who served as our primary point of contact throughout the project. They led a 3–4-person team that consisted of developers and a QA engineer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The system is now more user-friendly with more functionality and improved performance. Our employees heavily rely on the system, so we appreciate FlexMade’s work.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

The project manager made communication easy and transparent, managing our expectations well. We received real-time updates on FlexMade’s progress through email. Their team demoed new features using Google Meet screen sharing. 

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Our collaboration with FlexMade has surpassed our past experiences with software development vendors. They took the time to understand our needs, delivered high-quality results on time, and maintained a positive attitude from start to finish. We definitely will engage their team for future development projects.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, we were thrilled with FlexMade’s work.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the CTO of a company that sells art and furniture from our online stores.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire FlexMade?

We needed help with Shopware e-commerce development and general web development that involved Yii2 (a PHP framework), PHP7, MySQL, Smarty (PHP template engine), jQuery, Ext.js, JavaScript, and CSS.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to extend our development team with expert developers at an affordable price. The developers had to integrate with us completely but remotely using Scrum, Jira, and Google Meet.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

FlexMade was recommended to us by a local company who’d worked with them for several years. We met with and considered several competitors, both domestic and out-sourced firms with large and small teams. FlexMade’s price to performance ratio, professionalism, and pleasant attitude made it an easy decision for us.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

FlexMade is actively developing new features, plugins, and themes for our Shopware shops. Also, they’re adding new functionality to our custom-made internal web tools and legacy websites. Some of their projects have involved integrating marketplaces in the backend and designing and implementing UIs. They’ve also been responsible for adding new views and business logic to our Yii2 custom tools.

Their developers are fully integrated into our development team. They write Jira tickets for their feature requests and issues and participate in weekly sprints and daily scrum video meetings. FlexMade also provided us with a software tester, which has led to a great improvement in processes and quality.

What was the team composition?

Their team consists of one senior developer and two junior developers, in addition to a QA resource. They communicate with our product owners regularly.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

FlexMade provided us with 150% expanded software development capacity when it was becoming increasingly difficult to employ local developers. Instead of focusing solely on bug fixing and maintenance, they’ve allowed us to deliver new features and explore additional business opportunities. Removing part of the workload from our local development team has empowered them to work on more interesting tasks. Their industry experience has been critical as well.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

They communicate clearly and work with us in Google Meet, Jira, and GitHub. Beyond utilizing these tools and processes, they’ve used their experience to provide suggestions to help us optimize them.  

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Our cooperation has been seamless and friction-less since the beginning. I’ve had time-consuming and awkward experiences with smaller companies and freelancers before, but FlexMade quickly became part of our team.

Are there any areas for improvement?

There have been no big issues so far, and minor issues are solved quickly. In general, we’ve profited greatly from their suggestions, especially regarding scrum processes.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We offer booking and management for activities such as city tours, cooking classes, and outdoor adventures.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire FlexMade?

We needed frontend PHP development for a PaaS system based on an Azure cloud platform. We needed modules for our payment system along with Google Maps and Analytics.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to improve our e-commerce marketplace for different customers and provide the best frontend booking and checkout process.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We chose them based on a recommendation.

Describe the project in detail.

They improved the UI/UX of our booking process and did optimization of the mobile app, and they’ve helped with internal frontend functionalities and APIs. Other services included separate client projects, creating a booking experience finder with connections to merchants, a calendar surface for a supplier’s website, and changes to our WordPress site.

What was the team composition?

We worked with a frontend developer, two backend developers, and two managers who did QA.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

This engagement resulted in the substantial growth of the software itself. Their development of a mobile-responsive website increased our overall client bookings. The new payment modules increased the use of our booking feature.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We were very pleased with their management. Even with a difference in time zone, we never experienced any communication issues, and they always accommodated our changes.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They always provided assistance, even in cases of a system crash. Their work was detailed and thorough.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, we’re completely satisfied.