Svitla Systems

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CTO of Helper Systems

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Helper Systems creates tools to bring knowledge to life.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Svitla Systems to accomplish?

• Develop a macOS version of our kOS application

SOLUTION

How did you find Svitla Systems?

Referral

Why did you select Svitla Systems over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Svitla Systems were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

• Biweekly internal releases and bimonthly App Store releases of kOS, a complex yet intuitive research tool for anyone who does research: collection, organization, navigation, visualization, annotation, and presentation, with artificial intelligence assistance. 
• Kanban or sprint development model depending on the stage of development. 
• Weekly architecture meetings and engineering leadership sync ups.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Biweekly releases with great quality assurance process from Svitla QA engineers.

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

The Svitla team is experienced with the scrum process and the latest innovations in product development process. Our needs were always answered and met. Any delay in the schedule were primarily due to an aggressive push to deliver more from our side, but we eventually found the correct balance over time with assistance from the Svitla team.

What was your primary form of communication with Svitla Systems?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

All engineers speak great English and typically all have Masters degrees or above. There is a Svitla culture that provides them with all they need to be great engineers, including continuous training and more.

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

Not really. By building a great rapport with the team, we were able to augment the team with high-quality engineers and get great engagement from all engineers.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CTO of Wisetack

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are a FinTech company building a Buy Now Pay Later product.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Svitla Systems to accomplish?

• Augment existing Engineering with high quality international talent.

SOLUTION

How did you find Svitla Systems?

Referral

Why did you select Svitla Systems over others?

• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost

How many teammates from Svitla Systems were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

Svitla Systems helped us to hire high quality engineers in Eastern Europe and Latin America to develop new features of our Buy Now Pay Later product. This required knowledge of modern cloud, web, and UI technologies, development of data structures and APIs, and integration with multiple 3rd party systems.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Svitla Systems engineers completed development of new software on time and with good quality. This allowed our company to meet business goals and provide great experience to our customers.

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

Svitla Systems are very responsive. They very quickly provide the engineering talent we need and make adjustments when necessary. The engineers are committed to the success of our company and deliver great results. The teams that include our employees and the engineers from Svitla and very stable and well performing.

What was your primary form of communication with Svitla Systems?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

The most impressive for me is their responsiveness and quality in everything that Svitla Systems does.

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

Our company is happy with Svitla Systems services and we do not see any obvious areas for improvement.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of Trauma Brace. Our app helps trauma survivors get through their PTSD by working through evidence-based solutions on their own time.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Svitla Systems?

We had an existing iOS application and were looking to replicate the exact experience on Android.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

After we started talking to Svitla Systems, the first step was for them to become familiar with our iOS version. They asked questions about the processes, how users walked through the steps, and what happened in XYZ cases to ensure they understood our product.

In the next step, Svitla Systems sketched a timeline for how long it’d take them to develop the Android version and the steps of the project. From there, they began building the Android version. We went through QA together; we tested the app and went back and forth until it was as close to perfect as we could get it.

What is the team composition?

We worked with two engineers and one project manager, but I’m sure more people were involved.

How did you come to work with Svitla Systems?

They were a referral. An acquaintance knew that Nataliya (CEO & President) felt strongly about delivering mental health products to Ukraine to help support the survivors, so we contacted her.

How much have you invested with them?

We were quoted $100,000–$200,000, but Svitla Systems did it for free as a philanthropic effort to help Ukraine.

What is the status of this engagement?

We reached out to them in December 2022, and the work kicked off in March 2023. We released the project in November 2023.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our app downloads doubled after Svitla Systems expanded us to the second platform. 70% of those users were survivors coming out of the Russian Invasion of Ukraine, so we knew it was really helping.

Moreover, I was blown away by the quality of their work. As a perfectionist, I was very particular about recreating every step of the app’s experience. I also felt strongly that the app should be incredibly smooth and easy to use because it was made for people already in a difficult situation. We didn’t want them to experience frustration while using the app.

How did Svitla Systems perform from a project management standpoint?

Svitla Systems was great about deadlines. If anything got pushed back, it was my fault. They always came prepared for our meetings and asked questions.

Most of our communication was over email, but we did some video chats in the beginning so they could get a handle on the product. After a while, we used a ton of Google Docs to add screenshots and comments. We went back and forth through the changes we wanted to make in the next version.

Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?

Valentina (Senior Business Development Manager) was amazing. She was so responsive and helpful and had a deep understanding of our product.

The engineer who did most of the work was also fabulous. At one point, we had a bug; I don’t know if any other developer could’ve solved that problem. He spent two days researching it to solve it for us.

