Simform

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder of a mobile game company.

What challenge were you trying to address with Simform?

They provide a mobile engineer and a web engineer to augment our internal engineering team with additional support and velocity.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Simform has helped augment our team working on the web and mobile apps. We assign their resources tasks through our project management software and they meet with us regularly on stand ups as members of our team. Our website is built in react and the mobile apps are done with Flutter on Android and iOS.

What is the team composition?

The team primarily entails development leads, engineers with specific skillsets, and more.

Specifically, we work with two engineers one mobile engineer and one web engineer.

How did you come to work with Simform?

I’ve known them for a number of years from my experiences with them at previous companies.

We both found them on Google and were referred to them by an acquaintance.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $25,000 with them so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since January 2022.

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

They’re very organized, on-time, and hard-working, integrating well with our internal team.

How did Simform perform from a project management standpoint?

We manage the project in Linear and communicate over Google Meet.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re very easy to work with and have a lot of resources available at whatever skill level you need. We can work with them on both web and mobile technologies.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They’re an integrated member of our team, and it’s easy for us to talk to them in that capacity.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It’s important when working with remote teams to have very clear requirements. We own the project management and assign them tasks. They’ll be successful if all that is clearly documented.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the CEO of Equilo, a data analytics SaaS platform focused on gender equality and social inclusion.

What challenge were you trying to address with Simform?

We had tried 4–5 different combinations of teams and individuals in the past, and it never quite worked out. Our company needed a full stack development team to help us build everything from relational databases on the backend to our frontend website design, the UI, and some complicated algorithms with Python scripting.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Simform has been our tech team for over a year and a half. First, the team came in and helped us clean up work that other developers had left with issues. They've built a web-based application for us that is separate from our website. 

We have a backend database in MongoDB. Simform does a lot of work to make sure that our millions of data records are synced to the MongoDB database using Python. They also ensure it's displaying correctly on the dashboard. Their work involves a lot of dynamic data pulled into data visualizations and graphics on the application. The database also pulls quantitative and qualitative information and has a match-making functionality for people interested in investing. 

Currently, we have about 10 different products within our application, and we have a lot of different requirements for the Simform team. Broadly speaking, the team manipulates data, syncs the system to MongoDB, syncs the frontend, and does data visualization. They respond to our customers' feedback, service complaints, or issues. They also help us build new features and products for the app. Simform anticipates issues from a user perspective and helps troubleshoot any glitches that might happen. 

What is the team composition?

We work with a team of 7–8 people from Simform.

How did you come to work with Simform?

They reached out to me on LinkedIn and asked if I was looking for a development team. Around that time, we had started working with someone else, but it didn't work out. Simform happened to check in again, we had a discussion, and they sent us a proposal.

How much have you invested in them?

We spend about $20,000–$25,000 a month with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in Q1 2021, and the engagement is ongoing.

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

Thanks to Simform's work, we've been able to get new products and features launched. I can be very demanding, with aggressive timelines to launch things. Simform has been incredibly gracious and responsive and has sometimes put in overtime to make sure they help us with critical items for my business. They provide an amazing, excellent, responsive service, launching new products and fixing issues. 

When we first started working with Simform, we were very cautious. However, they were super professional and took the time to understand our needs and product. The team cares about the project as if this were their business, too. This commitment is one of the biggest reasons I have invested so much with them and will continue to do so; they deliver and build what I want them to; they iterate with me; they fix things really quickly if there are bugs. In fact, they have a 100% success rate when addressing crashes or errors. Overall, Simform has great customer service.

How did Simform perform from a project management standpoint?

They have really good communication with two calls per week. One of these meetings is to talk about progress and go over agendas. They show us what they've done and demos of things. The second meeting is to set the priorities for the upcoming week's sprint. Additionally, I have a monthly meeting with the main project manager to talk about the bigger vision, what the pipeline looks like, and what kind of resources we will need over the longer term. 

