Vooban

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CTO for Axes Network, a company that does IoT and big data analysis in the gaming industry, mostly gambling casinos.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Vooban?

We had a legacy platform that was built before a large increase in sales we recently experienced. The platform couldn’t handle the influx and began causing problems for our clients, which put us at risk of losing them and not being able to grow our company. Our new internal team didn’t have the skillset to dig into the code and resolve the issue, so we started looking for an external team.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Vooban did a complete analysis of our system and came back with five possible solutions. They ranged from patching the system to stabilize the situation in the short-term to building an entirely new system. They had prices for each project and a list of pros and cons. We decided to do a short-term fix because we needed to keep our current clients onboard.

Vooban added a few work-arounds, such as more hardware to keep clients connected to the system. It wasn’t the best solution, but it temporarily fixed our problem while we looked for long-term solutions. Vooban used a variety of Microsoft stack products, including SQL Server implementation, .NET, and Azure servers.

What is the team composition?

System architects analyzed our system, a data specialist looked at our database and gave solution recommendations, and Microsoft-based developers implemented the solution.

How did you come to work with Vooban?

Vooban was the top firm on Clutch, so we called them and had an amazing conversation.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from January–March 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We wanted to stabilize the platform and increase speed by 10%–20%. Vooban made it stable and increased speed by over 500%. It did 3­–5 transactions per second before, and now it’s up to around 1,500 transactions per second.

One of our clients was about to give up on our product, but when Vooban made the fixes, they were incredibly pleased with the performance. Vooban helped save our biggest clients. We’ll probably have to build a new platform since this one isn’t sustainable for the next ten years, but the solution allowed us to sustain our growth and gave us more time.

How did Vooban perform from a project management standpoint?

They delivered on time and under budget. We used Slack for our tech teams to keep in touch, and we had a common Jira board to manage requirements and track progress.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They suggested we build an entirely new system, but when we explained our situation, they were incredibly understanding. They realized we needed a quick solution, so they revised the plan with a new price and timeline of three months. It was a quick turnaround, but they finished before schedule and even added on a new feature.

They focus on details and know what they’re doing. I wish all the companies I worked with were as good as Vooban. They have a deep technical knowledge and come up with solutions as you explain the problem.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Spend time at the beginning to do a full analysis and have them give you options.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a fintech consulting firm. We’re a third-party administrator (TPA) of insurance products for the automobile industry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Vooban?

One of the six major banks in Canada asked us to develop a TPA for life insurance, extended warranties, and replacement insurance. We needed to create a platform to deliver those products and loans to their customers based on their credit information.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We worked with Vooban to develop the budget and the specifications for the product. We were looking for a cloud environment and a platform that could be used with Apple and Microsoft products, as well as on different devices such as computers, phones, and tablets.

What is the team composition?

We worked with 15-20 people depending on our needs at a particular time, which included a dedicated project manager, who handled our communications. I also talked with their founder.

How did you come to work with Vooban?

I’ve been working on and off with them since 2013. They originally proposed a new way of developing our technologies and I let go of my normal IT team.

How much have you invested with them?

We budgeted $2 million for this project but finished it under budget at $1.8 million.

What is the status of this engagement?

This project lasted from March 2017 until the end of February 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re only implementing the product in Quebec for the first five years, and we’re budgeting for 100,000 loans in that time frame, which means about 20,000 products. After that, it will be opened to all of Canada, where we’re expecting another 100,000 loans.

How did Vooban perform from a project management standpoint?

It’s probably one of their strengths. The engineer and the project manager I worked with are worth celebrating. We mainly communicated via email, and they dealt with the given timeframe professionally.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The atmosphere they develop in is very dynamic. I didn’t spend too much time with the developers, but when I did, they challenged us and we challenged them back. It was a pleasurable way to develop the platform.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It’s not a major issue, but I believe that they should increase their knowledge of how big banks are negotiating contracts. There’s something of a cultural barrier between a bank and a technology company that they need to bridge. Vooban is bringing in a partner from an insurance company so hopefully they will improve in the next year.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If they are able to use the same engineer and project manager that I had the privilege to, then go ahead. Other than that, they should make sure that they know their business cycle and what they want before engaging.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are an insurance products dealer and have developed some software tools for customers. I was the chief financial officer of the company. I was also in charge of the IT department, acting as the vice president of finance and IT.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Vooban?

