Applandeo

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am head of people operations for a startup. We are series A company that builds creativity-focused software.

What challenge were you trying to address with Applandeo?

We had some issues recruiting full-time team members so we reached out to a bunch of outsourcing providers. Applandeo was brought on to extend our internal team for projects.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Applandeo's work with us was in the realm of iOS development, primarily on our consumer-focused products. It wasn’t necessarily a single project but more of them joining our internal iOS team to work on different things. They got assigned certain features to either build on existing code or from scratch.

The team helped us with our flagship application, a photo editor, which is available on iOS, as well as on Android and the web. It’s similar to Photoshop but with AI-powered features. 

Applandeo was also involved in the prototyping and classified building of another iOS and Android app that we recently launched. This app is going through multiple iterations and targets fan-based communities for TV shows and different topics. 

What is the team composition?

We worked with an iOS developer and the project manager, who was my main point of contact. 

How did you come to work with Applandeo?

I found them and reached out through a site that ranks outsourcing firms. We started talking and they were able to deliver an above-average evaluation mark. They met our needs from a pricing standpoint, as well. Those were some of the big factors — they had the talent that met our software engineering standards and provided good value for the cost.

How much have you invested with them?

We paid about $33,000 over the course of the project.

What is the status of this engagement?

The partnership ran between October 2020–February 2021. The work wrapped up so their contractors transitioned out of the company, which was the natural course of the engagement.

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

We gave them a task and it was done appropriately, which is a measurement of their success.

Their iOS developer was one of the strongest contractors we’d ever worked with. Though we don’t need additional resources at the moment, they would be one of the first companies we’d bring back on board.

How did Applandeo perform from a project management standpoint?

From a project management standpoint, they had a pretty good relationship with the manager, who thought the developer was doing great work. I didn’t hear any complaints. 

We used Asana as our company-wide project management tool. Slack and Zoom were also used for communication. Not a lot of emails were exchanged outside of talking with their handler.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I think the engagement could have gone in different ways because the relationship with Applandeo was contingent on the individual that was provided. However, the developer we worked with checked all the boxes and exceeded expectations. Our team was always a little bit wary about bringing in outsourced resources but he was able to shatter that stereotype. 

Applandeo was generally responsive. They always addressed any concerns and provided updates in a timely manner.

Are there any areas they could improve?

From a logistical standpoint, they tended to be a bit inflexible with payment. They were very adamant that we manually wire the money to their foreign account, which was not ideal. If they’re going to continue doing business with entities in the US, they should create a US account and send invoices in US currency. That way, we could easily settle the payment through our bill-paying system.

Also, there was a bit more upselling than I would’ve liked, but that’s a personal preference. I’m sure the handler was just doing their job but it came off a little bit pushy to me.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

As long as you’re okay with some of the logistical hiccups, Applandeo is a good development partner to work with. 

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a a product manager for a software company based in California. We have roughly 200 people and create SaaS products used by people around the world. As one of the product managers I help oversee everything related to our platform and product.

For what projects/services did your company hire Applandeo?

We decided to rebuild our mobile apps using Flutter. While we had developers internally to work on it, it was an extremely urgent project so we needed more experience Flutter developers.

Ultimately, we decided to supplement out existing teams with outside help to quickly get this project off the ground.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to create a brand new 5 start mobile app that people would love. It needed to be incredibly fast and easy to use.

How did you select Applandeo?

Applandeo reached out to us at the right time. After chatting with them we decided to move forward and try them out!

Describe the project in detail.

From our side it was pretty simple - we already had all of the requirements and designs needed to build it. All we needed was help getting those designs built. We were able to bring the developer into our team and have him act as an extension working alongside our in house devs.

What was the team composition?

Initially we were assigned a project manager and developer, but we handle all the project management in house so we ended up just utilizing the developer.

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

Thanks to Applandeo's help we were able to complete the project on time meeting all of our goals! We could not have done it without them.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Extremely effective. It was like they worked for our company directly instead of being an outside contractor.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their friendliness and willingness to work with us to figure out a structure that fit with out company. They are super responsive and delivered exactly as they promised!

Are there any areas for improvement?

Nope! Would definitely recommend to someone else looking for help with a software project!

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CIO at International Package Shipping located in the US. We ship consumer packages from the US to 183 locations around the world.

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

We have a custom shipping application that enables our customers, agents and foreign distributors to ship, track and distribute packages around the world. We are a fast growing company constantly expanding our capabilities. We were looking for a design/development company to grow with us. It was imperative the company could quickly learn our business, our systems and start adding value from day one.

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

We had narrowed down our search to three very competent firms. We chose Applandeo because they were by far the most flexible, adaptive, and easiest to work with, all very important attributes for a long-term relationship.

