Appinventiv

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

GFTR [pronounced: Gifter] is an app that allows users to make wishlists for providing their friends with ideas for birthday gifts and other occasions. It also offers the ability to scan bar codes and to make direct purchases through the app.

What is your position?

I am the founder of GFTR.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with AppInventiv?

This was the first app development project I'd ever worked on. I was starting from scratch, and needed good expertise and guidance in the field, which AppInventiv certainly was able to provide.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

AppInventiv was responsible for end-to-end development of the iOS mobile application. If the app proves successful, I am also planning to work on developing an Android version with them.

How did you come to work with AppInventiv?

I found them through a site that allows users to post projects which receive proposals from various companies. I narrowed my options to about six different companies and had Skype sessions with each one in order to provide more details and get a better sense of who would be the best to work with. I also asked the site’s Chief Executive Officer for recommendations, and AppInventiv’s name came up.

Once I talked to AppInventiv, they showed good expertise in what they were doing. They were also willing to work for a relatively low price, compared to the other applicants. Our interests lined up and choosing them made sense. Their communication was also excellent. They reached out to me and made sure that we had a good time to meet.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

The total cost of the project is in the $10-50,000 range.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in November 2015. The project was finished around a month later. Right now, we are using feedback received from beta testers and making modifications accordingly. The app should be available in the store three weeks from now.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

How did AppInventiv perform from a project management standpoint?

The thing I most liked about them was their responsiveness. They have a twelve and a half hour time difference from us. Whenever I posted something at 5 PM local time, I would receive a response at 10 PM, which is the beginning of their day. We talk constantly through Skype. I never felt like they were leaving me in the dark, which is very important to me, especially when working with a company that is so far away geographically.

What distinguishes AppInventiv from other providers?

They did a great job of making me feel comfortable working with them, and they had a personal investment in trying to get the work done right. AppInventiv took my directions and put them to work quickly and accurately. I have nothing but good things to say about them.

Is there anything AppInventiv could have improved or done differently?

The only minor issue I've had with them was that the project manager got switched a few weeks into the process.

BACKGROUND

Please give me a brief description of your company.

We are a leading digital marketing agency, delivering creative solutions at the intersection of marketing and technology. We design, build and fortify brands through our digital marketing services. Supported by a team of talented designers and creative strategists, we are driven by results and dedicated to establishing mutually rewarding relationships with our clients.

What is your role at the company?

I am a Digital Marketing Manager within the agency.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was the business challenge that you were trying to address when you approached AppInventiv? What were your goals for the project?

The app that we did with AppInventiv is an enterprise event management app. It was the first time we engaged AppInventiv on a project and the idea was to deliver a high quality app in a very tight time frame. AppInventiv was great and very helpful. We worked hard together to deliver a pixel-perfect app. That mission was accomplished.

SOLUTION

Can you tell me about the scope of the project? (What kinds of technologies were implemented, and what was AppInventiv specifically responsible for accomplishing, etc.)

We wanted a partner that could follow modern processes and methodologies, and that could go end-to-end, from the initial analysis to launch of the app for both iOS and Android.

My app was essentially a big enterprise management project that required managing huge information storage and retrieval of information from various departments in the organization. AppInventiv’s experienced development team helped me in addressing these needs. My experience with the team at AppInventiv has been amazing. From day one, they were very easy to work with and they were always there to answer all of my questions. Their team worked with us closely to understand the real issues behind generation of unstructured content, which actually was one of the key expectations for the app. Based on their analysis, they suggested customized solutions targeted at addressing the real issues. The dedication they showed towards my project far exceeded my expectations and they kept me updated with the project progress. When choosing someone to develop your idea, it is easy to be overwhelmed by all of the different choices out there. I am very happy that I chose AppInventiv to develop my idea and I hope to work with them again in the near future.

Some of the features included in the app were a central management dynamic system that allows us and the client to upload content with ease, a notification system which sends alerts to users, a login platform, a user profile with the ability of changing their data which is stored in the back end, and access to guest speakers and social media integration.

What was your process for selecting AppInventiv as a partner?

