Dev Technosys

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the managing director at Ehsan Insan, which is an active fleet management business with multiple cargo carrying vehicles.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what reason(s) did your company hire DevTechnosys?

I wanted to have a mobile app for my business through which I could manage my customers and truck drivers and offer them a separate panel to manage their account related activities.

What were your goals for this project?

I started my fleet management business in 2014; everything was done through manual processes and I had to spend several hours a day managing customers, truck drivers, and such. As digitalization grows day by day, I thought of creating a mobile application so that my customers and truck drivers could manage everything.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Multiple vendors submitted proposals for my project but the DevTechnosys team had an immense skillset that included availability, good communication, and requirement understanding. Most importantly, though, they made a very reasonable offer that included annual maintenance support. With all this in mind, I selected them as my development partner.

Describe the project in detail.

The project is about managing my fleet business through a web panel and mobile application. My team and I have access to the web panel, which allows us to manage users, truck drivers, cargo requests, reports, payments, and more. The end users and truck drivers use the mobile app, which has a user interface.

The app allows me to see all available trucks, request for trucks, calculate fees for packaging and moving, track driver locations with the real-time navigation feature, and more. As a truck driver, I can accept/reject requests, see cargo descriptions, etc.

What was the team composition?

There were several members working on the project including a project manager, a database programmer, a business analyst, a designer, an Android and iOS coder, a quality assurance team, and an operational manager. All the resources assigned to my project were very accountable and know how to keep clients happy.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They provided a very high level of service. The user interface they built was beyond my expectations, which is the most important thing that attracts end users. I don’t have any specific metrics at the moment but I’m getting a good response from users. However, we have received $10 million in funding from the government and other investors.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Project management was really awesome; our team really liked it. They provided every kind of documentation such as software requirement specifications, a high-level project plan, test cases, process flow diagrams, wireframes, etc. Everything was very well written, which helped us understand their working process and vision.

They were always available over phone and email to discuss any issues, solutions, and suggestions.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

It's very hard to define what’s most impressive about them because they’re simply awesome. Everything from their communication, accountability, flexibility, transparent approach, availability, suggestions, and process flow were great.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No. They’re good with their work but they should do more with artificial intelligence.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work in a private institution, but this project is independent. I started this project for me personally and have built a website. I’m starting it as a new business. The project is a real estate business where users will be able to find properties for rent or to buy in a very easy and fast fashion.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with DevTechnosys?

I had the idea and I had the sketches for the project but I needed a web developer. Then I started to shop around.

How did you come to work with DevTechnosys?

I searched on Google and contacted 5 or 6 companies. I searched their reviews, and then I came across DevTechnosys and contacted them through their website. They were one of the companies that replied to me fast, and I felt they were serious. This is one of the things that made me want to go ahead with them. When I entered their website, I liked the home page. Some of the icons were moving around and I felt that it was something advanced. After I got the reply from them, everything moved quickly.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

After I got a reply from them, we talked about the project and, in one to two days max, I received the wireframe. I was happy very pleased and knew I wanted to work with this company because they started doing the work even though there was still a possibility that I would choose another company. That’s why I felt that they are a serious outfit. They built the site from scratch. I think it’s based on MySQL. I gave them the exact sketches for every page, the header, the footer, pop-up windows, etc. I gave them the design and they implemented it accordingly. When you enter the home page, there’s a map which is something I have chosen to be different than other websites. On other websites, when you log in, you see listings of properties. On my site, I requested a map on the home page and a filtered search. When you choose a region, the map will take you to it right away. The map and filter search are connected. When you choose a city or an area, the map will directly go to it.

What is the team dynamic?

I was working with a main project manager, but Tahreem is the one I first started talking to about the project. I have been in contact with them all the time. There’s also Tarun Nagar who is the CEO. He had contact with me for about a month. He has been included on many emails about requirements and modifications, and I am sure there are others working on the project because my website is in two languages, Arabic and English.

How much have you invested with them?

I spent $12,000 on the project.

What is the status of this engagement?

