Team Elite Group

BACKGROUND

Please provide me with a brief description of your company and what you are currently working on.

I’m working for a company based out of Norway, known for being a prominent international mobile operator; it’s one of the best businesses in the world. We’re running an independent company in Denmark with our own products and our own IT staff. We have a development department in Denmark. Two years ago, we decided to create a development department here in Kharkov, Ukraine. We decided TEAM International was the best partner for this venture. The project began two years prior with three developers in Kharkov. There are now some 43 persons on the team. We are conducting Web and download development; we also have QAs, conservation management, etc.

What is your position within the company, such as your job title and responsibilities?

My official title is onsite manager. I essentially manage the whole team down here in Kharkov.

And your primary responsibilities, what are they?

My primary responsibility is to ensure that they have an effective team here in Kharkov. I’m in charge of the entire hiring process here as well as the day-to-day operations. All of our personnel have been divided into teams. We have eight or nine teams at the moment. I’m responsible for only some of the teams and their delegated development work. I’m also a part of the management group based out of Denmark, which focuses exclusively on development

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What were your company’s business goals or reasons for undertaking the project that you did with TEAM International? What historic solutions were lacking? What were you looking to improve on? And also, did you have any specific business objectives you wanted to achieve?

The reason for undertaking the project with TEAM International stemmed from the need to increase our development capabilities. They have a range of developers and consultants working for us in Denmark. The consultants in Denmark assist us when we conduct large-scale development projects. However, the consultants in Denmark come at a considerable cost. The proposed solution to this problem was to hire a development team in Kharkov to replace the consultants working out of Denmark. This was also advantageous because it was becoming increasingly difficult to obtain consultants in Denmark with the appropriate qualifications and profiles. It’s somewhat easier down here because there’s a massive talent pool of skilled developers. That’s the main reason. The goal, then, was to create a development department here in Kharkov with the technical expertise to support the consultants operating back in Denmark.

SOLUTION

What kind of process did you use for selecting TEAM International, in particular? How did you find the partner and did you develop some sort of shortlist? What were the important traits you were searching for in a partner, and what set TEAM International apart from alternatives?

When we were looking for a partner with the intention of initiating a long-term relationship, we did use a shortlist of candidate organizations. It consisted of potential partners located in Ukraine and also outside. Our research culminated in three different companies. They were each sent an assessment task asking them to solve a generic problem with our company. Based on the results we received back from them, we concluded that TEAM International would be the best option.

Can you tell me more about the scope of the project? I know you said it primarily involved development work, but did it also include design and support? Also, what development models were you using?

We’re doing many projects down here. It isn’t any single project. We’re working on some of the mission critical projects in Denmark, actually. We’re doing everything: analysis, design, development and testing. We began strictly with development work; it consisted of basic bug fixes and troubleshooting. Once it became apparent that our development team could handle more complex work, we increased their duties and eventually began spearheading projects.

What part of the project was TEAM International involved in? Was there any part of it that you did in-house and what part of the project was TEAM International responsible for?

Their responsibilities and involvement depended on the project. Some projects were run entirely down here. Other projects required collaboration between the two development departments we have in Denmark. We also have locations in Copenhagen and one in Holbaek. Some projects required collaboration between three of our locations. It ultimately depends on the scope and scale. As for TEAM International, they’ve worked across the entire spectrum, lending support when and where necessary.

What technologies were used? What kind of programming languages, server, database, platforms, APIs or any kind of unique features were used?

We incorporate the standard three-layered enterprise architecture. A few to mention were .NET development, so we used C++ and .NET. We’re using ASP.NET, 3.5. We also have some planned server development; and some development with Microsoft products. We use Java for our middleware. In one of our largest projects we’re migrating from a Weblogic platform to a JBoss platform.

Can you give me a sense of the size of that initiative in monetary terms or persons per month? How large of a scope was it in terms of cost?

That information is confidential. The costs vary from project to project.

How has TEAM International helped you move in terms of increasing your numbers, in terms of size of persons per month that you hired? How have they helped your company become more efficient?

They increased our development team to 43 persons, for one. That includes a 10 percent cost boost. That’s mainly what they are helpful for. They’ve really helped us identify the right talent down here. They’ve also have helped us setup the correct structure. There’s been a quite a bit of close collaboration with TEAM International. We could not have done it without them.

How recent was the last project finished?

We have finished several big projects so far. We also have some ongoing projects with them. Some of them have been in progress for quite some time. We have several major projects, like the one I mentioned before: the Weblogic to JBoss solution for middleware. This is an ongoing project that’s scheduled to conclude in June. It’s been in progress for a year and half now

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What are the results of the project, do you have any statistics or metrics that you can share?

