Software Things

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Deputy Head of City Hall of Bielsko-Biała

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

The City Hall in Bielsko-Biała is responsible for providing public services, implementing local policies, and managing the city’s administration and development.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Software Things to accomplish?

• Technical development of the new website
• Preparation of pre-implementation documentation for the new website

SOLUTION

How did you find Software Things?

Current cooperation

Why did you select Software Things over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Software Things were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

The company was initially responsible for preparing the pre-implementation documentation, which defined the structure of the new website, the types of content to be included, and the main functionalities. It also conducted workshops with various departments, which helped to develop the new structure of the website. In the next stage, based on the prepared documentation and the provided graphic design, the company carried out the technical development of the new website and migrated the content from the old site.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Implementation of all the components defined at the project stage, which ultimately made it possible to achieve the intended goals.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Project management and communication went very smoothly. The proposed solution of maintaining a task register in ClickUp greatly facilitated the implementation of the entire project, making it much easier for us as the client to monitor progress and make all necessary arrangements to ensure a satisfactory final result.

What was your primary form of communication with Software Things?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

We were impressed by their commitment to achieving customer satisfaction.

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

Most likely yes, however, overall the entire process was well managed, which allowed us to accept the project outcome with satisfaction.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Co-founder of Real Games

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Transforming Learning Through Immersive Simulations – Real Games brings hands-on training to life with cutting-edge simulation software, trusted worldwide by educators, industries, and research institutions.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Software Things to accomplish?

• Port old Gridsome website to Nuxt.js

SOLUTION

How did you find Software Things?

Clutch Site

Why did you select Software Things over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Software Things were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

The project successfully migrated factoryio.com from Gridsome to Nuxt.js, preserving the original design while enhancing performance, security, and SEO. Key achievements included:

1. All functionalities were successfully ported from Gridsome to Nuxt.js.
2. Gridsome-specific plugins were replaced with Nuxt.js equivalents, and the codebase structure was updated for improved maintainability and security.
3. A performance audit was conducted to optimize site speed, focusing on faster load times and image optimization.
4. Existing SEO settings were maintained, ensuring all meta tags and structured data remained optimized for search engines.
5. A Waterfall-based project management approach was used, allowing clear, stage-by-stage progress with checkpoints for client feedback. 
6. Transparency, timely delivery, and thorough documentation were ensured throughout the project lifecycle.

The project was completed within the fixed-price budget, as outlined per task.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Better website performance, security, and overall maintainability.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Rapid response time and timely delivery.

What was your primary form of communication with Software Things?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

What impressed us most about Software Things was their responsiveness; they were very reactive with fast replies throughout the project, making collaboration smooth and efficient.

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

 Minor turbulence occurred during the development phase due to a small portion of the work being missed in the fixed budget proposal.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO of DISCIDIUS. 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Discidius offers a revolutionary approach based on emotional and voice analysis, AI, and speech-to-text technology. Our application listens to and assigns emotions and tones to specific passages within conversations. Furthermore, it identifies keywords and customer-defined criteria, providing invaluable feedback to call center managers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Software Things to accomplish?

• Transferring the application from previous development company
• Audit and verification of the existing codebase, tech stack, and business decisions.
• Constant development of an application from defined MVP up to further maintenance. 
• External tools integration, whole application development (frontend and backend).
• Implementing the QA standards and ensuring the quality of the development process

SOLUTION

How did you find Software Things?

Referral

Why did you select Software Things over others?

