Apptunix

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am heading the Sales, Marketing and Operations at droob general trading

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Apptunix, and what were your goals?

We hired Apptunix to develop an app and website for us.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

I researched mobile app developers and came across positive testimonials from APPTUNIX previous clients. Their pricing was also competitive, so we decided to hire APPTUNIX.. We had a call with them and they were (and are) very professional. Their estimation of the project made sense and they were super fast in getting back to us about the project feasibility and timelines.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

"APPTUNIX developed our cross-platform app from scratch; we didn't have anything laid out already. Their team started by designing the app's UX/UI, and we outlined the requirements for each module. Their team added many modules, including a design, account, and home and game screens modules. Once the modules and design were finalized, APPTUNIX put together the backend and linked a database to the app.

They then design and develop app and website for us as per the finalised designs. We added so many things in the app during development and they managed the things very well without delaying the overall delivery. The app was build for phase-1 first for specific set of features. After that Apptunix develop second and third version of the app with many smart feautres and that too in very less time. They were super proactive. Now we have our app live and they are still giving us full support to manage our operations."

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

I worked with Project Manager and Tech lead from APPTUNIX, but they may have had more individuals work on the project. Overall there were 7-8 people.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

The app and website both B2C and B2B are live and its doing good. We have number of users who are using the app. We hardly faced any complaints from the users and if they report anything APPTUNIX is always available for us to take care of them on priority. We are super happy with this engagement. The pace with which they have turned this idea into reality is commendable.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

The workflow was very well defined and they use to understand and discuss each and every point before development which is their key point to do the development faster. We were using slack and emails to interact and we were having regular calls.

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

Their availabilty all the time wins our heart. No matter if it is a weekend or a holiday or night, they were always available.

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

I did not find any.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Founder & CEO of Luxbubble. Luxbubble - Your Salon In Your Pocket, is an on demand market place app connecting consumers with providers of Hair, Nail, Makeup, Piercing, Massage, Waxing, Brow, Lash, Tattoo, Tanning and Style services. Anytime. Anywhere.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Apptunix, and what were your goals?

Development of a customer, provider and staff app for the Luxbubble product.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We canvassed the market in early 2021 for a (white-labelled or bespoke) marketplace app solution for beauty, massage, hair and other similar services. It was quickly evident after meeting online with Apptunix execs that they knew more about what we wanted than we did. Their proposal which was delivered shortly after our initial meeting was right on the mark.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

We had an initial discovery meeting with Apptunix account manager. From there a very detailed proposal document was provided to us which included functional requirements, costings, technical stack, inclusions, exclusions, project delivery methodology, milestones etc. Once contract was signed, development commenced pretty much immediately. Key deliverables were: - complete designs and PSD creations - mobile applications for Customer, Provider and Staff - web based Admin Panel development - Functional and regression testing - UAT testing for security and performance - deployment of Applications over iTunes and Google play store and Admin Panel to live server Technology stack: - Native Android and IOS application development - Backend - NodeJS for event driven backend - Frontend - AngularJS for Frontend admin panel - Server: AWS

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

Vendor team included Project / Delivery Manager, QA and Dev team (scaled up and down depending on need)

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

Luxbubble app is scheduled to launch in July 2022. Overall project delivery was impacted by COVID pandemic from our side and vendor side. Very happy with quality of deliverables and ease of engagement with the project team.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

The majority of interaction has been between the Delivery manager and the QA Team lead. Both have been professional, diligent and highly competent. Tools used for communication were Slack and Video conferencing.

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

I was impressed that I could raise any concerns directly with the CEO and receive prompt responses, follow-up and action. The project team were great to deal with and it often felt like we were one collaborative team. Delivery manager and QA lead were professional, diligent and highly competent.

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

The project was stop-start primarily due to COVID pandemic. There was a lag in delivery for various reasons however once I escalated, the project achieved the desired attention to get it back on track. Transparency during this lag time could have been an area of improvement.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an independent consultant and the founder of a company called Connected LLC.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Apptunix?

I hired them to develop a mobile app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Apptunix sent me a proposal for the app development, and I approved it. I later added another feature to the scope, so they provided a second proposal. The team created a number of builds for the app that they sent me for testing.

What is the team composition?

I worked with around three people from Apptunix, including Reena (Delivery Manager).

How did you come to work with Apptunix?

