Saritasa

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of a car charging company. We make software.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Saritasa?

We needed help with UI design and backend development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Saritasa helped us build the UI and some of the backend software controls for our charging station’s kiosk. They also helped design our mobile app. 

They’ve helped a lot with the creative process. Generally, my team has an initial idea, and then Saritasa helps us craft that idea into something palatable for actual interface with the users. That’s where their experience has come in. They also helped us with hardware issues and set us in the right direction. 

The work has mostly wrapped up, but there are some ongoing tasks. They completed the firmware piece, for which they brought in a firmware specialist. Throughout the years, we’ve completed different scopes of work and projects. Lately, we’ve found that the only way to find bugs is through actual testing in charging cars. Over the past 12 months, we’ve been doing testing in the field. We’re getting ready to work with Saritasa again to help us develop some really cool backend technology for our software and hardware.

What is the team composition?

My main point of contact is Stan (Manager of Client Engagement, Saritasa). Sometimes, I talk to the project managers and developers.

How did you come to work with Saritasa?

I found them through a Google search. They showed us some demos and their capabilities. I decided they would be a good fit for what we’re trying to do.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in 2013, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Saritasa’s work has helped us save time and money. If we did this work on our own, we wouldn’t be able to do it in the way or time that they have. From a design end, the user experience is really good. The way they implemented our ideas and visions has received positive feedback from customers in the field. The design is simple yet somewhat elegant. 

How did Saritasa perform from a project management standpoint?

We start with an idea or vision, and Stan is really good at putting the right software team together and crafting that vision so that they can make it accessible for actual users. He’s able to parse it out in such a way that everyone, from the project managers to software programmers, is on the same page. He makes sure everything is clear, monitors the ebb and flow, and fosters good back-and-forth communication. Stan emails us if there are issues and takes care of them quickly. 

Saritasa is flexible with office hours. They’ve always allowed us to come by their office if we want to talk or drop something off because there’s hardware involved. As a team, they do a really good job of coordinating and communicating.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re an experienced and efficient team. We know that if we have a project that needs to get done, we can rely on them to do it in a creative way. There’s no uncertainty surrounding whether they’ll deliver or not. They’re a lot different than anyone else out there. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they have everything covered.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work for a company that provides services in the automotive industry. I specifically provide support for manufacturers, automotive dealer groups, and dealerships.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Saritasa?

We needed to train dealership employees in a new and more unique way to address the ongoing turnover challenges in the automotive retail industry.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The deliverable was an Android and iOS mobile app that could deliver modules and training to employees, either directly or via management. There was then a knowledge check and reporting behind that. They also integrated an API for the app’s interface. A CMS was also installed to display content.  

What is the team composition?

The basic structure from Saritasa involves an account representative, an account manager, and an account director. The account director has industry knowledge and is our direct point of contact. As with any business project, there are also development and design managers that work with our team.

How did you come to work with Saritasa?

I was brought into the project after they had already been chosen.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project began in September 2017. The project is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve had three separate original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) engaged with the product. Quantitatively, the users provide a feedback score at the end of each training module. Our average score has been 4.7/5.0, which is very high in our experience, which has been very solid. We work with many developers, and having a two-year engagement with Saritasa is definitely a mark of success.

How did Saritasa perform from a project management standpoint?

It’s an intertwined relationship, at this point. As the relationship has grown over the last two years, the account manager has stepped back and allowed us to streamline work by working directly with development and design managers. Learning how to operate within their system took time to develop, but they now know what our needs are. They use Jira to communicate. Both of us are working out of Jira, which has made everything much easier. It’s a very transparent system for both sides.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their ability to develop a custom product from the client’s perspective. Rather than taking an off-the-shelf product and making it fit, everything they do is designed to order.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The ability to develop a custom product sometimes incurs some extra costs—there are likely opportunities to use some different products and integrate them into the project. They don’t necessarily have to develop everything, which would reduce costs from a client’s viewpoint. I think they can look for savings and share what they’re doing with us.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a parent company to an organization that guides veterans in their effort to increase their VA disability compensation.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Saritasa?

