EY Studio+

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a product owner for a government agency.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with FreshWorks Studio?

We were working on developing a digital solution to improve collaboration between our agency and agreement holders on planning activities.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

FreshWorks Studio built an iPad application and a web application used by both government staff and agreement holders. They created a series of online forms and workflows for both parties to enter data according to legal requirements. Staff submit the initial data in the iOS app. The information then syncs with our database and the web application, where agreement holders can access it and input any additional data. A single sign-on process linked to existing IDs makes authentication as easy as possible. 

The FreshWorks Studio team delivered an iOS app, a web app built with React, and a backend built using NodeJS deployed on openshift. We thought that the project would mainly involve the web app and iOS interface; however, the database took up a larger chunk of work than expected. The team adapted well to learning new things and working outside their primary skillset.

What is the team composition?

I worked directly with three members of the team: a UI/UX person, an iOS and iPad person, and a full-stack developer who built the database and web application.

How did you come to work with FreshWorks Studio?

We tried to get the project off the ground through the traditional government channels, but we weren’t making much progress. An internal technology-focused lab connected us to FreshWorks Studio as an approved vendor.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from February 2018–April 2019. We still keep in touch. FreshWorks Studio makes sure that we have the information we need to proceed to the next steps of the project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We did a gradual release at the end of February 2019, and we now have a fair number of both staff and agreement holders using the app. The app and content have been generally well-received by users. People are excited about having a digital option to simplify this back-and-forth process. We couldn’t integrate some components right away because of delays and resource constraints on our end, but FreshWorks Studio accommodated us.

How did FreshWorks Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

This was the first time our agency had worked on an agile project. I had to work remotely with the team. However, FreshWorks Studio worked around my needs and was open to trying different communication tools—including Skype and Google Hangouts—throughout the project. 

We used Trello with add-ons to counteract story points and track our work and Miro (formerly called RealtimeBoard) to record progress. I kept the Trello board up-to-date while our scrum master maintained Miro and led sprint reviews. I appreciated FreshWorks Studio’s flexibility and patience throughout our time together.

What did you find most impressive about them?

FreshWorks Studio’s willingness to adapt stood out most to me. They accommodated me working remotely and the way that the scope of work evolved. The team never turned down a request—they always looked for a way to make it work. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

We underestimated how long the final scope would take for us to complete. As a result, we ran out of time to run full testing before we launched in order to meet our hard deadline. 

Any advice for potential customers?

I found FreshWorks Studio very accommodating when communication was frequent and complete. Every time we communicated, they were eager and responsive to our needs. The team patiently worked around our dependencies that slowed us down. It was challenging not having the time we needed to test before the solution went live.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the media communications liaison for an independent government organization.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with FreshWorks Studio?

We still had our original website from 2012. We wanted a new website that was easier to navigate and had more information.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They used a WordPress template. The developer added code that helped deliver public reports and media releases in an easy-to-navigate way. When I upload things, everything connects. If I upload a document with a file number, it all links to the related content. It's easy for the backend user to upload new content to the website and for the frontend user to find the information they need.

What is the team composition?

We worked with a developer and designer on their side. We managed the project and had an internal team working on our side. We worked together weekly to ensure we reached the same goal. The project manager used a spreadsheet to track timelines and deadlines.

How did you come to work with FreshWorks Studio?

Their team provided a subject of work document. They broke everything down in a way that proved they understood our business model. The other company we considered misjudged the nature of our work, so we selected FreshWorks.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in November 2018 and wrapped up in March 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The day after we launched, we heard from a user who was previously critical of our old website. They felt it was so much better looking and easier to navigate. Reporters are happier, as the information is much easier to find, and users feel the site is a stronger resource.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were keen to find solutions to our problems. They worked hard to solve issues, and they were very good at finding the most appropriate options for us to pursue.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They were so quick to answer our questions, and the developer still helps us now. Even though we weren't close enough to meet in person, we could use software to see him at our weekly meetings. They got everything done quickly, and I don't have any criticism of them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be open and honest with them. They're fully prepared to give you what you want, so it's important to communicate your needs.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the Vice President of High Country Customs, a vehicle customization firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire FreshWorks Studio?

We hired FreshWorks Studio to build an automotive design app for iOS and Android devices.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted our customers to be able to design and customize their vehicles and pay for parts through the app.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I started my search by looking online for developers in Canada. I chose FreshWorks Studio because I was impressed by their sales team.

