UKAD

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the CTO and founder of a software company based around the product we developed.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire UKAD?

We were originally an IT consultancy that produced numerous projects for large agencies. We had an idea for a SaaS product, but we didn’t have the resources.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted a product that competes with other commercial offers in the same area. The product would have a defined roadmap and could be efficiently used by existing or potential customers.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

A few of my employees worked with UKAD in the past and were pleased with the experience.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

UKAD developed a document management and sales enablement platform that runs on MS Azure and with three websites connected to the backend. There is an admin site, a website for users to view content, and an internal site for our team. For the sites and backend, our team provided the designs and requirements. An iOS application also connects to the platform. Their team worked on it before we had available resources in-house. UKAD updates the platform and provides maintenance when needed.

What was the team composition?

Initially, we worked with an iOS developer, two backend developers, a frontend developer, and a project manager. We scaled down when the initial project was completed, but we add members when features need to be implemented.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The product has attracted paying customers for years. We created a separate company to focus on this product because of its popularity.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Project management was a joint effort. Sometimes I would leave everything to UKAD and receive weekly reports and demos. Other times, I was actively involved in discussions with the developers through Skype.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

All of their employees exhibit a sense of responsibility that shows their dedication to delivering the best product. The core product was the same quality we would’ve expected from an in-house developer. If a serious issue arose, their team responded immediately. UKAD was open to suggestions in all aspects of the project.

Are there any areas for improvement?

There are none that I can think of.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the VP of customer business at Infopulse Ukraine. We provide software development services worldwide from multiple locations in Ukraine and other countries. Our portfolio consists of several clients, including major players in the banking, retail, telecommunications, and audit and consulting industries.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire UKAD ?

We wanted to expand our presence into Kharkiv, Ukraine, which is UKAD’s main location; they helped establish our service in the city.

What were your goals for this project?

We had ambitions to start a new development location in Kharkiv from scratch, so we started with a limited setup to see how things would unfold.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We searched online and selected a few companies to help us ramp up in Kharkiv. After some negotiations, we decided that UKAD would be a good partner. There were also other companies that helped us, but UKAD was the primary firm; we relied on them extensively.

Describe the project in detail.

UKAD hosted several parts of our project teams in Kharkiv, targeting a huge US customer, who was one of the big four audit firms, as well as providing staff augmentation for these projects as required.

What was the team composition?

We had a dynamic team setup because we would normally employ dozens of distributed teams for various ongoing projects. On UKAD’s side, they primarily assigned their senior staff.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve now established our own development branch in Kharkiv but still remain in touch with UKAD. We really appreciated their partnership at the time and their continued support.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

They were open and cheerful throughout.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They were flexible and didn’t hesitate to face challenges. We had absolutely no communication problems.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, nothing comes to mind. They would know better than I would.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the CEO of a software house that provides high-quality web development.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire UKAD?

We needed their help in updating an old web platform for our end-client. This included integrating new tools into the system and implementing UX features.

What were your goals for this project?

The overall goal was to make the platform easier to support and more commercially appealing. The product needed to be more competitive and up-to-date.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I searched online and found UKAD on Clutch.

Can you go into detail about the services they provided and the scope of the project?

UKAD created a new website while retaining all the functionalities of the older platform. They implemented digital calculation tools and upgraded the UX/UI features on the site. Their team also automated the infrastructure management and delivery systems.

What was the team composition?

They provided five developers and one designer for the project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The end-customer was highly satisfied with UKAD’s work and engaged them for future projects. Everything was high quality, and we were able to deliver it to our client on time.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

UKAD's workflow was transparent and effective. They were easy to communicate with, and they met all my requirements.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They were skilled collaborators and their professionalism was valuable.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

I’m satisfied with everything, but it could be beneficial if some features were developed more quickly.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m a project manager for a software provider that builds logistics solutions.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire UKAD?

We engaged UKAD to build a website that allows users to see and compare the prices of various logistics services.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to automate a tedious administrative task with a reliable and innovative solution. The web tool needed to increase user capabilities and offer centralized control, better insights, and more efficient performance.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

UKAD offered the best price, quality, and resource availability of the vendors we considered. We wanted a results-driven partner willing to create a long-term relationship with continuous development.

Can you go into detail about the services they provided and the scope of the project?

UKAD first analyzed and discussed our requirements. They then provided mockups and draft development. Once we solidified our technical specifications, they designed the solution and planned development stages. Lastly, UKAD programmed and tested the site.

What was the team composition?

