Amalgama

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I have an LLC that houses a mobile app startup. I am the founder of an app called WILCO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Amalgama?

Amalgama was hired to develop a mobile app, largely focusing on coding and software.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We started the process by brainstorming on the idea, which was important because the app is somewhat specialized. I know a lot about the target market and they didn’t, so it was important to us as a team that they went through the process of understanding what we’re trying to do, and the market that we’re trying to reach. 

I felt strongly about getting an identity and a logo locked in, so we went through branding exercises that helped them get a better idea of the market for this app. We went through the characteristics of the targeted users and words to describe them, and from there, Amalgama related colors, fonts, and images that corresponded with those things. All of this resulted in a brand book, the creation of the logo, and a color scheme that served as a starting point to launch into the coding. 

When the software development started, there were a few different versions of the app which resulted in a test platform that we invited beta testers to try out. After using the app, Amalgama did interviews with some of the users to collect structured feedback. 

This feedback ushered in another set of actions and development work, which then led to the launching of the product on the App Store and Google in June of this year. I would describe that as a soft launch, but the app has been up and running for a couple of months now. Even after the launch, they were working on another development package, and now we’re on the fifth version. It has been a constant evolution. 

What is the team composition?

They work on a team basis with a couple of different teams that all have different roles. We work with front- and backend developers, a design person, a UI team, and a business team leader. 

How did you come to work with Amalgama?

They were recommended by another company that I initially approached and thought was too expensive.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve probably spent around $200,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We began the project in September 2020, and it is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The app is still only in a soft launch, and we’re in a phase where we are collecting data to find out how it’s being used to work towards a hard launch. It isn’t being promoted yet, but from everything that we’ve done so far, the app doesn’t crash, and there have been zero technical issues with it. Their process for testing is very thorough, and I think that’s why we haven’t had any major issues.

How did Amalgama perform from a project management standpoint?

They have a very structured approach to how they work on a project, and a very thorough process for testing. We have weekly structured meetings with the team, and everyone has been very diligent. Generally speaking, I would say that their performance has been very strong.

We use React Native and Ruby on Rails for the software. In terms of communication, we use Mattermost, and I communicate with the team leader through WhatsApp and email. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I think they’ve been very attentive. I’ve had two business leads in the span of time that I’ve worked with them, but both have been very attentive and responsive, which has stood out pretty significantly. Their process and thoroughness for the testing that they do seems to be very good, and from the business relationship side of things, they’ve been very diligent and good about responding.

Amalgama’s CEO made a point of reaching out and meeting in person with me, which was really nice. When you’re on the phone and in different time zones, it can be difficult, and they did come out to Connecticut where I’m based. They made a pretty significant effort to stop by and talk to me. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

As a non-coder, it would have been helpful to have additional assistance to understand the building blocks and code as we’ve progressed, but I think that if I had asked for that specifically, they would have been responsive to that. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I would say that you should ask questions and don’t focus solely on the business, cost, and development time. Try to get an understanding of why they are making the decisions that they are, and the trade-offs of those decisions, like why they’re using one program instead of another. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Kara Sather: I’m the executive director of the El Dorado Winery Association, a nonprofit winery association.

Russ Reyes: I’m the client project manager for this project, working through Reyes Digital Media.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Amalgama?

KS: As a nonprofit winery association, we’re dependent upon membership fees and event revenue to help keep us afloat. Over the last couple of years, we had seen an increasing trend in the difficulty of raising the capital we previously saw coming through our events, so we realized that we needed to look at alternative funding sources.

A few years ago, we came up with a concept to provide a diverse interactive experience to our membership. At the time, we were looking at it as a subscription-based mobile app where users could subscribe to become El Dorado wine movement insiders and get access to exclusive special events, opportunities, and offers.

However, we still wanted this product to function as a tourism driver for people who might not be part of this insider group so that they could see everything there is to see in El Dorado County Wine Country.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

RR: Amalgama has helped us build the app we needed. Initially, we had a seven-week discovery phase, where they looked into the reasons for building the mobile app, its purpose, its demographics, and more to see if it was a viable product.

