INTEGRA SOURCES

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm an executive at a software development company. We don’t have an in-house development team but outsource development services to different companies. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with INTEGRA SOURCES?

We needed developers with knowledge of C and C++ languages. We had a hard time finding these talents in Europe.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

INTEGRA SOURCES provides a team of outsourced software developers who help us with our end clients’ requests. We can contact INTEGRA SOURCES’ developers at any time, tell them our request, and they will develop the required product. 

What is the team composition?

We work with a team of 4–5 developers from INTEGRA SOURCES on an ongoing basis. We have also worked with other 3–4 specialists for specific project requirements. 

How did you come to work with INTEGRA SOURCES?

I found INTEGRA SOURCES through an online search.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested around $50,000 with INTEGRA SOURCES. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with INTEGRA SOURCES in May 2022, and our partnership is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our engagement with INTEGRA SOURCES has had a phenomenal impact on our company. INTEGRA SOURCES is very precise in their work and grasps our requirements incredibly quickly. There haven’t been misunderstandings, which is incredibly important to us. 

We’ve had experiences with other companies where they tell us they understand something but often don’t. On the contrary, when INTEGRA SOURCES doesn’t understand something, they let us know straight away so we can see the details we need to review again. 

How did INTEGRA SOURCES perform from a project management standpoint?

When INTEGRA SOURCES says they will complete a project on a certain time, I can be sure they’ll do anything to complete it on that date. To me, that’s major because our company is a mediator. If we agree to deliver our end clients' work on a specific date, we must keep our word. INTEGRA SOURCES is honest and accurate with their timeframes. 

INTEGRA SOURCES stays within our agreed budget for each project and works effectively. They require fewer hours to deliver our requests, which gives me the confidence to keep working with INTEGRA SOURCES. They have a great management structure. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’m most impressed with INTEGRA SOURCES’ industry knowledge — They can solve complex problems.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything for INTEGRA SOURCES to improve. We work incredibly well together — I wouldn’t change a thing.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I definitely recommend working with INTEGRA SOURCES. I’ve worked with different companies before, and INTEGRA SOURCES knows what they’re doing. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a project manager at a hospital. I’m tasked primarily with infrastructure projects, although sometimes I get involved in projects related to the main hospital when the doctors or nurses need to find a vendor or service provider for a specific project.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with INTEGRA SOURCES?

For us at the hospital, it's really important to put the patient experience first, and we try to stay on the cutting edge of technology. We had a medical device that monitored the patient's heart rate and blood pressure, and we also needed it to monitor their blood oxygen levels. 

We realized the device we had was outdated, and in order to fix it, we needed to develop software and create a whole new device that was lightweight so patients could wear it at all times.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Initially, we had an outdated model of this device that couldn't monitor blood oxygen levels. We gave INTEGRA SOURCES this model, and they've been working from there. They're developing the software using firmware, and the printed circuit board components are custom-made.

INTEGRA SOURCES is currently working on the device's hardware and matching it with the software. We still have to figure out how to produce it massively, but they've already created a few prototypes.

What is the team composition?

Our main point of contact with INTEGRA SOURCES has been the project manager, and we work with a team of six specialists in total. There's a hardware developer, a firmware developer, a software programmer for the mobile app, a QA specialist, and a project manager on the team. 

How did you come to work with INTEGRA SOURCES?

We searched on Google, reached out to a few vendors, and had preliminary conversations with them. Most could do only one aspect of the project, either the software or hardware development. At the hospital, we find it easier to work with one vendor for each project. We chose INTEGRA SOURCES because they were the only ones that could manage our project end to end. 

How much have you invested with them?

We have a total budget of $60,000, and we've invested around $30,000–$45,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in April 2022, and our partnership is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The prototypes that INTEGRA SOURCES has already created have been doing really well in our tests. They’re able to accurately read the patients’ blood oxygen levels, which the previous model of the device couldn’t do.

How did INTEGRA SOURCES perform from a project management standpoint?

We have weekly calls through Skype, and when we need to discuss something in detail, we use Basecamp since that’s where we store all our information. INTEGRA SOURCES stays on budget and meets deadlines. Any delays we’ve had so far have been on our end since we need to get approval from every department before moving on to the next phase of the project.

