Synic Software

Please describe your company and your position there.

InvestSMART is an online financial adviser based in Australia. We pride ourselves on making investing rewarding, accessible and affordable by employing smart technology and even smarter people. By putting a cap on our fees, we facilitate investment opportunities for all Australians to thrive. Multiple portfolio options are available for selection, along with regular insights per our newsletter from leading industry experts.

We are one of the foremost sources of investment research in the country, with over 700,000 online users. My name is Yu (Peter), and I’m a Team Lead at InvestSMART.

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

With an aging software system catering to large traffic, we knew it was time to upgrade. Our key objectives for Synic were: - Securement of our database, which deals with sensitive information that demands precise record; this aspect was extensive - Redevelop entire back-end system and admin panel; the former processes and imports over 1 million data per day - Create and implement a user-friendly and well-designed website

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

We looked at about ten companies, domestically (in Australia) and abroad. Our evaluation matrix included a lot of criteria, but the two stand out factors were experience and level of communication.

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

Our first step was to discuss in depth the objectives for the project. It was important to have discussions around our business’ branding and strategy, so that when the team was working, they would be aligned with our vision. Compliance was also vital, and this was something we explored together. We shared the existing code from our old website for the developers to work with. Synic then developed some prototypes for us to review and approve.

Following, they incorporated functional features to the website. They prioritized improvement of overall functionality, user experience and performance. They helped build our InvestSMART portfolio manager and health check tools, which process and store investor and stock broker information. Hence, pretty sensitive stuff! They also transitioned us from legacy to subscription model. These were the technologies used: - ASP.NET - Microsoft SQL Azure - HTML5 - CSS3 - Javascript - jQuery - Reactjs - AngularJs - CRON Jobs - Highcharts - Chargify - Morningstar Integration

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

Two developers and one project manager.

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

Synic achieved all goals as set out, and we were very impressed with their transparency and communication levels. They knew what we needed and put everything together to deadline and budget.

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

They used Jira to project manage, and an Agile framework. Synic Software's timeliness and communication were unwavering.

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

The level of understanding they displayed about our particular needs. With such an extensive project and mass, sensitive data to work with, their proficiency was affirming. They were always flexible with changes and reasonable.

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

None that I could think of.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a Beautician at Cinderella Beauty Clinic. We provide non-surgical aesthetic treatments, catering primarily to women. Our staff are professional, extremely well-trained and safety conscious.

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

We hired Synic to work on UX and UI coding for a schedule and patient management system. We wanted this to be fully functioning, to upgrade our administrative efforts and streamline tasks.

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

We were referred to Synic Software by a friend. We found them very friendly and accessible. Their body of work and experience sealed the deal.

Describe the project in detail and walk through their service package.

We started with an initial meeting to speak about the process. We explained our ideas and what we were hoping for. Synic then took these ideas and developed a rounded plan for execution, which we provided feedback on. Their developers then went into building the custom software for us. We made collaborative adjustments throughout the development phase to factor in budget changes. Deliverables included: Two different interfaces for the system; one for the owner, the other for the technician

Creating a clean design in line with Cinderella’s branding Automated stock tracking, with a list generated of ‘things to order’ when stock ran low Integration of a treatment notes feature for clinicians to use Synic used Ionic with Typescript, Angular, .Netcore, LESS/SASS, Javascript, Web API, HTML, CSS and C#

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

There were five people on Synic’s team that we worked with. Three developers, one designer and a project manager.

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

It’s still an ongoing project. What’s been great is that for all of our suggestions, they’re able to build on the ideas from the lens of their expertise. Effectively, it maximizes the potential of the whole job.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Timeliness has never been an issue, they’ve always met set milestones. What’s been great about this is that we can feel like the team are excited about what they’re working on, as the workflow continually plays to their strengths. 

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

I feel like they genuinely listen to what our needs are, and adapt the plan and the product to it. They always suggest options that align with our best interests.

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

Spending less time on the initial planning.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the President of MDD Transport and we are one of the licensed ride hailing companies in British Columbia.

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

MDD Mobile App for Driving Partners and MDD Mobile App for Riders

What were your goals for this project?

To build an user friendly and simple to use mobile application for our ride hailing services and other features such as courier service, mini moving.

How did you select this vendor?

Synic Software is referred by a good friend of mine and they have done projects in the past with him. They have a good business sense in terms of understanding customers needs and wants.

Describe the project in detail.

The project is more complex than what we anticipated. Every time when we come across "issues", things can be rectified in a fast and efficient manner. The end product is more than what we expected and I am very impressed with the effort from all the staff involved.

What was the team composition?

The project started off with the team lead and 2 other programmers, but in the end, the whole team of staff got involved because we keep adding "features" to the app and more labor is involved.

