Octal IT Solution

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the Chief Operation Officer of DStar Runner. Our company mainly focus on helping customers to run errands such as purchasing, delivering and queue services.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Octal IT Solution?

We need Octal to develop a mobile application according to our business model.

What were your goals for this project?

our goals for this project is to provide an everyday app for people in Singapore to solve their problems of spending too much time on running errands.

At DStar Runner, people can book through app to instruct our runners complete any task for them so that they can focus on the more important things everyday.

SOLUTION

How did you select Octal IT Solution?

We compare a few developer company and Octal is providing a reasonable quote for app development and responsive team.

Describe the project in detail.

Once we selected Octal, we have a projection of multiple phase to be started and each phase Octal tech team will contact us through email, whatsapp and zoom for discussion and confirmation of the build.

The app was build on IOS and Android. It includes a website as well.

What was the team composition?

there are total 5 people in Octal team to assist on this project. Each member are responsible for different part of the build such as 2 different developer for IOS and Android.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The outcome was great. The UI and UX was good and it was at a good quality build. Although there will be bugs but I'm not worried as the team are responsive in terms of support.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

They respond quickly and take actions immediately when there are problems. There are no communication barrier they are well spoken in English.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The most impressive thing is they make my ideas possible even if it's complicated. They will constantly give professional advise throughout the whole development process.

Are there any areas for improvement?

In terms of improvement, probably they should provide more designs for any development so that clients has more options.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of a computer software company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Octal IT Solution?

I wanted to create a payment solution as an iOS app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Octal IT Solution developed a payment solution integration for an iOS application. They worked mainly in Objective C. It’s a digital payment wallet, similar to PayPal. Users can upload money and pay out money to their bank accounts.

What is the team composition?

I interacted with several people including Sakshi (Business Development Manager), Ajit (Head of Sales & Marketing), a project manager, Arun (Owner), Manish (Team Lead), another project manager, and a software engineer.

How did you come to work with Octal IT Solution?

Saskhi and Ajit approached me. Their pricing was 50% less than competitors, their website seemed trustworthy, and I connected with Arun. They convinced me they could complete the project.

How much have you invested with them?

I invested $8,000. The original project for initial integration was supposed to be $6,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together around April 2020, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Octal IT Solution delivered a product that doesn’t function. They didn’t fulfill the promises they made, and I’m quite disappointed. I had already paid 70% of the money to them by the time I realized they weren’t delivering on their promises.

After I was unhappy, they brought a new team member in. He said he was going to help get things fixed. Then he came back asking for an additional $2,000 to do the work, even though I have an email from them saying they’d fix it free of charge. He said it was more work than he anticipated, and the company shouldn’t have to eat it.

At the moment, I’d rate this company at a zero, but if they’ll finish the work, I’m willing to increase that to a three.

How did Octal IT Solution perform from a project management standpoint?

They didn’t use any project management tools. I was adamant about wanting them to use a repository for committing coding and changes made. They uploaded a zip file to it, and when I confronted them, they didn’t seem to know what I was talking about. I don’t think they know how to use a repository. We communicated via Skype, including a video kickoff meeting where they made all their promises.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’d say they were friendly, but that was deceptive.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They need to read the documentation on work they’re hired to do and put people who know what they’re doing on projects. The software engineer was the only person who seemed to have any coding knowledge.

Company Responses

The vendor responded on March 11, 2021.

The communication isn’t closed yet and we would appreciate it if the client can clear the confusion here.

The wallet app requested was delivered to the client on time after all the testing. The execution of the solution was checked and verified by the client themselves on the demo setup. Even when the app went live, the transactions could be made.

Everything was fine until after a few transactions the payment gateway used rejected client's business model. Even after constant requests, the client did not get in touch with the gateway. At the client’s suggestion, Stripe payment gateway was used. We requested the client to get approval to use the gateway, but he was confident we could continue. Now that the payment gateway feels the business model doesn’t stand their compliance, the app cannot be used.

We surely have asked for the extra sum to export the app to a different gateway but here we are charging for the transitions and time we would invest from the scratch.
We are ready to make the transitions if they can get approval from the gateway they want us to integrate with the app.

We condemn this approach where a mistake of the third-party results in a bad reputation for our organization.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO and founder of OlaDoctor, a digital platform designed to connect patients and health professionals

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Octal IT Solution?

App design, development and logo design

What were your goals for this project?