I found them in an IT publication that had several app development companies. I also checked their profile on Clutch and their website. I selected them because they had a presence in the US and had good reviews on Clutch.

How much have you invested with them?

The first proposal was for $40,000 to develop the app, and the second one was $11,000 for the feature added. In total, I paid Apptunix $42,000–$43,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in June 2021, and I terminated the contract in February 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

How did your relationship with the vendor evolve?

The app builds Apptunix sent me for testing didn’t work the way they were supposed to from a UX perspective. When they tried to fix the app, other things would get broken, and the process would repeat; it was a cat and mouse game. Moreover, they front-loaded the billing and the invoices. They would assure me they reached a milestone every two weeks, but the app wasn’t working. I didn’t know enough about development to understand what phase they were meant to be in.

Then, they pushed me to give the final payment when the app was far from done. They claimed that paying would keep the team motivated, but I had paid over $40,000 at this point — if they weren’t motivated by now, I didn’t know what they were doing. 

The project was supposed to last 14–16 weeks, and after six months, the app wasn’t finished, and Apptunix was playing games. I hired a technical person from Fiverr who hopped on my Zoom call with Apptunix. The team opened the code, and the Fiverr consultant saw they hadn’t touched the file in five months. That meant they did some work at first, stopped development, and kept billing me and telling me they were working on it. Currently, I’m pursuing legal action with a firm in India, and Apptunix hasn’t replied to my attorneys yet. 

Describe the impact this engagement has had on your business.

I lost a lot of money with Apptunix, and I don’t have private equity. Everything I’d saved is gone, and I have no business — it’s unconscionable. I’ll have to save again, rebuild, and find a reputable app developer. However, every provider in the US costs $100,000–$200,000, and they won’t even talk to me, so I have a long way to go. On top of that, I can’t get collateral business loans because I need to come up with a percentage, and I don’t have it now. Ultimately, Apptunix was a scam; they couldn’t do what they promised.

How was project management handled?

When we started working together, we had difficulty scheduling meetings because they were offshore. They wouldn’t provide me with a contact from their Texas office, which made me suspect they didn’t really have a presence in the US. 

Apptunix didn’t always attend meetings. The project manager would regularly cancel five minutes before calls, which were at 5:00 a.m. for me. For example, the team missed a really important vendor meeting even though the project manager had confirmed. Afterward, she told me she’d had a car accident and had forgotten to invite the other teammate involved — I didn’t believe her.

The project manager lied to me regularly about the project’s status. I created a tracking spreadsheet because I was trying to manage the process, and she assured me things were fixed when they weren’t. Then, I switched to another project manager who told me the previous team had left, and we had to start over with a new one. However, if they’d been building something, the code should still be there.

On the call with the Fiverr consultant, there were 6–8 people from Apptunix, and not all of them spoke, making me doubt if they were actual employees. Nikkhil (CEO) didn’t answer me on the Slack channel, and he hasn’t replied to a formal letter from my attorneys.

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

They lied really well.

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

Don’t even talk to them; you can’t expect to get something real from Apptunix. Even though they have a great website, it’s a scam; they’re not legitimate. Their site is even better than when I started working with them, and I wonder if they took some of the money I paid them and invested in their site to scam more people. I should have done verification before hiring them but didn’t, and I got burned badly. Ultimately, Apptunix is not an ethical company.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president of a mobile app company. We’re a pick-up and delivery service company that uses crowdsourced traffic information. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Apptunix?

We hired Apptunix for their mobile app and website development services. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Apptunix is developing our mobile app for both iOS and Android. They handle the entire creation of the app. They’re also creating a static website that links to the app. The app uses crowdsourced information to show the locations of drivers in real-time. It also has chat capabilities. Using it, drivers can also receive payments from the users utilizing the service. 

The team has also made suggestions for the app’s design. They’ve sent us templates and screens that my business partners and I have reviewed. We’ve sent them the changes we want to see, and they’ve been working with us to implement those changes. The team has also sent us snapshots of various logo designs we can use. 

At present, we’re starting to review the driver geo-tracking feature of the app. Going forward, Apptunix will also provide maintenance services for the app and website unless we come to a point where we can make our own changes to the product. 

What is the team composition?

We work with a project manager and a programmer. 

How did you come to work with Apptunix?

