Appinventiv

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

English 4 Call Centers is an academy that teaches people who are applying to call centers how to speak English. We train them to sound more natural, improve their intonation and gain confidence so they can get a better job. The local call center business in El Salvador is growing, and it pays three times more than the minimum wage. We also have a branch in Guatemala. I am the founder of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Appinventiv?

We had a lot of trouble while working with another Indian company. We decided to move three of their ongoing projects to Appinventiv, with whom we already had an ongoing project.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We outsourced Appinventiv only for application development. Our first project was an application that connected students from around the world with teachers, on a one-to-one basis, helping them improve their skill in any language. It was sort of like Uber for idioms. It proved too expensive, so we had to let it go, but we’ve developed two other applications with Appinventiv.

One of those was E4CC, an application for other companies. It features our pronunciation videos, as well as videos from a different series to which we had the copyright. It has grammar tips, vocabulary and everything a student needs to improve their English for free in no time.

The app has a community messaging functionality, post reactions, and a newsstand. Users can set goals within it and access PDFs, Word and Excel files, and online or offline dictionaries. From the admin panel, we can upload videos and remotely configure the font and style.

We’ve also built a weight loss app with them for another of our companies. People had to sign up and use a code to access the application. The app provided weight loss tips, videos, recipes, and a story sharing community.

Both applications are available for Android and iOS. We’ve also built a webpage that allows students and coaches to create profiles. It features different click channels and integrations, including one with a service like Prezi.

What is the team composition?

They assigned three people to our project: a QA person, a developer, and a project manager. We had a different manager for the second app.

How did you come to work with Appinventiv?

I found them in the Noida Yellow Pages while we were in India. Meeting their team made me feel confident that they could get my project done.

How much have you invested with them?

The total cost of their work has been $500,000. Based on the experience I’ve had with other companies, Appinventiv’s cost is not that high. We also had up to six months to pay our bills.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Appinventiv in October 2016. The Android version of our first app was launched in October 2017, and the iOS app will be released tomorrow. The second app was released in December 2017 for Android.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The platform Appinventiv created for our website was awesome. It’s up and running with no issues. They’ve given us great advice about site hosting, and showed us how to reduce technology costs using Amazon S3 buckets.

The app is free, and has brought us a lot of new customers. After its first launch, the application attracted 5,000 users, and we currently have 7,000. Almost 2,000 students started subscriptions this month, which is more than we expected.

How did Appinventiv perform from a project management standpoint?

I’ve had a great experience with them. Appinventiv managed to fit into my schedule despite our 13-hour time difference. Sometimes, they connected with us at 2 or 3 A.M. their time, when it was 2 P.M. our time, or scheduled meetings at 4 A.M. on my side. There was never a problem with communication. They responded in a couple of hours, at most.

Appinventiv used Basecamp for communication, TestFlight for iOS previews, and APKs for the Android apps. I could also view designs on Wireframes.org, and I was given a lot of screenshots during development. The screens were made with Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I appreciated their communication and ability to treat clients as business partners. I’ve never felt that they were simply asking for money.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Take a leap of faith and start working with Appinventiv.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of an early stage startup.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Appinventiv?

We’re working on a prototype for an electronic storybook platform. We’ve had some validations through rough wireframes, InVision interactive wireframes, and interacting with folks through surveys. It’s all been conceptual in terms of what the idea is.

I had worked with a couple of developers based here in Hong Kong. My original strategy was to meet the developers and get to know them, but I wasn’t making the connection I wanted. I took a totally different approach and decided to find somebody who does 100s of apps, has a big team, and can draw on deep resources.

The purpose of the app is to get more user feedback. We want to have a more functional prototype than what I was able to produce in rough wireframes before. The platform has the producer/author side and the consumer side. The niche we focus on is children’s storybooks.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The idea was well developed. I haven’t devoted a lot of resources other than my own time in talking to different people, getting feedback, and looking for the solution. I gradually made progress with the 2 developers I had from Hong Kong. I gave a robust, functional design document including the wireframes and detailed functionality to Appinventiv. I needed a more functional prototype that I could put in front of people. They could then interact with it and give feedback as to if it will work or needs some other functionality.