I started working with them in March 2017, and the site was launched in October 2017. I have finished this project, but I consider it just phase one. I’m currently discussing with them building a phase two. It is still an ongoing relationship, because I still need to develop and modify more on the site. They are a good company that I would want to continue working with for any IT projects like apps or websites.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The site launched a couple of weeks ago. This is a new website and business so I am in the process of getting customers, and I just started working with people to analyze the website. I want to get other people’s perspectives and how they see it. I sat with one person and showed him the website. He liked it a lot. I have told other people about the features and they like the idea. I'm also waiting for feedback from a workshop I go to where people share their ideas or share their technologies, like an app or website.

How did DevTechnosys perform from a project management standpoint?

I’m specific when I ask for certain requirements and it’s usually changed a day or two days after. It has been managed very well. We communicate mainly by email. If I want to tell them something fast, I talk to them over the phone or WhatsApp. I may request something by email, but then I realize I need to change it so I talk to the project manager. They have the attitude that they’re going to do it and 98% of the time, it has been done. If there are any issues, we try to figure out how to resolve them.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their website and the way it is organized and the functionality of some of the icons is impressive. It was different from other websites. Also, they were fast and the communication was good. I talked to other companies, and some of them were OK. There was another company that was trying to push us to get this project, and I had received an agreement from them. With DevTechnosys, what made me comfortable is when I received the wireframe. They gave me more than just the agreement paperwork, which is what made me choose them. They had already started working on it. Out of 6 companies, I only received a wireframe from them, and I had it in two days.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I should ask myself this question because I’m the one who’s provided everything, even minor details including the colors, the design, the pop-up windows, the header, the footer, the design, and internal links. They implemented what I required very well, so if there is something they can do better, I’m not sure what that would be. They have done a great job.

Do you have any advice for potential clients?

I would say go ahead because, from my perspective, when I have dealt with them, it has gone really smoothly and there is something about dealing with them that makes me trust them. There are milestones of the project with payments, but I always felt comfortable that if I’m going to pay I’m going to receive what I’m supposed to. Because I’m in Saudi Arabia, I needed to have an agency or a technology consultant that I wouldn't have to worry about. I don't worry because their communication and ethics make me feel comfortable.  

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We provide automotive solutions for the after sales market. We increase the efficiency of workshops by working closely with the dealer principal and OE [original equipment manufacturer] so they get the most efficient use of each service bay in a workshop.

I'm a design and optimization engineer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with DevTechnosys?

DevTechnosys is in the final stages of completing their work, but our current site hasn't had work done on it since the early 2000s. It no longer properly reflects the company. It doesn't reflect our current direction and doesn't reflect our services properly. It was a long time coming that we needed to update the website.

They're actually building three sites. The information website is going to showcase product information, user guides, company information, forms etc. The e-commerce portal will be available for normal customers who can browse and purchase products. The third site will be available for dealers who are using the products already and it allows them to get services and support.

How did you come to work with DevTechnosys?

We needed to update our website. We were just shopping around, evaluating a couple company and when we found DevTechnosys, they seemed to check all the boxes in regards to what we actually wanted to do. The other engineer in our company, Dan, was scouring the Internet. After doing some research as to which markets to evaluate, we found some companies in India and Ukraine. We short listed four companies or so and in the end DevTechnosys got the job.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I'm not sure what technologies are involved other than HTML5. We're not web developers or anything like that so we basically just presented them with what they needed to do and they've pretty much done it.

The client portal is being built because we work very closely with Turner Australia. We develop all systems in place for their express service which they are the industry leader in. All dealers needed a portal where they could log in and order equipment or book services for this equipment and systems that we've put in. They've built that for us.

The e-commerce platform is where we distribute Beta automotive tools from Italy. There are about 30,000 line items. They're using WooCommerce in the backend to put it together. The project was quite complex and we just told them what we wanted and they came up with a wireframe to show the layout. We work off that and so far even when most of the details have already been planned if we weren't happy they were happy to just change it completely. That was quite good because I've worked with other web developers where when you sign off on something there are no revisions allowed afterward without additional costs. DevTechnosys hasn't been like that which is quite good. All in all, it looks like a great site so far. It looks modern, which is important to us. It looks nice and we're getting what we wanted out of them [DevTechnosys].

