Experion Technologies

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a mobile app company. I’m the CEO and founder.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Experion Technologies?

We’re in the middle of developing our mobile app, and we were looking for a development partner. We wanted a company with experience building fantastic apps for iOS and Android, both natively and through Appcelerator.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They use an agile methodology, which we prefer. We have periodic conversations with the development team, who are extremely responsive. We go through two-week sprint cycles for development and testing, making adjustments along the way. They also provide technology strategies recommendations for hosting services.

Initially, I wanted to use Appcelerator and deploy the app over iOS and Android. Based on what we were trying to do, they provided different suggestions and we ultimately decided on native app development.

A major feature is a real-time messaging for users. One of the challenges was anticipating a high volume of users without any uptime redundancy or concurrency issues. They’ve overcome any issues that come up.

What is the team composition?

I have a project manager, a couple of developers specifically for iOS and Android, another developer for the backend portal, and a couple of testers. The team is seven or eight people in total.

How did you come to work with Experion Technologies?

I contacted them through my previous companies. Since we’re both in the IT space, we move in similar circles. I spent time getting to know their background. I read about their successes on Clutch, and their national awards legitimized them for me. I also spoke with several of their clients to get their recommendations. I liked that Experion didn’t try to sell me on anything; they were just honest about what they do and the quality of their work.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent a little over $200,000 at this point. We anticipate that total will go up as we work with them on future releases.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our initial contact was in September 2016. Development started in 2017, and we will continue to work with them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I’m extremely pleased with the quality of their work. From an agile perspective, velocity has definitely increased. The team is very cohesive and in line with the original budget and scope. In the IT world, that’s really rare. They are very accurate with their projections and estimates, even though we’ve initiated some change requests on our side.

How did Experion Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project manager is one of my favorite people on the team. He’s extremely communicative. We have a regular weekly call, but can call him ad hoc if we need something. Most of our communication is via email and Basecamp, where we have daily contact.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They are honest about their capabilities and will tell you if something is outside of their expertise. Their honesty was part of what sold me on them. Their development abilities are strong and they’re extremely knowledgeable on native builds. Their prices are extremely reasonable for the level of quality. All of this together creates a winning scenario.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Not right now. Their growth has been fantastic and appropriate. I’m extremely pleased with the quality of work we’ve received so far.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Get to know the members of a team on a personal level before you commit. If you have the same core beliefs, everything else is secondary. Experion is perfect if you don’t have a technical background. They won’t try to persuade you to follow a path that’s only beneficial to them. They’ll give you what your business needs. You can trust them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Worldsmart provides software solutions and support services to over 1,400 retail stores in Australia. Our core retail solution is very flexible and can operate in retail outlets of varying sizes. The Worldsmart solutions also include ultramodern business intelligence and e-commerce solutions, and thus provides a one-stop-shop for retail clients. I’m responsible for development and delivery of our solution strategy.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Experion Technologies?

We were addressing our limited budget and speed of delivery to the market, and I was looking for a company to outsource software development to who was mature and reliable as a partner, and also willing to establish a long-term relationship. We wanted to be able to develop, maintain, and enhance our software solutions in years to come. We also needed to develop a partner’s skills and expertise required by the retail industry to provide Worldsmart with a flexible, skilled resource pool to tap into as needed.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The initial project was to redevelop out store management solution, which is actually a mini-ERP [enterprise resource planning] system that manages the entire retail store operation. Functionality includes: product management, host processing, price management, stock control, ordering, cash management, printing labels and shelf talkers, communication with PDEs [portable data entry devices] scales, and POS [point of sale] devices, etc.

Experion used .NET, C#, Angular, HTML5, REST, and MS SQL Server for the new, web-based solution which can be deployed at premises or as a SaaS [software-as-a-service].

What is the team composition?

Our development team consisted of 60 people who were divided into 5 groups, each led by a business analyst. Each team also had a corresponding technical team and 2 test teams. Development teams were responsible for the development of assigned user stories, while the technical team looked after the development of common frameworks used through the system.

Experion also assigned a project director, a senior project manager, and 2 other project managers to our project. On the Worldsmart side, there was a product manager who managed a team of 5 subject matter experts who worked closely with Experion’s business analysts during the project and also acted as Worldsmart’s principal testers. My role was project director, and I had the overall responsibility for delivery.

How did you come to work with Experion Technologies?

