Knowit

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Head of UI Development & Online Services in VirtaMed. VirtaMed is a global technology leader in mixed reality simulation and offers a portfolio of technologies for medical education through data-driven simulation. We are a Swiss company, founded by innovators and engineers, producing the most realistic medical training simulators in the world that are already in use in medical centres, university hospitals and other facilities involved in training healthcare professionals.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Knowit has been helping the company to connect our simulators to the cloud. Knowit developed the solution based on service-oriented architecture and Cloud services.

SOLUTION

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

We were looking to establish a trusted external partner with the domain knowledge to spearhead Cloud connectivity development. Due to high quality and security standards, the system required an extremely efficient and secure connection.

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

The main scope of the project was to connect the simulators to make a critical difference to mentors and trainees. Training sessions were going from one-time events stored in individual devices to globally accessible lessons and tools for all users around the world.

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

The project was delivered by the agile team of Frontend Developers, Backend Developers, Cloud Experts, QA Experts and Scrum Master.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Knowit designed the application that performs important tasks for the functioning of simulators: collecting and analysing data, generating reports, managing simulators and users, aggregating simulations results and sending notifications to users as well as creating work plans. As of today, VirtaMed Connect has been released in more than 20 countries located in all continents.

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

Thanks to the effective and proactive approach presented by Knowit, we were able to move fast with the project and develop a prototype within a year. We couldn’t ask for a better workflow between our teams.

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

After speaking with many companies, we selected Cybercom (now Knowit ) as the best fit to help us expand their development reach. Knowit has been helping the company take the simulators to the next level by connecting them to the Cloud. The project began in late 2017, and by 2018 Knowit had developed a prototype to show the functions of the Cloud-based simulator at a global conference.

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

No

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the software manager at a technology company that specializes in providing remote monitoring solutions, both hardware, and software, to the power industry. Some of our hardware products get installed on the power grid and substations and bring back telemetry information to server platforms that may fit in the cloud or a control room center with a customer, typically the power distribution companies.

I look after the development of a software product that we sell to customers. We have a small team of software developers ourselves, and the majority of our product development is done in-house. Now and again, we do outsource software development to third parties such as Cybercom. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenges were you trying to address with Cybercom?

We needed to build a complex web-based configuration tool for a hardware product. We were having to provide technical support to customers during the reconfiguration of this device. We wanted to sell it in larger numbers and reduce our technical support costs, allowing the customer to manage tasks on their own.

We called Cybercom to provide the end-to-end software development for this tool. It’s something we couldn’t resource internally, and we needed their expertise on the necessary web-based technologies. Now that we have done a project with Cybercom, we’d consider them for future work as well.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

There was a team composed of 4 people: a scrum master or project manager, a lead software developer, a junior software developer, and a tester. During parts of the project, we also had a UI/UX expert doing prototypes. We started the project with a quick chat about what we were trying to achieve, followed by a spec and some background of the product. They formed the team based on the technologies that we were looking to use and the way we thought it would work.

We provided extensive leading because we are a technology company and often do hardware and software development ourselves. We had a clear idea of what we wanted but couldn’t resource it. Cybercom offered advice on certain technologies that we were looking to use, often suggesting better options for us. That’s where their expertise was invaluable, really.

How did you come to work with Cybercom?

I think it was mostly good luck. They sent us a soliciting email explaining what they do. At the time, we were talking about wanting to do this configuration tool but weren’t able to resource it. We decided to try Cybercom, so we didn’t look around much. Because the work was done using an Agile approach, we were involved all along.

We had weekly sprints, with a retrospective meeting once a week for demos, design process aspects, and planning the next sprint. This helped us keep an eye on things from our perspective and ensure that progress was being made in the right direction.

This was a small project for us, so in a way, the project itself was a test, especially if we look to use Cybercom for more of our core products in the future. This is a configuration tool, but we may use third parties for actual product development.

How much have you invested with Cybercom?

It’s in the order of £20,000–£25,000 [$25,700–$32,100].

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in November of 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

It’s difficult to give stats because it’s still relatively early. The configuration tool isn’t widely used yet. In terms of anticipation, we expect that the product will save us several man-days of effort with configuring devices. We should be able to sell thousands of the device rather than a few hundred because of the reduced technical support. We don’t need to have people on-hand to perform that support, and we should make back anything we’ve spent on the tool fairly quickly.

We have very little experience working with other companies, but we can compare Cybercom to our in-house staff. The technologies we chose for this project would have cost us 3–4x more if we’d completed the project ourselves.

How did Cybercom perform from a project management standpoint?

We mostly talked over Skype for the weekly planning sessions, using screen sharing to show progress on the demo and actual application. We had progress slides and used Jira for project management. In terms of communication over technical details, we mostly used email, which actually worked very well.

What did you find most impressive about Cybercom?

Cybercom is a diverse company in terms of expertise. This project was largely web-based, but they can also do other parts of the software. They have a lot of experience with Internet of Things and building devices that provide telemetric data, which is close to what we do. Their expertise in software and hardware products is something we may call upon in the future.

Are there any areas Cybercom could improve?