What did you find most impressive about them?

What I find most impressive about INTEGRA SOURCES is their personnel. They have very qualified engineers in their team that can design anything we can think of, and if they can’t, they’re straightforward about it. Overall, INTEGRA SOURCES’ key differentiator is that they’re a one-stop shop; that’s hard to find when you’re looking to build new hardware from scratch.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It would be great if they could allocate developers to the new tasks we give them more quickly. However, I know it’s difficult since our project is complicated and has many tasks. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I recommend you clearly understand the problem you’re trying to solve for your organization. Give INTEGRA SOURCES a rough template for the possible solution and see what they come back with — I’m sure they’ll impress you.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are a large scale li-ion battery developer and manufacturer for the marine space. I am the founder.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Integra developed the firmware for two of the three layers of the battery management system under my direction. They also developed the third layer on Linux with a large data base and user interface.

SOLUTION

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

I was looking for on-line consultants to develop code to my requirements. I preferred a company to individuals since it required less detailed management that I did not have time for at the time.

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

The typical steps we followed were to define my requirements. They define a project plan and budget and then report against that.

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

I interfaced mainly with the project managers. There were two of those. From time to time I would discuss features with individual engineers, probably up to 5 in total. I also had discussions with the CTO from time to time

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

This was a very large project with many deliverables. As with any project, there were better times and worse times. On the embedded side they were very good. On the linux side they had their moments, but came through in the end. For me the embedded was the strongest asset.

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

We used Redmine and Jira

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

They were willing to get into the issue and put in the effort to fix it.

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

The communication skills

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the founder and CEO of an aerospace technology company that protects business aircraft while being towed.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We hired Integra Sources to build a proof of concept, and following a prototype/product that includes hardware and software development. The goal was/ is to complete the proof of concept and consequently achieving a product to market to customers.

SOLUTION

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

I interviewed several companies over many weeks and not impressed or comfortable with any of them. Continued searching for potential developers and came across Integra Sources through Upwork. I set up to have a conversation with them and afterwards immediately knew they were the team to develop my product.

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

They developed a hardware PoC that included a mmWave radar system, camera, LED lighting, a buzzer, interchangeably power source, and enclosure. This hardware system communicated with a demo app. Deliverables delivered were two hardware systems and a demo app. Now they are working on the full marketable system that includes customized PCB boards, web portal site, and app. All three systems communicate with each other and use radar, camera, LED lighting, GPS, accelerometer, buzzer, and interchange power source (battery).

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

The business development manager was my first point of contact and still communicate with him each week. I was then assigned a project manager and then a lead point of contact for both the hardware and software development. I have communicated with at least 3-4 other employees throughout the project when needed. In total, perhaps 10 separate employees are currently working on the project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The PoC development and success consequently led to further investment in the project and full project development. The PoC deliverables highly exceeded my expectations and so far I’m incredibly impressed with the status of the current project.

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

I communicate with their software and hardware team nearly every day and the business development manager at least weekly. We communicate mainly through Basecamp, but we email and jump on calls when required. Great communicators.

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

They simply know what they are doing and deliver high quality products. Communication has been excellent as well.

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

I can’t think of anything. It’s been great to work with them.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm CTO of a high-tech technology company oriented on the development consumer devices.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We were looking for a solution that would allow to wirelessly connect big number of devices inside a hall. The devices had to work in two operation modes (BLE point to point communication mode and as a node inside a wireless MESH) and under dense environmental conditions. As a result, we hired this team to design and develop the system that could handle our needs. Our goal was to get a working solution and bring the first system on the beta site on time.

SOLUTION

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

I found them when I was looking for a solution for the project. I read their article about custom design of a BLE MESH and considered them along with 4 other candidates. Because the needs of the project were so specific and didn't have a trivial solution, we needed a team that would provide us with a solution and in quite tight schedule.

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

The team designed and developed a wireless MESH + P2P solution for the device side including mobile and desktop applications, that covered the needs of the project. At the beginning we detailed user and system requirements for each part of the system. Then the team provides us with a design mock-up (h/w, firmware and mobile/desktop applications) to approve the design before starting the implementation. We set up a number of milestones for which we have been rolling out an intermediate release to test the system and give feedbacks.

