Siclo

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of MyNabes, a neighborhood social network.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Siclo?

I hired Siclo to help with design and development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Siclo developed our website, iOS and Android apps, and assisted with the UX/UI design.

What is the team composition?

In total, we’ve worked with three people. There was one designated for UX/UI, and one for development.

How did you come to work with Siclo?

I received a lot of estimates and ended up choosing Siclo because of their price and past work. They were half the price of other companies.

How much have you invested with them?

So far, we’ve invested $40,000–$50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement with Siclo began in April 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The entire creation process with Siclo was excellent. All of the UX/UI their team completed was great. The app should be ready in a few weeks. A while ago, I was in the process of finding a partner and showed the wireframe and workflow. All of the people I met with said that the design was good and that they wanted to have this application.

How did Siclo perform from a project management standpoint?

It’s my first time working on a mobile app. Siclo has been extremely patient with me. I knew what I wanted, and they did it exactly how I wanted it. If there was something that I wasn’t satisfied with, they made sure that I was pleased with everything. Throughout, they’ve been helpful with explaining the technologies.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their entire team is respectful, working hard to do their job the best that they can. They also research competitors. Overall, Siclo is easy to work with.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They are a young team, so they may have to learn some more.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and managing partner of a consulting firm specialized in supply chains in emerging markets. We operate all over the world, mostly in American economies. We’re based in Vietnam, and we’ve worked in South Asia over the last 10 years. We’ve also worked in South America, and, more recently, Africa.

We provide a mix of consulting and software development, and we work on complex projects, usually for the development of custom tools for supply-chain management. These can be logistics- or planning-related.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Siclo?

We were working with a European sporting goods manufacturer with factories all over Asia. We were tasked to build a solution for them for planning the capacities of dozens of factories. It was a complex process, and, although we had the expertise to develop the tool, we needed a partner to develop the interface and backend of the software. We sought development resources from Siclo.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We envisioned an initial version that wouldn’t be perfect but would add value quickly. We initially wanted to use an agile development process. Siclo helped us develop the frontend of the tool. Although it wasn’t the most complex frontend in the world, we needed it to be fast and responsive. They also developed the API for the backend connection. Altogether, it took us almost a year to release the platform.

What is the team composition?

We worked directly with Eric (Co-Founder and General Manager, Siclo). He had a few junior members working for us, which was to be expected. I believe there were 3–4 developers on Siclo’s side. They’re a small company, and I believe we took a significant portion of their staff, but I don’t know how many people were involved overall.

How did you come to work with Siclo?

I originally knew them from a different context. I realized from our first professional meeting that we could express our intentions and worries and they understood us, and they also helped us in our specifications effort. We had trust in them from the beginning, so we introduced them to our client so they could better understand the reality of the end user. This was almost a necessity, given the complexity of the matter. Siclo respected our professional relationship with the client and didn’t try to shortcut us.

It took us about six months to define the product, and Siclo worked alongside us, helping us create specifications and define the product with the end client. That saved us a lot of time. They put together a series of five sprints to develop the tool.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $25,000–$50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our first engagement with Siclo started in July 2018. We’ve worked with them since then.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were developing the first version of this platform for the client, and we had a larger commercial engagement in mind. Thanks to this first version, we started to open doors, and we became known throughout the company. Our client has a $12 billion valuation, so it was an achievement for smaller businesses like ours and Siclo to be recognized by them. We’re still working together due to the commercial success of the project.

How did Siclo perform from a project management standpoint?

Our offices are close to each other, so we spent quite some time together in person. We also used Asana or another project management tool to track project data. We had an iterative process. They were also dependent on other providers. Our backend developer didn’t perform as well as Siclo, so they had to be patient. They took the commercial cost of waiting, which was very nice. It wasn’t easy for Siclo, but they definitely weren’t a roadblock on the project.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re not a typical IT company. They listened before thinking, which is an important characteristic when keeping an open door to non-IT inputs within the context of an IT relationship. This was actually amazing, and it’s a rare thing to find.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Siclo is a company put together by one individual, without whom not much would work. They’re dependent on the drive and vision of Eric, so they’re not 100% autonomous. On the other hand, it was great to have the principal of the company working directly on the project.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a product owner at BTP Consultants, a construction software company. We take a global approach to the construction area. We’re also positioning ourselves on virtual reality (VR) solutions for our clients. We build websites, software, and software solutions.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Siclo?

