Smart IT

Please describe your company and your position there.

Our company Zaman Broker is the first Insurance and Reinsurance Lloyd's Brokers operating in South Caucasus region. Today we have almost 100 employees. Our office is located in Baku, Azerbaijan. I am Digital Transformations Director. My main role in our company is managing and bringing new technology and process optimisation practices to a company

For what projects/services did your company hire Smart IT?

We had a retail project based on motor insurance and decided to develop a system to create personalized and successful experiences for every customer that comes into our company. Therefore, hired Smart IT to develop CRM system.

What were your goals for this project?

The main goal was to build software that allows to track each customer interaction and give to our clients a more enjoyable, personalised customer experience and can be the key to smoothing sales. The System with analytical tools that gives us opportunity to prepare different reports, predictions etc.

How did you select this vendor?

We had an interviews with different vendors and even started to do something but it was unsuccessful experience. Then another company that has already worked with Smart IT recommended them to us.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

First of all, we, as a business people, began to write down the final idea of what we want to get as a result. It took us 2 months to prepare mock ups and documentation of the tasks - from small to global ones and divided them into several sprints. This of course helped Smart IT team to understand the scope and prepare enviroment for the development, also correctly build arhitecture of the project. Of course, we started from the most important thing, the possibility to register a customer in our system, to give him the opportunity to buy insurance and to pay for it. Therefore the very first functional of our CRM system was the creation of customer profiles and integration with 3rd party systems, such as banks, smtp servers, our website and mobile application. All other deeper developments which we consider the cream of our system were developed later during our further cooperation and continues until now. We come up with some kind of new idea and Smart IT professionally turns this idea into working functional.

What was the team composition?

The team consists of 8 people. 2 backend, 2 frontend developers, QA and project manager who is also backend developer. Also, another project manager and UI/UX designer was involved from business side

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

There are so many different benefits of implementing our new CRM system. One of the biggest challenges that business faced was dealing with messy data. This was becoming a much more serious issue when we were looking for important sales information, but have to look through dozens of various documents, charts, and spreadsheets. Now all data is centralized and we can find what we need, exactly when we need it. Also it helps us to predict our future sales by setting up plans and analyze past sales trends. This is a vital feature for all businesses. CRM is also a great way to improve communication with leads, customers, and potential customers.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

From the very beginning, we let the team know what our expectations for the project are. These include the quality of work, who is responsible for which tasks, and how team should communicate with each other. As we work from distance good communication is very important so we set up daily and weekly Skype meetings. We define 2 weeks scope discuss deliverables and define release time. Then project manager from Smart IT divide this scope into small tasks and assign a responsible person in task tracker system Worksection.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They are passionate about the work, which isn't always the case when outsourcing. They demonstrated a greater understanding of our mission than other companies had shown in the past. Smart IT has a good understanding of the whole process from ideation to implementation and beyond. They’re able to take our ideas and turn them into functioning code. In addition to the quality of their code, they've also integrated extremely well into our team, adapting to our internal processes relatively seamlessly. They’re a great team, that always underpromise and over-deliver.

Are there any areas for improvement?

There is always a room for improvement :) Our team want to deliver big things and sometimes we just need to eliminate the barriers. We have too much to do and too little time to do it. So need to enlarge our IT team

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Our company is called Iterial Sàrl, and we provide IT services, custom software development, and consultancy. I am the CEO of the company.

What challenge were you trying to address with Smart IT?

We brought their team on to assist us with some coding and graphic design for specific projects.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We have in-house resources handling all of the various requirements we need, but the amount of work we have often fluctuates, so they supplement our programmers and designers when we have specific projects that need to get done a little bit faster.

Our teams have collaborated on a variety of projects for our clients, including code reviews, backend Java website construction, email marketing infrastructure, and a few other specific technologies and APIs.

What was the team composition?

They provide about five people who work on our projects, including a product owner on the business side and several designers and developers.

How did you come to work with Smart IT?

A friend of mine put me in touch with them, and our meetings got off to a good start so we decided to move forward from there.

How much have you invested with them?

The total cost was a little over $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our work together from February­–May 2017.