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

The project required a complex solution and required using different technologies, there have been 4 core engineers, h/w designer, designer, CTO, 2 SQA and 2 project managers. There have been other resources that have been involved depending our needs.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have been working on the project yet. Nevertheless, we have passed a really important stages having a number of intermediate releases. This helped us take part in CES 2022 exhibition, where the system was presented with great success.

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

The project management has been on the high level. The team have met deadlines without any unexpected turnovers. We communicate through Skype, Basecamp and Redmine.

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

The team pays attention to every detail and is not scared to propose some new approaches resulting in improving the product functionality.

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

The quality of work is great. Openly, I can't point to something, that they could have done differently.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Owner and Design Engineer at 3canvas. We work with professionals who are launching their first physical product, or companies who are pivoting into physical product development without prior experience.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire INTEGRA SOURCES?

We hired Integra to be our partner in electronics hardware for a customer project. Also, Integra developed the firmware for the hardware they had designed.

SOLUTION

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

Our customer had a shortlist of companies they would be interested in working with. After a round of interviews, Integra Sources came out on top.

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

The desired outcome was well known, however, a lot of details needed to be figured out along the way. First we defined the scope of work, and the budget of the project. Next we began to work on the details, and had prototypes produced and ready for testing. Additionally, Integra has been developing the needed hardware and software for production quality assurance.

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

We have worked with a number of resources within Integra. There was always the right person for the right job. We have worked with project managers, electronics hardware engineers, and firmware developers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Work is ongoing as we are testing the hardware and integrating it into our system. So far everything has been going well and we are ready to move into production.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Work with Integra has been extremely smooth and communication has been great and highly efficient. What is a relatively low frequency of communication, the project has gone well with a few hiccups along the way.

As we know that Integra is busy with other clients also, we understand the need to prioritize and arrange schedules to meet the needs of their customers may sometimes require compromises in terms of schedule.

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

Integra is a very capable company and they are capable of filling the blanks and working with minimal guidance.

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

Everything always needs to be done faster, at lower costs, and better, in the case of Integra, the only area for improvement would be the capability to deliver faster. That said, as mentioned in a previous question we understand the need to juggle and compromise on schedules occasionally. Also, when working with hardware leadtimes are articles that are hard to influence.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of a company that is building an educational electronic device.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with INTEGRA SOURCES?

I hired INTEGRA SOURCES to design the firmware and build the electronics for my product.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement? 

INTEGRA SOURCES has helped me figure out how to build my product. I first explained what I wanted to do, and they mapped out the whole project with milestones and timelines. Based on their recommendations, we started with the electronics design and ended up with circuit board functional prototypes. We’ve since continued to build the product, including some software for a companion app.

What is the team composition? 

I worked with three people. Daniel (VP of Business Development) coordinated the whole project and was my main point of contact. Then there’s Anton (Lead Engineer) and Yulia (Project Manager) who helped with the software.

How did you come to work with INTEGRA SOURCES?

I found them on Google. Their costs were significantly lower than any US-based company, and they seemed like the knew what they were doing.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $60,000–$65,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in July 2018, and the project is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re wrapping things up, right now.

How did INTEGRA SOURCES perform from a project management standpoint?

Even with the 12-hour time difference, it’s really easy to get a hold of them. They’re responsive, and I haven’t experienced any language issues. The project is taking a bit longer than originally expected, but that’s partially because we realized we needed to develop additional things as we go.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’m impressed by how much knowledge they have. This is my first big project, so I don’t really know everything that I need to know. INTEGRA SOURCES has been great at helping me learn along the way and making sure that I understand the key parts. I never felt in the dark about why things were happening.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there haven’t been any immediate issues.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Keep in mind the time zone difference and do your best to respond to them on time. The quicker you get back to them, the quicker you’ll get answers, which will speed up the project.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CTO and co-founder of the company. We are a developer and manufacturer of advanced wireless systems for marine, automotive and consumer industry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire INTEGRA SOURCES?