KS: During the initial discovery phase, Amalgama reached out to a number of potential end users. At that point, and based on their findings, they recommended moving away from the mobile-app-based tool idea to a web-based app solution. It is one of the most important recommendations they’ve made.

RR: Therefore, Amalgama has been designing and developing a fully responsive web app from scratch so that it eventually performs well on mobile devices too.

KS: We’re not yet finished with the project, and we still have one more sprint cycle ahead.

What is the team composition?

RR: We’ve worked with the project owner, who is in charge of the overall project, a scrum master, 2–3 UX developers, a designer who worked on the frontend, and two main backend developers, one of which is a senior developer.

KS: An interesting thing about Amalgama’s approach was that, in the beginning, a psychologist from their team also joined our meetings to discuss and understand user behavior.

How did you come to work with Amalgama?

KS: We had applied for grants through the California Department of Food and Agriculture to move forward with this concept, and we got approval for those grants.

RR: When the El Dorado Winery Association was applying for the grants, they asked me to find a firm that could execute the project, which at the time was going to be a mobile app. Thus, I did some research online and found some development firms. I also had conversations with developers I knew who recommended Amalgama because they had used them before.

Altogether, I contacted nine different software development companies worldwide and got proposals back from all of them. Eventually, I narrowed down our options to three different firms and presented the pros and cons of each to the El Dorado Winery Association.

After reviewing everything I had gathered from those companies, I recommended working with Amalgama. The main reason I recommended them was because of their processes and how they worked. The second reason for recommending them was that I thought their vision was better than the other teams. They had a more updated and modern understanding of our needs, which made me feel like they would ultimately deliver a better product. Ultimately, the association agreed with me and chose them to build the app.

How much have you invested with them?

KS: We’ve spent around $150,000–$180,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

KS: We originally reached out to them in the fall of 2020, but the project started in January 2022 because it took that long for the grants to be approved.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

KS: Amalgama’s work has been outstanding. We’re very happy with what they’ve done so far, as well as with their whole process.

How did Amalgama perform from a project management standpoint?

KS: We’re very satisfied with Amalgama’s communication and regular check-in meetings. They’re very responsive, and overall, they’re fantastic to work with. Additionally, they’ve also shown great interest in the project by having the project manager come and visit us from Argentina to meet us in person.

RR: Amalgama is very professional, and they offer a very transparent process. We’re always aware of where we’re at and what they’re doing, so I would give them the highest rating for project management.

We’ve used a lot of tools to manage the project and communicate, which has been very helpful. We communicate via email and Mattermost. We also use Figma, where we brief on the sprints, and Amalgama shows the results of those sprints. Other than that, we use Google Meet for our meetings.

What did you find most impressive about them?

KS: For me, Amalgama’s biggest strength is their communication. They’re on top of it, they’re very flexible, and they always ensure they understand what we want. Additionally, they take the time to deliver what we need, and they’re very creative with their solutions.

RR: Amalgama is very detail-oriented. Thanks to this skill of theirs, the project has been very well-organized, and the process has been very intuitive.

Are there any areas they could improve?

RR: I can’t think of anything they could improve on; if there is, I haven’t seen it.

KS: In the beginning, when Amalgama presented their first findings, we had some clarity issues with the language. Still, they immediately fixed it. Therefore, there’s nothing they could improve on. They’re fantastic!

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of a social media app.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Amalgama?

We were looking to build a mobile app focused on creating photo albums with a social media twist.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Amalgama provides mobile app development for us. They’ve built our app for Android and iOS using React Native. First, I gave them the idea, some wireframes, and our specifications. We collaborated with them on the design. From there, they developed an MVP to which we’ve kept adding features. The team has also conducted a beta testing program with college students over two months. Now, the app is in its market version.

The app’s main feature is collaborative albums. Users can create a profile and build photo and video albums that their friends can share on their feeds. Other features are liking, commenting, tagging friends, and collaborating on albums. 

