Southern Code

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the QA Lead at Amaze Software Inc. We produce software that allows anyone to sell anything, anywhere.

For what projects/services did your company hire Southern Code?

We are developing a gallery of professionally designed templates we want our clients to use for their mobile e-commerce experiences. We hired SouthernCode to support our testing efforts to meet our goals of building a template gallery at scale.

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

We chose SouthernCode based on their technical abilities and cost estimate.

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

SouthernCode team is responsible for manual testing of GUI and template related features of our design tool. The project involves continuous collaboration with web designers and internal QA team to improve the esthetics and functionality of our products.

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

We work directly with 1 project manager, 3 QA engineers and 1 QA analyst.

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

Outsourcing this project to the offshore QA team saves us time and effort. Previously, we’ve been doing everything internally. We are now able to focus on other projects and tasks. Since the beginning of our collaboration, Souther Code has tested and validated over a hundred templates currently available to our clients on the web.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Design and template deployment runs on a weekly release schedule, which requires continuous communication via Slack and Jira. The Southern Code team has exceeded our expectations in providing comprehensive reports on every issue found in our product and continue to deliver their summary and stats at the beginning of each week.

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

The team has demonstrated a high level of expertise in manual testing as well their ability to accommodate frequent changes in the company schedule.

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

So far our collaboration has been satisfactory.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m one of the operations managers of a facility services company.

What challenge were you trying to address with Southern Code?

We needed help with developing an app for our business.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Southern Code helped us create a mobile app for our business from scratch, available for Android and iOS. Their team guided themselves by looking at our older app and started there. They also had a lot of input in the design, which improved our older product’s look.

Currently, they work on quickly fixing any bugs, giving maintenance, and adding different features as we move forward.

What is the team composition?

We’ve been working with 8–10 members of their team, including a project manager who is our main point of contact.

How did you come to work with Southern Code?

They were referred to us by someone who knew about their work.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $50,000 with them so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

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

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

Our app is now live, and we’re 100% satisfied with their work — they’ve exceeded our expectations.

How did Southern Code perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re great! We have a Slack channel where we communicate on a daily basis, and we also have weekly Google Meets sessions. 

What did you find most impressive about them? 

They’re trying to be a successful company, so they push customer satisfaction and ensure that we’re always satisfied with their hard work — we appreciate that even more than quality! Overall, I can tell they want what’s best for our company and are proactive with new ideas.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think there’s anything they can improve on.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO and co-founder of Ungga, an entrepreneurial venture in the Real State arena that aims to significantly change the way estate properties such as houses and apartments are marketed and sold for the benefit of both sellers and buyers by harnessing the power of exponential technologies.

For what projects/services did your company hire Infovalue?

For strengthening our team in the design and development work, although we have not yet reached the development stage because we are currently experimenting with rapid prototypes and envisioning the minimum marketable solution first.

What were your goals for this project?

To validate our key assumptions and come up with a highly usable digital marketplace design oriented towards achieving the desired outcomes of stakeholders (i.e. buyers and sellers, including property owners, estate developers and brokers).

How did you select Infovalue?

We were thinking about complementing our team with people with strongs skills in UI/UX design and agile software development. So, we started the search locally and coincidentally, I was contacted by InfoValue.

So, we have some conversations about their value proposition and we became convinced that their offer (expertise, professonalism, price and working practices, which aligned well to ours) was the best combination for us.

Describe the project in detail.

Once we selected InfoValue, we had a series of meetings to discuss our goals and objectives.

Within the first weeks, we discussed our key assumptions about our business concept with the Infovalue team and were able to refine both the business model concept and the assumptions.

Then we received and discussed the initial designs for the buyer side of the digital marketplace and we were able to generate more insights. In the next weeks we proceeded with rapid experiments to validate our key assumptions in the market.

Similarly, we had strategic conversations with InfoValue´s team about the Seller side which resulted in digital designs for that part too.

As a result, the design would be concluded and we could proceed to test the usuability of the design interactively with a handful of appropriate users.

What was the team composition?

