247 Labs Inc.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Founder, RenoPlanner Inc. - a start-up focussed on empowering homeowners throughout the home renovation process. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire 247 Labs Inc., and what were your goals?

I hired 247 labs to perform website, web and mobile app development with an eye towards support, and potential on-going hosting. 

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

Online research and the initial conversation with a Senior Client Advisor led to consideration of 247 Labs.  Their experience, development approach and customer reviews led to the ultimate selection of 247 Labs. 

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

The project will be rolled out in phases, with MVP versions of the web/mobile app first in mind.  The phases have been well-defined and detailed estimates have been provided.  Website, web and mobile app wireframes and a very detailed SRS have been completed successfully. 

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

To date, our main points of contact have been the Senior Client Advisor, Boris D. and technical project manager, Zohair K.  Sheraz K., Director of UX Design and Zaid A., Project Manager, were active, contributing members of the initial wireframe development meetings/reviews.  

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have just completed the first phase and are feeling confident about moving forward based on the completed deliverables and interactions to-date.

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

The projects are run according to the detailed SLA.  Virtual meetings as needed, detailed email communication and estimates/billing are provided.  Very quick turn-around on inquiries, modification/update requests. 
  
What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Their team’s wealth of experience, flexibility and creative input has been impressive and refreshing.  They caught on to our vision quickly and offered some very valuable recommendations.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I own mPwrWare Canada (11994808 Canada Inc), a company dedicated to building bridges between users with medical complexities and the larger world, through power and web technology.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire 247 Labs Inc., and what were your goals?

I hired 247 labs to perform web and business development, marketing, support, and hosting of; two web projects. The first project is a clinical project positioned somewhere between an object-oriented drawing package like Visio and a word processor like Word, allowing users to paint sentences like an artist would paint a painting. The second project is a pan/zoom/rotate manager for 2D stills/video streams that is entirely driven by an eye tracker to allow quadriplegic users to easily drive this behavior just as easily as a neurotypical person would use a pinch/zoom gesture.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

I created a worldwide Upwork campaign with descriptions of both projects and interviewed dozens of individuals and teams around the planet. I selected 247 because they had experience building medical/accessible apps and because their lead salesman took a good amount of time to get to know me and the way I work in order to determine the level of fit with his organization. Never at any time did I feel pressured, only encouraged.

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

The projects were envisioned as having to be done in well defined phases, with pauses in between as rounds of funding become available. Since 247 team members work on multiple projects, this kind of on/off project planning works well with their system, and with my available funding realities.

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

The lead salesperson was my first and ongoing contact. The project manager stepped in next, then a UI and a UX designer, then a developer. As the projects mature, other skill sets are also available to onboard and contribute, such as digital marketing, support, hosting and business development. It's this kind of flexibility that makes a company such as this so attractive to small organizations like mine.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

(Mar 29/22) The projects are on their first pause, so I expect to update this review periodically when we re-activate them.

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

The projects are run according to a specific process which is well explained in the earlier rounds of meetings, and detailed invoices are always provided that indicate exactly what kinds of work are being done.

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

We love their understanding, patience, empathy, and flexibility.

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

I'll defer answering this one until I have a chance to work more with this company. Early working relationships are very good, I am optimistic they will continue to be so.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of Dave Wall, and I’ve been a truck dealer in the automotive industry for 35 years. I have a website that displays all of my inventory.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with 247 Labs Inc.?

I hired 247 Labs Inc. for web development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Their team has created my WordPress website from scratch. We continue to work with them for future changes we want to incorporate into the platform. They’re also in charge of hosting and maintaining my site.

What is the team composition?

I’ve worked with four people, including Boris (Client Advisor) and a developer. Another person is in charge of setting everything up.

How did you come to work with 247 Labs Inc.?

We searched around quite a bit, and we felt comfortable working with 247 Labs Inc. because of their great reviews.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in November 2021, we still collaborate.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’ve been able to make my vision into reality. 247 Labs Inc. has also been able to integrate all the custom work I wanted to put on the website. I’m personally using the website on a daily basis and it allows me to save time.

How did 247 Labs Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

They have a great project management process, and they’re always available to us. They set meetings in advance in order to find exactly what they need to do. In addition, they answer emails promptly. We communicate through Zoom, too.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I base my career on listening to people and doing things right and 247 Labs Inc. has been able to do that in our project.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. I’m happy with our partnership.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure that you’re clear about what you want. We’ve done that and we’ve got exactly what we wanted.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am an Education Program Coordinator with the Martin Family Initiative. I support our Entrepreneurship Programs that are being offered in High Schools and Adult Education/Training organizations across Canada.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire 247 Labs Inc., and what were your goals?

