APPEK Mobile Apps

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

InfoMedia is an online marketing firm, and we have done some software development through the years.

What is your position?

I'm the CEO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with APPEK Mobile Apps?

We had an application for the iPhone that had done well in the past, and it had been sitting for about five years without an update. I was looking for the right team that could make it more iOS current than what we had. I wanted to add some new features, functionality, and in-app purchases.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

They recoded our app from the ground up because the code that was used has changed so much through  the years. Some of what APPEK needed was lost along the way. They rebuilt it, and we have a fresh new look on it.

How did you come to work with APPEK Mobile Apps?

I had looked around for the right partner for some time, and it was through Chris Jones [CEO of APPEK Mobile Apps] that we came upon the partnership with APPEK.

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

The project was in the range of $10,000 to $50,000.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

We're happy with the app, both the functionality and the way it looks. It's just recently that we've put the app back out there, so we don't have any major numbers, but we have seen revenue coming in from the in-app purchases.

What distinguishes APPEK Mobile Apps from other providers?

APPEK paid close attention to detail. They asked for feedback, took all that feedback, and revised and implemented exactly what we wanted.

Is there anything APPEK Mobile Apps could have improved or done differently?

No. I'm happy with everything.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

My company, Highly Meditated, makes meditation-based mobile apps.

What role do you play there?

I'm the CEO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with APPEK Mobile Apps?  

I wanted to create an app that plays guided meditations that relaxed the user into a quality sleep, and then gently wake you up at your desired time, all from the comfort of your own bed.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

APPEK developed the app and helped me storyboard the original user interface.

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

I spent about six months designing, writing, and recording the files. APPEK was able to develop it in a few months. The total project was around $10,000 in development costs.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What distinguishes APPEK Mobile Apps from other providers?

APPEK was incredibly enthusiastic from the start. It was inspiring to work with their team. I've worked with developers my whole career, and I was blown away with their level of expertise and eye for a clean user interface. 

In hindsight, are there areas in which they could improve, or things you might do differently?

Nothing comes to mind. APPEK's development team couldn't have been better to work with. I worked side by side with them for hours and was always impressed with their skills and demeanor. I couldn't have been happier with the experience.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company.

We are a newer company that started a social marketing application.

What is your role and responsibilities?

CEO and founder.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was your goal for working with Appek?

My goal was to create a mobile application at a competitive price point. I discovered them through SourcingLine. I looked for mobile app developers in the U.S. and then read through the interviews of Appek. As a result, I decided to start the interview process with them.  They came in at a different price point versus other U.S.-based mobile app developers. 

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their work.

Appek did several components: Branding, website development, CMS and iOS app development.

What was your process for selecting Appek?

We did an initial phone interview with the CEO, Adam [Ceresko]. That went well, and I liked the way he presented himself on the phone. We took it further from there, and that led to us getting references from their current clients. Then, a final in-person meeting at their office sealed the decision to work with Appek.

Can you provide a ballpark dollar figure for the size of the work that they’ve done for you?

The cost range was in the high five figures to extreme low six figures.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Do you have any statistics or metrics to track improvement from the project?

They met the deliverables that were noted in the statement of work. The app was published in the App Store and has a small user base now.

Do you think that iOS was the best platform to use for your project?

Yes.

Is there anything unique about them that really makes them stand out, compared to other companies?

I never engaged another company to create a mobile app, although I met and spoke to a lot of them. Their corporate culture is their best aspect.

Looking back on the work so far, is there any area that you think they could improve upon or that you might do differently?

Their strongest skill sets are discovery, branding, and design. Quality assurance is their weakest skill set at this time.

Did that significantly affect the execution of the project or was it more of a minor issue?

I would say medium. To their credit, they didn’t make excuses. They simply took care of it.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company.

MiniGrip is a manufacturer of reclosable bags, which most people call Ziploc bags, for the medical and commercial marketplace.

What is your role and responsibilities?

I’m in charge of marketing, sales, and product development.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was your goal for working with APPEK Mobile Apps?

I wanted to create an app that was a sales tool. We sell through medical and commercial distributors. We don’t sell directly to end users. The distributors sell lots of different things, and they have all kinds of literature, samples, and collateral that they keep in their car. I wanted to set myself apart and make it easy for them to find the bags they needed, and the account when they needed it. If they’re at an account, and they’re trying to sell a centrifuge, some shovels, or some wiring, they may be able to sell the bags as well. They just need to click the app on their phone, put in the size they need, and the bag would come up. They could email that to their customer, follow up with pricing, and they’d be done. It's a way to avoid carrying literature and samples.

