Light IT Global

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the CEO of a Biomedical startup specialized in Next Generation Sequencing and Analysis.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Light IT, and what were your goals?

Our goal was to build a scalable, robust cloud computing based solution, that would be able offer multiple complex services online, including e-commerce and high performance computing.

SOLUTION

How did you select Light IT and what were the deciding factors?

We began communications with LightIT 6 months before project start time since we were doing other work in parallel.

When it was time for the project to begin our communications were extremely professional and fast and we felt that LightIT was flexible and understanding to our functional, legal, and financial needs.

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

Work was conducted in 2-3 week sprints, with clear long term plan and ongoing flexibility from one sprint to the next.

Due to the high complexity of the project both sides benefited from an iterative process where we feel we got the best functionality/time/cost balance for the work.

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

We had a team of 8 people working with us across the different project requirements. Communication was extremely good, with great reporting and clear overview of the progress.

All questions were answered from both sides, and no loose ends were ever left in the process.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Project was completed as expected, on time and on budget, with technical specifications even better that the original requested profile. Product is continuing into user testing phase. To our mind the project was completed successfully with excellent quality.

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

Project management team was great with constant communication. Tools used included Email, Slack, Google docs, Zoom, Google meetings, Figma, etc.

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

Flexibility, quality, and responsiveness. We always felt that the project team was working on our behalf and our tight collaboration produced excellent results.

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

No significant points here. Every project is complicated, and ours is no different. There were points where there was confusion, mostly on our side.

A complicated project is difficult to run, but LightIT made sure all issues were addressed and excellent discussions with LightIT allowed us to take the best decisions during those challenging moments.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a Process Quality Manager at TestFort - an experienced software testing services company. TestFort has been providing a full range of outsourcing software testing services: manual and automated testing, dedicated testing teams, QA and QC support.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Light IT?

One of our clients wanted to create an AI-enhanced mobile application for facial landmark recognition, analysis, and advanced reporting.

What were your goals for this project?

We realized that such a complex app required strong AI expertise, which is why we reached out to Light IT.

SOLUTION

How did you select Light IT?

There were 2 deciding factors — their technical expertise and transparent communication. Light IT proved themselves as highly skilled machine learning experts and mobile app development professionals.

They clearly understood the demands and were proactive in justifying their approach to choosing between native or cross-platform development. Their clear communication made them stand out from other development companies we spoke with.

Describe the project in detail.

The scope included backend development, mobile development, and AI-engine development. They started from the planning stage, gathering the project requirements, creating app documentation and a prototype, then moved on with the development. They used Python for backend and the app’s machine learning component as well as Flutter for mobile app development.

What was the team composition?

The team consisted of a backend developer, data scientist, frontend developer, and designer. Project management and QA was covered by our in-house team.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The team performed well and the app was developed according to the specifications. The project was delivered within the time and budget estimation Light IT provided during our initial negotiations. Our client was more than happy because the app reduced a lot of routine work they used to do earlier.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Light IT used Scrum methodology with bi-weekly sprints. Together, we used Jira for task management, Confluence for documentation, Slack and Zoom for communication, and GitHub for code management

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The team’s high technical expertise and clear communication were probably the most impressive things for us. We were constantly updated on the project status and given valuable recommendations throughout the development process.

Are there any areas for improvement?

We enjoyed working with their team and will likely work with them again if a similar project comes our way.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a company that provides a talent acquisition solution to IT companies. Our product helps automate and streamline the interview and talent alignment skill set process.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Light IT?

We needed a technical partner that could both build our software and improve our ability to deliver value to our clients.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement? 

Light IT provides software and web development services for our talent acquisition solution. Some of the core technologies include Python and React with Google Cloud Platform as our server. We also have a PostgreSQL data synchronization with our CRM. At times, we’ll provide them with UI/UX designs and wireframes to get started, but other times they’ll develop their own designs in response to our requirements.

What is the team composition? 

We work with about 7–8 people, with the main point of contact being their Denis C. (Business Development Manager). The rest of the team consists of back- and frontend developers, a UI/UX designer, a QA engineer, and a project manager, and an account manager. Their CTO acts as our strategy officer.

How did you come to work with Light IT?

I found LightIT by looking at the top outsourced software development companies on Upwork. Denis was genuine and authentic when I spoke with him, and his company’s technical experience aligned with our technology roadmap.

How much have you invested with them?

So far, it’s been roughly $70,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since June 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Overall, I just have really good feedback. They’re a great team that writes quality code, and I highly recommend them.

How did Light IT perform from a project management standpoint?

