Intuz

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm a senior product manager at a cybersecurity company

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Intuz?

After a few years of collecting input from the market and our client base, we are making new versions of several products. We engaged Intuz as a partner that could help accelerate that product development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Intuz provides the full suite of development, as well as the management resources to lead the developers for this contract. We’re developing a couple of different products in parallel that will converge at some point. We’ve relied on them for cross-platform development of products for web and mobile devices. They work predominately with iOS, but we’ve also designed the backends to support Android and desktop. Additionally, we’ve tasked them with C, C++, Swift, and Django support.

What is the team composition?

We appreciate that Intuz has provided the resources for the project as necessary. At one point, we’d only be working with the project manager and architects, and other times, we’d have up to 10 developers working with us.

How did you come to work with Intuz?

We came across a couple of white papers they had put together in the market area we were developing products for. Through those white papers, they demonstrated the technical capabilities and understanding of the market that we desired. Once we contacted and met with them, it was apparent they brought the extensive management oversight necessary to make a successful offshoring relationship.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement began in January 2019 and remains ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

So far, they have met every deliverable date defined during each of the scrums. They have routinely delivered on time or ahead of schedule. They continue to provide valuable feedback, as opposed to just executing to the orders. They’ve been an excellent partner in this relationship. They bring a lot of development experience to the table and ensure that we’re not making requests outside of the scope or that could impact the security or stability of the solution.

How did Intuz perform from a project management standpoint?

They bring project management and project analysis to the table. We’ve worked with offshore developers who have had trouble staying on task. Intuz brings a different layer of control to our engagement, which has resulted in a positive experience with the developers.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They have capable project managers, as opposed to just a stable of developers. Their industry experience has helped keep the projects moving forward and aligned with our schedule.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It sometimes takes a little bit of time to understand the big picture, but that’s as much on our organization to articulate it clearly as it is on their organization to understand it. Once everything clicked, they've been focused on producing reliable code.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I’d advise future clients to make sure they have all of the resources in place ahead of time so that you’re not introducing delays to the Intuz team. Once they engage, they go full speed. We caused all of the delays in our project because we were not as prepared as we could have been.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder of an Australian design agency that provides strategy, design, and development services.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Intuz?

Intuz has provided a range of development services over the years. For our most recent project, we needed additional resources to develop both the iOS and Android versions of our mobile app. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement? 

We’ve worked with Intuz on a few projects, including a health and fitness app as well as several websites. The extent of their services typically depends on the project at hand and whether or not we have documentation.

Currently, we’ve been working on an app that I plan to launch with my business partner. I’ve provided them with the design, but they’d already done quite a lot of R&D and helped create the user experience beforehand.

Since we knew that our iOS platform would eventually come to Android, we kept that in mind as we designed the frontend for the iOS version. They then built the whole backend and middleware to be compatible with Android technology. We’re still working to refine our app.

What is the team composition? 

There have been different project managers for each project as well as developers.

How did you come to work with Intuz?

I originally heard about Intuz through a mutual contact. I interviewed them, along with a few other recommended companies, and tried them out for the fitness app. That went really well, so it was an obvious choice to keep working with them.

How much have you invested with them?

For this project alone, we’ve spent about $20,000–$25,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

Their work for this project started in October 2018 and is ongoing. They delivered the first version around January 2019, but we haven’t released it yet and have made quite a few changes since.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re still doing a lot of research for this recent project, so there aren’t any metrics to speak of. There were a few expected bugs, but Intuz has always reacted quickly to remedy them. For other projects that we’ve launched, they’ve provided ongoing support, which is excellent.

How did Intuz perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re great to work with and are flexible with our time. Because I have a tech background, I understand how demanding my requirements can be, and I often give last-minute changes as I’m being briefed. Regardless, they’re proactive and can really put their foot down to build solutions or prototypes as soon as we need them.

