Algoworks

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the president of a mobile app company that sends out school alerts to students, personnel, and first responders in the event of an emergency on campus.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Algoworks?

We wanted to create a workable platform so that the idea for our app could become a reality.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We had several meetings to make sure Algoworks understood what we were looking for. Their team described the process and was honest about what they could do. They designed and developed both an iOS and Android app from scratch. There are seven types of emergency notifications, and the entire school can be alerted to the location and nature of the emergency within six seconds. Their team also created a logo and chose photos for the website. 

What is the team composition?

I had one main point of contact at Algoworks.

How did you come to work with Algoworks?

I had done some research on mobile app companies and found Algoworks. We had been waiting on whether or not we could receive a provisional patent on the app, but once we did, I began interviewing companies. Of the six I interviewed, Algoworks stood out, and I decided to go with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We have invested between $25,000-$50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing relationship with Algoworks began in June 2018. The app launched in June 2019, but we are still making tweaks here and there.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Everyone who has used the app has been impressed, both with the speed of the alerts and the design. The Algoworks team did an extensive and complete job. 

How did Algoworks perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicated with Algoworks over Skype and email, and their team is very responsive. Our primary contact was phenomenal and an awesome guy to work with. Despite the time difference, their response time over Skype was under three minutes. Over email, they would respond within the day. He gives detailed responses and insight into their performance. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

What really sold me on Algoworks was their honesty. While interviewing other vendors, I found that they were more interested in telling me what they thought I wanted to hear. Algoworks told me the truth. Their team was willing to admit what parts of my idea couldn’t be done and I respected that. We were fortunate that almost everything we wanted to accomplish could be done. I didn’t want to hire a company that would tell me something could be done and then find out several thousand dollars down the line that it couldn’t. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything that they could improve on. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It’s important to say what’s on your mind. If there’s something you don’t understand, ask questions, especially if it’s a serious concern. There is a part where you’re going to have to trust in what they say, especially if you don’t know much about the software. The Algoworks team will be upfront and honest with you, even if it’s not what you would like to hear, so it’s important to do the same. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the founder of a fitness platform.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Algoworks?

I envisioned an application that is essentially four separate apps in one. I needed a development partner to make the apps tie in together from a logistical and helpfulness perspective to ensure that I could provide a full suite of services.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Algoworks initially took the time to learn more about my requirements and overall goals for the application. I eventually started working with a project manager, and we broke the work into sprints and moved forward.

The application combines traditional elements of a personal fitness coaching app with a food database, video content, and a personal progress tracking portion. Algoworks created the app for Android and iOS and included gamification features to send alerts for different achievements.

What is the team composition?

My project manager was my single point of contact, but there were 6–7 developers working on the project, as well.

How did you come to work with Algoworks?

Algoworks had high ratings and quality reviews online, so I spoke with a sales representative. I learned that they’re based locally, and after I met with a co-founder, I decided to move forward with them.

How much have you invested with them?

I spent between $40,000­–$50,000 with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from March 2018–April 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The apps are complete but have yet to be launched as we adjust some things within the iOS application to account for recent changes to Apple’s standards. Once we complete that work, I’m hopeful that we can introduce the apps in the coming weeks.

How did Algoworks perform from a project management standpoint?

They were very open in their communication. Algoworks had a good understanding of the scope and getting the app to function as I wanted. There were times when they went in a particular direction that wasn’t quite what I was considering, but they were flexible and willing to readjust to my preferences. We mostly communicated through email and our weekly progress call.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Nothing else stands out other than what I’ve already discussed.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Algoworks needed some assistance with the backend database, but I was able to recruit some colleagues in the area that could help out. Otherwise, the development process for iOS and Android went well.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It’s critical for future clients to be clear about the project requirements.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CTO of a sales and prospecting enablement platform.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Algoworks?

When we first approached Algoworks, we were looking to transition our standalone software application into Salesforce AppExchange for our customers.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement? 