We were having some problems with our internal development team.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Vooban was brought in to handle a portion of our software. The system is a calculations tool for insurance premiums for car manufacturers. Our partners need to input our data into their own systems. They were able to deliver faster than our own team, and with better quality. At the end of the testing period, we decided to make a change in the company, no longer developing internally and switching to exclusive subcontracting with Vooban.

Everything developed by Vooban has been web-based. They have made sure that all of our business suppliers were able to connect with us and exchange information. We started a new large project, initially developing a web portal through which customers could sell and manage our products. The second phase consisted of our contract management systems. The solution we had in place was very old, so Vooban designed and developed a new one.

How did you come to work with Vooban?

We were using a freelance contractor who had had experience working with Vooban. He referred the company to us and we gave them a test.

How much have you invested with Vooban?

The cost of our project with Vooban was almost $3 million.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Vooban in April 2015, with an initial testing period that ran until September. The runtime of the project was around 2 years. Prior to my departure, the last deployment was in October 2016. My former company is still working with Vooban for fine-tuning and maintenance.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The product that Vooban developed and managed for us was the first of its kind in our market. Vooban found a way of developing the perfect product in order to put us in front of the competition. Our competitors needed to catch up with our offering.

How did Vooban perform from a project management standpoint?

Vooban has worked closely with our customers. Even though they're not always on-site, we have had a project manager and architect from Vooban's side in our office. They have been able to assess our business and market needs well, sending the information to the development team. They're always reachable over the phone and, whenever we've had a problem with deployments, Vooban has supported us. Vooban respected our agreed upon budget and calendar. It was easy to follow them and the evolution of the work through weekly meetings on the management side. Vooban presented the progress of the work at the end of each 2-week sprint. We saw video demonstrations of what had been developed, which made it easy to follow along and ensure that we weren't surpassing the budget. There were no delays in development.

What did you find most impressive about Vooban?

I've appreciated Vooban's expectations management and follow-up approach. They worked closely with our own IT management team. Vooban proposed many new items for our platform, also ensuring that we were meeting the needs that we had and we not being oversold. Other suppliers have often given us surprises in terms of cost or outcomes. Vooban worked closely with us, reviewing our requirements over the course of development on a sprint-by-sprint basis.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a Canadian-based company dealing with the defense and security, railway signaling, and avionics industries.

I am a project manager in charge of operations for our Quebec office. I handle the assignation of our resources and subcontractors.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Vooban?

We needed additional software developers. We had some R&D projects for which we needed high-quality resources.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Vooban is providing high-end resources for our project. They have been working with us on-site, in our office. We are also looking to employ 5 of their remote resources in the future. Most of Vooban's work has been on the web development side, using up-to-date technologies such as JavaScript, .NET, and GIS.

How did you come to work with Vooban?

We have a background with Vooban. I have worked with 1 to 2 of their people in the past successfully. Vooban's team is made up of smart people, so we've continued to use them.

How much have you invested with Vooban?

The cost of Vooban's services is around $300,000 per year.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Vooban 4 to 5 years ago. We subcontract Vooban for 6-month periods.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Vooban's resources have been very important to us. They've been one of the leaders of our projects and we've kept the same people onboard for the last 3 years. We are very satisfied with Vooban's work and hope to work together in the years to come.

How did Vooban perform from a project management standpoint?

Since Vooban is mainly providing software development, they've been integrated into Agile Scrum teams with the same roles as our internal ones. We receive monthly invoices detailing the number of hours assigned to each of our projects and a summary of the tasks completed.

What did you find most impressive about Vooban?

Vooban has expertise in the .NET and web environments. They also have a good team spirit.

Are there any areas Vooban could improve?

None. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am a project director with a major player in the financial security sector.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Vooban?

I’ve been working with Vooban in an IT development capacity as part of several projects I am responsible for.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I used Vooban’s services for IT development and functional/organic analysis.

How did you come to work with Vooban?

I’ve been with Vooban as a partner since 2012. Because I know I can rely on them to deliver, I am able to choose them without a formal selection process.

What is the status of this engagement?

That information is confidential, but we have been working with them for at least four years.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their deliverables are on time and on scope.

What did you find most impressive about Vooban?

Vooban is very professional, and they always deliver what we need in a timely manner.

Are there any areas Vooban could improve?

Vooban needs to plan for the exponential growth of its business. They are always available for ad hoc discussions and projects, but if their company continues to grow, they will need to work to maintain their current level of agility.