SoftProdigy

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm a partner of EnergyGoldRush, LLC which is a sales and marketing platform designed to assist independent marketing consultants for Ambit Energy in promoting their business.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire SoftProdigy?

We had an existing mobile phone app that needed to be overhauled and replaced.

What were your goals for this project?

We needed our mobile app to be rewritten to scratch to be native for iOS and Android, so it could run smoothly and without bugs. It was written in an old legacy code that was not native to either. We also wanted major visual improvements making so it was more modern and clean.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

A friend of mine was already using SoftProdigy for their mobile app and was happy with the experience. Having worked with foreign developers in the past on other projects I felt much more comfortable going with a company from a personal recommendation, rather than taking a chance on somebody out of the blue. After talking with the SoftProdigy team a few times I felt very comfortable with their bid and their ability to get it done.

Describe the project in detail.

Once we got started we spent time in discovery to make sure they understood the project in full. We submitted mockups of what I wanted the app to look like. Once those were approved did they begin work coding the project. The only reason the project was behind schedule was due to my own delays in giving them key information from my API developers.

What was the team composition?

My original point of contact was a sales manager who coordinated with the project manager to make sure the vision of what I wanted was properly conveyed. I was also contacted by their U.S.-based contact who assured me he was also available as needed. There were a few other specialists they brought in, for example, to coordinate APIs, but they all worked together very well and were very responsive.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our app relaunched successfully and our subscribers were extremely impressed with the new look and functionality. The subscriber retention has dramatically improved since the launch. The old app was cumbersome and our subscribers used it because there were no better options available. Now they use it because they love it and it works the way it should.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The communication was always prompt. There were some miscommunications due to language, but that's natural and nothing like I've experienced in the past with others. At any point, if I needed, the original sales manager who had the best grasp of English would step in to clear up things.

There were a few differences in opinion between my domestic development team and their team, but according to my team, it was not a situation where one was right or wrong it was just different ways of accomplishing the same objective. We always got these situations resolved quickly.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I was impressed with how open they were to adding in features or making changes that I forgot to detail in the original scope of work, and without charging extra.

Are there any areas for improvement?

There was nothing that would make me hesitate to hire them again. As foreign developers go, they are by far the best I've ever worked with. Of course, with English being their second language, the communication could always be better. Not working in the same time zone also makes coordination difficult at times, but considering those things I thought they did amazing.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

DCschoolHUB is a web-based, one-stop resource for parents seeking child care, preschool, and private school in the Washington, DC metro area. It is a subsidiary of TYW Media, LLC. I am the president.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SoftProdigy?

We did a rebranding of our website and SoftProdigy led the process for us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I wanted a new website and I sent SoftProdigy some examples of templates that I thought would work well. They came back and gave me some feedback. One of the things I really liked about working with them was that they weren’t just “Yes” people. They came back and told me their reasons for why one template was better for my business and my users. I was really happy with some of the suggestions that they made. Their team works with the website pretty much every day. There are a few last minute improvements we want to make to the site so it hasn’t officially launched yet, but it will be really soon.

The backend of the website is WordPress. SoftProdigy added a lot of new features to the experience for the users and to the experience for specific page admins beyond myself.

The site was originally built by a different designer. I partnered with SoftProdigy to make updates because the other designers I was working with weren’t always reliable. I knew that some of these designers were taking shortcuts whereas SoftProdigy didn’t take any shortcuts. They became my sort-of emergency contact. I had my website hacked twice before, and SoftProdigy went in and cleaned it out and installed some security. I haven’t had any problems since.

What is the team dynamic?

I’ve worked primarily with Ramandeep, Deepak, and Kumar.

How did you come to work with SoftProdigy?

I found them through oDesk (now UpWork), a website where you can submit a request for what you’re looking for, and then providers will find you. I first started working with SoftProdigy because their price was extremely competitive. Frankly, I didn’t believe that they could deliver what they said they would for the price. I’ve used them now for multiple small and big projects and they have never once disappointed me. Even after the job is “done,” I will find a glitch and they will always take care of it without charging me. I trust them completely and will never go to anybody else.

How much have you invested with them?

The financial investment was less than $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project began in June 2017 and was completed in August 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I beta tested the website with quite a few people and I think it’s far and above the best website that I’ve ever had. I gave SoftProdigy a lot of feedback early on and they were able to implement it. Even if there were things that they couldn’t implement, they would tell me that it wasn’t possible with the platform at the moment, and they would give me my money back.

