Lionwood.software

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m Anna Cegielska and my position is Head of QA and HR department in Gate-Software which is a team of 50 specialists led by experienced visionaries. We help online shops improve their sales figures by accurately translating business objectives into technology. Our company specializes in Magento 1 (maintenance, support) as well as Magento 2 (maintenance, implementation, and data migration).

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Lionwood.software?

Our team was developing an e-commerce project with tech stack Magento and Angular. All our developers who have skills in Angular were busy, and we decided to communicate with the software development companies to join our team of Angular developers.

SOLUTION

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

We had to choose between a few developers in different companies that were in our shortlist. I got a recommendation from a friend from Ukraine, Lviv, that Lionwood.software is a trusted partner and I could contact them regarding my request. They provide developers who have been working in their company for a long time, at the office and are trusted developers opposite to the recruitment agencies who may not know the developers they are presenting.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

Lionwood.software’s developer had joined our project management system JIra, Harvest and Rocket chat. His main duties were to perform the development of the web application in Angular, and he was also responsible for reviewing code in the Angular web app.

Describe the recruitment process in detail.

To choose the right developer we had a technical interview with the specialist provided by Lionwood.software. We conducted a well-structured interview with a defined 12 questions. Lionwood.software’s engineer passed the interview successfully, gaining the highest points. Also, his English level and communication skills were on the high level. As a bonus, the developer knows Polish, which was beneficial for us because the project documentation was written in Polish.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Lionwood.software brought in the right talent at the right time with the right expertise. We are happy with the quality of their work.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We had very good communication throughout the engagement. We had everyday scrum meetings, during which we went through progress and associated next steps. I can always reach my points of contact at any time. We communicate via Rocketchat, and we use Jira to keep track of the project. They’re responsive when we have issues or suggestions for improvements — they’ve helped us out when we needed it.

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

They’re very flexible. They have easily adapted to the requirements of the workload that we requested.

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

During the collaboration, any issues we raised were solved efficiently and there is nothing major I can think of.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the IT Project Manager of Market Universal LTD, a modern pharmacy in Ukraine with 1 400 000 loyal clients. I'm managing an e-commerce web platform, iOS and Android mobile applications with 300 000 visitors per month. Also, I'm responsible for managing the internal team and our tech partners.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Lionwood.software?

The need was to build a web marketplace for selling medicine. An online platform accommodates a large number of goods from different stores and warehouses, so the client has the opportunity to choose the items they need and buy them online.

SOLUTION

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

We were drawn to Lionwood.software because of their unique value proposition. They were eager to find solutions and were flexible. We faced several challenges, and they were able to identify several different ways to resolve them.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

Their team did the backend development on RoR, Xamarin for mobile app development, and frontend development using React along with HTML/CSS. QA engineers joined as well. As it is a long-lasting project, it was divided into several sprints. We work in an Agile environment with the most common Scrum rituals and processes. We use Jira, Confluence, and MS Teams and DevOps as our main communication tools, and the engineers are involved in most activities.

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

The size of our team varied according to the scope of work and product development in particular. from 4 to 8 developer

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Lionwood.software has helped us to achieve what we aimed for within the deadlines.The quality of their output was exactly what we were looking for, and we’re still working with them now.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The collaboration and the workflow has always been smooth. They got onboarded in our MS Teams, we had access to the whole development team, and we had regular sprint planning meetings and demo sessions.

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

Their most impressive aspect is their proactiveness. They bring new ideas to the table and are very experienced.

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

They need to be more direct when there’s an issue.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Shyft is a start to end digital insurance aggregator and web company focusing on personal lines of insurance for the Caribbean.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Lionwood.software, and what were your goals?

Our original website was built on a very complexed platform which was difficult for scalability and changes and we were dependent on developers for any changes. Lionwood team helped build a custom site which was on a better and cleaner platform that helped our team handle changes and updates in a faster and more streamlined approach.

SOLUTION

How did you select Lionwood.software and what were the deciding factors?

