KITRUM

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the tech lead of the back office department of a technology company that offers solutions for the music industry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire KitRUM?

Several projects related to web development.

What were your goals for this project?

To have a royalty distribution system for neighbouring rights societies.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

It was recommended by the CEO as they have been working together in other projects.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

The distribution system consists of 4 modules:

Module 1: member and repertoire management. The members of the societies, which are record labels, can sign up to the system, upload their repertoire and manage their rights information.

Module 2: usage management. Societies upload usage information which gets ingested into the system.

Module 3: metadata matching. Usage data is matched against the repertoire database.

Module 4: distribution management. Societies will upload funds information and set up distributions periodically. The funds will be allocated automatically to the members based on the usage data and the rights information provided in module 1 and 2.

Kitrum has provided backend developers and a DevOps.

What was the team composition?

The technical team has been changing over the project. Right now there's 1 frontend developer, 1 full-stack developer, 1 DevOps, 3 backend developers and 1 tech lead. This includes our developers as well.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The project is going pretty well. We've delivered the MVP solution with minimal delay and there's interest from new customers for adopting the solution.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Project management is handled by us. From Kitrum side, their delivery managers were very responsive and helpful when new resources were necessary.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

How easily it was to get highly experienced developers. KitRUM is very proactive and ready to help in any situation.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I can't think of any.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are a software development company for the financial sector and I am Head of Development

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire KitRUM?

The challenge was, to find an external company to oursource some projects we have no time for. Thereforce we searched for a company who can provide professional developers with a deep understanding of coding and delivering quality

What were your goals for this project?

Goal of the project was to enlarge our current platform with a new functionallity to make the live of the endusers easier. Platform is written in PHP and NodeJS.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I had a lot of calls also with different vendors, but selected KitRum because of two things:

• Pricing is very variable (they really took care about our needs and ideas)
• They acted and organized everything (calls, bills, helping) in a very professional way

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

KitRum provided a developer who was in daily contact with one of our architects and or programmers. They also provided an communication platform to make ongoing discussions more easy.

What was the team composition?

We just had one developer. They found a really good guy which totaly fullfilled our needs, spoke good english and did a great job.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Project was finished in time, people are super happy with the solution we got. It reduces the time they need for specific tasks during their daily working routine.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

It was perfect. KitRum answered all our questions, responded in time and organized everything perfectly.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They are serious, honest, and helpful.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner and president of Motion Lab Systems. We create and sell electromyography (EMG) systems.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with KitRUM?

We had a lot of software from over the last 20 years written by a programmer in early versions of Microsoft Visual Studio. Since the programmer retired, that source code no longer compiles with the current version of Microsoft Visual Studio. We brought in KitRUM to fix it.
 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We sent KitRUM the original source code we were working with. They then fixed all of the compiler errors. We’re now talking with the team about how to change the way the program works. KitRUM works in C++ and uses a complex file format specific to our industry.

What is the team composition?

I work with one programmer.

How did you come to work with KitRUM?

We received an email from KitRUM suggesting a meeting. We did so and sent them some small programs that they fixed very quickly. They showed they had good experience working with both old and new versions of Microsoft Visual Studio. 

What is the status of this engagement?

The collaboration started in April 2019 and is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The programmer is working on the third program now. We’ve had to educate him about how to use the file format—it's difficult to grasp without a background in biomechanics, motion capture, and animation. He’s done a good job of it so far. We’re very happy with KitRUM’s work.

How did KitRUM perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicate via email and share code through GitHub. This gives both our side and KitRUM’s side access to the code and to each other’s work. We’ve also spoken on the phone a few times and found that KitRUM speaks excellent English. Everything is going very nicely.

What did you find most impressive about them?

KitRUM is keen to do a good job and keep us happy. They’re decent people to work with.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I could say that I wish our KitRUM programmer understood our file format better, but he knows it better than many manufacturers in this industry. He asks sensible questions that help me figure out which parts of the documentation don’t explain what we’re looking for well enough.

Any advice for potential customers?

Everyone’s situation is different. KitRUM appears to be very flexible and skilled in C++. I would say that if you understand what you want and can communicate that to KitRUM, you’ll see good results.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

LeaseRunner is a web application that provides listing ads, tenant screening, e-signature leases, and ACH rent collection to landlords throughout the United States. I am the CEO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire KitRUM?

We hired KitRUM to do backend code development work.

What were your goals for this project?