• Close to my geographic location
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Software Things were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

• Technical Transition and Evaluation: The initial focus revolved around the seamless transition from the subpar application developed by the previous digital agency. Subsequently, a meticulous audit and evaluation process ensued to scrutinize the flawed codebase, outdated technology stack, and misguided strategic decisions. 
• Code Refinement and Optimization: Following the evaluation, a strategic decision was made to start afresh, crafting a new application from scratch. This endeavor involved a complete overhaul of the codebase, leveraging advanced tools and technologies to ensure robustness, reliability, and scalability. 
• Sustained Development and Integration: With the foundation laid for a superior application, the development process proceeded with a renewed sense of purpose. Continuous development efforts were directed towards integrating modern tools, implementing best practices, and enhancing both frontend and backend functionalities. 
• Quality Assurance Implementation: Integral to the development process was the rigorous implementation of QA practices. These measures were meticulously applied at every stage to uphold the integrity and quality of the application, ensuring a seamless UX.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

• Clear, transparent process, clear agreements, team activity. 
• Successful completion and deployment of MVP in a planned timeframe. 
• We are in the process of implementing the first customers. 
• A working application with no bugs, and the system monitoring is fully functional. 
• The application was listed in the Top 10 startups in the Moravian-Silesian region, and it was mentioned in Czech Forbes.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

The scope was delivered on time. The team was committed to the project and responded quickly to our needs. They showed great problem-solving skills. Communication was smooth, transparent and regular.

What was your primary form of communication with Software Things?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting

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

A highly skilled team with both technical skills and a business approach. Able to translate business requirements into efficient technical solutions. They have a high level of problem-solving skills and flexibility. Great added value. The project was delivered efficiently, we appreciate the open and transparent communication. Great value and consistency.

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

Not at the moment. Everything went smoothly and as agreed.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO of a media management company.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Media management for emerging economies

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Software Things to accomplish?

• Develop a recommendation system for content marketing

SOLUTION

How did you find Software Things?

Clutch Site

Why did you select Software Things over others?

High ratings

How many teammates from Software Things were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Technical analysis, workshops Creating a project charter Analysis resulting with the basic documentation User management Admin accounts creation 

• As Administrator, I want to create publisher account, so I can create customized widgets (possibility to create a publisher user on a dedicated page) 
• As Administrator, I want to login into dashboard, so I can see all articles, publishers and widgets (login page, accessible for the Admins) Article management 
• As Administrator, I want to mange (add, edit, update) articles, so they can be displayed in the widget Dashboard UI General layout UI (assembling the layout: crating a header, navigation etc)
• As Administrator, I want to see all articles, so I can browse them all (preparing of a page/section, that will list all of the articles) 
• As Administrator, I want to see all widgets, so I can browse them all (preparing of a page/section, that will list all of the widgets) 
• As Administrator, I want to see all publishers, so I can browse them all (preparing of a page/section, that will list all of the publishers) Widget admin handling 
• As Administrator, I want to create a widget, so I can customize it (possibility to add a new widget on a page with a form) 
• As Administrator, I want to edit widget, so I can customize it later (possibility of editing existing widget) Widget embedding 
• As Publisher, I want to embed widget code on my website, so I can display widget for my visitors creating a js snippet, that will recreate a customized widget on a page that it was embedded on) 
• As Administrator, I want to generate widget code, so I can send it to publisher manually (displaying the js snippet of customized widget to admins in a panel) Collecting users behaviors 
• As Administrator, I want to aggregate all clicks from widget, so I can use this data later Pre-deployment Open Beta QA testing with SWTFinal, debugging Fine-tuning MVP release Deployment of the application

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

None. Project was canceled and another vendor engaged.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Bite and switch renegotiation tactics and inflation of development beyond any reasonable limit.

What was your primary form of communication with Software Things?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

The team demonstrated poor business ethics.

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

Don't grift clients.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm promotion specialist in Silesia FIlm Institute and one of my most important duties is taking care of communication's consistency and clarity. I work with visual identity and copywriting as well as I coordinate the work of subcontractors.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Software Things, and what were your goals?

Our website was created many years ago and had become outdated. We asked students at Fine Arts Academy in Katowice to design a new one for us.

In the meantime we created brand new key visual for the whole company. Since we didn't have in-house developers to invest in a new website, we hired Software Things to design and develop a WordPress site for us.