The first developer I worked with did a web prototype. The takeaway from that was very difficult because we needed good control over microphone and camera. Web development was going to be less expensive. I presented the web prototype to a number of folks and got feedback. It was a mess because everybody had a different version. Even if you told them they should use Chrome, everybody had a different version of Chrome.

Appinventiv developed the app for iOS. We did some strategic thinking about that. It was clear that iOS has a higher spending customer base and expectation of the design. People appreciate the design. They were helpful in making it a sound decision. If we get traction and everything goes as we hope, we’ll move on to Android.

There is a future design element that would be on the computer, but that’s a few steps down the road. It's a digital platform that allows users to easily create and distribute electronic story albums. It consists of a series of pages, each containing a combination of texts, visuals, and audio information. The author of the story would control the content and format.

What is the team composition?

There’s 1 lead person and 1 on the development side who does development and manages a team on the other side. There’s another woman who helps from the UI/UX perspective. I find it very helpful to have one point of contact.

How did you come to work with Appinventiv?

I used Clutch as a tool for finding Appinventiv. Clutch was the most informative and most helpful site. I tried to triangulate what development companies were mentioned the most and had the most positive reviews. They were very professional and made the onboarding process easy to get to the point where we had a final proposal with a detailed budget. They were accommodating in breaking it up into discrete stages.

How much have you invested with them?

I’ve spent $40,000. Once this stage is complete, it will be about $100,000. The full proposed amount is $800,000–$900,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in August 2017 and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We don’t have an MVP yet. We have a somewhat functioning product with 40% of the features. I’m more than happy with that because it has given me a chance to see how they work and to go through the full process of getting something out to TestFlight and get feedback from users. It’s a work in process.

How did Appinventiv perform from a project management standpoint?

It’s been a very managed process throughout. They’ve been very cooperative in working with me to stage development. We’ve broken it into a number of component parts, gradually building up functionality so that we can roll out small improvements and get feedback on those as we go along.

They’ve generally been early in meeting their deadlines. They’re responsive within 24 hours maximum. They’re very easy to work with.

We use Basecamp as a repository for all the communications. We use InVision for prototyping. We’re using TestFlight for beta testing with live users.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Appinventiv is very competitive relative to Hong Kong, but Hong Kong is not the greatest place to find talent. Being able to find someone economically is very good.

They also seem to be a big team. The lead developer I’m working with has worked on many games. I ask him about a specific functionality and he gives me five different solutions. It’s amazing. I didn’t have that depth of experience to be able to talk to someone on the other side who has deep resources, even if that person doesn’t know the answer.

I don’t talk to the founder regularly, but he’s accessible. My project is small compared to others they work on and they still offer high-quality service.

Are there any areas they could improve?

During the discovery process, I was looking for them to give me ideas and test what I had been thinking about. We’ve spent time revisiting things and still landed pretty close to where we started. It’s all been fine. I’m happy with the process.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

The more specific instructions you give, the closer they’re going to come to delivering what you want. If you just give some concepts and let them go, don’t be surprised if it’s not what you expected. Having wireframes, functional design document, and being very clear about what you want will help you. I recommend breaking it up into parts.

In my experience, the best outcomes I have had are when I’ve given somebody a small project. I sometimes give a really small project to multiple people and choose the one who does the best job. You don’t have to tell them that. You’re not going to know until you see results.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the executive director of a nonprofit organization that focuses on building community through education and technology. I oversee the development process of our technologies. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Appinventiv?

We needed them to build us a website, as well as an iOS and Android app that operated as a social media platform where users could share ideas, job opportunities, and resources.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Before we signed a contract with Appinventiv, they gave an outline of the work they could do based on our expectations. We had a very specific vision, and they provided us with options to ensure they built exactly what we want. After signing the contract, we began working on the website because we wanted to launch that before we launched the app. The site needed to be informational, but also appealing, so we could get our community excited about the app. Some of the website’s features include the ability for users to add their business to our database, make donations, and stay connected with our organization through a variety of communication methods. They completed the website in January 2018.

For the app’s development, they began by building the wireframe. They then worked on the design. The app allows people to set up accounts as either regular users or business owners. We wanted to ensure that we could facilitate all business owners, whether they’re nonprofit organizations, online platforms, or brick-and-mortar businesses. Users will be able to follow each other, post statuses, and rate businesses. They can create and join groups specific to their interests. They’re also able to post jobs, resources, and more, and well as search the app for those postings.
It was very important to us that both the iOS and Android app had identical functionality so we could compete in our niche market, so Appinventiv has ensured that.

