TechAhead

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder of a app development company. We are pre-revenue and needed a developer who understood the cost benefit trade-offs between functionality and polish when creating an MVP (i.e., fewer rough edges than a prototype).

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire TechAhead?

We had a functioning prototype in the IOS App Store but wanted to re-apply what we learned from that to build an MVP (with functioning revenue model), expand the app to Android and develop an initial cloud footprint (to facilitate future scalability).

What were your goals for this project?

Cross platform development (we ended up using React Native), improved functionality (more optionality for users in formatting E-Stories), additional revenue streams within the business model, fewer crashes than the IOS prototype.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We met with a number of developers when visiting India earlier in the year. We eventually narrowed the potential vendors to two. TechAhead was the most enthusiastic of the two (much quicker to respond to our questions about our proposed scope of work and how they would tackle that).

Also, the proposal they provided seemed more tailored to our specific project (less of a cookie cutter / fill in the blank form). To us, it seemed as though they had engaged the technical team (not just sales) for feedback on our proposal.

Describe the project in detail.

From the very start, we had a detailed functional design document and XD assets (developed for the prototype and since updated with what we learned from that). We asked TechAhead for a proposal (including the technical approach they would take, staged deliverables and time and cost to complete).

Once that proposal was agreed, they started development, with periodic requests for input from us as questions arose. We had agreed that one (smaller) set of functionality would be delivered as Phase 1.

TechAhead delivered admirably on that, which gave us confidence to proceed with Phase 2. TechAhead delivered Phase 2 without a hitch and we are now discussing a Phase 3 with further refinements to the app based on feedback to date.

What was the team composition?

We were assigned a Project Manager who was our main point of contact and managed technical resources on the development side and coordinated deliverables.

The Project Manager would have 3 to 5 other individuals on calls we had, depending on which functionality we needed to discuss at the time. We interacted with those individuals during the calls, as well as over emails to discuss issues in real time.

Everyone on the TechAhead team we spoke with was patient, poised and professional throughout our project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We are quite happy with the resulting app. It is more stable, with a wider array of functionality - than the IOS prototype we started with. Just as important, TechAhead achieved this while staying within the agreed budget.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Communication worked well. I cannot over emphasize how important this was to us and our project. As decision points emerged during development, the patience, willingness and ability of the TechAhead team to explain the issues, listen to our suggestions and integrate our proposals was crucial to success of our project.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

We liked most the breadth of technical knowledge within the small team that TechAhead deployed for our project - from app development, to spinning up cloud resources, to integrating transactional web mail services. Being able to bring their level of expertise with such a small team sped development and kept the project on budget.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None really.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are a leading provider of digital & creative software solutions. I am responsible for managing multiple Engineering initiatives.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire TechAhead?

Whenever we need quick external help for deadline based projects we reach out to our vendors and TechAhead has been a reliable vendor thus far.

What were your goals for this project?

Its an ongoing engagement & not a project specific collaboration with them. The overall goals include, meeting specific deadline & external quality assurance support.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We have standard vendor selection process and TechAhead enrolled to our vendor partnership program and qualified our criteria.

Describe the project in detail.

We have been working with them on multiple projects for web & mobile platforms involving react native, angular & node.js. We also use their QA engineers for automation & manual testing using Selenium and JMeter.

What was the team composition?

On an average we have been engaging team of approx 8-10 resources consisting of mobile,web and QA engineers. We occasionally engage their UX designers as well.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

TechAhead is our reliable vendor and whenever we need extra support we can count on them. Their Quality Assurance and Project management practices are at par with industry standards which makes us comfortable working with them again and again. They have been proactive in understanding our project goals and adhere to timely delivery.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We use MS Team and JIRA to collaborate and track daily/weekly tasks. We have a dedicated project lead who is our primary point of contact for requirement collection and analysis to make sure that both teams are aligned and on same page with regards to timeline. Their communication is very effective & top management is also involved on monthly basis to oversee engagement and proactively address any foreseeable risk.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their project governance processes and communication has been a stand out factor. Personal attention from the management makes us feel comfortable.

Are there any areas for improvement?