Our company doesn’t work in an Agile way, so we were both trying out Cybercom as a partner as well as this method. Agile worked in our favor, and we got to see the progress and provide early feedback. However, Cybercom billed us on a time and materials basis. They don’t have nearly enough information to provide a realistic estimate in the beginning.

Throughout the project, we only really knew how much it was going to cost toward the very end, which is a risk transferred from Cybercom to us. But, if it was a fixed-price project, the risk would be the other way around. In terms of this project, the final costs were fine. There was no issue there, but it’s something to think about for the future. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We manufacture, sell, and service load-handling equipment, including cranes, hook lifts, bay lifts, etc. I'm a project manager at the company. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Cybercom?

We are looking to expand our business into internet-of-things products, which is where our work with Cybercom began.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We have worked with Cybercom on 2 scopes of work. The first one involved consultation within the initial phase. The second phase was the actual development, connecting our units to the internet and setting up a gateway through which we could track them. Cybercom came to our facilities in order to connect the equipment for various product lines.

Cybercom assigned us one resource for the advisory work, as well as a project manager. On the technological part, we worked with 3-4 people from Cybercom.

How did you come to work with Cybercom?

We started working with Cybercom 3 years ago.

What is the status of this engagement?

The advisory stage had a duration of 4 months, while the development stage was shorter, done in a few bursts.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

On the technology side, the Polish team from Cybercom was extremely fast. It was surprising to see how fast they were able to connect our devices. The whole process took only a couple of months.

On the advisory side, we could see the experience that Cybercom had had on internet-of-things projects. It was money well-spent for us. Cybercom guided us through the process, so we didn't have to learn from our mistakes.

How did Cybercom perform from a project management standpoint?

There were many factions involved in our design and development stages, but I have nothing to complain about. Cybercom's team was always open-minded and customer-oriented.

We didn't use any specialized project tracking tools on our side. We collaborated through simple Excel files and email. We use the Microsoft Office Live Meeting software internally, but we also used Skype, and had many face-to-face meetings.

What did you find most impressive about Cybercom?

When we initially started our collaboration with Cybercom, we couldn't immediately begin development because our company was going through a restructuring process. Cybercom waited patiently for us and provided support for me in selling the concept internally. I could tell that Cybercom aimed to build a long-term, trust-based relationship with us.

Are there any areas Cybercom could improve?

We are discussing taking a different approach to our projects together with Cybercom, but it's more to do with risk sharing than any explicit improvements. I appreciate the fact that Cybercom has approached our ideas with an open mind. I can't find any areas of improvement in our completed project.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

I'm working for Mobile Systems Sweden. It's a telephone parking system that Cybercom has developed a lot of the software for.

What is your position?

I'm a technical director and a public owner.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Cybercom?

We've been working with telephone parking for a long time, but Cybercom, first in Sweden and then in Poland, has been actively involved in developing this system. It's basically a telephone parking system where you start and stop parking by using an app or IBR. Then, you pay by credit card or invoice if you're a company.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

We have something called [TeleP.sc], which is a telephone parking system where the different parking operators can connect. We have an agreement with them. We also have a system with Gothenburg, which is one of the biggest cities in Sweden, which is more or less owned by them. We convey that cobranded with them in Gothenburg.

They do system architecture, development, and testing. It's a team of four people, so it's not a big team.

How did you come to work with Cybercom?

We didn't select them, really. They were part of it from the beginning. They were selected by one of our customers, and we got them together with the system in 2005. They have been not selected as a partner, but they have been going with the system since [we started with them]. It's not that we have been actively out and compared different companies. It was more as if we have to choose Cybercom if we want to have this done.

Eight years ago, when we chose to move the entire development to Poland, it was the decision to do so by the manager who, at that time, was like a product owner of the system and also moved there. He was part of that team and we saw a lot of benefit to continue with him due to all the knowledge he had about the system.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

It was $250,000 per year.

What is the status of this engagement?

We've been with them for 12 years. We don't have any plans to stop. I think they have matured, so that's good.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

We have had steady growth of the system, especially in Gothenburg, for mobile parking where we have a high customer satisfaction with most of the system. I think it has been meeting the standards we need for a mobile parking system.

How did Cybercom perform from a project management standpoint?

Cybercom has been very good to work with, analyzing and coming up with new suggestions on how we could modernize this system into a more test-friendly system. There were many manual tests when we took it over from the previous product owner. Now, we have gone into much more automated tests. Still, we have a lot of legacy code, especially in the United States, which they want, and we have been looking at that. I think they have proved to be competent in the development and database updates.

We've had some problems, but they've been quite good at handling them and working with operations to find and solve these problems.

What distinguishes Cybercom from other providers?

The only thing I can say is if you're going to work with them, get to know the entire team and not just the architect or team leader. It's very valuable to know each team member. They have a tendency to present the top guy – the team leader – only while the others are hiding behind him. It can be very hard to see who's doing what. To get to know those who are behind it has been very valuable because you can see the strengths and what resources you actually have on the team. It's one thing what you have on paper – it's another to see what's really there. All developers are not the same. They're very individual.