It cuts down on the materials and paperwork, makes it more organized, and the goal is to increase sales conversions when the opportunity is occurring. You can follow up when the sales opportunity is happening as opposed to following up, or not following up, later.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their work.

We provided the database to them, and told them about the ideas that we had for how we wanted it to work. They created a wireline that showed us a concept of how it could work. They put the creativity into how to make it happen. They gave us a concept that we would like. The first version was in 2012, and we changed that significantly in our next version in 2013, once we had a better idea of what our distributor sales reps were really looking for, and how to make it simpler for them. We reengineered the whole thing in 2013. They were the creatives behind making it smooth and seamless, and flashy for what it is. They did both versions for us.

This was for iPhone, iPad, and Android platforms. We did all three right away, and I think it was the right decision. The market is that way, and not everybody has an iPhone. A lot of medical distributor reps now have iPads, so that’s an important device. Androids are a dominant force out there, too, so I think it was important.

What was your process for selecting APPEK Mobile Apps to work with?

At that time, in early 2012, the criteria were experience in small- to mid-market level, and cost.

Can you provide a ballpark dollar figure for the size of the work that they’ve done for you?

The first version that was done in 2012, they had quoted $8,000; it almost doubled for them. We ended up paying probably $12,000 on it overall. The next version in 2013 was more of a $20,000 project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Do you have any statistics or metrics to track improvement from the project?

I wish I had a way to measure that. I get a lot of feedback from distributors at meetings and shows that we attend with them. They love it, and it makes it easy to sell MiniGrip. I know that we have a dominant position in the marketplace right now. It's an important part of my market basket of communication tools and selling tools that I must have. It's part of my market basket of sell sheets, website, and point of sale tools, which the app is.

Can you assess their performance?

They were very professional. They made it easy for me to track the progress of a project. The first one, I had assigned the project to someone that had worked for me. They had primarily handled the meetings and logistics of how things got done, and the work behind the scenes. I was in charge of the second app myself. They did a great job with online management tools. I was able to log in and see where the progress was. It was very straightforward in giving me pieces to review and sign off on, which would go back to them electronically. They did a terrific job with online project management and signoff. They did a terrific job of following up with me daily and sometimes weekly, with conference calls with specific objectives of what we needed to achieve. They worked very well within the timeline I needed.

Is there anything unique about them that really makes them stand out, compared to other companies?

I don’t work with a lot of different IT companies, but APPEK seems to be very adult, which I think is important. They take your specific job seriously, but they’re also very creative, and they think outside the box. They are interested in learning and trying new things to make an app more efficient and fast-loading – glitzy, but functional. I think they do a nice job of being very professional in terms of how they talk about the money part of it. They’re also very professional in terms of how they work on the concept of different modules, as well as how they program it, deliver it, and explain it. They’re a very professional and creative group. They love to learn and stay up on app development and how they can make it more efficient and better. I felt like I had a very good vendor.

Looking back on the work so far, is there any area that you think they could improve upon or that you might do differently?

Not really. I wish there was more permanent learning that could happen, but things change so quickly that the next time you talk to somebody, you're almost rebuilding it. I don’t know if there’s any way to get around that. That’s not their fault. It's just the nature of how communications devices change.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your role and responsibilities?

I’m the owner of the company, and we do several different things. However, the work that we did with this firm was as a consulting company in the higher education space.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was your goal for working with APPEK Mobile Apps?

We are primarily a Web application developer with not much specific experience in mobile, so we wanted to bring them in as a mobile expert on a specific design project for one of our clients. It was a one-time project that has already been completed.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their work?

The project was not a native mobile application. We brought APPEK in only as a UI/UX [user interface/user experience] consultant. The requirements of the project were to optimize one of the workflows in one of our client projects for the mobile experience. They did wireframes, mockups, and they provided graphic-ready images in order for us to be able to build this part of the application to be mobile friendly.

We had them do mockups, but it wasn’t for a specific platform like Apple versus Android because it wasn’t a native application. We did mockups for both screen sizes like a mobile phone screen size and a tablet screen size.

What was your process for selecting APPEK Mobile Apps?

We found them through a reference that we had also worked with. It was a friend whom I trusted, so I decided to give APPEK the project.

