InnoviMobile

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the vice president of operations for a medical communications agency.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with InnoviMobile?

We needed to rebuild our hybrid app. It was created by another company and not dynamic enough to handle the upgrades for iOS.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We relied heavily on InnoviMobile for their technical expertise, and they recommended we build a native iOS app, so we did. They used the LAMP stack to make it, and we just finished last week. We’re now adding enhancements to the app, which is phase 2.

We have another app and are considering InnoviMobile for that project.

What is the team composition?

Initially, we worked with 2–3 UI/UX people to redesign the app. We then moved onto development and had three developers.

How did you come to work with InnoviMobile?

When looking into various companies, InnoviMobile seemed to be the best possible partner. They had a great price, great ideas, and provided the exact recommendations we were looking for. They knew a lot about iOS, so they showed how they’d make our app sustainable through future upgrades.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent over $200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since November 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

My internal team was extremely impressed by the difference between the old and new app—it had a lot of features the old version didn’t. InnoviMobile worked incredibly fast, finishing the UI/UX, development, and testing by March. Our clients love the new app and are excited to roll it out to their team.

How did InnoviMobile perform from a project management standpoint?

They did project management for their developers, and we did the project management for the overall project. They have internal tools for communicating, but we never used them. However, they accommodated to our workflow and used our tools (Smartsheet, InVision) to work with us.

In the beginning, we had weekly updates. As we got into testing, we touched base daily to go over defects. Their communication is extremely good. I can send an email and get a response within 15 minutes.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re highly collaborative and trustworthy. They work hard and fast, which gave us a level of confidence we didn’t have with our previous vendor.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It’d be nice to have more documentation for development. However, the industry as a whole isn’t the best at that; it’s not just InnoviMobile.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the CEO of Perch’n, an internet service for students to find off-campus housing. We have 1 – 10 employees and are based in New York.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with InnoviMobile?

We needed an iOS app developed.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We already had a website in place that included a listing of all student housing rentals; we wanted to use that to build an iOS app that would allow anyone to search and find housing that matches specific criteria. The project is complete and we may use them in the future for an Android version.

What is the team dynamic?

There were 3 developers assigned to the project.

How did you come to work with InnoviMobile?

I was searching online and landed on the Clutch website, where I looked for developers who had done mobile apps and were local, so we could meet in person whenever we needed to. There were 3 – 4 companies that I looked at and it came down to 2 at the end.

How much have you invested with them?

We have invested $40,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in May 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The app was successfully launched 2 weeks ago and we have about 200 registered downloads and counting. There have been no complaints and it’s all functioning as it should.

How did InnoviMobile perform from a project management standpoint?

We set up a schedule with them at the beginning of our process to communicate 1 – 2 times a week, which they stuck to. We had weekly teleconferences to discuss what had been completed the prior week along with any changes that were required. They worked very closely with our in-house developers and made all changes and corrections week by week.

Communication was top notch; they responded within hours to any issue or question we had. Whenever our schedule changed, they were more than happy to accommodate our needs.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They kept on top of the project, making sure it never got to the point where we had to question the status of the work. Occasionally, we had to point out when something needed to be reviewed since sometimes when you correct one thing, something else goes amiss. They were very quick to fix things, though.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They did everything as expected and as best as we could’ve hoped for. The price could have been lower but that doesn’t speak to any shortcomings on their part. They conducted their services in a very succinct and understandable manner. It was a costly adventure, but they did a good job and we’re very pleased.

Do you have any advice for a potential client of theirs?

The only disconcerting thing during this whole process was trying to figure out how to undertake a large project like this. We spent approximately a person’s yearly salary in many areas of the project. We tried to find someone dependable that would do the job right on the first try. We thought we had found that person before we met with InnoviMobile, only to find out that this person went totally dark on communication with us within a week of us getting ready to begin. I’m glad it happened then because it made us realize that it wasn’t the company we wanted to work with. While InnoviMobile ended up being a little more expensive, they ended up being the pinnacle of communication as far as we’d experienced so far.

My recommendation for the next person is to make sure you choose a company that will respond to your communications and be in touch with you throughout the whole process. When so much money is on the line, you don’t want to be left in the dark or feel taken advantage of. We were very nervous and we didn’t know what we were getting ourselves into, but InnoviMovile was always there to hold our hand.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a non-profit non-governmental organization. We deal with child advocacy and relief. I am the portfolio manager for technology research and development and the release train engineer. I focus on new technologies that we can implement within our organization for efficiencies, new tools, and channels.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Innovimobile?

We created an innovation proposal around solving various issues for microfinance in third-world countries. We needed a software developed to help us manage our loans accounts. The goal is to give a good user experience for those receiving the loan and help them understand assets and liabilities, bookkeeping, and how they can improve their small businesses.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We developed our app for Android. We’ve done custom code, but we’ve always used third-party platforms to integrate with the backend. It’s a backend platform and a custom-made mobile application.

