SapientPro

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Our company specializes in software development. I am a sales person responsible for establishing partnerships with outsourcing vendors.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We hired SapientPro to co-create a new e-commerce site and transfer data from an old one.

SOLUTION

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

We found them on Clutch and from then on communicated via email or Skype (if there was something urgent). The deciding factor was their vast experience with E-commerce and outsourcing maturity.

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

SapientPro helpled us build the new website from the ground up including requirements elicitation, design, front-end development, and back-end development. Among the technologies they used were PHP (Laravel), Magento, MySQL, Elasticsearch, and React. Discussions are now underway about the website's ongoing co-maintenance.

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

We worked with a team of front and back-end engineers, including designers, QA specialists, and a project manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

As a result of the website's improvements, it now responds faster to large traffic than the old version. The content can be easily updated on the website thanks to the intuitive and responsive admin part. SapientPro also automated QA processes, so we detected the issues much much faster. They also recovered the information from the old site without any data loss or damage, so we were able to update the new site quickly.

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

Communication was very smooth, we used several tools for it - emails, Slack, voice calls. Project management was transport, we always knew the status of the project.

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

Whenever we needed to contact them, they always responded quickly even outside of business hours. They have an underlying value of transparency, so they delivered what they promised and communicated all risks and areas out of their scope early on.

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

There's nothing that comes to mind right now.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

The company is a media company working with affiliate and membership based solutions with different subscriptions. My position is CEO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire SapientPro?

I hired them for web development of WordPress-based sites. Both smaller tasks but also bigger projects and developments.

What were your goals for this project?

I hired SapientPro for an overall collaboration around smaller bugs and adjustments on my sites. I therefore use them on daily basis. But I also hired them for one bigger task, where they developed a new subscription system with more difficult elements in it.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

SapientPro was recommended for me by a business friend, and therefore it was a personal recommendation. I did one meeting with the team at SapientPro and after this, I was sure, that I wanted to use them for my web development on my projects.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

It is difficult to precisely describe the total project since we both did a big project but also smaller ones. But the development started out with smaller adjustments like customization of plugins, translations, building checkout-flows, removing bugs, etc.

For the bigger project, I created both mock-ups and a working board in Trello that Sapient Pro used. They developed a new landing page and subscription checkout flow making different systems work together. This process was not easy at all, but we had good communication and progress about it and made it through.

What was the team composition?

The project team was a project manager from SapientPro and developers. From my company, only one person. This constellation worked super-efficient.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The bigger project has meant a great deal since this helped the business grow with new subscription services. This meant more growth and possibilities for my customers. The project launched at the agreed time and everything worked out.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

SapientPro did an amazing job. They were always available for smaller and bigger urgent changes and kept aligned with the project plan. We mainly communicated through Skype.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their ability to change fast and work with urgent deadlines was impressive. They are very flexible. Their competence level is also very high.

Are there any areas for improvement?

There are no areas for improvement - not as I see it and on the projects I have done with SapientPro.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the product owner of the Welcome App, a Dutch nonprofit. Our goal is to support newcomers with a refugee background to find their way in the Netherlands. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SapientPro?

Our services are offered through a mobile app, which we hired Sapient Pro to help us build and design. The Welcome App functions as the central platform where programs, training, events, and questions come together.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We originally outsourced the development of the iOS and Android application to another company, but we brought SapientPro on to complete the updated version of it. The fundamentals are the same, but the team installed new capabilities and completely changed the flow of the platform. 

When SapientPro was brought on board, we provided the team with some wireframes and designs, but they weren’t complete. The UI/UX team jumped in to help out in the design process right away so that the developers could quickly get to work.

We have several key functionalities. The first is a question portal, where newcomers can ask questions to be answered by either the local community or by experts. Many of the questions for the experts are quite sensitive, whereas the ones directed towards local users have more to do with navigating everyday life.

There’s also a space for newcomers to build up a social network through trainings, events, and programs. 

Next, we’re launching a translation feature, where newcomers can get an interpreter on the phone within 40 seconds. 

What is the team composition?

There were about seven or eight people involved in the project. The CTO and CEO will jump in and help out if necessary. 

How did you come to work with SapientPro?

