Askan Technologies

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Owner Operator of Expert Data Systems Llc

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

provide custom software solution 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Askan Technologies to accomplish?

• Develop custom software

SOLUTION

How did you find Askan Technologies?

Referral

Why did you select Askan Technologies over others?

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

How many teammates from Askan Technologies were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Design and build an online fundraising system that incorporates elements of auctions and raffles. This is a true SaaS platform, allowing multiple clients to use a single software system. The system has three-tier authentication levels: Super Admin, Organizational Admin, and Members. It includes access and function control based on the user's level.

At the heart of the application is the prize gallery, where organizations upload items that can be won by participating members. Once signed up, members can browse the prize gallery and bid for a chance to win prizes. To place bids, members must purchase tickets, which the system supports through an online payment module.

This is a robust system with many more features and functionalities too numerous to list here.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The project outcomes were meticulously tracked and measured using three key methodologies: detailed scope items, a structured schedule, and a comprehensive issues and bug tracker. These tools collectively underscored the project's success and progress through the following measurable outcomes:

1. Scope Items: Each deliverable was clearly defined and documented, ensuring all project goals were met with precision. This facilitated a thorough understanding of requirements and scope, leading to the timely and accurate completion of tasks.

2. Schedule Adherence: The project timeline was managed with a high degree of professionalism, maintaining adherence to milestones and deadlines. This was instrumental in keeping the project on track and demonstrating efficient time management.

3. Issues and Bug Tracker: A robust tracking system was employed to document and address any issues or bugs encountered during the project. This detailed approach ensured that all problems were promptly resolved, minimizing downtime and maintaining project momentum.

Together, these methods reflect a highly organized and professional approach to project management, ultimately leading to successful and measurable outcomes.

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

The project's management was exemplary in its attention to detail and efficiency. The team demonstrated exceptional organizational skills and a robust framework that ensured all tasks were executed seamlessly.

Timely Delivery: All project deliverables were consistently completed within the agreed-upon deadlines. The meticulous adherence to the schedule was a testament to the team's commitment and effective time management skills.
Responsiveness to Needs: The team was highly responsive and adaptive to our requirements throughout the project. They were proactive in seeking feedback and promptly addressing any concerns or changes in scope, ensuring our needs were met comprehensively.

Overall, their project management was characterized by professionalism, reliability, and a strong focus on client satisfaction. These attributes significantly contributed to the project's success.

What was your primary form of communication with Askan Technologies?

Virtual Meeting

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

What impressed me most about Askan was their ability to be tech-savvy and professional while still being flexible and understanding my needs. Their innovative solutions and commitment to delivering a quality product made them an excellent partner in my venture. Their approachability and willingness to adapt to my project's unique demands really stood out.

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

I am not as technology advanced as their core team, so in rare occasions there was a need for additional clarification on certain technical details. While the team was always willing to provide explanations, a bit more initial clarity would have been great. Despite this, their overall dedication and high-quality product made the experience highly positive.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Priority Parcels was founded in 2002. I came in primarily to support the IT side. I have a background in computer science and maths, and I was asked to come and see how we could build a portal. My position is IT operations business analyst.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Askan Technologies?

The portal had been developed by another company for the first 10 years but they decided to stop offering that type of service. We needed to make sure that the transition to another company would be seamless, as we couldn’t stop operations with our client inputting new tickets and jobs for us. Also, there were multiple interconnected modules, and touching one would affect another. There were multiple things going on in the background that we needed to be careful about, and we had to know exactly what was happening in each module.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We simply asked Askan to decipher the whole platform and come up with an understanding. Rather than feeding them information, I wanted them to explain how they understood my portal. Askan understood each model, which gave me the confidence that this was the right team to use if I wanted to make a change.

I acted as architect but my expertise isn’t in the coding area. Askan suggested that we move to newer technologies, instead of copy and pasting everything. They maintained two versions of the site, one of them for testing, which allowed us to approve any changes beforehand and make tweaks. Our previous company had us on a shared hosting platform but Askan suggested that we implement dedicated servers, given the amount of data we had.

What is the team composition?

There were 10–15 people involved in the beginning, including developers, database managers, and designers.

How much have you invested with them?

The monthly maintenance fee is around $600, and the initial development cost was $3,000–$5,000. The total cost so far is around $30,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Askan around November 2016, and it’s ongoing. There was a transition period from our old company.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Everyone in my team was absolutely happy with the improved speed, functionality, and design, and so were our clients. Askan came up with some extraordinary recommendations, which we agreed to unanimously. Their team understood our needs perfectly and was very humble and able to absorb what we wanted.

How did Askan Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

I had the opportunity to go to their office in India, and I was impressed with their setup. I recommended another communication tool, but I think they were comfortable with Slack. We also use email and WhatsApp. I can call them at any time, despite being in a different time zone. They understand our level of urgency when there’s a problem with the site and act right away.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It’s their responsiveness, expertise and know-how, flexibility, and prompt response time. If we have an issue, they always know whom to reach to get it fixed. They also know their competition, and they match prices accordingly.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We needed two months of incubation in order to get adjusted initially but it’s like they’re able to read my mind now. There’s nothing specific that I’d mention at this point.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Clients need to have clear expectations. Once they know what they want, they can go blindfolded to Askan and they’ll deliver exactly what the client wants.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the managing director of a local insurance program that provides general insurance for things like cars, homes, and more recently gadgets as well.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Askan Technologies?

Over the 35 years or so that we’ve been established, people’s shopping habits have changed significantly to shift continually more and more online. We have tried to increase our digital presence in proportion to deal with that shift, but have faced a good number of challenges, including with SEO.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Their team has handled a huge variety of different tasks for my company, starting with the original development of my website. A few years after that, they revamped the internal SEO to make sure that I was ranking as highly as I could be on Google, and most recently we have been working together to develop a mobile app to provide services on the phones of people who buy our device insurance.

How did you come to work with Askan Technologies?

I looked at the websites of SEO experts in the area, and among them, Askan had the best site speed so I decided to see if we could work with them. They took us up on it, so we moved forward with them from there.

How much have you invested with them?

They only charge $25 an hour plus a relatively small maintenance fee, which has added up to about $25,000 in the three years we’ve worked together.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together around August 2017 and have continued partnering together on a variety of projects since then.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since they built the system that I use now, I’ve added an excess of over 5,000 new customers who stay with us for an average of 22 months. Their work has been a crucial element of my ability to compete with the much larger companies in my industry. They provide extremely high-quality work at a fraction of the price it would normally cost and with the best possible service.

How did Askan Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

There was one time in particular that I realized we needed something completed on a Friday at about 9:30 PM Indian time, and I emailed them to see if they could take care of it on Monday and they emailed me back about an hour later saying that it had been completed. The level of dedication that they provide is absolutely incredible.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The ease of communicating with them and managing all of their work is by far the best part of working with them. I wouldn’t want to work with anyone else because they make the entire process seamless whether it’s implementing a component of the site, or tracking leads, or just asking a question. Their team goes above and beyond to make sure they can deliver with as little input from my end as possible.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Honestly, I really don’t have anything to complain about. I would recommend them to anyone. I only wish that I had found them and gotten them involved in my business sooner.