IceRock Development

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the head of marketing in VEKA Rus, part of the VEKA AG company. We're a manufacturing company that develops plastic windows.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire IceRock Development?

We needed to build a web and mobile solution (iOS and Android) to be used internally, as well as by our resellers/dealers.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to help our dealers work faster and more effectively by eliminating paperwork and improving measurement accuracy.

SOLUTION

Describe the project in detail.

We’d had a not-so-productive experience with a previous vendor, so we came to IceRock with a sub-standard iOS app. IceRock built our Android app and improved our iOS app. They also connected each with our web backend via an API. The app lets users measure plastic window sizes and upload the results. They can also send them out via email.

What was the team composition?

We scaled up and down during the project, but we worked with two backend developers, an iOS developer, an Android developer, two QA specialists, two business analysts, and a project manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our dealers now have an amazing tool that will help them make more money and reduce the burden of processing customer requests.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Though we preferred communicating over Skype, most of our interactions were on Slack, which is also a good tool. The project manager knowledge about the project, timelines, and goals. The process was highly effective for both sides.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their mobile app expertise and analytical thinking were outstanding. We also appreciated their methodical, step-by-step approach because it ensured everyone knew the purpose of the project.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, not that I saw. We were very satisfied with their team and their work.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO and a shareholder of a venture fund. We invest in and develop early-stage IT startups.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with IceRock Development?

We needed to create an iOS application that would serve as an e-wallet for our fintech solution.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

IceRock Development created the native app after we provided the backend and the cloud server. We provided an API and they did UI/UX development. They developed a feature for peer-to-peer (P2P) storage and transfer of cryptocurrency within the e-wallet. The app is currently available in the App Store.

What is the team composition?

IceRock Development’s CTO and several team lead developers coordinated with our in-house developers.

How did you come to work with IceRock Development?

They were recommended to us by some of our partners.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $12,000–$13,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with IceRock Development in June 2018 and the project concluded in September 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve received mostly positive reviews of the finished app. It works and it’s sustainable.

How did IceRock Development perform from a project management standpoint?

They adhered to their proposal and deadline. We had some disagreements on technical decisions, but the process was strict and transparent. We communicated through phone, email, and text. We connected the developers to our GitHub and Jira.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The team’s best quality was their transparent communication. They let us know about any problems or difficulties immediately.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. I have no complaints.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the chief analyst of Mir Bega, which oversees a company called RussiaRunning. We use information and communication technology to ease the process of organizing and attending amateur sporting events.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire IceRock Development?

We wanted to provide a platform that organizes and syncs statistics about each race participant, both prospective and current. The application needed to present data in both an informational and analytical way. It needed to incorporate information such as past race stats, current athletic results, and future events in a calendar. Lastly, it needed to be user-friendly and convenient for the target audience: runners.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to create a mobile application that enhances both the athlete and the race organizer’s experience in offline events.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We were looking for developers for our mobile application, and IceRock Development wrote us a proposal. Their team fosters an active lifestyle culture and participates in our races, so they understood the challenges we faced.

Describe the project in detail.

The application has four main functions. First, users can watch a live-broadcast feature of each race. Second, users can use the “I watch” feature to determine which athletes, results, and statistics they’d like to track. Third, the application provides data of the race and each participating athlete, including finishing times, the lag time behind the leader, average pace, average speed, and overall rank. Fourth, each participant can track their data, both in history and in a live view, to better their training and future performance. In the future, we hope to implement the following features: a calendar of events, online registration, a personal account for each participant, access to our magazine, galleries of photos and videos from past events, and championship data.

What was the team composition?

We worked with an iOS developer, an Android developer, two QA testers, and a team lead.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve developed the MVP of our mobile application with more features to come.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The collaboration between our teams was seamless.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The IceRock Development team immersed themselves in our project. They maintained an open channel of communication and demonstrated responsibility and discipline at every stage.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, we were completely satisfied with their work.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I worked with a small hotel chain in the U.K. and am the CEO of a larger chain now.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with IceRock Development?

We were looking for an end-to-end digital solution for our meeting space.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We engaged them very early on to build the scope together from scratch. We laid out our vision for the customer journey in a PowerPoint, they took our ideas away and returned with designs and mockups. After we agreed on a path of execution, they built a cross-domain app that could render to different devices.