The goals for the project included updating a codebase framework, modernizing code, and writing test cases for parts of the web application.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

A representative from KitRUM originally reached out to us through Linkedin. We discussed what we were looking for in external development help. We found KitRUM to be the right balance of technical expertise and cost.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

They updated parts of the codebase to a new framework, helping to modernizing the code. They also wrote test cases for parts of the web application.

What was the team composition?

The team was composed of one main project manager and one full time backend developer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Development work is still ongoing.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

We communicated through Slack and Chime. We also shared a repository, cloud drive, and cloud test servers.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their work ethic has been very impressive. Their managers put a lot of effort into making sure that they are accomplishing what is expected of them. They work proactively, not reactively. Also, the technical expertise and work efficiency of the developer has been impressive.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Although in general their English speaking is quite good, there is still some room for improvement.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the co-owner of MindWell Psychology, a psychological clinical practice in Northern Virginia. I recently started a new company, Varia Analytics, to create software to visually understand neuropsychological testing results.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire KitRUM?

KitRum designed new software for Varia Analytics. They created a platform/dashboard that would help translate quantitative data into a visual diagram. They worked with me from Step 1 to completion.

What were your goals for this project?

I wanted to create a visual platform for patients/clients so they could better understand their child's neuropsychological assessments.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

They reached out to me and after I interviewed several companies, I decided that they best understood what I was trying to create.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

They designed software where standardized scores could be translated into a visual dashboard. It helped compare different neuropsychological constructs so that the client can better understand the data.

What was the team composition?

The project team had about 5-6 people based in Ukraine. We had meet-ups via skype.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I will begin to use the software and hope that my patients can better understand psychological testing data and results.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

It was very effective. I worked with a team of software developers. While it was remote, it felt like direct experience.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

KitRUM understood my vision and was able to translate my idea into practice.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a large shipbroker company, dealing in country markets globally, but based only in Singapore. I am a senior shipbroker.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with KitRUM?

It is time-consuming for our brokers to input different types of information manually. Compounding that problem, we receive a lot of information in bits and pieces from various parties.

We engaged KitRUM to create an online cloud-based platform with automatically-generated reports and position lists. We wanted this tool also to track cargo in our system and display various sorts of analytics.

We hoped that this tool would allow us to focus more on client relationships. We wanted to do more business, make our service better, and become the most efficient shipbroker.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

KitRUM developed a web-based portal for our company. It features automatic alerts and reminders that cut down on costly human mistakes. The platform also sends emails and updates to our clients to notify them of deadlines and other information.

What is the team composition?

I initially spoke with Vlad (CTO, KitRUM), but there were up to 10 people assigned to the team at its peak. We typically worked with around six people, though.

How did you come to work with KitRUM?

We reviewed a few local providers based on referrals, but I met Vlad through another connection. The first providers were responsive and showed signs of interest in our business, but KitRUM responded the best to our message and our problem. We gave them a task and an idea of what we needed, and they were committed to delivering it.  

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $150,000 on the bulk of the development. We’re continuing to invest in the platform.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with KitRUM in June 2018, and I’d say that the collaboration is ongoing. It took about a year to create the platform. We’re still finding new ways to improve the product, but I hope we’ll be done before 2019 is over.  

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The platform has allowed us to connect more with our clients, and the quality of our information has improved at different levels.

The product has been helpful for our claims department, in particular. Brokers just do business, but the claims staff has tasks that take much more time and effort. A lot of automation has come into play now so that they can do more with less stress.  

We’re getting there, in terms of what we wanted to achieve, but I think it would be fair to see how it goes in one year. Right now, it’s difficult to say how much money we’ve made through the aid of the system, but we’re getting there with our predictions.

How did KitRUM perform from a project management standpoint?

We initially talked more through emails and then moved to phone calls and WhatsApp, where they give us quick updates and feedback. We use Skype if we need to speak in groups. We were initially concerned about the time difference between our offices, but we’ve worked around it well. KitRUM opens once we finish with lunch, so we work together at that time. We can leave them with tasks before our day is over, and they deliver them by our opening the next day.   

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re great in terms of doing their part professionally without asking too many questions. They learned about our business and put themselves in our shoes. There are a lot of people here working crazy hours, and there’s no option to ask questions a second time; people get irritated, and they don’t have much time.

KitRUM was quick and super sharp on the delivery, and I’m surprised at how quickly they understood our goals. I believe they mentioned they’d dealt with a cargo shipping business before, and maybe that helped them with our project. I was surprised at how fast they, as IT people, understood what we needed and delivered what we needed without spending too much time.

Are there any areas they could improve?