Over the last two years, communication has become really clear. We use their project management tool to coordinate tasks and talk through Skype. On our current project, I’ll sometimes leave comments for the dev team directly on my design documents, which allows me to answer any questions directly.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Having done a few projects with them, I find that they’re flexible and quick to answer. I know they’re always there to help whenever I’m facing a last-minute brief on a project. They’re good at growing teams to meet our needs and can speed up their work as required. Moreover, if they know they’ll miss a deadline, they tell me, which is a testament to the solid communication we’ve built.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, not that I can see.

Do you have any advice for potential customers? 

Explain your long-term vision to them because they’ll often provide insightful comments on the technical components behind it. That’s what I’ve done for my current project, and they’ve advised me on how to develop the backend to be compatible with my future Android app. Their team has seen a lot, so they’re able to do more than just the development side of things.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the founder and CEO of a healthcare-tech platform/marketplace. I oversee product development, general strategy, and business development.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Intuz?

We hired Intuz to replace an existing development firm and help us design and develop a platform that connects families with healthcare providers. The platform consists of web, iOS, and Android apps. 

What were your goals for this project? 

Our goals were to take a concept from the ideation phase to a commercially available product. We wanted to make sure our brand and product were innovative and inclusive while still performing at the same level as larger, "big budget" platforms. Once available, we hope to see over 2,000 downloads in the first nine months with over 500 listed professionals.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We’d previously worked with an expensive development agency, but they weren’t performing at the level that we expected. As a result, we put out an RFP to a wide range of agencies to take over our project. After an extensive review process, we selected Intuz as our partner based on their robust due diligence performed on us. 

Describe the project in detail. 

Intuz is our trusted partner in helping our company design and develop our product. It’s a technology platform/marketplace that helps families find and connect with healthcare providers and ancillary service providers. The platform features professional and client profiles (with access authorization). They've also integrated invoicing and payment processing and secure messaging.

The engagement has consisted of concept scoping, a discovery phase, and product design as well as end-to-end development for our web and mobile applications. The app required a mastery of integrating reputable third-party integrations to meet complex cybersecurity needs as dictated in US healthcare regulations.

What was the team composition?

We have an incredibly helpful and enthusiastic project manager who has quarterbacked the development and design process. Additionally, there are several software developers and a QA team. Intuz’s head of delivery has also been significantly involved, lending years of experience on more strategic and complex matters.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

While we haven’t launched officially, Intuz has far exceeded our expectations. They’ve developed an innovative, clean, high-performing platform that’s on par with some of the more prominent apps on the market. 

Both the web and mobile apps are extremely impressive. They boast a clean flow and user experience and are nearly bug-free. If we find any remaining bugs, Intuz is quick to work them out. We’re lucky to have found Intuz and look forward to working with them on an ongoing basis. 

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs? 

The workflow between our teams has been very effective. Their project manager and head of delivery are extremely enthusiastic about our product, and we’ve thoroughly enjoyed a fun, collaborative working relationship. Since we’re based in the US, the team consistently works late so as to accommodate our working hours. In addition, they’re quick to respond and confirm our feedback. We use a simple collaboration software as well as Skype Messenger to coordinate the project.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I’m impressed by their enthusiasm for our product and demonstrated hard work put behind it. When we came into the project, we already had a concrete idea of what we wanted, and Intuz’s team has consistently created further value by suggesting feature and workflow additions, deletions, and adjustments. They’ve also conducted internal QA checks as well as performance optimizations on their own accord. It’s clear that they have pride in their work, and this has not gone unnoticed by us.

Are there any areas for improvement?

If I had to choose one area for improvement, I’d suggest that Intuz focuses on confirming their understanding with their clients on some of the more obscure or unclear tasks. This would be beneficial for both sides. That being said, we’ve found our experience with Intuz to be world-class.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the co-founder and director of operations for an online marketplace for local artists. We help individuals immerse themselves in the surrounding culture and sell their artwork.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Intuz?

We hired Intuz to create our iOS and Android app from scratch. Additionally, we wanted a web-based backend control panel.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to launch the final product to the App Store and the Google Play Store.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We chose Intuz because of how communicative and skilled they were during our first discussion. They were also within our budget.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

We supplied Intuz with the designs for the apps and they built the platform based on those. After this, they provided backend development for the app’s control panel.

What was the team composition?

