BDT Ventures

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the project manager of a software provider. We sell licenses to dealers who sell to end users.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with BDT Ventures?

All our developers are FoxPro-based, and we needed an application built for Android.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The application is an electronic point of sale solution. Users include grocery stores, restaurants, bars, pubs, and clubs, as well as other types of industries. It’s an Android app that communicates with a cloud-based management system. The app is native Android, with components of AngularJS and Bootstrap.

BDT Ventures had a project manager on their side, and the team composed of six developers in all. BDT Ventures put forward the design plans and the architecture, then we added our input. They made changes and proceeded from there. We provided a full business requirements document, so they had a full specification of our requirements.

How did you come to work with BDT Ventures?

We’ve worked with other companies in the past, which didn’t work out. The deciding factor in hiring BDT was that I knew Dipal had a good work ethic.

How much have you invested with BDT Ventures?

We’ve paid about $60,000 for their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

We first engaged them in June of 2016. The bulk of the work was completed in November and the main beta testing was done in December. They still support us for enhancements. We’re looking to move on to phase two, which involves adding a payment solution and other services to the app.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The current users are very happy with it. Everything BDT Ventures has done for us has been spot-on. When we asked them to change something, they did it immediately. We’ve received feedback saying that the app is easy to use, which was our goal.

How did BDT Ventures perform from a project management standpoint?

They performed very well. We were in constant communication and the time difference was never an issue. Our targets were always met, which made my life easier. Deadlines were always met as well. We used Microsoft Project for project management and Trello for tracking bugs and adding development.

What did you find most impressive about BDT Ventures?

They deliver what they say they will, which is always a bonus.

Are there any areas BDT Ventures could improve?

It would be nice if they had an office in the UK.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are an epos (Electronic Point Of Sale) provider company, and we’ve been doing this since 2001. We provide Windows-based software for Epos and PDQ [Process Data Quickly] terminals for credit and debit cards, along with various other product ie: Mobile Network Top-up, Gift Card, and loyalty. We develop software in-house and also outsource some of the work. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with BDT Ventures?

Our experience is in Windows-based software, so when we decided to do an Android tablet version, we needed to bring in a firm experienced with that technology. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We did a full functionality write-up for the software, and they did the coding for it. The planning and design were completed by both parties, and we told them exactly how we wanted it. The software is for small to medium businesses in retail trades, such as news agents and hair dressers,  and is used in the hospitality industry, such as cafés or restaurants. There’s a version for small retail outlets as well. The Android version created by BDT Ventures has all the same features of our PC software. The project was all based on .NET.

How did you come to work with BDT Ventures?

I heard about them through a friend, and I was familiar with the work they’ve done for other companies.

How much have you invested with BDT Ventures?

We’ve spent about £160,000 [$197,000].

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in April 2015, and the app was completed in December 2016. We’re now in the process of getting it onto the Play Store. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The product won’t get into the market for about 6 months, so we don’t have metrics yet. The way the software is designed, it’s completely idiot-proof. It’s quite easy. We do offer a full demo on how to get started using it. Every step has instructions in case a user gets stuck.

We’re just now compiling feedback from the beta testing. So far, the test users are quite happy with it.

How did BDT Ventures perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re very professional. Our project manager liaised with them nearly every day in the beginning. Later in the project, it was scaled back to a weekly conference call. They met their deadlines about 80% of the time. When the functionality changed, they were delayed slightly.

What did you find most impressive about BDT Ventures?

They’ve been very helpful putting the product on the Play Store. Their team is quite good, and they deliver what they say they will deliver.

Are there any areas BDT Ventures could improve?

I don’t have any suggestions.