We needed to augment our staff in preparation for two separate projects.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We worked with them on two web applications. The projects lasted about four months each; one was in 2017 and the other in 2018. The team offers a variety of skills between product owners, frontend and backend developers, infrastructure experts, and other experts. They provided us with all of the tools we needed.

What is the team composition?

My primary contact was Benjamin (Project Manager, Siclo). My product partner was in contact with one or two developers, but usually their product owner or account manager.

How did you come to work with Siclo?

Benjamin is a friend of my partner’s. It was easy for us to approach them and they quickly understood our needs. Their location was a real benefit for us as well, so it was an easy choice.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested between $30,000–$40,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in the summer of 2017, and we’re planning three new projects with them at the moment.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They assign the resources needed to meet deadlines reliably. They invested the necessary time and effort into each project, and their quality of work was impressive.

How did Siclo perform from a project management standpoint?

They utilized an agile methodology, which allowed for a very efficient workflow between our teams. They often work with foreign developers who only speak English, but we were able to discuss the project with management in French, which was very helpful for us.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were very easy to work with throughout the two projects. We’re looking forward to working with them in moving forward.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Last time we spoke with them, they were considering hiring new resources to continue diversifying the services they offer. I know they’re thinking about it and I’d encourage them to go further.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of K-process, a company developing a device related to industrial and social performance. Some of our projects involve lean manufacturing, musculoskeletal disorders, and so on.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Siclo?

We’ve developed a software solution for providing consultation services to our clients. It was initially for our own use, but clients became interested in it since 2007 and wanted to license it. We have a few developers in our company, but often need additional resources and skills.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’ve developed a web and iPad application. We have no Swift skills, so we tasked Siclo to monitor the project on a daily basis.

There are many features in our software, including video and photographic material to analyze human health risks. We also have features for blurring faces, uploading and downloading video, and for defining video clips as parts of bigger videos for illustrating risk. These functionalities require a lot of uploading and downloading. They were problematic to implement because of unstable connections, so we needed to redevelop the video player.

We also have an administrative component and one for reporting, which were developed using PHP. The reporting part allows users to take all the data from the software, view it—including video clips and photos—and export that to an Excel file.

The tricky part with this software was that we needed to fit the requirements of different clients. Some may have risk matrixes with only two entries, while others may have six different entries. This meant that we had to adapt the screen to these settings, which was difficult to implement.

What is the team composition?

I lead the role of product owner on our side and work directly with Benjamin (Lead Account Manager, Siclo), who handles daily standups and related tasks. He also evaluates the stories and manages the development team.

Additionally, they’ve assigned two developers—one for Swift and one for PHP. They provide resources for testing when needed. We’ve also worked with their CTO on more difficult features that required some thought before we were given a solution.

How did you come to work with Siclo?

The developer we had been using for this project was very good, but he decided to change his career. We had a very bad experience with someone else, so we asked our initial developer if he knew someone that could continue the project, and he referred us to Siclo.

We gave them a small test project and we were satisfied with the results. Their pricing was good, and they respected due dates and milestones. There will always be some bugs to fix in development projects, but their results have always been good.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Siclo in February 2018. The project is almost finished.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It’s difficult to provide an answer since the project is still under development and the software isn’t easy to understand. We’re still rushing to deliver to clients and continue adjusting features.

How did Siclo perform from a project management standpoint?

They provide good advice on how to manage a project, specifically using an agile methodology. Siclo adapted to our internal project management tool—Jira.

