Gorrion

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I`m CEO of surveying company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Gorrion Software House, and what were your goals?

Building a custom software to automate the problem of making a calculations of stockpiles volumes. Our main goals:

• automation of the process
• combination and matching multiple modules of the system
• implementation of algorithms prepared by other associate partners in the project
• preparing intuitive interface of whole system

SOLUTION

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

The company was recommended by our company partner. Gorrion was not afraid of the difficult tasks associated with heavy photogrammetric data. It is not so obvious, because most of software companies is not able to cope with such data as 3D point clouds, 3D meshses or orthophotomaps. In addition, they had an experience with implementing a geoportal using archive surveying data which is very useful in our standard jobs. They had an experience with working on image data.

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

Gorrrion is succesfully designing an advanced, complicated and technical system aimed at mining and construction industry. They are using the latest IT techniques the reach the main goals: automation, accelaration and simplification of whole process.

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

There were about 8 people at different stages of project including web designers, front- and back-end developers, product designers and CEO, which watches over the course of the project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

In the main result the speed of delivering a colume calculations will be reduced from about 24 hours to 4 hours. Our operators will have much less tedious, strenuous work to do. We will be able to serve the sutomers all over the world in huge companies. Now the problem is complicated logistics and much mannual work to do.

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

The project is manage very efficiently. All of the vendor`s staff know what to do and how to answer our needs. We learn a lot form the Gorrion`s team, for e.g. using the modern tools as Slack, ClickUp or Figma. Some are implemented now in our company.

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

We are impressed by the fact that they perfectly understood our needs and the complicated process of photogrammetric based volume calculations, even though they did not know this issue before.

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

I can`t find such thing :) Of course they have to gain the experience, because all of them are young people - especially by coping with such R&D projects as ours.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder and CEO of a social network that will help its users set up their spare time, launching soon on Apple Store and Google Play.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Gorrion Software House, and what were your goals?

We had an existent app in beta testing which was full of apparent inadequacies, both on technical and UX/UI sides, but we were about to launch it on the stores anyways. Growing suspects of unmet market standards and overall unhappiness with the final product (..or 'Chronicle of a Death Foretold', if you want) led us to stop the ongoing process and search for a once-and-for-all solution.

SOLUTION

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

It actually started with the vendor reaching out to us..and ending up with this possibly being the best 'right thing at the right moment' move. Leo (Gorrion's salesman) spotted us during a speech at a tech conference in Dublin, but he had no idea we were struggling with our product and actively searching for a software house when he contacted us after a while.

At the end of the day, it was not just the outcome of some checks on their background or analysis of their captivating works that drove the choice, but the overall approach these guys have: a modus operandi characterized by in-depth knowledge nicely disguised with a specific kind of humility which usually comes hand in hand with constant research for personal improvement and desire of upgrading oneself's game. And also...Leo comes up packed with a full stack of empathy and a sense of humor: features not to be taken for granted among salespeople!

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

A complete new graphic interface for the whole app and code consolidation for the first phase. Code Re-writing and implementation of new and more complex features for a second phase currently starting.

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

3.5 FTE ca. divided in designers and fullstack devs

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Guess you'll be able to download the app soon and answer for yourself .

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

I'd say: flowing like an established mechanism! Michalina does not only provide the project with structure and major organization, she also makes sure that there's absolute transparency about code documentation and -even more importantly- strives for competencies alignment (by e.g., proposing to instruct me personally on project management tools).

Behind the scene, architecture is Dominik's sharp and straight-to-the-point work. Tomasz and Ania are the perfect Figma buddies, never taking personally some corrections I provided (guess they perceived my genuine enjoyment and engagement in everything concerning their field) and prolifically collaborating in order to achieve visually super cool results! Damian and Maciej are the 'backstage' hands but significantly pushing forward on the front of responsiveness and timeliness!

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

Gorrion guys do the utmost in their capabilities to break down geographical and even linguistic barriers. They provided an almost perfect translation for every wording of the app directly into our native language, which is certainly not among the simplest around (we are Italian!)...and this is just a trivial example of the effort this team puts into creating an environment of collaboration and problem-solving!

