The Better Bunch

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Our company is engaged in various software developments in the field of game mechanics. Including an application for private poker games for the Asian market which we have developed in cooperation with BetterBunch. I was responsible for the product in general, and the software development in particular.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire The Better Bunch?

Development of design, illustrations and animations, iOS and back end development, general assistance with project management, QA and consulting in terms of product architecture, game mechanics and sound design.

What were your goals for this project?

When I turned to BetterBunch, I needed to develop a working and an OK looking prototype so that I could demonstrate it to my potential business partners. Pretty quickly it grew into the development of a full-fledged application.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I sent my inquiry to about 30 agencies from a database of better performing software development firms. Communication did not quite work out with any of them except The Better Bunch. Some didn’t reply at all, some did but disappeared quickly thereafter, and some instead of discussing the technical details openly tried to sell me the services of their companies. It was a rather unpleasant feeling.

In the case of The Better Bunch, we immediately started discussing technical solutions. Communication was fluent and structured. There was not a single question to which I didn’t receive an exhaustive and competent answer. I really liked that, and so we kicked it off.

Describe the project in detail.

It was quite a large application and an undertaking. From the bet, I decided to pick a rather unique set of rules, which prior to that had been applied to real life poker games. That was an innovation. I also decided to move away from the traditional look of online poker games with flashy design and a lot of distractions. We didn’t use any existing solutions and built everything from scratch.

We paid a lot of attention to the robustness and flexibility of the backend to support thousands of simultaneous user activities. We moved in stages and iterations, adding functionality as the development progressed, which allowed for speedy development and publication of the first version of the game. The end result was a state of the art and unique application the entire team was proud of and the market was ready to embrace.

What was the team composition?

The core of the team consisted of an iOS developer, server developer, and a designer. The project manager and QA engineer were also systematically involved. As the project grew, some more people came aboard: illustrators, game producers, additional developers, QA engineers, and a system architect. At the peak of development, 10 people simultaneously worked on my project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

The project was launched successfully and the whole enterprise became profitable. I do have a feeling that we might have done a better job, but that’s the perfectionist side of me talking.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We had a good workflow. Regular reports, continuous availability of resources, speedy communication, and clear estimations. Also, I never had to wait long for an answer to my question. Of course, I can point to imperfections here and there, but they are impossible to do without. So in general, I would say that there was excellent working communication.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Once clear objectives were formulated, the estimations were surprisingly accurate. That’s rare. Also, I like how they managed my expectations as a client. For instance, at a point, I had a rather strong vision of ​​what system architecture should be, but The Better Bunch rather strongly advised to go with another option, and we did, and it turned out to be a much better option than the one I had thought of originally. I also like how they process feedback. I would often send a whole batch of unstructured questions, and in response, I received a structured list of my questions with detailed answers to them. It’s had to believe, but this kind of thinking is quite rare among agencies as well.

Are there any areas for improvement?

When it became necessary to expand the team, I did not like some of the new additions. In my opinion, they were not as good or as fast as the core team. I would recommend keeping the bar equally high for all the developers. In addition, I was not completely satisfied with the security audit. It seems to me that it could be done more thoroughly.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are a hardware production company. I am a co-founder and head of product. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire The Better Brunch?

The project that The Better Bunch was involved in is a first-of-its-kind portable projector with sim card connectivity. We define it as a projector that combines the visual and social experience of a TV with the smart features and the mobility of a tablet. 

We had so much on our hands with production and sales that we urgently needed someone who would take care of the software side of things. Specifically, we needed to customize an Android adaption for our device as well as developing a widget for a smooth experience with the actual projector.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

It was pure word of mouth. We happened to know one of The Better Bunch’s customers who was rather happy with the quality of their services. He suggested them as a good fit for us.

Compared to other Swedish agencies we were considering, their rates looked very good. After a few Skype calls, things just clicked; the guys seemed to have quickly understood what we needed and filled in the gaps where we lacked expertise. The kick-off of our collaboration was gradual and natural. 

