NEKLO LLC

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are an ecommerce development company with a focus on Magento and Shopware.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We were looking for a partner to help us deliver a powerful ecommerce solution based on Magento 2.

SOLUTION

How did you select NEKLO LLC and what were the deciding factors?

We needed specialists with high competence in Magento 2 development that could immediately join our team to help finish the solution. We’ve analysed the reviews on Clutch and other professional platforms and selected NEKLO to set up a partnership.

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

We had to deliver a complex ecommerce solution with various third party integrations within a relatively short time frame. The NEKLO experts jumped on the task promptly and helped us overcome the bottlenecks left from a previous team working on that project.

How many people from the NEKLO LLC team worked with you, and what were their positions?

The team of specialists assigned to us consisted of an experienced Magento solution specialist and 2 certified Magento 2 back-end developers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The NEKLO team helped us deliver a powerful ecommerce solution with all integrations functioning perfectly. Their experience and professionalism allowed us to deliver the project within the schedule and budget.

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

They are very careful about organizing the working process and communication. We were using Jira for task management, and they kept us constantly updated on the development flow. The communication was in English that every specialist assigned to us spoke excellently.

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

First of all, they have outstanding experience with Magento 2 development. Secondly, as real professionals, they took our project seriously and were careful about every aspect. Such an eye for detail helped us to avoid unnecessary backlogs.

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

We were impressed with their approach and look forward to further cooperation.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the Founder and CEO of SalesMessage.com a business text messaging software.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We hired Neklo to help us first stop the bleeding from the bugs, create new features and enhancements, and create a truly scalable environment across mobile, web, and chrome extension. The goal was to create a streamlined and seamless development and deployment process for managing the entire development cycle.

SOLUTION

How did you select NEKLO LLC and what were the deciding factors?

We were introduced to Neklo through a referral and came with very high ratings. Being that they were an offshore company, cost was a big factor in choosing to work with Neklo.

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

Work with our software continues weekly with fixing bugs, creating new features, improving our existing features, and the full cycle for developing, testing, and deploying.

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

We're working with 8 people and growing ranging from front-end, back-end, mobile, project managers, and QA engineers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Within the first few weeks Neklo was able to completely spin up our environment and start deploying meaningful features and fixes almost instantly. Within the first 10 weeks, Neklo was able to deploy more fixes and features than our onshore development team did 18 months!

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

Their communication is beyond amazing! The Sprint are documented extremely well in Confluence, the Show & Tells are always a pleasure to see what is being done, and it runs like clockwork! I couldn't be happier with all of the team members!

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

The level of talent from Neklo was amazing. Everything from the backend servers, QA, and front-end ngineer's were able to pick up things quickly and provide exceptional results. The level of detail in Confluence and JIRA is one of the joys of working with Neklo. Everything is visible, transparent, and documented!

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

Being that the team is in Europe, communication with each team member to make them feel a part of the team is one thing I wish we can do more of.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Our business was established in 1987, and I came into the company in 1992. As of right now, I’m the CEO.

We’re an antique and jewelry store that mostly works with retailers. Although it’s a small business, we’re established within the market. We sell on other platforms besides our website like Etsy and eBay.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with NEKLO LLC?

We’re always trying to promote the business, and in the last 10 years, online presence has become extremely important.

We hired someone a long time ago, and it was more of a homemade website. We had a presence with a site, but it wasn’t a commercial website as it should be.

In 2017, I hired NEKLO LLC to design and develop our platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

NEKLO LLC designed a new website for us based on Magento 1.

After that, we started a contract with them for technical support. We also set up Google Analytics for the website so that I can monitor the traffic. They adjusted the site so that it would appear in more searches, and people will find our site easier.

What is the team composition?

We had a team from NEKLO LLC. I worked with the head of the team, the designer, and the person who adjusted the descriptions to make the site more visible in searches.

Besides those three people, there were the developers, but I’m not sure how many there were. The project manager is my main point of contact.

How did you come to work with NEKLO LLC?

It was through word of mouth. I found them through someone I know very well.

I’m generally skeptical when someone comes to me from the internet and offers services because it happens a lot, and I know that it doesn’t work many times. With NEKLO LLC, I received a personal reference. I spoke with them, and they showed me what they could do with my site, and their prices were very comparable.

How much have you invested with them?

Initially, to develop the site, it was $410,000 because it was pretty complicated. The support costs me between $12,000–$20,000 a year.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in January 2017, and they still provide support for the site. It’s on a need to do basis.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The team did a very good job. I really appreciate the job that they did because they completely redesigned and re-established my site. People have called me about the site and have said it is good for them to work with and that they feel comfortable and secure.

