Algoworks

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a digital marketing agency. We do a lot of production applications and web pages. I’m a partner.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Algoworks?

We had been developing apps in-house, but we had limited resources available. We needed to outsource our mobile app development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We engaged them to develop a mobile app for iOS and Android for a client of ours who worked with automotive glass repairs. The app was to engage customers or build closer customer relations by helping them to find where they can order repairs and find their closest automotive glass repair shop. We provided defined sketches and they developed from that. They did the backend development for both native apps. They also developed the admin system to handle campaigns. In the app, we have 4 possible campaigns that we introduce to the clients or customers. Customers who have the app will get the benefits of the campaigns. They also developed the backend solution and frontend solution for the campaign management systems.

The app launched in September/October, and we recently made some changes that they are working on now.

What is the team composition?

We have 2 contact people. We have Kally [Sr. Inside Sales Consultant, Algoworks], a client manager, and Gaurav [Director of Technical Delivery, Algoworks] who is the project manager. I’m not in the development department, but our in-house development team that has day to day contact with them.

How did you come to work with Algoworks?

Kally called us to offer their services. We reached out to them when we had suitable projects for them.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested $25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in August of this year, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

So far, the feedback has been very positive. The product meets our expectations. They deliver on time, and we had a fixed price.

How did Algoworks perform from a project management standpoint?

The development team’s feedback to me was that it was a good project, and they were good to work with. We communicated primarily via email. We had a Skype call when we started the project.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’re very satisfied with the work that was done. I appreciated that they delivered on time.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Since we have our own development team, we have confidence dealing with these kinds of companies. If you don’t have your own development team and don’t have the technical benefit, it might be challenging. They ask a lot of technical questions, but maybe that’s because they knew we had a development department as well. You have to have some technical background when initiating these kinds of contracts.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

ServusConnect is a mobile maintenance application for multi-family apartment owners and operators, allowing them to streamline service-based operations. I am the chief product officer of the company. In the past, I’ve made technical decisions for outsourced projects.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Algoworks?

Initially, we were looking for a supplier who could develop our Android application. The iOS version had been done by another technology partner, but we were looking for a new company with competitive market rates. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Algoworks took a decent amount of time understanding our needs, our product, and our market. They developed a native Android app to accompany our initial iOS app, which has been successfully delivered to the Google Play store. They continue to develop and release new features and user experience improvements for both apps.

The app integrates with large property management software applications that utilize paper-based workflows. It then transmits digital work orders into the hands of maintenance teams and vendors.

Our app targets field technicians who respond to resident requests. Using the app, they can interact with requests as they come in. After visiting a unit and making repairs, they can describe what they did and mark them “complete” on our app. Aside from being a messaging solution, the app can also take photos and record videos.

The primary feature that stood out was the push notifications environment for Android. They worked with us to set it up. Using the wireframing capabilities of the design and coding team, they built an interface as close to the design as we had hoped.

How did you come to work with Algoworks?

In the middle of 2016, they reached out to us as a cold marketing sales contact. We then followed up with them and a couple of other firms. Algoworks was familiar with our product, having done work for other facilities management customers in the past. This gave us confidence that they knew the business workflow and understood the scope of what we were dealing with. They were also forthcoming with references, which confirmed that we were on the right path.

How much have you invested with them?

So far, we’ve spent around $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in February 2017. They continue to develop additional capabilities to improve user experience and functionality.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The quality of their work stands out—they send products only after they’ve done initial QA [quality assurance] testing. They have a stringent process for all the new features or code builds. I don’t know the industry numbers, but they are correct on the first try 80% of the time. As a result, our users are extremely pleased with the responsiveness and speed of the Android app.

How did Algoworks perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re above average in this respect. Their sales team spent time understanding our needs before providing an initial offer. After the sales process, the team onboarding was seamless. Algoworks assigned a project manager who organized the team and the kick-off meetings. He understood the scope of the work and collaborated with the key contact in our group, making sure we were meeting goals. They went over all of the design documents and reviewed our needs and wants. After making a formal statement of work, we kicked off the project.

