AppEvolve

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO of Global Experts Accelerator

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We provide business strategy, eLearning solutions and assessment software to small business owners.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire AppEvolve to accomplish?

• Assist with managing our two software applications after the original programmer disappeared without notice.
• Address problems with some spaghetti code and some puzzling bugs.
• Maintain both applications long term and provide needed programming enhancements.

SOLUTION

How did you find AppEvolve?

Online Search

Why did you select AppEvolve over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Incredibly responsive and professional

How many teammates from AppEvolve were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Working with AppEvolve has been an absolute pleasure and far beyond our every expectation. We hired Jason and his team nearly 2 years ago when our original programmer disappeared and left us in a precarious situation with our two SaaS companies. Within hours of signing the service agreement, the team was able to access our servers, assess the code and quickly address the issues that arose in the first 24 hours. They made sense of some spaghetti code and puzzling bugs resulting from our previous programmer. 

In addition to getting us up in break-neck speed, they were also incredibly professional, super responsive and extremely encouraging during a very stressful and difficult time. After securing both applications and multiple email servers, we happily entered into a monthly contract. The communication with the support team has been exceptional, with every issues addressed quickly and efficiently. As we worked to enhance the application and developed new features, their attention to the user experience and automating maintenance tasks saved my tech and customer service team time and headaches, thereby reducing our cost of maintenance on our end. 

We recently sold one of our applications to a buyer wanting “zero down time” in the transfer of the app. Patrick and his team were incredibly helpful in devising a strategy to keep the buyer happy and our expenses down. Again, during what could be a stressful time, they ensured the process went smoothly – keeping everyone happy. AppEvolve continues to support our remaining SaaS with the same stellar service and positive interactions. The team are really good people and care about our success. They are communicative and organized, and his developers deliver solid work.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

They quickly made sense of the previous programmers code, addressed issues and have had us up and running ever since with no down time. In the area of development, the team has been incredibly helpful in automating manual tasks and streamlining the UX. Customer service and responsiveness has been stellar.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Our contact person has been responsive, friendly and professional. They delivered on time and have been very responsive to our needs.

What was your primary form of communication with AppEvolve?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

When we were in a precarious situation and needed to find a new programming team fast - they were on it immediately and very empathetic to our serious situation. Within hours of signing the service agreement, the team was on it and had us up and running smoothly within hours of accessing the code. Truly impressive!

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

Documenting decisions and discussions from our virtual meetings. Our assigned project manager now does this.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Account Manager of an advertising & marketing company

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are a full-service marketing agency.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire AppEvolve to accomplish?

• Develop a client website

SOLUTION

How did you find AppEvolve?

Referral

Why did you select AppEvolve over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost

How many teammates from AppEvolve were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Simplify navigation and user journey, organize the site’s internal management for ease of use and legitimate connection to 3rd party softwares, and full development of a custom Wordpress site.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We are still working to wrap this project, but anticipate a much more seamless user journey throughout the site. In return, we hope to see increased leads and customer engagement.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

The team at AppEvolve has been wonderful to work with! Due to several delays and project shifts, we've had to adjust our development schedule quite a bit. AppEvolve is always willing to accomodate, but what I really appreciate is their clear communication and transparency around how these changes may result in longer turnaround times from their team. 

Knowing how our decisions directly affect the development process has been extremely helpful in communicating with our client for timely feedback. The Account Managers at AppEvolve are also super organized, showing up to each touch-base meeting prepared and ready to discuss steps forward. Overall, we would recommend them for web development projects in the future!

What was your primary form of communication with AppEvolve?

Email or Messaging App

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

The amount of direct communication we receive. I've worked with development companies in the past and it can be challenging to get through to a team, or see updates made in a timely manner.

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

The only note that I'd make is that sometimes our packaged design files were not directly translated into development. These were simple enough to fix, but just to avoid multiple reviews, making sure designs are mirrored exactly as packaged would make the process even easier!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Co-CEO of MarketizeIt

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Boutique appointment setting call center

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire AppEvolve to accomplish?

