If IP is the lifeblood of a company, then communications is the lifeblood of successful outsourcing.
Anton Malkov, VP, Project Management, NTR Lab.
We believe that great communications not only ensure the success of your project, but also reduce your stress and increase your peace of mind.
Our workday
We are headquartered in Moscow, Russia (GMT+3 time zone), with growing development facilities in Tomsk (GMT+6 time zone) and Novokuznetsk (GMT +7 time zone), Russia. Our workday is shifted to maximize real-time communication with our US customers. That means that we are usually available from 5 am to 2 pm Eastern time, although other times may be scheduled as necessary.
Key contacts
Optimum development productivity is achieved through daily conversations between you and both of your key contacts:
- Your account manager, who acts as your on-site representative to ensure that all requirements are met.
- The project manager, who schedules/oversees/liaises with the team working on your project.
Your key contacts stay accessible via instant messaging, email and phone.
Instant Messaging
Although we are available by phone, we know from experience that cross-language communications are often more successful when done in writing, so we encourage the use of instant messaging using Yahoo!, AIM, MSN Messenger, and ICQ for real-time discussion; or email for less urgent matters.
Email
We know that many things can happen to emails, from spam filters to overloaded inboxes to system glitches. For that reason we send all email with a return receipt and ask our clients to do the same. We have a 14-hour turnaround on email. At the very least, there is an acknowledgement and information regarding when the full response should be expected, and we expect the same response from our clients.
Additional meetings
In addition to the normal, daily interface, we are available live within 12 hours after receiving an email request from our clients and we expect our clients to be available for live contact within 24 hours after receiving a request from us.
Reports
We send a weekly status report on Friday 23:00 (GMT+3) that is based on a previously agreed-upon format.
Bug tracking
Anywhere you find software being developed you'll find bugs. We use the OPT web-based project collaboration system to track bugs and requests, including priority, because it allows our clients to easily enter information at any time they choose. |