What is the team composition? 

Our project manager worked primarily with their project manager as well as developer leads for both iOS and Android. Early in the process, we were able to meet their entire team of developers and designers, which totals about 10 people.

How did you come to work with Appinventiv?

I initially reached out to over 50 companies from all over the world. Despite having the money ready, we didn’t hear back from many of them. I’d heard about Appinventiv from a colleague, but I also found them online through my own search. I read their Clutch reviews and discussed their work with a few people who had partnered with them that confirmed they were a great company to work with. Appinventiv responded to me and we got to work.

How much have you invested with them?

So far, we’ve invested about $300,000, but our total investment when the work is done should be around $500,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in July 2017, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve only just launched the website, so we haven’t collected any metrics on that. We have yet to launch the app.

How did Appinventiv perform from a project management standpoint?

I don’t have a tech background, so I need people who are going to be patient and explain things in detail. Appinventiv was phenomenal in that way. During our initial calls, they gave us a clear outline of everything they can do based on our requirements, and it didn’t cost us anything. That’s a huge deal in their industry, considering how costly that actual project can be. 

They’re also the most punctual company that we’ve worked with thus far and they remain extremely communicative. We speak primarily through Basecamp. We also have daily conference calls on Skype. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They cater to us. They go above and beyond what’s expected to make sure that our vision is executed. If they don’t agree with something we want, they give us their recommendation with a full explanation on why they believe their idea may be better for our overall vision. But they leave it at our discretion and follow our lead.

They’re also very accommodating with the time difference. Because we’re in the U.S. and they’re in India, they often will work super late or very early to make sure they’re available when we need them to be.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Though there’s no such thing as perfect, there’s nothing I can think of that I’d like them to improve on. They are the best decision we made because, where other companies may have given us a headache, they handle their business. It’s been a phenomenal experience working with them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure you have sorted out as much of the details of your project as possible before you meet with them. That way, they can tell you what they can do for you and provide you with an honest estimate. If you don’t know exactly what you want to do, you’re not ready to call yet.

It’s also important to have a bit of flexibility. They will do their best to interact with you on your time, but there may be times where you need to speak with them at odd hours.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

JIR Group is a market research company serving the gambling industry. I’m the project manager for a new arm of the company, Paid2Gamble, an app that we’re developing; and field manager for clients using that app’s backend.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Appinventiv?

We had an idea for an app that would allow gamblers to track their own play and rewards at casinos they play at. It would also facilitate our research with product testing on the usability of gambling machines. We needed a new developer to help us since our previous vendor didn’t understand our vision or provide the support we needed.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We already had a wireframe of the first part of an app, so Appinventiv started there. They designed native iOS and Android apps and a web portal from scratch. They also designed the backend that casinos and app administrators will use.

They’ve just started actual development of the apps and web portal. Our first round of beta testing will be in January 2018, and we plan to use them for subsequent phases of development.

What is the team composition? 

The owners were involved at the outset, but right now, we have a dedicated project manager, dedicated teams for iOS and Android development, a design team, and backend developers.

How did you come to work with them?

We did research on app companies and used Clutch as well. We interviewed four companies, and Appinventiv was the most cost-effective and had the best vision.

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent about $80,000.

What is the status of this engagement? 

We started working with them in August 2017, and the project is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They understood our needs from the first conversation and worked very quickly, so we could get the app tested with our gambler respondents much sooner than our previous vendor or other companies we’d considered would have. So far, our internal team is impressed with the design and the functionality. The app is very user-friendly and includes everything we’ve asked for.

How did they perform from a project management standpoint?

We're in the Pacific Northwest and they're in India, but they're willing to connect with us whenever we need them. They're very responsive (usually via Basecamp,  Skype, or email),  and they resolve any issues quickly, making the process fairly simple for us.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They understood exactly what we wanted and why we wanted what we wanted. This was not a simple app to design, but they took all the components and put them together in a cohesive way. They also guided us toward more user-friendly solutions than we initially had imagined.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I wish they opened an office in the U.S. to avoid a time difference, but they're always willing to work with my schedule.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Give them all the details of what you want and let them find the best way to do that. They know what they're doing and are willing to share their knowledge and expertise. If you're looking for creative design, they're a good fit.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a senior solution architect for Mutelcor, a company in the sphere of mobile telecommunication and mobile health care. We are an independent consultancy group offering market understanding and international best practices for clients across Europe, Africa, Asia, and North America for the last 15 years.