Describe the project in detail.

After laying out an initial plan, FreshWorks Studio began developing the application. They completed a final iteration before the project ended.

What was the team composition?

I started with a project manager who was knowledgeable and competent. Eventually, he was replaced by someone who seemed inexperienced with software development. There was also an overseas development team assigned to my project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Describe the impact this engagement has had on your business.

I have an app that I didn’t want to pay for, and I’ve had to hire another company to fix it. FreshWorks Studio sent me to this firm after claiming to be short on developers.  

After conducting an audit, the second vendor sent me a list of issues with the code. They informed me that the app would never be able to sell products in its current state, and that was the objective from the start. I’m now stuck with code that doesn’t work and can’t get FreshWorks Studio to respond.

How was project management handled?

At first, the staff was great, but the partnership quickly went downhill. My first project manager had a solid understanding of my product objective and goals and laid out a reasonable plan for development. Then the project manager changed, and workflow collapsed because the new person was ineffective.

The new project manager gave terrible answers to questions, and when he didn’t know an answer, he would promise that someone else would get back to me. This never happened.

Because their developers were overseas, all of our meetings were held late at night to accommodate them, even though I was the customer. Also, their developers seemed to have a limited grasp of the goals of the project. I feel like they misled me because I was looking for a local team.

Is there anything that the vendor did well or that you would consider a strength?

There’s nothing that I would consider a strength. Despite spending hours and hours discussing design requirements, I ended up with code that didn’t work. FreshWords Studio was eager to receive my payments without delivering the product that I envisioned.

In what specific areas can they improve?

They need to work on delivering their promises and improving their customer service. Also, their developers need to ramp up their QA processes. A customer shouldn’t have to pay a third-party to audit code.

Company Responses

The vendor responded on May 20, 2019.

We are sincerely committed to the quality of our work and to the experience of our clients and partners. We make every effort to align expectations by agreeing upon the scope of work at the beginning of a project. After setting expectations and clearly outlining the deliverables, we then work diligently to meet those expectations and deliver on our promises. We would never misrepresent ourselves nor make promises or agreements we could not keep. Regarding this review, we are currently working offline to understand and resolve the issues that are described and would please ask any reader to reach out to us directly with questions or concerns in the meantime.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the executive director at a mental health nonprofit and charity.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with FreshWorks Studio?

We had an initial version of our app, a global product for anxiety management. It was a free tool and over a period of four years, we got about 700,000 downloads.

Based on feedback, we decided we needed to upgrade and improve the app. We wanted to fix bugs in several areas to stabilize the app. Also, we needed to be able to really understand if our users of the apps were finding the app useful. The first app didn’t have some of the features that psychologists wanted and needed in order to make their work easier when supporting clients.

We wanted to improve the UX and user journey. We wanted version two to be fully enhanced in terms of personalization. We felt the first app was a lot more clinical.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

There was a fair bit that was required in terms of design as well as functionality. On the functionality side, we wanted the app to allow for sharing of the user data, or homework, that users upload onto the app. Users can now share that data with whomever they’d like to, ideally with a healthcare professional.

The new app supports user account creation, so that users who have done some homework can see where they left off. The app also provides summaries and offers tracking.

The most important two areas were improving the UX so that it was just more natural and more impactful in terms of how the user is able to manage anxiety using the app. FreshWorks Studio worked in an agile development method.

What is the team composition?

Our main point of contact was Etienne (Project Manager, FreshWorks Studio). We chose a designer to bring on board because we weren’t pleased with the designs they initially provided. They took on the extra designer we sourced as a contractor.

How did you come to work with FreshWorks Studio?

I did a search of award-winning and highly-recommended app developers. I interviewed several companies based on their reviews on Clutch. I wanted a local company if possible, so I decided on FreshWorks Studio.

How much have you invested with them?

$250,000 CAD ($186,370 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from February—December 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It’s been extraordinary. Within the first two weeks of launch, we had over 40,000 active users. The testimonials from psychologists have been amazing. They said it’s exactly the tool that they were looking for to work with their clients, and they’re going to recommend it to every single client they have. They’re going to use it as a complementary tool in therapy. It’s a global product.

