Onix-Systems

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO of a Software development company headquartered in Connecticut.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Onix-Systems, and what were your goals?

We wanted to create an educational app to help kids learn reading comprehension, for a client/investor interested in this space. We needed it to be fun and engaging, with 3D environments as well as some 2D graphics, and to use speech recognition and track the child's progress.

SOLUTION

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

We searched online for developers and spoke with several. We chose this developer for the ability to implement our ideas as well as supply ideas and solutions of their own. They also had great communication skills, flexibility, and a wide array of experience with relevant projects.

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

We provided the team with a detailed design document at first, and visual designs, and they implemented what we needed in Unity. As we progressed, we had additional features requests and more and more complex versions, and the team continued to deliver. They also became more and more involved in the process of designing the details of the app functionality, as they were providing great ideas and solutions themselves. They also incorporated data analytics, while maintaining necessary user privacy for kids. They developed a backend where user registration can be securely stored, and also a database where educational content can be stored and edited and displayed in the game on the fly. They also created web access for our clients to access that. We eventually moved the visual design to their team as well, since they showed they did great work on that end too and it made sense to consolidate.

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

We had a project manager at all times, as well as ongoing contact with all developers working on the project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our app MVP was delivered at high quality to the clients/investors and made them very happy. They continued to fund additional development due to the great results and great value the team provided. We are continuing to work with them to add more content and mini-games to our educational app. It has already been soft launched on the app store, and a bigger launch with more marketing efforts behind it will be coming soon, once we add some more content to the app and get some more feedback from our current testers.

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

The project management was very flexible, with clear communication and a willingness to meet client's needs. We had easy communication via tools like skype and Trello, both with the project managers and with the developers.

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

They do great app development work, and they bring their own ideas and suggestions to the table. Both the project managers and the developers are very forthcoming with ideas, realistic timelines and suggestions. They are true partners who take initiative and clearly care about the project.

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

In one or two cases, it might have been useful to know further ahead of time when a developer is going on vacation or becoming briefly unavailable due to other projects. But having said that, I think this is understandable too, given that our projects often ended up growing in scope and timeline. And to their credit, any time we were in a pinch, they offered additional developers who could help. So we're very pleased.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a Co-Founder of a SaaS company focused on digital marketing services. The mobile app platform allows for the personalized creation, optimization and analytics of Google, Facebook and Instagram ads.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Onix-Systems, and what were your goals?

We wanted to complete the development of a mobile app for users to obtain our digital marketing services. While we had very initial code, designs and project vision, our goal with Onix was to develop a fully functioning mobile app for users and admin panel for internal use.

SOLUTION

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

We used the company Aloa to find, interview and hire Onix. Understanding Aloa's vetting process, meeting with the Onix team to gauge their understanding of the defined project, and discussing estimates with the team ultimately led to us confidently starting the partnership with Onix.

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

We had a number of introductory and discovery meetings early on to discuss our goals, objectives and deadlines with the project. We provided the team with early code, app designs, app logic and backend logic. Within 1 week, the team delivered an already much-improved test version of the iOS and Android apps.

Throughout the project, the team provided detailed and consistent updates on app progress and delivered an approved and launched app within the App and Google Play Stores. The app features and builds include push notifications, camera integration, support desk, and a number of third-party APIs. We continue to work with the team across app development and feature builds.

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

We were assigned:

• 1 project manager
• 4 full-time developers
• 1 QA

At times during our project, resources have varied to include part time and DevOps positions.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Within 4 months, a fully functioning approved app was launched in the App Store and Google Play Store. Within the first week of launch, the app saw over 100 downloads, and an aggregate 5-Star rating.

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

The project manager has been easy, responsive and organized to communicate with. While status meetings occur throughout the week, any messages or emails outside of meetings are clear and have quick response times.

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

The team's capabilities and knowledge in the mobile app space have been incredibly impressive. Additionally, their clear communication and quick response have resulted in efficient project management and completion. 

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

An area we've improved together throughout the project is centralizing communication.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I manage a web & VR development company. My work includes selecting contractors, writing technical specifications, project management and occasional programming.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Onix-Systems, and what were your goals?

We outsource most of our VR/AR/Unity work to them as they have a dedicated team of very proficient developers. Hiring was a challenge for us in Canada and Onix proved to be a reliable and effective partner.

SOLUTION

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

We needed a partner to communicate openly and that would reliably deliver quality work. Communications has always been smooth with managers at Onix and without a doubt a better experience than most of our previous contractors.