Algoworks brought our software app into Salesforce AppExchange. They listened to and evaluated our needs before helping to scope out the necessary requirements. Once they laid out the statement of work (SOW), they walked us through the migration, keeping us up to date on a daily basis. Their team has since remained with us as a constant partner for outsourced development. We’re actually working with them on a new product.

What is the team composition? 

At this point, we work with about nine people. Rajesh (Full-Stack Architect, Algoworks) is our main project lead; he’s absolutely amazing. We’ve also had contact with all of the owners who are receptive to our needs.

How did you come to work with Algoworks?

I originally found Algoworks through a tech company. I had used their software and had a great deal of respect for it. When I reached out to the company’s CIO, they told me that Algoworks had largely architected the solution, so I brought them in. I then selected them from nine other vendors based on their references.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent close to $750,000 over the last four years.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in June 2015, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re very pleased with the outcome of their work. It’s become the basis for the products that we have in the marketplace, now, on several different fronts, and we’ve seen a great deal of success. 

How did Algoworks perform from a project management standpoint?

Algoworks functions as a part of our team, so what they produce needs to align with the scope of our work. They typically achieve the desired outcome within the given timeframe and budget. If they can’t, they let us know ahead of time and why.

While there is a 9.5-hour difference, it never seems to be a major factor for us. They’re incredibly responsive, and we communicate through Skype, Slack, and email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

What distinguishes Algoworks from other development firms is that we’ve only had a marginal amount of turnover over the course of our relationship. This is pretty remarkable for an offshore organization. Their team is accountable, upfront, and direct.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Like any organization dealing with an offshore team, we’ve had resources that weren’t a good fit for us. But the longer we’ve worked together, the easier it’s become for both sides to recognize and remedy those pain points early on. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

When working with an external dev team, it’s important to set clear requirements and have a good understanding of the project. External teams are incredibly effective at execution, but they require succinct guidance and direction to navigate your internal product.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of Thin Edge Consulting LLC.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Algoworks?

We were contracted by another corporation to help develop an educational platform called Spotivity. The platform is a double-sided marketplace that allows students and parents to find after-school activities. We engaged Algoworks as a technical partner bring our ideas to fruition.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Algoworks signed on to a safe, meaning they have equity in the product. They worked through ideation, creation, and implementation of the platform. The team transcribed the project’s vision and low-fidelity wireframes into iOS, Android, and web apps. They worked through a micro-iteration publication schedule of MVPs.

What is the team composition?

Our project manager was Manish (Technical Lead­–iOS Development, Algoworks). We’ve also engaged with Algoworks’s CEO and CTO.

How did you come to work with Algoworks?

We thoroughly researched vendors in the tech space and put out RFPs to fourteen companies. After a six-month review and quotation process, we selected Algoworks.

How much have you invested with them?

The original contracted amount was $80,000, with a 20% safe agreement upon the work’s completion. Due to change requests outside of the original scope, we spent a total of $120,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project began in May 2018. We launched the first iteration of the MVP in late August and then deployed the fully scoped MVP across all three platforms in February 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We are still building market share. With no active efforts on our part, organic traction has reached nearly 500 active users. My team is confident that these numbers will increase significantly once we begin our digital marketing spend in May 2019.

How did Algoworks perform from a project management standpoint?

Algoworks is incredibly responsive, despite being in a different time zone. Our teams have daily phone calls and also communicate via Skype. We use Basecamp as a project management tool.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’ve had a great working relationship. They’ve been very accommodating of scope change requests and modified contractual terms.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Algoworks is an offshore vendor, and our teams have learned a lot from each other. There are more areas for learning than for improvement. 

Any advice for potential customers?

Customers should keep in mind that they are an offshore vendor. Take the time to understand each other’s nuances and the scope of the project.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Mindful Projects is currently building a new weight loss management app that concentrates on the physics and chemistry of weight loss, beyond just counting calories. I’m a co-founder and CEO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Algoworks?

