Daffodil Software

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a food service and beverage distributor. We've got four business units: one focuses on supplying products to the food service industry; one focuses on the contract, design, and build-out of commercial kitchens; one focuses on restaurants, kitchens, bars, and customizing logos on all types of glassware, caps, coasters, tap handles; and the last one focuses on putting sports logos on a variety of different types of products like mugs, coasters, growlers, and refrigerators. I’m the chief technology officer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Daffodil Software?

The mobile app had been partially built by these other suppliers but then based on their approach, what they wanted to do, and capabilities, it did not work out. I was looking for assistance to help us build out our mobile application. Daffodil was able to pick up what we had and were able to start working on it, making contributions and really moving it along quite well.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The purpose of the mobile app is to allow customers to view and purchase products via their mobile phone. We currently have a Magento platform that we're using for our web app—we're in the process of updating that. We're looking to build out mobile apps for a couple of our business units using a framework that is HTML5/CSS using Ionic; that way, we can build it and deploy to both iOS and Android devices.

The next one that we're going to look at developing will allow customers to purchase and buy online and then pick up in stores. They're working on a data maintenance app as well. We've got a need to maintain some of the data on the backend, not only for this mobile app but also for Salesforce deployments. They're close to getting that set as well. They were also able to provide assistance for some SharePoint work that we had. We’re working on developing customer templates to allow us to collaborate with customers, and they were able to come in rather quickly and help us out on developing subsites for the SharePoint implementations for our customers.

We're using different resources for those projects. Some of the requirements that we had talked through what we were looking for and what we needed, and then I was working directly with them and a project lead.

How did you come to work with Daffodil Software?

As part of that had a couple of firms that I started to work with; they did not pan out. I ended up coming across Anil from Daffodil, and he talked through what they would do, gave me a good sense of capabilities, provided various examples, and then had a good approach for providing assistance for us. We provided them the source code, they had a look at it, and then they took it from there. The process took a couple of days or so. Daffodil was the only one at this point that was under consideration to salvage what had been done.

As part of that, we then started to build out this mobile app, and they were doing very well with that. They expanded into a couple of areas that I had needs. It was really based on their experience, what they've done, and their approach versus some of the other firms that I was looking at that didn't quite work out.

How much have you invested with Daffodil Software?

We've spent roughly around $60,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

It started around November 2016, and the work is still ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We're starting our environment from scratch. We've just implemented SharePoint online, so now we're starting to build those out. We have a need to try and allow us to collaborate with customers, so we're starting to build the subsites out to do that. We're building a brand-new solution on the SharePoint site for that. It’s the same thing on the mobile side. We've had no mobile exposure at all, and we're starting to build that out to deploy that as well. The table maintenance is a new solution that we are starting to put out. In terms of quantification, there's nothing really to compare it to. We're really building out our future platform. We’re in an environment that's very dated, and I've been charged to try and deliver and build solutions as these systems are essential to our business.

They've been very collaborative and quality-conscious. I've been in contact with the account managers, project leads, and developers, and they are very conscious about their quality, delivery, and what they provide to the customer. They're very customer-centric, so they're very good in that regard.

How did Daffodil Software perform from a project management standpoint?

I started working on the app, started to get outside help, and then we brought it after under Daffodil. I believe I only had one developer helping out, along with the designer. I interacted with them directly and we had a project lead as well. For communications, we were using Google Docs, email, and Skype primarily. Typically, in the mornings, we would communicate via Skype where we had standup sessions.

What did you find most impressive about Daffodil Software?

Their attention to quality and customer service are things that really differentiate them from anybody else that I've worked with.

Are there any areas Daffodil Software could improve?

They were able to provide resources and help out. For the data maintenance app, I've got a little bit more of a junior resource on it who hasn't been quite as productive. What they've done is brought in other folks within their team to help out. In that area, it’s making sure that they've got quality resources with experience.

What tips or recommendations could you share that might increase the likelihood of success with Daffodil Software?

I think that Daffodil is a very good firm. They're very customer-centric and focused, working through the solution to make sure that they’ve got the right team to try and build out the solution at a reasonable, affordable rate. They're very focused on delivering quality work.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Digital Mettle is a custom software development company established in 2001. We have a broad spectrum of service offerings, including internal business automation, generally for larger companies. For small clients, we tend to provide new-product development, helping them with proof-of-concepts and first-gen products, launching them onto the market, and handling ongoing development. I am the co-founder, lead consultant, and solution architect.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Daffodil Software?