What is the team dynamic?

They have one dedicated developer and a project manager, and Alex [CEO, Innovimobile] has been involved since the beginning.

How did you come to work with Innovimobile?

We did an RFP with our procurement team, going through multiple organizations. They went through a rigor of interviews, background checks, cost, and past experiences, and we found Innovimobile to be the best candidate. One factor was their willingness to get their hands dirty in understanding what we were trying to do versus just selling themselves as a product or a service.

How much have you invested with them?

About $30,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in March 2017, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re still in development for the application. Their willingness to share their expertise and flexibility has made a big impact. They’re able to work in multiple environments. For example, we run both a waterfall and an agile methodology, and they’re able to accommodate either one accordingly.

How did Innovimobile perform from a project management standpoint?

We use Jira to do our project tracking. Alex has flown over here, coming into the office, multiple times. His willingness to get involved is good because many vendors will just give a sales pitch, and once they get the contract, you don’t see that person again—you interact with a completely different team. This hasn’t been the case with Innovimobile: Alex has been here and has provided leadership from their end.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It’s been good, but it’s still relatively early.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. It’s not a huge project. It doesn't have many complexities to it.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Currently, I'm the IT manager of unified communications at an integrated healthcare network in Arizona. When I worked with InnoviMobile, I held the same position at another company that offers provider healthcare management programs and supportive services. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with InnoviMobile?

We wanted to develop a customer-facing application associated with billing, incorporating monthly bills for utilization of power and other information to create a clean and easy interface for the end user. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We were looking to leverage the environment within the AirWatch platform and make that fit into the mobile application module.

What is the team dynamic?

We worked with two developers in addition to Alex [CEO, InnoviMobile].

How did you come to work with InnoviMobile?

They seemed like a leader in the space based on some conversations I’d had. After we opened discussions, I felt very confident in their previous work. Once we dove into the work, I definitely can confirm that they are a solid organization.

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent around $25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them in February 2015. The project was still in progress when I left the company, but they were making good headway in that area. I finished working with them in November 2015. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I’ve used the application that they built, and it has a very nice frontend and seems streamlined for a mobile device platform. I wasn't there when they finalized the app; I've just seen the end result. Whenever we set a date or committed a deliverable, they sent over their work a little early. I could depend on them when they said they’d have something ready by a certain date and time.

How did InnoviMobile perform from a project management standpoint?

We had weekly discussions to make sure we stayed track and hit our deadlines. As usual, the scope of the project had a little bit of creep to it, but they were flexible in managing the expansion of our requirements. They had a project manager doing the timelines, resource allocations, and other tasks. I was outside of that activity; my role was to tell them when we needed to have certain things delivered by.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They consistently offered high-quality work and a relevant vision. They provided ideas and options, and we got to choose from among those. I was very happy with the deliverables that they provided.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I was pleased with our collaboration. In fact, I had a harder time with my internal business partners than with InnoviMobile. They were comfortable to work with and conducted themselves professionally. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I was the director of a suite of products to help manage Medifit, which is a corporate fitness center management company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with InnoviMobile?

We had no in-house mobile experience and wanted to build an app quickly on a low budget. We wanted the app to automatically log people into the fitness center when they walked past a Bluetooth beacon. We already had the Bluetooth beacon and backend system. We wanted to quickly turn out a MVP to get more interest in the technology for funding the real product afterwards.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I drew out the requirements and emailed them to both my developers and InnoviMobile to show them what we wanted to develop and what we would hook into on the backend. They developed the app for iOS. We didn’t just deliver a proof of concept; we actually delivered a working model hooked into our production software.

What is the team dynamic? 

They provided one program manager and one developer.

How did you come to work with InnoviMobile?

I met Alex [CEO, InnoviMobile] at a trade show. I told him what I was trying to do. I had a small budget and little time or support. I wanted to do it quickly without going through contracts, etc. Alex agreed to that working model and the project kicked off. I had a lot of conversations with a lot of mobile companies and they were trying to sell us the world, but we weren’t there yet. Alex was more personal and was trying to solve our problem instead of building his business.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent less than $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them 4 years ago. The entire process from the first call to delivery took 2 weeks. That was the total time. They didn’t charge us for 80 hours of work they did in learning the technology we wanted to use.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We had fantastic results. We showed it to the customer and they weren’t over-awed by the kind of tech we were using or offering. It was a competitive bid situation, and I created a 6-second video on the functionality of the test app. It had an immediate effect. We were ready for more funding. In the competitive bid situation, we went right to the top as far as the vision was concerned. It was perfect.

How did InnoviMobile perform from a project management standpoint?

