The Distance App Developers

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the general manager of Yorcard Limited. We’ve created an app to sell tickets for public transit, such as buses, trains, and trams, and we currently sell around 82% of all bus tickets in the region — we’re really proud of this.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with The Distance App Developers?

Our app has been around for nearly two years, but it has a very basic design because, although our team of developers is very skilled at app development, they have no design skills. Thus, we wanted to find a partner who could help us create a modern and fluid design to help us address our app's UI issues.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The Distance is helping us design the UI/UX of our app. Initially, they looked at how the app currently worked, and they met with us to get input on user personas, the user journey, and the app’s typical usage. Then, they came up with some concepts.

Since then, their team has been redesigning the entire app, changing every screen and dialogue user flow. Ultimately, they will deliver their designs in Adobe XD files with all the relevant information so that our developers can take them and develop our app’s UI accordingly.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked closely with a project manager, a senior designer, and a junior UX designer from The Distance. Occasionally, we’ve also worked with their senior account manager.

How did you come to work with The Distance App Developers?

We were looking for local design companies and shortlisted five, including The Distance. Each company put together a presentation to explain how they would work with us on this project and showed us samples of their previous work.

The Distance’s presentation was the best, and they were very competitive price-wise. Additionally, we felt they had a really good grasp of what we wanted to achieve; they used their expertise to address all the pain points users had with our current app. Overall, we thought they were great, so we hired them.

How much have you invested in them?

We’ve spent about £15,000 (approximately $17,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement started in August 2022, and it is ongoing. We’ve also asked them for some additional work outside the original scope.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The quality of The Distance’s UI/UX designs is fantastic, demonstrating their experience in UX and user engagement. We’re very pleased with their work because they’ve created things we hadn’t seen before. Our marketing team is also very excited about the new designs, and we’ve received very positive feedback. Now, we need to implement those designs, and we’re looking forward to doing so to see the results.

How did The Distance App Developers perform from a project management standpoint?

Regarding budget management, The Distance initially provided us with a low estimate and a high estimate because these kinds of projects can easily vary. Still, their estimations were very accurate, as the cost has come right in the middle.

As for communication, we have weekly video calls via Google Meet, where they show us their ideas and listen to our comments. We also use Basecamp to communicate and manage the project. In there, they upload the latest designs, and we can have conversations.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The quality of the people that The Distance has on their team is impressive, and their senior designer specifically is outstanding. They work great together, and they communicate well with us. Moreover, they’re very authoritative in what they do. For example, they’ve explained their work and the reasons behind their designs, and they’ve told us about things we didn’t think of before. Overall, their knowledge, skill set, professionalism, and experience in UI/UX design are impressive, so I’m really happy with them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything they could improve on.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Trust their experience in the industry and be open to their suggestions. From the start, we wanted them to take ownership of the project, and they did that for us very well.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the head of operations at GNY.io, a blockchain-based machine learning (ML) company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with The Distance App Developers?

We were looking to launch our first mobile crypto wallet.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The Distance is helping us build a mobile crypto wallet. They’re developing the app for iOS and Android using JSON files and JavaScript. Although they’re building the app from scratch, they’ve used our existing software development kit (SDK) to inform the implementation of structures in our existing desktop version for mobile, as specified by the two app stores.

The app mirrors the functionalities available in the desktop version, which include managing crypto assets and mining new assets. The Distance team is also adding functions regarding the chain, such as locking up tokens, voting, communication, and the ability to share tokens with other community members. We’re about to launch the application. 

What is the team composition?

Throughout the project, we’ve worked with around 10 people from The Distance, including Louise (Head of Operations) and James Paton (Project Manager), our main point person. Anthony (Managing Director) was initially very involved, especially during the discovery and technology design phases. 

How did you come to work with The Distance App Developers?