We considered 7 companies and made our decision based on their size, capacity to scale, technical capabilities, maturity, products, record of successful project delivery, and client references. The shortlisted companies were then invited to submit their proposal to redevelop our store solution. We considered Experion’s proposal to be the most impressive, but it was the partnership with their staff which developed during this stage that we found most appealing.

How much have you invested with them?

The project had a budget of over $1.5 million.

What is the status of this engagement?

The analysis and design phase started in February 2016 and was completed in May 2017. The development commenced in June 2016 when the number of approved user stories reached desired levels. The project delivery was originally planned for November 2017, but we’re now currently in the user acceptance testing stage, and the results are looking good so far. The sign-off date is set for December 2017, which will also be the start date of the system warranty period that lasts until March 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

As of 2 weeks ago, 97% of our 1,950 user stories have been tested and accepted. We showcased a beta version of the new solution at an expo last July, and the customer response was overwhelming. We’re very pleased.

How did Experion Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

The design and analysis phases were executed using the waterfall method, while Agile was used for the development phase.

The system requirements were documented in user stories specifying the required behavior and acceptance criteria using Atlassian Confluence. The development phase was managed with Jira and Zephyr, which we used to document test scenarios and relevant test results.

Experion is a mature company with well-established project management and developmental methodologies and processes. They performed as well as we expected. The project also benefited from using Confluence and Jira, which enabled us to keep track of all project artifacts and communications in one place.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We expected Experion’s staff to be professional and competent, but the most impressive thing about them is their willingness to take on any challenge. They projected this perspective at all levels of their organization.

This was not an easy project. While the original intention was to redevelop the new system, a number of major enhancements were introduced during the analysis and design phase. As a true partner, Experion always helps us reach the most suitable solution.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Their technical and project management skills are excellent, but their business analysis warrants improvement. Most of the business analysts acted as scribes without really understanding what they were documenting. We are working together to improve the knowledge transfer process, and we encourage the business analysts to become true owners of their respective subject matter areas.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the CEO of a software company for the entertainment sector. Our software embeds into different kinds of games and provides an entire tournament infrastructure that allows players to compete against each other.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Experion Technologies?

We were looking to create the best product for the lowest cost. It's difficult to do that especially with offshore developers that can be challenging to work with both communication-wise and quality-wise. We needed a group with a proven track record.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They've primarily done development work, making SDKs [software development kits] that connect with our API as well as an app. We worked with another technology company in the past to develop this, but we brought Experion in to redesign and redevelop the existing software. They not only took our designs and brought them to life but also packaged the SDK up to where it’s replicable for other companies so that they can take our software and drop it into their operations.

It works seamlessly and communicates with our API. They did great in standardizing it for third-party usage and not only our own. We’ve released version 2.0 of our SDK and we're finishing version 3.0.

What is the team dynamic?

They have two project managers—one onshore and one offshore—to make sure that friction is reduced as much as possible for onshore clients. They also have a lead developer involved.

How did you come to work with Experion Technologies?

Our CTO was the senior engineer at a well-known entertainment group before this and actually worked with Experion, who did a great job. When we were looking to shift and find a different provider, we went straight to them. We did go through several diligence phone calls, and when we knew that they had a good grasp of everything, we decided to go with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We've been working with them since April 2016 and have continued to build projects with them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

When they get working on a project, they follow through. It’s been very refreshing to see them back up the hours that they work by itemizing each quarter-hour and notating exactly what’s being done. They’re very diligent with what is actually delivered and it allows us to go back and review things.

They definitely know what they're doing, which is the reason we've continued doing business with them. As we’ve grown, we've brought some of the services they offer in-house, but their high-quality work is the reason they're still in the picture.

With any kind of contractor, there are difficulties of not being physically in the office, but this is definitely the next best option and the bang for the buck is fantastic. They've worked with high profile clients all the way down to startups, so they understand all mentalities. It's been great having a partner that can get it done and work alongside us, even if it's in the middle of the night.

How did Experion Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

They're great, extremely diligent, and better than us. For each project, we lay down milestones for the scope of the work, defining exactly what needs to be built and breaking it up into sprints. We have a weekly call with the team, and they work very closely with our CTO, who handles our API.

It has been weekly, if not daily, open communication while working on finishing our software. We chat almost every day on Skype, but JIRA and Basecamp are the primary project management systems we use.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their diligence and eagerness to get things right and provide the best value are what’s most impressive. They have great resolve and provide great quality.

