KISS digital

Please describe your company and your position there.

Delikatesy Centrum is a chain of proximity stores with over 1,500 stores throughout Poland, operating under the Delikatesy Centrum and Mila brands. The chain belongs to EUROCASH S.A. Group and is the most important element of the Group's retail division. Position: Oktawian Zawierucha Digital & Analytics IT Manager for Eurocash Retail

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

The economic situation caused by the coronavirus pandemic has resulted in the necessity to implement new sales processes facilitating purchases by customers of the Delikatesy Centrum and Mila chain, while minimizing direct contacts in stores.

This is the first project of this type on the part of Delikatesy Centrum, so it was particularly important to prepare the first version of the project as quickly as possible and present it to the world. We had to find a technology that would allow us to implement and ensure the functioning of the web application across the entire chain of over 1,500 stores in Poland.

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

We have been cooperating on various projects for three years now. Over this time, we have managed to build a sense of mutual trust and confidence that both sides are making every effort to achieve this goal.

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

The project is based on Magento 2 technology and supports almost the entire chain of Mila and Delikatesy Centrum in Poland. Due to the volatility of prices in the model of franchise stores, a solution had to be created that would enable the publication of current prices for individual stores.

Considering the need for quick implementation (several weeks) of a fully functional solution, we used agile implementation methodologies in the project. It was the first step of Delikatesy Centrum towards e-commerce, that's why we approached it very flexibly, and the first release of the website was MVP (Minimum Viable Product) version.

Before the release of the production version, we had the opportunity to present the product to a group of users, both buyers and those handling increasing demand in specific stores. We also couldn't forget about security or performance tests, which is something that will make the target user of the website able to reserve purchases in an efficient and secure way.

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

The contractor's team consisted of a Project Manager, two Backend Developers, one Frontend Developer and one Quality Assurance Specialist.

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

The MVP version of the product was developed in a few weeks. Currently all DC & Mila stores are connected to the system.

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

The project required a lot of commitment on both sides. Due to the limited possibility of direct contacts, we used various forms of electronic communication. As a result, the project was not delayed.

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

Sincerity, flexibility, focus on the needs of the customer, searching for the best solutions.

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

Since we have been working together for many years, there is nothing to be improved. The overall experience was very good.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CTO of PayPo, a Polish startup offering financial solutions for e-commerce customers. We’ve been on the market for four years.

What challenge were you trying to address with KISS digital?

We needed help reworking our main website, customer panel, and the transaction API used by e-commerce customers.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We did a full rework of our visual brand, including changing the company logo. We went through a few proofs-of-concept for the web page, and we tried to pick the right one. We decided on a communication style that would appear friendlier and more open to customers. Oftentimes, the financial world is dry and full of regulations and statements that aren’t user-friendly. We wanted to be more open with customers, and this is what the rebranding was about. We also changed customer communication on emails and payment reminders.

A few months later, we reworked the transactions for customer ID verification and other data validations. This was also done with the help of KISS digital.

They’ve also done quick design work for us, like graphics for Facebook or LinkedIn campaigns.

What is the team composition?

We worked Natalia (Agile Product Owner & UX Consultant) initially. She analyzed our process and communication style, and she advised us on what we could change and what direction we should take.

We then worked with a project manager from the KISS digital side. We weren’t in contact with the graphic designers. We were also supported by their developers, who worked on the frontend of our website.

How did you come to work with KISS digital?

They were partners with one of the agencies that supported our rebranding process and were recommended to us. 

What is the status of this engagement?

The first project was done in the summer of 2018. The project for reworking our transaction process started in March 2020, and it’s almost finished.

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

I know that our customers are really glad that we’ve changed our communication style. We’d had a lot of feedback about emails not being understood correctly and not being opened enough. We got really positive feedback from customers after we made the changes.

Many more customers started using the dashboard after we changed it. Before, they didn’t really understand the interface, so they preferred making bank transfers. We saw a 50% growth in usage after deploying the new dashboard.

How did KISS digital perform from a project management standpoint?

We’re managing the project internally, and I believe they have their own internal project management as well. We communicate on a daily basis using Slack, and we use tools like Zoom for calls. We have daily updates and discuss anything that needs clarification. I knew what was going on at every step of the project, and I was informed about possible delays beforehand.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’ve had a long-term collaboration with KISS digital, and they know our product, so communication is really easy. They’ve had to be open in communication in order to gain that trust, getting over obstacles, and trying to find the best solutions for the customer. We always felt that KISS digital was working for us not only as a B2B relationship, but trying to deliver the best product they could.