We wanted to have a mobile app developed to enrich the resources that are available through our student textbooks. Our goal was to expand on the print, audio and video resources available to our students and teachers.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We have been working with Griffintown who have developed an LivePrint App. Griffintown recommended 247 Labs Inc.

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

We worked step-by-step with Griffintown and 247 to develop and app that would allow users to access additional course content through the images in our textbooks.

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

We worked primarily with 2 staff from 247, although they had more staff involved in the project on their end.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We wanted to have the App up and running during this school year and it has now been launched. Our timelines were flexible to a degree. Having said, 247 were very focused on the deliverables and were incredibly efficient while being very effective at gathering our input and feedback. We are thrilled with App they developed for us.

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

247''s Project Manager was excellent to work with. His team were accessible and professional and responsive to any requests we had regarding features and functions within the app. The communication is excellent and the team follows the timelines that we set at the outset of the project.

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

We do not have an extensive tech background, so we needed a lot of support from 247 to understand how the app was going to function, I was impressed that they developed the administrative/backend of the app to be as simple and user-friendly as it is. This was crucial as we will be posting the content to the app.

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

I have been very pleased with every aspect of 247's performance during this process.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of an innovative app that automatically writes a user’s autobiography for legacy purposes. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with 247 Labs Inc.?

I previously used other app development agencies, but some went bankrupt, and I wasn’t happy with their services. We needed help in app development. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

First, 247 Labs reached out to our previous agencies to retrieve our intellectual property and source code. The other vendors were uncooperative, but we ended up getting 80% of the work so far. 

After that, 247 Labs reviewed our existing code. They identified the functionalities that needed to be corrected and the remaining tasks to complete the app.

247 Labs has already finished developing the app, and it’s for Android and iOS. We’ve recently launched it on the App Store, while it’s awaiting approval for the Google Play Store. I’m currently reviewing and getting a quote for 247 Labs’ other services.

What is the team composition?

I’ve worked with an account manager, a project manager, and a developer.

How did you come to work with 247 Labs Inc.?

I found them through a Google search.

How much have you invested with them?

I’ve spent around $16,000 CAD (approximately $12,500 USD). 

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since September 2021, and our relationship is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

247 Labs has successfully built our app such that we can launch it. We appreciate that since the other vendors have failed to do for years what has taken 247 Labs only four months to finish. They double-check everything, so we haven’t experienced any bugs so far. I’m sure they’ll address those right away if ever we encounter any.

How did 247 Labs Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

247 Labs is great at project management. They’ve delivered everything within our agreed timeline and budget. They were very trustworthy, communicative, and reliable. Whenever I reach out to their team, they immediately respond professionally. 

247 Labs has kept me abreast of everything, and during our meetings, they outline tasks that need to be done and detail areas for growth. They’re clear, concise, and open. We communicate through Zoom, emails, and phone calls. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

247 Labs provides excellent service; they’re dependable. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Let them know exactly what you’re looking for.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the VP of Marketing for a fast growing distributor of Aesthetics and Wellness Devices in the US

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire 247 Labs Inc., and what were your goals?

We had a logged-in partner/member experience that was outdated, not on brand, required $$$ for simple changes and ultimately wasn't fit for purpose

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

247 Labs was recommended - quick, efficient, trustworthy and delivery of work to a high standard.

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

We had kick off meetings, scoping sessions, re-scoping session, a detailed SOW with estimates for time and other costs and were kept updated throughout. Any problems were troubleshooted as they arose and were dealt with quickly.

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

Several, but most noticeably the overall project manager and the lead developer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Pretty much every partner that we have has now logged in to the new site. Not only that, they keep coming back and we now have a powerful resource that for the most part we can manage internally. Since building out our member site, we have commissioned 247 to support us in other areas, including their help with website security and in speeding up our websites.

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

Email, weekly calls and Microsoft Teams. PM style was perfect - staggering response times.

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

They're always accessible and very reliable. Nothing has ever been too much trouble for them.

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

I don't think so, no!

UPDATED REVIEW

This review was published on September 22, 2021.

Emily Dodd

Marketing Manager, Artemis Distribution

Beauty & Cosmetics

51-200 Employees

Brooklyn, New York

$10,000 to $49,999

Jun 2021 - Ongoing
 

Project summary

A distribution company focused on the wellness industry partnered with 247 Labs in order to develop their new membership website.

Feedback summary

Once the new platform went live, the company was able to disable their old member website that they always had problems with and rely solely on the new site. The 247 Labs workflow was effectively implemented and the company was impressed with the team's responsiveness and drive to meet deadlines.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Artemis Distribution brings today’s top beauty devices to the U.S. market with the aim of building a community of successful entrepreneurs who empower their clients to be confident in their own skin. I am the Marketing Manager for Artemis Distribution.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire 247 Labs Inc.?

