MindInventory

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the CTO of a hotel.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with MindInventory?

We engaged MindInventory to develop an iPad app, based on the architecture we created.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

MindInventory designed and developed an iPad app (version 12.9 only), using an architecture we provided, that allows guests at our hotel to check in. They also built a complementary Laravel backend web administrative app, acquired certification for our payment gateway system, and integrated different APIs, including our printer, the hotel's PMS, and Lightspeed POS. 

What is the team composition?

I work closely with about four people, who work with others on their team as needed.

How did you come to work with MindInventory?

I interviewed about 15–20 companies but was most impressed by MindInventory's response to our architecture. They were one of the few vendors that were capable of delivering within our budget and timelines.

How much have you invested with them?

We've invested over $50,000 CAD (over $38,000) thus far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We've been working with them since March 2018 and development is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They've been incredible, exceeding expectations within our set timeframes. Guests at our hotel are happy with the check-in app overall, and MindInventory's team has been quick to fix any bugs as they come up.

How did MindInventory perform from a project management standpoint?

Their team is quick to fix any issues and very responsive to communications, despite their distance. We track projects in Trello, which allows us to easily work through any bugs that come up.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Compared to their competitors in India, MindInventory offers high-quality work at reasonable rates. They don't overcharge for small changes or requests.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It would be helpful if they had a customer support team in North America to make communicating with them during our office hours more convenient.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the co-founder and development lead for In-Kind Pro. We provide an innovative solution to tracking non-cash donations to nonprofits and grant-funded projects.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire MindInventory?

Initially, we needed an Android version of our iOS product, so MindInventory developed this for us. It was superior to our existing iOS version, so we had them refactor that one and rebuild our admin website.

What were your goals for this project?

We were in the process of developing a proof of concept product that we intended to market using the minimal viable product (MVP). We wanted to accomplish this.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We found them through an online search. They were incredibly fast to respond. Though our initial project was small, they accomplished it quickly and accurately, which led us to choose them for the iOS and site rebuild. We had already tried other local companies and we couldn’t justify their costs, so MindInventory became our development partner.

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

The initial project was part of an existing product. They were able to reproduce the software without any existing documentation and expand on it. They rebuilt the admin site, the original iOS product, and developed the Android version.

What was the team composition?

We generally work with our project manager, but we interact with other teams when needed.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We went from having a product designed for our own organization’s needs to having a commercial product in less than a year. We are now in the client acquisition stage and MindInventory has been nimble enough to make changes quickly.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Their project management has been good; they use BaseCamp and GitLab for communication and progress. Their speed is usually exceedingly fast. Their language skills are exceptional.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their speed is impressive. Most changes are accomplished within days. Their QA is very good, as well. They’ve bent over backward to try new methods to simplify the process.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

There is no issue we have specifically with them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work at an institution of higher learning in Norway. I am a senior executive officer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with MindInventory?

The goal was to translate our idea into a product, a service app. The app is free to use by the public. It is used for the purposes of the research and is non-profit. We needed the user data to be anonymous so that the information given in the app could not be traced back to the user. The information provided by the app gives a lifestyle feedback to the user and it allows us to use the anonymous information for research purposes. We wanted our app made so that it could be used by both the iOS and Android users.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We needed someone to make the app for us. Mindinventory did that. We provided them with instructions how we wanted the app to look and what we wanted the app to do. They followed our instructions and delivered the product promptly. They followed the schedule. They did not deviate from the original price estimate. They delivered a quality product.

How did you come to work with MindInventory?

We did online research and came across their website. They had great reviews and were recommended by others. Their app portfolio was also available on the website.

How much have you invested with MindInventory?

We paid $6,000 USD for the project.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project took roughly 45 days to complete.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

As of now, we do not have any metrics. However, we did receive a few emails from our followers thanking us for making the app.

What did you find most impressive about MindInventory?

They were incredibly great to work with. If we had any questions or concerns, they responded to those within the hour. They set out a schedule and followed it to a T. They were easy to work with, and I would definitely recommend them.

Are there any areas MindInventory could improve?

