Chapter247 Infotech

BACKGROUND

I am the Founder Director of The Missing Piece OT

TMPOT provides digital educational resources and online exam-preparation materials to students through its learning platform. Its offerings include digital study materials, e-books, PDF study guides, tutor mode, practice examinations, and video-based learning content. The platform supports both direct-to-consumer (B2C) sales and institutional learning programs (B2B), enabling individual students to purchase learning resources while universities can manage student cohorts, assign homework, and monitor academic progress. The platform is designed to deliver an accessible, engaging, and scalable digital learning experience through interactive assessments, subscription-based access, learning analytics, and secure educational content delivery.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

• Develop and Evolve a Scalable, Intelligent EdTech Platform

SOLUTION

Referral

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

6-10 Employees

Chapter247 Infotech has been supporting TMPOT in the development, enhancement, and technical optimization of its online educational platform. The engagement encompasses custom software development, e-commerce functionality, student and university administration, video infrastructure, application security, and learning analytics.
1. Custom EdTech Platform Development Developed and enhanced the platform using PHP, Laravel, Bootstrap, and MySQL, with cloud infrastructure supporting reliable content storage and delivery. The platform includes the following functional modules:
*Administration Portal Secure authentication and administrative dashboard Question bank, exam, and book management
User and subscription management Coupon and order management Bundle and Custom Bundle management.
*Tutor Mode Chat support. Sub Admin Roles Configuration and sharing of system-generated email content Online session. To Do List. Content performance analytics and administrative reports Student Portal Student registration, sign-in, and social authentication Profile management Exam simulator and examination listings Purchased and attempted examinations Subscription and payment functionality Transaction history Attend/Take sessions Examination results and performance analytics Attend Tutor Mode. Take Home Work.
*University Portal University access and cohort purchasing Add tutors Student onboarding and administration Homework assignment Student progress monitoring and performance visibility
2. E-commerce and Subscription Management Implemented functionality to support online sales of digital educational products, study resources, and practice examinations. Subscription, order, coupon, and transaction-management features support the platform's direct-to-consumer business model. Institutional cohort purchasing and student administration support its university-focused B2B model.
3. Self-Hosted Video Hosting, Processing, and Adaptive Streaming Designed and implemented a self-hosted video pipeline to provide the cost efficiency of third-party video-hosting platforms while maintaining greater control over proprietary educational content. Key capabilities and outcomes include:
*Approximately 90% reduction in video transcoding cost, from around $4.50 to $0.40 per 60-minute video, despite the addition of more quality options.
*Automated video processing and recovery from interruptions.
*Capacity to process up to 100 times more videos concurrently than the previous solution. *Usage-based processing infrastructure with no ongoing processing-compute cost while idle. *Adaptive streaming with automatic playback quality adjustment from 240p to 1080p.
*Manual video-quality selection for learners.
*Automated caption generation for every video.
*Secure video delivery controls designed to prevent direct downloads and unauthorized access.
This infrastructure provides greater control over content security, processing capacity, and operating costs while supporting the platform's evolving video-learning requirements. 
4. AI-Enabled Learning and Content Capabilities The project's broader AI capability scope includes, where implemented or actively included in the engagement:
*Student analytics at the question and topic levels.
*Learning engagement and performance reporting.
*Book and learning-content engagement analytics.
*AI-enabled conversational chatbot functionality.
*AI-assisted quiz design and assessment creation.
*AI-enabled educational content generation.
*Text-to-speech conversion to support audiobook-style learning.
*Intelligent insights to support personalized learning and academic performance analysis. These capabilities can help improve content accessibility, support students with interactive learning assistance, and provide educators with more granular visibility into learning performance.
5. Application Security and Access Management Implemented and enhanced application controls to support secure access to educational content and platform functionality, including role-based access control for administrators, students, and university users. Security and content-protection measures aim to safeguard student data, restrict unauthorized access to paid learning resources, and support secure online learning operations.
6. UI/UX, Accessibility, and User Experience The engagement also addresses modern UI/UX design, responsive interfaces, intuitive navigation, and accessibility considerations, including WCAG-oriented improvements where applicable. The objective is to make educational content easier to access and navigate while supporting a consistent experience across user roles and devices.
7. Testing, API Development, and Cloud Infrastructure Supporting activities include application testing, API development, performance optimization, video-processing automation, cloud infrastructure management, and operational improvements intended to improve reliability, scalability, and maintainability. Overall, the engagement combines custom EdTech product engineering, online commerce, intelligent learning capabilities, and cost-optimized video infrastructure to support TMPOT's evolving educational and commercial objectives.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

