ITO

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am one of the owners of Rent A Stile.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with ITO?

I needed help with website and software development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

ITO developed a couple of software products for us and they also did our website. They help with strategy based on what’s happening in the market. 

The software is still in production so I can’t really go into the details, but it is a B2B software solution for streamlining purchases and things like that. It helps with my business workflow and we will be able to market it as a SaaS product to others. If I am not mistaken, they are using Microsoft technology. 

What is the team composition?

I work with the project manager primarily. Marko (Owner) jumps in whenever his expertise is needed. I believe there is a team of six to seven people working on my project. 

How did you come to work with ITO?

I found out about them through mutual friends from Israel who have worked with them for many years. They were highly recommended.

How much have you invested in them?

My current investment for one project is almost $100,000, and we have another project which has cost around $40,000 but probably will be doubled by the time we are done. We also have a monthly maintenance contract which is $2,000 to $3,000 a month.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them on the website in September 2019, and then we started working on the software in March of this year. I’m still working with them now. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

If we need software solutions, everything is on time. The price is good, and I highly recommend them. On my end, I have people who can double-check quality. 

How did ITO perform from a project management standpoint?

They are highly organized. We have meetings twice a week where everything is documented. 

For one of the projects we started four months ago, we almost have an operating version. I would say, from my previous experience with other companies years ago, it would have taken a year or a year and a half to get to the position we are in now. ITO is highly experienced.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The number one thing is honesty and creativity. If they cannot do something, they will tell us right away. The biggest thing besides honesty is their knowledge and creativity. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

The biggest thing is that they could grow faster with more people, but I know that Marko is very particular about talent and he is looking for high-level people. Other than that, they do whatever I need. The response is amazing. If I request something today, tomorrow they will have all the answers, even though there is such a big time difference between us.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Come prepared and tell them exactly what you want. This way they can perform things much faster for you. They are also amazing at helping you to understand what you need. If you can do your homework before that, preparing notes and sketches, they can do it much faster.