How did SoftProdigy perform from a project management standpoint?

They use a platform called Basecamp. I may have three or four of them communicating with me during the course of the day. Their written English is fantastic and they’re great with communication. Whenever I email them, they will always respond, even if it’s just a message saying that they will look into my request as soon as they can.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their customer service is what sets them apart. I’m in the industry myself and countless times I will see companies that have poor customer service or they over promise and under provide. Then there’s the honesty factor. Frankly, I think SoftProdigy and similar companies could double or triple what they’re charging. I have the utmost trust in what they do and what they deliver.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. They work really fast and they work well. I think they’re great at what they do.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the senior marketing manager at Buy2Let Shop, a leading real estate agent in the UK. The company offers forthcoming and professional real estate services to property owners who are looking to sell their house to an investor. Our target audience includes homeowners looking for buyers, investors searching for houses to buy, and buyers looking for homes to let. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SoftProdigy?

We wanted to improve our online business reputation by nullifying the negative business reviews shown on the first page of Google search results. That was only possible with positive marketing and high-quality online reputation management (ORM). Also, we needed some great digital marketing campaigns to boost our online presence and reach our target audience more effectively. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

SoftProdigy has been a great asset since we hired them in 2015. Their SEO, ORM, and SMM experts have years of experience in their fields. They started with a consultation and an in-depth audit of our website. They took all the required information about our business, researched the problem in detail, and proposed a fail-safe digital marketing strategy to execute their services.

They especially helped us improve our business reputation by demoting the negative business reviews on Google and highlighting the positive reviews. Their SEO and SMM services gave us a stronger name in the market, improved our overall business presence, and attracted a great response from the target audience. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with SoftProdigy in December 2015 and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

SoftProdigy provided expert SEO, ORM, and SMM services. After they targeted the right areas, great results became visible. Our brand got its good reputation back, and their marketing efforts are still reaping benefits for us.

We noticed a major improvement in our keyword ranking. The organic traffic to our website increased by 180%. Also, through their social media campaigns, we saw a hike of 1,100% in our social media marketing reach.

How did SoftProdigy perform from a project management standpoint?

The experts at SoftProdigy are supportive and professional. They communicate clearly through emails, Skype, and Basecamp. They share their work progress and results through interactive monthly reports, which shows us what’s actually working. At times, we run into some obstacles, but they’ve fixed every issue by the next month.

What did you find most impressive about SoftProdigy?

SoftProdigy is a group of cherry-picked experts who know what they’re talking about. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We provide financial services for the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic markets. I am a partner at the firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SoftProdigy?

The core challenge is aligning technology solutions to traditional financial processes.   We are looking to double our revenue in 12 months via the successful delivery of our flagship product. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The overall scope of the initiative is to take an ASP.net application, convert it to the MVC [Model-View-Controller] model and add major functional components.

How did you come to work with SoftProdigy?

SoftProdigy was selected based upon past successful projects we were familiar with.  We compared SoftProdigy to both US-based and India-based firms and determined SoftProdigy gave us the best option for a successful project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

How did SoftProdigy perform from a project management standpoint?

SoftProdigy appointed a great project manager and architect to the project as well as two very competent developers.   Taxfunction determined meeting schedules and therefore afforded us the ability to meet once a week, or daily.  SoftProdigy was extremely flexible and provided great customer service by meeting as frequently as we wanted.

What did you find most impressive about SoftProdigy?

SoftProdigy will be our top application development firm for future projects.  They exceeded our expectations, made flexible arrangements, utilized the technologies that we needed and were a pleasure to work with.  

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Cricket Fans United is a one-stop-shop for your cricket needs. Once can browse through articles, videos, podcasts and live commentary with cricket fans on the go. The ease of use of our app makes it perfectly suitable to be used by every category of person. I am the director of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SoftProdigy?

The goal of our partnership with SoftProdigy was to develop an app/solution that would be beneficial for one and all. As with our site, people can find articles, video blogs, podcasts, a gallery and a chat room (banter pages) all on our app. The motive was to reflect on differently levels how cricket is played around the world.

One of our major challenges was to integrate the real-time chat section without a third party SDK. Cricket Fans United is a site created in WordPress so the creation of the web services was dependent on the plugins installed. We needed to upgrade the APIs as well. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

SoftProdigy designed our app to provide an interface for users to access the information related to cricket matches. The features of the app included a home tab, news tab, banter tab, fixtures tab, and a search feature.