One of the most significant outcomes has been the transformation of TMPOT into a more integrated, scalable, and user-friendly learning platform. The objective was not just to improve individual technical components, but to bring multiple educational and business management capabilities together within a single application. Key outcomes include:
*Unified Platform for Administration: Instead of relying on multiple separate educational tools, Super Admins can now manage examinations, digital learning products, subscriptions, student accounts, university cohorts, and other key operations through a centralized application. This has simplified administration and reduced the need to switch between different systems.
*Positive User Experience and Adoption: Users are responding positively to the platform and genuinely enjoying the overall experience. The improvements in usability, accessibility, and the availability of learning resources have contributed to a more engaging learning environment. *Enhanced Learning and Assessment Capabilities: The platform brings together digital study materials, practice assessments, examination simulators, and student progress tracking, providing a more comprehensive learning experience.
*Centralized Analytics and Business Visibility: Analytics capabilities provide insights into student engagement, performance at question and topic levels, and interaction with books and other learning content. The platform also supports visibility into business indicators such as digital-product sales, university adoption, active student licenses, and enrollment growth. *More Cost-Efficient Video Processing: Introduced a self-hosted video processing and streaming pipeline, reducing the estimated transcoding cost of a 60-minute video from approximately $4.50 to $0.40, representing around 90% cost reduction.
*Greater Processing Scalability: Increased concurrent video-processing capacity by up to 100 times compared with the previous solution, while adopting an architecture that avoids ongoing compute costs during idle periods.
*Overall Impact: The project has helped TMPOT bring multiple educational and administrative workflows under one roof, making the platform more convenient for administrators and more engaging for learners. Alongside the improved user experience, it has strengthened operational efficiency, scalability, content delivery, and the platform's ability to support future business growth. 

Chap247 has gone above and beyond throughout the development of our platform. This is a large, complex project involving multiple learning systems, practice exams, student performance analytics, tutoring features, university dashboards, and administrative tools, all of which need to work together seamlessly. Their project management has been excellent, especially considering the number of moving parts and the changes we've made along the way.
What I appreciate most is their flexibility, responsiveness, and willingness to find solutions. As our vision has evolved, we've introduced new features, revised existing workflows, and requested significant changes to improve the student experience. Rather than pushing back, their team consistently takes the time to understand what we're trying to accomplish and works with us to figure out the best way to make it happen.
Communication has been consistent, and they've been extremely patient with our feedback, questions, and revisions. Pritesh and the team have made themselves available to discuss challenges, explain technical limitations, and explore alternative solutions when necessary. They don't simply complete tasks and move on. They genuinely care about the functionality of the platform and whether the final product meets our needs.
With a project of this size, some features have naturally required additional development time, testing, and adjustments. However, the team has remained committed, transparent, and proactive in addressing issues and keeping the project moving forward.
What truly sets Chap247 apart is that they approach the project as a partner rather than just a development company. They understand that we're building something that will directly impact students preparing for an important professional exam, and their dedication to getting the details right has been invaluable. Their willingness to go the extra mile has made a tremendous difference in our experience. Make this testimonial more conciseAdd a stronger closing recommendation

