47Billion

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there. 

I’m the CEO of Briocare, a wide-sourced senior care software platform company in Dallas, Texas.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with 47Billion? 

We needed to hire an external resource to develop our mobile app and our Amazon Alexa Skill.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement? 

47Billion developed a mobile app that uses voice technology to mitigate caregiver anxiety. The UI allows caregivers to remotely automate care notes, wellness routines, and medication reminders. They developed it from scratch for both Android and iOS.

The Alexa Skill is for the seniors who can use it for reminders as well as for companionship. The caregiver can program it remotely with reminders (e.g. doctor appointments) throughout the day or at the scheduled time. The senior will hear the notification in their house. It also provides companionship through music, trivia, memory games, and podcasts. The senior gets asked 5–6 questions at the end of each day about how they’re doing. That gets captured as voice and converted to text. Then it gets sent to the caregiver via email automation. 

What is the team composition?

I worked with a project lead. 

How did you come to work with 47Billion? 

I did an online search for companies that had a strong UX/UI background. I shortlisted and spoke with several, and then selected 47Billion. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $35,000 for this phase.

What is the status of this engagement?

Work started in September 2018 and is ending this month.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We don't have user metrics yet because we’re still in the beta phase. 47Billion did an excellent job with the UI. It’s very intuitive and easy to use. They were also able to leverage all the applicable features being released from Amazon. Voice technology is extremely new, and they were able to incorporate it into our app. 

How did 47Billion perform from a project management standpoint?

Meeting deadlines is the one area for improvement because there was a bit of delay. However, everything that 47Billion was doing was cutting edge. It maybe took a little bit longer, but they got the job done. 

What did you find most impressive about them? 

It was quite unique that 47Billion was willing to do R&D on some of these new voice technologies. They were able to experiment, figure it out, and then integrate it back into the final app. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. Other than the delay, everything was fine. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the founder and CEO of an IT cloud computing company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire 47Billion?

My team needed help to develop our MVP, an IT service management (ITSM) web app with a ticket tracking system. We also required assistance in building our marketing website according to UX mockups.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to quickly develop a cost-effective MVP to kick off our startup and streamline communication with clients.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

After interviewing several candidates, my team selected 47Billion based on their comprehensive range of IT-related services.​

​​​​​​Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

47Billion designed our ITSM web app’s UX. The team developed the app’s frontend and backend. They are currently working on our marketing website.  

What was the team composition?

My team engaged with UX, frontend, and backend specialists.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Although the project is ongoing, we are confident that the MVP will successfully launch our startup and enhance customer service.  

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Initially, we had several meetings with 47Billion’s UX specialist. We have held weekly standup meetings and bi-weekly and monthly sprint demos. 47Billion’s team structure has remained the same because we are very satisfied with the pace and quality of their development work. We utilize GitHub and Google Hangouts.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

47Billion’s team has been proactive and responsive. They have taken full ownership of the product and delivered the highest quality work. The team adheres to deadlines.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I would say QA could be more structured. Also, the project is a bit over budget, but it is still manageable.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the founder of Evolved Technologies, a startup platform in the education space.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire 47Billion?

47Billion did UX/UI design for us.

What were your goals for this project?

I wanted to completely redesign the site to be more user-friendly, dynamic, and logical.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We used Upwork to interview dozens of firms and individuals. We found 47Billion to be incredibly good at what they do. They also offered an attractive price point.

Describe the project in detail.

They’re redesigning my platforms’ UI to fit a social networking approach. They’re also integrating a chat system and payment gateway.

What was the team composition?

We’re working with two designers from 47billion.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re currently building the site, but when the redesign launches we expect it to gain significantly more traction than our previous design would have.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

They were responsive from the start and used in-depth discussions to understand exactly what we wanted. Even their smallest change suggestions were designed to push us toward our goal. We accepted most of their recommendations because they were being thoughtful contributors.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They delivered a high-quality, user-friendly design for a competitive price.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Honestly, there are no areas for improvement. We’re incredibly happy with their work and we’ll use them again if given the opportunity.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm one of the founders of Study With Seth. We help college students take better notes.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with 47Billion?

We needed help developing a software application.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

47Billion worked with us to design and develop native mobile apps for Android and iOS. They helped guide us on what we should build, and then did all of the development work.  

We gave them rough wireframes and technical descriptions of what we wanted done. They converted those into higher quality wireframes, which we revised back and forth into something that they could build. The app features include user registration, email collection, and subscription services so users can pay through a variety of devices. It also has the core functionality of our software so students can upload their notes and collaborate with others.