Do you have any advice for potential clients of theirs?

In working with any contractor, if they are not in your office, you need to provide as many details as possible and over-communicate. Every little detail smoothens the process for all parties involved. We’ve provided not just mockups, but also arrows pointing to each item explaining what the item is and the exact color palettes for each mockup.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm one of three support analysts for a product called No2fyme, a scheduling app that partners with local businesses to take care of their calendaring needs. Consumers contact the business to schedule an appointment, and they’re redirected to our app to book it. The key feature is that, if a timeslot opens, it sends a notification instead of a text or email. Consumers can receive the earliest appointment, and providers can keep their schedules full without putting in all the work.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Experion Technologies?

About three years ago, we hired a different development company, and they got the idea off the ground. They drew up the layout and foundation layers of code for the mobile app, but we ran into communication problems and they couldn’t devote the time and resources we needed. We purchased all the code and files from them, and then we needed a new development team to finish the app and site.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We had two phases: a general overview and the development. In the beginning, we gave the new team the code and dove deep into what we were expecting. We told them what we wanted the app to do, how we wanted it to interact, what features we wanted, and essentially provided an entire blueprint for the cross-platform hybrid app and website.

When we transitioned to the development team, they decided to start from scratch. They reviewed the previous company’s code but built the app, databases, and site from the ground up. Specifically, they changed the development environment for the app so that it’s user-friendly on both iPhone and Android.

We worked through the projects piece by piece, transitioning from the consumer side of the app to the consumer side of the site, then to the provider side of the app and site. At each stage, we reviewed all the features to make sure it was what we wanted. For the provider side of the web, we contacted the businesses to determine the specific aspects of the calendars they wanted. We went through all the details with Experion, and they made a customizable calendar for each business; for example, a primary care physician can have a flu shot appointment while a hair stylist can have a haircut. We also created a premium/basic setup for priority scheduling.

Experion then developed a test website and app so we could examine each individual section and determine what we liked and what could improve. The development is coming to an end, and we’re moving into beta testing to work out any kinks.

We’ll most likely sign an ongoing support contract so that, if we run into any issues, they can fix them.

What is the team dynamic?

I mostly communicated with the two owners and the project manager. Their development team is based out of India.

How did you come to work with Experion Technologies?

Experion was referred to us by a mutual acquaintance.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $80,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started in April 2016, and the project is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Nothing has officially launched yet, but a few people have looked at the app. Friends and family really like the idea and the layout. A colleague in the medical field thought the app’s user interface was fantastic and simple to use. He especially liked the notification feature and thought it was better than getting spam texts or emails. He said it seemed a really efficient way to interact with customers. One hairstylist said she liked it because it freed up her time; instead of answering calls and managing the schedule, she can have her customers do it all on the app.

How did Experion Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

Experion effectively self-manages. They proposed deadlines, provided key reports, answered questions, explained technical aspects or setbacks, etc. We left most everything up to them and told them, if they needed anything, to just ask.

We mainly talked with Sumi Pillai [Project Manager, Experion Technologies] and the development team. Sumi did a great job; she’s very talented and could translate what the development team was saying, whether it was the technical jargon or language barrier. The development team spoke English, but the accent over a conference line was sometimes hard to understand. Sumi led the phone calls, making sure we addressed all the important issues and resolutions.

We met with the development team twice a week over the phone to discuss the current part of the project, and then we utilized Basecamp to communicate on a daily basis. The team sent updates every other day through spreadsheets, explaining what they had done and their next steps.

The development lead, Rebin Joseph, was also fantastic. He was always thorough and detailed in explaining exactly how the app and site worked so that we could understand.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Usually, in my experience with development teams, they’re either highly talented but lack communication skills, or vice versa. With Experion, we got the best of both worlds.Their technical expertise is impressive. They made the product we wanted, and they made it even better than we’d imagined. They added a couple of pieces that we didn't even think about, which we really appreciated.

They were also detailed and clear. If we asked for something, they would say whether or not they could do it and, if they could, they had it done within two or three days. There was never a delay, and they met all of their deadlines. We knew exactly what was happening and where we were going the whole time.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They sent some screenshots of the app before launching it in TestFlights, but it would've been nice to have more. What they created was great, but the development could've been more efficient if we worked out kinks before launching the test app.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a healthcare company. I am the CTO and also one of the founders.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Experion Technologies?

