EB Pearls

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the chief executive officer of T. Rowe Price group inc.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

T. Rowe Price is an asset management firm focused on delivering global investment management excellence and retirement services that investors can rely on—now, and over the long term.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire EB Pearls to accomplish?

• They help us work on mobile app development

SOLUTION

How did you find EB Pearls?

Online Search

Why did you select EB Pearls over others?

High ratings, Pricing first our budget, Good value for cost

What was the size of EB Pearls’s team?

6-10 Employees

What was your primary form of communication with EB Pearls?

Virtual Meeting, Email or Messaging App

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

Throughout the app development process the developers ensure their team work closely with us and also ensure the app meet our needs and aligns with our business goals. They also manage effective communication, collaboration and project management.

The app is essential and was also delivered on time within budget. We are extremely satisfied.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• We are able to indicate how well our app is meeting our use, needs and expectations though our feedback and ratings. The app store rating and reviews, social media mentions, support inquiries has provided valuable insights into our satisfaction

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

Their project management in Mobile App development was really effective. Trey worked hard during the range of activities such as project scope, developing project plan, assigning responsibility, communication and collaboration.

They also implement regular tracking and adjustment. Their delivery was timely they also manage effective communication and flexibility in adjusting the projects as needed

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

On time delivery, good communication

Are there any areas for improvement or something {provider_name} could have done differently?

NO

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Chief Executive Officer of Apptension

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Apptension is a creative dev shop focused on helping founders and investors design, build and launch their digital products.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire EB Pearls to accomplish?

• Software Development

SOLUTION

How did you find EB Pearls?

Clutch Site

Why did you select EB Pearls over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost

What was the size of EB Pearls’s team?

6-10 Employees

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

They started the project with a wide range of activities, from understanding our requirements to deploying and maintaining the software product. Their team of developers, designers, testers, and project managers works together to deliver a high-quality product that meets the client's our needs

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Tracking the number of bugs and defects in the software product. We also conduct quality assurance tests throughout the development process. The software has been of good quality and we are so satisfied with it

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

Testing and quality assurance are critical aspects of software development we did this by conducting unit testing, integration testing, and system testing to ensure that the software product meets the requirements and functions as intended. They delivered the project earlier than expected and did a great job overall.

What was your primary form of communication with EB Pearls?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email
• Messaging App

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

Communication and on time response. They always keep us updated

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

Nothing

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO of spreetail

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Spreetail is an ecommerce growth partner focused on accelerating brands and channels to compete for tomorrow’s ecommerce customer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire EB Pearls to accomplish?

• They work on mobile app development

SOLUTION

How did you find EB Pearls?

Online Search

Why did you select EB Pearls over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing first our budget
• Good value for cost

What was the size of EB Pearls’s team?

6-10 Employees

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

Throughout the app development process, the development team works closely with us and also ensure that the app meets our needs and aligns with our business goals. They also manage effective communication, collaboration, and project management. The app is essential and was also delivered on time, within budget. We were extremely satisfied with their work.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• We are able to indicate how well our app is meeting our use and expectation though our feedback and rating, The app store ration and reviews, social media mentions, support inquiries has provided valuable insights into our satisfaction.

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

Their project management in mobile app development was really effective. Trey worker hard during the range of activities such as project scope, developing project plan, assigning responsibility, communication and collaboration. They also implement regular tracking and adjustment. Their delivery was timely they also manage effective communication and flexibility in adjusting the project as needed

What was your primary form of communication with EB Pearls?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email
• Messaging App

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

Intact in delivery, good communication, customer satisfaction

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Chief Executive Officer of Oportun

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Oportun is an A.I.-powered digital banking platform that seeks to make financial health effortless for anyone.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire EB Pearls to accomplish?

• UI/UX design

SOLUTION

How did you find EB Pearls?

• Online Search

Why did you select EB Pearls over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

What was the size of EB Pearls’ team?

6-10 Employees

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

They included a wide range of tasks and responsibilities that are critical to creating effective and engaging digital products. By combining research, design, and testing, their UI/UX designers create products that are visually appealing, intuitive, and easy to use.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• There has been increased in revenue and return on investment (ROI). They also measure the revenue and ROI before and after the redesign, Their designers also determine the impact of their design changes on the business's bottom line.

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

They gets started on the project by involving a combination of planning, research, design, testing, implementation, and evaluation. By following a structured approach and incorporating user feedback at every stage, Their designers also ensure that the project is completed on time, within budget, and to our desired level of quality.

What was your primary form of communication with EB Pearls?

• Email or Messaging App

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

Their communication skills

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

Nothing I could think of as we are so satisfied with their project

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder of Intro, a dating app that uses short-form video as its primary media. Our aim is to modernize online dating.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with EB Pearls?