Digital Mettle has some difficulty with local talent recruitment. We had done some international outsourcing before and there was some overlap between our previous developers and Daffodil Software, but we’ve transitioned them to use for our staffing exclusively.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement

We see Daffodil Software as a source of staff augmentation. They have a couple of different modes of work, including project-based teams. We’ve been using the same team lead for the last four years, who has been helping us build our team as a whole.

We have just completed a new product for an entrepreneur client. We walked him through creating a business plan and a software roadmap, all the way through to launching the product and hiring internal staff. The product is a niche social network for a group in which our client had a lot of insight. The product was recently launched and it has received tons of new signups. It’s an Azure-hosted hybrid application.

How did you come to work with Daffodil Software?

We responded to a cold outreach from Daffodil Software. We don’t normally respond to solicitations, but this one caught my eye because we had done some side-projects involving Windows phone apps, and weren’t paying enough attention to our own intellectual property.

The email pitch from Daffodil Software listed specifically that they had experience maintaining Windows phone apps, which not many people could claim since it was never a popular system. It would be a good way of having a trial run with Daffodil Software for something which wasn’t client-facing, and was only an internal play project for our company. It went well, and we liked the developer who was put on the project. We continued slowly from there and gave Daffodil Software non-critical projects at first.

The same team lead has been with us since the start of the engagement. She is our major conduit to the team, and I treat her as our own employee. She makes many of the personnel decisions on my behalf and runs or picks the persons to run the projects. Daffodil Software will have our loyalty, as long as we continue to have team consistency. People do come and go, but the general attrition is so low, that we can’t complain.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

My way of placing a number on Daffodil Software’s work would be by how comfortable I feel providing 1:1 billing for their work to customers. This varies wildly, but, at the very worst, we will only bill for two out of three hours used. Frequently though, it will be 1:1. Depending on the activities we’re performing, I feel comfortable in thinking that Daffodil Software couldn’t have done it any faster or any better than us. They are strong in this regard.

What did you find most impressive about Daffodil Software?

I don’t have a great breadth of experience since we’ve only worked extensively with one other outsourcing company. The thing that stands out for Daffodil Software, by comparison, is the longevity of their individual people. The turnover has been very low, and it’s been a huge benefit for us.

Are there any areas Daffodil Software could improve?

Everyone can improve something, and we’ve certainly had ups and downs at times, stemming from things not being understood early enough, and questions not being asked early enough. This is a training issue which goes down to the individual person.

We were working on a relatively small project where my shorthand instructions were to take the security portion from one side and the user management from another side and use them as the basis for the new product since they had been done well. It was just infrastructure stuff which the client doesn’t really care about, so it should have been reused, along with new custom portions as the meat. I tried to shorthand those components, but it took days and days. I came to find out that the two things I’d referenced to put together had an incompatibility under the covers. Daffodil Software was trying to work through that incompatibility, but they should have mentioned it the moment they found it. I’ve tried to cultivate the notion that, as soon as an easier approach is found, or there is something which they don’t understand the purpose of, they should ask. Otherwise, I will have to anticipate all of this, and write time-consuming instruction documents.

From Daffodil Software’s perspective, technical and functional perfection are required all the time, but, from the customer’s perspective, sometimes only functional perfection is required. Learning which is which and how to make appropriate adjustments is difficult when they can't meet and see the same people I do.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the head of quality and consulting at a software development company. We develop software based on the Microsoft platform for customers primarily in Norway and Scandinavia.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Daffodil Software?

We were looking for an outsourcing partner when it came to SharePoint. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

In our world, writing heavy specs is really outdated. What we do these days is more Agile development. It’s more flexible. It starts with releasing an MVP, and then you build from there. That's something that Daffodil Software is a part of.

We used them on several different aspects, primarily for developing one of our projects, Briva for SharePoint, through a set of applications—everything from CRM, project management, and a document center based on SharePoint. They're working both on customer projects (meaning they're working for our customers) and on building mobile apps for our products. It's both product- and project-based. What they've been doing is not project development for our customers but product development for us; the product is something we deliver to our customers. That's what they have been doing. We've done a few system projects as well, but that's on a small scale. Now, we're increasing the capacity in mobile development, which they are also helping us with quite a lot.