We sifted through the clutter on Google to locate developers locally and overseas and did a quick quality analysis. We short listed companies based on their responsiveness, client testimonials and expertise. Consequent to this effort we narrowed down our list to three companies. It also involved going back and forth with our shortlist of development companies through email exchanges. Ultimately, through Skype conversations, we interviewed all of them and picked AppInventiv. One of the key reasons we chose AppInventiv is because they had an amazing infrastructure in India as well as a global presence in the US, Germany and France. Moreover, they are adept in mobile app development on different platforms and have handled projects in various verticals. They were able to help us throughout, including the backend integrated system and for Android and iOS front-ends too.

Can you give us a sense of the size of the project in dollar terms?

The size of the project was somewhere above $20,000.

When was the project started and completed?

We started in September 2015 and completed in October, about 6 weeks of work. No other company I contacted was able to guarantee a delivery in such a short time frame.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the results of the project, and are there any metrics you can share?

This was merely an internal project that was distributed to 300 staff members only. We launched it on the enterprise platform, which meant that access was limited. The feedback we received from the team was great and we’re looking forward to expand the scope of the app for next year.

How did AppInventiv perform?

Normally, I wouldn’t use the maximum score because I feel a company can always improve, but AppInventiv delivered such good work. That’s why they deserve it. I consider myself a learner when it comes to native apps and asked AppInventiv to build my first app and the website for me. They started with giving me a detailed document that made clear what the steps were and what actions would be taken. As per all usual projects, the clients had come with extra changes that needed to be implemented to the app, and the team at AppInventiv was always willing to help, regardless of odd timing. They proactively thought of improvements themselves, which is something I look for in a team. It was a pleasure working with AppInventiv and I look forward to working with them on future projects.

When working with them, was there anything unique or special compared to other companies that you may have worked with?

They’ve been an amazing team. The best thing about them is that they always made themselves available, anytime. Whenever my team or I needed to consult them, we would get a reply easily - within an hour sometimes - be it an email, phone call or a Skype message. We knew they would be there. Even if we asked the silliest question at the oddest time (due to time difference), we got the answers then and there. Compared to other development teams I’ve worked with, AppInventiv is capable in all areas, and they are a great find. AppInventiv showed an intuitive sense and zeal about our idea, and a firm attitude that they can do it better than anybody else. I’d say they proved it!

Looking back on the project, are there any areas that they could improve or you would do differently?

There is nothing major that I would suggest, but it would have been great to have them working from a local site to enable face to face conversations. That would have definitely been a bonus! Either way, I would not hesitate to use them over any development party, regardless of the location.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

I am the founder and CEO of a startup mobile app company. We're developing a number of mobile apps. Some have accompanying websites. Our goal is to provide apps and specific verticals that either make the user's life easier or more efficient. That's essentially what we do.

What is your position?

I am the founder and CEO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with AppInventiv?

The first app that we did together is a peer-to-peer ride sharing app. I just went into development on a second app with AppInventiv, too.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

We worked together to develop some specific and then some more open-ended functionality. Essentially, our app is a ride-sharing app.

The scope was to find someone who could go from end to end, so everything from both architecture design to graphic design, through development for iOS and for Android. Especially on the Android side – to find someone who could also be able to give extensive testing follow-through on the variety of device profiles on Android, which is somewhat of a nightmare. Not with AppInventiv, but it can be a nightmare, and has been in the past for me, developing other apps with other companies.

But the scope was beyond just end-to-end development for iOS and Android platforms. The other piece was to find a company that was well versed in any and every API [application programming interface]. I wanted to make sure it was a company that, if they didn't have expertise, they could quickly get up to speed with any API. Those were my requirements.

How did you come to work with AppInventiv?

I like Indian developers, but with Indian developers, a lot of times I have to really specify the exact functionalities; otherwise, I may not get what I was looking for. I have a bias toward Indian developers, and not necessarily a bias against U.S. developers, but cost was an issue as well. U.S. developers still tend to be much more expensive than Indian developers.

