NS804

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the COO of paddleBOX

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Automated equipment rental systems. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire NS804 to accomplish?

• Build an app for our kiosk
• In-app payment processing through Stripe
• Backend rental system management

SOLUTION

How did you find NS804?

• Online Search
• Referral

Why did you select NS804 over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from NS804 were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Build a custom application that allowed our customer to rent paddleboards from our kiosk. The app collects renters information, signed waivers, and processes payments for the rentals and calculates the return time. The app also allows them to return the rental equipment and communicates with the hardware and locks in our kiosk to ensure the equipment was returned properly. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

When my business partner and I realized that we needed an app developed for our company, it seemed like a mountain in front of us we would never be able to climb. Nick and his team at NS804 basically air lifted us to the top of that mountain. After we crudely explained what we were trying to accomplish, Nick was able to guide us through the steps needed, and even made several recommendations throughout the process that ultimately led to a better app and a better user experience for our customers. 
The app they developed for us integrates seamlessly with our hardware, and is the backbone of our entire operation. Nick and his team went above and beyond for us with countless hours and late nights leading up to our launch in order to help us get everything dialed in. We've dealt with cheaper developers in the past, and the difference is night and day, not only in support, but the quality of the code and final product. 
When we needed to make changes to the app after testing, NS804 was able to do it quickly and easily because they had the foresight and proper coding to be able to make those modifications without destroying the rest of the functionality, which was not our experience with other developers. With the application being so important to our companies process, I am SO glad we didn't just chose the cheapest option for development. We would not be as successful as we were without them. Thank you Nick, we look forward to continuing to work with you for many years to come!

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

They worked diligently in getting the app developed, but the dedication they showed in the weeks leading up to our launch, pulling extremely long hours into the night to get issues resolved and to make changes was truly amazing. They commitment to getting the app perfect for launch was incredible, and we would highly recommend them to anyone looking for a custom application. 

What was your primary form of communication with NS804?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Their dedication to the project and ability to foresee issues stood out. They were planning 3 steps ahead in the coding as they were able to anticipate our needs and potential issues before they were even brought to light in testing. 

Are there any areas for improvement or something NS804 could have done differently?

Nothing stands out that could be improved upon. We are truly fortunate to have had them as a partner in this project and will continue to use them in the future. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of a technology company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with NS804?

We were trying to develop a mobile scanning app that allowed users to scan different components of a room.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

NS804 helped us with mobile app development.

What is the team composition?

I worked with Nick (CEO), Sonne (Project Manager & RFP Writer), David (Former Software Engineer), and another engineer who replaced David after he quit. Nick was our main point of contact.

How did you come to work with NS804?

I found them on Upwork.

How much have you invested with them?

I spent around $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from May–November 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

How did your relationship with the vendor evolve?

After David unexpectedly quit amidst the project, we had to hire our own outside talent. However, Nick didn’t allow them to communicate with any of NS804’s developers. His negative response to our team’s communication with his team ultimately led to the engagement ending poorly. A lot of the information got lost, which caused an inefficient execution of the project. When we asked him to communicate directly with their developers, and he said no, we ended the relationship.

Describe the impact this engagement has had on your business.

The cost of this project wasn’t worth the results. When NS804 handed off the final product, the transition was of low quality. The code was very messy, and there were little to no git logs. Moreover, Nick was unable to migrate the code into our code repository.

This engagement put us behind on our deadlines for delivering this technology piece, and we lost a great amount of budget because of it. Overall, Nick didn’t have a team capable of executing the good ideas he came up with, and they ultimately delivered a product with half the value we expected at four times the cost other developers would have charged.

How did NS804 address the challenges that arose?

Despite the poor delivery, we received no money back, and NS804 didn’t offer any solutions.

How was project management handled?

The quality of NS804’s communication was usually pretty poor. Emails and texts containing critical information never got answered, and that information never made it to their developers, leading to duplicate work.

Is there anything that the vendor did well or that you would consider a strength?

