NOGRAVITY

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a project lead at a data analytics company. We measure voice and data connection quality in mobile networks. Our services include both benchmarks and optimization.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with NOGRAVITY?

Most of our clients are mobile network operators or regulators with the technical acumen to analyze complex inbound data. The metrics we produce can be difficult for average end users to understand. We contracted NOGRAVITY to develop a customer-facing interactive web portal to display our results in a clear, pragmatic way.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

NOGRAVITY worked with us from the initial stages to create a B2C online portal. It makes it easy for mobile consumers to interpret our data analytics and check their local network conditions. They built a user-friendly product that maintains the technical credibility of our metrics. Rather than taking out industry-specific terms, they added tools and tips to make the content more easily accessible.

One design resource created all the graphics for our project. We built the database in-house to display results from our data analytics services. We laid out the types of metrics we produce, the ideal presentation, and the column types to use in the SQL database. Our internal design team created mockups to convey the scope. After getting our client’s approval, NOGRAVITY started implementing the entire frontend. Both my team and my client’s team conducted testing.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with at least five people from their team. I was in direct contact with their lead frontend developer. Although we’d finished the database in-house, NOGRAVITY’S backend developers aggregated the right data results to include in the new portal.

How did you come to work with NOGRAVITY?

We got in touch with them through our internal graphic designer, who is friends with them. After considering other companies, NOGRAVITY was clearly the one team flexible enough to complete the initial the requirements we laid out.

How much have you invested with them?

NOGRAVITY’S services cost around €10,000. The overall project has a much higher value.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with NOGRAVITY in October 2017. They completed their assigned work in December. We plan to work together for the rest of 2018 and hire them for a major project next year.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

After the portal went live, we received great feedback from both our client and internal team. There haven’t been any major bugs or behavioral issues with the app. It’s never crashed due to overloading, either. The team delivered such a great product that our client much less work to do than anticipated. Based on their success, we definitely plan on working with them again.

How did NOGRAVITY perform from a project management standpoint?

We had a very comfortable collaboration with NOGRAVITY. The management aspect was a new experience for me. I was used to using benchmarks for mobile operators. This was our first project that involved software development.

NOGRAVITY helped us prioritize information and requirements. They organized each stage of the workflow and shared the most topical information with our client. The team was available 24/7. If we had to meet a deadline, they were willing to remain at the office after hours, and even work from home.

What did you find most impressive about them?

NOGRAVITY is deeply involved and genuinely dedicated to our project’s success. We were wrapping up during the holidays, and they even worked after their Christmas Eve dinner. Two of their team members stayed online with me from 10:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. the next day, when the portal had to go live.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I do not see any improvement areas at the moment. We’ve only worked together on one minor project, but I’m proud of what we accomplished together.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Future clients should foster an open dialogue with NOGRAVITY. The team can find a solution to any problematic situation. It’s important to have honest discussions and share as much information as you have at any given moment.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the sales director at a software development company that focuses mainly on software as a service (SaaS) products like ERP, CMS and CRM systems. We sometimes work with startups, but 80% of our current engagements are with large corporate systems.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with NOGRAVITY?

We were building a mobile system for delivering orders from online shops, and lacked iOS and Android resources. We asked the client if we could engage another partner, and they accepted.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We have leased Android and iOS developers from NOGRAVITY. They managed the project and developed the application’s backend.

The platform allows users to view a list of stores that can deliver the product they need, mark a delivery address, and place an order. It is similar to delivery applications already on the market, but designed for small packages. Requests are sent to available motor-bikers in the area, who can accept an order and pick up a package from the store. There are additional features like a referral system with bonuses.

What is the team composition?

They provided four developers, two for iOS and two for Android.

How did you come to work with NOGRAVITY?

They are based near us in Krakow, Poland, and their CEO is my friend. Although they are not large, NOGRAVITY has an honesty that is rare among offshore software development companies. They don’t lie, and they practice what they preach.