We would recommend them increase their portfolio in technology to serve in other domains.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We manufacturer products within the IoT industry and required a partner for our iOS and Android App development.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire TechAhead?

We already had mobile apps, but the app development wasn't moving fast enough to match the growth in our market. We worked and continue to work with TechAhead to develop our mobile apps for iOS and Android.

What were your goals for this project?

The partner needed to have an understanding of connecting apps to physical hardware and cloud servers. They also needed to work with our R&D team to ensure new features in hardware/cloud systems could be supported by mobile apps.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We visited India and spent time with at least six potential companies. TechAhead stood out right from the beginning with their professional approach and desire to help. The communication has always been great, and the project leader is always on hand should you need them.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

They developed and launched mobile apps for our IoT product, as well as reskinned the apps for our OEM partners.

What was the team composition?

We employed two Android developers initially and 1 iOS developer, along with 1 project manager. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

The feedback on our new Android app has dramatically improved. Now, we're receiving positive feedback on not only the stability of the app but also on the new features we're implementing. The iOS app has received more updates than we could normally achieve by hiring our own in-house developer. 

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Arrangements are made by email and follow-up telephone calls. Management is always on hand and very supportive.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Professional facility in India and their general day-to-day communication.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Not at the moment. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an associate partner for a leading management consulting firm based in the UAE. We advise clients on strategy and digital transformation.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with TechAhead?

We were working with a consumer banking client to digitally transform their services, which involved developing a web- and mobile-based app. Since we’re not a tech company, we brought in TechAhead as a subcontractor to complement our advisory skills. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement? 

TechAhead developed a customer-facing digital banking app for mobile and web. The solution would onboard new customers, facilitate new loan and deposit applications, and connect to legacy backend systems and data warehouses through middleware. 

They worked hand-in-hand with our client’s IT team to ensure the code and architecture were secure before deploying the app. Afterward, they provided ongoing maintenance for both the mobile and web interfaces.

What is the team composition? 

They assigned a core team for the solution, including an account manager and a full-time Scrum master who were the main points of contact for my team. There was also a technical architect who oversaw the entire solution. He was backed by a team of 6–8 front- and backend engineers as well as a few QA leads.

How did you come to work with TechAhead?

We spoke with around 6–8 vendors before finding TechAhead. One of our colleagues had worked with them previously at another company and referred us. Compared to the other candidates, their team demonstrated a strong understanding of our client’s requirement, and their solution stood out. 

Adding on to that, they had worked on similar projects within the banking sector in other parts of the world and offered ongoing maintenance as part of their standard contract. This, along with their attractive price point and expertise, compelled us to choose them.

How much have you invested with them?

The overall budget size was between $800,000–$900,000, which we paid after hitting milestones and upon project completion. There were also some annual fees because they provided maintenance.

What is the status of this engagement?

Their work lasted from February–May 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Working with them was a good experience. Because they’re a relatively small vendor, they were quite responsive to our client’s needs and were eager to meet requirements. Our client’s IT team complimented their software protocol as well, noting that their robust coding was up to international banking security standards.

How did TechAhead perform from a project management standpoint?

TechAhead’s Scrum master and dev team worked very closely with ours on the ground, following an agile methodology. There were 2–3 times when we faced time crunches, but they adjusted well to the schedule and met the overall project demands.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The biggest aspects for me were their client focus, willingness to work, flexibility, and strong project management. They’re a professional team that’s good at anticipating change and are committed to our client’s success. On top of that, their technical solutions are solid.

Are there any areas they could improve?

For this project, we had frequent interaction with their senior management, but I would’ve liked them to have been more involved with our clients because they were our subcontractors. They had missed 1–2 meetings up front and had only met with our clients once or twice.

To be fair, we didn’t have a long working relationship with them at the time as it was one of the first projects we’d done together. Since then, their client enrollment has been much better, and we’ve appreciated their senior leadership’s involvement.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?
 
TechAhead is not just a tech vendor but also an ideation partner. It’s a good idea to involve them early on in the conceptualization stage. They have some experienced members who can offer constructive suggestions that can really add value during business discussions. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the national business development head of a fashion and retail company. We are one of the leading retailer stores in the lifestyle segment of the consumer market in India.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire TechAhead?

