VIHLIX LIMITED

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the founder and director of a nonprofit organization called AccessPlus. I also have a startup, which is a student self-performance monitoring system. I am the director of that company. We are located in Bukoto Kampala, Uganda.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with VIHLIX LIMITED?

Based on my experience when I was still a student, there were no established career guidance systems whatsoever in Uganda. It is only when one decides to join a university that they will be given a form to help them choose their desired program. It is because of this situation that choosing a college program is more trial and error or borne of peer pressure and why many students will simply opt for popular but competitive courses like medicine, engineering, or law.

That is why we engaged VIHLIX to help us create a web app that could enable students to check their exam results and gauge the appropriate program to select for their university studies. We wanted to enable them to choose the right program in accordance with their performance in the final years of high school. We also wanted to better present data on their performance to potential sponsors or organizations that provide scholarships.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I specifically asked VIHLIX to make a web-based platform since students in Uganda don’t use smartphones. They do, however, have access to computers. Their team built everything from scratch and hosted it at some point during our engagement. I have since taken over hosting, though, as I am already hosting other websites and wanted to drive down costs.

The system VIHLIX developed could allow students, even from O-level, to be able to self-monitor their performance every term. The system allows teachers to record the student's grades and then it calculates the data and matches a student to the best university courses for them. 

It could also show a student’s projected performance for different programs that are offered all over Uganda. Each university here has minimum entry points, so if a student is currently standing at 32 points but wants to get into medicine, which is 52 points, then they will be able to know in which subjects they must improve in order to qualify. 

VIHLIX also gave the platform the capacity for knowledge-sharing between students and teachers from different schools. They also connected it with other resources like a pool of past papers. It is quite a comprehensive platform though it looks simple.

What is the team composition?

I worked closely with four people from their team. There were two developers, one person managing the financials, and one person who was the brain behind the project. 

How did you come to work with VIHLIX LIMITED?

My team initially recommended Victor (Managing Director), not VIHLIX as a whole. It was only when I started working with Victor that I realized he was engaged with us as a team. 

They were the fourth agency that I had attempted to work with on this project, and I chose them because they were very quickly understood what I wanted. After one meeting, they already had their proposal ready. Everything just worked out from there.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent roughly $1,100.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in March 2015. The project took around 4 months to complete, and it was officially handed over to us in July 2015. VIHLIX still has access to the platform, though, and can do any troubleshooting should I request it.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Thanks to the web app VIHLIX built, I’ve gotten a lot of references and have been invited to various schools to onboard parents and students to the platform. The web app is fully functional and has gained a lot of subscriptions and sign-ups.

How did VIHLIX LIMITED perform from a project management standpoint?

They were great when it came to meeting deadlines. They prioritized our project to help me launch in time just in time for school openings. Their team was also great at communicating and being responsive. We mainly corresponded via email in the beginning and moved towards using phone calls and WhatsApp.

What did you find most impressive about them?

VIHLIX was the only one that understood what I wanted from them. I loved how responsive they were as well.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There are several things that they could improve on:

1. The platform requires users to register quite a lot of information before they can log in and start to use it. 
2. I felt like I was being forced to host my web app with them. The reason they gave me didn't justify the costs, and they eventually let up and allowed me to host independently. I think they should just leave that option open from now on. 
3. The sending of the manual was delayed. They could’ve resolved this faster, but it could also be attributed to me not signing a contract beforehand.

These challenges aside, everything was good.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Before you commit to the project, make sure to understand the details of your agreement before you sign. This contract will help you make better decisions towards the end of the project, especially since you will have already discussed and agreed on all the details and inclusions. It will also help you avoid any delays with your requirements. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO of ByteCraft Creations Limited

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We do event photo distribution using AI facial recognition.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire VIHLIX LIMITED to accomplish?

• Web application that can distribute event photos that are specific to each attendee
• Use AI for face recognition
• The application should be able to send text with the link to WhatsApp
• Attendees should be able to register their faces
• Make payments online

SOLUTION

How did you find VIHLIX LIMITED?

• Online Search
• Other

Why did you select VIHLIX LIMITED over others?

• High ratings
• Good value for cost

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

The project included requirements gathering, software design and architecture, software development, User acceptance testing and training.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Application is now live with all the features available

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

They exceeded expectations. Everything was delivered ahead of time.

What was your primary form of communication with VIHLIX LIMITED?

Virtual Meeting

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

They were organized and had a high level of professionalism.

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

None at the moment

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Group Head, Retail Marketing of Cellulant

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We're a leading Digital Payments company in Africa

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire VIHLIX LIMITED to accomplish?

• Developing a Field Management App

SOLUTION

How did you find VIHLIX LIMITED?

Referral

Why did you select VIHLIX LIMITED over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from VIHLIX LIMITED were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

We wanted to develop a platform to help us manage 500+ onground sales agents managing 5000+ outlets across 6 markets. Vihlix took up the challenge and delivered

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

1. An app that tracks all onground sales agents in real time
2. An app that let's users create tasks and complete assigned tasks
3. Performance reports

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

They've delivered on time.

What was your primary form of communication with VIHLIX LIMITED?

In-Person Meeting

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

Communication

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

Speed of delivery and always listen to a customer