We initially worked with two people, but the team has grown to 4–5, including a dedicated project manager. UKAD scales their resources depending on our project needs.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

UKAD completed the project, but they still develop new features and functionalities. The team has added more value to our users, automating lengthy processes and giving them time to spend on other activities.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

The team has met every deadline and communicates potential delays well in advance. We coordinate via Skype and Wrike.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

We have direct access to UKAD’s project managers and can scale our team quickly to match customer demand. They also give us flexibility in agreements and organizing their team members.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

No, we’re highly satisfied with the partnership so far.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the VP of customer success for a healthcare company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire UKAD?

We needed to add significant custom features on top of our B2B2C SaaS solution for one of our strategic clients. The features included social media, rich content areas, and an onboarding and registration process.

What were your goals for this project?

We expected UKAD to have a flexible approach—given the scope’s unclear specifications—and complete work in a timely manner.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We had worked with UKAD after the team reached out to do small projects for us. We were happy with their performance and had kept in touch since that time.

Can you go into detail about the services they provided and the scope of the project?

We started with planning sessions. The development process included iterations with the end client. We communicated daily and held weekly calls to review the specifications.

What was the team composition?

We worked with four .NET and UI web developers, one QA engineer, and a team leader that managed communication between teams.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

This project was the first one for a strategic client and its success led to two additional engagements with them.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

The team leader was very responsive; his team provided estimates on a regular basis. Overall, they were dedicated, reliable, and supportive. UKAD made several changes immediately or within a tight timeframe.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The team was agile. They were receptive to comments and accommodated our changing needs.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

No. We were happy with their service.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the head of e-commerce and digital solutions at AJ Produkter AB. We’re a Swedish company working to create an international market.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with UKAD?

We needed a team to develop our e-commerce channels.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

UKAD develop various web channels for us. Each process follows a similar system: our internal team creates the concepts, provides the designs to UKAD, and their team develops the platform based on that. We give them a clear explanation on the design and criteria before they begin development to ensure clarity. They build the channels using a .NET framework.

What is the team composition?

They’ve assigned a dedicated project lead who communicates with their internal team directly.

How did you come to work with UKAD?

They had been doing projects for us before I joined the company.

How much have you invested with them?

We spend around $100,000 a year, but it depends on the project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in 2012, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our e-commerce business has seen tremendous success—we’ve grown by over 100% within the last year. We’re highly satisfied with the quality of work UKAD has delivered.

How did UKAD perform from a project management standpoint?

They communicate through Skype and Jira; they’re always eager to meet our deadlines. They perform well regarding deliverables and cost.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their level of engagement and loyalty to helping our brand stands out.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It would be beneficial if they could help us improve our agile process.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Arrive at the engagement being able to tell them what your goals are. If you’re clear in explaining your requirements, UKAD can more effectively achieve it. For example, if you want a blue webpage, tell them the specific shade of blue you need, and they’ll be able to do it.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the directory of a software development company that works partly in healthcare and the private sector.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with UKAD?

We hired UKAD to help us develop a learning management system to be used as a training portal by one of my clients.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

UKAD has helped us to develop the platform using Umbraco. Because we used Umbraco we decided to host the platform in the cloud using Azure, which is something we haven’t done before but are very happy with.

What is the team composition?

I work directly with various project managers on their team, particularly a business analyst project manager who helps us communicate with the rest of the team. I can also speak with any of the senior developers if need be, and I occasionally speak with the CEO about detailed technical requirements.

How did you come to work with UKAD?

I had worked with UKAD at a previous company to build an ecommerce site, so I knew they were well suited to assist me with this project as well.

How much have you invested with them?

The entire project will cost around £50,000 GBP (approximately $66,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We have been working together since January 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The client will initially have 60 users accessing the platform, but UKAD has successfully built it to expand and eventually host around 150 users within a year. These may sound like small numbers, but for an internal learning platform they are actually quite significant.

How did UKAD perform from a project management standpoint?

Their communication has been excellent. Any time we call, email, or Skype them, they not only reply quickly, but they offer informative and complete responses. Aside from those tools we also use Trello to manage the project.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their communication and technical skills have been very impressive. They are able to address any issues we have, and they have a broad range of skills that allow them to handle any and all aspects of the project.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I think that they could do a slightly better job at predicting the time it will take to complete certain things. To be fair, it is very difficult to correctly predict how long software development will take, but if they could improve that it would be very helpful.

Any advice for potential customers?