On a day-to-day basis, they're integrated into our Slack, which is great. My company uses Asana for task management, and the whole Simform team is on there, where I can assign them tasks or tickets. The project manager is very personable, and they take the time to understand my business needs and technical needs.

Moreover, the team delivers on time and within budget. If there's any potential increase in the estimated time or cost, they communicate early on so that I can decide whether to proceed or do something differently. 

 What did you find most impressive about them?

I'm most impressed with Simform's ability to properly plan things, manage their work, and communicate early about what it will take. They're clearly experienced, understand what's needed, and are truthful and honest about it. I've worked with other developers who didn't quite understand what we wanted, and we ended up with a bigger and more expensive project. With Simform, I don't have to worry about those issues. They understand the requirements, plan accordingly, and communicate clearly, enabling me to make good decisions in my company's best interest.

With other developers, I've sometimes felt they would make decisions for my company, which isn't what I wanted. I wanted a thinking partner, and Simform is that for us. When I haven't thought through an idea 100%, they help me take it the rest of the way, which is another huge thing — not all developers can do that.

I've been operating my business for five years now, and Simform is above anyone else I've worked with in terms of professionalism, ability to deliver, responsiveness, and high-quality products. They just hit every single mark I'm looking for.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they're great. They have saved my company and made it amazing — I love working with them. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

My advice is to make sure you follow what Simform is suggesting in terms of the number of meetings. Although I initially felt that two meetings a week was so much time, it's really helpful to put aside time to have conversations. Be willing and open to frequent meetings and setting up channels for communication; these have been a factor in our success working together.

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are a consortium of independent food service companies providing corporate breakrooms, cafes, markets, vending, pantry and office coffee services. As an industry-leading technology company, our ecosystem offering spans payment hardware and software, loyalty programs, brand marketing, procurement, national account sales and other services that enable our affiliate member companies to provide state-of-the-art technology, flexible and healthy food choices, and consistent service to their corporate customers across the country. As the Director of Program Management, I am responsible for the project management of the technology projects we undertake including our mobile apps, loyalty program websites, and payment hardware systems.

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

We hired Simform to maintain and enhance our existing mobile applications platforms across our various brands. Native iOS and Android applications allow the consumer base to access the loyalty program from their phones. Our goals are to improve the usability of the apps while providing new features to enable touchless and phone-based payment options while keeping the apps technology current.

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

Simform came highly recommended by one of our trusted partner development organizations. After interviewing them, we chose them based on their broad experience in the key areas where we had potential projects, their reputation, and project cost estimate

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

The existing mobile applications were transitioned from another contractor to Simform over a period of 2 months of co-development. The first month was primarily knowledge transfer followed by Simform taking the lead on development with previous development team acting as reviewers. This made for a smooth transition. The technologies are iOS and Android native applications which include Apple Pay integration and Bluetooth communication with external devices for product selection and payment. Deliverable are on-going by cycling through enhancements across multiple apps with different branding. The applications are thoroughly tested in a QA environment and then UAT scenarios prior to public release.

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

There are four Simform resources on the team which includes an Android developer, iOS developer, QA Engineer, and Team Lead. Project management was done internal by myself.

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

...

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

For this project, the project management is lead internally. However, we have started other projects with Simform based and they are providing the project management. We primarily use Slack and Jira for communication and backlog tracking. Cloud-based documentation augment Jira details and email is used as needed too. We meet daily for a quick scrum followed by any detailed discussions that are needed. Simform accommodates our US East Coast timezone.

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

There are several key areas that impress me about Simform. First is their experienced and skilled development staff. We have expanded to partner with Simform on additional projects with a variety of skillsets from mobile to iOT to web development to Raspberry Pi device development. Second is their engagement process for new development. A business analyst and other resources as needed work closely with us to initially scope the project for a quote; after acceptance, this is smoothly transitioned to a development team lead by an experience development lead; design wireframes were immediately started and provided within 1-2 weeks of project kickoff. Lastly, we have had to experience resource transition as you do with any development organization. Simform handled this with an immediate knowledge transfer to a non-billed resource for several week time period. This make us feel confident in the transition and appreciative in the smoothness of the transition.