Can you provide a ballpark dollar figure to demonstrate the size of the initiative?

The project took one full-time person about six weeks.

When was the latest milestone completed for that project?

In the summer of 2013.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

How did APPEK Mobile Apps perform?

They did a good job. I thought they were knowledgeable about the area that they consulted in. There was good communication, and we were happy with the result.

Do you have any statistics or metrics to track improvement from the project?

Our mobile conversion rate went up, but I don’t have any numbers on hand.

Is there anything unique about them that really makes them stand out, compared to other companies?

Nothing that I can think of. They’re a mobile-specific company.

Looking back on the work so far, is there any area that you think they could improve upon or that you might do differently?

No.

BACKGROUND

Can you give some background info on what your company does?

I think more salient is when we started working with them. We were building the first social dating network.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

How did you originally discover and choose to work with APPEK?

It was through a personal recommendation.

What were your main business goals or objectives for undergoing the project?

Well, getting an app out. Mobile development wasn’t our expertise. We knew we needed to outsource it, and they came highly recommended.

SOLUTION

Could you tell me a little about the scope of the project?

They had full creative control. They developed the look and feel, and the wire frames of the app – obviously leveraging the existing assets that we had created. What they brought to bear was a good, solid mobile design experience. They did wire frames, look and feel, interactive flow, and then all of the programming. The responsibility in our side was the creation of APIs that synced up in our backend.

How long ago was the project completed?

Just a couple of months. That’s the original way we started working together. What we realized through their design explorations was that their designs were actually better than ours. We ended up hiring them, which is atypical for the kind of work they want to do. We hired them to redesign our website. They extended that kind of brand design expertise onto the Web, and we took it from there. We had them do a multipronged relationship with us that grew over time.

We were going to change it anyway, so we’re going to have them revamp our design. When we compared ours versus theirs. In essence, here was the fundamental difference. They designed what I call touch-centric. Whether you’re on an iPad or iPhone, it felt more mobile than ours did. We thought it was smarter to take the Web to a more touch-centric design than a pure Web-centric design.

Can you give me a very general cost estimate for the project?

That I don’t want to do, because I’m under NDA with them to not do that, but they’re certainly efficient.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

How happy are you with the results? 

They were good. Very good, in fact. We’re reengaging them on another project.

When working with APPEK, was there anything that you found unique or special compared to other developers you may have worked with?

You never know what you’re getting when you work with an external developer independent of references and recommendations. One of the things that they were good at is not nickel-and-diming with changes. We’re a startup, and we were in constant flux. We pivoted, mutated, and changed a lot of what we were doing to a large extent. They absorbed those changes and rolled with the punches. When it got too much, they came back and said, “Look. It’s too much.” They were extremely fair in their approach to design and project management. They helped us a bunch.

If you’re looking back on the project, is there anything that you’d do differently a second time around or you would like them to improve upon?

We spent a fair amount of time doing that postmortem after the project. One of the things that they’ve implemented is a discovery phase that helps both sides. One, it starts to ramp up their team on what the project is and afford them the opportunity to see if they understand the specifics or features. The backend guys come in and ask the questions around the APIs and the work necessary to make sure that things would fall in sync. That, I think, was a missing piece. It caused some of the issues on both sides. We were ill-prepared for a mobile development on our side. I don’t think they understood all of the features that we were requesting. That’s in place now, and we’ll run through that process with our next set of work with them.

BACKGROUND

Could you give me some background info on your company?

This is a strange project in terms of my company because my company is a small independent development company. I was hired by another company that was starting a new digital division. They hired me to lead this project, which was a pretty large, about $500,000 social network project. It was put on by a company who does conferencing, and they had built some basic concentric social networking services and they wanted to expand it something more of a general social network. They brought me on, and I was running the Web project as well as all the mobile project, and we found APPEK. I was subcontracted by this company, and the project changed because there was a parent company who was attaching the new digital division to child or sibling company, and then they took back to the parent company, so it’s a little bit kind of confusing. That was the company who was officially hiring and paying for APPEK.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

How did you find APPEK?

I found them because one of my lead developers had worked with them before. I think as iPhone developers, and we hired them as Internet developers.

SOLUTION

Can you tell me more about the scope of the project?

APPEK was hired to do the Android portion of the project. So, basically it was a full-scale social network with all kind of different functionality groups, individual blogs, group blogs, membership, and messaging. It’s just reinventing everything. It’s like Pinterest meets Facebook meets LinkedIn, it was like 20 different things going on. We have separate teams for the Web version who are also doing the API’s, and then we have separate teams for iPhone, Android and BlackBerry. APPEK was specifically handling the Android portion.

