SoftServe

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the CTO at a company that provides software applications to large online publishers and allows them to manage their online advertising, sales, and operations activities. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SoftServe?

We needed help in augmenting our staff as our workload is somewhat unpredictable. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We provide custom software solutions around our flagship product. Our customers ask us to implement bespoke solutions for their business requirements in many cases — that's a little bit unpredictable. SoftServe allows us to expand and reduce team size without going through a big hiring exercise or laying people off. When we get extra work to do, they make it very easy for us to expand our teams and handle the workload. 

On our products that they're working on, they use the entire Microsoft tech stack, including .NET, .NET Core, MVC, and ASP.NET. We use SQL Server on the back end, a couple of different JavaScript libraries on the front end, and we use Selenium with C# web drivers for automation. 

What is the team composition?

Our main point of contact is Julia (Project Manager). Our team comprises about 14 people, including developers, QA people, automation testers, project managers, and UI/UX resources.  

How did you come to work with SoftServe?

SoftServe was recommended to us by an acquaintance who had experience working with them. We talked to them about their workflow model, and we liked what they said. We ended up hiring SoftServe for a small project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together around 2013, and it’s ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

SoftServe works with teams based in the Western US, and they're all working on the same features and product.

The quality of SoftServe’s service is excellent, and their teams are very knowledgeable. They have people with experience in the full gamut of software teams — they have junior people up to technical leads, and everybody is very good for their experience level. They're very innovative, and they’re interested and proficient in technology. Ultimately, their quality of work is much better than the other outsourced companies we've worked with.

How did SoftServe perform from a project management standpoint?

We use Jira for all of our issue tracking and backlog management. We use Confluence for documentation, Bitbucket for source code control, and other communication tools like Slack and email. Every day we have sprint meetings through Zoom.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I think the biggest difference with SoftServe is their organizational infrastructure. They don't just hire people and put them on projects; they have a well-structured training program that junior people all participate in. They also have different career improvement programs available for staff at any level and position. Additionally, they speak great English, so communication isn't a problem.

Are there any areas they could improve?

If I had to identify one thing, they’re a bit light on retrospectives about things they can improve. I think they do a great job from sprint to sprint, but they don't very often have significant things to say during self-evaluations, and they don't come up with ways to improve. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have the requirements you need in order, keep an open line of communication with the team, and treat them like you would your local teams. 

BACKGROUND

Please introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a healthcare organization primarily working clients in the UK. We work with both the NHS [National Health Service] and private organizations, measuring the health outcomes that matter to people. We evaluate whether people consider themselves healthy or not, and put metrics behind this information. I'm a co-founder and the chief technology officer of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with SoftServe?

We had won grant funding for developing a smartphone app as part of a research and development project. It was meant to measure patient reporting outcomes such as quality of life. We wanted to be able to ask people relevant questions and also pick up other data through smartphones. This feedback is typically obtained through surveys which are done once a year, which doesn't include everybody. The data is sporadic and doesn't include certain conditions. The idea behind our app was to collect data with more continuity through technology. Everyone has a smartphone, so they can answer questions at their convenience. We also wanted to predict users' health by looking at the behaviors of using smartphones.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement.

We worked heavily with SoftServe throughout the process in order to implement the idea. We provided specifications, while SoftServe gave us input around the technology, like what device sensors we could use for our purpose. SoftServe built our app for Android, from beginning to end.

When we started our brainstorming sessions, there was a full team of people from SoftServe involved, at least 6-7 members. For our day-to-day work, there were a couple of people in charge of wireframe design, another resource for technical development, a project manager, and one person who oversaw the whole process. We kept in touch with him on the business process and healthcare side of the project, while also interacting regularly with other people from SoftServe's team. 

SoftServe was responsible for creating our team. We never had an issue with one of their choices.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with SoftServe in April of 2015 and finished at the beginning of 2016. The project duration was between 6-9 months.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

So far, we have published our app only as a private beta on Google Play. We also built a webpage requesting trial participants for the app.

How did SoftServe perform from a project management standpoint?

The milestones set with SoftServe were all met within time and budget. We had weekly project management meetings with SoftServe, as well as fortnightly development sessions. SoftServe has a lean, Agile approach to development, so we saw the newest iteration of what was being developed every 2 weeks, and offered our feedback for the work. All of this was either done through Skype or WebEx.

What distinguishes SoftServe from other providers?

Different people have different working styles. SoftServe was very organized from a project management perspective, and they're technically competent. SoftServe' thoroughness was very good and they were very precise in their work.

BACKGROUND

Please introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a software-as-a-service [SaaS] solutions provider. We focus on situational awareness software for the smart cities space. We connect Internet of Things and Internet of Health solutions with innovative, human-driven designs. I'm the chief marketing and business development officer, as well as one of the founders of the company. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with SoftServe?

SoftServe brought a different approach to consulting and technology development. First and foremost, they focused on the human elements, which resonated with our way of doing business. We're a human-driven, for-purpose enterprise. As such, we try to find partners with the same level of human-driven designs.

These days, many consulting firms put technology before people, unfortunately. We don't feel that this is the right approach. SoftServe has the human being at the heart of its ecosystem, which provides our team with a unique value. Their approach to looking at any sort of problem leads to a much more creative, emotionally aware design process. This is a rare thing to find presently. We have created one of the better solutions in this space because of that approach.