Are there any areas they could improve?

When someone took over the work of a person that left the company, we had to repeat some introductions and do a kick-off again. Internal changes in the company sometimes impacted our work with them. However, it’s been a great collaboration, and we’ll continue to work with them.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

It’s best to spend as much time as possible at the very beginning of the collaboration to let KISS digital understand the product, service, and company mission and values. They’ll use this knowledge to deliver the best output.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the e-commerce manager for a home improvement solutions firm.

What challenge were you trying to address with KISS digital?

We needed to improve our service quality.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We worked together to implement the software that handles our Net Promoter Score (NPS) reviews from our customers. They built the whole idea behind it. They built all of the system logic, the software needed between our internal systems, and the reporting dashboards.

When we approved the infrastructure, they implemented the setup. During the project, they also prepared a good marketing strategy and how to promote our program to get many more reviews. The overall setup was implemented on our cloud infrastructure and they launched it on our infrastructure.

We did some small adjustments and improvements. We implemented the project and the NPS functionalities mainly for the offline business which is the customers visiting us in the store. They rated us on the touch-screens in the store. Later on, we also wanted to expand functionality for online orders and we used them for a couple of improvements that they did for us.

What is the team composition?

We worked with 6-7 people.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $50,000–$100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in May–September 2019.

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

They delivered everything on schedule. They were flexible during our project, even we changed the scope.

How did KISS digital perform from a project management standpoint?

When we were searching for the idea, we had face-to-face meetings. When we decided to go with them, we switched to a remote meeting. We communicated via video conferences, email, Slack, and Asana. They’re very integrated and willing to stick to the agreed way to communicate.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re highly agile-oriented which my team wasn’t familiar with. They helped my team members by sharing knowledge and experiences from product development as well as usual cooperation.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there’s nothing I’d have them improve.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a founder of a distributed social club. We partner venues, event producers, and create a flexible community layer over them.

What challenge were you trying to address with KISS digital?

We needed an outsourced tech team.

What was the scope of their involvement?

KISS digital built two mobile apps for Android and iOS natively. They developed the entire backend and a customer management system, which their team’s helping to connect with Salesforce and marketing cloud. Also, they created our website and application form for prospective members to apply.

What is the team composition?

I don’t have an exact answer because it has changed depending on the phase. We’ve worked with about seven developers, a product manager, a project manager, and the CEO who has been active in the process.

How did you come to work with KISS digital?

I’m from Poland originally, which is where they’re based. To find a team, I had a few different strategies. One of which was to search online for recommended agencies. That’s how KISS digital came up. I also used Clutch to check their reviews. Then, we gave them a test project. We looked at a bunch of agencies. I sent a description of the project to 20 agencies probably, but KISS digital seemed to be the best match.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started talking to KISS digital in 2018. We began the project in February 2019 and the original scope was completed. We’ve kept them on as tech partners because we’re a startup with ongoing needs.

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

KISS digital has been accommodating. Their team has gone out of their way to make us as happy as possible with the final product. They’ve listened to what we needed to do and did it. The project was charged as a typical tech project, so by the amount of work they completed. We’ve never thought that they were trying to overcharge us. We’ve always felt that KISS digital has been fair with their prices. When there was a change that we wanted fast, their team would prioritize the task and go out of their way to meet the deadline even if it was given to them on short notice.

How did Kiss digital perform from a project management standpoint?

KISS digital has been flexible and listened to our feedback. As long as I’ve communicated our needs, their team has tried to be accommodating.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We like them and their personalities. It has been pleasant working with them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing to be mentioned.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of Maweo, a digital marketing agency.

What challenge were you trying to address with KISS digital?

My company had won a complex development project, for which we needed specific skills in React and Laravel. We needed someone to design and develop a social network for a very specific target group of agricultural companies and farms here in Austria.

What was the scope of their involvement?

KISS Digital supported us throughout the entire design and development process. We used React on the frontend and Laravel on the backend.

What is the team composition?

We worked with 5–6 people.

How did you come to work with KISS digital?

I received a recommendation from a senior developer friend of mine. We had a couple Skype calls with KISS Digital. We found them to be very professional and solution-oriented.

How much have you invested with them?

My company spent $30,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project went from January–April 2019.

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

We are satisfied with their work. Their development team was very supportive of our internal developers, who were not as experienced as them.

How did KISS digital perform from a project management standpoint?

Overall, project management was good. KISS Digital was very responsive. They deployed Jira and GitHub.