Our new membership website - myArtemis.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

A coworker actually found them by researching different companies that suited our needs. They understood our goal, provided the services that were needed, and also at a reasonable price.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

The project was to create a new membership site where our partners can log in, access all of their training and marketing materials, as well as claim hours for their devices, and access our Artemis Store. First a design mock-up was created, then it went into production. All of the our content was added and then the claim hours and store codes were added.

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

Four people I believe:

• Zohair Kahn - Technical Project Manager
• Hamza Shakeel - Senior Web Engineer
• Sheraz Khan - Designer
• Azwar Khalid - Solutions Architect

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were able to disable our old membership site that had tons of problems and solely have myArtemis.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow was very effective. I created a timeline/milestone sheet that we all agreed on in the beginning of the project and that was followed.

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

Their responsiveness and their drive to complete the deadlines on time are impressive.

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

At times there was sometimes a slight language barrier, but we always worked through it.

Star Ratings

Overall rating: 5

Quality: 5

Cost: 5

Schedule: 5

Willing to refer: 5

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We help investors invest in hard assets like gold and silver outside of the traditional banking system. I am in charge of marketing for Delta Harbour Assets.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire 247 Labs Inc., and what were your goals?

We had our site developed by someone outside of their regular job in their spare time. They made so many mistakes we had to hire professionals to do the job right.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

I searched online for a developer who had experience with Wordpress and WooCommerce. 247 Labs came up and their reviews were really good so I engaged them.

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

The scope of the work was to redevelop and optimize the existing site, as well as fix some items that were done wrong the first time, as well as add some additional features.

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

I worked with a client advisor, technical PM, and a couple of developers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The site looks great, and the performance of the site has dramatically increased.

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

We had an initial kick-off meeting, as well as weekly stand up meetings, and any additional calls/emails that were required.

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

Work was done on time, on budget, and they were also flexible with my requests.

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

A couple of minor deliverables were done incorrectly due to not reading the brief correctly, but these were quickly rectified on request.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of Dream Recruiter. We’re creating an app that helps high school and college athletes get to the next level of their sports careers. The recruitment process is done through the app where athletes can upload a profile, which will be passed on to coaches. The app also benefits college-level athletes by helping them get to the professional level. Meanwhile, the other half of the app involves collegiate coaches and professional scouts, who can reach out to the athletes through our platform.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with 247 Labs Inc.?

During the recruitment process of schools and colleges, millions of athletes send their recruitment documents every year.  A lot of those documents get lost in the wayside. As a result, we want our app to eliminate the paperwork involved in such a process. This is also good for the environment. Moreover, our app should provide exposure to every athlete throughout the nooks and crevices of the world. In other words, we want to create a competitive market for the athletes, and 247 Labs is helping us develop this app. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

247 Labs is developing our app. It will primarily be a mobile app available on both Android and iOS devices, but we’re also developing a web platform. That way, we can also serve athletes that don’t have the luxury of having a smartphone. They will have the option to go to the local library or access a computer at home to use our platform. 

We should be wrapping up the website development soon, and our next step is to pitch our idea to investors. Once we receive funding to complete the app, we’ll spend another 6–12 months on development. Hopefully, the app will be completed by the end of next year. 

What is the team composition?

We work directly with Boris (Senior Client Advisor), who is our main point of contact. Sheraz (Director of UX Design) oversees the development group. He talks to me about pricing and the next steps involved in the project. Muhammed (Senior UI/UX Designer) handles the development of the web app. Overall, I mainly work with 3–4 people. 

How did you come to work with 247 Labs Inc.?

When I thought about this project and wanted to bring it to fruition, I did thorough research and looked for developers. What struck me as interesting about 247 Labs was their transparency. I touched base with them to inquire, and I saw their transparency. On top of that, they were highly professional and competitive in their prices. They also provided high-quality work based on the examples they'd shown me. Right then and there, their transparency, quality of work, and professionalism truly spoke to me.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested over $20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started everything in March 2021, and the project is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

In terms of success metrics, 247 Labs provides sample end results, which they review with me. If I want to make any changes, they’ll do it. 

How did 247 Labs Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management is great; I’d rate them highly for this. Their senior client advisor goes out of his way to ensure that we’re happy. They’re also extremely responsive, and they keep me up to date with what’s happening. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we use Microsoft Teams to have visual meetings over the computer. We also use phone calls. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

The 247 Labs team is highly transparent at every stage of our engagement. They also make sure that our requests are being done — their integrity is real. Simply put, they do what they say they’re going to do, and they follow through on it. Integrity goes a long way, and that’s what keeps them growing their business.  

Are there any areas they could improve?