They were very responsive and adaptive and also gave great suggestions to our needs

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

Lionwood gave us a full overhaul of every part of our site. Building an entirely new platform which we see as a very advanced site relative to our insurance space.

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

4

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were very happy with Lionwood and how they were organized and diligent with meetings and time for responses. The over budget and over time expectation for web builders were truly tested as they maintained a very close to target delivery.

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

Emails and WhatsApp messages constantly assisted our contact and relationship. Zoom calls and catch ups were easy.

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

They always had time to speak to us and will sometimes answer us at difficult or late times in Ukraine. They understand our business truly which is important. Insurance is not very straight forward and the team we believe fully invested in us.

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

We believe pricing is a bit of a hard area and there needs to be more negotiation towards getting our development goals. Overall there is not much lionwood could have done differently. We are still working with them on other projects.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

scoutbee is a tech startup from Germany specializing in software for digital, AI-driven procurement. I have been the Online Marketing Manager for scoutbee.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Lionwood.software, and what were your goals?

• Website Designs
• Web Development (Front-End/Back-End, PHP, Wordpress)
• Website Service (Bugs, Testing) Goals were to have the corporate website up to standards that reflected the stage of our ever-growing company. Professionalizing our web presence, building out the website, starting digital lead funnels via website.

SOLUTION

How did you select Lionwood.software and what were the deciding factors?

Lionwood was recommended to us by another agency we are working with in the Ukraine.

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

Lionwood took over UI design of pages, front-end development as well as backend (PHP into wordpress) tasks. Moreover, Lionwood also took care of all Testing with a seperate QA.

Apart from that, Lionwood was there as a partner to consult in complex situations which technical solutions would work best for a website. The agency is a constant and trustworthy knowledge resource for scoutbee in terms of the development of our website and a partner we can always count on.

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

We have worked with 5 people (Business Development, Project Manager, Front-End Developer, Back-End Developer, Tester).

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have 4x the traffic on our website than before the start of the project.

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

Lionwood is a great communication partner, they are very flexible and are willing to talk, align and communicate anytime. In fact, they appreciate constant contact for maximum transparency and best-possible planning of tasks and projects.

I can absolutely recommend it. Tasks and projects where planned very well, and Lionwood delivered timely on our deadlines constantly.

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

The combination of very nice and likeable people with thorough professionalism. As stated above, Lionwood managed to deliver in timely fashion constantly, and the working atmosphere is a breeze.

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

N/A

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CTO at LeadExpress. We’re a SaaS platform.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Lionwood.software?

We were restructuring our application, so we needed developers.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Their team needed to rebuild our app’s frontend. For the rebuild, we used Angular and Python. They had to analyze our system and API to rebuild the platform. They also assisted with the structural and UX/UI design.  

What is the team composition?

I worked with three people, including a project manager and two developers.

How did you come to work with Lionwood.software?

Lionwood.software was a client of ours. I saw that they were doing good development work, so we reached out to them to help with the rebuild.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $50,000–$100,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement with Lionwood.software started in February 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It’s hard to determine metrics because we haven’t launched the new frontend. We’ve recommended them to other parties we’re working with.

How did Lionwood.software perform from a project management standpoint?

The team mostly hit all of the deadlines we expected.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’m impressed with their quick communication. The team adjusted to the way we work. I also can easily reach out to the developers whenever I need to.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, not really. The engagement has gone the way I expected. They’re doing a great job.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Spend time and work with the person you hire. Take the time to explain things in-depth. That will benefit you. We spent the first week going over details, and after that, they performed how we wanted them to.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a delivery manager for a college enrollment organization. We work in the B2B and B2C spaces, facilitating international students who apply for university positions in US and UK universities.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Lionwood.software?

We needed to increase our development and test teams in a quick turnaround. This was for a particular suite of new, incoming features.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Lionwood.software has provided development work using .NET and Angular for a B2C website. Their work mainly involves features around massive improvements in some functionalities intended for the student applicants’ accessibility. The objective is to streamline areas around the progress of the student application.