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What impresses me most about Chap247 is their genuine investment in our vision and their willingness to go above and beyond to bring it to life. They don't approach development as simply checking tasks off a list. They take the time to understand our business, our students, and what we're ultimately trying to accomplish.
Our platform is incredibly complex, with multiple learning tools, detailed performance analytics, personalized student experiences, and university management features. Many of our ideas are highly customized and don't fit into traditional software development templates. Yet, their team consistently finds creative solutions to make them possible.
What really sets them apart is their patience and flexibility. I'm extremely detail-oriented, and as we've progressed through development, I've continued to identify opportunities to improve the platform. Some of these changes have been significant, but they've never made me feel like my requests were unreasonable or that I was asking too much. Instead, they listen, ask questions, offer suggestions, and work collaboratively to find the best solution.
I also appreciate that they aren't afraid to explain when something may not work as originally envisioned. Rather than simply saying no, they help us explore alternatives that achieve the same goal. Most importantly, they genuinely care about the outcome. I feel like they're just as invested in creating an exceptional platform as I am. That level of dedication, accessibility, and personal attention is rare, and it's what makes Chap247 stand out to me.

There really isn't anything significant I would suggest they do differently. Chapter247 Infotech has consistently exceeded our expectations. Throughout the project, they've been receptive to feedback, accommodating of changes, and willing to go the extra mile to ensure we're happy with the results. Even when challenges arise, they approach them with professionalism and a solution-oriented mindset. Overall, we've had an excellent experience working with their team.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the founder of BetSignal, a SaaS sports data company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Chapter247 Infotech to accomplish for BetSignal?

1. We needed to develop a platform that provided real-time sports data, including odds, scores, teams, players, injuries, schedules, statistics, and other match information. The platform would serve as the foundation for betting analysis and opportunity discovery. 2. Multi-Sportsbook Odds & Line Comparison: integrate real-time odds from multiple sportsbooks; compare prices, markets, lines; track movements. 3. EV & Arbitrage Opportunities: identify Expected Value, Positive EV, arbitrage opportunities across sportsbooks/markets; identify potentially profitable discrepancies. 4. Prime AI Betting Intelligence: analyze sports data, historical trends, match stats, team/player performance, Sharp Money, Steam Moves and relevant factors; turn into betting signals/insights. 5. Advanced EDGE filters & market movement signals: filter signals such as Sharp Money, Steam Moves, Line Movement, Reverse Line Movement and other indicators. 6. Sportsbook-style simulated experience with live odds/markets/bet splits/simulated bet placement, virtual bankroll. 7. Virtual balance, stake simulated bets, track open/settled/historical bets; profit/loss, ROI, staking, overall performance. 8. Track signal/simulated bet performance via ROI, CLV, Beat CLV, Pending Stats etc. 9. PULSE/PULSE Feed for continuous betting intelligence, alerts for EV, arbitrage, Sharp Money, Steam Moves, odds movements. 10. BetSignal Academy educational hub: sports betting articles/videos, concepts, strategies, signals, EV, arbitrage; search/categories/tags/difficulty/related content/SEO/featured.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Chapter247 Infotech has developed a real-time sports betting platform that integrates live games, teams, players, scores, schedules, injuries, statistics, and multi-sportsbook odds. The team has implemented Odds API integration, odds/line comparison, and movement tracking, along with EV, Positive EV, and arbitrage detection using defined profitability and return calculations.Moreover, Chapter247 Infotech has built Prime AI-powered betting signals using historical and real-time data, Sharp Money, Steam Moves, market movements, configurable thresholds, and supporting analysis. The team has also developed EDGE filters, PULSE/PULSE Feed, and real-time alerts for signals and market opportunities.Additionally, Chapter247 Infotech has created a sportsbook-style simulation with a virtual bankroll, bet placement, settlement, history, P/L tracking, and analytics, including hit rate, ROI, CLV, and Beat CLV. The team has also built BetSignal Academy with articles, videos, search, SEO, and content management, plus Admin/Super Admin controls for users, sports, signals, AI settings, subscriptions, coupons, and platform configuration.

What is the team composition?

We work with 11–15 teammates from Chapter247 Infotech.

How did you come to work with Chapter247 Infotech?

We found them on Upwork. We chose them because they had high ratings, their pricing fit our budget, they offered good value for the cost, and their company values aligned with ours.

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent around $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in October 2025, and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Chapter247 Infotech has delivered a fully functioning website with multiple API integrations and algorithm generations. Since the project's inception, we've evolved the betting analysis accuracy, and it continues to improve. Moreover, we've grown our social media following to around 600 followers, and that number is growing exponentially.