My goal is to have it up and running and very soon target other countries

SOLUTION

How did you select Octal IT Solution?

I searched online and found them through Clutch.com

Describe the project in detail.

As soon as We have selected Octalsoftware we started a series of meetings to make the team understand my requirements. That was simple because Octalsoftware demonstrated that they already had a vast experience in developing such type of projects.

What was the team composition?

Initially I was in contact with a business analyst and after the decision to pursue on the project then I was introduced to a project manager. The PM was my main point of contact. But I was told there was other specialists also working on the project: backend, QA/QC, iOS, Android developers

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The app will be a novelty in my country. As soon as we launch it, the whole country will start using it and recover the investment made. I estima-te it will be on the market around May 2021

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

They are very professional. Octalsoftware professional are very organised team and always respond on timely faction

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their capacity to understand complex requirements and turn them into a solution. Their team work and feedback culture

Are there any areas for improvement?

I don’t have any issue so far, all is running fine

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of GBI Group. Our platform offers tenders information to small, medium, and large enterprises in different markets. I initially rolled the platform out in Qatar.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Octal IT Solution?

I’m a business person with zero IT experience, so I needed someone to design and develop our website. I wanted something professional that would look, feel, and operate like a company website. I didn’t want a simple platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Octal IT Solution designed and developed my web platform. All I provided them with was the website domain name and data. They built the platform from scratch using PHP. They integrated data and a payment solution.

The website is up and running. They still help us make minor fixes, but most of their work is done. Part of the scope of work was a mobile app. I wanted to roll the website out first, and I’ll have the mobile app in six months.

What is the team composition?

I spoke with a salesperson regarding my requirements. Once we started to get the design for the website, I was moved over to the project manager, who became my sole point of contact.

How did you come to work with Octal IT Solution?

I did a Google search, and they were amongst the top companies. I sent an email asking for a quote. I shortlisted Octal IT Solution and decided to go with them. It was an absolutely blind move, and it turned out to be the best move I ever made.

How much have you invested with them?

I spent $6,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from May 2019–June 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I had all of these ideas, but I didn’t know how to translate them into an IT infrastructure or a website platform. Octal IT Solution was extremely professional and patient. They responded immediately to any of my questions. The website is readable and mobile-friendly.

The correspondence between us exceeded my expectations. I’ve dealt with so many organizations, and for me to say they are excellent is not feedback I’d usually give. This is the first time I can give this kind of feedback about a company. They were excellent in terms of time, professionalism, and expertise. They’ve helped me understand the website’s infrastructure and how I can manage it in simple terms. 

I’m blown away by their services. If I have another project, I will definitely go back to them. I’ve already referred them to a couple of my friends who are starting their businesses. Their quality is amazing.

How did Octal IT Solution perform from a project management standpoint?

They met all of the deadlines. If there were any delays, it was because of me. They were immediately responsive and kept me informed. If it was going to take more than two days, they got back to me and told me how much more time they needed to solve the problem.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were professional and affordable.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there’s nothing I’d have them improve.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I knew what I wanted, and they had me translate the picture in my mind. I’d urge anyone who wants to build a website to know what they want, even if they don’t know the technicality of it. Somebody like Octal IT can come in and play an important role. From a business perspective, you need to at least know the exact A–Z process and operation for your business.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of BeHere4ever. We’re building a mobile app to capture people’s movement at a given location.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Octal IT Solution?

I needed a mobile app built.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I provided the requirements documentation, and Octal IT Solution built the mobile app and did the UI design. There are two apps: one for iOS and one for Android. They used native technology, and the backend was done in Node.js, and Cloud.

They added geolocation search functionality and features that allow users to upload pictures and videos, tag people, and send requests and notifications.

What is the team composition?

I mainly interacted with the project lead, but there were 8–9 people working on the project.

How did you come to work with Octal IT Solution?

I spoke to them. I also looked at Octal IT Solution's reviews online, and they were good. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent a little over $15,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from December 2019–June 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I don’t have any feedback or results yet since we are still testing the app before going public. Overall, I’m pleased with the app. There were no major issues found, except in the very beginning, and those were corrected.

How did Octal IT Solution perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management was very good. Octal IT Solution gave weekly progress reports, which I appreciated. They were proactive and patient with me when they needed to be.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their tech team was very capable and able to quickly resolve any issues that arose. I’m very happy with the work they did.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The automation testing could’ve been better, but overall, they did great.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have clear requirements, and spend the time to ensure they fully understand them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an executive for an app development firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Octal IT Solution?

