Techne.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m one of the co-founders of nomnom App Pty Ltd, a startup that provides a smart menu and table ordering at cafes and restaurants in order to eliminate the hassle of waiting to order and waiting to pay at the beginning and end of a meal.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Techne R&D Holdings Ltd?

We worked with Techne to build both the mobile app and the web-based platform for our company.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Techne R&D Holdings Ltd worked with us from the ground up to build both a web platform where vendors could set up menus and prices and select what option they wanted to offer through us, as well as a web and mobile frontend for our customers.

A big part of the project involved integrating the QR code and NFC chip capabilities into the application so that customers can use their phones to make payments. They also built functionality to print orders to facilitate kitchen and bar operations through the app as well, which has played a big role in the reception we’ve seen among the foodservice industry.

What is the team composition?

We have one main point of contact, and there are a few other members of their team involved in the project who we deal with from time to time.

How did you come to work with Techne R&D Holdings Ltd?

My co-founder and I worked with a different company at another startup we had created, and they did a great job over the two years that we worked with them. They introduced us to Techne R&D Holdings Ltd on that job, so when we decided to kick off this project we knew that we would be able to rely on them for the work we needed to do.

How much have you invested with them?

The first stage of our project has cost about $50,000 AUD (approximately $33,400 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

The project started in October 2019 and is still ongoing. We just getting ready to launch the MVP.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their ability to produce something so high quality while taking advantage of offshore development work has been a huge benefit to our operation. The fact that I’ve chosen to work with them twice speaks to how satisfied we’ve been with the quality of their work. The app has a few minor bugs and kinks at the moment, but based on the progress made so far we are more than confident that it will be ready to launch on schedule.

How did Techne R&D Holdings Ltd perform from a project management standpoint?

We typically communicate over Slack, and it has been incredibly easy to convey changes and improvements through that forum because their project managers and developers are all good communicators as well. There has been no difficulty staying on track towards our project milestones, and we always feel like we’re part of the process, which is a great sign in projects like this.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Two things immediately come to mind. The first is just their ability to deliver an incredibly well designed final product, but on top of that, they deliver high-quality work for a much better price than most other companies doing similar work.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There honestly aren’t any significant issues that we have. They’re great to work with.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

When you’re working with most developers in general, you have to find the right balance between coming to them with an exact layout for everything you want and how you want it, and a vague idea for an app with no way of actually implementing it.

Techne R&D Holdings Ltd does a really good job of taking an idea and some suggestions and then running with it and expanding upon your vision, so it’s important to give them something to start from but also the room to get creative as well.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of an online grocery store.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Techne R&D Holdings Limited?

We hired them to develop an e-commerce app for our shoppers, drivers, and suppliers.  

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

At the beginning of the project, we sat down to discuss what we wanted. Based on that conversation, they provided the wireframes. Once that was agreed upon, they quickly began development on a mobile app with a web app backend. Building the apps from scratch, they used AWS, Java, JavaScript, and Stripe for payment processing. With an API, they connected the backend of the driver and shopper apps. They also submitted the backend for the store supplier.

Now they’re working on a marketing campaign and making adjustments. When users report problems, the team responds to them over Facebook Messenger. Accessing the accounts, they’re able fix whatever is going on.

What is the team composition?

Gordon (Chairman of the Supervisory Board, Techne R&D Holdings Limited) is our main point of contact, but they have ten employees based in Hong Kong.

How did you come to work with Techne R&D Holdings Limited?

I reached out to another vendor, but their owner recommended Techne R&D Holdings Limited because they could finish the project faster and still have a great experience.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $200,000 AUD (approximately $137,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in June 2019 and the project is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their impact has been astronomical. They completed the driver app in just three months, and we’re set to launch the shopper app this week. Functionality has been great and the apps haven’t crashed. We’re continually improving the platform because we don’t know what features our customers are going to want. They really go above and beyond and make our team look professional. We wouldn’t have been able to do this without them.