Finally, Nataliya was an incredible human being. Our Android product wouldn’t exist without her.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The depth of their knowledge of our product was amazing. I was really blown away by how well they knew our product and users. However, something we didn’t expect was their amazing communication. Many teammates were overseas, but they responded 24 hours a day. We had emails and updates by the time we woke up, so there was constant coverage.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can’t say I would’ve changed anything.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Hire them and treat them as an extension of your in-house team. Our partnership was effective because Svitla Systems felt like our Android development team.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the principle UX designer for Mueller Water Products, a company that specializes in water distribution. The company has been historically positioned in the infrastructure and mechanical space, creating gate valves, fire hydrants, pressure control and monitoring pumps, and repair clamps. In the last 5–7 years, we’ve jumped into the software space to provide the ability to monitor networks’ health, execute billing functions, and allow customers to collect meter readings.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Svitla Systems?

We needed UX designers.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Svitla Systems has prescreened candidates for us and provided senior UX designers. Initially, we asked them to look for a replacement in the fall. They led the process and conducted the interviews. Svitla Systems identified the qualifications we were looking for and lined up many candidates. Since we’re an international company, we wanted someone near our time zone to minimize disruptions.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with three UX designers from Svitla Systems.

How did you come to work with Svitla Systems?

I don’t know how they became partners; we were simply trying to fill some staffing positions.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in March 2022, and our relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Svitla Systems has done an excellent job. We’re very happy with the associate we hired; they have the skills we require and a good work ethic. Overall, the selection process went well from a logistics and operations standpoint, and Svitla Systems provided a broad and impressive pool of candidates.

How did Svitla Systems perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re very communicative and easy to work with. Even though English is their second language, they communicate clearly. We use Jira, Microsoft Teams, and Outlook for project management.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They have a broad pool of professionals we can work with. Also, Svitla Systems responds quickly and has assisted us in our attempt to get some holiday gifts for our international partners. All in all, we only have good things to say about them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We made it clear that we were looking for English speakers, and Svitla Systems brought us many candidates that were qualified for the job. However, we struggled to understand a couple of them. It wasn’t really troublesome, but we couldn’t understand them enough to work with them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Communicate with them when you need something. If an associate isn’t working well, they’re always willing to discuss it and move on from that resource. Just leverage their service; they’re flexible and quick to act.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an executive at a digital solutions company. We create products to help companies to be more profitable.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenges were you trying to address with Svitla Systems?

We were trying to build a mobile app but didn’t want to invest a full-time team in it because the project was at an early stage. Consequently, we sought help in a staff augmentation modality to see how this product could work.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Svitla Systems has been helping us with Android and iOS mobile app development using Kotlin as their main programming language. The product is an application for drivers; they can use the app as a credit card to pay for fuel and calculate how many hours they drove on their shifts. The platform also shows transactions and how much money they’ve spent — it’s like a small banking app. In addition, we’re working on integrating the product into some of our related existing apps and making them work together. 

What was the team composition?

We work with about six members of their team, including two Android developers, two iOS specialists, and a crew for backend engineering support.

How did you come to work with Svitla Systems?

I chose them for this project because I had worked with them previously and had a very good experience.

How much have you invested in them?

So far, we’ve spent around $250,000 with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in September 2022, and the engagement is still ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Svitla Systems’ work quality is great, their engineers are very adaptable, and they’ve got a hold of everything very quickly. Moreover, they’ve understood our needs, which makes us feel confident about the work they deliver

How did Svitla Systems perform from a project management standpoint?

We do project management ourselves, and Svitla Systems’ developers have adapted to our processes, communication tools, and overall organization. In terms of budget, they stick to what we plan. Moreover, they have a great customer focus and the ability to integrate into our team.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Svitla Systems’ team has been making the process very easy for us because the development resources they’ve provided can work well with our team and have great quality.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could streamline their billing processes. We get a bill for each engineer, and it might be better to receive a single invoice as a group.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be very clear about your requirements. Having a very clear job description will help them find better candidates.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm a VP of Support for a marketing company. CTM is one of the largest distributors of visitor & tourism information in North America.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We've been working with Svitla Systems for over a decade on various projects. Anything from custom software development, different databases, migrating our systems into a cloud environment.

SOLUTION

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

We initially hired Svitla to help maintain our website and custom solutions. Since then Svitla has become our go to vendor for our software needs.

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

Our cloud migration required numerous interconnected solutions to be moved into a cloud without interrupting our services.

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

Over the years our Svitla team was changing. Anywhere between 1 to 5 developers - depending on projects and specific skills needs.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were able to successfully migrate, recreate our data warehouse and reporting.

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

Communication with Svitla has always been easy and consistent. On daily basis we have calls with developers and can always reach out to our account rep.

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

Svitla Systems has access to a large number of developers with a wide range of skills. Over the years we developed number of software solutions and Svitla was always helpful finding the right people for our needs. Developers were helpful not just with code but redesigning projects to make it work better.

