KeenEthics

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder of Self Leaders, a virtual leadership training company.

What challenge were you trying to address with KeenEthics?

We needed someone to develop our custom platform.

What was the scope of their involvement?

KeenEthics has been part of our journey in developing our digital tool from the start. The team designed and tested the first version and now are continuing to build and update it. 

It’s a software we use with clients. We focus on facilitating workshops and programs for managers and all employees in a company. The digital tool supports that whole process by doing pre-reflections before our workshop like reflecting on your personal values or strengths. We also use it during the workshops as a dialogue tool.

KeenEthics also supports us in creating a manager/facilitator portal tool where the managers can run workshops themselves with their teams. They continue to support us with continuous development of the platform.

They built the platform from scratch. We started with Meteor which is built on React. The foundation is React.

What is the team composition?

We now have a team of six dedicated full time developers from KeenEthics. We have a main point of contact and a lead developer. In addition we have strategic discussions with their CEO.

How did you come to work with KeenEthics?

We did quite a bit of research. We looked at different suppliers after deciding not to employ people in-house. We went through a lot of reviews and had interviews with a couple of different companies. We also did a test run. 

The reason we chose KeenEthics is because we got the impression that they could support us with the terms of how and having the capacity to really unlock this tool. They connected with us on a more why level. They really took the time to understand why we were building it. That was important to us.

How much have you invested with them?

The total cost so far is $600,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in December 2016 and the work is ongoing. They still are a key partner to us.

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

We’ve been able to build a true partnership with KeenEthics. They have really strong competence and they’ve been able to connect us with really strong developers and frontend designers. They have a strong IT infrastructure. 

We feel connected on a strategic level. It’s not a transactional relationship. We have received a lot of feedback that it really supports the users to connect strongly with both themselves and others. The digital tool supports their own personal development as well as team development and orientation of culture.

How did KeenEthics perform from a project management standpoint?

If we need to make changes, they’ve been really responsive to that. We work in a scrum methodology. We have daily check-ins through video. We have sprint startups also by video. We also use Slack.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’ve been able to continue working with some of the developers we had from the start. That is a strength of theirs.

They always strive to create value long term and deliver within all sprints. Also they have been able to connect us with other partner companies when suitable.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We’re constantly thinking about how we can make it to where their developers feel they are part of KeenEthics as well as ours. When it comes to that partnership level, that’s something we continue to strengthen.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you’re reviewing different possible suppliers, I really recommend testing each of the suppliers on different levels - both in terms of delivering on the "how" of building a robust and user friendly system but also being able to connect to the more strategic "why". KeenEthics is really strong in being able to handle all of those.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a CEO at FXW GmbH — a company that helps business owners find perfect software development vendors and optimize their cooperation with them. We recruited KeenEthics to help us with the Real Estate Management project.

REM is a property management platform, which is aimed to bring together renters and lenders and to facilitate the lives of the latter. Managing multiple properties, collecting rents, calculating resources, or preparing financial reports is much easier with REM

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

We have had an REM web platform developed by a different team. KeenEthics helped us develop a cross-platform mobile app using the means of React Native. We believe that the mobile app is crucial for our project success, and we decided to trust KeenEthics with it.

How did you select KeenEthics and what were the deciding factors?

We were looking for a responsive and highly secure mobile solution, which would be developed in a short time and at a high quality. I am happy to say that the results fully met our expectations.

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

It is not our first experience with KeenEthics — previously, we developed Tetrami together with them. We were satisfied with our cooperation then, and we are satisfied now.

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

REM is a real estate management platform, which aims to innovate the way one rents and manages their property. It offers multiple helpful tools for analysis, communication, and reporting, which let the landowner get rid of all the paperwork and fully automate the process.

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

The mobile app is also already available on Google Play and App Store, but the development works are still underway. Apple: https://apple.co/2J89g5q Android: https://bit.ly/2V1OmaI

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

We decided not to limit ourselves with any strict project management methodology, and we cooperate using the principles of Agile. Thanks to it, our team is indeed very agile and the workflow is quite effective.

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

KeenEthics impresses me with how responsible and reliable they are. They are very thorough when it comes to the technical quality of the software solution.

