Miquido

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a medical software startup that's building a reporting solution for radiologists. Our goal is to create more accurate and detailed medical reports.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Miquido?

At the end of 2018, we had a very large partner start to do business with us. Because of this new agreement, we started to see a significant amount of development work come through to us. We were worried that we couldn’t scale up our development team quickly enough, so we searched for an outsourced partner to augment our staff.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Miquido provided developers that were integrated into our team. They worked remotely and helped develop our software. The main distinguishing features of the software were speech recognition and text production. They worked with React and TypeScript on the frontend and PHP and Symfony on the backend.

What is the team composition?

They supplied two people to work on the project with us. Our plan was to start with two developers in the beginning and then potentially scale up from there. However, our partner delayed the project and withdrew the time pressures that we had on our development team, so we just stayed with the two outsourced developers since the ramp-up wasn’t necessary.

How did you come to work with Miquido?

We went through a number of outsourcing candidates and interviewed potential developers. Based on this, we made the decision because they made the most professional impression during the interview. I think it was a good choice.

How much have you invested with them?

We are investing around $15,000 per month.

What is the status of this engagement?

They came on board in January 2019. The project is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I think it’s very high-quality work. We’re really happy with their services. One testament to their usefulness is that our company continues to employ them even though we don’t strictly need help anymore due to the removal of time pressure.

How did Miquido perform from a project management standpoint?

I think project management worked very well. The main challenge is that they are working remotely and most of our employees are on-site. Considering that, the situation has worked exceptionally well. We also visited their team in Krakow.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They have a high degree of professionalism in their interactions and good organization. Their team differentiates itself through its management approach; their developers stay a long time and have more experience than other partners we’ve had.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Not really. I cannot speak to their long-term project development, but for us, they were very good.  

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I would say you should try out their services. I'd advise visiting them in-person; seeing in Krakow was a good choice. It’s good to see them in-person every once in a while. That’s a good thing to have for a remote working relationship. It’s important to not cut off remote workers from important conversations.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am Director of Innovation Lab at insurance company headquartered in Warsaw. Our company has over 5000 employees and we serve individual and corporate clients in Poland. I am responsible for testing and implementation of innovative projects in insurance area.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Miquido?

Our company wanted to develop an action on Google Assistant (we treat it like a new digital channel of contact with our customers). What is important to mentioned, we care about time to market, so as a result we have decided to outsource this project. We assume that we can learn new tools and technology much better with certified partners.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to show up to our clients that we are reactive company for new trends on a technology market. As a result, we gave our customers completely new channel to communicate with. We did not state any tangible outcomes, because we wanted to check if our clients are interested in this sort of solutions (we measured it by number of insurance-leads). What’s more our goal was simple to learn new technology.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We have gathered list of companies, which were recommended by Google in case of Google Assistant development. Google assure us that they have participated in certification programme and they have passed it. Based on that my team prepared list of 5 companies, which sent us response for RFI.

After that my team (one project manager and one data scientist) developed ordering algorithm which contains such parameters like:

• experience/portfolio
• size
• price
• time-to-market.

As a result, we chose Miquido.

Describe the project in detail.

Once we selected our vendor, we had to specify together logic of application and some technical (especially cyber-sec) requirements. During first weeks, we organized workshops on which we discussed above mentioned cases. After a few iterations and discussions with our business, we finalized the design and architecture of our application, then Miquido have implemented it. In the end we have proceed pentesting procedure. We have passed it and we published our new product. Our action on Google Assistant is available both for iOS and Android. Additionally we decided to add to action some extra futures like: calendar alerts, gathering clients email.

What was the team composition?

From the beginning, we were supported by Miquido’s: project manager, UX-designer, two developers and pentester. The people allocation has change over time (it has strictly depends on phase of a project), but we can assure you that Miquido made it really agile.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We evaluate this project especially by media/press converge. Our project was mentioned in expert’s newspapers from areas like insurance and technology. We are satisfied from the marketing side. We received some feedback from users (for example from Facebook). We hear from them that our application flow and look are decent and user friendly. They are satisfied on existence of new communication channel. What’s more application generated numerous sells leads. The final app doesn’t have bugs or flows. They were enchanted that we were able to deliver such communication channel.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The Miquiod’s project manager was easy to communicate with and provides us frequent updates. We used such tools like: e-mail, Slack and Skype to communicate. What’s more we connected over the phone if there was necessary. To manage the workflow we’ve used Jira. Miquido was responding to our feedback very well (they always applied adjustments very fast).

