Revolve Healthcare

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of Grupa Jurajska GOPR, a mountain rescue service in Poland.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Revolve?

We had a problem with the decision chain. We needed real-time data for all the decisions we made, but the process took 2–3 days. We went to Revolve to build a system that allowed us to do it whenever and wherever we wanted.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Revolve built a web application to help manage our operations. We have to be prepared for a rescue every single day. This app lets us check our staff, equipment, and vehicles for any given day. Each rescuer has their own profile that lists their training, working hours, and what equipment they’ve taken out. We can look up any actions we’ve taken at any time from January 2019 until today.

The project started with a brainstorming session with Revolve, where we expressed our needs and gave them our input. Revolve handled the design and development on their own and then gave it back to us for feedback.

What is the team composition?

Revolve assigned eight people to our project at its peak. We have 2–4 people working with us permanently. Przemek (Co-CEO, Head of Partnerships, Revolve) is one of our primary contacts.

How did you come to work with Revolve?

I was referred to Revolve by a friend who knew someone from their team. In our first meeting with them, they showed us their previous work. We liked it, and they had a young team, so we decided to go ahead.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $10,000 in the first year and $3,000–$4,000 per year since.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Revolve in February 2017. The first version of the application was finished in September of that year. They’re still working with us on updating the app. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our decision chain went from taking 3–4 days to one hour. For me, as the boss, that’s crucial. I need data for every decision I make, from the number of hours worked to the number of actions taken. Thanks to Revolve, I know what I need for next year, and for whom. Every single rescuer needs equipment, and every piece of equipment can work for a specific amount of time. I can now check how long each piece of equipment has been in use and plan for the following year. Revolve’s software has fundamentally changed the way we operate.

About 70% of the app’s usage is from my employees. They’ve never said a bad word about it. They give me feedback on how certain functionalities could be improved, after which I’ll call Revolve, and they’ll change it within a week.

How did Revolve perform from a project management standpoint?

The communication is perfect. Whatever we want, it’s done. Actually, were we to pay for everything we required, the cost would’ve been 2–3 times higher. With Revolve, they do it without complaint or extra charges. We’ve mainly communicated by phone, and we have face-to-face meetings where we draw up ideas using paper and a pen.

I can’t think of a time where Revolve didn’t do what we asked for. Sometimes, they deliver even faster than they promise us. They talk to us a lot throughout the process, asking a thousand questions like “Should it be on the left, or should it be on the right?”, “Should it be vertical or horizontal?”, and so on. We tell them what we want, and they do it.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Whatever we need them to do, Revolve does it with a smile. Whatever I’m thinking of, it’s like they can read my mind. They can translate my language into the language of technology. I just know what I need, and that’s enough for them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can’t think of anything. For us, it’s just great.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Don’t hide any information. Revolve will try to do the best job possible, but they need your cooperation to do that. If Revolve doesn’t do something all that well the first time, it’s because I didn’t tell them as much as I should have. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder and COO of a cybersecurity solutions provider.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Revolve?

We needed a couple of skilled and experienced, but very open-minded engineers to add to our core team to help us to develop specific components of our technology.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They were mainly focused on implementing user authentication components in our IoT system. The components were for human authentication, integration with Amazon Alexa, and the construction of some backend infrastructure elements. Everything was already built, but we needed them to bring some of the technology elements up to date because they are very skilled in Python. They also helped us translate the technology to some specific use cases.  

Some of their engineers have deep experience with our systems, and we’re planning to tighten our cooperation to work on joint solutions and implementation. They would potentially build IT systems for our clients and integrate them with our cybersecurity systems. We would profit from the know-how they already possess on how the system works, and how to provide maintenance and servicing.

What is the team composition?

We’re working with three people.

How did you come to work with Revolve?

They were recommended by mutual friends. They were described as a reliable partner with a skillful team that was very forward-thinking and open to learning new things. It all turned out to be true.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in November 2018 and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’re very precise. They’re very good executors of what needs to be done. Whatever has to be done by them is done, and always on time. Consistently, they’ve shown initiative and proactive problem-solving. Most important, however, is that their engineers are not just executors. They propose their own solutions and share knowledge from different projects.

