Iterative Engineering

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Country Manager/Head of Business Development for Poland of Nature Energy - Biomethane

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Design build and operate biomethane production facilities.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Iterative Engineering to accomplish?

• help business development team with new project screening
• help develop faster and more accurate AI based tools
• develop a bespoke technique for specific issue related to biogas and polish farming

SOLUTION

How did you find Iterative Engineering?

Referral

Why did you select Iterative Engineering over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Iterative Engineering were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

In this project, Iterative Engineering has developed, in collaboration with Nature Energy, two custom software solutions to meet the business development challenge in biogas project development. The Screening Tool is pivotal, featuring an automated system for detecting objects of interest through algorithmic analysis of satellite and orthoimagery. The solution is composed of three primary components designed to operate sequentially:

- Data Collector: A script that retrieves imagery for a specified rectangular area from a chosen source.

- Analytical Engine: A suite of AI/ML and mathematical computer vision algorithms applied to the retrieved imagery to identify objects of interest.

- Packer: A script that compiles an output package, ensuring it includes only pertinent data.

The end results of the detection process are detailed, providing comprehensive information about each detected objects of interest, such as location, size, volume, and associated imagery. This data is structured to be readily integrated into any third-party GIS system for extended analysis and informed decision-making.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

- Data Collector: A script that retrieves imagery for a specified rectangular area from a chosen source.

- Analytical Engine: A suite of AI/ML and mathematical computer vision algorithms applied to the retrieved imagery to identify objects of interest.

- Packer: A script that compiles an output package, ensuring it includes only pertinent data.

The end results of the detection process are detailed, providing comprehensive information about each detected objects of interest, such as location, size, volume, and associated imagery. This data is structured to be readily integrated into any third-party GIS system for extended analysis and informed decision-making.

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

• Iterative responded promptly within the agile project timeline,
• communicated proactively and clearly in both Polish and English,
• They reacted swiftly to feedback to implement improvements.
• followed up in a timely manner with the appropriate level of expertise,
• and delivered a high-quality written summary report.

What was your primary form of communication with Iterative Engineering?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

• agile ways of working
• good fit for the start up as well as large corporate requirements, flexibility
• a good, flexible offer
• proactive about sourcing input data
• proactive with testing the model with our team
• responsive to feedback, eager to hear feedback

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

The Nature Energy team has supplied experienced and seasoned experts who have tested the model and provided insightful, timely feedback, making the tool a product of co-creation. In the future, iterative could benefit from designing their own feedback gathering tools when collaborating with less experienced teams on future energy transition projects.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Xodus is a global energy consultancy with offerings in advisory, engineering, environment and the supply chain. We work across oil and gas, renewables and the energy transition. My position is a Principal Consultant, I lead development of carbon management tool

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We required support in developing a software tool to benchmark carbon. We needed to go external given constraints within our internal team. We wished to first scope a carbon benchmark tool followed by support in developing a web based application.

SOLUTION

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

We were recommended Iterative by an external consultant who is supporting Xodus in developing an innovation process and creating a toolset of offerings in the energy transition. The key factors in selecting Iterative was their clear understanding of the scope to create a workflow that worked for us. They also came across as a very capable and knowledgeable team.

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

Develop a web-based benchmarking tool with GIS functionality. To better define the scope of work and ensure alignment on both the minimum viable product and final vision Iterative proposed a number of workshops. These were invaluable in creating not only vision documents but also wireframes of the platform and mock-ups of the tool.

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

There were three people from the vendor's team that we worked with during the workshops. This included the CEO who led as project manger, the technical director and a developer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were able to define the scope of the MVP and better understand the structure and workflow of the product. Overall, the output from Iterative Engineering was excellent, and their attention to detail was impressive. The final mock-ups are now being used as a benchmark for our future branding in other initiatives.

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

The project management was very good with regular workshops and meetings throughout the summer period which can be challenging given holiday season. The project manager was approachable and able to adapt given our branding changed during the workshop. We communicated via email and Teams, with mock-ups prepared in Figma.

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

Their ability to understand our needs and translate that into a clear workflow and create excellent mock-up / visuals that incorporated our new branding. They were always very responsive and able to work closely with our team throughout the project.

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

Attention to detail was excellent, but this did cause some delay to project schedule. Focusing on the must haves vs. need to haves could enable greater efficiency. However, this is a minor detail and we were overall very happy with the service Iterative provided.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a CEO of a Travel Agency service. We are selling organized holiday trips for destinations all over the world. Currently, we are operating in the Polish market. At the moment we are trying to approach different neighboring markets.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Iterative Engineering?

Design and develop a mobile application for selling our services in an automated way.

What were your goals for this project?

• fully digitalize sales process of holiday trips
• improve perfomance
• improve design UI/UX
• present most accurate and actual offers from our portfolio in the app
• increase sales for our business

SOLUTION

How did you select Iterative Engineering?

