TheAppLabb

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there. 

I’m the CEO of a digital real estate company that’s reinventing the way individuals find their dream homes. We’re focused on working to broker new sales opportunities with real estate developers as well as other high-profile property launches at a fraction of the cost by using technology.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with TheAppLabb? 

We engaged TheAppLabb to reconfigure the frontend of our MVP mobile application, looking at its UI/UX capabilities to facilitate the end user experience. Since we wanted to expand our offering from pre-construction to include rental and resale opportunities, we also needed support with market research.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement? 

TheAppLabb initially helped us build out and expand our app’s service lines by conducting extensive market research. We needed to understand how to best position our solution to reach the appropriate target audience, which involved defining who our customers were, understanding what mattered to them, and identifying our end users’ pain points during the pre-construction sales process.

In addition to assessing the marketplace, they performed surveys and visited numerous sales offices to meet with property developers. They then presented their findings, detailing their recommendations for product features and UX capabilities. The team went through the same process to design the rental version of our app.

After going over their results, we relied on them to develop a UI design for our app. They created unique UI elements that would help our end users easily navigate the pre-construction transaction process. The final deliverables included an implementation roadmap, workflows, and UX elements for a new preconstruction app as well as assets for a new rental app. 

What is the team composition?  

Their lead UX consultant served as our main point of contact, but we also worked with a few business analysts and designers. There were about 4–5 resources dedicated to our project at any given time.

How did you come to work with TheAppLabb? 

We found them through a referral. One of our board members had mentored the CEO beforehand and felt that it would be a good opportunity for us to work with them.

How much have you invested with them? 

We spent between $25,000–$30,000 in total. 

What is the status of this engagement?

The project lasted from November 2018–February 2019.
 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

TheAppLabb’s user story creation and market research have generated a lot of value beyond the initial scope. We now have a better understanding of who our customers are, which has helped us educate ourselves on some of the marketing we’re doing. Based on their information, we’ve defined our long-term marketing roadmap and are able to visualize our strategy, as well.

As for the UX/UI elements, Our backend team still has to create the service before we implement their deliverables, but we really liked the designs. They created several new features and provided a roadmap, which has helped us coordinate a development pipeline as we expand our solution.

How did TheAppLabb perform from a project management standpoint?

Overall, the documentation, communication cadence, and deliverables were great. However, they could’ve been more transparent during the week-over-week status reporting, and the actual communication was a bit long-winded. The team provided valid information, but having more conclusion-driven reports would’ve been helpful.

What did you find most impressive about them? 

What set them apart was their commitment to going above and beyond. Even when we just gave them a small requirement, they would approach the task by applying their own experiences. They really sought to add value beyond our initial scope rather than being just a service provider.

Besides that, they had an agile team that was equally as adaptable as our own. We’re a startup, so things tend to change quickly, and we need a vendor that can keep up with us. TheAppLabb was able to remain flexible, helping us adjust and set new requirements wherever we saw fit.

Are there any areas they could improve?

While we liked their deliverables, they could’ve improved on some of their verbal communication. I was trying to create a single product team by having our developers and their resources work together consistently. However, we ran into some challenges because I always had to relay their messages to my team rather than them directly speaking to the relevant individual. 

Focusing on how they treat their clients is key if they want to appeal to a mass market. Their current communication style is a bit robotic, which makes them feel more like an outsourced arm rather than an integrated part of our team. By engaging the human aspects of the project, they’d have a better experience relaying challenges, concerns, and week-over-week progress. It’s just one of the small things that one might expect from a larger shop, especially when considering long-term partnerships.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I co-founded a startup. It was a mobile app that facilitates local e-commerce transactions and connects people to various tasks. Those tasks range from tutoring services, maid and food delivery, restaurant reviews, and piano lessons.

If users found opportunities, they would apply, and the person who posted the task would pick whoever they felt was the right fit. After the job is completed, users leave reviews for each other.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with TheAppLabb?

We hired TheAppLabb to develop our mobile application.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

My co-founder and I provided the requirements, the use cases, and vision, and then TheAppLabb team provided development and QA services. Their team developed our native iOS mobile application from scratch.

We wanted our own database structure that linked to the app. Their team provided all the work, but we offered our inputs at the final sign off.

What is the team composition?

Our primary contact was Kundan (Founder & CEO, TheAppLabb) who acted as our project manager. Their development team worked onshore and offshore. We also worked with one of their QA leads.

How did you come to work with TheAppLabb?

We were looking for a company close to Toronto. After looking at a variety of options, TheAppLabb came up with an excellent proposal.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $50,000 CAD (approximately $37,472 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with TheAppLabb between January and August 2014.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

TheAppLabb provided a service beyond our expectations. A lot of hard work was put in by their team, and they met every deadline we set. The feedback was phenomenal, and we’re satisfied with what we received.

How did TheAppLabb perform from a project management standpoint?

We were dedicated to making sure the project management services were running smoothly. It was a pleasure to work with TheAppLabb’s accommodating team. A lot of situations went back and forth, and their team worked with us. They became part of our extended team.

They were upfront and approachable, making sure to communicate any challenges or issues. Their team was clear and transparent, which benefitted our business significantly. We knew the project was in good hands with TheAppLabb.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their work speed and communication style were all impressive.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there are none that I can think of.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of iMosque, a service that provides a congregational prayer calendar for mosques throughout Canada.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with TheAppLabb?