The way they use Jira is excellent. They provide continuous updates and are transparent and detailed in their reporting for every invoice. The cost estimates at the beginning align with the development results, too. When it comes to meeting deadlines, they exceed expectations. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’ve always felt that they’re aligned with delivering good quality value because they care about their clients’ success. The team is dedicated to being a part of something — when I spoke with their developers, it seemed like they all wanted to be a part of something big and to work on a cool project. These are professionals who are excited to be working with us. All of these components have created a good experience for us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they’ve done everything excellently.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It can be hard to know what your requirements are when you’re figuring them out as you go. But, if you can provide better requirements, then you’ll see a better output.

I’d also recommend people to go on Upwork and interview the top companies in the service you’re looking for to create a shortlist and then vet them from there. That can help you decide which provider is the right fit.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a Senior Economist at Liga Ug - we are Ukrainian food manufacturer and distributor

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Light IT, and what were your goals?

We had an inquiry for creating a system for collaborating with our partners - outlets and at the same time the system should automate some of our routine processes and reduce manual labor

SOLUTION

How did you select Light IT and what were the deciding factors?

We requested for several IT companies in our city - the key factor was that the development company should be located in the same area. Light IT approach stood them out of others, in addition they had experience in working with retailers so we believed they are not only good technical performers but they also know the industry well They helped us to gather the requirements, advised to slightly modify the functionality according to conducted business analysis and shaped our idea to tangible form

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

They helped us to deliver 3 web and 2 mobile apps within 16 months. They used PHP and React for web and React Native for mobile. Main steps were - business analysis, designing/prototyping, estimation, development, launch

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

3 managers - sales manager, project manager and business analyst 1 designer 1 CTO, 2 web developers, 1 mobile developer, 1 QA engineer

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We had a demand for the highest level of data protection but got no clue how to implement this and Light IT provided us several options, one of which was even better than we initially imagined. Being on the business side, we didn’t know what technologies to choose so Light IT kindly consulted us on this part and chose a suitable approach.

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

We had a project manager as a point of contact and got regular updates on the progress so the whole process was very transparent for us. As a result, the product was delivered within the terms and estimate provided at the beginning of our collaboration so we are more than very happy with the outcome We used Jira, Slack, Zoom

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

They had a professional and diligent approach to requests and changes we have made during our collaboration. Transparent and understandable process, highly skilled developers.

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

No, the product was delivered within the terms and estimate provided at the beginning of our collaboration so we are more than very happy with the outcome

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Director, Global Digital Operations for a major pharmaceutical company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Light IT?

Staff augmentation with skilled Python developers.

What were your goals for this project?

Reduce total cost of ownership for operating various digital marketing platforms by improving and implementing process automation where possible.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Market research

Describe the project in detail.

Working with LightIT has been a pleasure. They are providing our company with talented Python developer in a staff-augmentation model. This has allowed us to build close relationships to the developers which have resulted in a very high performing team.

The team has been highly reliable and producing great quality which is of utmost importance in the pharmaceutical industry. The products we are building together with LightIT are focused on process automation and DevOps tooling for various digital marketing platforms.

What was the team composition?

3-5 Python developers

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We've been able to x3 the amount of automation on one of our digital marketing platforms, resulting in significant cost avoidance of manual support work.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Through the staff augmentation model the workflow between our teams have been seamless.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their dedication and quality stood out to us.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Nothing significant

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO at a tech startup in Chicago. Our company uses Lean and Agile methodologies for product development. We deeply integrate marketing and customer feedback into the product development process.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Light IT?

Initially, our company had a MVP. At the time, we had a small inhouse developer. So, after demonstrating the proof of concept, we decided to hire LightIT to build iOS and Android mobile apps that are scalable to a large number of users.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to release the beta version of our mobile app. Specifically, the product must be usable and user-friendly for our customers. Furthermore, the product must be maintainable and updatable for the future development.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Our company searched online on outsourcing websites for companies in Eastern European countries. We reached out and interviewed different outsourcing candidates. We picked the one who values in partnership building. Our company believe that long-term success depends on mutual understandings and ability to cooperate and adapt in the rapidly changing world.

Describe the project in detail.

Our company shared business requirements and legacy source code to LightIT. After LightIT investigates, we defined different milestones and versions of products. This helped us make incremental improvement over time in the Lean and Agile methodologies. The product went through many iteration of planning, development, testing and learning.

What was the team composition?