At this point, since we’re a charity, we haven’t spent any marketing dollars. The reviews have been excellent on the whole. There are some reviews where people have said that they miss the audio files that used to be there because they were a bit longer. We shortened the audio files for a couple of them, but we expected that. People loved the look of the app and they’re learning to use the tool on their own. There are very few bugs. It’s a very stable app.

How did FreshWorks Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

Etienne is incredibly responsive, supportive, and knowledgeable. The two principals are almost always available. We communicate through Slack. We sometimes disagree, but their availability and commitment to being responsive are constant. I was pleased that they wanted us to be happy, and that they took on the designer we sourced.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They care a lot about their clients being happy. They provide a fair bit of autonomy. They have a very good, professional system and a healthy culture of decision-making.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They should spend more time on discovery. It’d be helpful if discovery included not just the principals of the organization, but also included a project manager. A client only knows their own business and needs a lot of clarity around what it is possible and what’s not possible from the outset in terms of the technology and the budget implications in order to make informed decisions.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

FreshWorks Studio is very strong on the technical side if not the strongest. The principals really want client satisfaction with what they’ve designed. Spend longer from the outset talking about business goals.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the vice chair of the David Foster Foundation, a Canadian nonprofit that provides financial support for the families of children needing lifesaving organ transplants. We also do a lot of work around organ donor awareness and registration in the U.S. and Canada.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with FreshWorks Studio?

Canada has province-level organ donor registries, but we wanted to create a national organ donor registry to complement those systems. We needed a partner to design the technology that would support the frontend of the website and the backend that appropriate healthcare professionals could access.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

FreshWorks Studio met with our leadership team to understand what we wanted to achieve and to develop a business plan. They utilized leading technologies to build a brand-new site, following the design of the U.S. national organ donor registry. They didn’t build a mobile app, but they have an API that can connect the platform to a mobile app. They currently provide maintenance work and system demonstrations, as needed.

What is the team composition? 

The team ranged anywhere from 10–15 people, mainly being designers and developers.

How did you come to work with FreshWorks Studio?

Our founder is from Victoria, so we wanted someone from there. A few people recommended FreshWorks Studio, and we were blown away by some of the work they’d done. We had a meeting and liked what they offered, so we hired them.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $500,000–$1 million CAD (approximately $377,100–$754,200 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from May–December 2018. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

FreshWorks Studio has won quite a few awards and worked on a variety of projects; they’re a highly successful organization in western Canada. They’ve shown our site to a few partner organizations, who like it. 

How did FreshWorks Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re responsive and client oriented, making sure project needs are met. They deliver on what they promise and always bring the right people to the table. The entire team is incredibly impressive.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’ve worked with many tech companies, and they’ve been the best partner I’ve ever had. Their responsiveness and dedication to a project’s success are outstanding.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. We didn’t have any bad experiences.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Be honest and straightforward with them, and they’ll deliver what you want.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a regional director at a healthcare company that provides public services to over one million customers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with FreshWorks Studio?

We’re working on a response to a serious opioid overdose crisis in our area. According to our data, over 70% of overdose deaths occur among individuals alone in residential settings. Users in this group have been hard to reach for first-line addiction treatments, so we wanted to create a smartphone app that would help connect these individuals with life-saving interventions.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They built an iOS/Android app that allows drug users to monitor their use. When they open the app, it launches a customizable timer with an alarm that’s loud enough to catch their attention during an “opioid nod.” If the alarm isn’t snoozed or disabled, the app sends a text to a pre-identified trusted contact and notifies local emergency services so they can respond.

We haven’t released the app yet, but we’re testing it in a controlled environment with active drug users. We’re planning to make modifications based on how the tests go and broaden the availability as we improve.

What is the team composition?

We primarily work with their COO, although a number of members of their team have been involved.

How did you come to work with FreshWorks Studio?

We partnered with an innovation center in our region and they sponsored a contest for developers interested in helping us come up with our app. FreshWorks Studio won the contest and we’ve continued working with them since then.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked on the beta version from February–September 2018. We’re currently making adaptations to that release.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Thanks to FreshWorks Studio’s development work we’ve been able to run focus groups and test the app in real-world settings with drug users. We’ve received meaningful feedback on the UI and functionality of the alarm. We’ve also learned what kind of personal data to avoid asking for and gotten feedback on a name that might appeal to our target audience.

