SEVEN

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a medical physicist at a university. I work in the radiation oncology department and collaborate with medical linear accelerators.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SEVEN?

Based on a research grant we had submitted, we needed help developing a mobile app to improve how we delivered radiation to patients. The app would provide feedback to the people running the machines.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We initially contacted SEVEN for development, but it was more of a proof of concept (POC). We had a limited budget, so we wanted to test how accurate the measurements were compared to other devices in the clinic that provided comparable measurements. We built a Figma file with an outline of the prototype we wanted to build and provided it to SEVEN.

We worked on the development phases and prioritized what we wanted to measure in the clinic based on our budget. We went through iterative approaches; I would provide them with some feedback with screenshots. The SEVEN team provided documentation on how to run the app locally. 

The app's core features included using the camera device to extract depth measurements from LiDAR cameras on iPhones. We used those surfaces to measure motion. SEVEN also helped us with a camera device and a controller for a remote desktop situation.

The app also rendered the surface of the phone in 3D using Apple’s AR libraries. Additionally, they implemented some of the code I had written in MATLAB, which is comparable to Python. They took the code I had done offline and implemented it in the app to run the measurements from the camera and project meaningful numbers for our applications in radiation oncology.

Currently, the app is only available on iOS because we’re taking advantage of the LiDAR cameras integrated into iPhone architecture. Android devices don’t have that capability, so we’re sticking with Apple. However, we hope to develop an Android version in the future.

What is the team composition?

We mainly worked with the project manager and Adrian, who's the head of SEVEN. There were moments when we could connect with the developers themselves and walk through functions, but we mostly talked with the project manager.

How did you come to work with SEVEN?

We found them on LinkedIn. Adrian’s professionalism stood out among the developers we were considering. They were able to accommodate our specific needs, which was really helpful.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $17,000–$18,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started talking to them in November 2023, and the project was completed in October 2024. The work was mostly done within the last six months of the engagement.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

SEVEN was transparent throughout the process. We were doing R&D on our end because some of the things I wanted the app to do were specific to a medical linear accelerator vault, which they didn’t have access to. We built it out, tested it on the machines we were using, and provided feedback.

There were moments when things weren’t working as I hoped. After providing feedback, they thoroughly reviewed it, talked about it, and came up with another iteration. They were involved in the process and got the app to a functional state

The app is in a transition period. We’re currently running the app and using it to acquire data through experiments. We’ll publish the work to show the app’s demonstration and secure more funding through grants. We see great potential in this app, not just with the initial development but with other applications. Once we secure more funding, we'll continue our collaboration with SEVEN because of how well they did.

How did SEVEN perform from a project management standpoint?

They were on top of project management. My role was working in the clinic, and doing research wasn’t my main focus. If anything, I was the one who slowed the process down. They could’ve gotten the app done in a few weeks, but it took longer on my end.

They were quick to provide feedback and get the work done. We used Microsoft Teams, and they created a team specific to this project. In addition to email, I could upload feedback in a video recording of the app to ask for specific functions I wanted to work on. Their feedback was quite prompt, and we scheduled regular meetings to talk about the progress.

As for the budget, we had submitted and secured grant funding and had originally budgeted for an iOS developer to assist us with the project. Then, Adrian worked with us to determine what we were hoping to accomplish, and the SEVEN team was highly patient and helpful in working with our financial team. 

We primarily communicated through email and Microsoft Teams. They asked what was easiest for me, and I told them it was email. They were willing to accommodate my needs and work with what they were comfortable with.

Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?

I want to give a shout-out to Adrian, to our project developer, and to our main developer. They did a fantastic job with the project. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

SEVEN was always on top of communication and accommodation. They were transparent about the process and how they kept up with the work. They were able to accommodate some of the more unique requests from my end, which weren’t as traditional as other apps they had worked on. They were excited about this project because it was unique compared to their other work.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I have no critiques at all. They did quite well.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Keep up with the communication. I struggled with that because I was trying to work within my limited window. If you have more opportunities to work with them, be on top of the communication because they communicate quite well and provide constant updates.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the COO of Phenomune, an online bio tester company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SEVEN?