What is the team dynamic?

They've been really good to work with.

What is the status of this engagement?

They started working in February. We had a three-month timeline originally.

They should have completed it by now and they would have if we were communicating from the start the way we do now. The project dragged on initially when we were communicating only by email.

How much have you invested with them?

Between the three sites, it has been USD $10,000 or $11,000.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

How did DevTechnosys perform from a project management standpoint?

They're quite flexible in regards to how you want to communicate with them. They won't explicitly say, "We prefer this method or that method." They leave it up to the client. Initially, we were communicating with them via email and stuff was getting lost in translation. When they came back with the changes on the development site it often wasn't right and there was just lots of back and forth that wasn't very productive. As of the last month, we started just talking to them once a week on Skype and that has streamlined a lot of the things.

DevTechnosys is great because they're just so flexible with whatever you want them to do, whether that's talking over the phone or Skype or email. Being from India, English isn't their first language, so there was just a couple of occurrences where we needed to explain a couple of things in a couple of different ways to make them understand. But as soon as they get it, they are very fast in turning around things. Even if you decided on something, and then when you look what it actually looks like in the flesh, they'll just change it if you're not happy with it. They don't say the change will be difficult or that they cannot do it.

At the start of the project they sent us a checklist as to what needed to be done. They send an email with an update list of what has been accomplished against those goals what these tasks actually mean and then they'll invoice you using that list as they complete tasks. If it's marked done and you don't agree, you can get request revisions before making payment.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They've got a pretty good eye for how things should be. Since they've made so many websites before, they'll share links to show you what your ideas could look like and how to make it better. It's their area of expertise and they'll know best.

The other thing is they're just really flexible to work with. You can literally tell them, "I want this," and then the next day tell them, "I don't want that anymore" and then they'll just change it for you and not even complain. That's pretty hard to find in the development world.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The first person we spoke to at DevTechnosys was very articulate and spoke English really well, but he was on the marketing side. I wouldn't even go as far as to say there's a language barrier with the developers, because they mostly understand everything you need, it's just the difference in speaking English in a different country. We had troubles trying to communicate sometimes but you can get around any issues by explaining something in three different ways and one of the three ways will make sense to them and they'll go with it.

It would have been better if they spoke better English. However, in the whole entire scale of the project, that's just such a small issue because they do everything else so well.

BACKGROUND

Please provide us with a brief description of your company.

As the founder of Soccer90H, I tried to provide an opportunity to soccer fans for watching their favorite team matches, get real time updates, record and upload videos, share with friends etc. Soccer90H was setup in October 2016 and our principle office was in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was the business challenge that you were trying to address?

What was the goal of the partnership? We wanted to offer a new way for all soccer fans to watch all their favorite, eye-catching, unforgettable, nerve-racking soccer or “football” moments from the best teams around the world. The main goal was to create a mobile apps available for Apple iOS and Android.

What was your process for selecting this company to work with?

I did a ton of research online and ultimately came to DevTechnosys. They have good reviews. I scheduled a meeting with them and got the feeling that they were on top of their work. So I chose to work with them. They were the first firm I met with from the small group I had shortlisted. I ended my search after my first meeting with them. I was comfortable that we would be able to work in an efficient and affordable manner to produce a good product.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of the project, and can you describe the specific services that were provided?

The scope was to create native mobile applications for the soccer fans to keep themselves updated for their favorite team play. Users can capture, record, upload, and share with the user community their favorite football moments – the user videos are limited to being 90 seconds long.

How much have you invested with DevTechnosys?

The budget was over $25,000.

What is the status of the partnership?

We started working together in October last year and the apps were completed in March [2017].

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the results of the project? Are there any success stories or metrics you can share?

They produced a good product as expected. Everyone on my team is appreciative of their work as we test it with our investors and make refinements. I don’t have any metrics to share right now as I am working on the promotional activities for the project, but I hope to have a good number of installs soon.

When working with DevTechnosys, is there anything that sets them apart compared to other partners you may have worked with?