How did you come to work with SoftProdigy?

SoftProdigy has been great all the way through. I hired them on PeoplePerHour. I later connected with the team over Basecamp and Skype IM for regular discussions. The amazing thing I liked about the firm was that they provided the work on time. I interviewed a few firms at that time, but out of all of those, I found SoftProdigy to be knowledgeable and smart workers, so I shortlisted them.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project started in March 2016 and was completed in October 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

To be frank, the results were exactly on par with my expectations. This was the first time I hired any company on the PeoplePerHour platform and my experience was great. The timeline was met and the integration was done in a particular way.

What did you find most impressive about SoftProdigy?

SoftProdigy stands out through their timely delivery and 24/7 availability. Though my other previous partners were good enough, this young team was truly excellent.

Are there any areas SoftProdigy could improve?

No, I don't have any constructive criticism. I think they performed very well. I am planning to assign them to another phase of work in a few months.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of SecureWiFi Technologies. We are a software development company in Minnesota, developing software that wirelessly shares encrypted information, data, and files.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SoftProdigy?

I needed SoftProdigy to provide the coding for all the development phases of alpha and beta testing in order to deliver a quality application. I also needed help in its design and functionality.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We started off with concepts and worked through feasibility studies. As a developer, I have ideas of what I want to do. However, I’m not a programmer. I only know the basics of programming.

At the beginning of the project, I started talking to them about my ideas, eliciting their design concepts. SoftProdigy came back to me with a plan on how to achieve what I wanted to do. Sometimes, my ideas are correct right from the get-go, and they collaborate and substantiate what I already know. Other times, SoftProdigy suggests other ways to achieve what I want, and it turns out that that’s the best way.

SoftProdigy really enhances my ability to develop my product, which is important. SoftProdigy knows the market for the software that I wanted to do. They were able to help me understand how certain ideas that I have could be more easily accepted by the market if I did one thing or the other. SoftProdigy doesn't just have programmers that sit in front of the computer and pound out code; they actually help you design products that will remain in market acceptance.

How did you come to work with SoftProdigy?

I started on Freelancer looking for programming companies. I went through an exhaustive three-month search process looking for the right blend of talent and skill that I needed. Getting the right chemistry was also a big part for me in a software developer. After searching through Freelancer, I found SoftProdigy. It’s extremely important that I had chemistry with them because my programming is done on the other side of the world. SoftProdigy has the world-class expertise, experience, and design capability services that I needed for my product.

What is the status of this engagement?

I’ve been working with SoftProdigy since 2012.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

All software has bugs. There are two fundamentals that you must live with if you want to be in the software business: there isn’t a software anywhere that doesn’t have bugs and software constantly changes. I did a beta test of the software that SoftProdigy programmed and helped me develop. The test came back virtually error free. When I received the final product, it was also error-free. The amount and type of errors were minimal compared to other experiences I have had. This is not the first software company that I have started; it’s my second, so I’ve gone through this before. This experience developing software is much better than my first experience.

How did SoftProdigy perform from a project management standpoint?

SoftProdigy excelled in project management. Frankly, I can tell you that there’s a lot of great programmers and programming companies out there. What makes SoftProdigy different is the hierarchy and structure they build around their programmers and the other services that they provide and then how they bring those services to their clients like myself. SoftProdigy's ability to lay out a structure of what the results are going to be regarding when, how, and what, I can expect to never deviate from the plan that they lay out. Once their project plan is submitted to me and I sign off on it, SoftProdigy delivers down to the letter. Additionally, they have a personable, friendly, knowledgeable, punctual, and polite customer service that I’ve never found before in my experience of 30 years of doing software. I also want to specifically note that it’s fantastic to work with Soumyajit Chakraborty, the CEO of SoftProdigy. He’s a phenomenal, professional, and polished gentleman.

What did you find most impressive about SoftProdigy?

What I didn’t expect is that their customer service is phenomenal and second to none. That is what has sold and kept me as a customer of Softprodigy. They have a very eager to please manner, but what really sets them apart is their attention to detail—it’s world class. SoftProdigy keeps you updated daily on what is happening with your project. We have routine meetings with everything laid out ahead of time.

Are there any areas SoftProdigy could improve?