The project manager continues to be effective in making key decisions in our favor. If there are any misalignments, we can get them back on track quickly. They are understanding and reasonable in working through some of those misalignments. We use Slack as a primary communication tool, which I highly recommend for any engagement. We also use Asana for tracking bugs and communicating feature success.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The offset of work hours can be seen as a disadvantage, but, for me, it is the opposite. I haven’t worked with offshore development firms too much, but I like waking up in the morning and seeing work ready for testing. It’s great to have the opportunity to provide feedback in time for the start of their day.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The project manager should communicate daily with the team leader so that they won’t be surprised by any questions. If we say that something’s wrong, they should be knowledgeable about the potential issues or gaps. Once we engaged with Algoworks, they came up to speed quickly.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

It is important to include as much detail as possible in your statement of work to ensure that both parties meet expectations, especially for timing and deliverables. This goes both ways. Make sure to have internal resources to support development since timely testing and feedback is essential in keeping your project on track. Having a shared bug tracking system is key to effective and timely resolution.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the CEO and director of a technology services company based out of the U.S. and India.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Algoworks?

We have many U.S. customers, including utility companies, and the biggest challenge I’ve found is around the technologies used. They are specific skills which are hard to find, and I’ve generally relied on Algoworks for it.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Algoworks has provided software development. The esoteric work I’ve mentioned is related to the development of mainframe applications. I have generally ended up taking Algoworks’ help, since their resources are sharp and committed.

My biggest goal was to obtain the most capable and quick-learning resources. These kinds of projects had tight deadlines, and there was no ramp-up time in terms of skillsets.

Our customer was a utility company based out of Texas, with a huge transformation going on, by which they were converting their mainframe applications into web-based ones. It was a very specific process, and they asked for a team of people who could help them at a very low cost compared to the resources generally available on the market. I contacted Algoworks and asked if they had any skills in that particular area. They didn’t (and no one else had those skills, actually), but they did assure me that they would be able to quickly ramp up by putting some resources on the project who could learn the technology fast. Algoworks delivered on that promise, committing themselves and delivering the six-month project in time. They were brought in very early in the lifecycle of the development.

What is the team dynamic?

The peak size of the team was four people. Across the overall duration of the project, there were always two full-time resources onboard. Algoworks let me interview the developers.

During the most critical phase of the project, we spoke daily. After four weeks or so, our call frequency went down to once a week.

How did you come to work with Algoworks?

The process was difficult, despite the general market perception that it’s easy to find resources of almost any kind.

I did try other vendor partners, around three or four, but everyone told me they did not have any capabilities for my specific skillset requirements, and weren’t interested in learning the technology. It’s not widely-used, and very few companies handle conversions from mainframe to web applications. There wasn’t enough incentive for other vendors to train their people on a skill for which it would be hard for them to find other projects.

I’ve worked with other vendors in the past, but I’ve found some very bright resources on Algoworks’ team. The efficiency of a technology services company is measured by how good the resources they bring to the table are, and how easily they can pick up new technologies. Algoworks has done a fantastic job there.

How much have you invested with them?

The engagement had a cost of $100,000 for six months of work.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Algoworks two-and-a-half years ago, around March 2015. It went on for six or seven months, until October or November of that year.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Once we were able to deliver results for a very difficult project, the customer continued to assign me difficult work. The relationship continues, so, to that effect, Algoworks made a very positive impression. I’ve gotten continued business in different technology areas, and the establishment of that relationship happened largely because of Algoworks’ contributions.

How did Algoworks perform from a project management standpoint?