How did Chapter247 Infotech perform from a project management standpoint?

Chapter247 Infotech's project management has been great; it's probably one of the best features of the whole effort. We communicate via email and messaging apps.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Chapter247 Infotech is responsive, reliable, data-savvy, and willing to listen and make changes.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don't think there's anything they can improve on.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of an education company. We create engaging educational content and online tutoring videos for college-bound students, specializing in college admissions, standardized test prep, and self-paced SAT/ACT prep courses, with resources available on YouTube and our website.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Chapter247 Infotech?

We needed to rework our online self-paced SAT course for the digital SAT and provide support for both our SAT and ACT online course platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Working off our existing codebase, Chapter247 Infotech has augmented our system to host online mock practice exams, practice sets, and tools to align with standards for the new SAT exam. They’ve also built a tutor/educator mode to support multiple user types and interfaces. Building off our pre-existing site design style, they’ve helped completely revamp our site and its layout and content hosting capabilities.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with 2–5 teammates from Chapter247 Infotech.

How did you come to work with Chapter247 Infotech?

We found them through an online search. We chose them over other options because of their quality of references.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in December 2022, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Chapter247 Infotech has deployed and sold to customers a site with a new test format.

How did Chapter247 Infotech perform from a project management standpoint?

Overall, the project has moved at a slower pace than with our previous development team. Another vendor’s quote for this project was out of our budget, and given the significant cost savings, Chapter247 Infotech was likely the better choice.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The team is overall responsive. Because there are multiple contacts in the company, if I can’t reach our project manager and there’s an emergency, I can reach someone within several hours. Chapter247 Infotech is good people —we have a good rapport, and I trust them to do what they say they will.

Are there any areas they could improve?

When I first started working with them, video calls had no video, and that made communication very difficult. I requested that we always turn the video on, and this was granted. It was a much-needed change given connection stability and overall quality of communication. Likewise, at times, it would feel as though I was waiting on certain tasks and would need to ask to get a rundown of what was happening. With our last (more expensive) team based out of Eastern Europe, we have lots of organizational elements (planning tools that show sprints with very specific time breakdowns for each to-do task, Atlassian flow charts, Figma layouts for everything, calendared goals for developers all visible on client side), which we haven't had as much of here-- but things still moved forward and eventually everything was corrected and stabilized. We met 2x a week with this team during high development, and 1x during maintenance. There was one time early on when our team felt very stuck. Chapter247 Infotech brought in another developer to speed things up, and this helped-- given the org size this was always an option but would cost more obviously. When we moved tickets to Jira, communication also improved in terms of communicating what needed to be done and how we were doing it rather than relying on meetings alone. Allowing our team to make Jira tickets was a much better way and really helped improve workflow-- we don't necessarily need all the organizational elements we had with our last company (and certainly it saves money not to develop them), but there are trade offs. We’re also on Slack, though that was less critical.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

 I'm the executive director and president of Smart with a Heart, a nonprofit organization providing accessible, professional GRE prep and admissions consulting to underserved groups, aiming to promote educational equity and opportunity.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Chapter247 Infotech?

 We needed help creating a perfect copy of an adaptive standardized exam so our students could take realistic practice tests. We asked Chapter247 Infotech to duplicate the appearance, scoring, and functions of the exam as closely as possible. Ideally, we wanted our students not to be able to tell the difference between our practice exams and the real thing. We also needed the online exam platform to interact with our two websites and admissions systems to control access to the new site.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

 Chapter247 Infotech developed the exam platform's UI, scoring algorithms, and system integrations with our websites. The team also provided a support period of one month after the project for any corrections or tech support needed to launch.

What is the team composition?

 We worked with two primary leads from Chapter247 Infotech, and a larger group of about 8 other developers who took direction from the leads.

How did you come to work with Chapter247 Infotech?

 We found Chapter247 Infotech on Upwork. The proposal they submitted was more professional and thorough than any other we received by a wide margin. When we met with the team, they were prepared with a deck and a seamless presentation. Moreover, they were very easy to communicate with and responsive to our questions.

What is the status of this engagement?