One of our partners did some research and selected Apptunix. We had a discussion with them about our vision for the company and the app. Subsequently, we received a prospectus from them, informing us of the estimated cost of the project and the contract milestones and timelines. That was when we started the partnership. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested approximately $30,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started the project in October 2021, and the engagement is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Apptunix has been prompt in terms of the project’s timeline. Before we proceed to the next stage, they ensure that we have a thorough understanding of the app and its development. They break the app down into areas using the perspectives of end users and drivers. Simply put, they’re great at providing feedback and doing demonstrations about their progress. 

We haven’t seen any bugs yet since the app isn’t in a functional state yet. However, we’ll be doing a soft launch with our friends and family to test the product. 

How did Apptunix perform from a project management standpoint?

I’m truly happy with how the Apptunix team sticks to the schedule. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, we’re working remotely with them via Zoom. Considering that we’re in different time zones — they’re an India-based company — everything has been going well. 

In terms of communication, we use Slack to receive all information and follow-ups from them. We also use emails, while our meetings are held using Zoom. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

We have a vague and conceptual idea, but Apptunix has been able to use their capabilities to target such ideas. In other words, they’ve done a great job turning our ideas into reality. We’re seeing the beginnings of the app’s functionality. They’ve also accepted our ideas and adapted to whatever we want for the app to come to fruition.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there aren’t any. I’ve been happy with how the development is going. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have a clear vision of your expectations. It’s difficult to have a conceptual idea and leave it to a team to put everything together — you won’t get a perfect solution that way. As a result, ensure that you have a continual working relationship with Apptunix. Express your ideas and changes that you see fit for your final goal. You should be highly involved in this process. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder of WearIt. It's based on chronic and invisible illnesses to help those affected navigate their world better.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Apptunix, and what were your goals?

I wanted to develop an app to help students with invisible illnesses communicate more effectively with their teachers and administrators while at school.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

I searched online for app developers, but chose Apptunix after speaking with them and outlining my project. The budget was a deciding factor.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

I outlined what I wanted the app and interfaces to do for the students and teachers and the actual app development went pretty smoothly. We decided the overall goal of the app and the specific priorities at the beginning, but we able to make some changes along the way. The most difficult part was finding the extra devices I needed for the teachers and students to connect with the app.

There's been a lot of R&D and trial and error finding the right devices to work in the right way. The app itself was developed as far as it could go without the extra devices in a timely manner, but we reached a hurdle with the devices, so we are working through that together.

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

I started with a sales rep until we settled on the contract. Then I worked with the project manager, and a few of her team members, but mostly with the project manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

We haven't been able to launch the app yet because of our device issue, but once we have that solved, I don't doubt that we will be able exceed our expectations.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

The project manager was really good about guiding me along and was really patient with me while I figured out my end of the project. I haven't ever done anything like this before, so I appreciated the patience. We mostly communicated through slack, emails and had several phone calls as well.

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

They were really good about adjusting the app we went through that part of the project based on my feedback. I am impressed with my project manager because of her patience in guiding me and going over the same thing with me as I needed it. I could tell it is important for them to know that I am happy and satisfied with the project, and I appreciate how much they work to help me achieve my goals.

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

I'm not sure exactly how to improve on their end. I should have done more on my end to make sure that I understood how the project would go and what the steps were. I wasn't always exactly following the details, but it was because of lack of knowledge on my end. I think if I clarified the steps to myself in the beginning, I would have been able to follow the expectations better.

The only thing I could think of on their end is maybe to start the R&D on the devices earlier so that we had a better idea of what would work and what wouldn't work. We had chosen a wristband initially and from our early conversations from the sales rep to some team members, I didn't anticipate having an issue at all with the wristband connectivity, so I think if we could have all focused on that part in the beginning stages - myself included - we might have saved ourselves some time.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO and Founder of Latest Sightings (Pty) Ltd. I am responsible for posting viral content on our social media platforms as well as the general day to day running of the business.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Apptunix, and what were your goals?

We hired Apptunix to develop a wildlife sightings app for Android and iOS devices. The goal of the app is to ensure safari-goers are able to post photos/videos of real-time wildlife sightings both online and offline from any reserve in the world. By posting their sightings other app users are able to see where the animals can be spotted.

SOLUTION

How did you select Apptunix and what were the deciding factors?

