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Custom Web & Mobile Applications

5.0
11 reviews

We build custom web and mobile applications.

SmartLogic is a Baltimore-based consulting company that has been building custom web and mobile software applications since 2005. SmartLogic works with funded startups, established organizations, and non-profit agencies to bring new projects to life using progressive, best-of-breed technologies and methods.

 

Stress-free software development

We use best-of-breed agile development processes to deliver exceptional project management—and of course code—to your organization. The SmartLogic method prioritizes constant communication, good planning, high levels of organization, and of course, the best code.

We choose the best tools for the job.

Our technology-agnostic development team focuses on choosing the right tools for the job, and are always learning and building best practices as the web and its underlying technologies continue to evolve. We embrace open source, leverage existing services, design for future scalability, and focus on widely-adopted and cutting edge development languages.

Technology Focus

While we are technology-agnostic, we do specialize in the following:

  • Elixir/Phoenix
  • Ruby/Ruby on Rails
  • PostgreSQL and MySQL
  • Javascript Frameworks, particularly React
  • React Native for Android and iOS app development
  • API development (we're happy working on software with no graphical user interface)
  • Hosting/DevOps: we've hosted our software on a number of providers, including AWS, Heroku, Linode, EngineYard, Rackspace, etc.
READ MORE...
 
$25,000+
 
$150 - $199 / hr
 
10 - 49
 Founded
2005
Show all +
Baltimore, MD
headquarters
  • 3500 Boston Street, Ste 323
    Baltimore, MD 21224
    United States
    888-544-7678

Portfolio

Key clients: 
Some of our case studies: Baltimore Water Taxi, OrderUp, FolioCollaborative, and Stanley Black & Decker. View more case studies on our website.

Reviews

5.0
11 reviews
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DevOps & Cloud Consulting for Sports Betting Solution

"The foundation and patterns SmartLogic made will influence our infrastructure for the foreseeable future."

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5.0

Quality: 
5.0
Schedule: 
4.5
Cost: 
4.0
Willing to refer: 
5.0
The Project
 
$200,000 to $999,999
 
Aug. 2019 - Apr. 2020
Project summary: 

SmartLogic built a cloud-based infrastructure on Kubernetes for AWS for a sports gambling software company. They worked alongside the client’s in-house team and provided DevOps as well.

The Reviewer
 
51-200 Employees
 
New York, New York
David Lucia
VP of Engineering, SimpleBet
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

SmartLogic regularly produced high-quality work and experience-laden guidance in weekly sprints. Their processes informed the client’s in-house developers. Regular communication, timely delivery, and an openness to feedback further smoothed the collaboration.

A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of Engineering at SimpleBet. We build software in the sports gambling space.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SmartLogic?

We had cut our staff significantly and parted ways with our CTO. We were looking for people to help us with our infrastructure and cloud system, and we didn’t think we could hire fast enough.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

SmartLogic got our infrastructure running in the cloud in a Kubernetes environment on AWS. They gave guidance and know-how to get us up and running on AWS. They then deployed our services in the environment and provided a stable infrastructure to build our products on top of.  

We gave them documentation in the form of high-levels requirements of what we needed. SmartLogic did a good job of assessing the situation and providing guidance and proposals on how to move forward.

What is the team composition?

We worked with four people: Dan (Director, Development Operations), Eric, Justus, and later Donald (Developers). They all worked as senior software engineers and architects, and Dan was a kind of project coordinator who kept the team organized and on task.

How did you come to work with SmartLogic?

I’ve known Yair (President) for a long time; he employed a friend of mine at SmartLogic a long time ago. I was listening to SmartLogic’s podcast as I was looking to build a team. I reached to Yair to find DevOps resources, and he offered his own company. We had a few more conversations and found that it was a good fit and the timing was right. They were able to start working with us really quickly and help in that regard.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent over $200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in August 2019, and we ended the engagement in April 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The deliverables were measured in specific tasks and high-level things that needed to get done in a given week or sprint. SmartLogic was working closely with our team, acting more as staff augmentation than as project-specific consultants. Their work was best-in-class and set a really solid foundation for our team. It actually helped improve our team by learning from some of those folks.

How did SmartLogic perform from a project management standpoint?

Dan as the project coordinator was organized, but then someone from our team took over management of the project. We’d collaborate through our company’s Slack and talk all day, every day. They also were in our GitHub, contributing code, and using our project management software, Target Process. We received detailed timesheets from them that created a history of every single billed hour they did for us.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Donald had a really deep knowledge of everything cloud- and Kubernetes-related. The rigor and attention to detail that he put into standing up our infrastructure made it easy to move forward. The foundation and patterns SmartLogic made will influence our infrastructure for the foreseeable future.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We gave them a hard task and imperfect requirements, so I think they actually exceeded my expectations in a lot of ways. Sometimes, the communication on their end wasn’t so great, but those were really minor cases. It’s hard for me to point to something substantial that they could’ve done better. I’d chat directly with Dan or even Yair, and they were really responsive to feedback. 

