Sagiton

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the COO of a direct-to-consumer contact lens subscription business. We sell our own brand of contact lenses on a subscription basis. We’re trying to do for contact lenses what the likes of Harry’s and Dollar Shave Club have done for their categories. We’re based in London, but we also operate in the EU and the US.

What challenge were you trying to address with Sagiton?

At the start of our business, we had initially bought a subscription CRM database. We then gradually migrated to a more customized solution, and Sagiton has helped us through that transition. The technology is critical to our business, so we rely on Sagiton for their development skills and support.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Sagiton has undertaken both front- and backend development tasks on our Shopify platform. They’ve refactored its codebase to improve the scale and sustainability of the platform.

They’ve also implemented features for the customer-facing side of the software. This includes designing and customizing the My Account page, which customers use for subscription management, customer service inquiries, FAQ pages, and personal documentation.

Sagiton has also rebranded our business via a website redesign, providing a new logo and fresh typefaces. We contract another agency for marketing, so Sagiton is only involved in the design side of the rebrand.

What is the team composition?

Marcin (Managing Partner, Sagiton) is our main contact for business and strategic items, and they assigned three team members for our project.

How did you come to work with Sagiton?

They were recommended to me, so and I brought them in on a trial basis. We were pleased with their product, pricing, and working environment, so we decided to bring them in fulltime.

How much have you invested with them?

Over the last 15 months, we’ve paid them an average of £6,000–£7,000 monthly. The total would be around $150,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in April 2018, and it’s an ongoing engagement.

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

We’ve seen a 24% increase in website conversions, and user retention has also improved. The redesigned platform has saved our data analysts a lot of time, given that many processes are now automated. Manual workloads have dwindled because data pools and systems are much more integrated.

Sagiton has also reduced our business risk. We used to be at the mercy third-party providers like ReCharge—a subscription management app—or Shopify. We’re now more independent and in control of our success because Sagiton has helped us develop our own technology.  

The product they’re delivering is functional and reliable. While I’m not a technical person, my team operates 4–5 customer accounts which are tested exhaustively to ensure the functionality of subscription recharges and payments. It’s run very smoothly, and if there were any minor issues Satigon quickly rectified them.  

Sagiton is based in Poland, and they’re much cheaper than US or UK providers. They’ve also been flexible in regard to our budget. Operationally, I’d have no problem choosing a Polish provider over a domestic one.

How did Sagiton perform from a project management standpoint?

Despite their reasonable cost, Sagiton has provided great service, and language has never been an issue. Their team speaks good English. Communication has always been smooth, and we’ve even visited each other at our respective offices. We’ve been able to easily navigate the time difference.

When we’re working remotely, we utilize Asana, Trello, and a few other apps to communicate and manage tasks. We also have two Google Hangout calls a week with their tech team.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’ve spoken to many companies and venture capitalists in London, and they seem to mindlessly waste money on technology but fail to create real value with it. Compared to those companies, Sagiton has delivered outstandingly. We’ve gotten so much value for our money as their work allows future business growth.

Developers in major cities tend to be more mercenary, solely looking to work for 300-pound gorillas like Amazon and Google. We haven’t found that to be the case with Sagiton. They're truly motivated by our business.

Are there any areas they could improve?

While there’s nothing to critique on Satigon’s side, we could have improved our own project management. We had little experience with a remote technical team, so we relied on Sagiton to stay committed to project timelines.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Either commit to managing the project for them or let them manage the project. And, make sure the feedback goes both ways.

Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the CEO of Green4rent, an e-bike rental company. It’s a fully automated system where every customer interested in renting an e-bike can open the rented bike’s smart lock via a smartphone app.

What challenge were you trying to address with Sagiton?
We needed a development partner to build our mobile app, including the backend system and the administration panel for the solution.

What was the scope of their involvement?

I gave them step-by-step specifications for app creation. They performed front-and-backend development on iOS and Android versions of the app. They developed iOS and Android versions of the platform, the server application, the backend application, and an administration panel on the server side.

Features of the app include the ability to view nearby bicycles and lock or unlock the bike using their smartphone. While the application is finished, we’re updating it with a few changes.

What is the team composition?

There was one project manager and about five developers.

How did you come to work with Sagiton?

