Saffron Edge

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of a digital advertising and print advertising company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Saffron Tech?

I decided to build an app but needed an agency to develop it.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Saffron Tech’s developing the app for iOS and Android. They're also building the product's UX/UI. 

The platform acts as a point of contact between companies looking for drivers and drivers looking for jobs. Their team’s creating a map for when users type in their zip code. Based on the zip code, the app will show how many jobs or drivers are in that area. Then, a user could either add the driver's profile or ask the company to add their profile. Companies and drivers can then message each other. If a user's a company, they can upload pictures and information about their trucks. All that information can match the information on the driver’s account to connect the two parties.

What is the team composition?

There are about 7–10 people working on this project.

How did you come to work with Saffron Tech?

I researched agencies before I hired Saffron Tech. They had an office in New Jersey, which is where I’m located. That was a plus because I could go to their office and talk with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in September 2019 and the work’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Saffron Tech meets my expectations. Before we signed the contract, I spoke with them and was clear with my expectations, timeline, and budget. They were comfortable following those guidelines with the premise of the app.

How did Saffron Tech perform from a project management standpoint?

Saffron Tech’s responsible and on top of the project. When I send an e-mail, they’re quick to answer. There’s a big time difference between the US and India. I’ll have to have meetings with their developers at 10 pm–11 pm here, which is 7 am–8 am in India. They’ve always said yes to having those meetings. They’re all helpful and efficient.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Saffron Tech is a great partner that handles their responsibilities. This is the first time that I’m working with an outsourced partner, so I can’t compare them to another agency.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I wish they could work faster when making changes. That’s okay because I didn’t ask them to make revisions by the next day. Their team could create more advertisements to be more visible on search engines too. When I was looking for a development company, it took time to find them.   

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Owner of FirstLight Home Care of Bergen County. We provide in home care for seniors and those who need a little extra help around the house as they age in place. We provided Licensed Home Health Aides as a licensed, Insured and accredited Home Care provider in the state of New Jersey.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Saffron Edge?

FirstLight hired Saffron Edge to managed our Social Media Marketing campaigns within our existing based of followers on Facebook and Instagram. The content we provide through events, free programs and informative talks for all helps to build brand awareness and professionalism to our services.

What were your goals for this project?

To find the best company to package, organize and schedule the content that we create for our community and post on a regular and continuous basis to build a social media presence that people will be engaged with.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Alicia's experience, knowledge and willingness to support are goals made our vision a reality. Finding a provider like Saffron Edge that can deliver on their promises makes the abstract goals of social media and the analytics an invaluable resource to FirstLight.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

Saffron Edge schedules the video content and stories provided on Facebook and Instagram. We also produce local events and shared content to of our services and event produced for seniors in our local area. These events are posted using tag lines and images. The images, tags and events are schedule, and promoted in a professional way.

What was the team composition?

Manager of the team, Day to day scheduler, programmers and sales content to insure deliverable are met and maintained. Are main point of content is Brian who collects, plans and supports are requests. He brings issue to Stephanie the Team lead when necessary.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Engagement and followers have increased on both social media sites.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The work flow is working very well. The staff takes are comments and suggestions and expands on them to show us what more we can do to optimize our media presence.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The staff's cooperation and communication show us the value of their deliverables.

Are there any areas for improvement?

We need to optimize some of the data to we can keep it fresh.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president of 24/7 Nursing Care Inc. We’re a staffing company for nursing services.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Saffron Tech?

We hired Saffron Tech to help us develop an app that would let clients book a nurse or another service provider without having to call an office.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Saffron Tech is building the app from scratch. They’re doing all of the wireframing and coding. It’s still in progress, and we’re making it compatible with iOS and Android devices. I’m sure we’ll be making tweaks even after the app launches.

What is the team composition?

We communicate with the New Jersey office. I don’t know how many team members are attached to our project, but there are some coders involved. I deal mostly with the project manager, and the president of the company came to our office at one point.

How did you come to work with Saffron Tech?

I was introduced to them through the company that does web development and SEO for us. We conducted several interviews with other providers, but the recommendation from our web developer made the difference. They came highly praised, and I trust that firm's judgment.