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

The Better Brunch handled the re-skinning and adaptation of a few of our systems for an Android app. They provided Android development and QA services.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

The main metric for good service is that their software development never halted our hardware development, which is really important in our line of work. They completed the scope of work on time and with good results.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Their workflow was pretty good. They made sure that all of us kept track of development so that we didn't miss any deadlines. This was especially important considering that software development had to go hand-in-hand with hardware development.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They kept us on track, and we were appreciative of that. Sometimes, we felt bombarded with incoming issues and had to prioritize certain tasks. But The Better Brunch made sure that software developed stayed a priority.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, not really. I am happy with what we have managed to do together so far.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the CEO of AviationManuals, the leading provider of manual development services and safety management system (SMS) software. We’ve produced over 4,000 manuals and supported over half of IS-BAO registered operators worldwide specializing in FAA Parts 91 and 135, EASA Part-NCC, Bermuda, Cayman, Isle of Man and more.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire The Better Brunch?

We wanted to build an iPad app but lacked the technical know-how and bandwidth to do it ourselves.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal was to create an iPad app for our customers that featured all of the best parts of our online software. The most important objective was to get the app done on time and within a reasonable budget.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We found them on Clutch.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

We provided some requirements and documentation for our listed features, and The Better Brunch was responsible for the UX/UI design and development for our iPad app. They now continue to support us with additional updates.

What was the team composition?

At peak development, the team consisted of a project manager, a lead iOS developer, an assisting iOS developer, a mobile designer, and a QA engineer. On our side, we managed all of the backend efforts and API matters.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We released the app in spring 2018, and the feedback has been great. We’ve been making regular updates ever since.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

For the most part, they’ve managed expectations well, especially as far as timelines are concerned. They produce fast turnarounds and listen to our feedback, which enables them to anticipate how we’d like something to look without a ton of guidance.

Regarding communication, we typically interface with Skype, which is less ideal for us because we don’t regularly use it for day-to-day activity. It’d be nice if there were other available ways to communicate.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I was impressed that they were able to get started without a lot of lead time to gather information. That was a requirement that a lot of other companies we spoke to had.

Are there any areas for improvement?

There have been instances during development when both sides could’ve worked on communicating more, but we’ve all grown since then. Our biggest learning curve was allocating time to review/test documents and provide them with feedback.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Understanding and clarifying the requirements of a project beforehand is important for everyone involved. Make sure the requirements are very clear and detailed, but also double check that all functionalities are being considered so that the scope is clearly described.

In our case, we would’ve liked The Better Bunch to have reviewed our documentation and current software beforehand to ensure that any existing functionalities that we’d forgotten to include could be implemented in updates. We should have done this prior to the project estimates, however, The Better Brunch was understanding and willing to make amends when needed.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

The Rappahannock Wildlife Refuge Friends Group is a non-profit organization made up of about 160 members, with a focus on supporting the local wildlife refuge. I am the president of the organization.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with The Better Bunch?

We had a vision of putting together a water trail similar to the Appalachian one. The entire Rappahannock would be made up of smaller trails, and we wanted to build an app that would allow people to follow them. We obtained a grant for building the Port Royal Water Trail, but it had no mention of any technology associated with the effort. After meeting with our steering committee, we decided that having an app would be beneficial. I was able to free up enough money in order to engage in this task. In the meantime, we had already received 3 bids for the project, including one from The Better Bunch, so I had an idea of what the cost would be. We decided to go ahead with the work, even though I didn't have the full amount necessary yet, but The Better Bunch worked with me in order to reduce the scope based on my means.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Based on my budget, The Better Bunch developed what was called a static iOS app, which could be used immediately by the public. I've since gotten another grant, so we've re-engaged with The Better Bunch in order to make the app interactive. We are also planning on making an Android version as well.

How did you come to work with The Better Bunch?

I made aa request for proposal and approached 3 companies. I chose The Better Bunch because they insisted on having a conversation before offering a price. We had several conference calls as a result. The Better Bunch's offer wasn't necessarily the lowest, but I knew they understood what we were looking for.

How much have you invested with The Better Bunch?