Many developers talk about the agile approach, but I think that several of them don’t know how it works. We’ve had experiences with other IT teams that weren’t able to deliver the work after committing to it. With Siclo, we found people who knew what they were talking about.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It was important for me to have a good relationship with someone that understood my needs and would be able to follow my requests, which I’ve found with Benjamin.

They get in touch quickly when they have questions, making sure they adhere to the requirements. They’re also good at finding solutions when we don’t know how to develop a feature and at respecting due dates.

We have many software solutions within our company, and we are considering continuing the partnership with Siclo for another project. We are very satisfied with their work at the moment.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It’s been a good experience for me, and though I would like them to work faster for a lower price, I’m not sure it’s realistic.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

The important points to consider are the relationship with the project lead and their ability to either take on full projects or only offer single developers. Their quality advice and skilled developers will make customers choose Siclo.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the COO and co-founder of APROPLAN. We build software for the construction industry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Siclo?

We hired them to develop our app for both iOS and Android platforms.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We needed them to move our old Objective-C app from iOS to the Swift environment. After they were successful with that, they developed the same application for Android. The app is also available on the web.

What is the team composition?

We were mainly in contact with two people, but there were another five from their team working on the project.

How did you come to work with Siclo?

At the time, we were working with another company who recommended Siclo for outsourcing development. We got in touch with them and they did the job.

How much have you invested in them?

We spent between $50,000–$200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them from January to December 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The apps were completed on time and are working as they should. One of the main advantages of working with their team was that everything was always delivered according to the timelines. We haven’t had to hire internal resources.

The one drawback was that we didn’t know if the code was done correctly or if they used the right templates and guidelines. However, the collaboration was successful overall. We ended it because we wanted to handle further work on our apps internally.

How did Siclo perform from a project management standpoint?

They used our tools for project management and stuck deadlines perfectly. We did scrum planning with them every two weeks and followed the sprints with them in Jira. It was easy to communicate with them as they have someone that we could speak to in either French or English.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their respect for deadlines was impressive, as well as the quality of their work. The app worked really well and was tested properly.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They should strengthen their main assets there, and not be dependent on only one technical lead. It didn’t impact us, but whenever he wasn’t there, barely anything happened.

They’re kind of a consultancy company, and we got the feeling that they used the same technical template and methods for every project regardless of its size. There were elements in the code that weren’t necessary at times, which made the app too big for our purposes. However, we understand that they do this to be efficient.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

SITA provides IT telecom solutions for airlines and airports. I’m heading a team that’s responsible for developing mobile solutions, applications, backend integrations, and even some Internet of things [IoT] solutions to enhance airline and airport business processes.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Siclo?

Before we engaged with Siclo, we had already been quite successful with some mobile apps for cabin crews. The problem was trying to move from paper to digital in order to make things and information more efficient and accessible. We wanted to address different business processes such as the grounds workforce, people working at the airport, ground handlers, and all the multiple and complex procedures at airports which still use a lot of paper or voice communication.

Our challenge was to introduce mobile technology in order to make these processes more efficient, all while offering real-time notifications. Siclo came into the picture to really help us develop this solution, including the mobile frontend, business analysis, and the overall streamlining process that would move our end users away from paper.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The main focus was developing the iOS platforms. We developed and released 4 main modules, one of which includes digital forms and manuals which Siclo developed, as well as form builders and paper digitization for smartphones and tablets. We needed all the fields to be typed, including pictures, electronic signatures, and the capability for the workforce who would be using the solution to draw on the pictures themselves.

They helped us develop task management for the workforce on the ground in order to track certain activities. The backend assigns which people have to handle what task, and these tasks are integrated on the backend to display on mobile what each person is responsible for. We also developed a precision timing or time stamping functionality that allows the workforce to monitor and record their activities. This features allows for better cost analysis and also helps people working in the aerospace identify the root cause of any delays that occur.

