Phaedra Solutions

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Carbon Copy is a non-profit; we create an open-access media environment to get informed about disruptive topics in tech and science.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We hired Phaedra to develop our mobile app. We had the concept and details worked out and then worked together to build our app.

SOLUTION

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

We searched via upwork, and looked for companies that had a good track-record. Then we interviewed a few and based on the responses from the potential partners selected a winner.

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

We already knew what app we wanted, the details etc. Then we had a design phase with Phaedra, where we made sure all the designs were complete. Then our internal design team made the branding and identity. Then we moved to the built-out. There were many meetings to discuss the progress and figure out solutions for problems.

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

A scrum manager, UX designer, native Developer, Account Manager

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The deliverables were completed on time to the agreed standard.

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

The project management was well organized, and the timelines were always met.

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

The project management was beneficial, and the reliability of delivering things on time, sometimes even ahead of time.

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

Make sure there is a stable internet connection for the calls. It was often the case the person on Phaedra's side who spoke most (developer) had a weak and unstable internet connection. This was a little frustrating as it disconnected regularly. So making sure they have a stable connection, and no background noise would be awesome. Regarding the design phase, sometimes the details we submitted were not copied 1-1 and things were committed, this could be perfected that the client doesn't need to re-check the work. However to be fair this only occurred a few times and was not a frequent issue.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder and CEO of a new Islamic publisher in Germany.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

I hired Phaedra Solutions to redesign my publisher's website since I already had come up with a design but wasn't 100% satisfied with it, but I didn't know what bothered me about it. Gladly, Phaedra Solutions not only helped me figure out what was lacking, but they further managed to come up with the most exquisite design for my website!

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I was trying to get in touch with different freelancers online, but up until then I only was familiar with Fiverr. It was just by accident that I stumbled upon this platform called UpWork which, meanwhile, I even prefer over Fiverr because of its different concept. So after giving it a first shot and uploading my job posting, I immediately had a bunch of different interested parties in my inbox, but Phaedra Solutions sticked out above all since they didn't only went through my job offer as well as a 30 min long video I have prepared carefully, but they went the extra mile and already sent me a draft of what my new website could look like. I was blown away!

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

We kicked it off with several drafts which I could choose from, then fine-tuned the one I went for and went over to the final 3d designs after that.

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

I worked directly with the UI/UX design team and its lead as well as the sales manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I am absolutely stunned by the final design and I cannot wait until the development phase! I am very certain and convinced that once the design is published and in action, it will have a major effect on the traffic on my website.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

It was outstanding from both sides! We played the ball to each other back and forth without any interruptions or pauses. In fact, the workflow was something, amongst other things, I appreciated the most about Phaedra Solutions.

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

I could write a whole novel here, but I try to keep it short and sweet: their work ethics, workflow, creativity, talent, service, support, care, humour and just the atmosphere they create while working with them. It is 100% a total package for me!

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

Honestly speaking, there is really nothing I can think of. By the end we were a little bit in a hurry to end this project since it already took a little longer than expected, and I wished it wouldn't have ended that abruptly since I never want to rush through things but rather take my time to really carefully finalise everything, but of course all good things come to an end and the team definitely has other projects to take care of and can't go back and forth with me forever! :-P

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am a marketer at a trading card marketplace. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Phaedra Solutions?

We needed help with mobile app development. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Phaedra Solutions has designed and launched a website and a cross-platform mobile application for our peer-to-peer marketplace. As of now, they’re working on updating the completed app. On the platform, users can buy and sell trading cards. The website is essentially just a landing page with an email sign-up integration. 

What is the team composition?

We work with five teammates from Phaedra Solutions. 

How did you come to work with Phaedra Solutions?

I researched mobile app development firms and found Phaedra Solutions. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested $20,000 with Phaedra Solutions. 

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement with Phaedra Solutions began in February 2021, and it’s ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I can’t share any specific metrics because the app is being updated. There have been a few platform bugs, but they were expected and quickly rectified. 