• AWS setup and management
• Dashboard
• API Application development

SOLUTION

How did you find AppEvolve?

Online Search

Why did you select AppEvolve over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from AppEvolve were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Jason and the Appevolve team have done a great job for us. They have been an ongoing partner for us for almost 3 years and have helped us with a more modern setup and framework. Everything we built ourselves was in php and Jason and his team came in and helped us rebuild everything.

From there we have built dashboards to help us internally, they have connected our work with our other partners' via API build and setup - and now they are moving us into AI applications and assessments for our future plans.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We defined what it meant for the project to be completed and live. We are always given a date by AppEvolve and they hit that target date for completion consistently.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

They communicate very well and their response times are thorough and fast.

What was your primary form of communication with AppEvolve?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

They were tech-forward and competent; they related to our company's needs and vision.

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

Not that I can think of - they have been very consistent.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of a company that provides a wide range of technology solutions. We’re a B2B firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with DjangoForce, LLC?

Our main challenge was twofold. The first part was finding Salesforce.com experts, specifically for Force.com. The second part was finding a partner that could communicate directly with our clients without needing substantial support. We found it easy to find deep solutions for cloud technologies, but difficult to find effective communicators.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

As the partnership developed, the initial scope of work for DjangoForce, LLC grew. First, their team performed minor adjustments to Salesforce.com such as adding fields and executing data analytics for one of our clients. The engagement was successful, which led to us to expand their responsibilities to include an application development project. They built a loan document process application in Force.com. We’re currently in post-conversion support mode. Their team resolves any bugs and implements any new requirements.

What is the team composition?

The size of the team fluctuates. The minimum number of teammates we’ve worked with has been two and the maximum has been between 4­–5. Our primary liaison is Patrick (managing partner, DjangoForce, LLC), who’s a developer. The rest of the team performs more technical roles.

How did you come to work with DjangoForce, LLC?

We found DjangoForce, LLC through Google searches. We read online reviews, but the deciding factor was the amount of follow up we received. They were able to communicate one-on-one with a command of the English language. Their goals aligned with our own: making sure the client came first. DjangoForce, LLC planned to exceed expectations as well as communicate clearly along the way.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $50,000–$100,000 throughout our engagement.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began our collaboration in May 2018, and it’s ongoing. The work for a big application is never over so they continue to handle any bug issues or adjustments to the platform.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We don’t have specific numbers, but everything’s working. Everyone’s expectations have been exceeded. It’s rare to deliver a project for a third-party client and have everyone end up happy. As the technology implementation partner, I’m happy. The client is extremely happy. We received a call yesterday during which they said there were no issues; this is rare for an application.

How did DjangoForce, LLC perform from a project management standpoint?

The project didn’t follow a rigid software development cycle. We didn’t have traceable requirements. Rather, we gave them a direction for the platform and monitored progress.

Their team communicates well. When necessary, we held one-off video conferences via Zoom. We mostly communicated via Skype and email. They’re in communication with the end client every 2–3 days and with us once or twice a week.

What did you find most impressive about them?

DjangoForce, LLC combines great communication with technical abilities, which is rare. Their team works with a tough client who wasn’t great at communicating but DjangeForce, LLC has been persistent to deliver quality results. They’re also good listeners.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think there are huge areas for improvement. It’s human nature to want things done quicker and cheaper. Their team was faster and added more value than any other developer we’ve worked with.  

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Communicate your expectations. Reciprocate their open communication so that their and the client’s expectations are set.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the founder and CEO of a medical education company that creates educational tools for medical students and internal medicine residents.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire DjangoForce, LLC?

I hired DjangoForce, LLC to create the web, iOS, and Android applications, along with a website.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to complete the project by May 2019 in order to start marketing and selling subscriptions. 

