QUALITANCE

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Founder / Head of CX of BRANDLAB / FINSTRO

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We build amazing FINTECH companies.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire QUALITANCE to accomplish?

• Cloud delivery and expert knowledge in international swift payments
• Project management in large scale agile development programs
• Amazing knowledge in productivity, and user experience

SOLUTION

How did you find QUALITANCE?

Online Search

Why did you select QUALITANCE over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from QUALITANCE were assigned to this project?

8-13

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

instro is a SaaS (Software as a Service) cash flow management system that helps businesses streamline their financial operations and improve their cash flow. The scope of work for implementing Finstro can vary depending on the specific needs and requirements of the business, but here is a general overview of the key components and deliverables:

• Needs Assessment: The first step is to conduct a thorough assessment of the business's cash flow management needs. This involves understanding the current financial processes, identifying pain points, and determining the specific goals and objectives of implementing Finstro.
• Solution Design: Based on the needs assessment, a solution design is created to outline how Finstro will be implemented and integrated into the existing financial systems. This includes defining the workflows, data integration points, and customization requirements to meet the business's unique needs.
• System Configuration: The Finstro system is configured according to the solution design. This involves setting up user accounts, defining access rights and permissions, customizing dashboards and reports, and configuring integration with other financial systems (e.g., accounting software, payment gateways).
• Data Migration: If the business has existing financial data that needs to be transferred to Finstro, a data migration process is conducted. This includes extracting data from the legacy systems, transforming and mapping it to fit the Finstro data structure, and loading it into the new system.
• Training and User Adoption: To ensure successful adoption of Finstro, training sessions are conducted to educate users on how to use the system effectively. This includes training on entering and managing cash flow data, generating reports, and utilizing the system's features to optimize cash flow management.
• Testing and Quality Assurance: Rigorous testing is performed to ensure that Finstro is functioning as expected and meeting the business's requirements. This includes testing the various features, workflows, and integrations to identify and resolve any issues or bugs.
• Deployment and Go-Live: Once the system has been thoroughly tested and validated, it is deployed for production use. This involves transitioning from the old financial processes to Finstro, ensuring a smooth go-live and minimal disruption to the business's operations.

Key Deliverables:

• Needs Assessment Report: A detailed report outlining the business's cash flow management needs, pain points, and objectives.
• Solution Design Document: A comprehensive document describing how Finstro will be implemented, including workflows, data integration points, and customization requirements.
• Configured Finstro System: A fully configured Finstro instance that is tailored to the business's needs, including user accounts, access rights, dashboards, and reports.
• Data Migration Plan and Execution: A plan for migrating existing financial data to Finstro, along with successfully migrated data.
• Training Materials: Training materials, documentation, and sessions to educate users on how to effectively use Finstro for cash flow management.
• Test Results and Issue Resolution: Documentation of testing activities, including identified issues and their resolutions, ensuring a high-quality and stable Finstro system.
• Go-Live Support: Assistance and support during the go-live phase to ensure a smooth transition and minimal disruption.

It's important to note that the specific scope of work and deliverables may vary depending on the business's requirements and the agreements made with the Finstro service provider.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

