Octal IT Solution

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. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of The Celeb Net, a celebrity marketing company. We specialize in providing celebrities to brands for their business growth. We are moving toward online services.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We needed help developing an online solution.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Octal IT Solution is helping to build out a portal that connects users with celebrities to engage their services. It’s a marketplace where both parties can talk and engage. 

They’re building it completely from scratch and doing front- and backend development. The portal isn’t finalized yet. We still have to make some fixes.

What is the team composition?

There’s a manager in Singapore who deals with me. He hands the work over to a team of three people. The team also communicates with me on a regular basis. They have other staff that support them too.

How did you come to work with Octal IT Solution?

I did a lot of research and shortlisted 2–3 companies. I decided on Octal IT Solution because the manager in Singapore was passionate about working on the project. He was also detail-oriented; before we even started on the project, he gave me a very detailed proposal. I saw they had the technology, ability, knowledge, and passion. I made a good choice.

How much have you invested with them?

I’ve spent $35,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in June 2019, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’ve provided me with good services so far, and I’m quite happy. I see demos and test everything. The amount of work that they’ve done has gone beyond my expectations. I demanded more than I’d initially expected. For instance, there’s an interesting feature that’s quite tedious, and they worked very hard on that. Whenever they commit, they’re willing to deliver.

They’re very accommodating, detailed, and patient. We will continue using them for support and adding new features.

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

Octal IT Solution is fantastic. They put tremendous effort into helping me. We communicate through Skype.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re great. This project has required a lot of work and attention to detail.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could do more spell checks and feature testing before they hand work over to us to do our testing. I often find mistakes that indicate they didn’t do any internal testing before delivering the work. 

Recently, I feel they’ve slowed down. It’s not as clear now as it was as to when they can hand over the project.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I think they’re great. You will benefit from them. They’re very customer-focused.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are an Australia based custom fantasy sport company for grassroot sports and I am the Founder/Director of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We were looking to develop a fantasy game solution that could cater to the local sports across the world, looking through the options in the market we found Octal IT Solution, who we found clearly understood our requirements and catered to the needs of the project.

What were your goals for this project?

To create a custom fantasy solution that is fluid, could be customized to the needs and requirements of grassroot sporting clubs, league and competitions. We needed the solution to be a web-based application, which is developed with an eye on mobile development in the near future. Our needs was to have the first version released by December 2019.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Looking for a vendor on Google, we found Octal IT Solution who were quick to respond to our query, scheduled a catch-up within 24 hours and had a detailed discussion about our requirements. Based on our initial discussion and request, a Project Manager was roped into the advanced discussion, who was quick to understand the requirements, pitched in with multiple suggestions on the idea, which eventually was pivotal in us selecting Octal IT Solution for the development of our platform.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

The project team spent time on understanding the fine details as per our needs, clearly understanding the core direction and requirements of the platform. A consensus was reached based on our discussion and a detailed plan was devised and shared with us, with milestones set for designing, development, configuration, testing and delivery of our platform. The functional beta-version of the version has been released as required after meeting all the platform requirements. Ongoing improvements have been made as needed during this period.

What was the team composition?

The project team had a Project Manager, along with 2 Developers and 2 Designers. Project Manager has been a consistent presence and has remained available to us throughout the development lifecycle of the platform.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The platform is currently in a beta-release whereby it has performed to the required levels as per set SLA's. We are happy with the ongoing progress of the development and are confident of a full release soon.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Project management has been an incredibly efficient throughout the development of the platform, with clear communication on the progress, issues and releases of the platform. No critical incidents have occurred at any point of the development lifecycle that may impact the release. We have communicated extensively via Hangout, Email and Whatsapp.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

We've had direct access to the Project Manager and the team behind the project as required. Clear and open communication has been outstanding, helping us save time on technical understanding of the platform.

Are there any areas for improvement?

It has been a great experience working with the team.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the Director of IT for a major automotive PB&E distributor. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Octal IT Solution was engaged to complete a partially developed custom web application for primary use by our premier collision repair center customers.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Octal IT Solution utilized .NET, Windows, and SQL databases, in addition to learning our third-party mapping and scheduling tools to convert and integrate data to and from our ERP system.

Seeing the progression of successes with the initial project, Octal IT Solution was also engaged to complete our WordPress website development enriching the design and visual presentation.

What is the team composition?

Myself, the project manager, and several developers.

How did you come to work with Octal IT Solution?

