SIVOXI®

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a Senior Financial Advisor at Khoury & Associates, a boutique financial services house. As a company, we adhere to the highest standards of honesty, integrity and professionalism

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

We required web design and development services for a promotional website we were looking to develop.

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

SIVOXI was the best choice for us due to their established reputation in the market as well as their broad range of expertise and capabilities

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

A web design and development project for our promotional website (responsive for web and mobile). The stages of the project included a research and design phase (which included wireframing and high-fidelity mockups), once this phase was complete, the project moved into development, quality assurance and testing, and finally deployment of the website onto our server.

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

We had a working relationship with 4 team members: an analyst/senior management member, 2 UI/UX designers and a project manager.

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

Our live promotional website demonstrates the success of our project. To date, we have not encountered any problems after the launch of the website.

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

We found it very easy to communicate with all team members and were provided with frequent updates about the progress of the project. We had both in-person meetings and phone calls, but most feedback was provided via Basecamp (a project management software tool).

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

The SIVOXI® team is dependable and professional. This was important for us. Additionally, we had very strict requirements regarding how the promotional website had to be structured and presented. In spite of all the constraints, the SIVOXI team managed to bring our ideas to life flawlessly.

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

No, our experience with the service provided was, and still is, positive.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the marketing manager for iStore South Africa (which is an Apple Premium Reseller in South Africa). I am responsible for the overall marketing management, strategy and implementation for the company along side other key team members.

For what projects/services did your company hire SIVOXI®?

We required an outsourced web and digital design team that could act as an extension of our in-house team to assist with a magnitude of tasks ranging from web page designs, mailer designs, social media designs to Google Display Network advert designs (to name a few).

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

SIVOXI® services were recommended to me by a friend who had a positive experience with them in the past.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

The iStore marketing team sends detailed design briefs to the Sixovi team based on iStore's campaign requirements. Briefs range from website layouts/banners, mailers, social media pages and various digital marketing initiatives (GDNs etc).

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

In total, we work with 3 people including:

• 2 x designers 
• 1 x project manger

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

The project manager manages the various projects flawlessly. The team is able to meet deadlines timeously whilst being able to accommodate the implementation of a number of changes. Due to Sivoxi's quick turn around time, iStore is able to implement and go live with campaigns within required deadlines.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The project manager and designers are easy to communicate with and provide us with frequent updates. Our methods of communication range from correspondence via Monday.com (which is the platform we use to manage creative briefs) and video meetings as and when required.

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

SIVOXI® is always able to make a plan to allocate resources to assist us when needed (even on short notice). The team also pays attention to detail and follows the briefs provided; this is especially important to us. Their quick turnaround time is also advantageous to us due to our fast-paced environment.

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

I don’t have any comments to make in this regard.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I was the editorial director of an online sports magazine called RugbyRocks.com when I worked with SIVOXI™.

What challenge were you trying to address with SIVOXI™?

We needed a custom website to accommodate our growing technology needs and set us apart from our competitors.

What was the scope of their involvement?

SIVOXI™ built our custom, mobile-friendly website from the ground up, focusing on promoting our company vision and brand identity. They utilized our brand guidelines and incorporated new features that our columnists could use to update our site content. Our users were also able to filter content based on the columnists that they wanted to follow.

What is the team composition?

My main points of contact were Greg (CEO) and Arianna (COO).

How did you come to work with SIVOXI™?

SIVOXI™ was recommended to my business partner.

What is the status of this engagement?

The development project ran from October 2019–January 2020, but their team supported us with maintenance services until January 2021.

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

We had to close the website in January 2021 because there weren't any games to cover after COVID-19 struck. While these unforeseen circumstances heavily and negatively impacted our site traffic, I wouldn't discount the fact that SIVOXI™ met our team's standards with the deliverables they produced. We could always rely on them to apply modifications and incorporate our feedback to refine their work, which spoke a lot about their credibility and professionalism.

How did SIVOXI™ perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicated via Zoom, WhatsApp, and email and met twice to conduct in-person meetings. SIVOXI™ was a collaborative and transparent partner that worked proactively with our team to address any challenges we encountered.

What did you find most impressive about them?