How did Revolve perform from a project management standpoint?

We use Jira, Slack, and Zoom. They provide input and feedback on what we’re doing.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re reliable, precise, involved, and engaged in what they’re doing. They’re always ready to help. They were always available, even after hours.

They really care about their employees and the conditions they work in. It’s a priority of theirs, and I really appreciate that and have full respect for that.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there’s nothing that could be done better. They follow our guidance and do it all correctly on time.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Propose to them really interesting projects. Keep them motivated and hungry for new features rather than offering them something that is very ordinary.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president of Qrosscheck, a software management company developing solutions mainly for the transportation industry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with revolve?

We needed a partner to handle the technical development of our software from scratch.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They developed the software using Python as the main language, with JavaScript on the frontend. I put together feature descriptions and revolve came up with some suggestions. They handled the graphic design as well.

The database is presented in various ways, and the platform is built as a set of modules. The key one is for training; it’s flexible, allowing customers to develop their own curriculums and documentation within the software.

What is the team composition?

We have a team of three people, including a project manager.

How did you come to work with revolve?

I decided to search for a company in Poland as I knew the quality level was quite good—the Katowice region is the Silicon Valley of Europe. I did Google searches, assessed several companies, and chose to work with revolve.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent at the upper end of $25,000–$50,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in March 2018, and the relationship is ongoing. We will have some breaks shortly and then start up again on other features.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve finished the basics of the software and have been selling it for one week. This is still in its early stages, but the customer feedback has been positive so far.

How did revolve perform from a project management standpoint?

The communication is good, as is the reporting, and I have a good relationship with revolve. I contact my rep most days, usually over Skype.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The personal relationship I have with them is impressive. revolve has a good level of service, and their technical expertise has been satisfactory for my needs.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can't think of anything.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

We didn’t set up a proper server structure in the beginning. We had one in place, but I was the one dictating it, and I’m not a programmer. Later, I brought in someone from Sweden, who helped us part-time and he did a good job, but he didn’t have the time for actual programming—plus he was too expensive.

Anyone hiring a company like revolve should have an external party in place to control and check the coding, as well as the structure of the product. We’ve had to do some reorganization in the server environment because revolve initially misjudged the size of the system, and we came to max it out. It’s important to keep a weekly check on the work produced.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the CTO of a company that develops a mobile app for fashion retailers. We currently have customers in six countries.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire revolve?

We hired revolve to augment our in-house development team. Specifically, we needed to build backend infrastructure and a web portal. 

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal was to build an agile workflow, develop products quickly, and improve continuously.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I selected revolve based on a personal meeting with one of the founders and a recommendation from one of their customers.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Based on my input, revolve developed multiple components of our solution. They primarily used JavaScript and HTML, along with integrations to Firebase and Google Cloud Functions. They also advised on security concerns.

What was the team composition?

revolve provided a core team of two developers, and their CTO offered additional expertise as needed.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

revolve helped us roll out features more quickly than we could have managed internally. This helped us with sales and customer satisfaction.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

One of the partners managed our project. We communicated through regular Skype meetings and impromptu chats. They uploaded code to our Git repository.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They met our deadlines and produced high-quality deliverables. I was impressed by their initiative and their high degree of professionalism.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I have nothing to suggest.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CTO, CIO, and a co-founder of Valified HQ, a FinTech company that matches investors with companies seeking funding. Our online platform is data-driven and uses algorithms. Companies must be able to apply United Nation sustainable development goals (UN SDG).

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with revolve?

We needed an external team to build our platform, but had a difficult time finding local developers. Considering the ambition nature of the project, we needed to hire senior-level programmers.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

revolve has designed and built the platform from scratch using a modular approach and N-tier architecture with a strong focus on IT security for various technologies (e.g., React.js, Node.js, hybrid database, cloud hosting). Services from revolve included establishing infrastructure such as hosting using AWS while the Valified HQ team handled the UI/UX design.

What is the team composition?

They allocated a dedicated team of three developers. There’s also a technical lead who manages the team.

How did you come to work with revolve?