The changes I request are based on my initial vision, so when something doesn’t meet my standards and they have to make minor changes, there shouldn’t be any added fees. When developing software, there will always be changes that may not necessarily be established at first. We also might not be on the same wavelength in terms of vision. As a result, when the results come, we’ll have to do minor tweaks, and those changes shouldn’t entail any additional fee. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Take time and don’t rush — explain your vision to 247 Labs to ensure everybody’s on the same wavelength. Everybody should have the same understanding of what needs to be done to ensure that what you request is what’s going to be delivered. If your vision is unclear, then you’ll shoulder additional fees when something needs to be changed. Simply put, make sure you stick to your vision and everybody has a clear understanding of what you see. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the senior director of a nonprofit organization.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with 247 Labs Inc.?

We wanted to create an application for our employment opportunities and forthcoming services.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

First, we told 247 Labs about our organization and our goals for the app. We had lengthy Q&A sessions with the designer to discuss the features and purpose of the app. Then, they came up with a work plan and an estimated timeline and cost.

247 Labs developed and designed the mobile app for iOS and Android, and it allows our clients to access all of our services in an easy-to-navigate place.

What is the team composition?

Zohair (Technical Project Manager) was my main point of contact. Ahmad (Delivery Manager), Mohammed (Scrum Master & IT Project Manager), Azwar (CTO), and another person were involved in the weekly calls.

How did you come to work with 247 Labs Inc.?

I interviewed three app developers. I liked the first meeting with 247 Labs because they really listened and understood our needs. They also were familiar with working in the nonprofit sector.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $30,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from January–June 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The app just launched last week, so it’s difficult to discuss any impact yet. However, my team’s feedback is that the app is user-friendly and easy to navigate. Now, clients with any language level will be able to find the programs they’re looking for.

I appreciated the flexibility of 247 Labs and the fact that they made our project a priority. I also liked the precise questions that they asked during the design phase — they helped with the design and development of the app.

How did 247 Labs Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

247 Labs was a great communicator. They gave detailed updates throughout each step of the process and delivered everything on time.

We had weekly meetings through Microsoft Teams or Zoom, and we used Google Drive for sharing comments or feedback. However, email was the primary form of communication, and everyone involved in the project was included in the emails.

What did you find most impressive about them?

247 Labs offered reasonable pricing and were good at delivering within the deadlines.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could pay more attention to detail, especially in the final stages of a project, which is critical.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Follow their instructions and know that the Q&A sessions are worth the time spent during the designing stage. Communicate thoroughly and promptly as much as possible.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an IT consultant at a nonprofit organization.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with 247 Labs Inc?

Our website was really outdated, so we wanted to refresh it and implement a functionality to start taking in members online because we had been working with paper-based processes.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

247 Labs Inc. has developed our website on WordPress from the ground up, and we’ve provided the site’s copy. We first starting working on our requirements sessions, where they understood what our needs were. The team came up with a plan with different sprints and assigned certain tasks to each one of them. We then set weekly meetings and started the development process. 

The staff has worked on making the site look more modern, streamlined, and organized. The site allows users to search and register for programs online as well as sign up for memberships. Members can create a profile to manage their address and dependents and have access to an electronic membership card; there’s also an area for them to see what programs and services they’re registered to. 

What is the team composition?

Our team has worked with a business analyst who has been subbing in as a project manager. We work with at least one developer and bring in additional ones if required. 

How did you come to work with 247 Labs Inc?

Our company sent out RFPs which included all of our requirements to probably 6–8 firms that we had researched and saw they had good reviews. 247 Labs Inc. bid on the RFP and came up with a solution that met our needs, so we decided to hire them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $30,000 CAD (approximately $25,000 USD). 

What is the status of this engagement?

We issued the RFP in June 2019 and selected the winner by August. Our engagement formally started in September of the same year, and the website was launched in July 2020. Since our organization has obtained more funding for the project, we’ve partnered with them again and have finished phase two enhancements. We’re now in discussions to start phase three.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

247 Labs Inc. has renovated our site completely. Our e-commerce has received great user feedback, and the staff has implemented functionalities that meet our most important KPIs. For instance, our team is now able to register clients on the site, and users can enroll on our online programs and get the Zoom meeting link after they’ve registered. 

How did 247 Labs Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

I’m a project manager myself, and I’ve been able to collaborate with them without issues. They provide us with Gantt charts that show the sprints and a breakdown of the project. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

One of the most impressive aspects is the value they provide for our money. We got quotes from other providers, and 247 Labs Inc. wasn’t the cheapest, but they weren’t the most expensive either. I am pleasantly surprised with the amount of work they’ve been able to deliver with the limited budget we’ve had. They’ve maximized their efforts, and that’s something we really appreciate. Our organization is very happy with the team so far. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

When it came to our initial requirements, they were able to give us an idea of a solution, but as we explored it, we ran into some challenges, so maybe we could’ve spent more time clarifying our needs. Other than that, I can’t really say much. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be clear on what your expectations are, document your requirements, and make sure that they are well understood by the team.