The app we've developed so far has had a cost of $10,000. The complete quote for our iOS and Android development project (which includes an interactive database of the information associated with our trail, updatable by our staff) is $36,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with The Better Bunch in February 2016. The app was launched in September, and we have signed the documents with The Better Bunch for the second stage of development.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Most of the people I've spoken to, who have downloaded the app, have had a positive experience. The Better Bunch delivered prototypes throughout the process, allowing us to make changes. They were very fast in modifying the app to meet our vision, and we ended up receiving exactly what we wanted. I know that this doesn't always happen in the business world.

What did you find most impressive about The Better Bunch?

Some programmers don't have the skills for interacting with customers. The Better Bunch's ability to talk with lay people was remarkable. The conversations didn't become very techy and allowed us to ask the right questions. The Better Bunch understood the project and came up with different approaches to what we envisioned, which ended up being better.

Are there any areas The Better Bunch could improve?

I can't think of anything.

BACKGROUND

Please give me a brief description of your company.

Mail.Ru Group is one of the largest internet companies in Russia. Mail.Ru Group's sites reach approximately 86% of Russian Internet users on a monthly basis. The company controls the three largest Russian social networking sites: Vkontakte, Odnoklassniki and Moy Mir.

What is your role at the company?

I am the head of the design team in our Web Portal business unit. My team works on 20 products.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was the business challenge that you were trying to address when you approached The Better Bunch?

The challenge we had was to do a complete redesign of several of our products simultaneously. We had pressing deadlines and an incredible amount of work that needed to be done. Mobile design can be very time­ and effort consuming, especially considering all the different requirements you have for iOS and Android. Many things that now can be automated thanks to various professional tools for designers, had to be done manually at that time. We realized that we didn’t have enough in-house resources. Which is why we approached The Better Bunch, and they helped us out quite a bit.

SOLUTION

Can you tell me about the scope of the project?

Difficult to say. It was a constant back and forth. The Better Bunch designers worked closely with designers on our side. We all did what had to be done and when it had to be done. At first, it was a bit chaotic, but very quickly we all have managed to develop a kind of production line which turned out to be very efficient.

What was your process for selecting The Better Bunch to work with?

We had been friends for some time before that. When we realized that we needed help from outside, there they were and we decided to give them a spin.

Can you give us a sense of the size of the project in dollar terms or personnel work hours?

I'd rather not give out those numbers.

When was the project completed?

The project was completed in early 2015.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have developed standards of quality and procedures for the kind of tasks we have worked on together.

How did The Better Bunch perform?

They have demonstrated high reaction speed and high quality, which is exactly what we needed.

Looking back on the project, is there any area that they could improve or you would do differently?

Not that I can think of.

BACKGROUND

Please give a brief description of your company.

We provide text and audio summaries of non-fiction literature for corporate clients.

What is your role at the company?

I am a co-founder of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was the business challenge that you were trying to address when you approached The Better Bunch?

We were looking for a tech partner who would not only know much more about mobile development than us, but who would possess a good grasp on the mobile area in general, including distribution and promotion.

We realized that we were ready to create a mobile app for our online tool, especially considering that we had many users asking us when it would come out. Naturally, we wanted something impressive, a top notch product.

SOLUTION

Can you tell me about the scope of the project? What services were provided by The Better Bunch?

They provided the design and development of our app for iPad and iPhone in vertical and horizontal modes. It was quite a large project. The app basically recreates most of the functionality available in the web version. Probably the most challenging functionality was the built-in reader, providing reformatting on the fly (a unique need of our project) and various text formatting tools.

What was your process for selecting The Better Bunch?

They knew we were looking for a mobile developer, and came to us with their proposal which was competing with several other companies. I really liked their approach towards the sale. It was very personal and in-depth. Not only did they provide an easy to understand estimate, but explained in detail their process, introduced us to the team, and made quite a few suggestions upfront regarding design, development, and marketing, the latter being a rare case with developers.

Can you give us a sense of the size of the project in dollar terms?

I'd prefer to keep that confidential.

When was the project completed?

The work was finished in April of 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The Better Bunch performed rather well. We were very pleased with the design. There were a few hiccups on both sides during the development, which resulted in a considerable delay, but all in all the impression is favorable.

When working with them, was there anything unique or special about The Better Bunch compared to other companies that you may have worked with?