We had a few problems with their team’s high rate of fluctuation. Our project manager changed 4–5 times within three months, which made some aspects of the project difficult. We had agreed that if they reached our budget, they were to inform my team so that we could approve extra funds as needed. When one of our project managers went on vacation, their substitute didn’t know about our budget constraint agreement. The lead frontend developer also left the company suddenly, and the transition to the new developer didn’t go smoothly. We experienced a few technical difficulties.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The most positive aspect of our work together was how supportive they were. KISS Digital was very open to sharing their knowledge, especially with our development team.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The quality of their development and design work was very good. They could improve by having a more stable team; they had high team fluctuation in just 3–4 months. We would’ve liked to have been better informed when their lead developer left.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the CEO of PostPro S.R.L. We’re a loyalty platform that allows users to gain rewards in exchange for promoting retailers on Instagram. From a user’s perspective, they get rewarded for doing something they already do: share their experiences in cool places on Instagram. From a retailer’s perspective, they push their satisfied customers to do two things: promote their brand on Instagram and make more frequent purchases.

For what projects/services did your company hire KISS digital?

We developed our app’s backend internally, but we don’t have in-house iOS expertise, so we hired KISS Digital to design and develop the iOS frontend.

What were your goals for this project?

We set out to create a smooth, easy-to-use, modern app that could deliver on our demanding target.

How did you select this vendor?

I did initial research on Clutch and asked for recommendations from business leaders in my network. After creating a 10-company shortlist, I organized a tender. Three companies made the next cut based on the quality of their pitches, previous work, and cost. In face-to-face meetings, KISS Digital was the most convincing. They understood my business needs and contributed valuable insights to the discussion.

Describe the project in detail.

We started with an in-person meeting at their office to detail our target, strategy, business model, and examples of our expectations. Their entire team, and the CEO in particular, contributed strong value to our brainstorming sessions. After aligning on the app’s direction and features, we developed a timeline.

During day-to-day development, their technical team had quick, 20-minute meetings with us. There were also “steering committee sessions” every other week to ensure we were moving in the same direction. Specifically, KISS was responsible for designing the app, pre-testing it with users, and developing the frontend. They also handled the publication process for the App Store.

What was the team composition?

We worked with a business developer, a project manager, two developers, a designer, and two testers/QA resources. Mateusz (CEO, KISS Digital) acted as an ongoing advisor as well, filling a quality control role. We did experience some turnover, changing project managers and both developers, though the developers' job was nearly complete when they left the company.

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

I would consider KISS' work a success. We just launched, so it’s a bit early to see strong traction in our metrics. However, our most demanding target group responded well to the app during testing. Food bloggers tend to be critical about the smallest details, but they loved the app’s flow and usability. Our partner restaurants also provided positive feedback when we showed them the app. We’ve even seen interest from investors, including some appealing offers.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We had an organized workflow and good communication. Though they’re normally only available eight hours a day, they provided me with contact information to reach them outside of normal hours and on weekends. I appreciated that flexibility.

Their CEO was also deeply involved. He inspired us to view the app from a different perspective and guide his team in the right direction when something wasn’t clear. He provided needed consistency, which helped us handle the relatively high turnover rate.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I particularly liked their management’s challenging yet constructive attitude, and especially that of their CEO. They were upfront about their ideas, instead of waiting to unveil them until after we signed with them, like several other firms I was considering.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Turnover was our biggest challenge—and trying to maintain continuity despite it. They could also improve their sales process. Following up after initial talks, making customers feel that they’re a key account, and avoiding last-minute surprises at contract signature are crucial aspects of a sales relationship. Thankfully, their CEO stepped in to smooth tensions at signature. Lastly, though we’re happy with the final product on the design side, we did have to go the extra mile ourselves to provide the right guidance.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the COO at Rankedin, a company that provides SaaS for tournament organizers and players. Users create tournaments and ranking organization for racket sports using the software.

What challenge were you trying to address with KISS digital?

We hired KISS digital to develop our iOS and Android app for our sports platform.

What was the scope of their involvement?

KISS digital built mobile apps that were an extension to the features in our system. The apps provide live scores over the screen of tournament matches.

What is the team composition?

We worked with three to four developers, one project manager, and one graphic designer. There was also a team member who negotiated the contract.

How did you come to work with KISS digital?

I found KISS digital on Crackle. After meeting with two companies, I chose KISS digital because of how in-depth their team gets into a project. They also showed the keenest interest. Before we began implementation, they created a survey. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with KISS digital in March 2018. The apps were completed in November 2018. We’re starting a new project with them now.

