MindInventory

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a software engineer and owner of a software consulting company. We design, manage, and build software and provide IT services to other companies.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire MindInventory, and what were your goals?

MindInventory was contracted to provide dedicated software developers to assist with my company projects.

SOLUTION

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

We chose MindInventory developers due to flexibility and skill related to the project needs.

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

We met with the engineers hired, I provided an overview of the project, wireframes, user stories, and project management methods, and kit that we use.

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

I worked directly with the 3 dedicated engineering hires. Two full stack javascript engineers and one react native developer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The build was an initial build. The outcome was our MVP web and mobile apps for my client project.

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

Project management was done by my company.

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

MindInventory had a great set of engineers with the right skillsets for our needs.

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

We had some minor issues related to covid and minor expectation issues, but nothing that could not be easily remedied with a little communication. MindInventory did their best to remedy any issues that came up.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the co-founder and CTO of this company

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire MindInventory, and what were your goals?

We have no in house web developers currently but needed some UI design and development for a fairly important visualization that was to be integrated into a IPython widget. We wanted a basic skeleton of the UI so that we could use it in a few different places, but didn't have the time to build it ourselves.

SOLUTION

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

We looked around for a few vendors, previous vendors we used focused on look/feel more than functionality and in this case the functionality was important. We couldn't find anyone with prior experience developing for IPython, so we just looked for good UI work. Was contacted by a MindInventory rep on LinkedIn a while back and saw a pretty broad portfolio, so reached out to see if they could handle this project and they accepted.

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

We had a short introduction call to discuss the project off of a basic UI skeleton we built for the concept. Initially we started off trying to build the IPython widget, but that was a bit much to take on for this project so we pivoted to focusing on the web interface, which was the important part. We were not billed for initial investigation into the IPython widget. End result used d3.js to build a data driven user interface.

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

A project manager and I believe one engineer, though my interaction was primarily with the project manager

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The deliverable is pretty much exactly what we needed.

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

We had frequent contact at opposite ends of the day due to time zones being opposite. We used Slack to facilitate communication and it worked well.

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

It was very easy to get going and work with them.

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

We had some miscommunication issues at the beginning around the scope of the project, but the issues were quickly resolved and we were not billed for the confusion

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m one of the co-founders of a digitally-enabled food packaging solutions company. We provide reusable packaging to food businesses, and customers can go into those locations and order their food in our returnable containers. Customers can borrow that container for free upon scanning a QR code and then drop it off at a collection box. It’s a circular process that tries to eliminate disposable packaging.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with MindInventory?

We wanted to bring additional elements to make sustainability convenient and accessible to all.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

MindInventory developed Android and iOS applications to facilitate the connection and return of the reusable food containers. We initially provided the framework of how we wanted the technology to look, but we also had a communication process. We did the UI design, but they did the wireframe.

What is the team composition?

We initially had a sales manager for the sales process. Then, we were assigned a senior project manager. He’s currently our point of contact along with another person, and we don’t know how many people they have under them.

How did you come to work with MindInventory?

We researched online, looked at reviews on Clutch, and got a couple of quotations. We spoke to some teams to see what they offered, and then we decided to go with MindInventory.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in January 2020, and they finished the initial project in March 2020. Now, we’re going through a second phase project, upgrading based on what they did last year.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The apps will be available soon on the App Store and Google Play.

How did MindInventory perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re professional, and the project management has been efficient. It’s been great to have one senior project manager as a point of contact to complete all our requests to him. The communication process is smooth; they keep us in the loop about major milestones and meet deadlines.

To communicate, we use a combination of email, Skype calls, and WhatsApp. They respond quickly and encourage us to ask questions.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re communicative and transparent. The team is very patient at clarifying things, and they make sure they’re doing exactly what we want. Having that process makes everything easier.

Are there any areas they could improve?

From a business perspective, we’d wish their services were more affordable. It would be great if we could get more discounts on pricing. However, in terms of their work, we’re pretty happy with MindInventory, and that’s why we went to them this year.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If there’s any point that isn’t clear, always ask them. Don’t shy away from asking simple questions or demanding things that may seem difficult to achieve. They can explain, and sometimes they can make it happen.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder of a social network app and we are located in the United States.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire MindInventory, and what were your goals?

