Invonto

BACKGROUND

Please describe your work.

SuDoKuPDQ! is a technology startup that had created a playable competitive version of the number game Sudoku, potentially with the idea of taking it to casinos in Las Vegas and overseas. I worked with them on a freelance basis.

What was your role and responsibilities?

My job was to serve as a liaison between the ownership of SuDoKuPDQ! and the technical services providers. So, I could sort of take shareholder desires and translate those into tasks the programmers could complete.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was your goal in working with Invonto?

The goal was, of course, to get the game out in the marketplace. It was originally more than just proof of concept. It was really to create the game and make a playable version of it for demonstration purposes, then allow us to see how many services it took and how hard it was to service multiple players at the same time.

Please describe the scope of their work.

Invonto did mainly game application development, but they also provided support and served as host for the bulk of the program. The game was designed to be centralized, so that the app itself would do very little, with most everything being controlled from the server for security reasons. So, they created and hosted the administrative side of things, too.

SOLUTION

What was your process in selecting Invonto?

They were recommended to us by a company in Las Vegas who had done some tablet-based gaming for other casinos. They had worked with Invonto in the past and recommended them. Although we looked at a couple of other firms, we felt that Invonto offered the most professional service and had a good reputation. They ended up being extremely reliable.

Can you give a sense of the cost of the initiative?

SuDoKuPDQ! spent around $350,000 working with Invonto.

How long did the project take to complete?

It's been probably two years now since we completed the project, so I'd say we started maybe three years ago [2012].

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Do you have any statistics, metrics, or other feedback on the project?

The programming was well done and well documented. We had very few technical issues at all and, when small bugs popped up, they were addressed and fixed. It was kind of a moving target. The stakeholders were a little flighty, and things kind of moved around a lot. Invonto was very patient with that and were able to work with us on those kinds of issues.

Eventually, I think there were some conceptual problems with the game, not in how it was executed from a technical standpoint, but SuDoKuPDQ! didn't have enough money to market it properly and get enough people playing it. So, the game never reached any kind of critical mass.

Is there anything unique or special about Invonto that really makes them stand out?

I think they brought a lot to the table in providing their input on how they felt the game should function. It was really more of a collaboration than just telling them what was wanted and letting them do it. They made us think through things we wouldn't have done otherwise. So, I think being more of a partner than just a vendor is how they operate, and that was an advantage that we had in working with them.

Looking back on the work so far, is there any area that you think they could improve upon or something that you might do differently?

I don't think so. There's nothing from their standpoint that I would've had them do differently. I think they did a great job.

What advice would you give a future client of theirs?

I think that, as a client, the more you have your goals spelled out and know exactly what you want to achieve with your project, including measurable milestones, the better off you'll be. That's kind of how they operate. So, if you can come in there with what your expectations are, not only for business goals, but performance goals of whatever software project you're creating, you'll be better off. They'll be able to put in tools that will measure those things and measure achievements toward your goals, so that helps out a lot.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company.

We are primarily a software vendor.

What are your role and responsibilities?

I'm a director at the company, and I execute some of our strategic projects.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was your goal in working with Invonto?

We market plenty of our own products, but we were building a new product and, for portions of it, we didn't have the needed expertise in-house, so we were looking for help.

Please describe the scope of their work.

It was the Web application portion of the product that we wanted to build that we didn't have the expertise for. So, the primary role for Invonto was to do the UX [user experience] design, and then develop the UI [user interface] that would integrate with the back-end. So they owned the UX and the UI.

SOLUTION

What was your process in selecting Invonto?

We wanted to work with somebody who was in our area. Our main criterion was that we did not want somebody remote. We wanted to work with somebody that we could meet and work with personally. So, we basically reviewed quite a few vendors in a 100-mile radius, so that they would be close enough that we could work together as a team. We just felt that Invonto was the right match for us. They had the right attitude, and the passion to do the work. We simply had a connection with them that we didn't have with any other vendor. So, that was the prime reason. We also liked them and they shared some of their work with us, which showed us they could do what we were looking for.

Can you give a sense of the size of the initiative?

We've spent somewhere between $50,000 and $200,000 working with Invonto.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the results of the project?

We started working with them in 2013, I believe. We're no longer working with them since the project was completed sometime in 2014.