We needed help with web app development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

SEVEN supports the design and development of our web application. We’ve adapted some of the things the team had built for us previously to this project. SEVEN has done some UI/UX work for us, but they mainly focus on development. We have an outside firm that helps us with the color scheme and layout, but SEVEN has helped us put everything together.

Our product is an online taste test, so we need to provide online surveys, appealing visuals, and information. It’s not a social media app but a functional data collection, interpretation, and results-providing app.

For the actual website, we’ve shared Figma files. The backend is built on Laravel and runs on AWS, while the frontend is custom-built.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with several teammates from SEVEN, including a project manager, multiple developers including frontend and backend, a full-time backend developer, a project manager, and Adrian, who checks in now and then. We’ve also worked with some UI/UX designers and a couple of different QC professionals.

How did you come to work with SEVEN?

We had worked with SEVEN on a previous project. Our previous service provider wasn't meeting our expectations, so we looked around and got in touch with SEVEN. We’ve worked with them on two products and hope to work with them on additional products in the future.

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent roughly $70,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in December 2022, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

SEVEN's work has helped us make money. The actual product has a marketplace component and a testing component. Once we hit the benchmark of going live, we’ve started selling some kits and making money. We’ve continually built out functionality from there. All of the direct sales we’ve had over the last year have been through the website they’ve built. Without question, SEVEN meets and exceeds our expectations.

How did SEVEN perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicate several times, particularly with the project manager. When development is heavy, we communicate almost daily. If there’s a question or clarification needed, we can reach out to other team members. We have no issues with communication whatsoever. We use emails and Microsoft Teams. SEVEN has stuck to their preplanned agenda.
Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?

I want to shout out Vsevolod's work. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

SEVEN has been super open with us. The entire team has been nice and able to answer all my questions.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can't think of any areas SEVEN can improve on. Any delays have been mostly on our side, and it’s hard to criticize when we’ve been causing changes to the overall plan. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be willing to communicate and ask a lot of questions. Throw all your questions to the team and see what response you receive because I suspect it'll be a positive one.

UPDATED REVIEW

This review was published on December 21, 2022.

Colin Forage
CIO, PhenomuneHealthcare

Austin, Texas

1-10 Employees

Mar 2022 - Ongoing

$200,000 to $999,999

Verified

Project summary
SEVEN has redesigned the UI/UX of a medical research platform, and they’ve designed and developed the web app behind it. The technologies used include AWS, Jenkins, Cloud Load Balancing, and Cloudflare.

Feedback summary
SEVEN has successfully delivered a HIPAA-compliant product that meets the client’s requirements. The team is proactive, communicative, timely, and accessible, and they communicate via Zoom. Moreover, they’ve been very flexible, understanding, and accommodating to scope changes.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CIO of Phenomune and some of its subsidiaries. We’re currently in the clinical trials phase of a research study that aims to demonstrate that sensitivity to certain tastes can be linked to the human immune system against upper respiratory infections. We’re basically trying to answer why some people have more adverse reactions to the SARS-CoV-2 virus and other upper respiratory infections than others when all other health factors are equal.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SEVEN?

We had an old website that left a lot to be desired. It didn’t have the right look and feel, and it was very outdated. Thus, we hired SEVEN to do a complete UI/UX overhaul of our site, as well as to redesign and redevelop our app to ensure it was compliant with the US federal and medical regulations.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

SEVEN has redesigned our website’s UI/UX from the ground up, which is the informational side of our platform. They’ve also developed the web app component of our platform using AWS for hosting. Their team has developed this app using containerized deployment, leveraging Jenkins for automatic deployment. They’ve also used Cloud Load Balancing and Cloudflare.

The design process started by creating low-fidelity wireframes. Then, SEVEN designed high-fidelity wireframes for all the user flows throughout the website and the app. We only told them to preserve our logo, but they were in charge of designing everything else. This included the layout, color, page style, and fonts.