NS804 was always on time for meetings, which was great. Their team was there for us, and they were reliable. Additionally, Nick was available even during vacations and odd hours; whenever we needed to communicate with them, he made himself available via email, text, or Skype.

Moreover, NS804 had good ideation and requirement identification processes for the project, and they were great at brainstorming. Throughout the project, Nick maintained an overall hopeful and positive attitude to what was possible, and he had access to other specialists who acted as advisors, which was very good.

What advice do you have for clients with similar needs to yours?

If NS804 doesn’t have a specific developer with the specific skill set you require, don’t engage with them. However, if Nick shows you that they have someone on his team with past history and experience, you could go for it.

Company Responses

The vendor responded on December 16, 2022.

While we strived very hard to make things work with this client they were extremely difficult. We took this project over from an existing team. I personally made it very clear to the client the only way we would take the project was if he knew up front this absolutely may not be possible. We conceptualized the process, did the relevant research and had a working POC for the client.

The client is correct we lost a team lead during the project, however we had several others that could work in the tech stack. In terms of the hand off. It is customary to allow access to the repository to the team taking over, we offered this multiple times and were told no. The client went ahead and set up a repository that was free and could not accept all files.

As such, we zipped all files up and shared via Dropbox for the new team to upload and structure the repo to their needs and standards. This was not acceptable to the client. The team that the client used to state our code is messy has no experience in the code stack we wrote in.

We also were not building a product, we were building a Proof of Concept. As such you h e lots of different dead code in the repo so you can see directions you tried and failed. It is extremely valuable for the new team and the client to have this info so others do not follow dead paths. We really wish things had gone better but we went above and beyond and had a working POC that the client was scheduled and ready to share a major retailer. So the choice to move in another direction had nothing to do with the product.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder of Bene Tipping, a digital tipping provider for the hospitality industry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with NS804?

We hired NS804 for mobile app development. Our previous provider hadn’t done a very good job, so we decided to switch companies.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

NS804 provides us with mobile and web app development services. They developed a mobile application that generates digital tipping in the hospitality industry. They added some core features, including registering accounts and payment processing with Stripe. They built the app from scratch for Android and iOS and later developed it into a hybrid mobile and web application.

The app has launched, and we’re running pilot programs with hotel chains. Before starting the pilots, the hotels vetted us on many aspects, including cybersecurity. NS804 collaborated with us to answer questions about architecture and cybersecurity. They provided diagrams needed during the RFP process. The team has also upgraded the app as part of those vetting processes.

Currently, NS804 is doing maintenance for the app. This is a new product for the hospitality industry, and companies want to see many features, so we’re continuously iterating on the app with NS804.

What is the team composition?

There are six people from NS804 visible to me, though I’m sure more teammates are involved in the background. Our main point of contact is the project manager, and we’ve also had contact with Nick (CEO).

How did you come to work with NS804?

We shopped around through online research, and we found NS804 on Clutch, which is the platform for this sort of thing. We read their reviews and compared them with competitors. We interviewed 3–4 different companies, and NS804 was a happy medium regarding price and quality from what we could see. We felt good about Nick and his team, so we hired them.

How much have you invested with them?

So far, we’ve spent around $250,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together around November 2020, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The best matrix of NS804’s success is that we’re running pilot programs with three of the largest hotel flags in the world, and a fourth one is coming on shortly. This is a brand new field, so our product has gone all the way up to the C-Suites of these companies that have looked at and tested different options. Entire IT and cybersecurity departments vetted us for six months, and now we’re running pilot programs with them, which is telling. Our end clients are satisfied with how quickly NS804 can pivot and deliver things they want.

Additionally, we haven’t had any bugs or crashes. We’ve only had device-specific issues, such as outdated Android devices, and the team has quickly addressed them. After our previous provider, my expectations were pretty low. However, NS804 is always on top of things. They’re available whenever things come up, including once when they were at an airport, about to go on vacation. Overall, we’re 100% satisfied with the work completed and the support they’ve provided. 