It’s tough for our consumers to carry physical loyalty cards. We wanted to build a digital wallet and loyalty program application for our consumers that they can use across all of our retail stores as an alternative to their physical loyalty card. We didn’t have the in-house expertise for this project, so we decided to outsource the work.

What were your goals for this project?

The objective of the project was to build an easy-to-use and engaging platform for our large consumer base to enhance their shopping experience and increase the volume of our loyalty program subscribers.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Our team searched online for the top app development companies in India. We contacted 10 companies and shortlisted three of them after an initial evaluation. We asked the finalists to provide detailed technical and commercial proposals. We decided to hire TechAhead for the project as they guaranteed a very high-quality product and the flexibility to incorporate changes on the go, which was of utmost importance to us.

Describe the project in detail.

The scope of the project was to create a native iOS, Android, and Windows app with a web-based admin application to manage transactions and generate different reports. The application required integration with different payment gateway APIs and compliance with payment card industry guidelines. The application also required integration with our internal ERP system.

What was the team composition?

We had more than 10 people working on the project. Our team included a project manager, UI/UX designers, frontend and backend developers, and testers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have received fantastic reviews from our customers. The checkout process time has drastically reduced as the customers can simply pay via the app by scanning a QR code, and their loyalty points are managed automatically. We have also seen a significant increase in our subscriber base for the loyalty program.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The communication between our teams was relatively smooth. We used Slack to collaborate with their team and Jira to manage the user stories. We received a detailed milestone plan for the project along with weekly status reports that helped us remain on top of everything. Besides that, we also had weekly meetings with their team, and we are delighted with their project management skills.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

We loved the way they have designed the entire user experience of the app. Their team has taken care of the smallest details in the design that we couldn’t think of. They have robust development capabilities, too, and we are super impressed with the quality of their work. They respected the project timelines and demonstrated a very high level of commitment throughout our engagement with them.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, we worked very well together.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the principal director of global client development at a global leader in analytics and AI.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire TechAhead?

We hired TechAhead to create a web- and mobile-based B2B enterprise platform that gives comprehensive analytical and reporting capabilities to marketers in the consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry as well as retail clients.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to release Phase 1 of the application in the shortest possible timeframe without compromising on the quality. Then we would continue development.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We already knew about TechAhead through some of our acquaintances. We invited them to bid on the RFP of our project, and they met all of our eligibility criteria, providing strong references. They proposed to deploy a senior team, and their pricing was competitive. We were also impressed with their understanding of our requirements and solution approach, so we decided to choose TechAhead for the project.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

The project involved designing and developing a B2B application for our CPG clients’ sales teams. The platform helps our clients to analyze the performance of their sales force and to optimize their day-to-day performance and target achievements.

TechAhead developed the application using complex algorithms with scalable architecture and AI technology. We also wanted it to be highly secure and follow GDPR compliances.

What was the team composition?

We had a dedicated project manager throughout the project who was our primary contact. During the initial design phase, we had a tech architect, a business analyst, and a UX designer assigned. During the development, we had about four developers, a tech lead, a designer, and two testers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

We had a very successful Phase 1 release of the application and have received excellent feedback from our clients. We are now in the process of adding more functionalities to make it more attractive for our users.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

We followed an agile methodology with a two-week sprint cycle. After each sprint, we received a working version of the application, which allowed us to test the application and give feedback early on. TechAhead team was well-versed with agile practices and used DevOps for faster delivery. We are extremely pleased with their processes and communication.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

TechAhead provided lots of recommendations to improve the user experience and architecture of our application. Their recommendations have actually taken our product to the next level. 

Furthermore, they have a very senior team that knows how to deliver quality products with high-performing, scalable architecture. They’ve never missed any deadlines, which makes them very reliable as a tech partner.

Are there any areas for improvement?

We are very satisfied with the end product and look forward to continuing our relationship with their team. At times, they can be too aggressive in their project management, so it becomes tough to match their speed. But that works in our favor in the end.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of digital products for a health and wellness company that helps mothers get fit and/or lose weight by providing meal and exercise plans. I look after our digital products and IT services, including data and marketing automation.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with TechAhead?

