Salsita Software

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Founder and Art Director of KILO, a furniture brand from Amsterdam with world-wide customers. Our furniture piece are assembled without the use of screws or glue and ship flat pack.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

The original discussion focused on bringing a 3d configurator for our product line into our website, but we quickly extended the scope to include an internal dashboard which will automatically draw and nest the needed parts and feed this into our CNC-routers. The idea is that this way we can offer configurable or custom sized pieces for a competitive price due to time-saving and eliminating human error. While by offering custom sizes also increase our base of customers in general.

SOLUTION

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

I initially was contacted by Salsita about their 3d-configurator and the conversation went very natural from their. My main reason to select them was their response to my initial questions and further discussions. On top of that they have a firm portfolio and had a impressive proof-of-concept to show.

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

The work is split roughly in three parts. The first part is the 3d-configurator of our products where the specific needs of KILO and the needs of our customers are fused into a great looking 3d-model on our website which the customer can adjust and receive direct feedback and pricing. The second part is what happens as soon as this customer buys a custom-sized piece. The team at Salsita had to get acquainted with the specifics of CNC routing plywood plates into furniture pieces. Something they did with impressive speed and dedication.

They build parametric models of our furniture pieces that not only scale in size but also on the level of details since the plate are not of a consistent thickness. Online orders coming through our website show up in a custom build dashboard in which I can distribute the orders over our several workshop locations, who can then make adjustments on part level. The final step is that these parts are nested with the help of some specialised nesting software and presented visually in the dashboard. For the third part Salsita is helping us improve our online visibility and online sales with marketing and ongoing reviews and adjustments to our website.

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

The team size fluctuated over the period and is still flexible. But next to the project manager there are/have been ux-designers, programmers, marketing specialists, writers, etc. involved. From KILO it has basically been only me plus the co-founder when it comes to some of the marketing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It is still early phase for measurable outcome as in increased online sales, especially since the last two years have been non-standard with lockdowns and COVID-19. We do, however, get very positive feedback from customers on the 3d-configurator and starting to see the first online clients that we have reached with our online marketing campaign.

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

Project Mangement has been great and working with the Salsita team has been a great joy. I found all to be informal but hard-workers that know their stuff: an ideal combination in my view. We started off with an intensive multi-day design sprint which was very good and gave the project a flying start. Regular video meetings as follow-up where needed. Most day-to-day communication via Slack and we use Notion to keep track of progress and to-do's.

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

I find all Salsita members that I interact with to be positive, informal and hard-working. Their can-do-approach and professionalism is truly a joy to work with.

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

I think the meeting notes/to-do's/deadlines could be handled a bit stricter, but that is something that is a much at my desk. Also, it has never been so that is has become an issue.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there? 

Olvin is a retail analytics company that uses mobility data to help businesses make better decisions. We analyse a representative panel of 275m mobile devices and leverage AI methodologies to provide insights into consumer demand. Through this analysis we help businesses with site selection, staff scheduling and the reduction of administrative costs.

I am the VP Product and am chiefly responsible with the development of our analytics platform, Almanac. This is the project that Salsita have been working on since we began working together.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Salsita Software?

Initially we were looking for a backend development agency who could manage our API and database. At that time, development work was split between two agencies – one covering the frontend and the other managing the backend.

We had made the decision to part ways with the previous agency and were in desperate need of a capable team to take over the workload.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

For the first 12-18 months, Salsita were able to fulfil on that initial challenge by transforming our API and database into a GraphQL structure. Performance was up, latency was down, and they were able to help us work on other backend needs.

After being thrilled by their work, and with a business need to consolidate our development into one agency, Salsita took over development on the frontend from July 2021.

What is the team composition?

Currently the team composition is:

• 1 x Full Stack Developer
• 1 x UI Designer / UX Developer
• 1 x QA Developer
• 1 x Project Manager

How did you come to work with the vendor?

Salsita came highly recommended by someone in our network. We had a couple of conversations with Matt, the owner of Salsita, and we really liked his philosophy that they prioritize hiring computer scientists over a particular technological expertise, as software knowledge is easier to acquire than a mathematical mindset. We signed the contract soon after.

What is the status of this engagement?