How did FreshWorks Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re quick on turnaround and very responsive. We’re grateful for that since they’ve done part of the work pro bono. We were initially concerned that we wouldn’t get the same level of attention as a for-profit company, but they’ve been very accommodating.

In terms of keeping in touch about project tasks, we hold weekly meetings via Skype.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They really understand how to work with public-sector companies. We typically encounter challenges when using other contractors, but they worked smoothly through all the processes we require as a public organization. They also did a great job of listening to our needs and offering affordable solutions that suited our user base. Rather than overbuilding, they’ve helped us move toward a viable product we can roll out quickly.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything right now. We’re very happy with their service.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

We’re working on something of an exploratory technology, so the process has required a lot of innovation. Sometimes we realized we’d gone in the wrong direction and had to backtrack. The team from FreshWorks Studio handled all of our changing needs well and clear communication was key. It’s important to be upfront about what the project journey might look like and come to an understanding about how to measure progress.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the CEO of YogiTunes, an online yoga music streaming company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with FreshWorks Studio?

We contracted with FreshWorks Studio to develop native mobile apps for Android and iOS.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

This wasn’t our first app, so we felt comfortable doing all of our UX and wireframe designs in-house. We reviewed those with the project manager before advancing to the development stage. The app serves as a music streaming management platform for yoga studios and teachers. Users can search through an extensive catalog of artists and sort songs by duration and intensity to build a playlist. The app allows for offline streaming and control through a lock screen. The app is also integrated with Google Pay, Apple Pay, and Stripe.

What is the team composition?

I communicated mostly with a co-founder and a project manager. Once we got into developing the app, I interfaced more with the India-based design team.

How did you come to work with FreshWorks Studio?

They were recommended by our investors. FreshWorks Studio offered a local project management team and outsourced developers, which made them more affordable for our company.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $80,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement spanned from December 2017­–September 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re still in the midst of a very soft launch. We’re doing some extensive beta testing with roughly 450 iOS users and 60 Android users, a ratio that will likely reflect our user base.

How did FreshWorks Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

We had some early concerns in this area. At the start, the project manager was overloaded with other projects. I held a meeting with a co-founder, and they responded really well—taking a few responsibilities off our project manager’s plate to focus more fully on us. From then forward, it’s been great.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were enthusiastic about supporting a startup. They understood our needs, and their willingness to be flexible was appreciated.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The process of delivering specifics to the development team needed to be handled with more attention to detail. The developers didn’t understand certain aspects as we had intended, so some things were built incorrectly and we had to fix those after the fact.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Don’t be afraid to go up the organizational ladder to address any concerns, especially as they relate to the project management team. As the client, you have to be comfortable with the person in that role.

UPDATED REVIEW

This review was updated on April 9th, 2019, by the client. The original star ratings were: Overall - 4, Quality - 4.5, Schedule - 4, Cost - 5, NPS - 4. New content is below:

How did your relationship with the vendor evolve?

Early on, I felt that they weren’t assigning the appropriate amount of resources to review our use cases and wireframes. This led to problems with translating the design to the developers, and they admitted to this after the fact. I overlooked and omitted these issues in my first review out of a desire to give them a positive review on Clutch. It was really the feedback from our users and conversations with other former clients of Freshworks Studio that drove me to update the review.

Also, we realized that the project manager was not being transparent with us. He later admitted that he was trying to calm our fears while pushing his developers to scale the project on a tight budget. We addressed this in a meeting with the co-founder where we asked for a new project manager. He agreed that they were mismanaging the project, and he reassigned some of the project manager’s responsibilities. At this point, it was difficult to make up for lost time, and we were running into overage costs of around $25,000. Though they recognized that they were at fault, they pressured me for a good review to avoid these overage costs.

How did Freshworks Studio address the challenges that arose?

Many of our inquiries, especially regarding their interpretation of our use cases and wireframes, went unanswered. Because of this lack of communication, we missed our window to resolve issues before the developers started building the app.

Even after acknowledging the multitude of issues, they pressured us to complete the project. I had asked for additional review and acceptance time, but the work had already extended passed our initial timeline. We planned for a four-month build, and development ended up being a year-long process. We were both anxious to move on, so we accepted the product before we were happy with it.

Describe the impact this engagement has had on your business.