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

The only thing that somehow impedes our cooperation is the language barrier. There are no fluent German speakers in the KeenEthics team. KeenEthics should work on their linguistic expertise and maybe embrace language diversity — you can make do with English in most cases, but sometimes, it is not enough.

Please describe your company and your position there.

The company is an online nature community and we were looking to build a basic MVP version of the site. I am the Co-Founder.

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

We hired KE to help us build an MVP. Our goals were to build a simple and streamlined product which we could test our early hypothesis with and also build some basic functionality.

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

We found KE on upwork. The reason we went with them was because of how brilliant their Kick-Off process was. From the beginning the initial team listened and asked the right questions and were patient with us and time effective.

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

The deliverables of the project were a website with functionality to log in, engage with different users, upload different things and add other users in the network. The technologies used were React and Firebase. KE were receptive to us using Firebase over more traditional technology stacks

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

There were three people in the actual project team itself - a fullstack engineer, a project manager and then a quality assurance reviewer.

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

The deliverables were well thought through and precisely what we had asked for. The team followed through on their promises and worked to complete it in the deadline that we had agreed.

Once the deliverables had been handed over, the team went above and beyond to try and help us fix a few issues that came up spontaneously. It is early days, but it has set the foundation for a strong product and one that we hope to use to drive up a lot of user engagement.

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

We had a group slack channel which worked well for us as it was efficient and timely. There was also a Trello board.

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

I found the team to be really invested in the outcome of the product. They asked questions about the vision more generally and where were going with it. I liked the fact that they wanted to develop a more personal relationship which meant that it was far less transactional and the outcomes were better.

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

When we first kicked off with the project team there was some friction. I think this was a combination of different communication styles as well as expectation management. Although a small bump, i think in the future setting the expectation from day 1 (especially for teams who are new to all of this) will help alleviate any early friction.

Please describe your company and your position there.

PMO

For what projects/services did your company hire KeenEthics?

We hired KeenEthics to help us with the development of a mobile audit software solution, which would facilitate our business processes.

What were your goals for this project?

The software had to be secure and performant in order to withstand the heavy data load and to prevent data leakage.

How did you select this vendor?

We have heard about KeenEthics before as we discussed our potential cooperation with them on a different project. We enjoyed their way of business thinking, so we decided to trust them with this audit software development.

Describe the project in detail.

It is a mobile tool, which facilitates the process of organizing and carrying out audits. An admin creates a file for audit — a checklist with company specifications and questions. Each question can be supported with images, audio, or video files and with comments. After the audit is completed, the app generates a report.

What was the team composition?

The project was developed by one Project Manager, one mobile developer, one QA, and one UI/UX designer.

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

For now, the project is on hold because we hit a bureaucratic wall. Hopefully, we will be able to resume it in the future together with KeenEthics.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We communicated through Facebook, Viber, and Telegram, so we stayed in touch almost 24/7.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The KeenEthics team was very proactive and honest. They said openly what they could or could not do. I greatly appreciate their attitude and help!

Are there any areas for improvement?

The development process at KeenEthics was incredibly fast, but this speed sometimes came at a cost of communication. I would advise KeenEthics to spend more time collecting and analyzing requirements before implementing them.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm a co-founder of a marketing startup. The company revolves around a software solution that forecasts trends for retails and provides data-driven advice. The solution is a web and mobile app.

For what projects/services did your company hire KeenEthics?

We’ve addressed KeenEthics to support us to create an application from scratch. The project started with a UX/UI phase, and after a year-long pause, ended up with the development of the responsive web and mobile app for iOS and Android.

What were your goals for this project?

We aimed at a software solution that fits the needs of fashionistas and marketers. The solution consists of a well-rounded user interface and a sophisticated algorithm providing retailers with inspiration and fashion insights.

How did you select this vendor?

I’ve selected KeenEthics based on their outstanding and relevant experience with different algorithms for software solutions. They focused on delivering results and were eager to start this long-term project. Also they consulted us with important informations and experiences even if the needed resources have been outside their portfolio.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Confidential!

What was the team composition?

The team consisted of a dedicated developer and a reliable project manager. Just to be on the safe side, we also requested quality control services. However, the code was good enough, even without the QC.