We needed help with app development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Octal IT Solution developed an app for home delivery services for restaurants, florists, pharmacies, and other businesses. The project is finished and they now provide technical support and add new features.

What is the team composition?

I work with 5–6 teammates.

How did you come to work with Octal IT Solution?

We found them on an online platform. We shortlisted 10 IT companies in India, and we chose them because we felt they had the required capabilities and technical expertise to provide what we needed.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $60,000–$80,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in July 2019, and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Octal IT Solution has good coding skills. They are very supportive, committed, and professional, and they keep their promises. They’re also a trustworthy company.

How did Octal IT Solution perform from a project management standpoint?

The team is very cooperative. They spend time with the client to discuss the requirements and are committed to the timeframe. It took a little longer than expected but I can’t blame them for everything because we made some changes during the course of the project.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re incredibly honest and offer very competitive prices for their services. Octal IT Solution has the needed technical expertise to accomplish this kind of project.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could spend more time with the client before the start of the project and communicate better to make sure that all of the requirements are clear. This will save a lot of development time.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be very clear on your requirements so they can give you a clear timeframe.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of Habapay African Merchants. We’re involved in the development of fintech solutions in the East African region.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Octal IT Solution?

We were developing a payment gateway that would integrate with most banks and available mobile payment solutions.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I gave Octal IT Solution a concept, and they drafted the scope of work and milestones. They’ve developed the Android version, and we’re going to build the iOS one next. The app is native, and the team added functionality that allows it to scan QR codes as a way of making payments.

What is the team composition?

I’m in touch with two teammates from Octal IT Solution, and they have more people working in the background.

How did you come to work with Octal IT Solution?

We did a Google search and looked at Octal IT Solution’s profile and past work. We found that they were a good fit for us based on the projects they’d done.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $12,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them around November 2019, and they completed the Android version in July 2020. The collaboration is ongoing for the development of the iOS app.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve shown the app to a few people, and the response has been very good. There were a few small issues, but we’ve been able to sort them out.

How did Octal IT Solution perform from a project management standpoint?

We have a WhatsApp group for the project, and we also communicate through email. The team responds immediately.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We were able to discuss what I wanted for my platform, and they advised me on how to build it.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They’ve delivered everything according to my expectations. So far, so good.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

I recommend working with Octal IT Solution. They’re a team of professionals, and they can meet tough deadlines.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of a coupon savings app.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Octal IT Solution?

I wanted to develop an app, which is why I contacted Octal IT Solution.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They developed a coupon app that helps customers use their credit cards less and save more. The app allows them to load all of their information on the app and present it to the store in order to purchase their products.

What is the team composition?

We had several conversations with one of their developers to make sure that we were on the same page. He then handed the project over to Dinesh (Senior Project Manager). He was the liaison between me and the developer and made sure that they understood what I needed.

How did you come to work with Octal IT Solution?

I looked at their reviews online and did a little research. In talking to them, we could tell that they would be a good fit for what I needed.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $10,000–$15,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in January 2020 and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re still working with them, but so far, I’m really happy with their work. They also ensure that I knew the details of what was happening. They are customer-focused and driven to make sure we’re happy with the product. We think it will be really helpful because of COVID-19, since people will need to touch fewer things.

How did Octal IT Solution perform from a project management standpoint?

They did well. If they couldn’t get me on the phone, they sent me a few emails and made sure that they were able to get in contact with me if it was urgent. They didn’t sit back on their heels, but rather really prioritized communication.

Every week, Dinesh gave us a status report on how the project was going. He gave an example of what they did by giving us a 24-hour link to see how far along they are.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were customer-focused and wanted to make sure that we were happy as the customer. Their salespeople weren’t too pushy and they gave us the time we needed to make decisions on our own and do research.

Are there any areas they could improve?

At this point, I don’t think so.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They’re a very good hire. They seem to be reasonably priced and so far the project has gone really well.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Our company just a small IT company. We was involve in few system development for local government or government link company. I am not just the owner, but I also involve in system design and development

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Octal IT Solution?

Our team never involve in mobile apps development. We are more back-end system integration and API. So we decide to fully outsource this project to Octal IT Solution

What were your goals for this project?

To have a complete running system with web panels and mobile apps for both IOS and Android platform

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

After looking at few company profiles, Octal seem to be the best choice. Plus they have experience developing almost the same project as ours.

