Order Group

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-owner of Enerace, a business services company. We specialize in optimizing energy procurement and conducting large-scale negotiations for major clients, helping them achieve significant cost savings.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Order Group?

We hired Order Group to design, build, and continuously develop Enerace.online and its dedicated mobile app. Our goal was to help business electricity and gas buyers make informed purchasing decisions by giving them access to market data, contract analysis, price forecasts, simulations, and purchasing recommendations.Key objectives included automating daily data collection and processing from multiple external sources, making complex information easy to use, and developing a reliable platform that could evolve with our clients’ needs and support our consulting services.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Order Group has handled the development and ongoing expansion of Enerace.online, covering both the customer-facing applications and the underlying data-processing infrastructure. The main deliverables include:Order Group has built almost the entire Enerace.online platform and its dedicated mobile app from scratch. This includes the core backend, integrations with external data sources, daily data processing, and analytical features such as contract analysis, price simulations, and purchasing recommendations.They’ve subsequently continued developing and updating the solution, improving existing functionality and adding features as our business requirements have evolved.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with 2–5 teammates from Order Group.

How did you come to work with Order Group?

We found them through a referral. We chose them over other options because our company values aligned.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $1.5 million.

What is the status of this engagement?

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

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The main outcomes include the delivery and continued development of Enerace.online, its dedicated mobile app, and PowerShift. Enerace.online automates the daily processing of data from numerous external sources and has become a core working tool for our large electricity and gas clients.PowerShift supports production planning based on hourly energy prices and the prices resulting from clients’ tranche purchases, helping them adapt production schedules to energy costs. Together, these solutions support both energy purchasing decisions and operational planning.Our clients have achieved cost savings measured in millions of euros through energy purchasing strategies and operational improvements supported by Enerace.online and PowerShift. Enerace.online helps clients make informed purchasing decisions using market and contract data, while PowerShift supports production scheduling around energy prices. These results reflect the combined value of our consulting expertise and the technology developed by Order Group.The results are highly individual and depend on each client’s purchasing strategy, energy consumption profile, and operational flexibility. We therefore prefer not to disclose client-specific savings or percentage improvements.

How did Order Group perform from a project management standpoint?

Order Group has delivered on time. We primarily communicate through virtual meetings.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We have good contact with both the owners and the developers.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We have no significant areas for improvement to highlight. Throughout our long-term collaboration, Order Group has taken a proactive approach and recommended effective solutions. The cooperation has been smooth and professional.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a product owner at Matic SA, a hardware and software company. We also do financial analysis for crime investigations.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Order Group?

We needed software development support.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We hired Order Group to provide us with a team of UX designers, front- and backend developers, and tech leads to help us deliver a product from beginning to end. They’re primarily responsible for assisting us in developing software for financial analysis in criminal investigations.

The product is a desktop application called the M Analyzer. It’s a big data software that’s supposed to analyze financial data and display it visually through graphs and reports for crime investigators.

We work in two-week sprints, and every sprint has a specific business target that should be developed by the Order Group team. We work together to create all the documentation and wireframes and further improve the product.

What is the team composition?

I’ve worked with six people from Order Group.

How did you come to work with Order Group?

We found Order Group through a recommendation from an acquaintance that had worked with them in the past.

How much have you invested with them?

Our overall budget for this project is $200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

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

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re definitely satisfied with what Order Group has developed. This project involves one of the two biggest solutions in our company, so Order Group’s support has had a notable impact on our business. 

How did Order Group perform from a project management standpoint?

Order Group has performed well in terms of project management. They deliver on time and within budget, and whenever there are bugs or crashes, they are very efficient in addressing them.

They work remotely, but we have regular online meetings through various communication channels. We use ClickUp as our main project management tool.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’m impressed with the level of engagement and motivation of Order Group’s team. I also appreciate how responsible they are when it comes to the project’s terms and budget. Overall, it’s been a brilliant collaboration, and I’m really satisfied with their performance.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I have no complaints.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a small SaaS company based in Norway.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Order Group?

We were redesigning and expanding the digital boardroom side of our product.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Order Group has helped us with our digital boardroom tool's UI/UX redesign. Initially, we broke our project into two phases: design and development. For the first phase, they worked with us on scoping and understanding the project. We had a series of interviews and conversations to understand the needs of Norwegian board members and managers regarding conducting digital board meetings and follow-up tasks.

After that process, we flew to Poland and did a workshop with them to define the product’s specifications, variables, wireframes, and functionalities. Then, Order Group started the design process, and we iterated on their designs. Ultimately, they delivered a comprehensive design of our tool.