We found SapientPro through word-of-mouth. I had several conversations with Dutch companies, and their team came up. A friend of mine had been working with them for years and was very satisfied with their performance.

In our initial meeting with the CTO and COO, we were quickly impressed, so we decided to partner with the team.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around €100,000 (approximately $109,000 USD) on the project so far. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in August 2019, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We just launched the update of the app, so it’s a bit too early to provide any substantial data.

However, we’re very happy with the collaboration so far. We tested the new flow of the app, bringing in various stakeholders. All the feedback we’ve received has been overwhelmingly positive. Thanks to SapientPro, we’ve taken a great leap forward.

How did SapientPro perform from a project management standpoint?

Our project manager works nonstop, and is always ready to jump on a call when necessary.

We keep in touch mainly through Telegram and track progress through Redmine. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Not only is the communication strong, but it’s also personal. We really appreciate that senior members of the company are available to jump on calls and help us through different points of the project. Everyone on the team is willing and able to fully engage whenever we ended them. It’s the reason why we want to keep moving with SapientPro moving forward.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We had one small issue, where the team was using a different design platform than we were used to, but it wasn’t difficult to overcome.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Take advantage of their personal engagement and communication in the collaboration.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the COO of Footshop. We are a big online e-commerce player that sells sneakers and high fashion clothing.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SapientPro?

We needed a team to help us with e-commerce and web development. We needed to increase our development team because we grew very quickly. We wanted new features and to stabilize our website and system. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

SapientPro worked on our e-commerce and website development needs. They produced new features and the customer-facing side of the platform. Their team used a variety of technologies including PHP, Elasticsearch, and RabbitMQ. They also created the site in 10 languages. 

What is the team composition?

We worked with six people from their team.

How did you come to work with SapientPro?

I found them through an online search, so we communicated through an initial email and a Skype call. After that, I went to Ukraine to meet with them. I chose their team because the communication went great with the owner and they had a good knowledge of technology. 

How much have you invested in them?

We spent $4,000 for each developer.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them from May 2018–December 2019. We’re building our own internal team so we stopped our collaboration. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We had a very good experience with them. Their knowledge makes them a great candidate for another e-commerce project, so I’ve recommended them for others. 

How did SapientPro perform from a project management standpoint?

We managed the project internally. We used Slack, Jira, Zoom, and GitLab.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The best part about working with SapientPro was their energy. Their young team and willingness to do new things made them great. They were good workers and were always looking to improve quickly. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Adding more proactive design features would be great. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It’s important to have good internal project management to manage their team for longer-term projects.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner and founder of a business in communication, design, and innovation. My position is at the moment call the chief creative solutions.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SapientPro?

We have a customer that works in special needs education, and we do all of their communication work. We hired SapientPro to develop a website with a custom CRM.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They built a web-based platform with a custom CRM and CMS. They also built an adjacent native Android/iOS app that the website can interact with. In addition to being an e-commerce site, it’s a booking and subscription platform.  Agendas are accessible on the app or through the backend of the website.

Members also use it as a collaboration platform—they can schedule meetings, join meetings, share files, and discuss things through a forum.

What is the team composition?

There are two people who we contact regularly, and an emergency contact. Over the years, we’ve worked with many people. They always are able to staff the team and fulfill their promises.

How did you come to work with SapientPro?

Someone recommended them to me.

How much have you invested with them?

We spend about €30,000 per year (approximately $335,000 over ten years).

What is the status of this engagement?

I’ve been working with them since before they were called SapientPro. Our partnership began around 2009 and we’ve been working together ever since.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Subscriptions have increased by 20% each year. The quality of the systems we’ve built together is very high. The site is very useful and really helps our client stay in contact with members without growing their staff.  Without this system, they would need to hire another person to maintain communication with over 700 schools in Holland. The impact is huge.

How did SapientPro perform from a project management standpoint?