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

It is premature to elaborate such a judgment. Some delays that have occurred so far may not have been down to the Gorrion team.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I manage projects within the company, pursuing new ideas and expanding our portfolio

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Gorrion Software House, and what were your goals?

We wanted an Online Store with a similar shopping experience such as Wish with products parsed from Aliexpress. We wanted to be able to get this product information through API to promote it via email. User experience in email and when visiting website should be personalized to the user (products picked specifically for that user and sorted in an order he likes according to past behaviors).

SOLUTION

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

We had a personal connection with somebody working at Gorrion, that's how we found out about them. We liked their easy-going approach to quickly set things up and get going on the project, as opposed to another company who made things very complicated before even starting, so we went with Gorrion.

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

The first step was to build a working online store that was filled with products from Aliexpress. The whole thing was running on AWS servers and databases. A service was used (through API) to parse the products from Aliexpress. Both front and backend were written in javascript.

After we had a basic, usable shop we needed an API to recommend products for emails. The used the same idea like the website when loading products. The data from user actions was saved in Redshift with the goal of later feeding it to a recommendation algorithm. We also needed an admin backend to see and process shop orders and see statistics/reports on how the shop was doing. For this purpose we also wanted to integrate Google Analytics.

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

We had a team/project manager and 2 developers for the whole time, and sometimes extra people joined the team according to skills or workload.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They set up a nice looking online shop, especially spending time on the user experience and frontend. The admin section was functional and allowed to run the shop. We did not get to the recommendation engine.

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

Very communicative and always fast responses. We communicated via email and weekly progress meetings via video conference. They always set goals until the next meeting and explained what they will be working on. They project manager was always prepared and led the meeting, as a client you just had to join in, instead of preparing the whole thing.

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

The team was so cooperative and responsive. You could reach out to them at any time, they always replied fast, they were very friendly and professional and did their best. I think a lot of companies offer Webdesign and programming services, and could deliver an online store project, however, with this company the team definitely stood out.

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

They were very fast and solid with their traditional stack that they use most of the time, which was great, because it allowed us to set up things quickly, but weren't so comfortable when pushed to use things they don't normally use. It's understandable when under pressure to deliver a good solution for the client, but branching out could probably lead to some more elegant solutions.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the co-founder and CEO of Motarme. We provide sales prospecting and engagement services to Business-to-Business (B2B) tech companies, automated with our in-house software.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Gorrion Software House, and what were your goals?

We had developed an initial version of our sales engagement software in 2014, but this was out-of-date and required a complete redesign. Rather than patching the old system, in 2021 we asked Gorrion to start a new version from the ground up.

SOLUTION

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

Gorrion had been previously recommended to me in 2016. When searching for a vendor in 2021 Gorrion was again recommended to me by one of our clients and after a number of web meetings with Gorrion we decided they were our best option. The key deciding factor was the recommendation from our client - he was extremely happy with Gorrion.

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

Rather than trying to rebuild our existing application in total, we chose a subset of the functionality and asked Gorrion to build a 'minimum viable product' in as short a timeframe as possible. We then iteratively expanded the functionality from that MVP. The core deliverable is an email automation and sequencing system, with the ability to manage email outreach campaigns for multiple companies. The stack includes React.js, Typescript.js, Node.js, Nest.js, MongoDB, GraphQL and AWS.

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

We worked with a project manager, UX designer and 2 developers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We are delighted with the results. Gorrion delivered a high quality application that exceeded our original requirements in a very short timeframe. They are a pleasure to work with.

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

Gorrion's team was very helpful, very friendly, and really enjoyable to work with. They have good processes, communication is easy and they hit their deadlines.

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

Technically they are very capable, very professional and they deliver at speed. But what we like the most about Gorrion is how easy it is to work with them. They are friendly, they communicate clearly and regularly, and they are continually looking for ways to be helpful or add value.