We found them through word of mouth; other groups that had worked on apps gave us a recommendation. The Distance seemed very qualified and well-recognized. They’d made apps for luxury clients and had received awards recognizing them as lead app developers the previous year. We chose them because of their breadth of experience in the app development market. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $25,000–$50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in May 2021, and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The Distance has delivered an extremely smooth, functioning, and beautiful app. They’ve delivered on all technical requirements and aesthetic requests in equal measure. We’ve had some core community members test the product and check for bugs. So far, over 30 users have tested the app with very strong reviews. Since we haven’t launched, we don’t have any metrics yet.

How did The Distance App Developers perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve been excellent in responding to issues and problem-solving, working with our development team to come up with solutions. We use Basecamp to identify discussion topics and threads and push them through to relevant parties. Meanwhile, Freshdesk is our ticketing tool for bugs or any issue we need to solve. We also have a weekly call with our product lead. Overall, The Distance has a very strong project management performance.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The Distance’s technique and their capacity to translate the discovery process into a really robust app are very strong. I’m impressed with how they’ve understood technical concepts that they weren't familiar with at the outset and have translated them into a smooth product. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could improve their need to do a discovery process before providing a price, which can be somewhat of a burden for the client. At the end of the first delivery, we had the option to engage in additional features or requests. The Distance has been accommodating in giving us rough price estimates for us to make decisions, so they’re already improving. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

My advice is to spend a lot of time defining your own requirements before discovery begins. Be clear on what you want and the technical nature of the product. That way, the process will be fast, and you can agree on a scope and price more effectively.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Saudi Ground Services offers ground handling services for airlines and airports and operates in 28 different airports in Saudi Arabia. My position within the company is digital transformation manager under the innovation department, so I look for new technology solutions that we can implement to optimize our operations, improve our efficiency, and even expand on the country.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with The Distance App Developers?

We wanted to create an app with specific functionality.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The Distance has been developing our app for iOS and Android. Currently, they’re still developing some support functionality within the app, and they’ll continue to provide maintenance to it as needed.

This app will function as a marketplace for services and products in and around airports. It will enable different service providers to offer their services through one collaborative platform, and these services will range from meet-and-greets to aircraft cleaning.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with 4–5 people from The Distance, including the director, a project manager, designers, and developers.

How did you come to work with The Distance App Developers?

We sent out an RFP to multiple companies, including The Distance. The RFP included all the technical details we were looking for from the app, not only for their immediate functionality but also for future development.

The Distance had the most competitive proposal from a technical perspective. It was not only what we were looking for, but it also included different options and ideas that were not part of the original scope, which gave them an extra advantage. Additionally, they were very flexible and cooperative, and they understood our idea better than others.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $300,000–$360,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in January 2021, and our engagement is ongoing. We have a maintenance contract that will last up to 2023, but it can be renewed. The idea is to keep renewing our contract for further development, updates, and support.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We measure the success of The Distance’s work based on the fact that they’ve delivered what we needed. Comparing the app testings we’ve done with our initial requirements, the app checks out all of our specifications. Additionally, we’re measuring the delivery timeline we specified at the beginning.

How did The Distance App Developers perform from a project management standpoint?

The Distance’s project management has been great. Our engagement has been very slick, and they’ve offered continuous communication. Honestly, this is one of the best projects I’ve worked on; they’re very easy to work with.

We have weekly meetings, and if anything comes up throughout the week, they’re very responsive and always on top of it. In terms of adhering to the timeline, I can’t provide fair feedback because, at some points, we’ve had to change the scope requirements and deal with some challenges. However, we’re not far off our planned timeline. We use Basecamp, email, and Zoom to communicate and manage the project.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The Distance’s enthusiasm about projects is impressive. They’re as invested in our project as we are, and they want us to succeed in every way. They’ve actually suggested some ideas for future development and changes, so they seem to be involved in many things, not only in development.