The reviews were good and they understood the concept of the app and what a "ting" was. The cost of the development for the two apps was enticing.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

We had a few meetings to discuss the specifications of the app. Over the following weeks, we created a Trello board to establish what had been completed and what still needed to be completed. As the weeks went on the team were making all the requested changes and sending through tester versions for both android and iOS that our team tested.

The deliverables of the app were as follows: Have an app that allows users to see real-time wildlife sightings in nature reserves. If a user posts a sighting the other users have the option to receive a notification to alert them of the sighting Ensure the app posts photos and videos while online and offline so other users can see the sightings and use the map to direct them to the sighting.

Ensure that users are able to see the time and date of all the sightings coming through from the past 2 days on the main sightings feed.

How many resources from the Apptunix team worked with you, and what were their positions?

We interacted with Reena and Himanish the lead project managers. We would occasionally do Zoom calls with the developers to explain the specifications of the app.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

Within 8 months the app was released. Our iOS app went into the top 20 on the app store when we were promoting the app. Sadly, the ratings for android are on 2.6 on the app as users were having difficulty signing up and with app crashes. Unfortunately in terms of deliverables we are still not receiving notifications when a user posts a sighting.

On android devices, we are not able to post photos or videos offline and at the moment we are unable to post photos and videos online. Lastly, there are iOS users who are unable to see the time and date of the sightings on their feed - the issue has been rectified and we are waiting for the version to go live so our users can test it. On the bright side, the app looks very professional and the layout of the app is what we envisioned.

The process of adding sightings is a lot more streamlined than our previous app. The map provides an excellent summary of the sightings across the different reserves and the directions using Google maps works really nicely! The map filter allows users to purchase the 30-day map - the feature has been working really well.

he ads on the app fit in nicely with the main feed design and allow us to earn some money from the app without the ads being overwhelming.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

The managers were polite and easy to communicate with as we communicated via Slack, Zoom or Google Meets. They were on time for the meetings arranged - especially when we had app users on the call to address specific issues with the app. They were always willing to facilitate meetings between Latest Sightings and the developers in order to address specific changes that needed to be made. They kept us up to date with the latest versions of the app and the changes that had been made.

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

The look of the app is very professional. Even though there were challenges the developers are always working on the challenges of the app and ensuring that a solution is found. The project managers were always polite and easy to work with.

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

In terms of improvements: The timeline of the app took a lot longer than expected, as it is almost a year later and the app has issues that need to be corrected. The data usage of the app is quite heavy compared to other apps like Instagram and Facebook that have photo and video media.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder of a mobile app that allows local businesses to sell within their region. It’s similar to Uber Eats but for small businesses such as butchers, florists, and more.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Apptunix?

We hired Apptunix to help develop our app and online platform. They basically developed everything to do with the mobile app in terms of the interface and how everything works.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our solution includes an iOS and Android mobile app along with an online tool, which helps us manage the day-to-day store operations on the system. That includes accepting orders, checking the inventory, and looking after the store digitally.

To develop the solution, we had an initial call with the sales reps to talk through our idea. They’d actually done similar work for another client, so we decided to put things into motion. We then signed a contract detailing exactly what they were going to provide and agreed on the scope of work and cost.

From there, they built the platform based on our specifications and brought it back to us for review. We went back and forth, giving feedback until we got to a position where we were comfortable.

They also supported us with various other services. They created a third-party website for us, assisted with marketing activities for the first few months after we went live, and created content based on our needs. Now, they continue to provide ongoing support on our app.

What is the team composition?

There’s a project manager who is our go-to person for questions. They oversee the whole project. 

During the development process, there were around 6–7 people who were heavily involved. We had a couple of Android and iOS developers, working with each one separately since the solution was for two different platforms. We also had a portal developer who focused on anything to do with our website or the backend platform. 

After we launched, we had a few people who supported our marketing, as well.

How did you come to work with Apptunix?

When we initially started the project, we looked online for relevant companies that could support us. We had a few discussions with other companies, but Apptunix was the one we put our faith in based on the work that they’d done for their other clients and our conversations. Basically, we trusted them to develop what we wanted to build.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested around $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

They started building the app around July 2020, and we officially went live in March 2021. However, we’re still working with them to resolve any issues or further developments. We’re in contact whenever we need to be.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve had about 2,000 downloads and 500 orders on the platform, which is quite good considering that we haven’t really pushed the app significantly beyond our market yet. We’re only dealing with the platform in our local area.

