Onix-Systems

Introduce your business and what you do there.

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

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

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

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.

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.

Please describe your company and your position there.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an executive at a learning software company.

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

We wanted to scale our development team.

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.

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.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of an alcohol kiosk company and alcohol brand.

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

We wanted a user-friendly website that allows our customers to purchase online without too much confusion.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Onix-Systems basically created a website that loaded fast and was optimized for mobile devices. It showcased all of our products and was able to show up on desktop tablets and any device without any issues or loss of quality. They also came in and implemented a layout and logo and replaced the logo I was initially married to. The logo they came up with is going to be the one I’ll be using on our beverage cans now.

What is the team composition?

I probably worked with about 4–5 different people during the design and development phases.

How did you come to work with Onix-Systems, LLC?

I found them on Upwork and saw that their work and reviews were really good. One thing that I liked about them was they gave suggestions before they even brought me on as a customer — Onix-Systems was already helping me out with different problems without me even paying them.

One thing that sold me to them was they told me that they’ll set up my website, so even if we don’t end up working with them in the future, it’ll be easier for another company to come in and do whatever they need to do.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $5,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from February–April 2021.

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

We haven’t really deployed the website so we haven’t had any traffic yet. It’s pretty much just a showcase site right now since the actual product isn’t ready yet. However, we really like what they delivered.

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

They performed really well from a project management standpoint. On a scale of 1–10, I would give them a 10. They managed the project well, answered all my questions, and kept me updated. They also let me know about any delays so I had no complaints.

We normally communicated through Upwork or Skype.

What did you find most impressive about them?

In my opinion, the quality of their work and how easily they respond to questions and concerns are top-notch. I know there’s a time difference between our companies but they’re really good at responding in a timely manner.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I thought the money that I spent was a little bit expensive, but looking back now, I thought they did a really good job. It was well worth it, so I don’t think they could’ve done anything better.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Sometimes, talking to someone can be confusing, but having a visual aid to point out exactly what you want to change can prevent a lot of misunderstandings. This can also enable you to get your project finished the way you want quickly.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a Strategist at Aloa. We are a platform for outsourcing software development for startups. Onix is one of our trusted partners who we contract our work out to.

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

We have had a handful of projects, ones that were needing a dev team to build everything from scratch as well as some that were handoffs to improve an existing application.

Our goals are to build a successful product and experience for our clients, and in order to do so, we look to companies like Onix to support us in our need.

How did you select Onix-Systems, LLC and what were the deciding factors?

Our vetting process is very exclusive. We have vetted through thousands of firms and have only selected 11 to be within our network. We start off by qualifying based of UI/UX. Onix has a tremendous design department, so they passed round 1.

After that, we asked for at least 3 US client references to reach out to. All said glowing things, so the passed round 2.

Round 3 was interviews. We jumped on calls, did code reviews, analyzed their development processes, and ultimately determined that they are more than qualified to be part of our network.

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

The exact details of the scope of work are under NDA so I can't explain it specifically.

However, we have worked on projects across many industries and tech stacks with Onix: We have done projects utilizing React, Javascript, GTP-3, Unity, Swift, Kotlin, and Python.

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

I have worked with 10+ people from Onix. During my day to day, I work most closely with Onix's Project Manager and Account Manager.

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

They're amazing, and always are! We have a very strict policy and low tolerance for sloppy work, so the fact that we continue to send work their way speaks volumes about their quality of work.

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

We use AloaManage, a proprietary management tool to facilitate the management of the relationship.

Onix has fabulous communication skills and is consistently available for the client's questions or concerns. They are also very proactive in raising points to the client and setting proper expectations.

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

Their diligence and willingness to go above and beyond to support their clients. Onix is very relationship focused, which isn't the norm when it comes to outsourcing.

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

Very little - we do review feedback with them every other week, and by in large, they tend to have very few things to improve upon.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of messageLOUD. Our Android app reduces distracted driving by reading aloud messages as they’re received. This allows drivers to keep their eyes on the road.

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

While our Android app has become quite successful in the marketplace, an iOS app with similar capabilities doesn’t exist. We needed resources who could overcome those technical challenges and develop the iOS app.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They’ve built an iOS app that can read messages aloud, using our designed wireframe. Because an iOS with similar capabilities doesn’t exist, they’ve needed to overcome significant technical problems to ensure product functionality. It’s a case of finding the right technical solution. They’ve developed the backend for the app, which has a notably complex server-side architecture.