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

The startup is currently on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic. It will be up and running as soon as the market horizon clears out. I’m counting on a good start with the software solution developed by KeenEthics.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

The KeenEthics team was ready to go the extra mile to make everything work. The workflow was slightly difficult at the start, but it is polished to perfection now.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I loved working with my last dedicated developer Yaryna. She was a real lifesaver when the things came to development. She cracked issues like nuts and offered new and interesting features.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I’ve been working with KeenEthics since 2017, and they grew impressively since then. KeenEthics is great in comparison with other Ukrainian software development companies. They have decent project managers and very proactive developers. It’s always nice to work with developers who can solve your issues before you even anticipate them.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a Director of Production at StoryTerrace — a ghostwriting platform. We connect professional writers, editors, and people who need help with writing their book. Here, a person can find a suitable writer, organize and conduct interviews with them to share ideas and discuss the contents of the future book, review the book while it’s still in progress, choose illustrations and design, and finally, have it printed and delivered to their door.

For what projects/services did your company hire KeenEthics?

KeenEthics helped us develop the web platform for StoryTerrace since the very beginning. They developed both frontend and backend of our system using the means of JavaScript.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal was to make a convenient and responsive platform, which would make book writing easier for every user. At the same time, we pursued security since users entrusted us with their data, and we could not afford to have these data compromised.

How did you select this vendor?

A partner of StoryTerrace recommended us to hire KeenEthics. He was very satisfied with their performance, so we decided to give it a try. I am happy to say that we did not regret this decision.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

StoryTerrace is a ghostwriting platform. A user who wants to write a book but needs help doing it selects a writer. Then, they conduct interviews to share ideas and work together on the book contents. After that, the writer works on a book and the user reviews it on a regular basis.

Meanwhile, the user can upload pictures to include them as illustration or cover. After the book contents are ready, the book is worked upon by editors and designers. Once the user is satisfied with the final result, the book is printed and delivered to their doorstep.

What was the team composition?

The team composition included 1 PM, 1 QA, and 3 full-stack JS developers from the side of KeenEthics.

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

The project is already up and running. We have successfully implemented the idea and now are busy promoting it.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

In a software partner, I value liability, trustworthiness, and transparency the most. I can say that all three are present in KeenEthics. Our work was effective, and we definitely demonstrated a great deal of progress as the project grew larger.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The most valuable thing about KeenEthics is their attitude, both to partners and to employees. Our cooperation has never been stained by conflicts or mistrust. By contrast, it was very transparent, friendly, and thus, effective.

Are there any areas for improvement?

At the very beginning, we failed to grasp the bigger picture of the project. The briefing should have been more profound and careful.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Co-founder and investor at an on-prem, open-source chatbot building platform for businesses.

For what projects/services did your company hire KeenEthics?

We hired Keenethics to help us develop bots and platform functionality in general but particularly for help in delivering professional services to our customers.

What were your goals for this project?

To provide our customers with high quality chatbots at a reasonable price.

How did you select this vendor?

A friend of ours recommended KeenEthics to me.

Describe the project in detail.

Besides contributing to the open source core, the main projects that Keenethics worked on where multi-language customer service chatbots for a number of government departments that had heavy integration with internal systems.

What was the team composition?

We mainly employed developers and testers (probably 4 devs and 2 testers over the period) and also a designer. From our side we had various staff involved, the main one being the business analyst.

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

We have achieved everything we planned, and the various chatbots are live. The open source contributions the did are part of the open source core.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Our cooperation was effective and productive, we engaged in a lot of discussions on how to improve the software we were developing during the process.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The commitment and willingness to go the extra mile to get the job done impressed us.

Are there any areas for improvement?

It's hard to think of something obvious, occasionally there was code that was released and not tested but not a major issue.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the founder of Condofy, a condominium management platform. Condofy is revolutionizing the way that apartment residents, building managers and service providers engage with their communities. We offer end to end Home Owner Association services through an intelligent platform. For building managers, we provide financial services, legal advisory, human resources and payroll services. For residents and home owners, we provide tools to help communication, B2C service providers and amenities.

For what projects/services did your company hire KeenEthics?

The project itself is a sophisticated management system that helps running a condominium. It connects property owners, managers, and tenants in a friendly ecosystem where everyone can get more for less effort. The system has lots of integrations with third-party services for all sorts of usage: from issue tracking to financial interactions. I came to KeenEthics in order to implement in code the idea I had visualized. They used JavaScript for both front- and back-end development.