How much have you invested with them?

The project budget is going to be around $200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The work is ongoing, and we started less than a year ago, at the beginning of 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They show us their progress on a weekly basis, and we’re able to download the current iteration on our phones to see how it’s developing.

How did Saffron Tech perform from a project management standpoint?

We do most of our meetings via Zoom. We have them once a week, and we’re always maintaining progress notes. We also use another communication platform that lets us see their work. It’s a platform that also has an app. I’ve got a team on our side as well to check on the progress. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re very patient and attentive to our needs. We’ve relied on them to show us the process, and they’ve been great about explaining the mechanics of the app. There’s a lot that I didn’t know coming into this project, and it’s been a learning experience for my team. I didn't even know what wireframing was before we started working with them. I have a consultant as well who creates a bridge between us to make up for my lack of expertise.

Are there any areas they could improve?

In terms of addressing issues, they’re on top of it. For example, we had the president of the company at our office about a month ago. We meet in a conference room to talk about the progress, and when we started to express concerns, he immediately got his team on a conference call, right then and there. He laid everything out for them, and they took care of it. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I think it depends on how familiar you are with technology and development. Either way, Saffron Tech will be the experts, but it’s easier to adjust if you have some background in the field. Don’t be afraid to ask questions.

Part of the reason why I hired a consultant is that I don’t know everything about app development. Although he’s trying to protect my interests, think that’s been a mutually beneficial relationship

The project seemed to be moving slowly at the beginning, but that was because of the design phase. Once we solidified the wireframes, everything started moving a little quicker. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an IT administrator at a staffing firm. We do temporary and permanent staffing placements in the tech and audit industries. I’ve been there for about 10 years.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Saffron Tech?

I was looking to update our website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We started out by discussing the current website, which was really outdated due to old information and dated technology. Our team gave them a rough idea of what we wanted in the new site, but also provided them the creative license to come up with their own design template. This involved changes to the logo design and plenty of collaboration with their creative team.

The site was built from scratch, but they modeled it off the template in which our existing site was built. That way, it can be navigated in the same ways. The site’s look and feel was all their work, though. They provided us with samples of colors and layout options that helped us choose what we wanted from a design standpoint.

At this point, we’re getting to the final stages of development: the shell and images are there. Even so, we’re working on getting newer and updated content on the site for SEO purposes.  

What is the team composition?

I’ve personally worked with 3–4 developers on their team.

How did you come to work with Saffron Tech?

Saffron Tech created a website for my company. I work for a managed service provider and this staffing agency is a client of mine. So, when Saffron Tech did a great web design project for our company, I knew they’d be a good fit for others. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $5,000 in total. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started the project in February 2019, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’ve provided us with mockups that indicate where their team is in terms of progress. I’m very impressed with what I’ve seen from the deliverables. On top of that, they’ve been responsive and open to feedback. They’ve also pointed us in the right direction when we needed website advice. The team captured the vision for the site very well. 

How did Saffron Tech perform from a project management standpoint?

They have a project management portal that provides us with updated information on everything they’re working on. It allows us to look at changes and review links. We’re very pleased from that perspective.

The project management site ended up being challenging for some of our executives to use, so they created a spreadsheet with links that they could access to stay on top of changes. They went over and above for us.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Because of their solid communication skills, we were never left wondering what was going on with the project.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t have anything negative to say.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I can’t pinpoint anything that I was disappointed with.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of an application that assists taxi drivers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Saffron Tech?

I hired Saffron Tech to build the app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Saffron Tech developed the app for iOS and Android, from scratch. The application shows New York taxi drivers how many cabs are already at the airport. Drivers can wait in large parking lots and get boxed in for a few minutes or hours. Taxi drivers can update the app, plugging in how full each lot is. They can also write in how many people are waiting for cabs at various terminals. The public can also update the app. Other features include a communication channel where users can share notes and leave messages, and there is a list of daily events in the city. As part of the package, Saffron Tech keeps the app running and fixes any maintenance issues.

What is the team composition?

I’d say we work with around two people.

How did you come to work with Saffron Tech?

I did a blind search online for inexpensive agencies.

How much have you invested with them?