5.0
Overall Score
  • 4.5 Scheduling
    ON TIME / DEADLINES
  • 4.0 Cost
    Value / within estimates
  • 5.0 Quality
    Service & deliverables
  • 5.0 NPS
    Willing to refer

Web App Development for Consulting Firm

“They were very willing to be flexible and work with us to get the contract set up and work quickly.”

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5.0

Quality: 
4.5
Schedule: 
5.0
Cost: 
5.0
Willing to refer: 
5.0
The Project
 
$10,000 to $49,999
 
Aug. - Dec. 2019
Project summary: 

SmartLogic developed a web application for a major consulting firm's participation in the Hour of Code charity event, working in JavaScript and Elixir to deliver the front- and backend of a scheduling platform.

The Reviewer
 
1001-10,000 Employees
 
Virginia
Senior Manager, Federal Consulting Firm
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

The app was very helpful in expanding the impact of the 2019 Hour of Code, allowing volunteers to sign up in advance for school slots to allow for more effective and widespread participation. The SmartLogic team communicated well over Slack and delivered against all deadlines given to them.

A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work for a global consulting firm. I am a senior manager based out of Baltimore, and I work in the health and public service sector.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SmartLogic?

As part of our philanthropic efforts, we participate in the Hour of Code Initiative, which is a global effort to introduce students to computer science through an hour of code. We wanted to expand our impact in that event by creating a web app to help bring volunteers from our clients and the community into the schools around Baltimore and DC.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We employed SmartLogic to develop an app that would allow us to post schedules provided by the schools that volunteers could sign up for specific shifts on. They handled the entire process of creating that product, from creating the design wireframes with us to finalizing the UX/UI, building out the architecture of the front- and backend, and setting up the hosting of the app. They worked in JavaScript and React for the frontend, and the backend was built with Elixir using a Phoenix framework.

How did you come to work with SmartLogic?

Our interest in building the app started in 2018, when we did a lot of research to find existing apps in the marketplace, but there was nothing that quite fit the need that we had.

Once we realized we would need to customize anything we started with pretty heavily, we decided to actually build something ourselves instead. SmartLogic was already involved in the volunteering process, so we got them involved in the effort to expand that operation from there.

How much have you invested with them?

The SOW was around $48,000 in total.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our work on the app started officially in August 2019 and we launched the app in early November 2019, but we are continuing to work on it with them to transfer the maintenance capacity to our team.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The whole goal of the project was to have the app functional and ready to use for the Hour of Code 2019 with enough time in advance to actually have volunteers sign up for the shifts in advance. They delivered on that completely.

We got a lot of really good feedback about the usability and impact of the app, which we were really pleased with. There was some negative feedback as well, but that was mostly our fault as we had been planning to host the app on our cloud, but that didn’t work out so we had to set up hosting last minute that caused some problems with our confirmation emails.

How did SmartLogic perform from a project management standpoint?

Communication was relatively smooth because they are local to Baltimore, so we were able to get in touch with them whenever we needed. The developers were always easy to get a hold of on Slack and responded to our questions and requests quickly. We were never waiting for them in order to be able to move forward toward our milestones.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Since the final product was for the good of the city that both of our companies are located in, they had a stake in the outcome as much as we did, which really helped to maintain the level of effort from both sides of the work. They were very willing to be flexible and work with us to get the contract set up and work quickly.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I think project management could have been a little bit better because it was hard for me as the client to understand where we were in terms of our utilization of the hours that we had assigned in the SOW and whether we were going to meet our deadlines.

A little bit more transparency around our utilization of the hours would have helped us to know where we could continue to improve or change things and where to reallocate some of our time.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

This was the first time I’ve developed an app working with a company like that, and they made the process very straightforward, so I don’t think there’s anything in particular that you need to do as the client to make the project successful.

The only thing I would recommend is to make sure you have a robust testing plan in place, because that helped us significantly, and I think that could be easy to overlook.

5.0
Overall Score
  • 5.0 Scheduling
    ON TIME / DEADLINES
    Nothing was delayed because of them.
  • 5.0 Cost
    Value / within estimates
    It would have been significantly more expensive to do this internally.
  • 4.5 Quality
    Service & deliverables
    The transparency could have been a little bit improved, but it was mostly great.
  • 5.0 NPS
    Willing to refer

Web and Mobile App Dev for Job Marketplace

"SmartLogic’s attention to us is really valued, especially as a small team with high stakes and a tight timeline."