They always keep their promises—when they schedule something, they get it done in time and in budget. Over the years, it’s always been very easy to contact them. We used to Skype, but now we usually use Slack. Even though they’re far away, are in a different time zone, and speak a different language, they’re always available.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It doesn't matter what platform, language or digital solution we're looking for; they always have an expert available who can get things done in a reasonable time frame. So that's really impressive.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It’s a shame they’re not closer, but that’s difficult for them to improve.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

The nice thing about SapientPro is that they’re approachable and always reachable. Still, you need to be reachable too. Web development is a very agile process and things change quickly. You have to be open to their input because they have some really valuable insights. If you’re open to their ideas, you’ll get an even better product.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Our company offers financial and operational reporting and services. I am one of the co-founders.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire SapientPro?

SapientPro developed the complete front end in ReactJS

What were your goals for this project?

The goals was on time delivery within a fixed budget.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I already worked with SapientPro on other projects and startups, and I am very satisfied with SapientPro.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Implement and configure ReactJS, developed all the different application pages and functionality, implemented the full design as delivered through Zeplin.

What was the team composition?

A small agile team set-up with a scrum master and the developers, the SapientPro operations manager was also engaged to ensure on time delivery and efficient communication.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Very positive impact.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

We used Slack/Zoom/Skype for communication and SapientPro is using Redmine for sprint planning.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They provided excellent value for our money.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No further improvements needed.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing operations manager at Easygenerator, an online authoring tool to help companies create engaging e-learning courses easily and manage their learning and development stack.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SapientPro?

We had the same marketing website for about six years. It was obsolete technology-wise and had a lot of outdated content. In six years, many changes have been made gradually: a few pages have been deleted or added, but a lot of older features became irrelevant.

Navigating through old data became messy, and we needed someone to redevelop our website following our company rebrand. This time, we wanted a modular solution that allowed us to add and manage features over time, and gave us the ability to easily tweak every part of it ourselves. We didn’t want to have to rely on an external agency for every single change in the layout.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We started a pilot project to create the groundwork for a full website. The first phase was creating a blog with all the content we already had and a homepage with modular blocks that we could reuse creatively on other pages. That was a 200-hour project. They had to create a whole new WordPress environment and lay down the groundwork for the next steps. Development was extremely fast and timely. We were happy with it and created a scope for the bigger project. The foundations being made, they just had to work on top of what they already did.

The scope was made in collaboration with them. They helped us decide on technology and then built everything from the ground up. We already had new designs for most pages and knew how we wanted the website to feel. Some parts of the site, like the blog, were brand new designs, as we used to host articles on HubSpot.

Another big thing we asked them to do was to make the website multi-lingual.

What is the team composition?

We had two frontend developers, a WordPress developer, and a QA person. I was mostly communicating with Max (CTO, SapientPro) and Serge (COO, SapientPro). Whenever there was something I wasn’t very sure about or a feature that needed tweaking, they were there for us.

How did you come to work with SapientPro?

We used to work with a freelancer for quite some time to develop a new website. It didn’t go so well. In about the same time it took us to develop the full website with SapientPro, the freelance development made only two static pages and a draft of the new environment, using obsolete technology. I was referred to SapientPro by another company we’re working with that went through a similar project, and I found them to be the best fit.

After going on Clutch and reading the reviews, I saw we had similar values. Trust is very important to them, and they deliver high-quality work. We gave them a pilot project and, according to how it worked out, we would go for a bigger commitment to create the website.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $18,500 with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from June until October 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

There’s a huge difference between the old website and the new one in terms of usability.

Not only have all of the blog posts been migrated, but we now also have new types of content pages specifically optimized for search engines.

We can already see the difference internally, as we are now able to change anything we want on the website very quickly. The modularity allows us to design new types of pages or content. Migration also went rather smoothly, as we didn’t experience a single downtime while making the transition from the old environment to the new one.

How did SapientPro perform from a project management standpoint?

They were very autonomous for the pilot project, but for the second phase, we were in close contact to make sure everything rolled out properly. I really appreciated that approach. We agreed at the beginning that every week they’d give us an update of all the changes they’d made to the website. On their end, they used Redmine and gave us access to a staging server, so we were able to see the changes in real-time.

They were quite agile as well. For most of the deeper modification and advice, it was one-on-one communication with Max. He was always available on Slack, but we also had a couple of calls together. They uploaded the code to their GitHub account so our own developers could keep track. Even on the technology side, they’d advise us on plugins in order to save us from adding hours of development. They helped us save money by being really proactive.  

