Vanguard X

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the VP of Professional Services of an SMS engagement platform

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are an SMS and messaging engagement platform. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Vanguard X to accomplish?

• Offset impact to engineering for customer issues.
• Add dev capacity to professional services engagements.
• Help establish processes and solutions that can progress our services and support capabilities.

SOLUTION

How did you find Vanguard X?

• Online Search
• LinkedIn

Why did you select Vanguard X over others?

• Great culture fit
• Company values aligned
• Reference Calls

How many teammates from Vanguard X were assigned to this project?

1 Employee

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

Hector is working as a part of our Professional Services team. He is involved in a variety of activities from custom deveopment work, one off internal back-end processes (identifying, documenting and executing), and troubleshooting customer issues. He has been providing work product, documentation and thought leadership in regards to more efficient ways of operating going forward. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

To be determined, but there is both immediate value (customer activation/retention) and long-term potential (improved processes, better documentation, etc.). 

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

We just had a single dev resource, so we consider it on us to manage him and his workload. That said--he has been very willing, reliable, eager to learn and open to becoming a part of the culture here. 

What was your primary form of communication with Vanguard X?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

The personalized support we get from their leadership is important. The references were all very good, and we've had a good experience so far. They can scale up and down, and are simple to do business with. They are very proactive in staying abreast of the engagement. 

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

The only challenge we've had is in getting Hector onboarded. It's our policy to monitor hardware, so we sent him a laptop. We didn't anticipate that customs would cost us a week or so. Vanguard X offered to buy a laptop as the process strung along, but it was easier just to wait so we had our VPN and hardware management tools already loaded. 

That said--this was as much an error on my part in not anticipating this delay. Vanguard X was very engaged, willing, and committed throughout. I'm guessing their lesson learned is to coach clients a bit better throughout the contracting process on how to best aniticipate and mange this issue.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Founder of Krukovsky Consulting Group

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

For over twelve years KCG has been helping businesses across various industries to successfully augment and extend their IT teams, locate the talent required to reliably accomplish their goals and implement and consult on e-commerce best practices.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Vanguard X to accomplish?

• We were seeking long-term freelance developers to join our team in a variety of senior and principle roles.

SOLUTION

How did you find Vanguard X?

Referral

Why did you select Vanguard X over others?

Referred to me

How many teammates from Vanguard X were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

To assist us in developing the particular product we were working on, we requested them to locate Node.JS engineers for us. The individuals they supplied would collaborate with us to develop the UI and backend systems. Their technology involves a lot of systems engineering in the background since it is a streams processing engine that processes massive volumes of data daily.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The developer we've been working with so far has been a fantastic fit for us in terms of work quality and cultural alignment with the rest of the team. Thus far, everything about the onboarding process has gone quite smoothly. Instead of merely attempting to move as many possible applicants through the pipeline as possible, Vanguard X has always interacted with us in a most professional, transparent, and team-focused manner.

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

We wanted to fully integrate them into our team, thus we specifically instructed them not to conduct any project management with the engineers themselves. Having said that, we have received fantastic communication and paperwork from them on the applicants and that aspect of the project. Furthermore, they are quite gracious in finding a time that works for us whenever we ask to meet to discuss anything, regardless of whether the little time zone difference presents a problem.

What was your primary form of communication with Vanguard X?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

They have truly outperformed when it comes to transparency and honesty about the recruiting process. They demonstrated a constant focus on the needs of their clients, and they have made great progress in both identifying the exact type of individual we are looking for and drawing in new clients.

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

There isn't really much that I would change about our partnership.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Marketing Operations Manager of a software company

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We provide an enterprise decision-making platform allowing you to automate your raw material sourcing needs to save time and money.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Vanguard X to accomplish?

• Staff Augmentation

SOLUTION

How did you find Vanguard X?

• Online Search
• Clutch Site

Why did you select Vanguard X over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location
• Great culture fit
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Vanguard X were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

We engaged Vanguard X for staff augmentation services to support various roles in our software development efforts, including Front-End, Back-End, QA, and DevOps. Throughout our partnership, we needed between 7 to 10 developers depending on our project needs. I would wholeheartedly recommend Vanguard X for anyone looking for reliable and effective staff augmentation or project-based solutions.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their ability to adapt and integrate with our team has been invaluable, and they have proven to be a versatile and competent partner in our ongoing endeavors. On a scale from 1 to 10, I would rate our overall satisfaction with Vanguard X as a 10.  Their commitment to quality and collaboration makes them an excellent choice for software development services.