We engaged them for help with development. We needed to build our platform and become HIPAA- and HITECH-compliant, the industry standards for us to operate in the healthcare space. We had done our own research and had an idea of how we wanted to do the development, and how we wanted to move the product. The solution did not exist prior to Experion’s involvement.  

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We engaged Experion for our new software architecture and development. They were involved from the initial stages of discovery, requirements gathering, architecture, design, and development. The platform provides web and mobile capabilities for clinics, hospitals, and patients.

In the beginning, they conducted a requirements analysis. We had multiple sessions about how we wanted to evolve the platform and gave them feedback from the industry as well as from our clients. Later on, they were also engaged for the end-to-end development of the platform, which is still ongoing. We have our own logo and branding which will be used on the platform.

The platform is for both mobile and web, and supports Android and iOS, while the web version will work with all prominent browsers.

What is the team dynamic? 

We’ve worked with a 10-person team, including a project manager, two architects, two or three designers, and the rest developers.

How did you come to work with Experion Technologies?

I found out about them through references within my IT circle. We looked at a couple of other providers, but chose Experion based on the reference, as well as their encouraging feel, in terms of knowledge, architecture experience, experience in similar projects, and their price point.

How much have you invested with them?

The total cost of their work has been around $250,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in September 2016 and the collaboration is ongoing. In the initial phase after we go live, we will need their support for maintenance. I am sure there will be lots of new requirements coming our way, so we will engage them further.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We don’t have any financial numbers, as we are yet to roll out the product, but, in terms of their work, we have received a lot of collateral from Experion.

I haven’t seen the code yet as it’s still being architected and designed. In terms of the quality of design and screen flows, I would rate them highly.

How did Experion Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

So far, the team has been sticking to the budget or has even been under. Timelines and deadlines have also been accurate — they told us how much time they would need, did the sprint planning accordingly, and stuck to that. 

We use Basecamp and JIRA for project management. The communication is done through audio conference calls. Any screen sharing is done through GoToMeeting. We don’t manage their resources; instead, they provide close monitoring of their resources. The project manager is always present during our biweekly meetings, and ready to answer any questions. So far, the process has been good.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their knowledge and the capability of their architects to present solutions, as well as their willingness to accommodate our requests are most impressive. We have changed or added requirements or asked for a more in-depth analysis in certain pieces on most of our calls. They happily accommodated these requests. They are ready to provide a solution and give the best they have. At all levels, they have skilled people, whether those are project managers, architects, engineers, or designers.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The budget has been okay so far, but we will only know how it will go at the end of our lifecycle. It’s not a concern, but it is something I’ll watch closely. At this time, I have no negative feedback.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

I only have good notes for Experion, so there are no concerns or anything I would caution.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m head of corporate strategy at Wings Biotech, a pharmaceutical company that produces over-the-counter products. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Experion Technologies?

Our reporting was mostly on paper and via courier. For that reason, it was happening 15 or 30 days late, so we wanted to create technology that would allow the people in the field all over India to punch in their data on a real-time basis, and for us to see the data, analyze it, and act on it real time.

We have been trying to make this type of application since 2005. Every year we would try out a new vendor, and it failed four times, even with the best vendors.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Initially, we met and discussed the problem we were facing. Their team came up with a beautiful solution for all of our queries. The backend was a dashboard system and the frontend was a mobile-based application that was accessed on mobile phones. Those who were in remote areas could go to an offline web-based solution and work there as well. The app was made only for Android because those were the devices we gave to our team members. There have been a lot of upgrades to the system since it was built.

When a salesperson makes a call and takes an order, the application gives a smiley emoticon. When there isn’t an order, the app gives a notification saying, “Fine. Try harder next time.” We have 400 people on our sales team and they talk about how many smileys they have. I think that was one of the most unique features.

What is the team dynamic? 

Different people from our team talk to different people from theirs. Our business side talks to their business side and development talks to the developers. There’s a project manager who manages everything. I oversee the whole project, so I communicate with the most senior members of the team.

How did you come to work with Experion Technologies?