How long ago was these Android, or mobile portion, completed?

That was around mid March to the beginning of April.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

How happy are you with the results of the project?

The work that APPEK did is great. The mobile was one of the situations where they were too many cooks. There’s the client’s client who’s idea the project was in the first place. Then, there’s the company who hired me and all the people I was hiring, working with, or contracting to build the project. Between the client’s client and the company who’s hiring me, there were about seven different stakeholders who all had different ideas of what it should be and different levels of comfort and sophistication at the Web and mobile. They were all really focused on the Web, and weren’t so focused on the mobile. Overall, the Web part of the project reflects their own inexperience. They didn’t have much, and they weren’t so attached to what happened with the mobile, so we were able to do the mobile part a little bit more the way we wanted to, and the mobile part is really the best result of the project.

Do you think they would agree with that, or are they favorable with towards what they had more control over?

I don’t know. They really haven’t even looked at the mobile enough. They’re just so focused on the Web part. It’s like they’re not paying enough attention to it, but what they’ve seen in the mobile they’ve been happy with, unlike what happened with the rest of it. To my part, the mobile is by far the best part.

Compared to other developers you may have worked with in the past, is there anything special or unique about APPEK?

APPEK was great to work with. I was really spread out, so I had three mobile teams and the Web team that I was handling. We were working with an agency that also had to do the design specifically for mobile, and they had really focused on iPhone. They had only secondarily done the Android design, and they were not nearly as familiar with Android. Not that it’s that much different at this point, but APPEK was really great because they were able to take a lot of the iPhone assets, or assets that were closed, and either guide the designer or take the assets and rework them. They also came up with some really good ideas about how to do certain things that weren’t really well defined. They contributed some good ideas in terms of the interface and functionality. They really worked without a lot of guidance. I was able to say, go ahead, go for it and let’s talk in a few days and see how it comes out, and they were always just right.

Which may come in handy when the original client isn’t looking at the project themselves.

The fact that the client wasn’t looking that closely at the mobile gave us a lot of leeway to do a better job. It’s like when you want to hire somebody to do the job. You want to hire an expert to do it, and then you want to let them be an expert. You want to let them do what you’re paying them to do. On the Web side, the team really wasn’t really able to bring their expertise to the table because they were cut off with the means by the stakeholders, but that really wasn’t the case with the mobile. They weren’t paying so much attention. Also, there were a lot of things where we needed to work out stuff with the APIs, the team who was developing the APIs is the team that  will be finishing up the mobile part between the Android team, the iPhone team, and the BlackBerry team. There was a lot of back and forth, and everybody really worked together well in those two teams. There’s a lot of flexibility, just in terms of the way that they process, and we were using Agile process and an online bug tracker. They were really easy to work with for me.

Do you think there’s anything that APPEK could’ve done better, or you would do slightly differently?

Well, I would’ve given them more money. They were making $1 out of $0.15, and so I was actually really happy with what they were able to do with what they have. There wasn’t really much that I would’ve asked them to do that they didn’t do. It’s more because the design of the app and the features were constantly changing, whatever we had negotiated with the contract is based on a certain snapshot of where we were at a particular time. In the end, that wasn’t the same snapshot as what was supposed to be delivered. I was able to negotiate with APPEK to barter some features, and swap out some things. I don’t know that I would’ve asked them to do anything differently.

BACKGROUND

Can you briefly describe your company:

We are marketing platform that powers local digital commerce for media including TV, newspapers, and radio stations. We are located in Pennsylvania.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What were your goals going into the project?

At the time, we already had a functioning website for our clients to use. Since we are a location-based business, mobile is a key part of our overall growth strategy. We needed to find a top-notch mobile developer who could create an incredible user experience.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of the project?

Once we approached APPEK with our initial idea, they assisted us in the entire lifespan of the project. APPEK gave us guidance on mobile best practices, completed the user interface design, the visual design, and the backend development. The final application that they developed also incorporates our platform's API and offers 100 percent of functionality of our existing Web application.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Is there anything unique about how APPEK operates?

They have a lot of talent on the design side and place considerable focus on user interface design.

Is there any area that APPEK could slightly improve?

The delivery date was pushed back a bit, but that was as much our fault as theirs.