There wasn’t too much involvement from their side in terms of project management. Algoworks was really supplying resources, so the management was done on the customer’s side. All they wanted were some good, committed resources.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The resources were absolutely committed, and not afraid to learn new things. There were no moments when they said something was difficult, or that there was no value in learning it. Algoworks was committed to the tasks and the learning process.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The resources working for me were probably new to working with international customers. There was additional learning required early in the project, but, after four or six weeks, they were fine.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Algoworks is a young team of around 200 people. They can bring a lot of energy to the table, the average age range being 23-35 years. If the client is looking for this kind of youthful energy, and is not afraid to give a chance to someone who wants to learn, they should go for it.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Our company is called Nudge Systems, a startup focused on home automation. We are developing products that measure utility's consumption and give that information to the user so the user can take action. The user can know where, when and how they are using the utilities.

This includes electricity, gas, and water. It provides real-time data for the user. Our goal is to increase user awareness of utility consumption to promote conservation and reduce costs that can occur when people overuse utilities. Ana Pedreiro is our company President and I'm one of the owners.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Algoworks?

There is a piece of hardware that has a sensor that has to sense the utilities. And then there is the business of the data collection. There are the algorithms that go with that and where Algoworks came in is the entire piece related to a back-end server, web site development, and the app. These are very critical elements, it's the backbone of this product and making the information available to the user.

Our product is a standalone product. It does work without any tie-ins. It has a sensor that sends the data to a five-inch display unit that has a hub that connects to the Wifi.

The power of the product gets amplified tenfold when you can upload that data to the back-end server allowing the user to access more sophisticated analytics through the website and to the real-time data on his or her smart phone.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Algoworks developed our back-end server capabilities, website, and smartphone app. We defined the requirements that they needed to meet. They did very well on that. They developed our website, which we haven't launched because our company is still in stealth mode. We currently have a placeholder version of the website that only describes the product in very generic terms.

The mobile app was on iOS and Android. They also did some design for the user interface. They had a lot of good design suggestions although my team did much of the graphic design. 

I want to emphasize that this is a real-time data measurement system. Data is being collected every second and being transmitted to the hub every ten seconds. So the users get data updates every ten seconds. The system has to work reliably through the servers and it works very well now.

How did you come to work with Algoworks?

Our company President, Ana Pedreiro, identified them as one of the companies to bid on our project. I'm an engineer and product manager so I am used to defining requirements to get a request for a quote. On the back-end server, website, and app I developed the scope of work.

We went through a solicitation in two phases. Eight companies bid on the project. The first phase was fact-finding through phone call conversations and emails to help us refine the request for quote.

The second phase included a detailed statement of work and requirements including, technical performance, schedule and user-acceptance testing. We were pleased with Algoworks right away because of their response and understanding of the project.

Our selection criteria included performance, cost, schedule, programmatics, and past experience. Algoworks had developed a product that dealt with real-time data acquisition and making that available to the user. So they demonstrated relevant experience and gave us confidence they had the required capability and experience we were looking for.

We went through that process and we were down to seven bidder firms, including both US-based and overseas companies that had very competitive low-cost bids. Ultimately, they scored higher in our bid selection criteria and won the contract.

How much have you invested with Algoworks?

The cost is confidential. The Algoworks' team is five to six people that have been working part-time for about a year. The value of their work is very high.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in September 2016. We are still working with them currently.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

Of all the aspects of our project, which includes mechanical design, electronics design, algorithm and firmware development, the software/IT development by Algoworks was the element with the strongest performance.

Their work on the backend server, website and smartphone was excellent and met performance requirements. I wish all of the other areas had gone as well as Algowork's piece. It was by far the best part of our product development.

It's not that we didn't have problems or challenges adding specific API tie-ins. There were technical challenges with the Wifi and data analytics. There were a number of different challenges but Algoworks was competent dealing with those.

They held their schedule and their cost. It was a very positive experience. Full system testing started in December 2016 and we found a number of defects that Algoworks was quick to fix. I don't have a quantitative metric but our experience was excellent. The number of defects was relatively small for such a complex project and their response was quick and effective.

How did Algoworks perform from a project management standpoint?

They performed very well. Their development team is in India, which is 12.5 hours ahead of us in California (PST). They were able to accommodate our business hours and were extremely competent and responsive. They are also very proactive with advice since I'm not an expert in this field.