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

The best evidence of the quality of their work is the amount of money that the customers they helped us to service continue to spend with us. Everyone they have worked with has been incredibly satisfied with their work, and our revenue as a business has not only been maintained but has grown substantially thanks to what they provided.

How did Smart IT perform from a project management standpoint?

They were always on time and communicative throughout our work with them. I handled the project management for the most part, but they did an incredible job keeping us up to date on everything that was going on.

What did you find most impressive about them?

What they are able to provide that most companies really lack is a stable work schedule that you can rely on them in which to get things done.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The solutions that they provided were not always the most elegant or creative solutions to the problem, but they were always very high quality, so we don’t have any complaints.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

In terms of completing the work, there really isn’t anything specific that you have to do. As long as you give them the requirements they need, they will deliver the finished product.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the head of software at the Finitera joint-stock company.

What challenge were you trying to address with Smart IT?

Smart IT is the technical team supporting our software development needs for our main business systems and websites.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We bought a system and customized it for our purposes. We have business in multiple countries, and Smart IT is primarily working on adjusting the system for different country regulations and specific workflows, as well as developing different modules and functionalities. They also handle third-party integrations with local credit history systems, bank systems, web payment services, and so on.  

Smart IT is responsible for all of the development, QA, and support. We’re working pretty much exclusively with PHP 7, a PostgreSQL 10 database, and JavaScript, CSS, HTML, and so on.

What is the team composition?

We have a 10-person team from Smart IT now, but it used to be up to 17. We’re a bit downsized at the moment due to the global situation.

How did you come to work with Smart IT?

One of my colleagues had worked with Smart IT on a project and suggested that I contact them.

How much have you invested with them?

The cost of their services has been around €2 million (approximately $2,200,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Smart IT in November 2017.

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

Smart IT is basically part of our company. They’re pretty much full-time employees, just outsourced. It’s not project-based work but time and materials, with everyday tasks from maintenance and support, and up to big project launches. 

We’re satisfied with their delivery and adherence to our requirements. We don’t really measure the success rates of particular tasks or projects. The fact that we’ve been working with them for two and a half years — basically since we launched our business — is a good indication that we’re generally satisfied with the collaboration.

How did Smart IT perform from a project management standpoint?

We’re actually managing them with respect to their primary work. Their internal management is concerned with other needs, like extracurricular activities, motivation, inside reviews, and so on.

We communicate almost exclusively in Russian, though most of the team is capable of communicating in English. I’m fluent in Russian myself, so it’s easier for me, and communication is pretty much a non-issue. We keep all documentation and task descriptions in English, but the spoken and chat communication is in Russian.

In terms of management, they’re relatively quick to respond to my requirements. If I need to expand the team, I’ll get options relatively quickly. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I have very limited experience working with similar companies, but I can say that Smart IT is very focused toward our projects, and they have relatively low employee turnover. We started with a team of seven people, and six of those are still with the team. That’s one benefit from our perspective, and it speaks to the company’s management. Their people are motivated and don’t leave for other companies.

They have a creative approach to solving problems. There have been cases where we needed something urgently, with timetables that didn’t seem okay relative to the standard working hours of their people, and they were willing to work extra. Smart IT adjusted to what our company needed in order to deliver as necessary.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’ve only worked with three outsourced companies so far, and there are no particular downsides that stand out with Smart IT.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

I’d definitely suggest that they go ahead with Smart IT, though it would depend on what expertise was needed. If it was purely about development, and Smart IT had specialists for that in their company, I’d definitely give a green light. 

If it was more about other technological requirements, they have some expertise, but we’ve hired an internal person purely for database administration, for example.

It’s important to have clear communication and set clear collaboration terms, so that there are no surprises in the future.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of product at a mobile ad-tech company.

What challenge were you trying to address with Smart-IT Ltd.?

My company wanted to replace an outsourced developer that we were working on a project with. We needed a new vendor to support us in this project and also help us start a new one.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Smart-IT Ltd. supported and improved the backends of two service panels. Another vendor had developed the frontend, and Smart-IT Ltd. connected and implemented it. They provided development and market research and implemented the new project. Currently, they are in the improvement stage.

