AppWorks Software House

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Togo.to limited liability company is one of the leaders in youth tourism industry in Poland. We have been organizing summer and winter camps in the entire Europe for kids and youth for over 20 years.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire AppWorks Software House, and what were your goals?

Our main goal was to move the entire booking and management process to the Internet, as the travel industry has developed a lot in recent years. We needed reliable and fast tools to manage our operation, that would allow us to keep up with the competition (which is mostly big franchise travel agencies).

We had to shift the entire process from spreadsheets, docs and sometimes even paper to a web platform with CMS, CRM, online payments, and a lot of other features. Our goal was to build modern website which presents our offer in attractive way and create an efficient admin panel to manage all the reservations.

SOLUTION

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

We searched through the websites of our non-direct competition in a travel industry and found AppWorks signature in a footer of one of the best-performing websites. We made a call and after a short talk we arranged a meeting, which went very well.

Soon, after the specification was prepared, we received professional offer with a budget and timeline that met our expectations, and we decided to start our cooperation with AppWorks, which continues to this day.

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

The MVP of the project included build a website with dedicated CMS that would allow us to present our offer in the way we wanted and provide our clients with the best possible user experience. In terms of UX, apart from guiding users through the entire booking process (which is quite complex in our industry), we put the most focus on the user panel which was vital for us as it allowed our customers to manage their reservations themselves and saved us ton of work.

The admin panel on the other hand, allowed us to build our offer from scratch: staring with destination, hotels, description, tour-dates, pre-departure information, contracts: ending with managing pick-up locations before each tour. Shortly after we published the new website, we started working on implementing online payments and the project become an eCommerce platform in its full glory.

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

I personally had contact with three people, the CEO of AppWorks, project manager and one developer, but I’m aware of one more developer and UX/UI designer involved in the project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our cooperation with AppWorks Software House started so long ago that rather than saying how much it helped us, we can say that they've been a partner in our systematic growth. Every year we have more reservations and more clients coming from our website.

We can also see growing charts in Google Analytics (except for COVID-19 times which were terrible for the entire industry). In general, we are very satisfied with this vendor. Therefore, we are still investing in development of the web application made by AppWorks, and soon we’re going to launch a native mobile app, firstly for our external needs of staff management later also for our clients.

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

After the beginning of our cooperation and writing down all project guidelines, e-mails were the main channel of communication. At later stages, when we wanted to report new, additional features or some changes, we scheduled regular video calls with the lead engineer responsible for the project.

Big changes or new modules were always approved via e-mail before being implemented. Most of the work was delivered on time. There were slight delays in deadlines, but they were often caused by changes in expectations/demands after the work has started.

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

I think what I value the most is the response time, even though it is sometimes after hours. Bugs happen even in the best solutions but knowing there is someone we can rely on to fix them when they happen is a true comfort.

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

There were a couple of things in the beginning of our cooperation that we would change, but as we continued work in the next years, we got rid of things to complain about.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are the regional leader in the field of gas distribution. We specialize in supplying technical, medical and food gasses as well as liquid nitrogen to medical facilities and producers in the entire country. I am a board member and COO of Karo and I oversee most of the processes within the company. I am responsible for coordinating all the development of our custom software (the web app and mobile app).

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire AppWorks Software House, and what were your goals?

Our company has grown to a point where it was impossible to manage all the processes without a digital and automated management system. We needed a solution that would cover and optimize the entire operation of our company and help us gain an edge in our market.

AppWorks provided us with the custom ERP system in the form of a web app integrated with a mobile app that helped us work faster, gain better control of our operations and most importantly: grow further as a company.

SOLUTION

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

We had a mutual business partner with the AppWorks CEO who recommended this company as we were looking for a custom software manufacturer, after not being fully satisfied with other contractors. We tried to work with a couple of smaller-scale applications with other suppliers, but AppWorks was the first company that possessed the actual know-how and experience to provide us with the comprehensive solution that we needed.

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

Initially we started with only a web application that helped us manage the main areas of our activity. The app allowed us to run orders and plan delivery routes more efficiently and automated all processes around it. Starting with typical CRM-like features regarding clients repositories, it covered modules such as staff, fleet and warehouse management.

The web app was very effective and benefited greatly to the effectiveness of our office staff. Soon we started to seek improvement also among our production workers and drivers and a couple months later AppWorks built a mobile app synchronized with the main system specifically for those mentioned above. The goal of the app was to allow warehouse directors and drivers to communicate with the office easily and without any paperwork.

After implementing the mobile app we were able to control the delivery process as drivers registered all their activities and the current route progress in the app. Right now (as of October 2022) our custom software from AppWorks - or eKaro as we call it - is the major IT tool in our company and we still invest to make it bigger and cover even the most detailed processes.

Additionally, we already agreed with AppWorks on creating an eCommerce platform on top of our warehouse module which will be released in the mid 2023.

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

After long talks with the CEO of AppWorks who helped us establish the specification of the project we worked mostly with the project manager who first guided us throughout the schedule and then reported and consulted us after each stage.

