Net Solutions

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CTO of a communications data company. We do data analytics and archiving for compliance.

What challenge were you trying to address with Net Solutions?

We needed a partner for software development for one of our B2B enterprise products.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Net Solutions’ team works with our software development team for our B2B enterprise product releases. We’re adding different data types, specifically communications data like email, Microsoft Teams, Webex chats, and Zoom. We initially onboarded the resources when we started the project; they’ve been part of the releases.

We’ve developed the product from scratch. We started with market data and then came up with the need for more resources. Net Solutions looked at our project, release cycle, roadmap, and internal resources to establish our offshore partnership. Since the core architecture and implementation were already there, the team has worked on adding features and capabilities to the product.

As a data archiving and compliance company, we follow strict security protocols and project methodologies for implementation. We have documentation for everything, so we discuss the project before we start on a feature so everyone can be on the same page. Net Solutions has mainly used .NET and AI models for transcription. We store audio and video recording, which are transcribed and available for search.

The product allows people to retain their communications data for different use cases. If someone wants to search and produce for any legal purpose or related case, the auditors or anyone from the compliance team can log into our product and search for any date range, depending on how they’ve set up their system. For example, they can archive for many years and search for that data based on specific employees or resources. They could also do a keyword search depending on the scenario, tag those messages, and then produce it outside the system for anyone else from the legal o HR team to review. Additionally, whenever someone wants to check what’s happening, they can see an audit trail.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with three senior developers.

How did you come to work with Net Solutions?

We searched online and reached out to a few companies based on Clutch. Since it was our first time working with an offshore team, we looked at their reviews, sample work, and previous clients. Then, we reached out to Net Solutions and met with the CTO to discuss how they onboarded, trained, and reviewed the progress of their resources. Their process seemed great, and it matched what we were doing, so we began our partnership.

How much have you invested with them?

So far, we’ve spent $150,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began our partnership in October 2020, and it’s ongoing.

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

When we started, we created a roadmap to outline what we wanted to add to our product and how we’d scale up accordingly. So far, we’re on target with the roadmap and our vision. Although there have been challenges with the scalability, Net Solutions has done pretty well.

How did Net Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

We’re a fully remote team, so we have all the tools necessary for anyone to work from home. Since we have partnerships with other companies, everyone uses the tools we define. We have a messaging system and a tool for project management.

Net Solutions follows the process we have for the development team, and they do everything we do. They participate in our daily stand-up meetings and work together to look at the status. Additionally, we have a manager on our side to review Net Solutions’ work; they frequently check how the team is doing.

Moreover, they take our feedback seriously, and we work together to improve. We have a good partnership with Net Solutions; there haven’t been issues so far.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their main strength is the resources they hire. Our team members are doing exceptionally well, and we haven’t had issues with onboarding. With other companies, we have to go through a few resources to get one that actually fits our culture. However, we’ve saved a lot of time with Net Solutions because they really match our requirements. Overall, they take it seriously and do an excellent job. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I don’t have any complaints at this point.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

The first step with any company is to explain your requirements clearly. Net Solutions can be very helpful if you give them as much information as possible.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a software company dealing in the health and medical space. We offer a couple of solutions, including an online appointment and booking system, and an online check-in system for general practices—doctors and clinics. I am the project lead for the company.

What challenge were you trying to address with Net Solutions?

We have an online pharmacy delivery service, which is the project we’re working on with Net Solutions. We were building the product from ground-up.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Net Solutions was involved with everything, from business analysis to user experience and user interface design, software development, testing, QA, and so on. Our company was responsible for a part of the work, and Net Solutions handled the rest. The product we were working on was based on the .NET stack.

The product is an online pharmacy delivery system. I can’t disclose too much information about it, since we’re a publicly-listed company, but the product will serve the pharmacy space in Australia.

Net Solutions also worked on another one of our projects, an iOS app for which we needed to make some changes and fixes. It had some bugs, and we needed to improve its interface. I was happy with Net Solutions’ work there.

What is the team dynamic?

Net Solutions assigned around 6 people, including a business analyst, 3 developers, and a project manager who worked part-time on our project.

How did you come to work with Net Solutions?

I liked their previous work, and was looking for an offshore service provider. I compiled a list of 10 companies, mostly based in India, and Net Solutions seemed to be the best one to go with. They had good reviews, and their client list was pretty impressive. One of the main things I considered was whom Net Solutions had worked with previously. Their account manager showcased some of the work they’d done, which was pretty impressive.