Our app has different user accounts for individuals, doctors, physicians, and healthcare providers. Healthcare providers are able to have their own subsidiary patient accounts. Given that our product is prescription only, our app has a variety of additional controls in place to ensure that only those individuals who have received a valid prescription can purchase our product.

In addition to the medical e-commerce side of our app, SEVEN has integrated a functional test-taking component. Thanks to it, individuals who have received the product and registered it can either go to a doctor’s office or follow the instructions for using the test. After that, they’re able to upload their results into the app. On the backend of our app, the algorithm processes those results and gives them a baseline snapshot of their current situation.

We’ve already launched our app for clinical trials, solicited user feedback, and identified some pain points. Thus, SEVEN is currently making a variety of little tweaks and changes to our user flows and the algorithm behind the app so that it can identify and classify different individuals more precisely.

Given that we’ve had to transition our app from an e-commerce section to a clinical trial version, we’ve had to remove some of the preexisting controls that bogged down user account creation. Thus, we’ve also worked with SEVEN on creating this clinical trial version to make it secure while removing the more involved verification controls the customer-facing app had in place.

What is the team composition?

I’ve worked with around 12 people from SEVEN, including project managers, DevOps engineers, network engineers, backend developers, frontend developers, and UI/UX designers specializing in Figma. SEVEN’s CEO has also been involved in the process.

How did you come to work with SEVEN?

SEVEN was already working on the project when I was hired as CIO.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $250,000–$500,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together around March 2022, and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

SEVEN has delivered the functionality we required, successfully building our app to meet HIPAA-compliance requirements. Moreover, their turnaround times for delivering UI/UX designs have been impressive.

How did SEVEN perform from a project management standpoint?

SEVEN’s project management is excellent. They’ve delivered on time and been on top of things at all times. A large amount of their team is located in Ukraine; still, we’ve never had any issues with their performance, despite the unfortunate ongoing situation with the Russian Invasion.

Their team has been wonderful to work with. The only challenge we’ve had was when they were unable to get a hold of us because a strike knocked out the power in their city. Since then, they’ve implemented energy generators and other strategies to avoid more issues.

SEVEN is also very accessible, and we communicate using a combination of tools. We exchange emails for simple things, and we have weekly Zoom meetings during heavy development cycles. They’ve also added me to their Microsoft Teams server, so I can use it to message them for quick questions and small troubleshooting tasks. Although we’re not involved in their internal processes, I believe they use GitHub for the code repository, as well as other tools for project management.

What did you find most impressive about them?

SEVEN’s biggest strength has been their ability to manage the project. We’re a startup with a lot of research going around our product, so we’re like a moving target. Still, they’ve been very understanding and accommodating to our multiple scope changes. Their team has remained flexible to those changes, figuring out ways to repurpose some of their development work to meet our deadlines and budgets, which is wonderful.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything they could improve on.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Unless you have someone on your team with a lot of experience in UI/UX design, don’t be afraid to let SEVEN lead those efforts because they’re very good at that.

STAR RATINGS
Overall rating: 5
Quality: 5
Cost: 4.5
Schedule: 5 
Willing to refer: 5

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the CEO of an IT-integrated system company based in Poland.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SEVEN?

We needed support developing a specific feature on an iOS application, which was part of one of our internal projects. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We initially sent a brief to SEVEN and talked over the phone since we were located in different countries. We exchanged emails and information with SEVEN, sent a link to our Figma file with the design of the required feature, and gave the team access to our GitHub. SEVEN analyzed our files and sent an offer, which we accepted. 

SEVEN was responsible for frontend software development and implementing our app's feature. The team also worked with an outsourced team that supported this project in an interdisciplinary way.

What is the team composition?

Adrian (Founder & CEO) was our main contact and coordinated our project from a business perspective. We also worked with a frontend developer, a project manager, and the accounting department. Generally speaking, we worked with 2–3 teammates.

How did you come to work with SEVEN?

I had previously worked with Adrian on a different project. While looking for a service provider for this project, I contacted SEVEN and discussed the project's details with an agent. We also selected SEVEN because we wanted to support a Ukranian company.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with SEVEN from March–April 2024.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were satisfied with SEVEN's work, and the team met our expectations. However, the feature developed by SEVEN hasn't been fully implemented yet, so I don't have quantitative metrics to share at the moment. 

