Appventurez

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CTO of an IT services company, and we’re a telematics supplier in the Netherlands. We install additional hardware on vehicles in order to track them and help out fleet managers in managing their fleet digitally.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Appventurez?

We had some IT requirements we needed to accomplish, but we didn’t need permanent positions to do that. As a result, we thought that it was better to outsource our development tasks. We then reached out to Appventurez to provide us with developers and testers who could work on our project.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Appventurez created our mobile apps, which were available on both iOS and Android. They used Flutter to develop our mobile apps. The first app’s purpose was for drivers to manage their trips. The second app was for drivers to access vehicle bookings. Then, the third app was for fleet managers so that they could manage their users, download reports, and more. The team also developed two websites for us, and when they developed them, we already had an existing framework.

What is the team composition?

We worked with a tester, a backend engineer, a website developer, and a mobile developer.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $120,000–$130,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from July 2020–October 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The team already completed our project, but the quality of their outputs could’ve improved more. Our internal team had to conduct a lot of reviews for Appventurez, so the amount of time before a solution was approved was higher than expected. Some of their technical staff were good, and some of them weren’t so great, which in turn pushed our project timeline further.

How did Appventurez perform from a project management standpoint?

Instead of us consulting them, it should’ve been the other way around. We were very sloppy and were more reliant on the method they wanted to adopt. Their team should take into account the differences that we had since we were based in the Netherlands and they were based in India.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were very knowledgeable although they still had a lot of room for improvement in their project management area. I also had a good relationship with them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could improve their project management process.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be as intense as possible on the project management aspect of the engagement. Additionally, keep the communication lines open. More importantly, be very on point with the review of the deliveries you’re getting from them.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the head of Tech of Clear which is a healthcare startup based in the Netherlands.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Initially, I hired another company, but I struggled with the final product. I worked with them for six months and the end product was not satisfactory for me. It didn’t work smoothly and the way I was expecting for my app. I decided to look for another company to help me with the development of the application.

I needed to develop and scale up my mobile app and backend. We also needed an internal Portal so our team could support users with nutrition-related queries.

SOLUTION

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

We chose the vendor based on their past experience, expertise, timeline, and cost estimate.

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

We had the kickoff meeting after which we had daily standup calls and daily status update at the end of the day. The key deliverables were App and backend services, architecture, portal, firebase services, OPs, etc.

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

I was in contact with eight members of their team. The team consists of the project manager, 1 AWS architect, 2 Flutter developers (iOS/Android), 2 Backend developers, 1 front-end developer, and a QA expert.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

After working with them, we saw that our time to market increased by 70%. Also, our cost reduced drastically. There were never unexpected or hidden costs added. The stability of the environment increased and our app had a crash-free rate of > 98%.

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

We had a daily standup and sometimes many in-between communications as needed. I must say that they are flexible with whatever communication style clients want to follow. For example, I left the internal coordination, updating of the Jira board, and sending of the status report to the Project manager but I still had the liberty to directly contact the developers.

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

They committed to the schedule and they delivered exactly on time. They were fast when replying to my comments and adjustments. They worked through the lockdown, and they were able to work from home. The most important quality is that they are flexible and are aware of their responsibility.

They take the feedback of the client seriously and are open to replacing the resource if you are not happy with it. This is a rare quality that you find in such companies.

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

We had two communication oversight over the period of 1 year of working together which was quickly resolved. One time it took 2-3 weeks to find a good resource for the job which could have been quicker but I also understand that the lockdown period had a major impact on the recruitment process.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am CTO for the Amaze Mobility B.V. I am responsible for the Global launch of the Amaze mobility mobile and portal applications. We are launching this application with the partnership of Amsterdam municipality to help commuters to travel easily (plan, book, pay) for all transport in the Netherlands. And help then with the travel expense mgmt.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

There is more than 30 external integration and hence keeping the integrations live 24*7 and mobile app available to commuters was a big challenge. Also, Data normalization from all the different transport operators is very complex and time-consuming.

SOLUTION

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

We had RFP done with 3 companies and we selected Appventurez since they were best with solutioning and delivery time.

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

All Sprint delivery, testing, deployment in Prod and also aftercare

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

between 20-25 resources. We have complete sprint teams and Architects.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were able to deliver the project in time and budget. Also the solutining of the project is very good.