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I interviewed a managing partner on Upwork. At the time, they had strong reviews on Upwork and seemed confident in their ability to complete the task within budget and on time.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

I hired them to develop a client-facing question-and-answer bank where medical professionals could test their knowledge and learn clinical concepts. They claimed to understand the scope of the project and projected a cost of $31,500. However, DjangoForce, LLC has not finished the project, even after charging us $52,277.

What was the team composition?

I worked with a managing partner, a project manager, and a developer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

They project was set to conclude in May 2019. Residency programs begin in July and often purchase educational tools before the academic year begins. Since DjangoForce, LLC did not complete the project on time, I lost more than a month of potential marketing and sales. We haven't been able to use those funds for marketing, sales, or hiring. My whole business has halted until this issue is resolved.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Their project management was ineffective at best and fraudulent at worst. My project manager sent Excel documents each week that outlined the remaining tasks and budget. DjangoForce, LLC claimed they could complete the project on time, but they currently refuse to do so. 

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I have been impressed by nothing. 

Are there any areas for improvement?

Yes, there are many areas for improvement.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the CEO and owner of OREP, an organization that provides insurance to real estate professionals.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire DjangoForce, LLC?

We hired them to build an IT portal that would integrate with our CRM database.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal was to have a working solution that makes our business more efficient and integrates with our CRM database.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We interviewed them on Upwork. We selected DJangoForce, LLC because they represented themselves as skilled and experienced developers who had a track record of bringing projects in on budget and within schedule. We furnished an extremely detailed and thought-through scope of work which they reviewed and accepted. 

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

The project is a client-facing, online insurance premium quoting system with database integration. They were responsible for Python, SQL, and Django development. They assured us that they understood and were capable of building what we needed within the budget they proposed. We accepted. 

Their estimate to complete the project was between $56,700–$83,160 within 4–6 months. To date, we have spent $95,000 and have only a partially functioning product. 

What was the team composition?

I worked with Patrick Falvey (Managing Partner, DjangoForce, LLC), Jason Martin (Managing Partner, DjangoForce, LLC), and Richie Ward.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

How did your relationship with the vendor evolve?

We are currently in a very serious dispute with DJangoForce, LLC. We are out many tens of thousands of dollars with only a partially completed product in hand. We are considering, and probably will pursue, litigation to recover our losses. Let me say also that, in 25 years of business, I have never had a dispute that I could not resolve amicably; never sued anyone nor been sued—until now. 

Regarding the quoting system, they refused to deliver and install it or even transfer the code to our server when we requested unless we paid them additional money at their hourly rate; this is after paying them $95,000. Eventually they did transfer the code for free, but only after we brought an attorney into the process. However, we are having to pay our own technicians to get the quoting system to function on our servers, and it is not complete. Regarding the integration with our database, they were simply unable to deliver it. 

How did DjangoForce, LLC address the challenges that arose?

When I inquired about the cost and time overrun some months ago, we were told they had hit a snag(s) with the integration, and that was why the project was late and over budget. At that time, on two calls that I was personally involved in, we were assured that they had resolved it and that the project would be completed “next week” (in their own words). At one point, this was used as a reason for us to authorize additional payments. We accepted the overrun explanation and paid the additional monies. 

Shortly thereafter, for the first and only time, they asked for additional money for what I consider to be minor changes of scope of work; we agreed and paid. Then, right before another deadline for the completion of the project, we were informed that the integration development was still not functioning properly and that they would do no more work on it without more payment (hourly billing). 

To refresh, we had paid $95,000 for a project budgeted at between $56,700–$83,160 with no functioning product delivered. This has been their pattern for six months. This is where and why our relationship broke down. 

Describe the impact this engagement has had on your business.

The bottom line: I can only conclude that we were oversold on their abilities initially, but much worse, on the incremental progress they claimed to be making as we were asked to pay more and more. It was always, “we’ve made it work, and we’re on the five yard line.” But we were not even at mid-field. Still we believed, and paid more with nothing to show. In a phone conference in which I was present, they told us that our project would be a “waste of time” for them. 