What is the team composition?

The four-person-core team includes back- and frontend developers, a tester, and a project manager. We exclusively work with the project manager.

How did you come to work with Onix-Systems?

We originally contracted them through UpWork for another project. When we began conceiving the iOS app, we spoke with 15 app developers who deemed the project impossible. We then approached Onix-Systems’ project manager with our idea. Despite the technical challenges, they accepted the task.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent over $100,000 thus far.

What is the status of this engagement?

Work began in December 2016 and is ongoing.

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

We’re currently in closed beta and plan to transition into a public beta in a few weeks. As a result, we lack current quantitative metrics on the app’s success.

However, from a technical standpoint, we applaud their incredible technical skill. This is a project that has never been done before; the app either works, or it doesn’t. Onix-Systems has produced a functional app that others have labeled impossible, which is a testament to their expertise.

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

They’ve been truly excellent. We primarily use the ticket management platform Redmine.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their outstanding ability to solve extreme technical challenges distinguishes them from their competitors. We praise their innovative approach to overcoming difficulties that have never been addressed before.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Nothing comes to mind.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Adopting a consistent and methodical mindset is crucial in solving complex technical challenges.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Our company's product is aimed at giving good information and visual aids to people interested in physical training. We are based in Canada. I am one of the co-owners of the company, and one of the main IT [information technology] people.

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

Our code base had been created, but it was an organic construct. We wanted to make sure that we'd be able to create a solid base for our products. The idea was to remove some of the functionalities and focus on core elements, making sure that we had a robust framework.

What was the scope of their involvement?

I provided the target architecture as well as a demo for our first platform. Onix has suggested some changes and provided creative ideas in order for us to obtain a product focused on what we wanted to accomplish.

We've worked in an agile manner with Onix, getting inputs from one another. There were no order takers in the project. We've worked with up to 3 developers from Onix as well as a project manager.

How did you come to work with Onix-Systems?

We decided to make a post on Upwork and leveraged some partners who had been working on the platform for a while, in order for them to help us identify the right people. We published an RFP [request for proposal], explaining the project, and contacted 3 candidates, before finding Onix.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Onix in January 2016. We've had an open roadmap, with a focus on the core of the platform. This has been done, and we're on the verge of engaging Onix again in order to continue the work and enhance the product. Our product will always be evolving, and I see no reason for not continuing to work with Onix unless we adopt technologies, which aren't their forte.

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

Our work was successful. From what I've seen, the code produced by Onix was very clean and efficient. The platform works great. Our only difficulties were part of getting to know each other and working as a team, making sure that we understand each other. We're a French company, and English is also our second or even third language. It was our main difficulty, but it still wasn't that much of a problem.

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

Onix was closer to working in an agile manner than our own team. They knew how to manage scope, which is important from a project management perspective.

We're in the process of getting an estimate from Onix for the rest of the work. There were some differences in understanding during our discussions, but that was a part of getting to know each other.

What did you find most impressive about Onix-Systems?

We've always had good service because our project manager was also the customer relationship manager in a way. We felt privileged to work with someone who was always there. I don't know how many hours Onix worked, but it seemed to be a lot.

Are there any areas Onix-Systems could improve?

Some elements need to be better clarified in written form. Onix needs to make sure that documentation is clarified before engaging anything. This never reflected on the price that we paid or the delivery time.

What tips or recommendations could you share that might increase the likelihood of success with Onix-Systems?

Clients need to make sure that they clarify requirements and have confidence in Onix. The team will propose some very interesting approaches.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a software developer offering our own products, and also working with clients ranging from startups to billion-dollar companies. We provide mobile application work, usually from the ground up, based on business needs. In the case of startups, we typically start with a pure concept, and bring the application to market.

I am the owner and Chief Product Manager of the company.

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

We have a need for developing high-quality products able to generate money and attract users, but within a reasonable budget and a fast timeline.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We've collaborated with Onix-Systems on a series of products, and we have a very close relationship with their team.

