Daffodil Software

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the IT manager of Pajhwok Afghan News, an independent news agency

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Daffodil Software?

We didn’t have the technical expertise to handle our site’s maintenance.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Daffodil Software develops new features and enhancements to our site on a needs-basis. Our platform is based on Drupal, and they use PHP as well as other coding programs.

What is the team composition?

We work with one person.

How did you come to work with Daffodil Software?

When I joined my company in 2014, they were already working with Daffodil Software.

How much have you invested with them?

So far, we’ve invested about $500,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in 2010, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Daffodil Software is excellent. They’ve improved the overall efficiency of our website. When our site was slow, their team proposed implementing a firewall that’d be cloud-based.

How did Daffodil Software perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management is very good. They deliver all their work on time and communicate very well. If they aren’t available when I call, they respond quickly.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The communication is great.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can’t think of anything; they’re good.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I don’t have any suggestions.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the technology director at a noncommercial NGO operating in the healthcare space.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Daffodil Software?

We needed an outsourced software development partner to handle some of the more complex tasks within our internal platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They helped us to improve the system that we use for data protection, starting by tackling one piece at a time and cleaning up the code that we already had in place. The platform was built in an older technology and they helped us to transition into another one, as well as to integrate different add-ons and customizations.

How did you come to work with Daffodil Software?

When we first built our platform, we looked for a software partner to help us out with it and settled on their team because of their reputation and previous work.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around €40,000 (approximately $43,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

The project started in December 2018 and is still ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

In my opinion, everything went very well. Throughout my career I have worked with a variety of different outsourcing companies, and they are one of the best. We’ve been very satisfied with their work.

How did Daffodil Software perform from a project management standpoint?

We use JIRA and Confluence to manage the project and make sure that everyone is always on the same page. Project management is mostly handled on our side, so we give them all of the tasks and the context that they need to provide their side of the work. They do a good job of keeping up with all of those requests.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I really appreciate their detail-oriented approach to all of the tasks that we set before them. Those details have a big impact in the long run, and their commitment to rigorous implementation planning allows us to avoid a lot of issues further down the road.

Are there any areas they could improve?

In general, I don’t think that they need to improve anything. We haven’t had any major issues with them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I don’t have any specific advice for Daffodil, but with outsourcing companies in general it is very important to know what you want. Make your technical requirements as clear as possible so that they understand the context and can best attempt to satisfy your core goals for the project.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I was working for Virgin Trains and then Virgin RedStar. My position was the Mobile Team Lead and Solution Architect.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Daffodil Software?

We hired a Android developer, an iOS developer and a mobile QA.

What were your goals for this project?

Initially we needed development assistance to help us complete our Android and iOS app by the timelines that we had committed to. A bit later, we also engaged a QA in order to improve the quality of the apps.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We had contacted a number of providers in order to find good mobile developers. Once we made a number of interviews, we found that Daffodil had the candidates that we wanted on our team.

Describe the project in detail.

We onboarded the developers with documentation and the goals that we had. They started to help build features and fix bugs immediately after that and became an important part of the mobile team. There were many changes to the UI that had to go into the app and unfortunately designs especially on the Android side was lacking due to constraints from our design team, however, they developers took this in their stride and did the best they could with what we had available to them.

What was the team composition?

I was the Mobile team lead, and on our side we had an iOS lead and an Android lead. Daffodil provided us with an Android developer to work with the Android lead, and an iOS developer to work with the iOS lead. We later brought on a senior mobile QA to help us with testing and improving the quality of our apps.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The key for us was to keep on track with the timelines set out. Bringing on Daffodil developers and QAs definitely helped us successfully do this.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

As we integrated Daffodil team members directly into our team, we had no issues with the workflow. We had calls every working day and this worked well for us.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

We were happy with the developers and QA we received from Daffodil. They integrated well and communicated well - a very important aspect as our team is made up of remote workers.

Are there any areas for improvement?

There is always room for improvement but most importantly, Daffodil helped us to keep to our committed timelines and we were happy with the work produced.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the Founder/CEO of 101 Islands LLC, as well as the Grotu app. We are based in California, and have a YouTube channel where we publish content.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Daffodil Software?

I needed coding done on the Grotu app. I wanted to outsource and have the app designed and developed to my specifications.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They recommended certain backend technologies such as React Native and built from the Balsamiq wireframes I provided (20+ diagrams). They assigned us a business analyst who understood what the app would need. Then, they developed the app for iOS and Android, delivering the code We’re in the 2nd phase of development now.

What is the team composition?

I worked with several people, including a team leader, frontend and backend developers, an account manager, and designers.

How did you come to work with Daffodil Software?