We were really happy with what DevTechnosys did for us. They are very detail-oriented. They push your limits, by proposing suggestions and saying "You have to think about this, and you have to get back to me tomorrow." They're really pushy but in a good way. You want a developer that can come up with a better solution than what you propose. DevTechnoys can do this much better than other companies, who simply build what they are told and don't question requests when, really, it’s necessary. They always had great, practical ideas for us.

Is there any area that they could improve?

I have been impressed by how fast they delivered our more complex features. I would have assumed that there would be off-the-shelf solutions available for our more standard functionalities, though. I'm not sure how they built the features, but some have taken longer to complete than I would have expected, at times.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a Colombian startup, dedicated to the reservation of hotel rooms through a mobile application. I’m the digital director.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

How did you come to work with DevTechnosys?

We chose DevTechnosys because they simply understood what we wanted to do in a quick and simple way. After explaining our ideas to them, I did not have to make further explanations or variations to their understanding our intentions.

What challenge were you trying to address with DevTechnosys?

We were looking for people who would develop our app in an efficient and cost-effective manner. We were worried about this because of the complexity of the app. They built it very well.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The application has 2 parts: the hotel or vendor part and the client or guest part. The app needed to be able to service each group separately. The application is being developed for iOS and Android. We also developed a website for this. There’s an app admin panel accessible to the hotels. All of this is setup on cloud servers.

The customer has to select the place he or she wants to stay, the hotel star rating they are looking for, and the number of nights they want to stay. The customer makes an offer for the room, based on the average price for rooms given the search parameters. Once this offer is made, the application sends alerts to the applicable hotels about the offer made by the customer for the room. The hotels that receive the notification, can accept or reject the offer. The first hotel that accepts the offer is the one that is given the business.

How much have you invested with them?

In terms of development, the price was right and it was within our stipulated budget range. We’ve spent about $35,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started work with DevTechnosys in March of this year and we’re currently going through final testing, which should last until the end of the month.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We haven’t launched, yet, so there aren’t metrics available but so far the project has been fine. They are paying attention to my suggestions and change requests.

What did you find most impressive about them?

From the beginning, the project was very organized which sets them apart in my mind. The first contact we had understood the project and now the project manager that we work with has done a great job with his development team.

Are there any areas they could improve?

For now, I don’t have any constructive criticism. Their willingness to work hard is very good.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of Fashionsto. I come from a mobile business intelligence background, and I used to manage accounts for a company that launched in South Africa.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with DevTechnosys?

There are four sections in the fashion industry: media, designers, stylists, and models. They are a package deal, so there is a lot of overlap between them when trying to set up an individual service. We wanted to create a way to make this package accessible worldwide through an app using area codes, which is something nobody else was offering.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Right now, a user puts their area code (or the area code for a location they want services in) into the app, which outputs area-specific professional profiles. Once in the profile database, users can book professionals immediately and specify times, dates, venues, and terms of payment. On the flip side, professionals can accept or deny requests right in the app. A user can only secure a professional’s service by paying through the app, where it is held until services are completed.

They are simultaneously developing for both Android and iOS, but the Android app has been tested by my junior partner and is ahead in development. We scout call and discuss the features, and sometimes even compare functionality on different devices.

The app is almost complete, but screen creation took a while because I couldn’t decide what I liked the most. Sometimes it would take 1-2 days after consultation, but we didn’t lose any time due to this because they integrated everything after I gave them feedback.

Their team had their own ideas on the technical front, including the in-app payment system, which is similar to Uber’s in the sense that payment is released after service is completed. Since we are a worldwide app, we are making an innovative integration with a translator so customers can access our services using their native language.

What is the team dynamic?

They’ve given me options and consulted me before beginning development, and they make sure to explain things to me in terms I understand. They take the time to break information down to me so I’m fully aware of what the app can and can’t do.

How did you come to work with DevTechnosys?

I googled top app developers, and DevTechnosys was one of the results. I gave them and a few other companies a skeleton brief of the project, and if they were interested, we signed NDAs. There were three key issues involved in the decision making process, including price, completion time, and understanding. DevTechnosys was the most in sync with future technical implications out of all the companies, and I felt they knew exactly what I wanted.

