iPF Softwares

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am Project Operations Manager at Tanzania Securities Limited. We are licensed investment advisors, stockbrokers, and fund managers in Tanzania. We are the first stock broker to be licensed in Tanzania, in 1994.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire iPF Softwares?

We have been offering fund management services for about 10 years. For those 10 years, our process is still the same as we started, we still use one Excel file for operations and client's database.

IPF won a bid to support us in developing the Business Requirement Specification, Software Requirement Specification and design of the newly Fund Management System that will replace the current Excel, offer a client interface and maintain a database to the cloud.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We issued the TERMS OF REFERENCE on our website and social media, also send copies to software development companies in Tanzania, we received 11 applications. After three rounds of filtering, IPF was selected due the following factors:

1. Experience: IPF excelled when we compared the projects they have worked on
2. Value for money: we believe we were getting what we paid, their price was not just fair, but reasonable.
3. Promptness: during the whole process, IPF showed efficient communication

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

The project started JAD - Joint Application Design session, IPF team came to our offices for two days. From the JAD session, IPF delivered the Business Requirement Specification document. In later days, the project management office started daily engagement sessions which enabled IPF to understand our business process.

During this time, the Software Design Specification document was taking shape and the design of the system was developed and share with us via Adobe XD.

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

In total, we worked with 3 people; UI/UX Designer, Business Analyst and Project Manager

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The end result and the entire process for the realization of our Core Fund Management System has helped our organization to realize the following:

1. Flows within our current operations/process
2. The potential of growing our customer base and revenue by going digital
3. We have received great feedback from the internal team and clients with whom we shared the design, now the pressure is to build the system faster
4. The maker checker embedded in the designed, solved major rick and compliance issued we have been facing while using duplicated Excel files

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

They were easy to communicate with and provided us with frequent updates. We had both in-person meetings and phone calls, but most feedback was through a WhatsApp group, which we were most familiar with. Everything was delivered on time

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

In our company, this was the second attempt to digitize our operations, but this time we were blown away by how IPF's Business Analyst took the time to understand our business. This time, we spend little effort to communicate our business processes, but the results were more than what we expected. It seems as if IPF was one member of out team at TSL

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

From what I have seen from other organisations - I think IPF are better off, nothing I can think of on top of my head that they can improve.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there? 

I’m the regional coordinator for East Africa Community (EAC) Youth Ambassadors Platform.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with iPF Softwares?

We needed to create an online presence to connect with our intended audience.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We explained our needs and goals to iPF Softwares. We also provided them with the content they needed. After that, they developed and designed the website, and they submitted their work for approval throughout the process.

In the end, the platform featured photos, links to our social media pages, and allowed our users to submit questions and comments, which we could respond to in our blog. Last but not least, the team showed us how to do updates, so that we could maintain the website ourselves. 

What is the team composition? 

We worked with a project manager and designers.

How did you come to work with iPF Softwares?

They were referred by a trusted source. We called them to discuss the project and decided to work together.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent less than $3,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from March–November 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our website allowed us to be organized and have a better way of reaching out to the youth. Overall, we were quite satisfied with the work they did for us. The feedback we received was positive, too.

How did iPF Softwares perform from a project management perspective?

They did a great job despite the time difference. We used WhatsApp, email, and Slack for communication and weekly meetings.

What did you find most impressive about them? 

They presented all the options that they had and advised us on what they felt would be the best choice. However, they never push too hard, so we could still choose what we believed was best.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Some things were lost in translation, due to a language barrier. Perhaps they could have a translator on staff to minimize misunderstandings.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I’d definitely recommend working with them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the CEO of Flying Dream Company Ltd., a business development service provider that supports smallholder farmers to work effectively in the agricultural sector.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with iPF Softwares?

We were trying to digitize our service to strengthen the relationships among investors. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

iPF Softwares is designing and developing a digital platform powered by AI. We’re currently in the design process, but are preparing for the next stage. We’ll develop an interactive prototype with integrated features to mobilize funds to keep the project going during the next phase. 

The platform will provide preliminary information and market and financial services for users. Essentially, smallholder farmers, financial institutions, and potential investors can exchange information to see how to best trade agricultural products. 

What is the team composition?

I work with several teammates from iPF Softwares, including Grayson (Founding Partner and Business Development Lead), Aliko (Creative Lead), and Nelson (Strategy Lead and Founding Partner). 

How did you come to work with iPF Softwares?

