APPly Pressure Developers

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder of HomeKich, a home delivery service. We contact local people who make meals from their kitchens and don’t have the capabilities for delivery. Our goal is to give them the opportunity to put their menu on the app, so they serve on their own, and we handle the delivery and keep a small fee.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with APPly Pressure Developers?

We had the idea and were looking for someone to build our app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

APPLy Pressure Developers developed three mobile apps and a web app for us. Initially, the project was only one mobile app. However, with how our business model works, we needed functionality for the customers, the kitchens, and the drivers. The APPLy Pressure Developers team advised us that incorporating all three functionalities into one app would make it a bit crowded, so they suggested splitting the project into different applications. 

First, they did a design round, delivered the designs to us, and made the changes we asked for. From there, they developed an app for the customers, one for the kitchens, and one for the drivers. All apps are compatible with iOS and Android, and the team used Flutter for development. 

They included a feature in the kitchen app that allows users to package items together and offer discounts. The driver app shows users an open queue where orders pop up, and if they’re within range, they can select an order to deliver. From there, they pick up the order, and the customer can follow their trajectory on their app. 

Additionally, they built a web app where I can log in and find an admin dashboard that lets me manage the business, including updating princess and adding or deleting shops. APPly Pressure Developers also advised us about getting a hosting account for the apps. 

What is the team composition?

I was only in contact with an account manager. Aside from that, two developers worked on my project. 

How did you come to work with APPly Pressure Developers?

I found them on Bark. I posted my idea on the site, and within five minutes, I was bombarded with many calls and emails. APPly Pressure Developers reached out to me first, explained the whole development process, and gave me a nice snapshot of the process in a nutshell. They also gave me some pain points that I could expect and a good idea of the delivery. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around £13,000 (approximately $16,000 USD). 

What is the status of this engagement?

The project lasted from October 2020–August 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I get the best responses from our clients about the app. Whenever I show the customer to people, they praise the sleek design; it looks like what you’d expect from a high-end delivery app, which was the feel we wanted to capture. 

On the kitchen side, the users like the bundling feature, which isn’t something they find in other apps. Meanwhile, the drivers’ app works as it should and is functional. APPly Pressure Developers really got the vision down of what we were after. Overall, I have nothing but good things to say about their app development work. 

Often, development companies have their teams outsourced to a different country, which was what I was expecting. When I found out APPly Pressure Developers’  team was local and centralized, that was a definite plus. I can’t imagine a different development team understanding the project as they did. Moreover, they were spot on with their original estimates of price, timeline, and pain points.

How did APPly Pressure Developers perform from a project management standpoint?

They stayed within the original budget, even with a few changes here and there. The only issue we had was a couple of weeks of delay just before the final delivery. However, this might have been caused by a few changes I made while they were in development. 

APPly Pressure Developers gave me access to a Jira board to keep me up to date with the project and what the developers were working on. We met through Google Meet every two weeks for updates, brainstorming, and ensuring everyone was on the same page. Additionally, their communication skills were good. We used WhatsApp for communication and Google Drive or email for document-sharing. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

APPly Pressure Developers is very thorough, and they really took us through the project phases. They separated the work into steps and only moved on to the next part when we were happy with the results. 

Moreover, they charged us for each phase as they went along instead of asking us to pay the entire price at once. I’ve been in situations where I’ve committed more than 50% of the cost before seeing any work, and it tends to go downhill. I appreciated that they took the project in bits and pieces and got our approval as they progressed. Additionally, my account manager and I are both from Saint Lucia,  which was a strong point for me, personally. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could always work a bit more quickly and in line with their timeline projection. Aside from that, they were pretty solid. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you come to them with a design, that should cut down on your cost because that was about 20%–25% of the overall cost of our project.