We were looking for a company to develop a social networking from the ground up. Once I took a look at MindInventory portfolio I knew I had to take a chance on them. One of the best chances I have took was to work with them and we have been working together for over 7 years now!!

SOLUTION

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

I selected MindInventory because Bhumi and the whole staff was communicating very well and was always on top of all of my questions and concerns.

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

We would meet daily to go over the different things I would want. They would come back to me with a detailed plan on how everything was going to be done and then the next day they would show me an alpa version of what we were talking about. It was so awesome to see an idea come to life.

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

I have worked with several different people from project managers, backend, frontend, designers, etc.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Within several months I was able to see a running functioning app and was able to test it and later launch it to the wild. The app has maintained around 4.8 stars with over 1,000+ reviews.

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

Bhumi is very easy to communicate with and very helpful. We would discuss mostly via Skype and go on calls daily to make sure the app was getting done with what I needed.

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

Their whole team did! From their communication to their ideas to their coding skills, to just seeing an idea come to life. It blows me away every time. I love working with this team!!

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

There isn't anything I would change.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CTO of WEC Administration, an investment platform and education company, that’s also in the e-commerce business.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with MindInventory?

The group that was doing our development wasn’t cutting it for us in terms of our business trajectory. The partnership worked really well at the beginning when we were a small brand, but as we started to build, they couldn’t scale with us.

We were looking for alternatives for development and design, along with a couple of other sections that we wanted to do.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We used them to fully redesign our platform from the ground up, and we’re continuing to build out e-commerce stores using WordPress and WooCommerce, so that non-technical people can continue to use them. In addition, we’re building native applications for both Android and iOS using Flutter, and have done some data-specific platforms using PostgreSQL, Laravel, and PHP.

We’ve done a lot of other development and plan to continue.

What is the team composition?

The number of people varies depending on our needs. The maximum at one time has been about 25 people on 5–7 projects at the same time.

How did you come to work with MindInventory?

One of their marketing gurus reached out to me via LinkedIn. I was impressed with the initial contact, but we didn’t need their services at the time. After I took this position, I knew I needed to scale this company quickly with quality code, so I went online and looked for onshore and offshore providers.

I kept coming back to MindInventory because I knew what they were doing — their design and development portfolios are second to none.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested $250,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in March 2021, and our partnership is still ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I was always hesitant to hire outside because I didn’t trust the quality of other agencies’ codes. After reviewing MindInventory’s public suppositories that they work on and maintain, it’s easy to see their quality of work and how well they know the products that they use.

A number of technical and non-technical people continue to be amazed by the speed and quality with which they build products.

How did MindInventory perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management skills are awesome. We’ve worked with a couple of different project managers for a couple of projects, and all of them have multiple years of experience, both in development and project management. They know how to be a business liaison and talk with clients at a non-technical level, and can communicate technical problems, issues, and solutions.

Additionally, they’re very flexible in terms of the tools that they work with. They pretty much work with whatever we’re using which is nice, since we’re a bit unconventional and use Discord for our communication — but we find it works really well for us. The second major tool we use is Jira, which they’ve been fantastic in adopting the terminology — they’ve also helped us improve our own internal workflow.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We like that they’re dedicated to quality work, and their attention to detail is second to none. They’re really quick to understand the domain and problem you’re trying to solve, and once we give them tasks, we know they’re going to be done correctly.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they’ve been perfect all the way through from their communication to their project management and the delivery of high-quality work — all the technology stacks that we’ve had have been fantastic.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

My advice is to be prepared yourself. As soon as you start to work with them, you’re going to be hitting the ground running. Get all your ducks in a row so that you can maximize your time.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are a SaaS company that provides cloud-based ERP solutions to small- and medium-sized businesses.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire MindInventory?

We engaged MindInventory for a website development project. 

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal was to build a functioning WordPress website. 

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We got in touch after seeing some of their previous work on Behance.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

MindInventory missed every deadline. Our second project manager was completely useless, and the third had obviously been pushed by his managers to wrap up the job. He expected us to review incomplete pages and pass them off as finished work. That's when we decided they were incompetent and pulled the plug. We spent a lot of money and had nothing to show for it.

What was the team composition?