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

They have created one of the most sophisticated ride hailing app in the market as a lot of features are not even available from the major companies like Uber or Lyft.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Weekly meetings and conference calls are set up periodically and the communication is easy and transparent

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The attention to detail and the ease of dealing with staff of all departments. Their creativity also impressed us a lot.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Not applicable

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO and Founder of a website and mobile app all about Sustainable Consumption.

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

Website & Mobile App

What were your goals for this project?

- Develop an awesome website (online application forms were involved and design) and mobile app

How did you select this vendor?

I just liked Charles and a friend of mine was friends with him - having that personal connection helped me make my decision.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Website development and mobile app development + some design work too.

What was the team composition?

Umm Charles is the owner of the company but Micole was the one who did the building and I believe also some design work.

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

I loved working with them! They even were great with giving feedback on items along the way (especially when I asked for their feedback!).

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

I of course came ready with wireframe and they simple brought the vision to light. Charles managed everything on their end.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I love the team and if something didn't look quite right they always made changes. They also treated the platform with as much respect as I do.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Just communication - at times I would have liked to have more accessibility but a lot of those expectations need to be agreed upon in the beginning. We worked out the kinks and from then on it was smooth sailing.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO of Drive CX, a customer experience management company that specializes in getting customer feedback at point of payment on intelligent payment devices.

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

We needed a billing portal that could manage our subscription, device and transaction revenue from multiple sources. We needed to be able to bill and manage upgrades through our website, and through our marketplace partners.

What were your goals for this project?

The challenge was being able to meet all the different billing requirements from our partners, while making it look easy to our customers.

How did you select this vendor?

Charles and the team at Synic were very professional and appeared to be 100% there to solve our problems. They had experience in billing portals and invested time to understand our needs and make sure we were successful.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

They worked well with the rest of our development team to connect our billing portal to our backend data management systems and our front end payment applications. Synic and team and were able to solve some difficult challenges. They were professional, ethical and delivered what they said they would on time and on budget!

What was the team composition?

We worked closely with Charles, the founder and CEO of Synic. He matched our work with members of his team most qualified to do the work cost effectively and to a standard of excellence.

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

They delivered with excellence on time and on budget. The result we can deliver on a billing capabilities required by our payment partners, that opens the door to working with their sales teams.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

The team at Synic made sure that we met our goals and timelines. They delivered on a challenging project and worked through all the "kinks" with the rest of our team. It required good collaboration, vision and execution with excellence

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Synic delivered as promised, on time and on budget. I felt totally supported by the team and knew they would do whatever it took, for a successful project outcome. I truly believe they have our best interest at heart - a sometimes rare commodity.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I really can't think of an area of improvement. they were adaptable and 100% behind the success of the project and our company.

Please describe your company and your position there.

CC Mall is a large e-commerce marketplace catering to clientele with an interest in North American goods. Users can purchase products they may not locally have access to, and businesses can list their products for greater visibility and revenue.

We also own a logistics freight company which is competitive in pricing for shipping. My name is Cara Wu and I am the General Manager. Our website can be found at ccmall.ca

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

We engaged them to develop our e-commerce platform. The UI design was provided by ourselves, while Synic executed development. Our objective was to shift from a manual, garage-based business to an automated, upgraded system. We wanted to expand the business and our reach.

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

We interviewed a few different companies for candidacy. We liked that Synic was local and didn’t outsource their talent. This was a deciding factor, along with their experience in the field, trustworthiness and price.

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

The first step consisted of a discovery workshop. Collectively, we reviewed business challenges and identified opportunities for growth. Next was scope planning. We identified the resources in place, our objectives and preferred timeline. Milestones were put in place to indicate progress. The developers then went on to code the platform based on our UI design. Next came the testing and bug management phase.

Consequently, we moved into maintenance. Key deliverables included: customizing software to integrate with our existing code; integrating the platform to our logistics business; support for alternative payment methods like WeChat and Alipay; multi-vendor log-in and other features. ASP.NET Core, Microsoft SQL, NopCommerce, Web API, Authorize.NET were just some of the technologies used.

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

We worked with three Synic team members. One team lead and two full-stack developers.

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

All goals and deliverables were achieved as hoped. We’ve shifted from a manual to an automated company, and our sales have grown significantly as a result of our collaboration. We had sales of over $1 million CAD in the nine months following the site’s launch.

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

Synic works with an agile framework. Their team was super responsive, which was a big plus. We never had any issues with timeliness, and some deliverables were achieved ahead of schedule. We communicated and tracked progress using Jira software.

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

They were committed and invested in the project as if it were their own. It came across as just as important to them. They were always accessible in person or via Zoom, and if we had concerns or points for discussion it was never a problem.

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

No -- be honest and straightforward with them, and they’ll deliver what you want.