How did SEVEN perform from a project management standpoint?

SEVEN delivered work on time and on budget. The team was responsive to our emails, and we also communicated via WhatsApp groups, Zoom, and Google Meet. The team worked in an independent way.

Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?

I want to highlight Adrian's work. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was mostly impressed by SEVEN's customer service. The team was polite, precise, and very efficient.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can't comment on anything SEVEN could improve. The team was working under specific conditions because of the Russian Invasion of Ukraine, and it wouldn't be fair to point out a flaw.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

I suggest being sure of what you want when engaging with SEVEN. The team needs to work with clients who know where they're going. I'm not talking about the end results because you'll construct that with SEVEN's collaboration. But you definitely have a well-defined scope of work, so your brief is precise because SEVEN appreciates a customer who knows what they want. Avoid vagueness and be precise, mentioning all the project's important details so the team doesn't have to come back to question you every time. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

 I'm the VP of customer success at a referral software company. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SEVEN?

We had a website development project that was outside of our scope, but an end client requested it. We were looking for a service provider to outsource the project's UI/UX design.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Once we signed the contract, SEVEN presented screens to show us an example of our vision. SEVEN designed the product according to how we wanted it to look, and we developed it. SEVEN worked remotely and performed minor changes toward the end before delivering the final design. 

What is the team composition?

We worked with around 5-6 teammates from SEVEN, including a project manager, a UI/UX designer, a backend developer, and two other teammates. 

How did you come to work with SEVEN?

My boss received an email from SEVEN and forwarded it to me to review their work. We reached out to the team since we were looking for a service provider. We met with SEVEN a few times to scope the project and get a quote. We also set the project's timeline.
How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $12,500 on this project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with SEVEN from December 2023–February 2024.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

SEVEN helped us deliver the project to our end client, who was happy with the result. SEVEN delivered good quality work, and the UI/UX design was exactly what we were looking for. SEVEN took our vision and applied it to our end client's website. SEVEN delivered work according to our specifications. 

How did SEVEN perform from a project management standpoint?

SEVEN delivered work on time and on budget. We communicated via weekly meetings on Microsoft Teams and had a set budget that the team could meet.
Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?

SEVEN's project manager did an excellent job communicating and keeping us on task, and the UI/UX designer was super sharp, too. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

SEVEN's project management was excellent and impressed me the most. The team sent notes to our team if we didn't follow up on the timeline and notified us again until we delivered the required work. SEVEN did a really good job following up with us and following through. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can't think of anything for SEVEN to improve. We're working on another UI/UX design project with the team. 

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

What worked for us was being very clear on the vision we were looking for. That was key to both teams to design and build what we needed. The fact that SEVEN could design our product before we built it was really cool. I recommend ensuring the client's vision is shared correctly with SEVEN. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Co-founder of Curriculum ltd

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Academic and support curricular support.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire SEVEN to accomplish?

• Design
• Devaloop
• Maintain solution

SOLUTION

How did you find SEVEN?

Online Search

Why did you select SEVEN over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fits our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost

How many teammates from SEVEN were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

We previously collaborated with SEVEN on the creation of an E-Learning platform and wanted to broaden our offerings. Familiar with SEVEN's capabilities, we chose to partner with them again to develop a mobile learning app incorporating ChatGPT-4 functionality. The application is designed to offer academic support to students of all ages, helping them understand complex concepts and providing answers to simple questions.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• While we do not have specific quantifiable metrics to share, the project was executed smoothly and swiftly. SEVEN completed the task within the agreed timeframe, and the applications are now available on the App Store and Google Play.

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

Our communication was primarily online. SEVEN has been understanding and responsive, providing any necessary information promptly. Having worked with them since 2019, we have found their project management to be agile, capable of swiftly adapting to changes while maintaining a firm hold on the product's development process.

What was your primary form of communication with SEVEN?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Their exceptional communication skills and quick response times are particularly impressive.

