Systango Technologies

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO and co-founder of a fintech platform. It’s a personal finance app, which we are beginning the launch in the U.K., but it will target India as well for cross-border transactions.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Systango Technologies?

We needed help with developing our application.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We engaged with Systango Technologies from the very beginning, specifically for assigning resources for design and UX tasks. They built the entire app for us using React Native and were involved in the design stage, UI/UX, code build, and DevOps.

What is the team composition?

We worked with eight to ten resources and had a dedicated project manager most of the time. At peak capacity, we had three frontend developers and three backend developers on board.

How did you come to work with Systango Technologies?

We wanted a vendor that could build the frontend in React Native, and there are very few companies in India that possessed this skill. Systango Technologies had what we needed; they were a one-stop shop that could tackle everything from UI/UX designs to backend development.

How much have you invested in them?

We invested around $80,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them from August 2017–February 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The product is now live. We’ve received great feedback from users regarding the usability of certain features, and we’re doing a lot more than some of the competitors in our market.

Systango Technologies was instrumental in shaping the product’s UX, especially since we’re using a cutting-edge technology that’s constantly evolving. They made sure that all changes were reflected properly in the app. Their DevOps experience was key for us; we needed to be very particular about security, which comes with having a fintech app.

How did Systango Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

There were a couple of challenges, but by and large, they understood what we wanted and were flexible with us. We had a lot of resources working late hours in order to meet our deadlines.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They keep themselves abreast of changing technologies, so we don’t have to worry about staying behind. It’s comforting to know that they aren’t building an obsolete product.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Most of the work they do is with start-ups, and not all start-ups need to employ a project manager. It would be good for their developers to adopt proper internal communication methods and play a slightly more client-facing role.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO of Appyuman Solutions, a platform that offers business solutions to the small-to-medium enterprise market.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Systango Technologies?

We had a client looking to build a Chinese translation mobile app.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to ensure a streamlined approach to UI/UX and use React Native for development. We needed it delivered within our budget and timeframe.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We made a shortlist on a third-party site to review offers and portfolio. After some interviews through Skype, we determined Systango was the right fit. They had the right experience and approach to our market.

Describe the project in detail.

Systango developed a very systematic approach to ensure ideas accurately translated to milestones and realistic functionalities. They ensured that the project would be within budget and expectations would be met. Then, their team fully developed the translation app with streamlined UX/UI using React Native. 

What was the team composition?

The project was closely managed by a dedicated account manager and business analyst.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We are currently in progress of marketing the app on behalf of our client.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The team was always on point and in continuous contact with us to keep up with deadlines. They are very consistent in their approach and ensured all meetings were relevant and constructive.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The team at Systango are dedicated and passionate about their work. Their input ensured an improved perspective of the product. Their development was not only based on a vision but offered impactful insights and suggestions.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I would suggest a local presence to offer a face for the business as they grow in Australia. Albeit, this is not a major aspect but it would give comfort to potential clients. Apart from this, there is nothing to fault.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m founder of a fintech company focused on providing investment guidance for people in the UK.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Systango?

I'd built the first version of my MVP with another agency and they had done a terrible job. We had to almost start from scratch to rebuild it.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Systango rebuilt our MVP. In our initial discussion, we thought that we would take the existing MVP and tweak it slightly. But the Systango team helped me completely rearchitect it. Then they built out the wireframes for the UIUX flow along with the designs.

Systango’s focus has been on designing the entire UIUX for how the app should function, which includes a tight onboarding process. The space we’re in is fairly regulated and requires the user to provide quite a bit of data. We wanted to make this process fun and engaging. I worked with 3-4 Systango team members including one very closely who helped put together the new UIUX. Based on their work, I used an outside specialist to build all the screens in Azure.

We now have an MVP that we can use for testing and market research. Once it’s had enough testing, I can go back to Systango for them to code the HTML for the updated frontend. I plan to build the backend with them as well once I raise money.

What is the team composition?

I worked primarily with a project manager and a designer.

How did you come to work with Systango?

I was in a WeWork coworking space and used to sit next to Systango. I got to know their founder through casual conversation and we talked about my challenges.

I had two options at the time. I had another vendor from when I initially sourced firms for my first MVP. I could have gone back to them. But having gotten to know their founder and the work they do, I decided to go with Systango.