I found revolve through a personal referral from my co-founder. However, I also used Clutch to look for a number of companies. I interviewed each developer to confirm that they were technically sound. Once I spoke to several members of their team, I named the specific resources I wanted to hire.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with revolve in May 2018, and it’s an ongoing engagement.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I wanted to hire experienced full-stack developers, and that’s exactly what I got. I’m happy with the entire team’s performance, and the technical lead is revolve’s standout resource. They know what they’re doing from a technological perspective.

How did revolve perform from a project management standpoint?

Valified HQ is a small company of only four people, and everyone is in contact with revolve’s developers. We haven’t done documentation yet, but the technical lead helped get the team up and running using agile (Scrum) methods, with Jira/Confluence to keep things organized. We have regular standup meetings and use Slack and Zoom daily. We meet each other face-to-face on a regular basis. As a result, we feel like they’re a part of our internal culture. Polish culture and Danish culture are pretty close, so working together is really effortless.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re a small company with a really high level of integrity. They pride themselves in building excellent products and actively encourage a productive company culture.

Are there any areas they could improve?

revolve prefers using an agile approach to platform development. I have not experienced them in traditional waterfall projects with specified requirements but would expect similar integrity and willingness to deliver quality. I see revolve as being primarily developers, so customers should expect excellence in development and not in related topics (e.g., design, UX, project management).

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the director of a digital signage startup.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire revolve?

We asked revolve to write a client app for the BrightSign Player CMS.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal was to deliver software with consistent performance and high-quality code. We wanted to develop it quickly as we had clients waiting for this feature.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Another vendor referred us to revolve. Before contacting them, we thoroughly researched their past projects.

Can you go into detail about the services they provided and the scope of the project?

They built an app that used our protocol for communicating with our server. BrightSign had a custom operating system, so we asked revolve to run and test the Node.js environment on the hardware.

What was the team composition?

They assigned one person who worked with three of our frontend developers. We also could also get assistance from experienced developers when needed.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

Overall, we were quite pleased with their work, which was quite important to us as 30% of our clients use BrightSign technology.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

They met all our deadlines and swiftly reacted if anything went wrong. We used Slack, GitHub, and Skype to manage the project and collaborate with revolve’s remote team.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

What set them apart was their understanding of the big picture and their attention to detail. They always showed initiative.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

It will be difficult for us to find such areas.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the CEO of Alta. We have been in business for 27 years as an interdisciplinary company using psychology and IT. We have our own psychological team, as well as an internal IT team that supports their work.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with revolve?

We had 2 big projects, and we were looking to outsource the work.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They helped us with both projects. One project was an IT system that supports internal communication for the police department in Poland. Together with our team, they were responsible for building the platform that provides the foundation of the system. They proposed using JavaScript instead of the technology we used to use on our projects, and we followed their advice.

The other project is a psychological driver examination, also for the police department. It involves an intranet-based platform to protect and manage personal data, as well as a touchscreen interface device to execute the psychological tests. It then gathers results and runs modules that analyze the data and generate output.

What is the team dynamic?

It was a dynamic situation, and they were flexible in order to meet our expectations. During different stages of the projects, we had between 2–4 people from their team working on them.

How did you come to work with revolve?

We knew someone from revolve. When we began looking for someone to cooperate with us, we asked them. From there, we started working together.

How much have you invested in them?

We spend 30,000 Polish Złoty [$8,352 U.S.] per month on average.

What is the status of this engagement?

As far as I remember, we began working with them in January of last year. The driving exam project is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The collaboration has been very successful, and we are very happy with it. The platforms they have developed are stable, reliable, and functioning well.

There are high expectations with delivering a product to the police department, because they check every detail, including the source code. In cooperating with revolve, we have achieved better quality so far than we did on projects we developed solely with our internal team.

If I need to cooperate with an external IT team again in the future, I will go to them first. It was, and still is, a great collaboration.

How did revolve perform from a project management standpoint?

They were much more experienced than us in project management, such as Agile programming and Scrum, which was great for us. They were willing to share their knowledge, and they simultaneously grasped the project and taught us about project management. After several months, we cooperated perfectly. They were also very helpful and flexible about choosing which technology to use.

I have been very happy with the way they controlled the project from their side. When a developer from their team was ill, they were able to manage the situation very well. They delegated another developer to us, who quickly got involved with the team. That isn’t an easy task in the middle of Scrum.