How much have you invested with them?

The project was not trivial, sitting well over $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working with Net Solutions for about 8 months, since October 2016.

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

I’ve been very impressed with Net Solutions’ quality of work. Their UX/UI team is especially good. In certain cases, we couldn’t figure out a solution for fixing something, but Net Solutions did. I have no issues with them in terms of code quality or QA process.

How did Net Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicated via email and phone, but mostly via Skype voice and text. We also used JIRA to manage the project, which was the other main point of contact. Net Solutions used Basecamp on their end.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I could compare them with other people we’ve worked with, but it wouldn’t be fair, since those are Australian vendors. Net Solutions is the only Indian company I’ve used.

One thing I liked about Net Solutions was their flexibility. Our time zones are off, given that I’m based in the U.S. and they’re in India, but they were responsive. I could pretty much expect a response straight away, no matter when I sent them a message. The account manager there is good, and Net Solutions is proactive in what they do. They helped me out with a few issues in our own environment when we posted the application for testing.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Being an offshore vendor, Net Solutions is good in this space, but the communication would be improved if they were local. Basecamp is not the best tool to use, as it gives very little interactivity with the client, as a forum-like system. This is why we’ve had to move most of our conversations either to Skype or JIRA. The engagement system used by Net Solutions needs to be upgraded.

Secondly, the source-control integrations they have at their end could be improved. Their approach involved Net Solutions building all the code, and checking it into their own source code repository. Every 2-or-so weeks, they would check all that code into our repository. That process needs to be improved a bit.

Do you have any tips for helping clients be more successful with a similar project?

Have your requirements be absolutely clear. This is where Net Solutions helped us out a lot, since our requirements weren’t good at all. They took a lot of initiative, and worked through all the ambiguities. For other people considering this sort of project, the better they document their requirements, the better it will be for everyone involved.

The communication becomes a problem when working with an offshore team. Unclear requirements can potentially stuff up the whole thing.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO and owner of Nonna Eats, a company that brings chefs into different spaces, mainly homes, for small, intimate gatherings.

What challenge were you trying to address with Net Solutions?

We’re creating a platform with Net Solutions that will allow our chefs to manage their event bookings and logistics.

What was the scope of their involvement?

I provided most of the designs, and Net Solutions implemented all of them and creative responsive designs. From there, they’ve also developed all the code, creating the platform and admin sections. They’re using Java.

What is the team composition?

It changes sprint-to-sprint. Our sprints are typically three weeks long, and each one is a little different. Right now, I’d say there’s anywhere between five and 10 people. The team uses Python.

How did you come to work with Net Solutions?

I spoke to a lot of other founders and people who’d had experiences with a variety of different development agencies. One contact in particular, who I trust, spoke very highly of Net Solutions.

I was put in touch with them and spoke with their CEO, who referred me to a few of their clients. They all provided great, in-depth, positive reviews. After those discussions, it was really clear that they were approachable and easy to talk to, so I decided to go with them.

How much have you invested with them?

The total cost will be around $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since July 2020.

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

The platform hasn’t launched yet, so it’s difficult to say. However, I just had an in-depth conversation with the Net Solutions team in regards to SEO and how to market the platform when it is ready to launch. 

So far, I’ve been satisfied with what I’ve seen from the team on various levels. Working with Net Solutions has been a really pleasant experience. 

How did Net Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve been great, especially given the time difference. We’ve been able to effectively communicate through various challenges, like design and feedback. It’s been great to get to know Net Solutions. They’re easy to work with.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’ve been lucky enough to have some experience with their CEO, who’s been really hands-on when I’ve had questions. He’s been really giving and generous in terms of supporting our mission and marketing. He goes above and beyond what they do, putting us in touch with other contacts and references to make this product a success.

The other big thing is their design skills. As a designer myself, I’m very picky about my designs and how they look and feel. Net Solutions has been very responsive in terms of figuring out not only the best solution but how to accommodate my needs and the needs of the consumer. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Everything that needed potential improvement, we’ve talked through. At this point, there’s nothing.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

You need to know your product really well. You’re the expert in your field and of your product. Net Solutions is there to support you and provide the knowledge they have, but at the end of the day, you need to be clear on what you’re providing.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the founder of Campus Interactive, which has grown into a different business. I'm working on a new project that takes award ceremony footage—such as graduations, corporate award ceremonies, prize-givings—as well as mass-participation sporting events such as marathons, triathlons, and cycling and allows videographers to clip videos and send individuals their own moment via mobile devices in real-time and share the content on social media.