Ongoing

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since their involvement, Almanac has won the Product Hunt Product of the Day, as well as their AI Product of the Year 2020. In that time, we’ve also managed to sign up our first customers.

How did the vendor perform from a project management standpoint?

They are an absolute joy to work with. We have daily standups and a couple of other regular meetings. Communication is excellent and delivery is superb.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their enthusiasm for the project. This makes for engaged and constructive meetings, and manifests itself in the team going out of their way to make improvements to the platform without specific requests.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Honestly, no.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the CEO of Interform. We are an application provider that delivers software to what is called output management.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Salsita Software?

We hired them to improve our user interface and move it from a client-based application to a browser-based application.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The first step was the discovery phase where we brainstormed, planned, and reviewed our existing application to transform it into a scope and initiate a makeover. They gave us an idea on how to approach the project and finalized the milestones. Next, we entered the MVP phase and worked the plan into a final product.

What is the team composition?

There were at least 7–8 people involved in the project. They were made up of project managers, QA specialists, front- and backend developers, and engineers.

How did you come to work with Salsita Software?

We browsed and read reviews about them online. They stepped in, and we tried to get a feel for what they do and how they work. They seemed promising as if they could deliver according to what we wanted. We reviewed their other competitors, and we found Salsita Software to be the better choice.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them from September 2018–September 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our product would have never been released if it wasn’t successful. We’ve had a lot of positive feedback from our customers. We delivered a fresh interface that’s intuitive and based on new technology so obviously, it created a huge impact.

How did Salsita Software perform from a project management standpoint?

It was perfect. We didn’t experience any issues at all. They were responsive and proactive, and those were the things we were really keen on. We didn’t want to be the one who was chasing someone we were paying to be part of the project.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We were impressed with the diversity of the skills that they held regardless of the project. Whatever challenge we came with, there was always someone who was qualified to do the job. It was clear that they put together the team that also understood the task.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t really ask for more than what we got, so it’s difficult to say. We were happy with the service from the beginning and wouldn’t have spent time with them if we weren’t. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Always start with the discovery process to figure out what you want for the project and find out if someone is a good fit for it. If there’s a natural desire to make a project special, which was our impression with them, then you’re in the right direction to build the right solution instead of just completing a scope.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president and founder of a manufacturing service. We procure electronic components and assemble products for our customers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Salsita Software?

We saw an opportunity to broaden our reach in the marketplace. Our service was typically limited to a local geographic area. However, we thought the web would be a great way to expand some of our work to new markets.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They built us a new B2B website for engineering clients. Users would be able to go online, upload their needed building materials, and interface with our distributors via an API. The website would deliver a quote for parts based on price, delivery, and availability. 

We had some wireframes because we had tried to work with another firm, but that didn’t work out. Salsita Software essentially built the platform from scratch. 

What is the team composition?

We worked with a project manager, one or two fullstack developers, a UX designer, and the QA team. 

How did you come to work with Salsita Software?

I did a number of interviews with different firms. They were convincing and seemed capable. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $300,000–$500,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in 2018, and the website launched in early 2020. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve gotten our first successful transactions. The website is working well. I had some other marketing people take a look at it, and they were very complimentary. 

How did Salsita Software perform from a project management standpoint?

They were good. They set objectives and goals for both the long- and short-term. We primarily used Slack to communicate. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their overall expertise in B2B website development is impressive. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’m happy with what they’ve been able to do, I don’t have any complaints. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Set goals and have a vision of what you want.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Staffbase supports industry leaders with their own branded app to engage their diverse, disconnected, and distributed workforce. I'm an Engineering Manager at Staffbase, so my job is to take care for the existing engineering teams and grow our workforce internally and externally.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Salsita Software?

We needed external development support because our need for rapid growth could not be covered by hiring people. In that regard we were looking for skilled and experienced Developers matching our Stack (mainly React at the frontend).

What were your goals for this project?

As a fast growing startup, we've got lots of requirements on our product backlog that are already defined by our Product Owners. Those stories need to be implemented, following our quality guidelines and our aim for sustainable solutions.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We considered some providers, but chose Salsita because of the matching Tech Stack but also for the pricing.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Salsita created a dedicated development team with all the engineering and QA functions within the team, but with a Product Owner from Staffbase. Furthermore we have some Salsita developers distributed among our internal teams, and there are currently two Designers from Salsita working at internal teams.