How much have you invested with them?

Around 3000£.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in August 2017 and its ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

If I compare the initial and second versions of the MVP, there is a real gulf in terms of the feedback I’ve received regarding the quality of the design. The general feedback from most people that have engaged with it has been very positive in terms of the onboard and the UX flow. The design they came up with is great. Because I’m in a space that can be fairly boring and the apps all look the same, with the same design and UIUX, it feels very different from what is out there.

How did Systango perform from a project management standpoint?

Most of the work was done remotely from their India office. The gentleman who helps run Systango from London also assisted. He helped steer the project in the right direction and helped with the UX design and the UX flow.

Communication was fairly good because I was working closely with the guy here in London who was then driving the project manager as well as the designer. We created a Slack channel that the whole team was on. I’d also have direct Skype chats with the designer as well as the project manager. In some instances, I’d go straight to the designer because I’ve built up a very good relationship with the team. Because some of the team sits a couple floors away from me, it’s easy to engage with anyone in the team if I need it.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The man they have in London plays an important role in driving the quality of work for the rest of the team. He’s very good at UX design. He’s something of the fulcrum of the work that gets produced.

Their design is also at quite a high standard compared to some of the other companies I’ve engaged with. For the amount I paid, the quality of the design I got was exceptionally high, probably some of the highest that I’ve come across.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Quality of work seems driven by certain key players in the company. It may be that for Systango to scale they will need more people of a similar caliber to those, who can then be in charge of their client relationships. They need to be sure they have people of high caliber to sit in front of the client, that really know startups, really know design, really know UX, and can help in those regards.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the CTO at Edge Tech Labs, which designs and manufactures consumer and enterprise electronics. Our products include a smartphone breathalyzer, low-power environmental sensors, and a guitar teaching accessory. Additionally, each of these products is delivered with a cloud solution, including full web backend and additional geo services. I'm responsible for defining requirements; evaluating technologies, prototype solutions, and data structures; and working with developers to plan, execute, and test full-scale deployments.

How did you come to work with Systango?

I started working with an engineer from Systango in October of 2014. I found him on a freelancer site working mainly in Python and Django web development. As the project grew, we realized we needed some changes to the database and more frontend design experience. The engineer pointed me to his agency that offers all of the resources that we need. After I evaluated Systango engineers compared to the rest of the competition, it made a lot of sense to move all of our development to a single vendor. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Systango?

Our company was initially funded by about 3,000 pre-orders of our first product, DrinkMate, via Kickstarter. We positioned our product as the lowest-cost breathalyzer on the market. With the fixed costs of materials, tooling, and finding factories and manufacturing partners, this did not leave a lot of time for the planning of the final apps. We originally had a part-time Android developer, but many drawbacks and knowledge gaps caused severe delays, which impacted critical app functions. When we moved into developing for iOS, there was no knowledge in our company for interacting with our devices from an app, so we needed outside expertise.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

DrinkMate was was notoriously difficult because the apps relied on a data connection between the phone and the peripheral device. The engineering of the iOS app included a massive list of Apple-based certifications and specifications that needed to be followed. The Systango team willingly undertook this challenge and, through trial and error, and achieved a robust, working solution.

For other projects, they have assisted with initial design concepts all the way up to the completed product, Systango is instrumental in planning, prototyping, scheduling, iterating, and ultimately delivering our final products.

What is the team dynamic?

In my first startup, we had a designer and a database engineer. Then, I met their CTO at the time, and we developed a good working relationship. At that point, we had from 3 to 5 members working on this project. My current company provided a dedicated Android resource and an iOS resource. Now, Systango's new CTO is even better. 

How much have you invested with them?

Since the beginning of working with them, I have invested over $200,000. The initial DrinkMate project cost between $25,000 and $40,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working Systango on the DrinkMate project from July 2015 to June 2016. We still partner with them on other projects.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The downloads of the app are limited because of the hardware. We have 11,700 registered users on our profile and about 25,000 devices in the wild. So, there have been at least 25,000 downloads. On Android, we can track this, but iOS doesn't publish the numbers.

How did Systango perform from a project management standpoint?

Our biggest communication tool is Git. We can view the work that has been done over the course of the day, week, or month and can communicate the state of the projects. About 85% of our communication happens via email, and we have calls 3 times a week. We have a great relationship with Systango and have met in-person multiple times to discuss strategies and further our business relationship.