This is a new industry, so we needed some unique software to automate our workflow process. At the moment, there’s a lot of manual labor being done with the transfer of data right in our system.

There are many intricacies and rules needed in order to manage our many processes. We needed help centralizing it all in one software that performed tasks automatically. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They’re building proprietary software for internal use by our team. Eventually, it may be public-facing. For now, it’s an internal-use, automated workflow handling medical forms completed by clients and doctors that are needed for us to do our job. It’s created a one-stop-shop by integrating our several platforms into one. 

What is the team composition?

We work directly with our account manager and Stan (Software Development Executive, Saritasa), who both are responsible for monitoring the success of the project. Our team has also dealt with someone working more directly on the project, too.

How did you come to work with Saritasa?

We vetted 3–4 companies before deciding on Saritasa. Our team did a Google search and asked our web design partner for recommendations. We ended up landing on Saritasa.

How much have you invested with them?

In total, we’ve spent about $250,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started the project in February 2019 and are still working on it. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We just began testing the first phase of the project, and our team is very impressed with the product so far. Everything’s gone smoothly. I wasn’t expecting it to take this long to complete, but that’s often the case with large projects like this one.  

How did Saritasa perform from a project management standpoint?

Our contacts are very responsive when addressing our questions and concerns. We met in person a handful of times, but they reached out to me often suggesting meetings. Otherwise, we use email to communicate. They’re also able to show us their progress through a software that allows us to make comments on their work. When testing, they respond well to feedback and changes at different stages throughout the project.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re very transparent and clear, always making sure they respond to our needs. We’re confident that they know exactly what they’re doing at all times.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything off the top of my head. They’ve invested in our relationship and genuinely want us to do well. I don’t feel like we’re just another paycheck for them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Provide as much detail at the beginning as possible. As you go through the process with them, you’re going to run into several changes. Knowing exactly what you want before hiring them will help as you make modifications later down the line.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a travel company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Saritasa?

Our previous website was built on Weebly. It was very simple and the functions were very limited. We wanted to upgrade the website and needed someone to help us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They developed a whole new website using WordPress. It allows customers to book trips online. The site was based on a travel template. The most extensive part of the contract in terms of time and money involved linking our website to our ticket booking engine. We also have a professional backend where we can check sales.

What is the team composition?

Kyle (Account Manager, Saritasa) was the person who oversaw the project. Jonathan (Project Manager, Saritasa) is our daily contact.

How did you come to work with Saritasa?

We did some research online to find a good company.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested $80,000-$90,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in July 2018 until October 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The first important change made to the website is the look. Previously, it was simplistic and mainly words and pictures. Now it’s a professional travel website. Secondly, it allows people to book online. Every time people make a booking, it shows up on the new backend and we can take care of it. It’s integrated pretty well. The third new function is the airline ticket booking function where people can customize their travel or their selection of airlines on the website.

Their selection of the airline automatically makes the booking, which also shows up on our backend. It helps us save a lot of communication by talking to the customer on the phone and having to ask them what airline they prefer. They get to choose their own preferred air schedule. All we need to do is issue a ticket.

How did Saritasa perform from a project management standpoint?

Jonathan has been very responsive. He’s always there when we have any details we want to be added to the website or we find any error. Their response time is pretty short. We used email and phone.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re very professional. There were some items that were costing more than we had previously agreed and they would ask for my permission first before going ahead. Their team is always responsive to my requests and questions. They make changes as I need them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Right after the website was launched, Jonathan sent me an email including the recommended updates on the website from the perspective of a potential traveler. That was very helpful. I’m already working on compiling all the changes we need to further make to the website and keep working with them. From there, we can further work together.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the chief technology officer of a restaurant support platform. We process offline orders for take-out orders and integrate with food marketplaces.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Saritasa?

We wanted to rebuild our platform in newer technologies.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Saritasa rebuilt our online application in Angular and Web API, helping to convert the platform’s logic and code. We had them add new features as well. They built an administrative interface to take some of the control away from the technical team and give it to the configuration team of our operations team. Saritasa also created group ordering, so the ability to invite other people to an order. Now, their team’s making incremental improvements to the platform.

