Volpis

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Fit Society LLC is information technology company that owns the rights to the Fit Society Mobile Application. The company is focused on health and fitness services. I am the founder and designer of the product.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Volpis?

Volpis was hired to complete the iOS development for the application.

What were your goals for this project?

The app was built to give users an easy and quick way to create and share workouts. While many fitness app platforms exist, they can be confusing to use or require purchase. This app was meant to address those issues and provide a free app that gives users the ability to create the workouts and routines they desire with the option to purchase expert plans if desired. I anticipate a positive response once the app launches and the many enhancements already planned for the future.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I interviewed numerous companies online and associates. After speaking with Volpis, I felt as though they had the passion and know how to make this project a success.

Describe the project in detail.

Once I chose Volpis to develop the app, I was introduced to the team and we went over scope and responsibilities. I would provide the design and specifications and the team would produce. The team employed the agile methodology with sprints and demos concluding every two weeks. I attended standup calls twice weekly. The team delivered on all the requirements and regularly exceeded expectations. The app was only developed for iOS.

What was the team composition?

The team was comprised of a project manager, two iOS developers, one backend developer and one tester. I was the product designer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The app is performing flawlessly as it stands in its current state. I will not be launching for another few weeks but have no doubt that it will perform well on the market.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The team performed excellent during the project. Communication, scheduling and expectations were all handled very professionally. Our workflow consisted of communications via slack, design-dev handoff via Zeplin and zoom for demos. The team was offshore but spoke excellent english so language barriers were non-existent.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I was blown away by the knowledge and skillset that the team possessed. The team had an excellent flow with the project manager always staying in tune with their needs. If the team asked something of me, I was notified quickly and reminded if I had not provided it to them. I've worked with numerous vendors and would consider Volpis top of the league. Their service, skills and knowledge are all topnotch.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Everything can always be faster but I was satisfied with the service they provided. Quality is of upmost importance and I feel that they delivered where it mattered.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

FlowMSP is an industry-leading pre-incident planning software platform for the fire service. Our goal is, and always will be, to innovate new ways for the fire service to collect, and use, critical building and response information.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Volpis?

We asked Volpis to redevelop and redesign and redevelop our App for iOS and Google.

What were your goals for this project?

Better UX Increase features and capabilities Work within our budget

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We selected Volpis because of their technical depth and an ability to quickly understand our strategy.

What was the team composition?

Project management

iOS and Android developers

Backend 

Design

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We increase the number of downloads for our app by 118% and increased overall usage.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We had daily standups describing the work that was being performed.  The meetings were fast and effecient.  Volpis was able to consistently deliver against our project milestones.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Speed

Technical depth

Cost effective

Provided strategic options 

Are there any areas for improvement?

None

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I work for a non-profit and am in charge of mobile app development for a religious app.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Volpis?

We have had an old source code for both iOS and Android that needed to be updated to support the newest features. The source code had many issues, and was written in a quite convoluted way, so this was quite a challenging job.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to add new features to the app, like a map with directionality, alarm settings for prayer times, donations, and stability improvements.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We thoroughly searched for developers, mostly through upwork, and the Volpis team was the most qualified ones for the job that were also not outrageously expensive like many other freelancers with their qualification

Describe the project in detail.

Prior to starting the project, we had a pleasant Skype video call with all of the Volpis team, and had a chance to introduce each other, and get a better idea about what the project entailed, and what the difficulties might be. Once this was going, initially the start was a little slow, but then it really took off and Volpis was on top of getting all the new features implemented.

What was the team composition?

It was a project manager, and the Android and iOS developers I closely worked with, but the team is larger than that.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The new features were well received by the users, and I have received lots of great feedback. Some of the initial issues, which are expected in a new major update, were fixed without any bigger problems and rectified immediately when they were discovered.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The communication especially with the Android developer Vlad was incredible, he was even available to chat with me through slack on the weekends, and he was able to be the point-person for the iOS developer because of his great communication and English skills. They made testing very easy for me, and communication was good, using Slack.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The team is a young, motivated, friendly group of people. I really liked that we had a video call before starting the project, and I was impressed that they were able to work with a source code which had its issues. They were able to get the app exactly the way I needed it.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I will work with them in the future because I trust this team and I developed a great relationship with them.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO of WISRAN. We track and analyze operating efficiency in real-time for financial impact for farm and agricultural commodity processors. The company is out of the US.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Volpis?

