Apzumi

Introduce your business and what you do there.

My name is Ram and I’m the founder and managing director of CHAI Analytics. We’re a micro startup focused on on-demand prediction powered by AI.

What challenge were you trying to address with Apzumi?

We’re specifically focused on the healthcare space and with Apzumi, we were trying to see whether we could develop a prediction algorithm to predict emergency demand. We were exploring what was possible with the data they had available, and it was essentially a bit of a go and no go situation before we developed a viable product.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Apzumi provided us with analytics and data modeling. They designed the proof of concept using Java and Angular for the frontend, and Python for the prediction algorithm development.

The output for this project was essentially a prototype prediction algorithm to test the accuracy for various scenarios and iterations of the algorithmic approach. While the platform is still in development, what we worked on was to test the logic that would drive the backend, and apply different data science techniques.

What is the team composition?

On a day-to-day basis, we had a project manager and algorithmic developer. I also had direct contact with the COO and CTO to ensure that some of the ideas were implemented by the ground team. Apart from them, there was also a client lead who was responsible for contracting and admin duties.

How did you come to work with Apzumi?

I believe I found them through LinkedIn and Clutch.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around €8,000 EUR ($9,700 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

From a project perspective, we worked together from March–July 2020.

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

My brief with Apzumi was to move the product forward, but also arm me with enough evidence to convince my network to invest their time and share more data with us. We wanted to move forward so it excites customers enough for them to partner with CHAI analytics.

With that in mind, the output had enough evidence for me to obtain about 3–4 strong partnership candidates in the UK. These candidates are still in contact with our company, and Apzumi’s work certainly enabled those partnerships.

How did Apzumi perform from a project management standpoint?

The project was certainly a collaborative process to get to the end result. I would do research on my end, they would do it on their end, we would share ideas and suggestions, and they will add them to the pipeline in terms of testing. We iteratively figured out what our best route forward was so their expertise and my domain knowledge married pretty well.

Moreover, we had a project manager who was extremely structured. We had weekly meetings and one point of contact managed the developers to keep the whole project well organized. I worried more about the thinking rather than holding Apzumi accountable because they clearly knew what they were doing.

They asked for my preference and we basically landed on Slack for the day-to-day, and Zoom calls on a weekly basis and for more structured catch-ups.

What did you find most impressive about them?

From the get-go, we were impressed by how Apzumi embodied the partnership model. They made me and my company feel like we were as important as the big players, and they were also willing to invest their time and effort in growing the relationship.

Even though the engagement was on a smaller scale, I didn’t feel like I was given any less time — it felt like it was a great start to a long-term relationship. They were in it for the long run rather than just for a project.

Additionally, Apzumi was comfortable working with a level of ambiguity. They balanced the commercial pressures of scoping a project accurately without putting pressure on me. I went in with my eyes open in terms of the limits of their knowledge, and they were very open and honest about what they were good at and where they had to learn.

That gap only built trust in terms of going back to the partnership, and figuring things out together.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The documentation on the back of the project was more up to me, in terms of specifying the scope a little bit better. However, from my perspective, I think it was important to ensure that there was continuity.

The process documentation should’ve been done in a way that anyone from the team can easily pick it up to move forward. This isn’t necessarily a criticism per se, but I think they could’ve improved this area a bit more.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Director of a hospital and healthcare firm. We have operations in 3 continents and contracts across Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

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

We had the following challenges:

1. Radical improvement in UX/UI design needed for a healthcare audience
2. Fast-paced, agile development
3. Remote working during Covid-19 and across timezones in Asia
4. Language barriers

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

We found them through a referral. They were dedicated to growing our product portfolio and delivering a high-quality end solution.

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

1. Full suite of development for software front-end and backend
2. Cyber Security advice, scrutiny, and development
3. Project management
4. Deliverables included iOS and Android environments

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

There were 3 core people in the team and we had direct contact with their C-suite who was very helpful

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

Highly professional team Strong commitment to transparency with hours, development timeline, and growth trajectory

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

Project management tools used including Slack, Very flexible to using other platforms and alternative ways of working

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

They never said no. When they didn't have the answer (Rarely) they found the answer fast and came with a concrete high-quality solution They always tried to be helpful and create great products. It was not just about making money but actually helping us grow

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

Nothing, I cannot fault them at all. We had a lovely experience with Apzumi, and we highly recommend working with them.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the communications assistant at the European Parliamentary Forum (EPF). We are a nonprofit organization and the secretary for a network of parliamentarians that work on sexual and reproductive rights.

What challenge were you trying to address with Apzumi?

We were looking for a development company that created mobile apps. We had worked with another company before, but it wasn’t great. We decided to look for another company to create an app that allows parliamentarians to connect, share knowledge, communicate, and network.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Apzumi created an iOS and Android app based on graphics that we brought from the previous company we worked with. We had a color scheme and a general layout, but the team changed it a little bit to make sure that the UX was easy to navigate. 

