Otinsoft

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner and director of innovation and development at Sprogeriet ApS. We invent and produce materials for children with speech or language disabilities. We make both analog board games and digital materials.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Otinsoft?

We needed someone to develop our mobile app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They developed our iOS and Android apps. The previous developer had already done some programming, but it wasn’t good enough. Their director had to redo everything to fit the iOS and Android apps. We provided the designs and functionalities, and he finished the job. We were pleased.

Whoever plays the app has to identify the sound coming from a sound plate. It’s wrapped in all kinds of exercises. It progresses in difficulty. In order to do that, we collect data about gender, age, time spent, and which sounds are more difficult than others.

What is the team composition?

I was in contact with their director.

How did you come to work with Otinsoft?

Our other developer stopped because of personal issues. Some of our partners had experience with Otinsoft and recommended them. They were willing to do the work.

How much have you invested with them?

I have spent 40,000 kr ($4,437.20 USD)

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from November 2017 until March 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The app is launched on both App Store and Google Play. It’s a subscription app with around 40 subscriptions. We ran into an issue because Danish schools and kindergartens use EAN numbers to buy digital problems, which aren’t compatible with App Store payments. Within days, their director created a solution. Now we can direct customers to our homepage to pay. An additional subscription solution will be available in August.

A few users recently forgot the password and weren't getting any emails. After we reached out to their director, he answered immediately. The app wasn’t the issue; the city had a more secure spam filter on their emails. He worked around that, and it works now.

How did Otinsoft perform from a project management standpoint?

We used Skype and Slack. They worked so hard that we thought there must be 28 hours a day in Romania. They worked at night and were always available, which was important to us because we didn't know anything about developing an app. When we had a question, the team was quick to answer.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The process was easy. Their director spoke great English. He was easy to understand, and he had good perspectives and inputs on user experience. He thought about how customers would experience all kinds of stuff. We could throw out an idea, not knowing whether it was possible, and they would discuss it and quickly get back to us with a solution. They knew what they were doing.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The app was in review for a long time. They said they’ve never experienced that kind of hassle from Apple. They might want to prepare more for that.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

ProfitAbility is a training company. We supply our clients with training programs and a range of services including leadership, finance, and change management. I’m the learning designer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Otinsoft?

We recently started working on the coaching front to help managers develop a coaching resource for what they do. We needed help to develop the web application.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I came up with an Excel-based prototype. We created an app that helps managers adopt a coaching resource through seeing examples, being able to observe, and then being able to make active decisions to drive the scenarios forth. They used UJS, Laravel, PHP framework, and Amazon Web Services (AWS). It involved some complex frontend things like live infographics, audio, and video.

It’s a digital video-based branching scenario where users watch a video, choose options on the screen, and are then taken to the next video depending on their selection. On the right-hand side of the interface, there is a live infographic, tracking six or seven KPIs along the way. While playing, there is instant feedback, and then at the end of the scenario, the user receives feedback designed by a coach from a sports’ background.

What is the team composition?

My main contact was Paul (Director, Otinsoft). He was my interface between my company and their team. He’d use his developer as necessary. It was a good experience working with him.

How did you come to work with Otinsoft?

I do a lot of social media marketing and when I posted about my need for potential developers, I was flooded with responses. I went through a process of narrowing them down to the best companies, looking at their portfolios.

I came down to Otinsoft and two other companies. I decided to go with Otinsoft based on the experience they had. There was one company that was cheaper and another in the similar price range. Otinsoft took a lot of time to understand our need and make sure we were getting what we wanted. I felt the other companies were just trying to win business.

How much have you invested with them?

$12,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in November 2017 until December 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They were able to do everything I requested of them. I was quite impressed with their abilities. They hosted the latest build of our project on their servers until we got to the stage we could set up our own servers.

How did Otinsoft perform from a project management standpoint?

We had regular Skype chats and used email to communicate. They were very professional to work with from a development standpoint. We were very clear on what we wanted and more often than not, within a day or two, they would have things turned around. If there were any delays, they’d communicate that in advance. They’d articulate why things were taking longer than expected.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They took a lot of time to understand what we wanted. I’ve worked with other developers in the past who try and get things done, and more often than not, you have to spend a long time checking their work. I didn't have to do that with Otinsoft. They made sure they understood in advance and then did things right.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The invoicing goes to my finance team and on an invoice, the pound sign was in the wrong place—they put it on the end of the quote rather than upfront. It’s a minor thing, but when I give things to finance, they’re quite picky. In terms of development and the things that matter, there’s nothing I’d really change.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be very clear from the start.