What did you find most impressive about them?

As a startup, we have a lean team, and a good portion of our development is driven by consumer feedback. Whenever we have a new set of requests or a new plan for improving features and functions, Systango is able to break down detailed tasks and assign work to capable professionals.

We are working on a new project called Fret Zealot, and we're getting hardware produced now. The team in India has the necessary protocols, so, even though they've never touched a piece of this hardware before, they can deliver an app that can operate properly. They excel in terms of discipline and procedure.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The time difference between our company's location and India is a constant challenge. I would also like to have a Slack channel that I could subscribe to. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of FeelShare. We integrate with companies like Spotify and Apple Music, and we aim to provide streamers with more innovative user experiences. We let users share music with their friends and participate in a community of people who stream music. There are 3–5 of us on the core team, and Systango worked on the development of our app. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Systango?

We started working with them shortly after realizing we needed a prototype and an MVP. I didn’t know a lot about app projects or working in an Agile way. I just wanted to build a complete product, but they advised me to go step-by-step. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I had a few advisors, but nobody on my team was a developer. I started meeting with the founder of Systango well before we started working together. Once I felt she really understood my product and agreed to work on it, I left everything to her. They were our technology partner for 2 years.

First, Systango created a prototype. When we got funding because of that prototype, they expanded it on a month-by-month basis. They put down biweekly sprint plans, so every Monday we’d have a set of objectives and defined tasks for each developer. By the end of the 2 weeks and the end of the sprint, we’d have a retrospective meeting to assess what we’d accomplished. They kept me involved, which I appreciated. Since I’m not a techie, they were able to educate me a bit. They taught me how to use JIRA and Slack, so it was an interesting learning experience for me.

We had a few big releases every month or so. The project did well, and we got a larger amount of funding. Systango also secured an equity stake in my company because we had established trust.

The app allows anyone to broadcast music in real-time for people across the globe. If you’re listening to a certain artist, people across the world can tune into exactly what you’re streaming. At the same time, the app allows you to broadcast video and your voice. It’s like you can be your own radio host and your stream will go to people across the world. It fully plugs into Spotify and adds a radio element into the existing streaming ecosystem. It’s essentially an add-on to Spotify and similar services.

We created the prototype for both iOS and Android. I did the design, and Systango handled the backend. Once we did the full build, I wanted some better designs, so I asked them to take over the design as well as the development. We’re actually going back into a large phase of development. We did a lot of beta-testing, and we took down the app for a short time as we did some research. We’re going to redeploy it after refinements.

Systango offered helpful suggestions. Through the app, I want to foster regular use. Their insights on gamification specifically really helped me, and they pointed me to some great books. Systango went the extra mile to help me learn through the process. That really set them apart from our other providers.

How did you come to work with Systango?

For this project specifically, I put a job posting on Upwork, and somebody reached out to me from their team. Then, because I lived in London, the founder offered to advise me as a startup owner. She recognized that I was young, and even though I didn’t have much money to put into it, she wanted to help. By the time the idea got traction, we already had an established relationship.

How much have you invested with Systango?

I spent around $180,000–$200,000. The price, from what I understand, is not very expensive.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together around January of 2015, and our collaboration is ongoing. We took a break to raise more money. Now that we have, we’re starting another round of development. We got a lot of feedback when we had the app in stores before, which we’ll incorporate in the next phase. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We launched the app as a beta release. We put it in the App Store, but we only had a specific group of users at a university giving feedback, instead of having a gigantic marketing campaign. We were pretty fluid in the sense that we didn’t build too much, so we could test whatever we did build. The feedback from customer testimonials has gotten better with each passing month.

Systango met my expectations on all fronts. The code is incredibly solid. The user experience has gotten better over time and runs seamlessly. We’ve tried to be responsive to feedback.  

We got a great product for a great price. Throughout the entire development, I felt like I had my own team, so I was pretty satisfied. Over the years, I also changed my requirements quite a bit, but they didn’t increase the bill.

How did Systango perform from a project management standpoint?