What challenge were you trying to address with Net Solutions?

I’ve had lots of different businesses and am now running RupertForsythe.com, which creates bespoke champagne. I originally went to Net Solutions in order to develop an app for that business. At the same time, I had a few other small projects, including my latest venture that started in October 2016.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Net Solutions built the initial version of my video-clipping service using Xamarin in order to build cross-platform versions concurrently. That decision as based mostly on my budgetary requirements. According to their team, the best approach would have been to build native apps, but Xamarin could still deliver what I needed, especially for an MVP. We’re not commercially ready yet, so I cannot mention specific functionalities.

I met the team in India during the MVP phase, and I’ve continued to work with them from the U.S. via Skype and phone. I worked with a business analyst who had actually lived and studied in the U.K. Cultural differences can create issues in these situations, but having access to someone who could understand my references and cultural terminology was very helpful. In total, I collaborated with around 6 people from Net Solutions. The team has been mostly stable. They operate in a few different ways, and I’ve used their fixed-resource model, which I recommend for long-term projects. Budgets are important for a startup, and this model is cheaper overall. For example, Net Solutions recently quoted me for a project which, with an hourly fee, would have cost around £5,000 [$6,500], but, on a fixed-resource model, it’s only £3,600 [$4,500].

How did you come to work with Net Solutions?

I knew that I didn’t have the budget for a U.K.-based dev team, so I looked at Eastern Europe and India particularly. There is a large spectrum of quality and cost in India, and, like anything else in life, you get what you pay for. Net Solutions is at the upper end of the cost scale, compared to other Indian companies, but a quality goes with this, and they’re still more cost-effective than a U.K.-based team. They seemed like an ideal solution, so I met the team and looked at their work. The fact that I was working with a past client of theirs helped legitimize the commitment.

How much have you invested with Net Solutions?

The cost of their work has been around £100,000 [$129,400]. We have budgeted an additional £50,000 [$64,700] for the next quarter.

What is the status of this engagement?

I started working with Net Solutions in October 2016. The first MVP went live in January 2017, and their involvement is ongoing. 

How did Net Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

The whole process was iterative. We ran single tests and got feedback from them. For our first release, I was given telephone and Skype support from Net Solutions’ side, literally hour-by-hour. We’re an events-based business and need to deal with issues in real-time.

After we came back with our feedback and findings, we made the next round of tweaks and iterations and tested it again in February and April of 2017. As a result, we have written a scope and started work on an editing tool for videographers and are tackling the next wave for the consumer website.

What did you find most impressive about Net Solutions?

I have worked with U.K.-based developers, but they were all small businesses, which cannot provide the same kind of support around an entire project as I’ve gotten with a company like Net Solutions. However, they’re not as quick as using 1–2 people to hammer code out instantly. Net Solutions’ work may not be instantaneous, but they ensure a thorough QA process. They won’t send me anything without testing it properly.

It may not be a unique feature, but having hotel rooms on-site in India is worth mentioning. I know that many organizations have a U.K. base, and Net Solutions has a great London-based digital strategist. Their CEO, Sameer, has been in London quite often as well, and I’ve met him a couple of times in order to explain the project and get his feedback. Meeting regularly with the dev team is not a vital requirement anymore, but it was a part of the initial process for cementing the relationship, allowing me to form relationships. We’ve established a connection, and I know that Net Solutions’ team is not treating the work as just another project. They recognize what’s important to me. I also know that, when I’m working with them, if something’s not quite right, there’s a reasonable explanation. Even in this world of technology, it’s still about people, and Net Solutions is very good in this area.

Are there any areas Net Solutions could improve?

Not being able to turn on a dime can become frustrating at times, but I know why that's not possible for them. We’ve also had occasional language and interpretation issues, particularly in writing, but this is to be expected.

What tips or recommendations could you share that might increase the likelihood of success with Net Solutions?

Anyone looking to conduct this type of project should jump on a plane and visit Net Solutions’ team face-to-face. That’s the best way to build a relationship in the long-term.  

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We equip parents in the UK to help their kids with schoolwork. We offer a variety of resources that assist students from 5 to 16 years old. We focus on the home environment and support both home educators as well as customers who are tutoring their kids for exams or academic challenges. I’m the founder of the company. 

What challenge were you trying to address with Net Solutions?

We were working with a previous outsource development company and wanted to switch to get more professionalism within our business. 

What was the scope of their involvement?