We went through three project managers. Our first left the company, we requested that they replace the second, and the third asked us to approve broken pages. The head sales lead also had poor customer service. When I brought up these issues, he didn't take any action.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We're out of pocket over $9,000 USD, yet they didn't hand over the completed work. We never got a response from the head sales lead. We hired another WordPress programmer, whom we paid to start the job from scratch based on our wireframes. This caused a big financial loss on top of the time and effort we had already spent.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

It was arranged over email, and wasn't effective at all. 

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The most impressive thing was the robbery we experienced from hiring them. It was a complete scam. What looked promising at first turned out to be a complete disaster, and we didn't receive a single penny in refund. 

Are there any areas for improvement?

They should hire qualified WordPress developers and replace their heads of customer service and project management.

Company Responses

The vendor responded on March 15, 2019.

We used a milestone basis payment system for this project. Based on the remittance receipts for each payment, there is still $10,000 USD outstanding. We never received the remaining balance for the last milestone. During the partnership, the client made payments if they were satisfied with the work after testing. They made two payments after the initial payment, which followed the completion of work. We’re unsure why the client made these payments if they were unhappy with the work.

Once all work was complete, we asked for the final list of bugs to finish the project and deploy the system. The client responded by requesting a refund of the last invoice. We denied this request because that invoice corresponded with the completed work at that stage. Our team is okay with the negative review because the client informed us that they would submit one. We believe the original review, as well as those from our other customers, more accurately reflect our capabilities.  

Although we hesitated to respond, we believed it was our responsibility to share the fact and our viewpoint to maintain trust with other parties. Visitors can see the other reviews that genuinely describe our approach, work, and deliveries.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder of Thailand Postcard. Our app allows for Thailand tourists to mail physical postcards through their phone. Users can send pictures from the gallery or their own library. It eliminates the need for users to find a postcard, stamp, and mailbox.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with MindInventory?

We needed a company to develop and launch our mobile app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We began by presenting our app idea to the MindInventory team; they helped us flesh out the scope and agreed that they could meet our expectations. They then developed our app for Android and iOS from scratch.

A few days before the launch, they delivered the app so we could check the final product and give feedback. Their team aided in the launch process and submitted the apps to the app stores for us. Additionally, they provided two months of free support in case of necessary repairs or updates.

What is the team composition?

I worked with a team of four people.

How did you come to work with MindInventory?

We sent emails to the top search results for app developers in India or Asia. After reading a New York Magazine article that mentioned MindInventory we began discussing the project with them. Then, after understanding all expectations, we started our business relationship.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $12,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from August - December 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The app has received 2,500 downloads in under a year, and our conversion rate hovers around 10%-12%. We received positive feedback from our survey of customer satisfaction, with most people finding it user-friendly. Our users, primarily those in older age groups, find it easy to use and there are no language barriers for those who don’t speak English.

How did MindInventory perform from a project management standpoint?

We frequently communicated through Skype at the beginning of the project. They responded to all of our questions within a day, which impressed us. Their team managed the project professionally, and they ensured we had a mutual understanding of the project. Throughout the process, they took our feedback and made necessary changes.

What did you find most impressive about them?

For the value they offer, their price is very affordable. Their team was prompt and helpful in fixing issues throughout the project.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could benefit from sticking to deadlines without having to be pushed to meet them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of a currency exchange platform.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with MindInventory?

I needed an agency to develop a mobile app for Android and iOS devices. I had a vision in mind but lacked the technical capabilities to bring it to life.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Using my wireframes, MindInventory guided me through the development process. In addition to the frontend design, they built features for currency conversion, chat capabilities, ID verification, and push notifications. We just launched the system, but plan to keep them on as support because they already have a good understanding of the product.

What is the team composition?

I spoke with three people, including a project manager. There were also some developers behind the scenes.

How did you come to work with MindInventory?

Looking for an agency that I could trust, I came across their profile on Clutch.co, read the reviews, and contacted their team. Our contracting process was easy; I brought some lawyers to review the agreement. After that, MindInventory provided a detailed quote and an organized timeline.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $15,000 on their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from June–August 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The application is working well, and I haven’t had any issues so far. I appreciated their professionalism.

How did MindInventory perform from a project management standpoint?