In the end it was about the relationship we managed to develop over that first phone call. I was happy with the way they got involved by asking questions and making suggestions. Their written proposal was well-detailed and easy to follow, and I still use it now to identify what level of project completion we’re at. They did very well at grasping the idea and presenting it as a project, which is what attracted me to them.

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent $25,000, and it’s been broken down into milestones.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them in April 2017, and the relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

What they are delivering is amazing, and I can’t wait to launch this app. I’m excited enough to already be thinking ahead about online marketing, because it’s become bigger and better than I imagined.

I’ve been impressed with every update since their team started developing the app. The choices they gave me in the beginning concerning theme were brilliant. I’m more than satisfied with what they’ve delivered and the way they’ve presented it.

How did DevTechnosys perform from a project management standpoint?

Their ability to stay on track despite being in a different time zone is amazing, and we always manage to Skype and email. We never have a problem receiving work, and it actually works out well for productivity because I can provide feedback on their work by the time they open in the morning.

They manage to get back to me within two days at the latest with revisions after I’ve provided feedback. Their operation is like clockwork, and there are no gaps in productivity.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They understand the app very well, and they took the project to a higher level. They managed to present something more detailed, more professional, and more coherent than I had thought of initially.

Are there any areas they could improve?

If I said they needed to do anything differently, I’d be lying.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a freelance 3D artist. I’ve been working for different organizations over the years, but I’m currently running my own organization called ArunArt.com. I have a team of 7 people. We generally do 3D modeling, texturing, oil paintings, and ceramic models.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with DevTechnosys?

I needed a place where I could manage my own portfolio, my clients, and my own projects.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The site they created will showcase my services and my team members’ services. There are 2 major functions of the tool. It allows my clients to submit an inquiry related to their project and then schedule an appointment with me or my team.

I asked DevTechnosys to build a project management solution where I see my projects, schedule tasks that I want to be built, and then share it with clients. There is also a forum section where I can post my completed work and allow users to submit their comments. They used the open source technology, PHP, to build the tool. I wanted a PHP custom solution because if I use an off-the-shelf product, I have to pay for it and I’m not going to have the features that I want to offer to my clients. I want to keep it simple, where I can upload the projects, create tasks, schedule tasks, and share it with my clients. My clients can check updates frequently and share their feedback within my portal. DevTechnosys completed 4 phases of the project in the first 3-4 months, and the delivery has gone well. They are working on the 5th phase now.

How did you come to work with DevTechnosys?

I did a project for them and then I had something I needed for my own business, so I hired them to complete my website.

How much have you invested with DevTechnosys?

I have spent $15,000 over the course of our relationship.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in September 2016, and the project is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They provided good quality work.

How did DevTechnosys perform from a project management standpoint?

The project management is good in terms of meeting goals. If we talk about a project, they provide me the complete documentation where they describe every function that they are going to build in the frontend and backend of the system as well as the documentation for the project management system. Everything was done in a very well-planned manner. They keep me updated on their progress. I can easily check which task is going to take place in the next week, and I can share my feedback.

What did you find most impressive about DevTechnosys?

They did the project in a perfect manner in a perfect timeline. I have a lot of clients to work with and also work with high-level organizations. I’m finding the project management system is smooth and hassle-free so that I can easily manage my projects and my clients.

Are there any areas DevTechnosys could improve?

Everything was good with my project.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.
DG Application works with stakeholders who apply for funding. The platform is intended for companies starting internships or apprenticeships. They can come to us and apply for government grants, and our company is responsible for distributing that money. Once applicants complete the form on our website, we will select who will receive government funding. The company has around 55 employees.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with DevTechnosys?
They were hired to create our application form as well as design the website for it. DevTechnosys will also create an evaluation tool called “Application assessment” for the online forms we receive from applicants.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?
DevTechnosys developed our SQL database, and the platform is based on WordPress and PHP. We also built a native Android app through which our application form can be accessed.

For the latest campaign, we were targeting some specific applicants and wanted to store their information in the database so that, when someone came to the platform, they could enter 1-2 characters and have the form auto-populate from there.

The evaluation tool is divided into multiple sections, the first being compliance. Through it, we will check the compliance of the applications we receive. With the second section, we will use a points-based system to check who does and doesn’t meet our requirements. The third section involves us going back to the applicants in order to obtain some documents and then uploading them onto the system.