It is important to have well defined goals and requirements. UKAD is very good at helping with business analysis, but I think that someone with a brand new project really needs to know that they are trying to accomplish. This will help with time and cost estimates.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of a social dining and experience platform. It’s like a B&B (bed and breakfast), but instead of sleeping at someone’s house, you’re eating or drinking at someone’s house. It’s like your own home bar or restaurant where you invite new strangers to your home to share a meal and get to know people. It is accessible via the website or with the iOS or Android app.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with UKAD?

Initially, we needed an iOS developer.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The iOS app creates the event. When you need to do a listing, you create a title, a description, the number of people you can accommodate, upload pictures, use geolocation to determine the geo-position of the event, and then insert that into our backend database. One developer integrated almost the whole stack but was leaving.

Then I wanted to bring one frontend and one backend developer to support us with regular maintenance tasks. They fix bugs or implement minor new features and basic tasks that need to be done. We used ReactJS, NodeJS, and Angular.

What is the team composition?

I only talked to Denis [CEO, UKAD], the founder. He provided developers as I needed them. We had frontend developers, iOS developers, and a designer.

How did you come to work with UKAD?

I did a Google search to find developers in Ukraine. I had good experience with Ukrainian developers. I got in contact with Denis and he helped me to get a proper iOS developer.

How much have you invested with them?

I’ve spent $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in July 2016 and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They developed the app as requested. The developer was supportive and helped us anytime he could. They even worked weekends when we had an emergency. They were responsive and helpful.

How did UKAD perform from a project management standpoint?

Denis and I use Skype. I communicate with new team members via Asana, Slack, and email. It sometimes takes time to get a response, but the frontend and backend developers aren’t project-based; they work on demand.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The designer and the iOS developer did a great job supporting us. They were helpful with urgent issues that occurred in our app. Even if it was a bug, the iOS developer was always available and reactive. They took care of their responsibilities.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We have two frontend developers who aren’t the perfect fit for us. We expected them to have more skills. They aren’t as good as we need them to be. They could improve by verifying developers’ skill sets before assigning them to a project. They shouldn’t assign only junior skilled developers to a project.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Test how skillful the developer is by first giving them an exercise and see how fast they can perform it and find a solution. This can be helpful in choosing the developer.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am a one-man-company providing UX design services to e-commerce companies in Sweden, as well as to some clients abroad.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with UKAD?

For most of the time, I act as the designer of the companies I contact with, but I also use technical partners like UKAD when I need to sell technical solutions.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

UKAD has assisted me on different topics, depending on the client, providing PHP and .NET developers. I’m currently using them to build custom WordPress websites based on the solutions I come up with. UKAD will also be providing some custom coding for an A/B testing platform on behalf of one of the biggest retailers in Scandinavia. They are also building a time-tracking app for my internal use.

While I was employed at a previous company, we purchased a quite large e-commerce platform, and started developing the website together with UKAD and the company that provided us with the software. That company did not help very much, so UKAD’s first task was to review the code of the platform. They produced a big document, which we pushed forward to the software provider to tell them what they needed to redo. Since then, we have stopped using the software’s own consultants and use UKAD exclusively. We had three full-time resources for a few years who handled pretty much all development for the .NET platform.

How did you come to work with UKAD?

I was working for an old traditional Swedish company that had been selling mail-order items and wanted to delve into e-commerce. I was a part of creating that website for them, working as a non-contract employee. I came into contact with UKAD through one of our consultants. They helped develop that platform for the company; they are still providing services seven years later. It’s been an ongoing relationship since I left the company. I got to know them through that employment, and when I started my own business, I used UKAD constantly.

How much have you invested with UKAD?

Projects are setup in different ways. UKAD will usually invoice my clients directly, but sometimes I will invoice clients and pay UKAD myself. I don’t have exact numbers, but I estimate that we spend a few hundred thousand Swedish Krona, which equates to a few tens of thousands of US dollars.

What is the status of this engagement?

I started working with UKAD around five years ago.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

I would need to go through all the projects I’ve had over the years and ask clients to provide metrics for the work.

How did UKAD perform from a project management standpoint?

During my years with UKAD, I have developed a deep relationship with the team, so to speak. I know them in person, and, compared to other developers I’ve used, UKAD’s people are proud of what they’re doing. I get better results from them than I do from other tech partners who are a lot closer to me geographically. I always get good results from them, but, depending on who the project manager is, UKAD will take on different amounts of responsibility towards me as a client. The good thing about them is that they think for themselves, so if I hand off a design or brief of what I want to accomplish, UKAD will come back and suggest other possibilities for whatever they find to be a wrong approach, in order for the work to be done faster, with less effort and money from our end.  They are very friendly in the way they do business, which is amazing for me since I’m not a technical person myself. UKAD can provide me with that kind of knowledge, instead of just delivering work.