They worked with us and were with us every step of the way. They did what we asked them to do at a reasonable price. This is what customer service should be like. No criticism. Just keep up the good work.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

Our startup has developed a new social media app for iOS. It works similarly to FaceTime, but centered on text messages. Any time a user sends an image or video message, the receiver will have their facial reaction recorded and sent back to the original person. Our app has been available in the App Store since February 2016.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with MindInventory Technologies?

I needed development resources for my app.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

MindInventory Technologies has developed the front-end and back-end for our app. We provided the design and architecture elements.

We were assigned a team of at least seven people: two back-end and two front-end developers, two testers, and one project manager, who was responsible for communication with our team.

How did you come to work with MindInventory Technologies?

I searched Google for relevant criteria and found a few companies, MindInventory Technologies being one of them. I also asked a friend in the industry who had heard of them and told me that MindInventory Technologies was a good developer.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

The initial development cost with MindInventory Technologies was around $20,000. We kept sending new requirements and adding features to the app, with each iteration ranging from $200 to $2,000. We also use MindInventory Technologies for database and server maintenance.

We have in-house technician for managing the database and cloud server, but the main development, especially in the back-end, was handled by MindInventory Technologies.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with MindInventory Technologies in October 2015. The second version of the app was delivered on April 2016. We will continue to work with MindInventory Technologies for further developments.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

Our app has reached 3,000 registered users within the first three months, without a marketing effort. We only promoted it within our university, so the result is pretty good.

How did MindInventory Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

MindInventory Technologies did a good job of delivering on time, but there were a few communication issues within the process. Overall, they did a very good job.

I mainly communicated with our project manager through Skype and email. We also used the Apple iTunes Connect for version control and keeping track of user feedback.

What distinguishes MindInventory Technologies from other providers?

MindInventory Technologies is a professional company in terms of ongoing development. We have developed many new functionalities on top of the old app. MindInventory Technologies worked very fast. There were a few issues like bugs, but MindInventory Technologies resolved everything quickly. The most valuable advantage for me was that I was always kept informed by MindInventory Technologies whenever we made a change, allowing me to schedule the project on my end.

Is there anything MindInventory Technologies could have improved or done differently?

MindInventory Technologies could perform better if they implemented a dedicated testing team, doing unit and automation tests, comparing their deliverables to the original requirements. Throughout the entire development cycle, I've come to test my app frequently. 

The only drawback was our time difference. We are based in the United States and MindInventory Technologies is in India, so I have to get up very early or have their team stay up late anytime we communicate. They could assign a project manager to a late shift for customers, in order to improve service.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We are a startup mobile application developer. We have developed a platform on which people can exchange favors. It works as a social network on which users can post requests. For example, if a user needs to use a lawnmower for a limited time, they can rent one from someone in their area, in exchange for money or for another favor like getting groceries and so on. Users can exchange favors, make friends, and have a mutually beneficial relationship. Money cannot be exchanged directly through the app but, once someone requests a favor, they can make an arrangement that can be set up through the app. Ratings and comments can also be posted on the platform, so that users can know if someone is reliable or not.

What is your position?

I am the founder of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with MindInventory?

I had a pretty fleshed-out idea, but I also work full time, so I didn't have the means to implement it myself. This is where MindInventory came in. I wanted to use a development shop to help me build my prototype and then help me refine it and prepare it for launch. Experience and cost were big determining factors.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement.

MindInventory built my application for both iOS and Android based on my requirements. They also helped me refine my ideas. The whole process was very collaborative. I came to them with a clear idea in mind but the technical requirements still needed to be honed before they could begin building the prototypes, which were done in parallel.

A team of six developers was assigned to my project, but I mostly interacted with the project lead.

How did you come to work with MindInventory?

I did some online research in order to find developers who had worked on similar projects. I came across MindInventory, which had worked on a similar application for a different field. Based on that description, I realized that they could build what I was looking for.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

The total development cost so far has been $16,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

MindInventory has completed the initial version of my app, which was published on both Google Play and Apple app stores two months ago. At this stage, I'm planning further development for the software.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

Troubleshooting and quality assurance were handled by MindInventory before the app was published, so the final product did everything which was expected of it. They've done a very good job, and I don't have any issues with the app's features.

How did MindInventory perform from a project management standpoint?

