SDI - Software Developers Inc

BACKGROUND

Could you briefly describe your organization?

I’m the founder of an independent consultancy that helps clients with their technology management solutions.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

Could you describe the business challenges you were attempting to resolve when you initiated the relationship with Software Developers India?

Because our resources are limited, we don’t have the technical capabilities to handle our larger and more complex development initiatives. I needed to be able to outsource that development to qualified team of programmers while we focused on the more strategic and business-related priorities.

SOLUTION

How did you select Software Developers India as your solution partner?

It was very simple. I’d already heard of them because they have an office just down the road from me. I visited their site and reached out to them with our project description. They came in and demonstrated some of their previous work to us, which was all very impressive. Their pricing was very competitive and there was the bonus of having them readily available to us. That ended up being a big value-add because they offer offshore pricing while essentially being an on-site development team.

Could you describe the scope of the work delivered?

At the moment, they’re working on a custom chat application for iOS and Android. We’re focusing most of our energies on the iPhone and iPad, with the plan to deploy an Android version soon after. We provided the concept and framework and they’re responsible for building the functional app. That includes everything from requirements gathering and scoping to deployment, testing, and enhancement.

Can you provide a sense of the size of this project in monetary terms?

The initial cost was between $4,000 and $5,000, but I have a monthly retainer with them, too.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

In terms of results, could you share any statistics, metrics, or user feedback that would demonstrate the effectiveness of their work?

For this particular project, the mobile app development, I don’t have any figures or statistics. We haven’t released a functional version to users yet, so we also don’t have any end-user feedback. What I can tell you is that up to this point, the development has gone extremely smoothly. We’ve only run into a few minor issues with bugs, but they’ve been fixed very quickly. Overall, the application is being built according to plan and according to schedule. We’ve been very pleased with the results so far.

When working with Software Developers India, is there anything you’d consider unique about their approach or development methodology that distinguishes them from other vendors?

They’re very responsive to our needs, and they maintain an excellent work ethic. The pricing they offer is great. Their development process is completely transparent to us, which is great from a project management perspective. Above all, the quality and consistency of their programming is well worth the cost of their service.

In retrospect, are there areas you think they could improve on as a service provider?

I can’t think of any criticisms. I’m happy with everything they’ve delivered to us. That’s why I continue to give them my business. They’re always responsive, they communicate well, and they always deliver.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company.

My company is Diamond Appraisal Management Executives. It is a real estate appraisal management company, with everything done online.

What is your role and responsibilities?

I am the head appraiser and the owner of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was your goal for working with Software Developers India?

My goal was to build a custom-tailored CMS [content management system] database as well as integrate Android and iOS mobile apps. That was for a front-end website.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their work.

They developed the Android and iOS apps, and they did the whole content management database online.

What was your process for selecting Software Developers India with which to work?

We Googled them and researched other companies. We liked them the best and made them an offer.

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

It took about a year. It was a large project. It was between $10,000 and $50,000. They did the iOS app first, and then the Android app. I just helped them design it.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Do you have any statistics or metrics to track improvement from the project?

It isn’t public yet. The apps are for my clients and appraisers. It's free. It's not something I’m trying to sell. It's a marketing tool that I’m using.

I am absolutely satisfied with their work. They did a great job, and they are friendly people. It feels like working with family, and they genuinely care about the project instead of just rushing through it. They fix all the bugs, and they're very quick in addressing the issues.

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

My favorite thing about them is that they genuinely care about your project. You build a relationship with their developers and the owners. They’ve all called and make sure that everything is going smoothly. Second would be that they work quickly and efficiently. They do it right. My experience working with other developers has been that it sometimes takes a week or two weeks to fix something, and Software Developers fixes it right away, which is very impressive.

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

I think that they did a great job. I can’t think of anything they could improve on. It took a little longer than expected, but I think that is normal considering the size of the project. I had a business partner leave, so that delayed it a little bit while we figured out the legal details. Otherwise, I have no complaints about them.

BACKGROUND

Could you briefly describe your organization?

We're a software development and technology firm. We offer communications and collaboration tools to clients in the financial services sector. 

What is your position?

I'm the present and chief operating officer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

We were looking for a technology vendor to help augment our in-house team of developers. We were about to begin building a new mobile application for the iOS platform, but the majority of our developers were only skilled with Windows. The application was going to be the first of its kind, and we wanted to ensure we had a development team capable of creating the product effectively while also helping our own development team become more familiar with the iOS platform. 

SOLUTION

Could you describe the scope of this project?

They came in and built the entire application from scratch. We came to them with only our technical requirements and basic concept. They were responsible for building the functional product. They provided both designers and developers for our project and worked their way through the visual design and functional build. Once we'd agreed on the fundamentals, they delivered the minimum viable product [MVP]. They also handled the testing and customizations once we had the basic structure up and running. 

How did you select Software Developers India as your solution partner?

We conducted some online research for mobile application developers and came up with a short list of companies we thought might fit our needs. Software Developers India was one of those initial prospects. We sent out our statement of work and received several proposals. After reviewing the proposals, we felt that they had the most convincing argument. It was clear to us that they had some serious expertise with building custom mobile apps, and they've worked with clients across all kinds of industries. After connecting with their team, we felt confident that they could deliver our product. 

Could you provide a sense of the size of this project in monetary terms?

It was in the low six figures. 

When was the mobile application completed?

They finished up around the end of this February [2014]. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

In terms of results, could you share any statistics, metrics, or end-user feedback that would demonstrate the effectiveness of their work?

While I can't give you any exact figures, I can tell you that our management team and our end-user have been very impressed with the quality of the app. Its user interface is quite smooth and intuitive, and it rarely crashes or malfunctions. We haven't received a whole lot of official praise, but we've only gotten a few support inquiries through it, so we know that it's working the way it should the majority of the time. 

When working with Software Developers India, is there anything you'd consider unique about their approach or development methodology that distinguishes them from other vendors?

Yes, there are a couple of things. First of all, their project budgeting and pricing is extremely transparent and reasonable. They do a great job tracking their resources and making the information readily available to their clients. They're also great communicators. They've been very responsive to our needs, whether it be for quick questions or support requests. It's clear that they place a high priority on their customer support.