Is there anything Cybercom could have improved or done differently?

There's always things you can do better. Sometimes, I wish they had been pushier on me as a product owner to keep my promises for meetings and things like that. They could improve on reporting on what they have done. On the other hand, I could also improve on asking for reports. It works both ways.

They want to do their development tests, which helps actually minimize many problems in the system, probably, even if I had been pressing them. On the other hand, they have improved the system in many ways, and I think we have a good working relationship. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We run a test and software development center in Warsaw, which serves our internal clients. We deliver applications to offices around the globe. Our clients use our software for their business operations and strategy.

We work for a US-based healthcare company that collects data about the health and medical fields. They sell this data to pharmaceutical companies.

What is your position?

I am the Chief Executive Officer and Manager of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Cybercom?

From time to time, we need external software developers who can support us during periods of high project demand or for more challenging deployments. In these cases, we need to have talented developers on hand to work through the raw coding and quality assurance. It’s a lot more cost effective to do this through an outsourced partner rather than to maintain a large staff of full-time developers.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement.

The developers hired by us from Cybercom work primarily with Java and building enterprise-grade apps. We only work with their senior-level developers. Our contract is based on time and materials, which has worked out well so far. At peak capacity, we have employed 8 developers from their company at a single time. That was for one of our largest projects and their support was absolutely essential.

How did you come to work with Cybercom?

They are well-known within the local market. The local branch in Poland is quite well-known, so it was easy to connect to them.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

The total cost of their services so far is under $500,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We've been working with their company for one year.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

Our collaboration is based on time and materials, meaning that the people we contract from Cybercom work side-by-side with our internal staff. It's not easy to measure their success directly, but I can say that they've always delivered their assigned work on time and within budget. We rarely have issues with defective work.

How did Cybercom perform from a project management standpoint?

We don't use any project management services from their company. Their developers come directly to our office, working alongside with our internal staff. They are managed with the same standard tools, like Jira.

What distinguishes Cybercom from other providers?

They are reliable, especially when initiating new projects or activities. When we request a specific resource to be delivered at a given time, I can be 100% sure that it will happen. This is a unique point within a very dynamic contracting market.

Is there anything Cybercom could have improved or done differently?

Price can always be improved. They offer services at the market level, but as a customer, I always have the right to complain.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We are a group of technology companies working within the composites, advanced materials industry. Our business is branched into an engineering consultancy and a software development branch, which develops software for design and data management of engineering-related projects. We have developed a web-based platform that is hosted on the cloud. It has been commercialized a year and a half ago. Before that time, we had used these tools for our consultancy business. There are some synergies in the sense that our consultancy business is used to test the software, but we've also commercialized our product.

What is your position?

I am the technology director of the company. I was responsible for software development and have been involved in the consultancy business.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Cybercom?

We were a small company with a core team and a very ambitious target. We aimed to launch our product and make modifications in terms of structure. We needed to have knowledgeable talent for this, but we couldn't afford to hire people due to short deadlines.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement.

Cybercom support our company on the infrastructure side. They are fully responsible for our cloud platform in terms of maintenance while also acting as support for our product.

We've used them for highly specialized tasks and have approached them as consultants as well. Being a small startup, we couldn't afford to have the variety of skills offered by them in-house. It proved to be a good setup to have a pool of resources from which we could draw.

We've migrated our application from its current server to being hosted fully in the cloud, using Amazon Web Services. It was an ambitious task, and we only had four months in which to do it. Cybercom completely restructured our application. A big part of its success was due to their team.

At peak capacity, we've used five to six people from Cybercom, depending on our current tasks. They provided us with database specialists, architects, interface and back-end developers, infrastructure specialists, and so on.

How did you come to work with Cybercom?

I found Cybercom through my own network. By knowing key people, our collaboration would be more efficient in terms of setting it up. We only had two meetings, after which the project was commenced. They had the necessary resources and knowledge in order to complement our team and help us deliver our product within a tight deadline.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

The greatest credit to what Cybercom have been doing is the fact that we've delivered a product to its launch phase in a very short time. The application architecture, databases, and resource management were all done by them, together with my team at the time.

They were a good fit for our organization, making an effort to understand our structure. Cybercom worked from our office and merged their team to ours in an efficient manner.

How did Cybercom perform from a project management standpoint?

They worked together with my team, under my supervision and project management. We monitored them closely using our internal scrum and agile system. Cybercom were able to comply with the system without any problems. This is a credit to their team.

We use an Axosoft scrum system called OnTime, which is an agile-based development manager. Cybercom adopted it without any problems. They are a consultancy, so they are used to multiple systems employed by their clients.

What distinguishes Cybercom from other providers?

They listen to their customers well. Whenever we have a problem, they make an effort to solve it together with us, without being pushy. Cybercom simply want to help and make things work. They've liked our project. Even though it was challenging, it was quite interesting at the same time. This was a contributing factor to our relationship's success.

Is there anything Cybercom could have improved or done differently?

On the admin side of their work, there were some reporting issues at the beginning. They were resolved later on. From my experience, the relationship has been very good overall. There aren't many other items to improve, to be honest.