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

We communicate through jira, slack and Teams. We work in scrum sprints of 2 weeks.

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

Communication is very clear and delivery timelieness are always met.

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

no.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the COO and co-founder of a digital retail signage startup. We market our apps to vendors who sell cell phones, tablets, laptops, TVs, or any other product featuring a screen. The app is designed to be installed on these devices when they’re displayed in stores to showcase promotional materials and information.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Appventurez?

We needed a partner to help us with some aspects of the mobile app development process.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They assisted us with developing some of the native, web-based applications that support our iOS and Android solutions. We started off by talking with a salesperson who described their development processes. They also asked questions about our development processes, such as what our preferred development methodologies were, what code repositories we used, and if we used the agile framework. After that, they worked to fit within our processes and deliver the requested updates.

How did you come to work with Appventurez?

I believe we found them through Clutch, as we did with a previous vendor. We wanted to find someone who could become a long-term partner of ours after the project’s completion.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $25,000 on the first iteration of the project. In total, we’ve spent approximately $100,000 with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together on this project from May–July 2020. Since then, we’ve continued to work with them on various improvements.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

When considering this project, the speed of delivery and quality of deliverables mattered most to us. Their dedication to exceeding deadlines wherever possible has been great. In addition, they’ve provided us with high-quality, well-organized code that rarely ever has any bugs.

Working with an external firm makes it difficult to impart the nuances of what matters most to your brand. From the beginning of the engagement, though, we were able to keep each other honest by following established procedures. In doing so, they’ve come to quickly understand our needs and the specificities of our industry.

How did Appventurez perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicate via Slack and use Jira and Confluence for project management purposes. They assigned a specific project manager who works with us. Starting with use cases and descriptions of processes, we agree upon specific tasks and timelines and everything assigned in Jira. Their communication has been tremendous. I’m a little embarrassed to say it, but they communicate more effectively than my team does.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They take ownership of what they’re doing. Rather than simply doing what they’re told, they offer up their own suggestions with the necessary reasoning to back them up.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There are ways that anyone could improve, but I don’t think they exhibit any negative qualities that warrant discussing. They’ve exceeded all expectations.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you’re outsourcing any work, make sure to keep your system architect in-house. I would offer this advice to anyone, not just someone working with Appventurez. I’ve been involved in projects with outsourced architects and the foundation of the work on those projects tends to get lost as the engagement goes on.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a project manager at Citron Mobile GmbH, a small business that creates mobile applications. We are based in Switzerland.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Appventurez?

We were looking for a developer that could help us with mobile app development. We use Flutter as our development technology, and we needed a senior developer that could manage the skills we required.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Appventurez provides development support in Flutter. They’re also currently helping us create apps for our clients and portfolio. 

What is the team composition?

We just have one senior developer who fully works for us.

How did you come to work with Appventurez?

We came across Appventurez through a Google search. We chatted with them a bit and had a good feeling about them. They had the set of skills within their senior development team that we were looking for.

We started a month of tests, and things went well after that month; we were happy with them, so we moved forward.

How much have you invested in them?

We have spent around $10,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

The engagement began in November 2019, and we are still working with them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They move at a good pace, so we are really happy. The quality of development is good; we have already created and developed almost three apps over the last three months. They are not all live yet, but one is in the store, one will be released very soon, and the other one we are currently working on.

How did Appventurez perform from a project management standpoint?

I do all of the project management myself. We have 3–4 calls a week with the developer to check the progress. We ask him to complete tasks, and they are always done as we want them to be. The development is of good quality. Although he works in India and there is a time difference, the developer is flexible with our schedule.

We use Jira for project management and a scrum methodology. They have a perfect knowledge of those tools and fit really well with those programs. We work in sprints, which are 3–4 weeks. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They deliver good quality. We do a review each time we finish a sprint, and it is good every time. They try to follow and respect what we want and, until now, things have been working well. We had worked with freelancers in the past, but they weren’t working for us 100%, so we don’t have much to compare to, but things have been going well.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It is all good. We just have a tiny thing when it comes to our weekly calls. The communication is good between us, but, from time to time, there are connection breaks and some background noise during the calls. The calls are still good, and it isn’t terrible, but we think there might be some room for improvement there. We will continue working with them as long as the results continue to be as good as they are now.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I would advise trying them out for a month and seeing if it goes well, as we did. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and manager of a large company responsible for buying and selling cars in Kuwait and were established in 2011.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Appventurez?

