Algoworks

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of Applicable Data, a Marketing Cloud consulting company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Algoworks?

I needed help with Salesforce Marketing Cloud integration.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Algoworks is integrating third-party platforms into Salesforce CRM and/or Marketing Cloud for us.

What is the team composition?

I work with 7–8 teammates, including technical program managers, developers, and directors.

How did you come to work with Algoworks?

Another partner in this community recommended them to me. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them in September 2018, and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their work has been completed on time and the integrations have been done correctly.

How did Algoworks perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re transparent, and they deliver. The communication has always been good, except for one instance, but that’s an outlier.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’m working with the same people on the same projects, so we’ve developed a rapport, which has been valuable.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, not that I can think of. The only thing would be that they’re in India and we’re in California, so if we could make it work on my hours, that would be great, but I’m nitpicking.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure you have a project manager to fully work with them. Someone needs to be available to get back to Algoworks in a timely manner.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO and founder of RideApp LLC. We have a mobile application that connects people traveling to the same destination at the same time on the same days.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Algoworks?

I needed developers to translate my thoughts into a product.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Algoworks designed and developed our mobile app for Android and iOS. Their team wrote the code and built the software. They’re currently fixing bugs. Eventually, I’d like them to develop our website.

What is the team composition?

I collaborated with probably 3–4 different people but their team’s much larger.

How did you come to work with Algoworks?

I found them via the internet. Algoworks was a top-rated company.

How much have you invested with them?

I invested about $20,000 in their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked on this project between November 2019–April 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The quality of their work was better than I expected. Algoworks built the app well.

How did Algoworks perform from a project management standpoint?

Algoworks met the deadlines that we set. We mainly communicated via Skype and Basecamp. Their team was generally communicative.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was most impressed by their ability to go above and beyond. Their team made my ideas a little better.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they were a solid team.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

My advice isn’t specific to Algoworks. Know exactly how you want to run the project from A–Z. I missed aspects of the project, and Algoworks guided me through the process.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of My Job Angel, a job search app. It’s meant to make it 50% faster and easier for the job hunter.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Algoworks?

I needed someone to develop an iOS app and provide web consulting for when we transform the mobile app into a web app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They’re developing our iOS app and consulting with us on a future web app we plan to do. When we’re doing our WordPress website and need additional development, they’ll be able to bring WordPress experts to help write plugins and other special code to amplify the power of WordPress. They will help with future apps as well.

My background is in software development. I’m familiar with the process and I carried that into my relationship with Algoworks. We create user stories that are very detailed and specific. They’re able to review them with me and translate them into actual coded functionality.

What is the team composition?

I work with Manish (Project Delivery Manager) and two other people.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $10,000-$25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in October 2019 and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The metric of success is how well the team understands and interprets the user stories and delivers code that reflects those user stories in a reliable way. They deliver the right functionality the first time at a very high accuracy level. They’re also very flexible and eager to make any changes that we want, as many times as we need to make sure it reflects what we envisioned.

They’re a very professional team that’s dedicated to delivering code that meets the client’s expectations. They have the ability to pull experts from different areas as needed, which is a big advantage we’ve used several times.

How did Algoworks perform from a project management standpoint?

They deliver on time and on budget, in addition to being very honest and trustworthy. They’re also very reachable and responsive. Sometimes, I give them a change overnight and when I wake up, the code is changed already. That’s very rare.

They use project management software very well, meaning they adhere to the way the software works. This is important because, when you are coordinating remotely, it’s not always possible to say everything that you mean to do in just the call. You need to have another direct way of coordinating the development. If you use a tool and everybody uses it the way it’s meant to be used, then we can work together very well. The Algoworks’ team adheres to the software and they review it carefully. It’s easy to collaborate with them.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re devoted to making their customers happy.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There are a few minor issues. Sometimes the developers may be tied up with other projects and you get a little lag in some areas. If you’re not using them very much, they’re going to rightfully redeploy the resources to another project. If you suddenly need them, however, it may be a day or two before they can redeploy resources to help you. If you don’t want any lag and you have enough work for them, the right thing to do is to have them on retainer so they’re always ready for you.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Plan ahead. If you’re going to have periods of lull, plan to have a week or so of reactivation. Tell them what you need but don’t expect them to be immediately available because they’ll be working on other projects for other customers.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of product development at Total ABA, a Salesforce SaaS that serves therapists and clinics.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Algoworks?

We’re a very small company. Before we reached out to Algoworks, 80% of our products were written by one developer. We started experiencing rapid growth and needed to get features out, quickly. As we brought on more projects, we needed a scalable development team that could provide however many resources we needed.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Algoworks has taken on everything between small and major projects. In one instance, they created our entire payroll system and integrated it into our main product. They assisted in its architecture and deployment. I typically provide the specifications and general architecture before handing it over to them for development.