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

The client usually explains in non-technical terms what they require. I then translate it into something that is mostly ready to be given to developers directly. Then Onix usually split the tasks into several revisions. They send me regular revisions and either jump on the next features or implement my feedback or the client's feedback.

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

I worked with 2 managers and 3 developers. Usually, in voice meetings, someone would share their screen and we would discuss openly, while managers are taking notes.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

As our projects are mostly about delivering interesting features in highly unique projects, it is hard to provide any measurable outcomes. However, I can say Onix always delivers what is asked or is very close to it within the first revision. They always deliver quality work with no glaring issues or lack of QA.

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

We mostly communicate through Zoho Cliq (my choice). They are timely to answer and whenever there is a pause in communication, it's always waiting on me. We mostly communicate via chat and revision documents, but once a while and whenever I ask, we do voice meetings, usually to share screen.

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

They always have an elegant way of achieving the desired results. Over the projects, some more challenging stuff was required and they delivered.

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

The developers are for the most part not very fluent in spoken English. Written communication with developers is perfectly fine and managers who handle most of the communication are very fluent but in screen share meetings, there have been a few occasion when developers asked questions to clarify what was needed and sometimes it felt like language was getting in the way.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an executive at a consulting company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Onix-Systems?

We needed help with the solution development contract we have with a specific project.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Onix-Systems assist us in developing the unity base of the applications that run in the project we’re working on. We started by giving them a PowerPoint presentation with our requirements, and they took it from there.

What is the team composition?

We’ve been working with Roman (CEO), Anton (CTO), and a senior developer from their team.

How did you come to work with Onix-Systems?

We found them through Upwork. We chose them based on my interviews with them — they seemed to know what they were doing.

How much have you invested in them?

We’ve spent $7,000–$8,000 with them so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in June 2021, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’ve been doing 100% of what we hired them to do with a professional and quick approach — I haven’t had any issues with their work, and they’ve exceeded my expectations.

How did Onix-Systems perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management has been great; they are a professional team. Regarding tools, we use Skype, phone calls, Excel spreadsheets, and PowerPoint presentations to exchange information.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re transparent and committed to budgets and timeframes.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think they can improve on anything — they’ve been doing everything right.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be clear with your requirements.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a founder and director, and I publish educational, language-focused applications.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Onix-Systems?

I hired Onix-Systems for iOS and Android app development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I had an existing app that needed to be rebuilt, and Onix-Systems helped me with that. Their team developed two different mobile applications, taking care of everything from A to Z.

What is the team composition?

I’ve been in direct contact with the developer since the start of the project. I also regularly interact with the project manager.

How did you come to work with Onix-Systems?

I’ve had positive interactions with Ukrainian companies, so I searched for a provider from Ukraine. I contacted around three companies and ultimately chose Onix-Systems.

How much have you invested with them?

I’ve invested around £30,000 (approximately $37,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in March 2020, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I’m extremely satisfied with Onix-Systems’ work. They’re very good team players, and they deal with any technical difficulties that arise during development. 

How did Onix-Systems perform from a project management standpoint?

Our communication is good. We typically reach out to each other via Slack. Whenever I need something, they reply to my message within half an hour. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They never treat me as just another client; there’s a real effort being put into our relationship and into the work itself.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there’s nothing I can point out.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Business Analyst of QoreNext, headquartered in Singapore & U.S.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Onix-Systems?

We wanted to build a virtual data collaboration platform, but before we do that, we wanted to nail the UI/UX experience (Prototype) of our platform first. Although we were clear what features we wanted in our platform, we had only created basic wireframes at the very beginning - It was tough to visualize and also start building the actual software based on what we had at that point in time.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We searched online for vendors with 3 main things in mind:

1. Design - it had to be crisp & clean
2. Reputation - company has to be of decent size with a extensive number of designers
3. Price - has to be reasonable.

Onix Systems had all 3 of these things I mentioned above, we wanted to rush the project and complete it in 3 months, and they had the resources to do so (they had assigned many designers to handle our project). The price compared to other vendors were also very reasonable, considering their reputation and that they have been around in this industry for over 20 years. Their portfolio was nevertheless impressive, and we had no doubt they could design our platform at the level that we want.

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

Before engaging them, we had them sign the NDA - which was done promptly. Then we scheduled few calls to explain what we expect from them & what was our platform about. Within the first few days, they had completed the entire flowcharting process - depicting briefly what happens in every step of the way (signup -> login -> tutorial etc.).

