Kolosek

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are an online marketplace for contemporary luxury fashion. We partner with amazing boutiques in the most fashionable cities and sell their products to consumers around the world. I am the CEO and founder.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Kolosek?

Over a period of several months some new developers turned out to be cutting corners and we realized that some aspects of their coding was sloppy... in turn it was causing some unexpected surprises... We contacted Kolasek to help us fix this issues and reinstate the proper coding procedures so that all of our previous developer work was robust and able to handle the incoming business without issue...

What were your goals for this project?

We needed someone reliable to go back through the code structure, find the weaknesses and fix them in a thorough manner so that we did not encounter issues later on in the process. That would require us even more work at a later stage...

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Upon speaking with several firms, this vendor was recommended to us. They took the time to understand our needs, look through our issues and come up with a plan to help us get back on track. They were very detailed oriented.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

We were built using ruby on rails and spree commerce. We required someone to go through the last several months of our code and correct several structures that were not completed as per the required. As can be imagined, various issues arose that required additional time to rectify. For example, our payment gateway was not

What was the team composition?

The project team consisted of a developer and a manager. We spent considerable time explaining both our business model and the key requirements we need to have accomplished. Our timing was limited, hence we needed someone that could provide us results efficiently so that our ongoing business we not affected.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our solution was effectuated in a timely manner and we were able to have this accomplished with minimal effect on our ongoing business. We were able to have business continuity while we were "fixing" serious issues on our back end. Key tasks were prioritized so that secondary tasks were accomplished at a later time providing a smooth workflow...

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

We provided all of our requirements with the project manager at Kolosek... we had in depth discussions to understand the business and our back end requirements. In turn, we wrote in depths tickets to better clarify our requirements in writing to the developers. This resulted in tasks being completed in a timely manner and helped us continue our operations...

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The ease within which we were able to communicate was impressive. Companies are always in a hurry and having someone that you can communicate with practically immediately is a great first impression rather than having to go through several people before your concerns are addressed.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Frankly, we found little to improve on. As usual, companies would always like for developers to work faster. This depends on several factors and what is actually possible. We have been pleased with the relationship.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the CEO and founder of an HR startup. The scope of our project is substantial, stemming from years of market research on hypotheses, business models, and service delivery approaches. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Kolosek?

We hired Kolosek for platform strategy, architecture, development specifications, systems setup, UI/UX design, front- and backend development, and testing assistance.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted iOS and Android mobile apps, as well as a full web app, for our market launch.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

After defining and prioritizing a set of 15 parameters, we conducted interviews with five vendors in three countries.

Our key criteria included the ability to understand the nature of our business, quickly grasp the user scenarios and requirements, and deliver an integrated solution spanning architecture, requirements, design, and development. We needed a vendor who could propose new, better ways of implementing our desired functionalities.

We didn't want to feel like just another development project; we wanted to know that our vendor invested in the project and took ownership of the concept. Kolosek outranked the other vendors by far.

Describe the project in detail.

After selecting Kolosek, we held a series of workshops and knowledge transfer sessions. We quickly decided on a scrum structure and interaction model. Although we had a full development outline, we planned all these steps, constantly re-evaluated the best sequence of deliveries, and made sure the project and team succeeded early.

The project took many twists and turns as we discovered better ways of implementing its features. Throughout these change requests and scope alterations, we felt a greater level of interaction and responsibility from Kolosek. They often suggested better scope and development plans. 

What was the team composition?

A three-person team established the basic elements. Upon seeing their high level of competence and excellent output, we quickly scaled the team up to 10 people. This team handles web and mobile development, design, architecture, and project management.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

While waiting to launch the service in a broad market, we've conducted soft launches and targeted tests with selected clients. The project is a great success, and every app has surpassed our wildest dreams. The apps Kolosek developed are simply amazing!

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow is seamless. All of our interactions, not just the easy times, are perfect. When technology is making life hell, Kolosek and their CEO step up and ensure smooth sailing.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I'm impressed by their level of competence and flexibility, their interactive approach, and their willingness to take responsibility. They understand our users, their needs, and our requirements. 

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, but we learn a lot from them. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder and CEO of Grand Consulting. We provide outsourced IT services to small-to-medium-sized businesses.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Kolosek?

We engaged Kolosek to build a custom web application that would capture our incoming and outgoing calls.

What were your goals for this project?

We needed a solution to better manage our call times and more easily bill clients for our time.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We received a recommendation from one of Kolosek’s previous clients who was happy with their work. 

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Kolosek built a call recording service in Ruby on Rails using DevOps methodology. They then connected the system to our servers, which run on custom Linux installations.

What was the team composition?

We worked with several developers overseen by a team lead. They built our MVP. Now, we have one developer who will provide support services for the next two years.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The app is now a core part of our business. We now have a more straightforward process for billing our clients for phone services.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Kolosek uses Pivotal Tracker to stay on top of development requests. We can see progress in real time and communicate without a hitch.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The CEO responds quickly to every inquiry at any time of day. He gives a high level of support and is very much invested in our success.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I really can't think of any.