We are planning to create a website that will contain all the required information for companies wanting to apply for these grants, including documents and contact details as well as an actual application form.

How did you come to work with DevTechnosys?
We have been working with them for a long time, and their level of understanding about our system has improved a lot. DevTechnosys is a good business to work with, because they actually understand our issues and what we are trying to solve. The collaboration has been working very well, as a result. If we give them a scope, DevTechnosys will analyze and discuss it, taking us through a recommended process.

Some colleagues referred DevTechnosys to us. The initial plan was to find an affordable company, which could also provide high-quality work. We know that there are a lot of developers who can do the same type of work, but we wanted to form a long-lasting relationship. My friend mentioned that DevTechnosys tries to form partnerships rather than just looking at someone as a client.

How much have you invested with DevTechnosys?
The cost of our latest website and application development has been around $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?
We started the latest project in February 2016, and it ended in October 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?
Our latest campaign was one of the biggest ones we’ve had, and we received more than double the applicants we normally do. The system was accepted well in the market, and everyone was satisfied with it, including the client. The current application is more user-friendly and easy to use.

With the latest version, we have processed 1,300 companies representing 3,000 overall applications. We only had 1 billion South African Rand [$76 million] to allocate, but we ended up receiving 16-billion Rand’s worth of applications.

We’ve never had any technical issues with the platform.

How did DevTechnosys perform from a project management standpoint?
I would give them an almost perfect score in this area. It’s been easy to work with DevTechnosys, and they were always available to us to address errors, even after the completion of the portal and application.

We are using shared documents. Typically, we send DevTechnosys a scope along with a deadline and have them handle project management from their side. They document everything, try to interpret our requirements, and send us their versions for approval. We are able to make changes and send documents back and forth until the final approval and the start of the development. After that, DevTechnosys handles QA on their side and sends it back to us for testing. We’ve typically had 2-3-month periods for maintenance.

I have worked with other developers who required formal requests for changes, and additional payment. DevTechnosys was always willing to accommodate us.

What did you find most impressive about DevTechnosys?
We’ve often gone to them requesting information on short notice. Meeting deadlines has been something they’ve done very well.

Are there any areas DevTechnosys could improve?
At one point, we wanted them to increase the number of QA people on their side. We usually deal with a small number of QAs, but it’s better to have different people in charge of different portions of the system, instead of one person in charge of everything. A single resource can easily miss something, and DevTechnosys actually agreed.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a small startup IT company working with local clients in New York, New Jersey and Washington, DC, providing custom solutions. I am a manager in charge of development.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with DevTechnosys?

We were building a management portal which would allow enterprises to set up groups and events for their staff and general users.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

DevTechnosys developed our PHP and Java portal. The client had their own system in place, and used XML technology for communicating between the existing version and the new one.

People using the application can sign up for public events and buy tickets online. They receive a kind of bar code which can be scanned on-premises. Users can also see which of their peers are attending the same event through a social network model.

We used third-party components for these functionalities and for the event-organization companies which posted on the new portal. Aside from the XML integration, we also have PayPal and push notifications. Payment mainly happened one-to-one, between attendees and event organizers.

How did you come to work with DevTechnosys?

I was looking to outsource the project in order to keep costs down. One of my contacts from India introduced me to DevTechnosys. I sent them a standard email with a scope for the website, and received a very comprehensive proposal which even listed items outside of the scope. I gave them a trial module which went well, so we came to an agreement.

How much have you invested with DevTechnosys?

The cost of their work was between $33,000 and $35,000. The project cost was divided into milestones. Once we reviewed the deliverables and were happy with the results, we would pay DevTechnosys.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with DevTechnosys in November 2016. The portal was delivered in April 2017. We’re starting a second phase of the project, which will commence at the end of June.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The scope for the first version has been complete. We are performing internal testing for DevTechnosys’ work, using our own scenarios. So far, I would rate the system an 8/10. We plan to start phase two, and release the platform in a fully-functioning state.