What is the team composition?

I work with a team of about eight teammates, including a product owner, a project manager, a scrum master, a designer, a frontend developer, a backend developer, and a lead developer. The developers have changed throughout the process, so I’ve worked with 12–15 people from Amalgama in total. 

How did you come to work with Amalgama?

I had initially engaged another company to build the app, but our scheduling was a little off. They didn’t want to leave me hanging, so they introduced me to Amalgama, one of their partners. I had a couple of calls with the team, and all seemed well, so we started immediately. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent a little over $200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in October 2021, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I’ve loved working with Amalgama because they’re a full-service company; I gave them the idea, and they’ve handled the entire development process. The app is very performant. Though we’ve had a few bugs, they’ve been almost unnoticeable, and the team has fixed them quickly. 

Although we haven’t launched yet, we had good results during our beta testing phase, where 30 college students used the app for two months. We got very positive testimonials and feedback; the test users said they’d become full-time users as soon as the app was released. We also had no complaints about bugs during testing.

How did Amalgama perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve met all the deadlines and are working within our budget. The team is super organized and has kept me organized. They’re very attentive on Slack; they get back to us quickly when we message them. We also used email and video calls to communicate with them. During the bulk of development, we had a weekly call with them for about six months. Overall, working with them has been a breeze. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I couldn’t be more satisfied with Amalgama’s process. I’ve worked with many designers and developers in different teams, and it has been refreshing to finally find the right team. Their project management, communication, and development have been perfect. I would never think about using another agency. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing they need to improve. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Contact Amalgama, and one of their business development folks will be in touch with you immediately. They’re very hands-on and helpful, so I’m sure you’ll be happy with the experience.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Swish365 is a state of the art franchise of basketball training facilities that help kids and adults progress their basketball careers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Amalgama, and what were your goals?

We hired Amalgama to design and create a mobile application for our users as well as the ability to manage franchises through an admin interface. Our goal was to bring a easy user experience for our customers to schedule themselves or children at our facilities in an easy process.

SOLUTION

How did you select Amalgama and what were the deciding factors?

We went through a variety of different vendors, the overall process of Amalgama was second to none. The initial phase of understanding exactly what we wanted in order to storyboard what the final product would be was highly valuable and the entire development process is what sold us on going with them.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

We had a series of discovery and lessons learned meetings where they would walk us through how the app would look, what our expectations were, what we needed, and ultimately what the finished product would look like. Through the process, we met on a regular basis to show the features, to confirm, them and to focus on the rest of the product.

How many resources from the Amalgama team worked with you, and what were their positions?

We have worked with a number of team members from Amalgama including developers, scrum masters, product managers, UI and design and much more.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

We are extremely happy with the outcome of the project and are in the process of rolling out the application to our customers.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

This is one of the best organizations I've worked with on the development side of the house and how they communicate, manage the project, and keep us up to date on progress.

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

The workflow and having everyone needed on the call to get things done. Each week we would see the progress of the application, it's design, and confirm it was what we were looking for. They are fantastic to work with, and the quality work is impressive.

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

I personally have zero complaints or areas that they could improve on,.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the managing member of a software development company, and we created a professional networking app.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Amalgama?

We engaged Amalgama to create our app from scratch.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We provided them with a basic overview of what we were looking to accomplish, and they worked with us to develop the concepts for our iOS and Android app. After that, we were able to really flesh out our ideas and refine what we were going to build. 

During that time, they also gave feedback on both the app’s development, design, and technical implementation. For the design elements, they assisted in choosing the color scheme, fonts, shapes, and other elements. So far, we’ve done a very small beta test with less than 50 users. The Amalgama team continues to work on our app and since it’s still in development, it’s quite difficult to define the features we’re going to have.

What is the team composition?

We’ve interacted with a number of folks, including their product owner, designer, frontend developer, and backend developer. On a regular basis, we’re working with 6–7 people from Amalgama.