We are reasonable people. I attest that this accounting is a careful and accurate summary of our interaction with DJangoForce, LLC on this project. Selecting developers to build your web portal, IT project, or CRM integration is a big decision. We advise proceeding with great caution.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

It was poor and ineffective management. DJangoForce, LLC claims that they have provided hundreds of “unbilled” hours on this project, which led to their unwillingness to finish the project without more money. But they refused to even provide a time allocation of how they spent the hours, on which parts of the project, and more, nor did they provide an outline of what is working or not working and why. 

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Nothing was impressive. It was very disappointing.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Yes, there are.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of CrewBoss. We develop applications for the construction industry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with DjangoForce, LLC?

I needed an external company to help me create an application that could be used by residential construction companies.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

DjangoForce, LLC took the lead on platform’s frontend design. I provided a few rough sketches, but they created most of the wireframes. Then, they built out the application’s backend architecture using Django. The final product is an intuitive scheduling and communication system. In addition to providing contractors with an easy way to schedule tasks, the app automatically sends texts and email notifications to all the parties involved. This secures work confirmations and lets customers know when their contractor plans on arriving at the job site. They also developed a website to accompany the app and function as a marketing outlet.

What is the team composition?

Jason (Managing Partner, DjangoForce, LLC) acted as the project manager and UI/UX designer. They also allocated a lead developer to handle the backend architecture.

How did you come to work with DjangoForce, LLC?

I posted the project to Upwork and narrowed the applicants down to five companies. The final decision came down to a sort of design competition between DjangoForce, LLC and another firm. I hired DjangoForce, LLC per the results of the contest.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $80,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The initial phase of the project took place from May–August 2018. We’ve only recently begun beta testing the software.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

As I mentioned, we just released a beta version of the app, so most users haven’t gotten a chance to implement the technology. However, the feature requirements were fulfilled within the defined scope. DjangoForce, LLC completed all the deliverables. The interface looks excellent and I’m confident in their work.

How did DjangoForce, LLC perform from a project management standpoint?

They managed the project extremely well. Our clients are amazed they completed the app as fast as they have. They use a suite of management tools to keep everything organized, but I’m not sure of its name. The communication has been fantastic. We interact via email, phone, and Zoom video conferences. I’ve no complaints in this area.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’m pleased with the work they’ve done. They knew I had limited app development experience and their expertise made me more comfortable with the process. The project has been remarkably successful and I attend to work with them again in the future. We have a tradeshow coming up soon and I thought having a product complete in time for the event would be impossible. DjangoForce, LLC worked hard and put in the extra hours to ensure we have a compelling demo to show potential users.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could do more to outline the project’s budget and carefully adhere to it.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be concise with what you ask for and understand the scope of what the project will accomplish. That’s true when starting any engagement.

UPDATED REVIEW

The review was updated on March 14, 2019, by the client. The original star ratings were: Overall – 5, Quality – 5, Schedule – 5, Cost – 5, NPS – 5. New content is below:

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the founder of Crewboss, a scheduling application primarily for the construction industry.

What challenge were you trying to address with DjangoForce, LLC?

The construction industry has been behind the curve with technology. Many contractors and subcontractors still used paper calendars and whiteboards. I wanted to create an affordable and user-friendly scheduling application for small- and medium-sized contractors.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We were still in the design phase last year. Since then, we finished beta testing and launched the completed app in early 2019 at a major industry event. The team did a big push and refined the app leading up to the launch.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve now spent close to $160,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

This engagement is an ongoing process and I plan to use DjangoForce, LLC for the foreseeable future.

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

We sold subscriptions at the event and generated a decent-sized list, although not as large as I had hoped. Nonetheless, the app received positive feedback from industry stakeholders. I expect marketing efforts will help generate a solid user base.

How did DjangoForce, LLC perform from a project management standpoint?