They are the ones handling the team and giving us the resources. Of course, over the years, there were some candidates that worked quite well and some that weren’t a match. That's just how it is sometimes. We then gave them feedback: this person works very well, so we definitely want to keep this person in, or this person is not a match for us. Initially, Daffodil Software comes up with the developers. We just say what we need. We initially started with 2 persons from Daffodil Software. The most we go up to is 8, and now we are using 4. It goes up or down, depending on what we actually need.

How did you come to work with Daffodil Software?

About 6 years ago, we were mail bombed by a lot of companies, both from India and other parts of the same region. After talking with 4 or 5 that interested us, we decided to give Daffodil Software a test project to see how they responded and how they worked.

Prior to being contacted by Daffodil Software and the other agencies, we were focused on doing everything ourselves because we have internal developers. The thing is, once we got in contact with Daffodil Software and they delivered the test project, it became a question of how much should you search for other providers once you're happy with a company. After that test project, we decided to start a larger project based on SharePoint where they were supposed to develop an application for us. Daffodil Software is our first and only outsourced development partner.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in February of 2012. Their involvement is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I'm not sure how relevant that is because they've been working with our local team on the same products. It's hard to differentiate what they've gained and what we've gained. The entire point is that they have been a part of a single team that has been working on the products.

The productivity that we have in India is a little bit lower than we have in Norway, but that is not necessarily Daffodil Software’s fault. Here, everyone is sitting in the same office, so we have full control of each other. Once we use Daffodil Software, we have to document everything more thoroughly. We also need to do Skype meetings and send emails back and forth instead of just meeting in a meeting room for 10–15 minutes. But, their deliveries are something that we have been happy with most of the time. Based on their reputation and what other companies are saying about what you can expect from an outsourcing company, we should be more than satisfied with the results that we’ve gotten.

How did Daffodil Software perform from a project management standpoint?

It’s hard to say if they remained within budget because we are not working on a fixed-price project or a fixed amount of hours. What we do is pay for a set of resources as a part of our internal project. They’re delivered tasks and sprints that they are going to fulfill. They deliver what they are supposed to do, sometimes before or after the deadline, but it’s hard to say whether this is due to the complexity of the tasks, bad specifications, or management changes within the process.

What we're doing with Daffodil Software is hiring 3 or 4 developers to be a part of our development team where we assign tasks and run the project, as opposed to saying, "You are going to develop this software. Here is the specification. Give it a price." That's how it is for product development.

What did you find most impressive about Daffodil Software?

I've never used anyone but Daffodil Software. We started with them as our first outsourcing company and just stayed with them, so it's hard to compare them with anyone else. What I can say about Daffodil Software is that they take feedback quite seriously. No one is perfect, and neither is Daffodil Software. But, whenever I say, "This is good. Keep on doing that,” or “This is bad. You have to change this, optimize your processes, or do feedback in another way," Daffodil Software has always been really good at listening and making an effort to change the process for the better.

Are there any areas Daffodil Software could improve?

One of the factors where they can improve more, and this is something we had a meeting about only last week, is the Q&A methodology for the developers themselves. Even though they’re working as a part of our team, they are used to having their own Q&A teams. The developers develop what they should, it's sent to Q&A, and Q&A tests it and sends it back to the developer; it goes back and forth. For us, the developers do much more of the testing themselves, so that's something that has been a little challenging; but, it's also something that Daffodil Software tries to improve.

What tips or recommendations could you share that might increase the likelihood of success with Daffodil Software?

In India, you have the cultural differences: companies in India are used to a hierarchy within companies, which is quite difficult for us because in Norway you don't have the hierarchies that you have in other parts of the world. We had to get used to the cultural differences and also align our developing team in Norway and the team in India to create a common ground. For example, early in the project, we had to stop the developers at Daffodil Software calling us "sir." It's really important for us because we are all developers, and together we are a team. If you have a part of the team calling the other part “sir,” then you are not working as a single team.

Another challenge was Daffodil Software not questioning what we sent them. They were very keen in solving what we did, but they solved it based on what we wrote. We had to make sure that they asked questions like, "Is this smart? We’ve done other projects where we didn't do it like this. We did it in another way, and that worked out well.” Get the outsourcing company to start asking questions. That's one of the most important things I've learned over time. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

The purpose of the charity is the economic inclusion of women in emerging markets like sub-Saharan Africa, India, and South Asia. I’m the owner and one of the trustees.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Daffodil Software?