I had a shortlist of companies I was interested in using. I went to India and met with Daffodil first. They were professional and had done thousands of apps. Their salespeople engaged me from the start. Their head of technical was very convincing of his knowledge and understanding of what needed to be done.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent more than $30,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

I hired them in February 2018, and it is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The success of their work is basically the app usage. The code quality and functionality of the product is what drives users to continue using it.

How did Daffodil Software perform from a project management standpoint?

They are very responsive. We speak 2–3 times per week on Google Hangouts. There’s also interaction via email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They do exactly what I ask them to do. They are a smaller company yet they exude professionalism. I didn’t have to learn the different platforms because they did all the coding to make the app work on both iOS and Android. If I find an issue, they figure out how to fix it.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I would suggest they do more extensive testing before code reaches me for my testing. That happens in every case, I believe. Developers don’t find all the bugs; it requires users to find them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It depends on the type of engagement you have. They are in a different time zone than us since they’re in India, so there are a lot of times we meet with them at night. It saves some money, but it can make less convenient communication. This requires you to be more involved than if you were paying for a dedicated team to be on it. It also takes more cost involvement. It also depends on your business; you may need to explain the functionality of some apps. Present clear specifications.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

MercaDolar, Inc, is a United States corporation, founded in New Yor City. We have been live since February 2016 implementing a unique platform to facilitate remittances and provide USD access to people in Latin America. We offer a fast platform, cheap and without international wires. We do this by creating a market for USD and the local currency of LATAM and then liquidating bilateral exchanges with national transfers. My role in the company is as Legal Manager and Business Development, my responsibility is to ensure the growth of the company along with the implementation of the best practices for the business and comply with all the laws that regulate us. Additionally, part of my role is to direct the company towards new methodologies, applying advanced technology, renewing our products, innovating services and closely following all the projects we are working on.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Daffodil Software?

We hired Daffodil Software to develop our second platform version, we were using a basic platform where we only offered one type of service. We saw the opportunity to include many other products and build a new and advanced platform, using quality technology and offer all our users a very safe service.

When we hired DS, we had a CTO in our company that worked hand in hand with the developer team, a few months later he left the team and since then the CEO of the company and I have been working with them. Finally. In September 2019, we launched our new platform, which was a success, with some errors and problems like any technology project but that we could solve along the way. Now, again we are building a new integration and we are very excited to continue working with the team.

What were your goals for this project?

We required the construction of a platform with custom integrations, responsive design, encrypted information, database migration from V1 to V2, development of new functions, coding languages and more. In addition, we have created a mobile application service to complement the project.

With the construction of this platform we can give access to many users who require a secure remittance service, in turn we can increase the number of transactions as a result of offering more products and better services. By offering a reliable and innovative platform, growth projections in both users and transactions are very good.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Before hiring DS, we made comparisons of the services offered by many other providers in the United States, Europe, Russia, India and Latin America, at least 5 more companies. We select Daffodil for the good proposal, it is a company with great experience, we doid some research and found good reviews and comments from other customers.

We also received a very kind treatment from the beginning, with the intention of personalizing and adapting their services to our needs. Likewise, our CTO, who was in charge of the hiring process, reviewed the profile of the personnel hired by DS, to ensure that the work provided was of quality and that the team was responsible and able to meet our expectations.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

For the development of this project, we have worked hand in hand with the team, we have been part of the integration process, we have provided documentation, guidelines and we have closely followed all the tasks and progress. For our platform we had to build the following characteristics:

1. New platform design 2. MercaDolar electronic wallet 3. Sell currency 4. Buy currency 5. Transfer money from WTB, BTW, BU. 6. Payment request BU 7. Transaction History 8. BO 9. App Mobile To develop all these features, we have used Azure Devops to have control and knowledge about the status of each task.

The project was divided into epics, user stories, tasks and mistakes. In addition, the entire platform was integrated to a third provider that provided all financial services to our company. Due to this reason, all API documentation was provided by this provider, and as for the design, requirements, specifications and business model we provide it.

What was the team composition?

At first the team was composed of: 1 Project Manager 3 Developers 1 QA 1 Infrastructure Specialist At the end of the project, the team was composed of: 1 Project Manager 7 Developers 2 QA 2 Html Developer 1 infrastructure Specialist In addition, we have an App Mobile team 1 Project Manager 2 Developers

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

Although we had to change our release date due to some delays, when we finally launched we met all our expectations, over time we reached the stability we needed and had time to improve tasks and develop more tools.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Having a Project Manager was very useful for the team, to have a leadership and work organized. The tools used were Skype, Google Meets, Slack and Azure Devops. We have not had any language barriers and we were able to find a midpoint to solve the time difference.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They are always willing to listen, talk, work, think in new ideas, always have a good mood, always intend to solve problems and assume their responsibilities. They have good skills despite the younger age.

Are there any areas for improvement?