We also appreciate The Distance’s continuous operation, cooperation, and flexibility because that’s something we currently need, especially with new products competing for the industry.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It would be great if The Distance improved their clarity around the timelines for delivery. Although some timeline challenges have been our responsibility, others have been theirs, and that has been our most recurring issue.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have clear communication regarding scope, expectations, and delivery plan from the beginning, and have weekly meetings and updates.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an assistant at a startup that’s developing a social media app. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with The Distance App Developers?

We needed help in mobile app development. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The Distance App Developers is helping us build our app’s spec and prototype. We’ve had workshops to bring them up to speed and explain our app’s functionalities. Likewise, they’ve also helped us understand what’s possible from a technical point of view. 

From there, they’ve handled the app’s front- and backend development. The app has geo-location capabilities, and it can send notifications to the user. It’ll be available for Android and iOS.

What is the team composition?

On a regular basis, we work with five resources, including Anthony (Founder & Managing Director), a project manager, and some developers. 

How did you come to work with The Distance App Developers?

We found them through Google. I liked their logo and gave them a call, and I had a positive experience speaking with Anthony. They also had good reviews and did their development here in the UK, so we engaged with them. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around £10,000 (approximately $13,000 USD) so far. We’re about to give them £20,000 (approximately $26,000 USD), and our final bill will be roughly £150,000 (appromxiately $197,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since May 2021, and our partnership is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The Distance App Developers’ team has been engaged and helpful throughout our partnership. They’ve developed a good understanding of our mission and direction very quickly. They’ve leveraged their knowledge and technical expertise in finding solutions to problems that we haven’t the experience to solve ourselves.

The Distance App Developers’ engagement in the project has been excellent — we’ve enjoyed working with them. They have a good management team, and I’ve nothing but positive feedback for their team. I’m mostly satisfied with their work, and they’ve exceeded my expectations. 

How did The Distance App Developers perform from a project management standpoint?

The Distance App Developers’ project management has been good. They’ve followed our budget, and they even help us manage the project’s cost by focusing on the essentials. We collaborate using Basecamp, and they’ve held our hands at all stages of the project. We communicate through weekly video conferences using Microsoft Teams.  

What did you find most impressive about them?

The Distance App Developers’ team is down-to-earth and friendly — they’re approachable, knowledgeable, and easy to work with. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything. I’m very happy with what they’ve done. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Speak to The Distance App Developers’ management and get a feel of how they can help you. You can opt to go to a workshop first before jumping into development.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder of Help Me Choose, the first social commerce app that helps consumers make choices easily, and helps retail, ecommerce, and service vendors reduce decision fatigue.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire The Distance App Developers?

We had created a functional app, with a team of overseas developers, but needed app UX experts to help us make the app beautiful. The team at The Distance came highly recommended, and so we engaged them to identify a suitable look and feel for our target users and design an attractive + easy to use interface.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I asked my peers for recommendations in a closed industry group, and they unanimously pointed to The Distance, so I didn't even bother to go out and search for alternatives.

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

The team carried out some initial research, gathered relevant information from us on the desired actions, target demographics, and functionality desired. From there, they broke down the areas our mobile app could be more intuitive and user friendly. They also worked to streamline the user journey.

Within a week, they produced a design "template". Once the general concept design was approved, they rolled that out to all app screens, gathering further feedback and working with us through a couple of iterations to perfect it. They produced iterations at impressive speed, always incorporating both our feedback and their own findings into the final version.

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

I worked with 3-4 people in the team, including directly with the UX/UI designer and project manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I am really very pleased with the results. The app looks amazing - absolutely gorgeous. It is such a vast difference from what we had, and now looks so professional and elegant. Working with their team was a pleasure - they were on time, professional, creative, and very friendly.

We're now building out the app further and will soon be testing it with customers. The early feedback has been very positive. The design and UX produced perfectly reflects the vision we had at the start, helping us create a world-class, high end, user-friendly and easy-to-navigate mobile app.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very well streamlined and quick turnaround.

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

The quality of the work - as witnessed by the end results - it is truly astounding!