Mobile phones have now become an integral part of people's lifestyles. In order to engage with “customers,” we thought the best channel was neither through print nor advertising but rather through an interactive mobile app.

Phones are getting cheaper. Network connectivity is improving across South Asia and Africa. Data capacity is exploding, too, and the price point continues to decrease. A multitude of macro trends all pointed in the direction that a mobile app was the right move for our target audience. Once the decision was made, we went searching for a company capable of building it. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The app’s main purpose is relaying information, identifying opportunities, and connecting people to these opportunities. It’s a platform marketplace that matches demand against supply for individuals. The color scheme had to be rich and the user experience (UX) had to be clean, simple, and intuitive. The app had to resonate with our target audience, marginalized women. The need for a physical input via typing was minimized specifically in favor of a more interactive approach. Daffodil helped us refine the user workflow before the development began.

The project team was comprised of 6–7 people. There were to 2–3 developers working on the app and 4 on the UX and design side. I was mostly in contact with the project team lead.

How did you come to work with Daffodil Software?

We sat down with 7–8 companies, gave them an overview of what our requirements were, got thoughts and ideas, and then received quotes about delivering on the mandate. Based on the response to the RFP, we went with Daffodil Software because their team seemed to be receptive, we had some good references for them, and their price point was attractive.

What is the status of this engagement?

It seems like a lifetime, but we began working on this project in November 2016. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The app isn’t quite done yet, but the solution is going to be live by the end of next week. However, my overarching feedback on Daffodil Software is that they’re keen, eager, and hungry for more work, which always helps. They're willing to accommodate a client’s request, which is good. They are open to new ideas and eager to assist. It's partly a function of the maturity of the organization. They're very good at following instructions and designing as per your template. You sketch something out and give it to them, and they're very good at replicating that through the app or mapping out the logic that would support that functionality.

How did Daffodil Software perform from a project management standpoint?

The team is receptive and responsive. When I reach out to them, they respond within 24 hours. For instance, in December while I was in India, I suggested that we should get together as a team. I went to their offices in Gurgaon near Delhi in Haryana, and they all made the time to do so. We sat down and walked through the process, addressed UX questions, and brainstormed what kind of functionality the app should and shouldn’t have.

What did you find most impressive about Daffodil Software?

If I compare Daffodil Software to other industry leaders (with very opaque business practices), I find Daffodil's business practices not only transparent but a bit more flexible, open, and receptive to feedback from customers than some of the larger institutions. They were more amicable and customer-centric in their business practices. That might be a functional scale on where they are in terms of their lifecycle because they’re a relatively small, growing outfit rather than an industry leader. However, there were instances where I challenged them on the rate card they used and parts of their suggestions for an enhancement or a tweak in scope. They were receptive to the fact that I made a fair challenge and thus crushed this activity or blended this work with other work.

Are there any areas Daffodil Software could improve?

What I would like to see are more value-added services. For example, if I say, “This is what I’m trying to do, and it takes 10 steps,” Daffodil Software should show me something that will accomplish the same output in five or three steps. That is where they need to go. The more projects they get involved in and the more mobile apps they develop, the smarter they'll get. That kind of intelligence comes at a price point.

For what I paid for, I'm very happy with their service. I knew what I wanted, sketched it out for them, and involved them through the logic; they were able to deliver. If I was making a much more sophisticated app like a game for iOS or Android or a reverse auction website, then I might not consider them because the process would need a lot more creative input.  

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the CEO of a software development company and we do Microsoft Stack and LAMP stack. We’ve been in business for about 13 years. The company has a couple of permanent developers, but we’re moving more to an outsourcing model in the last few years. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Daffodil Software?

We have a lot of contacts in the medical world in Ireland. We were approached by a medical organization and they wanted a system to record information of their patients and specifically images of wounds and of treatments. It’s is an image processing system. Patient information is highly regulated so we had to take on all of the security elements and the data protection needs. We designed the spec with the clients and then went to Daffodil and asked them how they could help us to develop it.

How did you come to work with Daffodil Software?

