Keenethics

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the Co-Founder of a start-up Getpart.io - a platform for manufacturing on-demand

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We have hired KeenEthics to design and develop (web and mobile app) a cloud manufacturing platform. Our goals were to get a MVP product within limited timeframes and fixed budget.

SOLUTION

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

We have started from online research. After having 10+ potential companies in our shortlist, they were asked to complete several test tasks in order to understand their competence. Main deciding factors were: Fastest reaction time High level of provided test tasks Interest in our idea

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

We came up with a ready prototype. The cooperation with KeenEthics started from UX/UI development. Few kickoff meetings at the begging, including 1 off-line meeting with the team. Design stage took approx. 3-4 months. After UX design has been ready, KeenEthics started to code, so programming and UI design were happening at the same time, as well as QA.

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

1 project manager (organised meetings, controlled budget and project's schedule) 1 backend developer 1 frontend developer (team leader) 1 QA We used to have 2 meeting per week including additional meetings if they were needed (sometimes even during weekends or after midnight).

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The KeenEthics team has managed to deliver the product on time, with the required quality and with professional attitude. We were slightly out of the budget, but it was caused by additional functions, that have not been planned during cost estimation stage. Nevertheless the additional work didn't affect the delivery deadline, what was very important to us.

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

Project manager was available literally always. Sometimes we were discussing some issues during weekends in order to reschedule some work at the following week. For tasks we have used TRELLO Main communication tool was SLACK The schedule (I assume excel were used and saved in the .pdf extension) were generated by the project manager and updated weekly.

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

Flexibility - they were always tried to adjust their job and plans in accordance with our needs and requirements.

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

I'm absolutely satisfied with our cooperation and can recommend the KeenEthics team as a group of professionals, who knows what they are doing.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the Chief Product Office at Sapera. We are an analytical and creative consultancy firm. For more than twelve years we have been deciphering complex correlations through visual communication. Today, we also develop data-informed products and services in the fields of innovation and transformation.

To do this, we combine data science and intuition to build infographic systems, devel-op communication strategies, and design data experiences. As an interdisciplinary team of forty-five content experts, strategists, data scientists, designers, and software developers, we work successfully with companies such as Adidas and Lufthansa, as well as government ministries and civil society institutions.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We were looking for a development partner to work with us on the development of our B2B marketplace, sapera.com, testing and further optimization on user insights.

SOLUTION

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

Our goal was to find a partner to develop our marketplace on eye level and in close collaboration. A capable partner, who is brilliant in the relevant tech stack and who can also go beyond that into a professional exchange with us on a conceptual level.

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

We started last year with a project scoping phase and proceeded then with UI design, frontend and backend development of the marketplace. Our tech stack consists e.g. of next.js, react, node.js and contentful as CMS

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

We worked with a PM, different designers, a tech lead, up to six developers and up to three QA engineers

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

After launching we saw a tremendous increase in traffic, converted first leads and had really good response from the user tests we run. The quality of the provided code was always on a very high level.

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

We ran different rituals, as e.g. standups with the team, regular meetings with the Project Management and quarterly meetings together with their management.

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

KeenEthics has always adhered to schedules. Communication has always been proactive. In general, the KeenEthics team has done everything possible to meet our needs to our complete satisfaction.

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

We were very satisfied at all times with the cooperation and the results achieved.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the CEO of a scale-up B2B SaaS business with small, medium and large corporate clients worldwide, developing a solution on MongoDB, NodeJS, React.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Since our platform is constantly growing, we hired a high-quality service to help us solve new challenges. As a result, we addressed KeenEthics and it seems to me, I wasn't mistaken. At that moment, we had 3 main challenges, including tech debt, DevOps services, and ISO27001 certification. When our project picked up speed streamlining all the processes, we noticed we needed additional efforts in evolving and maintaining our system. Now, our team always finds the balance between "what we need" and "what works".

DevOps adoption is beneficial. For me, effective DevOps culture does more than team collaboration. It's about continuous team development and transparency on the results. Lastly, it's critical for us to get ISO27001 certification to show the clients the best practices, tools, and technologies we implement.

SOLUTION

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

The company I work with recommended me KeenEthics as a quality service provider. I found a great team of professionals, and our true partnership still lasts.

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

I am pleased with our partnership on our project. I like both the managerial and development components of KeenEthics expertise. We managed to find the right solutions and practices to handle our challenges. This was our first experience with KeenEthics, and I hope that it will not be the last one. Since we want to expand our project, we hope to address KeenEthics again.

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

The project involved 2 senior developers and 1 DevOps. All specialists proved their field of expertise and showed positive results.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Together with KeenEthics, we work according to the outstaffing business model. The company provided us with good professionals whom we’re managing now. Besides, we have made great progress on our ISO27001 certification and are confident we will achieve it with the support of KeenEthics

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

They're a proactive team that communicates clearly and works hard to produce high-quality work.