They created mockups and designs for all of the different features. Users can see news on the app, and there’s also a calendar with relevant events. Additionally, the app has key resources, which is just a drive with different folders where people can access resources on how COVID-19 impacts birth, for example. 

Users can also sign petitions on the app and find campaign materials. There's a list with all of the users where they can contact one another.

What is the team composition?

We worked with a project manager, a UX expert, a QA specialist, two Java developers, and two Ionic developers.

How did you come to work with Apzumi?

We found them through Clutch. We had interviews with six different companies but chose Apzumi in the end.

How much have you invested with them?

The project cost €60,000 (approximately $72,900 USD), and it was paid in stages.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them from July–December 2020. They finished three weeks in advance.

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

We launched the app in two different meetings, and during both launches, the members were excited to join the app. They thought it was helpful and that it would facilitate their parliamentary work. 

How did Apzumi perform from a project management standpoint?

It was great. They were way ahead of schedule. We had a WhatsApp group, and we also had a call every 2–3 weeks via Google Hangouts where Apzumi shared their screen and showed us what they had done in the previous week. That was helpful, and it was nice to keep track of what was going on.

They also gave us access to Confluence, which they were using for internal communication so that we could see what they were doing and make sure that it was right.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Apzumi went into a lot of detail and made an effort to understand what we do and what our aim is. For example, when they created sample petitions, campaigns, or news articles, they didn't just insert Latin script; they actually found relevant examples from the website such as World Human Rights Day. That was a very nice touch.

Our previous app development partner didn’t make an effort to learn about us and to understand our work and our mission. For example, when they created mockups, they used stock images of young models in their 20s for the user profiles. That wasn’t a very realistic portrayal of parliamentarians who are usually older. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, not that I can think of. The only thing that happened was that the project manager left the company, but Apzumi was very quick to communicate with us and was transparent.

They told us who the new project manager was going to be, and we were able to meet this new project manager. There was nothing they could’ve done better.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make use of all the resources that Apzumi shares with you. For example, when they shared the Confluence tool with us, we didn't check every site on it. 

It's really important to check all of them and make sure you comment in the beginning because afterward, they had continued to work with that graphic that they had introduced but we wanted them to change something very small.

That made their work more complicated, which was our fault. If we had checked it before, it would have been easier for them as well. 

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a medical doctor and researcher into drug development.

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

We had released a fitness app onto the App Store but the app code was out of date and needed reworking.

How did you select Apzumi and what were the deciding factors?

Apzumi was recommended to us through a work contact and we decided to go with them due to their punctual and quick response and also their willingness to solve our coding issues.

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

They examined the code and came up with a workable plan very efficiently with a good budget also.

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

I mainly worked with one developer and one of the company directors. I was always able to contact them and they replied to any concerns in the same working day. They also scheduled regular update calls that kept the momentum of the project going.

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

They delivered the product on time and within budget.

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

Excellent all round. They’re approachable, friendly and great problem solvers. They allow room for you the client to carry on with other work tasks and understand that you also have other priorities.

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

They were friendly, understood our issues, and were willing to adapt to our circumstances and needs rather than expecting us to work around them.

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

Nope - not at all actually. We intend to commission further projects with them.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm a MD, CEO of Helfi. It is a digital healthcare company developing a complex system connecting patients with their doctors through technology.

For what projects/services did your company hire Apzumi?

We hired Apzumi for complete product development from scratch. Including but not limited to web app design and development, mobile app design and development, backend and frontend level.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal was to develop a multi-platform system, with responsive design and adhering to many legal requirements dealing with sensitive data. We wanted our solution to be modular and scalable with ease of integration with various platforms and solutions.

How did you select this vendor?

We found Apzumi through extensive web search, out of many companies out there it was the only company that had extensive experience in working in the digital healthcare area with many different vendors developing solutions for patient registration, EHRs, insurance companies. They had deep understanding of various coding systems like ICD or ICF and legal constraints and requirements handling sensitive data.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

We worked with Apzumi from the begining - we came to them with ideas and a extensive wireframe of the whole project and they handled it perfectly - starting from the assistance in design, project deployment schedule, front end development, web design, mobile design, backend and even marketing,legal and business assistance. As IT is not my field of expertise Apzumi handled all technical aspects, I only discussed ideas, problems and functionalities - they proposed solutions.

What was the team composition?

The basic team consisted of project manager, frontend developer, backend developer. In addition to that marketing manager, business developer, sales consultant were involved at various points of development.

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

The way that Apzumi works and the experience they have impacts greatly the cost of development and shortens the design process. We had a tight budget and schedule and due to EU funding restrictions. Thanks to them we made it perfectly on time and on budget without any issues.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

We worked with Joanna and she is the perfect project manager for healthcare projects. With her research background (PhD) and great flexibility she's perfect in communication. We used different tools like Jira, Trello, Hangouts so I was always informed what was happening in the project (even though I don't fully understand all of it).