If someone wanted to pray at a mosque, they had to either call each mosque or go to their website to find the information. I needed a partner to build an app that would aggregate all that information into one location.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

TheAppLabb started from scratch, building an iOS, Android, and web app. They used MySQL for the backend database to store all the information, Swift for the iOS app, C++ and Java for the Android app, and Ruby on Rails for the web app. We collaborated on the UX and design, iterating numerous versions of the general idea I had. They then built the wireframes and software requirements specifications docs, following my concept.

The app has a database of all the daily prayer times for the mosques that participate in our program. Users can access the app for free and know, within four seconds, where they can pray in congregation.

What is the team composition?

I mainly interact with the project manager, but I work with the developers when we review code.

How did you come to work with TheAppLabb?

This is my fourth attempt at building this app. None of my other partners delivered a viable product. I met TheAppLabb’s owner at a networking event, and they put together a plan for my project, so I hired them.

How much have you invested with them?

I’ve spent around $10,000–$50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Phase 1 lasted from February 2017–June 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They converted my vision to reality, accomplishing something that three other developers couldn’t. We aren’t live yet because I still want to add a few features, but our beta testers have given generally positive feedback. They can access prayer times all in one spot in a visually-appealing format.

How did TheAppLabb perform from a project management standpoint?

The communication wasn’t perfect, but it met expectations. We had to clearly set goals to avoid scope creep and other issues. We mainly used Jira and phone calls to communicate.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The owner is fantastic and makes sure his clients are happy. He ensured I got what we agreed on.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The project manager quit during the middle of the project, and the transition to the new one was a bit rough. They could’ve been better at more clearly walking us through their process. However, they went out of their way to make sure I was satisfied.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of a startup called MEL Nursing Review, with MEL being short for Modular Education Learning. My web app helps practical and registered nurses prepare for the NCLEX (official licensing exam).

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with TheAppLabb?

I already had a solution in place, but it didn’t reach the standard I wanted; the concept hadn’t been executed correctly. I wanted a practice test that resembled the experience of the licensing exam as closely as possible.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

While I initially wanted a mobile app, TheAppLabb ended up building a responsive website instead. They took me through the entire process, as I come from the academic world and not the tech world.

The site features three types of exams, and users have to achieve 100% on each before moving on to the next. The final test is closest to the actual licensing exam and uses a similar algorithm.

What is the team composition?

The person I initially coordinated with was nice, knowledgeable, and taught me a lot. Another team member took over the project after everything was built and helped me with troubleshooting and quality control.

How did you come to work with TheAppLabb?

I found them on a list of Top 10 Companies in Toronto for tech development. We considered two other companies, but I felt comfortable with Kundan (Founder and CEO, TheAppLabb) and his crew, including Chetan (Senior Product Manager, TheAppLabb), the programmers, and the UI designer. 

How much have you invested with them?

The initial proposal was $50,000, but there was a $20,000 startup discount. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with TheAppLabb from May until August 2017. It took another year to attach the payment module and get it to work well. We’ve also made some other changes and tweaks.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I haven’t yet launched, but I’ve beta tested with nursing students and received positive feedback. The platform is of excellent quality. Someone who runs a nursing job fair looked at it and was very pleased. I’m planning to open my brand to help nurses address anxiety and find jobs after graduation.

Kundan also suggested that I go to Founder Institute events to learn about the tech and business worlds; it was the best advice I could’ve received. From the first week there, I learned how to pivot toward and incorporate more things into my web app—namely, addressing the job recruitment process. This led me into a full rebrand as I decide how to help students from the time they’re in school preparing for exams to when they’re out looking for a job.

How did TheAppLabb perform from a project management standpoint?

Everyone from the finance person to the UI designer was accessible if I needed to talk. I could request to sit down with any of them, even without an appointment. I’m not sure whether other tech companies would have been this supportive. They answered everything I asked, which I liked because I was constantly unsure of myself.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were supportive and respectful of someone not familiar with tech terminology, work, and processes. TheAppLabb treated me, an older client not intimately familiar with the tech world, in an exemplary way.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Codifying their processes and giving me something I could review for homework would've been good. It’s difficult to visualize all the steps from signing a proposal until the final delivery. This way, I would've known what things were going to look like, what wireframes were, and so on.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am an executive at CSA Group

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Enhancing the lives of Canadians through the advancement of standards

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Create a prototype, artifacts, and technical feasibility output based on research

SOLUTION

How did you find TheAppLabb?

• Referral

Why did you select TheAppLabb over others?

• Great culture fit
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from TheAppLabb were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

We needed a clickable prototype created based on research, best in class accessibility, and usability. We also required feasibility evaluation to better understand the costs and maturity to develop.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Completion of an interactive prototype and personas to conduct user research.

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

Yes. On time and in budget. There were extremely responsive and professional. They also provide multiple options.

What was your primary form of communication with TheAppLabb?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting

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

The expertise and alignment with our team’s core values was unique and made us so easy to communicate and work together.

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

This has been a great experience for us.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are an insurance company and working on an automated valuation solution

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire TheAppLabb?

Automation of valuation solution

What were your goals for this project?

To value a retail property within 4 hours

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We went through an extensive process and app lab was identified as the best partner

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

It was an outsourced project so these guys were managing the project for us

What was the team composition?

We were a team of 12 to 16 people , business sme’s, project managers , business analyst , etc

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were able to save 500 dollars for each valuation

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Effective as we were working in a scrum envr

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their creativity in delivering the project sets them apart.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Nope