Since 2015, I’ve focused on providing telecom consulting to different network-operator clients. I also serve as a project manager for our mHealth project and am actively involved in the complete development lifecycle. I seek to explore new possibilities, solutions, and products and integrate them with our services to provide a great client experience. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Appinventiv?

We are actively involved in mobile health remote patient-monitoring solutions. We are seeking to ensure higher surgical success rates by enabling the patients to complete their follow-up period based on the protocols of their condition. Through the mHealth application, we are trying to put patients in touch with their doctors virtually all the time. This goal was somewhat tough to achieve due to the extensive activities that the app needed to support, including reminding patients about their appointments, monitoring their conditions, recommending medications, and keeping records for 5 years, which is the recovery period for bariatric surgery. So, we hired Appinventiv to build a customized mobile and web application that could achieve our innovative goal. Gladly, we found Appinventiv.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The main motive behind this platform is to enhance the success rate of bariatric surgery through optimal methods and services. Mutelcor is a platform where doctors can track their patient's records, including their appointments, medications, measurements, activities, and nutrition. Doctors can host video appointments with their patients and share required activity plans, prescriptions, and nutrition via the mobile app. On the other side, patients can set reminders for activities and receive notifications to help them complete the desired tasks and recover faster. The app offers an array of services like video calling from web to app, calendar synchronization, Bluetooth connectivity, PDF printing, and a dynamic dashboard, to name a few.

I think this project has a higher scope in the present era where people have hectic schedules and like getting their services/products on the go.

How did you come to work with Appinventiv?

With so many web and mobile application development agencies on the market, it wasn’t easy to choose one. We went through various portals, screened many companies, and communicated with a handful of them. After seeing Appinventiv’s expertise and portfolio in the health care vertical, we realized that they were the right partner for us.

Their developers have strong knowledge and experience in the health care domain and are well-versed with user expectations and technologies. They are hardworking and ensured that the communication between us was maintained properly throughout the process. They made every effort to enhance our app idea and turn it into a market-ready application. Selecting Appinventiv as our partner was a great decision.

How much have you invested with them?

The cost is confidential. Thankfully, they delivered our customized application services within the stipulated cost and without compromising on quality.

What is the status of this engagement?

The first phase took about 8–10 months. We started in November last year and they delivered the first phase in September. We are currently planning the next phase of the application with Appinventiv. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The app hasn’t launched yet, but we strongly suspect that it will gain traction in the market quickly with features like WebRTC video calling and Bluetooth connectivity. We are excited to see this app taking our brand and services to the next level.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their passion for challenging jobs really stood out to me. They didn’t just deliver an application but also tried to be our technology consultant and business partner.

From day one, they showed complete interest in our idea and discussed possibilities to ensure the success of our app idea. They worked at a great pace and delivered impressive designs and other associated components within the time specified. They maintained communication throughout the engagement. They’ve invested their best efforts and made us feel relaxed about the arrival of a fully functional app.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can’t think of any.  

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the founder of a productivity app.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Appinventiv?

We hired Appinventiv to develop our product.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I provided Appinventiv with wireframes and the business plan, explaining what the project looked like and what I wanted it to be. Appinventiv was my technology partner from the beginning of the project. The app is a productivity tool that allows users to customize the quick launch of apps and app features; it’s basically a lock screen pattern that launches other apps or intents within apps through a swipe of a finger that you customize. For example, you can create a U-pattern to launch the Instagram app and not only Instagram but also launch the camera within the Instagram app. You get to customize the pattern, and then link it to the app with the intent you want to open. So every time you go to the app and do the U-pattern, it always opens that particular intent, which in this example is the Instagram camera.

We were super clear about our challenges in the beginning. The app wasn’t close to anything Appinventiv had developed before, which was a challenge in itself. The design part went really well; they were very impressive, super responsive, and on time. The development, of course, had issues in terms of functionalities, just like any challenging project. However, the team was quick to offer alternate suggestions and approaches —  Appinventiv was on top of everything.