How did NS804 perform from a project management standpoint?

We mainly communicate through email, and we also use portals where they offload work and where we also collaborate.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’m most impressed by NS804’s immediate response; they're on things immediately whenever we send them anything. This product doesn’t have a typical lifecycle; we’re going through a vetting process by hotels that are very skeptical because this is a new solution. They send us questions and requests that need to be addressed quickly, and NS804 supports us.

For example, a feature had to be developed, vetted, and released within two weeks. Although they had their schedules packed, the NS804 team was able to find time and finish the feature within that tight timeframe.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Nothing. From my perspective, they’ve been flawless.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

My advice for development, in general, is not to go for the cheap stuff; I’ve done it, and I shouldn’t have. I would also strongly advise working with someone based in your own country. I would never develop an app with a team not based on my time zone because it can become cumbersome.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the executive director of Vermont Cares. We’re a harm reduction HIV/AIDS service organization.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with NS804?

They’re helping us build a custom mobile application to increase our outreach through the creation of anonymous access points for people to locate and find our mobile van services.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We worked from scratch to create the iOS and Android features. The live van tracking is a pretty-big feature, as is the anonymous chat and the ability to request different types of services for mobile and in-office services. Users can ask for free HIV and Hepatitis C testing, as well as receive Narcan overdose reversal medication. Users are also able to easily access our hours. Finally, we have embedded YouTube videos in the app that discuss safer drug use.

What is the team composition?

I work specifically with three people, but I know they have developers behind the scenes: Nick (CEO), Lauren (Tester), who was original project manager, and now our current project manager. I also speak with David (Software Engineer), as he is one of the developers.

How did you come to work with NS804?

We found them on Google, interviewed several other companies as well, and NS804 was the only one who understood our vision and had heart and passion for it. They gave us an outstanding discount because we’re a nonprofit as well. They’re also very flexible around payment plans. This project is being funded by several different grantors.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $50,000, and then there’s also a $500 per month hosting fee.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since September 2020. The app should be live by June 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We tried to push the app to both stores in the Summer, but they weren’t working, so we went back into redevelopment. NS804 has been great at taking our feedback and making the app more user friendly.

They’ve been great at informing us of things we wouldn’t know from a technical standpoint and what would serve the app best in terms of memory on people’s phones and how to implement features. Our whole staff can easily utilize the backend as well.

How did NS804 perform from a project management standpoint?

We have an amazing project manager that keep us up to speed with a weekly report, which details what they’ve accomplished that week, what’s on the agenda for the following week, and any roadblocks. We can see the features being built step-by-step thanks to them keeping us in the loop.

We work through TestFlight for iOS and a similar platform for Android.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their flexibility and patience stand out, as does their expertise. They’ve really guided us in being laypeople in their field, speaking in regular terms and being extremely responsive.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing that I can think of. They’re extremely happy with the service.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

These projects seem to take a bit longer than you think they will because if one piece breaks, it will affect other parts of the code. We didn’t realize this, so make sure to go with the flow and trust in what they’re doing.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of Referral Buddy, a virtual B2B networking platform.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with NS804?

We needed their team to build our mobile application from the ground up.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I initially relayed my ideas to NS804’s team, and they helped me finalize the project outline based on those. During the development stage, they devised solutions that enabled our users to send invites to each other, select service providers according to their needs, and track the progress of their assigned tasks. Additionally, they integrated payment channels into the app, enabling customers and providers to make transactions.

What is the team composition?

I’ve worked directly with Nick (CEO), Lauren (Bookkeeper), and Sonne (Project Manager).

How did you come to work with NS804?

I found NS804 online while searching for potential providers to onboard for this project. Apart from the rave reviews I read, I also liked Nick’s go-ahead attitude and thorough understanding of my requirements.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $85,000–$90,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project ran from February 2021–January 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I couldn’t share any quantitative metrics yet as they just completed the product this month. From our team’s perspective, NS804 had a comprehensive development process, and they made it easy for our non-technical team to understand each phase. 