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5.0

Quality: 
4.5
Schedule: 
5.0
Cost: 
5.0
Willing to refer: 
5.0
The Project
 
$50,000 to $199,999
 
Mar. 2019 - Ongoing
Project summary: 

SmartLogic built the MVP of a gig service marketplace as a web app and a mobile app for Android and iOS. They created the wireframes, made the API, and are now leading a new round of development.

The Reviewer
 
1-10 Employees
 
Baltimore, Maryland
Myles Smith
Vice President, knctrr
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

The platform has 600 users and a higher-than-expected organic growth rate. SmartLogic shows a high level of expertise and responsiveness in every step. The project ran into some obstacles, but the team is willing to fix mistakes and learn from critique, leading to a stronger partnership.

A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of kntcrr, a service marketplace for gig hiring within a virtual network or geographic market.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SmartLogic?

We spent significant time in R&D, developing the flow and the meat of the platform and trying to solve for consumers and providers. After that, we were ready to build the MVP for the platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

SmartLogic first built the framework for our platform’s app. Their in-house design team took our logic and turned it into wireframes. Once we gave them our feedback, they created clickable wireframes that had some styling. From there, they brought to life the platform first as a web app and then as an Android and iOS app built on the web app’s API. The web app was built in Elixir Phoenix and the mobile app in React Native. 

What is the team composition?

Dan (Director, Development Operations) is our project manager and has done some development himself. We’ve worked with two web developers and two mobile developers as well.

How did you come to work with SmartLogic?

We were shopping for local development firms that could meet our needs when it came to quality, price, and expertise. We wanted a local firm to avoid any issues around time zone differences and language barriers and to have the opportunity for face-to-face meetings.

We also needed someone to fill in the gaps in our knowledge. I have a background in software development but not at a robust, full-stack level. Our biggest fear was that our development firm would do exactly what we’d ask, causing us to miss something in the final product.

These were the main driving factors for choosing SmartLogic. They seemed like a capable team and were responsive to all our questions during the process. Combined with their quick turnaround and detailed plan for implementation, we were really impressed with their presentation.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $150,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

The first project — designing and building our MVP — ran from March until June 2019. We’re now in the second round of development to fix bugs, clean up some features, and enhance the UX and features that already exist.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have 600 users on the platform, and our organic sign-ups are growing faster than expected. However, the infrastructure built by SmartLogic handles the extra load with no problem. SmartLogic advised us to go with small servers on AWS, and so far, we’ve had no issues with lag, response time, latency, or service overload. 

How did SmartLogic perform from a project management standpoint?

For the first round of development, we had a daily 15-minute standup call that we only used half the time. We’d work with developers to discuss what they’re working on and give some feedback. Generally, they’re very prompt in getting back to us. I primarily work through Dan, and he messages me back on Slack within an hour even when we’re not engaged in a project. 

We had a couple of hiccups towards the end of the process we were planning the second round of development. There were communication issues on both sides, and we were unclear on the protocol to make sure things didn’t slip through the cracks and knowing who and how to reach out to whom. We made our frustrations known, and it led to a really productive meeting together about how to avoid these issues moving forward. During the last round of development, it went much better. All our concerns were addressed, and nothing fell through the table.

What did you find most impressive about them?

SmartLogic’s responsiveness really stands out. With other firms, we’ve struggled to find project managers who get back to us within an hour or developers who put out new builds in the evening. SmartLogic’s attention to us is really valued, especially as a small team with high stakes and a tight timeline.

I’m also pleased with their willingness to bring their own experience and suggestions to the table. SmartLogic has been helpful in working with us to find intelligent solutions to our problems. Recently, we were discussing the concept of building notifications into our platform. A robust version would be a pretty big project, so I asked for a more static version. SmartLogic gave a few options that are almost as good, for a third of the cost and time. We’ve been able to lean on their experience to learn about what works and doesn’t work.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I think they’re more experienced with building commercial, enterprise mobile apps than with consumer-facing mobile apps. That meant we had a number of bugs in the app that we felt was unacceptable for a direct-to-consumer product. However, to their credit, they specced out a new round of development that we paid for while taking ownership of the bugs and fixing them in their own time. I feel very comfortable and confident continuing to work with them in that capacity. 

Any advice for potential customers?

Lean on their expertise as much as you want. To get the most out of the experience, make sure you gave a good sense of what you want.

5.0
Overall Score
  • 5.0 Scheduling
    ON TIME / DEADLINES
  • 5.0 Cost
    Value / within estimates
  • 4.5 Quality
    Service & deliverables
  • 5.0 NPS
    Willing to refer

Web Development and DevOps for Meal Planning Platform

“They provided the velocity needed to get complex apps into the market in a reasonable amount of time.”