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

No, we are really happy and we plan to continue working with Gorrion.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of Bioledger, a SaaS startup.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Gorrion Software House?

We needed to convert an MVP to a production-level web and mobile app for market use.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Gorrion Software House has handled the development, operation, and testing of the web and mobile apps. First, they took our MVP and analyzed the architecture and code. They recommended new development work and architecture. Then, they updated our security protocols and created a roadmap of the features they’d develop. The deliverables were the design documents and the roadmap.

They’re currently still providing development work. We have weekly sprints to deliver specific features, which we test. I sign off on the features every week. 

The app is the product we offer to our customers, and it’s available for Android. Gorrion Software House has mainly done development; we did the UX/UI separately and provided them with wireframes.

What is the team composition?

We work with a customer manager, a product manager, a lead developer, a full stack developer, and a QA engineer.

How did you come to work with Gorrion Software House?

I know someone who uses them for similar services, and they highly recommended Gorrion Software House. We had a few calls with them, and they gave me a proposal that I liked.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent €50,000 (approximately $57,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in August 2021, and our relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have some customers using our MVP, and catering to them was our top priority. The product ownership has been beneficial for us because we don’t have our own technical development team. They’ve balanced our budget and business priorities, as well as delivered a quality product and an efficient roadmap for development. Moreover, it’s reassuring to have a service provider that understands the business needs.

Whenever a bug has been identified, we prioritize the fix with ourselves, the customer, and Gorrion Software House. They give us an instant estimate of the work, and if it’s critical, it’s always fixed within the hour. If it’s a lower priority, it’s accommodated in the sprint.

How did Gorrion Software House perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re very responsive. They’ve been flexible at managing the sprints and accommodating any customer support we need. Also, Gorrion Software House always delivers on time or ahead of time.

We use Slack, and they also use ClickUp for project management.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re flexible and trustworthy. We trust them with our business and product.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there’s nothing they need to improve.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Allocate time and budget to assess the appropriate roadmap of your business. Don’t prioritize instant delivery; invest the time in the beginning and listen to their advice.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder and CEO of Nevaka, Inc., a SaaS company based in Reno, Nevada. We provide management software for electrical contractors in the construction industry in the US. We currently have mobile apps on the iOS and Android platforms.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Gorrion Software House?

We wanted to develop a responsive web platform to replace our mobile apps effectively. We needed to build it from the ground up.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Gorrion has built a brand new website app for us using JavaScript, which includes features that enable field workers in the electrical trade to create, share, and edit lists in real-time and track the materials coming back from the job site.

Initially, we opened up our native apps so they could see how we’d built them. They didn’t think we’d made them in the best way, so they worked with us to produce a plan. We had frequent meetings with 2–3 people from Gorrion, and they guided us to build a roadmap made up of a series of sprints. We had multiple four-week sprints, and each was divided into subgroups so certain features could be developed. They brought the app into working condition so users could beta test it. Then, they refined those features and added new ones as time went on.

On the other hand, their suggestions often had to do with sequencing and workflow. My partner is an electrical field worker, so he knew a field worker’s flow. However, we needed to convert that into a series of keystrokes and buttons with options, and that’s where Gorrion’s UX/UI work came into play.

They worked with our key users and us, and we had multiple meetings with some of them to share their comments on the features. Then, Gorrion reduced the number of screens and keystrokes from our original design — they really understood how to simplify the process for a field worker.

The app is linked through API into the database of a product data aggregator, which has all the manufacturers’ catalogs up to date. There are 2 million electrical products in this master catalog, so it has filter screens to break the products into categories and display a datasheet, picture, or specification. This can transfer to an order sheet or list, which can also be shared, edited in real-time, sent to a vendor for quotation, and converted to a purchase order.

Also, the app can integrate into a project management software, such as Procore, Spectrum, or Quickbooks. It provides an up-to-date list of materials that flows to the software and delivers a purchase order to the vendor, so it’s not a marketplace.