What is the team composition?

I’m currently working with two developers. I can reach out to their management team at any point if I need additional resources.

How did you come to work with Algoworks?

We had a previous offshore developer that wasn’t quite fitting our needs; they weren’t as scalable or flexible as we wanted. While I can’t recall exactly how we met, I remember that the initial presentation they gave us was very professional and thorough.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent somewhere around $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The engagement began in March 2019 and is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

While I don’t have metrics off the top of my head, I can honestly say that they’ve always delivered on time. Our release cycles have sped up tremendously since they came on with us. We’re doing a release every couple of months now, as opposed to semi-annually, which was the case with our previous developer.

How did Algoworks perform from a project management standpoint?

We utilize Jira, and they maintain great communication. We have scrum meetings twice a week.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I don’t need to provide them with an extensive briefing or a drawn-out architecture before they’re able to think of a solution. I’ve worked with previous companies who struggled with nailing the specs, but with Algoworks, I can expect that they’ll follow the specifications perfectly.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’m a big fan of feedback, and while our meetings are bi-weekly, I could appreciate touching base maybe on a daily basis.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure to provide positive feedback, especially to the developers’ superiors, so that they’re looped in about all of their significant contributions. That way, you can make sure they get the recognition they need.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president of a dental and orthodontic solution firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Algoworks?

I wanted to make an app to simplify the process of taking orthodontic photos, like dental photos, with a specific resolution and quality of pictures. I had a specific idea on the resolution and how the pictures should be taken, and a template that would work, and how it should be automated. I hired Algoworks to develop the app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The app is comprised of a template and an overlay. Users can take photos and final processing of the photos are automated. Their database, flow, and security are excellent, particularly since they have to follow health information laws.

They developed separately for iOS and Android. We use Stripe for payments, Twilio for ATP, and  AWS for encryption.

What is the team composition?

There were about 8 people in total, and I was often in touch with Manish (Project delivery Manager) who was great and ultimately delivered on the project and beyond. There were individuals in charge of iOS code and Android code.  

When we initially started, there was another person focused on the flow, design, and colors in the app.  Vignesh (Senior Software Engineer), regularly explained back- and frontend flow and concepts to me so that I understand what's going on; he also made sure things worked.

How did you come to work with Algoworks?

I found them reading the reviews on Clutch.

How much have you invested with them?

I’ve spent about $22,000. They stuck to the original estimate.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project lasted from July 2019–February 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It’s on the App Store and Google Play. Their deliverables are great. I know how to take dental photos, and it’s very nuanced, so I wanted very specific features, and they were able to execute my vision.

They tried very hard to stick to the payment estimate. I’ve consulted with other companies, and no one else promised to stick to their estimate. I was really impressed by them.

How did Algoworks perform from a project management standpoint?

Obviously, I would meet with them together, but I worked with them individually for specific tasks. They would share their screen to figure out the details.

We used a project management software that helped us share work, and I could respond directly through the platform. We often talked over Skype to make sure everything was right. They were very flexible when it came to communication and would listen to what I had to say.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They showed integrity, they delivered, and when things got hard, they figured out a way to make it happen. They made an effort to ensure I got the resolution that I wanted. I also felt like I could trust the group, and that their biggest strength.

Are there any areas they could improve?

As it pertains to US customers: stay up to date on US's evolving laws on data security, particularly health information and privacy regulations.  This way US customers know Algoworks is thinking ahead and has their back.

They go out of their way to deliver what the customer wants, but they should assume that the customer doesn’t understand the nuances of technology like they do.  When applicable, maybe once project specifications have been defined, have a brainstorm session with customers about "why" and "how" some things can be simplified.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

As an American, study the laws specific to your project and how you want to set up the app, send it to the app store, and collect payment.  Start with the end in mind.  Simplify the project as much as you can.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the lead of software development for a sales enablement platform.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Algoworks?

We offer a couple of products to the market. One was built by us back in 2015, and it was primarily a marketing and sales collaboration tool. As we grew, we were looking for a digital transformation. 

We decided to build a CRM product for the distribution sales reps. We wanted it to be built on Salesforce since we have an OEM partnership with them. We needed an expert consulting and development partner to work with us on building our product.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Before we started, we had all the documents, wireframes, and designs. The only part that wasn’t completed was the Salesforce side of it. We took care of the design, and Algoworks took it from there as far as development, testing, and delivery. 

We continue to use them to maintain the product. It started out as one initial project that lasted six months but, after that, it transformed into many other projects with varying levels of engagement. 

What is the team composition?

Currently, we have about six people working with us. We’ve worked with an architect, a project manager, a tester, two mobile developers, and two Salesforce developers. At times we’ve utilized their designers because we needed some help. Other times, we’ve reduced the capacity. 

How did you come to work with Algoworks?