We saw a decrease in revenue after we launched the product. We’ve also lost customers due to the poor quality of the app. We’ve seen many negative customer reviews due to frequent crashing and problems that were never fixed. As a result, we’ve had to do damage control with our customer service department, which has required more time and resources.

The product they delivered is substandard, and we had to hire a full stack developer to come in and resolve many of the issues with the app. It’s been six months since we launched the app, and we are still getting reports of major bugs that users are experiencing.

I will take some responsibility for my lack of experience with developing apps, but I am frustrated because Freshworks Studio has a positive reputation for developing native applications. We certainly did our best to give them what they needed.

How was project management handled?

Their project manager wasn’t responsive during early communications, which set us up for failure in the development phase. The initial prototypes didn’t fit with our designs and requirements and were also poorly built with bad UX. They also included features that we never designed. When we requested changes, they were slow to respond, and ultimately never corrected the issues.

Is there anything that the vendor did well or that you would consider a strength?

The last quarter of the job was fine from a project management standpoint, and we felt that the meeting with the co-founder was a successful one.

This review was updated again on June 17th, 2019, by the client. The original updated star ratings were: Overall - 2, Quality - 3, Schedule - 1, Cost - 2.5, NPS - 1. New content is below:

Describe the impact this engagement has had on your business.

We saw a decrease in revenue after we launched the product as well as frequent crashing and problems that were difficult to resolve. As a result, we’ve had to do damage control with our customer service department, which has required more time and resources.

We’ve since hired a full-stack developer to come in and resolve the issues, which, again, were not entirely Freshworks Studio’s fault. Some of the problems came from our backend (database/API), which we built and maintained throughout the process.

How did your relationship with the vendor evolve?

The initial meet and greet went well. We felt a warm, positive vibe and appreciated their enthusiasm for what we were doing. Early on in development, I felt that they weren’t assigning the appropriate amount of resources to review our use cases and wireframes, which led to problems with translating the design to the developers. 

Once we had a conversation about this with their co-founder, they adjusted the resources being assigned to the project manager so that he could focus more attention on getting the details translated properly to the developers.

From then on, things moved at a satisfactory pace, with our project manager working very hard to make sure everything got taken care of based on the initial scope of work agreements.

How did Freshworks Studio address the challenges that arose?

As challenges arose, we initially struggled to identify what was causing the core disconnect between our team and the Freshworks Studio development team. We both took responsibility for not being 100% clear on how the designs were supposed to be implemented, and this was a big learning curve for both of us. As we moved through the growing pains, Freshworks Studio responded by assigning us more resources without incurring additional costs. This helped tremendously in getting the product to market. 

However, some of the issues were snowballing and difficult to track completely, so we ended up launching a product that didn’t feel completely ready.

Again, we played a role in this as much as Freshworks did, and subsequently learned the inherent challenge in having part of the job (design/discover) done by our team, and the development/project management done by theirs. With such a complicated app being built simultaneously on iOS and Android, it just makes for a very challenging environment to deal with the iterative process of software development and testing. This is especially when working with a remote team where the time difference means production meetings at 8 PM, or 7 AM.

How was project management handled?

Their project manager wasn’t responsive during early communications, which set us up for challenges in the development phase. However, as I said earlier, once this was addressed, our project manager worked overtime to make sure we stayed on track.

Is there anything that the vendor did well or that you would consider a strength?

They absorbed a significant amount of overage charges, gave us breaks in other areas, and didn’t penny pinch when it came to additional QA testing or adjusting the designs due to incomplete UX/wireframes. The last quarter of the job was really solid from a project management standpoint, and the co-founder also really stepped in to make sure we had what we needed to get to market.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The process of delivering our own UX wireframes, designs, and use cases to the development team needed to be handled with more attention to detail. The developers didn’t understand certain aspects as we had intended, so some things were built incorrectly, causing the timeline and cost to both expand significantly beyond the initial quotes. 

However, Freshworks Studio responded by absorbing a lot of the overages and working overtime to deliver the apps, so they made up for the mishandling there with a lot of commitment to ensuring we were satisfied with the end result.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Don’t be afraid to go up the organizational ladder to address any concerns. Also, unless it’s for a really specific reason, consider allowing Freshworks Studio to do their own UX/wireframes and discovery process with you. We all agreed after the fact that they operate the best with everything done in-house.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an engineering manager at CanAssist. We’re a grant-funded organization of technical, programming, and operations staff within the University of Victoria. Primarily, we develop programming and assistive technologies for the disability community. Our solutions assist people of all ages with congenital or acquired illnesses or barriers. We don’t necessarily conceive ideas internally, but we partner with individuals, groups, or organizations that approach us with a challenge. I oversee all of our mechanical, electrical, and software-based projects.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with FreshWorks Studio?