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Miquido presented a very innovative approach. They were always open-minded and capable to deliver reasonable solutions for nature business problem. What’s more they were very engaged in whole project. We appreciated that they were patient during our business proceeding and they were thoughtful while we came up to speed.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, we don’t see such areas.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the product manager for a travel booking company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Miquido?

We hired Miquido to assist with frontend redesign and development. We needed a company based in Poland because that’s where our main development team is located.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our corporate booking tool, which allows users who work for corporations book trips by simply logging in, was outdated when it came to the frontend technology. We talk to an outside designer who created the POC. Based on that, Miquido started drafting a plan for redesigning the software. This included the proposed budgets and technologies. After that, we decided on the scope.

We’re in the middle of the project. The React.js platform consists of many modules and functionalities. We plan on finishing the software design for desktops and mobile devices. The final stage will likely be in June.

What is the team composition?

The team consists of about eight people. We work with a project manager, one to two QA testers, and four frontend developers. There’s a UX designer that creates wireframes and helps with design. From time to time, we work with another UX designer.

How did you come to work with Miquido?

After performing market research and addressing several companies, I picked Miquido because of their technical proposal and presentation. They’re not a huge company and have completed projects for the travel industry.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent £300,000 (approximately 338,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Miquido in May 2018, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Clients are pleased with the new design. After launch, usage and satisfaction will be more accurately measured. So far, feedback has been positive.

How did Miquido perform from a project management standpoint?

Our project manager is skilled. I couldn’t imagine working on the project without her. She brings a lot of value due to her experience in the travel industry. We use Jira as our project management tool.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Miquido is dedicated to the customer. Their sales team takes care of the client. They regularly ask how the project is going.

Are there areas they could improve?

No, there are none that I can think of.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I recommend working with Miquido.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the senior project manager at BGZ BNP Paribas. We’re the fourth largest bank in Poland, offering services to a variety of customer segments including retail, small enterprise, and corporate. I’m currently working on a new mobile banking solution for our retail customers, and we plan to expand the application to also include our small business customers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Miquido?

We started this project over a year ago with a different vendor who built the solution from scratch and helped us launch it, but we weren’t satisfied with the final product’s performance. We asked them to follow an agile methodology, and they agreed, but we soon found that they weren’t experienced in that approach. We also ran into several basic and avoidable challenges when integrating the system. Overall, they weren’t capable of completing the solution to our standards.

We needed to find a different partner with experience in Android, iOS, and web-based backend development to help us enhance and complete the application by the end of 2018.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Miquido is supporting the development of a banking solution for our retail and small business customers. So far, they’ve added several new features and functionalities to the original platform, including push notifications, in-app purchases, and video content.

The push notification feature allows customers to receive mobile confirmation alerts for any received or sent financial transfers. Users have to approve the feature, and they can also customize their preferences to allow other notifications.

We partnered with a third-party insurance provider to add in-app purchasing capabilities to the application, offering their products on our platform. Miquido integrated our system with the outside party’s and built the process from end to end. Now, users can calculate their insurance, go through an acceptance assessment, and receive confirmation on the platform.

We’re currently working with the Miquido team to add video content to the platform. A different vendor created a video to help onboard new customers, giving them the freedom to open accounts on their own time. Miquido implemented the video in the application, then built a verification process that requires users to upload a photo of themselves and a photo ID, then compare the two.

What is the team composition?

We work with a team of 10 that consists of two Android developers, two iOS developers, two backend developers, a scrum master, one or two testers, and a UX specialist.

How did you come to work with Miquido?

I’ve only been in my role for two and a half years, but the bank reached out to various vendors for mobile projects before my time. Miquido was one of the agencies contacted. They’re based in Kraków, and we have a location there as well. Our team asked around the city and received multiple recommendations for Miquido. They’d done a few projects with the bank before I started. Initially, we chose a different vendor for this project because Miquido didn’t have much experience in the area of integration. When we needed to find a new partner, we went back to Miquido and found that they’d recently expanded their skill set, so we brought them on for the project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in July 2018, and it’s an ongoing project. In the two weeks prior, we had a warm-up period to establish a scope and schedule. We expect to complete this project in 2021, but we plan to extend the partnership to include support and future development work.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I don’t have any concrete numbers at the moment, but our scores on both iOS and Android app stores increase every month. We have over four stars and positive reviews in both markets, which indicates that we’re headed in the right direction. I definitely attribute that success to Miquido, given that they built all of our customer-facing features.