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

None that I can think of.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I was the digital and operations director.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with The Distance App Developers?

We needed help building an app for professional service companies like law firms and accounting firms. The solution helps lawyers and accountants become better at business development. We wanted an app that gave them tips and set up accountability processes to help them build a better business.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The Distance scoped out the project for us from the beginning. We had three discovery sessions to define exactly what we wanted to build. This involved collaboration as well as us providing high-level design guidelines. Then, they built some low-fi and high-fi wireframes for us. Once they finished the UX design, they went into development and built a native iOS app for us. We used Google Firebase for notifications, AWS for hosting, and The Distance's internal CMS. 

The Distance is currently scoping out more work with them, but I am no longer with the company.

What is the team composition?

There’s a project manager, a designer, two developers, and a tester.

How did you come to work with The Distance App Developers?

I sent out an RFP to several agencies. We were looking for one based in the UK, but we also considered a few offshore vendors. It came down to three options in the UK, and I met with Anthony (Managing Director). He was the decisive factor, as he had a good understanding of the project scope, what we were looking for, and our requirements.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around £120,000 (approximately $168,000 USD) pounds.

What is the status of this engagement?

The relationship has been ongoing since September 2019, but I’ve since left the company to start my own business. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The Distance was very defined in their process, which was very attractive. I knew exactly what we were going to get from them. The other agencies we approached didn’t have a plan in place for how to run the project. 

How did The Distance App Developers perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management was very good. We were assigned a project manager who was highly skilled and able to give us constant updates. In my time, they updated Basecamp frequently and provided a ticketing platform for our use. Responses to issues came quickly, and when our project manager switched, we were equally as happy with the replacement. Anthony remained available throughout the project as well. Communication with the developers happened on a weekly basis. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their process was clear from the beginning; they didn’t have any hidden costs. They’re based in the UK and all of their developers were in the UK too. Working with them was very easy because they were accessible. Their rates weren’t exorbitant like some other UK-based agencies’ are. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

They’ve already remedied this, but they didn’t have a designated UX designer at the outset. We outsourced that position, and The Distance later employed one. There’s nothing else I can think of for them to improve.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Map out what you want in the discovery session. Give them every single thing that you could possibly want.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an office administrator at a members organization for the film and TV industry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with The Distance UK App Developers?

We were trying to create an online resource tool for members and employers. We wanted an app that allowed members to showcase themselves and employers to easily find performers that suit their needs.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The Distance developed a native, iOS and Android mobile app for us. They’ve also made some tweaks to an existing website and given us admin control of the functions within the mobile application.

At first, we worked together and went back and forth until we were both happy with the wireframes and the documents. We had a document in place at the beginning of the project, but it had to be worked in conjunction with The Distance, and they’ve done that very well.

What is the team composition?

We work with around 9–10 people. Louise (Head of Operations) is our operations manager, and our primary contact has been Thomas (Project Manager). Obviously, there have been some developers behind the scenes that we haven’t been involved with.

How did you come to work with The Distance UK App Developers?

We researched a few places and checked with a few people to begin with. We actually used Clutch to check some of The Distance’s reviews before we ultimately decided to go with them. After meeting with them and having some early-stage conversations about what our requirements were, they got a quotation together, and we just felt that they were the best suited to meet our niche market, since we have an atypical business model.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent over £100,000 (approximately $139,000 USD) at the moment.

What is the status of this engagement?

We formally started working together in December 2019, and our partnership is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Ultimately, it’s been the fact that they had to deliver to the App Store first, and we’re probably around 90% signed up with our members at the moment, which is good. We haven’t released it to the guest users yet to be able to use that as a tangible deliverable, but we’re hoping that we’ll have a good retention rate when we do so.

How did The Distance UK App Developers perform from a project management standpoint?

We went and are still going through a very difficult period due to COVID-19, and I think that somewhat delayed our project. However, The Distance communicates regularly, updating us about how things are going and if there’s any impact on the delivery, so they’ve handled it very well.