We work in an agile process, so Lionwood.software has been working on the delivery of a number of features. Once the contract has ended, the delivery of new features will continue.

What is the team composition?

There are three individuals on the team — two .NET developers and one tester.

How did you come to work with Lionwood.software?

The engagement started before I joined the company, so I wasn’t directly involved. All I know is that we were put in touch with them through an agency. Lionwood.software was selected because they seemed to present the right combination of skills.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested just over £110,000 (approximately $140,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

The ongoing engagement started in October 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I’ve received a lot of detailed, positive feedback from our internal team. Lionwood.software's developers and tester were integrated into two of our scrum teams, so we can’t measure the absolute quality of their individual work. However, they’ve received really high praise in terms of the way they swiftly assimilated and became one coherent team. Lionwood.software’s people are working offshore, and our scrum teams are based in the UK.

How did Lionwood.software perform from a project management standpoint?

It was a little bit rocky at first, but they quickly got used to our work methodology. In fact, with time, they were teaching the UK team members a lot about working effectively while remote. They received praise for being able to pick things up very quickly and a lot of admiration for working in English, which isn’t their native language.

Lionwood.software adapted to processes very quickly and smoothly. They display a level of thoroughness that's very impressive. The shared knowledge and flow they produce have made working with them very seamless. Their team has brought a lot of maturity to our UK-based teams. We communicate through Jira, Slack, and GitHub for scrum and team conference calls.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They brought their own experience and expertise and then passed a great deal of that onto our internal team. Our team expressed that they learned and were introduced to new improvements and suggestions by Lionwood.software’s developers and tester. This included knowledge of technical improvements to websites and APIs.

The Lionwood.software team members code in excellent quality. Their hard work has been greatly appreciated. What’s more, they’ve been approachable and fun to work with.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Initially, they seemed to be putting a very high premium on turning around code and tickets very quickly. However, it wasn’t always as thoroughly and of the quality that we expected. But after some feedback, they changed their work practices and understood more about the level of quality and thoroughness. By quality, I mean a lack of bugs and the intensity of making sure their codes are 100% operational.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Because they work remotely and English isn’t their first language, it’ll take time for the team to integrate with yours. It takes a certain amount of patience to allow the team to integrate. The Lionwood.software developers were fully working on a self-contained project. They pick up processes fast and deliver high-quality work.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the COO of Bytebrand Outsourcing AG. We offer web and mobile development services.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Lionwood.software?

We brought on Lionwood.software to provide team members that specialize in WordPress and PHP development.

What were your goals for this project?

We had an enterprise project that required WordPress and PHP expertise—areas in which we lack talent. We needed coverage in those skillsets, especially for WordPress.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We posted a listing on Upwork looking for a WordPress developer who could meet in person at our office. We screened CVs and had Skype interviews with potential candidates; after this process, we ultimately chose to meet Lionwood.software. Their in-person technical meeting impressed us so we went with them for this project.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Using provided designs, Lionwood.software’s WordPress and PHP specialists rebuilt a high load multisite on WordPress. They migrated data—including blog posts and images—from old sites and integrated the new site with an application using Node.js.

What was the team composition?

The 15-person team consists of a business analyst, a QA person, a web designer, a DevOps person, and specialists in WordPress, PHP, React, and Node.js.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Lionwood.software has provided expert team members who can work alongside our company. Our internal team members are consistently satisfied with their performance.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

We’ve integrated Lionwood.software developers into our workflow. I coordinate with the business development manager who delivers a detailed report every two weeks. Their developers have become an inseparable part of our team.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Lionwood.software offers highly skilled developers who are comfortable working with us and adept at finding the particular solution we were looking for. They’re very adaptive and can intuit our needs. If we ever need to make a change, we can explain the reason once and their team understands it immediately without complaint.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, we’re thrilled with our collaboration.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m a board member at KleinTech Services. We develop easy-to-use, self-learning automated inspection solutions for the transport and security industry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Lionwood.software?