I had a good experience with them while working for my former company. I approached them again, and they agreed to work with me.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested $150,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

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

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
The solution is functioning well. I don’t have a lot of statistics because we just got started, but I’m a happy customer. We have approximately 50 e-bikes running, and our target is to rent nearly 1,000 bikes this season. 
 

How did Sagiton perform from a project management standpoint?
While they worked remotely, they had a good communication style. We used Slack for regular communication, and we had at least two meetings per week. I also received weekly reports to keep track of their progress according to the timeline.

What did you find most impressive about them?
I didn’t need to go to different companies for specialized skills, because they had enough expertise to fulfill my requirements.

In particular, they knew how to add a Bluetooth functionality, and they were familiar with the software development kit from the lock manufacturer. They also knew how to integrate the solution with our payment service provider and they built up a reliable server environment. 

Are there any areas they could improve?
In the beginning, the project manager was more focused on development than project management. After a different project manager took over, the workflow went more smoothly. Starting out with a clear definition of specialist roles would have been efficient than mixing titles and services.  

Do you have any advice for potential customers?
I would recommend the team. They are an experienced, personable team. 

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the general manager at Eclipse Group Solutions, an e-commerce solutions company. We deliver online shops to our customers.

What challenge were you trying to address with Sagiton?

We needed additional help with developing our e-commerce projects.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Sagiton helped us develop the code base for an e-commerce platform. They’ve worked on integrating third-party application assistance like payment providers and delivery providers.

Regarding technology, they used Hybris, which is now called SAP cloud commerce. The platform is Java-based on the Spring framework. On top of these technologies, they built a very sophisticated system with a plug-in architecture.

What is the team composition? 

The team from Sagiton included up to 15 developers.

How did you come to work with Sagiton?

One of the owners is my colleague from studies. We don’t often see each other, but I contacted them to help me deliver what’s expected.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent £1.5 million (approximately $2,000,000 USD) on their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from September 2017–April 2018.

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

The quality of Sagiton’s work is very high. Even though they weren’t experienced with the Hybris technology itself, they quickly got up to speed with a little help from our developers. All the developers from their team gained the right level of knowledge within the amount of time we expected. They were able to scale up quite fast.

How did Sagiton perform from a project management standpoint?

They worked from our office at first. When the team started working from their company’s location, we mostly used Skype for Business. At other times, we corresponded through any other tool that could facilitate audio and video conference calls.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The speed that they gained knowledge was impressive. They were dedicated to the project. Whenever we were under intense pressure, they took more responsibility onto their shoulders. They even worked over the weekend without being asked. They’re very supportive.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there are none. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They’re an open-minded team. My advice for future clients is to follow suit. Our company’s managing director and I are quite envious. Sagiton is very flexible, passionate, and attentive. They stay updated on new trends and activities to pursue.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the COO of Squares Moda. We’re an online fashion and marketing strategy company. We’ve created a portal for international fashion designers to purchase goods easily.

What challenge were you trying to address with Sagiton?

We hired Sagiton to assist with server installation and platform maintenance.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Sagiton performed multiple tasks to enhance and support our platform. They also accomplished a small amount of development work, but their contributions mostly consist of troubleshooting imperfections. We provided a list of requirements and collaborated with them to prioritize each assignment. Among other things, our list asked them to install databases and upgrade software. They also integrated new payment functionalities and resolved significant coding errors. Their team worked through each issue and updated us while testing the platform. They used MySQL, jQuery, MongoDB, JavaScript, and Node.js to complete the various aspects of the project.

What is the team composition?

They allocated a project manager and a developer to complete this project.

How did you come to work with Sagiton?

The company that built our platform only wanted to be involved in the development cycle. Once that was complete, we searched online for a company to further refine our system. Eventually, we found Sagiton and reached out to them. We discussed the project and I felt confident in their ability to deliver. Therefore, we hired them.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent roughly $10,000–$50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement with them took place from December 2015–June 2016.

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

Sagiton can come up with solutions and implement them quickly. They made themselves available beyond office hours to meet aggressive deadlines. We trusted their team with the most secure parts of our platform and they conducted themselves professionally. They understood our priorities, provided detailed feedback, and offered actionable advice on how to further improve the platform. We’re happy with the quality of work they produce.