In the beginning, we only had backend and frontend developers. Later, we added QA and product manager. Most recently we had 1 backend dev, 2 iOS developers, 1 Android, 1 QA and 1 PM.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We valued user feedback. So we continuously tested the alpha version of the product with our target users. We received positive feedback on product usability and user-friendliness. Please note that at the time of giving this review, this product was not fully released to the public yet.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

In the beginning, the communications was challenging due to the remote working environments between our company and LightIT. When project manager was assigned to the team, it initially slowed our product development. However, in the long-run PM helped clarify understanding between teams. We scheduled two meetings per week to talk over the phone. We communicated frequently on Slack. We also had tools to document business requirements, plan and estimate, and track progress and bugs, etc.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

LightIT has nice employees with humility. This is a foundation for building trust, which allows us to continuously improve together and adapt to changing environments. From the beginning, I had seen significant improvements on communications, problem solving skills and decision making process.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Building a high quality product within budget is always challenging. The team has demonstrated its ability to build a high quality product. However, we have a lot of rooms for improvement to control schedule and budget. We discussed many initiatives for Built-In Quality, and eventually testing would be everyone's job at every stage of the development.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm Mamadou Djigo, Senegal Country Director and Head of QA. At EDACY we believe that the creation of new markets will be enabled by upgrading the skills required for tomorrow's occupations.

Leveraging technology, we offer millions of young people in Africa the opportunity to up skill themselves to lead the continent toward a thriving global economy, turning to future trades and services, and creating new jobs.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Light IT?

We are working in our V3 of our eLearning platform and we needed to have the best platform that handle million of users.

What were your goals for this project?

Having a robust, maintanable and with the standard quality that can support million of users with the latest technonologies.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

The were recommended to us.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

They handle the main part of the backend and also the frontend. They propose and did a big refactoring to use the latest frameworks.They also doing the functional tests.

What was the team composition?

Light IT provided use 1 backend developer , 1 frontend develoepr and one functional tester. They were integrated in our team of product (12 people) with a Product Manager, CTO, Devops...

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our last customer appreciate a lot the quality of the software and also now we are able to handle million of users, something we could do before. The way they use the latest framework give us more quality and reliability in the software and helped us to develop more business partnership.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

The project management was handled by our resources but they were involved in it. It was very successful and the process was very clear.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The engagement and availability impressed us. Also their focus on quality.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Perfect

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are a custom software development & digital marketing company. I am a project manager.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Light IT?

To build the web-based control panel for the hardware which previously had only desktop-based version of that software for one of our customers, as well as adding some additional features which are specific for SaaS solutions.

What were your goals for this project?

To effectively build the solution which implements all the required functionality, with using some innovation approach at the same time.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

It was a great previous experience in working with on on other projects so as long as chosen technology was the same we made that choice.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Designed, developed an launched the new application, on both back-end, web-based part and desktop-based part including some research on the innovative approach in implementation. Figured out with the exiting technology, hardware-specific stuff and built a great solution.

What was the team composition?

1 developer which fully covered all three application parts: web, desktop and back-end.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The built solution is elegant and could fully replace the old-fashioned desktop tool going forward.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

It was being managed on our side

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They were flexible and innovative developers in regard to the project challenges.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Nothing to recall.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We design, develop and publish digital applications. I am co-owner.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Light IT?

We hired Light IT for the design and actual development of some of our mobile apps.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal was (is) to turn rough ideas into a format that will take the entire development a big step further. The UX designs will help convince investors, will serve as a basis for development estimates, and will guide us through essential decision making.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

After a first rough selection, we have contacted some potential partners. Light IT seemed to fulfill our needs without overlapping our own skills

What was the team composition?

Mostly a designer and a project manager

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Not yet.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow was surprisingly effective, especially the communication that pleased us. It was to the point, speedy and useful.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

We doubted whether the distance and difference in cultures could be problematic. It's true that there were some misunderstandings and different perceptions of the project's goals and characteristics. But in general Light IT proved to be flexible and very professional. They were able to understand our feedback and adapt their work.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Sure, there always are, but so far nothing worth mentioning.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there. 

I’m the founder of a machine learning technology startup.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Light-it?

We needed help developing a web-based platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Light-it developed our web platform using Python, React.js, and then standard web technologies such as CSS and Tesseract. They will provide ongoing support moving forward.

What is the team composition? 

We work with four members of their team. 

How did you come to work with Light-it? 

We selected Light-it because of their prior experience in the space. They're also really good at communicating, which is so important with offshore development.

How much have you invested with them? 

We’ve spent $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement? 

Work began in February 2019 and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We haven't put the product fully into production yet, but Light-it is very efficient in their efforts. They’re capable of understanding complex business scenarios and incorporating the solution into their work. 

How did Light-it perform from a project management standpoint?

Light-it really excels at project management. We do daily calls and they're extremely transparent. I get a breakdown of all their hours by step, by developer, and by day. I know what's happening with every item, as well as what the cost is going to be. They're good project managers and they're technically strong, which is why they're so easy to deal with. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re fairly inexpensive but they have a sizable resource pool. If I need assistance with Angular or Python or frontend design, they’ll have someone we can use within a few days. I've worked with probably a dozen offshore vendors in the past, and Light-it is the best. 

Are there any areas they could improve? 

Everyone can improve but I can't think of anything specific.