We currently have a website and social media accounts but wanted to build a mobile application as well.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We hired Appventurez to build and design an application. Most of the work was getting images of wireframes. They gave us a different design than what we asked for, which was possibly an existing design they just made some changes to.

What is the team composition?

I have worked with five people. One of the team members provided all of the information to us, guaranteeing the quality of the work. Then we engaged with one of their project managers instead.

How did you come to work with Appventurez?

I searched online for the top 10 companies in India and tried to contact them all. I prepared many questions to see who could best answer them and looked at who had the best experience and what applications they’d done. Appventurez was unique and one of their team members answered all my questions as if there would be no challenges for them to do the work. I even researched his answers and found out that he was right about everything.

It seemed like the other companies weren’t sure if they could do this job or not. We decided to go with this company because they guaranteed they could do all the work and were up to the level for doing this job.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $10,000–$25,000 so far. We agreed that $17,000 was going to be a fixed price. After I gave them more details about the project, they increased the budget by about twice as much. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Appventurez in August 2019 and the work is currently ongoing. However, I now have to search for a new company to take on this project so the status is unclear.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

How did your relationship with the vendor evolve?

They started off strong in the beginning, but, while we were going through building the app, we noticed that we were paying them but not receiving anything. They haven’t published anything online so far, so I don’t know the quality of their work. We only received timetables of the work they’re doing, back-and-forth emails, and some wireframe pictures. Other than that, I haven’t seen anything.

They sent us an email where they confessed that this work was beyond their expertise. They felt it would take more time and effort, and they were unable to do that. I was shocked by this, and we tried to find a way to mitigate the problem.

How was project management handled?

Their management isn’t good, so we managed the project ourselves. After working with them for a few months, they disappeared and didn’t answer any phone calls, messages, or emails. 2–3 key people from their company tried to contact us and make more money. 

Then, they gave us some feedback on what we discussed and the things that we should prepare for each other. This seemed like mostly a waste because it took a lot of time for no results. We’ve had to double the deadline, so we’ve been very patient with this company. 

Unfortunately, they tried to make another agreement, in which they’d charge more money. They increased the price and gave us three months of maintenance and updates, instead of a year like we asked for. After not hearing back, I asked them for a refund, but they didn’t give me anything. We haven’t heard anything back from them.

Unfortunately, now I have to work with another company and go through steps I don’t want to take. 

Is there anything that the vendor did well or that you would consider a strength?

In the beginning, when I first called them, they were fast to respond. They were there for me during that time, and they would listen and work. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Everything could improve. As a company, they have to look to the future and care about their applications, not just take deals without doing the job. They should be honest from the beginning on whether or not they can do the work, even if they have to hire a third party. Unfortunately, I didn’t receive anything and they took the money without delivering the work. We feel like we’ve been deceived by this company. 

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

I don’t recommend that anyone work with Appventurez, unless it’s a very small job, and I recommend to not pay in advance. Clients should pay after they’ve received the work, or when they’re guaranteed to see something. When companies get paid, sometimes they stop caring about the quality of the work. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the project coordinator for a medical communications app.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Appventurez?

We wanted to develop an app for internal use.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They developed our app for medical communications. It’s an in-house app for our employees.

While we didn’t provide any wireframes, we simply reviewed the design previews they showed us. They were able to convert our expectations into the prototype. They implemented both Android and iOS versions of the app.

The app features virtual doctors; my colleagues seeking medical services can call and book an appointment on the app. The registered doctor could even visit their house. The app features a nuanced pricing model and different promotions.

Currently, Appventurez is providing maintenance and ongoing support.

What is the team composition?

We were only in communication with a couple of their project managers who were overseeing their team of developers.

How did you come to work with Appventurez?

We researched a couple of companies and compared the product offerings of these agencies. We wanted a one-stop solution, and Appventurez seemed to be a full-service firm.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in March 2019 and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We shared this internal app with our 200 employees, who were very happy with it. They didn’t voice any concerns or issues. The UX/UI of the app was excellent, so it became popular within our office quite quickly.