I was referred to iPF Softwares, and after traveling to their office, I was satisfied with the services they provided compared to other companies I’d met.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our partnership with iPF Softwares began in October 2021, and it’s ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

iPF Softwares has provided a lot of development insight into our project that we weren’t aware of before, including our end goals. We’ve evaluated the deliverables and their team for every stage of the project, and we’ve been very satisfied with the results. We’ve received what we wished for — iPF Softwares delivered beyond what we expected. 

How did iPF Softwares perform from a project management standpoint?

iPF Softwares communicates clearly and delivers on time — we were satisfied with their project management. We have a simple plan set up that we’ve followed throughout the project — iPF Softwares has finished the first stage of the project within our timeline. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

iPF Softwares has excellent service, which sets them apart from the other development firms who can only develop platforms but lack customer service expertise. iPF Softwares provides us with amazing, innovative resources and sets out good development plans. Their team is very open to feedback to ensure they deliver our expected results. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything iPF Softwares can improve. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I’d suggest future customers go into the partnership with a basic idea, and then iPF Softwares can help guide them toward their desired outcome. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a social innovation advisor at Palladium Group. We are an innovation donation program.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with iPF Softwares?

We wanted to bring together innovation stakeholders. Since we’ve been a unique innovation program, we always get requests from other donor partners, investors, and governments to provide information and data on the innovation ecosystem. 

We’ve been curating that data in reports, and we developed a WordPress website back in 2013 to collect this data and share it. However, it was very limited, and we couldn’t scale it to the point where the community could be contributing to the database. One of the challenges we had was to find a local team with the skills to develop such a platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

iPF Softwares developed an open-source platform that was essentially an open listing of innovation ecosystem stakeholders. We provided repositories for download, and we allowed other organizations to integrate their platforms using the API.

The organizations could go into the platform, register, and then map their solution, organization, or organizations around their area of work. It was basically a web app that visualized data on the innovation ecosystem of Tanzania and we hope to scale it to other countries soon.

What is the team composition?

We worked with around six people, including a scrum master who managed the work plan of the deliverables. In addition, there was a copywriter, a tester, an API developer, and a backend developer.

How did you come to work with iPF Softwares?

iPF Softwares had been in my network for a while. I worked with them before on other projects. We launched a tender for local organizations, and after a very long evaluation and assessment, we chose iPF Softwares. They showed great technical understanding and management of the project, and they also knew various stakeholders. 

When it came to project management, implementing agile methodology, setting up a proper team, brainstorming, and coming up with proper concepts, iPF Softwares came out on top. 

Other teams had good technical skills but didn’t understand designing with the user and making proper UX designs. We also found other groups who were good with UI design but couldn’t handle a project with many different aspects. We wanted to add code to the project, so we did a couple of tests with them, too.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together through September 2020-February 2021. We are looking at keeping them on board because of their expertise and ability to maintain the code and long-term projects.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The project exceeded our goals. We received more than the original scope. Looking at what other people pay, the estimated value was around £30,000-£40,000 (approximately $41,000–$55,000 USD), which is more than we spent. 

How did iPF Softwares perform from a project management standpoint?

Even though most service providers don’t have internal processes that could give clients peace of mind, iPF Softwares invested a lot of time building their team’s capacity. They had systems and internal tools in place to manage the tender. 

I worked as the project manager and kept track of them as time went on. One of the things I enjoyed from the beginning was they took us through the tools. I got to understand how they kept their dates and set their week — it was easy and useful and I became part of their team. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

iPF Softwares was a young team that was around 3-4 years out of university. They managed to invest in building their organization and internal processes. They also learned how to service clients and were competing globally with companies in India and Europe. 

It’s impressive that even with the challenges of working in Tanzania and studying there, they’d managed to offer world-class services. They were very agile and flexible. They tried to be quick and innovative in how they worked — they worked like they had been around for 20 years.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They knew how to implement what the client wanted, but they could improve on advising what would work best for the client, too.  

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Agree on timelines, the user interface, and the user design upfront so then they can work on the backend and deliver. Be generous when it comes to your budgets and be flexible. They’re good at experimenting and coming up with new implementations, which may be costly but good for the project.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Unleashed Africa Social Ventures. We are a startup working in the creative enterprise development sector.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with iPF Softwares?

We needed to create a digital platform based on our prototype.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We had done market research and gathered information, which we shared with iPF Softwares. We collaborated on ideation, working to conceptualize what was needed to bring the prototype to life. They are helping us create the platform.

Rise Up is a progressive web app (PWA) for young girls that provides training and access to information and learning content. The app presents ways to tackle the problems of teenage pregnancy and AIDS, along with a plethora of information on other issues that young girls face. There will be a payment gateway and integration of APIs to allow better data collection, as well as a better backend for our clients.

iPF Softwares is currently beginning the second phase of development, which will include Android applications.