The project was to enhance the current WISRAN software platform for Live Freight to source, market, and transport agriculture commodities. Challenge was to manage the long truck lines.

What were your goals for this project?

We gave the following goals to Volpis: Develop a mobile application for truck drivers and centralize queue management system. 

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We selected them based on their expertise and past experience in GPS based systems. Compared to others, they understood our project very well. They understood the core project needs, which were complex and needed to be done in a very short amount of time. They also put together a visual that showed me their clear understanding of our needs, which made me very comfortable. 

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

I liked their approach. They started off with developing a detailed specification, and UI/UX mockup. After that, they designed the UI and UX flows and developed the mobile application and backend server code for both mobile and web. The web frontend was developed by another team.

What was the team composition?

The team was composed of a project manager, UI/UX designer, backend node.js developer, mobile developer, and technical lead. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

Results were great. The project impressed our customers and we are now discussing the next steps of the project.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

The project was managed very well. The entire team took ownership and drove the project to completion. The project manager also managed the third-party frontend developers as well.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They took ownership. I didn't feel like they were external consultants. They acted as if they are part of our company, investing their time and effort to make the company succeed.

Are there any areas for improvement?

They could certainly improve the rigor of their testing.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the e-commerce director of a marketplace based in Dubai targeting the GCC countries.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Volpis?

Our web services technical team didn't have the capacity to build the iOS and Android app we needed in a period of 6 months.

What were your goals for this project?

To add value to our customers’ web experience by providing excellent UX, fast loading time, and stable browsing.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We selected them due to their visible and qualitative deliveries with previous customers, their very detailed offer and final delivery, and their transparency about their resources. We were also impressed by their great communication, high availability, and reasonable pricing.

We tested them with a first milestone to evaluate their ability and try to understand their processes, communication, and delivery. They convinced us immediately, so we hired them for the whole project.

Describe the project in detail.

They worked on our native e-commerce app, delivering it for iOS and Android. The app is based on our current e-commerce website. They did both the UX/UI and then the app development.

What was the team composition?

Their CEO oversees the work progress and management communication. There’s also a project manager, a QA, three iOS developers, three Android developers, and two UX/UI designers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They delivered both the Android and iOS versions of the app on time. We received 100,000 downloads across both platforms and see much higher engagement from our app users compared to our web users. Volpis remains our partner for all our needs regarding the app.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We participated in their daily scrum meeting to review the status of the app and ensure all work was delivered from both sides. They used Slack for communication and Jira for project management.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The quality of the final deliverables was outstanding, while the involvement of their CEO was key to ensuring the success of the project, and for us keeping them as a partner up to now.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I don't see anything that we would have them improve.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I run a successful website and Facebook group with over 31,000 members. I'm also a wedding photographer. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Volpis?

I had an idea for a groundbreaking wedding app. Volpis designed and developed the app based on my drawings.

What were your goals for this project?

I wanted a simple, usable platform that engaged customers and allowed them to find suppliers for their wedding day easily. The app matches couples to the closest supplier, allowing them to choose local vendors.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I found Volpis on Upwork and liked their application. They were professional, giving a detailed description of how they would work with me and what the outcome would be. After reading their reviews, I took a gamble and hired them.

Describe the project in detail.

Once I hired Volpis, we planned the functionalities and appearance of the app. They did this by asking me to fill out a form. The app was specialized, so I gave detailed answers. I needed to launch by a certain period, so they worked on the app daily. 

What was the team composition?