It was 100% perfect. We were a very lean, very Agile shop. At first, they wanted to create a requirements document, but I didn’t think we had time for that. I gave them the drawing I had created and told them I wanted them to create something that looks like what I’d drawn. I said we’d have the APIs ready to go so they could hook into the system. I asked them to talk to me every 2-3 days to show me what they’d done. That’s what they did. They’d give us an update on how much of the budget they’d spent, and we made decisions as to what functionalities we wanted to invest our money on.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The low energy Bluetooth beacon technology had just come out. This was before the Apple iBeacon. There was a learning curve for them and they had to understand a particular SDK for the Bluetooth technology we had chosen. It wasn’t a matter of taking it off the shelf and coding it; it was a matter of them learning what it is and then applying it to the solution. They guaranteed they would deliver and they were easy to work with. They didn’t just deliver— they delivered a high-quality app, on time, while maintaining constant communication. They loved the way we work and we loved that they would work that way. At the end of the day, it worked perfectly. They delivered at a good price and within a good timeframe.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. I told them what we thought would make the app great, and they nailed every single one of them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Pixidio is a startup focused on making souvenir photography a great experience for both photographers and their subjects.

I was the COO of the company. I was in charge of product management and of our development effort.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with InnoviMobile?

We were developing a mobile app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

InnoviMobile developed our iOS and Android app using the Xamarin platform. We worked with a single lead developer from InnoviMobile but there were other resources chipping in as well.

How did you come to work with InnoviMobile?

I've known InnoviMobile's principal for a number of years.

How much have you invested with InnoviMobile?

The cost of InnoviMobile's work was between $10,000 and $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project was completed, and InnoviMobile continues to work with the company.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were very satisfied with InnoviMobile's work.

How did InnoviMobile perform from a project management standpoint?

InnoviMobile was great in this respect.

What did you find most impressive about InnoviMobile?

InnoviMobile provided one of my better experiences in outsourcing development. More often than not, I'd been disappointed in this respect.

Are there any areas InnoviMobile could improve?

No. InnoviMobile completed the project on time, and it worked. I was very happy.

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

I wouldn't hesitate to recommend using InnoviMobile.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Wcities is a location-based service company providing destination, events, and sports information for different providers around the world, and for different verticals, including OEMs [original equipment manufacturers], travel, and hospitality.

I am the CEO of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with InnoviMobile?

We were building a consumer app for which we needed expertise in Android and iOS development without having to hire in-house resources.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

InnoviMobile built our native iOS and Android apps using 3–4 developers.

How did you come to work with InnoviMobile?

We looked at the landscape and reviewed InnoviMobile's portfolio for different verticals. We determined that they could perform under our timeline and expectations.

How much have you invested with InnoviMobile?

The cost of InnoviMobile's services was between $50,000 and $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with InnoviMobile 3 years ago. The apps have been completed.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

InnoviMobile's work led to positive responses, both from the press and from clients to whom we showcased the data applications. It was the best-case scenario for what we were looking to do. It was a good experience overall, and we'd use InnoviMobile again for a similar project.

How did InnoviMobile perform from a project management standpoint?

InnoviMobile used project tracking tools for our work. They were prompt and dealt with anything we brought forth.

What did you find most impressive about InnoviMobile?

InnoviMobile had good technical and communication skills, which are key for a successful project.

Are there any areas InnoviMobile could improve?

I can't recall anything.

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

I don't have specific recommendations, but InnoviMobile is a good company to work with.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Our company, SONIFI Health, is an interactive solutions provider. We deliver solutions centered on interactive devices for today's healthcare space. I am the VP of healthcare technologies for the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with InnoviMobile?

We have recently expanded our interactive solutions to include the mobile space. We have app-based solutions which run on hospital-provided tablets and patient devices.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We partnered with InnoviMobile in order to develop solutions for the mobile space. There were 4–5 developers assigned to our work, including iOS, Android, web, and database specialists.

How did you come to work with InnoviMobile?

We chose InnoviMobile through references. Another part of our parent company had utilized them in the past, after going through a vetting process. The feedback we received for InnoviMobile determined us to believe that they'd be a good vendor and partner. InnoviMobile is very respectful and helpful as a company, they listen to our needs, collaborate, innovate, propose solutions, and accept feedback. As soon as we learned that someone like that was available in the market, we jumped at the opportunity.

How much have you invested with InnoviMobile?

Our mobile application products have a typical cost of $100,000 to $250,000 each.

What is the status of this engagement?

We have been working with InnoviMobile for over 2 years. We have undergone different projects, each with a 3 to 6-month duration.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

InnoviMobile has helped us expand our product offerings. Mobile was a new interactive market for us, so we knew that we needed an expert partner. Most of our success is reflected in the results of our products. InnoviMobile met our requirements, but we've also recognized results through the sales of these products to our customers. InnoviMobile has shown an understanding of what's going on in our market, thus creating viable products for it. The customer feedback for our products has shown us that InnoviMobile's work is right on track.