We used to go to Poland for a lot of outsourcing, but now we’re finding that they’re getting quite expensive and India seems to be really on the up surge. We managed to find Daffodil. We went through a process of evaluating a dozen or so companies in India and one or two in Belarus and one in other eastern European countries. We settled on Daffodil for because we thought they were the best.  I spoke to the higher level management at Daffodil, and our talk went well. Then we set up some other conference calls with their engineers and analysts and it becomes very apparent very quickly that these guys are very confident and we’re all speaking the same language. It’s easy for us to communicate. Personally, I have about 22 years of software development experience in all kinds of industries all around the world, and you learn very quickly if these guys know what they’re doing. Daffodil was by far the best.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We worked with a mix of technologies. We have a lot of skills in some areas but we don’t have skills in other areas so we needed Daffodil to fill in for us. For example, we can do server and database side of a project, but we needed help with the app side of things.

Phase 1 was an Android based system. We’re now on an Apple based system as well. We’re on Windows. It runs node.js, which is another thing that we don’t have experience with on the server, but we’re happy to step outside our comfort zone with Daffodil.  I was happy to undertake different technology stacks because I have more faith in them.  We can now expand our offering to our clients based on almost any technology because of Daffodil. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working in the middle of 2016 and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The app is live and in use. It’s in the Google Play Store. It was launched at a conference early in the year. The medical guys behind the app may win an award. Version 1 was well received. That’s why we’re now on Phase 2. The client used it with some of his contacts to run it past the and he’s more polished on the whole thing now than he even was at the start because he can see what can be done with this. He’s very happy with it. We’re all very happy with it. Things are going well.

How did Daffodil Software perform from a project management standpoint?

I’m pretty big on specs. I’m a little bit old fashioned. When it comes to systems analysis, I run quite a few tests to normalize everything out. I think that’s a better way to do things. They’re more Agile, which I’m not a huge fan of. We both kind of meet in the middle. I come to them with really, really concrete requirements and specs, and they then will bring it life in the whole world of Agile. We’re not exactly waterfall, but we’re half way between Waterfall and Agile. Their engineers get us. 

What did you ind most impressive about them?

Communication is very good with them. That’s a really strong part.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We have a lot of respect between us. If I say that something is taking too long or it’s costing too much, they take it on board and reevaluate, or they give me a really good explanation as to why it’s going to cost that much. I sometimes find myself pushing back a bit on various things, but they’re always quite okay about it and we always work it out.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

SnapRyde is a carpooling mobile application, which provides the platform for students to share their commute and save money and time. I am the president and owner of SnapRyde, and I manage the product and team.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Daffodil Software?

The base of the app was developed by myself and a few other people in the US. We didn’t have enough time to complete the coding, so we decided to outsource.

Carpooling has a huge potential. We aim to span across US universities to provide easy carpooling to students and then expand the business, globally.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We had a good ramp-up process, with Daffodil Software’s team starting the work within a week. They took our existing code for the iOS/Android versions and built successfully on top of it. It was working alright but needed to be refactored based on some professional guidance.

Daffodil Software initially assigned a five-member team to our project. Once the code was stable, we scaled it down to two members, who are working on it now. We have given them new features to implement, and they’re also fixing any issues with it.

Features include new display methods for our data, using vertical cards. Daffodil Software has implemented a sharing functionality and user feedback forms. They have also improved parts of the UI, making it more compatible with iOS. We had had many issues, especially on that platform.

How did you come to work with Daffodil Software?

I came to know Daffodil Software through some friends who had been in touch with them.

How much have you invested with Daffodil Software?

The cost of Daffodil Software’s work has been between $10,000 and $40,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Daffodil Software in December 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Daffodil Software’s work was good, and they delivered on time. The app has been live for only one month, and it has been doing good. I can definitely see a difference, compared to the version we coded ourselves. We’ve attracted almost 600 users for the app, and have around 30 ratings on Google Play, as well as around five ratings on the Apple Store.

How did Daffodil Software perform from a project management standpoint?

The support from the management has been very good. If we were not happy with something (which occurred rarely), the management was approachable. Daffodil Software’s CEO gave personal attention to our project, which led to high standards of delivery. They suggested a number of project management tools, like Trello and Slack, allowing the team to remain connected, and we also use conferencing tools.

What did you find most impressive about Daffodil Software?

Their marketing and sales team has maintained a relationship at a personal level with us, as a client. They made sure we were happy with our rates and they were always open to negotiating.