We completed part of the research and design phase with local companies, so we already had much of the overall structure in mind. We needed a team to help us program the app and redesign our website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The app allows users to track their activities and heart rate throughout the day by synching to smartwatches. The other portion of the app includes a food diary where users can customize what is tracked, including insulin levels throughout the day. We’re using Google as an interface and hooking everything up through Wear OS. Algoworgs is fine-tuning those connections and the framework of the app itself.

They’ve added clickable functionality within the food diary and moved some of the images around to improve the UI. They recently uploaded the app to Google Play and the App Store and are currently debugging and adding new features as we move into our beta phase.

What is the team composition?

A project manager is our primary point of contact. We Skype with him frequently, and he assigns tasks to the other members of his team.

How did you come to work with Algoworks?

My co-founder is in charge of the more technical aspects of our business. He found them through an online search and contacted their office in San Francisco. We interviewed them and had a good feeling about them, so we gave them a few small tasks that they excelled at. From there, we’ve given them more tasks over the course of our interaction.

How much have you invested with them?

Our current spend is between $25,000–$30,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in June 2018 and are still making improvements to the app.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our testers give us comments on the functionality of the app, and beta users have already charted positive progress toward their health goals. Feedback is great and the app is working well.

How did Algoworks perform from a project management standpoint?

I was a little nervous to work with an international company in different time zones. That’s never been an issue, and they’re always very responsive to both email and Skype. They post all of their progress in Basecamp and meet every benchmark to our standards.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They work very hard and are incredibly patient with me. If ever I have a task that I need help with, they walk me through their step-by-step process and turn each item around very quickly.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The app is very good, and we assume that they will do just as well with our website. We have no complaints; they’re doing a great job.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the managing director at ProdSpace.com. We’re a product and platform services company, providing product management services to businesses. Typically, we work with Salesforce platforms, developing custom apps and configurations for third-party apps while also handling integrations.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Algoworks?

Over the course of the engagement, Algoworks has supported us on multiple projects across numerous clients. For this particular project, our client wanted to improve the integration between Salesforce and their ERP. Our solution had to work with accounting objects (e.g., invoices, sales orders, purchase orders) as well as the product database and service teams.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

In general, Algoworks provides end-to-end DevOps while we focus on pre- and post-development processes. I usually work face-to-face with the client to capture the requirements and detail the architecture at a high level. Their team then works to meet the specs, managing the different environment types, providing QA and testing, and handling all of the migration steps involved when pushing out new or modified functionalities.

On this project, they improved the integration between the client’s Salesforce platform, ERP, and product database. For every service opportunity, there needs to be a service contract that dictates the parameters of the scope. This involves a primary assessment of the work and a quote, both of which are key parts of the sales process but are performed by service teams.

To solve this disconnect, Algoworks developed a sharing model that linked the sales process to team managers across different sectors. Now, when a salesperson creates a sales opportunity, the model will pass the information to the relevant service team manager based on their sector, location, or both. The manager can then gauge their team’s bandwidth before assigning a resource to assess the project. This information goes back to the sales team, providing them with a valid scope and quote when working with customers.

The sharing model involves a custom UI that works off of sales agreement objects in Salesforce. It’s also compatible with Service Cloud, creating cases in tandem with service opportunities.

What is the team composition?

In the beginning, we worked with two resources but have substantially ramped up since. We’re now working with a team of 12, including the managers and developers. Algoworks has assigned project managers who lead the daily scrum meetings in addition to development managers who understand how stories relate to each other and assign them to individuals.

On the development side, there are solution engineers who look at the tactical connections based on my architecture; senior and junior developers support the engineers by handling requests. For Salesforce development, they’ve also assigned specialists who focus on Apex code, Salesforce Lightning, and admin-side process builders.

How did you come to work with Algoworks?

I’d already worked with them while at a previous company and had a great experience. When I started my own business, I reached out to them directly.

How much have you invested with them?

In total, we’ve spent over $300,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in October 2016, and the relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since the initial engagement, we’ve completed about 10 projects over the past two years, many of which were on a short timetable. We’ve gone from 80–100 hours of work per month to about 800–1,000. Most of those projects were from a core group of clients; the fact that they’ve continued to return time and time again speaks volumes to the quality of Algoworks’ efforts.

