It-Jim

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of a construction estimation SaaS platform. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with It-Jim?

We deal with a lot of blueprints that involve symbols and numbers, and we wanted to find a way to automatically count those symbols from the PDF image files. We tried to find a solution in-house and try some image recognition platforms, but we weren’t able to get the accuracy and results we needed. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

It-Jim worked on the symbol recognition engine that underlies our products. They’re highly structured to work with. They gathered requirements and defined them. They delivered the desired output from a typical engineering sprint with great communication throughout. I think the team is primarily made of academics based on their work output and detailed artifacts. We appreciate that; it allows us to assess where we are in terms of future delivery.

What is the team composition?

Ievgen (CEO) is our main point of contact. He handled the scoping exercise and now interfaces with me and my engineering team. 

How did you come to work with It-Jim?

I found them by googling around for agencies that specialized in image recognition software. Our engineering team is in the Czech Republic, so I was looking for folks in Central and Eastern Europe to align with their time zones. It-Jim had a good portfolio, and Ievgen has a very academic background — he’s a member of the faculty at the University of Kharkiv, I believe — as well as business acumen.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $75,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together at the beginning of 2018. It took six months for the initial delivery of the engine. We’ve subsequently done smaller projects with It-Jim on a one-off basis.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

One of the key goals we wanted to achieve was the engine’s accuracy: we wanted our customers to have confidence in the results we’re delivering. After a whole host of tests and tuning, we got to a very, very accurate engine. 

Working with It-Jim is very easy. There have been times where we pull in new deadlines or change the scope for certain reasons, and they are very accommodating. They make sure we achieve the right business outcomes without penalizing us financially.

How did It-Jim perform from a project management standpoint?

We use Slack and Skype to communicate, and we’ve given them access to our Jira. However, they do a self-managing on their side. Our communication was clear; we always understood when we were going to get something, and we got a heads up a few days in advance before something arrives. They've never missed a deadline.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’ve worked with similar contractors and am used to them having a defined structure and attention of detail. But It-Jim takes that to the next level. Their technical ability defines them when it comes to symbol recognition and image manipulation. We tried other companies and industry SaaS platform, and nothing we tried before came close to the quality and accuracy we’ve achieved with It-Jim.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think so. Our original engagement was flawless, and so were our follow-up projects. 

Any advice for potential customers?

It-Jim is a detail-oriented group. Be very clear in your upfront requirements to accelerate delivery.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We work with OEMs and Tier-1 manufacturers from Israel, Europe, and the rest of the world. We develop algorithms, software, and hardware, including machine vision systems. I’m the R&D manager of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with It-Jim?

We’ve worked with them on the algorithms and software side of our business.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I have 6–7 algorithm developers on my team, and I go to It-Jim when I need extra resources. They work on new algorithms and improve or optimize the ones made by our internal team.

My company is divided into two parts: AI and deep learning, and classical computer vision. I’ve also worked with It-Jim on both of these topics. They’re experts in AI and deep learning. They know the field well and have a lot of knowledge in it.

Thirdly, I go to them when we need a new idea or way of thinking about something. After each project, they send us full documentation of what they did, what they could improve and the timelines for those, and how we can go forward.

What is the team composition?

We work with their project manager, their CTO, and their algorithm team. I don’t know whether the algorithm people are also the software people or whether they have separate roles. They have C++, Python, and MATLAB developers.

How did you come to work with It-Jim?

It was either through Upwork or through the recommendation from one of my friends in Israel.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with It-Jim around December 2018, and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We make statements of work for all the projects we start, stating with our success criteria for them. It-Jim has always met the success criteria we wrote for them.

I’m managing seven teams, so I’m not always aware of the details. Every three months, I ask the people working with It-Jim how things are going, and they always tell me that everything is good. I don’t have a bad comment to give.

How did It-Jim perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve visited us in Israel, and we have a very good vibe. They’re very good guys. We have good communication with the team members, as well as the CTO and the project manager.