What was the team composition?

The team grew slightly over the years, our main demand is for frontend developers, currently about 10. Plus 2 QA engineers, plus 2 designers, plus one project lead.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were able to achieve parts of our goals with developing the product further, i.e. creating new features and enhance existing functionality. This is a key demand of our customers, so Salsita contributed to the success Staffbase currently has on the market.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

The involved project management is very efficient and limits the overhead on our side. There are no language barriers since Staffbase is a fully international company and English is for most people not the mother tongue. We are using Slack, Jira, Confluence and GitHub.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Salsita is very flexible regarding the quick on-boarding of new colleagues. Furthermore most of their engineers are very engaged when it comes to find a solution for complex problems.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Sometimes Salsita has to change assigned resources because there are internal changes on there end, but most of the times we found a good compromise that worked for the both of us.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the manager of operations for a nonprofit organization that services low-income communities by helping childcare centers participate in the federal food program.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Salsita Software?

We participate in a very paper-heavy program that requires lots of manual processing in our offices to calculate data. Salsita Software designed a solution to allow us to use the computer to handle processing that we currently do with human labor.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They created a web application that we use ourselves and that our childcare centers can submit their paperwork on. It’s a PostgreSQL database, with a Node.js backend. The frontend was built with Angular. 

What is the team composition?

We had probably 8–10 people working on the project at different times. There was always a project manager and a DevOps person who helped us set or change things, and then numerous people behind the scenes.

How did you come to work with Salsita Software?

Because we receive federal funding, we had to have a procurement process. Salsita Software responded to our proposal and submitted a bid. They had the best proposal, assessed by balancing their expertise and their hourly rate.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $252,000. They worked diligently to deliver a great project and had great customer service, despite the project taking longer than expected, which drove their per-hour rate down.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them in 2016. Although the project finished in 2018, they’re still available for questions that I have while I’m maintaining the program.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It has significantly cut down on our paperwork and allowed us to store our documents digitally for the first time ever. We work much quicker now and have more free-space because we no longer need filing cabinets for everything.

Their work also dramatically increased our accuracy rate. We get yearly audits, and, since they removed the human error in our calculations, that has become a much less painful process.

How did Salsita Software perform from a project management standpoint

They used Jira for all of their tickets and used Slack for communication. It was very easy to communicate with them despite their location in the Czech Republic.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their customer service is the best thing about them. At the end of the day, all you want is a product that is delivered the way you ask. They took the time to understand our program and offered valuable suggestions, showing their critical thinking skills and how they go above and beyond with customer service.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They had to switch project managers halfway through, although even that wasn’t a flaw because both were great. There wasn’t anything remotely negative about the process.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Get quotes, and if Salsita Software is in the ballpark of another company I would select them every time.
 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the head of global digital marketing at a renewable energy company. We're a leading global renewable energy developer, service supplier, wholesaler and energy solutions provider.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Salsita Software?

As a global firm, we wanted to grow closer as a business. We tried to bring together our international locations during our 10th-anniversary celebrations by creating a photo app that is compelling and state-of-the-art.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They created a photo application that allowed people to take photos during our 10th-anniversary celebrations. The app allowed users to take a photo, attach an exposure effect, and post it to a gallery. Every colleague was also compelled to write a sentence about where we will be in ten years. That content went directly into a gallery so that all colleagues around the world could see it whilst celebrating. The app was integrated with our intranet.  

What is the team composition?

We had frontend and backend developers. There was a project manager and a UX expert working with us.

How did you come to work with Salsita Software?

We were recommended to them from our intranet provider and from another agency who supported the project management of the 10 years event.

How much have you invested with them?

The app cost 45,000 euros ($49,959 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

It began around August 2019 and completed in December 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They did a great job of reducing the complexity of the project. The app was well-received across the globe. Our managing directors offered a lot of positive feedback. Their efforts succeeded in bringing the company closer together. Every location would post photos as the day would go along, which gave us the feeling of being one company.

How did Salsita Software perform from a project management standpoint?

We mostly used email and calls to communicate. They offered to use Slack, but it was easier to communicate over email given the variety of tools being used by our different providers. We mainly communicated through ongoing reviews. They only involved me when necessary.