What stood out about SIVOXI™ was their uncompromised honesty. They accommodated all our needs, but they were also upfront in stating what we could and couldn't achieve within a particular timeline or budget.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There was nothing they could've done differently — SIVOXI™ valued our ideas and creatively delivered our requirements.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Produce a clear project brief, and you're already halfway there.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a project and development manager at S. Giuricich Holdings, a privately held property investment and development company. My role is to manage and coordinate some of the projects and properties that are part of the company’s portfolio. We also have a few subsidiaries, and the main one is a development branch. We’re mainly commercial and property developers in the big box and logistics space.

What challenge were you trying to address with SIVOXI™?

We had a very outdated website for one of our businesses so we wanted to create a new website for our holding company. The platform would show off our past and present projects for new and existing partners and customers that we wanted to be involved with going forward.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We started with the planning phase with the SIVOXI™ team where we conceptualized what we wanted to do. After that, we looked at examples of websites in the industry that we liked in terms of style and features. Once the team had that, they came up with a few examples of what we were looking for in our WordPress website.

The site had a landing page that featured our current developments. We also had more information available about each project we completed, which were all key parts of our portfolio. We also had a page that featured our team and our capabilities and another page that showed our track record in the industry.

There was also another area where potential tenants could inquire about the rent of our properties through our website. On top of that, we had a section where we post newsworthy events in our company such as new developments, achievements, and more. If we need to feature new stories or post new projects we’re developing, we have access to the site's backend. From time to time, I still reach out to SIVOXI™. They’re now in charge of our site maintenance, and we’ll keep engaging with them if need any updates implemented on our platform.

What is the team composition?

I’m working with Greg (CEO) and he’s in charge of providing instructions on the deliverables that his team needs to execute.

How did you come to work with SIVOXI™?

Greg and I knew each other for quite some time and then I heard about the company that he had launched. I was quite curious about what they were doing and that was how our engagement started.

How much have you invested in them?

We’ve spent roughly $8,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing collaboration started in July 2019.

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

We’ve received positive feedback from our current and prospective clients who have engaged with us through the website. It’s also easy for us to upload on our well-designed platform. On top of that, the site has met our expectations because it contains our required capabilities.

How did SIVOXI™ perform from a project management standpoint?

I’ve worked directly with Greg and we have a very good relationship. He has provided me with frequent updates throughout the process and we’ve been able to bounce ideas off each other very easily. He ensures that the project is completed on time, and he coordinates everything well to ensure that we have an excellent engagement.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their communication skills have been impressive; we’ve been able to get great feedback from SIVOXI™, and they keep us in the loop throughout the partnership. More importantly, we don’t have to worry about slippage from any point of view because they keep a very open stream of communication, making it very easy to work with them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Initially, when we got the project going from the concept they presented, it was slightly too technical for us. We didn’t have a big tech background so it was difficult to grasp everything. Despite that, they simplified everything so we could understand the job and the technical jargon involved in our project. In the end, we were able to understand what they presented to us and what they wanted to achieve.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make the most of your project with SIVOXI™. In addition, communicate as effectively as possible because it is one of their strengths and it will help you build your relationship. In our case, they were able to understand what we wanted and implement our preferences on the website.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the divisional manager at BEE-Connex, a business advisory company.

What challenge were you trying to address with SIVOXI™?

We’d been using software developers previously, and we weren’t particularly happy with them. We needed someone to assist us with developing bespoke applications for a few separate projects.

What was the scope of their involvement?

SIVOXI™ built a website with a pretty in-depth web lead generation platform. Clients could come online and submit requests, and we’d then access those requests in the backend and contact those clients accordingly. 

The website integrated with a bespoke management tool that they developed for us. We looked at various options such as purchasing existing software and customizing it to our needs. In the end, we decided we were going to develop the entire thing with SIVOXI™. The management software was quite a comprehensive .NET project that essentially did calculations based on a company’s financial and HR data. 

It was a very consultative process; experts from the industry took what was written in legislation and how the scoring worked and put that into a client-facing software. The client could input a series of different elements to come up with a score so they could manage their Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) themselves. We were able to generate leads from the users utilizing that tool.
 
SIVOXI™ also built two mobile applications for iOS and Android that also integrated into the website and the backend. We could receive requests from clients who downloaded and used the apps.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with project engineers, administrators, and quite a few other people.