Issues that one developer couldn’t solve were raised to a team of researchers and developers who together would come up with a solution. We went through multiple problems within the development stage; the biggest challenges were the little misunderstandings, which are normal. Other than that, things went smoothly.

The app is available on iOS. I have plans to create an Android version, but I might not need to. If the app gets acquired, all the company will need is the SDK [software development kit] and then they can do whatever they want with it. If it isn’t acquired in the near future, I might look into creating an Android version of the app.

How did you come to work with Appinventiv?

I found Appinventiv through Clutch. I was looking for specific qualities — they had a good review and I thought they were affordable. I reached out to a few other companies as well and interviewed each one.

My project is a unique app, so I was looking for a team that was excited about the product. Appinventiv said, “Yeah, this is going to be good. We’re going to find someone who can develop this, and we have a big team that can help if we have any questions.” I liked their attitude and how excited they were about the idea and making it come to fruition.

How much have you invested with them?

The budget was more than $250,000 for the app. There was a large initial stage completed in 6 months and then about 3 other stages beyond that were paid incrementally.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in December 2016 or January 2017, and I believe the app launched in May 2017. The launch was delayed a month because Apple kept rejecting the app for multiple reasons.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The first month after the launch was pretty impressive, getting around 1,500 downloads. I did the App Store optimization myself. I built this app to impress other companies that might want to implement the SDK into their operating systems or into their Software-as-a-Service offering.

My focus was not making money on the app, but I did want to see if people would want to use it, so the download score was important to me. Right now, I probably have about 2,000 downloads, but I haven't spent anything on marketing and the app has only been launched for about 2 months. I'm happy with the product in general; it has only had 2 crashes in 2 months, so the metrics are good.

How did Appinventiv perform from a project management standpoint?

I would give Appinventiv a B-plus for project management. Communication was a bit off here and there and I had to do a lot of project management on my end. I was on top of my project manager to make sure that the things we discussed with Appinventiv were actually not looked over and forgotten.

I had 2 project managers from Appinventiv within the project itself; one project manager left, and then I had the new one. Things like that usually mean that it will take some time before you get the new project manager caught up on your project and you find yourself repeating things. Once the new project manager started and got updated with everything, things went much smoother. I did have to train and educate the new project manager on the product itself, which is super normal anytime you change project managers.

I worked strictly and directly with the designer and project manager; the project manager worked directly with the developers. Technically, one developer was tasked with my project, but when we started having issues, I believe they had several working on an issue at a time. They used Basecamp to manage my project.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I would highly rate the quality of their design as well as their responsiveness throughout the project. They were very helpful during hard times. I would often get frustrated and wanted things to get fixed, and they always made sure that they took care of the problem, even if it took multiple attempts. They were on their game in terms of how much they cared about their clients’ satisfaction. Their development skills were also pretty good.

With all the challenges in this project, I thought that I might end up with a subpar product, but I was really happy that they fixed all of the issues in the end. I think they had a different and much better developer who stepped in to fix a lot of problems.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could improve with project management. What happened to me was probably a unique situation where my project manager was put on another project and then a new one was brought in. That’s when I had a lot of issues with the product in general, but I don't want to point at that and say they need to improve it because I know why it happened and it might not be the same for others.

Overall, to be honest, they did a really good job.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Jobcaster is a new company founded in August 2016. We provide website development and SEO services for businesses in Norway. I am the founder of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Appinventiv?

We have started an app project which we outsourced to AppInventiv. It’s a service app for people needing to get small tasks done. We got the idea from a Norwegian company which provides a similar service through a website. We thought that we could create an app for the task, making it more efficient and cheaper. We also looked at Airtasker, an Australian app that has achieved this with great success. We have done a few small changes to our own app, in order to bring our own touch to the application.

It’s a service app which allows job and service providers to connect with people posting chores and small jobs. People who need it can find some extra income.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

AppInventiv is developing our native app for iOS and Android. The platform will be available in Norwegian and English, and it will feature an admin panel and website. I am not a technical person, but I have been learning the process. I don’t have all the technical knowledge around the project.

How did you come to work with AppInventiv?