They also developed a module that offers instant messaging or chat capabilities similar to WhatsApp, Viber, and WeChat. This module is not as open as what’s available in the consumer industry, but very closed and narrow from an enterprise perspective. They developed the iOS capability to build groups, including the cleaning and ground handlers team, etc. Siclo developed all of the group-to-group communication, and it has been the largest deliverable they’ve done for us.

What is the team dynamic?

There were 3–5  resources, including developers and business analysts, as well as people that handled QA and testing. They would scale their resources up or down depending on the size of the project. On our side, it was more about when the project started and when it should end. They provided the manpower and skills necessary to prevent delays and meet deadlines.

How did you come to work with Siclo?

Our company usually uses large, well-known software development teams like NIIT and MindTree. However, for smaller projects, large companies such as these aren’t suitable for mobile development or Agile-based prototyping that involves fast delivery.

We’d been through consultations because we wanted to have some small software development capabilities in Asia. Through these consultations, or RFPs [request for proposals], we learned that Vietnam was home to many skilled developers with multiple competencies at attractive rates. We got in contact with Siclo through both the small IT ecosystem and also the software development industry in general.

We decided to do a proof of concept with them, and it was really successful. They were part of our supplier database from purchasing, then we steadily gave them more responsibility.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent less than $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started our collaboration last year, but the biggest deliverable took place this year.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We are very satisfied because Siclo is a small, but very efficient, team. We really liked that they had a good mix of managers and developers. The outcome is really fantastic, especially in terms of the quality of their coding and the process analysis prior to development. We are quite happy, and our customers are too. We’re about to implement the solutions to our end customers now.

So far, we haven’t had any major issues, and everything is moving quite smoothly. It’s a continuous evolution because we have a lot of features on the roadmap that we’d like them to implement in the future. With this new release, we haven’t faced any regression or issues. We are hoping the quality will still be there for the new release.

How did Siclo perform from a project management standpoint?

We have a single point of contact who was managing the regular interactions with us, including reporting, bugs information, and priorities and comments through JIRA. So far, we have been quite happy. It’s not a massive IT project that could last for 10 years, but rather a small to medium-sized project. The way they’ve handled it really gave us confidence that we could give them more at the technical and project management levels.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They have a great mindset. The CEO and CTO are not only really professional, but also come from bigger companies. Therefore, they offer the same process, quality testing, and rigorousness to their development that can be seen in such companies. They are really involved with the startup model, as well as how to put the developer at ease in order to create a good ambience amongst the team. They’re not 9–5 type of workers, but instead have their own way of going about things that works for them.

We managed to get a good rhythm going for the team members, which garnered positive results in the quality of delivery. Not only do they know how to cultivate the kind of entrepreneur or startup attitude in their developers, but also in the company in general. They are also multicultural, which is great. They have people from France and Vietnam working for them, and the result is fantastic.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It’s actually a good problem to have, because we’ve seen companies in the past that didn’t manage growth well, and it was apparent on a day-to-day basis. Siclo needs to be aware of the risk of growing without sacrificing their agility or flexibility, as well as making sure that their key team members remain with them. If not, they need to be able to acquire more talent in order to handle their responsibilities.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the CEO of a French startup in the field of medical technology. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Siclo?
Siclo helped us develop a mobile app that allows medical practitioners to remotely follow their patients who have chronic diseases such as diabetes.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?
Last year we won a call for proposal in India. We presented a project in order to develop a mobile app to follow patients with chronic diseases. We worked with Siclo on this mobile app, but it’s also a complete solution, because the practitioner can set up the care plan for the patient via a web app. Siclo helped us with this native Android app and the web app. We also work on the specific medical use. 

What is the team dynamic? 
We have one developer, one project manager, and one tester. 

How did you come to work with Siclo?
A friend of mine recommended Siclo. He works for a company in Vietnam, and he knew of them. Before we worked with Siclo, we worked with a Tunisian company on another app. We were disappointed in the work from that company, so we wanted to find a strong partner. We are in the medical sector, and we have strong liability and security requirements. Siclo takes the time to understand our program and those requirements.

How much have you invested with them?
The development cost about €30,000 ($35,400). 