The initial development timeline was for 12 weeks, but the total development ended up taking 16 weeks. We made some changes during implementation due to reasons, which were out of our control. For example, we used a certain service for push notifications, but we realized that that company would be shut down within a year's time.

At other times, we came up with plans that we thought to be good, but we figured out better approaches. MindInventory was flexible, but any changes will take a bit more time than initially planned. They did everything that was expected of them. Overall, MindInventory delivered the work within budget and in a reasonable amount of time.

We mainly communicated through Skype. Because MindInventory is based in India, and I am in the United States, our conversations took place around midnight. We exchanged a lot of material through email, like PowerPoint presentations, JPEGs, and so on. I requested changes based on MindInventory's Skype presentations, after which they would implement them and wait for my feedback.

What distinguishes MindInventory from other providers?

This was the first time I used a developer like MindInventory. I cannot make a comparison, but what they delivered stood up to my expectations. The whole project was a positive experience.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

Mindinventory has helped us develop a communication app aimed at schools and other communities like churches, sports clubs, and so on.

What is your position?

I am the technical director of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Mindinventory Technologies?

We needed resources for the app development portion of our project. We also have a web portal that is used for pushing information to the app, for which we didn't use their services.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

Our UI [user interface] team was in charge of designing the app. Mindinventory developed our app for both iOS and Android based on our specs and graphic work.

How did you come to work with Mindinventory Technologies?

We found them on Elance and decided to give them a shot.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

The total development cost has been $20,000 to $30,000. They bill us based on hourly rates.

What is the status of this engagement?

The work is ongoing. We've released version 3 of the app. We've been working with Mindinventory for a year and a half [since 2014].

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

The work has been very good. We use Crashlytics for bug tracking. There have been a few, but Mindinventory are quite responsive in correcting them.

How did Mindinventory Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

They're a good team to work with and are very responsive. Even though they juggle other projects, when we need them, Mindinventory finds the time for us.

What distinguishes Mindinventory Technologies from other providers?

Mindinventory offers strong quality relative to price and are more reliable than most offshore firms.

Is there anything Mindinventory Technologies could have improved or done differently?

They should focus more on internal testing before releasing work. This would have made the app more stable within previous releases.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

Spordy is a social app that allows users to connect with peers in order to engage in any sport or fitness activity, based on their location. If I want to play in Geneva, I can look for people interested in tennis near my location. In a nutshell, it's sort of a Tinder for sports, without a focus on dating.

What is your position?

I am a co-founder of the app.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Mindinventory?

We decided to build our solution as an app instead of a website, and needed a development team.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement.

They developed our app for both iOS and Android. Both versions were created simultaneously because we wanted to launch on both platforms at the same time. They were involved in our apps' designs as well.

Mindinventory started by consulting all of our requirements and put together separate teams for each operating system. Their planning and structuring were done very well. There is a lead developer within their company that is assigned to our project. Aside from him, I estimate that there are at least three other people involved in development: one designer and two coders.

The project was divided into several stages. The first one involved the planning process and lasted for about three months. There was a one week delay during this time due to a lot of back-and-forth on designs between us and them. This is quite normal and we were ultimately happy with their work despite this.

How did you come to work with Mindinventory?

I wanted to hire an Indian company, both because I'm Indian myself, so communication would be easier, and also because it would be a cheaper option. I did some research and found a few companies, ultimately choosing Mindinventory because they were competitively priced, and the timeframe they gave us for the completion of the project was shorter than the counteroffers.

After talking to one of their representatives, I received a good vibe of their company. They seemed to be enthusiastic, young, and hungry for some business within an innovative project.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

The total development cost so far has been around $20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together at the beginning of 2015. The project is ongoing. For the time being, we're only focusing on mobile development. Later on, we want to expand their work to tablet versions of our app. Our main focus is on mobility. We're not really looking to build a web-based platform as a mobile one.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

I don’t have any metrics or real data to share. We’re not sophisticated enough to be tracking anything like that, but they were always great at hitting their marks.

How did Mindinventory perform from a project management standpoint?

We've had a very good experience with their company. They're very responsive, quick, and have a good ability to understand their clients' needs. Mindinventory believes in establishing long-term relationships. There's always room for discussion in terms of pricing and other items.