How did Miquido perform from a project management standpoint?

We’re following the scrum method, using Jira and Slack to communicate and track our progress. We share code through Bitbucket, as well as some other agile tools on the market. Every stage of this project has been a challenge because we work with multiple outside vendors, but Miquido navigates those relationships efficiently and professionally.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re very goal-oriented, actively looking for solutions to every challenge. The team is collaborative but still low-maintenance. We schedule meetings and calls as necessary, and there’s not much outside discussion. They’re straightforward, which we really appreciate. We don’t have to allocate a lot of time for planning, paperwork, and agreements.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It would be nice if they had a system design and architecture specialist to head the project. With other vendors, we spoke to a senior staff member who delegated tasks to the development team. With Miquido, we speak with the entire team throughout each phase of the project. Having a point person in place to handle all of our questions would speed up the whole process, especially in the beginning.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work for a nutrition company and I’m the regional software product manager for Europe, Africa, India, and the Middle East.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Miquido?

We wanted to create a customer-facing member app for nutrition coaching. We also wanted someone to develop the backend infrastructure for our product suppliers.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They built native iOS and Android apps for our platform and handled the backend work using Java. We handled all of the design work in-house and provided the initial wireframes, as well as a list of requirements for the developers. They used that to construct all of our platform architecture.

Over the course of our collaboration on this project, we’ve changed and improved it quite a lot. We’ve integrated it with smart tools like wireless scales, so customers can weigh and measure food. We’ve also added e-commerce support, chat integration, and backend address validation through Google. Our apps and backend system are synchronized and fully interconnected, so there aren’t delays or refresh issues.

In addition to building this platform, they also helped us create an internal content management system (CMS) platform and developed all of the microservices involved in the project.

What is the team composition?

We had a team of around eight people, including a project manager/scrum master and developers for our apps, back end, and CMS.

How did you come to work with Miquido?

I’m not sure how we found them. I was involved in the selection process, though, and their team showed the most confidence in their abilities and seemed to be a good match for us.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked on this project from March–December 2016 but we still have an ongoing relationship.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our users are happy with the product overall. MIquido’s team did a good job of meeting our requests and delivering apps that work well for customers even though they didn’t get much input on the design elements. We’ve also been happy with the functionality and reliability of their products. Our service is up 99.9 percent of the time and if the servers go down, it’s usually the fault of another vendor.

How did Miquido perform from a project management standpoint?

They possessed solid expertise and delivered on their promises. Turnover on the team was low and if someone was replaced, they ensured that the replacement was up to speed on our project. We used Jira to keep track of all the details, which helped make those transitions smoother.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their overall professionalism, knowledge, and support make them a great company to work with. They deliver consistent quality and communication.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t have anything to add. It’s a real joy to work with them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be prepared because they’ll turn deliverables around before you’re ready to assign the next job.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am a client operations manager of an agency that offers digital music solutions.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Miquido?

We were working with a client to power their music download store that was developed by a third party. We wanted to rebrand and upgrade the store, and we decided that its original builder was not the best partner for that.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We integrated a new Prismic CMS for the site, which was supported by AWS. The project also required a UX redesign. We created a new account page for users, allowing them to manage their personal data and credit cards all within one corner of the website. We made it easier to search for specific content by implementing suggest-as-you-type functionality, showing users musical content containing the first few letters or characters entered.

What is the team composition?

We had one project manager, and at the peak of the project, we worked with four or five developers.

How did you come to work with Miquido?

We had worked with another company prior to working with Miquido, but their project management left a lot to be desired. With Miquido, there was an existing relationship between their CEO and one of our senior executives.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between £60,000– £70,000 ($79,000–$92,500 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

Our partnership lasted from April 2017 through October 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our relationship with the client is much healthier because the new site shows our willingness to give them the best possible online store. It has become a bit of a blueprint of a download store for other prospective clients as well.

How did Miquido perform from a project management standpoint?