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

One area on my wishlist is to have 24/7 server management capability. We have utilized Simform server management and devops skills. They have definitely worked outside the normal work-day window. However, it would be ideal to have 24/7 management to handle the US workday across all timezones.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a software engineer at smartnanotubes, a manufacturing company.

What challenge were you trying to address with Simform?

We wanted to develop software to support our business.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Initially, we shared with Simform what we wanted in a software. We started on multiple mobile platforms. Now, we’re developing hybrid mobile apps in Flutter. On the desktop side, we use Angular and Node.js for the backend. For cloud service, we’re using AWS. Additionally, they’ve provided IT/cloud consulting services.

What is the team composition?

We had up to 20 people at a certain point. Now, there are 12–13 people on the team.

How did you come to work with Simform?

A friend worked there as a developer. I knew they were a good company that provided good services, so I approached them and went from there.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $300,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in July 2021, and our relationship is ongoing.

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

We’re happy with their work.

How did Simform perform from a project management standpoint?

Initially, there were some problems, but they figured them out. They’ve improved, and now they're doing really well with project management. They use an internal project management tool; we use Slack and Microsoft Teams to communicate.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They communicate well and frequently.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We had issues when the project manager left. They transferred the project to a new person, but they could’ve taken care of it sooner to avoid problems.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Give them proper project requirements and make sure they understand what you want.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am CEO and founder of Gardenize, garden app. We help gardeners grow! On our mobile and web plattform, garderners around the world can improve their gardening skills and become better at caring for their plants. The can also connect with each other on our social platform.

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

Initially Simform joined our development team with extra resources in our re-branding project, that had a strict deadline to fulfill. Later we mover our full development team to Simform.

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

They acted professional, could assign qualified resources when we needed it, and had competitative prices.

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

The work included updating the UI/UX of Gardenize mobile app according to new design. The work has been in close cooperation with our PM, and has moved to also include updating and cleaning of legacy code. we use mainly native iOS and Android.

Simform also helps us review our Amazon solutions, servers, APIs ett from a security, speed and optimizations perspecitives, and have implemented measurements, to improve our deliveries as well as our cost.

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

We have a team of around 7-8 people. They are mobile app devlopers, tech lead, full stack dev ops etc.

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

Our costs for data storage and utilization has decreased by 15%.

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

We use Teams, Slack and Jira as main tools for communications and project management. We keep a tight dialouge through daily stand up meetings, and bi-weekly sprint plannings.

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

They are very professional and have good support.

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

None.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a VP at an HR consulting firm. Our division is a pre-employment testing software program that organizations use to determine if their candidates have the abilities necessary for success. I handle all aspects of the division, from development to sales and marketing to support.

What challenge were you trying to address with Simform?

Our application was developed in-house, and we had an MVP that we wanted to redesign and thoughtfully craft in terms of the UX.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Simform redesigned our application’s UI/UX. We started with one module, then gave them two other major modules. Then, we added the front-facing test player part of the software. They went from wireframes to mockups and worked through them using InVision. After they finished the design, we requested a quote to build the software. We shared our code with them, and they had to understand our server-side API. They also got involved in things like database design. 

The team is now coding the product using .NET Core and AngularJS. They’re developing a staging environment our team will implement on our software. Additionally, Simform uses Backbone.js on some modules. They modulize 7the coding, and they have teammates working on massaging the code into a single repository. They’ve completed one of the modules, and they’re almost done with the programming on the second one. 

We do code reviews internally because the Simform team will turn over the product for our developers to make last-minute adjustments and implement them. After the product is finished, we’ll engage Simform to add more features and functionalities down the road, working in the vein of ground-up design, UX guidance, and coding.

What is the team composition?

