AppSquadz Software Pvt. Ltd.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a technical administrator at E-Mentors Academy, an online learning academy.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with AppSquadz?

We needed someone to develop our mobile education app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

AppSquadz developed our mobile app according to our requirements. It allows our users to sign up for a collection of courses and has push notifications integrated into it. Students can also interact with other students or mentors through the app.

Additionally, students can post their notes, and mentors and teachers can answer their queries. We also have some free e-courses pre-recorded, so users can watch those videos for free.

AppSquadz built the app for Android because most people in India use it, and we’re now close to launching.

What is the team composition?

I’m in contact with a couple of people from AppSquadz, including someone from the sales team.

How did you come to work with AppSquadz?

I found AppSquadz while searching on Google. After seeing their profile, we felt that they could develop our app.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $4,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in June 2021, and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re still working with them, so I’ll have metrics once the app is live. As of now, I’m only testing it, and there have been some minor glitches with our Zoom integration. However, that should be fixed in 1–2 days.

How did AppSquadz perform from a project management standpoint?

AppSquadz uses Basecamp to manage the project. I post there whatever issues I find, and they fix them. We communicate via WhatsApp.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re meeting my expectations and delivering my requirements quickly. Additionally, they’re very competent in development.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We’re currently having a little issue with Microsoft Teams. We want to integrate it into our app, but they’re not responding to our support queries. It’s been almost a month. Due to that, the app launch was delayed.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the senior program manager for an NGO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with AppSquadz?

Thanks to our grant program, we have more than 50 grantees who report to us, so we needed to have a custom website built as an online portal for reporting.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

First, we explained AppSquadz what we wanted regarding the website, and we asked them for other deliverables such as user manuals and training. They then developed our website, which is a central reporting system that allows grantees to submit different information, such as financial and indicator reports.

AppSquadz also provided training for the grantees in 2020 and 2021, giving us more than one session to accommodate the different locations in which the grantees are. Currently, they provide maintenance support to the portal.

What is the team composition?

Satya (Senior Project Coordinator) is my main point of contact. He came into the project when the former team lead got COVID-19. We’ve also worked with Shubham (Business Development Manager), Anurag (Quality Analyst & Project Coordinator), and a team of developers.

How did you come to work with AppSquadz?

We had worked with them on another project, so we discussed this project and agreed to work together again.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $13,700.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together around June 2020, and the engagement is ongoing. The initial contract ran until March 2021, but we’ve extended our relationship with a maintenance contract until March 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We've had two rounds of reporting through the website so far. It has made extracting information from the reports much easier,  and we’re able to manage all of the reported data in one place. Several issues arose during the first reporting round, but AppSquadz helped resolve them.

How did AppSquadz perform from a project management standpoint?

The team is available and responsive. We communicate via WhatsApp and email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

AppSquadz is approachable, and communication with them is easy. They also work quickly to resolve issues.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Perhaps, AppSquadz could improve their actual development quality because there were issues with the site during the first round of reporting. However, I haven’t worked with many developers, so I’m not sure how others would do it.

I also feel that they could improve their attention to detail. I had to point out some of the same mistakes, like spelling, more than once during the development process before they fixed them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Clearly state your objectives and expected deliverables, and keep open and honest communication flowing.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the senior software engineer and technical lead at Career Point, an e-learning platform.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with AppSquadz llc?

We needed someone to develop an education portal.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They developed and designed our Android app, which is an education portal. There’s also a Windows application tool for the live streaming of the videos. It’s for engineering examinations in India. We deliver live classes to engineering students.

How did you come to work with AppSquadz llc?

We found them via a Google search.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested between $50,000–$100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing engagement started in January 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their service and support are great. The application is good.

How did AppSquadz llc perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management skills are very good. If we have any requirements or specifications, they develop them for us within the timeframe.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We sell lots of multiple products and scenarios. AppSquadz llc has different types of mechanisms. They deliver applications faster than their competitors as well as have lots of models.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could improve the app’s UI interface. The application is good overall though.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They adapt to technologies very gracefully and efficiently.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the manager of a stock market research firm that provides educational services.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with AppSquadz?