What is the team composition?

The team consists of 4–6 people, including two engineers, a scrum master, and a QA manager. The size of the team shifts depending on the project needs.

How did you come to work with iPF Softwares?

I knew of them prior to this project, and my friend recommended them. We received several applications for the project. I had chosen another company but felt uncomfortable with them. 

I reached out to iPF Softwares team and was impressed by their ability to understand the complexities of the project and our vision. Their ability to break down the project and commit time to making it come together was also impressive.

How much have you invested with them?

We have invested $20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together around July 2019, and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

During the first phase, we focused on Tanzania, and we have plans to scale to more markets. We have been able to build a community of over 5,000 girls we can monitor and evaluate. The team has been flexible. They have incredible systems and processes to help us visualize the data and put it on paper, and they take full ownership of the project. They’re connected with the problem we’re trying to address, and it shows.

With the PWA, we were clear there were many things that had to be tested and figured out. We are in constant communication, and they are on top of every crash that occurs. I don’t believe we could have gotten better results working with anybody else.

How did iPF Softwares perform from a project management standpoint?

They introduced us to many project management tools to build and track the process. We have daily standups and weekly scrum meetings. They take Agile to a different level with extremely detailed documentation of each meeting. The communication pipeline is strong; we use WhatsApp, phone, and online or in-person meetings.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Project management is a strength of theirs, and they iterate every time something isn’t working. They fully understand the particular problems we are trying to solve and all of the related pain points. They also never make anyone on my team feel foolish when discussing technical things.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there are no areas for improvement. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be open to sharing more with them. The more they understand, the more able they are to fully grasp your long-term goals.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and business developer for Niajiri Platform, an online talent management platform that started operating in Tanzania in 2018.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with iPF Softwares?

iPF Softwares helped us build the Niajiri Platform. The challenge that I was trying to solve was transforming our acquisition process and building our application tracking system; I was trying to transform our traditional recruitment process into a technology that had more data and oversight. 

Apart from that, we also wanted to rebuild our learning management system (LMS). For context, when we originally built this LMS, people only used it once, and they had no reason to use it again. As a result, we wanted to troubleshoot where we went wrong. We wanted to remodel it to have an interactive platform where people had a reason to come back. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Everything that users see and get from the Niajiri Platform has been curated and built by the iPF team. We've drawn wireframes together even though I know nothing about front- and backend coding. I oversee how things should look and feel, but iPF is technically our CTO. They’re also the ones who go out and pitch to customers, and they answer questions about who we are from a technical point of view. Moreover, the iPF team does all the integrations and evolutions on the platform’s backend. 

Our platform does talent acquisition, applicant tracking, and talent pipeline generation. It also has integrations, data tracking, and machine learning (ML) capabilities. There’s a leaderboard where people can get points, which allow them to go higher on the said leaderboard. When an employer is looking for talents, those who engage more on their profiles will be higher on the employer's list. In other words, iPF has developed an HR tool that we operate in two ways. On one end, we sell it to employers as a licensed tool. On the other end, it’s a platform for talents to sign up on. 

We’re also currently rebuilding an LMS, and the whole process is interactive. We provide the content and tell them the interactions that we want to be available, and it’s up to the iPF team to figure out how they can make it an interactive and engaging platform. 

What is the team composition?

We work with a QA analyst, a project leader, two front- and backend developers, and one UI/UX designer. 

How did you come to work with iPF Softwares?

Our first interaction was in 2015. We met iPF via a common friend, and at that time, I was looking to make a website. I already had their contact, so I reached out to them. They were able to do our website, which was a typical website for a consulting firm. As a result, when I was looking for a vendor to develop our platform, I hired them.

How much have you invested with them?

To date, we’ve spent around $100,000, including the direct cost of tools, integrations, maintenance, and everything else that we’re doing. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working on this project in June 2017, and the engagement is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The platform has been successful. We’ve been able to work with a prominent bank and handle their training programs. Our platform has taken on more than 1,000 applications a day, and the fact that our system can handle those applications tells us that it’s scalable. On another front, two people have reached out to me to look for a developer. I’ve recommended iPF, and I’ve seen them servicing those people properly. 

Anecdotally, I thought I’d only need them one time, but we’ve seen different iterations, screens, and versions of the platform. Now, they’re glued to my hip. Overall, our interactions with iPF Softwares have seen so much growth in terms of their team and leadership. I’m excited to see all the projects that they’ll build and work on in and out of Tanzania

How did iPF Softwares perform from a project management standpoint?