We had two project managers throughout the project and they provided developers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were able to launch a product to the app stores with all fundamental changes and improvements that we desired.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Because of the changing project manager, there was occasional miscommunication about our vision for the app’s features. Aside from this, the management was effective and they answered any questions we had.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their strong development skills made them valuable to us.

Are there any areas for improvement?

It would have been helpful for us if Intuz supplied one main point of contact for the entire project. Additionally,  making changes to the app was time-consuming, and it would have been beneficial if they could find a way to speed up that process.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the manager of an online website that sells handmade crafts in Saudi Arabia.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Intuz?

We wanted to be able to gather people who do handmade crafts and put them all on one online platform in our country.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We told Intuz about our idea for a user-friendly site that people could easily sell and purchase items on, and they built a WordPress site. They used a template but also added requested features. We recently finished the AWS portion of our project and are now working on the payment gateway.

What is the team composition?

We have an account manager and five other team members.

How did you come to work with Intuz?

We searched online for the best website creators, and Intuz came up in the top 15. We contacted them and three other agencies, but Intuz had the best communication and offered all the services we needed.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent over $25,000, which is a good price compared to other companies.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working with them since November 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We haven’t launched yet, so we don’t have any metrics.

How did Intuz perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re professional and clearly explain what they can offer. We sometimes have delays, but it’s not always Intuz’s fault.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They have great communication and walk us through every step of the project. We have Skype calls before starting a new stage, and they give us a few days to review the plan and provide feedback. Other partners aren’t nearly as transparent or organized.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, we’re extremely happy with how things are going. We hope we can launch soon.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Be realistic about the deadline.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of My Cadena Solutions, a company that develops customized software for clients.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Intuz?

We were building a new environment for our clients and needed technical expertise to develop a scalable web dev platform. We wanted to leverage up-to-date technology such as cloud services.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The project with Intuz had two main phases: creating the technology platform stack and an auto continuous integration environment. They quickly built the stack using a few AWS automated templates for cloud formation, taking less than a week to tailor it to our needs. The auto continuous integration environment allows us to constantly push new code updates without having to turn down the site. It delivers the code automatically once it’s gone through testing.

What is the team composition?

We worked with an account manager and a project lead who oversaw both phases.

How did you come to work with Intuz?

We were looking for an affordable partner with expertise in cloud services. I found Intuz online and saw they had experience with AWS, and their stacks looked promising. We got in touch to talk about our project, and we hired them.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent a little over $2,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from September–October 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It would normally take months to create the environment they built, but they did it much faster. Their stack has improved our platform, so we can now easily and quickly scale from tens to hundreds of thousands of users. We don’t have to manually add or remove servers anymore; the new environment does that all for us, which saves time and money. We can now scale based on the ebbs and flows of our business, which is a huge improvement.

How did Intuz perform from a project management standpoint?

They followed a transparent methodology and managed the project well from start to finish.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We were impressed by their project management and ability to address any of our needs. They were flexible and accommodating throughout the entire engagement, and the whole team was friendly. Even when our scope wasn’t fully defined, they went above and beyond to address problems without charging extra.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s always room for improvement when it comes to person-to-person interaction. However, the team was extremely skilled and provided support in an area we didn’t know well.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Have your project scope and requirements fleshed out as best as possible. It will help both sides communicate well and set expectations.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the owner and CEO of a mobile app that allows local businesses to promote their products at a discounted rate, providing them the opportunity to obtain new customers and improve visibility. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Intuz?

I hired them to develop my app.

What were your goals for this project?

The goal was to create my ideal app within a limited budget and narrow time constraints. 

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

The company I initially contacted showed very little interest in developing my idea and declined to follow up with me. Intuz’s sales representative, on the other hand, was quick to respond, which gave me immediate confidence. I also visited their website to decide if their work matched their claim, and just a few minutes on their attractive, well-organized site convinced me to select them. 

Can you go into detail about the services they provided and the scope of the project?

I already had my preferred functionality in mind, which I detailed in a 3-D PowerPoint presentation. My vision was sufficient, but their creation was infinitely better. Since I was particular about the design, there was a lot of dialogue back and forth as I selected and approved various aspects. Despite a few small changes, the final product exactly matched my original idea. 