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

Vanguard X excelled in their management approach, displaying a great willingness to accommodate our requests without the need for extensive logistical support from their side. Their team was not only responsive but also genuinely invested in our project’s success, which made a significant difference in our daily operations.

What was your primary form of communication with Vanguard X?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

The quality of the staff provided by Vanguard X has met our high standards. On the rare occasion we needed to replace a team member, Vanguard X was exceptionally understanding and proactive in facilitating a smooth transition. Their team members were seamlessly integrated into our tooling stack, demonstrating superb communication skills and a solution-oriented approach whenever challenges arose.
The strengths of working with Vanguard X lie in their transparent communication and their alignment with our work processes right from the outset. This clarity and shared understanding of contract terms fostered a productive working relationship.

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

On a scale from 1 to 10, I would rate our overall satisfaction as a 10. Vanguard X commitment to quality and collaboration makes them an excellent choice for software development services.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Product Owner of OmniClient

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

AI Productivity & Compliance Platform for Wealth Managers

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Vanguard X to accomplish?

• Setup production level Azure environment

SOLUTION

How did you find Vanguard X?

• Referral
• Other

Why did you select Vanguard X over others?

• Pricing fits our budget
• Referred to me

How many teammates from Vanguard X were assigned to this project?

1 Employee

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

1) 2 - 3 Azure Function Apps, each for the key services, to be behind a publicly available API Management Service

2) An Azure Open AI Service that is called by one of the Azure Function Apps.

3) An Elastic Search instance.

4) CI/CD Pipelines.

5) An Azure Static Web App since this will be a simple version of the product.

6) IAM implementation and usage of Microsoft Entra ID for internal users (noncustomers).Customers will use a separate system for authentication and access management

7) SOC2 compliance in this MVP, which includes the following:

• IAM: Implement RBAC controls for authorized access only to the resources. Separate strict access policies for Azure Key Vault. Exploration on Ory could be required to ensure that it has proper controls and management.
• Networking: HTTPS enforcement and usage of newer TLS versions. Setup corresponding VNets for private communication between resources, in some scenarios this might not be the best approach so it should be properly analyzed. For stricter management, Firewalls and NSGs strict rules can be setup which might require some time.
• Secrets management: Any API keys required on the pipelines for example must be managed using Azure Key Vault. YAML based pipelines only for better traceability on changes.
• Logging and Monitoring: Enable logging not only for performance monitoring but also for access tracking and suspicious activities, make sure to also use Activity Logs along with this. Make sure no sensitive information is visible on the logs.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Successfully achieved all milestones within the prescoped time period. Engineering decisions were well researched, well implimented, and the engineer operated with minimal oversight. 

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

All items were delievered on time, and they responded to our needs and changes well. For example, when the project was delayed due to outside causes, or when scope changed but was still within the same ballpark as before, Vanguard X was communicative and collaborative in supporting these changes. 

What was your primary form of communication with Vanguard X?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

They have excellent customer service.

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

Original contract SOW had a few clauses that had to be cleaned up, to prevent worstcase scenarios (eg project incomplete, runaway cost, IP concerns). 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Co-Founder, COO of Mobisoft Infotech

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Mobisoft Infotech is a digital product development company

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Vanguard X to accomplish?

• To Develop Blockchain

SOLUTION

How did you find Vanguard X?

Referral

Why did you select Vanguard X over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location
• Referred to me

How many teammates from Vanguard X were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

We recruited Vanguard X to work on the blockchain portion of our current project. Automated smart contracts were established by Vanguard X, guaranteeing seamless integration and enhancing customer satisfaction. To guarantee dependability and security, they carried out extensive testing, which included security audits and stress tests. 

Our staff received training and documents from Vanguard X as well. Their blockchain technology has raised traffic to our platform and greatly enhanced user engagement. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Vanguard X exceeded objectives by increasing organic customers and sales. A fruitful collaboration is fostered by Vanguard X's responsive and communicative approach. The team's remarkable work ethic and punctual delivery were also acknowledged by the client.

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

The project management of Vanguard X was excellent. They were incredibly accommodating to our requests and always delivered on schedule. Throughout the project, the team communicated effectively and responded promptly to any questions or requests for modifications. Their proactive and well-prepared approach ensured a successful and seamless collaboration.