Once we confirmed that the flowchart process had no loopholes, and is exactly what we wanted, they then moved on to the next milestone: creating wireframes, but with in-depth features in every wireframe - For instance: in the 'Signup' page, we should ask the user for their First Name, Last Name, Email, Phone No. Next, they then improved on the wireframes by adding elements of design - colorizing it, designing it with images, icons & backgrounds to get our platform to look like what we envisioned it to be.

Lastly, they then provided us a Prototype of the product - which is a primitive representation or version of a product that a design team or front-end-development team typically creates during the design process (on Figma), and shared with us all materials related to our projects so our front-end & back-end developers could start developing our platform.

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

They had mainly 3 people who worked in our project throughout these 3 months:

1. Tatyana, who worked as a Project Manager to work as a bridge between us and their designers
2. Ella, who worked as an Account Manager to ensure each payment milestones were accurate and briefed us on how many hours they had worked each week
3. Anaastasia, who worked as our main UI/UX Designer, helping us design our product from the first stage (Flowcharting) to the last (UI/UX Prototype)

Apart from the above 3 people, from time to time, they had also assigned 2-3 other designers to help get the project up to speed - example to design the Mobile Version of the platform, or to sketch certain icons for us to review.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We are extremely impressed with the outcome, it is exactly what we envisioned (if not better), we got all the deliverables that was promised before we signed the contract with them, and the project was exactly what they promised - in terms of costs & time estimations. We have now just started to move on to our next milestone, which is software development (using all the deliverables that they have provided us).

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

It was much better than expected, we have never worked with people from an eastern European country hence we did not know what to expect - whether there would be language barriers, and also with the huge difference in timezones, we were at first worried.

However, all of the their team members were very fluent in English, hence there were no miscommunication at all. We also had a Slack channel to communicate every step in the way - any questions, or doubts were asked there, and they have been very active throughout these 3 months - replying very promptly.

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

Given the current situation in Ukraine (War), they did not stop working or even slow things down at all, even though we told them that we are fine with them taking some time off (as safety should be priority). Their professionalism is the most impressive thing I have seen, what happened in Ukraine is unimaginable and I applaud them for how they have reacted in spite of their current situation. I could not have placed more trust in them after working with them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a precious metals FinTech company and are building a trading platform for investing, trading precious metals, and interacting with financial institutions.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Onix-Systems?

We hired them for software development, scaling our resources and expertise, and providing frontend software development technologies for both web and mobile.

We were looking for a way to scale up and deliver some of the particular projects in the those areas while avoiding full-time hiring.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They delivered some of the frontend applications that are built on top of our trading platform. The core platform is completely in-house.

We had an existing application and wanted to deliver iOS and Android solutions. They designed and delivered the applications, and now they’re updating the technology for the web version.

The app itself is a gold investment application where users can create an account, transfer cash, and buy and sell physical gold.

Onix-Systems did a little bit of the UI/UX as well. We had an existing tool kit and UI framework, and they helped us transform our existing tool kit into UI and UX experiences on mobile interfaces. They built out our existing framework.

What is the team composition?

We worked with around 2–5 individuals, though it was traditionally around three. There was a range of designers at the beginning, and there’s now a project manager, an engineering tech lead, and several individual engineers.

How did you come to work with Onix-Systems?

We did a bit of research into development agencies and liked their experience with iOS and Android mobile development. There were examples of apps they’d worked on, and we liked the design and usability of them. We then had a couple of conversations with their tech lead prior to the engagement. They were straightforward in the way they worked as well. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $150,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since March 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They have strong, focused competencies in React Native and web technologies. These are particular technologies that we were interested in, and their developers are very competent and experienced in these technologies. Additionally, they are able to understand the tasks that we outline for them and deliver them in a timely manner.

We had some areas we had to consult with them on beyond the React Native framework and interacting with native components of iOS and Android. They were experienced in bringing other people on to consult in their specific areas. We were able to successfully launch our application on both the iOS and Android stores. We’ve had a pretty successful showing since then.

How did Onix-Systems perform from a project management standpoint?

We use Jira to manage our software development tasks and bugs. There are monthly check-ins with our account manager, and then we have daily stand ups with the engineering team actively working on the development.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Beyond their competency and straightforward execution of tasks, I like their flexibility, especially regarding allowing different project phases. Initially, we wanted to begin with a mini-project to get a feel for each other, and Onix-Systems was quite accommodating. After that went well, we moved into the full app development, which was followed by another smaller, tuned-down stage as we didn’t have another full project ready, but we wanted to keep working together.

