April Innovations

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am an executive at BSS Microfinance Limited

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We provide money lending services via our Micro Finance offerings.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire April Innovations to accomplish?

• Loan Passbook with Online Payment
• Customers full profile
• Value added services

SOLUTION

How did you find April Innovations?

• Online Search
• Referral

Why did you select April Innovations over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from April Innovations were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

This is first in India when a microfinance company is providing all the services via a mobile application. This app is going to be used by all our customers (currently 16L+) and gradually, we'll discontinue our paper based loan Passbook approach. Also, this app is build with online payment option which is very seamless and easy to use.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

On every milestone completion, we were presented a demo of the solution and asked for the feedback. Based on the scope defined, this was measured by the respective team.

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

It was always anon-time delivery with proper insight and proper thought process. April Innovations team went through all possibilities and build the application.

What was your primary form of communication with April Innovations?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

The way they handle all the integrations and 3rd party communication. Their idea and code development process is the most impressive.

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

They have handled the project very well. I don't see any point which should get highlighted here.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the proprietor of Manoj Enterprises. Manoj Enterprises primarily deals in Yarn Trading. But due to the pandemic our business was affected severely and hence decided to get into mobile app space.

To launch an alternate line of business in Mobile Apps. Cam and Doc Scanner App is our first of many apps to come focusing on productivity challenges of people on their phones.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire April Innovations?

Since we are completely new to the App development space we consulted April Innovations about the kind of apps that are most popular and can make returns on the next 2-3 years.

Once the Mobile productivity apps were analysed and showed the potential to get the maximum returns, we hired April Innovations to Design and develop Cam and Doc Scanner App with PDF Editor Pro.

What were your goals for this project?

The goal for this project was to create an app that could challenge the domination of Cam Scanner App.

SOLUTION

How did you select April Innovations?

I searched online and got in touch with many developers on clutch.co but we found April Innovations to be the best amongst all the companies as they understood the challenges we were facing with the pandemic and were spot on with their analysis of the kind category of so that we must target to build in order to get a decent return on investment over next 2-3 years.

They were very upfront and honest about the app development cost and time.

Describe the project in detail.

1. I consulted the developers about the category of apps to build that can generate ad revenue as well as generate revenue through premium paid functionality.
2. Based on the analysis shortlisted April Innovations
3. They shared the screen designs and wireframes
4. Iterated through the designs couple of times.
5. Started development.
6. They shared builds in between milestones
7. Tested the app
8. Launched the app

What was the team composition?

Initially for consulting the founder of the company was involved. Once the project was finalized an app designer and project manager was assigned to us.

Later on, 2 Android developers started developing the project and one tester was provided in the end to test and verify all the use cases

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The App got a great response and is selected in the top 10 apps under the make in India initiative of the government.

A government agency is looking to incorporate the app for their e-governance initiatives.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The team was very easy to work with. We did face some initial issues in the ideation phase however things were quickly sorted once we clarified the flow of the app.

The project went without much issues. There was a fortnightly call scheduled with the team.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

April Innovations knows the Mobile app market very well. Out of all the vendors they were the only one to suggest us the category of business productivity apps with concrete data.

Once we decided the app category the team of developers and project manager we highly competent in achieving the goal of app development without any hiccups. The knowledge the team has about the app development is the most impressive quality of this company.

Are there any areas for improvement?

They can improve the designing aspect.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the HR manager at Mount Meru Group. We run multiple businesses, including energy retail infrastructure, petroleum, natural gas, and logistics.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with April Innovations?

We wanted to develop an app that would allow our entire workforce to communicate easily.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

April Innovations created our app for iOS and Android. Once our marketing team approved our mockups, April Innovations did the complete development along with the backend. They clearly defined the flow of information and strictly adhered to the brand guidelines defined by our marketing team.

What is the team composition?

There were six developers, one project manager, one designer, and one tester.

How did you come to work with April Innovations?

We reached out to a couple of firms in our area, but we really liked Vidit (Founder, April Innovations). He offered suggestions about what we could do with our app and affirmed that it would be beneficial to our employees.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $35,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from March until May 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It was a great experience working with April Innovations. The app is completed and working fine. Our employees have started using the app to upload information and share important notifications. It’s quite helpful. Based on the mandate from top management and feedback from users, we’re planning to add more features, including an organization directory.

How did April Innovations perform from a project management standpoint?

April Innovations met all of our requirements and delivered an excellent product on time. They managed all the shareholders and even worked with our other IT vendors. We communicated mostly by phone and Skype calls, but we met in our office as well. They conducted a progress meeting every fourth night.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We loved their work ethic.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could relax somewhat about billing. They were quite particular about payments.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a partner at Mahisa Packaging Systems, which manufactures machinery packaging.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with April Innovations?