I cannot provide metrics on it because they’re for internal use only. What I can tell you is that there’s a brand new voice subscription that has been implemented on our website all the way down to our middleware layer. That’s one example. We have also introduced new payment methods on our website. You can actually pay-by-phone and pay with a different payment type than you could prior. We’ve also been able to eliminate the majority of our paper documentation, which is a huge contribution from TEAM down here in Kharkov. Lastly, this transition from Weblogic to JBoss has moved us to the latest technologies. It’s going to be extremely cost effective. Weblogic is very expensive. JBoss, on the other hand, is an open sourced system, which adds all kind of value.

Overall, how do you feel they performed? Did they cover the agreed scope and the associated deliverables? Also, would you say that the completed projects were conducted and completed smoothly?  

I can say that the quality, the quantity and the time to market for these projects have been quite positive. You typically run into numerous issues when outsourcing. You will find that there are a lot of problems and a lot of difficulties to overcome before the project can be setup successfully. It’s been surprisingly positive with this setup, though. It’s difficult to find somebody in Denmark who has something negative to say about the setup we have down here in Kharkov. It’s been a positive experience from the beginning

When working with TEAM International, was there anything unique or special about them compared to companies before that you worked with?

We haven’t worked with companies akin to TEAM International. We have worked with Target Consulting from India. They have consultant’s onsite in Denmark, but it was a very different experience due to the cultural differences between Indian and the Danish developers. The differences are less acute between the Ukrainian and Danish developers. I think that’s one of reasons why it’s been quite successful, because it’s very easy to get them to work together. Regarding the Ukrainian developers, the Danish developers down here in Kharkov created a hospitable atmosphere and a solid network before collaborating. That’s also one of the major differences.

Looking back on the project, are there any areas that you think they could improve on, or that you would have liked to see approached differently?

I think one of the only issues we’ve had while we’ve been down here has had to do with resettlement processes. We decided to do something ourselves about that. We invested some money in upgrading our office space. That was basically the only problem we’ve faced, but that was unrelated to TEAM International

BACKGROUND

Could you please provide a brief description of what your company does?

Software and hardware that is in the health and fitness arena.

How large is your company?

When we first started with TEAM International, it was just a couple of people. Now, we’re at a couple of dozen people.

What is your position in the company?

I’m the founder.

What is your primary responsibility?

I oversee daily operations and as well as participate as a board member.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What were your company’s business goals or reasons for undertaking the project that you took on with TEAM International?

To create a new product that not only integrates health and fitness monitoring into smartphones, but also transfers the relevant information seamlessly to the cloud.

Did you have any specific business objectives that you wanted them to help you achieve?

Just to simply create the product.

SOLUTION

How did you go about selecting TEAM International?

I got a call from someone and his timing was quite fortuitous because I was on the cusp of starting the company. We conversed and he eventually referred me to TEAM International. We began small but we were with them for a very long time. We never intended to outsource for an extended period of time, so we ended up being with them for only a couple of years. We’re now five years old.

Let’s talk about the project. Can you tell me about the scope of the project? Did it include just the development, or did they also do design, support, and training?

We built something from scratch together. We worked with them to design and develop, essentially taking an abstract idea and manifesting it into a tangible form. Are you somewhat familiar with heart rate monitors?

Yes.

We’re basically taking that functionality and bringing it to smartphones. At the time, we had to build a wireless bridge that would receive signals from the heart monitor and other related things, and then send that information to the iPhone. Then we developed a process where they opened up the connectors to it, a way to get that data into the iPhone. They did firmware development as well as software development. Basically, anything that came up that was a software-related development activity, whether they were familiar with the protocols or not, they just took it and ran with it. We wouldn’t have made it without them. They were great.

What parts were developed in-house and what parts did you have them do?

They did most of it until we got a couple of years into the project. Then we hired outside agencies to help out.

Can you identify what technologies were used such as different platforms, database, and servers?

That’s something that you should ask them. I’m not a CTO myself. I rely on them to be the CTO. They would be better fitted to give you the list.

Okay. Can you give me a sense of the size of that initiative in terms of dollars or persons per month?

We raised and utilized a couple of million dollars in assets while they were in the development stages. That certainly wasn’t all theirs, but there was a couple of million-dollar projects, of which a chunk of it was theirs.

How recently was the project finished?

We launched the first monitor for the iPhone in February 2009.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What are the results of the project? Do you have any statistics or metrics that you can share?

They did great. They delivered. We were able to launch the product and be the first to market.

Great. How do you feel about their performance?

Yes, like I said, they did great. I can’t say anything bad about them.

Was there anything unique or special about them compared to other companies that you may have worked with before?

I think that the people that they employ in the Ukraine are very hardworking, very diligent, and aim to please. I have never worked with Ukrainians before, but I came to have a great respect for their work ethic, and their strong desire to please as opposed to strong desire to bill, which is what I find with most outsourcing companies. I think their goal was to produce a good product and to please their clients first and still second. I think that’s unique because it tends to be the other way around.

Looking back on the project, is there anything that you think they could have improved upon, or you would have them do differently?

No. I think I’d do it all again. Like I said, no complaints.