What was your primary form of communication with Vanguard X?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Vanguard X most strikes us by their profound understanding of blockchain technology and ability to customize solutions to meet our needs. Their dedication to security, smooth integration, and extensive testing made the product dependable. Vanguard X stands out for their professionalism and commitment to producing excellent results.

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

None, I think of

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

 I am the Founder & CEO of an education company 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Our company is an innovative edtech dedicated to revolutionizing education through cutting-edge technology solutions and high-quality educational resources.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Vanguard X to accomplish?

• We engaged Vanguard X to help us scale our development team quickly and efficiently to meet project demands.
• Vanguard X was brought in to provide specialized skills and expertise that were not readily available in-house.
• Our primary goal was to ensure on-time and on-budget delivery of software projects, and Vanguard X played a crucial role in achieving this.

SOLUTION

How did you find Vanguard X?

• Referral
• Clutch Site

Why did you select Vanguard X over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Vanguard X were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

The scope of work with Vanguard X encompassed a comprehensive set of tasks and deliverables, tailored to our specific needs and objectives. Here is a detailed description, along with a summary of key deliverables: 

• Staff Augmentation: Vanguard X provided highly skilled and experienced software developers to integrate with our in-house teams and work on various projects. 
• Software Development: Vanguard X took on various aspects of software development, including coding, testing, debugging, and deployment. 
• Project Management: Vanguard X played a key role in project management, contributing to project planning, resource allocation, and ensuring project timelines were met. 
• Technical Expertise: Their team offered specialized expertise in areas such as web development, mobile app development, database management, and more. 
• Quality Assurance: Vanguard X contributed to our QA processes, conducting thorough testing to identify and resolve software issues, ultimately improving the quality of our products. 

Key Deliverables: 

• Developed Code: Vanguard X delivered clean, well-documented code for multiple software projects, meeting the specified requirements. 
• Testing and QA Reports: They provided detailed testing reports, highlighting bugs and issues, along with recommendations for resolution. 
• Timely Project Milestones: Vanguard X consistently met project milestones, ensuring on-time project delivery. Resource Allocation Plans: They provided resource allocation plans and project schedules, aiding in efficient resource management. 
• Improved Product Quality: With their support, we achieved improved software quality, resulting in fewer post-launch issues and customer complaints.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The project with Vanguard X yielded several measurable outcomes that demonstrated progress and success. These outcomes were crucial in evaluating the impact of their services. Here are some of the key measurable outcomes: 

• Increased Development Capacity: We were able to rapidly scale our development team, increasing our capacity to work on multiple projects simultaneously. 
• On-Time Project Delivery: Vanguard X's contributions led to a significant improvement in project timelines, with a higher percentage of projects completed on or ahead of schedule. 
• Reduced Defect Rate: The defect rate in our software products decreased noticeably due to their effective quality assurance efforts, resulting in a more stable and reliable end product. 
• Enhanced Product Quality: Measured through customer satisfaction and reduced post-launch issues, our software products demonstrated a higher level of quality and functionality. 
• Cost Efficiency: We achieved cost savings through staff augmentation with Vanguard X, as we only had to invest in their services when needed, eliminating the overhead of full-time hires. 
• Increased Customer Satisfaction: Customer feedback and retention rates improved, indicating that the quality and performance of our software products had been positively impacted. 
• Enhanced Technical Expertise: Our in-house team benefited from the knowledge transfer and expertise provided by Vanguard X's professionals, leading to an overall improvement in our internal capabilities. 
• Improved Resource Allocation: The project management and resource allocation plans introduced by Vanguard X led to better resource utilization and a reduction in resource-related bottlenecks.

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

Vanguard X's project management team was highly efficient and consistently met delivery deadlines. They maintained open communication, adapted to our changing needs, proactively resolved issues, and prioritized quality assurance. Their detailed documentation and effective planning were key aspects of their project management approach.

What was your primary form of communication with Vanguard X?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

We're impressed with their exceptional ability to provide highly skilled staff augmentation services tailored to our specific requirements. Their commitment to delivering quality work on time, along with their proactive problem-solving approach, significantly stood out. Moreover, their flexibility and adaptability in responding to our evolving needs demonstrated their dedication to our success. Overall, Vanguard X's unique combination of expertise, responsiveness, and quality assurance made them a standout partner in our projects.

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

Vanguard X's performance was impressive, and while they excelled in many areas, there were a few opportunities for improvement but they are minor compared to the overall positive impact they had on our projects.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Realtor Associate of Fortune International Realty

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

I’m a Realtor at Fortune International Realty. It is a leading luxury real estate organization in Boca Raton, Florida.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Vanguard X to accomplish?