The team of InfoValue that complemented our internal team was composed of a Senior Business Innovator, a Project Lead, and a UX/UI designer.

They all worked under a previously agreed agile plan and estimated budget for an early stage. The hours dedicated by each person in each of this roles varied according to our goals.

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

After a little beyond of two months, we have been able to have a solid design for our digital marketplace and most importantly, have been able to conduct experiments in the market, with real prospects, that have allows to learn, iterate, and validate a value proposition and design that can work in a unique way.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The Business Innovator and Project Manager that we were assigned were easy to communicate with and provided us frequent updates. We connected over Whatsapp, Zoom or phone at least once a week and used Slcak for all other communication.

Overall, I was impressed by the timelines and digital tools of the team and their quick responses and adjustments to our comments and suggestions.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I was impressed by the knowledge that this vendor has about digital web, app and user experience design, as well as about software development. But I was blown away by the business savvy, creativity and innovation skills of their people.

Since we are aiming to innovate and create a disruptive solution, these people are a powerful boost to our business and technical concept and very inspiring to our team.

Additionally, we appreciate that they have been very understanding with our constraints at this early-stage of the venture (e.g. budget) and finding a way to achieve the goal within this boundaries without sacrificing quality.

We also appreciate that they have been patient and thoughtful while we came up to speed. We have worked with other companies, but this company has been particularly collaborative and a positive experience.

We will certainly engage with this company again for any related needs that we have in the future.

Are there any areas for improvement?

As stated earlier, we have had a very positive experience so far. If there is anything to improve that could come to my mind now, perhaps would be related to establishing a more predictable cadence for Sprint planning and Sprint Review, although at this stage the way we have been collaborating is proving to be fine.

So, at the development stage I believe it will certainly be a good practice (that their Technical Lead, who will be involved soon, has commented they always use).

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO, founder, and chairman of Click Deal Buy! We’re redefining the e-commerce shopping experience.

What challenge were you trying to address with Infovalue?

We hired Infovalue for a variety of web services.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They provided a new website, logo, and some marketing materials. We already had a previous logo, so their team worked off that with their own ideas.

How did you come to work with Infovalue?

They discovered me. I felt that they took a genuine interest in our business and culture.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement with Infovalue started in April 2020.

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

They completely understood our project, delivering quality work. I appreciated their attention to detail. The details were quite remarkable. Their team researched a lot on their own, making sure they did their due diligence. They made sure sprints were done on time and to our satisfaction.

How did Infovalue perform from a project management standpoint?

From a project management standpoint, they’re excellent. We communicate well with our preferred methods. It’s been wonderful.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Infovalue understands our business model and wants us to move forward. They also seem to be in this for the long run. They’ve done a great job, and I’m really impressed with their team.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think there’s anything too negative, but they could ask our feedback more when it comes to projects and their deliverables.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be open to working with companies outside of the US. I found them to be extremely professional. Be equally as professional as they are.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO of International Endurance Group, a solution for endurance coaches and athletes. An ecosystem consisting of a software for coaches, a mobile application for athletes and a high-level training center for all athletes and sports professionals. With a presence in more than 20 Spanish-speaking countries, courses approved by the American College of Sport Medicine and a blog that exceeds 1,500 articles.

For what projects/services did your company hire Infovalue?

Our ecosystem was in an advanced stage of development, but we needed to make a great leap in terms of UX / UI that our current users demanded and that would tip the balance to attract new customers.

What were your goals for this project?

On the one hand, we wanted to provide a comprehensive experience in a single ecosystem, originally divided, to our clients. On the other, increase the rate of conversion of prospects to active clients, improving the learning curve in relation to our software and application.

How did you select this vendor?

After a selection process based on the search and collection of different proposals, we decided to work with Infovalue. The use of agile methodologies proposed, the budget in relation to work and its quality, tipped the balance towards his proposal.

Describe the project in detail.

After agreeing to start the project's actions, the Infovalue team made an exhaustive diagnosis of the entire ecosystem. During that time we held a series of meetings as well as meetings of our HR with theirs. After that phase and the presentation of that diagnosis, they presented us with the proposal that we reviewed between both teams and then agreed on implementation. The work during the process was really very dynamic thanks to the methodologies that Infovalue uses and the quality and speed of its proposals.