What is the team composition?

We worked with a sales representative, a technical account manager, and a functional account manager. Mostly, we interacted with the technical account manager who directed our tickets as they were assigned to their internal development team. To streamline communication, we ended up interacting with a lead developer.

How did you come to work with Saritasa?

A colleague—having had a great experience with them—highly recommended Saritasa.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $35,000–$40,000 on the initial project.

What is the status of this engagement?

Saritasa started on the project in August 2017. It was a 90-day project. However, we went past the 90 days, which was intentional because we needed to fit more tasks into the scope. We wrapped up the project in December, but their team provides ongoing maintenance work on the platform.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The platform’s become our new flagship product and our sales have increased significantly since we moved to it. Overall, they’ve met the objectives stunningly; we continue to sell the product. The project was a smashing success.

How did Saritasa perform from a project management standpoint?

We have used JIRA almost exclusively. For source control, we’ve used GitHub. We changed priorities on them a lot and they were flexible with us.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’ve been accessible and flexible, which has been helpful for a fairly dynamic company like us. Things change a lot in our environment so having a partner that has been able to change with us has been valuable. Saritasa has taken things seriously. If we have an emergency, they’ll pull people in and help us. Their objective has been for us to meet our objectives.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can’t think of anything. In the beginning, we needed a direct contact who was more technical than functional. We gave that feedback to Saritasa and they adjusted the team quickly, which helped with our communication.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I lead Digital Marketing and e-Commerce for one of the leading organic nutrition companies.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Saritasa?

Saritasa was hired to lead monthly support, maintenance and new feature development for a website we launched in late summer of 2018.

What were your goals for this project?

The successful operation of our dual-platform site (Adobe AEM front-end paired with Magento 2.0 e-commerce platform). Uptime within defined SLA, rapid turn-around on new features/functionality, etc.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

They were recommended to us by a trusted IT partner. Our dual-platform approach meant there were very few vendors experienced enough to support our unique architecture. While Saritasa did not initially have Adobe AEM experience, they were confident in their capabilities and invested in the required training to support our account.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Although their scope was primarily two-fold: maintaining an existing website and developing new features and functionality as requested, they inherited code that had been written and maintained by two previous development agencies. They were required to get up to speed quickly, make sense of other developer's code, and ensure our site functioned as expected on an ongoing basis for a 12-month period.

What was the team composition?

We were supported by a core, on-shore project management resource, account team, and a lead development resource. We were also supported by an off-shore development team that scaled as needed to support our account.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Successful up-time was our primary expectation. To the extent our e-commerce site was down or not functioning as expected, the business impact would have been significant.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Our project management team made every effort to respond quickly and often went beyond the terms of the SLA in order to make themselves available in the event of an issue.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They jumped in to learn a platform that they did not have prior experience with in order to support our account. They always made an effort to be great partners and were crucial in helping us identify opportunities to grow our business. When we did encounter issues, they were responsive and communicative.

Are there any areas for improvement?

We ultimately made the decision to transition to a new platform for reasons unassociated with Saritasa. We knew they did not have Adobe AEM experience when we hired them, but they could certainly benefit from continued training in this area if they plan to continue to service Adobe clients in the future.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the former digital director for a global communications and PR firm. The firm has over 27 offices throughout the world, primarily in the US, Asia, and Europe. My role involved helping clients with paid social opportunities, social media management, or web site redesign projects.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Saritasa?

We did not have an in-house web development team so we always outsourced to a few different developers. Our team had been put in a bind where we were missing deadlines, which was becoming a huge problem for retaining business. Eventually, we decided to look for a new web development team.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Saritasa worked with us on a variety of projects, beginning with smaller side projects and moving to bigger ones once they proved they were able to deliver. One of the main projects they worked on for us was developing a website for a client with about 300,000 monthly visitors to their site. The client was also getting ready for an IPO, so the site has to be delivered on time.