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

KeenEthics met my requirements, and I am pleased we reached a common understanding.

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

None I can think of.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are a platform that provides enterprise customers with easy, frictionless access to marketing services, reducing the need for complex sourcing processes and managing a growing number of disparate service providers. I am CEO and as such responsible for the overall product and company strategy.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Our company addressed KeenEthics to create an entry portal for the platform. Our idea was to create a convenient site for clients where they can go, find the desired services, compare and understand prices, and decide upon the benefits for themselves. When clients want to invest in services, we take all responsibility. One of our best decisions was to implement price transparency. So, the information on the platform is very detailed to justify these figures.

SOLUTION

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

I found the company through LinkedIn. We searched for a reliable partner whose competence would correspond to our goals and requirements. During our collaboration, I assured myself of the ethical approach and dedication to the work of the KeenEthics team.

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

Our project required several technologies, including React, Typescript, Styled-components, Next.js, Contentful (CMS admin panel).

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

The team consisted of 8 developers, 2 QA specialists, and 1 project manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We achieved our main goal. KeenEthics was a great and reliable help for us to create a safe platform with needed functionalities and modules. At present, I'm satisfied with the results.

KeenEthics team provided a good working climate and high-quality work. KeenEthics offered us the SEO specialists who made a thorough analysis with items we should have fixed. We also chose two target languages of our platform, attracting audiences from more countries.

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

KeenEthics was seamlessly integrated into our in-house team, so that project planning, effort estimations and resource planning worked on a short official channel. Our infrastructure was used, including GitHub, Jira and Slack, as well as Google Meet for video conferencing.

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

What I liked about our collaboration was that we didn't need to go into the weeds with task details. Telling what we wanted to achieve was enough. KeenEthics team themselves could break down our requirements into subtasks and decide upon how to implement them. Our teams managed to come to coordinated decisions, and that's mighty good.

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

KeenEthics did an excellent job coordinating the team and the technical implementation. On rare occasions, it was a challenge to adjust the team size quickly enough to meet the growing demand. But again, KeenEthics has always strived to do everything possible to meet tight deadlines while maintaining high quality and integrating the right experts into our team.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm Andrii Mandzhala, the founder of a B2B company ADS (Aluminium Decor System). For 10 years already, the company has manufactured aluminum furniture fittings and furniture facades. At some point, we decided it is high time to modernize our system. The main task was to automate particular processes to save time and effort of our distributors and, subsequently, buyers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We wanted to create a calculator making it easier for consultants to estimate the costs of our products and presenting an estimation to our partners. The main challenge of our business lies in the fact that we cooperate with dozens of small-scale companies that distribute our products daily. As a result, we also have to deal with numerous estimates and re-estimates daily. To put an end to never-ending phone calls and prevent mistakes in cost estimation, we decided to integrate a calculator into our platform. The main goal of this project was to create a solution that would automatize the process of estimating the costs of our products. We expected the calculator to give consultants the chance to estimate costs without our assistance. The only task for them would be to set necessary parameters, and the calculator would automatically estimate the price for their order. The calculator had to be quick, effective, and simple in use.

SOLUTION

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

Everything started when KeenEthics were integrating Asama, their other project, into our system. In the course of our communication, we realized that for more effective performance, we need more automation. While working on Asama, KeenEthics proved themselves to be a responsible, socially aware, dedicated, and highly experienced team. It played a huge role when we were choosing a vendor.

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

We chose React framework for the development of the front end, Figma was used for designing the interface. MongoDB database and Node.js environment were also applied in the development process.

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

KeenEthics team consisted of:

• 1 Business Analyst
• 1 Designer
• 1 Developer responsible for back end and front end development.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The aim of the project was to introduce automation into our business processes. With KeenEthics help, we reached our goal, and now, we have a powerful and efficient calculating tool that performs a dozen of important functions instead of us. Moreover, it helps prevent estimation errors, which frequently happened because of the human factor.

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

The workflow is very effective: both ADS and KeenEthics believe that transparent communication is the foundation of prolific cooperation. On our project, we follow the same principle: we communicate regularly, discuss progress and challenges, and together choose the most effective solutions.

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

The quality that best describes KeenEthics' team is dedication. Apart from being professionals in software development, KeenEthics employees also demonstrate creativity in problem-solving and a genuine desire to help others turn their ideas into reality.

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

I believe that our cooperation runs smoothly and effectively. The only improvement I would suggest is related to the communication process. Sometimes, because of the excessive workload, we were unable to provide instant replies to each other. It would be perfect to think in advance about the questions that might arise and discuss them before they actually arise.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

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

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with KeenEthics?

We needed someone to develop our custom platform.

SOLUTION

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.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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.

BACKGROUND

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

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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.

SOLUTION

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.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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.

BACKGROUND

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.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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.

SOLUTION

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.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

PMO

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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.

SOLUTION

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.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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.

BACKGROUND

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.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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.

SOLUTION

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.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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.