 We worked together from March–October 2025.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We tested the platform internally, and it accurately replicated the real exam's appearance, scoring, and functions as we intended. We've been teaching this exam for 20 years and have very high standards! The task was complex and required researching the capabilities of an external exam. I've seen a lot of bad copies of standardized exams, but we were very happy with they way that Chapter247's completed platform accurately replicated the real exam's appearance, scoring, and functions. When there were challenges, the team worked quickly and effectively to resolve them. 

How did Chapter247 Infotech perform from a project management standpoint?

 We used email, Slack, and Jira to communicate with Chapter247 Infotech on a daily basis - it was very easy to get in touch with them and to track progress. The project took longer than expected, but that was mainly due to the task's complexity. We had to change the statement of work a couple of times to add features we hadn't initially planned to have. This was an error on our side, and Chapter247 Infotech was very flexible and supportive of the changes we requested. That was a big plus.

What did you find most impressive about them?

 Chapter247 Infotech treated us like we were their only client. I felt they bent over backward to ensure we were happy with every part of their work. Chapter247 made us feel like we were their most important client (though I'm sure we weren't!)

Are there any areas they could improve?

 We had a few glitches, as expected. However, when problems arose, Chapter247 Infotech worked fast to resolve them without any extra charges. It was an absolute pleasure to work with them and I would recommend them most highly. We plan to continue working with Chapter247 for all of our development and maintenance needs from this point forwards - hiring them was one of the best decisions I've made as executive director!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Chief Product Officer (CPO) of DSTechSolutions LLC

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

DSTech Solutions provides full service IT managed services for business.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Chapter247 Infotech to accomplish?

• Migration of Database to new database architecture
• Development of the new Robust user interface of customers dashboard
• Successfully optimised the database, improving overall system performance and efficiency
• Implemented automated multi-tenant deployment processes, enhancing scalability.
• Completed IT strategy and consulting services, gaining deep insights into the client's business.
• Successfully migrated legacy systems to modern platforms while maintaining data integrity and functionality.
• Deployed the modernised application using MVC (Model-View-Controller) architecture.

SOLUTION

How did you find Chapter247 Infotech?

Online Search

Why did you select Chapter247 Infotech over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Chapter247 Infotech were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

Developed a complete rebuild of our product's (Plutoport) user interface. Also developed the platform and server migration of the product. Engaged in testing and changes as needed. Added an additional functionality of a calendar.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Increased user satisfaction: Measured through user feedback, reduced support tickets, or increased user engagement following the UI/UX improvements.
• Reduced maintenance costs: Achieved by migrating from legacy systems to modern platforms, potentially measured by decreased IT support hours or reduced hardware costs.
• Improved system performance: Measured by increased database query speeds, reduced response times, and overall system efficiency following database optimization.
• Enhanced scalability: Demonstrated by the ability to handle more tenants or users simultaneously without performance degradation, due to the automated multi-tenant deployment processe
• Improved data integrity and security: Potentially measured by reduced data errors, improved data consistency, or enhanced security metrics following the database optimization and migration.
• Increased development efficiency: Demonstrated by faster deployment times or reduced code complexity due to the implementation of the MVC architecture.

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

Yes. They are very mindful of completing objectives within the required timeframes, keeping us informed and updated, and taking our notes and corrections well.

What was your primary form of communication with Chapter247 Infotech?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Their honesty, straightforward way of doing things, and quality.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Chapter247 Infotech could have done differently?

We were satisfied with their performance.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO for ZOIQ who is managing a platform for non-profits who have bespoke lesson and survey requirements for their organization.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Chapter247 Infotech, and what were your goals?

We launched the LMS project just before Covid, which amplified the requirements for the client in a Black Swan type of event. I was needing qualified engineers to spin up on a complicated project and provide specialized deliverables that would work across the code base.

Chapter247 was able to provide me with a dedicated resource who could work on complex requirements and turn them around in a methodical manner while writing very clean code that was easy to integrate and leverage with other areas of the app.

SOLUTION

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

We put out a coding exam as part of the hiring process. This agency and another one came back with the best results. The deciding factor came down to cost and the fact the leadership team was second to none during the requirements-gathering process. The other agency was not as attentive.