Senior revolve management provided oversight, and we were in constant contact.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They are very competent IT people and are also very reliable. Their communication is very good, which is rare in this industry. Good communication is crucial in human relationships in general, but especially when working on a project within time and budget limits.

They are flexible, as well as mature from a project management standpoint.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I don’t think so.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a producer of interactive mirrors — surfaces on which advertisements and other content can be displayed. We provide our products to companies such as clothes shops or hairdressers who can then use a surface that is already present as a place for advertising.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with revolve?

In the early stages of our business, we needed a partner who could help us develop the software side of our product. We had to add functionalities like data collection from the sensors mounted in the mirrors (distance, gestures, temperature, and so on). 

We also needed a web page which would enable our customers to create their own accounts for managing the content on the mirrors. This was the most important reason for starting a collaboration with revolve.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

revolve provided website and app development. There were also some tasks around the management of the content on the mirrors through gestures and facial recognition.

There were applications which used distance sensors; when a person comes closer to a mirror, the content changes dynamically. At a two-meter distance, there would be product information displayed, along with an encouragement for the person to come closer. After taking a few steps forward, more information about the product would be displayed. When the person came right next to the mirror, they would see the full product information, as well as have some interaction possibilities through touch, for example.

We used the Kinect technology on the hardware side, as well as infrared sensors and touchable frames.

What is the team dynamic? 

The team size depended on the specific task and ranged from three to seven people.

How did you come to work with revolve?

One of our founders had been engaged with revolve, and recommended them. We were satisfied with the initial work and decided to continue the collaboration.

How much have you invested with them?

The total cost of the project was 100,000 Polish Zloty. [$27,000]

What is the status of this engagement?

We started work with them in June 2016 and the project ended in November the same year.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We couldn’t have begun selling our product prior to the collaboration with revolve — it was just not ready for customers. We have since started selling the mirrors and have sold around 100 across Poland and the rest of Europe. One of them has been bought by Sederma, a French company, to be taken to the U.S. for a technological event.

Our clients are satisfied with the product. We continued to collaborate with several of them, among which is one of the leading banks in Poland, Alior Bank. Our mirrors are installed in 35 branches across the country, and, currently, we are providing them with new content and new abilities for using those mirrors.

How did revolve perform from a project management standpoint?

revolve developed our product, while client-side communication is handled by our company. The collaboration between us and their team was good. Our offices are close to each other, which definitely helped the process; distance can be a big obstacle sometimes. All the relevant information was given to us at the right time. I cannot remember a situation when I or any of the other people involved with the collaboration were disappointed with revolve.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The focus they had on timelines. If revolve promised to have something delivered in a defined amount of time, it was. They were always reliable, which is the most important thing.

We have collaborated with other companies, and the results didn’t always satisfy us. There was no such situation with revolve. We were satisfied with the quality of their solutions.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could be a bit cheaper, at least by Polish standards. However, in my opinion, the most important thing is to have a partner to rely on, not the money we have to pay.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the co-founder of a consortium of highly specialized software providers in the central European region. I engage and interact with them to provide dedicated solutions based on the fastest partner in the field. Another initiative I’m involved with is expanding the IT market, specifically in North America and western Europe. Additionally, I’m also a partner with a Scala company from Poland, where I’m trying to work in the international phase department to engage clients and develop new markets. This has been my main focus for the last few years.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Revolve?

I had a client in Germany, and we were starting to ramp up the business based on Scala, so we were trying to fulfill competence in that area. Another company tried to meet their requests, but in a few weeks time, the same client asked us for team expansion in both the front and backend. The frontend was developed using AngularJS, while the backend was developed using Node.js.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I can’t speak much about the product due to high confidentiality with the client. They are from the e-commerce market working with the big brands in Germany, and are developing their own product. They have a full team of stack developers, including Scalac for development of the backend, and Revolve for the frontend specifically. They’re using AngularJS, CSS, Ajax, and some Node.JS references for development. The focus was more on AngularJS, and recently they’ve started Ember.js development as well. Revolve’s team was not originally competent with Ember.js, but they were able to rapidly develop the skill and can now employ it productively for our client.