What is the team composition?

We work directly with two members of their team. Several others work on our project, but we don't communicate with them.

How did you come to work with 47Billion?

We found them on Upwork.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $15,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started talking to them in December 2017 and began our project in May 2018. They're putting the final touches on the app this week. It's an ongoing project so they'll continue to make improvements going forward.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The app is on schedule to launch next week, and will be available in both app stores. Everything works exactly as they said it would.

How did 47Billion perform from a project management standpoint?

They're straightforward and clear throughout the process about what to expect and what we would get. The project went smoothly, and they delivered exactly what we wanted. They communicated very clearly and regularly. They send us emails several times a week to make sure we’re happy and comfortable with their progress. We also communicate through Skype phone calls a couple of times per month.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their great prices definitely stand out. Even though they're based in India, they communicate very well in English. They’re super friendly and helpful as well.

Any advice for potential customers?

Go into the project knowing what you want, and stick to it.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of L Squared Digital Signage, a digital signage software vendor. We build cloud-based software that manages rich media content. It also distributes and schedules multiple end node types, such as television screens, mobile devices, and RFID tags.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with 47Billion?

Offshore development has been a bit of a hit or miss, but we wanted to augment our internal development team with additional resources.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The first project we did with them was an end-to-end interactive tradeshow map. We gave them software specifications and they delivered the product successfully. We also built a mobile app for high schoolers. We provided specifications and they completed the entire project, including testing, proof of concept, launch, and server management.

We completed development from the ground up using PHP, Flash, HTML5, and JavaScript. They do a lot of work with different content management systems. Their web and mobile expertise is pretty robust. They had resources for Android, Apple, and Blackberry, and they’ve never said they don’t have the resources to handle our projects. In the worst case scenario, they just hire somebody.

We have done about 10 projects together and will do more. It is always the same pattern: we provide specifications and they deliver the project.

How did you come to work with 47Billion?

We found them on a freelancer site and built a friendship with Amol [Co-founder & CEO, 47Billion]. I met him in person and the relationship grew. They dedicated a team to our project, and gave us much better quality of work for the same price we were paying elsewhere for offshore development.

We dealt with a few different development firms, and the biggest problem was that the staff always changed. Someone new was always coming in and failing to understand our code base or the ideas that we were trying to pursue. That caused a lot of problems because it required more revisions, fixes, and bugs. With 47Billion, it is always the same team. It is much easier for us to convey our ideas and evolve the product over time.

How much have you invested with them?

We have spent about $1.5 million so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in 2011 and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their work is good quality and we’ve never been disappointed. In some cases, we’ve resold their product and made significant margins. We delivered the product to our customers and they’ve been happy. We sold it at a significant discount from our competitors because of 47Billion.

The feedback isn’t directed towards 47Billion, because our customers think it’s us, but it has been very positive. When there were issues, they were very responsive in fixing them.

It isn't an a la carte pricing model where they charge more for every issue. We feel safe in bidding on projects in partnership with 47Billion because we know we’ll get a fixed cost and the project will be completed to a good level of satisfaction.

How did 47Billion perform from a project management standpoint?

We have a project manager on our side. When we hand over specifications on smaller projects, they complete them on time. If need be, they’ll add extra resources to complete it without adding additional costs, which is great. I have no doubt they would perform as well with project management as they do in development.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The quality of work is paramount and the integrity of the team and the owner is phenomenal. They are eager to please, and their commitment to their promises has been exemplary. Now that we have a close relationship and I see them every year, it’s easier to trust them. They’ve always come through.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could be a little bit more involved in suggesting different technologies. They have broad knowledge of new software on the market, so they could suggest things rather than just going with what we suggest. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Everyone should go to their office if they’re completing a project over $25,000. You’ll meet them face-to-face and understand how they work. They have a really nice office and an amazing bunch of people that all speak English very well. If you visit them, you will tremendously increase your trust level and the success of your project. The project will go much more smoothly.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

Our company writes billing and automation software for wireless ISPs and I am the owner. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with 47Billion?

We were not getting results fast enough and were not building the code fast enough. We also were having a hard time finding good programmers. I was looking specifically for a user experience, user design engineer. 

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

It started out with one user experience designer who was also the CEO of the company who consulted with me directly. He brought on a couple of designers and they were able to produce a lot of designs rapidly. 