The feedback that we’ve received has generally been very positive. We can see when people place their orders for the first time compared to customers who come back again. We’re actually seeing repeat business, which is obviously a positive sign that they like the way the app works and looks. We’ve also had some good reviews online from the App Store and Google Play.

How did Apptunix perform from a project management standpoint?

From a budgeting perspective, they’ve been absolutely perfect. There haven’t been any additional surprise amounts that we’ve incurred. Whatever is within the contract is paid. 

But for timing, we were probably a bit too ambitious with how quickly we could turn it around. Initially, they said it would take about three months to build our solution from scratch, but it took closer to 5–6 months before we were comfortable. Our project manager plotted our timeline on a spreadsheet file, and we’d discuss items together, which worked for us in the end.

Now, we have a team in India that still supports us with any questions or queries that we have. They’re always there for me to raise anything, which has been really helpful. 

We’ve had a couple of instances where the app has crashed or we’ve identified bugs. However, whenever we come across these cases, we just raise the issue immediately in our Slack channel. The project manager is very good at supporting us to get those bugs resolved.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Overall, the project team is really strong, and we enjoy working with them. They understand what our requirements are, and, if there’s anything that we need to flag or escalate, they’re very quick to react and drive action items. Not to mention, the quality of the solution was very good considering the relatively little investment that we made.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could’ve been a bit more realistic in terms of the project timescale. As I mentioned, the project did take a little longer than we’d anticipated, but that wasn’t much of a concern for us because we worked on our own schedules. Had we had a hard deadline, that could’ve been a bit more frustrating.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If someone asked me if I’d recommend them to Apptunix, my answer would be “yes.” The people who we work with are really good, and the quality of the product for the amount that we’ve invested is great, as well. 

I’d just advise them to be realistic when setting timelines when you start your discussions with Apptunix. That way, it’s more realistic on both sides.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the Founder and CEO

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Apptunix, and what were your goals?

We hired Apptunix to develop mobile apps and website

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

They were one of 3 bidders who provided the best timeline to complete the project. Other providers had projected 3.5 to 5 months to complete project.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

We provided a detailed scope and PRD (product requirement document) and made no scope or requirement changes.

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

4 people that we interacted with were PM, Lead Developer and 2 people in marketing (part of a promotional bonus Apptunix offered at the start of the project)

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

• The project scope and requirements were agreed with a 10 week completion in early July, and contract signed on Apr/21/2021
• Apptunix invoiced us twice within the first 2 weeks and while unusual we paid as they projected great progress. By late May we were concerned about progress of project despite presentations made by Apptunix and found increasingly erratic and poor project and development management and expressed so to the account manager
• By mid-July, we had paid for most of the project but it became very clear that project was way behind delivery timelines that has passed already. We escalated and they promised that they will finish all within two weeks but 4 weeks later we had to escalate again, It was early October before the project seemed near completion but again the communications and followups including marketing were disappointingly late and poor in quality.
• In mid-October, I escalated urgently to their CEO Nikhil and it took multiple emails to get a poor evasive response. I tried multiple times to resolve and make them understand that not only they were 5 months behind project delivery timeline, they had failed multiple promises of completion and stepping up.
• The CEO gave us the run around for two weeks before we sent a formal demand letter before initiating lawsuit.
• They have not responded at all.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

Apptunix people are generally friendly but have poor skills in communication, verbally and writing, and seem very casual and non-commital with timelines. Our Project Manager Reena is a very nice person but lacks project management skills and seems quite comfortable making promises she knows she will not deliver. At second escalation in late August, she shared their Trello project screen with me in support of her activity. What trello showed was the last update to the tool was more than one month old and had almost no useful detail.

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

There is nothing impressive about Apptunix. Our project overall is not particularly difficult or complex and we provided very meticulous scope and PRD which makes it even more difficult to grasp why they failed the timeline so many times.

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

Apptunix lacks modern project management skills and discipline. They have the capability to build and deliver a typical project with average resources and skills but generally lack communication and customer service skills despite a generally friendly demeanor that is reflected in making promises and commiting to things they either know or do not know that they cannot or will ot deliver.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Director of IT of a meat distribution company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Apptunix, and what were your goals?

