Nickelfox

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the COO of Helios Life Enterprises. We focus on providing voice data for alpha generation across asset managers, fund managers, and corporate.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Nickelfox?

We hired them primarily for backend engineering.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Their work is utilizing existing Google Cloud managed services, with our team acting as a more architectural lead. It’s very beneficial to leverage them in that space, but they also do custom React work on the frontend. 75% of the time, they work in Google to make sure our infrastructure can support the big data pipeline.

How did you come to work with Nickelfox?

I’d known the firm previously.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $160,000–$180,000 with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together for about a year, since December 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It’s a combination of automated metrics that speak to reliability. There is also data to show they support our sales pipeline. Most of it is non-quantitative, but I have confidence in what we’re building. They’ve also helped with getting some of our data in, and our in-house team audits that work.

How did Nickelfox perform from a project management standpoint?

I don’t rely on them solely for it, but they do fine with what we need them to do.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It’s their combination of agility and cost-effectiveness. I find it unusual from places I’ve worked with that they can support technical products and also roll in design pretty well. Normally, there isn’t a blend of those things unless you pay an expensive premium, which is usually tough for a newer company.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They’re not the most technically proficient, but I knew that going in.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They should in someone who’s extremely proficient in at least some of these stacks. Even if they’re not based on India, it would be a game-changer for their company. They have some senior and junior resources, but adding someone beyond senior that has a hardcore understanding of the technology would be great.

Distill out and understand the concepts of what agile development means. Make sure there’s a willingness to treat them as an extension of your team rather than a “throw it over the wall” team. They’ll loop into your team daily and work extra hours for your project. They come in and do the things we assign so we make sure we’re overly communicative. Employing a tool like Slack helps clarify communication expectations.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Founder of a secret hotel in upstate NY

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Nickelfox?

I needed someone who can develop complex web platforms, mobile apps and has a good understanding of user experience.

What were your goals for this project?

The experience at my hotel is totally unique and so is the booking. I am trying to build a platform which can manage our room inventory, customer bookings, restaurant reservations, customer check ins and restaurant POS.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I have worked closely with the founder in the past on various projects.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

This is a complete ecosystem of Web Backend, Admin Panels for Booking & Inventory Management, iPhone and iPad Apps for Customer Check-In & Restaurant POS, which interact with each other to fulfil our requirements.

We had the following key services done by Nickelfox with respect to our project :

1. Admin Panel development for booking management, room inventory, POS management and Payment processing.
2. Backend development for managing rooms, reservations, bookings, guests, inventory and employees.
3. Phone and iPad app development for the restaurant POS
4. iPad app development for Customer Checking and Meal reservation app
5. Electronic Waiver signing app for guests.

What was the team composition?

For our project, We had a total team of 5 members which consisted of 1 Project Manager, 1 iOS Developer, 1 Backend and 2 Frontend developers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were able to bring all our manual processes to the platform so that our team could work with more ease and with better efficiency. Our customers are delighted with the unique experience as soon as they enter the hotel.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

We had 1 meeting every week with Nickelfox team, which helped us to move quickly through product development. The meetings and brainstorming sessions were quite effective.

They were always ready with the progress made and things to discuss to move forward. The team has given really good suggestions which contribute to the success of this platform. All other communication was done over email and the follow-ups were quick.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They are always willing to face new challenges and dedicated to producing solid results. Their active communication makes it a lot easier to work with them. They were able to resolve some critical issues in real-time. The technical knowledge and execution of the team are commendable.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Give invoices in a timely manner

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the manager of global digital transformation at Generali Global Health Services, a service extension for Generali Global Health. We’re a corporate startup within Generali. Generali itself has been around for 200 years.

We’re among the top three insurance companies in the world when it comes to all forms of insurance. The reason Generali Global Health Services was formed was to target a very particular International Private Medical Insurance (IPMI).

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Nickelfox?

When we looked into the market, we knew that we needed to innovate to compete. At the time, all of our mobile apps were white label. On those apps, our user adoption was next to nothing.

Because of this, we decided to build our own mobile application to target user adoption by giving them access to basic information about products and policies. We needed a company to help us build our first true mobile app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They developed our app on iOS and Android, building them from scratch. Our team detailed requirements and a general vision, and then they got to work. They also built some of our backend services. Some of our legacy systems didn’t have the necessary API capabilities, so we had to set up a whole new backend system involving data transfers through FTP sites. From there, their team built the API services through their backend, allowing for mobile interactivity.

