Netsells Group

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the director of Booost Education, which makes apps for students with learning disabilities in higher education. I also head up our design and development capabilities.

What challenge were you trying to address with Netsells Group?

We hired Netsells Group to work on the first product we wanted to take to market. 

What was the scope of their involvement?

Netsells Group developed our mobile application and corresponding web app in Flutter with a PHP Laravel backend and various APIs. We had several scoping calls with their team so they could better understand our product. All of the design work was done by my team, but Netsells Group did write our user stories and requirements. Once the back- and frontend development was complete, they ran QC testing and deployed the product to app stores. After the app launched, Netsells Group began maintaining and updating the app, adding features and improvements.  

The app is primarily for students with learning disabilities in higher education, including students with everything from mental health issues to ADHD. Our goal with the app is to help those students organize their tasks and get support to help accomplish activities throughout their education.  

What is the team composition?

I’ve worked with Netsells Group’s account manager, project manager, scrum master, and a few of their developers. 

How did you come to work with Netsells Group?

We originally commissioned another agency to build our product but had a bad experience with them. After doing a Google search and finding Netsells Group on Clutch.co, we hired Netsells Group to take over development. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested £80,000 (approximately $105,000 USD) with Netsells Group. The initial project was £50,000 (approximately $66,000 USD), but we made additional payments to cover smaller projects and maintenance fees.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our partnership with Netsells Group began in September 2021, and it’s ongoing. 

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

Netsells Group turned around our project quickly despite a three-month delay from our previous partners — the app launched in October 2021. We’ve exceeded our projected sales metrics because of Netsells Group’s excellent work. 

We’re planning to launch new products over the next 12–18 months, and Netsells Group’s development approach will inform how we design our product. We plan to focus more on user stories to ensure our design process is as robust as Netsells Group’s development process.

How did Netsells Group perform from a project management standpoint?

Netsells Group works in development sprints and always meets our deliverable requirements. Their team uses Jira to manage the development and lifecycles, and our codebase is in a GitHub repository. We also use Trello to manage user stories, and that’s where I convey our support issues. We had weekly Google Meet calls at the beginning of the project, but now I’m in regular contact with the project manager and development team through a shared Slack channel. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Netsells Group has an extremely robust development process, so I know that by the time I receive the final deliverable, it’s been thoroughly tested and checked. Each deliverable from Netsells Group meets their high standards. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I have nothing for Netsells Group to improve. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I’d advise future customers to utilize Netsells Group’s technical expertise and listen to their recommendations. It’s better to go to them with a problem for them to work out than a solution. 

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Head of Client Service at a company specialising in Digital Product Development.

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

We partnered with Netsells to work together on a bespoke fitness mobile app that allows users to track their fitness progress and set training goals. Together we worked on defining, validating and building the MVP to get the app to market as soon as possible.

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

We initially first came across Netsells on Clutch during our research stage of the right company to work with. We wanted to make sure that we were working with a market leader who is highly skilled and trusted and saw the reviews on here. We spoke to their Lead Consultant who impressed us with the team’s experience and clear process for delivering MVPs. Getting the initial set of features tight, but also aligned with user expectations was really important and their understanding of this area was definitely a deciding factor.

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

The project consisted of an MVP version incorporating the basic features. The objective was to start with a small, limited-scope MVP version and then scale it up into a full-featured app. This started out with a pre-discovery workshop to align the teams on overall app goals. The next project step was a Problem Sprint which focused on user research and understanding the need behind the app and what user requirements, followed by a Solution sprint which focused on defining the scope of work and core features that would sit within the MVP.

Their UI/UX team provided wireframes and concept designs for review and validation. The actual build of the MVP was delivered through a “Implementation Sprints” which also incorporated a UAT process to catch any bugs before launch. Work is on-going post MVP to further build and refine the app’s feature set with a product roadmap that Netsells have assisted with. The app was built cross-platform in Flutter to get the solution to market quickly on iOS and Android.

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

We worked with Netsells’s Discovery team which consisted of Product Managers and UI/UX designers. We also had a dedicated Scrum Master who oversaw every sprint. On the development team there were two senior Flutter Developers and two QA engineers.