The customer journey was completely mobile. A user could make a booking online or through the app and receive a QR code that would allow them to use the space during the period of their booking. Digital signage would populate the name of the room and would remain up for the duration. Once their time was off, the QR key would deactivate and signage would change to the next booking.

What is the team composition?

Throughout the project, we worked with about 4–5 people. We had one consistent account manager, various UX people, and designers. One of their owners interacted with us as well.

How did you come to work with IceRock Development?

Another company referred them to us.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve done a couple of projects with them. We probably invested £100­,000–£250,000 (approximately $132,000–$329,000 USD) on the project with the previous company. We’re currently working on a similar project that is purely web-based and much more involved for around £200,000 (approximately $264,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

The project started in the third quarter of 2016 and deployed in November 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The final product was well received. Nothing like it existed on the market before. Our local customer base was used to doing everything manually or over the phone. After we deployed, survey scores from customers shot up. The journey is seamless and fast, and we were very satisfied with the quality of the work.

How did IceRock Development perform from a project management standpoint?

This was our first venture in offshore development. Communication in the early stages suffered from a bit of a language barrier, but we learned that looking over visual representations helped a lot. A project manager with good English skills was another critical component of our success.

We learned from our early experiences and, in the end, the process was fairly uncomplicated. We made PowerPoints and they would build the full stack in development. We communicated by Skype, Slack, and email, but the process was very visual.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re a young, energetic, enthusiastic company. I liked working with them and am happy to work on a second project with them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

If you don’t get the specs right at the outset, the project can spiral pretty quickly. Visualization was very important for us, as it avoided any communication issues and made sure nothing was lost in translation. Once we started doing that, we had much more success.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the director of personnel of the hypermarket Leroy Merlin in Russia. It’s part of GROUPE ADEO, which ranks first place in Europe, and third in the world, for sales. This includes the various formats of our DIY/home improvement stores­—hypermarkets, medium and small stores, and discount stores.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire IceRock Development?

We needed to create a mobile app for improving our manager training process.

What were your goals for this project?

The aim of the project was to speed up the adaptation process of new managers, having them achieve a beginner level. This process usually took six months and we wanted to bring it down to three.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We had held tender and invited local companies with the best reviews to take part in it.

Describe the project in detail.

The mobile app was built based on our head of sector’s competency model. In it, users create tasks, provide answers, and can attach photos and documents, which are all received by their mentor. The app is connected to an admin panel, which gives users the ability to review their work.

What was the team composition?

I was the project leader at Leroy Merlin. At different stages, the project was joined by training specialists, experienced managers, mentors, store directors, and more.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We will be able to assess the first results in December 2018. The users that have tested the app comment on its ease of use.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

IceRock Development’s team was highly communicative and reacted immediately to our feedback. They’re professional and pleasant people.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their flexibility, especially in working with highly technical tasks, and the quality of the final product were outstanding.

Are there any areas for improvement?

IceRock Development should provide more information during the first discussion, including their terms, what they can offer to the client, an exchange of requirements, and the cost of the final product.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the CEO of an IT services company and a partner at one other.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with IceRock Development?

We had several technical projects for both companies that varied in scope and needed a versatile development company to help us out.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The projects involved a full scope of development around two native apps for iOS and Android, including server setup, APIs, third-party integrations, hosting, and deployment. We designed UX/UI and delivered fully-designed source files for the apps, so the work they did was entirely on the backend.

They’re also set to provide ongoing maintenance and support following launch.

What is the team composition?

There were about 10-12 developers on the team, but we primarily communicated with account and project managers. Some of the developers don’t speak much English, but management does a great job with relaying information and making sure that everyone’s on the same page.

How did you come to work with IceRock Development?

We work with another company that had done a few projects with them in the past, and they recommended them to us.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested between $50,000-$200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in January of 2017, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve just started to bring on some live users, but it’s too early in the process to point to any metrics on that. However, we’ve done some internal testing and the products work reliably thus far.

How did IceRock Development perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve been very responsive. We set up a Slack channel and they’re available 24/7. The developers work normal days, but someone is always available during US hours as well. That’s been very helpful throughout the project.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Everything’s been great. Their account and project management have been outstanding compared to other offshore companies we’ve worked with, which helps to easily filter tasks and specifications. Our workflow has never gotten caught up in the technical aspects of the project, and everything is relayed to us through project managers and/or business analysts.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, nothing comes to mind.

Advice for potential customers?