The team had to face with students' web design and slightly different renewed visual identity and then combine it to make a functioning and visually appealing website.

SOLUTION

How did you select Software Things and what were the deciding factors?

We asked other culture-oriented companies and public art institutes for good recommendations. We were looking for a company that would not mind slow decision-making (on the part of the client), tons of bureaucracy and would be up to date with newest technology and the sense of design at the same time.

Everyone pointed out Software Things.

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

We had a kick-off meeting to discuss division of work and preparation of materials for the site. We wanted the site to be built on Wordpress with the use of already existing newsletter tools and the transfer of certain files. At the end of the project, we were offered to use the Netlify tool for security reasons.

How many people from the Software Things team worked with you, and what were their positions?

We worked directly with CEO, Igor Podlawski and were introduced later on to two front-end developers, Nadia Tumidajska and Anna Tomaszkiewicz.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

After launching our site, we saw 0% of bounce rate (previous website had 65,29%) and a traffic went up four times. Our visitors love the updated design, a lot of information, files and news are more visible and quicker to find.

People also have a better understanding of what we, as culture institute, do and work on.

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

We were introduced to team's schedule divided to work stages and then were regularny reported on works. The team reached us when they needed some clarification and more information.

Due to the age differences and the level of digital competences of people from our institution, we decided to use e-mail and telephone communication. Software Things Team is very understanding, kind and has high interpersonal skills with an appropriate dose of a sense of humor.

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

They gave us professional site that's easy to moderate. They also suggested a modern solution related to website security, stability and speed, which we accepted.

Before launching website, they offered a quick training for people for whom moderating the site on newest Wordpress might be something new.

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

We were able to clarify a few smaller points at the very beginning to save time. However, it was possible to modify them in the course of the work.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'am the owner of marketing/design company serving all types of clients requiring assistance with all kinds of digital needs from logo design, to social marketing.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Software Things, and what were your goals?

We hired Software Things to design and code a paid social media platform allowing all kinds of digital content creators to monetize their creations.

SOLUTION

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

We have selected Software Things from group of three web/software developers we spoke to. they seemed most down to earth people not trying to impress us with jargon (which often is the case), but really understood our needs.

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

We had an initial meeting outlining the scope of the project, then series of meetings with designer present where we discussed our brand specific needs from colours to user experience.

The project goal was to create a social media platform handling various media files and payments types. We went with Software Things through the whole process since defining the project details and goals, designing the user interface and implementing back-end and front-end of the application.

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

People involved in the project were:

• project manager
• designer
• two coders

At the early stages I contacted project manager and designer, later it was project manager and coders. At this (final) stage it is mostly a project manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The project is nearly finished and there is no measurable outcome as of yet. However all stages have been delivered promptly and as required.

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

We have weekly meetups to discuss ongoing and future stages of the project. after each meeting project manager sums everything up in a memo. We use Jira to overview progress of each stage and to post ideas and comments. We also use WhatsApp for more informal communications

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

They are very open minded about our ideas and the communication is fantastic. They help us with the research related to obstacles we have met working on this project, which is quite impressive.

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

Not at the moment, however the project is not finished yet.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the Trade Marketing Manager at OPPO Mobile Polska - Global, leading manufacturer of smart devices and innovative solutions.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Software Things?

We hired Software Things to create a Landing Pages that would enable us to present a pre-sale offer to key partners on the retail and operator market in Poland.

SOLUTION

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

When selecting a cooperating company, we relied on recommendations from the market. The most important factors for us were the quick implementation of the task, experience on the market and reliability.

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

We've started cooperation with Software Things by defining the goals and deadlines for the task. The company has declared the project completion date and budget.

The company's task was to create 3 versions of the Landing Page for the presale period of our smartphones for the most important partners from the retail and operator market, with whom we are working on a daily basis. Software Things received the initial Landing Pages project and the partners' technical requirements.

