ARKA Softwares

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of AgileKoding, a software company located in Mexico that does software development and IT consulting. We are involved in mass public services for the government sector. We also work with finance and service industries in the private sector.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with ARKA Softwares?

We wanted a 24-hour production line of software development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I provide work orders and they produce the work. We define the specifications and start building the architecture and databases. Then, we coordinate with ARKA to provide us with a software development team composed of specialized mobile and Ruby on Rails software developers. They do the coding and the unit testing and we provide integration with our own staff. We started with one developer and as we grow, we’re hiring more and more people.

How did you come to work with ARKA Softwares?

I talked with several companies and did technical analysis of the teams. We chose ARKA because of their flexibility.

How much have you invested with ARKA Softwares?

So far, we have spent between $15,000 and $20,000 with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in March 2015, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Thanks to their involvement, we have increased our development cycle. We shortened the delivery timeline by 20% with their help. We increased our capacity by 40%, which means we can attend to more customers.

How did ARKA Softwares perform from a project management standpoint?

In our industry, software, and processes are constantly changing. ARKA is able to adapt very well to these changes. They have excellent support. Even though there is a time difference, they adapt to our time zone. We have one team leader per project on our staff and one from ARKA. They keep in touch and we use Trello and Redmine for bug fixing. We shared those tools with them and they adapted to our technology.

What did you find most impressive about ARKA Softwares?

We had previously worked with another company on a small project. This was our first big project and we are happy with ARKA’s performance.

Are there any areas ARKA Softwares could improve?

They tend to take more time than I am used to in hiring new developers. For example, if I needed a Ruby on Rails programmer who understands Spanish, I know that’s difficult to find someone like that in India. It took them a long time to get someone, and they could be a little faster.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Image Retail Solutions is a developer and supplier of electronic point-of-sale solutions to small to medium-size companies in the retail market. Established in 2001, we have more than 15 years of experience in the IT [information technology] sector and an installation base of more than 1,000 client sites.

I am the managing director.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Arka Softwares?

We needed to develop a cloud-based extension to our product, but lacked the internal resources to do so. Consequently, we decided to outsource the work.  

What was the scope of their involvement?

The project was to develop a cloud-based extension to our service. We required web development services using HTML, JavaScript, and MySQL.

How did you come to work with Arka Softwares?

Arka was short listed, along with a number of other companies, based on their experience, expertise, and perceived competency.

How much have you invested with Arka Softwares?

We have spent about $10,000 working with Arka.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project lasted approximately six months.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that

SOLUTION

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Introduce your business and what you do there.

Image Retail Solutions is a developer and supplier of electronic point-of-sale solutions to small to medium-size companies in the retail market. Established in 2001, we have more than 15 years of experience in the IT [information technology] sector and an installation base of more than 1,000 client sites.

I am the managing director.

OPPORTUNITY/CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Arka Softwares?

We needed to develop a cloud-based extension to our product, but lacked the internal resources to do so. Consequently, we decided to outsource the work.  

What was the scope of their involvement?

The project was to develop a cloud-based extension to our service. We required web development services using HTML, JavaScript, and MySQL.

How did you come to work with Arka Softwares?

Arka was short listed, along with a number of other companies, based on their experience, expertise, and perceived competency.

How much have you invested with Arka Softwares?

We have spent about $10,000 working with Arka.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project lasted approximately six months.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The project has been temporarily suspended due to other priorities in our business. This in no way reflects negatively on the work performed by them, and we look forward to the possibility of working with Arka Softwares again in the future.

What did you find most impressive about Arka Softwares?

Arka offered a very professional, courteous, and competent service.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We're a live sharing provider. We set up servers, and people are able to work from them live from different geographic locations – essentially specialized Google docs.

What are your position and responsibilities?

I am the president.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with ARKA Softwares and Outsourcing?

The helpdesk solutions that we had was dated, and didn't do what we wanted. We saw this as an opportunity to work with an offshore company to develop something that was customizable, and fit our exact needs. We were also switching the helpdesk from Joomla and to DotNetNuke. 

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

They had to provide a ticketing system with a function for people to log in. The ticketing system had to work with the DotNetNuke login system, so it was a module working off the DotNetNuke framework. The idea is that the customer would log in, take a ticket, and then operators would be able to assign that ticket to themselves, and work through a reply system inside of the ticket. We already had the general design and layout, as well as an extensive requirements documents; we just needed it programmed.

How did you come to work with ARKA Softwares and Outsourcing?