We relied on them for recommendations on platform and technologies. They were able to answer all of these questions and make suggestions guiding key project decisions. They helped us with cost models because as the user base grows, we needed to estimate infrastructure costs.

They set up a workshare environment (Basecamp) that they normally use for projects. We had weekly meetings for one hour. It was our regular status standup meeting and we used GoToMeeting for that.

We also used Skype calls as needed. They had a graphical user interface designer that helped us with the interface for web and mobile. They have a back-end server person and a dedicated project manager so we could go to one person, which was extremely helpful. They also had a web designer.

What did you find most impressive about Algoworks?

I found them to be very knowledgeable in the technology. I don't know that that's unique to them. I'm sure that are other companies that do that. I found them to be very responsive.

The process that they use to gather the requirements to make sure that they understood the requirements seemed unique. I had laid out requirements in the RFQ and discussed that with them before they actually start executing.

I asked for milestone payments as opposed to schedule-driven payments. They identified and recommended milestones that were meaningful in terms of work accomplished and product features.

Their willingness to accommodate our specific needs was great. It's not easy to have a team that is across the world. I was worried about this issue and it wasn't trivial. Their willingness to work around that was very helpful. I think others could do it too but Algoworks did it well.

Are there any areas Algoworks could improve?

Our company President had very specific ideas of the look and feel we wanted for the web design. There were some aspects that weren't quite correct. Their work was close enough but not perfect. They could probably handle the process of getting design inputs from the client a little better. For example, they could set up a working session to go over design details.

Do you have any advice or suggestions for other clients to be successful when working with Algoworks?

Know and spell out your requirements in advance. Make sure that Algoworks understands what you need. Anyone who does this will be pleased. They are competent and want to do the right thing.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CTO of IBISA, a startup founded by the Colombian industrial automation company Omnicom. We operate in Colombia, and we have over 100 employees who provide solutions that leverage digital transformation initiatives in industrial companies. Our products materialize the promise of a new Industrial Revolution based on emerging information technologies.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Algoworks?

We were trying to find a company capable of implementing workflows into our technology. They needed to be able to define a reference architecture and design based on the best available technologies.

Industrial companies are used to deploying information solutions on the factory floor that have been used for a long time. Many of the problems that exist in the IT space exist outside of it, including a lack of business solutions that allow for more control in areas like finance and procurement. This represented a great opportunity to model and manage industrial operations, and also provided a different dimension to the data captured in an industrial facility. We refer to this as operational context.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Algoworks helped us during the first discovery and architecture processes, including the formal engineering design of the support solution on Activiti. The second stage involved the materialization of the created design, for which they provided engineering services for implementation.

They integrated the Activiti component into the IBISA cloud-based infrastructure, which provides business processes with both workflow management and execution features. They created the backend database and the web-based frontend, offering a full-stack solution.  

The scope of the solution, along with the different pieces it consists of, were fairly defined. With their help, we went from conception to deployment of the final solution.

How did you come to work with Algoworks?

We looked online for a company with experience integrating Activiti solutions. We contacted Algoworks because we saw that they had vast experience with Activiti, which is what we wanted to use for the IBISA Process.

How much have you invested with them?

We have invested $25,000–$30,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in March 2017, and the project was finished in September 2017. We are currently working with them on a separate project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their technical expertise allowed us to complement our IBISA toolkit with a world-class workflow solution. They completed the work on schedule, and delivered exactly what was promised. We were not charged extra for the additional deliverables, which was good for us.

We haven’t released the solution, but it is pending. Once the product is readily available for all users to test, we will have more information regarding quality aspects. At the moment, it’s working well in our testing environments, and it meets the quality we expected.

How did Algoworks perform from a project management standpoint?

They know their methodologies well and have followed internal processes. It’s quite challenging to manage software construction, but Algoworks has well-defined practices that they’re able to stick to during development. They know how to properly apply project management practices to deliver what is expected.

