Gloriosum IT Solutions

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner and chief instructor of Valor Mixed Martial Arts.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Gloriosum IT Solutions?

I needed to have my website built better on WordPress, then integrate it into my backend software for booking.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Gloriosum IT Solutions built and developed my website from scratch. I originally bought a template, but they ended up overhauling the design because it didn’t match what we needed. They created a distinguished process for us and made our website really responsive.

They also provided us with SEO services so we can be easier to find, eliminate our constant issues with spam, and establish connections so our clients can process directly from our website. Aside from that, they also provided us with keyword research and worked on the site’s security so our SSL was up to par, and to make sure we had a trusted website.

What is the team composition?

I worked directly with Sam (CEO).

How did you come to work with Gloriosum IT Solutions?

I found them through a freelancer site. I initially talked with Sam about the details before we started building the website. We then designed it, put it in an HTML template, and they showed me how the final outcome was going to look and work. After that, we got to build it and it worked perfectly.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested $20,000 in their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from January 2018–January 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Gloriosum IT Solutions did everything I asked, delivered everything under the budget, and provided us a website that works.

How did Gloriosum IT Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

From a project management standpoint, they performed perfectly. We typically communicated through Slack and Skype.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We were impressed with not only their attention to detail, but also their willingness to give feedback. They told if my ideas were outdated and they would recommend a better solution or alternative.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Not that I know of.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Sam is very hands-on, so make sure you’re on time for your own meetings because when he says he’s going to be there, he’s going to be there. I would also say to have an idea of what you want before you start your project. If you can design it or even draw it on paper, whatever the case may be, do it and have Sam look at it.

Moreover, discuss at length what your intentions and plans are, because Sam is very good about giving you feedback on what’s modern and what’s new.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of a technology company that’s currently in the development stage.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Gloriosum IT Solutions?

I needed to thoroughly go through a platform built by another company and determine good and bad code.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Gloriosum IT Solutions audited my code, giving me recommendations on what needed to be done. We set out a game plan for finishing the development and launching the project, which is what we’re currently doing now.

The original platform was built on Laravel PHP.

What is the team composition?

I’ve worked with Sam (Founder), and I know that he has 5–10 people working for him, including 2–3 coders and 1–2 designers.

How did you come to work with Gloriosum IT Solutions?

I was working with another company originally, and I’d gone through trials with different companies trying to get this project up and running.

They’d give me an estimate just to get the job, but after the work started, they’d tell me it would cost more money. They’d call asking to check out a new feature, only for me to find that it didn’t work, and they still wanted to charge me more money.

Sam was working with that provider, and he jumped in. He told me that there was a disconnect somewhere and that they should’ve been calling me every day and going through the project with me thoroughly. I eventually asked to work directly with him.

I didn’t know what his relationship with the provider was, but it seemed to me that he understood what was going on and knew how to ask questions and work with someone as a teammate.

Since I hadn’t signed a contract with the provider, he told me that was in the clear. He wouldn’t have worked with me otherwise, and we started from there.

How much have you invested with them?

The cost so far is about $40,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

I started working with Gloriosum IT Solutions in August or September 2019, and the project is close to launch.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

What Gloriosum IT Solutions did was look at the existing code and identify the issues it had. They told me that continuing development on Laravel wouldn’t go well. Speed would lower, and it wouldn’t perform at the rate I wanted. We had to do a lot of upgrading and feature changes on the site, which had been developed starting in 2016.

The team is easy to work with, and they did what I expected them to do. The website had always had great design, and people told me so even before they got a chance to touch it.

I didn’t expect the cost to be so high. I’d reached out to people on Freelancer and other platforms and got quotes for $10,000–$15,000. When the pandemic started, I told them that funds were running low, and I couldn’t pay $2,000–$3,000 a week anymore. I wanted to see what we were paying for because I was bringing in investors.

They told me I still owed $18,000. The price wasn’t talked about too much, and that was my fault, but they knew from the start that I was bootstrapping it.

Gloriosum IT Solutions told me that I’d be getting a good price, but it somehow boomed extremely high. They’re holding the code until all of it is paid for, and they’ll release it after that. This includes the code I’ve already paid for.

They’ve expressed that they definitely want to continue working with me for support. I’ve spoken to different people locally who outsource development, and they told me that, if I already have a team, I might as well keep it.

If the relationship with Gloriosum IT Solutions remains good, we’ll continue.

How did Gloriosum IT Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

I have group meetings with their team. They’re always available for Skype calls, and I can go to them with any query. They’ll either give me an answer right away or work on figuring it out.

We haven’t used any task tracking tools. I basically trust that, if they say they’re working on a particular module or feature, they actually are. It’s happened a couple of times that a feature they delivered didn’t work as planned, but they went back and fixed it. I don’t know how exactly they’re charging me for that work, and I’m still wondering how the cost boomed so high.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The team expressed that they see every project as their own, and they like to continue to be involved with it. They’re constantly communicating with me and asking what can be improved, and Sam seems to always be available on Skype.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Other than the cost management part, I don’t have anything to mention.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They should make sure they’re clear upfront about what’s expected.