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

The project was set up on AWS, using React, a noSQL database and GraphQL. At the time it was difficult to find someone with all the technical skillsets. The engineer was able to help define schema requirements, write GraphQL queries, connect it to React and push process back into Lambda when necessary.

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

I only worked with 1 engineer/developer on this project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It was a very positive experience. We were using Agile and had a continuous cycle of updates to production. They were able to handle the entire software development lifecycle.

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

The engineer was a dedicated resource to the project so this question is not appliable.

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

They are well-run and consistent and bring no drama to the process. The engineer was initially supposed to be on the project for 2 months, and he stayed on the team for over a year. The management team was very supportive and we had a positive relationship throughout the entire process.

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

Given their resource was a dedicated resource, they did everything on their side to ensure a positive experience from availability, escalation, and billing. Everything went smoothly.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO of a standardized test prep company that helps physical therapist pass their licensure exam.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Chapter247 Infotech, and what were your goals?

We had a desire to develop our own practice exam software. We wanted to be able to host 1,000+ students on the software in order for them to take exams and get their performance analysis.

SOLUTION

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

We found them through a referral and we’re the only quality-based company that we could find. We did try some major companies out there. However, we didn’t get good customer service.

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

They designed and developed a full website/practice exam software that allowed students to take exams. The site also included the ability to analyze those exams and provide score reports.

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

There were three people in the core team, including a 2 software engineers and a project manager

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were able to launch the overall project on time with minimal issues. Their team was available at a moments notice to fix problems that arose. They were also able to add in various things to make the website run better.

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

The project management was great, and always on time. They were very responsive and easy to book meetings with. They communicated primarily through Google Drive and email. Which made it very easy for us to make changes.

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

We had direct access to major players of their team. It was very impressive, the level of communication and detailed that they went to to make the project a success. I really love the fact that they were always thinking ahead and giving ideas for how we can make the website better.

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

While the quality of the work was great, there were times where I couldn’t understand what was being asked.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO of a SaaS company designed to improve management systems for the hospitality & retail sectors

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Chapter247 Infotech, and what were your goals?

We hired Chapter247 Infotech to take over the development of our web app, from a very basic MVP to adding multiple, complicated features. The nature of the work was to be ongoing, with constant communication, collaboration & feedback from both parties. We set out to develop a product with very basic functionality to be much more diverse, multi-functional product that could e used over multiple industries

SOLUTION

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

After having been through several months and a number of different developers that all proved to be very poor, I decided to set 12 different developers a few different tasks and get them to work on them at the same time with the same deadline and I would choose the best. Chapter247 Infotech won this by quite a distance.

The fundamentals of my choice would have been quality of work for a fair price, which they excelled at, but the real decing factor was the professionalism, communication & efficiency with which I was dealt with. The CEO was hands on from the start and constantly checking in to make sure everything was going smoothly, I hold customer support and communication very important.

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

Methodology: We needed a full stack developer well experienced in React, CSS and GraphQL, AWS and Amplify systems. The development process is based on the agile method, running sprints through scrums and constant weekly meetings and updates on how to proceed in the most efficient manner. We use a Trello board to run and communicate tasks and issues on a constant basis which will be updated frequently by the scrum master/ product manager based on any relevant issues and feedback.

• Stage 1: focus on the initial core feature: rostering main features for rostering are booking time-off, shift swapping, shift recommendations, shift/day notes, as well as multiple minor UX changes development of this feature will be in constant review and updated based on customer feedback
• Stage 2: focus on testing rostering feature & develop second core feature: a messaging system designed to work to the needs of the hospitality/retail industry
• Stage 3: develop a unique clock-in system that would maintain the privacy of employees, so without using mobiles, GPS or biometrics
• Stage 4: Make the platform functional across multiple venues with easy to follow reports for owners
• Stage 5: build out native apps for iOS and Android

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

The CEO, Sourabh, was very hands-on from the start with excellent communication and support. I worked with 2 of their full stack developers, both of whom I was very happy with, and if there was any technical issues the CTO was also on hand to jump on call as needed. Overall, a very well run operation

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Previous to Chapter247 Infotech I had been through a number of developers claiming to be much better than they were, this resulted in a lot of time and money lost. I was very impressed with Chapter247 Infotech from day one, they stood well above the crowd with how professional they were from the start and continued to deliver consistently high quality work, quickly and at a more than fair price.