We normally communicated through Slack, but we also had bi-weekly phone meetings.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They assign appropriate resources to the right tasks, and their staff has the qualifications to help us solve the challenges we’ve encountered. They have a proactive approach and provide a lot of feedback in meetings, which allows for a more realistic product scope aligned with our expectations.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. They’ve done a good job.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the president of the board of the Delaware Professional Counselors Association, a statewide nonprofit association.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Algoworks?

When I first became president, we had an inefficient and ineffective website. We were also having difficulties with the person who created the site. We needed someone to completely redevelop the site from scratch, using some of the graphics and images from our old site.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We use the Go Daddy platform, Amazon AWS, SendGrid, and Stripe for our site. Algoworks also assisted in importing add-ons to the site. Anyone can access the website, but it is primarily built for the board and members of the Delaware Professional Counselors Association. Users can seek out a directory of other members, apply for membership, register for trainings, communicate, and post blogs. The site is used as an information source for members.

How did you come to work with Algoworks?

I had a local intermediary that previously worked with Algoworks and connected me with them. I did not look at any other companies because I trusted the recommendation. 

How much have you invested with them?

Less than $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in May 2017. Our current engagement ended in August, but I plan to continue to work them on future projects.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I have not launched the website, but I will be soon. I have shared the site with my fellow board members and they are very pleased.

Algoworks has been excellent. They were very responsive, timely, and kept all scheduled meetings. They educated themselves on what I do and what I needed so they could fully understand how they could benefit my organization.  

How did Algoworks perform from a project management standpoint?

Sohrab [Sohrab Pawar, Project Manager] was the head of our project. Sohrab got background details from me and asked what I was looking for, then we had a face to face telemeeting where he asked me specific questions about the purpose of the site, who we were hoping to serve, and essential functions within the site. Then, he connected me with one of his developers. Sohrab, the developer, and I had telemeetings every two weeks to chart out the progress of the project.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their customer service; they are experts and very pleasant to work with. They educated themselves on what I do and what mental health counselors do, as our website benefits mental health counselors. That was very impressive and will be a reason why I would work with them again. They also gave me suggestions and recommendations to improve our site and improve on our ideas. The work they did to educate themselves and understand me really stood out.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No; I have no complaints or concerns.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

My company is called Can I Just Say It, and it’s a local media company. It’s about promoting local business and local people through a social media platform. We’re located in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. I’m the founder and sole employee.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Algoworks?

I was trying to build a mobile app. I had built a social site for the computer, but I needed an app. I had talked to several different companies in the U.S. and they were really expensive, so my need was to find somebody who could do the work for cheaper.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They provided really all the services. Once I finally determined that they were going to do the work, they did a discovery and then created an example of what they would probably do. They broke it down, laid it out, talked about the hours and how many people would be involved in each part of the build.

In terms of what the app does, Facebook is pretty much the benchmark for social media, but I felt like Facebook didn’t promote local business very well. We discussed it and they came up with a slider. So you can do a post on the site, just a regular post, or you can post it to a group. We created 10 groups, so you can always find a place to post something. There’s nothing political on there, though. We built in a button called Local Post, and when you click that button, a slider pops up and we determine how many miles you want the post to go out. If you’re a restaurant and you’re doing a BOGO deal on pizzas or something, you can just target people in just a five-mile radius of the restaurant. And then anybody in a five-mile radius of the group that it’s posted in will be the only ones that see it. It really creates a local feel.

We also created a button that lets you set the slider to only show you things that are going on within a five-mile radius of your location. It allows you to get the local feel of what’s going on if you travel somewhere new.

Algoworks provided five resources for the project, and I communicated mostly with the project manager. His name was Saurabh. But we would have a Skype conference call every Wednesday and usually, the whole team would be there. Actually, I guess there were more than five people on the team. There were three girls and four guys, so it must have been seven at some points. We built the app for both iOS and Android.

How did you come to work with Algoworks?

