TechAhead

BACKGROUND

My company works in the education domain. We provide enterprise solutions to schools, which help them bring efficiency in the operations and help them take decisions pertaining to the teaching and learning outcomes.

I'm one of the co-founders of my company, and I take care of the sales and servicing aspect of business in the Middle East Asia and North Africa region. I'm based out of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

TechAhead developed mobile apps, which helped the schools improve the communication between the school and the parent community. It facilitated multiple advantages to the teachers to record student attendance, capture anecdotal records, and communicate with parents.

Similarly, it allowed the parents to have instant access to the teachers and staff of the school. The parents had a complete view of the attainment and progress of their child. They could have a clear view of the topics being taught along with the learning outcomes.

SOLUTION

We had a complex solution already running for schools. With the advent of mobile tech, it was imperative for us to have a robust mobile-based app to compliment what we already had as a browser-based application.

We looked out for mobile app development company on Google, and we initially considered three companies. Based on the reviews of TechAhead and our visit and interaction with the team at their development center in Noida, we were convinced about their ability to develop a successful mobile app around the existing browser-based application.

The team sat with our project managers, understood the complete flow came up with wireframes, workflows, and ultimately the product. The entire task was completed in a time span of six calendar months.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

The team at TechAhead has been fantastic in the support given to us. They worked diligently to ensure that the app was ready in time and within the budget.

I would happily recommend TechAhead to anyone who needs to work with a trustworthy company. They have the ability to understand the requirement and deliver the solution, in spite of the multiple complexities that are involved. The apps are live on Apple App Store and Google Play Store, and we are very happy with them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.
Field Automated Communication Systems (FACS) is an industry leader in cloud-based construction management software. We offer an array of project management solutions that replace outdated field, cost, and document management systems. As a result, our products help eliminate the constant delay in information as well as redundant work. Our clients are construction project owners, project managers, field employees, and contractors. We understand that every organization has a different workflow so we focus on learning how our clients operate. This ensures that we provide them with a cloud-based solution that satisfies all of their needs.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with TechAhead?

FACS is based in the very competitive Bay Area technology market. At the time, we were having great difficulty finding qualified native iOS programmers. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The project included designing and developing a native iPhone application. We have a very detailed SaaS application that we need to move down into the mobile iOS environment. Initially, we asked TechAhead to build a limited iPhone app. We are now using their services to convert our app so that it will work on the iPad as well.

How did you come to work with TechAhead?

We found TechAhead online. After a few phone calls, we realized they knew exactly what they were doing.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our first project with TechAhead has been completed. We are still working with them to expand our app.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The work product they provided matched the scope. They also included suggested improvements. They were very helpful throughout the design, development, and testing process. They provided very detailed notes. TechAhead also had a very fast response time to questions and feedback. We found them very easy to work with.

How did TechAhead perform from a project management standpoint?

TechAhead’s project manager was very helpful throughout the entire process, guiding us to ensure we took the correct path. The project stayed on schedule.

What did you find most impressive about TechAhead?

TechAhead came in and saved the day! They are very easy to work with and very understanding of minor changes as the project moved along. 

BACKGROUND

GLEENET LLC is a Seattle-based startup providing social networking services targeting at the general public. We are as a think factory focusing on creating ideas for application development and marketing strategies, and most of the operations for production are outsourced. I am overseeing the entire process of the outsourced tasks by staying in communication with our contractors.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

I needed to work with an Indian mobile app developer.

SOLUTION

I searched Google and tried to find recommendations for a development company. I also looked at TechAhead's website in order to review their portfolio. We have launched Blue Carpet application, the output of our partnership with TechAhead. They produced the application and are currently upgrading it.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

TechAhead has performed well on my requests. I am very satisfied with their performance. Most of the feedback I've received informally is very positive. 

Especially, the project manager Ajay Kumar assigned to my project is readily accessible and communicated with me about the entire process. They always valued my questions and requests and didn't have issues when I pushed them to meet the deadline. They have all kinds of up-to-date solutions that make cutting-edge products.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We operate in the food tech industry, providing a mobile app for restaurants. I am the CEO [Chief Executive Officer] of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with TechAhead?