Everything went fairly well. They taught me how to use JIRA. We had spreadsheets, master docs, spend plans, and daily scrums that I’d get involved whenever I wanted to. They taught me a lot about Agile project management and really adhered to deadlines. Once, we missed a sprint, and the team was incredibly apologetic. They took it really seriously

In addition to JIRA, we had daily calls and used Slack at all times. We used Trello as well for UX planning. I also used Pivotal Tracker for the software, to-do list, and quality assurance.

What did you find most impressive about Systango?

I’ve worked with other companies who also used agencies. Building products for startups is quite a different ballgame than just building a product for an established company. Systango’s understanding of MVPs and scrum management was a key differentiator. They also advised me how to spend my limited budget. Everyone who’s seen the code base thinks it’s incredibly robust. They used an advanced framework and tech stack.

Are there any areas Systango could improve?

Nothing specifically comes to mind. I was pretty satisfied with the experience. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO of Launda PTY LTD

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Laundry service marketplace

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Build a high-quality web and mobile app in a timely manner and a fair price.

SOLUTION

How did you find Systango?

directly from them

Why did you select Systango over others?

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

How many teammates from Systango were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

establish the user journeys and flow for both sides of the marketplace then build the apps accordingly.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

the web and mob apps are complete and working well

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

there were a few delays but some were due to us, and overall, they responded well to our needs.

What was your primary form of communication with Systango?

Virtual Meeting

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

They're very nice, honest, and willing to help at every level.

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

the only thing I would say would be the language barrier may have caused some misunderstanding on some issues.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the President of Big Sky Packaging

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Engineer and manufacture components for beauty, fragrance, hair care, personal care, wine & spirits industries.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Update Website
• Increase Business Organically
• Implement Online Advertising and Marketing Strategy

SOLUTION

How did you find Systango?

Referral

Why did you select Systango over others?

Referred to me

What was the size of Systango’s team?

2-5 Employees

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

Systango was instrumental in reviewing our website and online place in the market. Following a thorough evaluation, Systango provided a step-by-step time line of their vision of execution. All information was clearly outlined, organized and easy to understand. I have been working with Systango for 15+ years, and will continue to use their services.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Meet project time-lines
• Improve traffic to the website
• Improve ranking of website for online search

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

Systango was VERY well organized in their deliverables and timeline. The Systango team initiated weekly calls to provide updates and communicate status of the overall project. Very impressed with the organization.

What was your primary form of communication with Systango?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email
• Messaging App

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

The organization and communication during the project was outstanding.

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

No. They've done an outstanding job.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the CTO of a Software development company. We have offices in India, US and UK

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Systango, and what were your goals?

We hired Systango to custom software development and Infrastructure creation and administration

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We found them through a referral from one of our partners. They came across as professional, cost-effective and extremely committed to the project deliverables

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

They helped us develop custom software and maintain the end-to-end infrastructure for the same. The software uses the latest MERN technologies and extensive API integration with third-party solutions

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

There were 3 people - a project manager, a senior infrastructure architect and a MERN stack developer

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

Systango has professional management and an extremely skilled team who helped us to meet the project objectives in a timely manner

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

We used agile methodologies and had daily agile standup review calls. The development was organized through sprints. Used Slack and Jira for project communication

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

Their commitment, professionalism, and skills were impressive.

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

Nothing

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

venture-funded, consumer, early-stage (10 employees)

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Systango, and what were your goals?

help scale our engineering capacity

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

previously worked together successfully

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

fully integrated into our onshore eng team, Our Stack: Node .js, TypeScript, GraphQL, PostgreSQL, Redis, AWS & GCP

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

one full-stack dev and one QA dev

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

scaled our roadmap and cut down on customer-facing bugs by 80%

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

fully-integrated into our team: in our standups, eng planning, etc

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

We like their professionalism and quality.

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

No.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the CEO of the Company

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Systango, and what were your goals?

I needed a team on a permanent basis for a portion of our platform.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

It was recommended by my Product Manager, who interviewed a number of potential partners.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

Ongoing software development, QA and delivery of projects.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

Project Manager is my main point of contact. He supervises the Team.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

We have a reliable team over there, which relieves us from having to constantly hire and manage resources. We can concentrate on our core work and Business Development.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

We mostly use Gitlab, Slack and connect on a regular basis for updates. This is very transparent.

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

They have great project managers, and this makes my job easier.

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

We have a good communication so any issue is discussed and solved quickly.