Are there any areas Daffodil Software could improve?

They could expose their resources to new technologies. This is already being done, but I do feel that knowing a few more things about our system would be helpful overall. It’s a small issue, but it is an area of improvement.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of a ride-sharing company based out of Heidelberg, Germany. We serve the European market, for the time being, but we might extend elsewhere depending on the success of our business case. We’ve been financed by a consortium of the EU called InnoEnergy, which funds startups in mobility and energy. Our basic concept is that we look at high-traffic commuter areas, identify routes in those areas that have especially high traffic, and set up fixed routes to pick up and drop off passengers, kind of like bus stops. We then recruit drivers to ride those routes on a regular schedule and we pay them to do so.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Daffodil Software?

To begin with, we’ve done most of the development ourselves. A long-time developer of mine built the functional backend. We’d done it the slow-grind kind of way. At a certain point, we changed our business case a little bit, we got some money from InnoEnergy, and we needed to move a little fast. We’d already done most of the back-end stuff ourselves, the data model and the APIs, but we needed somebody to come in quickly and take over some of the app development and develop new apps for Android and iOS.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We are working with Daffodil’s team to build out these apps based on our APIs. We’re building multiple apps concurrently. They’ve taken over the app development for our passenger app, and now we’re building the driver app as well. We took it from a hybrid app and decided to build them as native apps with some new functionality. Daffodil has a structure that is two full-time developers and a project manager. This one team is building all of these functions for all of these apps. The backend was already done, so it’s just a question of implementing APIs that already exist or will exist soon. We have a driver tracking piece, a rating piece, and some chat elements, and all of these pieces are now being incorporated into these apps.

How much have you invested with Daffodil Software?

Roughly $24,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working with Daffodil for about four months, so November 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Right now the aim is to launch these apps in late April. We subscribe to agile development in a very loose sense, and these guys have definitely kept up the pace. They're always moving forward. They are identifying issues, producing screens, connecting APIs, building new functionalities, and they’re doing it all at a very quick rate. They’re very efficient at what they do. In terms of fixing bugs, most of the bugs were on the back end, but of course, there were some on the front end as well. We aren’t through the development cycle where I can say that there won’t be any bugs, but I’m confident that these guys can resolve all of them. They’ve also been able to do some things that we didn’t have included in the existing apps, like push notifications. I really didn’t know how to do that, and they have the expertise that helps us do stuff like that.

How did Daffodil Software perform from a project management standpoint?

Compared to other providers I’ve worked with, they’re way above average. In terms of project management, we mostly used email, believe it or not. We haven’t used any bug-tracking systems yet, but once we’re out of startup mode we probably will. For a time we did use a system that allowed you to enter in and prioritize tasks.

What did you find most impressive about Daffodil Software?

They’re very proactive. They communicate very well, which isn't something you run into very often in development. They have to listen to what you say and turn that into code, and it’s a soft skill but it’s so important for development, especially when you’re doing it over such a distance and only by phone and email. They understand what I’m saying and they implement accordingly. It helps that we have the APIs built out so they can see the data come back, but that doesn’t answer all their questions. With other developers, I’ve seen various levels, from horrible to excellent, and so far Daffodil has been on the ball. They’ve been terrific to work with. Maybe all the developers don’t have the same level of language skills, but they can work through it because they know how to communicate on the same wavelength. Plus, having a project manager this good is really great.

Are there any areas Daffodil Software could improve?

The one thing they haven’t done is suggested any kind of bug tracking software or project management platform. Maybe they could have suggested something. But generally speaking, they understand what I’m saying. Sometimes there’s a certain overhead to working with those tools that you don’t really need. You’re trying to mold these things, build in the functionality in such a way that your head is in the right direction, and it is entirely possible that some of that software could slow you down in the beginning. I don’t really know.

What tips or recommendations could you share that might increase the likelihood of success with Daffodil Software?

I would say that if you’re going to outsource, you need an internal tech person. Don’t expect magic. If you try to just draw some pretty pictures and just tell them to do it. There has to be somebody on your who knows what they’re doing, and then it’s safe to higher out a competent development team like Daffodil.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a digital agency based in Shoreditch, Central London. We have been around for 15-years and initially started as a web development agency. Since 2009, we have been focusing more on Android and iOS development, which amounts to 70% of our work. I am the technical director of the company. I oversee all of our app and web work, from the initial scoping stage to the completion of development.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Daffodil Software?