The product we’re developing is web-based. It offers different administration tools, like a digital shareholder registry, a signing solutions document center, and the boardroom we’ve designed. This tool specifically will help board members communicate with each other, delegate tasks, assign documents, and share documents. Now, we’re considering working with Order Group for the development of this tool.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked directly with one of the founders of Order Group.

How did you come to work with Order Group?

Order Group was recommended to us.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in February 2022. Order Group has already delivered the designs, and we’re moving into phase two of the project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Currently, we have a very simple digital boardroom, but thanks to Order Group’s design, we will implement a more modern-looking one with added functionality. We’re very happy with the design because Order Group was able to fathom the various complexities of Norwegian board meetings.

How did Order Group perform from a project management standpoint?

Order Group’s project management is good; they’ve delivered on time and within budget. We typically communicate via email, and we’ve had frequent virtual meetings, especially during the intensive parts of the project.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Order Group is very understanding, easy to work with, and professional; I really appreciate their approach. They do their work on time and deliver the best results we can expect from the input they were given.

Comparing them to what I’ve come to expect from working with other providers, Order Group’s professionalism is excellent, especially when it comes to meeting deadlines, being clear, and understanding user needs. They don’t focus on their work but on what we’re trying to accomplish, and they’re very good at that.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. I’ve been very happy with the process so far.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I can only recommend working with them. They’re very professional, so you can expect an easy partner who delivers on time and within budget. Thus, you’ll only need to provide them with the information they need to do a good job.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of VRKTOY AS, a Norwegian-based construction technology startup. We specialize in technologies that support the supply chain for prefabricated and modular construction.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Order Group?

We wanted to improve the UX of our website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

My partner and I have thought of having our website remodeled to resolve the tracking and progress reporting issues reported by our customers. We’ve tasked Order Group with implementing an RFID-enabled solution into our website to optimize information building and modeling, which allows our customers to track the progress of any construction project. Additionally, the new functionality can present information regarding the quality of the construction materials being utilized in a project.

We’ve already approved Order Group’s prototype for the RFID product, and they’re still in the process of developing the system, which is set to undergo various testings before we finally introduce it to our clients.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with at least three resources from Order Group’s team, including two software developers and the design head, who’s our main point of contact.

How did you come to work with Order Group?

Order Group was highly recommended to us by a good friend who already worked with their team in the past. I was convinced that they were the right fit for us because I heard about the quality of assistance they provide to clients in need of product and software development.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about €50,000 (approximately $59,000 USD) so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We kicked off the engagement in January 2021, and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve introduced Order Group’s prototype to some of our customers through a product demonstration, and we’ve already secured commitments from three of them through letters of intent. I think this is a great success metric to start with — we’re able to gauge the market acceptance of this product, which has shown great potential.

It matters to us to have customers who are willing to invest in the rapid development of our product, and that shows Order Group’s capacity to deliver excellent results. We’re confident that we’ll reach more business milestones through this tremendous partnership.

How did Order Group perform from a project management standpoint?

We typically communicate with Order Group via Zoom and Google Meet. They’re a very time-sensitive and responsive team, and they’re also mindful of our budget. They commit to providing us prompt updates and additional services, depending on the project phase. We always feel that we’re getting the best value for our money through their services.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Order Group’s holistic product development process definitely sets them apart from other providers. They’ve been absolutely instrumental in bringing our product vision to life.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t see anything that requires improvement — they’re a very productive and well-minded team.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Order Group is a collaborative team, and you only have to match that productive energy to flesh out the results you need.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Dronistics. We’re a startup that develops drones for delivery and software that controls the drones.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Order Group?

We were looking to speed up the development process and introduce new features to the software.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our internal team had been developing the software. They helped us merge additional systems from other startups we collaborate with and integrated additional features to simplify the delivery process.

They also worked on improving the graphic interface, procedure, testing, and debugging the entire software after the changes were introduced.

The software is a web application that can be used with any portable device for people to use drones for delivery.

What is the team composition?

We worked directly with a software engineer and a project manager daily. There were 2–3 people who helped with consulting on aspects of the project, including the graphic interface.

How did you come to work with Order Group?

I knew the founders from university, and I was aware that they started the company. I knew that they were good at what they do and that their services were a fit for our needs.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested €25,000 (approximately $31,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from July–November 2020 daily. The collaboration is still ongoing due to testing and updates.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The team was professional and on time. They worked in a timely fashion, achieving all the tasks and goals we set for them. They did quite well at solving all the problems we needed to be addressed. I’m satisfied with their work and plan to hire them again.