I was searching for a solution and during my talks with another technology company, they told me about Experion, who had done field supporting applications. They had me check out their previous projects. I was in Singapore in 2014 and I was also told to check out Experion. He said they have the capability to give me the solution I’m looking for. The next week, I went to meet them. The time was right, and the solution they created is very good.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in 2015.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The best feature is that it’s more user-friendly than anything we had. It’s more human than robotic.

Our productivity has grown 23% since deploying the application. In one year, the sales team’s productivity increased by 2.7 times. They used to spend three to four hours working in the field making the doctor and chemist calls, and then three hours per day were spent producing their paper reports. Those three hours can now be spent making business calls. They have more time to utilize in the field.

How did Experion Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

In the beginning, there were some delays from our end. We had a lot of experience in failing in this project so this time we didn’t leave any stone unturned. 

I wouldn’t rate them as perfect on the execution, but they did what they could. They were very aggressive in deploying and giving us the solution. However, I think it could have been much faster.

They had an in-house tool that we used to collaborate. The team communicated via Skype and I mostly used email and calls. For bigger tasks and review, they would travel to us or we would go to them.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Every time we raised a problem which we thought couldn’t be solved, they always said it was possible — even the most outlandish things we asked for. They had a solution in their plan for everything. The problem we faced was a unique problem. It took us 10 years to find a vendor who could solve the problem. The solution is still working well.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They should learn some time management.  We have given them additional projects and it caused them to have too much on their plate. They commit to too much at a time so, sometimes they’re unable to fulfill it. We’re in an environment where we understand what timelines mean, so when they’re working with someone internationally, they should be more diligent on the timelines.

I also think their business development team could be more outgoing as initially, they were not interested in pitching their business. They’re quite happy to sit in their office and they wanted us to come to them. Now they travel to us, but I think they need to do more in terms of pitching their business.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a small company made up of two founders (myself included) and two employees. Our portfolio comprises IT security, online marketing, and project management. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Experion?

In Germany, many people are currently interested in healthy and organic, local food. They prefer not to buy products shipped from other parts of the world. Our idea was to create a mobile app to allow them to see where they could buy organic food in their immediate vicinity—in a two-kilometer radius, for example. We wanted to give people a location-based marketing app but for food. Our customers are the farmers, producers, and sellers of local food. We gave them a simple possibility for advertising and providing information about their products. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Together with Experion, we developed an iOS and Android smartphone app, as well as a web version. Their main involvement consisted of developing the app. We used designers from Germany at Experion's suggestion since they thought that an app like ours should have a local design. They do offer UX design, but we agreed that the practices in India may not be to the liking of our potential customers. This turned out to be a good idea, and we put together a team consisting of a Scrum master and developers from Experion's side, as well as designers from Germany and ourselves.

How did you come to work with Experion?

My partner at the company was a member of the Bavarian parliament, and Kerala was one of Bavaria's partner regions. We asked our ministry of economics is they had any interesting companies that we could contact, and they told us about Experion. We got in touch with them, and it turned out to be a very good idea. We did talk to two other companies in Germany but decided to work with Experion due to the cost and other factors. There's a significant difference between Germany and India when it comes to app development, among other things.

Experion was also a professional company. They set up a team, had a good structure, and knew how to work with Scrum. It was very comfortable for us.

How much have you invested with Experion?

The cost of Experion's work was around €50,000 [$53,000] altogether.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Experion in late 2013. The iOS app was finished in the middle of 2014, followed by the Android and web versions. We've had one update for the application, but, in a narrow sense, there was a period of six months for the main development. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It wasn’t a successful project, I have to say, but not because of Experion's work. We offered the application until the beginning of 2016, but the problem came from the market in Germany. On one hand, we had a lot of users for the app who really loved it, and we also had a Facebook profile with a number of fans on it, but we had a problem with the farmers and local food shops. These people don't believe in modern media; they pay for print advertising but don't like to use web or other applications for communication and marketing. Our plan was to earn money from the food producers, who had to pay around €10 [$10.60] per month to use the app and publish their products, but they weren't interested in this.

Users could download the app for free, and they really loved it; we even received some feedback from them about how to improve the platform, but we had no content for it. In the end, we had to terminate the project, but I really want to underline that it was not because of Experion.

How did Experion perform from a project management standpoint?

Communication was quite easy since we could use Skype and Facetime. The different time zones were actually an advantage. Experion was able to work at night in India and give us new samples in the morning. We checked those, gave feedback, and repeated the process. It was very good for us. Experion's team spoke English, and they always sent us wireframes and mockups for testing.