I would suggest that you guide them in the development process to the greatest extent possible. We went to them with a very clear idea of what we were looking for, including product specifications and all UX/UI design, and they’ve delivered to our requirements very successfully. More open-ended projects do not always yield results that meet your expectations, particularly when you’re working with an offshore development group.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the director of Socco Consultants. We offer consulting services and program management to the hospitality service industry

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with IceRock Development?

We were looking for someone to help us deliver a simple and good-looking booking engine to enable the end client to be able to book event spaces such as a small meeting room in a hotel.

In our experience, the booking of a meeting room for a small event is unnecessarily complex, and when it is broken down it is quite a simple process.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They took care of both the design and functionality. We wanted to make the booking experience flow, and look and feel good. Equally, we wanted to make it easy to learn and configure so hotel users could understand it and not be intimidated by it.

The solution required was a cloud-based app/website and admin panel that allowed customers to book and pay for meeting rooms. The mobile app was built using React technology with a Realm database. The Admin panel was coded on PHP. This approach resulted in the ability to replicate the mobile app features to the web application. We provided them with some mock-ups, showed them what the existing website looked like, giving some advice on colors, fonts, and that sort of thing. They took that and recreated it where appropriate.

What is the team composition?

We worked with six people. We had direct contact with the sales and account manager who had a very good overall understanding of the requirements. The project manager wasn’t as understanding about some of the different approaches to the everyday transactions in a hotel environment. 

How did you come to work with IceRock Development?

A contact of ours had met one of their directors at a conference.

How much have you invested in them?

We have spent approximately £75,000 ($103,724 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in March 2017, and the work is ongoing. We did introduce some additional requests that were different to the original specification as we went along, and are being finished up at the moment.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Generally speaking, feedback from the end users has been very good. People find the web platform easy to use. Any little errors that came up were dealt with very quickly.

We weren’t quite sure what to expect when it came to the design because we hadn’t had seen a huge number of examples, but it was superb and they surpassed our expectations.

How did IceRock Development perform from a project management standpoint?

We had a change of project manager during the course of the project, and things definitely improved after that point.

We mostly communicated through email and had a weekly Skype conversation. Towards the latter stages of the project, we used Trello as a means of posting feedback and requests for change, which was very effective.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The account management is noteworthy. The communication is very good, and they have always been easy to get a hold of. They have really bought into our direction and took onboard our sometimes last minute changes.

Are there any areas they could improve?

When you are innovating in this way, there are changes in direction and it is very difficult, with anyone, when you sign off on a specification to introduce new requests. There is a little back and forth about whether those things are included in the initial price or not, and sometimes they spent unnecessary time discussing those details. If that could be built into the original proposal, then we wouldn’t have to get into the nitty gritty. I wish there would have been more flexibility, although this is a difficult thing to balance for any company.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Drimsim is a mobile service provider that works with telecoms around the world and provides connectivity solutions in multiple countries. I am the owner of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with IceRock?

We needed to create a prototype of our product. I knew how to manage the task from a business perspective, but didn’t know how to put together a development team, create an application backend, and publish the product on the Apple and Google stores.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

IceRock helped us develop, launch, and support our product. They initially built everything related to it, from the Android and iOS apps to the website. The apps have many features, including support chat and integrations with our helpdesk, Google Maps, and Stripe. They also created designs, but we didn’t end up using them. Development was completed natively on each platform. We provided a design scope, on which they based our website.

What is the team composition?

Depending on the stage, we worked with 10–20 people from their team.

How did you come to work with IceRock?

We found them from an online search.

How much have you invested with them?

Overall, we spent around €200,000 [250,000 USD] on their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our initial discussion with IceRock was in July 2015. The work started in September or October of that year, and we launched the app in June 2016. We are currently building our own development team, but the collaboration with IceRock is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have received both positive and negative reviews, but the app’s user base is growing fast.

How did IceRock perform from a project management standpoint?

We used Skype, Slack, WhatsApp and other useful communication tools. Like any company, they have space for improvement. In general, however, their performance hasn’t been bad at all.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re a great company, especially for creating a new product.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They’ve always done what I told them to do. I find something to improve on the product every day, but this is not IceRock’s fault.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Anyone working with a developer needs to create a detailed scope of work, providing as much technical information as possible.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the director of a digital consultancy. My clients span a range of several different business verticals. We work on their whole digital process, including website and app development as well as digital marketing and consultancy. Together, we create strategies and campaigns to meet their specific needs.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with IceRock Development?