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

Team management and communication is run through G-Suite with all necessary members of Chapter247 available, from CEO and CTO to developers. For the development process we use the agile method, running sprints through scrums and constant weekly meetings and updates on how to proceed in the most efficient manner.

We use a Trello board to run and communicate tasks and issues on a constant basis which will be updated frequently by the scrum master/ product manager based on any relevant issues and feedback. Everything is dealt with in a very timely manner and to an excellent standard. All issues were handled quickly and in the right order of priority, very happy with that

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

What initially stood out to me was how well the company seemed to be run and that the commuication was excellent. I felt like I could always reach out to all the relevant parties (including those at the highest positions) I needed to when I wanted. The quality of work was always of a very high standard, delivered quickly and with excellent commitment to quality.

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

The only thing they could have done better would have been if they were sitting next to me in the office! However they did everything they could to ensure it felt like they were: adapting hours to better suit our timezone, contacting staff after hours if there was an issue and the CEO seemed to be available around the clock (you can tell he works extremely hard)

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Sales and Marketing Manager here at CDM. We manufacture and supply doors to the retail home-improvement industry and commercial/builder trade.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Chapter247 Infotech?

We were needing to update our website from WIX platform. We have a very complex configurator and we needed a team that would develop our vision and make it a live finished product where customers can go to LEARN about doors and BUY doors either directly or from any of our retail channels.

SOLUTION

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

We were referred to by a close reliable business associate. They pitched us on designs and processes and were among 3 finalists. We chose them.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

We needed a smooth-running API that worked conjunction with our Roomle/Rubens configurator. We started with a flow chart of the process and worked systematically through the steps. Different types of products required unique solutions for purchase and shipping.

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

I mostly interfaced with 2 people. Nilisha and Anand and they were both very available and responsive.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our website sales are up over 100%

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Workflow was smooth. The initial phases were mostly exchange of information, assets, ideas. Mostly we communicated by email and occasionally skype/google meet. We would work from a master issue list and share notes and docs via shared drive. For the ongoing work, its more of an initial email from my team to the Chapter247 team about what we want to tackle next and then we meet via video conference and discuss the details. Follow up is always prompt and thorough and we work together until a solution is created.

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

I was very impressed by the way they took our very complex building and pricing of units and made a seamless application out of it. Yes there are always issues and changes needing to be made and Nilisha and Anand are always all over it!

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

My experience with them has been nothing but positive, so I have no complaints or suggestions as to how they could improve. It's like the old saying "Why fix it if it ain't broken?"

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a co-founder of a social media platform that marketing professionals can use to create shareable portfolios.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Chapter247?

We had hired an agency of freelancers to get our platform up and running, but we outgrew them.  We needed a more professional, robust team to support us, and that’s where Chapter247 came in.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Chapter247 overhauled our frontend and provided some input on the design. I acted as a technical designer for most of the platform, working very closely with the frontend engineer on both concept and production.

On the backend, Chapter247 had to clean house. The database was fragile and very unstructured. They also shored up security and authentication.  They then began executing against the backlog, a mix of front- and backend challenges. Chapter247 also managed our Google Cloud for me. 

The tech stack that we used might not have been what Chapter247 would have chosen, but I didn’t want to start redeveloping the website from scratch. The frontend was built with Javascript, HTML, and CSS. The backend used Laravel, jQuery, Bootstrap, Javascript, and Cropper.js. The database was MySQL, and the server was Apache 2.0 hosted on Google Cloud.

Chapter247’s scope of work varied depending on the complexity of whatever feature I was requesting. Early on, I provided high-fidelity wireframes, which they translated into code. Due to time constraints, and as their frontend developer got up to speed, I would sometimes provide high-, mid-, or low-fidelity wireframes, or sometimes just text. They would then translate what I provided into the actual design. 

