SoftServe

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the president of a company that specializes in B2B furniture and lighting sales, mostly to architects, designers, and contractors. We have one full-time employee and a few part-time ones.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SECL Group?

I was looking for a website developer after having had some challenges with my original one.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

SECL Group is redesigning and editing our website. They are focusing specifically on its functionality, homepage, and secondary pages. I am not tech-savvy, so I don’t know what technologies they are using.

What is the team dynamic? 

I have two main contacts: the SECL’s president, with whom I discuss the general scope of the work, and the person in charge of web edits and design, who is my day-to-day contact. We have conference calls once every two weeks, and those typically involve my two contacts and a couple of other developers. We usually have Skype sessions or video calls, since SECL Group is based in Ukraine.

How did you come to work with SECL Group?

My original web manager used them. I didn’t look at any other companies.

How much have you invested with them?

I’ve spent about $7,500 with them so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with SECL Group in June 2017. The project is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We had to delay our launch, but are getting close to the soft launch. Once we have, I will have more metrics.

The original website was in operation for a very short time, after which we had some security issues. It also needed some extensive edits. SECL Group has done those, and now we’re waiting for the site to be fully-functional and transactional.

How did SECL Group perform from a project management standpoint?

I am happy with the overall level of communication. The team speaks English, but since it’s not their native language, it can be a barrier. Overall, they are pleasant to work with and know the basics of web design. I don’t yet know how experienced SECL Group is overall. In the next month or two, when we get into the more advanced stages of the launch and web development, I will be able to provide more details.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They are easy to work with.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It would be more effective if they were to proactively evaluate their client’s website and communicate suggestions for improvement based on the goals. This will be one of the things I’ll discuss with them—what they can recommend as next steps.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

8.2 Certification GmbH is accredited certification body according to DIN EN ISO / IEC 17065: 2013. 8.2 Certification GmbH offers the certification of the electrical properties of generation systems (wind, photovoltaic and biogas systems, hydropower and storage) with regard to grid integration. I'm CEO and co-founder of 8.2 Certification GmbH

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

I was looking for a software engineering company to build a project management client platform for my company. I needed a digital solution that would enable all parties to remain informed about the progress of the customer getting certified in the field of renewable energies.

The SECL Group team developed such a platform from scratch in 2020. Since then, the company has been maintaining our platform by regularly adding new features, enhancing the existing functionality, and providing us with platform-related technical support services.

SOLUTION

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

I came across some articles published by SECL Group and liked their approach to developing projects. I learned that the company has strong experience in building internal management systems and platforms. And it was exactly what I was looking for.

So I contacted this company and had an intro meeting in which I learned more about their expertise and the development process and got advice on how to move forward with my project. The company representative addressed all my questions and demonstrated a deep understanding of the field.

The deciding factors were the company’s portfolio, expertise, punctuality, and ideas on how to solve my business problems in the most efficient way.

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

The project was built from the ground up. I came up with the idea, and the SECL Group team helped me investigate this idea through the analysis phase. I was working closely with a Business Analyst and Project Manager assigned to my project to go through my business needs and specify all the requirements.

A technical expert was also engaged at this stage to think over the architecture, technical stack, and other technical aspects. Then, we moved to the design phase where a designer created wireframes for my platform. Once the first wireframes were approved, the company introduced developers to work on my platform.

The development process was divided into smaller stages. So the company was delivering a certain scope of work previously tested by a QA specialist every two weeks. We had regular meetings with the project team, like planning sessions, demos, etc. The PM was actively engaged in the process and effectively managed everything.

Considering the project requirements, SECL Group offered to build my platform with a modern technology stack - Python (Django) and JavaScript (Vue).

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

The project team included 7 people: BA, designer, 2 developers, team lead, tester, and PM.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Firstly, I got a custom-made internal platform that automated the business process, brought together my staff (supervisors, specialists, and trainees) and clients into one system, and accelerated my business operations.

Secondly, my clients found this platform very easy to use, which helped us expand the client base and provide our services in a more effective way. Thirdly, my business has grown a lot since we launched our platform.

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

There was an experienced PM responsible for managing and controlling the development process, communication, timeline, etc. He took care of all aspects of project development on the SECL Group's end. We had Agile methodology. Communication tools: Jira, email, and Google Meet for online meetings.

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

I’m not a technical person (with IT background), so when I approached SECL Group, I had very vague project requirements. The SECL Group team just gathered project requirements and turned them into a successful digital solution for my business.

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

We are always improving customer portal according to new customer requiremets.