Internet research and several preliminary conference calls with the Octal IT Solution business development manager.

How much have you invested with them?

Nearing $70,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in October 2018, and the partnership is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Quality results. There is no doubt client satisfaction is a high priority for the Octal IT Solution team. 

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

Great. The project tasks and statuses were maintained using Trello.  Initially, we communicated daily via web conferencing to ensure there was a clear understanding of intended requirements and expected functionalities. Both teams were heavily involved and willing to work together to test all systems and integration points. Email inquiries and responses are always timely.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their positive can-do attitude, the friendliness of the team, and of course the quality of the results.

Are there any areas they could improve?

None that I can think of at this time.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We provide consultancy services to empower startups, reducing risks and calculating business valuation.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We desire to create a web platform to provide our methodology for startups for free.

What were your goals for this project?

Create a platform to help startups to organize themselves, reduce their risks and also to provide a methodology for startups to calculate their valuation.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We did an online research selecting 15 development companies. After that, we did request a proposal and project references. From 15, we filter 5 companies with prices and proposals that makes sense to us and then we do select Octal because they are professional, organized, fair price, structure and references.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

A very complex web platform, generating business plan documentation and valuation calculation, based on startup data and also financial indicators. Phases:

• System Requirement Specification document (SRS);
• UI/UX Mock-Up Design & Approval;
• Development;
• Quality Tests;
• UAT Tests;
• Pass to Production;
• Documentation.

What was the team composition?

We do have a focal point that wrote the SRS and also assist the whole project. Not sure how many people worked on the project (and we don't care).

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We move from manual work to system base work.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

The people here in the office are very excited about the results and impressed with the skills of Octal IT Solution. Project designer dedicates himself to understand my project and translate it in the SRS. System screen have good design and the schedule of the project is followed strictly.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I feel my project is made with care and dedication. Well done guys.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the managing director of mVOCHA, a coupon site.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We hired Octal IT Solution to develop our systems, which included our website and mobile application.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Octal IT Solution created a website for our consumers where they can shop for discounts and coupons online. The team also built the mobile app for iOS and Android.

What is the team composition?

I believe we communicated with around four developers.

How did you come to work with Octal IT Solution?

I found them on Clutch. After a Skype call, we decided to work with Octal IT Solution.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested $1.7 million Kenyan shillings (approximately $16,400 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement with Octal IT Solution began in March 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Octal IT Solution has been a great assistance to us. They’re currently debugging the system. I love that their team gets back to me on time.

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

They were mostly perfect.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The team at Octal IT Solution dedicates their time to their clients. They work hard to give the best service.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Their communication and skills are on point. I don’t think there’s anything they should improve on.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I’d advise someone who is doing a similar project as me to partner with them. While they work in Singapore and we’re in Kenya, communication has never been a barrier, despite the distance. We’ve never had an issue where we had to travel to them. I love their work; it is excellent.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a senior IT specialist for an IT outsourcing company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We needed help with developing a food delivery app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Octal IT Solution revamped our app and website with the latest technologies and a more user-friendly look and feel. Starting with the food delivery app, we gave Octal IT Solution a complete scope of requirements, including screens. The app was developed natively for Android and iOS. We added a few extra requirements for the first and second modules— namely food delivery and concierge services.

Their team then moved on to the website. They moved the site to the Laravel framework and used technologies like jQuery and Ajax to increase the speed. Octal IT Solution also displayed our content in a presentable way. 

What is the team composition?

There were three people assigned from the requirements stage. We had one main point of contact who managed the whole project and was also a technical person.

How did you come to work with Octal IT Solution?

We looked for vendors on Google and got a few quotes. Octal IT Solution’s business person contacted me and submitted a quotation. After checking out their website and past work, we chose them because they’d worked on similar projects.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $55,000 on the website rework and app requirements.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with Octal IT Solution in April 2018, and the solution was ready by August that year.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The food delivery app went live in November 2018. We started with five orders per day, and we’ve now crossed the 1,000 orders per day mark. Octal IT Solution improved our site speed and changed our look and feel entirely. 

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

Octal IT Solution used a web project management tool to log any errors and change requests. Using that, we got things sorted one by one. We didn’t anticipate the fact that only four of our weekdays overlap, and the project got delayed because of that. 