The salespeople had difficulty selling the product to potential customers because they had to manually describe it. We needed a more efficient way for our salespeople to sell our product.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They provided us with the wireframes. They developed our iOS and Android app. It has a visitor’s catalog to easily access the products and their descriptions. There’s direct access for customers and for salespeople. Salespeople can enter the customer details and communicate with them about quotations. Everything can be done on the app so they don’t have to use texts or emails.

What is the team composition?

I was mostly in contact with a team manager. There was a total of six people including the manager, developers, designers, and a tester.

How did you come to work with April Innovations?

I did a Google search for companies nearby. I shared my requirements with a few companies. April Innovations had the best solution and they also could work within our budget.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $30,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from April–July 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The creation of the app resulted in improved sales communication with customers and an increase in the number of sales. We’re no longer losing customers now because of a lack of good communication.

How did April Innovations perform from a project management standpoint?

They were great. They managed the project professionally. We had continuous communication between us. Every two weeks, they gave us a report of the status.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The communication was great. They were always open to changes. I always knew what was happening on the project.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The design and graphics end could be improved. We had our company branding done last year. We wanted them to incorporate the logo and color schemes. They did a good job, but they could have done better.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Do your research when looking for a service provider. April Innovations wants to help. I recommend them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am on the equity research team for a stockbroking business. Customers who have an account with us are able to purchase shares, mutual funds, and bonds.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with April Innovations?

We needed to develop a mobile app so that our research could be more accessible to our clients and potential clients.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They developed our mobile app that can be downloaded by our clients and potential clients. When we issue any research, we wanted that research to be sent through a backend (which April Innovations also developed) and be delivered to the end users. They developed the application for iOS and Android. They were very helpful with the user design, as well. They gave a lot of feedback on what would work and what would be easier for the clients to download, read the message, and access the application. The most important feature we wanted was a function to alert users to notifications via vibration, sound, and on-screen messages. The app also allows users to view a message history and send documents, pictures, and web links.

What is the team composition?

I was in contact with the founder. I’m not sure how many developers they had.

How did you come to work with April Innovations?

We conducted an online search, and they appeared at the top. We researched several other companies, but we liked the vision April Innovations had. Their plan and timeline were clear.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from February 2018 until March 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The application is live. It’s been downloaded by more than 1,100 users. The feedback has been very positive. Messages are delivered without incident, and the clients have appreciated all of the available features.

How did April Innovations perform from a project management standpoint?

They were constantly in touch with us regarding the progress. They were always giving us updates on the milestones we’ve reached. We communicated over the phone, through email, and face-to-face.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were able to incorporate structure and cosmetic changes that we wanted while they were developing the app. They were always very responsive. They made sure the app turned out exactly how we wanted it.

We have an existing back-office application for clients to view their stock portfolio and trade details. April Innovations was able to co-ordinate with our IT vendor and make the back-office accessible through the new application which they developed. This was a major feat which made possible the features of the existing application available in the new application along with the added features of the new application and made it possible to have all the features in one application rather than two.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they delivered everything exactly how we wanted it.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It is best to have a defined scope of the project so that work can be completed faster.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

News Summed up Media grew from a single idea: instead of hiring a resource who could summarize the news, we would create an AI [artificial intelligence] tool that could perform that task without an operator. I’m the founder.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with April Innovations?

I needed a developer for the AI platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I gave them my idea and they designed a prototype. It was finished much sooner than expected, and I really liked their showcase. We tested and discussed the product a lot during each phase, and we were on the same page within two or three months. They used WordPress and PHP to develop the website.

I’m a writer, so I knew that there was a lot of demand for AI in the writing field. I used to get hired by news agencies to shorten 250-word articles to 50 words and upload the summaries to their website by the next morning. I wanted to develop a tool that could complete this task automatically instead of relying on a writer. That’s when the whole idea of AI came into the picture.

What is the team composition?

I communicated with Vidit [Founder, April Innovations] at the beginning. Then most of my communication was with Meet [Full-stack Developer, April Innovations].

How did you come to work with April Innovations?

I was looking at different developers and found them on LinkedIn. Not everybody is open to the idea of AI, and many developers couldn’t deliver the prototype I was looking for. I ran into a lot of issues because of lack of clarity and understanding. Vidit, the founder of April Innovations, is very keen on AI. They clearly understood what I wanted.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from January 2016 until April 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They built the prototype within a span of 7-10 days, and I’ve been continually pleased with their timelines. The website delivers exactly what I wanted and has attracted a lot of followers. The registers have picked up significantly.

How did April Innovations perform from a project management standpoint?

I was in contact with their project managers, who ensured that everything was done properly. They were always responsive whenever I called. I only ran into problems when I asked for enhancements or minute detail work. They would say that task wasn’t mentioned in the scope of work and that they couldn't do it. I may have forgotten to write in something.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They delivered high-quality work and always met their timelines.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The layout and design of the whole website could have been better, but I had to work on that. It could have been a perspective issue.