When I see results dropping, I will call them. They analyze all the activities of my site on Google and make adjustments that bring traffic up. There may have been something missing in the description, or Google changed their search engine. Traffic did drop in 2020, but that was the year we needed online business more than ever.

How did NEKLO LLC perform from a project management standpoint?

During the development, we had meetings twice a week, but if they had more urgent questions, they would email or Skype me.

Since the site has been completed, when I have a question or something I want to change, I email or Skype them, and they immediately get back to me, and we have a meeting. Any updates or designs are completed in a few days after I request it.

What did you find most impressive about them?

For me, it’s their personal touch. They assign certain people to the project, and they don’t have a lot of changes in their staff. If they assign someone to my project, those same people work on the project from beginning to end.

I always get a response if I contact them. It’s never a new person that doesn’t know what’s going on.

For example, last week, I wanted to change our banner from New Years' to a Valentine’s Day slider. I called them, and the designers had it prepared in two or three days.

Sometimes, bugs do occur, but they’ll immediately fix them after I contact them. It’s a very personal service, and they’re very quick. I appreciate that a lot.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I haven’t had such an experience.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I truly recommend them because I’m very satisfied with what they did. They stay true to their word, so if you describe a task, you expect them to fulfill it. They will give you an estimation and will stay true to that.

There are no surprises with their team. If there are any changes you want, it’s always good to ask for their opinion and advice. They’re good at what they do.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of finance for Complete Solar Inc., a residential solar company that has sales and finance partners and a team of designers. Third-party designers will get the permit and do procurement installs all the way to the warranty service at the end of it. We also have a proprietary platform that manages the whole process.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Neklo LLC?

Neklo is more on the development side of our proprietary software, trying to keep up with the industry as there are many changes going on. They’re the ones that manage our development, testing, and QA for the platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

There are different elements of the project and a lot of them are on our server. Project management is a key element, so there’s a different proposal tool for sales that gives you a quote. Again, a lot of their involvement is on the web and our proprietary hardware.

I can’t go into the technical side, but from my perspective as the VP of finance, Neklo is actually developing code that enables our platform to work with other people’s platforms. While we do some of it ourselves, they provide the ability to log in and see the different aspects of the sales and installation cycle. They also do QA for us and the things that you would normally expect a developer to do.

What is the team composition?

There are five members on the team as of today, but I don’t necessarily work with them directly. There are two developers, one QA person, and a project manager. We’ve been using them for about two years now.

How did you come to work with Neklo LLC?

We’ve been outsourcing our IT to Neklo’s sister company for five years now, and that’s how the introduction took place. Neklo has the expertise and has grown their team, and we’re using more of them now.

How much have you invested with them?

The total cost over these two years is around $600,000 already, and we’re using them more now than at the beginning of the engagement.

What is the status of this engagement?

The development project started in February 2018, and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have a separate software development team that reports to the CEO directly, and their director handles most of the daily interactions with Neklo. For whatever they’re working on, be it QA or development, they have a plan and program, and they measure themselves with regard to deadlines and the norms that you can expect from a development team.

How did Neklo LLC perform from a project management standpoint?

Neklo is doing a great job, and we keep using them to a higher level. They keep accelerating, and we ask them to do more. They individually track their time. Most of the stuff they do is a high priority for us, but it’s all tracked, and we can see their starting time. They report every invoice and then have a detailed sheet behind them describing whatever they’re working on at the time. They’re very detailed and responsive, and the communication seems to be open. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re highly professional, and I’m very satisfied with their work — they’re doing a great job. I haven’t heard a complaint about them missing deadlines or being unable to get a task done. Everything’s positive. I also talk to their CFO a lot, and he’s always been very flexible with me. When we have issues, they find solutions quickly. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’m not the right person to be critical about Neklo’s performance. I’m sure they’ve had a little turnover, but it’s invisible to us since we’re a bigger organization. They’re able to provide the time, quality, the talent. Again, nothing negative and all positive. They’re a good partner, and I’m glad they’re on the team. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I think Neklo will be a great partner to you. They have the talent and the skill set that we need on our platform. I oversee it from an administrative and billing side, and there are no issues.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Raken is a mobile, cloud-based app that allows users to complete daily construction work flows directly from their device in the field.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We hired Neklo to perform services ranging from software product development, development operations, mobile application development and quality assurance. Our main goal was initial MVP development and subsequent support.

SOLUTION

How did you select NEKLO LLC and what were the deciding factors?