I started to develop a short list in terms of actual companies that looked like they could do the end-to-end development for multiple platforms, who could follow through on testing, and so forth. I went back and forth with my short list of companies by emailing and then, ultimately, through Skype conversations, I chose AppInventiv. At some point, you choose them based on what you look at with the apps that they've done in the past, the breadth of apps that they've done, the quality of apps that they've done, and so forth. As companies provided me with their reference apps, I looked at those and ultimately arrived at AppInventiv.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

I plan to continue with them as we do enhancements, and I haven't tallied everything, but we're probably in the $40,000 to $50,000 range right now. That's easily on the low end since that would have been double for U.S. developers. Of course, there's others that try to lowball you with unreasonable estimates just to land your business.

What is the status of this engagement?

We completed this about a month ago [June 2015]. The development time was about two to three months. The work is ongoing. The bottom line is, they performed. I've worked with so many developers that will get it 90 to 95 percent of the way there, but haven't been able to do the testing part. We've completed testing, and we basically have a version two that we're starting to put the requirements together for.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

Like any project or any software, there's no such thing as a bug-free initial version. The biggest thing is not what you get for your first beta but, to me, it's what the response is, and how the company handles the bug fixes and the turnaround. Their response is usually within 24 hours for bug fixes. It's an immediate response; communication is excellent, and the best thing is, there are no excuses. We keep a spreadsheet of the bugs. They have their various tools and their Agile development; I like to work in a spreadsheet, where I can set a lot of my functionality on a spreadsheet, so I can send them that back.

The bottom line is, I get bug fixes usually within 24 hours. If it's something complex, it might be 48 hours, but it's immediate and without excuses of fixing it, with no extra costs. At this point, I trust them. We have the timeframe, whatever the timeframe is – sometimes a month, sometimes six months – but I trust the fact that with AppInventiv, they're just going to fix stuff. If it's broken, they'll fix it.

What distinguishes AppInventiv from other providers?

You can have different metrics, you can have different feedback but, to me, through the years, trying to work with other companies, sometimes you get down to having to nitpick on "was that in scope or out of scope?" and you get into all those gray areas. With AppInventiv, it's just like, "Alright, it doesn't work. We'll fix it. Let's move forward."

In hindsight, are there areas in which they could improve, or things you might do differently?

This goes for working with any developer out of the U.S. It would be nice if they had U.S.-based personnel, so I wouldn't have to fly to India just to have a face-to-face meeting. That really comes down to just understanding the U.S. culture, in terms of developing and launching an app into the US market, where if they did have US-based personnel. I'm in Denver, so if I needed to fly to New York, it's easier than flying to India. But, pretty much just that. Even though Skype is great, and you don't need to be in the same room with somebody to communicate. At some point, it's nice just to have someone here in the U.S. who understands the U.S. market, so it's easier to communicate exactly what you're trying to do in the marketplace.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO of Cad Tech Solutions Ltd.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

StreetSmart provides a comprehensive travel guide and tour booking app that offers unique and exciting experiences beyond the beaten path.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Build and Design Mobile App
• Provide Support for Application

SOLUTION

How did you find Appinventiv?

Online Search

Why did you select Appinventiv over others?

• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Appinventiv were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

The project was developed over 5 years. In the first phase there were 6 milestones. Key deliverables included design, development, quality assurance and UAT

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We now have a fully functioning app that meets the rrequirements set out in the project scope. 

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

Project management met the needs of our business. There was delivery in line with the times agreed by both parties. The team has been responsive throughout the process.

What was your primary form of communication with Appinventiv?

Virtual Meeting

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

The most unique thing about the company was the ability to troubleshoot and solve issues as they arose.

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

Better alignment of resources for develpment projects that are for longer periods of time.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

 I am the CEO of an information technology company 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Catholic social media and networking app connecting over 700K+ Catholics!

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Mobile App Development
• API implementation
• App

SOLUTION

How did you find Appinventiv?

Online Search

Why did you select Appinventiv over others?

High ratings

How many teammates from Appinventiv were assigned to this project?

1 Employee

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

Delivery of a fully functional mobile application that we provided the Figma designs. They were just supposed to code it and make it ready to use.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They assigned one person to communicate with me and that person was always a bit clueless, they always tried to give me updates with very little information regarding the actual progress and they always said they would check on it and always be very vague.