I have been referenced to them by one of my contact who has been their client in the past.

Describe the project in detail.

Mobile (iOS&Android) app which gives users access to the database of all tours operated by the major travel providers offered by Wakacje.in. It gives user the opportunity to search for the most attractive offers from a given region (both in Poland and around the world) and to book and purchase the selected offer. The entire process, from finding a trip to purchasing it, is fully digitized, therefore it runs very smoothly and does not require the support of consultants. The project was supposed to be an mobile application for iOS and Android packed in a intuitive and eye catchy design. The application should be integrated with Wakacje.in backend service and couple of 3rd-party services like payment gateway, Facebook, Google etc.

What was the team composition?

Project was done as a Agile development effort. It started with 2 design sprints and then switched into iterative development. During this process we were in constant contact and collaboration with Iterative Engineering Team.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since 2019 to 2020, the Mobile Application (Wakacje.in) has increased its reach on Facebook from 1000 to 8000 likes and iOS/Android marketplace from 2000 to 15000 active users. Thanks to that, we increased profits and generated many more leads especially in 2020.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Thanks to weekly meetings and ad-hoc communications (via E-mail and Slack) it was very effective.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I was impressed with their rapid development, technical knowledge, and development process (they really understand and do Agile well).

Are there any areas for improvement?

Sometimes there were issues with understanding our business needs, which possibly could have been grasped earlier and without additional meetings. However I must say that in the end we got what we wanted, it just feels for us that it could have been understood quicker.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the COO of Healthy. It’s a telemedicine website for the Polish marketplace.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Iterative Engineering?

We were unhappy with the software house we had hired to develop the platform, so we were looking for a new partner.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We consulted with the team and explained what we wanted regarding functionality. They helped us further develop the ideas and user flow. They did the UX/UI, developed the frontend and backend of the platform, and implemented all the functionalities. It is a web-based platform that is integrated into our website.

The platform allows medical specialists and patients to connect. There is a search function for specialist profiles, calendars, video consultation, a recommendation system for after a consultation, payment capabilities, and reminders of upcoming consultations. They currently provide support, on an as-needed basis.

What is the team composition?

I worked with Krzystof (CEO), four full-time developers, a project manager, a full-time and a part-time UX/UI designer, and a part-time programmer.

How did you come to work with Iterative Engineering?

I connected with Krzystof at an entrepreneur network meeting, and we had a good connection. We met with the team and decided to move forward.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $51,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together around December 2019, and it’s ongoing, although the development was completed in January 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We are currently testing the solution on the market. We have had positive feedback from a large client and from our users. They told us that the platform is simple to use with advanced functionality. We are highly satisfied with the team at Iterative Engineering and plan to have them help develop a mobile app in the future.

How did Iterative Engineering perform from a project management standpoint?

They met deadlines and did a good job explaining technical issues I didn’t understand along the way. They were proactive; I didn’t need to ask them for anything. We use the phone, Jira, and their internal system for communication and access to every aspect of the project.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They have excellent communication and understood that we were less technically knowledgeable than them. They taught us some things we didn’t know. Their designers and developers are excellent— they can produce advanced solutions.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they shouldn’t do anything differently.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Call Krzystof, and he will guide you step-by-step.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Chrisanne Clover a market leader in ballroom dressmaking.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Iterative Engineering?

We needed to improve our website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They developed a Magento website that featured a digital catalog of our products and e-commerce capabilities. Then they seamlessly integrated it with Microsoft Dynamics 365.  

How did you come to work with Iterative Engineering?

They were recommended to us. They were slightly more affordable than local dev shops, but they were also very professional and knowledgeable.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $15,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in July 2020 and the project is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their work has been very good so far. Their coding is spot-on. They’ve been able to carry out the additional coding we needed to meet our needs.

How did Iterative Engineering perform from a project management standpoint?

We agreed to a rate, but we wanted to add additional functionalities so the project scope expanded significantly. At the beginning of the project, Iterative Engineering gave us very clear billing criteria and a project roadmap. Now, whenever we request changes, they’re very clear about what it will cost and how long it will take. They’ve been flexible and have incorporated what we wanted.

We communicate with them very regularly. We email them every day, but every Monday we have an hour-long meeting via Zoom.

We have a review process every week to track what they’re working on. Once we review it, we note what needs to be amended and sign off on the task. We currently use Trello, which has ensured transparency. Whenever they update it, we see it right away.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They did their homework. They looked at our industry and gave us suggestions we never thought about. That’s what sets them apart — they think about how we can use the website from a commercial point of view.

Are there any areas they could improve?

At the moment, I can’t think of anything they need to improve because they’ve done everything we’ve asked for.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Tell Iterative Engineering what your business goals are. They will be able to contribute to the project and provide valuable input.