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

So far the app is in private beta and has had excellent feedback. It's extremely well designed and intuitive, but most importantly the majority of users say they will continue monitoring their fitness activities using the app once the full version is live.

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

We collaborated closely throughout the partnership, using a dedicated Slack channel, agile SCRUM ceremonies and weekly reporting to delivery high sprint velocity and a quality product.

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

Their honesty and transparency are extremely commendable, working as true partners at every stage of the process. They were equally as invested in the project’s success.

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

There’s nothing major that stands out. As with all projects there were occasional slips on timelines but these were dealt with in an extremely professional and open manner, we never felt like they were overpromising.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder and CEO of an IT firm. I am responsible for managing project quality, resource sourcing, and aligning our stakeholders.

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

We required assistance rebuilding a web platform that allows users to book blocks of lessons with vetted tutors. We specifically required a partner to assist with re-building the front-end website along with an admin portal and instructor portal.

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

You can probably guess it involved a lot of research. We were looking for a partner with significant Laravel and PHP experience and the number of agencies that could boast that were fairly slim. Nevertheless, we narrowed it down to three and then sat down with each company to discuss each of our concerns in detail.

These concerns were varied, but one of the main overarching questions we asked was how long they had been working with these frameworks and technologies. Netsells had a significant amount of experience and a large amount of successful case studies.

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

We started by working with Netsells' product managers team on a Discovery exercise to align on goals and expectations for the project. We agreed on the website and portal structures, required functionalities, integrations and technical architecture.

We moved onto the development phase which included a mix of front-end and back-end developers. Netsells also provided a QA team who tested the platform before it went live.

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

We initially worked closely with our scrum master, product owner and the UX team during the Discovery phase. The platform was developed by a mixture of PHP developers and front-end developers.

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

The website and portal were delivered on budget and to an extremely high standard. The website has been a great success within the business, with the portal providing an important addition to how to manage the admin side of the platform. We have seen an increase in online leads via our website since the launch. Feedback has been very positive from users.

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

Communication was a big focus for us from the start and Netsells focused a lot of effort on collaborating effectively. We spoke through phone and email, but also had access to Slack and received weekly project updates on sprint velocity and progress from our dedicated point of contact.

Every morning at 9 am we attended the daily Scrum call to keep everyone on the same page, discuss any concerns or blockers. Employing all of these methods allowed us to efficiently communicate throughout the process and alleviate any blockers or roadblocks right from the start.

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

Netsells were amazing to work with. They took time to understand exactly what we wanted and worked as a part of the team to deliver something that fit our requirements.

Their willingness to quickly make changes and their attention to detail ensured that we got the result we were after. I’d definitely work with them again in future projects and would highly recommend it!

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

We had a really good experience with Netsells. They were open and honest about timescales during the project and we didn't feel like there were any areas for improvement, only that we weren't able to meet a deadline (not their fault!). The site is exactly as we wanted it and I would highly recommend working with them.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the COO of Artists Ahead, a music-focussed fintech start up.

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

We needed a bespoke software application to handle music royalty data, and the associated payments. The platform needed 2 core components: a customer portal (used by the customer to see their royalties and payments) and an administrator portal (used by Artists Ahead staff to onboard and administer customers data and payments).

How did you select Netsells Group and what were the deciding factors?

We needed a supplier who was willing to take the time to understand our detailed requirements, and who had the combination of both front end and back end skills required to meet our requirements - a system that gives the end user a great experience, but also can handle the back end complexities.

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

1. Discovery Process during which we worked with Netsells to understand and document our requirements.
2. Design phase - used Invision to work up wireframes and process maps
3. Build phase (ongoing) to deliver a working MVP

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

4 in total - we kicked off the relationship working with their CEO and Head of Sales. Once the project commences we worked closely with their Head of Discovery and a senior Project Manager

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

We now have a full set of requirements, in which we have identified the functionality we really need, along with simple and effective ways of delivering it. We also have a comprehensive set of system designs. The system build is now well underway and we've been kept up to date on progress, including regular reviews of system components as they are being built.