To my knowledge there were 3 software engineers and the CEO involved throughout the project, but it varied over time.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

As we changed data collection method along with the new system implementation we do not have jaw-dropping charts to present how efficient the software made by AppWorks was to us, but it definitely made a huge impact on our company in so many fields: we were able to decrease paperwork, the flow of information is so much better, the employees are becoming more independent and most importantly it optimized operation costs and have more control over our entire business activity.

We keep on investing in the project as it comes back to us in profits. AppWorks has been a partner in our growth and we’re pretty sure it won't change in the foreseeable future.

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

In the initial stage, project management was done by the AppWorks CEO and later by the project manager, who is an engineer himself, so we were able to get updates firsthand. Most of the time we had weekly sprints and meetings at the end of each week, but it varied over time.

Communication-wise I have absolutely no complaints - we were always well-informed and they always replied quickly if we had any issues to discuss. They also met most of the deadlines and some slight delays were reported early and were never an issue for us.

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

I think the most impressive thing was that we never heard from any AppWorks team member that something is impossible. Gas distribution is no rocket science, but our business model is quite unique and they basically managed to cover the Karo’s activity in an integrated environment where everything works together and saves us tons of time without a stutter.

We have big plans for new modules in the system and we have no doubt AppWorks will meet our expectations.

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

I genuinely can't think of any flaws in our cooperation with AppWorks. As a client we are always prepared for the meetings and our specifications are clear, so I guess we made it easier for them, but still - we have nothing to complain about.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a Project Manager tasked with oversight of platform development. I coordinate all custom software being build for DBR77.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire AppWorks Software House, and what were your goals?

Appworks was with us from the start (even before I began to work here), they build our business from ground up software-wise. They provided core of our marketplace platform along with architecture and software roadmap, only later we hired some inhouse programmers to build feature branches. Now they still develop core of the platform while also building our Digital Twin product.

SOLUTION

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

AppWorks was recommended to us through our CEO’s business partners who cooperated with them. After doing few side projects previous to DBR77 they established ongoing business relationship.

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

That’s a long story, first of we started with a vision of marketplace of integrations with 3D simulation/presentation tool between industrial integrators and manufacturers seeking their way in industry 4.0. They had to develop it from the scrach (except 3D Studio we handled inhouse although they had to build communication with it and some UI to it on their side), it involved everything you would expect from marketplace users, offers, biddings, algorithmic analysis, communication between both parties, payments (custom solution due to large single transaction’s amount between $400k and $2mil), risk matrixes and a lot of other analysis tools (OE, ROI etc.)

Then we had to do a partial pivot and we developed and still work on Digital Twin, which involves a lot of microservices that use a whole range of protocols to connect to client’s software with data from machines and ERP/MES (MQTT, AMQP, TCP and others). It also involves a lot of data mapping and tools that facilitate doing so by user as well as real time stuff (I don’t know the technology involved here).

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

The team had varied in size and positions as requirements and deliverables changed. We started off with their CTO, UX designer and software architect to create plans, roadmaps, wireframes, lofi mockups and architecture through workshops. Then we worked for some time with UX designer and architect to finalize the underlying documentation. After it was ready to be developed we were joined by 3-4 software engineers and CTO. This team is still with us to this day.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were able to start this startup by using software provided by AppWorks, We are getting 2nd round of financing at the moment so I would say they did a great job and without them this complex project would fail.

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

Project Management was mostly done by me and their CTO, project was developed into roadmap and split into weekly sprints, they had to deal with a lot of changes at the beginning due to nature of startup, vision adaptation and market feedback. They did quite well, there were some missed deadlines but I can’t held them accountable for that as we were adding tasks to their sprints (coming meetings with investors, presentations and other events).

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

Their ability to understand requirements and suggests improvements in areas they never worked before according to my knowledge. They grasped our industry and how production lines operate in mere minutes.

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

We had some issues at the beginning with communication with their CTO, but that was quickly resolved. We had some issues at the beginning with communication with their CTO, but that was quickly resolved. Although I would probably go by without that issue.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Event Manager of Eventspot Sp.z o.o.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Everest, one of Poland's top business networking conferences, debuted in 2023 with great success, and its next edition, a two-day event held in May 2024, was also met with excellent feedback.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire AppWorks Software House to accomplish?

• Create the best event mobile app on the market.
• Find a complete solution for all our event IT support needs
• Develop our own sales platform to avoid reliance on third-party software.
• Enhance and digitize networking with built-in app features exclusive to our conference.
• Add interactive features and live networking games using cutting-edge technology.

SOLUTION

How did you find AppWorks Software House?

Referral

Why did you select AppWorks Software House over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from AppWorks Software House were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Initially, AppWorks designed the UX and UI for our new website and mobile application using FIGMA. Following this, they undertook simultaneous development in three key areas:

• Developing a website with an eCommerce module for selling tickets in various packages and configurations.
• Creating a feature-rich mobile application with social capabilities, such as friend-adding, an integrated messenger, options for arranging meetings at networking tables, signing up for networking games, speaker ratings, and notably, live games engaging over 1,000 participants simultaneously, which required substantial server capacity.
• Constructing a web-based administration panel for efficient management of participants, tickets, news, agendas, and all other content within the application.