For project management, we use Basecamp as a digital workspace, and we have Freshdesk for support tickets and Google Meets for video calls.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re really good at understanding our needs. We’re a committee-led organization, which means that if they need a decision from us, we have to get approval from all 12 committee members, who are also working professionals. Therefore, it’s difficult to get everybody together, and The Distance has been very sensitive and willing to adapt to the complexities of our business model, which was something they hadn’t dealt before.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The only area I’d have them improve would be communication. I felt they could’ve been more upfront about how COVID-19 was affecting them and their infrastructure.

Any advice for potential customers?

I’m a huge believer that communication is key, so make sure that you’re communicating what your needs are, but also how those needs are adapted to what they do. Don’t make any assumptions in that regard.

From my experience, there were times when I assumed that things would go some way because this is The Distance’s business and I’m not an app developer, but you still kind of have to spell everything out. They will tell you the right way to do it, but you have to join the dots up.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

As part of my postdoctoral research position at the University of Leeds, I specialise in the spread of infection in the indoor environment. I combine infection risk analysis, biological experiments and clinical observation to identify the mechanisms of pathogen transfer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire The Distance App Developers?

The Hospital Environmental Contamination and Infection Risk Analysis project required a iPad app in order to record surface contacts during hospital patient care to be able to track the transmission of SARS-2

What were your goals for this project?

We needed an app that was simple and intuitive for non-trained staff to be able to engage with. The app would need to be used to track surface contacts and export it for further analysis as part of the research studies. The app had to work on iPads in a healthcare environment

SOLUTION

How did you select The Distance App Developers?

We were keen to find a first class app company who could deliver a fast, robust and cost effective solution. The Distance were already familiar to me as they had been recommended for a previous project. After discussing the project with them and carrying out our due diligence we felt they were the perfect fit for the project, especially as they had completed numerous apps with requirements.

Describe the project in detail.

The app runs on an iPad and allows the user to either upload a photo of a hospital room or use the camera in order for use as a scene for the base of the testing. Users can then use their fingers (or pencil) in order to configure a number of hotspots throughout the scene.

During a testing session the operator then uses the interface by tapping the hotspots which identify the sequences of staff contacts with room surfaces . This activity is then logged and can be exported to a spreadsheet for further analysis. Multiple scenes can be configured or reset for future testing and validation.

What was the team composition?

Our direct points of contact were with their business analyst and an allocated project manager. Due to the size of the project only one developer was required, but I believe they were supported by designers and testers behind the scenes.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The analysis is still in progress but the app has been successfully used by a number of our team. We have already shared the tool with other teams who are using it for similar purposes. One of the biggest wins was that The Distance were able to turn it around so quickly and it therefore could be used to support research during the COVID-19 outbreak.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We worked really well together, liaising with different stakeholder including the NHS and The Distance took on all technical responsibilities and whenever something more complicated was required e.g. setting up the Amazon AWS account, they had a document with simple step by step instructions.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Originally we were planning to develop a native iPad app, but The Distance recommended a Progress Web App as they felt it provided more flexibility for the project and reduced the administration effort that would be been required to install an app on our enterprise managed devices.

This has allowed us to quickly invite other partners to use the technology without having to undertake any additional work or costs.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Not really, there were a few issues with their phones as they transitioned to working from home due to their supplier, but all messages on Basecamp were picked up quickly, usually by a call back. We also had weekly scheduled calls which helped ensure everything was on track.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder and CEO of iPrescribe Exercise, a medical and fitness app that analyzes resting heart rate, current fitness level, and disease status to prescribe a graduated and personalized exercise program.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with The Distance?

We hired them to completely rebuild our app. We had a previous version of the app but it was built in React Native. We also hired them to build an Apple Watch app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The Distance developed a native app for iOS and Android and an Apple Watch App. The team also developed our CMS backend. They did all of the coding from scratch.