How did Order Group perform from a project management standpoint?

From a project management standpoint, they did a good job. They reported the progress of tasks, so everyone knew where we stood and what the next steps were. Communication was also good.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was surprised how smoothly the entire collaboration was, and that we had no problems. They also worked quickly.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There were some small things, but when we communicated with them, it was fixed.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Know what you want to do, including goals and deliverables. The collaboration can work smoothly if you stick to that, and don’t continuously change your mind and make changes.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm CTO at Elk, a Swedish IT company that offers embedded solutions for professional audio like the Elk Audio Operating System. Recently, we introduced Aloha (https://alohabyelk.com/), a product that allows musicians to play together with almost no noticeable latency over the Internet.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We needed to complete quickly a web GUI used to control our hardware products (that are almost without any display), after the previous developer ended the collaboration. The task was not easy as it involves a modern UI with many custom components and, especially, a complex communication infrastructure with both backends in the cloud and the IoT device on the local network

SOLUTION

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

I was contacted by their CEO on LinkedIn and we had a good feeling about their pragmatism and internal structure during the introductory calls.

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

Initial phase: * Get an existing incomplete codebase to a working state Ongoing: * UX/UI redesign * Improvements & fixes on the current webapp Key technologies: JS, React, JSON-RPC, Python, WebRTC

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

At the beginning, we started our collaboration with just one frontend developer. We were very happy that Order Group was able to provide us not only with an exceptional developer but also someone who was an amateur musician and so understood very well the domain-specific knowledge.

We then expanded our collaboration including UX/UI designers and project management support for the next iteration and were also very happy with them, too.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The frontend developer was faster than expected to get an existing codebase to a working state and he even had a great initiative in proposing and implementing valuable improvements.

For a project like ours where there are many things that can vary depending on users' setup, bugs are expected during first releases. Order was very fast in fixing them as soon as possible. They also contributed with excellent development & debugging tools to speed up the process.

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

The approach was perfectly suited for the size of the projects and the number of people involved. In our case, Order Group was complementing our internal development team and thus the interaction between different parties was crucial.

Communication has been good and efficient. We used Slack and JIRA mostly and people at Order have been excellent at adapting to our internal conventions.

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

What we particularly liked from people at Order is their pragmatism and efficiency. They get good results in a very short time and without spending many hours on unproductive meetings.

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

We only had a minor issue with one person but it was totally due to some personal issues going on in his life and Order was very honest in not billing us for those hours.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We provide services, training, and software in the fields of cybersecurity and business intelligence. I’m the operations manager of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

After researching the market we decided to create a bespoke smartphone operating system that would be highly secure, but also have standard smartphone features. One of the main goals was to create a whole ecosystem of secure apps that will be served from an internal application store.

SOLUTION

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

Order Group was recommended to us by a colleague that already worked with them on a couple of projects. We were looking for a company that we could trust with handling the project which is mostly R&D, but also be able to take care of the whole project including UI/UX design, mobile & web development, creating custom operating systems, and testing.

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

The goal is to create a safe & secure phone operating system for government officials or enterprise clients that would have most of the advantages of standard phone OS like an app store and data synchronization. We did an initial research phase, partial desings and some development to test if some business requirements are possible to develop. Right now we’re in the middle of the development phase.

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

There are 7 people involved in the project. 3 engineers, a tech lead/analyst, manual tester, project manager, and UX/UI designer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They already delivered the designs for our own app store along with some other key OS features and created initial OS builds. Even though almost everything they have to develop is something out of the ordinary.

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

The project is managed with Scrum. Before we started the development their team helped us with doing proper research and creating documentation that could be used later.

We started the development with a big room planning to set up goals/milestones on the project timeline. We have a planning session every 4 weeks and communicate daily with Slack or Google Meet, the project is handled in YouTrack.

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

They are not afraid of challenges. And even though most of the parts of our project are terra incognita they still manage to deliver on schedule. Also, they really understand the specifics of the security industry.

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

I can’t imagine anything that could be done better. They’re great.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the head of business developments at Monetor Companies; we have operations in Sweden, Holland, Norway, and Poland. Our company is a decision making consultant for Forex (Foreign Exchange Market) — we help various segments make the right decisions and strategies. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Order Group?

We needed a web app that consumers could use to connect with our business. The app should allow end users to access market data, banks, and different things related to finance.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our engagement started with building the platform and we're still working together. We came in with a backend for an oil company and we needed to transform that into a fintech backend.

The team works with Python and React for the frontend, and mostly working in Javascript. They also currently handle updates and maintenance for the MVP. 