We needed a strong data engineering partner to help us optimize our software. Vanguard X helped us build a dashboard to analyze data and developed features based on our needs. Our goal was to ensure that the program ran smoothly and provided data that could be analyzed to deliver business results.

SOLUTION

How did you find Vanguard X?

Referral

Why did you select Vanguard X over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me

What was the size of Vanguard X’s team?

2-5 Employees

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

The team first got to know our program and suggested some ideas to build a dashboard to analyze data in the best way possible for our situation. The technologies used were Python and React. The team also built custom tools and added new features to our program. And last, they focused on optimizing some of our old features.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The new tools and features helped us to better manage our data and understand our pain points. In this way, we improved our business results and were able to achieve the goals we had hoped for.

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

They've adapted very well to our way of working and managed to meet all deadlines on time. Our communication was very fluid and constant. We had daily meetings and also used Slack a lot for regular questions, doubts, and comments. We never had a problem with this matter as they always responded pretty quickly.

What was your primary form of communication with Vanguard X?

Virtual Meeting

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

What we liked about working with Vanguard X was that they were always responsive to our comments and feedback, with the intention of improving. You could tell that their priority was to make sure we were satisfied and met our goal.

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

Not that I can think of, as I’m very happy with the results and our relationship.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Co-founder & COO

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are the leading shared subscription platform in Latin America, allowing users to access the content and services they want, regardless of their financial situation.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Vanguard X to accomplish?

• We wanted the company to carry out the development of the payment method platform for our application.

SOLUTION

How did you find Vanguard X?

Referral

Why did you select Vanguard X over others?

• Close to my geographic location
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me

What was the size of Vanguard X’s team?

2-5 Employees

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

We initially provided Vanguard X with some documentation, and then they took care of the backend and frontend development for our e-commerce integration firm. They integrated the payment process for our web e-commerce so that our customers could go through a payment process. They used Node.js and React.js for this project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• I was very impressed with how quickly and efficiently the team was able to respond to bug tickets, make any changes, and fix them. Everything works smoothly.

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

We were in constant communication on discord and also had our daily meetings. So communication was never a problem as they were always active on the chat group.

What was your primary form of communication with Vanguard X?

Virtual Meeting

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

You can tell they are passionate about what they do and, although the company was young, they showed a lot of professionalism and expertise.

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

I wouldn't change anything.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the CEO of an online payment service that enables users to purchase online on international sites.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Vanguard X, and what were your goals?

We hired Vanguard X to make an API integration for a new payment solution in our application.

SOLUTION

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

We reached out to them and other companies which had experience in our industry and that had an interesting portfolio. Vanguard X introduced us to highly skilled developers and we liked what they had to offer.

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

First, they analyzed the provider’s documentation to understand how to do the integration and the precautions to be taken into account. Then, they carried out the implementation of integration. Next, they deployed the project to a testing environment and ran tests. And last, they deployed the built API to the production server. The technologies used were Node.js and MySQL.

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

3 Software Engineers

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The integration is already deployed in production and is for a Brazilian payment solution that has a current volume with a 75% conversion rate.

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

Their communication and organization were excellent. We used Slack and Jira but also had daily meetings.

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

We really liked their dedication and transparency. When working with contractors requires a great deal of trust and we were really impressed with their honesty and professionalism.

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

I can't really think of anything.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the Chief Of Staff at Kmeleon, a Software Development Company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Vanguard X, and what were your goals?

We hired Vanguard X to resolve a Custom Software user information synchronization issue with AAD (Azure Active Directory) and AD (Active Directory)

SOLUTION

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

How did you select Vanguard X and what were the deciding factors? I found their website and contact them. They showed me some of their projects and after some meetings, I decided to go with them. Mostly because of their way of working.

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

The solution was to automate the sync process every time or every so often that a user is created in Azure so that the data is updated and new users can be activated and terminations can be detected. The technologies used were .NET and Azure. The team worked very hard and did an excellent job.

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

Three .NET and one Azure DevOps Engineer. RESULTS & FEEDBACK

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

New users within the HR software are automatically created in the Azure directory. Now they don’t have to track their leave days or create a profile or email account manually. Instead, everything is automated.

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

They were really good at managing every task and complying with deadlines. We communicated daily through Slack.

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

I liked how they were very proactive and productive throughout the day. They were always willing to make any changes if it meant a better outcome and they also came up with really good ideas.

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

Not really.