Omega — Digital innovations

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company.

I’m in the startup phase. I’m a statistician and a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt. I make processes better by studying them. I look at the way people do things when it comes to instructions, and I apply Lean Six Sigma to that to make it better and faster, and to increase efficiency.

What is your role and responsibilities?

I’m the CEO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What is your goal for this application?

I’m working on a personal app that teaches marksmanship, and Omega-R is helping to fix it and make it complete. 

I was a marksmanship instructor for the Marine Corps, so I applied Lean Six Sigma there. I was able to predict what people's scores would be, for instance, an hour in advance. We did that to identify bad shooters before they failed a week later. I decided to make an application that can simulate the coaching abilities of a Marine marksmanship instructor. The coach looks at the target and based on how he instructed the shooter to stand, he can see where the shots landed and tell the shooter exactly what they did wrong so they can get their shots at the center of the target. That’s what the application does.

In this latest phase with Omega-R, we're trying to turn it into a paradigm shift in marksmanship because nothing like this has been done before. You can have a duel with someone in another country or state. By using the accelerometer feature that we just built into it, you would attach your phone to your wrist using a quarterback sleeve. When you hear the noise and the vibration that tells you it's time to draw, you'll hear a shot and feel that vibration. You have to reach for your weapon as fast as possible, pull it out, and take the shot.

The app will record all that information and, after you plot your shots into it, it gives you a caliber rating. When you go into the PIMP [Pistol Instructor Marksmanship Program] Nation section, you can compare your speed and accuracy to everybody else that has the app. So far, there are about 30,000 people using it. In the future, we want to pit users in different nations against each other in the app, so there's a virtual war going on, where everybody's ego and national pride is at stake.

Users can create teams and build a social network for marksmanship enthusiasts, so they can see where they stand. You may have just bought a handgun, and you think you’re ready to defend yourself. If you use this and realize that you’re in the bottom 10 percent, the last thing you want to do is get in a gunfight. You know you have to practice.

We're going to release it for free initially, and our target date is May 17, 2014. We think it will be free for the first month or so. After that, it will be cheap, like 99 cents. We'll do a monthly subscription package if you want to see how you compare to everybody else. We're following the Lumosity.com model, where you can play free all you want. But, to see how your brainpower compares to everybody else, you have to pay for a subscription. That's the idea: If you want to be in PIMP Nation, you would subscribe.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their work.

Because Omega-R is so good, I’ve given them free rein to do whatever they want. I tell them what I want done, and they decide how it will look. They do a lot of the design. They reshaped the framework because they understand what my big picture plan is for the end stage. We're doing the project in different phases, and they restructured it to make growing the app a lot easier in the future. They do the coding and design.

What was your process for selecting Omega-R with which to work?

I went through Elance and reviewed a few people there. I decided to go with them because their portfolio matched my idea the most.

Can you provide a ballpark dollar figure for the size of the work that they’ve done for you?

It's been ongoing for about a year and a half. We’ve released versions of it since then. Omega-R has had three people on the team that I’m aware of, but I’m sure there are other developers involved.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

How did Omega-R perform?

They are always on time. They are very responsive, so if I send them a question, they always get back to me within 24 hours. I haven’t found a challenge for them yet that they haven’t been able to code. They are competent, and they know what they’re doing. I’ve worked with developers in Russia and India before because they’re usually less expensive. The communication barrier can become a problem. It's great that there is no communication barrier with them. They are not super expensive. They’re highly skilled. They’re very responsive, timely, and reliable. I constantly tell them how great of a job they’re doing. I’m very happy with them.

Is there anything unique about them that really makes them stand out, compared to other companies?

I’ve worked with about four other developers. They have a personality because many developers don’t. Other foreign developers are too serious and hard to deal with. Omega-R has a fun team to interact with during the project.

Looking back on the work so far, is there any area that you think they could improve upon or something that you would do differently?

I never know what I want when I’m the customer. I have a general idea of what it's supposed to be in the end, and when I see it, I'll like it or I won’t. I would say that if they had a process template, things would be smoother.

For instance, if you go to GoDaddy.com, it's a barrage of options for you to buy stuff. You see things that you didn’t even know you could do. Not so much to try to sell features, but to inform their customers better. I’m still learning as I go along. I’ve learned a lot with them because they’re patient. If they could alleviate some of the confusion associated with app development for non-experts, that would be helpful.

They’re working with customers that are new in this realm of app development, and that would definitely make customer's lives a lot easier. It would help the customers have a more realistic expectation of what the project will take to get them to their goal.

BACKGROUND

I am the CEO of Ticonderoga Ventures. We help with marketing for different software company clients. We put on conferences, trade shows, and other events to highlight our clients' services and products. I run the company and am responsible for hiring Omega-R.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

Our goal was to work with a solid, offshore company to create mobile apps and sites that can be viewed on mobile devices. We wanted a cheaper option as opposed to working with a more expensive local firm, but quality was the most important factor.

SOLUTION

They helped us develop mobile apps and mobile software. They were also responsible for testing the apps after completion and fixing all bugs. There are no current projects, but we will add more work in the future.

I was referred to them by a friend in the industry. He told me that they were a strong company with great pricing. I contacted them after speaking with him and then we started the long-term engagement. They are our partners now and have completed multiple projects.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

I actually met their founders in Russia. They are very reliable and honest people. They completed the apps on time and on budget. These apps have worked very well and have yet to crash. They made sure that all bugs were fixed promptly since the initial coding wasn't perfect. My project manager hasn't mentioned any complaints.

The most important metric is that the end clients are satisfied. When we send them work that is time sensitive, they have always completed it accurately and on time. I like working with them and find them to be an honest and serious firm.

I have worked with several other developers locally that failed us immensely. Sometimes, they just take your money and disappear. I have been burned by a few bad developers, but Omega-R is great, and I will work with them long-term.

I have more work to give them in the future. I trust them and am completely satisfied with the quality and communication.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Special Projects Director of a mobile app development company. 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Produce Audio Mobile Apps

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Omega — Digital innovations to accomplish?

• Design new GUI for two of our apps

SOLUTION

How did you find Omega — Digital innovations?

Online Search

Why did you select Omega — Digital innovations over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Omega — Digital innovations were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

We contracted with Omega to take an outdated app GUI, and refresh it to look current.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The expected outcomes were new screens and layouts of our entire flagship mobile app.

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

Omega's process was great. They assigned a project manager to us who we met with regularly. They presented us with a detailed project schedule that was adhered to for the duration of the project. Their project manager was completely responsive to all of our needs, was able to jump on calls whenever we asked, and understood (sometimes better than us) what we were trying to accomplish.

What was your primary form of communication with Omega — Digital innovations?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

While their team was efficient, worked fast, was familiar with best practices, and fulfilled everything we needed....their project manager, KATE, was the icing on the cake! I felt like she was a member of OUR team, rather than with Omega.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Omega — Digital innovations could have done differently?

No.