How did you come to work with Amalgama?

We were looking for a company that had strong technical experience and could offer us cost-effective services. The Amalgama team was then recommended by someone in the technology industry, and they told us that Amalgama was very good.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $50,000–$200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in March 2021, and we continue to collaborate.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’ve done an exceptional job. In fact, they’re very good at executing our deliverables. We’re very pleased with their work and that’s demonstrated by the fact that we’re still working with them. Overall, they’ve managed expectations very well, allowing us to know exactly what we’re going to get at any given point in time.

How did Amalgama perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve been performing very well from a project management standpoint; they’re very professional and organized. We have meetings every week where they go through the backlog and plan in advance.

They also do a good job of estimating how each sprint will take and what will be accomplished in each of them. We’re also impressed that they have very detailed logs of tasks we’ve completed. Overall, they have a high degree of accountability and transparency so we’ve been very pleased with their process.

What did you find most impressive about them?

To be fair, we haven’t worked with another provider so our context is quite limited. Despite that, we like that Amalgama is able to do everything. They’ve held our hand from the very beginning, and they’ve been involved with every aspect of our project. We also appreciate that they offer cost-effective solutions.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, nothing comes to mind on areas they could improve.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a specialist in the Systems and Technology Management of a Bank in Argentina.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Amalgama, and what were your goals?

Amalgama was hired to reengineer the collateral origination systems with a focus on UX / UI.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

Through a reference in the Bank we got to contact Amalgama. They were selected from among three suppliers as dictated by the entity's hiring policy. The factors that led to the hiring of Amalgama were: Economic proposal, focus on UX / UI, technology used for the development of the solution.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

They designed and developed a comprehensive solution for direct garment origination based on a fronend in React.js.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

El equipo estaba conformado por: Proyect Owner (part time) Scrum Master (part time) UX/UI Designer (part time) QA Analyst (part time) Front End Developer (full time) Tech Lead (part time)

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

We still do not have the measurement since it is the first month that the solution is productive.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

The management of the project was very good. In the beginning we had some ideas and ideas about the scope of the project, but in itself it was an excellent workgroup compared to other providers. We communicate through Mattermost, GitHub, Google Meet, and email.

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

The approach based on Desing Thinking, the pro-activity of the work group and the human warmth in dealing daily.

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

Although the quality of the work was excellent, it is clear that we understood each other at first. After that understanding the work flow was extraordinary.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of Get Help Now. Our company has a tool and system that helps with human resiliency, readiness, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), suicide prevention, and more. We help acting duty military veterans, first responders, and students.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with  Amalgama?

We were dealing with complex issues and no one really came up with anything that was wildly successful or effective. The issues were still accelerating, so we needed a team who could give us technical support.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Amalgama is developing an iOS and Android app. We now have a functioning prototype, and Amalgama is compiling and analyzing our research related to that. Their main goal is to implement a research-based functional product that we can present to our target market.

What is the team composition?

We collaborate with 7–8 people from Amalgama.

How did you come to work with Amalgama?

We interviewed several companies. We were trying to save people’s lives so we needed to partner with a provider who was compassionate and had a philanthropic heart. The firm that we worked with in New York thought Amalgama would be a good fit for our project.

In the end, Amalgama seemed to be the company that understood us the most. We were like-minded people and they had the technical capabilities we were looking for.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent under $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since January 2020, and we continue to collaborate.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

In order for the government or the military to accept our product, there has to be proven data that we can present to them. In relation to that, the data that we’ve collected with Amalgama’s help has been critical in helping us secure potentially many contracts. I’m an expert in this field and everyone working around this project is the best in the world at what they do. As such, our chances of saving many more lives are high.

I’ve worked with the best firms out of Silicon Valley, New York, and more — I’d say that Amalgama is at par with them, if not better. In terms of cost, we’ve received more than we’d get spending $200,000 with a US firm. More importantly, they’ve ensured that our product is commercially viable. That has been tough because we’re doing something for a noble cause yet it’s also for business.