How did you come to work with SIVOXI™?

I’ve known Gregory (CEO) from separate projects I had from separate companies. When they came to do a brief to understand what we were looking for, he had a lot of good advice for us and put together a quotation that we were happy with. It was a lengthy process and a phased approach. Once we got through the initial phases, we were quite satisfied with their service.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about 3.5 million–5 million South African rands ($191,000–$274,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in December 2018, and the work is ongoing. We have them on retainer to constantly implement new updates and changes as we need them.

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

We are constantly updating and tracking the success and the use of the management system in the market.

How did SIVOXI™ perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve done exceedingly well with project management compared to other software developers I’ve worked with in the past. We have constant communication with them. The deadlines have been very tight, and they meet them. They gave us access to their project management software as well.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Getting a software developer to understand our legislative requirements and putting it into a platform that we were able to get what we needed out of was impressive. SIVOXI™ put everything in place and delivered a platform in line with our very bespoke project requirements.  

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there’s nothing I’d have them improve.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Work closely with them, especially with Gregory. We built a really good relationship with them, even on a personal level. When you’ve got your idea of what you want to implement, get into the nitty-gritty of it. They have really good advice and can help direct a project from a software development point of view in line with your requirements. 

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of Lank Chilled. We specialize in UX and product design, designing cutting-edge interfaces. We always try to think differently.

What challenge were you trying to address with Sivoxi ™?

We contracted them for the actual development of a mobile application. We handled all the screens, designs, and the product itself, but they built it.

What was the scope of their involvement?

The app is a native iOS messaging app that has a different way of signing up than other messaging apps like WhatsApp and Telegram. There are a few other things in there that haven’t been done before as well.

What is the team composition?

I dealt with one of their project managers.

How did you come to work with Sivoxi ™?

I met Greg (CEO) at an innovation seminar a few years ago.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $36,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been talking about this app since the start of 2017, and development started midway through that year. The app went on the store last year, and now we’re working on the new update.

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

I’m very focused on attention to detail. They knew exactly what I wanted up front; my team handled our end and their team handled their end. The gut feeling that I had about Greg and Sivoxi ™ being the right fit for me proved to be right.

How did Sivoxi ™ perform from a project management standpoint?

They did a great job throughout the project. We always knew the status at any point in time. I was always updated. They got cracking and got the ball rolling fast. Their project manager gave us the feeling that I could trust him; they were always in touch frequently.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their customer service stands out. They’re very consistent and transparent. They know what they’re doing. It’s refreshing to work with people you’re aligned with and can get the job done.

Are there any areas they could improve?

When it came to exporting assets, they use Adobe and I use Sketch. There was a bit of an issue at first but they sorted it out. I can’t say anything bad about them to be honest.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be 100% certain on what you want to achieve. If you have a product out there, they make sure they get their homework done. Don’t be afraid to ask questions or seek advice. They never hesitated to answer any questions I had.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the general manager of Prestige Adhesives. We are a commercial adhesive manufacturing company and we specialize in the production of tile adhesives, grout, and other construction-related products for the retail market as and contractors directly.

What challenge were you trying to address with SIVOXI™?

We required a custom software solution to manage our raw material inventory, determine our recommended daily inventory production numbers on a “per product” basis, and to place orders with various raw material suppliers. We also required assistance with the appropriate formulas and algorithms to be integrated into the software to produce accurate reports that we could rely on.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They built our web-based applications. We had previously been doing everything on Excel, and every week we would have to manually input our opening balances. It was becoming a mission to carry forward everything.

They put together the UI designs, developed the software as well as crafted and integrated the formulas and algorithms required to accurately process the data inserted into the software.

What is the team composition?

I dealt with one person directly which made everything a lot easier. Anytime I had an issue, I would go to him and then he would go through to his team. Then, he would give me back feedback.

How did you come to work with SIVOXI™?

We were searching online for software developers and came across their website. Our internal IT group was also involved and had a look at it, and after discussing what we wanted to do and our first meeting with them. We were very comfortable with the company. We decided to work with them from there.

How much have you invested in them?