We found them on oDesk. We've had a lot of trouble with India and Asia in general, in regards to their ability to carry out things, and we were very hesitant to go with them initially. Through the bad experiences we had in the past, we were able to craft a very lengthy requirements document. Through that document, we interviewed with Rahul at ARKA, and he was able to answer the questions satisfactorily, so we grabbed him.

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

In total, the project cost us around $3,500.

What is the status of this engagement?

We initially were looking for a two-month turnaround, but it actually went longer because we saw opportunities to expand the functionality of the product. The project just wrapped up a few weeks ago.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What have been the results of the project? Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

Now that we have a helpdesk solution, we can monitor and track requests as they come in. Part of the reason we asked for this solution was so our different departments could craft their own individual helpdesk. It's one module that services multiple departments, and it's very customizable for each department. It's been an incredible resource for us and markedly improved our ability to serve our customers.

How did ARKA Softwares and Outsourcing perform from a project management standpoint?

Rahul [Mathur, chief executive officer of ARKA Softwares and Outsourcing] did a great job as project manager. It was far better than my other experiences with offshore firms.

What distinguishes ARKA Softwares and Outsourcing from other providers?

What set them apart was their honesty. Other offshore firms would say, "Yes, we can do that", and it turns out they couldn't, then the project would be three weeks behind schedule and over budget. ARKA Softwares and Outsourcing was great about honestly saying what was, and wasn't possible, but doing their best to deliver what we wanted. Overall, it was a positive experience; I'm already planning future projects with them.

Is there anything ARKA Softwares and Outsourcing could have improved or done differently?

I would have liked them to have more experience with DotNetNuke. They had worked with it before but didn't have quite the deep understanding that I was looking for. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

Our company helps couples to have a better relationship through an online service that they sign up for.

What is your position?

I am the co-founder, and I run the technology department.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with ARKA Softwares and Outsourcing?

We hired them in to help us with our web development.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

ARKA helped out with the landing page, along with the sign up process and several features. They touched most of the features of the website. They did the web development across the board.

We're a .NET shop, so a Microsoft stack, and they have great experience with Microsoft. They were able to work on the database, the middle tier, the UI [user interface], and the responsive design so that it looks great on the mobile device. I'm actually using it on my Android daily, tablet, and PC, and they did a great job with responsive design. So, it was HTML, .NET, and jQuery coding.

How did you come to work with ARKA Softwares and Outsourcing?

I went through a series of interviews and through a variety of candidates. I met up with the founder [and president Rahul Mathur], and he was very knowledgeable, had a good experience, and he's a great communicator. You want to make sure there is good communication when you're working with people who are not in the same culture or in the same time zone. He had great communication skills.

I've actually hired them on multiple projects. The project I'm talking about right now is the last one that we're working on, and I kept hiring him back because he did a great work, and he had great communication skills.

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

I'd rather keep that confidential.

What is the status of this engagement?

He completed everything for that stage of the project, and I'm planning on hiring him back for another stage of the project when we're ready to start again.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

I think their work was excellent, that's why I hired them back for four different projects, and I would recommend them. The price versus the quality versus the work, I thought was overall great. I'd give them high marks in all aspects.

How did ARKA Softwares and Outsourcing perform from a project management standpoint?

ARKA Softwares and Outsourcing has always been very responsive. When I needed work done, they were always ready to go on the project, and they did a good job.

What distinguishes ARKA Softwares and Outsourcing from other providers?

No. I'm just a satisfied customer who plans on hiring them back. That kind of sums it up.

Is there anything ARKA Softwares and Outsourcing could have improved or done differently?

No.

BACKGROUND

Please provide us with a brief description of your company.

We're a website that sells a wide variety of motor vehicles ranging from cars to trucks to motorbikes to small aircraft. We started in 2011 as a subsidiary of a larger company.

What is your role at the company?

I'm the CEO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was the business challenge that you were trying to address when you approached ARKA?

We needed to construct a website from beginning to end.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of the project, and can you describe the specific services they provided?

The scope of work was to build an auto classifieds website from the ground up with 10 unique sections. Each section was different, like building 10 websites incorporated into one. The website was completed last year after five months of solid work with several different iterations.

We gave ARKA many coding and design requests including, but not limited to, image uploading, creating algorithms, integrating postcodes to connect consumers to vendors, detailing item specs, and refining keyword search results with dozens of different filters. ARKA Softwares and Outsourcing has built some amazing features for us. Whatever we ask, they build quite easily.

What was your process for selecting ARKA?

ARKA is not the first offshore company we've worked with, however they are the first we've had such a positive experience with. We initially found them through UpWork, and feel very fortunate that we did.

Can you give a sense of the size of the initiative? 