I was directed by a former colleague to Clutch. He said the site was the place to go when outsourcing this type of service. I evaluated 3-4 companies, one from Poland (which would have been nearer to Norway, geographically), but the one which most impressed us was AppInventiv. I looked at their website, past work, and team.

How much have you invested with AppInventiv?

The budget for this product is $700,000. We will translate the application into multiple languages, and will undergo multiple trial runs. It will be a global app, which is why the budget is so high.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with AppInventiv in June 2017. We’re not halfway there, but we have had a very good start on the project. Around 35-40% of the work has been done.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We haven’t begun testing the product.

How did AppInventiv perform from a project management standpoint?

The process is going along well in terms of budget, and we have not gone over it. I’m quite impressed with the project management. AppInventiv has a good system for follow-ups, and they’ve kept in touch through daily meetings on Skype. I am kept in the loop on all details, so I’m overall happy.

I am working directly with a project manager. He is quite experienced in terms of design. We are using Basecamp as a project management tool. Designs and wireframes are shared through it, and I have a good view of all that happens in the development process.

What did you find most impressive about AppInventiv?

There’s nothing I could put my finger on, but they’ve impressed me all the way. AppInventiv has provided a lot of design lately, creating what I was looking for. I’m quite impressed.

Are there any areas AppInventiv could improve?

I’m not very experienced with building an app, but I’ve been overall happy with AppInventiv. I’m not sure what they could do differently. I was a bit unsure during the initial contact, given that AppInventiv is based in a different country, and my English is not that good. I wasn’t sure if the communication would be good enough for me to illustrate what the project should be. I was afraid that there would be some mix-ups, but things have gone well.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

I am the Founder of Yuzit, a company that’s developed a local product-sharing app. Our app lets anyone make money by lending items they own and/or save money by borrowing items they need. This essentially allows people to add value to the stuff they already own instead of purchasing new products, simply by harnessing and using the huge ecosystem of products we have around us every day. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Appinventiv?

I wanted to build an app that supported my vision of creating the largest product-sharing marketplace in the U.S. today. My company needed a solution that would allow us to connect people locally so they could borrow and lend items. The app needed to have a messaging system and full payment integration with Stripe or on the backend with an API. We also needed to ensure transparency in our system. The app has ID verification, which lets users upload a photo of their driver’s license or state ID (front and back) to our admin panel. 

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

This product was the brainchild of a problem-solution situation I ran into when renovating my apartment. I couldn’t get the tools I needed. I couldn’t find a bicycle to borrow. Everything I wanted to use temporarily was difficult to locate, and I had to visit rental shops constantly. The whole process seemed very fragmented. Then, I thought, “Why can’t I solve my own problem?” I don’t have a tech background, so I just started doing the research and realized that I needed a partner.

I started by writing down my ideas and creating some wireframes. I explained my vision to Appinventiv, and they understood my goals and expectations. Once they had all that information, we started to work on the technical part.

The app was released in May 2017, and Appinventiv continues to provide maintenance. We’re working on a huge update right now, which is going to be finished next week so we can transition to our “go to market” strategy. Even though the product is on the App Store where people can download it, that’s not how we want to do our launch. So, once we get these final updates through, I think we’ll be able to do the big launch.

Right now the Android version is cost-prohibitive. We want to get a lot of traction with our iOS version. Once that’s going, within the next 6–8 months, we will start Android development because we don’t want to miss 55% of the market share.

How did you come to work with Appinventiv?

I looked at quite a few companies for 8 hours a day. I read about firms throughout Europe, the U.S., South America, and Asia. Of course, firms in the U.S. were ridiculously overpriced. South American and European companies were good, but India was the best. Once I narrowed it down to India, I went through several websites that listed the top app developers in India, narrowed my options down to 3 firms, and looked for reviews. I used Clutch for part of my research and Google for a deep dive. Appinventiv had a great price point, and I felt comfortable with their people.

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

We’ve spent about $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Appinventiv in August 2016 and have been partners ever since. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

We did some beta testing with about 50 users in San Diego because that’s where we’re launching. The feedback is great, and everybody loves the app. A lot of people don’t realize that they need this resource until they see it. After looking at the market, it’s clear that there’s really nobody in this space in the U.S. Our first 50 users really enjoyed it. Based on their feedback, the app needs a few updates to reduce some of the navigation steps and limit the time it takes to close out the transaction. We’re working on incorporating those changes right now.