We were looking for a .NET outsourcing team that could provide maintenance and development for mature products in the deep learning inspection systems space.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to find a skilled development team to be a long-term, reliable partner.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

They were recommended by one of our partners.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Lionwood.software handles development for a wide variety of web applications. We started gradually, with management systems for retail and rental apps where they provided us with report and notification modules. Other projects include deep analysis, new feature and application development, and end-to-end bug fixes.

What was the team composition?

They assign us teams with several full-stack and backend developers depending on the project's complexity. There’s normally a team lead on their side that fills both project management and technical architecture roles. The teams range in size, but they usually have around eight people.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They've developed a lot of custom features and improved our overall web performance. All of their deliverables have been exceptionally well received. We’re satisfied with the collaboration.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Lionwood.software is always clear regarding expectations. Anytime we assign a new task, they give a time estimate. They’re responsive to our needs, as well as our clients’, and provide us with fast and effective communication. We use YouTrack for task management and have daily conversations with the development team. If we need additional resources, their business development manager promptly proposes good candidates.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They’re always on time, and there’s never been a delay or issue with assigned work. They’re actually extremely proactive and often deliver ahead of schedule. The team is open-minded, and they’re ready to adopt changes if we think they’re needed. If we decided to alter a technology or process, they move right ahead with it. Their cost structure is also highly reasonable.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I can’t think of anything. They offer the most qualified candidates and have no problems adjusting to our schedule.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the founder of a coach operator company. We connect Ukraine to European cities.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Lionwood.software?

We needed someone to develop an online ticket booking platform.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to create the online booking platform to sell tickets online, as well as sell tickets for affiliate programs by other coach operators.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We reviewed a few booking products, but they didn't have all the features we needed, so we were searched for local companies. Lionwood.software found us and made an offer, which came with the best price, so we started working together.

Can you go into detail about the services they provided and the scope of the project?

Lionwood.sofware created web-platform, from scratch, with options to buy bus tickets in a few easy steps: select dates, start/end location, and add personal details. Customers can book one-way and return tickets, and admins are free to set discounts for round trips. Customers are requested to choose a preferred payment method. The system is highly customizable and adaptable to various mobile devices. As soon as the booking is completed, customers receive an electronic ticket.

In the admin panel they built, you can add various bus types, show seat numbers, and include a graphic seat map. You can also see detailed passengers lists and a route timetable, with the departure times for all buses on a specific route. It lets us send various system messages and alerts to customers/admins, and they created a functionality that analyzes passenger behavior to improve the system. Finally, they’re promoting the web platform to increase our number of customers.

What was the team composition?

I communicated with the project manager, but there was a developer, a designer, and a QA resource working behind them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The system will increase our sales, starting next period.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

They've performed very well and they’re professional. They're also methodical, so they’ll make a schedule and then they follow through on it. They used Jira to manage the project and we communicated via phone, since we’re based in the same country

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I love that they offer multiple services. They can host and manage a website, but they can also do marketing spins, social media, and graphic design work. Their attentiveness to requests and follow through shine.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

I have nothing negative to say.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO of MetaverseME Ltd

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

MetaverseME is a developer in the Web3 space.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Lionwood.software to accomplish?

• Develop and test Web3 solutions.

SOLUTION

How did you find Lionwood.software?

Referral

Why did you select Lionwood.software over others?

Referred to me

How many teammates from Lionwood.software were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Lionwood were tasked with prototyping custom solutions and testing out a number of third party sdk's. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

The team provided working prototypes for all the concepts we discussed which allowed us to prove a number of business theories.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Lionwood.software has been professional and engaged, responding on time and delivering as and when promised.

What was your primary form of communication with Lionwood.software?

In-Person Meeting

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

Technical knowledge and general communication.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Lionwood.software could have done differently?

Not at this time.