How did Algoworks perform from a project management standpoint?

One of their core strengths is their accessibility and collaborative attitude. On projects like ours with detailed tech stacks, open communication is important because issues inevitably arise. Algoworks makes sure that their developers are available to chat in case they have any questions. We do demos via Skype’s screen share function and use Toggl to track their hours and tasks.

When we’re in the thick of projects, their project manager leads daily scrum meetings to keep us organized, which is essential when dealing with over 1,000 hours of work. The development managers also provide updates for each task as they’re more familiar with the client’s requests.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Algoworks stands out because they’re conscientious. Rather than looking to increase hours, they’re concerned with building good, responsible products. Whenever we reach a fork in the road, the team always opts to do what’s right and fair for the client.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, not that I can think of. I tend to be very involved, so there’s not much room to leave anything out.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of Operations for a development agency. We do software development and provide mobile application services.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Algoworks?

We were working with Salesforce and a Kentico CMS, and we weren’t equipped to handle it in-house.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We used them as a partner to support a contract we had, which involved developing a Kentico website and integrating it with Salesforce to provide event listings, membership management, and session data. They started by revamping the website and migrating it to a Kentico CMS. They then implemented the Salesforce integration.

What is the team composition?

We had three developers working on Kentico, and then a team of four or five developers for Salesforce.

How did you come to work with Algoworks?

We were referred to them by a trusted partner. They were Salesforce certified which gave us the confidence to move ahead with them.

How much have you invested in them?

We’ve spent between $50,000–$55,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working with them since November 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We haven’t had any client complaints. They’ve been confident that Algoworks has been doing well.

How did Algoworks perform from a project management standpoint?

Although we used them as a partner, they took total responsibility of everything, including project management. They were pretty good and on top of things.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The quality of their deliverables and the way they’ve handled the timeline has been amazing. They took away the pain that usually comes with outsourcing.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be clear in defining your requirements. Work closely with the team that you’re outsourcing to so that your project will be successful.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work for OpsHub, an integration and migration solution provider. We’re currently building an integration platform to connect various tools.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Algoworks?

We needed skilled developers to revamp our entire website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I worked with their project manager to describe my expectations of the website. Algoworks proposed the existing website couldn’t be enhanced, so they developed and designed a new website based on our logo and branding guidelines. They built it with an effective content architecture and gave suggestions on what type of additional content was needed. They also provide SEO services and showed us how to optimize lead generation.

Development is ongoing, despite the website going live a few weeks ago. They’re specifically in the process of developing a functionality that gives customers the ability to post comments and interact with us through a portal.

What is the team composition?

We had a project manager in the United States assigned to us. They also assigned a designer, an HTML developer, and a PHP developer.

How did you come to work with Algoworks?

I spoke with three vendors throughout the vetting process. Algoworks was recommended to my company’s founder; I was then given the contact information of the person running their U.S. office. I interviewed them and liked the initial developers they allocated to the project.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $25,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in November 2017 and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The previous website wasn’t particularly interactive and had a low number of average users. We’ve seen those numbers increase in three short weeks after going live. We work with a lot of partners and their feedback has been very positive. They like the new website because it’s easy to navigate and find specific content. We haven’t experienced any crashes so far. A few bugs occurred, but they were easily fixed.

How did Algoworks perform from a project management standpoint?

Algoworks is very well organized and having an assigned project manager is really helpful. They’re prompt and have never missed a deadline. We use Basecamp, so the project manager comes up with a plan every week for me to review. We have regular meetings to go over the work they’ve done.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Algoworks is fairly independent, so it’s been easy to work with them and get other thing done as well. They understand the whole scope of the work and the project manager efficiently breaks down tasks and assigns them to his developers.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. They couldn’t have done any better. They’re honest and reliable with all timelines.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Try to interview the project managers of any company you engage. I’d definitely attribute the success of this project to the quality of Algoworks’ project manager.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the VP of product management. Our business offers a language interpretation program based on software we've built internally.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Algoworks?