• Improved Cash Flow: One of the primary goals of implementing Finstro is to improve cash flow management. Measurable outcomes can include an increase in positive cash flow, reduction in cash flow gaps, or decrease in outstanding invoices and late payments.
• Reduction in Manual Effort: Finstro aims to streamline financial processes and reduce manual effort. Measurable outcomes can include a decrease in the time and effort required for cash flow data entry, reconciliation, and reporting.
• Increased Accuracy: Finstro's automation and data integration capabilities can improve the accuracy of financial data. Measurable outcomes can include a reduction in data entry errors, improved reconciliation accuracy, and increased confidence in financial reporting.
• Enhanced Visibility: Finstro provides real-time dashboards and reporting capabilities, leading to improved visibility into cash flow and financial performance. Measurable outcomes can include increased access to up-to-date financial information, improved monitoring of key cash flow metrics, and enhanced decision-making based on accurate and timely data.
• Faster Decision-Making: With Finstro's analytics and reporting features, businesses can make informed decisions more quickly. Measurable outcomes can include a decrease in the time required to generate financial reports, faster identification of cash flow issues or trends, and improved responsiveness to financial challenges or opportunities. Increased
• Financial Efficiency: Finstro aims to optimize financial processes and improve efficiency. Measurable outcomes can include a decrease in the time and effort required for financial tasks such as invoice processing, payment reconciliation, or forecasting, resulting in cost savings and resource optimization.
• Enhanced Compliance: Finstro can assist in ensuring compliance with financial regulations and internal policies. Measurable outcomes can include improved adherence to regulatory requirements, reduced instances of non-compliance, and enhanced audit readiness.
• User Adoption and Satisfaction: Measurable outcomes can include user feedback and satisfaction surveys to assess the level of adoption and user satisfaction with Finstro. This can include metrics such as user engagement, feedback on system usability, and overall user satisfaction ratings.
• Return on Investment (ROI): Measuring the financial impact of implementing Finstro is essential. Measurable outcomes can include calculating the ROI based on factors such as cost savings, increased revenue through improved cash flow, and reduced financial risks.

It's important to define these measurable outcomes during the project planning phase and establish key performance indicators (KPIs) to track progress and evaluate the success of the Finstro implementation.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

• Planning and Scheduling: Project management teams create detailed plans and schedules that outline the scope of work, tasks, milestones, and deadlines. This helps ensure that everyone involved understands the project's timeline and deliverables.
• Communication and Collaboration: Effective project management requires strong communication and collaboration among team members, stakeholders, and clients. Project managers facilitate regular meetings, provide updates, address concerns, and foster a transparent and open line of communication.
• Agile Methodology: Many software development companies follow Agile methodologies such as Scrum or Kanban. These methodologies emphasize iterative development, frequent feedback, and adaptive planning, allowing for flexibility and responsiveness to changing project needs.
• Risk Management: Project managers identify potential risks and develop strategies to mitigate them. They proactively address challenges that may impact project timelines and communicate any potential delays or obstacles to stakeholders.
• Tracking and Monitoring: Project managers use various tools and techniques to track project progress, monitor task completion, and identify any deviations from the planned schedule. This helps them address issues promptly and make necessary adjustments to keep the project on track. Totally amazing

What was your primary form of communication with QUALITANCE?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

• Innovation and Digital Transformation: QUALITANCE is known for its focus on innovation and digital transformation. They help companies adopt emerging technologies and leverage them to drive business growth and competitiveness. By staying at the forefront of technological advancements, QUALITANCE brings fresh ideas and solutions to their clients, helping them disrupt industries and thrive in the digital age.
• Human-Centered Design: QUALITANCE puts a strong emphasis on human-centered design principles. They prioritize understanding user needs, behaviors, and preferences to create intuitive and engaging digital experiences. By incorporating user feedback and conducting thorough research, QUALITANCE ensures that the solutions they develop are tailored to the end-users, resulting in high adoption rates and customer satisfaction.
• Agile Mindset and Methodologies: QUALITANCE embraces an Agile mindset and utilizes Agile methodologies like Scrum and Kanban. This enables them to deliver projects in iterative cycles, fostering flexibility, adaptability, and continuous improvement. By embracing Agile principles, QUALITANCE can respond to changing requirements efficiently, collaborate closely with clients, and deliver high-quality solutions in a timely manner.
• Cross-Disciplinary Expertise: QUALITANCE brings together diverse talent with cross-disciplinary expertise. Their teams consist of skilled professionals from various domains such as design, engineering, data science, and business strategy. This multidisciplinary approach enables them to tackle complex challenges holistically, fostering innovation and creating comprehensive solutions that address both technical and business needs.
• Strong Collaboration and Partnership: QUALITANCE believes in building strong and collaborative partnerships with their clients. They work closely with clients, acting as trusted advisors throughout the entire project lifecycle. By fostering open communication, active collaboration, and a deep understanding of their clients' goals, QUALITANCE ensures that the solutions they deliver align with business objectives and drive tangible results.
• Thought Leadership and Industry Recognition: QUALITANCE has established itself as a thought leader in the industry. They actively contribute to the tech community by sharing insights, research, and best practices through conferences, webinars, and publications. Their expertise has gained recognition, resulting in numerous industry awards and accolades.