Their task was to create a desktop and mobile version, in accordance with the provided layout, taking into account the best practices in the implementation of such projects. Software Things prepared files for approval, implemented comments, and then delivered the final order. Everything within the previously declared time and budget.

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

In total I worked with the one person Ceo & Co-founder of the company who was Project Manager for us.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Thanks to the Landing Pages prepared by Software Things , we were able to successfully implement communication into the pre-sale process of our new product portfolio and guide the end customer through the purchasing process to conversion.

All our partners, implemented files without any problems and positively assessed their impact on the conversion from marketing campaigns.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The project manager was easy to communicate with and provide as much updates as we need. We had phone calls and email communication. The project was delivered on the time and we.

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

I was impressed by the very fast and efficient way of working, especially the preparation of the mobile version, which was in line with the guidelines and extremely useful. Many years of Software Things experience were visible in everyday work.

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

I'm satisfied with the quality and pace of work.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Our AI-powered data management platforms help Publishers and Advertisers maximize their first party data for precisely targeted audience activation in real time. I am the CTO of the company

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Software Things, and what were your goals?

Our goals were to get help in speeding up a software localization process by extracting localisable content and prepare them for translation

SOLUTION

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

Recommendation

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

There was a planning meeting first where we discussed the scope and provided instructions how it should be done. We synced then with the company every few days and monitored the work progress. The technology used was Angular and Javascript

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

1 software engineer 50%

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We saved time and speed up our localization process by 2 weeks.

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

Requirements sent through emails, daily communication via Slack directly with the sw engineer. She committed to our GitHub repository directly.

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

Everything went smoothly and there was no issue. On the other hand it was a very small project.

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

The hw they used was too slow for our project but it was changed the next day.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are polish branch of an international pharmaceutical company, Servier is one of the top industry leaders.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Software Things, and what were your goals?

We have hired the Software Things team to help us create a new platform to distribute our webinars (broadcasted live and also accessed through an archive of videos).

SOLUTION

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

We were working together thanks to their cooperation with one of our business partner that we were working with to produce our webinars.

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

Software Things team was responsible for the whole project implementation including: project business analysis, UX and UI design, development and daily maintenance. For the project design they were using clickable mockups which was really helpful to decide the details of the final outcome. The development was done iteratively, in the result we have gained reactive, modern and fast platform.

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

The team was composed of: project manager, back-end developer, front-end developer and graphic designer

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our platform was really well accepted by our clients. All our webinars content is now organized and easy accessible. Our users may also use the calendar to plan their attendance to the future presentations.

What also should be mentioned, despite the hard pandemic 2020 year our company has noticed very dynamic growth and taken the first place as one of the best online presence among the pharmaceutical companies in Poland. The project made with Software Things played its a part in that success.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The project management went well, we were communicating on planned status meetings. All the work was done iteratively and on time.

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

People.

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

The project management went well, we were communicating on planned status meetings, all the work was done iteratively and on time.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are a non-governmental organization that organizes motorsport competitions on the racetrack. I am the president of the board.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Software Things, and what were your goals?

The need to design a reporting panel arose in connection with the SARS-COV2 pandemic. So far, competition participants reported using a more simple form, which did not allow for sending documents for verification. To replace direct contact, verification had to take place online. That is why a new form was created, which was designed by the Software Things company. The form was constantly improved and adapted to changing legal regulations.

SOLUTION

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

The supplier was proposed to us by our business partner, who previously cooperated with the company ST. During the first interview, the ST company showed great interest in the subject and offered favorable price conditions.

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

There was an organizational meeting where the representative of ST drew up a project based on the information we provided. Then the design of the online form was presented. The company proposed additional security in logging in. The technologies used are not known to me. The company keeps in touch with me and introduces the suggested changes.

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

Manager - 1 person.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Time savings and better contact with customers.

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

Very good contact by e-mail and telephone. Very good punctuality.

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

The company reacted quickly to our changes. The project was complex, but the company was able to put our verbal ideas into a form that worked without errors.

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

We have no room for improvement.