We needed someone to develop a website and an app for us to help us connect with a wide audience.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They developed our website and our mobile app. For the Android version, we have features like online coaches, contacts, videos, etc. For the iOS version, partners can only watch the programs.

What is the team composition?

There are 3–5 people on the team.

How did you come to work with AppSquadz?

They were referred to us. After meeting with them, we were satisfied with their layouts, their conception process, and the clarity of their presentation.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested somewhere between $50,000–$200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from July 2018 until April 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re satisfied with the website and apps and are planning to work with them again. We look forward to the future of our partnership.

How did AppSquadz perform from a project management standpoint?

They were very flexible with the changes that we gave them. They also understood every detail of what we wanted from them. Whenever we faced an issue, we called them, and they sorted out the problem within a day or two.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were eager to help us navigate and resolve issues.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they do good work.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a transportation business.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with AppSquadz?

I was looking for someone to develop an application for my transportation business.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I wanted to introduce a service where users could log into a mobile application and make a booking, and then transporters could bid on the project, offering their services to the user. I provided AppSquadz with my requirements, and they developed the platform using Java. All the user panels were written in Node.js and PHP. They also took care of design, based on my input.

What is the team composition?

I worked with a project manager who managed the whole team.

How did you come to work with AppSquadz?

I found them through a Google search and reached out to them, in addition to three or four other companies, after I looked through their portfolio. I then chose AppSquadz.

How much have you invested in them?

I spent around $50,000 USD.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them from October until December 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our users are happy with the design. Their team was helpful, especially regarding changes I asked them to make.

How did AppSquadz perform from a project management standpoint?

I was happy with their communication. Even now, I can reach out to their project manager with any questions or problems.

What did you find most impressive about them?

If I called them late at night with a problem, they were very responsive. They were also flexible with changes, doing their best to accommodate them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It would be good if they listened to the clients regarding pricing. However, they provided good value for my money.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the chief executive officer for an education management app.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with AppSquadz?

We engaged AppSquadz to build an application that connects educators, students, and parents more easily.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Once we gathered requirements and discussed our vision, AppSquadz developed an Android app from scratch in Java. The platform features multiple complex modules, including a calendar system, an event tool, and a transport tracker. Parents can register on the platform and keep track of their children’s commute, activities, and performance. They can also log complaints about the school and security, and educators can interact directly with parents.

What is the team composition?

We work with a project manager and a team of developers, designers, and DevOps people.

How did you come to work with AppSquadz?

I looked for leading application development companies, using reviews to narrow down my search. After talking to 4–5 companies, we decided to work with AppSquadz.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $100,000­–$200,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

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

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The platform is live and being used by 6–7 schools. We’ve received excellent feedback so far, and many more schools are in the pipeline to adopt our system. AppSquadz is now building an iOS version using Swift.

How did AppSquadz perform from a project management standpoint?

We ran into issues at first while gathering our requirements, but these were resolved. Sometimes, communication barriers arose, but the project has run smoothly overall. AppSquadz makes their processes transparent and documents everything from start to finish.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their innovative ideas help set our product apart from the competition.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can’t think of anything.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of a recruiting company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with AppSquadz?

I needed someone to develop my mobile application—a GPS-based mobile app for job seekers.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They agreed to fully develop my web app and iOS and Android app, and I signed a contract for maintenance after development. I’m a reasonable, hands-on person and I can tell when people are lost. Once they started doing the wireframes, I saw they had no technical skills. I had to dictate to them what wireframes should include, and they delivered me the wireframe I’d given them, except they typed it up. They didn’t add anything to it.

How did you come to work with AppSquadz?

I shortlisted 61 developers on Clutch and spoke with each of them. I selected AppSquadz because they had expertise in a similar field and had previously developed another mobile app that was GPS-based. It was close enough to my concept that I decided to trust them.

Their sales team deserves a 10 out of 10 and could probably sell ice to an Eskimo. They seemed to be available 24/7 and come with a great perspective. We decided on a three-month timeline for delivery, and I went in feeling comfortable. Their communication was good after we signed the contract too.

How much have you invested with them?

I spent $2,500. I was going to pay them in milestones after that, but we never got to that point. I asked the CEO to refund what I paid because I didn’t see anything value coming from it. He told me he’d refund part of it, but then he went offline.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from May until September 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Describe the impact this engagement has had on your business.