These impressive and unique aspects highlight why QUALITANCE stands out among development companies, demonstrating their commitment to innovation, user-centricity, collaboration, and thought leadership.

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

Great firm, great company, can not wait for the next project.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I've been a Software Architect at White Glove (owner of the Gainfully product) for a little under a year. Gainfully is a marketing and communication platform for financial advisors to stay in contact with customers and prospects via email and social media. Our company is headquartered in the US but is distributed & remote. White Glove purchased Gainfully to expand our product offerings (our core business is in running seminars and webinars for financial advisors to generate leads).

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We hired Qualitance for the initial build of the platform back in 2017, both for the backend and frontend. We then transitioned to a mostly in-house engineering team around 2020. As of about a year ago we re-engaged with Qualitance to round out our team with additional full-time engineers (mostly for the frontend).

SOLUTION

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

The decision to select Qualitance was before my time. I joined White Glove in 2021, the project started in 2017. Gainfully was acquired by White Glove in October of last year. We continue to partner with Qualitance because their engineers have excellent technical skills and they have years of experience with our platform.

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

Qualitance designed and built the core platform. The backend uses Django REST Framework, Celery, Postgres, Elasticsearch, and RabbitMQ. The infrastructure is hosted on AWS and managed using Ansible. The frontend is split into two parts, the original UI (Angular) and a new UI (Vue). Emails are sent via Mailgun. The Gainfully app integrates with Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter for sharing social media posts. We also have a SAML SSO implementation for our enterprise clients.

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

For the initial build out (2017-2020) Qualitance provided three full-time backend engineers and three full-time frontend engineers. During the middle years when Gainfully had a full in-house engineering staff, Qualitance provided limited full-time and part-time support as needed (e.g. for infrastructure work).

Since early 2022 when we re-engaged with Qualitance for full time work, they have provided us with one backend engineer and two frontend engineers. We also just brought on a Qualitance QA engineer for an eight week contract to help us with the launch of a major new feature.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since I've only been leading the technical direction on the project for less than a year, I'll only comment on the recent work. The engineers that we brought on from Qualitance in early 2022 were able start contributing very quickly. They are easy to communicate with, easy to work with, they work efficiently on sprint tasks, and most importantly they have taken the lead in improving our core system beyond what we've asked them to work on. For example, our two Qualitance frontend engineers took responsibility for coming up with a migration plan for our fragmented UI situation (migrating old vs. new, Angular vs. Vue to a new unified UI).

They have already begun implementing that plan in the downtime when sprint work is completed or they are waiting for feedback on tasks. In this sense they're acting more like fully integrated team members with ownership of the platform. We also appreciate the design and UX sense of the Qualitance team. They weren't afraid to make suggestions and engage with our design and product teams. They offer up alternatives that result in a better UX. Again, this is above and beyond what we'd expect from a contract position, and we benefit from their additional perspective.

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

Project management is currently handled in-house by our full-time product manager. We talk to our Qualitance contact once a week for administrative and logistics issues (scheduling, feedback, contract negotiation, etc.). Since our team is distributed, remote, and split up across timezones (three US, one EU timezone) we rely heavily on asynchronous communication via Slack and Gitlab. For meetings, we've found a good range of core hours where everyone across timezones can join for meetings (daily standup, bi-weekly review & retrospective) or video calls to pair program or discuss issues.

