iDeus

Please describe your company and your position there.

Head of product and technology

For what projects/services did your company hire iDeus?

Software development

What were your goals for this project?

Build a mobile friendly web application, as an MVP which eventually became a V1.

How did you select this vendor?

We reviewed a few companies within Clutch based on ratings, reviews, familiarity with the technology framework we were planning to use, results of their proposal and "interview", and costs.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

They helped with selecting the hosting service and provided recommendation on the overall system and software architecture.

They then developed the solution based on the design we provided; however, they also made several recommendations on how to improve the design from a UX and development effort perspectives.

They became part of our team and help tremendously with improving certain functionality and new features we added to the product along the way.

What was the team composition?

The company CEO was involved from a business and project oversight but we were assigned a PM who was main day to day person. We obviously worked closely with him on a regular basis.

The development team consisted of frontend and backend engineers. We also had a sr. db engineer who helped with the data model. The dev team was managed by the PM but as we are a relatively technical company, we also requested a direct interaction with the engineers,

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

The product was developed in time and within the original plan. We were able to test it internally and then in a private beta as part of the original schedule. After the results of these tests, we had enough time to make improvements and add features before new releases a public test.

The bigger impact was the dedication of the team to the project. We truly felt it was an extension of our internal team.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

We used Trello for overall project management and then Jira for task management and bug reporting. We used Skype for calls and texting. The team recommended the tools they commonly used but they were flexible in cooperating with our us and select the best methods for our project.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

It's a very professional firm with dedicated and very capable engineers, PM, and business managers. We've been very impressed with everyone we've interacted. They believed in the product we were building, and that helped our project tremendously.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Some of the engineers didn't speak English but the language barrier was easily resolved by the interaction with the PM.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the founder of a startup.

For what projects/services did your company hire iDeus?

We needed MVP development of a mobile app.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted a reliable, hybrid MVP.

How did you select this vendor?

After an unsuccessful attempt to develop our idea with another company, we consulted reviews on Clutch. iDeus offered us contact with their previous clients, and we interviewed them and came away impressed.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

They provided technical support and expertise at all levels. We provided design sketches and flow, which were then cleaned up by iDeus’s design team. They took a concept and screens and developed them into a hybrid mobile app with a supporting website.

What was the team composition?

For the majority of the project, I had one point of contact, Ruslan (Project Manager, iDeus). He used his team of designers and developers to build what we needed.

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

We now have a fully functional MVP that has been launched on the Android and iOS stores.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

The process was highly effective. They used systems such as InVision for prototyping and shared bug trackers post-development. Ruslan was responsive on Skype and proactive in asking questions and finding solutions. The team was quick to understand our concerns and problems.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I liked that we were able to get design and UI support where required despite initially looking for a development agency.

Are there any areas for improvement?

There were a couple of areas where development was done in ways which led to additional costs further along the process. That said, I accept that compromise is part of doing a relatively low-cost MVP, and would probably be solved by clearer scoping on our side.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the president and CEO of an exam prep company. We offer online training for people in all 50 states looking to take a real estate licensing test.

For what projects/services did your company hire iDeus?

We hired iDeus to develop our Learning Management System (LMS) from the ground up. They were also responsible for building our WordPress website.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted a scalable LMS and a website that would be an industry-leading solution.

How did you select this vendor?

I’ve personally worked with iDeus for over 13 years. This project was the latest in a history of projects they’ve successfully developed and launched.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

After an initial scoping period, we agreed on a development quote and timeframe. They developed the LMS and WordPress website at the same time. Additionally, they provided design and testing services.

What was the team composition?

We dealt with a dedicated team leader. Further resources were assigned as the project scaled up and down depending on our needs.

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

This project created our business. iDeus' work was instrumental in bringing our business to life, from a concept to a live product in the market.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

A third-party project management software was used to track the project. It effectively monitored timelines and addressed any scope modifications.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their availability is second to none. They can be reached at any time and have the ability to address any issues that arise very quickly. Additionally, their ability to scale up and down was helpful.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I think the only area for improvement would be from our side. Being able to clearly communicate your needs will result in an excellent experience. As long as the client does so, they should receive great results.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am working with iDeus for my current company, Digital Citizen Academy. I am the vice president of operations. We are based in Phoenix, and the company has around 5 employees.

What challenge were you trying to address with iDeus?

For my current company, the challenge was our learning management system. We needed the ability to run reports on the LMS. We also wanted to develop capabilities within the platform that are based on the insurance requirements of certain US states.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’re using a store-bought learning management system that iDeus modified for us. It's our basic library and deliverability network. The LMS delivers content to our students in video, text, or test form. We do use resources such as a content delivery network, but that is combined through the API integration. iDeus may have used Ruby on Rails for coding the platform, but I may be wrong. I am not a programmer by trade, so I leave this to them. The website frontend is HTML5.

We have requested many specific functionalities related to state-level insurance trading laws. We’re able to set up rules for each state, like being logged into courses for a minimum number of hours, the right answer percentage threshold for obtaining a certificate, and so on.