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

Very effective communication and regular updates and opportunities to give feedback (using InVision and Basecamp)

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

1 - They have a broad skill set which is really impressive: both back and front end skills. They've even built a nice-looking marketing website for us.

2 - Netsells' project management style has very effectively bridged the gap between Waterfall and Agile development methodology - giving us the fixed price we needed to build the MVP, but also plenty of opportunities to add finesse to the agreed requirements and the project moves along. Great work!!

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

Production of contracts right at the start of the project could have been a little smoother, but in the grand scheme of things this didn't really matter. The contracts we have signed are clearly worded and balanced.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of i-QAPP Limited. We’ve developed a mobile app solution for the hotel and hospitality industry.

What challenge were you trying to address with Netsells Group?

When hotels host events of more than 200 people, their quality of service declines. Generally, people find it hard to get a drink, they end up standing in a waiting area, and when they sit down to dinner, it’s difficult to get a server’s attention. We wanted to use technology to relieve those issues and increase efficiency.

We were looking for a partner to build an app that would let users order and pay for their drinks.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They developed an app for iOS and Android, then they integrated the platform with the hotels’ EPO system and payment gateway. The discovery phase was dedicated to outlining project goals and guidelines. They designed the product around the input I provided.

Then we went through a four-month development phase. Once that was complete, we conducted QA testing to ensure everything was working properly before signing off on the project.

What is the team composition?

Michael (Operations Director) was our project manager.

How did you come to work with Netsells Group?

I came to Clutch and participated in the lead matching program. Clutch identified a number of potential partners in the UK. I had initial phone conversations with each of them and then I narrowed it down to three companies. All three companies gave me a pitch that described their history, experience, expertise, capabilities, and experience in the field I was looking to enter. After that, I interviewed all three companies over Zoom.

We chose Netsells Group after talking to Brannan (CEO). From the beginning, we appreciated their personal touch. They were very open and transparent; they took their time to explain everything in detail. When we had meetings, they followed up in writing. From there, we developed a project plan that covered the discovery, build, and QA testing phases.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent £100,000 (approximately $135,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

From start to finish, the project lasted about six months from April–November 2020.

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

We just completed the project and are about to take it to market. I was absolutely delighted with the final product.

The system is more efficient. Now, visitors place their orders on their phones, and their order prints out in the bar or kitchen. Going over the receipt, servers can see the location the order came from so they can deliver the order more quickly.

This helps hospitality staff work more efficiently by preventing mistakes when they input the guest’s order. On top of that, the hotels don’t need servers to take orders, they only need them to serve the guest, which can save them time and money.

I’ve been very satisfied with Netsells Group’s service and I plan to work with them again after we get market feedback.

How did Netsells Group perform from a project management standpoint?

They laid out the project timeline early on in our engagement. Our project manager communicated with us on a weekly basis. They provided regular updates so we knew that the project was on-track and in-budget.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re very knowledgeable and experienced. On top of that, they had a great attitude and were willing to collaborate with us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. Overall, I was very impressed.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Take your time on the discovery phase because that’s when they take the time to evolve the product around your guidelines. The discovery phase is very important.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Handheld Health. We use academic, clinically-validated questionnaires to screen and prescribe exercises to people suffering from long-term health conditions.

What challenge were you trying to address with Netsells Group?

During the COVID-19 pandemic, we received government funding to produce an app that people with COVID-19 could use to download an at-home exercise program. We only had six months to deliver the project, so we needed an app development company to help us with this project.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We had nothing to begin with, so we needed to interpret the academic research and make it into something that everyday people could understand. Netsells Group designed the app, did UI/UX design, and helped us to interpret what the questionnaires would look like if we weren’t there to screen them. 

The team also assisted with the flow of the work and helped us set up a developer account on the app store and got all of the SDKs ready. They developed it using Flutter, so it’s for both iOS and Android. 

What is the team composition?

We worked with a discovery manager who was our initial single point of contact. Once the project started, we had one project manager. 

How did you come to work with Netsells Group?