Originally, we were only going to launch the client's mobile app in the Bahamas and Cayman Islands. However, we received such positive feedback from both members and executives that we later launched worldwide. We’re targeting a worldwide launch in April 2020. We just reengaged them for that work. They had their own designers available to offer support as needed.

What is the team composition?

We primarily had one full-time project manager and about four developers.

How did you come to work with Nickelfox?

Another one of our past partners is one of their sister vendors. They had experience with them and recommended their services.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $100,000 on the project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in February 2019, and our work together is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We're tracking an assortment of development metrics, most accounting for the frequency in which we have to adjust their code. They’ve also been pretty accurate in hitting their timelines. We've been tracking their performance in that arena as well. 

How did Nickelfox perform from a project management standpoint?

We've continued our relationship with them, in part, because of their project management abilities. Our other partners merely give us resources, while they are capable of managing the work as well. Their project manager is able to communicate between our teams, so I don't have to worry about coordination.

During the development, they update our geo-dashboards and geo-tickets on time. They make sure the code has been pushed to the Bitbucket in a timely manner, which has been really helpful.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their quality of work and project management skills stood out to us. They’re not afraid to debate and offer their opinion when appropriate. When they disagree with our direction, they approach us with logical reasoning. Most of the time, they turn out to be correct. They won't blindly stick to your requirements if there's something wrong with them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Overall, I’ve been happy with them. It would be helpful if they offered hybrid applications. We plan on moving in that direction soon, and it would be great if we could work with them on those projects.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be open to feedback and show transparency with your vision. Make note of your requirements and share them. They'll be pretty accurate with their estimates and timeline.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Fide Mihi is a law firm based in Delhi which holds the privilege to be among the very best law firms and having responsible and competent lawyers having with them decades of experience and expertise.

Our firm deals in legal matters in District Courts, High Courts, and Supreme Court of India. We hold pride in being renowned for expert advice in criminal law, civil law and family law. We believe that justice is your basic right and therefore we fight with you and fight for you to provide you with this basic right.

I am the CEO at FideMihi.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Nickelfox?

We wanted to build a web & app based platform where we could offer our legal services to as many people as we can and help. The platform would also allow fellow legal consultants and other lawyers to come work with us and expand our team.

What were your goals for this project?

We are keen on providing our clients with transparent services which are budget friendly, principled, trustworthy, aggressive and knowledgeable so that your case not only gets better but a strong one.

As our belief is that justice is your basic right therefore we also offer free legal advice to poor people who cannot afford top notch lawyers but are in need of someone who can help them get justice.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I had known one of the people in the company management for a while and reached out to them when we decided upon building this platform.

Describe the project in detail.

We had following key services done by Nickelfox with respect to our project:

• Requirement analysis
• Website Designing & Development
• App Design & Development
• Deployment and Maintenance

What was the team composition?

For our project, the team of 6 people comprising of Project Manager, Designer, Developer, App Developer and Tester from Nickelfox.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our platform has allowed people from different walks of life to be able to have centralized access to legal consultation and suggestions at a fixed fee. This enables them to have an opportunity to have multiple consultation and a hassle free overall experience for the legal matters they needed support in.

This resulted in a creating an ecosystem of reliable legal services, and thereby becoming a trusted brand in our field

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We had 2 meetings every week with Nickelfox team, the meetings included members from both teams (ours as well as theirs) which helped us to move quickly through the development phase and deliver to market.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I appreciated the team’s dedication and commitment to improving the end users' experience and building a solution that is scalable. The technical knowledge of the team is commendable.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, nothing comes to mind as needing improvement. With any issue, they were quick to solve it.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are a Hiring Platform for candidates and employers. We empower candidates to apply for their dream jobs with a VideoCV. Video calling, interview scheduling, and candidate tracking tools for employers.

AI-based candidate & Job Profile matching. With seamless dashboard for employers and their teams with analytics and stats. I am the founder and CEO of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Nickelfox?

Hiring good employees is always a difficult and lengthy process. Taking too much time in shortlisting resumes of sometimes 100s of candidates. Also creating a good CV which stands out also is a monumental task for candidates. We started out to solve this fundamental problem with the recruitment process. We wanted to create a smart hiring platform making the recruiting process simpler for both employees and employers. We wanted to partner with a development agency to build our platform, the first one in our suite of tests.

What were your goals for this project?

The project entailed development of a platform with multiple user types who are creating & interacting with video content. The platform included, iOS & Android Apps, Responsive Website, Multiple Admin Panels and core Machine learning model for intelligent profile matching. Scope also included creating UI & UX for a seamless user experience across a wide range of audience.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We got connected through a reference from one of my friends. After interviewing the core team we were convinced of their capabilities to handle the technology challenge with working with high volume of streaming video content.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

We had the initial requirement for the project laid out. The team at Nickelfox help us map out the product phases. They also did the technical feasibility of the phases, according to our release timelines. After the scope detailing, they delivered a seamless MVP as planned. The were also expected to deliver the Wireframes and the design language for the entire platform. After wire-framing the development started simultaneously for web, mobile and backend.