I interacted with Göran more than Jason (Managing Partner, DjangoForce, LLC) as the engagement progressed through functionality development. Their regularly-scheduled meetings, responsive service, and constant availability created a good working relationship. Göran and Jason have performed equally well, addressing all questions, ideas, and needed changes. Göran now serves as project manager.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The partnership is successful because Göran (CTO, DjangoForce, LLC) took the lead on feature development and intuitively understood where the solution needed to go.

Are there any areas they could improve?

For the layout, the blueprint for the project’s flow could have been better, especially for setting deadlines and milestones. We also could work with a more finite budget. However, some of these things are my fault as well.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Clients should communicate their set objectives and goals clearly. Detailed information helps them stay on track for the duration of the project.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president and founder of Brew Culture Inc., a wholesale distributor of hops from growers around the globe. We supply craft breweries, wineries, cideries, and distilleries across Canada and the U.S. We also distribute industry specific brewing aids, cleaning solutions, and equipment.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with DjangoForce?

We were looking for a partner to help us develop a customized portal for our customers.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They’ve performed high-level integrations between our inventory platform (TradeGecko) and our Salesforce organization, as well as automated several tasks within Salesforce. They’re currently developing the e-commerce website. They also recently created a customized portal for our customers on the Django platform.

What is the team composition?

The managing partner is our main point of contact. We also work with another managing partner who handles the design side of things. They have several developers who work under them.

How did you come to work with DjangoForce?

We posted about our project and development needs online and their team contacted us through the website.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested about $70,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in December 2016 and launched in May 2017. The relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The quality has been decent. It’s a bit too early to tell what kind of conversions we’re getting and we haven’t gathered any statistics. Overall, the feedback has been good. About 60% of users are happy with the portal, but 40% have some issues with usability. They’re still working out the kinks.

How did DjangoForce perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve been pretty good with managing the project. We don’t use any specific project management tools. We typically communicate through email and phone calls. They’re always fairly responsive.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re good at understanding our business and what we need—there’s a personal touch to their approach.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could’ve implemented more testing in the beginning, but this was partially our fault. Small issues have come up here or there with the site (e.g., usability, workflow), but they’ve resolved most of them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I would advise more QA testing in the beginning and to not rush it. You might want to get the product rolled out quickly, but it’s important to take your time. This goes for working with any development team.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CFO of Jungo Sports

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Jungo Sports is a mobile app based ecosystem providing youth athletes the connectivity to the soccer world and development they need to move to the next level.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire AppEvolve to accomplish?

• Stabilize current app
• Develop new features
• Scale backend DB for growth

SOLUTION

How did you find AppEvolve?

• Online Search
• Referral

Why did you select AppEvolve over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost

How many teammates from AppEvolve were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

AppEvolve provided the team and know how to stabilize our current app, developed a lot of new functionality and helped us grow our backend capability to scale for new users.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Yep, the app works on Android and iOS with all the new features.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Yes

What was your primary form of communication with AppEvolve?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

We were most impressed with their good communication.

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

None

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Founder, CEO of CrewBoss

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

CrewBoss is a scheduling app for the construction industry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire AppEvolve to accomplish?

Build a scheduling app to my specifications

SOLUTION

How did you find AppEvolve?

• Online Search
• Upwork

Why did you select AppEvolve over others?

I created a design contest between Appevolve and my other finalist.

How many teammates from AppEvolve were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Appevolve built a scheduling app which communicates requested dates for construction work and requests verification from all parties. It also tracks progress for a construction project monitoring the buffer burn rate to allow participants to stay updated on realistic completion dates.

The main requirement was simplicity for non-tech construction personnel. Appevolve provided overall UX/UI design, backend development, and marketing materials.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We developed project milestones and worked through completion of the app.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

They worked at my pace and met the timeline I requested.

What was your primary form of communication with AppEvolve?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

They were and continue to put my interests first in completing the project. Communication with their team was never a problem.

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

They could have been a little more forceful about not executing using some of my less-than-ideal ideas.