We hired Net Solutions initially to develop our iOS app. Another supplier handled all of our technical development. We used this project as a way to test them to see if we had enough confidence to switch providers. They did a fantastic job, which prompted us to move all of our development work to them. The work is all web-based, and Net Solutions took over our PHP LAMP development.

How many resources have been assigned to your project?

We have 3 developers working on the project at a time—2 dedicated PHP developers and a part-time iOS developer. We have a project manager and product owner as well. Some people on the team have been the same since the beginning, and others have changed. The project manager switched during our partnership. That was an unexpected change, but the process went smoothly. The turnover of staff is lower than I’d expect from a small team over a couple of years.

Are there key features that are included in your app?

The iOS app is fully functional. It’s an all-encompassing product. Net solutions did a deep dive into the overall functionality and recreated it as a mobile platform, which was challenging to do. Net Solutions successfully executed our goal.

They also did a complete relaunch of the payment and subscription system. We’re a subscription business linked to the overall product. Managing subscriptions is a technically challenging proposition, so they actually rebuilt all of that for us.

Now, they’re rebuilding a lot of the existing core features that were built in the paired down version. It’s about 5 years old, and certain elements have to be completely redeveloped. Net Solutions is managing that process effectively, and I’ve been impressed with their approach.  

How did you come to work with Net Solutions?

We had a long process with clear objectives. Their professionalism and clarity really stood out. They answered our questions properly. The onboarding process was very strong, which gave us the confidence to go ahead with them.

How much have you invested with Net Solutions?

We spent £40,000 [$51,400] on the iOS app and £80,000 [$102,800] per year.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together over 2 years ago. Earlier in the year, we did a review of where we’re doing strategically with our development and decided to continue investing with Net Solutions. 

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

As a business, we’ve grown 100% each year since we started. The key metric we look at is the lifetime value of the customer, which is influenced by how successful the product is for them. That’s grown by 40% in the last year. We attribute a lot of that to product development as well as the content. Growth is driven by people spending more on our platform and staying on the platform longer. That’s linked to product satisfaction.

The feedback internally has been positive, and we have a lot of confidence in their team. We’re driving them quite hard as a supplier and make sure they deliver what we want. We try to be a good customer. We understand the limitations of the outsource model. Because of that, we get a lot out of the relationship. We’re generally very satisfied with the work they produce.

How did Net Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

We use Slack and JIRA for communication and task management. Several members of our team have met their team periodically to invest in the relationship.

What did you find most impressive about Net Solutions?

They are the right fit for us culturally. They’re eager to deliver good products, which paves the way for business success. From my perspective, the owner runs the company extremely well. That gives us a lot of confidence in terms of investing with them going forward.

Are there any areas Net Solutions could improve?

There are always better ways to communicate. Any issues we’ve had have been because of a breakdown in communication. They’ve definitely gotten better at assessing upfront.

What tips or recommendations could you share that might increase the likelihood of success with Net Solutions?

Understand who you’re employing and what their limitations are. Don’t try to fit them into a certain box of your expectations. There’s only so much molding you can do. Once you understand that, you can fill any gaps. I think this is important for anyone working on an outsource basis. 

Introduce your business and what you do there.

When the engagement began, I was working at a large internet software company. I still work there on a consulting basis.

What challenge were you trying to address with Net Solutions?

Back in 2010, the larger company wanted to introduce a new mobile app product for customers. We had a small, capable in-house development team, but we needed to scale up quickly. The app was build for iOS and Android. We’ve done many projects with them in the decade since.

What was the scope of their involvement?

The first project was an HTML5 web interface. They helped with everything from design and to development and delivery of the web interface. Native apps were also built for the project. We were building an authoring tool for our clients to upload a PDF and render it interactive.

They also helped us build a .NET ecosystem—that’s the flagship product for a startup that I work for.

What is the team composition?

At any given time, it’s a minimum of six people. The team can go up to 30 developers. My main point of contact is Gaurav (Account Manager, Net Solutions). I also talk to Samir (CEO, Net Solutions) and we have a solid relationship.

How did you come to work with Net Solutions?

Once we realized we needed to scale up, we looked at outsourcing options. We spoke to 33 different companies from around the world and narrowed it down to three. In the end, we gave all three a pilot project, and we ended up selecting Net Solutions.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve worked with them for 10 years and the projects are ongoing.

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

Once you start working with them, you realize their communication skills really stand out. The way they impress us with designs is rare to find among offshore partners. Their office is very impressive. We’ve always gotten very good feedback with the design and ease of use. They have a very natural and usable UI.