What was the team composition?

They have an agile software development process for our project. The team had one Product Manger, a team of 7 developers & designers and 1 Tester. Initially the had 5 Developers & Designers. Later to speed up the development they added 2 more developers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Results were great from the launch, we got many satisfied candidates and companies. As we were starting the product, we were able close long term contracts with many companies, almost 15% more than our initial projections.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

The project management was great, the regular SCRUM meetings helped a lot in streamlining the over all development. For project management we used Asana, Slack was the main communication tool. Github for code reviews.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The technical knowledge and execution of the team are commendable.

Are there any areas for improvement?

They could get a bigger office.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the VP of engineering at Taste, a startup company and network that helps people find the best restaurant recommendations.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Nickelfox?

For the size of our company, it wasn't feasible to take on larger development projects in-house, so we engaged Nickelfox to help build our iOS app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Nickelfox developed an iOS app, working off of some initial wireframes and preliminary code provided. After an initial assessment, they were able to determine how much of our preexisting code was usable and refactor it into the app. They incorporated Google Cloud and used Python and Swift 3.

They also supported the necessary design pieces of the app, as well as the web-based platform, integrating APIs and CI tools as needed.

What is the team composition?

We primarily worked with just two people.

How did you come to work with Nickelfox?

I had heard of them earlier on in my career, so I was already familiar with their work before we had a need for their services. Once we met with them, they seemed to quickly understand our vision and what stack to use to successfully deliver it.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $30,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from around January–July 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Nickelfox successfully launched our concept to market within specifications. Although we haven't done any marketing yet, a few hundred people have already downloaded and started using the app.

We're very happy with the way it turned out internally, and the fact that they were able to deliver it within our set timeline. Despite some ambiguities in the scope of work, they were able to stick to their original estimates.

How did Nickelfox perform from a project management standpoint?

Although I handled most of the project management myself, their team did a very good job of conforming to timelines and being responsive through our communications tool of choice, Pivotal Tracker.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Nickelfox's ability to provide full services sets them apart. When we had unexpected design changes come up, they were capable of supporting our needs so we didn't have to hire another vendor. It can be difficult to find a firm proficient in both the design and development side of things.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can't think of anything; they delivered on exactly what we asked of them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CMO of a computer software company. We’ve created a blockchain-based infrastructure within the African market. With our ecosystem, users can securely make payments, transfers, and investments with other partners in our network.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Nickelfox?

We needed resources to build a website and a landing page for our initial coin offering (ICO) campaign. We also wanted an MVP for our iOS app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Initially, they created a website and landing page for us, developing the concept design, building the wireframes, and implementing them. They also created 3D animations for the site and had our content translated into four languages: Korean, Russian, Japanese, and Mandarin. As for the iOS app, they developed it based on our technical specs and delivered an MVP in about three weeks.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked exclusively with their lead designer, but he also manages our account and serves as a liaison with the development team.

How did you come to work with Nickelfox?

We found them online through Dribbble. At the time, we were eager to push things forward, so we needed a vendor that could be flexible with our schedules and budget constraints. Out of all the other agencies, Nickelfox seemed the most accommodating.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $45,000–$50,000 thus far.

What is the status of this engagement?

Their work started in January 2018 and is ongoing. While they’ve completed the site and MVP, we’ve continued to keep them on retainer for future development.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our site has about a 60% retention rate, which is very high for an ICO page within our industry. While a lot of that has to do with marketing and content, we also attribute it to their web design and layout. The site is easy to use, and the translated pages helped us target our key markets.

How did Nickelfox perform from a project management standpoint?

I’ve worked with at least 10 similar service providers, but Nickelfox has been the best agency by far. They’re extremely flexible with our schedules, accommodating any changes while still meeting deadlines. We faced some challenges due to time differences, but they went the extra mile to overcome them. On some nights, they even worked after business hours to ensure timely delivery.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It’s been an ideal experience. Aside from their cost-efficiency, what makes them such a strong vendor is the fact that they care about the client’s work. If they didn’t, they wouldn’t take the project. Furthermore, I appreciate that they’ve assigned a dedicated point of contact to handle all of our needs. Rather than sorting out logistics with multiple individuals, we’re able to go directly to our account manager with any inquiry.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of Timestance, a company that provides time-lapse photography and video production.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Nickelfox?