They were even able to suggest and implement features we hadn’t thought of. They were great in that respect.

How did Appventurez perform from a project management standpoint?

They were professionals who respected and adhered by deadlines. They always met or exceeded expectations. We used Jira for project management, and in every two-week sprint, they were able to showcase their project progress. While I wasn’t involved in the development of the app, I was monitoring the process, and they didn’t experience any roadblocks.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They don’t make any false commitments, and they deliver on time. They make suggestions and give good advice.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they’re very professional in the way they work. They’re really the best.  

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Any potential client should be open to feedback from their end. When they’re developing an app, communication should go both ways. Trust them, because they’re enormously experienced.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the co-founder of a crowdfunding platform.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Appventurez?

We were looking for someone that could do web development for our platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

In the beginning, we had the idea of a new crowdfunding platform with the added twist of it being produced by affiliating with other companies. We didn’t have a whole concept, and they essentially developed the whole idea with us.

Our first concept didn’t work out, but then we began with this one. They did everything when it came to IT, from building the platform to implementing the payment service and advertisements; every technical aspect was done by Appventurez. The platform was developed as a web platform with a mobile option. We are thinking about doing an app as well, but we felt it was a smarter idea to start with a web page.

What is the team composition?

We worked with Mike (Business Head, Appventurez), as well as around 20 other people, including the marketing team.

How did you come to work with Appventurez?

We found Appventurez and another four companies on Clutch. I sent them all an email and 10 minutes later I received a call from Mike – and I also received responses from the others.  It all went very quickly from there. Appventurez was quicker than the others and it seemed like they really understood what I was talking about.

How much have you invested in them?

We have spent around $35,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them in June 2019, and the work is still ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They have been there to accompany us and support us. We are finalizing a few things and will be going online in several weeks. We plan to work with them in the future, taking care of the technical maintenance as well as security.

There aren’t many teams that can build a crowdfunding platform with some social media aspects and social network aspects from scratch. They have a broad range of expertise, and I had a lot of fun with the project. They always delivered before the set timelines.

How did Appventurez perform from a project management standpoint?

For me, it’s easiest to communicate via email and WhatsApp. When there is a need for a conference, we simply schedule a call. There have been no problems, and everything runs smoothly.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They always have a smart solution, which I’m really amazed by. There’ve been things that I didn’t know, and they sometimes had to do research as well. The answers they give are always sufficient and reliable. I feel that they really know what they are doing and have fun with their job, which is an important aspect.

They have other projects going on as well, but for me, it feels like the customer is king and that they’re really taking the time for me. It has been a very good experience

Are there any areas they could improve?

Frankly, no.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the managing director and CEO of Symbyotic Technologies, an outsourcing development company. I perform consulting services and outsource development to companies based in India and the Philippines for my clients.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Appventurez?

I hired Appventurez to develop a tablet-based mobile application for one of my clients that works in the home automation domain.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Appventurez developed the smarthome application for iOS and Android. It can also be used on tablets and iPads. The platform has GPS capabilities, along with Bluetooth and wireless technology integrations. Whenever a new device comes into the market, I ask Appventurez to add that capability.

What is the team composition?

I interacted with seven developers.

How did you come to work with Appventurez?

I saw their profile on Clutch. Their team explained their capabilities much better than other companies. Their prices were also reasonable.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested $125,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement with Appventurez began in April 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Appventurez delivers good work. Because of the change in specifications for the hardware, there was a slight delay. Overall, their team has been supportive.

How did Appventurez perform from a project management standpoint?

I appreciate their flexibility. Appventurez is proactive in communicating with my hardware vendor as well. Since I’m between my hardware provider and Appventurez’s software developers, it is nice that they have a separate synergy between them.

They’re collaborative. Communication is good. Skype and Basecamp are some of the tools we use. Most of the time, their project managers are active. They are transparent, sending weekly progress updates.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Appventurez is competent in the technologies I need. When the tech stack had to change, they did their own research. Their experience in the iOS marketplace is also very good. Their team provided helpful suggestions on how I should deploy the project in the market. Appventurez is a good technology partner for my business.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could improve on their UX/UI skillset, become more global, and research more about geographical areas.