I have not reviewed DevTechnosys’ latest code, so I am not sure about their standards, but I did look at the initial work they provided, and it was very good.

How did DevTechnosys perform from a project management standpoint?

Scoping the requirements was excellent. It was our first time developing an event-management system, but DevTechnosys had worked on a similar project in the past, and carried over that experience. Their project managers gave us suggestions on functionalities we hadn’t thought about, but which we later realized needed to be a part of the system.

Project communication was good. We had weekly status reports and Skype calls. DevTechnosys used a project tracking platform like JIRA, on which I could log in and see the entire progress at any given point in time. We had clear goals around what was in planning, in development and in testing.

What did you find most impressive about DevTechnosys?

DevTechnosys’ project analysis capabilities are very good, and they are clear in terms of payment terms. This is a good quality for outsourcing companies, since most companies tend to take money from the client and not deliver. I was clear with DevTechnosys’ team, and they also reported on what features they were delivering. We reviewed everything, and, once we were happy, we made payments.

Are there any areas DevTechnosys could improve?

There was a module on which I put some time pressure on DevTechnosys, and they didn’t perform very well, having a two-day delay. It was not part of the main plan, but I wanted the module to be delivered early, based on my timeline. This was the only instance I found to be not up-to-the-mark. Apart from this, everything has gone well.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am a sole owner working on a ratings website for physical products and services.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with DevTechnosys?

I was looking for developers for my site, and found a number of options in my city. They could build basic business sites, but none of them were able to build an interactive site, so I needed to look to either the US or India, the latter being more competitive when it came to price.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

DevTechnosys is developing my WordPress site. I don’t come from an IT background, so I’ve had to learn all these technologies. The platform was recommended by their team. When I first talked to them, I had a few sketches of what I thought the homepage should look like, but the core concepts were only described in words. DevTechnosys took this and worked with it, proposing two or three different design options for each segment. When it came to it, DevTechnosys’ team was more creative than myself, and delivered better designs than I could have made.

I don’t have any e-commerce capabilities at the moment, but I have asked for the ability to create user profiles. I also wanted a rating system and a system for displaying products. The site needed to be relatively simple and smooth.

How did you come to work with DevTechnosys?

Most of the developers in my area weren’t able to do what I requested. I didn’t have off-the-charts requests, but they were still more advanced than what the local firms were willing to do. I mainly found candidates through web searches. I also found a portal for developers, and talked to three or four companies in total. Beyond price, I also looked at their abilities on the mobile side.

How much have you invested with DevTechnosys?

The cost of DevTechnosys’ work has been under $10,000. I don’t know what the overall cost will be. I have asked them to leave room in the design for an e-commerce component, for example. If the site takes off, and the products I’m rating prove popular, there could be room to have preferential placements for clients.

I negotiated with two or three Indian developers, and looked hard at the cost. Most of them were willing to negotiate, and proved competitive.

What is the status of this engagement?

I started working with DevTechnosys in March 2017. The development time was supposed to be one month, but I caused some delays by not getting back to them with responses. We’re 80% done at the moment.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The site isn’t up-and-running yet. The one page which hasn’t been finished is relatively complex, but I estimate that we’ll be done in one month. Until then, I can’t really load content on the site, so I’m not able to determine how well the search functionalities and everything else is functioning.

How did DevTechnosys perform from a project management standpoint?

Originally, I dealt with one contact who took my idea and went to the development team. I then interacted with another person for the work itself. One week ago, we started work on a more complicated page, so I was put in touch with the developer himself. He was very good, talking to me for half an hour on Skype and explaining the task in detail.

DevTechnosys has been professional overall. I’m amazed at the hours they keep, but I think it’s typical for developers to get up in the afternoon and work late. They’re usually up around my own hours, so it works out okay. I have no complaints in terms of responsiveness. We mostly use Skype for sharing screens and messaging.

What did you find most impressive about DevTechnosys?

I’m very impressed with the modern look of the website. It’s perhaps one of the nicest sites I’ve ever seen.

Are there any areas DevTechnosys could improve?

I don’t know if this was my fault or theirs, but I felt that the team didn’t fully understand what I was asking for during some of the development work. Better communication would be an improvement point.