What was the team composition?

The team consisted of about eight people, with each individual assigned a specific role. My project manager was excellent. He was reliable and consistently responded to my questions or suggestions. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Though I would have preferred completion by the August deadline, the app was fairly complex and required an additional two months to finalize. But, because I decided to wait for perfection rather than rush into a flawed product, the delay had no effect whatsoever on my business.

I am truly amazed at the outcome. The app is better than I imagined and has generated positive feedback. I plan to work with them again soon for upgrades and future projects.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Project management was arranged very well. Communication, conducted via Skype and a project management system, was generally smooth and I had no issues. Their hours were slightly limited due to the 10-hour time difference; meetings were scheduled specifically between either 11:00 AM and 1:00 AM or 6:00 AM and 10:00 AM EDT. Although they missed the deadline, the product was impressive and well worth the extra time spent on it. 

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Intuz invested more effort than I expected given my budget. They were trustworthy, considerate, and flexible with me, even when my banking transactions did not proceed as planned. They are truly the best company, and I would recommend them to anyone. 

Are there any areas where they can improve?

This was an entirely positive experience and Intuz treated me well. It is worth noting, however, that their heavy accents may pose a barrier to communication. I would suggest that future clients be as clear and detailed as possible.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the tech lead for a company that creates and posts videos and informational content for healthcare professionals in India on our website and mobile apps.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Intuz?

We hired Intuz for iOS app development to further our goals to make our videos more widely accessible.

What were your goals for this project?

To build an intuitive, user-focused app while emphasizing the security of our content.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

They have a great reputation, and their initial quote offered a greater value for our money compared to other vendors.

Describe the project in detail.

As part of the iOS app, we implemented a highly complex Apple FairPlay digital rights management (DRM) module to provide the highest level of security possible for our videos. We also worked collaboratively to implement a PDF reader, a login portal, signup functions, and subscription/referral management features.

What was the team composition?

We worked with a relatively large team with a dedicated project manager, an app designer, multiple app developers, and several QA specialists.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have successfully launched our iOS app within the projected timeline and budget, and it’s received a great amount of praise from our users. We haven’t experienced any bugs since the app went live on the App Store. We’re planning to develop subsequent updates for the app with Intuz.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Their approach to project management emphasized constant communication and timely flagging of risks. They used a dedicated project management system to manage shared files and messages. Throughout the project, their team adhered to a clear-cut scope document and delivered according to our estimated timelines.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Intuz is unique in its team’s ability to communicate with the client. They foster a collaborative environment and genuinely contribute with suggestions that are relevant to our business. Intuz understands that app development is a creative process and requires an agile, iterative manner of implementation, which they execute beautifully. Also, the Intuz team was patient and professional in working with multiple vendors involved in the app integration workflows.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Intuz can improve on the design aspects of their projects, namely the project fonts and overall look and feel.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of a mobile app startup called PDF Ninja. It’s a lightweight PDF manager and converter. In addition to converting files on the go, it also allows users to scan documents and save them as PDFs.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Intuz?

I approached them to implement enhancements to my iOS app and start a marketing campaign. I wanted to improve my product’s value proposition by increasing its number of downloads and purchases.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

After improving the scanner function, Intuz was supposed to add an editing feature and a file management component using folders. Finally, they needed to develop a freemium selling structure for the iOS App Store.

What is the team dynamic?

It didn’t feel like we were partners in the collaboration, and they weren’t passionate about the project. They seemed to have a high employee turnover rate. Within six months, our account manager changed five times, which was disappointing. The person who initially worked with us no longer worked there, and, as a result, their team forgot some of their promises and commitments.

How did you come to work with Intuz?

I found them online and decided to go with them based on their ratings.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $7,826,087 COP ($2,700 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

Their work lasted from January–June 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Describe the impact this engagement has had on your business.

Despite the costs, they put in minimal effort. The final product was poor and still had bugs. They even introduced new technical issues into our previous developments.

How was project management handled?