The only suggestion I could say is about communication, because this is the basis of each relationship, it is very important to have good communication between the team and the client, between the developers, between the project manager and the developers, because if this fails the whole project could fail. We can always find a midpoint to improve the work.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Autoload is a truck fleet transport management application that provides real-time tracking for the entire transport fleet. It includes a dedicated app that enables logistics team to track their trucks in real time.

Not just tracking, it also provides the manufacturers and fleet owners with customized reports about moving pattern of the trucks. Autoload has been successfully implemented in 1000+ trucks across India. I am currently Business Head at Autoload.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Daffodil Software?

Our engagement with Daffodil Software was to develop a real-time tracking system with a mobile app, an integrated dashboard for manufacturers and fleet owners, and a backend system for the support team.

What were your goals for this project?

The goal we were trying to achieve through the system was seamless real-time tracking of truck fleet with proper monitoring tools for the manufacturers and fleet owners. Daffodil Software developed the system keeping in mind our exact requirements and helped us achieve the goal seamlessly.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We evaluated 5-6 software development companies and compared all of them on parameters such as experience in specific domain, technology capabilities, software development approach, software delivery approach and the cost.

We came across the website of Daffodil Software online and their previous work impressed us a lot. We got in touch with them and understood their way of working. We felt that they would be able to work on our project and we are glad they were up to the mark.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

We came to Daffodil Software with a requirement to develop a vehicle tracking solution. The solution includes portable GPS devices, a backend system and a mobile app to monitor the data. The solution was mainly for manufacturers and fleet owners looking for a fleet tracking system.

Daffodil Software provided us with the portable GPS devices linked to the backend system to monitor the vehicles, a comprehensive dashboard that showcases data and statistical reports, an application for the customers and a notification alert feature within the system.

What was the team composition?

We went with a product engineering model and the entire development team was managed by Daffodi

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

The major impact the project had on our business is that we have managed to get renowned companies like L&T, Exide, Vedanta, Jindal Steel and many more on-board that use the Autoload fleet tracking system. It has been installed in more than 1000 vehicles that are being tracked successfully. This has been possible because of the efficiency of the system.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

The entire project was managed through their homegrown project management tool. We received daily/weekly updates on the project and this methodology was very effective during the project development phase. There was a dedicated team of experienced professionals working on the project who went out of their way to fulfill all our requirements.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The resources in the company are very talented and dedicated. The project manager understood our requirements well, and we had regular interactions to review the progress. They take feedback very seriously and make changes accordingly. We were really impressed by the way the overall project was handled.

Are there any areas for improvement?

The release process could have been faster.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the manager and director of a small organization with the key focus of delivering an events management app and website.

We’re planning to launch and prove the platform before building the organization out widely. We’ll then operate with both direct employees and freelancers managing the data on the platform. We’re currently targeting the UK, the US, and increasingly other European and global countries.

We’re planning to launch the platform before building the organization out. We’ll then operate as an organization with direct employees or with freelancers managing the data on the platform. We’re currently targeting the UK, the US, and, increasingly, other European and global countries.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Daffodil Software?

We engaged Daffodil Software for their breadth of capabilities across technical solution definition, app, web, back-end and external API aspects, technical architecture and testing services, rather than engaging multiple parties.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They’re currently working on extending the functionality of both the iOS and Android implementations to bring them in line with and extend the original website functionality, updating the web user interface and back-end code versions.

Their main focus is coding for the core functionality, but their work is broadening out into extendable infrastructure work with AWS and even branching into security.

We are looking to Daffodil for support launching and supporting the live application, enabling the app and web-centric business. Further functional developments are planned once we prove the solution commercially.

What is the team composition?

The number fluctuates during our ongoing engagement. At the moment the core team consists of five people but there are a total of nine working at least in part on the project.

How did you come to work with Daffodil Software?

I had initially engaged a local company in London which outsourced several of its projects to Daffodil Software. We then arranged for more direct communication with Daffodil, and moved from there to a direct commercial arrangement and intended long term engagement with them.

How much have you invested with them?

The delivery scope of our more recent direct engagement with Daffodil has totaled around $80,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with the middle company around 2016, but our direct engagement with Daffodil started in February 2018. It’s been a rich and ongoing engagement with them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It’s slightly tricky to provide visual evidence because I’m currently progressing intellectual property matters and the product is still in development.

While some companies use their apps and other software as promotions for their main non-technology products, our offering is a truly functional app and website providing utility to users. Daffodil has been able to support the creation of this tool per our requirements and developed functionality across numerous dimensions including events information management, complex query logic, timezone management, cross-geography differences, differing views for differing user preferences and both public and personal event considerations.

I’m sure there are many developers that can build the first kind of app – as a ‘shop window’ to other products – but I think there are fewer companies that can deliver the sort of rich user functionality that differentiates our platform.

How did Daffodil Software perform from a project management standpoint?