As a rule, they stick to their word and do as promised. And they are always ready to show understanding for the client’s needs and troubles, and help in their resolution. We had a few situations when they had to make serious compromises on their part to suit our particular needs at the time. Logically, we were happy to do the same for them when such a time came. It’s a partnership relationship based on understanding, which is crucial for building long-lasting trust.

Looking back on the project, is there any area that they could improve upon or that you would do differently?

Yes. I would suggest a more transparent development process where the client has full access to the task tracking system in use for the project.

BACKGROUND

Please give me a brief description of your company.

In the current matter, our company was the principal digital contractor of Tricolor TV, Russia's largest direct-to-home provider with two hundred TV channels and over 15 million subscribers.

What is your role at the company?

I was the head of the digital projects department.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was the business challenge that you were trying to address with The Better Bunch?

In 2013, it became obvious that it was time to invest our efforts in the mobile arena. Putting together our own team seemed too expensive and risky. So, we set out to find a company that could take care of our mobile development, both in design and code. We would take care of the product side, the marketing and the vision, and outsource the actual execution. It was obvious how demanding that role was, so what we were looking for was first and foremost a reliable partner.

What were your company’s business goals for the project?

Back in the day, the notion of a second screen was very much discussed in the TV industry community. It was evident that users play around with their phones while watching TV. So, our goal was to provide our users with an immersive experience, both on TV and on their smartphones and tablets, where one screen would be a logical continuation of, or addition to the other.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

It was not one, but many projects. We started in the spring of 2013 and worked till the fall of 2015, when the company decided to take a break with mobile. The Better Bunch was responsible for design and programming. We did iOS and Android apps for smartphones, tablets, and Smart TVs.

What was your process for selecting The Better Bunch to work with?

It’s a good question. There are countless developer firms. On the professional level, a lot of them could be a great fit, with great portfolios, attentive managers, and experienced developers. It is very difficult to choose. I think, the reason we started working with The Better Bunch is that they seemed like a very good fit on the emotional level. That mutual understanding remained at the core of our relationship till the end.

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

Way into hundreds of thousands of US dollars.

When was the project completed?

The project was completed in the fall of 2015.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

The details and metrics are confidential. On the development side of things, the projects were a success. Also, our users seemed to have enjoyed the apps very much. We’ve seen impressive download and retention numbers.

How did The Better Bunch perform from a project management standpoint?

They have performed well, as expected and as promised.

What distinguishes The Better Bunch from other providers?

There was the emotional connection I have already mentioned. Yet, in addition to that, there was something that fostered that connection - their efficiency. This is not the first testimonial I am providing for them, and each time I mention the same thing. I have worked with many different contractors, and very rarely had I been so pleased with the performance. The Better Bunch is always on budget and always on time. Their managers are also worth mentioning. They know exactly when to push the client and when to let them chill. I liked that very much.

Is there anything The Better Bunch could have improved or done differently?

From time to time it felt like they could do better in certain areas, like assets composition or automated quality analysis, but they quickly improved in those areas and it never harmed the development of our projects. 

What advice would you give to a future client of theirs?

See how it goes. If you clicked the first two weeks down the road, relax and enjoy. You are in good hands.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We are a technology company based in Stockholm.

What is your position?

I am the development manager for our mobile department.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with The Better Bunch?

In development, hardware is always placed before software. A lot of our software budget got eaten up by unforeseen hardware costs, so we needed a company that could do the work in stages and at a good rate.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

They helped us create some of the software services and content for a mobile device we built.

The User Interface/User Experience [UI/UX] portions are designed by my company. The Better Bunch implemented them exactly as our engineers intended. They worked on online services, mobile content, and application development. This included a set of wallpapers designed by our company, which they brought to life, as well as desktop widgets, the backend infrastructure for the sign-on process, and some of the community features. They initially had four tasks, and we assigned more.

How did you come to work with The Better Bunch?

A friend who was running a startup in the United States told me about them. We needed to work with a company in Europe, and The Better Bunch came highly recommended, so we gave them a try.