We’ve communicated using email and physical meetups, but over the last 2–3 years, they’ve started adopting the agile methodology. We’ve had regular sprint and goal-setting meetings. Since 2020, we’ve gone all virtual, and I’ve seen a difference in the quality of the work they’re bringing to the table and the understanding of what we’re doing from one sprint to the next. We’ve also achieved a lot more in terms of the tools and technologies.

On top of that, they care about building a family; iPF Softwares supports their staff. When we get to share bread with them, they project their culture as a family instead of just a business team. That also filters through the way they’re thinking and interacting with others. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

The most impressive thing about them is their passion for what they’re doing. They don’t just take on projects; they’re honestly passionate about them. They stay up late trying to figure out the challenges that we have. They’ve moved from being an external consultant working on a project to being a provider that actually believes in our vision for transforming and building people’s skills. 

In other words, they buy into our vision; we’ve told them who we are and what we’re doing, and they’ve become a part of us. They also let me know if there are areas where I don’t make sense, so we have engaging discussions.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Sometimes, people buy into visions so much, but those visions might not always feed them. It might be in iPF Softwares’ best interest to take on projects that have a business side to them. In terms of their portfolio, they may take on projects that are purely for business while being more invested in other ones. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you’re looking for a team of developers that delivers world-class services and holds themselves accountable, work with iPF Softwares. They don’t come up with excuses because excuses can be made to explain everything. Get them on board if you want a team that will help you grow and build whatever you’re trying to achieve. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work with Chomoka, which is a social enterprise startup. We’re based in Tanzania but have operations across the African continent. We work with rural, community-based women and savings groups to bring technology to the bottom of the pyramid.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with iPF Softwares?

We hired iPF Softwares as our primary software provider.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

iPF Softwares has co-developed our mobile apps and backend systems. We recruited them when we had an MVP already built for our Android mobile app. They took the MVP and have made many iterations to make it fit for market. Over the last two years, they’ve been in charge of adding new features or improvements to the app. The app is designed to operate offline, and it has different options for syncing data depending on connectivity. 

The application is live in the market now, but they’re still assisting us with any ongoing work or features. They’re our only software provider that maintains our core products. They have also developed backend systems to support our data analysis, as well as several API connections to different vendors and partners of ours. 

What is the team composition?

I’ve worked with around 6–7 people from their team, including an Android engineering lead, a backend engineering lead, a QA, a backend engineer, a frontend engineer, and a business development manager. 

How did you come to work with iPF Softwares?

We went through a selection process with around 6–8 different software companies; some are on the African continent, and some are not. We did a skill-based and location and price assessments. 

We ended up with three finalists, and iPF Softwares stood out from that list of three. They were the most up-to-date company in developing to a modern way and changing global environment. They also had a connection with the market where we were trying to launch our product and understood the local context of the area, which firms from other areas wouldn’t have.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with iPF Softwares in June 2019, and our partnership is ongoing.  

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have an above 95% acceptance rate on delivered stories. In our day-to-day, we work in agile and have really good results within the team of meeting quality standards on the first try. 

We get consistent feedback from users about how easy to use the app is. The way it works around network connectivity issues is a really good fit for the market that we’re working in. The offline data syncing feature is fit for purpose, and users love it.

How did iPF Softwares perform from a project management standpoint?

With any software project, you’re going to run into issues or unexpected results, such as bugs or downtime. I have 100% confidence that the iPF team will immediately work to resolve any raised issues. iPF not only resolves the issue quickly, but they keep the client informed at every stage.

The communication and professionalism in our relationship far exceed any other service provider that I’ve worked with. We have a great degree of trust in iPF Softwares’ work, and that really gives confidence moving forward.

What did you find most impressive about them?

iPF Softwares has spent time ensuring they understand our mission really closely. If we come up with an idea or a feature that we want to develop, the software team not only helps implement it, but also provides insights on how that will work in the local context or how we can improve it to reach our vision.

They aim to be the leading software provider in Tanzania and beyond. One of the things that really helps us stay together as a core partner is that they’re not just chasing any project; rather, they’re chasing impactful projects. That really fits closely with our mission and vision.

Are there any areas they could improve?

iPF Softwares shows real value in how they learn as a team. If an area of improvement is encountered, they’re the first to raise it and come up with an improvement plan before I even get a chance to.

Keeping that learning pace tight whenever we onboard new engineers is something that we’re working on. I’m sure they’ll continue to work on that, so that we don’t experience any quality dips in new features with new engineers.

Any advice for potential customers?

Come ready with the idea of what you want to build and have a big picture discussion around what you want to achieve. iPF Software’s team is a great partner in the thought process — they make sure that you’re building a product that’s fit for purpose and not just the first idea you had. Be willing to engage them in the big picture, because they can rise to meet you on that.