What did you find most impressive about Experion?

From a German point of view, many people think that it’s cheaper to develop web applications in India, Russia, and other countries, but it may be more difficult to organize projects and see success. Many people have said to us that doing this project with a company like Experion may be quite risky since no one knew them, but we've had no problems. We were able to contact Experion's CEO, talk to him, and set up a team. We defined milestones for the project and only paid for Experion's services after finishing a deadline. There was no financial risk involved, and we've had a very comfortable experience.

We decided to work with a German company based in Munich at one point. They were located one hour away from us by car, but they still didn't provide a more comfortable experience. We would still be communicating through teleconferences, and German wouldn't be a big advantage over English. Experion had a good combination of price, communication, and the ability to find solutions to our issues. They made an effort to understand our business cases and were interested in what we wanted to achieve through the app. The team suggested additional functionalities and proved to be experts on the technical side.

We were always told that developers in India never say "no" and that it may become difficult to understand what they really want, but Experion's team communicated in a very German sense. If I ever start a project for a complex website or a similar product, I will work with Experion again.

Are there any areas Experion could improve?

In comparison to Germany, India has many different religions, which come with many different holidays. This often caused us to have to work with different members of their team, which made things more complicated. It wasn't a big problem, but sometimes I didn't know who I should contact for a particular task. We did have a project manager/Scrum master who acted like the contact person, and it is possible that Experion wanted me to keep in touch with him alone, but I also communicated directly with the developers since it was the shorter route.  

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a technology company delivering software solutions for over 17 years to the hospitality and travel market, specifically for cruise ships. I’m the founder and a co-CEO of the company. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Experion?

We’ve had a strong push on the mobility segment over the last two or three years and leveraged Experion for their expertise in this area. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Experion has been helping us develop and enhance our flagship product, particularly working on the mobility part of the solution. They have provided assistance with the design of our applications, but, for the most part, we provide requirements and specifications that Experion will follow, providing a deliverable to us. We are working primarily on Android-based products.

How did you come to work with Experion?

We’ve worked with companies similar to Experion in the past with limited success. They were referred to us by someone else in the industry who had used their services.

How much have you invested with Experion?

The cost will vary depending on our current projects. On an annual basis, our team consists of a dedicated project manager and a minimum of two full-time developers. We’ve used up to four developers, depending on the scope.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Experion in the summer of 2014 and continue to work with them. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Overall, I think that without a company like Experion, we would not have been able to develop and grow as quickly, especially on the mobility side. We are satisfied with this side of things.

We converted from an old Windows CE platform to Android, which was a major change for us. We’re providing better efficiency and solutions, getting more information to the hands of the users on board ships. We’ve undertaken a major project with Experion for connecting the mobile units with servers on board these ships. We did change the technology for replication, improving the stability and performance of the system.

How did Experion perform from a project management standpoint?

We’re pleased with Experion’s management. They are very engaged with us; whenever we have a request or need to speak to their team, they’ll react accordingly.

Are there any areas Experion could improve?

This may be part of the industry, but one of our challenges with Experion has been the developer turnover. We develop some complex systems, so whenever someone leaves, getting the next person up to speed takes some time. Employee retention would be something I’d focus on.

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

Do the research and make sure that the company has the foundation and skill sets to provide you with whatever you’re looking to develop. We’ve been satisfied with Experion, and they’ve fixed any issues along the way. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Our company deals with rice and rice products. We were founded 55 years ago in India, and export around 50 containers per months, mainly to the Middle East and parts of USA, Australia, and the UK. I am the head of IT for the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Experion?

We have seven divisional marketing departments, two of them focused on retailers. We have identified 24 districts in the Kerala market, based on which we are collecting orders from retail shops. We wanted to deploy technology which would automate this process, and doing so required a large development team.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Experion implemented the FieldMax solution in our infrastructure. We are also looking at integrating mobile GPS functionalities for planning optimal delivery routes.

How did you come to work with Experion?

I searched online and spoke to one of Experion's sales people, who visited our office. We also spoke to two or three other companies, but we chose Experion because of the cost and their experience.

How much have you invested with Experion?

I was not in charge of the financial part.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Experion in 2010. The implementation, testing, and training took two or three months to complete.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We used to have one person for every two districts, which amounted to 12 people on our backend team. After implementing FieldMax, we have reduced the team to five people in charge of all 24 districts. This has not only amounted to a reduction in cost, but also reduced our error rate.