They also have a lot of software development experience, especially with mobile applications. I have had bad experiences with other companies in the same city, but I was confident in NOGRAVITY’s knowledge, communication approach, and ability to deliver.

How much have you invested with them?

The cost of their work was around $20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started the project with NOGRAVITY in May 2017 and finished it in October 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I don’t have user feedback available, and can’t comment on the code itself, but the client was happy. We couldn’t have taken the project without NOGRAVITY’s help. The project was too small to justify hiring in-house developers, so assistance from their team was crucial.

The app is still in beta, and the client is now pursuing a user-oriented model. He has given us some feedback as we continue the collaboration. Although it has been launched and it some active users, the client hasn’t paid much attention to marketing. The app needs to be polished more.

How did NOGRAVITY perform from a project management standpoint?

The developers answered to our project manager and followed our processes. We used Jira for communication. Because our offices are close to each other, it was easy to set up in-person meetings.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I appreciated their honesty. If NOGRAVITY’s team couldn’t deliver something, or if a certain technology was outside their expertise, they simply let us know. I value this transparency very much, and we employ it with our own customers. A company’s ability to admit that it doesn’t possess all the technologies in the world alleviates a lot of problems and miscommunications. That honesty will prompt me to contact NOGRAVITY again when we have a similar project.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We did have some organizational issues in the beginning, which is typical when collaborating with a new IT team. Setting up terms of partnership is necessary, but can slow you down at the start. Things went much more smoothly after that point.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

EuroPilot is a Polish partner of Mair DuMont, a German publishing company that releases the MARCO POLO guidebooks, the BAEDEKER travel guides, DuMont, Falk and others. We publish the Polish versions of these works, along with our own guidebooks, maps, and mobile tourism apps.

I am responsible for new projects. I work with private companies or regions in the country that want to have their own dedicated guidebooks or applications, handling everything from price estimates to content writing and publication.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with NOGRAVITY?

I wanted to create an app called Poland In VR, aimed at Polish tourist organizations and suitable for every region in the country. We are constantly looking for new clients, so the app was intended to bring attention to our company.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

NOGRAVITY developed our application for iOS and Android. It draws attention to interesting places in Poland through quizzes and VR panoramas of the county’s biggest cities. The app is available in multiple languages and works without an internet connection.

I’m not a programmer, so I didn’t have knowledge of how the app should work. Their team helped me develop technical specifications and prepared some wireframes. I chose which places would be included in the app, and then NOGRAVITY sent a team of photographers to those locations with 360-degree cameras. I was responsible for testing the app.

What is the team composition?

I worked with Rafał Łach [CTO and Co-Founder, NOGRAVITY], along with one of their senior full-stack developers and a graphic designer.

How did you come to work with NOGRAVITY?

One of my friends had a good experience using them for another project. I looked at NOGRAVITY’s previous work and read some reviews for their apps on Google Play and the App Store, but that recommendation was the most important factor in my decision.

How much have you invested with them?

The initial cost was around €40,000 [$50,000 USD]. We paid them another €5,000 or €6,000 [$6,000—$7,500 USD] for the panoramic photography.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with NOGRAVITY in September 2016. The app was finished in November.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They developed a basic version for the app stores, but we also have a more sophisticated offline version for use during tourism trade shows. The main gauge for success has not been the number of downloads, but how many important clients we can attract using the app. An average of 200-300 people show interest in it during fairs, but this is not an important metric for us.

How did NOGRAVITY perform from a project management standpoint?

They delivered more than we expected. I kept changing my mind during development, but they accommodated me without extra charge. We used email and phone for communication, and I also visited their team in Krakow.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I didn’t have the most complete knowledge of app development, but I could rely on them. I had the advantage of talking to smart people who focused on making everything clear.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Someone with more knowledge about this industry might have an idea of how they could improve. From my point of view, NOGRAVITY delivered more than we expected.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

FitFOOD produces intelligent fridges from which users can purchase healthy food. I work in the finance department.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with NOGRAVITY?