We found them on Google. From other companies, I received an automated email, but Netsells Group’s CEO called me. We talked about the brief, and he said he would be keen on working with us. Netsells Group seemed really honest.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent £50,000 (approximately $66,000 USD) for this particular project. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We began talking to them in March 2020, and the project formally kicked off in April 2020. It was a 6-month project, and they were done in November 2020. We’ve just launched another project with them. 

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

When the app started becoming more complete, they sent me a test version to use on my phone. I told them that it didn’t work properly, and within two hours, they fixed the problem. That was the only bug we found, so their QA was extremely thorough before they sent it to me.

How did Netsells Group perform from a project management standpoint?

They delivered it on time and updated me every Friday about their progress and what they were going to do the following week, which was great. If I had other issues, I was able to drop them a line.

When I asked Netsells Group a question, I always got an answer within a day, which was fantastic given the lockdown and work from home situation.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It was helpful to have one point of contact. A lot of app development companies outsource their work and the customer is expected to have some underlying knowledge. 

Netsells Group was very sympathetic, so if a customer doesn’t have the knowledge, they will adapt to that situation to get the customer what they want. They also have a very transparent pricing strategy, which is great for startups and established companies. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, not that I can think off. They did everything I asked them to do and went above and beyond.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be as clear and concise about what you want right from the start. They’re really good at translating what you want and making your vision a reality.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CTO at a digital agency that provides development services.

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

Netsells handled a large project for a third-party client, building a complex ERP system using .Net and Azure services. This client has had bad experiences working with developers in the past, so asked us to help with finding a match and running the project.

How did you select Netsells Group and what were the deciding factors?

We reached out to Netsells based on their portfolio and experience with building large .Net applications for corporate clients. We also spent time speaking with their Lead Consultant who gave a full overview of Netsells’ technical expertise and approach to projects.

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

Netsells started off the project by producing a high-level technical overview of the platform, this allowed us to understand how this could integrate with existing back end services and APIs.

From here, they worked to spec out the technical architecture requirements and built out a plan for delivery of the system. The actual delivery of the project has been broken down into Scrum-based sprints to allow for long term delivery against a complex backlog.

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

We worked closely with their consultants, project managers, business analysts, technical architects and product owners in initial stages. During sprints we have constant contact with our project manager and product owner to understand progress against deliverables.

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

The first phase of development has gone really well and we now have a functioning MVP that is being used on the ground. The backlog is pretty large though, so we expect ongoing development with Netsells to continue for the foreseeable future, as we’ve been extremely impressed with the speed and quality of deliverables.

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

The team has a good grasp of Agile methodologies and has incorporated us directly into requirements gathering and stakeholder feedback exercises. We have daily contact with our assigned project manager, who is extremely responsive and understanding of our/our client’s pressures.

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

Netsells experience and recommendations have made and continue to make a great impact. There have been significant changes to the system thanks to their knowledge and understanding of extremely niche technical constraints.

What has impressed us the most is their ability to think around problems and come up with viable solutions that don't balloon estimates/costs to an unsustainable level.

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

I don't think so. Netsells is doing a really good job. Especially when compared with teams we've worked with in the past.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Chief of Marketing at a software company specializing in delivering SaaS products.

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

We engaged Netsells to assist with the development of a bespoke web application for one of our clients. This required several integrations with existing APIs. Our client also required it to be built using the Laravel PHP framework.

How did you select Netsells Group and what were the deciding factors?

We required a partner with significant experience in Laravel and demonstrable experience in the delivery of high-quality applications. We were impressed with Netsells’ client list and extensive case studies, alongside the significant time they invested during our initial conversations to really understand the outcomes our client was hoping to achieve.

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

We first engaged with Netsells through a Discovery phase. This allowed us to work with their team to map out the system architecture, third-party APIs, and end-user requirements. We then commenced a build phase where Netsells delivered a PWA using NodeJS and a Laravel back-end.

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

We worked with their Discovery team (Business Analysts, UI, and UX designers), alongside front-end and back-end developers. We also had a Project Manager assigned throughout the project and QA testers to test code quality.

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

The final product was delivered to an extremely high standard and functions extremely well. We were very impressed with the speed and quality of the deliverables.

