Testimonials

André Schiretz,
CTO & Co- Owner of AgileXS

www.agilexs.com/vending

The BusyMachines team is very helpful, they truly take the time to understand our business and what we’re trying to achieve. That’s very beneficial. They’re not just typing code, but they actually manage to understand our business.”

The customer

AgileXS ​is​​ ​a​ Dutch​ ​ ​technology ​​company,​ ​active​ on​ ​ ​the​ ​energy​ ​​monitoring, ​​vending,​ ​and​ eHealth​ ​markets since​ 2006.​ ​​The​ company​’s ​​vision is​ ​to​ ​build​ ​and​ ​deliver​ ​services​ ​that​ can​ ​connect​ to ​any​ ​kind ​​of​ device​ ​and​ ​ collect​ ​ relevant​ information: “We​ believe​ ​technology​ ​ ​should​ ​help ​people​ ​ reach​ ​ their​ ​business​ ​​objectives“, says André​ ​​​​ ​Schiretz,​ ​CTO​ ​&​ ​​Co-Owner​ ​of AgileXS.

The​ AgileXS​ ​​IoT ​​Platform ​for​ ​ devices​ ​​and ​​data​ ​is​ ​named​ DeviceXS. ​The​ ​platform​ ​helps​ data​-oriented ​​companies​ ​to​ innovate​ ​without​ developing ​​their​ own ​IoT​ ​​solutions: “​Our target audience is primarily represented by business owners, so we’re rather into the B2B ​​ ​market and we target what we call “operators & providers”. If we look at the vending industry, our clients offer services related to coffee machines or vending machines or deliver services​​ around those machines – maintenance, refilling ingredients, restocking or collecting cash.” ​​ In ​​the​ ​end,​ ​the​ ​solution​ ​helps​ ​clients ​reduce​ ​ costs​ ​ ​and ​increase​ ​ ​the ​​availability​ ​of​ their​ machines.
​​

The old situation

When​ ​AgileXS​ ​started​ ​working​ ​with​ ​BusyMachines,​ ​the ​​DeviceXS​ ​1.0​ ​​was​ ​already ​​in​ ​the​ ​market providing​ services ​to ​​existing​ ​customers.​ BusyMachines​ ​had to work​ ​​together​ ​with​ AgileXS​ ​to ​​rewrite the​ ​platform​ and​ ​​launch​ ​DeviceXS​ 2.0. “Basically, we needed a new version of our platform based on a new technology stack. Using cutting-edge technology is vital in order to stay competitive.” One​ of​​ the​ ​challenges​ ​ ​was​ ​to​ keep​ ​ ​things​ ​simple​ ​for​ the​ ​ ​clients.​ It’s​ a​​ fine​ ​line​ between​ ​offering leading-technology ​and​ ​making​ ​sure​ ​that​ ​non-technical ​clients​ ​understand​ ​it ​​and ​​that​ ​it ​lives​ ​​up to​ their​ expectations.​

The solution

The DeviceXS product owners ​jointly​ ​decided​ ​ on​ ​ ​a ​​“step​-by​​-step”​ ​strategy: ”We​ ​​ started off with a couple of developers and we built the team around them. Then we scaled ​​ ​up and we got another team on board for a different project of ours. In essence, in terms of how ​​we work, we wanted to be agile and use the Agile approach, as the name of the company strongly suggests. Our desired way of working matches BusyMachines’ way of working, so this really helped us come together.” BusyMachines ​​worked ​together​ ​with​ the​ ​​DeviceXS ​product​ ​ ​owners ​​to​ ​define​ ​the ​​solution objectives ​and​ ​ ​the​ ​software​ architecture.​ ​They ​​were​ ​in​ ​daily​ ​contact, ​released​ ​often​ ​​and ​kept​ ​all​ stakeholders ​involved​ ​ ​in​ product​ ​ ​demos​ ​every​ two​ ​ ​weeks. ​​ ​​​​ ​

Benefits of working with BusyMachines

Flexibility
Good working relations
Expertise & experience
Dedication & involvement

​Ever​ ​since ​​its inception,​ AgileXS ​has tried to​ ​balance​ ​its​ ​workload​ ​across​ ​its ​own​ ​staff, complemented​ ​by​ in-house​ ​​or ​​external​ contractors: “We didn’t really feel the need to look for companies other than BusyMachines. When you’re working with somebody, it’s always about the relationship, you want to have a good feeling about the people you work with. ​​We always had that with Paul and Ruud and later with the other guys on board. As long as there’s a ​​good working relationship and, commercially, everything is ok, there’s no need to look any further.

The team had all the knowledge and resources that we needed and could help us reach our objectives in a viable way. Flexibility was the key to success.

The​ ​DeviceXS​ ​business​ ​team​ ​relied​ heavily​ ​​on ​​BusyMachines​ ​for​ ​technical​ ​&​ ​product​ ​expertise, and​ ​the​ ​team​ never​ ​​let ​​them​ ​down: “I​ think the team is very thorough. Despite our best efforts not to fall into the trap of underestimating the efforts required, we sometimes do it, but the team is very keen to come back to us with advice: ”Have you thought this through, have you considered that?” We realise that we didn’t take everything into consideration and it helps to understand when things are more complex than we envisioned. It’s a really,​​ really helpful team: they help us understand the complexities around what we’re trying to do.”

When you’re working with somebody, it’s always about the relationship, you want to have a good feeling about the people you work with. ​​We’ve always had that with the BusyMachines team.

AgileXS ​has​ ​​been​ ​working​ with​ ​ BusyMachines​ ​​for ​7​​ ​years​ ​now​ ​and ​​it’s ​truly​ ​ satisfied​ ​​with ​​this long​ term​ ​​collaboration: “We’re​​​ very happy with the way things are working and we don’t plan to change things anytime ​​ soon. I’m very happy with the team and with the fact that the team itself has been on board for a very long time. You don’t lose much knowledge this way. Our feeling is that we keep the team happy with technical challenges and that keeps them happy working with us.
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