I spoke with the project manager daily via Skype. They were always available, which was important on my end because I was able to speak with them even on Saturdays. They used Basecamp to keep me updated on our progress. If we ran into a technical issue, the team explained the information in terms that I could understand.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Overall, I was happy with their service, specifically their accessibility, expertise, and knowledge.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We struggled when working with iOS technology. The MindInventory team isn’t as experienced in that regard, but I think they will build their skills in time.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of VoxPop, a startup company that’s been around since late 2017. We have an app that allows users of all ages to offer their opinions on a variety of subjects in a simple, anonymous way.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with MindInventory?

I needed an overseas company to help me develop our website and our app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I outlined what I wanted to do and my functionality requirements. I helped lay out some of the wireframes, but they translated most of my input into the app functionality and all of the code. The website they built is fairly simple, but the mobile apps for iOS and Android are a little more complicated. I wanted to make sure that the app was user-friendly and responsive to the user. I wanted users to spend a few seconds engaging with a particular survey and then be able to move on. MindInventory helped with all the product testing ahead of their delivery.

What is the team composition?

We have a project manager and a sales contact. The project manager handled all our requests for issues or any correspondence between me and the company. She’s very capable and manages their team of developers and coders.

How did you come to work with MindInventory?

I read an article by one of the owners of the company. I found the article interesting and researched them. I was looking for an overseas development company and everything I read about them seemed professional.  I followed up with them and we started working together.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $16,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started in September 2017 and they delivered the app in November 2017. We haven’t tested the product enough yet and only recently made it available in the U.S. market. We’ve had an on and off relationship with MindInventory and will work with them again once we have more interaction with the app.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It’s too soon to have any clear idea of the market impact the app will have. I’ve asked a few friends to test the app and will do a lot more testing in the coming months. The quality of the app is very good. There were certain issues that were corrected quickly and I’m very happy with the results of initial testing.

How did MindInventory perform from a project management standpoint?

I dealt mostly with our project manager. I was very happy with her guidance throughout the relationship. We communicated mostly through email and Skype.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Communication is one of their most notable strengths. They’re very easy to talk with, even with the time difference. Everything went very smoothly and the quality of the work is excellent, especially at the price they charge.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There were probably certain issues that could have been anticipated by them. If they attempted to forewarn me about certain functionalities the process would have gone a little smoother. Other than that, I have no negative feedback. They responded quickly and worked well with my requirements.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you have little or no background in coding, lay out all the functionalities you want for the app, with as many nuances and intricacies as possible. If you anticipate the process, you will help make sure the code comes out properly.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of an online wish list platform. Users can list a set of things they want and share it with their friends, who can then purchase what they want or start a crowdfunding campaign to fulfill the wish.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with MindInventory?

We needed someone to build our mobile app from scratch with a modern design. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

This was a turnkey project so I let them know what my requirements were and they walked us through everything, from creating wireframes and designs on paper for us to review to registering accounts with the App and Play stores.

The apps—one for iOS and another for Android—have a database on the backend to store user data and a payment gateway. There’s also a third-party currency conversion integration so that a user in the United States would look at a campaign started in Australia and see the numbers in U.S. Dollars.

What is the team composition?

They gave me a project manager and a business development resource that handled all the accounting, payments and invoices.

How did you come to work with MindInventory?

I was looking at quite a few service providers and MindInventory fit the bill because we like their modern designs. They also compared well to other vendors we came across on a Google search. Their pricing fit our needs as well so we went ahead with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $30,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from December 2016 until May 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It was quite a complex project and there were quite a few bugs but things look good aside from that.

How did MindInventory perform from a project management standpoint?

The project manager was the focal point—a person I could go to with any problem and they would help me sort it out with the team. We communicated over video or phone Skype calls, which let us share screens and discuss designs, and used a project management tool internally. While we didn’t have weekly meetings, they would schedule a Skype call with us when they reached a milestone and I could ping them anytime and we would meet within a few hours.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They helped me right from the beginning to the end, not even leaving me alone when we published the product to the App and Play stores. If something I wanted wasn’t done, they would do it for me. In terms of budgeting, I can go to their business development resource after the project is done and ask them to add extra features and they’ll get me an estimate to approve.

While I don’t have other vendors to compare them to, I keep going back to them because they haven’t failed me.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could focus more on testing and following-up with proof testing before delivery.