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

They are a full service agency (frontend, backend, operations, cloud architecture, product management), their engineers are very technically skilled, they are flexible and easy to communicate with, and we enjoy working with them.

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

The only real areas of improvement I can see are documentation, testing (moving towards CI/CD), and smoother hand-off between backend and frontend developers. We have struggled with these as an organization with these, so I don't fault Qualitance for any issues here specifically. After our next major feature launch we are going into a feature freeze and will shore up these processes with Qualitance's help.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Country Leader of IBM Consulting Client Innovation Center in Romania

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire QUALITANCE?

Our business goal is to hire about 70% of our workforce and onboard about 30% subcontractors in order to deliver projects for our clients

SOLUTION

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

We select the subcontractors based on quantity and quality of resources, as well as consistency shown for supporting us to fulfill the demand we have. Qualitance has proven to constantly deliver quality resources in high volumes, aligned with our business needs

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

IBM is selecting a limited number of suppliers throughout a procurement process. From the list of agreed suppliers, Qualitance is one of the best in terms of delivering results. Basically we publish our openings to the subcontractor channel, all suppliers being invited to provide resources. CVs are proposed, candidates are interviewed by IBM and in some cases by the end client and if success, they are onboarded in the delivery teams

Describe the recruitment process in detail.

First step is to define the JD as accurate as possible. The supplier receives the opening and provides CVs. IBM is screening the CVs and is accepting the ones that comply at least 70% with the requirements. Then a practice assessment is done, meaning the IBM Practice Leader validates the skills of the proposed CVs, with or without an interview. Successful candidates are interviewed by the project. Selected candidates are accepted and negotiations about prices are refined throught Procurement

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The high demand for skilled IT Professionals that IBM CIC Romania is facing is high and the combination of skills in the JD are scarced. Qualitance is able to find and propose good candidates as well as retain them once onboarded

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Their resources are part of the IBM delivery teams, meaning they work in IBM premises together with other IBM-ers and contractors. During and post pandemic, when work from home is more present compared to office work, the integrated teams work together

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

I really appreciate the consistency and flexibility, long-term vision, and focus on the relationship with IBM.

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

In a challenging market. Qualitance is performing well above average in terms of recruiting, onboarding and retaining talents

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Senior Architect of Deutsche Telekom

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Telecommunications and global IT services

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire QUALITANCE to accomplish?

• Implement distributed, scalable and resilient network services

SOLUTION

How did you find QUALITANCE?

Referral

Why did you select QUALITANCE over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fits our budget
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me

How many teammates from QUALITANCE were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

The vendor was required to design and implement distributed, scalable and resilient network services for IP networks.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Software delivered and tested on internal network testbeds, as well as accompanying documentation

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Project milestones and deadlines were consistently met on time and the deliverables, as well as tecnical support, were of consistenly high quality.

What was your primary form of communication with QUALITANCE?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

I was impressed by the consistent quality of the work delivered by QUALITANCE. I also was impressed with their flexibility, solid technical understanding, and very useful feedback to our design requirements.

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

I cannot think of any.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Life insurance company specialized on bancassurance. My position was as Project Manager driving all digitalization projects within the company

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Our goal was to offer out client an better customer experience by implementing a digital solution for portfolio administration, namely a customer portal that offers basic information and self-service functionalities. This also included a new and improved website that is in line with our new vision.

SOLUTION

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

we selected Qualitance as a provider because we considered them to be part of our vision and shared best practices.

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

we used cloud technology and we used an agile approach for the entire project.

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

we a had a team of PM, BA, DEV, QA, UX & UI

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The project was a success and we managed to deliver the project scope in due time, according to requirements

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

They were very organized and well-structured. We used differernt communication tools as Teams, Jira & Confluence

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

The people. We worked closely and with good results.

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

no.