How did Sagiton perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicated with them via email and Skype. We used remote access and shared screens to work together on intricate tasks. Despite working from different time zones, it was a relatively stress-free relationship. They’re prompt, responsive, and make sure to schedule work within their capacity. Our account was managed effectively and they kept the engagement organized.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their team members are open to innovative solutions. They’re extremely friendly, proactive, and possess a strong sense of camaraderie. Also, they quickly adapted to our system considering a different firm developed it.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’m not in the position to suggest what they can improve on. They were willing to work with us given our situation, schedule, and budget.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Sagiton works with their clients to provide a customized experience. They’re able to compromise and produce work within a strict deadline or budget.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I was a member of the I.T. and software development departments at my former company. I worked on both an interim and on a fixed basis over the course of 20 years. 

What challenge were you trying to address with Sagiton?

We worked with Sagiton on an integration project in the healthcare space. We built an electronic device that lets doctors who work in hospitals monitor patients with heart disease from a distance. Our goal was to improve patients’ wellbeing within a shorter time frame and offer them a better picture of their overall health status. 

What was the scope of their involvement?

Sagiton contributed frontend development to our product. I delivered the specs along with some low-profile screens and wireframes. The technologies involved included MySQL and WSO2. They conducted the complete development based on these designs. The team worked closely with another vendor based in Holland that was preparing the backend and middleware. 

The core of our product is personal data storage. It's merged with health records from the hospital. The key feature is a portal that gives patients access to information about their health status. Through our platform, they can also share this data with people like their doctor, family members, or other patients. 

What is the team composition? 

During the main part of development, about 3-4 developers were involved along with a project manager from Sagiton. We had a fixed price agreement, so sometimes the team included 5-6 or even just one resource at different stages.

How did you come to work with Sagiton?

Our company's CEO selected Sagiton. One of our employees had worked with them previously and had a very good experience. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about €50,000 ($58,000 USD) on their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our project lasted from April–September 2015.

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

I left the company just prior to production, so it's hard to say. At the end of my time there, we saw positive results. Sagiton always kept their promises and stuck with our project to the end. During the acceptance time and testing phase, they handled everything very well. One time, they even traveled to our location in the Netherlands for a couple of days. I conducted a workshop with health workers in the hospital, and Sagiton did an excellent job of assisting with that process. 

How did Sagiton perform from a project management standpoint?

They did an outstanding job managing the project. The primary communication methods we used were telephone and email. We only interfaced with the project manager. I did not directly interact with the developers. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were closely involved with our project. This was my first experience with this type of offshoring, and Sagiton made a great impression on me. The developers performed well and adeptly settled agreements. The frontend screens they developed were very high caliber. I appreciated the way they interacted with both myself and the healthcare workers. They made an effort to visit the Netherlands so they could assist us onsite. Overall, it was a very positive experience.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I shared my critiques directly with their team a long time ago. I can't remember what they were now, so they must not have been too critical. They completed the work we needed without any mistakes. In the end, it's all about going forward.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I,am CEO at market research company. We help enterprise-level clients to reach valuable data and insightswe b

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

we hired Sagiton to create an online survey panel. We commissioned backend and frontend work. Sagiton was responsible for building the entire web system.

How did you select Sagiton and what were the deciding factors?

we were looking for a cooperation company with a good understanding of our industry. The Sagiton team thoroughly analyzed our project and proposed interesting solutions.

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

we started with a meeting during which we refined the scope of work. We carried out the project in two-week sprints.

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

Mostly 3 people. Project menager, backend developer, frontend developer. In some period we were cooperate with 8 people.

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

we have built a new research product that we are currently developing. We have acquired a new survey collection tool.

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

we mainly communicated with the project manager. At the breakthrough moments for the development of the application, we organized meetings with the development team to solve the problems.

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

I was most impressed by their understanding of our industry and our business needs. This approach translated into great results.

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

no needs in this area.

Please describe your company and your position there.

Designing and developing custom software. Delivering tailored IT solutions for our clients. BonaSoft team have years of valuable experience in creating software.

For what projects/services did your company hire Sagiton?

QA and testing

What were your goals for this project?

Detecting and fixing bugs, improving the quality of our code.

How did you select this vendor?

We cooperated with Lemlock and were reffered to Sagiton.

Describe the project in detail.

The source code audit of the quality and completeness of the electronic library system; The source code has been tested for the use of good and safe programming practices. The basic assumptions regarding the quality of the code will be: DRY, KISS, YAGNI, SOLID. The code security has been verified on levels like: validation, sanitization and coding of escaping in the input data.

