ZonkeTech

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We provide turnkey water solutions, from the complete design of a water process to building and operating it. We have a digital side to it, with our own analytics platform for client information and everything related to water and wastewater solutions.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with ZonkeTech?

Our analytics system was developed by another provider initially. We were starting to grow, and we were looking for a developer that we could completely lean on for maintenance and upgrades.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our system was poorly developed. All the elements were nested into each other, and we wanted to have smaller, modular services that all linked together to make the system more efficient on the backend.

ZonkeTech did a complete upgrade of the backend, giving it a better user experience. They added functionalities for pulling data into the system automatically, and they created a data entry platform that we could use to register new clients ourselves.

They created a user management system that gives us access to usernames and passwords. They also created a helpdesk functionality on the platform, through which users can submit requests and problems. A lot of the development was done in .NET Core. ZonkeTech is also handling Azure management.

What is the team composition?

I communicate with them on different levels. I liaise with their director for any contract-related matters, and I’m working with one of their chief developers and with an intermediate developer.

They handle pretty much everything we need.

How did you come to work with ZonkeTech?

I searched for companies near me that could provide development services. All the other companies I spoke to demanded a fee for assessing the system, while ZonkeTech went out of their way to do it within a week without cost. They assessed exactly what needed to be done as a non-obligation service.

They had good reviews and have received a lot of awards. I could see that they were experts in UX, and we needed a big frontend upgrade. Their website also caught my attention; it was cool and modern.

How much have you invested with them?

The total so far is 350,000–400,000 South African rands (approximately $23,000–$27,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing contract started with ZonkeTech in August 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our current system is scalable, allowing us to take on clients quickly. The previous frontend was terrible, but we didn’t want it to market it that way. We’re proudly showing our system to clients now.

ZonkeTech set it up so that we can pull data from other systems. Previously, we were entering data manually into the system. The old system was crashing quite a bit because of migration errors. The new one runs efficiently and loads quicker.

How did ZonkeTech perform from a project management standpoint?

A lot of what they do is support, which is different from running full-length projects. Project management on their end is done through Confluence. Our company is using Jira, and ZonkeTech has been accommodating in using both tools.

We’re using the Microsoft stack, and all reporting is done through Power BI. We’re using Trello to log cards into the system. I dictate deadlines and task priority, and they meet those deadlines for me. There’s never been a need to shift around and move things. They’ve been able to keep on the ball and get things done.

For bigger tasks that need a longer rollout, we have project inception and planning meetings. We gather requirements together with them. Everything is documented on the system, and we know how everything works.

We have regular feedback meetings where they show us wireframes for approval. We give them feedback on any changes that are needed, and they make those changes before pushing forward.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I don’t have a software background, but ZonkeTech is able to break down information nicely. I completely understand how everything works. Their skill is also impressive. No feature has been too difficult for them to do.

Not everything is about making money for them. ZonkeTech was willing to give me different options, with the pros and cons of each. They have open communication, and they have a lot of experience and knowledge on what they do.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing from my side.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Clients can let them take control and rely on them without needing to be actively involved in the process. ZonkeTech will deliver the results they need.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We provide bespoke development services for small to medium size companies.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire ZonkeTech?

Database and web development

What were your goals for this project?

1. To provide fixes for extant work that was inherited from another supplier.
2. To create APIs that consume client provided end-points.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

On recommendation from another development company.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

1. Harmonised the feed from two DBs to produce a single view of data
2. developed and tested APIs to present data
3. Built front end to display variables on selection of products.

What was the team composition?

two developers; tester and PM

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

the work was for a third party. The work by ZonkeTech was of a high standard and the client was satisfied with the work provided.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Internal PM, comms with ZT were good.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

domain knowledge of high volume transactional db

Are there any areas for improvement?

none