How did Appinventiv perform from a project management standpoint?

They set realistic goals based on my tight parameters and timeframe. They were able to finish the first version in a really solid and excellent way. When I made an adjustment, I would give them new timeframes, but they were flexible in being able to meet my needs. If they had to assign additional developers to meet the deadline, they did without increasing the price beyond what we’d agreed.

They offered great customer service. Our project manager, Prateek Agarwal, was the project lead and Amit Singh was the technical lead on the project. I worked with them on a daily basis. I also spoke to Dileep [Gupta, Chief Delivery Officer, Appinventiv]. I also got personal phone calls from their founder, Sudeep [Srivastava, CEO, Appinventiv], who wanted to speak on several occasions. 

Appinventiv assigned several different people to build logos and designs. They’re pretty much a full-stack team, and they provide everything I need in terms of development. In fact, due to a time constraint, I was recently assigned an even more experienced project manager to help get the app finalized.

We use Basecamp for project management and collaboration. We started by using Slack and some other channels, but Basecamp was a great tool. We’re constantly speaking with them and receiving daily updates. I also call them via Skype. The hardest part is the 13-hour time difference, especially because I’m traveling a lot. However, they were flexible in terms of working under time constraints and using Skype and Basecamp. Sometimes, they would even speak to me at midnight their time, which I really appreciated.

What distinguishes Appinventiv from other providers?

They’re constantly providing status updates to keep me in the loop.

Is there anything Appinventiv could have improved or done differently?

They could be more detailed in their communication, especially for someone like myself who doesn’t have a technical background. They did a great job overall, but they tend to communicate at a higher level. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business or organization and what you do there.
I am one of the founders of Virtual Pass, a registered company in the state of Georgia. Our goal is to drive various different non-commitment oriented subscription base services. The one brand that we launched is called DrinkTicket. Basically, you can go to any restaurant or bar around town with whom we’ve partnered, and if you’re a subscribing member, you can get one drink on us every day and wherever you go.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with AppInventiv?
I wanted an iPhone & Android based app. We went through a deliberation with them about whether we should use [cross-platform] frameworks like Ionic and some of those or whether we should go native. They helped me work through that as well as rationalize what container processor we should work with, the pros and cons of each, etc. They helped us with everything from high-level architecture, solutions, and design to specific detailed requirements.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.
We went through an entire deliberation of POS integration with our venue partners. I brought that forward to AppInventiv. They suggested ways we could use some middleware gateways like Omnivore to do POS integrations. Together we went through and contemplated the pros and cons of all the different options for what we were trying to accomplish. We came up with a solution that met in the middle and simplified it for us. Basically, we devised a unique redemption code that can be entered into the existing POS system by the staff at the restaurants and bars, and we didn’t have to bear the cost of doing middleware integrations and trying to facilitate the use of the thousands of different types and versions of POS systems out there. They really brought forward a simple solution by doing all that homework themselves and presenting us with all the options. Our pre-launch release for the Android/iOS apps was around January or February of 2017, and then the full upload to the stores was shortly thereafter. We still retain them for enhancements and maintenance.

How did you come to work with AppInventiv?
We found AppInventiv via UpWork. I reviewed about 45 different potential partners and shortlisted it down to 6, and then started engaging and deep diving with those 6. AppInventiv was one of them. Overall, their service-oriented nature, timeliness, and responsiveness were what stood out. They actively listened to what we were looking for and came back with proposals and options. The quality of their interactions is pretty high, and they follow through on their commitments. I saw signals of that as early as when they delivered on the proposal time frame. That’s why we decided to engage.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?
About half a million dollars.

What is the status of this engagement?
We started working with them mid-October/November 2016 and have been working together since.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?
We’re in 2 markets now, and we’re going to be launching another one shortly: Atlanta, Springfield, Missouri, and Pittsburgh. We have about 60 venues, and I think at last count we had around 3,000 users, of whom about 1,700 are paying subscribers. The AppInventive team has helped us develop the app and set up the servers on AWS. Everything is pretty stable, and it’s been good.