What is the team dynamic?

Currently, we are only using two people for the project, and it’s been running since the beginning of 2017. The contract lasts until the end of 2017, but there’s a high probability it will be prolonged. This is the only area where I am interacting directly with Revolve on this project. However, Przemek [Head of Business Development, Revolve] is exploring some initiatives within another American market with me. He’s one of the initiators of the new consortium starting around the end of the year that will attempt to fill the needs of the Nevada IT market.

How did you come to work with Revolve?

I was trying to explore the market in Poland very quickly, and I’d already knew Przemyslaw [Co-Founder, Revolve] for a year. We had met traveling together to the US while running an economic mission between the markets in Poland and Nevada. Once we came back to Poland, we started to correspond via emails as well as phone calls, and eventually established mutual trust. Earlier this year, I approached him for help with the frontend of this project.

Przemek [Head of Business Development, Revolve] was partnering with another company, and they were doing software development services under one roof with a focus on Node.js. I called them and received a quick response, and they were easy to communicate with due to being a small company. It took about three weeks to go from engagement to agreeance on formal arrangements, so the partnership had a really rapid start.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in February 2017, and the relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were afraid that a small company wouldn’t be able to engage with a customer who has a lot of experience in the field, because they can be quite responsive and demanding. Our team is composed of both senior and junior developers, including one senior and junior from Revolve. This is a perfect match, and the team works incredibly well by being able to educate and balance each other. The overall quality of the project is really good.

We have a monthly evaluation call with our client, and most of the opinions and improvements are directed at the team in Germany instead of the one in Poland. The team performance and quality are both very high, and we are pleased because we expected lower than what we actually received.

How did Revolve perform from a project management standpoint?

The project is quite easy to manage through Slack. There is one product owner from Germany who is managing both the team there and the one in Poland. There is no formal project manager. They’re using a Scrum framework and getting some arrangement estimations for Sprint planning. They’re currently working in two Sprints, and the initial period was located in Germany. Both teams spent some time in Stuttgart to get on track and to really dive into the project.

I am not the product owner of this project, but as far as I know, most of the modules and tasks are delivered by the deadlines and are good quality. There are some improvements around development speed from both the Polish and German teams, but none of it is critical.

We see requests from the customer asking if the team can work a bit more in terms of sliding hours because they start work from 9 AM-5 PM, and normally, our team works from 8 AM-4 PM. There was easy migration and prolongation of hours, and we meet the client’s expectations because we work in almost the same time zone and environment. We are parallel in that sense, and we act as a copy of what is happening in Germany. The team there is doing quite well, and there have been no issues. It’s been a really good partnership because we don’t have to worry that the team isn’t meeting expectations beyond the technical stack of the project.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I only met the people from Revolve once in person when we began discussing the development team and management. They are a small company that is hungry for projects and desires knowledge from the external market. They are also responsive and committed. They excel in task specialty because they are working on a variety of projects. They are working for a Polish client, an external client, and a variety of others, all of which involves a wide array of tasks. They are skilled people, and I don’t have any problems trying to explain things to them. I really appreciate everything their team offered to this project.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The legal process is a challenge for a small organization like Revolve. Things like templates could be improved a bit more, but I also understand they are a startup and need more experience in the market. Their size also may be an issue, and although it’s perfect for them, it’s not easy to scale up. I would like to see them keep up with development, get good people and projects from the market, and try to improve their internal processes regarding operation with clients. They could also work on gathering everything to bring to market level, which again, isn’t their problem specifically, but more a problem with small companies in general.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Co-founder of Trial Library

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Help patients access cancer clinical trials.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Revolve Healthcare to accomplish?

• Build user interface software for physicians

SOLUTION

How did you find Revolve Healthcare?

Referral

Why did you select Revolve Healthcare over others?

• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Revolve Healthcare were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Develop software enabling physicians and medical professionals to search for clinical trials, join pre-screening activities, and refer patients.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Launched software.

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

Yes, all deliverables were provided on time and in a high quality manner.

What was your primary form of communication with Revolve Healthcare?

Email or Messaging App

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

Diligent, creative, very communicative.

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

No absolutely not - everything has been perfect.