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5.0

Quality: 
5.0
Schedule: 
5.0
Cost: 
4.5
Willing to refer: 
5.0
The Project
 
$200,000 to $999,999
 
2012 - Ongoing
Project summary: 

SmartLogic has been a core staff augmentation partner for frontend development and DevOps endeavors with a meal planning tech company. They’ve worked on four major projects with their partner.

The Reviewer
 
11-50 Employees
 
Baltimore, Maryland
CTO, DinnerTime, Inc
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

Showcasing their skills in DevOps and cloud computing, the team consistently delivers according to the partner’s expectations. They prioritize their deep understanding of cutting-edge technologies and ability to deliver on tight deadlines to help them stand out from their competition.

A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’ve been the CTO of DinnerTime Inc. since 2012. We provide meal planning services through a web-based application that boasts a recommendation engine for meals. Our team feels that we’re the most advanced meal recommendation company on the market in terms of the extent to which users can customize preferences according to health, taste, and cost.  

We have a fairly complicated backend that uses both relational and nonrelational technologies. Our team has also built up a multilayered web app, backend API server, frontend web app, and native mobile apps.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SmartLogic?

Shortly after I started here, we had created the recommendation engine in-house. However, we wanted to contact the frontend app development to someone else.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

When they started out with us, they were in charge of developing the frontend of our web app. They’ve been on retainer with us ever since. After our first major project together, we’ve engaged in three other large-scale projects, all in the DevOps space. In 2015, we migrated our platform to a newer infrastructure and made significant updates in technology. 

In 2017, we had a contract with a cell phone company to power a native app. We used SmartLogic to support that effort. This past fall, we did another, more involved technology upgrade. This time, we incorporated more advanced cloud technologies. They used Terraform to provide vendors with their own layers for deployment.

What is the team composition?

At the peak of our development work, we had four developers working full-time on our account. In our smaller projects, we’ve had two developers at all times. One person is handling most of the groundwork while another person is staying up to speed in case the first person becomes unavailable. 

How did you come to work with SmartLogic?

We put out an RFP and evaluated several companies very heavily. We’re a Baltimore-based company, so I heard about them through word of mouth from the Greater Baltimore Technology Council. At that time, we weren’t really interested in partnering with an offshore vendor because we wanted to be actively working closely with our vendor.

So, our search came down to two companies in the end. Based on their technical expertise and processes, SmartLogic seemed like the best fit for the job. I appreciated how they built testing into their own internal development process. At the time, they were also working with some pretty cutting-edge tech stacks.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $200,000–$1,000,000 on our work with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started collaborating in 2012, and the effort is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’re a technology-first company. Sometimes, companies put business needs first by investing time in trying to shape the project with their clients. We knew exactly what we wanted from them, so it was more important than they could provide a robust solution. It was most important to elevate our technology. I was able to trust them to stay abreast of what was state-of-the-art in the cloud computing and DevOps spaces.   

How did SmartLogic perform from a project management standpoint?

Throughout all of our projects together, we’ve had deep weekly check-in calls. Their team is great at communicating with us. They’re able to interface with both highly technical personnel and our less tech-savvy team members. Lately, we only met in-person for kickoff meetings. All other meetings were done through Google Hangouts. It’s still nice to have a partner that has the same working hours that we do. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were more than happy to work with technologies that we recommended, getting them deployed in the best ways possible. Additionally, they’re always accommodating to our needs, never trying to steer us in any direction but our own. I’ve always appreciated that about them. They’ve remained a pure tech shop, which has been excellent for our company. 

I’ve always considered their team to be a tech amplifier. They provided the velocity needed to get complex apps into the market in a reasonable amount of time. We have the tech chops to handle our day-to-day needs, but it’s been very helpful to have a partner for when we have bulges in our technology needs.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could push their business further by becoming a shop for business and tech needs, but that’s not what we’ve been looking for. I wouldn’t change anything about them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Having people engaged with them on your end. Because they enjoy working closely with you, it’s important that you have someone able to speak with them at least once every week that can keep up with their work.

5.0
Overall Score
  • 5.0 Scheduling
    ON TIME / DEADLINES
  • 4.5 Cost
    Value / within estimates
    They’re not cheap, but they provide great value.
  • 5.0 Quality
    Service & deliverables
  • 5.0 NPS
    Willing to refer

Web Dev & Design for Professional Growth Platform

"They're always trying to find ways for us to improve rather than just doing whatever we ask."

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5.0

Quality: 
5.0
Schedule: 
5.0
Cost: 
5.0
Willing to refer: 
5.0
The Project
 
$1,000,000 - $9,999,999
 
July 2012 - Ongoing
Project summary: 

SmartLogic helped design and develop a Ruby on Rails platform that supports collaboration between teachers. They continue to add new features and make improvements to the platform. 