We wanted to build 2 mobile apps, from frontend to backend. The challenge has been to develop a merchant panel with complex backend, along with complex iOS and Android apps.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

TechAhead built our apps for Android and iOS, as well as a web panel for restaurants, enabling clients to log in, post discounts, create profiles, upload pictures, enter business information and hours of operation, etc. The backend was quite sophisticated as well.

How did you come to work with TechAhead?

I had been working with a Ukrainian company which didn't perform well. I found TechAhead through clutch.co. I contacted their team, had a conversation, and received a quote.

How much have you invested with TechAhead?

It was over $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Overall, the project took around 15 weeks to complete. We're still reviewing bugs and making additional changes. I have hired TechAhead on an ongoing basis, and I trust that they will be able to finish the work. To complete this project in such a short amount of time is a miracle to me. No other firm could even handle the technical challenge, yet alone finish this quickly.

They would literally go back to the office at 3 AM and leave bed to complete this project on time. I've never met a team that works so hard and is dedicated to their work and success.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The results were amazing. TechAhead's team doesn't sleep at night. They worked around the clock, and were extremely responsible. Even during holiday evenings, they went back to the office at 3 AM, and started coding until the objective was met.

From the first version of our app on the iOS store, it has been used 96% crash-free. The feedback we've received is perfect. People like the user interface, user experience, and everything else.

How did TechAhead perform from a project management standpoint?

Ajay Kumar, our lead project manager, was amazing. He is good at his work, very responsible, amicable and caring. The CEO of the company is also a nice person.

What did you find most impressive about TechAhead?

I've been an executive for 14 years, and I haven't found another company that would be able to build a product like ours in 15 weeks.

Are there any areas TechAhead could improve?

Our project is a bit delayed at the moment, but that is associated with me. I've added additional functionalities throughout the project.

TechAhead has had some not so good employees, which were actually fired during the project. Overall, the team is amazing. They will get rid of anyone who isn't top notch before it affects the project greatly.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

I work for a company in India

What is your role?

I am a vice president here.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with TechAhead?

Our company took on a project for a well-known brand that required a team of more than 20 designers, developers, and testers. I needed to find the resources to handle a project of this size for us. 

The app we wanted to develop was to be based on a combination of ideas present in several apps on the App Store. The biggest challenge was to keep the app usable despite the complexity of integrating multiple ideas into a single solution. 

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement.

We were 90 percent clear on what we wanted, and the suggestions the TechAhead team offered helped us reach 100 percent clarity on what was possible, and, more importantly, what was not possible.

How did you come to work with TechAhead?

The search included following up on various links and, of course, a Google search. We looked at a number of companies, and the Clutch reviews were very helpful in putting together a short list. Since TechAhead has an office in Noida, and we are located in Delhi, we held a face-to-face meeting with them, along with two other firms.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

How did TechAhead perform from a project management standpoint?

TechAhead helped us a lot in the beginning to clarify our ideas. Then, they followed a logical project management process. They provided us with milestones and always kept us in the loop. When we had questions or doubts, their team was very responsive in addressing our concerns. We, of course, have our own technical resources in-house, so we made several suggestions throughout the course of the project. They were quick to accept our suggestions, at times offering better solutions.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

GeekUdyog is a startup that provides a mobile app to help users search for and identify technical talent and skills available near them. The app is community based, location based and available on-demand.

What are your position and responsibilities please?

I am the founder of GeekUdyog. I was responsible for evaluating mobile app development vendors who could develop the app for us.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with TechAhead?

With technology impacting our lives more than ever, households are surrounded by more and more high tech gadgets and appliances. The current challenge people face is to identify available options to get those appliances installed, properly set up, serviced and fixed. But calling a technician from the company that sold or manufactured the product is highly unsatisfactory, since most companies focus more on sales than on service. As a result, customers too often experience poor response time and unsatisfactory resolution of their problem.