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

Our Project Manager was extremely responsive and kept us up to date at every stage of development. We communicated via email and phone, alongside having a dedicated Slack channel which made communications pretty seamless.

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

Their Discovery process added a lot of value to the final product. The standard of development was also extremely impressive and the delivery timeline was kept to.

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

We are currently in discussions with them regarding an ongoing relationship for future Laravel requirements. Any (admittedly to be expected bugs) are currently being ironed out by their QA and development teams.

Please describe your company and your position there.

The Swimming Teachers’ Association is an international award-winning charity working towards the objective of preserving human life by the teaching of swimming, lifesaving and survival techniques. I am the Director of Digital Services at STA, tasked with ensuring we provide a user friendly and enjoyable experience for customers when they interact with our products and services via our online systems.

For what projects/services did your company hire Netsells Group?

We contacted Netsells as we required assistance with developing a new internal and external system which would run our entire organisation. We were low on internal resources and needed to meet a tight deadline.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal was to deliver the project in a very tight time frame. The project included developing a brand new internal system, external front facing CRM and an e-commerce shop. The impact with this project not being delivered on time was huge with it effecting the entire organisation.

How did you select this vendor?

We found Netsells by performing a basic search on google, looking for Laravel developers. Due to various company policies, we had to gain quotes and contracting information for multiple providers before making a decision. With the tight deadline, and the large amount of work which needed to be completed, not all providers were up to the job.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

As we already had limited development resources in house, Netsells job was to first be introduced to the current team. We then needed to bring them up to date with current progress before coming up with a plan. We found their developers worked well with our current team. Once a plan was drawn out, their UX team drafted up the front end designs whilst the main APIs were specced and, once approved, developed. Work is now underway to complete all other tasks and work on data imports from previous sytems.

What was the team composition?

Currently, we are working with around 2-3 frontend and back developers which will be adjusted as and when required. A PM is allocated to manage the project from start to finish, giving us insight to our SMT on the project status, keeping us in the know every step of the way.

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

Although this project is still in development, testing the current areas which are completed, it shows how much we have managed to simplify processes, which in turn increases both employee and customer retention along with having a flexible foundation which allows us to plan and deliver new business ideas and digital offerings.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

A dedicated PM was assigned right from the start, ensuring we were given all the required information. Weekly catchup calls were held with any issues explained to us allowing us to make appropriate decisions. We found this very useful, ensuring we were in the know every step of the way.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their ability to adapt to whatever challenge we presented was impressive. As this project was on a tight deadline, with limited resources, we found their ability to come into an already part developed system, and work alongside our current developers, utterly amazing!

Are there any areas for improvement?

As of yet we have not found any areas which need improving. 5 star service for Netsells, I would definitely recommend!

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Head of Software and we develop software for the rail industry.

For what projects/services did your company hire Netsells Group?

We needed software development support to start development of a Web application for rail planning. The services included Scrum masters, Business Analysts, Developers and Testers.

What were your goals for this project?

This is an ongoing project and the final goal is to have a Web application that can be used by rail operators around the world.

How did you select this vendor?

The vendor was recommended to us. The first phase was not just about delivering software but also assessing how well we worked together.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

The project started with designs that where walked through and approved by me before the development phase started. We where fully engaged with the project team at all stages, with regular weekly progress updates. The project also included a number of up front technical requirements that needed to be taken into account such as system configurability and being database agnostic.

What was the team composition?

The project team consisted of a Scrum master(s), 2 business analysts, 2 backend developers, 1 front end developer and QA.

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

The first phase was delivered successfully which has lead to a new phase being started. Demonstrations to a selected number of customers have been positive with feedback being included in the next phase.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Project management was very effective, always kept up to date on progress and issues. Questions raised always answered in a timely manner. Most of the communication was done via meetings, phone or email.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The project was run more like a partnership which created a greater working relationship. The team strived to understand our priorities and what it was they where developing and why.

Are there any areas for improvement?

The project has been successful and we have now started a new phase, building on what was designed and delivered in the first phase. Netsells are located 10 minutes away from our office, so face to face meetings where always possible when required. On the very rare occasion documents sent for review missed some feedback details so had to be re-revised.