Saritas developed the site and helped us with web page architecture. The client also had a lot of content that had never been archived. The Saritasa team helped us come up with a strategy for which content should be archived to avoid losing SEO value. The client had also acquired a call location center in Europe, so Saritasa helped us integrate those call centers.

What is the team composition?

I worked primarily with Nik (CEO, Saritasa) and one other member of the Saritasa team from a project management standpoint. I also interfaced directly with Kyle (Account Manager, Saritasa), who was great at solving issues. The number of members on our team depended on the magnitude of the project or the type of technology our client wanted to use. 

How did you come to work with Saritasa?

Once I got the go-ahead from my boss, I searched for web development firms on Google. I was working out of our Los Angeles office so I was looking for a local firm that I could meet with face to face. After a three week search, I found Saritasa online. I explored their website, submitted a form, and got in contact with Kyle. 

How much have you invested with them?

We invested anywhere from $100,000–$140,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement began in June 2017, and I left the company in April 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

That project had a lot at stake, and because it was a success, we were able to get more business with the client. The website did well because of Saritasa, which opened up the door for crisis management and more traditional PR contracts with the client. The website was delivered on time and the visuals and performance were to the client’s liking. Their team really had their finger on trends for websites.

How did Saritasa perform from a project management standpoint?

Most of the project was managed through Google Drive. Our team didn’t have processes in place, but Google Suite helped us bridge the gap. Their team used Google Sheets to account for content migrations and things like that.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Saritasa is full of understanding and genuine people. Some clients can be difficult, and because Saritasa is a third-party partner, they might not always have all of the information. They remained incredibly easy to work with throughout the process. 

Their team always comes in with solutions. If there was a problem, there was never any bickering. Instead, they provided multiple solutions and accurate cost estimates for each. Saritasa doesn’t just try to sell you on the most expensive option, they want to make your client happy.

They are also very technically skilled. I could tell after just being inside their offices. Saritasa is very savvy with where digital is going. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

My only criticism from the experience would be the speed with which we could get answers from their international engineers. That wasn’t always the case, there was only sometimes a delayed response. Other than that, their communication was great.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

The more organized you are and the more insight you have into your core goals, the easier it is to work with Saritasa.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the managing director at TRUaire, a premier air distribution company in North America. We manufacture grilles, registers, and diffusers for commercial and residential spaces.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Saritasa?

About 35 years ago, we started with humble beginnings. Our primary goal was brand reinforcement as an effort to make people feel good about doing business with us. Our product quality and service level were already high, but we thought it would be a good idea to amp up the website and make sure that was reflected in that. We needed a brand that would reinforce people’s and companies’ decisions about partnering with us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

There were two parts to the engagement. First, we started with the website update. Our existing site was a bit dated. For the website, we were looking for it to be promotional and informational. This involved configured hosting, choosing a theme, designing mockup plugins, and creating content.

The next aspect was developing a portal. We wanted an internal solution that would increase the ease of doing business and add a convenience level for some of the day-to-day data items.

What is the team composition?

We primarily worked with Stan (Manager of Client Engagement, Saritasa), who was our account executive. We started the project with Ryan (Former Product Engineer, Saritasa) before he transferred the work to another project manager. The project manager led a team we didn’t interact with.

How did you come to work with Saritasa?

We searched locally in Orange County. It was important for the vendor to be local because we wanted a modest level of engagement. Having someone on the other side of the country or a few hours away didn’t make sense for this project.

After finding & interviewing several agencies, we discovered that Saritasa best suited our needs.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested about $60,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with Saritasa from October 2018–October 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We started the website last October, making a few tweaks before launching May. After that, we kicked off the portal in June, wrapping it up this October. For the website, we were on a budget, and then for the portal, we were under budget because we didn’t have an API for connectivity.

There aren’t tangible metrics at this time, but since we’re in a tight and older industry, it’s nice to see how everything has been received. Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive on the website’s look, feel, and function. It was for the brand reinforcement of information, where we’ve hit all of our goals.

The portal is getting kicked off now, so it’s early to say any feedback. We’re in the process of assigning passwords and last-minute introductions to the system.