Onix's contribution has been light in terms of design. We do this through our own resources and through other contractors, depending on the type of application. We handle the design for business applications almost exclusively in-house, and we grab outside designers for social networking apps.

How did you come to work with Onix-Systems?

I had a startup 5 years ago, and was looking for resources. We went through a number of firms and gave each one trial projects, with less than great results. I found Onix, gave them a little project, and without having coded before, I could tell that the work was far better done than what I'd seen from other vendors. Based on this, I gave Onix larger projects over time, with very good success.

How much have you invested with Onix-Systems?

The cost of Onix's services is between $10,000 and $15,000 per month, on average.

What is the status of this engagement?

We've been working with Onix-Systems for 5 years, and have an ongoing relationship.

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

We've worked on around 12 different projects with Onix-Systems, excluding very small ones. In terms of results, we always stood where we wanted for our customers in terms of quality and reliability of delivery.

We've worked on social networking apps which are very complex to market, ERPs [enterprise resource planning] for internal systems, and so on. We've had some very happy startup and corporate clients.

We host all of our work on Amazon's infrastructure, and always deploy systems which are robust, with levels of redundancy in the case of corporate systems. We've never experienced downtime that would lead to business issues. Typically, our systems are up into the high 90% range, and there have been no business interruptions caused by our systems. Like with all software, we have experienced bugs, but they get resolved with a very fast pace.

The apps developed with Onix's help have achieved 4.8 stars on the app stores, on average. We judge applications based on their utility, but we also look for reviews mentioning bugs. Generally speaking, we've had apps with tens of thousands of users, and bugs have never been an issue.

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

We set out realistic timelines and scopes of work. They can change quite often, but in general, clients have been happy with our ability to deliver.

What did you find most impressive about Onix-Systems?

We've worked with Onix for 5 years, and never had to question whether our projects were important to them or not. We receive Onix's full attention even on smaller projects, where they're not making much profit. Onix has a very consistent approach and responsiveness.

Are there any areas Onix-Systems could improve?

More design capabilities would be a nice ability to have access to, but I've tended to prefer independent designers. Projects can differ in this regard, so it's better to pick people based on the current one.

What tips or recommendations could you share that might increase the likelihood of success with Onix-Systems?

I've worked with some of the most talented people from Onix, but it's still important to articulate what the business is before jumping into code, making sure that the team understands what a company does and doesn't do.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Our company has developed a wine app. I am the Chief Executive Officer of the company.

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

We needed resources in order to develop and release our app.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Onix-Systems has developed our application for iOS and Android. It involved a very heavy backend, an admin website, as well as native frontends for each version.

How did you come to work with Onix-Systems?

I went through a 3-step due diligence process, initially asking different companies for quotes on apps which already existed in the market. I then sent specs for our own apps to 3-5 candidates. Onix was shortlisted, and after some further talks, I visited them in Ukraine, in order to make sure that they'd be the right partner for us.

How much have you invested with Onix-Systems?

The cost of Onix's development has been under $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We have been working with Onix-Systems for around a year. Their part of the development has been almost completed. We plan to submit the apps to the stores for review within the next month. The delay had been on our side, due to the large amount of data which needs to be entered in the backend.

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

We are satisfied with Onix's work. We've had a fairly large project, with a fair amount of resources assigned to it.

We haven't received a lot of feedback at this stage, because the app is highly dependent on its backend data. I have performed testing myself almost on a daily basis.

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

It proved to be more complicated than initially thought, but we tackled problems together with Onix. They were able to review issues and provide feedback, instead of simply doing what we asked for. Onix let us know when there was something wrong within our specs.

What did you find most impressive about Onix-Systems?

I have had IT experience within large organizations collaborating with other large IT vendors. This type of work is different than with smaller companies like Onix. I've tried to impose a standard framework, which isn't always optimal, but we did well overall, and I'm satisfied with everything done by Onix.

Are there any areas Onix-Systems could improve?

Onix could provide more documentation, but this isn't always the strongest point of smaller companies. Things can always be improved, but Onix has provided good service so far, and they've been straightforward to deal with.

What tips or recommendations could you share that might increase the likelihood of success with Onix-Systems?

Onix will help clients achieve a result, but development needs to start with a strong base. Clients also need to make sure that they have strong specifications, and that everything is documented.