How did AppInventiv perform from a project management standpoint?
We have a dedicated project coordinator named Swati [Project Coordinator, AppInventiv]. She is a phenomenal, dedicated coordinator and has been pretty top notch in my book. We have calls twice a week. She’s pretty timely and responsive throughout the week and even sometimes on the weekends. We’ve got a meticulous plan to which we always track, and she’s kind of our primary point of contact from a project management perspective. She also handles any sort of effect management and escalations. I know our technical lead and our backend developer, and I’ve had calls here and there with the iOS and Android developers, though typically those conversations are filtered through the tech lead.

I’ve worked soup to nuts from confirming and validating requirements to wireframes to UI/UX and design and screen shots and then all the way to development as well. I looked at AppInventiv as a one-stop shop. They’re pretty good about taking the requirements and translating them into usable wireframes and deliberating on what the experience would and should be.

What distinguishes AppInventiv from other providers?
From a development standpoint, they always stay ahead of the game to understand what Apple and Android are doing. They try to read the signals and proactively let me know what changes are coming. The investment, innovation, and technical preparation on their side has been pretty impressive. The resources I’ve engaged with are knowledgeable, the overall development quality is high, and they understand things pretty quickly. They can find the right solutions and are top of the game. One concern I had in picking an offshore partner was whether they would be culturally aware or whether the design quality would be up to par.

Their designs are pretty solid, and they’ve exceeded my expectations. Another thing that really impressed me, and one of the other items that put them on the shortlist and then finally resulted in them being selected, was their awareness of cultural differences. I’d say about 95% of the time AppInventiv was pretty spot on even on the cultural things and understanding that sort of user experience.

Is there anything AppInventiv could have improved or done differently?
They are super strong on QA in general, and I think they put the right attention and level of focus on the complicated functionality but sometimes at the risk of some of the simpler things. There was a very occasional misspelling or error message that didn’t have a comma or a period or that sort of thing.

Do you have any recommendations for others considering working with AppInventiv?
The quality of work that you get will be correlated to the amount of attention and detail you bring forward to an organization. My recommendation to anybody hiring AppInventiv or anyone else is that there is a direct correlation between how detailed and transparent you are in your communications and the quality you will get back.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Videcorde is a consulting firm. We develop cloud-based software in offerings to different health facilities. I’m a member of the executive team.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with AppInventiv?

We started a project called Care-Socius, which is a software for health facilities to connect with international patients. It’s a kind of social medical network.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We used the AngularJS framework with Swift. I tried to reduce the price as much as possible, so we are using normal frameworks with JavaScript and different APIs but no new languages. For example, we use the WeChat user authentication and Facebook authentication. The app is available for all devices which is why we’re using AngularJS. It’s not a native application for Android or iPhone. It’s a web application that you can open on your phone.

Two other projects we worked with them on were based on hardware. We have a hardware device that we developed and my customer needed to program the hardware device. We worked on the hardware ourselves and AppInventiv helped with the software. It was based on the same technologies as the current project.

How many resources were assigned to your project?

There was a project manager, two developers, two designers, and two technical analysts. There were eight to ten people on the team. They have been dedicated to our project full-time.

How did you come to work with AppInventiv?

I looked on the web for different companies in India. I contacted them and asked for different references. I checked out the applications that they’d already developed and they were nice, so I decided to hire them.

How much have you invested with AppInventiv?

The first project was $400,000 and the current project is $450,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them October 2016. We’ve been working on the current project for two months. We will be doing more development work in the future. I need to see how it will do on the market. If I have a lot of users and people are interested in more functionalities, then we will develop more with them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The first project is reaching 200,000 users for the Asian market. For the second project, we’re trying to reach 100,000 users in the first year. That includes users, patients, and customers on the hospital facility side. Each hospital facility would have 5-15 users and a lot of patients and customers. We sell the application to hospitals and they use it for all of their patients.

How did AppInventiv perform from a project management standpoint?

The projects are well-coded and the comments are in place, in English, on the standard of Java. That is important for me. They use Basecamp for project management.

What did you find most impressive about AppInventiv?

Their communication is very good and I think that’s most important. They deliver what we ask for and listen to our feedback. They know what they’re doing.

Are there any areas AppInventiv could improve?

They could have an office in Europe. Their support is really good. They provide Tier II support directly to our customers and the communication is good. They change what is needed within three working days.