We added a program manager because we saw a need for that, as well as a few developers that were available. We expanded the scope far beyond the original scope because they had resources that were very useful to us at the time. We started off with two and now we’re up to 10+ of their employees working full time.

Their team augments our internal development team. This project requires a big push and it’s a lot of work to get it done in a short period of time. They also interface with other agencies we work with and act as a liaison to other Indian firms. They have a lot more experience with that than our own team does and they’re handling it very responsibly and with a high degree of ethics.

We have a product that’s in its 7th version+ and they’re helping us convert that from a Java to a newer technology; a much more modern architecture. We’re not that familiar with the new architecture, but they have an architect on their team who is brilliant and has done an extraordinary job. He's helped us solve deep technical challenges and has optimized our platform in extraordinary ways.

The platform is a billing and operational support system. When an ISP and their staff log into the system, they have access to their subscriber's details, including invoices, payments, history logs, authentication, tickets, equipment, and inventory. This allows them to manage most aspects of their company using our software. These pieces have been designed and completed, and right now they’re as far as 60-70% along. Pieces of it are very near a push out to beta.

How did you come to work with 47Billion?

I had been hiring from the local pool of talent, but the work that we’re doing doesn’t require local people. When I discovered Upwork, I made the post for a UX engineer. One of the owners from 47Billion contacted us based on that post to Upwork. We met and gave them a shot at doing some of the work, and his work was excellent. 

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

We've spent around $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them April 2017 and have been working together since. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

The designs are significantly better than I expected and are better than what we could have produced on our own. We have an accelerated development cycle, which is just what we were looking for.

It’s been a significant investment for a small company like ours, but it’s also been a huge saving if we add up the cost of the mistakes that we would have made without their help. 

How did 47Billion perform from a project management standpoint?

In a way, they’ve been a project and program manager because they’ve taken ownership to ensure that it’s coming together.

We’re using Glip as a communication and task tracking tool. We also use Jira and RingCentral meetings a lot. We’re also doing Daily Scrums. The communication has been excellent and the workflow has been good. It continues to improve each week because we actively discuss ways to improve and accelerate development and quality.

We’re working directly with the owners of 47Billion; they don’t take on many projects. They really try to wrap their heads around a project to understand not just what we’re doing or what we’re delivering, but why we’re delivering it, and how we’re delivering it. The designs, the execution, the engagement, and the extraordinary architect on their team, Animesh [Owner, 47Billion] are all positively brilliant.

What distinguishes 47Billion from other providers?

We had bids from 43 companies and 10 of them stood out to us. Of those, we hired the four strongest, and of those, 47Billion was by far the strongest and delivered very engaged results. 

They’ve done an excellent job staying focused on the result and they’ve helped us improve our processes internally. They’ve not only brought on resources, but also intelligence and management skills. I’m very pleased with the results and I expect that we’ll be working with them indefinitely.

Is there anything 47Billion could have improved or done differently?

I think they’re pretty stellar. Communication is not flawless, but I don’t know how they would improve specifically. They took on some new technologies when they started this project and embraced them, but it would have been nice if they had deeper experience and training in our specific stack. That’s not something they could proactively plan, though.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the co-founder and partner at a venture capital fund that invests in enterprise tech companies.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire 47Billion?

We needed a website to communicate with our investors and involve them in our decision-making.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted the relationship between our team and investors to be seamless. We wanted a cost-effective and functional site that would be ready to deploy.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We’ve worked with 47Billion in the past. We also received references from recent customers.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

47Billion developed a customized web platform that facilitated information exchanges between my team and external stakeholders.

What was the team composition?

We worked with a program manager, project manager, designer, and other project resources.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The project significantly reduced management bandwidth, which eased communication between our team and stakeholders.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Their project management style was fantastic. 47Billion followed the requirements perfectly and understood the expectations we set. Their team stuck to the set timeline.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

47Billion is extremely agile. Their ability to translate our requirements into technical specifications was exceptional.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Their team could be more proactive in some instances.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the COO of a simulation software company that develops online simulations for educational purposes.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire 47Billion?

We needed to design and develop a complex web app.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We found them through freelancing websites.

Can you go into detail about the services they provided and the scope of the project?

They fully designed the UI/UX of the platform and later developed the working minimum viable product.

What was the team composition?

The team consisted of UI and graphic designers, a number of developers, and a team manager, who I mostly communicated with.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

This product helped us with our first MVP.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

They were absolutely amazing in this regard. Communication was very smooth and all the work was done in a timely manner.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The quality of their work and communication skills were noteworthy.