GeekUdyog believes this challenge could be solved by rolling out an app where Geeks in various fields could register. Then when users were faced with a problem, they could use this app to find a relevant Geek close to them to get the help they needed.

SOLUTION

How did you come to work with TechAhead?

The first thing was to search online for app developers in India. I shortlisted four vendors I found on Clutch based on their ratings and cost. These were the four I wanted to have further discussions with. I had face-to-face meetings with all four of the teams that would potentially be working on the project before finally selecting TechAhead.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics, metrics or other feedback from your work with TechAhead?

Unfortunately, the TechAhead team that I met at the time of my discussions—before the contract was signed—was not the team that was actually assigned to do the work—after the contract was signed. I had no information about the team that was actually going to do the work. I had to repeat everything to a new person, who met with me alone and without a team. Time and energy were wasted. Overall, TechAhead was simply behind other developers when it comes to project management.

Furthermore, I experienced frequent changes in people assigned to the project, and the delivery milestones were not met. However, invoices were regularly received in the last week of every month. From day one, it was a very frustrating experience.

What distinguishes TechAhead from other providers?

Two things were clear. First, TechAhead showed a total lack of commitment to the project. Second, this was compounded by a striking lack of skills made even worse by a poorly defined and followed project plan.

What is the status of this engagement?

After seeing no improvement in the work of TechAhead after 75 days, I decided to terminate the engagement. 

How would you rate your overall experience collaborating with TechAhead?

Overall, this was a very disappointing experience. The Clutch ratings played a significant role in shortlisting and selecting this vendor. My trust in such ratings has been reduced. I am now excluding app development vendors listed by Clutch for my next search.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We are a recruitment company focusing on temporary pharmacists and optometrists.

What is your position?

I am the Director of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with TechAhead?

My aim was to build a booking system app on which job candidates could advertise their services and apply to different practices.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

TechAhead has produced my booking app for Android and iOS based on my idea. They were in charge of making the framework and everything else. I am a tech novice, so they developed and designed the product. They weren't in charge of the launching process, but they got it ready up to that point.

How did you come to work with TechAhead?

Being from the UK, I initially wanted to work with a local company. I received quotes that were a lot higher than my budget. I researched companies on a review site. TechAhead was listed as having offices in the US and India. They seemed like a good vendor, so I requested a quote from them. It was within my budget and they were realistic in stating what they could achieve for me. I decided to contract them.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

The total development cost has been approximately $24,000 [17,000 GBP].

What is the status of this engagement?

The product is complete, but I haven't launched it to my user base due to a lack of time.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

I am satisfied with TechAhead's work. The mobile application has been successful in my mind. Their responsiveness and ability to fix any errors to fully satisfy clients stands out.

How did TechAhead perform from a project management standpoint?

They've been very quick to respond. TechAhead's team is reachable either through Skype, email, or phone.

What distinguishes TechAhead from other providers?

As soon as they're given a query, they get back to the client within half an hour. If it will take more time to resolve, they will give an estimate for completion and keep me in the loop. They are always there to serve the client and work long hours.

Is there anything TechAhead could have improved or done differently?

My one negative feedback is the fact that, once the work was completed, additional minor alterations took longer than anticipated to complete. The changes were ultimately delivered to my satisfaction and I'm overall satisfied with their work.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We are a digital marketing education firm specializing in various training programs.

What is your position?

I am one of the cofounders and chief executive officer of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with TechAhead?

We provide consultation services to many large brands. Some of these clients need support in creating a mobile presence and developing applications. We partnered with TechAhead in order to have access to the necessary development skills. We connect our clients to them and recommend their company.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

TechAhead have largely provided mobile app design and development. They occasionally provide consultation as well.

How did you come to work with TechAhead?