How did Phaedra Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

Phaedra Solutions manages the project well in ClickUp. Typically, we communicate via Google Chat. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Phaedra Solutions stands out from the crowd because they are very affordable. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I have nothing for Phaedra Solutions to improve. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I’d advise customers to constantly communicate with Phaedra Solutions to ensure nothing falls through the cracks. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the lead developer at a web development company that is working on Leagues.gg, a gaming platform. On the platform, users can sign up for tournaments and join leagues where they can play every week.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Phaedra Solutions?

I couldn't handle the rapidly expanding workload for this project, so I looked for someone to help me with the development. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Phaedra Solutions supports our development team. My team handles all of the UX/UI development, and Phaedra Solutions does the back- and frontend development and handles our API. Phaedra Solutions' team works in a MERN stack and tests every project to eliminate holes in our security. They're also helping us with setting up AWS hosting. 

What is the team composition?

We work with eight teammates, including a project leader, six full-time developers, and a full-time project tester. 

How did you come to work with Phaedra Solutions?

Phaedra Solutions was recommended to us, and when we spoke to them, we hired them because they're a great team.

How much have you invested in them?

We'll have spent around $500,000 with Phaedra Solutions by the end of this year.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our partnership with Phaedra Solutions began in June 2020, and it's ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The gaming platform can now support 3,000–5,000 users, with nearly 1,000 teams playing. Our successful collaboration can be attributed to the project leader, who is one of the best I've ever met. We couldn't wish for a better partner — they help us a lot and provide great service. We work so well together I can't even think of working with a different partner.

How did Phaedra Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

Phaedra Solutions has good project management — they always deliver before deadlines. We typically communicate via Skype and use ClickUp for project management.

We have had all our communication with Danish, and I can only say nice words about him, he is transparent, the best project leader I have ever seen for my +10 years in this industry, and then he always ensures to be available and deliver before the deadline. In our company we don't see him as a employee, but the key person to this huge success in this project. 

He always provided brilliant ideas whether we are creating a feature or it's improving the existing one. His planning & risk analysis skills are top notch which were highly beneficial for the project/platform growth. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Phaedra Solutions is excellent and transparent in their work. Whenever we go to them with a new feature, they'll make suggestions to improve the solution. Phaedra Solutions' team doesn't just do the work required, they provide feedback and suggestions to improve the entire platform. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

We haven't found anything we think Phaedra Solutions should improve on.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I'd advise customers to put a project manager on the Phaedra Solutions team because they're wonderful at helping and explaining the project.  

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO and Founder of an online marketing company called LocalDeals247.com

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

I was looking to create an all-in-one marketing platform for small businesses. I needed the platform to be “easy to use” and to encompass connection tools, like email and survey abilities, promotional tools like newsletters and blogging abilities, video and finally dealmaking tools where end users could look to find deals on everything from automotive services to restaurants to gyms. This software was to incorporate abilities from at least 7 competing websites to create one hybrid solution.

SOLUTION

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

Actually their marketing team contacted me by phone. I had worked with several other off-shore companies before and frankly they never quite delivered what I was asking for. So understandably I was hesitant about getting involved with Phaedra Solutions. I would say it was their sr Management member Zee who first listened and helped piece together a detailed plan. Prior this this no other team offered as comprehensive a plan which encompassed all of my needs.

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

I was looking to create an all-in-one marketing platform for small business. I needed the platform to be “easy to use” and to encompass connection tools, like email and survey abilities, promotional tools like newsletters and blogging abilities, video and finally dealmaking tools where end users could look to find deals on everything from automotive services to restaurants to gyms. This software was to incorporate abilities from at least 7 competing websites to create one hybrid solution.

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

There were several people involved with the team. The core contact was Danish A., ha was an extremely competent project manager. Additionally, I worked with at least 2 developers, some marketing personnel, and a designer

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The project took 10 months to complete. The project is enterprise level and is currently set up for 3 users. Buyers, Sellers, and Admin. In the case of each, a backend, along with necessary functionality and been created. The functionality is original in each case.

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

This is one of the things I really liked about them. They assigned a dedicated PM. We met every morning to discuss upcoming and completed work. We used an ongoing progress board(Click-up) so I could look on my own, to monitor progress.This was something no other developer had done.

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

Their commitment, the P.M. really seemed to care. I am not technical and I encouraged my PM to make suggestions and to help steer me clear of potential pitfalls. He did that and more. They really understood and identified with the project. Their efforts were invaluable.