How did Net Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re very professional. They follow strict methodologies. You can just call them up and ask for a project and they go through it the right way. They document everything and make sure they have the tools and processes in place so that they’re fully accountable for what the contract states. We used Basecamp to manage the project.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They have the ability to understand what customers want. It’s clear they know what’s acceptable and what’s not acceptable. They’re the best value for your money—they treat every project like they’re our partners, not just a vendor.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It would be great if they could shift work based on time zones so we can work with them on the same timeframe that we have in North America.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Figure out a system that works for you. They’re adaptable and can fit into your work balance if you give them a chance.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder and managing director of a website security platform. The product is an anti-virus for websites. 

What challenge were you trying to address with Net Solutions?

I hired Net Solutions because we needed PHP development. We had a choice of hiring someone on staff or outsourcing overseas. The issue with employing overseas is that 99.9% of the time, outsourcing ends badly. It’s a bad model, but it is cheap. The issue with employing someone in-house is that it’s very expensive. Both the staff member’s salary and UK taxation are extremely high.

We’ve never been successful with another company before outside of the UK. But, we had a fantastic experience with Net Solutions. We were able to benefit from their expertise, which met our needs perfectly. 

What was the scope of their involvement?

Net Solutions has done PHP work and testing, and they provided an Android developer who has joined our team. The delivery of all of their efforts has been perfect because they have monitors who audit the work before it comes to us. We have an account manager who’s the intermediary between us and the developers. She’s fantastic.

How did you come to work with Net Solutions?

We were trying to find new developers overseas because the previous company from India we were working with was a disaster. We spent a week looking at Clutch and calling different companies. We conducted an intense interview process with our top choices to find out how they worked. Overseas firms tend to claim they can do everything. We came across 2 companies that we thought were great. One was overpriced and turned out to be unreliable. The other company was Net Solutions. At the time, they were too busy to work with us because they’re clearly in high demand. For a later project, we managed to partner with them. The delivery was exactly what we expected. All of the time we spent finding them was completely worthwhile.

How much have you invested with Net Solutions?

We have spent $75,000 each year, on average.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in March of 2014.

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

We needed a PHP developer fast, and they were able to provide that. The work they delivered was almost exact in its quality. Nearly every software package has pieces that need to be corrected, but what Net Solutions provided was fantastic. We were able to take the system they delivered and start using it right away.

How did Net Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

The developer was part of our team and could log in and speak to us as if we were in the office together. Their English level was impeccable. They delivered ahead of schedule. In terms of communication, if I message them, they get back to me in under 5 minutes, even though they are hours ahead of us. Even if I contact them in the middle of the night, they’ll wake up and work with me. They are a fantastic company.

What did you find most impressive about Net Solutions?

I’m very happy with their team. They allowed us to scale when we needed to quickly. When we wanted an Android developer, they provided the right person immediately.

Are there any areas Net Solutions could improve?

I can’t think of anything. 

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the CEO of a pageant directory.

For what projects/services did your company hire Net Solutions?

We hired them to take over the development and management of our website.

What were your goals for this project?

I wanted a reliable team who could fix the errors of a previous vendor and create a profitable platform.

How did you select this vendor?

We interviewed a few web development companies based on their Clutch reviews before choosing Net Solutions.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

They provide website management, development, and deployment of new features.

What was the team composition?

We have 3–6 people involved depending on the project.

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

They have alleviated my development concerns. I can now focus fully on building my business, which is invaluable to me.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

They communicate well and there are no surprise costs. They tell me when they have encountered a challenge and when a bill might be higher or lower than estimated. They give me enough notice that I can ask them to hold off on additional work or to add more work depending on the budget.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their organized style of work stands out. My last four vendors would deploy features without telling me and without adequate testing, which would cause the site to break. Net Solutions delivers functionalities that work within our existing structure.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, not that I can think of.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a full-service common carrier transportation company in Canada doing less-than-truckload and truckload cargo. I am one of the partners and executive VP.

What challenge were you trying to address with Net Solutions?

We wanted to create a radio-based Android application that would manage the equipment (trailers and tractors) in our yard. We needed an app for our drivers who have that hardware.

What was the scope of their involvement?