What is the team composition?

My team engages with two developers.

How did you come to work with Smart-IT Ltd.?

When we needed to replace our existing partner, I contacted one hundred different outsourcing companies in Ukraine and Belarus. About half of them replied, and I spoke with a couple dozen of them. We chose Smart-IT Ltd. because they were respectful and looking to engage in a long-term project.

How much have you invested with them?

My company has spent $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in May 2018, and the work is ongoing.

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

The top-tier developers effectively prepare and execute long-term projects. I regard their team very highly.

How did Smart-IT Ltd. perform from a project management standpoint?

We oversaw project management, but they do offer this as part of their services. Communication has been very good. Their team is responsive, especially a business development executive we’ve worked with.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Smart-IT Ltd. provides high-quality developers because they have built employee loyalty and retain true talent. They have an incentive to stay with the company.

Are there any areas they could improve?

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

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Finding adequate management for shorter projects is difficult. Instead, work with Smart-IT Ltd. on long-term projects. You will be treated well and receive high-quality results.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the director at My Trusted Builder, which is a construction company.

What challenge were you trying to address with Smart-IT Ltd.?

In the construction business, there are many different software programs such as accounting software, project management software, and little bits and pieces that do not share any data between them. I felt that I needed communication functionality between the software we used, because then the data they produce could be easily identified and examined in terms of different patterns and statistics.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They offered to create something which would allow me to have everything in one place and all the statistics in front of me at any given point. It would solve the solution of changing and storing information. It would also fix several issues around my business needs.

I asked them to create a type of CRM that unites all the data within the company and puts it into a format that easily readable and would be easy to get the statistics from. They worked with people from our end to come up with specifications. They lined up how the dashboard should look and what the software should be able to do. They gave me a price as well as a deadline.

What is the team composition?

There were about 10 people on the team, half of whom were developers, including a frontend and backend developer. We also had a manager and a business analyst who collected information on their behalf from my department, as well as the requirements. I only had to allocate one person from our side, who was constantly updating them with the requirements.

How did you come to work with Smart-IT Ltd.?

We were introduced to them by a trusted contact of mine. From the moment I got in touch with them, everything was dealt with in a professional manner. I didn’t have to consult with too many people in terms of their process and what to normally expect. They covered all of my questions.

How much have you invested in them?

We spent around $250,000 USD.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them around November 2017 and the project concluded in June 2018.

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

We use the software on a daily basis. There were some slight UI changes that needed to be done, which took some time. They met all the deadlines and did not go over budget. There was one small delay but that was down to our side because we missed one of the payments. There wasn’t a point in the project where I can say they let me down.

The feedback I have received from my team is extremely positive. The solution has saved us a lot of time and all they met all my expectations. There were some things I wasn’t expecting as well, and everything was positive. We’re very happy and we got a very intuitive system. New employees don’t have to spend a lot of time learning the system as it works straight away.

How did Smart-IT Ltd. perform from a project management standpoint?

They gave us constant updates about what they achieved and what still needed to be completed, as well as regular calls. Communication was brilliant and we had no problem with that. They are very knowledgeable, and their English skills are very strong.

When I started speaking with them, they gave me some advice and suggestions on things that could be done in a better way. There were a few things, even nonverbal ones, that I noticed while we were discussing the project in the early stages, which kept me very relaxed in terms of their level of professionalism.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The whole IT scene in Belarus is fascinating. They have very creative developers. At the same time, they don’t cost as much as developers would cost here. They have that balance between quality and price which is unique. They meet all the requirements that you would normally expect, and there was no hassle in working with them. Being in the construction industry, I always expect something to go wrong as in many businesses, but we had no issues with their delivery.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They ask many questions, which is probably a good thing, but it did take a lot of time to answer them. They were very specific on exactly how we wanted it to look. It was lost time, but in the end, it was probably the reason why the end result was successful.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Get hold of their principal. He was the main reason we signed the contract. He was the best person to get in touch with. You can achieve whatever you want, as he will make it happen.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a sales manager and co-founder of a travel review company.

What challenge were you trying to address with Smart-IT?