Do you have any statistics or metrics on the project?

The project was very successful. We worked very well together. The way we function, and the reason why we wanted somebody local, is that we like to work with our partners as one team. So, it's not that we just hand the work to someone who does the work and then gives it back to us. We didn't want that kind of partnership. So, when we worked with them, they had three people, we had three people, and the six of us worked together as one team to build the product. It was very interactive, friendly, productive, and open to feedback. It was a positive, constructive environment. The overall experience was really quite positive.

Is there anything unique or special about Invonto that really makes them stand out?

I think the best part of working with them was their ability to understand what we wanted to produce. I think that was the major factor. We were quite happy with the outcome. We started from scratch, with just an idea. We had no blueprint, we had no written requirements, and we just built everything from scratch.

Looking back on the work so far, is there any area that you think they could improve upon or something that you might do differently?

Overall, I would say that the results were quite in line with what we were expecting, but there were a few areas that we had to improve afterward on our own. So, when we took the product in-house, we fully owned it, then realized that maybe we could had done this a little differently, a little better. But, that was more of a factor of not having everything defined up front. It was an ever-evolving process.

So, do I think that we could have done something better initially? Yes. But was it possible given what was in front of us? Most likely not. I think because it was an evolving, learning process, Invonto did what we felt was best at the time. Looking back, there were some things we could have done differently, but I'm not going to say anyone did anything wrong.

What advice would you give a future client of theirs?

I don't have any suggestions specific to Invonto but, in general, always treat your partners as one of your own people. That's the key to success. Any time you do outsourcing, and you are not involved with that process, that's a recipe for failure. So, just be involved with Invonto at every stage, for everybody's benefit. Again, this suggestion is not specific to Invonto. It's just my general rule of thumb, I should say.

BACKGROUND

Please give a brief description of your company.

Employyd is a social recruitment portal. For employers, it provides features like job postings, application tracking, and sharing jobs on social media sites. It allows job seekers to create their profiles, post a video resume, and apply to jobs.

What is your role at the company?

I am the product manager

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was the business challenge that you were trying to address when you approached Invonto?

We were looking for an experienced development and technology partner that could provide full-life cycle development of Web and mobile applications. We were looking for a company that is based in the U.S. so that we can meet with them face-to-face when needed. We also wanted a development partner that can be trusted. We had prior bad experience with an offshore group that we had hired for same program, so we wanted to make sure that we do not make same mistake again.

What were your company's business goals for the project?

We wanted to get a quality app done within reasonable time. We also wanted to limit our day-to-day involvement on the project so that we can focus more on business front.

Can you talk about the scope of the project?

Employyd is a full-featured social recruitment portal and job board. We have a Web application, tablet applications for iOS and Android and phone application for iOS.

SOLUTION

What was your process for selecting Invonto with which to work?

We talked with almost 10 different developers before short listing to three, including Invonto. Then, we met with each one of them, talked with their references, and received a formal proposal. We felt that Invonto stood out because they seemed genuine, honest, and matched our company culture. They also have entire team based in the USA, so that also weighed in our decision-making process.

Can you give a sense of the size of the project in dollar terms or personnel work hours?

[The cost was approximately] $640,000 [at approximately] 5,000 work hours.

When was the project completed?

The first version was completed earlier last year. We continue to work with Invonto team for making further improvements on both the Web and mobile applications.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the results of the project, and are there any metrics you can share?

We do not have any metrics but, overall, we were pleased with the outcome. In a short amount of time after the launch, we have more than 600 companies that are using our platform and are very happy with the overall quality and performance.

How did Invonto perform?

They did really well. We had to change our scope a few times during development cycle, and they were able to add more development staff so that project can be delivered within deadline. They are a very easy to work with group – highly knowledgeable and well rounded.

When working with them, was there anything unique or special about them compared to other companies that you may have worked with?

They integrated really well with our business and worked as our internal team would, even though they were hired consultants. They also brought a lot of value-add to the table from their other experiences and often saved us money.

Looking back on the project, is there any area that they could improve or you would do differently?

We wish Invonto was the first company that we had hired.

What advice would you give to a future client of theirs?

These guys know their subject, so please listen to all their input. It will help you achieve best results. They are worth every penny.