We’ve finished building the MVP, and it’s being beta tested. We’re currently designing a new sprint for the next step, so we’ll continue to work with Gorrion as our principal development partner.

What is the team composition?

Four people are consistently involved. Jakub (Product Owner) is the project manager. He’s our main contact, and he has led the process from the ground side. Damian (Mobile Developer) is responsible for UX, and Dominik (CIO) is responsible for workflows. We also have a general manager.

How did you come to work with Gorrion Software House?

Our company is within an accelerator, and within that organization, someone recommended us Gorrion.

How much have you invested with them?

We’re close to $40,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began our partnership in August 2021, and it’s growing out.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The user feedback is important to us, and almost all of them like it. User response has been all-around positive, and they’ve been very cooperative in making suggestions.

Overall, Gorrion is an essential partner, and we don’t want to develop another vendor relationship. Their pricing is fair, and they do their work on time and as scheduled. Due to that, we’ll close down our India development team, so we’ll increase our dependence on Gorrion.

How did Gorrion Software House perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re much better at it than we are. The team is filling in the gap and producing the roadmap, which we then tweak because we know our business better. However, without their input, we wouldn’t be able to build it.

We usually do one-hour Zoom calls for our face-to-face communication, and there are a lot of emails.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They stand out for their responsiveness and commitment. Not any company treats their client the way they’ve treated us — Gorrion believes in our business and wants to be part of it. They see a much bigger future with us, so I think they’re making an investment in our relationship.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The best thing they could do to help us is move 1–2 developers from another project to accelerate our next phase. We’re looking to do the next series of sprints faster than what they may be able to accommodate, so we’d like them to double their concentration and effort. However, we don’t know if that’s possible.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be very clear on your expectations and how the product will be used. Talking in general terms doesn’t help Gorrion to help you. Many companies can design what they want to be done and then have a development team to build it. However, if you need help with design work, your outcome application workflow has to be clear so they can help you.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of an 18-month-old startup. We’re building data solutions for social media advertising.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Gorrion Software House?

We didn’t have an engineering team internally, so we were looking to outsource some of our engineering tasks. Thus, we brought in Gorrion to effectively fill that gap.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Gorrion is helping us with all of our software development. Initially, we walked them through what we had built and gave them an overview of our current systems. We also gave them information about our industry.

Then, we had a call to kick off the project, and we’ve had regular calls since. Currently, we’re working on UI/UX, product design, and technology development on an ongoing basis.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with 5–6 people from Gorrion. We had the initial call with a business development person, and recently, we’ve been working with a UI/UX designer, a head of product, and various software engineers.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $45,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working around April 2021, and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Gorrion is doing some great work, and we’re growing from a revenue and a client perspective. We had around 50–60 clients when they started working with us, and we now have over 350.

How did Gorrion Software House perform from a project management standpoint?

I would rate Gorrion’s performance a 10 out of 10. They’ve implemented their own Sprint process and planning, which has been really helpful. They’ve not only added their expertise to our work, but they’ve also added a structure to the process, bringing discipline to us. We communicate via Slack and email, and we have weekly calls.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’ve been really impressed with Gorrion’s diligence; they’re very conscientious. They do great work, work very hard, and always try to add to what we’re trying to do as a business, which is something that clients don’t usually get from outsourced services.

Aside from their great abilities, they’re a great team to work with. We can see them being a big part of our team going forward.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. They’ve done a great job taking a somewhat complex situation and turning it into a very nice process with fantastic deliverables. We’re really happy with them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Give them as much information as possible, and make the process as transparent as possible.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of a startup investment company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Gorrion Software House?

We wanted to develop a multi-platform mobile app with real-time interconnectivity with video players like Zoom.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Gorrion Software House helps us with the design and definition of the product, and then they did the coding for the app in React Native to enable us to build the app on Android and iOS platforms. At first, we gave them a base wireframe, and then they provided us with a road map for the project and a UX layout. 

They come up with all the technical help we need and also guide us to publish the app through the different stores.

What is the team composition?