They were available fairly quickly, which was great given the tight deadlines. They were ready right off the bat and we had the kick-off workshop right away. They did many things behind the scenes, working to build the app. At first, it wasn’t clear where they were at in the process, but they proved they were professionals and did a great job without involving me.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their ability to reduce the level of complexity while also keeping a focused communication structure was impressive.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We had a project manager change at the beginning of the project which was awkward. There was also a misunderstanding with the production environment, but we worked that out in the end.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Plan to spend more time with your project if possible. Every day you spend with Salsita Software, you’re able to get higher quality out of the engagement. If you grant them more time, it’ll make the results even better. 1-2 more weeks for us would have made our app even better. We were still pretty happy though.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of technology for Purple, a creative innovation agency. We’re a creative agency with a focus on technology that has design, development, and management capabilities.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Salsita Software?

They’re helping us create creative, complex web applications. We needed additional expertise and manpower in creating advanced web technologies.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Currently, they serve as system administrators for the many services they’ve built out for us.

In one project, they delivered a web application that supports the sales of Samsung’s new flagship phones. It’s an interactive web-based game that was utilized in Samsung’s event set-ups. For that app, they used JavaScript, Node.js, and Unity 3D.

In the biggest project they’ve done for us, they developed a presentation platform that we’ve sold to several major clients.

What is the team composition?

They have four full-time employees assigned to our account. They’re providing us with a couple of full-stack development engineers, a frontend developer, and a DevOps team. We also have a dedicated project manager.

How did you come to work with Salsita Software?

I’d googled “React and Node.js Developers,” and they were one of the first few results to pop up. I sent them an email and got a phone call from their CEO within two hours.

We sent them a challenge assessment, and they surprised me by coming back with a full current state assessment of our project. From that point, I felt confident to work with them.

I was also at ease with the size of their company—with a 60-person team, they’re not too big, but they’re definitely not small and fragile, either.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in 2017, so it’s been a full two years. We’re still working with them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’ve proven themselves to be a high-end software development company, with their products performing exceptionally well. The presentation platform they created continues to be intensively used by a major company, in all of its global offices.

They’re dedicated to their job and are clearly versed in their art. Being knowledgeable software architects, they make the right decisions in terms of scalability and quality. Naturally, their quality assurance team is top-notch.

How did Salsita Software perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re always available and are ready to work late hours or weekends to fix critical issues. They take any road bumps extremely seriously and are diligent in quickly resolving them.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their level of dedication to our company and our values isn’t easy to find. It’s evident that they’re endeavoring to do what’s really best for us. They take challenges head-on to find the best solution.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, nothing comes to mind.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Don’t let go of them—keep them as your software provider!

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of eCourt. We’ve developed a trial presentation software for courts. We believe it’s a more efficient and user-friendly solution than what’s available on the market. There are companies that provide cloud-based document-sharing facilities in court, but our system loads files onto separate users’ devices.

The pages on opened documents are automatically mirrored across devices. Everyone using our eCourt app can collaborate and mirror within a courtroom situation, anywhere in the world. It works faster and more efficiently than cloud sharing since files are actually on the devices. These documents can also be annotated.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Salsita Software?

We’d developed an Android app version before I came to Salsita Software, but it wasn’t really what we needed. We wanted the solution developed with React so it could be deployed into iOS, Android, and Microsoft.

I contacted Matthew (Co-Founder and CEO, Salsita Software), and it developed from there. Salsita Software did a scope on what was going to be required, and we entered into a contract.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Salsita Software designed and developed our app. There’ve been a lot of changes involved, and it’s quite complicated. We had to incorporate a PDF reader and an easy-to-use, user-friendly interface. Salsita developed the whole server script. This had to be integrated with our databases.

Users can use cloud sharing to distribute the files through AWS, OneDrive, or whatever people think is the most secure. Files can also be distributed on USB sticks or SD cards. The system could be cloud-free for those who really want a high level of security. Mirroring files is instantaneous.

In the meantime, we’re testing it with users in Dublin courts. It has been used several times in various cases, and we’ve made a number of changes. Some people asked for the capacity to split the screen when looking at documents. We have a present, receive, and view mode. If a user is in receive mode, they can break off into view mode and look at any files they want. They can annotate and access the rest of the features while also looking at whatever documents the presenter has open.