How did Amalgama perform from a project management standpoint?

They have a great communication and organization system.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their intuition skills and innovative approach are their biggest strengths. They take all the information we give them, and they find ways on how to bring more value to us. Moreover, they really listen, and they make things a little better.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there’s nothing that they can improve.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

For anybody who’s looking to create a mobile app, Amalgama will find the most effective way to promote your business or meet your goals. The team will start from the beginning, and they’ll go through a very thorough process figuring out exactly what to do best.

On top of that, they have a great system, and they’re responsive. Above all, they have integrity so they treat all their projects like their own. As a result, I’d recommend them to anybody who’s planning to develop their mobile app.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

The company sells tickets to live events at a great price. We work with affiliate partners that have targeted audiences that are interested in purchasing event tickets. I am a Product Manager that focuses on providing solutions for these partners to sell even more tickets.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Amalgama, and what were your goals?

A complete agile team with frontend and backend developers to update a decades old partner program.

SOLUTION

How did you select Amalgama and what were the deciding factors?

Consulting with a few partners in the local area, we were introduced to the Amalgama team.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

Updating the entire affiliate partner experience with specific work such as: updated landing pages, onboarding, and new interactive tools.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

3-4 members: Product Owners, Frontend and Backend developers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

Increased partner signups and adoption of new tools that were developed by the Amalgama team.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timelines.

Agile with daily standup, weekly reviews, and retrospectives.

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

Most impressive was their desire, energy, and dedication to the work. Often projects may not be exciting but the team certainly were engaged.

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

Due to distance of the remote team, there was a bit of a struggle with time but we certainly as a team were able to overcome that hassle.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a strategic consultant at Mundo Dexia. We’re a startup that has an app for early language stimulation e-learning.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Amalgama?

The team at Amalgama was hired to develop our mobile app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Amalgama developed our app for Android and iOS.

What is the team composition?

We worked with around four people.

How did you come to work with Amalgama?

When we first started, we asked around for different developers and firms. We received various proposals and references. Amalgama seemed like they could add the most to the project. We wanted not just to develop the app, but to bring all of our project’s visions to it. Amalgama offered that to us.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $30,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement started at the end of 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their work was excellent. We wanted a tool that we could test within the market, and we met that goal. We got the right amount of feedback and insight to adjust the app to fit the needs of our users. We’re now working with them in follow-up projects.

How did Amalgama perform from a project management standpoint?

Amalgama had their own project management tool, which they used to provide us with reports. Throughout the project, their managers were always involved and present. They provided us with a sense of security and a feeling of commitment.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was impressed with their involvement and commitment.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They were a new company. In gathering client feedback, we did get it all, but the process could’ve been more precise and specific. How that was communicated could’ve been improved.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a product strategist for a product development agency. We build design, build, and implement custom digital products and software.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Amalgama?

They were the full stack development partner for this project.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal was to design, develop, and implement a custom ERP solution for a CPG manufacturing company.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We have worked with them on other projects in the past. We selected them because we truly enjoy working with their team and they have a flexible and team oriented approach.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

The team built a complete ERP with a companion mobile app for barcode scanning. This included ordering systems, inventory controls, manufacturing management, and barcode management. The handled the development and assisted in strategy, design, and roll out as well.

What was the team composition?

The team included front end and back end engineering, mobile development, and project management / strategy.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

This was one of the largest projects we have tackled in terms of build and complexity. While it was by no means easy we have clearly expanded our footprint and created a fundamentally new type of manufacturing software.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

We cycled through a few PM tools throughout the project but landed on Asana for task tracking and Google Hangouts for remote communication. It took some work to get the system down between our teams but ultimately we created a great workflow.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They were truly dedicated to the project. There were numerous challenges both from the client, the environment, and in the complexity of the product itself, but regardless they persevered and put in the work to get it done.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I think all teams can improve on their communication and organization. I don't think those areas were an issue on this project but it's always a good goal to evolve those two skills.