We've never used specialized project management tools. I kept track of tasks using a spreadsheet and manually worked through it. We mostly communicated through email and Skype. We used Dropbox for file sharing, but our files weren't big enough to require using it constantly.

What distinguishes Mindinventory from other providers?

From a human point of view, I find them to be very enthusiastic in what they do. They show excitement, commitment, and confidence in their interactions with me. I think that this is important for any client. I've spoken to a few other companies whose tone was more machine-like. Mindinventory treats us as if our app was part of their business. They handle development seriously and took it one step further than other vendors might have.

Is there anything Mindinventory could have improved or done differently?

Sometimes, they don't think outside of the box. For example, if I want to include a certain feature on the platform, I will have to address each little detail involved in it before actually discussing it with Mindinventory. This can get frustrating. Otherwise, in terms of execution, they're quite good.

My only other issue with their company is that they're not very diligent in terms of testing. They do offer the service, but whenever they gave us a beta version, we'd find a lot of small errors which could be as simple as spelling mistakes, in some cases. Mindinventory isn’t very robust in this area and should improve their capabilities.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

I am a software entrepreneur specializing in mobile app development. As a product designer, I come up with ideas and flesh them out as prototypes. I then consider user feedback and make reiterations on the product. My focus has been on iOS and Android development.

What is your position?

I'm the product owner.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Mindinventory Technologies?

Their team has served as a way of getting prototypes to market fast.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement.

I've used Mindinventory Technologies on three projects. One of them was an app developed for a fitness company. It was featured by Apple within their Best New App category. Another project was for a meditation app developed independently by me. It was also featured by Apple. Our third project was for a fitness-based app that didn't fare as well in the market.

I've collaborated with their developers directly. Product design is handled entirely by me. Quality assurance is done jointly.

Mindinventory Technologies provided me with a team of two developers. I've had a single point of contact and I could reach them at any time, either by phone or through Skype. Everything was addressed very fast and they were patient with me through the QA [quality assurance] process.

Through my work with them, I've come up with some top-class apps that Apple has recognized as being good products.

How did you come to work with Mindinventory Technologies?

I found them through Elance. I considered 50 other companies that responded to my proposal before choosing Mindinventory Technologies. They came off as one of the best options, based on their portfolio. Their policies were also attractive. For example, they offered free bug fixes for up to a year from each update. This is an important consideration when working on mobile apps. They always guaranteed their work.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

Our meditation app was a simple project. Its cost was $1,000. The cost for the fitness app was $10,000. The third project cost $2,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

I continue to use their services whenever I need to make an update for our projects.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

The fitness app we worked on was gradually lifted from a two-star to a five-star app throughout the development. We received raved reviews and it was ranked within the top 200 apps in the fitness category. The business we developed it for has a consistent user base, which reflected on the apps statistics. The meditation app was a paid one. It had around 2,000 downloads. I haven't put much more effort into it since its release.

How did Mindinventory Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

They've been able to deliver within budget. They're on time most of the time. Our approach involved creating an entire specification from the start. Mindinventory Technologies were flexible enough to allow me a more agile-oriented approach when we received feedback from the market. We weren't concerned with strict deadlines as much as we were with launching the right product. They were certainly able to deliver in terms of quality.

We mainly used Trello for a simple overview of our backlog. I like this tool, and they accommodated my preference. Mindinventory Technologies were reachable either through Skype or by phone easily.

What distinguishes Mindinventory Technologies from other providers?

They're very customer-focused and attentive to my needs. They make sure that I'm happy with their work. They're completely fluent in English, so communication is easy.

They have an understanding of strategic business decisions. I'd often discuss the best course of action for any given idea, and we came to conclusions together. I use them as a technical advisor for assessing the cost for certain features and how we can move faster. I've used many offshore providers in the past, and never saw this level of collaboration. Usually, they do anything I ask, without questioning my decisions. The key feature for Mindinventory Technologies is that they question things.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We are a Business-to-Business company focused on the consumer packaged food industry. We qualify and measure service for distributors, manufacturers and retailers. Each retailer has thousands of vendors that collaborate with their store. We also work within the pharmaceutical industry, evaluating services by how often sales people visit their clients, and how much time they spend on each visit.