We have a team lead who has coordinated all UI/UX work. We’ve worked with about 20 people in total, including project managers, QC specialists, engineers, and programmers. 

How did you come to work with Simform?

A representative from Simform reached out to me via email and phone, and we got into some conversations. After interviewing them, we chose them because they were a great fit. We tried them out, and because we were so pleased with their work, we extended the design all the way through, and then we decided to hire them for the coding.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $150,000–$200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in December 2020, and the engagement is still ongoing.

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

Simform has done an exceptional job, exceeding expectations. This project is a huge step out of our comfort zone, and we’ve been very conservative with the budget, keeping almost everything in-house. For this reason, we first tried them out piecemeal, and we’ve engaged them with the full boat because we’re so pleased with their work.

How did Simform perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve performed phenomenally well in terms of project management. Initially, they quoted a static project and estimated a timeline. However, as we’ve continued to develop the software, everything has been a moving target. We’ve added functions to the requirements, and Simform has graciously accepted every change. 

These additional functions require extra time and money, which we understand. We couldn’t have known where we would end up by the time we were coaching a specific part, and Simform has rolled with the punches, working with us to figure it out and execute the work. Their timelines have been right on as we’ve moved the goal post adding extra work; they estimate and end up being right on time.

We share Slack with them and have projects on GitHub. Depending on the question or concern, we also communicate via email and Microsoft Teams chat. Additionally, we have a weekly team meeting and a management meeting every two weeks to ensure everything is going smoothly.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’m impressed with Simform’s flexibility. This is new for us, and we haven’t been shy about continuing to develop our software after we’ve already given them specs. While it may not be the best situation for them, it’s the best situation for us. Simform happily and graciously accepts the challenges of us growing our software while they’re recoding — that’s been phenomenal. 

Additionally, their design work is astounding, and their communication is fantastic. I know many of the people we work with, even though we’re a world apart, and I enjoy working with them. The team is readily available; they’re not hindered by distance and different time zones. We never have to wait a day to hear back from them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything they need to change; they respond to us really well. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

What helped us be confident was breaking the project into pieces and auditioning Simform. That allowed us to familiarize ourselves with them, the way they work, their quality, and their timelines, allowing us to grow our relationship with them dramatically. If you want to ease into it, my advice is that you can.

Please describe your company and your position there.

Voodoo Park Limited provide Software Development support teams to a range of mid to large, predominantly Finance sector, professional service clients. I am the CFO and ultimately in charge of sourcing and managing the required resources for each Project.

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

Our USP is the technical quality of our Developers and speed of response to a client brief. Simform help us with both of those elements. They enable to exceed our client expectations by providing high grade Developers and have them available within days in most cases.

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

We responded to an approach and it very quickly became clear that Simform are a key addition to our partner network. They provide high quality candidates, quickly and economically.

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

The predominant tech stack at the moment is .NET but they do also provide SDETs and occasionally other tech when we need it

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

I would estimate that we have had 30+ Developers from Simform over the last 2 years

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

We have grown our footprint with every client, on which we have deployed Simform Developers. That, above all else, is the testament of their service offering

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

We have a dedicated Delivery Manager who is our single point of contact for any questions or issues we might have

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

Their lead time, flexibility, and personal touch are impressive. I know that our Delivery Manager has really got to know our business and knows exactly the sort of candidate we need

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

Our Company is never satisfied, we always want better people faster! However what we have had so far from Simform has been a key component to our recent growth

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder of Heirloom, a customizable cookbook design company.

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

I was looking for a dev team who could build a custom website and develop the software that helps users make cookbooks. I needed someone to understand design and at the same time implement code that was complicated.

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

We found Simform through our design team. I had already interviewed a few companies but finally selected Simform due to their timeline/project cost and most important thoroughness is finding the right team for this project.

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

From start to finish - Build back end for the software - where we would store user recipes as well as the front end interface where users would input recipes. The most technically challenging aspect of this is that all the data needs to be formatted per the users specifications, using one of our predesigned templates.They used React and Webflow.