I'm guessing up to $50,000. Thousands of man-hours have been put into refining the project and ARKA is in no way wasting time or charging us excessively. I would say they are very reasonably priced compared to everyone we have come across.

When did the project begin, and when was it completed?

It started in January 2014, and we launched last July or August [2014].

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The results have been positive when the right marketing has been in place. All aspects of the website work well. Everything we have asked ARKA to do has worked extremely well. ARKA Softwares and Outsourcing has many capable web developers. They are up there with the best we have met.

How did they perform in terms of the quality of their work?

Their quality of work has been high, especially with coding as this is where we really push their skills. They are more than capable coders.

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

You ask them to build something, anything, and it always works as requested. It's a big relief when you take the risk to work with an offshore firm, and you get what you asked for.

Looking back on the project, do you have any constructive criticism? Is there any area that they could improve or you would do differently?

I wish they would make themselves available for more weekend work.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We're a telecoms consortium. We're a telecom and Internet service provider for companies, whether it's a telephone system, providing a broadband connection, or providing a lease line or high speed data circuit.

What is your position?

I am the technical director.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with ARKA Softwares and Outsourcing?

We mainly sell our services through resellers, which means they often require certain information from the databases. At the moment, that's done by them putting in a request, which we then have to manually go through and complete.

The problem is, obviously the more resellers we've got, the more data they want, to a point where all we're doing all day is just feeding information back to resellers, when they could get the data themselves. That's where ARKA came in.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

Basically, most of it was various SQL [structured query language] database work, and a lot of CSV [comma separated values] files as well. We needed someone who knew Java, because we wanted a Web-based portal that would help us manage our own in-house systems, things like purchase orders and stock control, so the resellers could search that information on their own.

It's a massive project because there are so many systems. Some of this data goes back 10 years, and we've only been working with them for the last seven months. ARKA has used SQL, Java, jQuery, and AJAX [asynchronous JavaScript and XML], to bring all this together.

How did you come to work with ARKA Softwares and Outsourcing?

It was one of our resellers actually. I was telling him about our issue, and he suggested ARKA Software. At first, I sent them very small task with the database, just to test their proficiency, and it's really developed from there.

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

In six months, we've spent roughly $3,000 with ARKA.

What is the status of this engagement?

It started in February of this year [2015], and the project is still ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What distinguishes ARKA Softwares and Outsourcing from other providers?

I find them very amenable, and very easy to work with. If I ask for something to be done, they just go ahead and do it. To be honest, it's been superb so far. I've looked at the quality of the code, and I wouldn't say it's brilliant, but it's certainly good. It's readable, which I like.

I've found them very flexible. I've asked for certain things, like jQuery, to make the website automated a bit and make it look good, and it's been done well. I couldn't really say a bad word against ARKA, to be honest with you, because they've delivered exactly what I've asked them to do. They follow what I want to the letter.

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

One problem is it takes a lot of my time to manage this because I have to be very specific with them. I don't make a formal request for something it doesn't get done. One way they could improve is, at the moment, it's my responsibility to find all the bugs, and then report those back to them to fix. It would be nice if they took that on themselves. They're starting to do this some, but I would like it to happen more.

BACKGROUND

Please provide us with a brief description of your company.

My company provides e-commerce solutions using WooCommerce, Magento, and BigCommerce. We specifically cater to companies in the retail and tourism industries.

What is your role at the company?

I am a project manager.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was the business challenge that you were trying to address when you approached ARKA Softwares and Outsourcing?

We had started a project with another company, but the problem was that this other company was hard to manage, and we had a lot of communication issues. Eventually, it got so bad that we just had to drop them with the project only half completed. We approached ARKA because we needed somebody to help us finish this project.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of the project, and can you describe the specific services they provided?

For the project, we wanted ARKA to set up a premium sports article site integrating WordPress with WooCommerce including membership plugins. We wanted our users to have various payment gateways to buy points for our site, each point could be used to purchase articles.

What was your process for selecting ARKA Softwares and Outsourcing?

Once we found them, we brought people from ARKA to interview. We asked them a lot of specific technical questions to make sure they were up to the job and had the chops for it.

Can you give a sense of the size of the initiative? 

 I can't give you any information on the specific cost, but I can say that in total, ARKA spent 150 hours on our project.

When did the project begin, and when was it completed?

We started working with them in March 2015, and we finished in June.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The website was successfully finished with all the specifications I asked for and launched on time.

How did they perform in terms of the quality of their work?

The quality of their work is high, and all the issues and tasks they make are sent through a QA [quality assurance] process before they show me the product.

Is there anything unique or special about ARKA Softwares and Outsourcing that really makes them stand out? 