The requirements were also changed a bit here and there on our side. We had a tight deadline, and the project was very demanding, but Octal IT Solution supported it.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Octal IT Solution accommodated all the small changes we requested. When it came to significant changes, they were very clear with us about what could and couldn’t be done, and how much time it would take. We wanted everything by tomorrow, but they were clear about when they would deliver.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

After Octal IT Solution gave us the code, we had to make tweaks here and there. They could’ve taken care of those things, but we lacked the time to do so. As a result, we made those changes ourselves before we went live. 

Also, Octal IT Solution could improve its testing. We sometimes had to point out bugs that shouldn’t have come to us at all, and we had to do proper testing ourselves.

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

I would suggest going with Octal IT Solution. They’re flexible and they have good prices.

UPDATED REVIEW

This review was updated on September 24th, 2019, by the client. The original star ratings were: Overall – 3, Quality – 2.5, Schedule – 4, Cost – 4, NPS – 4. New Content is below.

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

The app is quite successful.

How did the team perform from a project management standpoint?

We had a tight deadline, and the project was very demanding, but Octal IT Solution supported it very well. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

We are satisfied with Octal IT Solutions' work. However, their team could work on app testing. We sometimes had to point out bugs, but they fixed those at the same time.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the owner of Play Stocks 11, a fantasy cricket gaming app.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

There are many fantasy gaming apps in India at the moment and we wanted to be ahead of the others.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They developed the app for our new game, which we have just launched. They also added many different features to attract new users.

What is the team composition?

We worked with about five people, three of whom were our main points of contact.

How did you come to work with Octal IT Solution?

I searched for the best software developers in India. They were one of the companies I found and I looked at their reviews. After contacting them, I decided to visit them and then we began working on the project.

How much have you invested in them?

We have spent around $30,000 USD.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started the project in December 2018 and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They delivered brilliant software. We are completely satisfied with their work and I would recommend them to anyone.

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

The communication has been brilliant. They are very responsive and solve any issues we have within 10 minutes. We communicate by email and phone call.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They provide brilliant service and even work on the project past their usual working hours. They provide me with all the solutions I need at any time of day.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can’t think of anything.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder and CEO of GroEngine, Inisc. GroEngine, Inc is an SaaS enterprise software that guides business transformation at scale for companies wishing to make significant changes in performance with the shortest possible time and effort.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Full stack software development

What were your goals for this project?

Have the software completed in less than three months.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I have worked with Octal intermittently for over 6 years. They have consistently over-delivered at a fair cost. They are flexible and able to think through complex scenarios autonomously, greatly easing the need for oversight. This has been consistent performance for the full 6 years.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

They developed the full-stack cloud app.

What was the team composition?

Full stack. Project Manager and Developers

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Octal has worked diligently to get the pilot ready in time for an upcoming pilot at client companies, and were willing to change scope and deliver more than was originally expected.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

One project manager with access to several developers, UI and database experts.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They ill in the blanks. They get to know the platform and and are able to self-solve development issues and offered solutions to features and UI that I would not have thought of.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No. Octal IT Solution is by far the best IT team I have ever worked with across multiple industries. They are fast, responsive and easy to work with.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the co-founder of Binoba11, a fantasy gaming app built especially for cricket.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

I hired them to develop our cricket fantasy website and mobile app.

What were your goals for this project?

I wanted my app to perform well in the market, especially targeting the upcoming Cricket World Cup. I also wanted excellent UI/UX to help attract potential users and make it easier for cricket lovers to access and enjoy the app and its dynamic offers during the match session.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I researched app developers and selected Octal IT Solution based on their experience and skills.

Describe the project in detail.

Initially, they shared a blueprint including the feature list and the milestones. After my approval, they started working on app development.

What was the team composition?

After my initial inquiry, a business analyst contacted me and discussed the requirements. He introduced me to a project manager, who is my main point of contact. Five programmers and a designer are engaged in the project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The app is working well. Right now, I am focusing on its marketing in anticipation of the World Cup.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Their workflow was highly effective. The team was also available by video call to discuss more complex feedback. They’re cooperative and experienced, and they always responded to our messages within 24 hours. The project ran effortlessly from beginning to end.

During development, their QA team tested each milestone’s deliveries—consisting of application builds and web backend links. Every delivery met standards of quality.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Having a committed project manager—who understood the project almost better than I did—it was very important. I’ve worked with several other developers before, and there’s no comparison to Octal IT Solution. The platform is very complex, with many advanced functions and features, yet it was not a problem for their team. They were authentic and reliable throughout the process.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, I don’t think so.