Finally, in terms of staffing, even though we didn’t need a full-time designer, they provide part-time expertise as needed. The same has been true for other technologies; they’re quite willing to add to our team.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There are sometimes miscommunications between our in-house team and their technical team, so they could be clearer about if they understand what we’re asking. When we’re going through code reviews, there is no room for miscommunication, so we have our engineering team work alongside theirs. If we didn’t have that layer of protection in place, then there could be issues that would lead to more iterations.

Additionally, I sometimes find that their estimations on tasks can be either very inflated or very aggressive. When it comes to testing, things that get deployed haven’t necessarily been full tested from a UX perspective, so we find bugs, but I think that goes back to the communication and not fully understanding the use cases.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Try to have as clear expectations as possible ahead of time. It would also be ideal to have a technical person from your team work alongside Onix-Systems. Frequent communication will also help —daily standup meetings and weekly check-in meetings.

We started the relationship with a mini-project to get a feel for each other and an understanding of the teams, and that was a great way to move toward a bigger project.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an executive at a learning software company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Onix-Systems?

We wanted to scale our development team.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Onix-Systems works on a wide range of products for us that deliver training to large organizations. Their efforts involve front- and backend development, as well as data aggregation.

What is the team composition?

We’ve been working with a dozen members of their team, including a group of developers and QAs.

How did you come to work with Onix-Systems?

We were looking for offshore contractors, and we found them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in October 2019, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’re working collaboratively with our team in an agile way, and we’ve had a good release cadence. Performance-wise, they’ve been diligent and have good technical individuals in their team — we’ve had no problems with the output.

How did Onix-Systems perform from a project management standpoint?

Overall, they’ve been good; if we give them a task, they get on with it. They work alongside our Scrum team at a similar pace.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The language barriers have been one of our biggest challenges. We’ve been trying different ways of working, like engaging with their own teams alongside our product teams, but that hasn’t worked very well. I’d say they’ve worked out best when either they have entire ownership of the product they’re working on, or they’re embedded alongside existing team members. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Trust them, and don’t be afraid to put their junior staff on probation.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

CYBERTEC is your professional partner for Data Science and PostgreSQL. From machine learning, artificial intelligence and big data to PostgreSQL support, consulting and training. I am the Senior Consultant/Developer and was a lead manager for the project.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Onix-Systems, and what were your goals?

Onix-Systems was responsible for front-end development and front-end design

SOLUTION

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

We worked with this company before.

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

Onix-systems covered the entire work with the user interface: designed the UI, implemented frontend work according to the designed mockups. We used React.js on the frontend with Node.js on the middleware. Key deliverables where the sections on the user interface released step by step

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

1 UX/UI designer 1 Project Manager 3 Frontend developers (React.js)

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We released our project and delivered it to the most valuable customers

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

On the different stages of the project, the team worked by Scrum and Kanban approaches. Routine processes included daily stand-ups, sprint planning, retrospective meetings. Regular financial and hours reporting at the end of each month. The process itself was well-planned and possible to forecast.

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

Personal approach. The project was very well treated by the team.

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

I don't think so. Everything was performed according to our plan.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO of a fantasy gaming platform for reality television

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Onix-Systems, LLC, and what were your goals?

We hired them to do a full website/web app overhaul including documentation, development, design, and testing. Our goals were to create a functional web app that is scalable for when we expand our business into different television shows, and that also had an elite user experience

SOLUTION

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

A member of my team had already worked with them and we knew how skilled and dedicated the team was

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

The scope was to completely transfer the old website/web app to new technologies and improve the infrastructure so that it would be possible to improve/expand the project in the future.

Onix did all of the development. We co-wrote the project documentation and business requirements.

Created a completely new and unique design for the entire project.

Developed the Server - internal Front End pages and Landing.

Large-scale work was also carried out on the implementation of the AWS infrastructure.

After that, the project was tested and the support stage began, in which we fixed critical Bugs and performed simulations before launch

The main technologies of the project are WordPress and Ruby + Vue.js.

Infrastructure on AWS.

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

We communicated regularly with 2 managers at Onix who were responsible for transparency in the development and building future development plans.

The team included 2 Front End Dev, 2 Back End Dev, 2 QA, Designer and DevOps engineer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The site looks much better than previously and users are enjoying the refreshed look - we just launched so we don't have measureables yet but are exciting to track time on site, session duration, etc.

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

We had standup calls a few times a week and communicated regularly through slack and a project management tool, Aloa. Communication was great.

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

They always went above and beyond and really viewed themselves as an extension of our company's team. It didn't feel like we were outsourcing; it felt more like internal software development.

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

There were a few minor bugs at launch (which happened to be while most of them were on vacation) and they STILL were able to fix them quickly.