I have a marketing background, and my co-founder has a finance background. Neither of us had the technological experience to develop a mobile app. Therefore, we went to EB Pearls to get ideas on building the app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

EB Pearls has helped us build our app from start to finish, from branding to development. I made designs in Adobe Photoshop and gave them to the team. We also had a discovery call and a follow-up, then they came back and presented ideas. The team has developed native mobile apps for iOS and Android using Kotlin, Swift, AWS, and MongoDB. 

They’ve added built-in camera and video editor functionalities, so users can record video, cut it, stitch it together, and add music, text, or filters. The app also has a chat functionality and profile-building that allows users to add content and information about themselves. EB Pearls also developed the algorithm for the matching process and functionality for users to change preferences and update their profiles on the fly. 

Currently, they do ongoing development and continuously update the app. We’ve maintained the development team that we initially had and contracted them through staff leasing from EB Pearls. 

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with 20 teammates from EB Pearls throughout the development process, including Akash (Director, Sydney). 

How did you come to work with EB Pearls?

I found them on Clutch. Initially, I did a Google search for mobile app developers in Sydney and found a list of the top 10 mobile developers in Australia on Clutch. We met with the top two from Sydney, and the third, from Victoria. EB Pearls was number one at the time, and we chose them because they were the best option for our business needs. 

How much have you invested with them?

The app development cost about $300,000 AUD (approximately $206,000 USD). Since the app’s handoff, we’ve paid them another $100,000 AUD (approximately $69,000 USD). 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started the discovery phase in January 2021, development began in July 2021, and they delivered the app in August 2022. Our relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re very happy with the results of EB Pearls’ work. Since its launch, the app has had over 7,000 downloads, with around 6,000 users completing the signup process. Although we’re not collecting many reviews now, our App Store rating is 4.8, while the Google Play Store rating is 4.4. 

How did EB Pearls perform from a project management standpoint?

They meet deadlines and stay on budget. We started the project using Asana and moved to Jira halfway through development. Their communication is also good; they always keep us updated, and their leadership reaches out constantly. As for tools, we use Google Meet and email frequently. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

EB Pearls’ honesty distinguishes them from the competition. When we went for the quote, we met with Akash, who told us what he liked and disliked about the app and how they could make it work better. He was upfront with costs; in addition to the development, he told us about server and maintenance costs; the other two companies we interviewed didn’t. Akash presented all the numbers, which was very good for us to know. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

We’re very happy with them. There was a period when our first project manager left EB Pearls, and we had to communicate directly with the development team. While it would have been good to maintain the project manager, the lead developer became the project manager, and I prefer to communicate directly with the people I work with. Everything else has been good. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be very clear about what you’re after and have high expectations — EB Pearls will deliver. Some people become very submissive to their development team. However, if you want something to happen, the team can produce anything you ask for. If you’re not happy with the process, speak up. 

We’ve come up with some wild ideas that EB Pearls has helped put into perspective regarding feasibility. They’re developing some amazing things we didn’t think they’d do because we’re vocal about our expectations, offer options and solutions, and discuss ideas in a constructive conversation.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of Caroo, an application for the listing of cars for sale.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with EB Pearls?

We needed to develop an app for private and dealer car listings.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

EB Pearls has developed the app for iOS and Android. They’ve also worked on UX/UI design and a basic website to assist with introducing our business and the app's navigation. We initially provided them with a detailed PowerPoint to show what we envisioned for the app. We also provided basic designs, and they worked on the wireframes and storyboarding to form the basis of the activities.

What is the team composition?

We work with Akash (Director), Tiffany (UI Designer), and a project manager on the coding side.

How did you come to work with EB Pearls?

I selected them based on research and reviews online. I also compared them to previous experiences with app developers.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project started in January 2020, and it’s ongoing. We’ve completed the MVP, but we’re developing further modules. We’ll launch in 2023.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’ve delivered an MVP that exceeded expectations. Moreover, we’ve been able to secure funding thanks to their work.

How did EB Pearls perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re professional and easy to work with, and we’re happy with our project manager. Our communication is always clear and open; we mainly use email, physical meetings, and Zoom calls. Additionally, we prefer working with detailed Excel schedules.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their biggest strength is their ability to solve any technical challenge. Sometimes it takes a couple of iterations, but they always solve it and deliver it in the end. Overall, EB Pearls provides a professional service.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could consider different internal processes to ensure the iOS and Android development timelines are consistent.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

You can be confident that EB Pearls will deliver on technically challenging projects.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the CEO of Sauced It; we deal with HR and safety management.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with EB Pearls?

We needed help with UI/UX design services.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

EB Pearls are doing mobile app development and UI/UX design for us. I already had a web-based platform, but I wanted more functionalities for the app. The product is for iOS and Android, using Figma and Flutter as the main technologies.