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

At this moment, I cannot identify any areas for improvement. We have been collaborating with SEVEN since 2019, and the partnership has proven to be extremely fruitful.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of an on-demand gym membership platform. We provide a centralized platform that allows gym members to sell their memberships when they’re not using them. Our platform also allows users to access our partners at preferential pricing rates. For our operators, we’re a member-centric retention tool that provides an additional revenue stream.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SEVEN?

We hired them for development services.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

SEVEN is our development partner. They've built our mobile app, backend, and dashboard. The team has worked with us since the incubation of our business idea and has helped us create a functional product. First, we discussed the requirements and budget with Adrian (Founder & CEO), then we went back and forth with contract negotiations and later signed a service-level agreement. 

We went through a discovery phase involving research to ensure we could tap into the correct APIs and booking systems. From there, the team designed the UI/UX and did full stack backend development. Since then, they've helped manage and continuously build our product. The team uses technologies such as Java, AWS, and an Angular 12 framework.

The app allows members of our partnered gyms to sell their memberships when they're not using them. Users can sell days, weeks, or months' worth of memberships. Meanwhile, gym partners can offer a solution to their members so that they'll keep their membership even when they're not using it enough and would normally cancel it. 

What is the team composition?

The team composition has changed over time. We've had more people working with us during certain periods depending on our requirements. SEVEN has brought on developers, testers, and UI/UX designers when we've required them. Currently, we have two testers, a project manager, a head of engineering, a frontend engineer, a backend engineer, and one full-time and part-time iOS and Android developer, respectively.  

How did you come to work with SEVEN?

We put out a tender for a couple of development agencies and decided to go with SEVEN. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together around September 2020, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We recently launched the business, so it's still early days to give any metrics or analytics. However, without SEVEN, this technology wouldn't exist, and we wouldn't have a product. Moreover, they've implemented all the functionalities we wanted. When we have critical things that need to be fixed quickly, the team can grow overnight, which is one of the benefits of working with them. 

How did SEVEN perform from a project management standpoint?

Broadly speaking, the project has been on time and within the budget. Although we had circumstances during development when things were a bit slower than we would have hoped, these delays were due to third parties we had to tap into from API — they were out of SEVEN's control. Moreover, we were building something no one had built before, so there was no roadmap to follow regarding the requirements. From SEVEN'S perspective, they've met all their deadlines. 

Regarding communication tools, we use Microsoft Teams, Asana, and Slack, depending on what we want. The team has been very flexible; initially, they asked what platforms we use to communicate. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

SEVEN's work ethic is phenomenal, and the team is very passionate about their work and what they deliver. They want to provide the best service and build the best product possible. The fact that their developers bought into my business has boosted my confidence. 

Moreover, they're very open, honest, and upfront. I'm not tech-savvy, and they're very helpful in holding our hand and explaining the technical side of the backend. Overall, the SEVEN team is extremely talented and good at what they do, and we trust and value them as part of our business. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

There's always something to improve. Their developers are based in Ukraine, and due to the distance, their communication could improve. However, that's overly critical because their communication is very good. Generally, the team is great, and the proof is in that we're still working with them two years later. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Work with SEVEN – they're excellent! The team is willing to work around your requirements. They're flexible, which is especially important for startups or young businesses because things can pivot quickly; SEVEN has been great with that. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CTO of a technology startup. I design software products and lead our onshore and offshore engineering teams.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SEVEN?

We wanted to launch a new product but had a limited budget and tight timeline, so we engaged SEVEN to help with the product development process. Our investors and business partners had high expectations, so our goal was to develop the product on time, within budget, and without bugs.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

SEVEN has provided us with several end-to-end engineering resources to develop a web application. We started by defining the requirements and planning the day-to-day operations of the development process. After determining the budget and setting timelines for deliverables, the team began working on prototyping the UI/UX design in Figma. 

After creating the UI/UX, the team built the frontend of our web application. They used native technologies to develop the frontend and integrate databases, third-party applications, and payment methods. Then, we worked with SEVEN’s DevOps team to develop the backend of our infrastructure on AWS. 