If they delivered what they promised, the project would be live now. It was supposed to go live in September, which would put us in the testing phase. Demand for the app in my specific market has continued to increase, so, if it was live, I'd be making $10,000 per month. I feel conned.

How was project management handled?

We communicated constantly over WhatsApp before they started working on the wireframes. They were constantly late to meetings, sometimes by an hour or two, and the project manager was completely ineffective. They told me they created a mobile application that was sold to Google, but I don’t see how that’s possible without a project manager that understands a process flow.

They were always apologetic, but they had zero understanding that I was the client and I was the one paying them. I asked them to replace the project manager, as we didn’t have any kind of communication flow, but they didn’t do any handover. The new person couldn’t give me an overview of the project. When I asked for another project manager, they had to post job ads because their team wasn’t as large as they said it was.

I contacted the CEO on LinkedIn of my own volition and asked that he get me competent resources, instead of the junior graphic designers I was working with. Although he assured me he’d take care of it, he didn’t. He rejected my calls and didn’t answer the phone for three weeks. They were highly unprofessional.

Is there anything that the vendor did well or that you would consider a strength?

They were really good at selling themselves. They sold me a team that doesn’t exist.

In what specific areas can they improve?

Their team lacked the skills and understanding to deliver what I asked for.

What advice do you have for clients with similar needs to yours?

Looking back, I would have contacted the owners of at least 10 different mobile applications the company had produced before signing a contract. I only contacted one person AppSquadz provided me with, and I think they told him what to say.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of CashGain, a cashback Android application for online shopping, flight booking, and food ordering.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with AppSquadz?

We needed a partner to help develop our app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

AppSquadz used PHP and Java to develop our Android app. They also provided Magento development and handled our backend servers, maintenance, and content updates.

What is the team composition?

I had an initial call with their CEO, after which I was introduced to the sales and development teams.  

How did you come to work with AppSquadz?

A friend who had worked with their team recommended them. They had the right skill sets to develop my app and could deliver it in a 6-month timeline. They could also handle the ongoing maintenance.

How much have you invested with them?

The project cost 1 million–1.5 million rupees ($15,400–$23,100 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in January 2017 and completed the app in June of that same year.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The app has a good rating and has received positive reviews in the Play Store. The overall response has been great.

How did AppSquadz perform from a project management standpoint?

We had a few delays, but I generally enjoyed working with their team. They worked as per our requirements and performed any changes we requested. They also made suggestions on creating new discounts and other functionalities.

What did you find most impressive about them?

AppSquadz accurately estimated the time it would take for every change I requested. They proposed many changes that improved the general functionality of my app.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They took more time than expected to start the project. We were supposed to start in November 2016, but the work was delayed until January 2017.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the owner of an essay writing service. Our website is a common place for people to submit their essays and read the ones sent by others. Writers send in their essays and they are uploaded with their credentials and are available for everyone to view.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with AppSquadz?

We needed mobile and web development services.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement? 

They developed an application that helps us manage our content and other resources, as well as providing analytics. They created different modules, such as admin and user modules. There are several types of platforms. They developed the applications for Android and iOS, using PHP technology.

What is the team composition?

We worked with around 15 people, including a project manager, who was our main point of contact, as well as developers.

How did you come to work with AppSquadz?

I searched online for development companies and came across them. I contacted them and decided to work with them on this project.

How much have you invested in them?

I spent less than $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The relationship began in August of 2016 and the latest work was completed in October of this year.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The end result has been very good and I’m very happy with the portals. The applications are completely functional and are being utilised for internal resource and content management on a regular basis.

If there are any issues, I can contact the developers and they’re very cooperative.

How did AppSquadz perform from a project management standpoint?

The developers are very cooperative and are much better than any other company I have worked with. 

We mostly communicated through Skype as well as emails. Occasionally, there was a lack of communication; however, after that, the quality was really good and we had good results. Overall, I was very happy.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re always ready to make changes, do their best, and they’re always accommodating. Their development is to the point and precise leaving us with no complaints.

Are there any areas they could improve?

If there is more work in the future, I would recommend them.