By no means is this a complaint, but I think they have the potential to become big global players. They don’t yet have a presence in Asia, but I think they could benefit significantly from that. One of the next steps for them could be to get people here permanently. I hope they get here soon, and I wish them all the best.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

It’s important to explain the main idea and set the project goals clearly. Vlad should be kept in the loop for quick feedback. Everything will go quickly and efficiently after that. Vlad is happy to supervise and be on the ball.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president of Linor Technology. We’re a C corporation in North Carolina and we design and manufacture electronic devices. Our key device is a network-enabled control, which we sell to a number of industrial users.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with KitRUM ?

We’re in an expansive period and were looking for various types of support in the development area. We needed some outside programming services, although almost everything we do is an in-house function.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We use what’re called “embedded processors”, and they’re microcontrollers that’re designed into a product to do various control functions. We hired KitRUM to help with this type of specialized design.

The main thing they’re working on is a Wi-fi based control board. Essentially, it’s C language programming that enables Wi-fi to connect and report on various statuses of our board under-tabs.

We’ve also discussed web and app development, but we haven’t started those projects.

What is the team composition?

We work with one developer.

How did you come to work with KitRUM?

I reached out to several vendors, and their sales representatives claimed to be able to do specialized C language programming. I was very disappointed when I learned that most of them couldn't do it, and it was a colossal waste of time.

When I connected with KitRum through an online search, I was wary of dealing with another outside firm. They agreed to start the work without a formal contract. This was so I wouldn’t have to go through the additional expense of having my lawyer look it over before I actually decided I wanted to work with them.

We made an agreement for us to start with one programmer. Overall, I liked their business practices. They use PayPal for payment purposes, which was much easier than a bank transfer for us. Everything seemed to fit nicely and they appreciate small businesses.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested over $25,000 in total. Their fee is $6,000 ­­­– $8,000 per month.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started in February 2019, and our work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I work a schedule with the programmer, and he provides me with weekly updates. I just put the C code into my development system and I’m able to look at what they’ve done; I'm satisfied that their work meets our standards.

It’s been successful for me so far because I can look on the schedule and know when to expect the code to come in.

How did KitRUM perform from a project management standpoint?

I do most of the project management by myself, and I treat my KitRUM programmer just like one of my staff.

They actually have project managers that make sure things get done, but I’ll only go through them if I have an issue planning something. We typically communicate over Skype.

They also deliver a documented weekly update, so I know what they’ve done.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The main thing for me is that they’re honest about their abilities, which is great, because it would be a waste of time, otherwise. They deliver when they say they’re going to deliver. If I need to get to somebody online, there’s never a problem. I can always get to management right away. They’re a significantly bigger company than we are, but they’re always responsive. I’m looking forward to a long-term relationship with them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, at this point I can’t think of anything. They’re not necessarily perfect, but I think we have a good relationship today.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

For technical programming, it’s important to have someone in-house to understand what the project is and what’s involved.  For me, they make a good development partner when they do the heavy lifting and we do the design and testing.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Escape Quest AG, a Swiss-based company. We provide entertainment services including escape rooms, corporate events, and customized projects. We have about 15 escape rooms in our pool.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with KitRUM?

We needed a booking system for our escape rooms. We used to be a franchise partnership and the system we were using was insufficient. We decided to build a new product.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

KitRUM developed our booking system working on both the front- and backend. It’s a combination of PHP on the backend and Angular on the frontend with MySQL for the databases. There’s an internal system that employees can use on a daily basis that includes reporting and analytics dashboards.  The admin panel allows us to manage the website, like adding or removing pages, ourselves. We can make bookings, track workloads, manage prices, and export reports.

They built both the web and mobile versions from scratch, first deciding which systems to use and how to manage the database. We went live a few months ago and they continue to make tweaks and implement new features.

What is the team composition?

I primarily communicate with the lead developer. There are other team members on our project who are minor developers like the tester.

How did you come to work with KitRUM?

We posted an ad on the Swiss job portal and received a number of applicants. I wanted someone with experience in the hospitality domain since we’re similar to that when thinking about the backend. I spoke to several of the applicants, including KitRUM’s CTO. He was easy to speak with and understood our business very quickly. I also went to their office to meet them personally. The price-quality ratio was the best from KitRUM that we could find.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about 65,000 Swiss francs (approximately $63,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in February 2018, and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I’m very happy with what they’ve produced. We have a stable admin panel through which we can make adjustments with a couple of clicks. The system makes things easier and saves us time. We also have a solid mobile version, which was one of my biggest pains before.

How did KitRUM perform from a project management standpoint?