We deal with 4–5 people; there are a UX designer and a backend and front end developers.

How did you come to work with Gorrion Software House?

We sent out quote requests and got in touch with them. They worked with one of our startups, and we liked what they did, so we keep on giving them work because they provide steady results for our business. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $25,000 with them so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in November 2019, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The quality of their work reflects on the fact that customers are using our app — that's a good sign. They also help us with the way they deliver the expected product within the expected timeframes. 

How did Gorrion Software House perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re great; always on time and schedule. We communicate via video calls and emails. In terms of tools, we use GitHub, Slack, and they put their code on Jira.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re committed to their work. When Gorrion Software House starts a project, they take it to the end and don’t just drop the job as I’ve experienced with other companies. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think there’s anything they can improve on. 

Any advice for potential customers?

Have open communication and define timelines and deliverables. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Our company is an online memorial platform. I am the president of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Gorrion Software House?

We were looking for someone who would take care of the appearance and style of the UI, finish the mockups of missing pages, create the prototype in Figma and work with us on user messaging.

SOLUTION

How did you select Gorrison Software House?

I wrote on the internet that we were looking for a partner to redesign the site and Leo, their Partnerships Manager, contacted me.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

We already had the UX part of the design (the wireframes). We wanted to redesign the application mainly from the UI side and a bit of UX. There was already research, style guide and brand book done, so we had a general outline of the project, typography, colours, and the Gorrion's team was going to take care of the visual side based on what was already there.

After the designs, we performed usability tests using the prototype in Figma.

How many resources from the Gorrison Software House team worked with you, and what were their positions?

The team consisted of a designer, project manager, 2 developers and one developer who conducted workshops for our internal team

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We haven't released a new version of the site yet.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Cooperation with the designer was at a high level of communication. The team listened to our needs and was open to training our team when necessary, so that the effect of our cooperation was the best.

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

I am truly impressed by the designer's skills. The designs are at a high level and even exceeded our requirements. The workshops for our dev team were also very helpful and conducted in a professional way.

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

The team may pay attention to some aspects of communication, but the overall effect of the collaboration is impressive.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Administration Manager, Customer Service Manager

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Gorrion Software House, and what were your goals?

The project includes a website managed from the admin panel and a custom CMS that allows sending push notifications to users with the installed application. Gorrion also delivered a CRM for managing schools and trainers with a web-based trainers examination system. We wanted to organize and simplify the training management process and show our organization in a more attractive form, thanks to the website. The systems allow us to make the courses more efficient and improve the communication with trainers and schools.

SOLUTION

How did you select Gorrion Software House and what were the deciding factors?

We decided to work with Gorrion thanks to the recommendation. Later, the company convinced us with efficient communication, and attention to detail, which was visible since project analysis and planning when they tried to understood what is really important to us and will help us in our daily work.

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

The delivered products are: - website managed through the admin panel, - custom CMS that allows, among other things, to send push notifications via the application, - CRM for managing schools and trainers, - a web-based system for conducting coach exams. Technologies that were used were Node.js, MongoDB Mongoose, React, Redux, Docker and Docker Compose. All parts of the project were completed on time and were consulted on an ongoing basis. Gorrion's team consisted of 2 developers, a designer and a product owner.

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

Most of the time, the team consisted of two developers, a designer and a product owner. A third developer also worked with us for some time.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I can say that the new website did contribute to the improvement of our statistics. Also, the systems allow us to save time because we have all the essential information in one place. We have gained an additional communication channel with application users thanks to the push notifications, and the web panel lets us conduct exams in a much more efficient and convenient way.

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

Communication was very smooth. We used Google Meet and Slack, through which we shared all relevant information, and the team regularly provided us with updates on the progress of work.

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

The Gorrion's team paid attention to the needs of our organization. They focused not only on the technical aspects of the project but also on bringing us real value. They made us know that our product is in good hands and that it will be designed in such a way that will allow us to achieve our goals.

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

I don't see any need for improvements. The cooperation was exactly as we expected.