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

No, they just communicated that they were working on it but they never actually gave us anything that worked.

What was your primary form of communication with Appinventiv?

Email or Messaging App

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

Communication before paying was always amazing.They would always communicate PRIOR to being paid and once paid they would disappear and then come back when the next invoice was due and pretend they were working hard but it was always just one person communicating that was assigned to the project. I am convinced they used inexperienced developers to work on my project and they delivered an app that was absolutely junk! Nothing worked and then they tried to upsell me to hire them hourly to try to fix their issues.

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

Actually code something that works!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Senior Quality Assurance Specialist of Toki NBFI LLC

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Toki is an application targeting Mongolian users to simplfy everyday lifestyles that suit each individuals.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Transfering the code from native to flutter and redesigning the architecture to microservices

SOLUTION

How did you find Appinventiv?

Online Search

Why did you select Appinventiv over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit

How many teammates from Appinventiv were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

Conisting from 15-20 employees all of them were involved with everyday tasks and communications through skype. The team dynamic with the Toki team was well established as any one of can connect with the Appinventiv team.
What's the status of this engagement?

Ongoing with great process

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The number of downloads and the user counts

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

As our application is very dynamic our timeline changed as new tasks were given, we would discuss on whether accepting it and extending deadlines. So Items were deliveredon agreed upon dates.
How did your relationship with your partner evolve?
Multiple communications have been established in order to get in sync with each other. As well as, timely delivery on deadlines for tasks.

What was your primary form of communication with Appinventiv?

Virtual Meeting

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

We are impressed with the individual talents and the passion they put into our project.

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

Pre Updates regarding national holidays
What advice do you have for clients with similar needs to yours?
Mostly important thing would be to negotiate SLA from both side and not to make a one sided SLA.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Senior Product Owner of Ecco

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Shoe retailer

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Translate business ideas into technical solutions

SOLUTION

How did you find Appinventiv?

Clutch Site

Why did you select Appinventiv over others?

• High ratings
• Good value for cost

How many teammates from Appinventiv were assigned to this project?

21

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

E-commerce mobile application

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Team was responsive and adapted to the company needs. We were working in agile so a lot of the retrospective feedback was applied to ensure constant improvements on the development of the solution we were working.

What was your primary form of communication with Appinventiv?

Virtual Meeting

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

The people are highly skilled and have great attitudes.

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

.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Co-Founder of Broker2Broker, LLC

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We build, market, and sell a mobile app for commercial real estate brokers which helps them find and trade comps. It's called Broker2Broker.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Design, build, launch a mobile app for iOS and Android
• Design, build and design web UIs: one admin, one end user

SOLUTION

How did you find Appinventiv?

Online Search

Why did you select Appinventiv over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fits our budget
• Positive references

How many teammates from Appinventiv were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

Key deliverables: 

1. Working mobile app on Apple and Google Play app stores
2. Working Admin web ui, 
3. Working end-user web ui for data entry to support mobile app

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We launched our app on iOS and Android. Development costs met our budget expectations.

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

AppInventiv provided stellar project management who went above and beyond to advocate for our needs and deliver on time. They were even great about pushing us to provide our deliverables to meet the deadlines. They were very responsive.

What was your primary form of communication with Appinventiv?

Virtual Meeting

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

Their quality code, project management, and professionalism were impressive.

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

Not really. Maybe push back 10% harder on complex features we requested. But overall, they struck a good balance between giving us what we asked for vs. steering us towards first release features.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Owner of IRanch, LLC

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Agriculture sales

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Develop app

SOLUTION

How did you find Appinventiv?

Online Search

Why did you select Appinventiv over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fits our budget
• Good value for cost

How many teammates from Appinventiv were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

Complete mobile app development and website

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Milestones set by the team that were discussed

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

The team has been amazing as keeping us on track and pushing us to help us meet our goal.

What was your primary form of communication with Appinventiv?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Their ability to see our vision and build from the ground up!

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

No. They really have been amazing to work with.