The objective of the solution was to reduce costs, increase visibility, and allow multiple users to have the same view of what everybody was doing. Prior to this app, we used a combination of things. The app’s role was to gather a bunch of semi-to-100% manual tasks that were performed by a number of different people without any visibility in between those groups. One person with a clipboard would have one function, somebody with a spreadsheet would have another function, and then everybody was communicating with radio. Everybody—the truck drivers, security guard, and the dock people—would have a radio and that's the way they would communicate with each other. But they would keep their records, either in their head, on a piece of paper, in a spreadsheet, or in part of our transportation management system. That was bursting with inefficiency.

We’ve gone through the wireframes, and right now they're working on the screen designs. The storyboards and what the app is going to do has been settled. We're almost ready to test. We just don’t have a beta version that we're using right now.

There's a lot of names on the interface that I log into; I'm an email kind of guy. I think at least half a dozen people are working on the app. The number of points of contact has varied from time to time. There's Michael Desjardins [Digital Transformation Specialist, Net Solutions], overseeing the whole thing. But depending on where we're at in terms of the project, I interact with two or three people on a day-to-day basis.

How did you come to work with Net Solutions?

I have done some work with tech solutions in the past but was not 100% satisfied with the result. We made a change this time around. I did some research and found Net Solutions. We did some due diligence and checked out three companies, including Net Solutions: one did not respond, and another one wanted to do something else (which was probably much more efficient). But for an old dude like me, I like the face-to-face; I got a better feeling from Net Solutions as I was able to talk to them face-to-face in a meeting.

What is the status of this engagement?

We've been at this now for the better part of three months now (February 2017). This is the only app that they’ve done for us.

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

Compared to people I worked with before, it might be an apples-to-oranges comparison: we had done custom software in the past and Net Solutions built an independent app. It might be a bit unfair to compare, but these guys have been great in my opinion.

How did Net Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

I have not encountered any problems. If there is a problem in communication, it's usually me because I like face-to-face, phone calls, or emails, as opposed to Skype. They've been very accommodating in terms of adapting to my style of communication.

What did you find most impressive about Net Solutions?

I don't think that I'm experienced enough to really offer an opinion on that, other than to say that, from my limited experience, they've been really good. I can send them bits of paper, spreadsheets, and Word documents about what I want. They interpret that and then explain how they've gotten from what I've told them that I want to what it looks like in their world. That's been great. This is the first app we have ever worked on, so I wouldn't know if they're fantastic or mediocre at their job, other than the fact that my experience has been good.

Are there any areas Net Solutions could improve?

No.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We have a couple products. We’re a training and consulting business. We do a lot of traditional training with sales forces at banks and pharmaceutical companies, and we develop a lot of proprietary off-the-shelf and custom technology solutions for our customers.

What challenge were you trying to address with Net Solutions?

Net Solutions allowed us to really scale up our development capabilities in terms of bandwidth and expertise and quality. They help us build primarily online applications for our customers, the tools that are being used by hundreds of thousands of sales reps around North America. They’re basically an external resource that works with our developers. Recently, they’ve started their first autonomous project with us; they’re the only resource on that project, and they’re providing the project lead as well.

What was the scope of their involvement?

This project that they’re heading is an HTML5 web app as well as a native iOS app. It’s a coaching application, so some of the features are synchronizing between the mobile and web, uploading documents to be stored in the cloud, and keeping a database to keep tabs on all searching activity that’s happening at a company so that a manager or a coach can see when the last time some sales rep was coached and then correlate the amount of coaching and the notes and interactions with that rep’s performance. It’s really an enterprise solution for sales teams, but service teams as well. This is a product that we’ve been working on with them for a while. It started as a brand new product and it’s living, so we keep getting new projects going with them. This new project is further enhancements to a tool that is not new but is something that they created for us.

During larger sprints, we’ve had upwards of 20–22 guys working on it. Probably a little more than half of them have been in Montreal or Toronto, and then they also have guys in India when we need to scale up real quick and get some more resource. We can use their partners or their resources in India as well, which is great for us. For all those resources, we had a hand in picking them. We saw their CVs. Our product designer is a guy by the name of Brian Wilcox, who’s actually in Montreal, and we got to meet him in person, which is great. Our sales guys, Ranjit and Michael, they’re in Toronto and they facilitate meetings as well with some of these guys so we can look at CVs and meet them on the phone. Communication was huge for us.

There's another project they’re working that I don’t want to be publicized. It’s a large video platform that they’ve built from scratch for us, leveraging existing technologies like Amazon technologies with AWS and things like that. That’s a very significant project and it will hopefully be our flagship in the coming months.

How did you come to work with Net Solutions?