It was just a crapshoot. I posted it on Upwork and I probably had 100 people let me know that they knew exactly what I wanted, so I just picked somebody. I picked three or four people, and through the conversations, texting, figuring out how much they bugged me, I decided to pick a guy and he put me in touch with Algoworks. I don’t know if I picked Algoworks or if I picked a guy who does freelance for Algoworks. I don’t know how that goes. I think there are people out there that claim to do work but they actually have a team.

How much have you invested with Algoworks?

I spent $12,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

It was probably around December of 2016. It was only going to take 10 weeks. I think it took a little longer than that. It was mostly finished by February, but we added some changes. It wasn’t like they were slow. The app is launched, and we’re putting in one more change, one more update, and then I won’t be finished working with them but I need to take a break. I need to save up some more money before we do anything else.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

It’s only been live about a week and a half, so I don’t have market results. When this last button that we’re doing is put in and finished, it’ll be ready to show to investors. Anybody that I show the app to thinks it's terrific. The problem is that you’re up against Facebook, and everybody will tell you they hate Facebook, but they’re all on it. It’s hard to get someone to switch over, but whatever. It’ll happen slowly or it won’t happen at all, but none of that will be Algoworks’ fault. They did a great job. The app looks good; it’s clean, it’s smooth. Everything is terrific.

How did Algoworks perform from a project management standpoint?

For the most part, I let them do what they came up with and then I would offer feedback. It’s not an easy process. But for the most part, they were open to critiques and suggestions. For the most part, I let them design it, and then when it came to font size and bolding the text or something like that, those were the changes that I made. My whole thing was that it just needed to be easy, and some of the things they did in the beginning weren’t easy, but then we made the changes and it got better.

They used Basecamp, which was pretty cool, and that kept me involved every day. They posted everything they were doing, who was working on it, and any questions they had for me. I downloaded the app as well, so it was a direct connection to them. It was my first time doing it, but I thought it was a great experience.

They performed great. If there were any challenges, it was that they’re in India. But the reality was that Saurabh, who was the leader, was awesome. I could call him anytime. We ended up becoming friends and speaking quite a bit throughout the week. He would always take my call; I could always text him or something. It was great. I don’t know if that’s how they usually are, but I thought it was awesome. Very smooth; no complaints. It was great.

I had worked with another company when I built the initial site. My experience with them was not great, and one of my problems with that company was that we would meet once a month and a month later there would be parts I didn’t like and they’d spend the next month fixing it, and it was just horrible. I liked that I could talk to Algoworks pretty much any day of the week. And Basecamp was always sending me updates, too.

What did you find most impressive about Algoworks?

I can’t compare them to anybody that I’ve dealt with like this, but I will say that for a situation where I’m giving out a lot of money, especially overseas, they were awesome. I don’t know if that’s how they are with every client, but Saurabh, the team lead, was very cool about it. He walked me through everything. I just had a terrific experience. I wish I had more money; I’d build something else. I mean, I’m actually going to try and create an app-building company here in Delaware and use them as the team to do the work. In fact, we’ve had a couple of try-out clients. I like those guys so much and I like what they do so much that I definitely want to do more work with them.

Are there any areas Algoworks could improve?

No.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder of Tailwind Crowd, a peer-to-peer platform providing finance to small and medium-sized enterprises in the Netherlands. We aim to expand to other countries in the future.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Algoworks?

It was an expansion of our business—a division of a new business line—where we are opening a new strategy with a different niche approach. One of the niches we are now focusing on is healthcare, particularly the dental market. Algoworks focused on integrating this new niche into the platform by creating new landing pages for the dental market, making adjustments in the backend to allow all the processes to run online, and making it easy for the payment service provider that we use and the contract we had in place. It was a bit of design and software development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

First, Algoworks established the requirements during several meetings via Skype. We explained the new landing page was not only for dentists or the dental market, but that we needed the landing and the reward models to have all the design aligned with the same theme. It was moving the theme of the website in the landing pages and main page.