A client of mine required a very complex app build. Using a team located abroad has both advantages and disadvantages. Ultimately, it was a cost-effective business strategy compared to hiring a local developer. IceRock works as a partner, and I use their team as an extension of my own.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

IceRock worked on a complex build to create a web platform and a cross platform app for iOS and Android. The large database was created from scratch, and included many specifications pulled from existing products. Using a thorough methodology, they planned all the minute details and avoided taking shortcuts. Spending the requisite time on the frontend laid the foundation to preempt later errors. The requirements document was a critical measure, and they brought great ideas to the table to fill in gaps that we missed. Their suggestions helped grow the project for the client’s benefit.

What is the team composition?

At any point in time, about two developers are working on our project. Depending on what needed to be discussed, there were occasionally three people from their team on our calls. A much larger team works behind the scenes that I may not always talk to.

How did you come to work with IceRock Development?

I researched a number of potential partners abroad in Europe and India, as well as UK-based agencies. My developer at the time was experiencing issues that preempted them from working on this project. I’d been in touch with IceRock several months prior, and liked their work product. When my circumstances changed, I had an opportunity to hire them. After the recommendation, referral, and initial contact, I did my due diligence to make sure they were the best fit.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in February of 2017, and our work is ongoing. We’re going to embark on a similarly large project shortly with a similar build that will take between 5-9 months.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since we're still in the launching phase, our product is not fully live. All of IceRock’s work has been performed to a high standard, however. The frontend and backend are very sleek. Using a thorough methodology, they created a clear working document that outlined timelines and designs. They excel at quality management, understand our needs, and work within deadlines.

My client has expressed that the overall experience was really enjoyable. IceRock teams take direction well, and have a great sense of humor. When things go off track, they're always willing to have honest conversations to work things out. My contact will even make himself available on weekends, if need be.

How did IceRock Development perform from a project management standpoint?

I have a direct line of contact with the CEO and one of the founders of the company, but I generally work with an account manager. He both manages his team and acts as a direct link to my company and clients. Despite the time zone difference, they’re responsive and easy to work with.

Depending on how many parties are involved, we’ll use phone, email, WhatsApp, or Skype. We like to video chat whenever possible, which simulates an in-person meeting. Skype works best for smaller groups, however, due to bandwidth limitations.

What did you find most impressive about them?

IceRock is eager to please clients, and a pleasure to work with. Their company is less than 10 years old, and they're keen to work with new partners and grow their team. They pride themselves on delivering a great service and becoming an extension of their client's company. We've built a really strong relationship, and their role feels more significant than just contracted developers. We only have fantastic things to stay.

Are there any areas they could improve?

One problem we encountered arose from the Russian developers’ English language skills. I’m working on expressing my expectations more clearly, but it can be challenging to not feel understood. Overall, our communication has improved the longer I've worked with them. Our main contact is great at pulling his team together when things go off pace.

When they give the initial quote, it would be beneficial to add a contingency for potential price increases if things go wrong. We're both learning; for the second project, they’ve been more diligent and clear. I would suggest taking things slowly when creating the specification, and making sure everything is documented.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the head of the web department at Eurostudio. We’re web developers and we work on custom websites, and custom CRM [customer relationship management] and CMS [content management system].

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with IceRock Development?

We don’t have our own internal mobile application department and we needed to create an application for one of our clients.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement? 

The application is called CashAsApp, and it is for a small credit organization client from England. We’d created a system for them but they required a mobile application as well. The app allows people to receive credit from their company. People can fill out a form using the application in order to receive credit and can also make payments through the application.

The app was developed for iOS, and it is a native application on Objective-C. The design was done on our side; we created all the design forms including wireframes, as well as the description of how it should work, and they developed the application.

What is the team composition?

We worked with 3 developers from their team.

How did you come to work with IceRock Development?

I know Alexander [Owner, IceRock Development] personally.

How much have you invested in them?

The cost for the first release was around $10,000 and an additional cost for support. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them on this project from April to July 2015.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We are happy with the results and our client is happy with the application. After the application was created, we ran it, and they provided us with some support after the development.

How did IceRock Development perform from a project management standpoint?

The management of the project was good. We mostly communicated through email, as well as Skype for conference calls.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The developers were very knowledgeable and overall our experience was good.