Our members used to take orders through physical books. After switching to FieldMax, they can visit at least 30 locations per day. This has boosted our overall sales by around 40%.

We have added two additional areas in the FieldMax software, besides order-taking. We also have an analytical reporting tool that helps us understand the full potential of the market by allowing our research department to locate every retail opportunity in our area. Working through a SAP allows us to clearly identify any variations and see the overall efficiency of our infrastructure.

What did you find most impressive about Experion?

Experion's commitment and quality of work was very good, and I am very satisfied with their services. If we express our requirements clearly, we're always successful. Experion is one of the best software partners we've had.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are one of the largest providers of transport-specific ERP [enterprise resource planning] solutions in the Australian market. We provide full financials and full operations for all different types of transportation, third-party warehousing, HR, and payroll, as well as a number of mobility solutions. We have approximately 130 transport companies across Australia and New Zealand using our product, and we’ve been growing at a good rate over the last three years.

I’m the operations manager. I manage all the staff, including our development and implementation teams. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Experion?

Initially, we were being asked to develop our own mobility applications for managing transport delivery. We had been partnering with different parties over the years for sending the data to mobility solutions and getting it back in terms of arrival and departure times, quantities delivered, and proof of delivery. We then developed our own app four years ago, but it was just an iOS version for one customer. It was well-received, and we decided to build an Android version. We looked at bringing the necessary skills in-house but decided that it would be more efficient to outsource the Android development. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Experion developed the Android app, and we’ve gone through several iterations in the two-year partnership we’ve had with them. It was a very basic application initially, just recording pickups and deliveries. That’s expanded over time, allowing users to add photographs of deliveries, validate vehicles, and record driver defects. We’re currently working with Experion on version 5 of the application.

We’ve also built a great relationship on a number of other Android apps that we’ve developed for our customer base. We have one that is purely for liquid petroleum gas deliveries, which is different than the general freight deliveries of the first app. We’ve incorporated some neat features around automatic arrivals and departures based on geofences. That was a bit of a trial to get it to trigger correctly, but Experion has done a great job with the complex development needed to get it to work.

Experion also developed a new scanning app, which is also Android but targeted for a specific device. Its function is to scan freight into a depot, onto a manifest, and then off the manifest at a customer site. The app tracks all those items, from initial receipt at the depot all the way to final delivery to the customer.

We work on the design of the apps. For our first project, we asked Experion to mimic what we’d already developed for iOS. That was a good introduction, and it allowed us to build a working partnership. There was no iOS version to work for on the two most recent apps. We had to get used to working in a more agile way. We show them the designs and functionality that we need, then they work on getting those requirements into a stable app as quickly as possible.

How did you come to work with Experion?

Our general manager already had a relationship with their representative in Melbourne. I was introduced to him, and we built up a good rapport. I got a good understanding of what Experion offered, and I felt comfortable enough to try them for the initial project. They did a great job on that, and the rest is history.

How much have you invested with Experion?

We spend approximately AU$100,000 [$75,000].

What is the status of this engagement?

We started the work in August 2015, and it's completely ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The first app that Experion worked on has now become a very complex app. The other two apps they’ve developed are also complex in terms of functionality. We’re very satisfied with our relationship.

There were initial bumps in the road, but we’ve now got a stable team at Experion. They are creating stable apps that are being used by a large part of the Australian transport industry. They should be very proud of what they’ve achieved. Our aim is to take over much more of the market space in Australia and New Zealand. Without those apps, we would be behind the game in terms of our competitors. The apps are putting us ahead of them in most cases.

How did Experion perform from a project management standpoint?

They are very proactive in terms of providing project plans and regular updates. The team is great at sticking to scope and budget. They’re good at providing releases by deadlines but can be slow at fixing up problems found during UAT [user acceptance testing].

What did you find most impressive about Experion?

They’re able to ramp up when required and to understand complex business requirements and turn those into extremely professional and intuitive mobile apps. Experion is a great extension to our development team, saving us from having to recruit and manage developers with completely different skill sets from our own.

Are there any areas Experion could improve?

There can be some communication problems, and they don’t always ask the right questions when they don’t understand a bug that needs to be fixed. This can result in some bug fixes taking longer than required.