We were looking for an offshore development partner. We got really excited about paying a lot less for guys in the Philippines or India or China or Romania or anywhere, really, and so we ended up putting together a list of about 30 companies that we were going to contact and interview. We ended up shortlisting that to 15 and then down to three different companies, all of whom we awarded a small proof-of-concept type of project. We chose Net Solutions because of their feet-on-the-ground, close-to-home, local people who understand our culture. Also, the product they put out of the proof of concept was the best by far. Their communication was excellent; their methodologies and processes for getting these project done were the best. It was really just a no-brainer for us. They weren’t the cheapest because they’re dual-shore, but it made the most sense for us.

What is the status of this engagement?

I think we started in 2007, but I could be wrong. It’s ongoing.

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

We’ve increased annual recurring revenue by about $600,000 since we’ve started working with them. We have lowered churn rate by about 25-30% on some of our Software-as-a-Service offerings. We’ve lowered churn rates. We’ve increased productivity.

I could tell you one of the reasons we decided to give them autonomy on some projects. When we were managing projects before, a client would come to us and say, “Hey, I want to modify XYZ.” We’d go back to the client with a six- to eight-month project scope and then they would say “No thanks; we just want to look elsewhere or stick with what we have.” So one time when this happened, we decided to involve Net Solutions, and it was the exact same scope with an eight-week turnaround. We won that deal and it was much more profitable for us, as well. The profit margins were a lot bigger.

This is the third project that we’ve given the complete autonomy on, but this is the first real big one.

How did Net Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

For all our projects, we use Basecamp as a project management platform, but we also use JIRA and Mantis for bug tracking and task tracking. We’ve used Aha.io for sprint planning. Most of the time, they recommend tools and then we take a look and we do it. They’ve influenced a lot of our internal project management and communication as well based on their recommendations.

They’ve also handled turnover issues really well. They provide shadow positions or shadow resources for all of our key positions so that if there is turnover, they have someone who has been able to soak in all the knowledge and can take over without any major hiccups. All the main guys, all the leaders and senior guys, they’ve been around since Day 1. They do a good job with their employees. I’ve actually been to their office in India in addition to their operations in Montreal and Toronto. It’s like a mini Google campus, so I don’t think their employees are ever going to want to leave. So the team that we do have, since they’ve been with us for so long, they have incomparable productivity.

What did you find most impressive about Net Solutions?

Their ability to integrate into our culture, take ownership of products, and invest in our products like we have. They live and breathe by our outputs, just like we do. I never thought that a partner company would be able to do that, but they’ve really become partners to us. They’re not vendors; they’re partners. It’s a hugely valuable relationship to us. We would be in big trouble if we lost them, that’s for sure.

Are there any areas Net Solutions could improve?

It would be counterintuitive for them, but if they had more senior architects, the super high-end software architects in Montreal or Toronto that would be great. Most of their highest-level architects are in India, and that’s where the best minds are, arguably. But I guess if they were in Montreal, it wouldn’t be affordable for us to hire them. As I’m saying this, I’m realizing it wouldn’t work. They have great soldiers on the ground here that do excellent work, but oftentimes some of the bigger resources are in India.

What tips or recommendations could you share that might increase the likelihood of success with Net Solutions?

I’d say really engage Net Solutions in your decision process for the engagement model. By that I mean if you want to do dedicated resources or if you want to do it on a per-project basis, really compare and contrast the two. Figure out what works best for you. Make sure that you include more than just yourself or the project leader in communicating with Net Solutions. Make sure the teams are fully integrated. Make sure everybody there knows everybody from your office. That’s the most important thing.

This review was updated by Ryan McHugh (Director of Client Delivery, Soaq) on August 5, 2020. The original star ratings were: Overall - 5, Quality - 5, Schedule - 5, Cost - 4, NPS - #5. New content is below:

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Soaq is content hub and custom technologies company. On the custom technologies end we focus building tailored software to a specific clients needs.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

One of our existing clients came to us with a problem. They hire hundreds of employees, but have difficulty having consistent training across the board - depending on your region you would be receiving different training for the same task. They wanted to create a simple and easy to navigate system for new hires to receive their training.

We proposed a L MS-light solution where employees would have a select number of courses to take, each with a series of videos and quizzes. We built it on the backend of a WordPress plugin, but a lot of the out-of-the-box offerings of the plugin where not exactly what the client wanted.

They came back to us with number of changes they would like to see and that's when we reached out to Net Solutions - to help with custom features that would require us to build on top of the existing software.