We had a non-native mobile app in the market, and we wanted to make it native and more user-friendly.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Because we already had an existing platform, we knew some of the paint points and let TechAhead know how we wanted them fixed. We gave them access to our current app, and they developed wireframes and design screens that resolved those concerns. Once we approved their ideas, they began the dev phase.

They built a few flexible options, including deep linking and updated the My Coach feature, which allows us to send daily coaching messages to our users. They also integrated the app with our campaign management system so that we could easily send push notifications. With the new app, we’re capturing more data than before and can send notifications and reminders according to our customers’ activity. 

Regarding the design, TechAhead redesigned the entire meal planning screen because we’d received feedback from customers that it wasn’t very intuitive. They also redid the home screen and the layout of the exercises. In total, they redid about 50% of the app’s design or functionalities. 

We recently launched and are now working with TechAhead on further iterations and new features, like adding an e-commerce element. We receive user feedback and integrate it into our new versions.

What is the team composition? 

They provide one main point of contact, about three developers for each iOS and Android, and three app testers.

How did you come to work with TechAhead?

We found them on Clutch while looking for service providers in India. We identified four firms and had them bid on the project. After reviewing each proposal, TechAhead was the most detailed and professional, so we hired them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $250,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We partnered in May 2018, and the work is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Users have given highly positive feedback, and engagement time with the app has increased by about 40%. The quality is good, and we haven’t had any major crashes since its launch.

How did TechAhead perform from a project management standpoint?

The team is dedicated to our project and sticks to timelines well, despite us adding new feature requests. We have weekly update meetings and mainly use Slack, Jira, and the phone to communicate.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They put vast amounts of work into our project to make sure they’re meeting goals. The partnership has been phenomenal; they’re flexible and willing to work on any tasks we assign them. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could do better at providing proactive suggestions to meet UX guidelines and best practices. 

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Set the right expectations and make sure they’re aware of end goals.

UPDATED REVIEW

This review was updated by the client on March 12, 2020. The original star ratings were: Overall – 5, Quality – 4.5, Schedule – 5, Cost – 4, NPS – 4.5. New content is below.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with TechAhead?

Our business challenge remains the same: we’re trying to keep mothers motivated throughout their entire weight-loss journey. Typically, they’re the most active when they first subscribe to our program. But, then, they fall off the wagon and lose a lot of their progress.

Our goal with TechAhead was to analyze where our customers were losing motivation so that we could make our app more engaging.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement? 

TechAhead has been our partner in developing the mobile app and supporting our site changes. To address our challenge, they conducted a thorough analysis of our customer’s fitness journey to see where they lost motivation.

Based on that, they redesigned the customer flow to introduce new programs that encouraged sustained engagement. That included mindfulness and fitness programs as well as an updated look and feel. 

What is the team composition? 

The team has remained roughly the same, though people have swapped in and out over the years. That’s just natural.

How much have you invested with them?

I don’t have the exact numbers, but we must’ve spent about $300,000 in the last year or so. That’s in addition to our regular full-time resources.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working with them since May 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our app’s ratings have increased substantially. Users rated the previous version 4.2 stars with only a few hundred reviews. Since releasing the latest version, we’ve already earned over 5,000 reviews with an average of 4.8 stars. That speaks volumes to the changes that we’ve implemented and how we’ve impacted our customers’ lives.

How did TechAhead perform from a project management standpoint?

We haven’t experienced any issues. Every time they’ve replaced a team member, they’ve made sure that the process was as seamless as possible. It’s like magic — there’s always an overlap between the person leaving and the resource coming in.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It’s noteworthy how TechAhead manages the accretion of their team and coordinate resource changes.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It’s such a long-term relationship, so it’s hard to point out any single thing. Last time, I mentioned that they could’ve been more proactive about suggesting customer product improvements, and they hired a product head to do that.

Since then, we’ve built a strong understanding of each other and give mutual feedback on a regular basis. They’ve improved on all issues that we’ve raised, and we work like one team.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the business application analyst at a leading cooling company in the Middle East. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire TechAhead?