They built the entire sign-up and the onboarding screens that helped new users get started with the website. The screens explained what our platform does and guided users to complete their profiles.

Chapter 247 helped us reinvent and recreate the user experience of how a user added marketing campaigns to their portfolio. Chapter 247 built the backend and the UI/UX, allowing us to capture user information.

For business reasons, we wanted to test out a feed of content that every user on the platform can view. Chapter247 helped us create the feed and its functions, first allowing search functionality and then allowing users to filter the feed for different marketing verticals.

We needed a way to add more marketing campaigns to show the value proposition of the website, so Chapter247 created a feature where we could add marketing campaigns under a generic profile. Any user who worked on that marketing campaign could add it to their own marketing portfolio with a click.

What is the team composition?

I worked most closely with Anand (Project Manager). He acted as a systems architect, lead engineer, and account manager. I had a full-time frontend developer and a full-time backend developer. Chapter247 also provided us with a DevOps engineer as needed.

How did you come to work with Chapter247?

Chapter247 found me on LinkedIn. We interviewed them and probably 20 other companies. Chapter247 seemed like good partners given their cost, knowledge, and account management, so we negotiated a deal with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested about $25,000–$27,000 with Chapter247.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with Chapter247 from February 2020–September 2021. Our engagement with them only ended because we had to re-pivot our business.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

During the time that Chapter247 partnered with us, user signups and traffic probably increased tenfold.

One of the most impactful features was being able to upload campaigns under our generic handle for users to claim — it created a highly populated website with a lot of amazing campaigns. We were able to reach out to customers, telling them that we’d uploaded campaigns they’d worked on, so they had an almost readymade portfolio.

How did Chapter247 perform from a project management standpoint?

We had a good dynamic with Chapter247’s team, thanks to Anand. Anand was good at maintaining the team’s execution pace. I didn't participate in their daily stand-ups, as those were highly technical. Anand was very good at participating on my behalf and pushing the team to give me daily updates about what they had worked on.

Despite the time difference, Chapter 247’s team was quite responsive when I provided feedback or needed clarity. Occasionally, we did get together as an entire team, so I did have a chance to talk to the front- and backend developers.

They were extremely flexible concerning everything that was happening with COVID-19. Sometimes projects got a bit delayed, but I didn't mind because we were always trying to stretch a little bit more than what seemed reasonable. They always stretched to take on a bit more than they thought they could handle while still delivering ahead of time. They accomplished that goal many times. I didn't control for hours, but they seemed to be putting in extra hours to get projects done. 

Chapter247’s team was quite flexible in adopting the tools that I wanted to use. I requested that Chapter247 collaborate with me via Notion, Slack, and Adobe XD.

From a financial standpoint, they provided regular reports on hours used that we would discuss with Anand. He was very good at explaining why numbers fluctuated in situations where they thought that they were at fault. He reduced the average to make up for any mistakes on their end.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’ve only used two providers, so my sample is very small — but of those two, Chapter247 has certainly been better at project management and communication. They’ve executed faster in terms of speed and quality, and I’ve probably paid less for their services.

Anand was very good at discussing business and system requirements without using too much jargon, which allowed for good brainstorming and eventually led us to good requirements for the rest of the team. Whenever needed, Anand was great at translating my business needs into technical requirements for his team.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Although I had great communication with Anand, I never had a good feedback loop with the rest of the team. I was pretty active in asking for feedback regarding pretty much every part of the development process. They could have challenged me more — that's probably the one thing that I would have liked them to improve.

We did experience recurrent surges in access to our Google Cloud server that Google thought was crypto mining. Chapter 247 was able to bring the server back up very quickly each time, and they did put effort into a variety of means for mitigating or resolving this issue. In the end though, this issue continued to recur, and I wish the vendor could have ultimately resolved the issue.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have your business case and design requirements very clear, and Chapter247 will do a great job of translating those into technical requirements. I think that if you have your strategy and discovery set, then Chapter247 can bring you home with the rest. They can do a good job in recommending your tech stack, system design, and data modeling. They’ll move efficiently toward actual execution.