What was the team composition?

Wojciech Najman - front end developer Piotr Bochniak - PM and tech lead Bartłomiej Balcerek - CSO

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

Detect all vulnerabilities and meet security requirements.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

They found solutions to our challenges as expected. You can feel during the cooperation that they are fully invested in the work they do.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

This was one of the best collaborations I’ve ever been a part of because they care about their clients.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I don’t think so.

Please describe your company and your position there.

We help customers create effective data security systems and maximize their business goals. Our unique combination of experienced professionals and technical knowledge supports the largest companies and public institutions. 

For what projects/services did your company hire Sagiton?

We wanted to perform usability, exploration, and functionality tests on our application.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal was to gauge whether our application was user-friendly, intuitive, attractive, and error-free.

How did you select this vendor?

Sagiton served as our technology partner in the past, so we decided to continue the collaboration.

Describe the project in detail.

They conducted exploratory, functionality, and usability tests, found errors and suggested possible improvements by taking actions as the end user. They also performed tests to ensure that the app's functionalities were consistent with its documentation.

What was the team composition?

We worked with the QA technical lead.

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

After 40 hours of tests, Sagiton listed errors in a detailed report. They improved our workflow and helped us eliminate bugs.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We were fully satisfied with the workflow. We had no delays. The team was responsive, proactive, and transparent.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I was impressed by their attention to detail.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I can’t think of anything.

Please describe your company and your position there.

Rawlplug is a systems manufacturer of tools and fasteners. I serve as the product development manager of the R&D department.

For what projects/services did your company hire Sagiton?

We tasked Sagiton to build a BIM application for our company complete with a portfolio of models and technical drawings.

What were your goals for this project?

Our main goals were to develop a BIM library with 3D models and 2D drawings for designers and constructors. We also wanted a central place for one group of products that included mechanical anchors and a special plug-in dedicated to Revit software.

How did you select this vendor?

They were recommended to us by a colleague.

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

They implemented the WEB module for our clients, prepared the test and production environment, implemented the Revit software plug-in, underwent a test phase, and launched the product to the market.

What was the team composition?

The project group consisted of eight people from Rawlplug and six people from Sagiton. I was the team leader that bridged both sides together.

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

This potentially increased product sales. It also led to the growth of the customer base and monitored their activity. The product also standardized our technical documentation.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

The project leaders from Rawlplug and Sagiton cooperated well together. The project was carried out using Jira and we held weekly project meetings

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They exhibited excellent professionalism, effectiveness, and customer relations.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

Price estimation could be improved.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I worked as a Department Manager at a large IT company (about 2,000 employees) operating in the public procurement market.

For what projects/services did your company hire Sagiton?

We’d implemented an important project but it was in trouble. The schedule was very delayed, there were big problems with the chosen technology, and the system was also unstable and slow. We needed a team of professionals who would quickly implement the project, make up for lost time, solve problems during implementation, and launch the project.

What were your goals for this project?

The client expected us to quickly repair the situation and launch the basic functionality of the project, so the current team implementing the project was helpless and had to be replaced.

How did you select this vendor?

Sagiton was created by experienced IT experts known on the Wroclaw market. I knew that if we could establish cooperation, I’d be able to rely on them. I based my conviction on an interview conducted among managers and selected clients who had dealt with Sagiton.

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

Sagiton introduced an express mode to the project of experienced architects, designers, and developers. They recognized the key problems, developed a real implementation schedule, and proceeded to get the project out of trouble. They performed varied activities within their scope: implementation of separate project modules, rebuilding incorrectly written source code, and making detailed substantive requirements agree.

What was the team composition?

Sagiton’s team varies in size, between two to five people, based on our requirements. The key figure is an architect who established an excellent relationship with the client and was able to find a solution for every problem they encountered.

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

The project couldn’t be completed in time without Sagiton’s support - which would require us to pay very high contractual penalties. In addition, their efficiency and reduction of errors reduced the cost of the project.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Project management on the Sagiton side was extremely mature. This was particularly evident in the management of requirements and the way they were agreed to and documented with the client. In addition, Sagiton introduced elements of Development Operations, which were missing (one of the problems was a very laborious deployment process).

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Sagiton is a team of experienced professionals capable of leading – and saving – difficult, troubled projects.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

I did not notice areas for improvement.