We started our communications via email and phone and then moved over to Slack and Trello. We have calls as needed. I keep a couple of my managers in the loop with them as well.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was really impressed with their quick start and how engaged were they from the very beginning. They take a lean approach and have a clear vision of my business needs, which was hard to find since we’re a niche business. It’s not like we’re a restaurant and there are thousands of other restaurants. It was very important to me that someone could share my vision and work on it. They don’t just create the code; they created the solution that saves me time and brings instant value. My team and I use the system on a daily basis and we’re happy. They’re quick, deliver good quality, and are very helpful.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We had some issues with video calls when our lead developer moved from Ukraine to Tampa, Florida because he used cell data to connect to our calls. That’s a really minor point and not a weakness per se. Likewise, there’s a time zone difference but we chose to work with them so that’s not their fault.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

The hardest part for me was explaining to them what I wanted. I didn’t start with clear requirements and that meant we spent more time. Document what you want to develop as clearly and cleanly as possible so that they can understand it. Discuss everything before you launch. If you do it properly from the beginning, things will work well.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the digital marketing and communications manager for Canyon. We sell mobile and PC accessories across the world.  

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with KitRUM?

We hired KitRUM to add functionality to our contact forms and change our website template. We wanted to communicate more effectively with our clients. Our goal was to quickly reply to customers when they send questions via the website's contact form about recently purchased products.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

KitRUM developed a new website template for us using PHP and WordPress. They provided maintenance and troubleshooting support, as well. Their team made key improvements to our contact form and added new features to improve communication.

What is the team composition?

KitRUM provided a project manager, and a dedicated team of 1–5 software developers.

How did you come to work with KitRUM?

We were looking for software development firms and followed a recommendation to use KitRUM.

How much have you invested in them?

We spent around $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with KitRUM from March–July 2018, but they currently provide support if needed.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since working with KitRUM, our communication with clients is much stronger. We manage to answer all users inquiries fully and sufficiently, and it contributed to a 10% decrease in returns of our products. Our staff is fully satisfied with the results we’ve seen so far.

How did KitRUM perform from a project management standpoint?

We had weekly calls between our teams. We also communicated through email. Our project manager handled our needs and led the team of developers.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their team worked mindfully and brought strong expertise to the project. They met all of our expectations, provided great advice, and the deliverables fulfilled our requirements.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t have any suggestions for them to improve.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the technical director of a golf resort in Ukraine with a range of member facilities, including a restaurant and a spa. I manage all the online and offline components of the infrastructure, like a booking platform and the mobile apps we use to manage our ecosystem.
 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with KitRUM?

The resort is 10 years old, and I’ve been the technical director for seven years. We spent a lot of time trying to find the optimum resort management solution. 

This project was new for both myself and our organization, and it was essential that we succeed. KitRUM offered an all-in-one solution for analytics and reporting.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Since we’re based in the same city, we had a series of meetings in person with Vlad (CTO, KitRUM) for planning purposes. We discussed the issues we needed to cover, and he clearly understood our challenge.

Our platform is a combination of a CRM and a booking system. I liked the clickable wireframes KitRUM produced, so I presented the concept to our owner. Once we got approval for the idea, we started development. 

The initial product was web-based. Later on, we built a mobile app for employees in different sections of the resort.  The technologies they used were a combination of React.js for the user interface and Node.js on the backend.

What is the team composition? 

We spent a lot of time discussing the project flow with the CTO. After I was introduced to the delivery manager, they served as my main point of contact from then on. The team included a frontend developer, a UI/UX designer, and a backend developer.

How did you come to work with KitRUM?

We posted an open tender in our country for the MVP development. KitRUM reached out to send us a proposal and discuss our challenge. Based on their extensive reply, they understood our problem and had the seniority and experience to handle it. A quick and customized response was the main reason we chose them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent close to $80,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with KitRUM on the main software development from June 2017–June 2018. Now, we continue our collaboration on-demand and reach out to them whenever we have a new development idea.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

KitRUM delivered a tool that allows our staff to work more smoothly and efficiently. Since we started using it, we’ve seen a significant increase in brand awareness among our employees. We have seen a very low attrition rate.

How did KitRUM perform from a project management standpoint?

We’ve met with KitRUM locally and at their office in Florida. The rest of our communication was over the phone. After Jira proved too complicated, they started using Trello for tracking. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

The type of etiquette and customized approach KitRUM uses are very unique. To use a tailoring analogy, they took all the right kinds of measurements and came up with the perfect suit for us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The project was a bit expensive. A lower cost would have been nice.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

I got the right amount of attention from KitRUM, and they were respectful of my time.