SOLUTION

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

We have been working with Net Solutions for years now and every time we came to them with a new project or problem we needed solved, they had the solution and team to get it done.

So, for this project it was almost a no brainer. We know they have a skilled team of programmers, project leads and business analysts. We had an initial conversation with them to provide context to the project and they already had the solutions/answers we were looking for.

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

The production was essentially split in two. There was the work we did ourselves with the LMS plugin (essentially anything that came included with it). The second is the custom work that needed to be done - which Net Solutions handled. At the start of the project we provided them with the list of custom features the client required.

Net Solutions took that list and provided a detailed cost breakdown and timeline. When production started they would provide us with frequent updates on the feature's status. As features were being completed and ready to be presented we would have walk-through calls going over the custom features and their functionality.

All these custom features lived in a child theme on separate server so if and when our plugins get updated the custom features would not be impacted. Net Solutions kept us updated through the process and had very open communication with us. If they came across a problem or questions (and visa versa with us) they would be very open and quick to respond.

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

During production there was two team members we worked closely with. Our main contact was a Project Manager and we had a Lead Developer worker on the project as well.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The results of the project have been outstanding. We broker the project in phases. Phases 1 is now complete and the LMS is now live.

It initially was meant to be for one province, but it is already being presented around the country and US. Sr. Leaders from around the country are showing a lot of interest and the platform will eventually be pushed across the whole the company

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

We used Basecamp as a way to be kept up -to-date with their project. Our project manager would keep us up to date several times per week with any progress and questions they have.

We would also receive daily updates on the hours spent on the custom features and and on the specific features they were working on. Net Solutions would organize calls with us to demo the features and how they functioned.

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

I was always impressed at how well they were able to explain and illustrate complicated subjects or feature functionality. Their communication and mastery of the subject was exceptional.

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

We were working on the project during COVID. That comes with problems we all needed to deal with that were outside everyone's control.

Because of that the only problem we ever came across would be during our calls, sometimes the personal internet of whoever was speaking (including ours) was not the most reliable and there would sometimes be choppy connections. But, it terms of their work flow, ability to deliver and timeliness, Net Solutions is exceptional.

This review was updated again by Erik Vincelli-Gregory (Project Manager, IsaiX Technologies) on September 3, 2019. New content is below:

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Project Manager for a technology company with 31 years of experience in providing business process management services. Our applications serve to connect employees, foster leadership, and track performance.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Net Solutions?

One of our applications had not been updated in 8 years and was beginning to show its age visually. We wanted to redesign this application to look fresh with a more contemporary UI/UX.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to refresh our service offering with an easier to navigate user interface and to enhance the accessibility of our tools. We wanted to make our application fun and enjoyable to use while keeping with its professional use case in the workplace.

SOLUTION
How did you select Net Solutions?

We have worked with Net Solutions for the last 10 years and have formed a strong bond with all who have worked on our products. Net Solutions was selected from other remote companies due to their intuitiveness and how they quickly, with great passion, connect with our vision and goals.

Describe the project in detail.

The solution for this project was the use Google material design components custom developed with HTML5 and merged with our existing application architecture.

What was the team composition?

The team involved 2 full-time resources, an HTML5 developer and a Interface designer. As well we had a dedicated Project Manager from NSI who I connected with every day to review progress. The team grew to 5 people with the addition of QC testers who made sure the product was finished and without bugs upon delivery.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The redesign has re-energized our customer interest in the product and has received many compliments on its visuals from those client who have gained a glimpse and the new product. We are excited to continue expanding our product and to continue customizing its use case for our customers now with a new "skin".

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow was effective due to NSI's daily communication with myself and our team. They were made available at any time we had a question which facilitated easy communication. Our Workflow was managed through Basecamp, Slack, and delivered through Google Drive. Basecamp was particularly helpful in delivering daily feedback and receiving a response from the NSI team on how to tackle the issues proposed.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

NSI is strongly intuitive and connected to what their customers want in the products they hire them to complete. They understand our requirements very well and they are as passionate about our products as we are.

They also have a strong initiative and strive to make sure the customer experience is as smooth as possible. They take responsibility and provide us with feedback that we need to hear (sometimes not want to hear) to develop the best product possible.

They are true partners in that respect, and they are expert problem solvers who jump into projects with fantastic enthusiasm that is hard to get anywhere.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Nothing critical, more communication systems are always appreciated. NSI actually improved this themselves early in the project through providing Slack as our main line for communications.