The Reviewer
 
2 - 10 Employees
 
Baltimore, Maryland
Meredith Ford
Executive Director, FolioCollaborative
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

The new features meet the needs of the end users and the in-house team is impressed with SmartLogic’s collaborative approach and commitment. Highly proactive, SmartLogic brings valuable ideas to the table, while their superb project management makes them easy to work with. 

A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm an executive director at FolioCollaborative. We're an online platform that provides professional growth opportunities for teachers and administrators in schools.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SmartLogic?

We're a nonprofit that started out of a school, so the original version of our software was built in-house at the school. When we decided to sell the product to other schools, we started looking for a company that could build a more scalable software for us. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We had an internal platform that we wanted to move to the cloud, so SmartLogic helped us rebuild our software. It's a web-based platform that is built in Ruby on Rails. We continue improving the platform, and we’ve just added a whole new layer of flexibility to it. We used to offer only one-on-one conversation opportunities between a teacher and a supervisor. But we've grown (we're now in over 160 schools around the world), so we now also provide opportunities for teachers to talk to each other. 

The original system was designed to protect all the data, but now we're learning that we can open up little pieces of data and give more people access to it. This has been a fundamental shift in the program that SmartLogic has been helping us with for the past couple of years. We introduced the change gradually, trying to meet the needs of our users.  

What is the team composition? 

We mostly work with our project manager and a developer. 

How did you come to work with SmartLogic?

The relationship had started before I joined the company.

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent about $1.3 million over the course of the relationship. 

What is the status of this engagement? 

We started working with them in July 2012 and the relationship is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

There are schools that would have left our program because it didn't meet their needs. Now, thanks to the new feature that SmartLogic has built for us, those schools are going to be retaining customers. 

How did SmartLogic perform from a project management standpoint? 

We've learnt a lot from them and we've evolved in terms of our own project management process over time. We’re a part of their daily stand-up meetings and we also use Slack to stay in touch. They’re very responsive and always follow up to see if we have any feedback. Every fall, we talk about our big initiatives for the upcoming year, which helps us stay on track with the design and development work. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They've become part of our team. They're committed to our success and they care about our mission. Also, they're very proactive. They're always trying to find ways for us to improve rather than just doing whatever we ask.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can't think of anything. They're one of the best contractors we've worked with. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be clear about your mission and your vision. Also, be open to their perspective and their feedback. 

5.0
Overall Score
  • 5.0 Scheduling
    ON TIME / DEADLINES
    The last two projects we've done with them were completed on time and under budget.
  • 5.0 Cost
    Value / within estimates
  • 5.0 Quality
    Service & deliverables
  • 5.0 NPS
    Willing to refer
    I've already recommended them.

Custom Software Dev for Data Protection Company

"They did a really good job at not just the development work but actually managing the projects as well."

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5.0

Quality: 
5.0
Schedule: 
5.0
Cost: 
5.0
Willing to refer: 
5.0
The Project
 
$10,000 to $49,999
 
May - Nov. 2018
Project summary: 

SmartLogic did two custom software development projects for a cybersecurity company. Using Ruby on Rails, they led front- and backend development. They also imported data and did the UI design.

The Reviewer
 
11- 50 Employees
 
San Antonio, Texas
Brian Sierakowski
Director of Product, Jungle Disk
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

Their work has received positive feedback from key stakeholders. SmartLogic kept the projects moving through constant communication and critical status updates. They not only expedited completion and produced high-quality deliverables, but also demonstrated a vested interest in customer success.

A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there. 

I’m the director of product at Jungle Disk. We do cybersecurity for small businesses. Our main product is a backup product. We also acquired a password manager. I'm responsible for product management, figuring out how different products work independently and how they work together.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SmartLogic? 

We worked with SmartLogic in two phases. We had two existing applications that they were hired to work on top of. They did custom software development and UI work, as well as front- and backend development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement? 

In the first phase, we were in the process of building up a QuickBooks backup tool called Safety Net. We brought SmartLogic in to address infrastructural issues and get it to the point where we could take over the development ourselves. It was so far behind that we needed to bring in a heavy-duty team to do the remedial work. 

The other project was new feature development. We built a LastPass importer for our password manager. We thought that LastPass might be raising prices so we wanted to have a really smooth experience. We led the UX and the design work, then SmartLogic executed the rest of the project completely to our specifications.

In both cases, they were using Ruby on Rails on the backend. Safety Net required them to do authentication and interact with the QuickBooks API. On the LastPass importer, they used React.js on the front-end and consumed the export file from LastPass. Everything else they used was entirely within our ecosystem. 

What is the team composition? 

The main point of contact on both projects was Dan (Software Developer and Director of Development Operations, SmartLogic). We worked with 1–2 developers on Safety Net and on the LastPass importer project. 

How did you come to work with SmartLogic? 