We wanted to develop a mobile app for our customers to be able to browse our product offers list anytime and anywhere. From the app, we wanted them to indicate their purchase interests.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We first contacted a Canadian company, but their price was too high for us. We started looking for more competitive developers online, so we found Apptunix. After presenting our requirements to them and understanding how their development process worked, we found that they would be able to provide us the best cost-effective solution for our goals.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

We needed a company that could develop the front-end for our first mobile app idea. We started the process with a discovery phase to scope out the budget and requirements. We needed a company that could develop the front-end for our first mobile app idea. We started the process with a discovery phase to scope out the budget and requirements. After that, they provided us the design builds which were reviewed by us and modified as required. After the design builds, they programmed the front-end functionalities and API endpoints integration to our backend API endpoints. The app was built in Native for iOS and Android.

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

We worked with a team of 4-5 developers and the project manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

The has just been launched on the app store, so we don't have any customers using it yet.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

They did a good job. We had some delays in communication sometimes due to the timezone differences, but overall, they were responsive. All the communication was done via Slack, but we jumped into calls when some development aspects needed to be clarified. We always had our timelines laid out and they ensured that we were on track. Any deviation on the timeline was quickly addressed and reviewed.

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

They’re very knowledgeable about design trends and provided us the design builds very quickly. They were really good at sticking to the timeline and budget.

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

Status reports on each stage of the project could have been helpful. We would've liked to have all the requirements that were solely dependent on us earlier in the project. That would include technical and non-technical requirements, such as API endpoint complete technical requirements and information requirements to publish the app. As being the very first time we were publishing a mobile app, we needed further guidance and information. That would have prevented some delays.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of Beaudire, an appointment scheduling app and beauty marketplace.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Apptunix?

I needed someone to create my scheduling and beauty marketplace app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Apptunix was responsible for building the entire project. They created the mobile app, the website, and the admin panel. I also gave them my branding stuff, but other than that we co-created the document. They sent me over an agreement and I emailed back regarding what was missing — they came back and said it’s in there but it wasn’t.

What is the team composition?

The only ones I communicated with were the project manager, two people who assisted with design, and one who assisted with the website.

How did you come to work with Apptunix?

I found them online. When I was researching them, Clutch was one of the websites I found reviews on for them. I chose them because it seemed that they knew what they were doing, and it seemed as though they had experience in this area. They even provided references.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested $22,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in August 2020. It was supposed to last seven weeks, but it ended up being 40 weeks and it was still not completed after I terminated the contract in May 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

What really pushed me to do the review on them was when I asked them to terminate the contract and provide me with my intellectual properties and they still haven’t done them. My code was posted publicly after I asked them to get rid of it on their side and provide it to me — I have to work with my new team with the old code that I saved. The code they wrote was so bad that the new team is literally still trying to fix it. It’s like starting over from scratch. 

The partnership really negatively impacted the business, and was overall a bad experience. They still haven’t provided me with my code files even after posting them publicly.

Everything went wrong once I realized they didn’t know what they were doing. The project was supposed to be seven weeks, but we got to week seven and found that they had the whole concept wrong. They told me I didn’t communicate what I needed, but I have proof that I did. At that point, I was pretty well invested from a financial perspective. I decided maybe it was better if I paid them to fix it, which I shouldn’t have done — I should have terminated the contract at that point, but I didn’t have a technical background. 

This was already an Achilles heel for me and I think they just milked it — everything went from bad to worse. They supposedly finished the product but the product kept breaking and they weren’t able to provide me with any kind of information, or any background as to what happened.

How did Apptunix perform from a project management standpoint?

I knew the project management was bad, but I gave them the benefit of the doubt because it wasn’t my area. It was so bad that I requested a change in the project manager, and they had the audacity to tell me I had to pay them $3,000 if I wanted a new project manager — this came from the owner of the company, who I’ve also been emailing directly to request my code.

They weren’t meeting deadlines and were consistently going over budget. — they weren’t able to manage the platform that they built consistently.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The project management, the quality of the development, the ability to communicate, and the ability to meet deadlines were all a mess from the top to the bottom.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Do more research. If you see a project going wrong at the beginning, pinpoint that and stop it right there. Don’t give them the benefit of the doubt and be realistic. Even if they have a project manager, manage the project yourself as well — be completely involved in the project and hold the project manager more accountable.