We were working with a startup company and needed to find a development partner. It make more economical sense to outsource the work as opposed to assembling a team of our own. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Daffodil Software worked on a completely new system, developed from scratch. We handled design in-house. Our most recent project with them is a financial tech solution. Daffodil Software also handled all app and backend development as well as quality assurance testing for it. We also handle some basic testing in-house, and we oversee all project management.

One of the features recently developed by Daffodil Software involved integrating the Highcharts API [application programming interface], allowing the app to handle different kinds of graphs. The app had Salesforce integration, and it also featured different sorts of APIs for connecting with Microsoft Outlook. It was our first Salesforce integration, but Daffodil Software did a wonderful job.

How did you come to work with Daffodil Software?

Daffodil Software approached us while we were looking for some development partners. We had a look at their website and found them to be a good company. We had a conference call and asked Daffodil Software about the team, what work they did, and what technologies they used, in terms of Objective-C, Swift, and so on. Most of our backends are developed using the Symfony PHP framework, WordPress, or Joomla. Daffodil Software had very good skills with those platforms. They also gave us links to the most recent apps they'd developed, which we found to be quite good. We gave them an initial project and took it from there.

How much have you invested with Daffodil Software?

The cost of Daffodil Software's services has been between $30,000 and $40,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Daffodil Software at the end of 2015. The collaboration has been going well.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The quality of the work being done by Daffodil Software, compared to their price, is excellent. They strictly follow the project plan and deliver a very good product in a good timeline.

How did Daffodil Software perform from a project management standpoint?

I've appreciated the fact that they've stuck to timelines and have given us detailed schedules in terms of when we could expect the builds for the project they work on.

We use Google Docs for sharing project plans and milestones and we use Redmine for bug tracking which allows us to log issues and bugs as well as receive updates for the tasks Daffodil Software is working on. This helps us manage client expectations, letting them know when they can expect a new build. The fact that Daffodil Software uses the Agile methodology has been helpful for us.

Are there any areas Daffodil Software could improve?

Daffodil Software can have a more proactive involvement in our work in terms of making suggestions for certain features of the apps. It depends on what team from Daffodil Software we're using as well as on who the project manager is. The project manager assigned to our most recent project was very good, giving us constant updates, but our very first project didn't have good quality assurance. Daffodil Software missed some obvious things in our first project with them and the team wasn't proactive in finding and fixing those issue. They've come a long way since then.

What tips or recommendations could you share that might increase the likelihood of success with Daffodil Software?

Clients should look at the most recent projects done by the developer, and ask for sample apps. It's important to know if the right technologies and expertise can be found within the team.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Crazy Peacock is a branch of Peacock Expressions, focusing on outdoor activities, fitness, and an active lifestyle, in general. We are working hard to get the legs under our new business branch, and have developed an app associated with it, as an initial offering. I am the owner of the business.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Daffodil Software?

We wanted to develop a safety-oriented app intended for individuals who are planning to go off the beaten path. If something happens to a person in this situation, it can take hours for someone else to become aware of the emergency. Our app provides the ability to set an emergency contact, who will receive an automated notification from the app if the user becomes immobile for a set amount of time and doesn't respond to the app's prompt. The contact will receive coordinates via text message, and will also be notified if the user becomes mobile once more. I'm not an engineer, so the possibility of building this thing myself was totally out of the question. I knew I had to hire someone to build it for me under my guidance. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Daffodil Software has developed the Android and iOS phone versions of our app, including their locational functionalities. The iOS version was developed initially, but I assume that certain portions were created in parallel.

Over the course of our project, I've interacted with 6–8 individuals from Daffodil Software, with different roles in our functionality development and/or process management. I couldn't say precisely what the team size was.

How much have you invested with Daffodil Software?

The cost of our project with Daffodil Software has been around $10,000. The cost would have been around $40,000 for a US developer.

What is the status of this engagement?

The work spanned a couple of years. It was a longer project than I anticipated, partly because an unrelated project that I was involved with blew up, and dominated my time for months. I was unable to provide input on testing, and so forth.

The apps are currently live in the app stores, available as free downloads. I plan to transition the hosting from Parse servers because their free offering will be discontinued soon, and I will be working with Daffodil Software on making this transition. There are also some functionality enhancements which I plan to do using Daffodil Software.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I have not been able to market the app as I would've liked. We have around 700 downloads for the Android version. Most of our users are people from our town, who have given it very favorable reviews on the app store.