How did you come to work with EB Pearls?

I did a Google search, came across them, and decided to call them. I went to meet Akash (Director), who I liked. I also downloaded and signed up for a few apps they had already built, and I felt they did well and decided to choose them for this project.

How much have you invested in them?

We've spent about $120,000 AUD (approximately $83,556 USD) with them so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

I think it was around August 2021, and it is an ongoing engagement. We have just finished the main build, but there are other modules that I'm creating to move forward.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I measure the success on how they've been sticking to the delivery dates we agree upon and how good and communicative they've been. Overall, I find them very professional, and even when we had disagreements, we always rationalized them fairly.

How did EB Pearls perform from a project management standpoint?

Regarding communication tools, if I'm dealing with the account manager, we use email or text, and if I'm talking with the development team, we use Slack.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I'm impressed with their good service, and I'm confident that they'll continue doing that for me in the future.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We're constantly learning; they know what they need to do to protect themselves when we build a platform and that they clearly articulate the bill. Overall, I can't describe an improvement for them — I think they do a really good job.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Articulate what you want, understand the scope of what you nned, and ensure that you read all the documents they give back to you. They did nothing wrong, and rather, they did everything right.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Head of Product at Baxta Global pty ltd

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire EB Pearls, and what were your goals?

We engaged with EB Pearls to help develop our Halo charity mobile apps including iOS, Android apps, and web portals for admin and partner operations.

SOLUTION

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

EB Pearls already helped our Founder work on the mobile apps and web applications for his other business, which is a pet social app used by pet owners and lovers. EB Pearls provided outstanding services to the pet apps development and support post-go-live, hence the business decided to continue the collaboration journey for the Halo project.

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

EB Pearls helped develop the Halo charity mobile apps across iOS, Android platforms, along with the web applications for Admin managing the contents (CMS) and in-app users for internal operations, as well as the web portal for partner to manage their found events and payments. Technologies used from native iOS, and Android for the frontend, to nodejs and MongoDB for the backend. AWS infrastructure setup was also done by EB Pearls for DEV/TEST/Production.

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

We have access to a senior project manager, a delivery/release manager, a technical manager, and developers from tech lead to individuals for iOS, Android, and web API/backend engineers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have saved at least 200k-400k for the development with EB Pearls compared to hiring an in-house team for iOS, Android, and full stack engineers. Also, their project management support model gave us Quality assurance and helped resolve issues/bugs in a timely manner. The leasing model also gave us the flexibility to hire developers as our in-house team, which made the scrum development really smooth during the build and releases.

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

EB Pearls has offered us, project managers, separate capabilities and responsibilities. We have one technical pm, along with a release/business pm. Overall, we have another snr pm helping on oversees the project status and for urgent issues escalation.

Worth mentioning that the director EB Pearls also got involved from time to time if when we have trouble connecting with the offshore team members (mostly due to timezone differences or out of business hours for urgent fixes or changes in production). Response to requests is very good in general from EB Pearls.

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

EB Pearls has got the required technical capabilities for web and mobile development. More importantly, their staff leasing model provided us flexibility having a hybrid development model of onshore and offshore, with the dedicated project managers looking after the project progress as well as the changes request.

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

Would be greater if EB Pearls can provide onshore resources on-demand, provided that finding local resources are more challenges in Sydney now, especially after the covid pandemic.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

SWIMIT is a revolutionary software that will change the swimming industry and will help coaches and swimmers approach the sport with more confidence and support. I'm the founder of the business.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire EB Pearls?

We are currently at the end of the Design stage, where EB Pearls' designers have been instrumental in creating the prototype of the software I have ideated.

What were your goals for this project?

SWIMIT will help swimmers have a personal coach on pool deck at all times cutting down costs and removing all logistics issues. Plus, they will get access to world-leading coaches without leaving their favourite venue. Furthermore, all the benefits listed for the swimmers will apply for the coaches too. Swimming Coaches will finally be able to have clubs and squads at a glance. SWIMIT will help them manage their training sessions with a revolutionary algorithm which will provide analytics on all the workouts planned and swam.

SOLUTION

How did you select EB Pearls?

I found EB Pearls on google and from the first contact, Akash has been extremely professional, flexible and responsive. I contacted other providers, but EB Pearls was by far the most responsive and professional and also cost-effective.

Describe the project in detail.

The concept of the app is quite complex. EB Pearl did quite a lot of work in understanding the industry first, and the project. we did quite a few workshop where I illustrated my idea in detail. I appreciated the way they wanted to hear first and then act on it later. The designers were extremely keen to understand, and they also came to an off-site meeting out of work ours to understand more about the problems the app wants to solve. The app is full of different functionalities and very peculiar need of interaction with the user. Plus, it integrates a revolutionary algorithm.