I’d interacted with them previously in Baltimore. We work with a lot of outsourced firms, contractors, and freelancers. The reason why we chose them is because we wanted a partner that would take ownership of the projects. Their hourly rate is higher than the other options but we wanted to make sure the work was done quickly and correctly. Given the client-facing nature of the projects and their importance to the business, we could justify paying more money.  

How much have you invested with them?

For Safety Net, we spent about $15,000. We spent $30,000 on the LastPass importer.

What is the status of this engagement?

The Safety Net project took place over the course of 2–3 weeks in May 2018. Then the LastPass importer project happened throughout November 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We're very pleased with their quality of work. I’m especially attentive when we deploy client-facing items. It’s important to make sure that everything works well and we're not getting any negative feedback. We did run into a couple of small issues but SmartLogic was able to quickly resolve those issues. Other than that, everything worked fine.

We could trust SmartLogic to be honest when they said the item was ready for us to review or release. I've worked with teams in the past who deliver something that works only in the bare minimum sense. When SmartLogic delivers, it’s actually ready to go. We’d have feedback on some small things but they’d figured out 95% of what’s needed. They know how to handle complicated technical tasks such as importing data and figuring out how to get the user to progressively categorize it. They did a great job delivering wireframes and figuring out all the connected pieces and did it in the established timeline. 

How did SmartLogic perform from a project management standpoint? 

SmartLogic did a great job. We did our homework and gave them detailed specifications on what needed to get done. Once we figured out the objectives from our side, they took over the projects from there. They did a really good job at not just the development work but actually managing the projects as well. It very much felt as if they owned the projects. They let us know what they needed from us. The most limited resource I have is my time. It was really nice from my perspective to have their own project management. That's one less thing for me to worry about.

They were pretty rigorous with their meeting schedule. We would do a daily standup meeting and a weekly iteration meeting. We were in contact with them over Slack and they also had us in their backlog. Depending on how big the issue was, SmartLogic would either address it in the daily standup meeting or ask if we could do a quick call to discuss. We were in constant communication. There weren't any surprises throughout the process, which was great.

What did you find most impressive about them? 

The way take ownership of the project management was impressive. We didn't feel as if we were constantly pushing them to provide updates for you. We just went through a product launch with another firm who was lackadaisical about what we needed to do before the launch date. That wouldn't have happened if we're working with SmartLogic. They’re much more methodical. Their quality of work also stands out. They thought about all the different components and deliver a product that we can be proud of. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Getting our projects on their schedule is the only thing they could address. They were clear that they couldn't get the LastPass importer started until November, but I would have liked to have done it in October. Maybe that's on us for not reaching out to them earlier. It wound up working fine in the end but it was a little bit stressful at first. Everything was great once we actually got locked in and committed to a date. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

With any software project, the more you have clear in your own mind the better the project is going to be for them. SmartLogic is able to push to make sure that you've thought about the objectives upfront. The good thing about them is that they will deliver on exactly what you ask for. However, if you've made a bunch of assumptions about what your customers want, they're going to deliver the wrong thing and you’ll have no one to blame but yourself.

5.0
Overall Score We loved working with them.
  • 5.0 Scheduling
    ON TIME / DEADLINES
    They’re very communicative. Once we agreed on a date, they stuck to it.
  • 5.0 Cost
    Value / within estimates
    We paid a bit more but we got exactly what we needed.
  • 5.0 Quality
    Service & deliverables
  • 5.0 NPS
    Willing to refer
    I’m very likely to recommend them.

Development for Transportation Company

“The team frequently expanded their scope of work to produce the best quality app.”

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5.0

Quality: 
5.0
Schedule: 
5.0
Cost: 
5.0
Willing to refer: 
5.0
The Project
 
$50,000 to $199,999
 
2015 - Ongoing
Project summary: 

SmartLogic developed a POS application for iOS to manage a large volume of individual sales. They custom built an operator app and assisted in building a customer interface.

The Reviewer
 
11-50 Employees
 
Baltimore, Maryland
Michael McDaniel
CEO, Harbor Boating Inc.
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

SmartLogic delivered a high-quality sales management platform. Their communication skills and responsiveness exceed expectations, as well as their strict regard for timelines and budget restrictions. A committed partner, the team researched the industry to assure they provided valuable results.

A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president and CEO of Harbor Boating, Inc, a maritime entertainment and transportation company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SmartLogic?

They were hired exclusively to create a POS app to manage our increased volume of customers and ticket sales.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Working with our web designers and merchant providers, SmartLogic built a custom POS iOS app from scratch with both consumer and operator interfaces. They customized the app with features that enable operators to sell and validate a large volume of tickets. We’re still working with their team to improve the app.

What is the team composition?

Dan (Director of Development Operations, SmartLogic) was our main point of contact, but they also brought in different teammates to address specific questions or problems.