They assigned designers and developers, and I met with everyone. We communicated successfully through Skype.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Within three months of launch, the app has accumulated over 1,500 downloads and earned an average rating of over 4.5 stars. It continues to grow daily. The feedback from the suppliers who have signed up speaks for itself; some have already received confirmed bookings.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Everything was smooth and quick. They created demos and shared a full workflow where I could add notes. They also didn't rush me into decisions I might have regretted. Instead, they worked at my pace and did everything I asked. When I was unsure about anything, I asked their team for advice.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I loved how efficient, honest, and polite they were. If I asked for something that wasn't a good decision, they explained the issue and saved me money. Since this was my first app, I wanted a team that understood my ideas. That's exactly what I got! Volpis worked hard to create something of which I'm extremely proud.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I honestly can't recommend Volpis enough. The team was amazing from start to finish. I'm already planning the second version, which Volpis will create. I won't hesitate to recommend them.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the product manager for a company that offers cashback services. We have a mobile app called “inShopper” and it’s the first of its kind in Russia. With it, users can scan QR Codes on receipts and gain cashback for their purchase.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Volpis?

Our mobile app was created three years ago on Android and it required a large update. We decided to completely change the design and logic of the app, but we didn’t have in-house mobile app developers. Furthermore, the quality that our previous development team provided was low, so finding a new team was our biggest goal.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goals were to attain a clean and simple design, update the app’s UX, increase the user base and number of downloads, and integrate AppsFlyer and other analytic systems within the app to track paid traffic.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Our CTO and I searched for a freelance developer on Upwork, providing clear deadlines and such. We spoke with Kostya (CEO, Volpis) and discussed our needs. We looked at his company’s portfolio and saw that his latest projects were of high quality, he offered a fair price, and also promised to deliver on our deadline. We made the right decision.

Describe the project in detail.

Kostya's team handled the update of our app through three iterations. I shared detailed specifications and the new design, describing each task in Trello before starting the work. After two months of collaborative work, we completely changed the design of the app and made a release. We continued the partnership to include more features in the app. Volpis also provided support and fixed small bugs.

What was the team composition?

Kostya acted as the project manager at the beginning. I later worked directly with an Android developer. All design, iOS development, and QA was done on our side.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The new design and UX has produced a twofold increase in our user base and lots of positive feedback on the app’s usability. This led to our startup being bought by a large Russian IT company as well as the investment on the further development of our product.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The work process was very well organized and structured, which helped us make complex decisions quickly. Kostya is highly responsive and available at any time. His team always paid attention to details and are true professionals. We used Slack and Skype for communication and Trello for setting tasks.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Volpis has vast knowledge about mobile app development and UX. Their team was patient and flexible, often working during weekends to meet our deadlines. This was valuable for me and the project!

Are there any areas for improvement?

I wish they would share their vast knowledge of app development with their clients more. Their advice has helped me a lot, particularly regarding Android development.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

My name is Vadym Grynchenko and I'm a product designer at Green&Co, which offers a series of health-related mobile diagnostics apps.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Volpis?

We had the idea for a mobile app that will help people understand their health problems and figure out how to proceed with treatment, and needed a company to build the app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They helped us define user stories and use cases for the app. An algorithm for disease diagnosis was created. The team developed the code and the UI for both iOS and Android versions.

Multiple iterations were built and tested. The first iteration used images for the buttons, which looked nice but made the app too heavy (around 100 megabytes). They found another approach using colors to make it lighter.

They launched the app in the App Store in Europe and Ukraine.  

What is the team dynamic?

My main contact is the iOS developer, and I also work with another person on invoices and other project management details.

How did you come to work with Volpis?

They were one of several firms that responded to a request for proposals. I chose them because they’re based in Ukraine, which means that they are highly skilled developers and offer low rates.

How much have you invested with them?

To date, we've spent about $8,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The work started in 2015 and is ongoing. There have been some gaps in the work due to needing to secure additional funds. The plan is for them to develop a version 1.3 of the app.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

According to our statistics, the app has very few bugs or reports of crashes.

For us, the big win is simply that it is already available in the App Store in Ukraine and in Europe. It needs additional testing to ensure compliance with the FDA [Food and Drug Administration], but we expect it to be available soon in the U.S.

How did Volpis perform from a project management standpoint?

It’s been a standard Agile development process. Everybody works remotely; I'm in Germany and they’re in Ukraine. I thought this might be an issue but it’s worked well. I'm in touch with the iOS developer almost every day.