How did Techne R&D Holdings Limited perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve added us to slack, WeChat, and teamgantt. Turnaround time is so fast because we can reach them quickly. When we’re getting feedback from drivers about features they’d like, we just message the development team and they’re on it. For example, we needed to change the driver’s license feature from specifically Australian to international, and they were able to make that happen open almost immediately.

teamgantt is also a really helpful tool too because we can plan around the UI development team’s schedule.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their speed is impressive. They’re able to develop features as I’m getting information and feedback.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s this saying in development: you can only have two things between quality, speed, and cost. We chose quality and speed. They could be cheaper, but we’re happy with our partnership.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure your investor knows that it’s going to be expensive and have a set budget.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m one of the co-founders of an app for ride share drivers. It keeps tracks of expenses and covers Australian tax regulations for drivers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Techne R&D Holdings Limited?

Rideshare drivers have to log their work and create a business activity statement to comply with Australian tax laws. Of course, few can do that on their own and using a traditional accountant can be very costly. We hired Techne R&D Holdings Limited to create an app that would solve this problem in a convenient way.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They used Java to build an iOS and Android app from scratch. We went through the features and designed the app together. There an API that connects the platform to the Australian Business registry and tax office, meeting all tax obligations. They also implemented security features.

What is the team composition?

We worked directly with a project manager and they had ten people working on their team.

How did you come to work with Techne R&D Holdings Limited?

We knew them on a personal level and trusted them, so went ahead on the project with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started the project in March 2019 and it is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have over 4,800 users and downloads and have had excellent user feedback. We haven’t had any bugs and the platform is scalable. Techne R&D Holding Limited solved the problem and did a really good job. The platform is simple and easy for drivers to access.

How did Techne R&D Holdings Limited perform from a project management standpoint?

Our project manager was excellent. They always delivered on time and within budget. It was amazing how quickly they were able to produce it. We had a tight deadline, but the end result is still amazing. We had a lot of face-to-face meetings but also contacted them via phone and email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The end product. Everything was high-quality and they didn’t cut corners.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No—as I said, they were professional and great to work with.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Listen to their advice because I was impressed. Their UE specialist wasn’t familiar with Australian taxation laws, but he spent several days researching so he could give us solid advice. On top of that, they’re up to date on the latest technology.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the co-founder of SLIDE, a nightlife app that allows customers to browse events, signup to guestlists, purchase tickets and book bottle service and VIP packages at nightclubs and bars.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Techne R&D Holdings Limited?

We hired Techne to complete the development of our mobile application and venue portal. We had spent the past 18 months designing and prototyping our app and eventually secured funding to hire Techne to build out the first version of the mobile app.

What were your goals for this project?

The goal for this project was to build an app that brings more people and provides them with access to the night they want. We needed to build a product that was versatile that could adapt to how the venue operates.

The goal was to ensure this app had enough features for everyone so that it could be a sound first version of the app that would be relatively easy for the market to adopt.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We were introduced to Techne by the team who helped us design the product. They had worked with Techne on a previous project and spoke very highly of their ability to produce quality apps within a reasonable time frame at an affordable price.

Describe the project in detail.

We first met with the Founder (Gordon) to discuss our vision for the product. His energy was fantastic and he took the time to understand what we wanted to achieve with our business. Gordon was thorough in our first meeting and genuinely wants to help others succeed.

This was very important to us, as there is a high level of trust required in choosing a developer for your business vision. We were then able to get a quote and plan a timeline for the project which will be delivered on time.

SLIDE involves a mobile application that is connected to a web app that the venue is able to log into to list their events and offers. There is also our own admin that gives us overarching access and control of the platform.

What was the team composition?

Along with Gordon we also communicate with 3 other staff members at Techne including the product manager, UX designer, and project manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our app is scheduled to launch on-time and bug free. There have been next to no hassles with dealing with Gordon and the team. Their standard of work is beyond what we could have imagined.

We were forced to make changes to the app early on in the development process and Techne were extremely flexible with these changes. They even provided their own advice and suggestions to help us solve our problems

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Workflow has been really simple. We have several slack channels with appropriate team members that makes it easy to communicate. Techne are also very flexible with timezones and will work to suit your needs.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their founder Gordon and the way he runs his business stands out the most. The team is an extremely hard working group of people and will go above and beyond to deliver a high standard of product and service.

Their time frame is very reasonable and cost effective considering the high quality of work. Their a personal touch to Gordon and the team that I have not seen in other vendors, and you know your business is in great hands.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No.