We started building a site with another developer who didn’t meet our requirements. We wanted to work with a skilled development team that could respond to what we needed.  Smart-IT Ltd. was said to have a team of more serious and efficient workers, which has proven true.  

What was the scope of their involvement?

Smart-IT Ltd. has worked extensively on our system with us. 

The team has developed new API integrations and an admin panel for the site. They’ve continuously improved the UI for our entire platform.

They also fixed some issues the previous developers caused. We’ve continued working with them ever since.

The system was initially developed on an old version of Angular. Now, we're considering changing to a different technology. We may have to rewrite the entire thing. Once we discuss the best technology options, we’ll be moving forward with Smart-IT Ltd.
 
What is the team composition? 

We've worked with the CTO and a project manager from Smart-IT Ltd. Their three-person team also includes a mid-level developer. If he needs help, he can consult a senior developer for technical expertise. 
 
How did you come to work with Smart-IT?

We looked for vendors in Belarus because the market is more affordable than other countries in Europe, and we’d heard there were many efficient IT companies. Smart-IT Ltd. had a skilled team and fair pricing. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve been paying them around $3,000 per month for more than a year now.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Smart-IT in November 2017, and the collaboration is ongoing. We’re currently determining if we should continue with our current system or rewrite it using new technologies. 

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

Smart-IT Ltd. is always willing to help. We’re truly happy with their work. They’re reactive to any issues we face, solving them within the hour. 

Smart-IT has strong Angular skills. Every new feature they deploy works properly. Nothing they develop causes other problems on the site we have to fix, as we experienced with our previous developer. 

How did Smart-IT perform from a project management standpoint?

Smart-IT is very helpful because they know IT better than us. They answer all our questions and are always ready to help us find a solution that meets our needs. They’ve never been late on deadlines. 

We usually communicate via email or Skype. I’m in touch with the project manager almost every day. We have a group chat with the web developer for technical items, as well.
 
What did you find most impressive about them?

Smart-IT Ltd. is always here to back us up. They’re very quick to respond to our needs, and they provide accurate estimates.
 
Are there any areas they could improve?

I’m sure there’s something they could be working on, but I can’t think of anything.
 
Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

It’s important to be organized. Have all the information ready before approaching Smart-IT Ltd. They’ll take care of the rest from there.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I was the general manager of The Classictic Group, an e-commerce platform for the global distribution of cultural entertainment products.

For what projects/services did your company hire Smart-IT Ltd.?

We hired Smart-IT Ltd. to modernize our legacy IT architecture by building it into a platform with improved modular functionality.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to mitigate software-induced risks to our operating platform, shorten release cycles of new features, and make it easier to outsource future development projects. We also wanted to improve the UX for IT professionals when they alter site characteristics.

How did you select this vendor?

After an interview process, the team emerged as the best fit for our project requirements along with one other vendor. We were looking for consultants with advanced PHP development expertise and a strong knowledge of quantitative methods. They were also recommended to us through my network.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

After suggesting best practices based on project requirements, Smart IT-Ltd. rebuilt our customer engagement functionalities and product recommendation engine. Along the way, they introduced automation, data-driven models on customer behavior, and made the functionalities machine-learning (ML) ready.

What was the team composition?

The team consisted of IT consultants from Smart IT-Ltd., one other IT vendor, and internal stakeholders. Engineers from Smart IT-Ltd. worked with an internal data science team to automate customer engagement and improve conversion.

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

Kickstarting the modular design process improved our conversion rate optimization, reduced waste, and freed up internal resources through automation. The developed modules led to more qualified marketing assumptions and better synergy between the data and marketing teams.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

The team used an agile methodology with short iteration cycles. Responsive communication took place with internal stakeholders through Slack, Skype, Jira, and GitHub, and deadlines were always met. Maintaining transparency with senior management, Smart-IT Ltd. made sure internal resources were part of decision-making processes. 

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Within a reasonable budget, Smart IT-Ltd. offers exceptional IT expertise while keeping long-term project goals in mind. Their constructive feedback kept the project requirements centered around practical goals.

Are there any areas for improvement?

It would have been beneficial if all developers and managers were equipped with a Schengen visa, enabling more on-demand onsite workshops.