We focus on wireless systems in our embedded department and on other areas we focus on software and hardware arcitechture design and strategy and it was a perfect match with Integra as they can make arcitechted solutions reality. This particular project is a complex system bridging all interfaces via CAN Bus and various wireless systems.

What were your goals for this project?

The system needed to be capable of bridging all systems and protocols either wired or wireless in a reliable way across a multitude of different setups and configurations. It also had to work seamlessly with the firmware we develop in house for the other embedded systems on the same board.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Considered over 30 companies. The technical expertise and expansive portfolio was the first deciding factor. Then after meeting the team which was very much real people and not superficial sales people we far to often meet.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

The project was built from the ground up with a completely new microcontroller arcitecture from NXP where they first had to figure out a way to create a custom bootloader and load it from eMMC memory before documentation from NXP was even ready in this area. Then we gradually did bring up on the different systems of the board and built a complete application that runs on FreeRTOS.

What was the team composition?

Have had good communication with the whole team, and we have always had access to a project manager being able to route any questions or queries to the right persons.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

This project has been a great success, and the areas that Integra has been working on has not stalled the process a single time, it has always been the parts that finished first for each milestone.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Integra adheres to deadlines and they are able to estimate very accurately within reason. This makes project tracking for costs and timeline an easy task for the tasks that are dependent on Integra.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their technical expertise and clear communication impressed us.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Not really. Things have actually been better than expected and we have grown on each other as well, so the communication flows better for every day.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the engineering manager for a water cooler manufacturer. Our products dispense still and sparkling water with different flavor options.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with INTEGRA SOURCES?

We originally hired them to help us update our firmware.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They used Microchip to create the microprocessors within our products. Now, we're working together on a prototype that connects to the internet of things.

What is the team composition?

We worked with a team of about nine people.

How did you come to work with INTEGRA SOURCES?

We couldn't find a cost-effective solution in the States, so we sought out an overseas firm that could provide the same quality at a lower price point. We put a job posting on Upwork, and they reached out to us with a list of their offerings. We considered four companies in all, but we liked Integra's prices and their reviews on Clutch and on Upwork. They were also very fluent in English, so communication was very easy.

How much have you invested with them?

To date, we've spent around $32,000. $3,000 of that was for the initial project, and the rest was for another project we hired them for.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in July 2018. The initial project is complete, but they still work as our software support team. They make any changes we need.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We've saved a lot of money by using their services, and the quality of work is comparable to stateside agencies. They allowed us to avoid hiring an internal software developer, and we can use them as we need them.

How did INTEGRA SOURCES perform from a project management standpoint?

They used Basecamp to manage the project, which works very well for us. They're also available at any time via Skype.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their communication is excellent, and their English skills really set them apart.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can't think of anything they could improve; they do a good job for us.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of Eau Rouge Engineering. We create electronics for motorsports.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Integra Sources?

We needed help with product development. Outsourcing the task to a third party with more resources than us was the smart business decision.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Integra Sources worked with us to implement a new digital version of an industry-standard analog product. As analog becomes more expensive and analog skills are harder to find among resources, we decided to create a digital variant. Integra Sources is doing a lot of digital signal analysis and other specialized work.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with 4–5 people.

How did you come to work with Integra Sources?

We found them on Upwork. We interviewed about four vendors and looked at each team’s portfolio work, communication promises, and enthusiasm for our project. Integra Sources took the time to research our industry in advance, and it showed in our discussion. They gave us a great impression, so I decided to go with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent about $20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project started in October 2018 and is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Integra Sources delivers to the highest standards, not only in the physical work they produce but also in their communication and documentation. It’s by far exceeded our standards. 

How did Integra Sources perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve been very professional and quick to respond. If anything, my response times frustrate them more than theirs frustrate me. We use Basecamp to communicate and, due to our time zone differences, expect any replies to our comments or questions within 24 hours. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

What we’re trying to build is not your standard engineering project—it’s a unique product to our industry, which is also hard to get into. Integra Sources researched the project in-depth to better understand our goals—that really impressed us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can’t think of anything. Integra Sources is very open and communicative. The pricing structure was clear from the outset. They’ve even come up with suggestions on their own to fix any issues we find, which we appreciate.