They really stand by the timelines they give us, and they make the algorithm optimizations they promise. We use email, WhatsApp, Jira, Teams, Microsoft Project, and phone calls to communicate. Ievgen (CEO, It-Jim) is available 24/7 on WhatsApp or over the phone.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They communicate clearly and they respect deadlines. I’d worked with a few companies in Ukraine, Bulgaria, and Belgium before starting with It-Jim, and I’ve stayed with them for one and a half years because of the success of the work. I normally don’t take the time to give referrals when asked for them, but I’ve done it for It-Jim.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t have something for them to improve. I want to believe that our companies will grow together. Israeli companies use software houses in Ukraine and Belgium, and my dream is that we’ll grow together with It-Jim and turn into a big company.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

With any provider, everything that needs to be done should be written down, in terms of success criteria, timeline, and price. That way, everyone on both sides will understand what needs to be done.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO of Lun Energy

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We're decarbonising homes, faster.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire It-Jim to accomplish?

• Evaluate the possibility of 3D interior reconstruction for thermal energy exchange calculation. Reconstruction should be possible with an iPhone and automated as much as possible.

SOLUTION

How did you find It-Jim?

Upwork

Why did you select It-Jim over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost

How many teammates from It-Jim were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

• deliver prototypes for various 3d captures apps.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

A number of prototypes capable of reconstructing different pieces of a regular house.

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

They were great!

What was your primary form of communication with It-Jim?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

They are incredibly good at translating business needs into prototypes and engineering deliverables.

Are there any areas for improvement or something It-Jim could have done differently?

No

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO of a software company 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Automating repetitive visual tasks in the Consumer Packaged Goods space through Synthetic Computer Vision.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire It-Jim to accomplish?

• 3D reconstruction of CPG products

SOLUTION

How did you find It-Jim?

Online Search

Why did you select It-Jim over others?

• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from It-Jim were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Building an iOS app for 3D reconstruction of CPG products. 

• build 3d models for boxes and promotional display. 
• scan complex products such as beer bottles.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Deliverable mobile app that is used by at least 10 of our customers. Daily scans of products, with less than 1 bug reports per week.

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

Always on time. Always responsive, even in the weekend.

What was your primary form of communication with It-Jim?

Virtual Meeting

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

Their iOS development was extremely quick. Great understanding with the PM and the developer, easy to communicate complex features.

Are there any areas for improvement or something It-Jim could have done differently?

Get Android developers.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO of a chemicals & biotechnology company 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Home test for hormones

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire It-Jim to accomplish?

• Computer Vision to automate home testing with a mobile phone

SOLUTION

How did you find It-Jim?

Referral

Why did you select It-Jim over others?

Referred to me

How many teammates from It-Jim were assigned to this project?

23

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

Automate home testing for hormones through Computer Vision

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

R^2=0.957

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

Very responsive with best quality work

What was your primary form of communication with It-Jim?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

The team's integrity and work were outstanding

Are there any areas for improvement or something It-Jim could have done differently?

N/A

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the owner of an IT service company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire It-Jim, and what were your goals?

We hired IT-Jim because we needed a particular expertise in the field of Computer Vision, for an on-going project.

SOLUTION

How did you select It-Jim and what were the deciding factors?

We shortlisted 3 companies via LinkedIn, and finally chose IT-Jim.

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

The project required developping and finetuning a computer vision model, able to detect and track a fast-moving object via RGB camera, as well as related events.

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

3 people from IT-Jim took part in the project:

• CEO
• CTO
• CV expert

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We sucessfully managed, via efficient common work, to build and train the CV model that met the industrial standards (precision, recall) we were looking for.

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

On our project IT-Jim worked with Scrum methodology, with 2-week sprints.

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

We found it reinsuring to work with a team of experts, who know the state-of-the-art for a specific project and can correctly assess what we can do or not in a reasonable time.

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

We improved communication and objective alignement during the project life.