They provided IT [information technology] services for an organization I was previously employed with.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

Much of the time, TechAhead works directly with our clients, so I could not say specifically. A typical project can be in the range of $100,000 to $500,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We've been working with them for three years. TechAhead provide maintenance and upgrade services for us on an ongoing basis.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

I am satisfied with their work. We've been working with TechAhead for three years and continue to recommend their work. Most of our projects are done with a marketing angle in mind. One of the things we like about them is their ability to understand client's needs. This is the foundation for any design or development work. They are also very strong in connecting their clients' objectives with the relevant metrics. In our case, one of our IT services clients had been struggling with the development of a mobile app. They had had two attempts already, each time getting results that were not on par with their requirements. TechAhead were able to understand the client and find a way of working with them in order to deliver their objectives. 

What distinguishes TechAhead from other providers?

Their main strength comes from the design and development talent in their company. Compared to many other Indian developers, they offer premium work, and the higher price they come with is completely justified.

Is there anything TechAhead could have improved or done differently?

Their design capabilities could be improved. Some of our clients needed international appeal in their products, which TechAhead was lacking in. This happened two years ago, and they've improved since that time.

I also feel that they could benefit from a mobile marketing strategy. I understand that there is a leap to be made, but it could be a big advantage to have. TechAhead could partner up with a firm that provides marketing capabilities in order to provide a full package.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We are a technology consultant firm. Within the last several years, we've focused on the mobile development space.

What is your position?

I am the chief technology officer of the firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with TechAhead?

They act as our development branch.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

We utilize their software engineers for the development of a lot of our mobile apps. We also use TechAhead for their design work and quality assurance [QA] resources. They provide testing for all of the work they deliver to us. At one point, we've used them for customizing a Magento platform, which would have been outside of the usual mobile space.

How did you come to work with TechAhead?

I've worked with a lot of offshore companies during my career. I went through a selection process, narrowing my choices to five companies. I had conversations with each of them and gave the lead runners a test project. TechAhead performed very well during that initial run. I've been using them since that point.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

The annual cost of our development work is between $50-200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

I initially engaged them four years ago.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

I'm definitely satisfied with TechAhead. Their developers seem to be situated at a more senior level compared to other offshore companies I've worked with. The results of their app development work are generally professional. We don't encounter many issues, either bugs or crashes.

They've worked on some very high-end apps with large user bases. Many of them are used by hundreds of thousands of people. For the most part, the user feed-back has been great, and the companies they've developed for have been even more positive about their quality of work.

How did TechAhead perform from a project management standpoint?

Our communication is very good. TechAhead is vocal about explaining items and they're very responsive in addressing any issues. I would say that their development and communication skills are at a senior level. Their development timeframe, with regard to how fast they can deliver, is excellent.

I act as the project manager for the most part. The services TechAhead provides are mostly development and QA.

Is there anything TechAhead could have improved or done differently?

Whenever I have a concern with their work, I will simply address it with their managers, who resolve it immediately. If I need a senior QA resource, or if I want to receive a different status report from them, TechAhead is prompt to assist me. There's no perpetual concern that I'm flustered with.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We are an app development company.

What is your position?

I am a co-owner and lead of technical development.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with TechAhead?

We needed additional development resources for a project.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

We are using TechAhead for most of the development on one of our projects. Their work extends to mobile and website development.

How did you come to work with TechAhead?

We looked for well-reviewed companies with the appropriate size and scale for the work we needed. We didn't want to hire a very small shop nor an expensive company in the United States. An offshore company with good reviews and the appropriate scale was our target.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

The total development cost for the current project will be between $15,000 and $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in June 2015. The work is ongoing. We'll be continuing work on the current project for the following month. We'll keep TechAhead on hand for future work.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

We're in the development stage and haven't begun any actual testing of the product.

How did TechAhead perform from a project management standpoint?

We're satisfied with TechAhead. Their work and communication level have been good. They've done what we needed them to do and have delivered on time.

What distinguishes TechAhead from other providers?

I've worked with developers from India and China and, sometimes, there can be a barrier in communication. This has not been the case with TechAhead. Our point of contact speaks good English and is usually available if we need anything.

Is there anything TechAhead could have improved or done differently?

We haven't been disappointed with their work yet. With any kind of development project, there will be bugs, so I can't hold that against them.