The second reason for working with SoftServe is that they're flat-out smart people. SoftServe hired the right resources, which are massively dedicated and develop strong personal relationships with the clients. SoftServe is not a body-shop, but rather they form career-long relationships with the people they work with at a personal level. SoftServe is a big company which operates like a small consulting firm, making us feel like they're one small team. We don't consider it a client relationship. SoftServe is our partner. 

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement.

The most important space where we've worked with SoftServe is the Internet of Health. We discovered new solutions for augmenting and improving physicians' abilities to treat patients. SoftServe helped us create a product that allows doctors to more intimately extend their reach beyond the office space, assisting patients in a more holistic health lifestyle. SoftServe was in charge of the design and experience for the patient, the doctor, and the rest of the healthcare team.

The product we've created is called Dream. It helps provide situational awareness throughout the life-cycle of the patient-physician relationship. It combines big data, AI, machine learning, mobile technologies, and IoT elements.

We worked out of SoftServe's Austin office. Our team was in charge of providing the backend technology, while SoftServe was in charge of mobile design. The use of our mobile application is a key component to the solution. SoftServe implemented features in the layout of the app, taking into consideration the motivation of the people using the software and providing inserted aspects which were sensitive to those motivations. Whether the user wanted to use the software or not, it was designed to be sensitive to their feelings—whether they were scared, resistant to the idea, and so on. SoftServe built some unique features that allowed individuals to self-grade and self-assess their health.

Our team from SoftServe had an international, on-demand composition. SoftServe was able to bring in resources from across the globe for our project. At one time, we were storyboarding late in the day and had become stuck on an item. SoftServe's lead creative designer picked up the phone and dialed Ukraine. At the other end of the line, we were put in touch with 3 people that worked on that particular problem with us instantly, without any extra paperwork or an approval process. It was simply an instant scaling for that particular problem. Once we took care of it, we scaled back to the core team. This happened throughout our engagement with SoftServe.

How did you choose SoftServe as your partner?

Our initial engagement with SoftServe came through a global competition which was sponsored by England's National Health Service. The competition focused on healthcare innovations through the use of IoT. We launched our product through this same competition. SoftServe was working with the NHS at that time, which is how our relationship started. Since then, they continued to work with us.

Approx. how much did you spend on their services/solutions?

From a time perspective, we've spent hundreds of hours collaborating with SoftServe, but it's hard for me to state an actual cost.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with SoftServe 1 year ago. Our most recent milestone was the completion of our prototype. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share to illustrate the success of the engagement?

The prototype of our Dream product was successful enough to begin the first steps of a medical trial. We shopped the product around to see if it was good enough to even be considered for trials and found a firm in Texas which considered it a fantastic idea. It was designed well and should have an impact in the healthcare space. SoftServe is working with us in establishing that medical trial, which is phenomenal. It has the potential to completely disrupt the healthcare space.

We're looking to use our Dream product to alleviate the dependence on opioid use by providing physicians with the ability to monitor patients' fifth vital sign remotely. (In the medical world, the fifth vital sign is a term used for pain.) We are working with a doctor named Amit Mirchandani running a practice called Texas Cell Institute. He has endorsed our product, which is another important point for us. He had never seen a product that could accurately measure the fifth vital sign before. He has stated that this has the potential to revolutionize pain treatment and eliminate America's opioid dependence. Drugs are being over-prescribed, and many people inadvertently get hooked on them. Pro athletes are starting to talk about this. It all starts with a doctor doing what they thought was best with the tools available to them, namely pain medicine.

Between product ideation and development, we were able to get a doctor who is far ahead of his field in pain management, as well as a company that specializes in massive clinical studies, to say that our product not only has legs but [also] is extremely viable. We were shocked at the response, given that the medical field moves slowly. We needed to have a product that had a welcoming design since it was so drastically different and emotionally sensitive. This is where SoftServe helped us most through their designs.

When we entered the NHS contest and initially partnered up with SoftServe, we wouldn't have imagined how quickly the medical field would respond favorably to our idea. We provide real-time pain management from a physician to a patient, essentially expanding a hospital and provider's network well beyond the reaches of their brick-and-mortar walls.

The involvement of our healthcare partner is beyond just a consideration at this point. If our software passes trials, they will be involved. The partnership with SoftServe will remain, which goes to show that they not only have technical skills but also are subject-matter experts within healthcare.

SoftServe has a leadership presence which understands the industry and our specific problems and challenges. A big consideration on our part was finding a partner which was not only technically savvy but had the subject-matter experience and respect within the medical industry.

How did SoftServe perform from a project management perspective?

The wonderful thing about SoftServe is that they don't have to be managed. They're all eager and self-motivated enough to be the ones challenging us to get more work done. I worked directly with SoftServe's team in Austin, Texas on the design side of the product. SoftServe not only provided project management, but they also assigned vice-president-level people on the project for us, without having to be asked.

We did use project management tools, but this isn't an important focus to me. Usually, this software becomes useful when there are difficulties in managing people. We never had any problems in this regard. SoftServe was so proactive and professional as to make the use of project management tools unnecessary. SoftServe's passion for the work transcended the standard consulting experience.

Is there anything unique about their business practice?

SoftServe has a willingness to help and look at the client as more than a source of revenue. They saw us as a company trying to make a difference and went out of their way to help us outside of the financially motivated relationship. This was the primary reason for us wanting to continue working with SoftServe.

Are there some areas for improvement?

We've had zero issues with SoftServe. The only improvement we could ask for would be an even bigger presence from SoftServe.