 The ARKA team was always easy to communicate and work with. I was also assigned a dedicated project manager, which made communication a lot better.

Looking back on the project, do you have any constructive criticism? Is there any area that they could improve or you would do differently?

No. They were great. I have no complaints to report.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am an executive at The Budget Bible

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Budgeting Services

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire ARKA Softwares to accomplish?

• Budgeting App Development

SOLUTION

How did you find ARKA Softwares?

• Clutch Site

Why did you select ARKA Softwares over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from ARKA Softwares were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

• Design & Development of IOS and Android Mobile Application
• Web Panel for Admin Requirments
• Document Deployment Support
• Post Deployment

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Functionality of the app

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

Everything was delivered on time and the team responded quickly to any issues or clarifications.

What was your primary form of communication with ARKA Softwares?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Fast response times were very impressive by this company

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

N/A

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CO-FOUNDER of FARIA

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Multi-services company

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire ARKA Softwares to accomplish?

• mobile app

SOLUTION

How did you find ARKA Softwares?

Online Search

Why did you select ARKA Softwares over others?

google search

How many teammates from ARKA Softwares were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

The mobile app is a multi-service app that provides users with different home services.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We hired Arka Software to build a mobile app for us, but this was the worst experience for us, we paid them 95% of the amount and they delivered a crap app, every time the bugs and defects are worst than the previous ones, we were the one taking care of testing the app, they never tested it before providing new build, we always waited for days and weeks before getting an update from them, and when we get an updated build, it looked like a high schooler who made up the app.

We were very disappointed with our experience with ARKA Softwares; our patience reached its limit. We will go definitely with another better-reputed company. What a waste of time, energy, effort, and MONEY!

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

The project was never delivered we are not even getting an update. they are vanishing. scammers

What was your primary form of communication with ARKA Softwares?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

they are not responsible, very rude. wish I never dealt with them.

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

if they only took our request seriously and deliver our mobile app.

Company Responses

The service provider responded on September 20, 2023.

The client has posted half story in their review. This project was running for last 3 years but it is not true that we continuously kept working on this project. There were around 3-4 instances when client became totally inactive for 3-4 months due to their personal reasons. In wake of no feedback given on completed work, our team was sitting idle multiple times. They kept changing their requirements related to payment gateway and language translation. We suffered a huge loss as our team was deployed dedicatedly on this project and we were not getting required third party and correct translation files from their end. Then they asked to remove translation and shared a new list of changes in the application.

As this project became a long running project, we kept sharing the status of current challenges with them like many libraries of Android and iOS had been deprecated and it results in more bugs while we were working on new changes. We have made the required changes and upgrades in the libraries. Moreover, we upgraded the PHP version that previously 4.1 and we updated it to 5.8 to make it compatible with server configuration. The client didn't pay anything extra for this upgrade work. Despite of this client was talking in very unprofessional manner and kept asking for refund of money from us. Their claim of 95% payment is also wrong as they never paid for new changes and upgradation tasks. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the general manager of The Gibson Company Commercial Real Estate

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

The Gibson Company Commercial Real Estate, Management, and Brokerage Firm. Our company is a full-service Commercial Real Estate Brokerage and Management Company that has provided area property sales and leasing, tenant representation, consulting, and real estate research services.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire ARKA Softwares to accomplish?

• We hired ARKA SOFTWARE to build a modern and user-friendly website for our commercial real estate company, with the specific goals of improving our online presence, attracting potential clients, and showcasing our properties effectively.

SOLUTION

How did you find ARKA Softwares?

Referral

Why did you select ARKA Softwares over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from ARKA Softwares were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

ARKA SOFTWARE delivered a comprehensive website development solution that included designing an intuitive UI, creating a property listing system, integrating interactive maps, and optimizing the website for mobile responsiveness. Key deliverables included a visually appealing homepage, easy navigation, and a robust search functionality for property listings.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The measurable results of the project were excellent. Over 40% more people visited our website, and the bounce rate dropped by 25%. This showed considerable improvement in drawing in and retaining visitors.

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

Project management at ARKA SOFTWARE was first-rate. Throughout the development process, they were constantly punctual with their deliveries and very attentive to our demands. The entire endeavor was streamlined by their frank communication and proactive attitude.

What was your primary form of communication with ARKA Softwares?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

What impressed us the most about ARKA SOFTWARE was their ability to understand our unique requirements and translate them into a visually stunning and functional website. Their attention to detail and commitment to delivering a high-quality product set them apart from other web development companies.

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

While the overall experience was positive, one area for improvement could be in providing more regular progress updates during the initial stages of the project. Additional transparency in the early phases would have further enhanced the already impressive project management process.