I'm originally from South Africa, and thus perceive people from underdog countries as being hard workers. I felt that there was a lot of untapped talent in Russia, so if we could find developers with good English skills, we would outsource to them without any issues.

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

The development cost for our first project was $55,000. A Finnish company would charge this just for the proposal process.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in August of 2014. The relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

It was important that, whenever issues and bugs would be found, they would be quick to resolve them, and they performed well. Overall, we found the quality of work from The Better Bunch to be high by international standards.

How did The Better Bunch perform from a project management standpoint?

They were very fast and efficient. They handled the work without us having to micromanage them.

What distinguishes The Better Bunch from other providers?

Their project management is very good and they're very proactive. A minimum amount of information will take them a long way.

Is there anything The Better Bunch could have improved or done differently?

There was some lost information due to staff turnover within our collaboration. It's important that, if they work with big clients, they have the right changeover processes in place.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We have developed a website offering online education for business people in video and audio form. The format is similar to podcasts. We post interviews of Chief Executive Officers that share valuable lessons they've accumulated, and also courses for certain business-related skills, like incorporating a business, using Facebook ads, email marketing, or anything of this nature.

What is your position?

I am the Chief Technology Officer of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with The Better Bunch?

Our website is mobile-responsive, but lacks download abilities for our content on iOS, while on Android it is a cumbersome process. We needed a mobile app.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

We had a good idea of what we wanted, but The Better Bunch provided us with designers and insight into mobile development which we would not have otherwise had. They helped us understand the complexities and hurdles that our customers might face. Beyond retrieving the website and adding a download button, there are certain mobile-specific concepts that The Better Bunch helped us realize while designing the app.

We're currently in the early stages of the development. The Better Bunch has made a wireframe for us, sketching out the entire scope of the app, along with a few of the screens that we'll be working with. We've also built a mock-up through a web app. We can now interact with it as if it was live.

The app will be developed for both iOS and Android.

How did you come to work with The Better Bunch?

We were referred to them by someone within the company. We had discussions for assessing how they could help us and what our current position was. We realized that The Better Bunch knew what they were talking about, had good offerings, and we should take the next step in collaborating with them. We're happy with the progress so far.

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

I cannot provide this information.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in October, 2015. The current phase has been completed. We will continue to work with The Better Bunch when the next phase of the app development starts.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any feedback from this engagement?

I was surprised of how thorough The Better Bunch was in creating our wireframe and design. The iteration process was also very fast.

What distinguishes The Better Bunch from other providers?

The quality of their work is remarkable. From my experience, other vendors have had a lesser ability to understand goals. The Better Bunch understood what we wanted right away, without having to re-work their designs due to miscommunication. We didn't have to spend a lot of time going back-and-forth in order to get our concept across.

Is there anything The Better Bunch could have improved or done differently?

I can't think of anything. Everything was smooth throughout the process.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We work in the US mobile app development market. We create applications for start-ups, enterprise markets and corporations.

What is your position?

I am the Chief Executive Officer and founder.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with The Better Bunch?

We needed to outsource development work for projects that we work on in the Silicon Valley market.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

The Better Bunch acted as an extension to our development team in building our products. They work both on development and on UI design for various iOS and Android projects.

I would say that we have more than a vendor-client relationship.

How did you come to work with The Better Bunch?

We outsource our work to a number of partners, and also have an in-house team. We initially chose The Better Bunch because of their competitive pricing.

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

The typical cost for a project is above $10,000. The pricing depends on the type of project we're working on. We typically hire senior-level developers, but projects can include mid-level talent as well.

What is the status of this engagement?

We've worked on numerous projects together for the last two years. Our current project was started last year, and we have an ongoing relationship.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

Their performance is generally good. Whenever we come across an issue, The Better Bunch will resolve it, with no questions asked and without wasting our time.

Our projects encompass large teams, and The Better Bunch lets us evaluate the developers they will provide before we start working. We appreciate this approach.

What distinguishes The Better Bunch from other providers?

They are a good outsourcing company.

Is there anything The Better Bunch could have improved or done differently?

There isn’t anything I can think of. Whenever we have a grievance about out timeline or anything else, The Better Bunch will address it. They never failed a deadline.