Our day-to-day communication was seamless. We had a Slack channel, and we also used Jira and Confluence. They gave us regular updates and feedback.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Our project manager understood the functionality of music catalogs and, more broadly, the music industry. They were able to communicate specific information to the development team and guide them very well.

Any advice for potential customers?

It’s important to be clear with requirements and have as much documentation at the start as possible.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the senior digital marketing manager for Abbey Road Studios. It’s a famous recording studio, and I lead the new digital business initiatives like e-commerce, online advertising, social media, etc.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Miquido?

While famous artists often book our studio, we wanted to create a digital solution to engage smaller musicians around the world. After a year of research and focus groups, we decided to develop a mobile recording app for musicians that’s accessible, cost-effective, and helpful. The app is called Topline.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

During our first briefing with Miquido, we said we needed a simple recording app. The main functionality is to record a voice with the best quality possible on mobile. The app required additional functionalities like saving recordings to an in-app library, organizing them, and being able to share completed tracks with others. We also wanted users to synchronize the app with online cloud-based systems.

Miquido was responsible for the technical scoping of the product, both from a user and development point of view. They developed the app and designed its UX. Then, they tested early app iterations and minimum viable products (MVP). We launched the iOS version and continue to work with them on implementing new app features. We intend for Miquido to develop the Android version as well, but we’re currently in the feasibility testing stage of that project.

How did you come to work with Miquido?

I’ve worked with them before at a previous company. They were chosen to develop a mobile app the company was planning launch. That work went well so I contacted them for this project. They won the pitch.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together January 2017 and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Feedback has been widely positive as the app received a lot of press coverage once it launched. We’ve gotten requests for Android support and to make the app available all over the world. It's viewed as something extremely desired and needed as a tool. We’ve had two or three reports of an initial audio bug, but that has since been resolved. That quick response shows we have an engaged audience of users. The number of downloads isn’t where we want, but we haven’t done a proper marketing push.

How did Miquido perform from a project management standpoint?

They performed brilliantly and worked with well with our management staff. They’re responsive and have efficient processes to ensure deliverables are completed on-time.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re probably one of the easiest vendors I’ve ever worked with in the digital space. Unlike other agencies I’ve worked with, they have our best interest in mind. They went the extra mile in negotiating costs and delivering within a flexible scope. They’re customer focused and strong in terms of development quality.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I find it easier to communicate face-to-face when in the planning stage of a project and that wasn’t possible with Miquido being based in another country. That didn’t negatively affect our project; however, I’d recommend they hire international teams to assist with early project discussions.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a radio company in Germany and are building an app for our customers to be able to listen to the radio without ads and commercials. I’m the head of streaming services. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Miquido?

We wanted to build a user-friendly app for the classical market and didn’t have an in-house team.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They were in charge of developing an iOS and Android app. They did the design first and then built all the tech behind it to make it work. It wasn’t normal on-demand streaming; it’s a special radio on demand mixture that’s quite complicated. Their focus was to develop some features and place them in this premium service. 

One feature is people can decide if they want to listen to the news, to the weather, to the stock market, or anything else. They don’t have to just listen to music, but can switch it on and off. There’s a channel mixer for different playlists. Users can take 5 or 6 and mix them together with a crossfading function.

On the Android app, they integrated Stripe. On the iOS app, they’re working on a payment system now. They’re continuing to build new features and make the apps more beautiful. 

How did you come to work with Miquido?

They were recommended to us. We considered several companies but Miquido understood the project quite well and had done other, very up-to-date similar projects. They were really comfortable with the music delivering system, which is quite complicated. We picked them because they already had experience. 

How much have you invested with them?

250,000 euros [$305,600]. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in January 2017 and the work is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re pretty young in the market. We just launched just before Christmas. In the App Store, we have 4.6 points and all the feedback is positive. The first people are paying now. 

How did Miquido perform from a project management standpoint?

They were very good. We were very satisfied with everything. It was very structured and they were honest. We didn’t have many issues. They were pretty good with timelines and made accurate estimations. The communication is also good.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re really smart people. They’re quite attached to the company and have a really good feeling for the employees. It’s not just work for them; they are connected to the company. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

When we wanted them to start another project, they declined because they said it wasn’t their specialty. We went to somebody else and figured out it’s pretty difficult. In the end, it was bad for us, but it’s good that they are honest about their limitations. They don’t just say yes in order to make money. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am a co-founder of a health technology company that provides communication solutions within hospitals. Our platform is primarily about secure instant messaging, which facilitates tasks and workflow amongst doctors and nurses. The platform also deals with patient information.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Miquido?