They had a designer for UX. For the software development, our platform runs on WordPress and UserPro. They did adjustments on the backend using HTML and WordPress. They created a new widget for project boxes, so the users can click in the first box and go directly to the project page. That was a new development they did with a new design. They adjusted the payment flow of the landing page with the dentist projects and integrated it with our payment provider, MANGOPAY. They made sure that the rest of the developments were connected by testing all the functionalities.

How did you come to work with Algoworks?

It was through word of mouth. Algoworks was a company that one of our U.S.-based IT advisors was using for his business. Algoworks developed an app for his business. He mentioned Algoworks to me.

How much have you invested with Algoworks?

The first project was €2,000 ($2,135). It was a small project. Because we are changing from one IT supplier to another and Algoworks is the new one, we are going to give them more projects. We happen to have a CTO in-house as well, but there are now some projects that they will deliver and demand around $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started discussions in December 2016. They really started working in the beginning of January 2017 and ended it in February 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

The results were good. We've gotten good feedback on the landing pages and its content. The design was much better than in the past. Overall, it’s had a positive impact on the business, and we are happy with their service.

How did Algoworks perform from a project management standpoint?

The communication was good. We received weekly reports and constantly talked about the software development. Because we were in constant communication, we received a recap report on the hours spent and the progress, but it wasn’t that detailed.

What did you find most impressive about Algoworks?

I haven’t worked with many companies, but what’s great about Algoworks is their flexibility in terms of hours or availability to talk. I’m in Europe and they’re in India, but I always have a large time window to talk to them, either in the morning or late in the afternoon. It was almost 24 hours support. Beyond our small project, I cannot say much in terms of other services that they have like app development.

Are there any areas Algoworks could improve?

For the next project, they could spend more time understanding the requirements and the project itself so we have a better overview and predictable cost instead of paying hourly. To my knowledge, this was our first project and it was too small to experiment with how we would work and how our product is being built. This made it difficult for them to anticipate how many hours they are going to spend when they are working on it for the first time. I think the weekly reporting could be in more detail too.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Our company helps to streamline payments within social experiences.

I am the Founder and CEO of the company

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Algoworks?

Our company was looking to find a solution for inefficient payment options across various social environments. We needed swift development and resources without sacrificing good quality, and we found that Algoworks was the right partner for that. We don’t have internal development resources; Algoworks is our development team.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

This is an iOS mobile application to streamline payments across social interactions. The main feature of the application is the ability for a user to search restaurants that are nearby and give them the ability to check in, summon their bill, pay their bill, and check out. There is no need for intervention of a server. It empowers the user to submit mobile payments and be in and out of the restaurant on their time.

Phase one of the project was looking at discovery; we did that to understand all of the user stories that were needed in order for us to achieve what we were trying to achieve with the application.

The second thing was doing wireframes to visualize the user experience and make sure that it was aligned with our goals for creating a simple and streamlined process for the user.

The third phase was to identify all the sprints and stages so that we would be able to quickly identify what phase we are in and what to expect in the next phase. That provided both teams the clarity we needed to ensure that we’re staying on track for our development goal. Algoworks was driving a lot of the organization of each of these phases. They helped us prioritize effectively and set expectations.

On a consistent basis, there were three resources from Algoworks working on the project.

How did you come to work with Algoworks?

I did research on them to see what projects they’d done in the past in terms of expertise in mobile and between different platforms. One of the biggest things for me was looking at cost versus quality. I didn’t want to compromise the quality of the work just because of the cost. I believe there is a specific quality attributed to cost. Also, when I spoke with them, I was impressed with their ability to communicate effectively given the fact that the relationship would be virtual.

How much have you invested with Algoworks?

We spent between $10,000 and $20,000 on the project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started on the project in August 2016, and the project was completed in February 2017. We’re continuing to reengage with them to build even further because we were pleased with their work.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

Algoworks is professional, extremely detail-oriented, and very easy to work with. The measure of success right now is just making sure it’s available. I don’t have any metrics because the project is still not completed. The design was on point. The feedback we’ve gotten from the product so far is that the user experience is as we’ve identified it. The application is a beautiful app and looks really nice from an aesthetic standpoint. It also incorporates all of the updated technology in terms of being able to log in using your social network of choice and being able to invite friends. We’re pleased with the product overall.

