App Design Company

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the founder of Journey Application, Inc., which provides a platform for the healthcare industry to manage nonemergency transportation. It’s an automated process that eliminates the need for paper calendars while reducing costs and generating monthly reports.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with App Design Company?

We relied on App Design Company to create our application and provide us with the initial branding elements needed for our platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

App Design Company designed the logo and other brand materials for our initial and future needs.

Their development tasks included creating a website and iOS and Android components that mirror all information across each platform. At any point, an authorized user can review transportation schedules for patients and vehicles.

From a regulatory standpoint, nursing facilities need to notify families when a patient is out of the building. By creating a calendar event on the platform, it will automatically generate an email to all interested parties. This process improves the customer service aspect and centralizes all information.

For multiple transportation vendors, each one will be notified of a specific transportation need so that each can report their availability. They bid for the business of organizing that transportation, which ensures that the facility will earn the lowest transport price every time.

What is the team composition?

I primarily worked with Jonathan (Director of Product Management, App Design Company, Inc.). JP (CPO, App Design Company, Inc.) was also present on many of the calls, but Jonathan spearheaded the initiative and served as an interface between myself and the developers. He was and remains phenomenal.

How did you come to work with App Design Company?

I conducted an extensive online search, and I called various companies to gauge their interest before creating a list of three finalists, which all signed confidentiality agreements. App Design Company projected a competitive cost, but they also exhibited the most attention to the product.

Our companies are located on opposite coasts, but JP traveled to meet us, which we greatly appreciated. I believed they wanted the project and were willing to do what it took to make it successful. They wanted to be associated with a successful product and take part in my vision. That tipped the scales in their favor.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our initial development spanned from summer 2017 through summer 2018, when we went to market. Since then, I've retained App Design Company for ongoing support. I recently authorized the third iteration of the platform. We’re trying to evolve it and make it more robust. We want to add more features and make the platform practical in environments beyond skilled nursing.  

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We wouldn’t be in business without a partner like App Design Company. We decided to work with them over a year ago, and I have not regretted it yet. Because of the user-friendliness of the software, we’ve had a tremendous adoption rate from our customers. Of users who have participated in a free trial, 100% have continued using the platform.

How did App Design Company perform from a project management standpoint?

It couldn’t have been better. We mainly communicate through email and phone calls. I prefer gauging the outcome, not the process, so beyond the initial development, I was not very involved in the project management software they gave me access to. I provided feedback at different milestones, and that worked out well.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’ve appreciated their flexibility and willingness to learn about this industry and its pain points. Many times, I approved many of their team’s solutions that they created without my instruction.

Further, App Design Company was instrumental in helping me prioritize things from a cash flow standpoint because I was self-funding this startup. They’ve allowed me to pay in installments, and I’ll be forever grateful to them for that.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. They’ve addressed any issues or concerns that I’ve had.  

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

I found it valuable to be transparent with them regarding our hopes for usability and the volume of data being transferred. I invited them to be open as well, asking them to share their concerns so that we can troubleshoot together and make a more sustainable product.