We’ve spent around $20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We had a preliminary meeting in March 2019 and ended the project in June 2019. The work is not ongoing at the moment, however, we are currently consulting with them on the next phase of the project.

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

They helped us streamline and help make our process more efficient. Our inventory and stock calculations at the end of every week have been much easier. I can see that what we have on the floor is actually what we are supposed to be having based on the data input into the platform. It has allowed us to control the movements of stock much better in the company and that is one of the ways I have seen benefits from what they were able to give us. 

How did SIVOXI™perform from a project management standpoint?

I’m quite happy with how they worked from a project management standpoint. I was always informed about what stage the project was at and when we could expect to have the project completed.

The software was developed and delivered to us within the specified timelines. We had a couple of trial runs together and we went through the processes very briefly and how everything was going to work. Since it’s a live system, we tested it ourselves before they were able to fix everything, but other than that, everything was done very quickly.

They also gave us ideas of what we could possibly look at in the future in terms of further streamlining our operation which is part of the next stages of the project.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I haven’t really dealt with any other providers, but I found it impressive that we simply presented them with the concept and idea, and just the very basic Excel document of what we wanted to do, and they just ran with it. Their ability to craft and implement their algorithms and formulas was fantastic.

Are there any areas they could improve?

When the final build was received, they provided us with an interactive user manual. As helpful as it was, I think it is quite a complex platform. I think I would recommend them doing some sort of live demonstration in the handover as it would have helped to ease things when we pick up the platform and use the software and everything. Other than that, there isn’t too much I have to complain about, to be honest.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

The biggest thing would be to have a clear understanding of what they want to achieve from the software and the kind of results they are looking for. We were delayed a little on our side just from an internal perspective, and our internal IT people had some issues when they weren’t really sure what they needed to do on our side.

For whoever is working with them, they need to have a clear idea of what they are looking to achieve from the software. Once they can relay that to the company, I think they are more than happy to run with it.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m in a top management position at Allied Paint Solutions. We’re the exclusive importer of a multinational chemical company’s automotive refinishing products into Southern Africa. We also appoint distributors throughout the region.

What challenge were you trying to address with SIVOXI™?

I needed help building a website. We had to build a site that was aligned with the chemical company’s corporate identity and brand. We’re not a subsidiary of those, but we’re affiliated with their brand.

What was the scope of their involvement?

The website is on WordPress, I believe. They built a backend for me that I can go into and make changes within myself. It was quite a complex development. We’re not just talking about resizing and downscaling and editing content. It’s a very technical website where our end-users and customers can go in and get everything need to know about our products. They also assisted us in changing up our corporate images and logos for the website.

What is the team composition?

They had a whole team people, but I primarily dealt with a project manager and two of the assistants who were involved in coding and design.

How did you come to work with SIVOXI™?

I met them through a friend of mine who’d done work with them and recommended them. We put our website project out for tender to a few people and SIVOXI™ came through as one of the more young and inspiring companies.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $12,000 with them so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since October 2018. Although the project is finished, we’re always adding features and improvements. We’ve also discussed them doing other websites for our distributor companies.

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

The feedback we’ve gotten on the website has been extremely positive. We’re in one of those industries where you don’t generally get too much feedback so we asked our internal staff, respected customers, and the company who’s products we distribute and they were extremely happy.

How did SIVOXI™ perform from a project management standpoint?

They set up a few interfaces where we could communicate regularly and see updates on the website. They were hands-on from the beginning, sitting down with me and keeping me involved. They listened to my requests and we took it from there. I can’t say anything more positive; everything that we wanted got done. They did everything in a professional way.

What did you find most impressive about them?

First, they were very solution drive. They found a whole host of ways to implement changes throughout the project, accommodating what we needed within our budget. They came to us with a whole host of solutions and let us pick which was best for us; this was very favorable.

They also paid a lot of attention to detail. I was very detailed with the design since color and paint are our business, and they were very good with them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I wouldn’t say this is a negative, but it’s something they started doing during the process. In retrospect, they should implement it with customers from the beginning. They started putting together video tutorials and written explanations for me about how to make things and get info to them in the right format. That helped a lot.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Sit down with them and share your requirements and guidelines; have it all well documented and accurate. That way, they’ll have the right idea of what you want. Once they have the blueprint, they go full steam ahead.