They created a dashboard that I use to create tickets for work that needs to be done. The ticket is passed on to them, and then we set up the deadline for that piece of the project. They generally hit all of the deadlines, plus or minus a couple of days.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Most impressive is that they are able to find a solution for any task, even if a small budget limits the technology they can use.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I frequently had to wait a long time for an answer, which was very stressful. I would recommend they hire an account manager to handle client communication.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Road Hunter LLC is a truck navigation mobile app. I’m the founder and CEO. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Volpis?

We needed someone to develop our mobile app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They built a whole route-finding app for drivers starting from the sketches. We started with a native Android app on the server side and Java. Then we developed our iOS app with Objective-C and Swift. We use Google Maps APIs, REST APIs, Microsoft XML, and data process using different languages with JavaScript and some React. We have features like navigation that require a lot of skill. We’re working with a product called SQLite. Other features are route planning, truck stop finding, diesel prices, severe weather alerts. We’ve used all the latest technologies.

What is the team dynamic? 

I mostly work with the founder of Volpis and a couple of developers. We use them for more than 40 hours a week.

How did you come to work with Volpis?

My main focus was to have a team who knows how to work with Google Maps APIs and Lifetime maps. They sent me quite a few projects that they have done and I was amazed by the quality of the work. 

How much have you invested with them?

$35,000–$55,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together around 3 years ago and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

If you type “Truck Stops” on Google Play, we’re in 2nd place in the U.S. and Canada. We have a 4.5-star rating on Google Play and 4.8 stars on the App Store. We have 80,000 downloads and around 2,000 active users every day. They’ve done a good job.

We’ve also been mentioned in 5–6 magazines in the U.S. and we’ve been published in several trucking magazines. 

How did Volpis perform from a project management standpoint?

They are doing very well. These guys are not only developers but software engineers, which are really different things. Coders and software engineers are different people. They’re always on top of the new technologies and giving me good suggestions. They did an amazing job on that. We used Trello. We used screenshot trackers so I could see what’s going on. We used Bitbucket for our code repository. We used JIRA, Slack, and Skype. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re a very responsible team. They give a lot of good feedback about the product. They suggest interesting things. Most of the time when working with offshore companies, they just follow whatever you tell them to do and code it. With Volpis, before coding, they asked me a lot of questions about particular features. It saves me time and money. Time is money in this case.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, everything is perfect. I like to work with them. That’s why I’ve been working with them for almost 3 years.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of Taddrees, an education platform app. We just launched in the UAE and plan to grow throughout the Middle East.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Volpis?

I had an initial idea for the application and needed developers to build it.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Volpis essentially functions as our full-time IT team. They built the application based on my specifications, but also provided a range of solutions to make the app more user-friendly. They also recommended a number of functionalities I hadn’t considered.

The app is available for both iOS and Android, and we plan to launch a web-based service.

What is the team dynamic?

I communicate directly with their CEO.

How did you come to work with Volpis?

I did an online search and initially contacted three companies, but these candidates only offered excuses and lacked the technical skills to build my desired functionalities.

Volpis, on the other hand, stood out immediately. I could tell they were hard workers and possessed the knowledge necessary to build my app. They were excited when I told them my idea and immediately put forth their own suggestions.

How much have you invested with them?

I spent approximately $25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in April 2017 and launched the app in November.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We gained 20–30 subscribers within the first two weeks of launch, and in a very short time have grown to 300 subscribers. We haven't encountered any bugs, and Volpis is still hard at work adding new functionalities.

How did Volpis perform from a project management standpoint?

I have a background in business and management consulting, so while the tech world is new to me, I’m used to working in a highly organized way. Volpis has a similar work ethic and provides detailed plans.

We coordinated through online tools, including Trello and Slack, and they provided constant updates. They were transparent about day-to-day operations and quick to respond to any questions.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Unlike the other vendors I considered, Volpis demonstrated real dedication. They believed in my product and worked to ensure development of a superior app. They constantly offered suggestions for improvement, and even incorporated additional functionalities at no extra cost.

Nothing was beyond their technical abilities. Given enough time, they accomplished every goal we set.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I'm normally a very critical person when it comes to other businesses, but no, I can’t think of any suggestions.