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

4 - Project manager, Front end and back end developer, user testing.

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

Simform is extremely professional and very easy to work with. They meet deadlines, are very communicative and super respectful of the client and their needs.

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

We had a weekly meeting, the PM came well prepared with an agenda and updated. We typically communicate via Slack.

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

I find them very professional and easy to work with. They are always open to new projects and ideas. They work well with a team.

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

None

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the owner and founder of PatronPay, we make a super portable Android based credit card terminal. I also do Fractional CTO work for other clients and have used SIMFORM for many of them (who often keep using SIMFORM. after my engagement is over).

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

For PatronPay and others, I have used SMFORM for mobile (Native iOS and Android, React Native, and now Flutter), back ends in Node.JS and Python Django using my own multi-tenant framework, and PWA front ends in Angular and React. I also have one large project i support in .NET Core microservices and another older one in .php. SIMFORM works on all of them. I tend to use Djang or Node.JS for new projects.

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

I selected SIMFORM after first trying them for a few small test projects over 6 years ago. I had been using a firm in Belarus for over 15 years. but found SIMFORM to be slightly more cost effective and more flexible for swapping resources. For example, I often use SOMFORM Devops for AWS, us use their UI design team for logos or quick UI's and they are fery flexible and fair about allocating these resources as needed.

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

Across so many projects it varies. In some instances the client helps manage the SIMFORM resources using Jira or some other tool. For PatronPay I manage all the resources directly using a. combination of zoom meetings and Skype or Slack. SIMFORM will operate how ever you want. I am also doing a medical devices that I am fraction CTo on and SIMFORM is also writing the firmware on a Nordic BLE chip that communicates to mobile and the cloud.

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

Over the years probably 12 different people -- mostly covering all the specific technologies I have mentioned. In some cases I have used a team leader which also is a full time coder but coordinates efforts in india. These have been some of the best resources I have worked with anywhere (on sore, offshore, etc). SIMFORM also has a terrific CTO Hiren who I often bounce ideas off of.

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

All I can say is I am self funding PatronPay and am by nature a very cost conscious person. I don't beleive anyone could have gotten as much development as we have gotten done in the speed and cost which we have done it. I have taken SIMFORM into my client and and in some cases they have cut 750K annual spend in 1/2 including paying for me and SIMFORM. So they are very cost effective from beginning to end.

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

As I mentioned it is different depending on what the client wants. In most cases we do at least bi-weekly meetings, but in most cases I talk to them every day because I am self managing most projects. I know in some cases they manage projects themselves, I am just not familiar with this.

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

Quality of people, excellent Dev Ops team (they have taught me a few things :-)), flexibility in subbing people in and out of projects. They also have very low turnover and in 6 years and many developers, I can only think of two instances when someone was promoted and SIMFORM handled it by providing a month of overlap and no disruption to my projects.

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

I can't really think of any issues on projects that I have had where SIMFORM was the root cause.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO of a software startup. We provide an online employee engagement tool to help build remote company cultures.

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

They helped us build one of the features in our product suite.

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

Price, reading other great reviews, we got a dedicated team and project manager for a great cost, and they communicate clearly in English.

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

This project used javascript, react, graphQL and nestjs. The details of the entire project cannot be shared yet but they helped create a communities feature with various user roles, settings and access.

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

6 people 3 developers, 1 project manager, a sales person, and an administrative team member.

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

Not yet, just implementing but we were able to complete the project on time within budget.

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

Communicated via slack. Provided daily updates and weekly progress report meetings. They were very timely to respond and to accomplish work. Each week we also received a spreadsheet report of hours spent so we had a weekly budget update.

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

Their non-U.S. employees can communicate strongly in English. Their prices had been great for the value delivered. They were very flexible when our team had a personal emergency interfere with the project. This is the reason I will certainly come back to Simform for more

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

I wish we could've worked off our own Git branch