We’d just taken on a substantial project with high public demand and interest. To create something truly fantastic, we knew that we needed outside experts to augment our internal staff.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We started prototyping the solution before partnering with FreshWorks Studio. Based on that, they built out an iOS application called Waveband. It’s a creative tool to be used in music therapy settings. In a nutshell, the system lets users without the musical knowledge or the cognitive ability to play a traditional instrument compose their own work. The mobile app is available for iPhones, iPads, or iPod Touches. It basically converts the devices into motion-censored instruments.

Waveband works in tandem with another application called The Conductor, which lets users play together in a band, assign instruments, and change the key, scales, volume, and motion required to play. Users can also mute audio, play background tracks, and introduce flourishes like riffs, arpeggios, and chord progressions. The apps work together to bring a band to life, without the need of any physical instruments.

Currently, the app is already live as a prototype, and we’re planning the official product launch. We’ll provide our clients with kits that explain how to use the solution. We’ve also decided to continue our engagement with FreshWorks to provide support.

What is the team composition?

We had consistent contact with their founders, CEO, and COO. In total, we worked with three different project managers at different points of the engagement. There was also a business analyst involved from start to finish. It wasn’t until later in the project that we started speaking directly with developers.

How did you come to work with FreshWorks Studio?

We were referred to them by our supporters in the software industry. Through our network, we were introduced to the FreshWorks Studio team.

What is the status of this engagement?

We initially discussed the project and signed a contract with them in September 2017. The official work lasted from January 2018–October 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Overall, we’re very happy with the end product, and the results are tremendous. We’ve received unanimous praise for the solution. Here’s a quote from one of our early users: “The music kit is a great tool for those with major physical and cognitive challenges. It’s great to be able to offer clients an instrument to play when they’re unable to play any other instrument.” We use quotes like these to spread the word about our product and promote its unique capabilities.

How did FreshWorks Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

FreshWorks Studio was always looking ahead. If we were on schedule to miss a deadline, they’d let us know immediately and provide a reason. We could plan for delays and adjust our timelines accordingly. The communication was consistent. We used several internal tools but mainly spoke over the phone. The team was diligent in terms of notetaking and documentation, sending a follow-up after every interaction.

The partnership didn’t start all that smoothly, but we soon learned how to work together. It took a few tries before we learned how to manage each other’s expectations. We went through a bit of turnover before we were happy with the FreshWorks Studio team. They changed the composition several times to include resources with specific skills and expertise. We also started speaking directly with the developers and bypassing an intermediary, which ultimately benefitted our relationship. All things considered, it was a successful collaboration.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were flexible and understanding from the start. When we described our requirements, they didn’t get to work straight away, but instead asked a lot of questions about our vision.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We’re happy with their work. They maintained a good understanding of our clients’ needs, realizing that our solutions need simple interfaces. Things that may seem straightforward might be inaccessible for certain users. They kept this in mind throughout the development process, proposing easy controls for the system.

Any advice for potential customers?

Clients should take the opportunity to get to know FreshWorks Studio’s founders and staff on a personal level. Their enthusiasm is built into the company culture.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of marketing and communications at Grouse Mountain. It’s a year-round resort located in North Vancouver. In the winter we primarily support activities like skiing, snowboarding, and snowshoeing. In the summer, our main attraction is a wildlife refuge with two orphaned grizzly bears.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with FreshWorks Studio?

We had two iOS mobile apps developed by a previous vendor. One was a general information platform, and the other was specifically for the Grouse Grind, which is a challenging hike that attracts a lot of guests—it’s a bucket-list item. We wanted to consolidate the two apps into a single platform and build iOS and Android versions.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

FreshWorks Studio combined both our apps’ functionalities into one app, then built out versions for iOS and Android devices. Using modern technologies, the team updated the platform’s look, feel, and experience.