We needed to create the whole CMS system and develop the delivery application for both iOS and Android. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The first thing they did was create the CMS [content management system]. We also have a delivery application that is used by our drivers who are responsible for putting products in the fridges. Our clients can order food for the fridges through the app or via the fridges. All the apps and the CMS were created from ground up. The application was made for iOS and Android and we’re continuing to build up the CMS. We’re growing fast and need the system to continue to be better and have more functionality.

The CMS registers the activity of the fridge and monitors if it’s working properly. It also records the activity—for example, if there was something moved from the fridge, we can check the time. It also checks important parameters of the fridge like the temperature, if the Bluetooth works, and Wi-Fi works.

The second part of the CMS is for the whole process of the delivery. We can create the documents for our drivers and using the app, drivers receive the code to open the fridge and put the dishes there.

What is the team composition?

We had two people who were responsible for the process.

How did you come to work with NOGRAVITY?

My boss handled the hiring.

How much have you invested with them?

$10,000–$50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

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

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve already had users make about 5,000 orders. The feedback is really good: people are quite surprised with the whole idea and how it’s possible to buy the food on their phone, then just come to the fridge, insert a code, and get the dish. The system is really well done.

How did NOGRAVITY perform from a project management standpoint?

Every deadline was met and sometimes even completed early. If we had anything we wanted changed , they were always open to suggestions, and were fast in making the changes. It was impressive. They use Redmine for us to put all the changes we would like in the system. We also use email and phone calls. There was no problem with communication.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They always had advice on what we can do better and they offered suggestions. They’re also great with deadlines.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. Their work was impressive.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be ready for really work and changes.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the Marketing Director for Medical Alternatives Clinic, a medical marijuana consultation facility based in Colorado Springs, Colo.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with NoGravity?

We needed a new app that allowed patients to find our clinics, get directions, schedule an appointment, and call us—all at the click of a button. We also wanted to create a social platform for the medical marijuana community, where both patients and physicians could share valuable information with each other.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We went over all the requirements through an initial Skype call before NoGravity started developing the mobile app for Android. After completion of Android, we decided to move forward with the iOS version.

They designed the interface with specific one-touch capabilities that allow the user to call the clinic, schedule an appointment, and get directions to the nearest location (via Google maps integration). They also built out a discussion tab, where patients and physicians can communicate, and a dispensary tab, which allows patients to access exclusive deals from dispensaries that I've partnered up with.

Their team has fixed some of our logos on an as-needed basis.

What is the team composition?

Although I've met their entire team, I mostly work with one product manager. 

How did you come to work with NoGravity?

I used to work in the technology sector, so I'm familiar with the costs of developing apps. I knew that a vendor in the U.S. would've costed close to 4 times the price of a vendor overseas capable of producing comparable quality work. 

After finding NoGravity through a Google search and looking at their portfolio, I decided to give them a shot. I liked that they don't take on mediocre projects and offer fair pricing.

How much have you invested with them?

We've invested around $45,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

For Android, we worked with them November through December 2017. We're now developing the iOS version of the app. We also have a 4-month maintenance period to fix any bugs at no extra charge.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We already have over 100 users. Clients love that we've developed the app with specific capabilities and that the interface is user-friendly. NoGravity created an eye-catching graphic for the opening screen of the app that we're very pleased with.

How did NoGravity perform from a project management standpoint?

I have no complaints from my experience with project managers—they were top-of-the-line to say the least. Their team is very responsive and quickly turns around quotes and project updates. 

We mostly communicated through email, Google chat, and Skype. They're technology friendly, so if your team prefers a certain platform, I'm sure they'd be open to using it.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Working with them has honestly been the biggest bang for the buck I've ever had from a vendor. If I had paid them 4 times the amount of what we were charged, I'd still be happy. Not only are they less expensive, but their quality is better than anyone you'd find in the U.S.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can't think of anything. They provide continuity of services and made sure we were tended to from start to finish.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Although they're based in Poland, their team is fluent in English so don't worry about communication issues. They'll soon be expanding their operations into the U.S.