What was the team composition?

Basically, we contacted the Infovalue director and a specialist designer, both the commercial director, the CTO, the PM and myself. During the process, different human resources from each company were involved according to the necessary requirements.

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

We have been three months since implementation. Period during which we have observed a progressive increase in the rate of conversion of prospects to clients on the one hand and we have received very encouraging feedback from our long-standing clients, on the other hand.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The work and the dynamics were very fluid. Communication with both the director and the designer was open and flexible so that any potential problem was resolved quickly and efficiently.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The level of understanding they came to have of our venture in a relatively short period of time was impressive. The fluidity and quality of their work, as well as communication.

Are there any areas for improvement?

It is clear that processes can always be accelerated, but that also depends on the investment on our part. The reality is that we are very satisfied with the process carried out and even more so with the result.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I work at Holcim Argentina, a leasing company in the manufacture of cemento. I am civil engineer and my job function is National leader of Road Safety, road engineering and internal audits

For what projects/services did your company hire Infovalue?

Infovalue was hired to develop the proyect of making risk assessment through a mobile application and not continue to carry them out on paper

What were your goals for this project?

The objectives of the proyect were to develop an application to make risk analysis easier and eliminate paper so that application would keep track of the analyzes carried out by the operators

How did you select this vendor?

For his quality as a profesional, his responsability, for having developed other software for the company with a high leve of reliability. It has a high leve of response that coincides with the high level of demand that Holcim Argentina has

Describe the project in detail.

Its an application that takes step by step to relieve hazards in the workplace, guiding the operator to determine what risk arise in their daily activity, then assesing these hazards and determining the tepes of risk they have, taking preventive measures to minimize them

What was the team composition?

Ornela Marconi, Damián Pecci and Ignacio Garribia. Then i Joined the team and i am helping with leadership

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

The results of the proyect hace been applied in all the industrial plants in the country, training more than 300 people, who have been using the living app throughout the country

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The communication between the Holcim Argentina team and the Infovalue team was always effective and efficient, since when the first problems arise, they were quickly resolver. There is a follow up by both teams wich allows following up on the acción plans that were previously developed.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

In all my years within the company with many suppliers. infovalue has a highly committed to delivering results and a with a huge quality of service, the staff is highly trained and complies what has been agreed and are specialists in technological innovation.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Having an after sales area, where they take into account the monitoring of training of the app they developed and not everything is left in the hands of their manager

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am coordinator of quarry operations at a cement company

For what projects/services did your company hire Infovalue?

It was contracted to digitize the quarry operations, from the marking of the drilling wells, to the maintenance of the equipment, also obtaining the necessary information to control the production process, costs, etc.

What were your goals for this project?

obtain in real time the location, productivity, costs of the different work teams

How did you select this vendor?

on the recommendation of another person from Holcim who was carrying out a project

Describe the project in detail.

It was carried out in different stages. First, based on what was designed by the Holcim team, the workflow was designed. In a second stage, the limits of the project were expanded by taking into account the needs and the issues raised, but in the field of work (quarry), in addition to suggestions from the developer when having experience of working with this company (eg, adding Health protocols and Safety).

As a third stage, the development itself, and tests of it in the quarry (analysis of the type of equipment to be used, the form of presentation of the information obtained, etc.). As a fourth stage, the app is piloted.

What was the team composition?

The team was made up of 3 people total

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

Due to a change in the structure of the area, the project is on standby

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very good, fully compiled in it and with many contributions not only technically, but also with ideas on how to carry out the corresponding analyzes and the effective way of displaying that information.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

the way to put an idea on paper to a development capable of managing an entire section of the company with more than 30 heavy vehicles and more than 50 people

Are there any areas for improvement?

no, we're completely satisfied with the work done

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the IT & HR coordinator for LaFargeHolcim, a company that manufactures and sells cement worldwide. 

What challenge were you trying to address with Infovalue?