More recently, we’ve been working with SEVEN to create an extension of our web application for mobile. We’ve designed, budgeted, and blueprinted our plans for the mobile development process, but it’s an ongoing project. The team has begun working on building the application for iOS and Android. 

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with over 20 team members from SEVEN, including Adrian (Founder & CEO), a principal project manager, UI/UX engineers, and back-and frontend engineers. 

How did you come to work with SEVEN?

We found SEVEN through a referral from our network. I reviewed 350 companies and shortlisted 60. SEVEN had a great online presence and a good reputation, so we included them in the shortlist and reached out for an interview. After speaking with their engineers and CEO, we felt confident in their software development and project management experience, so we moved forward with the partnership. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We engaged SEVEN in February 2022, and the partnership is ongoing. Our project is quite complex, with many moving parts, so we work together sporadically.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our partnership has been very successful; SEVEN has delivered on all their professional promises. They’ve efficiently developed and launched our new product, according to our requirements, which has been no small feat. We’ve been satisfied with the quality of their code and the product has been well received by our investors. 

How did SEVEN perform from a project management standpoint?

SEVEN’s biggest strength has been their ability to manage our project; we’ve had a great experience. They’ve built a strong project foundation by diligently following our roadmap and assigning and executing tasks efficiently. They’ve dedicated a team of highly skilled, professional engineers to our project, and Adrian has handled our day-to-day operations flawlessly. Our project manager has shared valuable expertise and submitted detailed progress reports to keep the project on track. 

SEVEN has become an integral part of our team, and they’re the best technology partner we’ve ever worked with. They’ve consistently met deadlines with high-quality results, worked within our budget, and anticipated issues. We’ve used Microsoft Teams to communicate, and despite working remotely, they’ve been very communicative and responsive throughout the project. 

We’ve appreciated SEVEN’s teamwork-driven approach and willingness to solve problems before they arise. They’ve even flexed their team when necessary, so we’ve never experienced delays when key team members have vacationed. In these instances, the team has documented our technical environment so effectively that new team members have been able to work productively on day one. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’ve been most impressed by SEVEN’s client-driven business model and straightforward communication style. We’ve worked with other service providers who’ve been more concerned with driving sales for their company than executing effective software solutions, but SEVEN is different.

Despite being the CEO and overseeing several projects, Adrian has regularly engaged with us to understand our needs. SEVEN has delivered a team of experts who’ve invested significant time learning about our market, technology, and goals. As a result, they’ve built us a customized solution that has addressed our complex issues. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I have nothing SEVEN could improve on.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the technical director of Shepherd Aero, a global flight support outfit based in the West Coast of the US specializing in ferrying aircraft around the world. We work globally and have pilots and aircrew that we bring in on contract.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SEVEN?

We wanted to create an app that would allow our aircrews to submit certain paperwork and items they have to tend to daily when flying missions for us. The goal was to ease all the paperwork into a convenient mobile application to take that headache away from the process. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

SEVEN has developed our mobile app for iOS. They took us through the development process from beginning to end. They started by designing the UI and creating wireframes and flow diagrams. They used Figma to demonstrate the placement of elements, the flow, and the buttons. 

From there, we moved on to the second phase, and they began the development. We've provided them with documentation throughout, including the use cases. We did the API work on our side because we already had some proprietary software on the backend. SEVEN has helped us optimize the API and is developing the app so that it can talk to and utilize it. The team has created a markdown so that we can match things up on our side. 

They've also done extensive testing on the app. The team got several of our internal teammates on board to run through the app, try it out for themselves, and provide feedback. The app allows aircrew to file documents like expense reports and daily logs for maintenance items. Other functionalities let users communicate directly with our dispatch to receive information pertinent to their flight, like permits and clearances. We're currently in the project's final phases, moving into distribution. 

What is the team composition?

We've worked with a UI expert, a project manager, a lead programmer, and another programmer. They've also brought in a couple of testers on their side. 

How did you come to work with SEVEN?

I found them through a referral. We reached out to someone we knew in our industry who had a team of programmers at their disposal. They were unable to fulfill the project, so they referred us to SEVEN. 