What did you find most impressive about them?

The freelancer we had was maintaining the current environment. We also asked him to create a new page and develop a new environment. Our engagement with him was a bit over a year. In a fraction of that timeline (about a third of that time), SapientPro was able to do way more in a very high-quality manner. They’re extremely precise. I wouldn’t say to a fault, but almost. They’re highly technical. That made our whole website faster and efficient. It was a project to get done in three months incorporating the migration.

What separates SapientPro from others is the quality of the code and communication. They’re very present, and we felt heard as a company. They were really striving for the best they could in making sure we’d be on par and not lose any time. They’re dedicated and have competitive prices.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They were always implementing things as they were written in the document we came up with. If it was too blurry, they’d ask questions. We used Zeplin.io to share our designs, but the tool doesn’t incorporate animations. As a result, sometimes the pages created would end up not behaving the way we wanted in the end. An easy fix to that would simply be for them to ask more questions when they’re not sure or wonder why some design features behave the way they do.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you think there are things you take for granted, dive a bit deeper into conversation with them, as you won’t necessarily see the same thing. Ask more questions or be more precise in your intentions.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the managing director of an online service that provides answers to legal questions. We offer subscriptions that give companies and individuals legal advice.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SapientPro?

Our collaboration is a staff augmentation for an ongoing project. We rely on them for web development and UX/UI work. We needed a flexible team of developers who could provide additional resources depending on our specific needs.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They currently delivering an MVP, so we’re currently going for as few functionalities as we can.

Since we want to maximize clarity and ease of use for a legal platform, the technology is fairly basic. However, we do have to optimize UX/UI, because legal services are complicated by nature.

The developers code for us using React, Mongo DB and Node.js. Essentially, they do all of the development work—which involved submitting forms, creating profiles and workflows, and structuring the information on a dashboard. They also used third-party API integrations to add a live chat and a payment system.

What is the team composition?

We initially contracted two back- and frontend developers, whom they provided on very short notice. Once our need increased, we hired an additional frontend developer. They provided two complimentary managers (despite the fact that we contract another agency for project management) who oversee the developers’ work.

We communicate with the COO and CTO of the company, who advise us on some of the technical aspects of the work.

How did you come to work with SapientPro?

We found them through a google search. We’ve worked with them on other projects, and they’d done a great job, so we took them up again.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $20,000 a year.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started in August of 2019, and it’s an ongoing collaboration.

SOLUTION

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

If we contracted an in-house team in Switzerland we would be spending roughly $400,000 a year. From that particular standpoint, they’re ridiculously cost-effective.

And, I’m very happy with their work. They deliver on time and are very efficient. I’m particularly satisfied with the velocity of the developments. They also go out of their way to accommodate specification changes, and they proactively seek solutions.

How did SapientPro perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re extremely responsive, and their management is extremely adept at handling client requests. They consistently meet expectations.

We use Slack and JIRA to make specifications and track all progress. The team has a very positive attitude, and they’re very professional.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re an excellent mix of quality, speed, technical expertise, and price. They’re really the best choice for me.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It would be nice to have native English speakers, but I really wouldn’t be enlisting a Ukrainian company if that was important to me. It wouldn’t make sense for me to have that requirement.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Specify your needs properly to enable them to do their best work.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder & CEO of a blockchain platform that aims to bring integrity to the steel industry by tracing the precise distribution of metal materials.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SapientPro?

I was looking to scale my technical team to implement our platform. We find the working culture in Ukraine to be admirable, so we were seeking to leverage SapientPro’s expertise and work ethic.  

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The team’s programmers have worked with our team to code for the platform, which utilizes Node.js and React. They serve as an extension of our in-house team, so we decide on a weekly basis what each sprint for that week will look like.

What is the team composition?

On the management side, we work with Sergiy (Full-Stack Web Developer, SapientPro) and the CTO, Max (CTO, SapientPro)—who jumps into the technical work whenever the developers hit a wall. We generally work with four programmers, although the exact number fluctuates depending on the scope of work.

How did you come to work with SapientPro?