I execute a proportion of the project management myself since this has previously been my personal career focus. Daffodil is strong in providing the key resources, bringing the skilled developers on board and managing them locally. As required they’ve supported my project management of the delivery, rather than owned the project management fully on their side. I can only say that what they’ve delivered has been successful.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’ve recently showcased their ability not only to respond to user requirements but to recommend options—technical, user experience and to a commercial understanding —for those requirements’ delivery. Daffodil’s expertise on iOS, Android, and web development, as well as their developers’ ability to work together on a common solution, are all valuable to me.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Whilst initially the project could have moved more swiftly, in recent months I’ve been very happy with the speed.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

The advice would be around arranging with Daffodil a clear core team of resources, building a relationship with those individuals and benefitting from their skills. It helps to have frequent stand-up or scrum meetings with them to keep the progress running, discuss and confirm options to be taken.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CTO of a SaaS company. We provide a platform that allows users to create virtual tours.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Daffodil Software?

We engaged Daffodil Software to develop a React frontend and React Native mobile application.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Daffodil Software first created a frontend using React Storybook. They created eight storybooks to cover different areas of our website. We conveyed sketches to their team using Zeplin where they could work with the files efficiently and leave comments. 

The team then built a React Native mobile app that works with our new backend. We were developing a new API for our 2.0 system that we have yet to launch. We gave Daffodil Software lo-fi designs in Google Presentations to show the screens and flow we wanted. We broke the tasks down per screen and which API endpoints their team would work with.

How did you come to work with Daffodil Software?

Our CEO and one of our signers visited development companies in India. Daffodil Software left the best impression out of the vendors we considered.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from May 2018–March 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The project has finished, and we’re thrilled with Daffodil Software’s work.

How did Daffodil Software perform from a project management standpoint?

We had weekly Zoom calls, tracked the project’s status with Pivotal Tracker, and collaborated on designs using Zeplin. We invited their team into our Slack channel to encourage communication. Daffodil Software also sent us daily emails that summarized their progress. Daffodil Software excelled at working autonomously with constant and explicit communication. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Daffodil Software offered high-quality developers with a wide range of skills. Their expertise in React Native was a huge plus.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Their communications skills were satisfactory, but there was room for improvement. 

Any advice for potential customers?

Be as clear as possible when you’re assigning tasks to Daffodil Software. Provide a design guide and code style in advance to direct their efforts.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the CEO of Gapps Experts Inc. We have an application that enables Gmail users to share their contacts with other Google users.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Daffodil Software?

Daffodil Software needed to develop and maintain the application.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted them to optimize the solution and make it a robust system. Furthermore, we wanted to achieve a service-level agreement of 99.99%.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We found them on Upwork.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Daffodil Software built new architecture for the backend using Java. Currently, they work to make the logic more reliable and beneficial for users.

What was the team composition?

The team includes four backend developers and one QA engineer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

The project is successful because Daffodil Software has connected more Google users to the solution. That has enabled us to interact with more customers.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

They have been actively involved in every step of the project.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their team is very kind. They constantly try to do better.

Are there any areas for improvement?

They could improve communication, specifically for sharing methodologies and best practices with clients.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and head of technology of Chalo, previously known as ZopHop Tech. Our goal is to revamp the way public transportation in India by displaying bus times and live tracking of buses.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Daffodil Software?

We’re a rapidly growing tech startup but we required support for our internal team. We needed an outsourced team to assist us with the backend of our product.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We needed support for several challenges. To begin, we had an initial meeting to clarify our needs and Daffodil Software recommended multiple improvements for the process. They helped build and implement technologies to solve our transaction and GPS issues to validate tickets. Their team also made backend modifications to our Android app and helped the product evolve with new features on the internal web dashboards.

What is the team composition?

They provided a team of around 15 people, including a dedicated project manager. I had a point of contact for each part of the project.

How did you come to work with Daffodil Software?

A member of Daffodil Software reached out to us and we worked closely with one of their developers. After being pleased with their approach and transparency, we decided to expand the account.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $25,000 per month on their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with Daffodil Software on multiple projects and the work has evolved. The application is currently fully deployed.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re fully satisfied with our uptime rate of nearly 100% for the app. We operate at a rate of 100 million data points per day, We’re impressed with the final product on the backend and it is scalable.

How did Daffodil Software perform from a project management standpoint?

We had an in-house project management model. Their team contributed to our effort and we had direct contact with their tech leads throughout the project.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their superb flexibility and commitment to the project made them stand out from other vendors. They addressed all of our needs and were accommodating. Their team went out of their way to support us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Though I’m highly satisfied, they could increase the number of quality people on their team. They were a strong group, but there’s always room for improvement.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

I’d recommend using them for your project if you want a flexible, committed outsourced team. They’re higher quality than most companies I’ve worked with.