How did NS804 perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicated via email, Zoom, and phone calls. NS804 was on top of their project management game — they were responsive to our queries and were always willing to adapt to our staffing changes.

What did you find most impressive about them?

What stood out about NS804’s team was their accommodating and encouraging attitude. They delivered our exact needs and maintained a comfortable yet collaborative working environment.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I wouldn’t change anything about NS804’s deliverables and performance. We were highly satisfied with our partnership.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

NS804 is an easy team to work with — just be prepared to contribute ideas as productive as theirs.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the co-founder and CTO of a gig-economy drive service company. We provide on-demand, short distance movement of vehicles to various companies in the automotive and fleet industries.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire NS804?

We augmented our internal IT staff with the experienced infrastructure resources to help us maintain higher uptime of our driver app and its underlying cloud resources.

SOLUTION

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

We are passionate about supporting local businesses in Richmond VA and selected them based on their skill level and flexibility in assisting startups at an early stage.

Describe the project in detail and walk through their service package.

They make sure that critical parts of our infrastructure remain online and functioning at all times while minimizing disruptions of any downtime.

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

We've worked closely with David and Nick over the years. Sonne keeps the project organized too.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Completed the development of docker containers for a migration from EC2 to ECS as a cost saving and more scalable design.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

They are available over slack and very responsive to our needs whenever anything comes up. In addition, we have regular status meetings regarding the ongoing initiative status.

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

Having them tackle some of the components of our infrastructure management really took the pressure off of a relatively small development team at our startup. This freed the developers to focus on their core competency, developing new features, while also remaining more budget friendly than hiring an FTE.

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

They do excellent work and I would highly recommend them to anyone.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder of a company that develops smartphone technology to promote engagement. We specialize in engaging church congregations.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with NS804?

We worked with them to develop our mobile application.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They developed a native application for both iOS and Android. This included geolocation, geofencing, push notifications, and linking to other websites with the app. They also helped with the design. We had some sketches, but they built the wireframes and prototypes. 

They continue to provide server support and manage crash reporting. 

What is the team composition? 

We primarily work with a project manager who liaises with the development team. 

How did you come to work with NS804?

I did a web search for app developers in the Richmond area. I chose them because of their affordability and ability to understand our objective. 

How much have you invested with them?

We invested about $118,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in mid-March 2020, and we just completed the initial build at the end of October. However, we’re still working together.  

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re focused on simplicity because of the broad age range of typical church congregations. They provided a lot of good feedback on how to make our app more intuitive. They also encouraged us to adjust our development approach based on user feedback. 

How did NS804 perform from a project management standpoint?

We had bi-weekly meetings. The only challenges we had were with adjusting to the remote work setting in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, they always communicated clearly, especially if there were changes to the timeline. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I don’t have anyone to compare them to since this is the first app development company I’ve worked with in this much detail. However, I appreciated their rigorous project management and their ability to meet our budgeting needs. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

It’s always important to think about how to translate concepts from engineers to the end-user. I think our project manager did an excellent job in this regard.

Do you have any advice for potential customers? 

Keep communication channels strong. Don’t be afraid to give them a call, they respond very quickly. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of a mobile application company. We developed a platform that simplifies tipping transactions in the cashless world.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with NS804?

We hired them to assist with application development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They developed a mobile app for Android and iOS. We started the project with another company, but after about six months, the project was falling apart. The only thing that NS804 could use from the original development was the design. They had to redevelop the backend, implementations, security systems, and more. 

The app has three different modules. One for the user, where they can scan QR codes to leave tips, view recent transactions, contact customer service, and edit their profile. 

There’s another module for service providers where they can access the tips that they’ve received. It also allows service providers to access a QR code that they can share with customers. The service providers can also order QR code cards through the app that they can distribute to their clients. For example, a housekeeper in a hotel can leave the card behind after cleaning a hotel suite. 