How did Algoworks perform from a project management standpoint?

They were great. I would give them the highest stars because they were diligent about providing updates. We used Basecamp. Algoworks helped me to set my expectations and told me when issues were coming up and helped to resolve them quickly.

What did you find most impressive about Algoworks?

Effective communication is a strength of theirs. They’re very attentive in terms of making sure that they were responding to emails in a timely manner. They made sure to set up meeting invites and regular sync-ups. The communication is really important since it was a virtual project.

Are there any areas Algoworks could improve?

I don’t have anything now. We’re still early in the project.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

My company name is BrainBoxol, and my position is the company director and co-founder.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Algoworks?

I talked to them about mobile website design, development, and support for my online platform. An end-to-end project.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They use an iOS platform and have released the mobile website on iOS and Android. The web framework is in CodeIgniter/VS Code. They have developed the wireframe as well. I have a transcript of the 31 pages of the user pages. They are now about to develop it into HTML, and I will be able to test that by mid-February.

How did you come to work with Algoworks?

For 3 months, I did online research on various IT companies using Clutch. I read a lot of reviews on various tech companies, and it was really handy because it gave me demographic regions, write-ups, and reviews. And because Clutch has links to go to various company websites, I started going to the websites. But my main entry point was through Clutch, and that’s how I ended up reading on Algoworks and made contact. I sent various opportunities of quotes to various companies and finally awarded the contract to Algoworks.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began in late December 2016. The prototype release is at the end of February 2017. I’m looking at doing crowdfunding for my project in March 2017. After that, the full application will be released in May 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

They have been really great. I am truly pleased with the way they go about daily business. I’ve actually started to enjoy working with them and that was from day 1. Because I’m an offshore organization in a company, and because I’m a startup as well, they have been extremely accommodating in terms of helping me fund the project. They have actually proposed that they can do a stage I and stage II implementation, wherein stage I they will be able to release a functional prototype with functional features which will allow me to go to market. After the crowdfunding project, they will be able to put full-on force once I have enough funds.

How did Algoworks perform from a project management standpoint?

The communication has been great. We have weekly Skype calls. But in between the Skype calls, if I do need to go on my Skype calls straightaway, they actually do come on Skype. Communication is the most important thing since we are an offshore company, and Algoworks has been fantastic in that regard.

What did you most impressive about Algoworks?

They have qualified technicians who know what they are doing. For me, it’s a brand-new business, so sometimes I am led by their recommendations. It shows that they have got experience in this field, and that is really great. They have developed many website applications and their experience and ability to manage projects comes through very clearly.

Are there any areas Algoworks could improve?

We have only worked with them for a month, so it is the early days, but so far I cannot say if there is a need for improvement. Nothing comes to mind. I’m really happy with their communication and quality of work. There have been a couple of variations in the way that I was going along with things, and they have been accommodating without any extra cost. So far, it’s been a great journey.

What tips or recommendations could you share that might increase the likelihood of success with Algoworks?

Definitely, do your research. Make sure that you have a good understanding of your own business. And by doing that, if you do come across Algoworks—and I suggest you do—then they will make sure to match you to the right developer and project manager. It is really crucial that you pair up with the right persons in the company that have the right knowledge and skill sets in the area that you’re trying to get off the ground for your startup.

They have recommended me to various videos that I should have. I’m really happy that my research through Clutch served as a reliable floor, and it has been fantastic. Otherwise, it would have been really difficult for me to get this project done offshore. It’s actually made my dreams come true because I am a startup low in funds; going offshore to try to get this done and the company itself compromising on cost has been a win-win for me. I’d like to say thank you to Algoworks but to Clutch as well for being mindful of people like us.