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

I can't think of anything. It's a great company that we've been working with for over a decade.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Vice President of R&D at Watchfire Signs. Watchfire designs and engineers the best-looking, most durable outdoor LED signs, indoor displays, digital billboards, and video scoreboards, which help businesses and organizations communicate effectively, increase visibility and drive growth.

Headquartered in Danville, IL, Watchfire has manufactured electric signs for 90 years and LED displays since 1998 using meticulously sourced components from around the world. Watchfire has more than 65,000 LED displays in operation worldwide and has more digital billboard customers in the U.S. than any other brand. For information, please refer to the Company’s website at https://www.watchfiresigns.com.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Svitla Systems?

Our flagship Content Management Solution offering is a web application deployed in the cloud. Svitla was hired to help us with our ongoing efforts to revamp our cloud infrastructure for scalability and security.

SOLUTION

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

Svital contacted us through LinkedIn, describing their expertise and service offering. The talent pool they had available for us to consider and their willingness to initially engage SMEs to kick off the project influenced our decision.

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

The project required an analysis of the current state of our cloud infrastructure and then reviewing our security and scalability needs. Once this was completed, we engaged a DevOps consultant from Svitla to work along side our engineers to revamp our infrastructure.

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

One Engineer - DevOps; One Cloud SME for initial consultation and review.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

With Svitla's help, we have upgraded our cloud infrastructure to support our growing customer base and improved our security posturing.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very effective - we stopped thinking we were working with a consultant.

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

Svitla's responsiveness and talent pool stand out. They were very easy to work with and open to taking inputs and suggestions as directed.

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

None.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the CTO and have worked with Svitla Systems over a number of years to build out our development and devops practice

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We hired Svitla Systems to augment the work we're doing over the years with multiple service providers around the world. Our goals have been to get closer to best practice across the SDLC industry, reduce single point of failure dependencies and move closer to a workable agile CI/CD chain model

SOLUTION

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

We have worked with multiple vendors over many years. All have a mix of desirable attributes. For us, the Svitla team has been consistent, responsible and willing to accept accountability with diversified distributed vendor teams across the globe.

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

All React, Django, Python and AWS hosting across the globe

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

The team is elastic with need - lower and upper bounds of 10 to 20 persons. Lead backend, Lead devops and senior developers across, backend, devops, frontend mobile iOS and Android

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our projects are typically on-time and our uptime stays around five nines

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

Team security and happiness are my first goal. Projects typically finish on time and agile / scrum processes drive everything. The team is self-organizing and their mandate is to drive to best practice and although not living on the cutting edge, be close enough so that they can pivot as direction comes their way

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

Svitla Systems has typically placed first class engineers on the project. They come up to speed fast. They get things done. They are not averse to pushing back and taking ownership and control

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

Software is an ever changing dynamic and I appreciate that I can push, question and get real answers and a sense of ownership. No organization and no person is perfect. In a no-blame and dynamic environment that is the best any organization can want or expect.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

VP of Software Developmnent Responsible for the management of software development, systems design and deployment for this global uniform manufacturing with 29 boutique retail locations in 9 states, multiple e-commerce websites and catalogs. Centrally located distribution center serving our international customer base and global operations for supply chain sourcing, production, and business support.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

BI / ETL services and Data Warehouse

SOLUTION

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

Service, talent, and cost

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

To support our growth and backlog of tickets.

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

ETL Developers and Data Warehouse artilect

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Excellent talent

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

Agile Scrum and Jira ticket management

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

Their service and talent are the most impressive things about them.

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

no

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of engineering at Novantas, a fintech company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Svitla Systems?

We were having trouble finding people with the specific skillsets we were looking for. We decided to look for a company that would help with development, allowing us to scale up and down as needed.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Svitla Systems provided developers who worked alongside us. They've worked on multiple of our key products. On the big data side, their team used Scala. While implementing projects in Java and Angular, their team was able to assist with the UI, creating APIs, building a modern tier, and even helping on the database side.

What is the team composition?

We were able to get a team of full-stack of engineers. There are 4–5 developers.

How did you come to work with Svitla Systems?

We evaluated multiple vendors. We liked that their team overlapped time zones and fave us a better overlap with our engineering team. Our team was impressed with Svitla Systems’ technical resources and capabilities.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement with Svitla Systems began in February 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Working with Svitla Systems is easy. Their developers are smart and help us integrate efficiently.

How did Svitla Systems perform from a project management standpoint?

Since they worked directly with our engineering team, we work in an agile methodology to capture daily progress. They have access to our network, and we use GitLab. Communication has never been an issue. Their team is self-driven and motivated. We had one person that wasn’t performing well, and they were more than happy to manage that.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The most impressive thing to me is their technical knowledge.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We gave them feedback when we wanted their top few candidates to perform the streamlining. They were able to incorporate those changes quickly. There’s nothing we need to be changed.