How did Saritasa perform from a project management standpoint?

We primarily communicated using phone calls and emails. Because of how close we were located, they would visit our office, and we would visit them. We had at least six meetings together.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The team at Saritasa has so many positive attributes. They’re responsive, cordial, and easygoing. It’s easy to work with their team.

Are there any areas they could improve?

When their team delivered the portal, I would’ve liked a more formalized presentation of the finished product with a set of instructions. We have a lot of smart people that wear different hats on their team, but no IT department. A little more attention would’ve helped us understand the product quicker.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Keep your engagement level high. Ask a lot of questions. They’re always extremely willing to help and respond. They could be more proactive on the finetuning side of things.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am a high school teacher at Options for Youth and a freelance business owner.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Saritasa?

I was looking to develop an app but needed a technically qualified team to help.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Saritasa developed an iOS app for me. In time I will look to expand the app but for now, it has very basic functionality. The app uses AR to put Jesus into your pictures wherever you are. After taking the picture, users can share it with family and friends through Instagram and other social media networks.

What is the team composition?

I worked directly with two members of the Saritasa team, an account manager and a member of their technical team, who actually put the nuts and bolts together. 

How did you come to work with Saritasa?

I’m not a technical person and, instead of trying to learn how to code, I decided to do it the American way and pay someone who had the qualifications. After doing some research online, I came across Saritasa. I gave them a call and we went through my idea and they said they would be able to do it, so I decided to work with them.

How much have you invested with them?

I invested about $5,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement took place during March 2018. From the time I paid them to the time it was on the app store was two weeks.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I track the app’s sales through Apple. Saritasa was quick and professional. I asked them to do a job, and they did it properly, which is a rare quality nowadays. Their whole team is very friendly.

How did Saritasa perform from a project management standpoint?

Saritasa did a great job of managing the project. They were easy to get in contact with throughout the process. If I had a question, I could always call me and vice versa. They went above and beyond and did the extra step of submitting all the appeals necessary in order to have my product be on the Apple Store.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Saritasa did exactly what they said they were going to do. They set expectations from the beginning and let me know everything that had to be done on my end and how much everything would cost. They were very professional and streamlined.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they were very good. Everything from beginning to end was perfect. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Answer the emails they send during the development process. They’ll email for little technical questions that need to be taken care of and answering them makes the process smoother.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a managed services app.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Saritasa?

We needed some quality development work at a rate that we thought was reasonable.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They built a mobile interface for industry-specific software in IT services. We had our original Android and iOS apps built by a previous development partner, but it didn’t work out and the quality wasn’t good.

For this engagement, we had Saritasa build and publish the Android app first so we could establish a customer base. The initial prototype helped us attract investors. We then had them build an iOS version.

They did everything from initial branding and visual design to understanding how a customer would process a transaction on our app. They helped us determine potential issues, including any relevant design changes. After launch, they connected us to Firebase and Google Analytics to understand how users use our app.

What is the team composition?

I work mostly with the primary developer, who in turn communicates with their testers. I had contact with their sales team as well.

How did you come to work with Saritasa?

I found them through a Google search. They were close enough to us that we could meet in person, which is why we decided to go with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $60,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in October 2018 and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The app is very fast and stable and we’ve been getting over 100 downloads a day, which tells us that there is a desire for the service that our app offers. It’s a free app for now, with the goal of eventually establishing a subscriber base. We’re still working through iterations to improve UX.

How did Saritasa perform from a project management standpoint?

They prepared mockups of the app and shared them with us through InVision. We then added notes so we could collaborate on the same tool.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They listen well and offer good ideas and insights of their own. We sometimes come to them with half-baked ideas about how things should work and they suggest other things we should think about with regard to UI/UX.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The project is taking a lot longer than I anticipated, but a lot of that is because we’ve added different things to it as we’ve gone along.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Come in with a pretty good idea of what you're going to do before you get started because you can get sidetracked in a heartbeat. A general idea isn't going to cut it. You need a well-thought-out idea and you need to understand the customer and the market. Then you can give Saritasa better instructions from the start.