Describe the project in detail.

LAWWA is an online market place for beauty and health services

What was the team composition?

Not sure as I only interact with their project manager most of the time. Very few occasion that he will get his team to join our discussion via Skype.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The project already completed. This is just the beginning, there are more work to be done. But at least we are able to start marketing our product and getting subscription and downloads.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Project manager always keep me update from time to time. When ever necessary we will discuss via Skype or WhatsApp call. So far the project went well and they manage to complete it with-in the time frame.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They have a good development team, capable of developing both web and mobile apps.

Are there any areas for improvement?

They are good but sometime in order to complete the task in time , they overlook some of the small feature of the system. I think their testing procedure can be improve more.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a director and a co-founder of an online beverage delivery service. We’re a new startup based in Limassol, Cyprus, and we cover a full range of drinks, including beer, wine, spirits, soft drinks, and water. The whole concept is angled at direct-to-consumer delivery. We also plan to offer wholesale services to recreational industries—hotels, bars, restaurants, catering, and so on. Clients can use our app or website to make orders, which go to our warehouse. We have our own stock which we dispatch and deliver through in-house drivers.

The concept is different on the wholesale side. We’re trying to disrupt the market a bit. Many wholesalers work with sales agents, but we’re trying to be lean by offering an app where users can register for a wholesale account and get access to wholesale pricing. They can then order what they want, and select when they want it delivered, as with home deliveries.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Octal IT Solution?

We're trying to change up the market and deliver wholesale prices directly to the consumer, but expanding in Cyprus was a big roadblock. Cyprus' technology is 15–20 years behind Europe and the United States. We’re trying to get into the market early and provide a new service to customers, particularly during summer months where there’s high demand.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Octal IT Solution has developed a native Android/iOS app and a website for us. They’re all fully integrated. They’re using Java for Android, and Swift for iOS. A MySQL database was built for the backend. We also offer a direct-to-consumer wholesale marketplace, but that was a side project to what we had Octal IT Solution build.

What is the team composition?

During the development phase, I had direct contact with the project manager. I believe they had three developers for Android, and three for iOS. They had a couple of people assigned to testing, a designer for the UI side of things, and a business analyst for capturing requirements and producing the spec.

How did you come to work with Octal IT Solution?

I was referred to them by a company I used to work with. I was indirectly familiar with Octal IT through Clutch and other websites.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested $30,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Octal IT Solution in September 2018 and went live in October 2019. Development time took about 13 months. It could’ve been a lot quicker, and we could’ve launched around April 2019, but we had non-IT or -technical issues that delayed progress.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We had 1,500 downloads in the first six weeks, which is impressive given that Cyprus is not a large market. 

In terms of feedback on the app, everyone loves the UI. It’s quick and responsive. We’ve had teething issues like any company launching something brand-new, which we’ve had to iron out. The app works, and we haven’t had any negative feedback apart from adding a few minor features.

There's an issue with the geolocation. Because of the location, we can't use Google Maps or other services as easily as elsewhere. However, that’s a mapping issue, as opposed to one related to Octal IT Solution. It was out of their hands.

How did Octal IT Solution perform from a project management standpoint?

As an outsourced development company in India working with one in Cyprus, there obviously was a communication gap. We were in different time zones, so communication was mostly managed via mobile phone and email, which was difficult at times.

The project manager was available whenever I needed. Much of the work we did was through WhatsApp calls, followed up with an email afterward to clarify exactly what we meant and what we wanted. There was no language barrier.

I have to praise them for their adaptability. As with any development project, the requirements changed a lot along the way. They were also flexible when dealing with generic problems like geographical data. That’s part of the reason why it took a long time to get to go live, aside from the operational issues we had.

We discussed using a project management tool, but we never got around to doing it. I was busy, so it was just easier to work via WhatsApp. They always followed up afterward with a formal email laying out the deliverables. I would then approve the work.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their adaptability. There were a lot of scoping changes as we went along. They never charged us extra if we had to change something. They were very flexible and always happy to chip in.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could’ve improved on the testing side before we went live. Sometimes, when they released a test build, I’d find issues I didn’t expect to find. We’ve had to do a bit of work correcting things here and there. I guess there were some careless mistakes, but I don’t want to be too negative about it since I’m really happy with what they’ve done.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Octal IT Solution is an adaptable and efficient company. If the client can go in with nailed-down requirements and know exactly what they want, Octal is very good.