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

Initially there was some back and forth about what this was. It wasnt a run of the mill discount site, it was a hybrid and therefore had to be lookeded at entirely differently. Well ultimately they got it right. Once they realized this was not a cookie cutter project and they immediately allocated the resources to get this thing done right.

They were able to deliver an enterprise level project in less than 10 months. They project has exceeded my expectations and I doubt any other team could have delivered it exactly as envisioned. I am truly impressed with their work and look forward to working with them in the future.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the innovations manager at locksmithing company. We’re basically building a service that we can redistribute to other locksmiths.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Phaedra Solutions?

We have multiple projects going on with Phaedra Solutions as we’re trying to replace our existing operating system. Right now, they’re helping us design a customer portal and a new UI for our existing dispatching software. This is the software that we want to release to other locksmiths.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement? 

So far, Phaedra Solutions has provided graphical support, web page development, and backend scripting. The tech stack includes Python, Django, and JavaScript.

It’s been a collaborative effort. We provide them with some documentation on our vision, ideas, and pre-scripts that we’ve already written. Then, we work with their account manager to come up with better designs. 

What is the team composition? 

We work with Isbah (Project Manager), another project manager, six engineers, and a graphic designer. They’re very flexible in changing out resources depending on our needs.

How did you come to work with Phaedra Solutions?

At the time, we were using a different company and weren’t happy with their services. They weren’t organized, and meetings were too sporadic. That’s when we started looking on Upwork for other vendors. 

I came across Phaedra Solutions, and they contacted me. I chose them because they seemed organized and were just really good at what they did.

How much have you invested with them?

On average, we spend about $12,000–$16,000 per month, but it depends on the resources we require. We’ve had spikes where we’ve had to bring on a bunch of resources to get rolling, which is expensive. Then, on projects that are coming to a close, we can liquidate our resources to get others for different projects.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working with them since January 2021. They started with a smaller project and have since proven themselves to be capable of handling all of our projects going forward.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

A lot of the projects we’re working on are just for internal use, and they’re still in progress. We’re constantly changing and upgrading because we’re very picky on our end. I predict that the solution will constantly change for another year and a half until everyone’s satisfied with it.

How did Phaedra Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

It’s just a great experience. Isbah takes her job extremely seriously and is on the ball at all times. She’s available day and night — if I send her a message at 3 a.m. or 2 p.m. her time, I’ll get a response. I don’t even notice that we’re at a 12-hour difference. We also have daily meetings (sometimes 2–3) to discuss any situations.

Literally working with their project managers makes my life easier. I like that I don’t have to be technical to get my idea across. I can just send them what I want to do, and they’ll do it, which makes for easy communication.

In terms of project management tools, we use Slack and ClickUp, the latter of which we’re starting to look at using in our own company.

What did you find most impressive about them?

One of the biggest aspects of the relationship is that we can work together as one team, going back and forth to figure out solutions. We might identify something that we want, and they’ll recommend a different approach. In the end, we meet in the middle and get something that was better than what each side started with.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can’t really think of anything. They’re very flexible, which makes things easy. Even when they send a suggestion that doesn’t work for us, they don’t hound us. Instead, it’s a dialog around the pros and cons.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Slow down and take the time to do the proper layouts upfront. We didn’t have that opportunity on our end because everything was a rush, but it’s important to map things out first to set expectations. It’s just not practical otherwise because it puts pressure on both parties.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Marketing and Communications Manager for a nonprofit organization. I write blogs, social media posts, increase SEO engagement, and a wide range of other tasks. I also handle special projects like this one.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We wanted a simple to use an app built for the Shopify checkout process that would allow shoppers to "Plant 1 Tree for $1 with Shopify.org".

SOLUTION

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

They came highly rated and we were not disappointed with the results.

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

Our app development was broken into different sprints which were planned and completed on time.

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

Throughout the course of the project we worked with 5 or 6 different team members with Phaedra and had weekly meetings.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The project was completed on time and on budget.

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

Communication was handled through clickup, google chat and weekly meetings through google meet.

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

I was impressed with how attentive they were to answering any questions I had. Any message I sent was returned very quickly.