What were your goals for this project?

The goals were to build a system where lots of integrations add to each other seamlessly resulting in a great experience for the end-user. As a start-up, you are always looking for ways to get the most bang for your buck. The development had to be fast yet with good quality.

How did you select this vendor?

I selected KeenEthics because their experience in web development is impressive. The communication is seamless, and their honest attitude is what makes them stand out among other software development agencies.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

It is a web platform for property owners and tenants to communicate and cooperate. Built with JavaScript, it turned out to be highly responsive and performant. It offers a unique solution for condominium management and delivers it in a highly effective manner.

What was the team composition?

The team composition was dynamic as we started with 3 Developers and a Project manager. When a design system was in place, the team was reduced to 2 full-stack developers for optimal cost management.

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

The project is already on the web, I believe that the business idea was successfully implemented. At this point, we are considering ways to promote and scale our platform.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

I enjoyed working with KeenEthics because of their openness, straightforwardness, and responsiveness. I fully trusted them, and I guess it is the primary reason why our project succeeded.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The ethical dimension of KeenEthics impressed me a lot. The way they treat partners and each other is unlike anything I have ever seen in any other company.

Are there any areas for improvement?

We had some misunderstandings as for how back-end should be implemented, but, I guess, they stemmed from some miscommunication at the initial stages of the project

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the founder of Ideal Role. Our chatbot starts conversations on company career sites to assist people in finding the right job. We help them understand the benefits the company can offer and answer any questions they may have. On the other hand, companies get more high-quality applications and a pipeline of talent for future roles.  

For what projects/services did your company hire Keenethics?

We hired Keenethics to create a well-designed web interface for the chatbot.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal was to have an open, friendly, and easy-to-use web interface for the chatbot. Since the UI is a crucial part of my project, it had to be reliable, easy to customize, and visually appealing.

How did you select this vendor?

I chose Keenethics based on their previous chatbot development experience. Plus, they were responsive, helpful, and friendly.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Keenethics did the frontend development of a web chatbot using the React framework. It communicates with the chatbot using the Microsoft bot framework Direct Line API 3.0.

What was the team composition?

I worked with a dedicated developer, a project manager, and a QA specialist from Keenethics.

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

Keenethics delivered exactly what I hoped for. The chatbot is up and running with excellent functionality. We’ve gotten positive feedback from test users about how easy it is to use.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

The team communicated with clarity, responded quickly, and clarified any questions I had.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

As the name suggests, the Keenethics team was quite transparent. They listened and made sure they understood what I was trying to achieve, not just the features I wanted.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Overall, the project was great. However, it would have been good for them to explain the development stages and timeline in more detail. This would have helped manage my expectations from the start.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder and CEO of an early-stage edtech company

For what projects/services did your company hire Keenethics?

We hired Keenethics to help develop the UI/UX for our app and also a clickable prototype that we could share with customers

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to have a prototype that accomplished two purposes:

• Provide a guide for a team of developers to build the actual application. 
• Provide a demo for potential customers.

How did you select this vendor?

I interviewed a number of shops similar to Keenethics, and ultimately chose them for the combination of price, communication, past portfolio, and comfort with the team members

Describe the project in detail.

I started by sharing what it was that we were aiming to do, providing some sketches, and a list of screens I wanted to be developed. They provided me with estimated time to completion, and we set out to working. Over the course of the project, I was getting input from various potential customers and providing iterations back to the Keenethics team, and they updated the screens accordingly until we reached a final project that we were all excited about.

What was the team composition?

I primarily worked with a project manager and a designer. Most of my update calls included both of them, though sometimes I spoke only with the designer.

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

Once we had the clickable prototype in hand, our customers' understanding of our product increased significantly. We were able to help them visualize and conceptualize what it was we were doing for them. Also, since the designer provided components in Figma, our developers were able to quickly implement the designs.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow was generally quite effective, we had regular check-in calls, they kept me well informed when there were company holidays, and they were able to respond to our needs in a timely manner.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They adhered to the deadlines, scope, and cost projections while providing an end product that has been extremely valuable for us.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Tools for communication - found that Hangouts Meet was not a satisfactory tool for us.