They came recommended to me by someone I knew in the Netherlands. He recommended them to me because I spend so much time in Ukraine. I decided to give them a shot, and things really worked out.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent somewhere around $80,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in February 2019, and it’s an ongoing collaboration.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’ve delivered our platform, which is now online and on the app store. It’s been working very well, and it’s steadily gaining customers and users. Since the product is in its very early stages, its smooth functioning post-launch is currently the biggest indicator of success.

They’ve added substantial value to our project through their dedication and expertise. We really appreciate their willingness to learn and go the extra mile—sometimes, they’ll even work through the weekend. They have the right skills and are well-educated on top of being just great people.  

How did SapientPro perform from a project management standpoint?

We took it upon ourselves to oversee project management since they were a fluid extension of our own team. If they anticipated any friction with scheduling, they’d be quick to supplement the team with an extra programmer. They typically met all deadlines.

We used Slack and Telegram to communicate.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’ve appreciated the fact that their primary manager and point of contact lives in the Netherlands, where I’m from. There’s a cultural connect there, so things aren’t lost in translation.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We would appreciate if some of their programmers were better at English since that’s how we communicate. Having said that, we’re very happy with their work.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Communicate well to make sure that they have a good grasp of what the goal is. Involve them in the process—don’t just use them as an expendable resource. Give them the opportunity to creatively contribute to getting the most out of your collaboration.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I own e-commerce companies and started a school for refugees two years ago with my wife.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SapientPro?

We needed a way to record attendance because the government requires it. There aren't readymade systems for this on the market, so we decided to build it on our own.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

SapientPro developed a web tool for monitoring my students’ attendance. It allows me to export reports and send them to the parents. To start, I made a small briefing on the required features. From there, they created technical specs, and we had some Skype calls to go over all the features that should be included. Afterward, they took on the whole project, handling the app and web development.

The product is quite simple, with only one core functionality. It scans a student QR code to determine who is present. Users can enter the app as an administrator, school representative, or teacher. Each one has different rights and permissions. As an admin, I can create accounts for other schools, market the platform as a white-label product. As a school director, I can view attendance statistics, GPS locations, and real-time reports. We created the apps for Android and iOS natively, not using hybrid technologies.

What is the team composition?

I was in contact with their sales manager, and I mainly dealt with our project manager. Otherwise, I spoke with the designer and the app developer on Skype calls. But, for 90% of the partnership, I was only in contact with the project manager.

How did you come to work with SapientPro?

I studied with one of their owners and knew they'd started a company. After looking at their website and chatting about the project, I decided to use them. I’m very happy about my decision, and we'll likely do additional projects together in the future.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested €12,000 (approximately $13,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with SapientPro in January 2019. The majority of the work is done, but I identified some new features I want in the app. We’re reopening the project now.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

SapientPro did a good job of learning the scope, planning, and adhering to deadlines. I don’t have any statistics, but I’m happy with the results.

The main feature of the app is to scan a QR code. I’d used a similar product in the past, and I wanted that functionality in my app. With that product, it would take three seconds before the QR code got into the system and was scanned. If I had 10 students to scan and had to wait three seconds every time, it would add up. Now, it’s way faster, taking less than a second to scan. It saves a lot of time and frustration.

How did SapientPro perform from a project management standpoint?

They gave me a good outline of the timeline. It was clear from the beginning what we'd include in the project. Despite not having a technical background, I was able to communicate the features I wanted. This was due to their understanding and ability to translate my ideas into technical features. They even helped me approve those technical features before starting the project.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I thought they were flexible. Even if something wasn’t in the scope, it was easy to make changes without being charged more. We didn’t determine the design beforehand, but they took the time to get satisfactory results in that area. I also asked them to make some more design work for other products, and they did a good job with those as well. Flexibility was a big pro.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The project started in January, and I wanted to start selling the product in September. I got tied up and didn’t respond to their daily messages about the progress. Had they been more proactive with me, the project might’ve been finished in time.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

It's important that both parties understand each other before the project starts. All the client’s requirements should be listed, and both parties should know exactly how much time and money it will cost. These technical projects can be complex, but the primary functions need to work well before anything else. Get an MVP together before diving deep into functionalities.