What is the team composition?

Anthony (Founder & Managing Director) is my main point of contact, and he scoped out the project. We also spoke to Connor (Business Analyst), and we’ve had two project managers including Louise (Head of Operations). In addition, we’ve worked with two designers and a few developers.

How did you come to work with The Distance?

I did an internet search and also looked at Clutch reviews. I looked for the top 20 app developers in the UK, and The Distance was in the top 10. I contacted about 4–5 development companies to get an idea of what they were like, and we decided to go with The Distance.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between £110,000–£130,000 (approximately $135,000–$160,000 USD). 

What is the status of this engagement?

We had our discovery sessions in May 2019, and The Distance started the coding work in September 2019. They completed the project about two months ago, but we’ve since signed them onto a monthly retainer to do updates based on feedback. The team is also doing bug fixes.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’ve given us a great app.

How did The Distance perform from a project management standpoint?

The Distance has performed very well. The team understands things very quickly, and they’re always willing to try to give us what we’re looking for. If I ask them to put out a new feature, they always agree and commit to figuring out a way to do it. 

Connor was fantastic about working out all of the details behind the app. Louise is very organized, responsive, and approachable. I’m able to contact them in the evening or on the weekends if there’s a problem. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

With The Distance, I’m always confident that they’re going to try their best throughout. The team’s attitude is great. Even when we give them the faintest idea of what we want to achieve, they always come up with a way to do it.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They’re not a huge company, so we had some delays because they had a lot of work. On the technical side, the team is very impressive. The Distance has done a good job and we’re very pleased with them. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Go for it. The team is impressive, and you’ll gain a lot from the early work that gets done. Connor is able to think of every possible scenario that could happen within the app. They take their time in the beginning, rather than rushing into it. You’ll appreciate that more in the end.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of Arc Education (York) Ltd., an educational startup. The purpose of the startup was to develop an app that could be used primarily in school classrooms, but also by children at home, to help them develop their core skills in math.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with The Distance App Developers?

We needed someone to develop our app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The Distance App Developers developed our mobile app. One of the biggest impediments to progress is children forgetting previously studied topics and knowledge, and our app reminds children of what they have learned. This means they can pick up where they left off last year because they haven’t forgotten all that they learned.

The app doesn’t require any external intervention. It can be used in a classroom or at home, either with or without support from a parent or teacher. I use iPads in the classroom, and I knew this was what was going to have the biggest impact on my students; there’s a real need for it. The app is only on iPads at the moment.

There are some very technical things around the login, the accounts, and the subscription side of things. I wanted it to be transportable between devices at school and home so that children could move seamlessly between devices.

We finished the app last month, and it’s on the App Store. The Distance App Developers now help with maintenance.

What is the team composition?

I liaise with my project manager, and I’ve had contact with some of the developers. I don’t know how many people there are in the backend.

How did you come to work with The Distance App Developers?

I had a false start with another company and then looked at two more companies, including The Distance App Developers. What was reassuring about them was the number of people they had working there. They had great technical expertise. I felt the other company was too small and, if we ran into technical problems, they wouldn’t have enough people to resolve them.

How much have you invested with them?

I’ve spent $50,000–$100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in January 2018, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’ve done a great job on the app’s design. We tested the app in schools, and the response from users has been overwhelmingly positive, particularly in regard to the handwriting recognition functionality. Users like the simplicity of the design. There’s a really nice dropdown that is smooth and works well. The Distance App Developers did a really professional job.

How did The Distance App Developers perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve been a real pleasure to work with. The project managers have always been very approachable. I was coming from a pretty low technical base, and they’ve never made me feel stupid. They’ve always answered my questions in a very open and helpful way. I’ve had three project managers since working with them, and each of them has been extremely good. They’re always available.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’ve been very approachable and responsive.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’m pleased with them. We have a very open, easy relationship.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

For anyone developing an app, the specification document needs to include absolutely everything.