INSSIO

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO and founder of iCUE Solutions GmbH. We provide portfolio and forecasting planning solutions for companies that need to understand their path forward, want to sustain growth, and need plannability in the organization. The specific system is a SaaS that adds the best industry forecasting solution into systems.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with INSSIO?

I wrote the original code about 15–16 years ago on Microsoft stack. A lot of math came into play, and it was published on a specific, industry-standard model for forecasting and planning. Over the years, I spent a significant amount of time adding every other forecasting model in the market.

A few months ago, I realized that the entire stack needed refactoring and brought up to the latest standards. I wanted an API interface, but I wanted to offer it differently. We needed to review and change the architecture and the codebase, which was entirely in C#. Also, it required rewriting in specific parts and some new components, so we engaged with INSSIO for custom software development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Initially, we had multiple conversations with INSSIO to convey the specific knowledge required because we were dealing with sophisticated math and complicated flows in the code. Documentation was sparse, but they picked it up fast. To my surprise, they did the first round of taking it out of the old environment, refactoring it, and plugging it into a new containerized world in a short time. Also, it was extremely high quality. I had several tests to ensure that the math worked fine, so I applied that, and it was great. We ran the part against the GitHub repository, and I checked in often on the progress.

The core feature is to take everything and containerize it so we can run it on any cloud. Specifically, we’ve asked them to put it all in Docker and create an API using the Swagger interface. Now, Open API is the standardized name. Also, we’ve asked them to refactor the masked components, make sure that the math was in line with the new architecture, and that there are ad components to monitor the running components. These jobs involve calculating forecasts, and they can take days. To have clarity about what’s running and if there are errors, INSSIO has implemented a standardized and more modern approach.

We obviously want to make sure that the math spits out the right results, so we’ve done some scalability testing. We’ve run a large data file from a customer, and we can say that we feel very comfortable with the solution we have in place right now. It can scale massively.

What is the team composition?

Our initial point of contact was the CEO and founder. They were involved a bit with the architectural redesign. Eventually, they brought on one of the senior developers. Since then, we’ve predominantly worked with him. I’m not aware if they have more people working on the project, but he’s my point of contact at INSSIO. Additionally, we’ve had a couple of talks with their senior staff.

How did you come to work with INSSIO?

I reached out to my network. A friend recommended INSSIO; they had worked with them before. I got in touch with the founder and CEO, and we had a short conversation. We felt really comfortable with their knowledge and process.

How much have you invested in them?

We’ve spent around €50,000 (approximately $58,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

It started in March 2021, and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The solution is fully functional and operational, and it’s serving my clients as we speak. INSSIO has established the full continuous delivery and integration process.

Also, as a CTO, I’m very experienced in these areas. I’ve voiced my opinions and wishes, but they’ve shown me a better path in certain areas. I brought them in, and they’ve shared their knowledge. Moreover, we’re very impressed with the result.

How did INSSIO perform from a project management standpoint?

I have a lot of experience in this area, and I’ve personally run and managed many teams over the years. Their performance has been excellent in how they work with us and what they do. It’s just great work. I’m very picky, and I couldn’t have asked for anything more.

We use GitHub, which also has a Kanban board as a project component. We use it for communication throughout the week, and we have a weekly call with them through Zoom. Overall, it’s a straightforward process. They’ve added me to Teams for quick chats, and when questions arise, they quickly answer them. Also, if we want to add anything, it’s nicely folded in.

All in all, the communication is streamlined, and we have a really great flow.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re exceptionally well qualified in Microsoft technologies’ implementation, and what they do is high quality. Additionally, they’re very easy to work with. We’ve gotten what we’ve asked for; there isn’t any fluff. If we ask for advice, we get advice. INSSIO gets to the point, and they don’t offer what they can’t do.

In the working relationship, we liked that they addressed everything within the same business day. Otherwise, it’s put into a queue and addressed as soon as possible. They’re very accommodating. Even after the project officially ended, we found a few things that we wanted to change. The senior developer found the time to do them even if he was already working on a different project.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I guess it’s a matter of size, but I can’t pick out anything that I would have missed. On the other hand, it would be easier for me to talk in German since I’m not a native English speaker. Therefore, if they want to serve a broader audience, maybe they could have more languages available.

Nonetheless, it’s been a perfect service, and there isn’t anything we would improve.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be clear on what you are asking for and how you interface with them. The more clarity you provide, the faster you can move on, and it usually saves money. A clear channel of communication is something that I always recommend. I want to be able to reach them at any given point in time.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am CEO of a consulting firm in Germany. We offer services and software for freight procurement.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We hired Inssio to develop our own cloud analytics software for freight procurement.

SOLUTION

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

We found Inssio through referral. Project references, an on-site visit and the fact that Inssio provided all necessary skills under one roof were the deciding factors.

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

The objective was to develop a multi tenant web app (SaaS) for the analysis of freight proposals. They helped us to specify our project and gave valuable input at a very early stage. All development steps were provided in a testing environment to get feedback from us on a regular basis.

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

There were three people working on the app, the CEO, a senior developer and DB specialist, and on guy from quality. Additional staff was included in the process, if special skills were needed. Currently we have one senior developer for continuous product development, bug fixing and technical support.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The web app was delivered as specified and exceeded our expectations. We are using the app for consulting projects with great success. The time saving is significant and the analytic insights are superior. First customers have signed up already using the app on a regular basis.

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

PM was very good and communication was easy. Committed time lines were met. We used MS Teams, Jira and later DevOps to structure and coordinate the project.

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

They really take the time to understand your requirements before thinking about the right solution. They were very skillful and creative and always kept the commercial aspect in mind when proposing technical solutions. We trusted their judgement 100%. What we really love: They don't think about problems, they think about solutions.

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

Maybe they could come up with more ideas themselves for improvements of our app. But that's really not the big deal.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO of Gendas GmbH

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

B2B SaaS application for Whistleblowing Solutions

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Develop Software End to End
• Cloud Dev Ops
• Azure Hosting

SOLUTION

How did you find INSSIO?

Friend

Why did you select INSSIO over others?

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

How many teammates from INSSIO were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

End to end application development

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

A fast and useable software

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

yes, always on time

What was your primary form of communication with INSSIO?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Their self-sufficient way of working and pragmatic approach were impressive.

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

no