We wanted to help doctors save time and improve patient care. We needed a technical partner to help design and build the first version of our platform, including the backend and mobile app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We presented the aims of the projects and some information architecture, working closely to turn our objectives into a functional specification and a series of milestones. Their iOS and Android teams worked with us to build out the platform over a period of 6 months, while the backend team created a server-side application that helps us manage users and how the platform is used.

What is the team dynamic?

We worked with a project manager as well as 1 tester, 1–2 iOS developers, 1 Android developer, and 1 backend developer.

How did you come to work with Miquido?

We found them through a referral agency called Digital Knights. We put a specification out for an app, and the agency presented 3 companies. We were impressed with Miquido’s creativity, communication, and quick understanding of what we were trying to achieve.

How much have you invested with them?

So far, the cost has been around £100,000 [$131,974].

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in October 2016. The platform is available in app stores. We continue to have an ongoing relationship as we incorporate feedback into the platform.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

This has been the first mobile platform to enable the secure sharing of clinical information between doctors. Within its first 90 days, we onboarded almost 1% of all doctors within the NHS [National Health Service] to the platform. Currently, we’re sending tens of thousands of messages every month.

The work we’re doing is incredibly important, and, if the platform breaks, it can impact people’s lives. It’s not just a matter of ordering pizza or a taxi—it’s about patients getting good care in hospitals. We’ve received huge amounts of feedback, much of it technical and clinical. Some of our users have saved up to an hour per day on communication. We’ve even had reports of patients who had previously been lost in hospitals—something which does happen, unfortunately—and who were found because of the app.

How did Miquido perform from a project management standpoint?

I find them to be great project managers who were excellent in terms of responsiveness and communication. I have high standards and demand a lot from their team. Given the importance of what we’re doing, they’ve handled the pressure well.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re not driven solely by commercial reasons. They are a successful company, so they don’t struggle to find work—much of their business comes from word of mouth, which is obviously a good sign. This enables them to pick the more important projects, the ones they want to work on. It never felt like we were being rushed out; they gave us everything we needed for the project. They have genuinely cared about more than being paid, which is a rare thing to say about an outsourced studio.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They’ve asked me these questions as well. I have nothing but positive feedback. We can always improve things, but out of all the teams I’ve worked with, Miquido has delivered as good or better.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I hold the position of coordinator for e-commerce systems at TUI Poland. TUI is the world’s number one integrated tourism business operating in 180 countries worldwide, with around 1,800 travel agencies across Europe, six airlines operating more than 130 aircraft, more than 300 group-owned hotels and resorts, and twelve cruise ships. TUI is working for millions of clients every year.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Miquido?

Tourism and leisure went mobile. The importance of this search, communications, and sales channel is increasing rapidly, so we needed to improve the quality of our mobile solutions provided by our previous mobile vendor. We aimed to start a new development of the app and increase conversion and sales on it.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They were in charge of everything from implementing the purchasing process and integration with 3rd-party solutions such as PayU, to ending with refactoring code and optimizing the working time of the app. They also added more advanced mechanisms for analytics, creation of scenarios for engagement, and conversion.

They offered development of both regular and out-of-the-box solutions, increasing our clients’ engagement with the app and integrating analytics tools.

The whole project is being created in Objective-C/Swift on iOS and Java on Android. Miquido integrated a couple of new technologies into the project, including SDKs [software development kits] from the payment provider in Poland, which was crucial for us from the business perspective.

How much have you invested with Miquido?

We have spent approximately $120,000.

When was the project started and completed?

It started in May 2016 and is still in progress with plans for future cooperation.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

How did Miquido perform from a project management standpoint?

They performed very well. Together, we were able to implement Scrum. Miquido’s team is Agile, responsive, and eager to share their ideas for improvements.

What did you find most impressive about Miquido?

They are quick to respond to our needs and ideas, being primarily client-oriented and willing to suggest their improvements and ideas, e.g. during a TUI-focused hackathon.

Are there any areas Miquido could improve?

We are still working together to improve our cooperation with small changes in the process, but nothing different than standard Agile behavior.