What is the team composition?

We work with 10 people from Order Group.

How did you come to work with Order Group?

The Order Group was recommended by a partner from Oslo.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve already invested roughly €200,000–€250,000 (approximately $230,000–$300,000 USD) for this project.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing engagement started around July 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The team is doing a tremendously good job and they are evolving with us throughout the process. We feel like they’re already part of our company. The team produces great outputs that makes the investment worth it.

How did Order Group perform from a project management standpoint?

We like that they are good with communication and organization. Perhaps those are some of the main reasons why we chose to stay with them because we appreciate their professionalism.

The team has a great set up — they often give follow-ups on the demos and on the current project that we're working on. Order Group’s team is also always there for us and very responsive to our needs.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their ability to adapt and move forward with us is impressive. They accommodate us throughout the process which makes a huge difference for our collaboration. The group teaches us how to work more efficiently.

Order Group also gives us their insights — they put their best foot forward and tell us why we should do this. Of course, the final decision is up to us, but just having a team that gives their feedback is valuable to us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We can’t think of anything right now, they should just continue on with what they’re doing.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

We recommend them because their services are a great value for your money.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a digital commerce and marketing platform.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Order Group?

When we brought them on, it was to do user interaction and graphical design for a mobile app and website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The work expanded a little bit from the design to them, actually doing a lot of project management and project development directly with some of our clients.

Order Group has joined us in our customer meetings. They have been helping us scope the needs of the customers.

We have a technology platform and build websites and mobile apps, so they have been scoping the needs of the customers, helping them define features, and then delivering the user interaction design and then delivering several iterations of graphical design, as well as communicating directly with the customer until they get the final approval in the design.

That is when they hand it over to us, and we do the development.

For the first project we had together, we brought them on later. We met the client, and then we gave them instructions on how we wanted the UX and graphical design. Then we found that they were skilled enough actually to handle the whole process. We upgraded our cooperation with them from just coming on for the design work to onboarding at the start of the process.

What is the team composition?

We’ve been working directly with three people, including a project manager and graphic designers. There is a lot of work they do in the background, and I’m not sure how many people are working on it in total.

How did you come to work with Order Group?

We found them online. We were testing many design agencies, so we ended up finding Order Group to be the most skilled and motivated companies we were testing.

How much have you invested with them?

In total, over that time, it would be around $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

I believe we started our engagement with Order Group in February 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our clients have felt very safe. We work with international clients, and they’re able to communicate very well with English-speaking clients. Order Group understands their needs and translates them into a product.

How did Order Group perform from a project management standpoint?

I would give them a top rating from a project management standpoint. They’re integrated into the dedicated Slack channel for the project with our team.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Order Group is a skilled team that understands products. While the output I am getting from them is the graphical design and user interaction design, I can actually put them in a place where they need to understand the project’s needs and scope.

I can put them there, while with other agencies we have worked with, someone from our team has had to do the first part themselves when it comes to the scope of the project, understand the user’s needs, start working with the designer and get the UX, and we would do the iterations ourselves, but with Order Group, we can give them full control.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We’ve been very happy. There isn’t anything I can think of straight away.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If they’re looking for design work like we were doing, I would consider letting them handle as much of the project as possible and not limiting what you are giving them too much.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the digital transformation lead of a B2B furniture manufacturer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Order Group?

We had a website in WordPress but it wasn’t great.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They rebuilt our website from scratch. Their team also helps us with digital linking from the customer-facing website to production. They’re implementing solutions that allow us to take the data and use it for production. Our website was built in Django, and I also had a lot of help with JavaScript for online 3D applications as well as Python.

What is the team composition?

The number of team members has changed depending on the project stage but it’s always between 1–10 people. We work with a UX designer, front- and backend developers, a project manager, and the founder.

How did you come to work with Order Group?

They were recommended to us through a friend.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested about $250,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing engagement started in January 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re very pleased with the collaboration. We have very complicated and demanding projects, and Order Group has exceeded all of our expectations.

How did Order Group perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicate on a regular basis as well as hold meetings and weekly updates. Our teams have developed an efficient project management process that fits well. Usually, we start with project suggestions, ask for an estimate, and then receive a rough estimate. Then, Order Group completes the project within the timeline and by the deadlines. If there are any changes, they take care of it. Their team is flexible.

What did you find most impressive about them?

My favorite part about working with them is I have a feeling that everything’s possible. Whatever solution we need, I can ask Order Group, and they can make it come true.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there aren’t any areas that need improvement.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Start by having a discussion with them and see what’s possible.