SoftProdigy could open up more offices in the United States. When I started with them, they were only in India. They’re now in Indonesia, United Arab Emirates, and New York, but I would love to have them open up offices in Chicago or on the West Coast. I believe that as they grow, they will.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am an educator who created and innovated a design for a piano note reading practice app. Our target market includes students and piano teachers of all ages in the US and worldwide.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SoftProdigy?

The goal was to create a versatile music app with clean visuals to help students practice note reading skills with simplicity and fun while being educational. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The Softprodigy team handled the UX, UI and development of my music app, Note Quest.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project lasted about 4 months. It is now complete.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

How did SoftProdigy perform from a project management standpoint?

I felt that communication flowed relatively well on both ends using Basecamp as the primary communications tool.

What did you find most impressive about SoftProdigy?

Even when we faced a few challenges in the beginning, we worked through them with some active involvement on my part and mostly a "can do" attitude on their part. They were always willing to make things right and to my satisfaction until launch, which I fully appreciated.

Are there any areas SoftProdigy could improve?

I felt that the developer was a better match for me than the UI/UX part of the team. However, with that said, after a few rounds of revisions and communicating on the same page, we were able to achieve the results we were looking for, so it worked out in the end. They did honor the project budget, even when the job was apparently more complex than what they had anticipated. 

BACKGROUND

To sing is to communicate. SingersBabel gives musicians the diction tools to be expressive and communicative in the meaning and pronunciation of texts found in oratorios, secular and sacred choral music, cantatas, art songs, and song cycles. Languages include American English, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Latin (Ecclesiastical, Germanic & Gallic), Church Slavonic, and Russian.

BabelGuidesTM features diction specialists/native speakers reciting the text in poetic and slow versions, while the original text, with a word-for-word translation, and International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) Guide scrolls by, in an innovative MP4 format. Affordable individual, institutional, and ensemble subscriptions are available through the Subscriber Library. Works are also available for individual purchase in the Online Store.

I am the owner and managing director. I hire all content creators, edit their work, and process it into MP4 videos.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

I had a subscription-based website which used a combination of written and aural resources, compiled into MP4 format. Most of those customers are libraries, ensembles, and some individuals. I wanted to add an online store where individuals could purchase and download our resources so that I would have diversity in clients and revenue.

SOLUTION

SofProdigy added an online store to my subscription-based enterprise. They also have made significant improvements to the existing site over the past couple of years. I also had them build a mobile app, called BabelSounds, for the iOS and Android platforms.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

SoftProdigy has been excellent. I found them through oDesk and they have been my go-to company ever since. I have a developed a good relationship with my liaison person at SoftProdigy and have complete trust in him and in the quality of SoftProdigy's work. They deliver excellence, on time and within budget - often under budget./p>

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

 I am the Decision Maker of a software company 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Web and game/VR development, covering games, healthcare, and many things in-between.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire SoftProdigy to accomplish?

• Web app development

SOLUTION

How did you find SoftProdigy?

Online Search

Why did you select SoftProdigy over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost
• Great development skills

How many teammates from SoftProdigy were assigned to this project?

1 Employee

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

Large custom web app development

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Under NDA

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

SoftProdigy is great to work with; they've been very helpful to us as a whole and I'd highly recommend them.

What was your primary form of communication with SoftProdigy?

Email or Messaging App

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

Their development skills were great. He "gets it" quickly without needing much instruction. That's hard to find.

Are there any areas for improvement or something SoftProdigy could have done differently?

N/A

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Company Director of Champion's Choice Ltd

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Online sports betting company 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire SoftProdigy to accomplish?

• Refine our website & app from both a backend and front end perspective

SOLUTION

How did you find SoftProdigy?

Online Search

Why did you select SoftProdigy over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from SoftProdigy were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Key deliverables included: 

• Refining our existing platform offering (on our website & app) 
• Create new games 
• Handle automations 
• Refactor our code 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Bugs related to payments ( from 17% to less than 1%) 
• Bugs related to instant approval rates on sign ups ( from 65% instant approval to 85%) 
• Refined Homepage to increase game participation rate from 50% to 70% 

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

 Slack channel enabled smooth communication with all members. Amandeep as a PM ensured we had access to any specific requests in the shortest period of time. Team is very responsive. Senior developers assigned to project are very easily reachable. 

What was your primary form of communication with SoftProdigy?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Cooperation and expertise. The team is very involved in all aspects and very structured when it comes to delivering each task.

Are there any areas for improvement or something SoftProdigy could have done differently?

Not in the scope of our project with them.