We analyzed the usage data of our original systems and determined several key information points. FreshWorks Studio built the app to pull that data from our main website, offering users quick access to the webcams on our property, the weather, recent snowfall metrics, current run and lift statuses, and timing calculations for the Grouse Grind. They also used AR technology to create a way-finding feature for our guests as they explore our resort.

Currently, we’re in the QA process. Both teams are analyzing the current platform’s performance and noting additional features or elements we’d like to add.

What is the team composition?

Initially, I met with Sam (CEO, FreshWorks Studio), but Alexa (Project Manager, FreshWorks Studio) handles the bulk of our interactions. She manages the team on their end.

How did you come to work with FreshWorks Studio?

We wanted to take advantage of the thriving tech sector in British Columbia, so we mainly searched for vendors within our region. After considering a variety of candidates, we ultimately chose FreshWorks Studio. They provided great references that spoke to the quality of their work on some fairly complex projects. Overall, they seemed to be a good fit.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started the project in April 2018, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re happy with the application’s quality and functionality. Now, we’re just working through a few of the UX details and fixing some minor bugs. We’re looking forward to the finished product.

How did FreshWorks Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

Alexa is amazing. Under her guidance, the team works at a very good pace, hitting each milestone and completing each sprint. They were proactive in identifying challenges and offering possible solutions.

They use a project management tool on their end, but we mainly communicate via email and phone calls. For quality assurance, we record information in several collaborative spreadsheets.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Even though they’re located on Vancouver Island, they made the trip to our resort to familiarize themselves with our brand and our attractions. To make sure they were accurate in developing the timing feature for the Grouse Grind, a few members of their development team actually did the hike themselves. They produced an amazing video of their experience and shared it with us. This speaks to their commitment to our application. They not only wanted to deliver something that worked but something that they’d be proud to share.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t have anything negative to say. We haven’t had any problems.

Any advice for potential customers?

Any challenges we had stemmed from our end. Speaking directly to future clients, I think that it’s beneficial to put together an appropriate team for development projects. Pick staff with technical background and familiarity with the process. It’s important that everyone involved understands the consequences of making changes early in the design process versus in the middle of development.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm a reservations and project manager for the Harbour Air Group, the largest floatplane operation in North America. We offer scheduled service flights, as well as scenic flights and tour packages in Vancouver, Canada.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with FreshWorks Studios?

We needed help developing a mobile app that would allow our customers to book flights more easily through their mobile device, improving on the previous version we had. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

FreshWorks designed and developed a mobile app for iOS and Android that allows users to book flight reservations, view upcoming and past flights, and access 360-degree videos of some of our scenic flights. They incorporated frequent flight options, which adapts to user preferences over time, as well as additional customer help sections. FreshWorks' team also communicates directly with the vendor that built our reservations system as needed.

What is the team composition?

I primarily work with a dedicated project manager, as well as a couple of developers.

How did you come to work with FreshWorks Studios?

They approached us originally. We already had an iOS app out, but its functionality was very basic, so FreshWorks identified an opportunity for us to expand its features. Their ideas were in line with our goals, so we were happy to bring them onboard to explore the project further.

How much have you invested with them?

We've invested around $120,000, which includes some maintenance services, as well as some continuous development.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project kicked off in May 2017 and we expect it to go live in the next couple of weeks (September 2018), following our testing phase.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We've already received a lot of great feedback in regards to the new modern and clean UI and overall booking flow within the app. It's obvious that a lot of effort went into the highly interactive design.

How did FreshWorks Studios perform from a project management standpoint?

They're great at communicating, as well as establishing and sticking to timelines. We track phases of the development through Jira, which has helped us see how each iteration is coming along. They've also been very upfront about any challenges as they've come up and proactive in providing solutions for dealing with them.

They take a cautious approach when building the UI, which has been very helpful–always thinking from the perspective of the end user.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their team is genuinely interested in helping their clients grow within the app world. We wouldn't have the upgraded app we have now if they hadn't reached out to us initially with some great ideas for how to revamp it, so working with them was a no-brainer. Once they commit to a project, their level of engagement and enthusiasm is through the roof.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Since it was my first app development project, it just would've helped to have more aspects of the process explained in layman's terms.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure your project managers have a good rapport with your team, which starts from conversations in the beginning. Part of our success can be attributed to the fact that our personalities and vision aligned so well with theirs, which was directly reflected in the outcome.