How did you come to work with SmartLogic?

Our team extensively searched through our individual and business networks. Out of our long list of contenders, we settled on SmartLogic because they seemed to be the best fit for our company.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent nearly $100,000 with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our collaboration began in 2015 and it's ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We completely lacked a sales management system, and now we have a fully functioning platform. We’ve been extremely happy, and we’re considering some prepackaged ticketing software. SmartLogic enhances our app with each upgrade they deliver.

How did SmartLogic perform from a project management standpoint?

SmartLogic communicates more than any other vendor that we’ve worked with, responding quickly to emails and phone calls and answering any questions. They developed an understanding of our industry so that they could better address our unique technological concerns while keeping our budget in mind.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The team frequently expanded their scope of work to produce the best quality app. SmartLogic’s accessibility sets them apart from their competitors. They efficiently collaborate with our team, even though we lack the technical know-how. They execute our vision, staying in our budget without sacrificing quality.

Are there any areas they could improve?

As far as their work and their services, I can’t name anything they could improve.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Identify any goals and explain them as clearly as possible. Then, discuss the vision with SmartLogic to set realistic expectations. Really think through the project, but remain flexible and open to their team’s ideas. They have the necessary expertise to deliver the best results.

5.0
Overall Score I don’t think we would have been where we are today without their cost control and guidance.
  • 5.0 Scheduling
    ON TIME / DEADLINES
    They're always available.
  • 5.0 Cost
    Value / within estimates
    We looked at many different options, and they offer the best value.
  • 5.0 Quality
    Service & deliverables
    They go above and beyond to address our needs but still deliver on time and on budget.
  • 5.0 NPS
    Willing to refer
    I've already recommended them to multiple colleagues.

UI Development for Smart Home Products

"Their professionalism, collaboration, and technical skills went above and beyond our expectations." 

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5.0

Quality: 
5.0
Schedule: 
5.0
Cost: 
5.0
Willing to refer: 
5.0
The Project
 
$50,000 to $199,999
 
Feb. 2019 - Ongoing
Project summary: 

SmartLogic created a web interface for a Wi-Fi controlled home maintenance device, pushing the solution past a restrictive, low-functionality phase.  

The Reviewer
 
1-10 Employees
 
Baltimore, Maryland
Mike Berilla
CTO, Blood Sweat and Gears
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

The solution is now poised to support significant new user growth. SmartLogic established tight collaboration and frequent communication, through which they shared their development expertise.

The client submitted this review online.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the CTO of Blood Sweat & Gears. We are a couple of dad's trying to take the over-complicated, difficult, or tedious parts of your everyday lives and make them a bit more innovative and easier. We've made a Wi-Fi enabled ice melt dispenser that treats your sidewalk or driveway while you’re away or inside enjoying your time with your family.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire SmartLogic?

The interface of our Wi-Fi enabled devices was done through a private sandbox environment and was extremely basic.

What were your goals for this project?

We needed our own website with a secure login, access to weather data for automated control, and the ability for users to manage/operate their devices remotely.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

SmartLogic was a mentor in our incubator, AccelerateBaltimore, and quickly demonstrated how professional and effective they were.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

SmartLogic provided us with a secure, scalable web interface for our users to manage devices. It also has the ability for autonomous control via weather data triggers.

What was the team composition?

Dan (Director, SmartLogic) and Eric (Developer, SmartLogic) worked with me to build out the software and firmware.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

This was a game changer for us. SmartLogic's UI offers us a professional, turnkey solution to grow our user base effectively and efficiently.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

We worked as a close-knit team. SmartLogic was in constant communication.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their professionalism, collaboration, and technical skills went above and beyond our expectations.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Honestly, no. They’re the best partners I've had on the software side.

5.0
Overall Score
  • 5.0 Scheduling
    ON TIME / DEADLINES
  • 5.0 Cost
    Value / within estimates
  • 5.0 Quality
    Service & deliverables
  • 5.0 NPS
    Willing to refer

Application Development for Learning SaaS

"We've gotten very good feedback. From our perspective, the priorities for this project were met."

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5.0

Quality: 
5.0
Schedule: 
5.0
Cost: 
5.0
Willing to refer: 
5.0
The Project
 
$10,000 to $49,999
Project summary: 

SmartLogic provided custom development services on a number of customer-facing products. 

The Reviewer
 
1-10 Employees
 
Richmond, Virginia
Faizan Mujeebuddin
Principal, Ilmtek
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

SmartlcLogic's project management skills were their greatest differentiator. They were extremely transparent throghout the development processes, and had an intuitive approach to client needs. They were sourced as a partner through Clutch and met expectations. 

A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

Our company is Limtek. We're a company that develops learning products.

What is your position?

I'm the owner and principal.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with SmartLogic?