They've managed to grasp the whole project in-depth and predict the needs of the users well without my prompting. Furthermore, the branding created is very nice and it took Mike no time to make it. The app has been designed for mobile.

What was the team composition?

I initially had Akash as a point of contact. He then assigned Michael Signal and Dannie Duong to the project. In the last 6/8 weeks Tiffany Palmer joined the team!

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The concept receive an amazing feedback by the community, and all those involved are very excited to start testing the app.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Their workflow was very good because they managed to understand the project quite well, anticipating some of the requirement the users could have. They have always been open to feedback. I really care about the project, and I always politely showed what didn't convince me and they have always showed a rational behind their decision, which I really appreciate, but where I needed some change, they always understood and got the feedback on board proactively.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Very professional, friendly and responsive. I really liked the final product and the price was very competitive. I haven't worked with any other providers but the communication after the initial contact was by far the best.

Are there any areas for improvement?

The only thing that was a bit frustrating was using Asana. I personally found it very confusing and hard to use I work a lot with platforms like Asana, but I've never seen anything like it. To name a few issues: The messages are a very confusing - they are not chats and you need to add the users every time, otherwise they won't get notified. There's no way to share media in a organised way. To send media you need to create a message and it's very easy to lose content. The tasks can't be personalised that much and it doesn't make you want to use that functionality.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of a business that’s creating a tutor-booking app.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with EB Pearls?

We needed a technical partner that could help us create our product. It’s a booking and payment app that makes it easier for students and parents to find tutors. Likewise, tutors can book times that are convenient for them and ensure that they’re paid fairly and in a timely manner.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement? 

We’ve relied on EB Pearls to build out the iOS version of our tutor booking app. They’ve been very helpful in the design and backend of the app as well as creating a website to match. 

Our product is a pretty straightforward solution with three user categories: a parent, a student, or a tutor. For parents and students, they can sign up with their personal details and payment information to gain access to our list of registered tutors. They can then select the tutor whom they’d like to book, choose a time from that tutor’s calendar, and confirm the booking. Once the lesson is complete, they’re billed.

For tutors to join our site, we require them to supply an Australian business number (IBM) along with a Working With Children Certificate. We’ll confirm those details to approve their profile. Tutors can then list their areas of expertise and qualifications and set their availability on their calendar.

One of the key points that we emphasize is the various communication channels that we have. Students have the option of booking an in-person appointment, but we also offer video conferencing to ensure that we maximize the tutor’s time. That way, there’s no time lost in transit, and students have access to tutors across a wider geographic range.

What is the team composition? 

The main person we work with is Akash (Director), though we’ve also interacted with their designer and project coordinator. Once we went into the backend development, we had email correspondence with three other developers overseas.

How did you come to work with EB Pearls?

I canvassed a few app developers through internet searches, narrowing down the list to two companies: one in Melbourne and EB Pearls in Sydney. Initially, I looked at their current success in their markets, the media coverage they’d received, and their awards. It was basically a way to see their standing in the industry.

Then, I considered their locations. The developer in Melbourne presented difficulties in meeting, and they just weren’t quite the right match for us. On the other hand, EB Pearls was close enough for us to have face-to-face meetings, which was important to explain our requirements. The team was patient and thorough, and we felt that they were a good fit.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $120,000 AUD (approximately $92,000 USD) so far, but the total project cost will be closer to $180,000 AUD (approximately $138,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

Our first meeting was back in 2017 to work out the basic scope of work. The actual development lasted from December 2020–January 2021. We’ll be returning to them to do the Android version.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It’s still too early to determine how successful the app is, but EB Pearls has done all that they can to date. Obviously, there are a couple of add-ons that we’d like to do because we learn as we go, but that’s part of the process.

How did EB Pearls perform from a project management standpoint?

It was difficult to get meetings with the project manager at first. Rather than weekly meetings, we could only meet every month, so small things like baby changes to the copy took much longer to do. That made the process very slow in the beginning. Eventually, Akash took over and put our weekly meetings back in place, which improved our speed enormously. Once the boss got involved, everything was done within 24 hours.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It’s impressive how they continue to support us as their clients, informing and educating us so that we can make our project as commercially successful as possible. They didn’t just walk away once the product was complete. Instead, they’ve stayed on to assist with the marketing components, Facebook advertising, and even our website.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The development process was much slower than we thought it’d be. I expected to launch the iOS version by October 2020, but it took an extra three months to go live. Part of that was due to our meeting cadence, which made it hard to get our copy changes in place. Having more frequent work-in-progress meetings at the beginning of the engagement would’ve been helpful.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Schedule weekly work-in-progress meetings. Otherwise, they’re very professional, and the team is good to deal with.