The reporting feature was created in order to help our content and compliance team be more efficient. We used to calculate hours manually, so iDeus built a system that sends a daily report, with hours calculated for each student. Instead of adding hours manually, we can look at the report, see if the hours have been completed, and submit them.

I’ve interacted with their project manager and Denis Demidenko, the director and owner of the company. I also worked a bit with the development team, but we’re not on a first-name basis. They’re given instructions by the project manager and complete the work as needed.

How did you come to work with iDeus?

I found iDeus 11 years ago through a mutual contact in the area. iDeus built a completely custom system for TesTeachers, my previous company. It’s an online insurance and security training provider. I was the director of sales and one of the very first employees of TesTeachers. When I left, I recommended iDeus to my new company.

How much have you invested with iDeus?

Initially, we paid a fixed rate of $15,000 for the platform. Since then, we spend $25 per hour for any additional work.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our most recent project has been for developing some functional reporting features. It was started in March 2017 with an initial discussion. iDeus produced the results for us in late April or early May.

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

The work they’ve done is excellent compared to what I’ve seen elsewhere. The learning management platform has unique features that can’t be found anywhere else. The only issues we’ve faced were in terms of scalability—adjusting to varying numbers of clients accessing our network. The site can go down based on traffic. iDeus has been more hands-on in monitoring the load and determining when the servers need to be upgraded.

How did iDeus perform from a project management standpoint?

iDeus’ timeliness is great. I can contact the team 24/7, and the turnaround for non-emergency questions is around 24 hours. They’re focused on the service vertical. iDeus has pushed updates live on a weekly basis, which is something many companies won’t do. It’s the reason I’ve stuck with them.

We prefer the current time zone difference because it makes iDeus available for updates around US evenings. They have an extended schedule that allows us to reach the team up to 4 p.m. Eastern Time. In emergency cases, I can reach iDeus through email, Viber, and Skype.

What did you find most impressive about iDeus?

The biggest thing about iDeus is that they’re open to new ideas. If there’s something I want to do, they won’t refuse me outright. Our contact will talk to the development team and tell us how much it will cost and what our development options are. iDeus also developed certain features for free as long as we allowed them to use the code on other projects.

Are there any areas iDeus could improve?

When we have to utilize iDeus from a client standpoint and have their developers communicate with ones from our side, the language barrier can become cumbersome. They do speak English, which has gotten much better over time. Denis is pretty much fluent, and our project manager is also working on this.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I was a project manager for an online apparel printing company.

What challenge were you trying to address with iDeus?

We needed to streamline our ordering process. We have many different customers with varying requirements for logo printing. We wanted to streamline the procedure to keep track of the orders and keep all the customer information in one location.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They built a backend system to streamline everything based upon our unique situation in regard to the variety of information we receive and the complex instructions we get from our clients. iDeus created an online ordering form that goes between our customer service reps (CSR’s) to the clients directly. Any input received is recorded and then sent back to the CSR’s, so there’s no extra paperwork involved.

In addition to streamlining the process, the system built by iDeus keeps the customer accountable for submitting the logos and tracking information of their products. We have all the information received from both the customer and our CSR’s in one location.

I had one direct contact person who was the manager on the project for me. I’m not familiar with the technologies used on the project. We had this grand idea and didn’t really know if it was feasible. We took the idea to them, and they suggested a way to bring our idea to fruition. A lot of their suggestions made the end product better than what we had originally perceived it would be.

We were ecstatic to actually see it working and in use, keeping track of all the records and creating PDF’s that allowed us to put actual papers in the job tickets and have it from start to completion. There’s an admin portal that we log into. We can create different account users and assign different CSR’s to each client. We can easily click a submit button, and it’s emailed to both parties, and there are links you can open to see the full project in detail. I don’t know what the backend was made of, but it’s very simple for anyone to use who doesn’t have any technical experience.

It was a 6-month project, and there was a lot of going back and forth. They provided us with the layout, and then we changed our mind several times on what would be the best solution. We’re happy with the product it is today.

How did you come to work with iDeus?

I found them through an online search. We did look at other vendors who were priced both lower and higher. We had a good feeling with the project manager at iDeus, and they provided all the information to us upfront. There was no gimmick in the pricing, which led us to hire them, and we’re happy that we have done so.

How much have you invested with iDeus?

It was under $5,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project began around September or October of 2016 and ran for six months.

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

It works really well. We tied it into one of our Amazon servers. There were little glitches at first, but when we reported what was going on, they were very easy to fix, nothing major. Our customers can fill in the order forms with their information, and it all gets translated back to us in real time. We are very happy with the solution that was built for us and the whole process we are using today.

How did iDeus perform from a project management standpoint?

From beginning to end, they were very easy to communicate with. Their comments were done in a timely manner. We got the project done very quickly. The only delay came from our side, as there were times we didn’t get comments over to them quickly. Once we provided the comments, everything was done in a smooth transition.

Are there any areas iDeus could improve?

These guys were really good to work with, so I don’t want to say anything negative. We just had a really good experience through the whole process. They made the technology simple for us and easy to explain. We knew what we were getting into.