So far, I’ve spent roughly $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement with Saffron Tech started in the summer of 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The app is launched with about 300 happy users. There has been a couple of hiccups, but they’ve fixed them right away.

How did Saffron Tech perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re excellent at project management, despite being in a different time zone. It’s a great working relationship, which is all I wanted.

What did you find most impressive about them?

As long as the app is functioning, I’m happy. Drivers rely on it as a way to make extra money. They could waste a couple of hours at the airport or make money right away, depending on this knowledge.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Saffron Tech has given me everything I’ve asked for.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be clear and sure of what you want. I don’t have the technical skills, but know exactly what I wanted and what I wanted it to look like.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an operations manager at a translation service.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Saffron Tech?

Saffron Tech was hired to develop our website that was for external and internal use.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Saffron Tech developed the front- and backend of our WordPress website. Along with automating the platform, they built it as a client portal.

How did you come to work with Saffron Tech?

We had been working with Saffron Tech for SEO services.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested over $500,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started engaging with Saffron Tech in 2013, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Saffron Tech delivers quality work.

How did Saffron Tech perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management style was excellent.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Communication with Saffron Tech was easy. I also appreciate their constant updates.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there are none that I can think of.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I would recommend using Saffron Tech.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the VP of innovation and technology at the full-service digital agency BrandStar. We produce original content in a content-and-commerce model for Lifetime Television and distribute it digitally across our OTT channel.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Saffron Tech?

Saffron Tech is one of our technology partners. Depending upon our clients and particular needs at the time, they can provide anything from SEO and online reputation management to frontend and backend development. More elaborate services they offer include AR/VR, AI, and IoT. We've worked together in many different capacities.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We handle project management for our clients and subcontract coding, development, and implementation to Saffron Tech. When our internal team is at capacity, we utilize their resources to augment our staff.

Their technology skills run the gamut. For our e-commerce sites on WordPress, Magento, and Shopify, they've used PHP and Ruby on Rails. They've developed our native and web-based mobile apps using React, Node.js, and objective C.

We're currently developing our own standalone ERP products and creating a few e-commerce platforms with broadcast TV and e-commerce components. Inbox Fitness is a new Shopify site we're building. We did all of the design work, wireframes, and information architecture internally and tasked Saffron Tech with the coding. They're implementing some custom features that are unique to the Shopify platform.

What is the team composition?

We work with the team directly, which includes between 6–10 resources at any given moment.

How did you come to work with Saffron Tech?

We recently acquired a company that had actually established a relationship with Saffron Tech over five years ago. As part of that transition, we have developed a steady partnership.

How much have you invested with them?

Over the course of our work together, we've spent hundreds of thousands of dollars.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement is ongoing and started in May 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Everything we've measured this year during our partnership with Saffron Tech has been excellent. We assess their performance using several different methods, including KPIs for everything we do with them.

How did Saffron Tech perform from a project management standpoint?

From a project management standpoint, our collaboration feels seamless. Saffron Tech works as a fully integrated extension of our company.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Saffron Tech's commitment distinguishes them from other providers. They're a great cultural fit for us. I have been in this business for 25 plus years ago, and it's difficult to find a company that collaborates as well as they do. The owners and founders are well-educated, and they're committed to excelling at communication.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We're continually working on being on the leading edge of the market and bringing additional solutions to the table. They're getting better at providing suggestions when I send requirements that call for specific types of technology and expectations for a solution. They go beyond the basic instructions and think outside of the box to offer innovative ideas.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I would highly recommend Saffron Tech. They have a wide range of capabilities and can deliver high-quality products at a very reasonable price. For any agency that's reselling technology, they're an excellent choice.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there. 

I’m a partner at DOT Compliance Services.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Saffron Tech? 

We needed to update an alert system we use to inform clients of when documents are due.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement? 

Saffron Tech is leading the web development of our alert system, built in Microsoft. We had an initial kickoff call to discuss the project. They’re developing a user-facing website that tracks truck driver and vehicle documents. Alerts are sent for when documents are due to expire. We've had some discussions with them about working on other projects but right now it's just web development. 

What is the team composition?

