SOLVVE

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

CEO, Synapse Team

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We hired Solvve to work on an educational platform for medical workers. We needed to supplement our team with specialists who have experience in creating such products. That's why we chose Solvve.

SOLUTION

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

We'd worked with Solvve before, so we knew they were a reliable team with relevant experience and a technology stack. They provided us with good conditions and prices, so we decided on them.

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

It was a project with a large backlog. We collaborated on the development of two react-based platforms. The project involved coding and UX.

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

We’ve worked with 6–7 people, including a project manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They did what we'd agreed on. The work process was well organized, it helped to achieve the goals in time and release the product without any delays.

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

The teams got along well. We initially agreed on the vision of the result, and our vision coincided well. There were no misunderstandings or difficulties during the work process.

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

The Solvve team not only worked on the project but also showed interest in its success. They were very active in discussing the details and this helped a lot to make the platform better.

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

I don’t think there’s anything they can improve on. I highly recommend people working with them

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of operations for Delmar Jewelers, a luxury goods retailer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SOLVVE?

We needed someone to provide us with managed IT services and ERP consultation.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

SOLVVE is our primary IT services provider and they help us build our ERP system, which they’re continuing to develop and maintain.

What is the team composition?

Our main point of contact is the project manager.

How did you come to work with SOLVVE?

I don’t remember how we came across their company because it’s been a while since our first project.

How much have you invested with them?

I believe we’ve invested more than $500,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement started in November 2016, and we’re still working together.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We haven’t experienced any network downtime and issues, so we’re 100% satisfied with their services.

How did SOLVVE perform from a project management standpoint?

They perform very well from a project management perspective. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’re very impressed with how they manage our project.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything they could improve on.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I would advise having a clear scope of the project so your engagement with them flows more efficiently.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work for a lighting manufacturing company. We manufacture light fixtures both overseas and within the US. Our company sells fixtures mainly to contractors and developers of projects that are more than 75,000 square feet. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SOLVVE?

When I joined the company a year ago, we didn’t have any real existing ERP system; we didn’t have any software or program that helped us with our inventory, invoicing, billing, and receiving payments. We hired SOLVVE to help us do that. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

SOLVVE helped us develop an ERP system that was user-friendly and would let us track and document everything in one place. Since we had five locations throughout the US and Canada, we needed a system that we could all access to organize and track everything. 

Prior to SOLVVE, we were using a different development team, but we got stuck in the development process. We were also paying a monthly and a yearly fee for another ERP system, but it wasn’t doing want we wanted it to do. From there we switched to SOLVVE and they started developing the system we needed.

We had initial calls with Sergue (Project Coordinator & Odoo Integrator) to discuss what needed to be done. I went over what we wanted, and Sergue took notes and thought of different ideas. We threw ideas back and forth through the calls, which we did for an hour every morning. From there, Sergue would relay the discussion to their developer and set up their tasks.

At present, our daily calls have been cut down to twice a week, and the development process continues. 

What is the team composition?

We work with Sergue and a developer. 

How did you come to work with SOLVVE?

We found SOLVVE through word of mouth, though I wasn’t involved in the selection process since I joined the company shortly after the engagement started. We had meetings with other development companies before them; in fact, we were using a different development team before them, but that did nothing for us except make us lose money. As a result, when SOLVVE was brought in and we received good feedback about them, we got off the ground quickly. That was how our engagement started. 

How much have you invested with them?

As of the end of 2021, we’ve spent about $9 0,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in March 2021, and the engagement is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve received positive feedback from everyone — top to bottom — which has been great. SOLVVE’s turnaround times have also been good. They estimate costs and tasks according to priority, and even when we have time differences, they’re still outstanding. If I send them something today, I’ll have their response by the time I arrive the next morning. Overall, I’ve had a smooth and seamless experience with them. 

While I don’t have quantitative metrics to show, the fact that we run reports by ourselves is great — that’s not something we could do before. We’re also able to do so much more business because of their work, which eased up everything. The ERP system has given us more time to acquire more business.

How did SOLVVE perform from a project management standpoint?

SOLVVE’s project management has been superb. I have nothing but wonderful things to say about their project manager. He’s been truly communicative and responsive with any issues that arise. 

More interestingly, he also pitches his own ideas to the project; he doesn’t just listen to me and relay things to their developer. Instead, he comes up with his own ideas, and that’s great. Simply put, he’s truly involved in the business and knows exactly what we need. To communicate, we have video calls and emails. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

With SOLVVE, we can finish tasks faster. For instance, the team only needed two weeks to finish a task that our previous developer spent nearly a year working on — this has convinced us that we’ve made the right decision by hiring SOLVVE. 

Moreover, the team is great when it comes to complex development tasks. To be specific, we wanted a configurator belt that would allow us to build light fixture products by ourselves. While this project took longer than two weeks, it was also a game-changer for us, and the SOLVVE team accomplished it. The feedback I’ve received from my team about it has been unbelievable. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there aren’t any. I haven’t had any issues with them. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have daily calls with SOLVVE. This has been the most important part of our engagement. We give them a list of tasks, and their project manager explains everything to the developer. We then have a call the next day to go over a new set of tasks. In other words, make sure that everyone is on top of things and knows what’s going on with the project.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an executive at a food e-commerce company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SOLVVE?