How did InnoviMobile perform from a project management standpoint?

InnoviMobile is a great turnkey vendor, providing great project management tasks for our group. I can communicate requirements, timelines, and change requests to a small number of people, and have them take the input and work it through the process. As a result, I only see the results of those requests.

We don't typically require a separate in-house project manager for InnoviMobile's tasks. They are great at providing project management as a service.

What did you find most impressive about InnoviMobile?

InnoviMobile is a great technology collaborator, allowing me to present questions around mobile technology which may not be applicable to our current project, and gain access to their expertise around mobile software development. InnoviMobile is both a technology consultant and a development partner.

Are there any areas InnoviMobile could improve?

Nothing comes to mind. We've used InnoviMobile for years because they do what they say they're going to do, and they've succeeded every time.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are the third largest, investor-owned water utility in North America. I am an IT director for the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with InnoviMobile?

We needed an informative and entertaining interactive application created for the lobby of our biggest water treatment plant, allowing visitors to walk up to a 65-inch touchscreen and swipe their way through the whole water treatment process. The platform was meant as a combination of education and entertainment. Students, community groups, engineers, and people concerned about the environment come talk to us; we can use InnoviMobile's application to aid the process.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

InnoviMobile developed our application using HTML5; it features vector graphics animation. InnoviMobile assigned 3 developers to the project.

How did you come to work with InnoviMobile?

We had used InnoviMobile in the past for other interactive applications, one of them being an Android and iOS app for submitting water main breaks. When someone pedaling down the street saw a hydrant gushing water, they could pull their phone out, and with 3 taps, send a ticket to our field crew. InnoviMobile also designed several interactive animations for us, so we had a high confidence in the team's ability to deliver.

How much have you invested with InnoviMobile?

The cost of InnoviMobile's work was around $125,000 for our current project, including hardware and software development.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project was completed in 2016 and has been online since then.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

A good metric is our happy senior management. We put something together in a very short period of time, in order to inform and educate, which we never achieved so quickly in the past. The platform looks and works great.

InnoviMobile learned some of the basics of water treatment in order to create the app. It was a good project.

How did InnoviMobile perform from a project management standpoint?

InnoviMobile used solid methodologies for delivering the product, working with us interactively in order to understand our requirements. InnoviMobile had a strong project management presence, otherwise, the product couldn't have been delivered so fast and affordably. We used Basecamp for reviewing and approving the work. We could request modifications in real time, which allowed us to have fast sprints.

What did you find most impressive about InnoviMobile?

One of the differentiating factors about InnoviMobile is that they took it upon themselves to learn about our business, thus delivering a better product.

Are there any areas InnoviMobile could improve?

No. I was very happy.

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

We have worked with InnoviMobile on multiple projects, given that after the team gained an understanding of the water treatment process, it became easy to call them and ask for additional, even unrelated projects.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

SONIFI Solutions provides an app for hotel services like changing TV stations, ordering movies, and so on. Guests can also use it for ordering towels, food, etc.

I am the director of product management for the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with InnoviMobile?

We needed to build an iOS and Android mobile app which could integrate with our backend systems.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

InnoviMobile built our native iOS and Android app. This has been an ongoing project for the last 6–7 years, and we've worked with 1–2 developers for each platform from InnoviMobile at any given time. They've also built a CMS [content management system] for us using 1 developer. It has allowed us to upload different images for the properties using the app.

InnoviMobile is also providing development for the healthcare side of our business, building hospital-specific apps for some of our clients. 

How did you come to work with InnoviMobile?

When we first started our mobile development, we were working with a developer who knew InnoviMobile. We met the company and saw that they were a good fit for us.

What is the status of this engagement?

We have been working with InnoviMobile for up to 7 years. InnoviMobile has developed all the feature sets that we need at the moment, but we continue to work with them for maintenance tasks like OS updates.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We've always had very good outcomes from InnoviMobile's work. They're usually the first ones to help us out with any issues, without setting up an actual agreement.

How did InnoviMobile perform from a project management standpoint?

InnoviMobile assigned a project manager who worked with us, handling everything we needed. InnoviMobile visited us on-site, talked through everything, and went back to work on the task. We were always kept up-to-date with the progress.

Since we've had such a long collaboration, we have given InnoviMobile logins to our JIRA instance. They can follow our Scrum boards, add comments, and so on. We have also tried things like LiquidPlanner; InnoviMobile eventually catered to the approach that we wanted.

What did you find most impressive about InnoviMobile?

InnoviMobile has sat down with us at the beginning of our relationship and made an effort to understand the integration. They've asked the right questions and spent time on the front-end, making sure that what was being built was what we wanted.

Are there any areas InnoviMobile could improve?

Nothing that comes to mind. If there were, we wouldn't have continued to work with InnoviMobile.

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

Nothing off the top of my head.