KritiKal Solutions

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a program manager at SHL, an HR tech company. We provide occupational personality questionnaire (OPQ) solutions to our corporate clients and universities globally. I manage the contractors and internal resources in the organization.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with KritiKal Solutions Pvt. Ltd.?

We were looking for PHP engineers, manual and automation QA specialists, and Scrum masters to run the scrums of the sprints.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

KritiKal Solutions Pvt. Ltd. provided resources on a contractual basis, particularly software engineers, QA specialists, and Scrum masters. The contract could be for six months or a year, depending on when we’d complete the project.

Whenever we onboarded a new person, we briefed them about the project and the work we expected of them. Our team manager would screen that person and ensure they had the right skill set. Once the person was shortlisted for the project, they were briefed on the requirements and the timelines we targeted.

What is the team composition?

We started with around 8–10 teammates, and by the time the project ended, we’d reduced the number of people on our team.

How did you come to work with KritiKal Solutions Pvt. Ltd.?

We used contractors often and got an email from them. Their marketing team reached out to us and offered their skills. They showed us the types of clients they’d worked with and other details that helped us decide to hire them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in June 2021 and concluded our collaboration in October 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We had monthly feedback from our team managers. Overall, we were pretty impressed with the staff from KritiKal Solutions Pvt. Ltd. At times, we had minor issues with some people, but they were either given feedback or replaced if requested.

We had a good time working with their team. They had the proper skills for the job. All in all, we’d work with them again if required.

How did KritiKal Solutions Pvt. Ltd. perform from a project management standpoint?

Our team handled project management. If there were any delays, we’d upgrade the team, and KritiKal Solutions Pvt. Ltd. would act accordingly. They also supported us in working for extended hours to help us achieve our targets.

We had weekly or biweekly calls with KritiKal Solutions Pvt. Ltd.’s management. Their team participated in the daily scrum meetings, and we also shared emails for any feedback.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their pool of talent was impressive. If we needed to recruit someone on short notice or for a short term, they could fulfill our requests.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Their staff is a bit underpaid, but they’re good enough skill-wise.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Give them some time and explain what you require. Also, offer clear communication. You can rely on their team; they’ll help you with your projects in a timely manner.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am Director Principal Scientist Data science and AI research at Procter and Gamble R&D Singapore

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire KritiKal Solutions Pvt. Ltd., and what were your goals?

Kritikal has been my preferred Computer Vision software development partner for nearly 10+ years for upstream ideas. Kritikal's team brought several upstream computer vision ideas to life, often from research papers to testable concepts.

In my recent engagements, they developed solutions covering deep learning model development, cloud /on-the-edge model deployment and packaging into interactive ML-aided consumer-facing experiences.

SOLUTION

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

We learned about Kritikal from computer vision vendor scouting. For my vendor selection, I was looking for a vendor that has BOTH deep mastery in computer vision along with the deployment capabilities. Their association with academia (IIT Delhi) and r&D focussed leadership team was an attractive combination for us.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

My projects with Kritikal spanned the area of Facial Skin and Hair image understanding, leveraging Computer Vision & Machine learning techniques. The team developed and successfully delivered classic computer vision solutions and the latest deep learning research.

In addition, we also had successful engagements in consumer diagnostics and personalisation experiences. In these engagements, the Kritikal team enabled ML model deployment on edge on the hardware that is not computationally efficient!

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

We had several projects - from 2 developers to an End-to-end team of 15 developers (junior/senior/tech lead/data scientist etc.) and Project Managers from their Vision practice team.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

Technologies/Solutions developed are feeding our several in-market activations and advancing our R&D

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

Detailed yet flexible to meet my needs

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

(a) Ability to bring upstream research ideas to practice (b) Prototyping capability in interactive consumer experience applications that are heavy in ML side

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

A good UX team can complement their offering

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm a director in a consulting company providing technology solutions (custom web, mobile, and computer vision), to address business problems.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire KritiKal Solutions Pvt. Ltd., and what were your goals?

We utilized KritiKal for multiple custom web, mobile, and computer vision projects. KritiKal was involved in all aspects of designing the solution, to implementing in production environment and being responsible for maintenance on an on-going basis.

SOLUTION

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

We were referred to KritiKal and selected them based on their in-depth skill set and relevant experience with similar projects.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

We have worked with KritiKal on multiple projects. Scope has included all aspects of frontend and backend development. Technologies include:

• React JS
• .Net
• Node JS
• Python
• Cloud: AWS and Azure
• AI/Computer Vision: Deep Learning
• Machine Learning
• OCR
• Object Detection
• Open CV
• TensorFlow
• Pytorch

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

We have worked with team sizes ranging from 4 to15 on various projects. KritiKal has held positions including for Project/Program Manager, Development Manager, Technical Leads and Developers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

We have had 8+ years of ongoing relationship with KritiKal. Our projects and final client deliverables have been successful, and it's been always a very collaborative joint effort with them.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

KritiKal is very proactive and ensures that they are actively and regularly providing project updates. They seek constant inputs during the course of the project to ensure smooth coverage. They use agile and scrum project methodologies, and tools utilized are JIRA, MS Project, Slack etc.

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

KritiKal Solution's knowledge of computer vision, AI, and software systems is their unique differentiator.

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

KritiKal has supported us with projects in the USA. In some cases, KritiKal has provided us with local USA based project resources. They can further increase their local presence in the United States.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

CO Founder

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire KritiKal Solutions Pvt. Ltd.?

IOT Based solution n the Environmental space

SOLUTION

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

Through Referals

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

Not at liberty to disclose

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

Approx 8 to 10

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Project timelines were by and large met

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Fairly effective

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

We're impressed with their customer-centric approach.

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

Difficult to find faults or suggest improvement areas, from a costing prespective could have been marginally cheaper