We were given a few references. We had an initial engagement with Algoworks that lasted about a month. They had a pretty good team of mobile developers and Salesforce experts which is exactly what we were looking for. They are one of the certified Salesforce development consultancies. We also had a few good references from other startups and other companies.

How much have you invested with them?

So far, we’ve spent $170,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in September 2018, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our customer feedback has been good. I give them the highest marks for the work they’ve done because it’s been excellent. We consider them strategic partners too.

How did Algoworks perform from a project management standpoint?

We handle the project management, and we use Jira to communicate. Algoworks is very professional in terms of maintaining and giving us regular updates.

What did you find most impressive about them?

One thing that differentiates Algoworks from the various development companies I’ve worked with is the variety of experience that they have. Some people do just mobile development or just Salesforce. 

Algoworks offers a full stack of engineers and a variety of experts in Salesforce, mobile development, web development, and ASP.net, among others. We can rely on them to pull more resources as needed, which we like. The team also has very good designers and testers. They offer the full package.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We haven’t faced any great delays but one thing that they could improve on is vetting out and fully analyzing the project a little better. Other than that, I give them top marks. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you’re looking to build a product and you have a pretty good idea of what you want, I recommend working with Algoworks. Have very good documentation and be ready with all your ideas, and they will make your vision a reality.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a fintech startup working in the mortgage space. We are bringing a new and affordable way for people to buy a home.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Algoworks?

We are a digital-led business, so we needed a case management and origination management system to handle all the applications. We have a tech team in-house but they are not Salesforce developers.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We outsourced the whole development of this platform to Algoworks, and they did it from scratch. The team configured our setup within Salesforce and integrated it to both our website on the frontend and all of our data services on the backend.

What is the team composition?

The developer who was managing the project has now left, but there was one teammate we coordinated with. In the earlier stages, we worked with at least 3–4 people, and later on, we had a team of 2–3 individuals.

How did you come to work with Algoworks?

We looked at a couple of options. The initial contact was through a referral who was a friend of a friend. We felt that Algoworks had a reasonably good setup and would at least be able to deliver something.

How much have you invested in them?

This project cost about £25,000 (approximately $32,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them from April 2019–April 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We haven’t really been able to begin using the system because of everything that is going on. It’s built, but we don’t have concrete data on how much our end users prefer it yet. 

From our perspective, we are happy with it. The design of the platform itself is much more feature-heavy than what we had before.

How did Algoworks perform from a project management standpoint?

We set up a project management software and we use Azure DevOps internally. Algoworks was quite flexible in terms of adopting the tools that we wanted to use. 

I’m not sure if in their normal engagements they use their own tools, but because the rest of our platform was on Azure DevOps, it made sense to use it as a repository and as our issue and backlog tool to manage the whole project.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They are a relatively large organization so even though it was quite a long project, we didn’t want to end up in a situation where things would change on our partner’s side halfway through. So if people left, there was enough debt in the team that they could keep it moving at a decent pace.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Overall, one area where we would’ve preferred to see a bit more development and progress was on the documentation side, both in the code but also just writing specifications of what was built.

We also would’ve liked a comprehensive README so that as our team changes and future people come to maintain it, everyone knows what is going on.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Generally, try and really get down to the basics of what the requirements are as early as possible, and try to get a working version. Otherwise, you can end up spending months on nice-to-have features. 

I wouldn’t say our domain is massively complicated, but we are a financial services business taking loan applications, so it is relatively standard, but there is nuance in everything. We still had to give all the insight into what the Salesforce site should be doing. 

The client has to enter the engagement with a really clear idea of exactly what is needed. I don’t think you can go in with a high-level version of what you are looking to achieve and expect at least the best version of what they can design.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of The ‘it’ app Communications Ltd. We created Pubit— a social search engine and free real-time advertising website and application. We’re located in Dublin, Ireland.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Algoworks?

We needed to develop our app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Algoworks developed my app for iOS and Android. First, they directed the design stage. Their team created the wireframes, which featured a lot of screens. We went back and forth over a few weeks.

Then, their team developed the platform, which took much longer. We worked together over a period of three months. They worked with our website developer with regard to the interface and backend. I added more and more features, and their team made the requested changes to the platform.

In the last phase, Algoworks tested the app, which was followed by the launch.

What is the team composition?

I worked with Manish (Project Delivery Manager) who had a team of roughly eight people at one stage. The team included iOS, Android, frontend, and backend developers as well as designers.

How did you come to work with Algoworks?

I first came in contact with Algoworks when I was in Los Angeles. I read reviews and then contacted their division in India. We went from there. I gave a brief to a salesman who came back with ideas that I liked. It was easy to get to a place that we could tweak later in the project.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent more than $50,000 on the project at this point. We set a payment structure based on milestones. Initially, the project included five milestones but that turned into eight.