We don't have a team internally with the bandwidth to develop the full scope of the product we needed.

SOLUTION

How did you come to work with SmartLogic?

We found SmartLogic through your website – Clutch. We contacted them partially because of the amount of information that they provided up front in terms of how the process works. There was much visibility into the team and who we would be working with. This was the first time working with a developer, so that was very helpful for us. We created a short list based on what we found on Clutch. We did some more research mostly from their website or other things we were able to find out about them from other clients.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

It was in the range of $10,000 to $50,000.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

We've gotten very good feedback. From our perspective, the priorities for this project were met. Not only that, but SmartLogic also helped us prioritize where our main objectives were going to be and help us refine those. Our users have also received the project very well. The feedback that we've gotten points to the fact that SmartLogic understood the clients' problems that we were trying to address.

What distinguishes SmartLogic from other providers?

The transparency that SmartLogic offers in terms of who on their team we were going to work with stands out. You're given a consistent person to work with as a point of contact from the beginning. Their project management team has a strong understanding of what the developers do so that was a very easy transition to go from working with them in the beginning to the developers in the end. Every day, we would have a meeting and it was very organized. There was never dead air on these calls. It was focused and that helped us meet our timeline and stay within our budget.

Is there anything SmartLogic could have improved or done differently?

Not really. I'm very appreciative of SmartLogic's flexibility. I travel a lot, so their ability to meet around my schedule was very accommodating.

5.0
Overall Score
  • 5.0 Scheduling
    ON TIME / DEADLINES
    Although not every single feature that we wanted we were able to accomplish, they were always clear with me about any issues.
  • 5.0 Cost
    Value / within estimates
    SmartLogic...are a bit on the expensive side, but it was totally worth it. We were able to drive incredible value from them on the development side of the product...through all the conversations we had throughout the project.
  • 5.0 Quality
    Service & deliverables
    Just Based on feedback...from other developers...now working with our team internally, the work that was done was performed well. It was organized and well documented. The main goal was to get us up off the ground...and that made it possible.
  • 5.0 NPS
    Willing to refer

Development Platform for Website-based Business

"I've periodically used other folks, but we end up going back to SmartLogic for the bulk of the work."

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5.0

Quality: 
5.0
Schedule: 
5.0
Cost: 
5.0
Willing to refer: 
5.0
The Project
 
$10,000 to $49,999
 
2008 - Ongoing
Project summary: 

SmartLogic provided website maintenance and iOS-based mobile app development for two custom applications. 

The Reviewer
 
1-10 Employees
 
Baltimore, Maryland
Colin Drane
Founder, SpotCrime
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

In the course of this 8-year partnership, SmartLogic has proven to be a strong and reliable development partner. Their communication style is responsive and adaptable, and within 45 days of launch their product garnered national attention. 

A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We're an Internet publishing company. We map crime on the web and generate revenue through ads.

What is your position?

I'm the founder and CEO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with SmartLogic?

Our team needed a provider that could help to deliver applications for our web-based business.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

We worked with SmartLogic for quite some time. We've solved a number of issues in terms of infrastructure and products spanning almost eight years. SmartLogic designed an app that ran through a browser for the iPhone. They designed another iPhone app for us about two years ago that is doing well and is well designed in terms of user interface. They've done a lot for us.

How did you come to work with SmartLogic?

We were a young company at the time, and SmartLogic was also a young company and local. It was proximity, and there was a natural fit. We'd worked with a couple of companies prior to them, and I've interviewed many companies since then, but we keep going back to SmartLogic. They're patient with us and have a strong interface design team. I've periodically used other folks, but we end up going back to SmartLogic for the bulk of the work.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

We're a small shop, so the budgets have been relatively small, but they're always continuous. We've done multiple $10,000 jobs with SmartLogic during the last eight years.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any success stories of your partnership with SmartLogic?

Our partnership with SmartLogic started out super successful. Within the first 45 days, we had a working project that got national attention, and we've been with them ever since. We were one of the first companies in the country to have an app on the iPhone before the iPhone had an App Store. We got a great amount of press from that and each edition.

What distinguishes SmartLogic from other providers?

SmartLogic is responsive. That's critical. They're thoughtful in terms of their work, and they're smart. That all works for us.

Is there anything SmartLogic could have improved or done differently?

This is more of a general criticism of the industry. Everyone has his or her own processes. We like to do things rapidly and without a detailed blueprint, we like to iterate and start working on things. SmartLogic has adapted to our approach. 

5.0
Overall Score
  • 5.0 Scheduling
    ON TIME / DEADLINES
    We're very specific in terms of budget, and they come in very close every time.
  • 5.0 Cost
    Value / within estimates
  • 5.0 Quality
    Service & deliverables
  • 5.0 NPS
    Willing to refer