I tend to not assign deadlines for my projects because that puts pressure on me. UKAD’s members want deadlines for themselves, which is great. Even if I don’t provide them with one, they will knock on my door and ask for designs, timelines for tasks, and so on. They are not dragging things out, but rather are pushing me forward. From my perspective, this is great.

What did you find most impressive about UKAD?

It’s not that I can’t say anything good about UKAD, but I don’t have any unique characteristics to mention about them. I always approach them for projects, and I have no reason to go to anyone else.

Are there any areas UKAD could improve?

Based on the way I do business, there isn’t much which UKAD could do differently. I can be a problematic customer, working on several projects at a time and going back and forth between clients. UKAD has been very responsive to my way of working and never required me to provide a brief that they could work on for a month. We are very agile in our work, so, if I need a resource for a particular purpose, UKAD can provide it fast, and not require planning for several months ahead.

I recently approached UKAD about an A/B testing project on behalf of a large client. The existing developer wasn’t available, so I needed someone from their team. I provided a brief of the project, and UKAD started interviewing people right away, coming back to me with a solution.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the founder of Whiteport, an unusual IT design and usability consulting firm. We work as a virtual collective of companies of sorts, designing and producing digital media for helping people build better businesses online.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with UKAD?

We initially needed help with our website in 2009.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

UKAD redesigned our website and did a fantastic job. They have provided .NET, PHP, and WordPress development. UKAD has produced some Umbraco ASP.NET websites, and have been involved in some more serious application development projects, including a virtual switchboard for a telecom company.

We have used thousands of man hours from UKAD’s side over the years, and they have helped me develop 2 of my own startups. They haven’t missed a deadline yet, which is something I’m very pleased about.

One of our clients had a .NET project, and, as it happened, UKAD had developers on their other floor. I recommended their company to some of my clients, and they proved to be a fantastic development company. UKAD has kept the same clients since that time, which is pretty unique.

How did you come to work with UKAD?

I found them on Freelancer.com. UKAD does two things really well; firstly, their managers are partners in the company, and have skin in the game, so to speak. Also, their project managers work as the architects of projects, so when we express a request or have a concern, it will be immediately turned into action. This makes them very effective, given that you don’t have one person telling something to another, who in turn communicates with a third and then to the team. We are communicating with the head rather than the tail of the snake.

How much have you invested with UKAD?

The cost of their work is between $20,000–$30,000 per year for my personal projects. For the clients I’ve referred to UKAD, they’ve turned over 10 times as much.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with UKAD in 2009.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

Since I’m not a programmer myself, I can’t evaluate UKAD’s code quality directly. I have been working in development for over 20 years, and I would say that in regards to delivering clean outputs, I’m extremely happy with what UKAD has done since the first project. I have seen 20-30% fewer bugs with UKAD than with other teams. When it comes to graphic precision, they also perform well in matching the interface with our documents.

Being in Ukraine renders UKAD’s services cheaper than they would have been in Sweden, but I would work with them even if this wasn’t the case because they’re really good. As a designer, I’m less of a numbers person, but the work has been done on time and within budget, and our clients have been happy.

How did UKAD perform from a project management standpoint?

My strong suite is not in the management department, so I’ve tended to introduce UKAD to clients rather than to subcontract them; this way, they build their own relationships. I want clients to find long-term solutions which work for them. If they can get things out of the door, then they can buy more design services from me. Having a great go-to development team will also grow my business, and we’ve had a successful relationship so far.

UKAD has an open project structure. For me, as a designer, it’s important to speak with frontend developers and tell them what needs to be slower, lighter, and so on. It’s an effective way of communication when this level of trust and support is present.

They have used different kinds of management tools over the years, with Trello being the most popular. In the last couple of months, we have started using Google Spreadsheets for project management, and I find it nice. UKAD also works with JIRA and different kinds of version control platforms. They have been able to fulfill any of our client requests so far, and are very good at keeping deadlines.

What did you find most impressive about UKAD?

They have helped my clients find Java developers which didn’t exist in-house. UKAD’s top asset is the ground management, which is made up of strong, low-key people. Members are coached well and there is a corporate culture being adhered to. UKAD also has English courses two times per week for all employees, and they make a big effort to keep the staff happy. With great management, there is great performance; the two go hand-in-hand.

Are there any areas UKAD could improve?

They could offer more services. UKAD is starting to hire designers, which is something I’ve been asking them to do for quite some time. It’s nice to get development and design work done without having to go to multiple companies.