What is the status of this engagement?

We had our first call in January 2019 and launched the app in December 2019. I’m still working with them at present to add more features. I expect to finish this project at the end of April 2020, but I’ll work with them in the future.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The app’s polished and everyone’s happy with it. The designs and functionality are professional. We conducted lots of tests and the app had bugs, but that’s what happens with this type of project.

How did Algoworks perform from a project management standpoint?

We used Basecamp to share updates and documents. Algoworks established a good relationship with my website developer, which made the engagement easy.

We had around one video call a week during the design phase. That’s how we managed most of our communication. They’re in India, which is ahead of my time zone. I could text them in the evening and get a reply the next morning.

We had a strong deadline of December 11th, 2019. I contacted them all the time during the last few weeks of the project. There was a lot of testing as well as back and forth to get the app right. They were there to help, and we finished the project.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their willingness to listen, execute, and provide feedback was most impressive. Algoworks also made changes at not much cost. There are expenses for changing the scope, but I can’t complain about that.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s always room for improvement, but I was happy for the duration of the project. They got the app over the line and I got great support when I needed it.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Get their delivery manager onboard and build a relationship with him. Also, get to know the people on their team. All communication was CC’d, but I didn’t have to go through the project manager for everything.

I’d also advise recording all of the changes. This will be beneficial at the end of the project because extras and variations cause the biggest to-and-fros between people.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the owner of HOOBI, an application.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Algoworks?

We were looking for someone who could develop our application.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Algoworks built our application. The app was developed for Android and iPhone.

What is the team composition?

There was a team of five people who worked on the project. We had a project manager from their side as well, and he was a perfect manager for the project.

How did you come to work with Algoworks?

We found Algoworks online. I was searching for a development team and came across Algoworks.

How much have you invested in them?

It was between $30,000–$35,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

They worked on the application from May–December 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The app has been interesting to people, especially when we started here in Iraq. In my opinion, it has been successful. We have had more than 1,000 downloads of the application.

How did Algoworks perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicated via email and phone conferences through Skype. We also used Basecamp. Our project manager was Manish (Project Delivery Manager). He was very patient with me and very helpful.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We're looking forward to working with Algoworks in the future to upgrade the app and add some new features and services.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of Infinity & Co. We’re a team of professional photographers who provide stylized product images for various brands. We usually work with beauty brands in the direct selling and multi-level marketing industry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Algoworks?

We were previously on a different platform providing our subscription services and our photos. We decided that we needed to own the technology in which we provide our photos. That’s when we got ahold of Algoworks. We wanted them to create an app that was easily accessible for our subscribers trying to access our content.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They developed a native iOS/Android mobile app from scratch using Swift. We provided a few mockups of what they wanted, but they built the rest. We wanted a really easy UI, so people from all demographics could use this service.

Through our admin panel, we can add our photographic content. We’re able to rake photos with keywords, because within our app, there is a search feature. We can also create categories and add product photos within those categories. When users view the photo library within the app, everything is beautifully categorized by product category.

Another part of our service, they’re  able to add a personal watermark in the app before posting to social media platforms. Otherwise, anyone else could use the photo. They can also upload their own PNG to be applied to the photo as a watermark.

We also offer multiple cropping options for social media use, so they fit the platform specifically, like Instagram stories. Then they can save to their camera roll or post directly to social media.

Now we’re looking to implement additional features.

What is the team composition?

We had a primary point of contact for our project, Manish (Project Delivery Manager). I think we have a total of around ten other people working on the project.

How did you come to work with Algoworks?

We Googled top app developers and reached out to them and one other company. They responded to us very quickly and they seemed more personal than the other company we considered. They were easy to communicate with and were friendly.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $26,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in December 2019 and we continue to work together.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Right upon launching, our users were able to use the platform. The UI is easy to use and navigate. We’re also very satisfied with the way the admin panel and app itself functions. All around, it does exactly what we need it to do. It will help us scale and grow our business.

How did Algoworks perform from a project management standpoint?

We use a group chat in Skype and I’ve used Basecamp, so I can upload documents and communicate their as well. As far as communication goes, they’re the best partners we’ve had. We’re working with an 11-and-a-half-hour time difference, but it’s been incredible. They’re so efficient, they communicate well, and they always meet deadlines. They’re great to work with.

Each person on their team works on a different aspect of the app, so we’re able to connect with anyone to deal with that. When the time came down to anything, we were in contact with the person. Their communication and efficiency helped guide us through the project.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Communication is the biggest thing that stands out. We’re able to connect with them quickly and let them know of anything that comes up. We feel that we’re important to them. They’re the pros, and we rely on their assistance, so it’s very important that we can connect with them. They're very patient and friendly. We can tell that they want our project to be successful.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think so.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Don’t be afraid to ask questions because they’re always there to give you the answers you need.