How much have you invested with them?

The total project cost is around $90,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in September 2021, and the engagement is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

SEVEN provides us with high-quality work. Since we're still distributing the app, we don't have any metrics yet. However, from testing, we can already tell the app will be a huge timesaver and a great benefit for the company, especially when we deal with many external workers. The app is intuitive, efficient, and convenient for the crew to submit paperwork. 

The system they use to collaborate with us and keep us updated on their progress is very good — they're very professional. Moreover, the team has an intuitive and attractive process for UI design, and they're really responsive to feedback. 

How did SEVEN perform from a project management standpoint?

We've had to work out budget constraints due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and SEVEN has optimized their team composition to adapt to our budget. The team walks me through each particular task and how things are mapped out through Zoom. When I need to brief my superiors on the project's progress, the information is always available to me in some form or another. 

We have frequent meetings where they keep us updated about the budget and how things are progressing compared to the original deadlines. In a couple of instances, we've given them some extra items at the 11th hour, so we've had to push things back.

They communicate very promptly via email or Microsoft Teams. There hasn't been a time when they're non-responsive or not working on the project. Overall, their project management is very intuitive.

What did you find most impressive about them?

SEVEN takes a lot of pride in their work and is very frugal. A long time ago, we outsourced for work on another app, and the quality was subpar and very cookie-cutter. Meanwhile, SEVEN has a lot of great ideas that hadn't even crossed our minds when it came to the app iterations. Our experience with them has been night and day compared to other providers we've worked with.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don't think there's anything they need to improve. While it would have been nice to have a slightly more accelerated timeline, that delay was due to concessions we made to keep within our budget. SEVEN watched our budget like a hawk and made sure we stayed on it, so I have nothing but good things to say about them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Don't be afraid to talk with the SEVEN team and communicate your needs. Even if your project is something they haven't done before, they'll look into it and be diligent about making sure they can do it; they seem eager to expand their toolset. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of an e-learning company. We provide educational services to students, predominantly around helping them to improve their exam results and prepare for university admissions. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SEVEN?

We hired them to develop all of our technology.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We initially specced out the project and what was needed. Then, SEVEN provided us with an estimate and researched what technologies would be best for the project. In the end, we went with Angular and JavaScript.

There are two main parts to our technology, which have been quite demanding. The first part is on the student experience side. Our goal is to help identify skill and knowledge gaps as easily as possible and help students overcome those difficulties. For that, we have live tutors involved in that process.

The second side is the tutorial side. When our system identifies areas that the students are struggling with, the course automatically marks the assessments that they’ve been taking. It also understands why those students get those questions wrong. Having technology that marks something instead of a teacher is helpful for the marking, but it isn’t helpful for the teacher’s insights because now they’re removed from the equation.

On that tutor side, the technology doesn't just determine if the student got the question correct or incorrect, but it also understands why and gives that insight to the tutors. We identify the students that need help and cluster them by ability. Then, we have informed tutoring sessions, and the technology helps us with this.

In general, it doesn’t make sense just to teach what is in the textbook because it ignores everyone’s ability and whoever needs help. Our system focuses on which students need help and clusters them by capacity so we can support them around that specific area.

What is the team composition?

We’ve moved one of their senior developers to a project management role, and we’re both doing project management. 

How did you come to work with SEVEN?

We engaged with them through Upwork.

How much have you invested in them?

We’ve spent around $450,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project started in January 2020, and it’s still ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

There aren’t any quantifiable metrics associated with it, but I think the quality of their work is excellent. 

How did SEVEN perform from a project management standpoint?

We usually use email and Skype for communication.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their communication and response times are exceptional.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The only request would be to deliver things on time, but that’s a problem that we have with every developer we’ve worked with. Including my internal developers, I’ve never worked with anyone that could tell me accurately when they could deliver something, so it’s a tough thing to ask. However, it hasn’t hurt us.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be very clear on what you need. Although they can help you define your service and product, it’s essential to understand deeply what you’re doing and why you’re doing it.