AppZoro Technologies, Inc.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

CopyThat is building a mobile application designed specifically for crew members within the film industry. We started out as a one-man shop, adding more people on board along the way. The company is very small and has been bootstrapped for its entire run.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with AppZoro Technologies?

In the film industry, everyone is an independent contractor responsible for getting their own jobs, so networking is essential. The current approach is to send out text messages to your entire list, either for getting hired or for finding someone to hire. It's a very inefficient process, and it's the predominant approach. I thought that having a place where every professional in the business could have a profile with a simple calendar detailing their availability would be an improvement. It would allow people to search for talent based on that information, saving time for all parties. I don't have technical expertise, so I was looking for a partner to build the app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The first main functionality of the app was creating user profiles with calendars. As we started working together, AppZoro's team and I became more excited about the project and kept adding new functionalities like an industry-specific forum. Every user who signs up can create a list of details about their department and craft, as well as their union and other information. This information will all contribute to how they show up in search results, similar to how Auto Trader works. The more filters someone applies, the more specific the results will be.

The forum is broken down by state and department, allowing people to post within their specific categories of interest. On top of that, we've added a whole side allowing production companies to manage their crews, which was something that I hadn't intended to build before meeting AppZoro.

How did you come to work with AppZoro Technologies?

I'm not a tech-savvy person, so I didn't know what the right places to look would be. I started by talking with friends from the tech area, met with a few people through them, but it proved to be too expensive. I was talking to professionals in the US, who are used to commanding high salaries. I then started to look for cheaper methods through Craigslist, but I didn't have a good experience. I proceeded to Google where I could find people in the tech space and found out about Atlanta Tech Village, which is a big meetup where people talk about coding and other subjects which were foreign to me. I decided to go anyway and met AppZoro's principal. I liked his personality and found him to be confident. We talked about AppZoro's other projects, and I had the impression that he knew everyone in the room. I had several signs in a row telling me that I should check what AppZoro is all about.

AppZoro developed the Android and iOS versions of the app at the same time, as well as the backend for the production company web portal.

How much have you invested with AppZoro Technologies?

I have personally invested around $30,000 in the project, with another $8,000 to $9,000 coming from other partners.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with AppZoro in August 2016. I had been working on the project by myself since February. We're hoping to put out a 1.0 version within the next couple of weeks.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

I haven't released the app to the public yet, but the people who have seen it are floored. I've received constant calls from people asking me when it will be released, even though the main reason for creating the app was to help myself. My goal was not to change the industry or make a million dollars. My life was becoming difficult because of the amount of time I had to spend trying to find the right people for different positions. The more I hashed the idea out with people in similar positions, the more I refined it. The word started traveling around Atlanta among higher-ups, who are the ones most interested in the app.

How did AppZoro perform from a project management standpoint?

I had never worked on a project like this before, so there was an initial learning curve. If anything went wrong, it was largely because of me. As we progressed, we nailed down a system for giving feedback. Once that was done, things went great.

I communicated with AppZoro's project manager through WhatsApp. He gave me weekly deliverables, and I was able to give him screenshots of the changes I wanted to make. The communication was always great. They tried to make it easier for me. AppZoro's Indian team was transferred to working at night, so I wouldn't have to stay up late.

What did you find most impressive about AppZoro Technologies?

I was most impressed with AppZoro's ability to develop the Android and iOS versions at the same time. Everyone I talked to about it assumed I would only create one version initially. When I launch the product, I won't exclude people because of their device types. This is important since the platform acts as a database, so it wouldn't be as good if people were excluded from it.

Are there any areas AppZoro Technologies could improve?

AppZoro's team could improve its language skills. Grammar is very important to me, and even though their English is good enough, it's not up to par with a native speaker's level. At the same time, I must pick and choose my battles, considering how much people charge for dedicated Android and iOS development in the US. I am willing to let a few grammatical errors go, but, if I have to choose something to criticize about AppZoro, it's this.

AppZoro is a young company, and I've seen them grow and get better in the short time we've worked together. I know that they will become huge, and people won't even believe the experience I had in the beginning.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are an importer and distributor of institutional textiles. I am the president and CEO of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with AppZoro Technologies?

We needed to design our e-commerce website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

After our initial meeting, AppZoro Technologies provided a few design samples for me to choose from. They set up a timeline and developed the WordPress site. AppZoro is also handling website maintenance and updates. We have special offers which need to be included on the site frequently. We are in the process of implementing e-commerce capabilities, and hope to achieve this within the next 30 days or so. AppZoro has also provided SEO [search engine optimization] services.

A technical person from our company was in charge of development details, while I was more concerned with the big picture.

How did you come to work with AppZoro Technologies?

I found AppZoro trough a reference from Atlanta Tech Village. I met with Sam Agarwal, AppZoro's owner, looked at a few samples of their work, and liked what they did. I needed to have a website delivered by a certain timeline, and AppZoro did what I asked for.

How much have you invested with AppZoro Technologies?

The cost of AppZoro's work has been $21,000 so far. Our total budget for the completed site was set at around $36,000. This sum will be payable as we progress.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with AppZoro in December 2016. They put together a specifications list after a week and completed the site 20 days later.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

The SEO work done by AppZoro Technologies has led to additional calls, some of which turned into sales. Calls and sales are up by at least 20% now that we've launched the site. I'm very happy with the results.

How did AppZoro Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

We had a daily update on the production progress and also discussed any changes we needed to make. AppZoro would make a revised version by the next day.

Are there any areas AppZoro Technologies could improve?

No. We were on the same page throughout the production of the website. We got what we wanted.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO of a healthcare technology platform

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire AppZoro Technologies, Inc., and what were your goals?

I hired them to build a mobile app as well as a PWA for my platform. To stay on budget and develop in the timeframe promised

SOLUTION

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

They were used successfully by others I know in the business

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

Mobile Native App for Android and IOS. Full desgin phase, timeline projections, Contributor phase and then will be continued with Consumer phase buildout.

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

AppZoro has a great team from front end to back end developers. We have calles once or twice a week and they are readily availble for impromtu calls anytime.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Deliverables have been outstanding thus far and on schedule. Project is ongoing and will be completed

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

Totalluy professional team. They go above and beyond to communicate direction and are responsive to feedback.

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

Their deliverables have been impressive for sure. Every week I get an updated version of the App and it just looks better and better every time.

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

Not at this time