I've been in contact with at least three people over the course of the engagement. There were more people on the kickoff call, but I don't know how many of them actually work on our project.

How did you come to work with Saffron Tech? 

It was a referral from someone who doesn’t work in Microsoft and we needed a vendor that was Microsoft certified. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $4,500–$5,000.

What is the status of this engagement? 

Work started in January 2019 and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They're just finishing up, but everything has been very good so far. We're impressed with the work they've done. 

How did Saffron Tech perform from a project management standpoint? 

Saffron Tech gives us updates every week so we're able to track the project’s progress. We’ve also had regular check-ins throughout. 

What did you find most impressive about them? 

The key factor is that they deliver, and it's a successful solution. We've been dealing with this project for several years now. We used several other companies before and nobody has been able to do what Saffron Tech has done.

Are there any areas they could improve? 

No, I wouldn't say so.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO at a software design, consulting, and development company. We leverage local expertise with global talent to create customized software products.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Saffron Tech?

We were developing a lead generation platform for a company which required the use of complicated algorithms. It included a web platform, iOS and Android app. We needed Saffron Tech to execute our instructions and develop the customized software package.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Saffron Tech built the lead generation platform using .NET. The team created a form where users looking for a certain service can input information. They then constructed and implemented algorithms that process the user’s data and provide an assessment.

Our side handled the wireframes, logic, flows, and designs while Saffron Tech utilized these documents to develop the platform for the web as well as for iOS and Android devices. The team also provided consulting, suggesting ways to improve the concept and designs. 

What is the team composition?

I work mainly with the project manager and the customer relationship manager. From time to time, I also interface with the developer.

How did you come to work with Saffron Tech?

I found them through Clutch; the reviews were highly positive and recommended their services. The team also specialized in .NET development, so I decided to try them out.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $46,000 to date.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in November 2018, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We finished phase one of the project, and we’re moving into the second phase now. Saffron Tech delivered high-quality work within 1.5 months—a very tight timeframe. Their algorithms are incredibly well-done, and we’re highly satisfied with their work so far.

How did Saffron Tech perform from a project management standpoint?

The team runs an excellent workflow. They can meet tight deadlines for complex development. We have no complaints about their work.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Saffron Tech demonstrates a high level of technical expertise and the ability to work under pressure. Their algorithms came out flawlessly in the first build, which is no small feat.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Nothing that comes to mind, the team is well-structured, knowledgeable, and adaptable.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If your wireframes, logic, flows, and designs are well documented with a clear deadline, Saffron Tech can deliver on your project.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the head of technology, research, and development at a smart watch manufacturer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Saffron Tech?

We had issues with some of our watches, so we were looking for a vendor to help us with testing.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Initially, they helped us with a testing project to identify connection and stability issues with our smart watches. They created a document for us, highlighting the root cause of those issues and bringing to our attention the problems we didn't even think of.

They also developed an app for all of our watches. It's a Hub app for the App Store and the Google Play store. Users can install the app and choose the watch that they have. The entire flow is targeted to that watch and users can see everything on their dashboard. We only gave Saffron Tech an idea and they built the app from scratch.

What is the team composition?

We worked with a team of people.

How did you come to work with Saffron Tech?

We found them though a Google search. We talked to a number of companies, but we were impressed with Saffron's commitment and their ability to respond quickly. Also, they're very knowledgeable and passionate about their job, so we decided to chose them.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $50,000–$100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them between August–October 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They understood exactly what we wanted and delivered it. We were able to use the results of their testing to help the vendors who make our smart watches understand and rectify the issues. That had a great impact on our business because we could see which vendors were resistant to making the changes or didn’t have the skills to make them and which vendors accepted the changes.

How did Saffron Tech perform from a project management standpoint?

I've worked with many vendors, but Saffron exceeded my expectations. With some companies, you can expect to do a lot legwork yourself, but Saffron gave us everything we needed, which made our job easy.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They're committed and dedicated to the project. They always found the time to follow-up and make sure we were satisfied with the product. Also, they were very timely and stayed within our timeline.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. There is nothing more I could have expected from them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They're likely to be the best developer you'll find. They'll listen to you and readily accept your feedback.