They appeared to be a serious company. The team was well organized and had an established structure and process. In terms of communication, it was easy to reach them, and they typically responded quickly.

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

As I mentioned, we could easily contact them, and they remained responsive.

In what specific areas can they improve?

The process itself was bureaucratic and slow. After multiple tests, the final product still had bugs. As a result, I hesitate to trust them anymore.

UPDATED REVIEW

This review was updated on July 31st, 2018 by the client. The original star ratings were: Overall - 1, Quality – 0.5, Schedule - 4, Cost – 0.5, NPS - 1.  New content is below.

What has changed since the last review? Did the scope of work incorporate anything new? 

The scope of work remained the same. Intuz contacted me to negotiate a way to improve our satisfaction as customers. We came to an agreement on how to proceed. They fixed everything that wasn't working properly in our application. Now, we are satisfied with the final product. 

Originally, you said the team didn't seem very passionate about the product and had a high turnover rate. Has that changed? 

After they re-engaged us, the working dynamic improved considerably. They assigned us more skilled and senior resources and have maintained regular contact on a weekly basis. 

What results and impacts on your company have INTUZ produced with this second engagement? 

We lasted 3-4 months without having a definite solution as they sent bill after bill each week that weren’t being fulfilled 100%. Once a manager with a superior position in their company got involved, he put a lot of pressure on the team and dramatically improved our results. Tasks have started getting accomplished much faster. In a matter of 3-4 weeks, we solved all the problems we'd been grappling with for 4-5 months. We saw a drastic change for the better. They found a system that works well for us. 

Has their project management style improved? 

I don't know much about their organization's internal processes. We kept working on the same basis with weekly meetings. During the build, we provided constant feedback based on our observations. Whether or not they changed the way they work, Intuz starting reaching solutions much faster than they were before. 

Is there any other information you'd like to include? 

Communication was the best part of our work with Intuz. They offer quick responses to our questions. Since our meeting with the new senior manager, everything has gone smoothly.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the owner of Live 4 It Locations. We are a sports, activities, events, and volunteering app directory.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Intuz?

I didn’t have much computing knowledge but had the idea for an app. I wanted to find a company to successfully create the app for me.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We decided to develop the app on both iOS and Android. I relayed to them wireframes and business plan I created. They implemented my ideas, added some other good features, and took feedback on what I liked and didn't like. They also helped me with my logo. Using my rough drafts, they came up with some logo designs and some advice for which designs they thought was better based on their experience. After approving the features and designs I wanted, they coded the app together.

How did you come to work with Intuz?

I did a lot of market research and looked at reviews. I approached about eight companies before Intuz. Their salesperson sounded professional, and the services they were offering seemed a lot better than all the other vendors.

How much have you invested in them?

I spent around £21,000 Pounds ($27,869 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them from December 2017–May 2018.  

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We received positive feedback, and customers said they looking forward to using the app for additional events once it is fully functioning. We received only one three-star review on Android with no details as to why the app was bad. The rest were all five-star ratings.

Customers and friends also commented that the logo looks fantastic. I really appreciated their designs, because they showcased our company's image in an excellent way. Overall, Intuz were brilliant.

How did Intuz perform from a project management standpoint?

Our project manager was absolutely fantastic. Anytime I had a question, she would reply very quickly. If she wasn’t sure, she would be honest with me and find the right person for me to speak to. When we first started out, I was in the US working on a boat, and we were delayed by a day due to the time difference. As soon as I came back, we were talking every day and it was great.

They had a messaging system for project management. If I needed to get a hold of the project manager quickly, I sent them a Skype message.

What did you find most impressive about them?

When I was looking around for app development companies, other companies try to explain things over the phone. Intuz was the only vendor who actually shared their screen with me and presented a PowerPoint presentation. Their organization and how professional they were stood out to me from the start.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There were some grammatical things I had to read a few times to understand what they were trying to say. However, once I understood what they meant, it was fairly clear. I can’t really fault them anything major.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Try to really round out your understanding and knowledge of app software. Occasionally when Intuz wrote to me, they used technical abbreviations. As I did not come from a very technical background, it took some time on Google to understand their abbreviations.