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

The scope of work extends beyond a single project, but initially, we needed to get our systems secured and ready for anything. Applandeo's DevOps team was quick to act and helped us set clear objectives for business continuity, defined the right team members, detailed the right network infrastructure, and then implemented the plan using AWS and a suite of new tools.

As the infrastructure team was working through the plan, the Applandeo developers were learning and documenting our custom code while keeping the application running with day-to-day maintenance, new API integrations, and optimizing our code base to be more elegant and extensible. This is certainly an on-going project and Applandeo's project management is critical in making things more clear and efficient. We are now in the process of planning new development projects for the coming year and the team continues to impress with their skill, knowledge, and agile development processes.

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

We worked with a Project Manager, DevOps and Development Leads.

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

Since working with Applandeo we have seen fewer bugs and fewer customer service calls relating to our shipping system. They certainly have enabled us to rest more easily knowing we have their support.

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

Applandeo manages our projects through Jira and Github. They use Slack for seamless communication by making all PM tools work together for fantastic visibility into all aspects of the work.

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

Applandeo moved very quickly and was able to come up to speed much earlier than I had hoped.

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

I do not have any areas for improvement as Applandeo has surpassed my expectations.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the co-CEO of a leading hospitality company in Switzerland.

For what projects/services did your company hire Applandeo?

We wanted to relaunch our company's website and apps.

What were your goals for this project?

We needed a modern, scalable and easily maintained platform that allowed for further development and software integration.

How did you select this vendor?

We interviewed them following a recommendation from a third party.

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

Applandeo rebuilt the frontend and backend of our three apps and company website from scratch with understandable coding techniques. The team prioritized performance and responsiveness when designing the various interfaces. Additionality, they digitized our in-house workflow and operative processes.

What was the team composition?

We worked with a project manager and a team of developers, which varied in size and composition according to project needs.

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

The relaunch was critical to the continued success of our company.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

We replaced the first project manager with a different representative that could handle the workflow. The second project manager paid close attention to detail and completed the website to our company's standards. The project benefitted from their open communication and honest feedback.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Applandeo had never worked on a project of this volume before. There was a steep learning curve, but their team compensated with a dedicated work ethic and a desire to improve.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

We made necessary improvements several times throughout the engagement and the team was able to adapt very well.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m a recruitment manager for an outsourcing company that is focused on the IT industry.

For what projects/services did your company hire Applandeo?

We worked closely together with Applandeo to integrate all recruitment-related data into one application tracking system (ATS).

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to improve our business processes and the daily activities of our HR team. The main challenge was to integrate several HR systems that we were using.

How did you select this vendor?

We’ve had good experiences working with the Applandeo team on previous projects.

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

Applandeo created a stable alpha version application within eight months, taking into consideration all factors that matter to us. They put all of our important data in one place, including key information about processes, candidates, and appointments. The ATS would also allow us to publish job offers on advertising portals directly from the application panel.

What was the team composition?

Applandeo provided us with a team of software development experts.

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

The ATS has replaced all of our tools, making our work faster and improving our business processes. Thanks to the new system, we’ve shortened our search time for candidates by 75%.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Applandeo’s project management was highly satisfying. They were very helpful at all stages of product development.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

We were impressed with their deep understanding of customer needs and perfect communication. Applandeo is a solid and trustworthy partner in software development.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the founder of an art and music startup that is based in Zurich, Switzerland and has been operating since 2011. 

For what projects/services did your company hire Applandeo?

We wanted to create the first live online teaching portal that exclusively incorporates all fields of art. We came to Applandeo with an unfinished version of the code that needed to be polished, fixed, and further developed.

What were your goals for this project?

Through the app, we want to connect students, teachers, and art lovers instantly. 

How did you select this vendor?

We used our prior experiences, personal contacts, and online searches including Clutch to get in touch with several companies. Applandeo offered the best services and has met our needs so far.

Describe the project in detail.

The app needed to have the best audio/video quality, a user-friendly interface, and a secure payment system. Since we want to expand the platform in the future, we used the most flexible and scalable tools and technologies.

Explain how the solution addressed your business challenge.

The app is easy to use, and the payment system is quick and safe, offering security for teachers and flexibility for students.

What was the team composition?

The team consisted of 6 people, including an exceptionally talented developer who acted as the team leader. 

What outcomes or results can you share that demonstrate progress and/or success?

Throughout the process, Applandeo was capable and flexible. They reacted quickly and possessed the competence and skills to accomplish our requests, even under extremely difficult circumstances. Their assistance allowed us to improve the code continuously.

How effective was the project management?

Their team is helpful and pleasant, and they have a great company culture. This observation was confirmed when we visited their headquarters in Krakow. We communicate and work with flexible tools and technologies.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their lead developer's skills are the most impressive. So far, he’s always come up with a satisfying solution, no matter how complicated our requests have been.

They are flexible, so they react quickly, which allows mistakes to be corrected swiftly and avoided in the future.