What is the team composition?

We usually had meetings with the person managing the project and two developers. There’d obviously also be people working on testing, design, and other tasks. I’m not aware of how many people were on the design teams.

How did you come to work with Salsita Software?

I did some research into finding a good React software development company and came across Salsita Software. They’d done some work for another company in Ireland. I contacted them and they were very pleased with the services provided.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around €130,000 ($144,981 USD) on their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

We made the initial contact in 2017. It’s gone on for two years now.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve had positive feedback and endorsements. Like any software, it can’t be all things to all people, but we feel we’ve struck a good balance. People ask about live notes, sending files in real-time between tablet devices, and so on, but our system isn’t designed for that.

Everything was done the way we wanted, and we have a fine app to release in 2020. It’s applicable in any court, anywhere in the world. At the moment, we’re raising funding to take it to the next level. We hope to expand to markets in Ireland and the United Kingdom. I think we have as much as possible covered at this stage. The project can never be complete, but I’m very happy with it.

It took us two years to develop it, and we’re now just launching the Android version of the app on the Google Play Store. It’ll be another month or so before we have the iOS and Microsoft versions out.

How did Salsita Software perform from a project management standpoint?

We had meetings on Google Hangouts every Monday between the team here and the one at Salsita Software to discuss the work done in the previous week. We also communicated on Slack on an ongoing basis. I found the communication very good. They’re always accessible. If I sent a Slack message today, I’d have a response by the end of the day. We’ve developed a good relationship over the two years, and I’m very happy with the work. We have weekly meetings, and they paid attention to what we wanted.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I always felt Salsita Software was more dependable than other developers. I’ve had developers prior to this engagement, and it can be like shoving money into a black hole. Salsita Software was trustworthy, and that we were getting a fair deal. They’re honorable and the communication has always been very good. I’m very happy with them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t have any criticisms for Salsita that particularly jump out at me. There were times when I felt they could’ve done things quicker, but anyone can say that about anything. I might want something done in a hurry, but they have their developers assigned to various projects and can’t just drop something and go to something else. I wouldn’t even say that this is a criticism.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

I referred people to them a few months back. It’s important to have a good system of communication. We have that weekly meeting, so we’re kept up to date all the time. It’s easy to manage the thing because of the communication channels. Between videoconferences and Slack, we can manage the project tightly, and they’re open to that.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the vice president of information technology for a mortgage solutions company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Salsita Software?

We hired Salsita Software to develop a mobile application.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Salsita Software helped us develop a mobile app for Android and iOS, built using React Native. The purpose of the app is to enable customers to appraise and evaluate real estate. 

Some of the key functionalities allow users to do automatic calculations on sizing, areas, grids, curves, and anything else they’d need to draw a footprint of a piece of real estate. It handles and organizes pictures, captions, and other key features to appraise real estate. 

What is the team composition?

They assigned a dedicated project manager to us for different stages of the project. 

How did you come to work with Salsita Software?

I’d used Salsita Software in the past at various companies, so it made sense to use them for this project. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $750,000 on the project. 

What is the status of this engagement?

This project ran from June–November 2019. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

From the multiple rounds of both open and closed beta testing that we did, we’ve heard great feedback that it’s much easier to use than others in the market and is more approachable. These are two significant factors in our industry right now. 

Through the multiple rounds of feedback and testing, our internal team has gained a lot of confidence in the work. The functionality of the app is better than anything similar to it. They've also done a great job capturing user feedback and incorporating it into updated versions of the app.

How did Salsita Software perform from a project management standpoint?

They remained on schedule and within our budget throughout the project. All of the management was done very fluidly, using Jira, Confluence, and Slack. We ended up switching project managers halfway through as we moved into the development phase, but it went smoothly and it was a fluid approach. Our communication went well since the only barrier was the time difference. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were really great at UX/UI at every stage of the project, which a lot of companies can’t say. Not every company is as good at handling that. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

More upfront collaboration on a few of the technology decisions would be helpful. There were a few instances at the start where some of their decisions didn’t play well with my internal team's ideas, so it’d be beneficial if they had gotten our insight. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be an agile shop. They’re great at working iteratively, so use them in that way.