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

The apps are available in both online stores. KISS digital performed exactly how we expected them to. Their team helped provide suggestions and flexible with changes.

How did KISS digital perform from a project management standpoint?

Our teams worked in an agile methodology. After each two-week sprint, we met with the developers and project manager to see how they went. Their project management style was excellent.

What did you find most impressive about them?

KISS digital’s flexibility and proactiveness stood out. They figured out which ideas would work and which wouldn’t. Their team is experienced in mobile app development. They strived to please our team. I’m happy working with KISS digital.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there are none that I can think of.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm a project manager in the digital marketing department of a Polish pharmaceutical company. The company is part of a group of companies comprised of Nutrifarm Sp. z o.o. and Olimp Laboratories GmbH in Germany.

For what projects/services did your company hire KISS digital?

We hired them to create a mobile app for our loyalty program, the Olimp Premium Club.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to control customer retention and apply diversified sales strategies, including cross-selling and upselling.

How did you select this vendor?

We looked at several trusted mobile application developers in our area. After checking their reviews and portfolios, we conducted a contest in which each company had to demonstrate an innovative approach to the project. Based on the results, we chose KISS digital.

Describe the project in detail.

They developed the application in collaboration with our team. They continue to provide maintenance.

What was the team composition?

They assigned a complete team, including a project manager, graphic designers, UX designers, mobile app developers, frontend developers, backend developers, marketing specialists, and copywriters.

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

A few months after starting the program, we reached a ceiling of 20,000 users.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Their project manager was available at all times. Also, we had ongoing contact with all team members, allowing them to make changes immediately. We used agile methodology, working in two-week sprints and having scrum meetings.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their contribution to the product concept was impressive. They quickly understood the pharmaceutical business and provided innovative ways to achieve our expectations.

Are there any areas for improvement?

At the moment, we are fully satisfied with their work.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of global multimedia of a children’s apparel company. We design, produce, manufacture, and sell big-name clothing brands whom we have licences with.

What challenge were you trying to address with KISS digital?

We wanted to redesign our website to obtain a fresh, new perspective.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They used Bolt to redesign our informational, customer-facing website and did a custom setup with workarounds for us. They’re currently working on an internal project.

What is the team composition?

I’ve met with one of the owners and the project manager. They’ve also had two designers for the initial mock-ups and pulled in people depending on what we need.

How did you come to work with KISS digital?

We looked at a few prominent companies, but chose KISS because of their accommodating approach. The others didn’t seem like they would work well for us and we knew they wouldn’t be able to deliver everything we wanted.

KISS is aware of our challenges as a privately owned family company. They know getting sign-offs will sometimes take a little longer and are willing to work around all of our needs.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our relationship began in November 2017 and is ongoing. We still contact them if we need to adjust things.

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

The website has helped elevate our brand identity. Our HR department went from only posting open positions to being able to post new marketing articles.

How did KISS digital perform from a project management standpoint?

They adapted their process when they realized we weren’t following it very well. They’ve matched how we wanted to communicate with them. They’ve used offline Excel versions with milestones, but we’ve ended up using email as a primary communication method. They’ve remained accommodating to us and how we need to work even though it may be messier for them due to all of the follow-up.

What did you find most impressive about them?

One of the things that sets them apart is how approachable they are. They want to come in and learn about us. They answered a lot of questions before we even began a formal engagement, providing Google Analytics reports and guiding us on the best way to boost our SEO results.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We had an issue with copywriting, but it was more because we were working with large corporations who have their own way of saying things. We didn’t give them enough information, thus setting them up for failure.

Introduce your business and what you do there.
I am a project manager for Idea Money S.A., a company that provides funding for other organizations.

What challenge were you trying to address with KISS digital?
We wanted to build an iOS and Android application for clients through which they could apply for factoring.

What was the scope of their involvement?
KISS digital assigned 5 resources to our project, including Android and iOS developers and UI/UX designers.

How did you come to work with KISS digital?
Another one of their clients recommended them. We met the CEO of KISS digital and discussed their participation in our project.

How much have you invested with KISS digital?
The cost of their work was around 80 MD.

What is the status of this engagement?
We started working with KISS digital in January 2017. The project was completed, but we have remained in touch with them for maintenance and additional feature development.

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?
We don’t have any statistics, but the quality of the product developed by KISS digital was very good.

How did KISS digital perform from a project management standpoint?
The project management was good on their side. The manager who handled our project from the KISS digital side is not working for the company now. We only used email and phone for communication, and they used the scrum methodology for development.

Are there any areas KISS digital could improve?
I have no improvement suggestions.