We invested in a mobile app. 

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to provide an efficient and convenient mobile app for our customers to manage accounts, pay bills, and receive updates.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We searched for app developers online and contacted local suppliers. We shared our requirements with 10 developers and received proposals. Our team evaluated the proposals based on the company's background, experience, and cost.

Describe the project in detail.

We had a few online meetings to discuss our requirements and objectives. We designed and developed the backend services internally then shared them with their team. They produced a mockup UI for the Android and iOS versions, which reviewed before offering feedback.

After a few iterations, our teams finalized the design, and TechAhead developed the screens and integrated services. Once they delivered a beta version, we performed end-to-end testing to verify its integrity.

What was the team composition?

They assigned us a support team. During some technical issues, we contacted the Android and iOS developers directly to explain the glitch.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Thanks to their support, we were able to deliver a beautiful product to our happy customers. We currently receive between 12–15% of our payment transactions through the app. The average rating for both versions is over four stars. Overall, we're satisfied with their work and would recommend them.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

It was easy to reach our team lead but not the actual team. They used a chat engine to communicate, which was inconvenient; communicating through chat is not as effective as talking over the phone. We also didn't know the team's direct contact number, which resulted in poor communication.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They have a friendly, helpful team that can deliver good apps at cost-effective prices. They're also able to design rich interfaces for a better customer experience.

Are there any areas for improvement?

They could improve collaboration by offering a dedicated communication medium and bringing the team to requirements discussions. At one point, they assigned new developer after the original ones shifted to another project. It was challenging to teach the new team members about the project requirements. Furthermore, their testing team should also have the resources to verify bilingual apps.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of a banking institution. We took the initiative to build a mobile app that facilitates business in the capital market space via tablets rather than desktop computers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with TechAhead?

We hired TechAhead to develop our iOS app. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We held many brainstorming sessions to figure out exactly what we wanted in our product. Functionally, the mobile app serves to make our traders’ jobs easier. Once we finalized the concept, the business analyst and business owners compiled detailed requirements. 

TechAhead is currently developing our iOS app. The app’s frontend communicates with a multi-tier infrastructure in a secure environment. It still uses our backend, which is comprised of cloud web services like Gmail. During phase two, the team will create an Android version.

What is the team composition? 

TechAhead assigned 6-7 developers and two business analysts to work on our project. We communicated with the business analysts and the business owner.

How did you come to work with TechAhead?

After considering a few vendors, we selected TechAhead to complete the development work for our project.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $200,000–$500,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since June 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Everything is going smoothly. TechAhead has delivered around 40% of the development so far. We’re happy with their services. They produce quality work and have processes in place that are quite established. 

How did TechAhead perform from a project management standpoint?

We only care about meeting timelines and the quality of work, rather than how it’s accomplished. TechAhead delivers quality work on time. They have 15-day sprints and follow Scrum. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I appreciate TechAhead’s high-caliber work products and timely delivery. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. TechAhead has delivered much more than we ever expected.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I definitely recommend TechAhead. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the founder of an online platform for blue- and gray-collar jobseekers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire TechAhead?

Our goal was to build a simple, user-friendly mobile app in Arabic.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to expand our user database.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We considered a lot of app development companies in Egypt and India. While some were impressive, TechAhead had the edge because of their portfolio and commitment. In addition, they offer a one-year guarantee to fix any bugs for free.

Describe the project in detail.

Initially, we had a Skype call to explain our expectations in more detail. They sent us the design wireframe, then started the work as soon as they got our approval.

What was the team composition?

We were assigned a project manager. Every week or two, we would have a conference call that involved the developers as well.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were quite happy with the testing phase. The app is exactly as it should be—it’s fast, it doesn't crash, and it’s user-friendly. We're launching next week, and I'm sure it will do great once we publish it on the Google Play Store.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

They were extremely reliable and committed. We never faced issues communicating, as they were always on call. Despite some language obstacles, they managed to do a great job. They had a great work ethic and excellent problem-solving skills.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

We were impressed with their commitment and desire to please their clients, which is very important when dealing with companies abroad.