We have global projects that require sophisticated platforms to oversee them. We wanted to develop custom software in our gradual migration away from WordPress.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We provided the Infovalue team with blueprints to convey the application’s desired functionalities. We also gave them the ideas we had for the design side, as well. In turn, they gave us their recommendations, which we approved before they incorporated them. They launched into software development and ultimately produced a web-responsive and mobile-compatible platform.

What is the team composition?

We cooperated with two teammates.

How did you come to work with Infovalue?

We’ve worked with them for other projects, so we could trust them. We knew that they’d be the right partner for this particular undertaking because they work quickly to deliver an effective solution.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $10,000–$15,000. Phase one cost $7,000, and we spent some money on improvements and maintenance.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in November 2018, and the project is ongoing.

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

The app has since gone live, and we’ve received positive feedback for their work. We use GitLab to track the project, and it’s been useful as a way to organize documentation and oversee progress. Post-launch, we used an internal tool that reported issues and created tickets for troubleshooting.

I’ve appreciated their approach and work ethic. It’s always interesting to hear their ideas since they operate in an industry that’s so different from ours.

How did Infovalue perform from a project management standpoint?

We had bi-weekly meetings until the product went live, and since then, we’ve contacted them for any needed services.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’ve now worked together on four projects, and they’ve been quick about understanding tasks. They provide out-of-the-box solutions that enhance existing products. They’re structured, and they have great tools for implementation and follow-up.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could improve their transparency about billing and communication regarding scheduling. They’re quick to accept and implement any requested changes, but they don’t inform you upfront about the incurred charges, or whether it'll impact their ability to deliver on time.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

In light of that, I recommend that you be very specific and explicit in stating a deadline.

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are the first Frozen Food Marketplace in Argentina with a b2c / b2b / b2e business model Project Leader

For what projects/services did your company hire Southern Code?

UX/UI Audit

How did you select this vendor?

by internal recommendation of the founding company

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

We are a b2b / b2c frozen food marketplace with an assortment and development similar to the retail channel

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

We had the meeting with the team

• 2 UX professionals
• 1 Marketing
• 1 team leader

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

Many of the comments received were already mapped into the internal needs of the team, however others had gone completely unnoticed and the report was very enriching.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very good communication from the presentation of the brand, its members, what is its objective when doing an audit and the recommendations for the improvement of our front. It is important that the meeting is not only made with UX professionals but also Marketing or commercial professionals to identify the particularities of each business on which the evaluation is made.

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

I like their priority scale for the pain points. There will always be something to improve but being able to discern which are the tasks that are going to have the greatest impact on the customer journey seemed very practical to me

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

No, I think they did a great job and we do not rule out the possibility of doing a new audit in a few months with the development part already better implemented and being able to focus on other details

Please describe your company and your position there.

KDSoft is a company that provides integral web and mobile technology solutions empowering organisations through self-managed agile cells. I am currently PO in the company.

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

We hired the company to work on a project for the UK. Because we didn't have a UXUI expert at the time, we decided to hire the company to have this role in the project. By doing this, we were sure that the client would be very satisfied with the user experience and the visualisation of the product.

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

We found the company through the technology cluster. Deciding factors were the excellent level of professionalism, flexibility and response times.

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

Initially there was a Product Discovery and after that the development sprints started. During each iteration, the need is discussed with the client and proposals are presented in XD. After approval, it is developed , tested and finally and delivered to the client.

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

A UXUI is the one who works with us by identifying needs and presenting prototypes as proposals to be approved and then implemented.

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

Almost 90% of the proposals have been approved without any corrections. The rest were only minor changes to the prototypes. The client is very happy with the vision of the UXUI and is very confident in her work.

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

All meetings are managed by Google meets. We have daily meetings, but also do retrospectives, refinements and of course, reviews with the client every two weeks. For daily communication, we use Slack. Tasks are logged in Jira and for prototyping the UXUI use XD.

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

The UXUI has demonstrated enormous experience in dealing with the client, the language and also in its prototypes. She is a very responsible and detail-oriented person. Her creations have demonstrated her professionalism.

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

All the work done has been truly excellent. Nothing to do differently.