What is your position?

I am the founder of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Mindinventory Technologies?

We needed development talent for our core app.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement.

Mindinventory Technologies worked throughout the strategy and conceptualization of our product, and have also done the development work. Our application was made for both iOS and Android, with a robust backend system for predictive data analysis. We regularly communicated with two of their managers.

We initially started development for only the iOS version of our app, and extended Mindinventory Technologies' involvement to Android, once they had a good understanding of our product. We are within the early versions of our product.

How did you come to work with Mindinventory Technologies?

I researched a couple of companies online and interviewed them. Mindinventory Technologies were willing to work within our timeline and budget, so we chose to work with them.

They were the ideal fit for our company, understanding the core concept of what we were trying to accomplish. It was easy for us to give them the details of our project and start our work.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

I would like to keep this confidential.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project was delayed due to some back-and-forth between us. The iOS version took 6-8 months to build.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

We've had feedback from early adopters that reported a few glitches in the system. On any new product, when reaching the stage where it's actually used, features that hadn't been considered become apparent. Mindinventory Technologies made the necessary changes to our requests.

How did Mindinventory Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

They are dedicated to working with us as a client and want our product to be successful.

We don't use any specific project management tools. It's something they should consider implementing. Currently, the project manager is fully in charge of handing the work to their development and design teams.

What distinguishes Mindinventory Technologies from other providers?

They're very responsive and willing to quickly make any changes we request. We've appreciated their flexibility. 

Is there anything Mindinventory Technologies could have improved or done differently?

They need to have an extended strategy for their work. Putting an application on the market takes time and is an extended effort. If their team moves to a new project right after the work is done, extended development for previous work will most likely be given to a new team member who won't understand the product.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We're an online customer acquisition and marketing company. We design, develop, and produce products that target the apparel market through different brands and divisions. JustFab and ShoeDazzle primarily produce women's shoes, while Fabletics is focused on athletics-wear. We have another division called FabKids, which produces apparel and shoes for kids. We design and manufacture all of our products in-house, and we handle all of our customer acquisition marketing.

What is your position?

I am the vice president of engineering.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Mindinventory Technologies?

We have many different technology teams within the company. Our retail division, warehouse management, and global operations teams use AngularJS and Node.js for their platforms. We needed to leverage additional development resources. Some of the technologies that we work with are still relatively new. Finding people with skills within them was a challenge.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement.

Mindinventory Technologies has supplemented our development plans and provided continuous work on these projects.

We plan to engage a full team of 15 developers from Mindinventory. They're flexible in terms of communication. If we want to engage solely with a project manager, we can, but we can also interface directly with developers. We have a project management team in-house and decided to approach their engineers directly.

How did you come to work with Mindinventory Technologies?

We found them through Google searches. We were already working with other offshore development teams in India, but they did not have the skillsets that we required. We had a relative level of comfort in hiring another team in the same location. Mindinventory was the first and only company that responded to our request for proposal.

What is the status of this engagement?

We have an ongoing relationship. We started working with Mindinventory Technologies three months ago.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

We operate an agile environment and have weekly sprints. So far, Mindinventory Technologies has been excellent in meeting their deadlines. They've stayed within schedule 100% of the time.

We haven't encountered any defects that would be outside the norm. The engineering process is complicated and there will always be issues, but their defect rate is far from alarming.

How did Mindinventory Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

We use Jira for project management and HipChat for communication. When we need to have video conferences, we use Skype.

What distinguishes Mindinventory Technologies from other providers?

They have a startup mentality by which they're willing to do whatever it takes to help their partners get their tasks done. A lot of the red tape that I've encountered with other Indian firms is not present within Mindinventory Technologies. They're willing to dive in and work alongside us in order to complete the work. We don't need to spend weeks or even months in order to sketch out a full-blown plan. We can give our initial vision and they'll start the work, which is a big win for many of our projects.

Is there anything Mindinventory Technologies could have improved or done differently?

Our relationship is fairly new. There haven't yet been any significant issues to address. Their team is very responsive to the feedback we give regarding minor items like communication and reports. As an example, we asked them to send us a daily email containing what was accomplished within the team. They were open to that kind of request.