We wanted to create an app for presenting our work to clients as well as to promote our services. We also needed a partner to manage our website and generate more inquiries for us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Nickelfox built my Android and iOS apps and continues to update them. They also provide maintenance for my website. I’m not tech savvy, so I entrusted all IT matters to them.

What is the team composition?

I’m currently working with their founder, who handles all issues and sends me reports.

How did you come to work with Nickelfox?

I got in touch with about three groups and chose Nickelfox because of their complete service offering, which included website management and web and app development. They had solutions for all my problems.

How much have you invested with them?

I’ve spent around $20,000 so far across all the work.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Nickelfox in January or February 2017. While the Android app’s development ended six months later, the iOS version is still being built. They also provide ongoing maintenance and development for the website.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Before hiring Nickelfox, we were only focusing on time-lapse production and weren’t doing much to present our work, which was an issue. Once the Android app was completed, I shared it with my clients, making it easier for them to present our work to third-party individuals. We’ve gained more clients as a result.

Moreover, they completely transformed my website. It was just a blog when I handed it over to them; they completely rebranded it and updated the whole website. It has really helped me garner more business and presents our work both beautifully and professionally.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They delivered more than what I asked for. I didn’t have a good idea of how the Android app should work, but they made it into an easy-to-use product that’s helped me a lot. I had a lot of things planned for the site, and they not only understood my ideas but implemented them beautifully.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the assistant manager of ITC Foods, a food manufacturing conglomerate. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Nickelfox?

I work in the consumer insights function. We reach out to consumers and collect data from them. We needed to figure out multiple ways to gather data from consumers. We needed help to develop an app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Nickelfox created an app for us. They did the frontend as well as the backend, which is the dashboard and data collection. The app has a unique code and consumers put in all their details. We added a lot of images and made it interactive. We had multiple choice questions, or someone can draw a scale of how much they like something. Their designer developed beautiful icons.

What is the team composition?

I mainly worked with the founder and his team.

How did you come to work with Nickelfox?

We’d seen their work and liked their cost.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from January–June 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Now that we aren’t using pen and paper, it costs us 20 lakhs per survey versus 50 lakhs. We’re saving a lot of time, energy, and data punching. Creating and printing that booklet for 2,000 people was a huge cost. This money is saved because we’re now collecting data digitally and over the phone. 

How did Nickelfox perform from a project management standpoint?

They contribute and give good suggestions to solve our problems. They’re good project managers because they make my life easy. If I have an idea that they can’t execute, they explain to me why they can’t do it and what the challenge is.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re dedicated, young people. They’re a growing team. They’re available whenever I call them, even on the weekends. We had good interactions with them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They had to hire designers from the outside, but everything went smoothly.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re developing a small device that plugs into users’ phones and allows them to perform health diagnostic tests. The first test we’re providing measures hormones in urine to track a person’s ovulation cycle in order to generate a fertility chart. I’m the company's founder.

Creating a smartphone-enabled tracker presents a lot of advantages. Our aim was to combine the accuracy of higher-grade monitors with the convenience of an app that would bring an improved user experience while giving immediate access to data.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Nickelfox?

We needed help developing the mobile app while our company focused more on the hardware and algorithms.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Nickelfox provided the UI/UX design for our iOS and Android application. We handled the backend development.

What is the team composition?

I worked with the founder who led the project and was also our primary point of contact.

How did you come to work with Nickelfox?

I went to the same school as their founder and got to know them through my network. I also spoke to some of their previous customers.

How much have you invested with them?

The total cost of their work has been between $40,000–$50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in the first quarter of 2016. We launched the app to the market 6–8 months later as part of a trial period. The official launch was in December 2016. We’ve been engaging with Nickelfox for bug fixes and enhancements as we’ve continued to scale up.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Two of the measurable results we’ve tracked are project time completion and quality. We did overestimate a bit on the time and budget, but the quality was accurate. I don’t have any exact metrics.

Users love our product. It’s a combination of our work and Nickelfox’s, or, a combination of hardware and software. We’re picking up in the market and the overall feedback has been quite good.

How did Nickelfox perform from a project management standpoint?

I would rate their performance as above average, but I wouldn’t call it excellent. There were some miscalculations in terms of timelines, but the work quality was still high. Nickelfox had to adapt to our team’s rapid-change mode.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’re a small startup, so there were many unplanned elements in the software development process. It wasn’t as well-defined as that of a large company, but Nickelfox was able to adapt to our changing requirements.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Time and cost estimation could definitely be improved. We did miscalculate the original scope.