Finally, there’s a module for companies that’s an aggregator module. It allows a company to sign up their staff for the service. They register their employees and cover the cost of membership such as printing QR code cards. There is also a reporting functionality where the company admin can see how much each employee has earned. 

They used InVision to share the screens and used Test Flight to push things out to us for iOS. 

What is the team composition?

Lauren (Bookkeeper) and Nick (CEO) were our main points of contact. Lauren was our project manager, and Nick acted as a partner and helped us brainstorm the product. We also had an Android developer, an iOS developer, and Amanda (UIUX Designer). 

How did you come to work with NS804?

We originally spoke with them before we started the development process, but we ended up choosing another company. However, after that engagement didn’t work out, we went back to NS804 because the team checked in with us to see how the project was progressing. They made the effort to continue to form a relationship with us even though they weren’t originally selected. 

NS804 provided a good value for the cost of the engagement, and they wanted to form a partnership. They brought ideas on how to make our app better. 

How much have you invested with them?

We invested a bit over $100,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

The development took place from February–June 2020. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We just launched the app a few days ago, so I can’t share quantitative data yet. However, during testing, we received great feedback from users who said the app was very intuitive, even for non-native English speakers. 

How did NS804 perform from a project management standpoint?

It was outstanding. Every Monday morning, we would receive an email that laid out the plan for the week, including what deliverables we could expect. At the end of the week, they let us know what progress had been made and whether or not they met their goals. We also had ad hoc calls when necessary. 

They were able to deliver within the scheduled timeline despite a big setback we had with trademarking our name and logo. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

The partnership we had was the most impressive. They were an extension of our team. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think so. They were truly exceptional. When we had to change our name and logos because of an issue with our trademark, they worked quickly to make sure we stayed on track. They had to train a new team member because our Android developer was on leave. Despite the extra time it took to train the new team member, they didn’t bill us for any of it. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers? 

Rather than just handing over the work and wireframes, talk to them about the goals of your business and what you want to accomplish. They’ll bring great ideas and insights.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the senior IT manager at RetailData.

We collect competitive pricing data for various retail store chains across North America. We gather a lot of that data from visiting the stores and scanning the prices. We also collect a lot of web data content.

That data is compiled and verified to meet our client demands. A lot of the analytics and reports come from our IT group. I support the application development here that supports our data.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with NS804?

We build a lot of custom UI solutions for various initiatives. We needed them to help us build a supporting application that integrates with one of our internal linking applications to ensure the information was synced and maintained in one area.

Since we’re a smaller IT shop, we didn’t have the bandwidth and needed more development support to create the applications that we needed.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The engagement required a lot of UI and database knowledge.

We gave them specific instructions related to building frontend pages using Angular 8. We also asked them to use the standards we follow as it relates to how we authenticate into our applications.

Since we’re a Microsoft shop, a lot of our tools and technologies involve Microsoft Azure. We had NS804 sync with another application and build backend components using Azure and .NET principles.

What is the team composition?

I primarily worked with Nick (CEO).

How did you come to work with NS804?

We went through an extensive search. After looking at other third-party options, we reached out to NS804, and they were very forthcoming.

Their team does a lot of development in the areas we work in, from mobile to full-stack. We interviewed some of their developers, and we were impressed with their knowledge and willingness to adapt to our style.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement with them began in December 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

NS804 is consistently professional. Their work is efficient because they’re used to delivering short iterations every couple of weeks. It is also bug and error-free. They learn and adapt to the business.

How did NS804 perform from a project management standpoint?

I’m very impressed with the project management. They use an agile methodology like us. Their team was excellent at communication, meeting deadlines at the pace we set with them. I was pleased with the updates they provided. If there was anything that prevented them from being successful, they called it out early.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was impressed with their ability to adapt and be flexible. Their team was able to come in and understand what we wanted. They developed in the standards and styles we asked them to. They had no problems.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I have no comments.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have strong requirements and understand what you’re asking for. NS804 is excellent at comprehending and ensuring that their clients are conformable with their understanding. They’re a strong group.