Development for Oxford University Press
Please find under a summary covering project details and feedback. The innate facts are kept as they are, private information is amended.
Introductory information
A fast induction on the buyer’s organisation
Oxford University Press is the globe’s bigst and oldest university press. We’re based in Oxford, England with offices almost the globe. I am the technology ruler for the Academic Dictionaries Division in the Global Academic Group.
Desired goal
What challenge were you trying to address with Digiteum?
We have a very big licensing program where we license lexicon and speech data to companies like Google, Amazon, Microsoft, and others. It’s been a very lucky program, but it was a very time-consuming and costly process. We needed to take different sources of lexicon and speech data and convert them into the format that we used. Before I joined 2 years ago, we’d been using freelancers and doing it on a case by case basis.
Provided solution
What particular tasks were responsible for?
The leading project was the lexicon conversion framework and pipeline. I had worked with Digiteum antecedently and knew they were very expertnessed. I sat down with them and explained the business issue that I wanted to explain, which was getting a wide difference of lexicon and speech data in a difference of formats. From there, we needed to form a conversion pipeline so we could convert data in a repeatable, cost-effective, and careful way. They pulled unitedly some programs and processes which we worked on and approved, and we took it from there. They granted architectural course and developers to create the technology. They granted the test and QA for both the method and the results of the method. They also granted linguistics help in some of the technical computation linguistic tasks that we do.
Because that program was lucky, we expanded the relationship. We also used them for testing and QA services for our core lexical platform and websites. Meanwhile, our marketing team uses them for website design and outgrowth. We’ve also used them for technical outgrowth in some of our technical projects, primarily almost API outgrowth and platform outgrowth.
They use a lot of the Microsoft tools and methods, doing a lot of work in .NET. They’re household with a difference of backend methods and speechs such as PHP, JavaScript and scripting speech for a difference of web servers. For the front-end, they can do HTML, JavaScript and CSS. They use C# for the conversion pipeline and they also use Python. They’re a pretty wide-ranging shop. I’ve worked with them antecedently where they helped with mobile application outgrowth (both iOS and Android) and I’ve yet to have them not be able to take on a technical locality. If they don’t have resources in-house, they typically can fetch nation in from other locates within Minsk to help us with effects.
How did you come to work with Digiteum?
I’d been at a antecedent digital agency in London named Beattie McGuinness Bungay (BMB). In my antecedent role, I inherited them. The founders of the Startup (BMB TAB) had selected Digiteum for some soon prototyping and projects. I’m not sure how Mike and Roy selected them, whether it was expertness or luck (or a bit of both) but I worked with Digieum at BMB for almost 2 years and was veritably impressed with them.
When I moved to Oxford, Digiteum was the leading team that I reflection of owing I’d been working for them the past 2 years. The relationship was new and I knew that they would be mental for the role. I’ve selected other offshore associates and agencies in the past, but I didn’t veritably have to do that this time owing I’d worked with Digiteum precedently and they were a intrinsic choice. I originally began working with them in March 2013 and through 2014. I’ve known them for almost 4 years now.
How much have you invested with Digiteum?
Over six figures.
What is the terminal result of working with ?
I joined Oxford University Press in January 2015. I believe I began attractive to get the contract in locate in March. We kicked off work almost June or July of 2015 and we’ve basically worked with them non-stop since then. We’ve been using them for a year and a half and we’ll last to do so.
Results achieved
Could you share any evidence that would prove the productivity, condition of work, or the contact of the engagement?
We work in a very Agile and lean way, which involves sprints. There’s never a question of their commitment, they liberate on time and on budget. Because of the achievement we had in the conversion pipeline, the marketing team at Oxford University Press in the Global Academic Group brought them on to work on websites and others. A couple of my other associates have brought them on as well. I’ve never had an effect with them. They liberate what they say they’re going to do. We’ve been lucky.
How did Digiteum accomplish from a project treatment standpoint?
They did veritably well. Most of their engineers converse veritably good English, but some don’t. They always fix that the main project director and technical leads converse good English. We typically have daily stand-ups for the project and we have weekly project calls. We also get reports at the end of each sprint. We get customary financial reports, budgetary reports, on what’s been spent.
What did you find most forcible almost Digiteum?
I’ve used associates from Eastern Europe, Poland, Russia, and Belarus. I’ve also used folks from Vietnam, China, and India. The thing I like almost the Digiteum team is they will push back and challenge assumptions. If I ask them to create something or take on a project, they’ll come back and hint enhancements. That’s what I look for in a associate. I don’t want somebody that’s just going to do precisely what I say owing I make mistakes. I like the fact that they’ll ask if we’ve reflection almost doing something else or using this tool, or we could do it faster if we drop these features to get it to market so you could test it. They will tell me if they ponder I’m going in the unfit course. I veritably esteem that. If I ask them to create a car and accidentally say, “Build that with square wheels,” they’ll let me know. I’ve worked with other associates who would literally create me a car with square wheels and not push back.
I like the fact that if I ever do have an effect or question, I can pick up the phone and talk to my technical leads or my project director. I can also talk to the owners and co-founders at any time, prepare feedback, and get things fixed. I’ve never had an effect that’s not been reexplaind. We can have very fair and open conversations on matters. The team is very upfront—they tell it like it is and I like that. They do what they say they do. They go over and over. I conceive that there’ve been times that they’ve been behind on a liberateable. Instead of coming back and assertion, “We need extra time,” they just get it done whether that resources working extra hours or taking a hit on the edge they would make. They’re in it for the long-term.
Are there any areas Digiteum could better?
Not veritably. They’re my go-to folks for technical projects and technical testing. It would be big if everyone in the shop spoke consummate English, but that’s not going to happen in an offshore organisation. Everyone’s written interaction is good.