Additionally, our app featured:

• A mobile application specifically for organizers, allowing efficient scanning of attendee tickets during event registration.
• Integration with large screens at the event for enhanced interaction and display.

In 2024, the app was enhanced with new features and a completely redesigned UX, making it even better than before.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

The most measurable outcome of our project was the remarkable success of the Everest conference in both 2023 and 2024. The application played a crucial role in event registration and saw extensive usage. Participants enthusiastically engaged with the social features, praising the app for enhancing the business relationships they developed. 
Additionally, all networking games ran smoothly through the app, earning positive reviews. The Everest app, created by AppWorks, was one of the standout highlights of our events.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Project management was well-organized and clear, giving us complete oversight of the project's progress. In 2023, despite being our conference's inaugural edition and changes being made in real-time, everything was delivered on schedule. 
AppWorks was notably adaptable and handled the challenges exceptionally well. It's also important to highlight that members of AppWorks technical support were with us at the conference, which was incredibly helpful.

What was your primary form of communication with AppWorks Software House?

• In-Person Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Firstly, they effectively covered nearly all our IT requirements. We received a mobile application for both participants and the organizers (for scanning tickets), along with a comprehensive panel for managing all the event's marketing content. Lastly, they provided an eCommerce system to support ticket sales. It was a huge advantage having all these services from a single company. Secondly, their flexibility was remarkable. 
Organizing such a large event for the first time was challenging, but AppWorks adjusted to the shifting work dynamics and met the deadline, which was crucial as it couldn’t be moved.

Are there any areas for improvement or something AppWorks Software House could have done differently?

In 2023, we received great feedback, but together with AppWorks, we've identified areas for further improvement. For 2024, we incorporated this feedback into the app, resulting in even better reviews. While we plan to continue enhancing the app, we're doing so with confidence, knowing we already have a remarkable product.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO of Torunski Inkubator Przedsiebiorczosci

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are a business incubator and we design programs to help young startups grow and innovate. We provide workspaces, mentorship, education and access to investors for startups or sole entrepreneurs, as well as all the tools to run a business in the initial stage of operation.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire AppWorks Software House to accomplish?

• We acquired EU funding for a project aimed at developing new methods and tools to promote business activity among university graduates and the unemployed. The main objective of this project was to create a digital environment that would allow startups to run an entire business activity in an integrated workplace. Our official enquiry requested creating a web and mobile application covering all the potential needs of new businesses.

SOLUTION

How did you find AppWorks Software House?

Online Search, Referral

Why did you select AppWorks Software House over others?

High ratings, Close to my geographic location, Good value for cost, Referred to me

What was the size of AppWorks Software House’s team?

6-10 Employees

What was your primary form of communication with AppWorks Software House?

In-Person Meeting, Email or Messaging App

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

The project required creating a web platform integrated with a mobile application for both iOS and Android, and was divided into 4 modules:

1. Bookkeeping module for managing finances, human resources and virtual banking. The module covers tools such as invoicing, tax and social security rates calculators, document generators and built-in communicators with the incubator employees.
2. Knowledge base module which included a vast repository of e-learning material such as videos and presentations.
3. Job and contractor site aimed at job and business enquiry listings allowing potential contractors and the ordering parties as well as job seekers and employers to post ads and connect with each other.
4. Workspace bookings in the form of multiple interactive calendars allowing users to book workspaces, from single desks in the coworking facilities to conference rooms.

All functionalities mentioned above are available in both the web app and the mobile app allowing for the automated and digitized flow of information and eliminating the need to use external, independent software.

Except for the general improvement in the incubator management, the platform contributed substantially to decreasing the overall cost of operation of the company: both due to reducing administration costs and the cost of the software it replaced.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Before launching the platform, we struggled with a lot of external tools for different parts of our business operation; we used different software for accounting, data storage, calendars, communication and a few more - which generated big administrative and upkeep costs and prevented further growth of our business.

Thanks to the new tools we implemented with AppWorks we are past these problems and we can focus on acquiring new clients with a more complex and attractive business offer.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

I guess the management of this project was harder than usual due to the short amount of time we had. Some sprints had to overlap and in overall: the things had to be sped up a bit.

Regardless of that, the project was managed neatly and we were always updated with the work progress. Due to our close location to AppWorks offices we were able to host frequent meetings in person, complemented with email communication. Timeliness was spotless.

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

They provided us with a complex solution to our problems and met all the requirements of the project, but the most incredible thing was how they managed to do it in such a challenging deadline. I believe they're capable of everything in terms of web and mobile software development.

Are there any areas for improvement or something AppWorks Software House could have done differently?

Not to my knowledge. Let alone, they met a very challenging deadline, and the project fulfilled our needs - some parts were/in some parts it was even better than we expected.