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

I would have liked more of a detailed breakdown on what is happening on the backend of the app in case I need to answer any user questions.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the director of Whitstable windsurfing. Our web shop Boardworx needed a update

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

To have a new web site e-commerce web site that was secure and easy to use

SOLUTION

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

I stumbled across them with a problem another company could not fix. They were so helpful sorting this problem and did not charge me I immediately felt safe and in good hands for a full site upgrade

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

I was advised to use shopify which was not a platform I had considered and in a short time all the information from our old web site had been imported from our old magento sire to shopify

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

Anfal was my immediate point of contact who was all ways fast to get back to me. Polite and efficient never was I left waiting for things to happen. There was Talha the techie Isbah who seemed to sort anything else out and I guess more people working behind the scenes.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The new website immediately gave us better customer experiences and more profit.

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

We used google zoom chats what’s app and Google chat. Very good communication

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

The speed everything happened.

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

No I never found anything they were not familiar with

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

As the founder of D & A llc -SW Florida's Premier Software Solutions Company, we have designed award winning solutions for international media content distribution companies, monitoring and dashboard reporting solutions for CirrusPoint Solutions as well as designing and developing a customized solution for local IT startups such as My Undercover Agent.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We hired Phaedra to assist us with the "My Undercover Agent" launch. We needed their help to complete and implement the web design and later we asked them to design a mobile version of the web application.

SOLUTION

How did you select Phaedra Solutions and what were the deciding factors?

Phaedra had many great reviews and seemed knowledgeable and dependable. We love the team, they are very great at thinking outside of the box, and have solved many complex issues.

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

We worked with the Phaedra team to design the mobile and web application for My Undercover Agent. We had many steps from the design build to the implementation, to the subscription and stripe integration to the final launch. We used nodejs, AWS, React and many other technologies.

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

We worked with project managers, designers, mobile and web developers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The project was a success, and won the SWFL Innovation Award for Technology in 2020. We have enjoyed working with the Phaedra team on launching this successful application.

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

Their project management is very organized and they are always make themselves available for meetings. As the communication is good, we have met our timelines with no issues.

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

Their humbleness, and willingness to resolve all the issues. They helped us immensely as we launched our application there was so much work to do, they eased into it without complaint.

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

none

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a software startup working in the energy space within logistics and procurement.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Phaedra Solutions?

We needed a reliable technical partner to build out a software solution.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We built several software assets, including mobile applications, a web portal, and a backend infrastructure used to manage our data. Initially, we hired them to build a single mobile app, and that expanded to an MVP of our entire platform. We’re expanding their development services further organically this year as well. 

The software is an internal enterprise resource planning procurement and logistics platform. Since our relationship started, we’ve pivoted to capture more of a global market. They’ve done a great job adapting to that, taking it in stride. 

What is the team composition?

We work primarily with the developers directly, however, we have contact with the CEO and CTO. Their executives have always gone out of their way to provide the services we needed from them. 

How did you come to work with Phaedra Solutions?

I originally found them on Upwork and spoke to them about our initial task for them. They performed well and our relationship grew from there. We’ve since moved off the Upwork platform, integrating their services more closely with our team. Our business is largely focused on the market in Southeast Asia, so a partnership with their team also made sense to us geographically.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $100,000–$200,000 on their work. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working with them since June 2019.  

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The quality of their work is very high. I needed a technical partner to adhere to our needs from a development perspective without making assumptions about our needs on their own. Our industry and needs are niche, and they understood that in their work. As we expand our work with them, we’ll likely be augmenting our team with their software resources.  

How did Phaedra Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re good communicators. While there are some expected drawbacks from a time zone perspective, they’ve always been very responsive. If we bring an issue up, the management team going above and beyond to solve it. I’m happy with the relationship. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re great developers, working well with our give requirements and use cases. We also have a shared cultural knowledge through Pakistan, which is useful. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Everything comes down to communication. Make sure that you take creative charge of your project, and don’t leave requirements up to the interpretation of their team.

They definitely have the ability to work with clients outside of their time zone and hemisphere. They’re experienced at communicating on that level.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Include someone with experience in product management in your communication. That will help you communicate exactly what you want. Issues in communication and misunderstandings will occur if they have to make assumptions as to what your team needs.