For our most recent project, we hired Algoworks for staff augmentation. They provided additional backend software engineers to support our team.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Algoworks helped us develop parts of the web-based and mobile software for our interpretation platform. It’s a form of telecommunications like Facetime for iPhone that includes audio, visual, and text components. After we gave them the blueprint of the iOS roadmap, they wrote the first line of code within a month.

The engineers specifically worked with a JavaScript framework and Swift 3 and 4 for iOS. The breakdown of their services was 40 percent iOS coding, 40 percent JavaScript coding, and 20 percent testing infrastructure. Overall, the team has been highly skilled. I only encountered difficulty with one developer. Algoworks was extremely responsive and credited my account for the three weeks he had worked. Their level of accountability was very impressive.

What is the team composition?

I've worked with six total resources from Algoworks in total. Two engineers currently work for us full-time and two provide on-demand support. We started with one resource and added more as the project progressed.

Our JavaScript/HTML/CSS engineer offers an immense value at his level of seniority. He’s fantastic. A comparable domestic developer would cost much more per hour. I just extended his contract through the end of the year and hired a new frontend developer.

How did you come to work with Algoworks?

We found Algoworks online. Their CEO gave me a great first impression when we met for coffee. Their company is based in India, but he happened to be in Silicon Valley during my search process. After interviewing several vendors, I decided they were the best match and hired them.

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent between $120,000 and $150,000 on their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Algoworks in December 2016 and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Algowork’s primary success factor is delivery. They’re responsible for creating a product that requires advanced technical skills. I appreciate their willingness to interface daily. They're not shy about video conferencing on Zoom. I consider them (especially the JavaScript engineer) members of my team, not just remote consultants.

I've been working with large offshore contractors for a long time. Usually, these vendors have a pool of 200-300 resources, and only 20 percent are skilled. That’s not the case with Algoworks. Their high staff retention rate is especially notable. Our dedicated engineers have worked there for 7-11 years.

Their CEO is exceptional. He's kind, personable, and lives conveniently close to our office. Even if my project is a relatively small one, they value my business and always make time for me. Their consistent support and consideration is a major impetus to keep hiring them.

How did Algoworks perform from a project management standpoint?

We work on an hourly rather than a project basis and conduct project management internally. But if we have any kind of issues, my project lead will take over and handle anything from staffing to billable hours to technical discussion.

I have worked with three project/product leads so far and they have all been great. I like the engineers to feel like a part of our team. We use JIRA for task management and bug reporting, communication takes place on Zoom and Slack, and we use GitHub for code review.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I strongly value the engineers' attitude and ability to learn. Even the engineer who underperformed technically had a great personality. In 2018, software development is a common skill, so those factors are important to me.

Are there any areas they could improve?

As with all developers, they should transition from Windows to Mac. I’d also suggest having dedicated meeting rooms specifically for the engineers.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the founder of a company that is developing a camera app for recording.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Algoworks?

We had an idea of what we wanted, but we needed a company with expertise in app development to build the app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

After we discussed the concept with them, they developed the app that uses phone cameras for recording. It's an Android app that has a cloud storage component and a Firebase backend. The data itself is stored on a cloud service. They also helped us launch the app on the Play Store. 

What is the team composition?

We worked directly with four or five of their team members: a project manager, a business relations contact, a designer, and the development team. There were also people working on our project behind the scenes.

How did you come to work with them?

I was looking for developers on AppFutura and read other reviews. Algoworks had a lot of experience, so I chose them.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $10,000 and $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in April 2016 and the project was completed in March 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The app was successfully launched and met all the technical requirements. We're in the process of getting feedback on the app, so it's an evolving project. When there were bugs, they put an extra effort in addressing them immediately.

The customers who have used the app report that it works properly and they like the look and feel of it.

How did they perform from a project management standpoint?

We had weekly meetings and they regularly updated me on the progress. We used Basecamp, Skype, and email to communicate.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were very thorough and resolved all the issues right away. They made sure the app met all of our expectations.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don't think so. Everything went as I had expected.