How did Daffodil Software perform from a project management standpoint?

There were a few snafus and development challenges, caused by my unavailability. Some issues have taken longer than I would have liked, but to Daffodil Software's credit, their team displayed some significant perseverance in sticking with me and resolving the problems. I felt I could depend on them to see things through, even though I muddied the waters a bit. There was only so far a project that small could be pushed, relatively speaking.

I will work with Daffodil Software again because of the confidence I have in them, and the team's commitment to resolving issues despite a difficult schedule.

We didn't use any project management tools that I was aware of. Daffodil Software did leverage a testing application, and most of our collaboration was done through email and Google Docs.

What did you find most impressive about Daffodil Software?

Daffodil Software distinguished itself through its commitment to resolving our app's functional issues. My management consulting work is done with large system builds, so I'm aware of the challenges in the field. We've had some of the same challenges on a smaller scale, but Daffodil Software exhibited a tenacity to making things right, which I didn't always see even with larger companies.

Are there any areas Daffodil Software could improve?

Because the project was drawn-out, the app struggled with some functionalities. To Daffodil Software's credit, their focus was on getting the work right, instead of wrapping up the project. Daffodil Software should continue to support this attitude.

What tips or recommendations could you share that might increase the likelihood of success with Daffodil Software?

I sent Daffodil Software a detailed requirements document from the beginning, which clients who have not worked in this arena may neglect to do. Clearly documenting expectations for the application is important. If the agreement is followed, clients will accomplish what they set out to do.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We're a .NET development and design firm working on high-end websites, mobile apps, as well as custom SharePoint, Office365, and other software integrations. I am the vice president of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Daffodil Software?

We had some overflow work for an iOS app. Since we didn't have a developer to assign the work to within that amount of time, we decided to outsource it. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our initial project was in the mobile arena and geared specifically towards tablets. We needed resources familiar with writing Xcode. We're very particular in terms of code-set, but Daffodil Software was adept at working within our parameters. We've primarily used 3 resources from Daffodil Software, including a project manager and 3 developers. A 4th one is brought in periodically when the work volume increases. We interact with the developers directly, which was an initial request from our side. We're a development house and are very knowledgeable in that area. Project managers in our line of work sometimes get in the way more than they help. That’s because of a lack of understanding of how the code works and what we're actually trying to accomplish. Daffodil Software's project manager was definitely an asset, though.

How did you come to work with Daffodil Software?

We found Daffodil Software through the Internet. We contacted and drilled them on their Xcode knowledge and Daffodil Software passed the test with flying colors. In order to see their skill sets and work ethic, we started out on a short-term basis, but we have come to use Daffodil Software quite a bit on various projects.

How much have you invested with Daffodil Software?

but I don't have a clear idea of what we're paying them. The retail value of the product that Daffodil Software is working on is around $350,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We have been working with Daffodil Software since 2014.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

One of the things we've liked was the ability to have a dedicated developer who would only work on our project. That was also our reason for choosing Daffodil Software. Other third-parties may work on multiple projects at once, but because we're also a development house, we understand the drawbacks of this approach. Stopping and restarting work on a project will make a person lose the flow and be less productive. The developer Daffodil Software assigned to us was very knowledgeable, which helped the project progress much faster.

How did Daffodil Software perform from a project management standpoint?

We did use project tools initially, but we found that communicating through emails and spreadsheets and putting together daily tasks worked out better, given the time differential. Daffodil Software gave us feedback on what had been accomplished the day before and we utilized our in-house project management tool.

What did you find most impressive about Daffodil Software?

I'm happy with Daffodil Software's expertise but, being heavily involved in the development industry, I'm not the best person to answer this question. For a layman, someone not so familiar with the area, Daffodil Software's communication and customer service really stood out. The sales rep we initially spoke to remained with us the whole time, engaging with our company via email and phone calls. Daffodil Software is quick to respond to emails and calls. Our manager and developers changed their working hours to US time in order to remain available for questions. I know that this may impact their personal lives, but they still did this in order for our 2 groups to have at least a 2-hour overlap.

Are there any areas Daffodil Software could improve?

No. This is something that I'd discuss with Daffodil Software, in any case.