What is the status of this engagement?
We started working with Siclo in April 2017, and we ended our work together in mid-October 2017. We might work with them again at the end of the year. We have a period for testing — a beta tester and user — and that’s when we’ll work with them again.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
What we really appreciate is that Siclo uses the same tools as our developers, like Slack. We can follow the developers’ progress and communicate easily with them. In the beginning, we didn't want to work with a tester, because it’s an added cost. Eventually, we decided to have one, because Siclo has a great method of testing all of the bugs. 

How did Siclo perform from a project management standpoint?
At the beginning of the spring, we set up a sprint and task with our developers and Siclo’s developers. We have a call at the beginning of every sprint. For example, the last two weeks we had calls on Monday, Wednesday, Friday both weeks. The project manager then can write and e-mail all of the information. We use Tiger, so that’s how we generally handle our projects.

What did you find most impressive about them?
Their project manager has a lot of experience, and they really take the time to understand all of our needs. They also built a strong relationship with us. In the last month, we had a problem with a sprint. They didn't finish the task, and they took the time to explain why. We decided to make a longer sprint in order for them to achieve it. I think they work well. 

Are there any areas they could improve?
Sometimes we have some difficulties in speaking with their developers because they don't speak English or they don't speak it well. So we only speak with the project manager, and sometimes the information is quite difficult to convey to the developers. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We maintain an application for museums and professionals of art compilations. I’m the founder of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Siclo?

We needed an app for iOS and Android.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

One of the big challenges was that we initially didn’t stop to develop the apps. We did a first base model and then saved comments from users. Siclo also had to adjust themselves to the compilation and museum world, which is strange and doesn’t adapt well to technology. They had to develop something complex but make it simple to use.

They developed both applications from scratch, incorporating features such as drawing, connection management, signature and photography options, and an archive.

What is the team dynamic?

There are four people working on it now.

How did you come to work with Siclo?

Their price was competitive, and they understood what we needed and could adapt themselves to this professional world.

How much have you invested with them?

The complete price will be €30,000 [$35,220 USD].

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in September 2015.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They understood exactly the purpose of the document that we produced with the app. When I asked for additional features, they offered solutions that surprised me because it really added value to the application. When we have bugs, they're quick to fix them.

How did Siclo perform from a project management standpoint?

We're using two organization systems, including Taiga, so I can instantly learn about any issue and follow the resolution easily. We use two compilation systems because the app is in five languages, and we're still adding more, so it’s easy and practical to use that.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I've been impressed by the way they understand the issues and propose solutions to help us. It’s really easy to work with them. Even if you’re not a technology specialist, they talk with you in an understandable way.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The planning process could be better, but as I never asked them about that, it's more of a criticism on my side.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the country manager of a Vietnam-based IT branch that develops applications for a French construction group. They have 50,000 employees in 80 different countries.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Siclo?

We needed to develop an iOS application to display construction plans on tablets.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Siclo used Swift to develop our iOS app. I believe they also offer Android development, but we’re not planning on implementing a version for that operating system. We also asked them for maintenance, support, and training.

What is the team dynamic?

We’ve worked on a project basis, so I’m unsure what size their team was. I estimate that there were 3–4 developers on their side. I was contact with the project manager, who interfaced with the team.

How did you come to work with Siclo?

We received positive recommendations from our own professional network in France, and we wanted to work with them to enlarge our partnership.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in November 2016, and have an ongoing collaboration for maintenance until the end of December 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We plan to deploy the app soon in hopes that construction sites find interest in it. Siclo delivered a high quality product and also provided excellent service.

How did Siclo perform from a project management standpoint?

We have monthly meetings at our office with their project manager and CEO in order to track performance. They’ve performed well in terms of customer service, and have also delivered within the agreed budget and schedule.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They treated us well throughout this first experience, so we’ve decided to work with them again on upcoming projects. They are active listeners, and always provide thoughtful suggestions.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Their quality is good, but we’d like to have more competitive pricing.