Neklo had set several competitive advantages such, up to 60% savings compared to onsite teams and traditional outsourcing, ready to use infrastructure – office space, hardware, software, and communication facilities, Immediate availability, rapid scaling of operations, exact match of needs and skills, people knowledgeable of your business, systems and process

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

Our scope of work included:

Deliverables/products/results Project timeline Project milestones Reports to catalog project progress Technologies involved:

Spring, Spring Boot, Spring MVC, REST APIs, Spring Cloud, React, AWS, SQS, SES, Elastic Search, Redis, Dynamo DB, RDS MySQL, ECS, Power BI, Treasure Data, Python, Nodejs, Kotlin, IoT, Microservices, Snowplow, Fivetran, Kafka, BLE, Kontakt.io, IoT, MQTT, AWS IoT Core

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

We eventually had 25 people involved from Neklo, ranging from Product Manager, DevOps, QA and Sr. Java Developers

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The main outcome of the engagement was a working product delivered with minimal technical debe. Additional outcomes included better order processing, the improved quality control and the faster customer service

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

Neklo utilized Agile Project Management style including such tools as Slack, Confluence, JIRA and Trello

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

The most unique characteristic of the company was their openness and honest communication.

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

Overtime conditions were not explicitly stated in the contract

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CTO for an e-commerce activewear company for women. 95% of our sales are online.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with NEKLO LLC?

We needed help with development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We use them for software development, development operations, maintenance support, monitoring, and project management. The main product is the e-commerce website based on Magento. Surrounding that on the backend, they developed a lot of internal tools to help merchandisers manage their staff.

They’re internal tools basically for inventory management, content management, and customer relationship management. They also did multiple integrations with various technology partners like 3TL, the platform that supports store operations.

They developed all the internal tools through APIs to communicate with them and support all the data flows and international shopping. It runs on Amazon Cloud. They instrumented the infrastructure for the website. They also did the caching and cueing solutions. The team did Elasticsearch, DNS, and the good services that AWS provides.

I left the company, but they brought me back on a short-term contract to help them migrate to a Magento 2 platform.

What is the team composition?

It started out with them bringing on one developer for a couple of months to see how it went, and it went really well. Then, we extended the team, and the rest is history.

We have a dedicated team headed by their technical project manager, who was my main point of contact throughout the project. There were a number of back- and frontend developers, a team of system administrators that developed the DevOps operation, project deployment, software procurement, alerting, and monitoring.

There’s also a dedicated number of QA testers.

How did you come to work with NEKLO LLC?

NEKLO LLC came recommended by a friend who has been using them on a bunch of different projects. I had prior experience working with an outsource company from their area and had a great experience.

They were experienced in Magento, actively participating with custom Magento extensions and in Magento conferences. They were pretty well-versed and had projects to show for it.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement with NEKLO LLC started in June 2014.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

When we started, we were doing $50,000 per year. Now, we’re at an $18 million run rate. The team helped to build the functionality on site, ensuring everything works to the users’ satisfaction. It was integrated with multiple various vendors in a rapid way. It wasn’t completely error-free, but it had a very clean and sustainable code.

We also spent a lot of time on the performance of the optimization of the site to make sure that it can sustain all the huge holiday traffic increases with no issues, which it did.

What I really like about working with them is their sense of ownership of the product that they possess. They’re like part of the team. I’m really proud of the work they did. Even after the engagement ended, they were willing to come back and help with questions that may arise.

We have a good relationship with their friendly and loyal team. The team takes a strong sense of ownership and pride in the work they do. If someone needs to be preparing the site for sale, they’d work over the weekends with no extra charge. They know the business needs.

How did NEKLO LLC perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management is excellent. The project manager is very technical, which I really appreciated. He ran a very tight shop with agile methodologies and Jira to keep everything in place, along with sprint management.

It was a modern project management style with all the tools, bells, and whistles. They’re really well-versed in the agile methodology framework and approaches.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their experience along with their willingness to go the extra mile is impressive. They’re familiar, staying up to date with all the security patches and features of Magento. Their proactive team takes ownership of the project.

They play an active part in functionality discussion and brainstorming about the product roadmap together. They take initiative over performance optimization and what needs to be done to improve it. With my hiring criteria, I tend to give a lot of emphasis on smarts and attitude, and then experience comes next.

They’re smart developers with a great attitude. There’s a lot of market there, and it’s a tech-savvy area where they operate. They operate across multiple countries with offices in Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine. They have access to talent. When we needed to expand the team, they were able to bring additional developers on board.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Nothing specific comes to mind or makes me think twice about using them on my next project.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Definitely involve them early on in the design phases of the specific functionality of the big strategy project.

Ask their advice. You don’t necessarily have to take it, but make them part of the process and give them a piece of ownership of the functionality and code. They’re very direct, and you shouldn’t expect any sugarcoating from them.

Be ready for very direct feedback. Be honest with them, and show your loyalty to them. They will give you seven-fold back. They’re very dedicated, hardworking people. Integrate them into the team.