We needed custom software that could help us leverage all of our customers.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

SOLVVE has been helping us customize our ERP to manage our customer’s interface, inventory, order processing, and everything related — the key deliverable is mainly the ability to use the platform to run our business. In terms of technology, the software is built on an open-source platform that we customized from scratch.

Currently, they provide ongoing support and development.

What is the team composition?

We’ve been mainly working with a senior developer, but two other developers are also providing support, so there are three people involved in total.

How did you come to work with SOLVVE?

They were referred to us by someone who had a successful project with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $110,000–$120,000 with them so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in September 2020, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Thanks to them, everything is processed and filled in time, and the inventory is correctly managed. Overall, the features we need are there in the platform, the software is running, and everything works well.

How did SOLVVE perform from a project management standpoint?

The project manager sends us weekly reports with a summary of the completed work, and I’m also in touch with the developers every day. In terms of communication, we work very closely, and we use phone calls, Microsoft Teams, and they also have their own project management system.

What did you find most impressive about them? 

Their communication and costs are outstanding; we get quick responses every time something comes up, and their prices are lower than other providers.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think there’s anything they can improve on — it’s been a great experience for us. 

Any advice for potential customers?

Know as much as you can about your expectations on the project; that’ll always be helpful.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the chairman of a gaming company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SOLVVE?

I needed someone to develop my gaming platform. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They have a deep understanding of our business needs, engaging with the development of our product and its release to the market. That involved working on our e-sports gaming platform from scratch, which works on a B2B and B2C business model. The platform is a web app and mobile app, and they used ASP.NET for the work.

What is the team composition?

We work with two people.

How did you come to work with SOLVVE?

One of my friends worked with them on a national platform and referred them to me. We worked together in 2015 and were happy with what they developed so we chose them for this project as well.

What is the status of this engagement?

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

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’re very good at what they do. I’m happy with their work and am exploring another opportunity with them to expand the product to other regions as the platform is scalable.

How did SOLVVE perform from a project management standpoint?

I wasn’t happy with project management until I hired my own project manager. We use Jira and have weekly conferences.

What did you find most impressive about them?

No, there’s nothing else.

Are there any areas they could improve?

My only concern is the project management.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Hire your own project management because there is a lack of sufficient management in SOLVVE.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We provide innovative longevity services including diagnostic testing, health programs, and food and drink.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire SOLVVE?

We hired SOLVVE to manage Odoo as our business grew and we opened our first cafe.

SOLUTION

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

SOLVVE was recommended to us and we selected them based on our project needs and budget.

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

SOLVVE configured, customised and developed Odoo 13 for our cafe in Prague and for web based health care consultation bookings and sales. They continue to provide support.

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

Sergue is our main POC.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

SOLVVE's work helps us track and manage customers, inventory, and user data efficiently.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Sergue provides quick and clear communication and timely fixes when bugs come up. He is always happy to walk our team members through what he is doing and train us on how to effectively use Odoo's features.

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

SOLVVE works quickly and communicates seamlessly with our team.

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

None to report

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a member of the Board of Directors for a non-profit educational-software company. I work with Solvve to guide the development of several software projects.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We wanted to develop the project in Javascript for maximum multi-platform flexibility, but it is very difficult to create a complex, long-running application in Javascript which is both stable and performant.

SOLUTION

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

We were recommended by an associate in Ukraine. After meeting with the key executives at Solvve, we were impressed by their systematic yet nimble processes.

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

We have a very complex software process which has both a back-end content creation suite and a front-end content consumption platform. These two teams are operating with very different live users but must coordinate feature releases between them. It is an impressive feat of project management to keep progress smooth.

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

Each of three main projects has project management, a testing team and a business analyst responsible for negotiating and communicating requirements. Regular weekly summaries, stand-up team meetings, requirement discussions and testing reports help to keep us aware of the challenges and progress within each sprint.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

When the time came to re-write the codebase in a more modern Javascript framework, the entire task was completed in only a few months. From experience, this type of migration task often dooms projects but the internal organization of our team at Solvve was such as to pull it off with minimal pain. Users experienced no downtime at all, which is pretty impressive.

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

The project manager and business analysts meet with us over Zoom several times weekly and pull in developers where necessary to keep us abreast of progress and keep the planning pipeline full of well-defined and prioritized requirements. Although development is necessarily a slow process, our team does a great job at communicating progress and giving us realistic expectations of delivery schedules.

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

They really care about making the app better. Employees of Solvve are not satisfied to simply address their job responsibilities but constantly think about the impact of ideas on overall user experience. Many of them use the app personally which is deeply appreciated.

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

Yes, their internet is just too good. If we could only cripple the internet connection for our developers then they would get to see how most of the world experiences the internet -- as unstable and slow. Developers always use top-end equipment while our product is targeting mobile users in villages with internet provided by carrier-pigeon.

Of course, Solvve is very professional about it, but developers often seem to view performance as a separate requirement -- so optimization and performance must be refactored in with subsequent iterations after delivery of functionality. This is not an issue specific to Solvve, but to developers in general. I wish developers would take more responsibility for delivering, not just working code, but well-optimized code.