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The best thing in working with them is that we had an idea - they had a solution ready. You want a EHR - here you go, you want a online consultation platform - here you go, ICF ? - no problem. There's no "impossible" in their dictionary.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None that I can think of. In general greatly recommended.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of SkillPower, and we are a digital health company developing mobile apps to support digital health and behavior change.

What challenge were you trying to address with Apzumi?

Our goal in hiring Apzumi was to develop our initial product launch. We were part of a digital health accelerator program, so the launch was timed with a demo day in front of about 200 investors.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Their team worked with us from the beginning, and we developed some of the wireframes to kind of kick off the work and hand it over to them, but then they ran with the project from there. We considered them to be real collaborators as opposed to just telling them what to do.

They did most of the design and the development themselves on Ionic for both iOS and Android, and then they handled the process of submissions to the app store and everything like that, as well as providing feedback on things like our privacy policy and some aspects of the user experience.

One of the main features is an advanced chatbot that functions as a digital coach, which works in tandem with an aging algorithm that helps people envision themselves 20 years in the future to help motivate the desired behavioral change. They also built different health modules that the users could participate in through that chat function.

What is the team composition?

There were about 6 members of their team involved in our project. They had a project manager, but we were interacting with both of them and the developers directly.

How did you come to work with Apzumi?

We found them through the accelerator program that we were participating in.

How much have you invested with them?

The project cost about $15,000 in total.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from November–December 2019.

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

Through the accelerator program, we were able to get a decent amount of feedback during our development stage, and they did a great job of handling all of those requests and making the changes that we wanted to implement on the fly.

How did Apzumi perform from a project management standpoint?

They did a really great job managing the scope and timeline of the whole project. Some of the requests that we made they incorporated without any trouble, and when they did have concerns their team was incredibly transparent about vocalizing those to us.

Everyone at Apzumi was always available and communicated really clearly at all times. We were operating on a fixed price structure, and in the final 10 days, they were definitely working overtime to get everything done. We were really impressed with how committed they were to getting everything done.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We felt like a development partner more than they ever felt like a vendor, which was incredibly beneficial to us and the project. They sent us good luck notes on the day of our presentation and asked how it went afterward, which demonstrated their mindset with regard to the whole engagement.

Their team was always thinking critically about the process and would request to change requirements a number of times when they thought something could be done better or differently from how we had initially envisioned it. And sometimes we decided to keep our plans, but other times they really added to the quality of our final product.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I really can’t complain about anything regarding their price or their process. We had a goal, and the goal was achieved completely to our satisfaction.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Communicate as much as possible up front. That will help you in any project, but they are a great partner and you will be able to hit the ground running if you present them with exactly what you want to do from the beginning.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Apps Product Manager of the Pregnancy, Birth and Baby app. We are the UKs largest parenting club reaching 95% of all pregnant women in the UK.

For what projects/services did your company hire Apzumi?

iOS and Android development and support for app maintenance and developing new features and QA testing of the app.

What were your goals for this project?

To improve the usability of the app, create new features and increase number of active users and downloads by scaling up our app development team.

How did you select this vendor?

A former employee had experience of working with Apzumi in the past and reviewed them, along with other companies, as the best fit for the business and project with their excellent skills and experience.

Describe the project in detail.

The team have worked on many important app features including creating a hospital appointment schedule and a voucher section which has proved popular with our users.

What was the team composition?

The current team comprises of an Android developer and an iOS developer and a QA tester.

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

The app continues to grow and its new features are welcomed by its users and the business. Last year, we have managed to minimise the amount of bugs that are found in the test phase and at release.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We hold daily stand ups and all priorities and issues are discussed as a team. The Apzumi team feel very much like one of our company and hold the same values and aspirations as we do. We communicate frequently via tools such as Slack and Skype and use project management tools to work agily. Workflow is very effective and I feel aware all the time of project progress.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The team is very experienced in what they do. They offer valuable advice and give their opinions when scoping new projects and are very highly regarded when it comes to this. Their grasp of the english language is excellent and they can articulate challenging technical topics easily.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Not really. Keep doing what you're doing!

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of NappyMe, a hairstylist booking app that connects hairstylists to customers.

What challenge were you trying to address with Apzumi?

I needed someone to build my iOS and Android app.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They developed my iOS and Android app, also building out the backend. The final product is a marketplace where customers can select a hairstylist in their area, book an appointment over the platform, and get their hair done. The apps were built natively in Swift and Java.

I came up with the wireframes and specifications, working closely with the developers. Then, I provided the design for the interface and database. They worked on development, customer support, customer service.

When we launched, they deployed the app on the backend of AWS. We’ve been working on the migration for a year now. They continue to improve the app.

What is the team composition?

There are two people on the backend, one Android developer, one iOS developer, one tester, and one project manager. I mainly worked closely with the project manager. However, I'm able to talk directly with the rest of the team if needed.

How did you come to work with Apzumi?

I worked with Apzumi on a previous project with another company. After that, I started my company. Since we had a good relationship and they deliver fast, I got in touch with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $100,000 on the project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in March 2016, and the engagement is ongoing.

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

I’m very satisfied with working with them. They always find a solution to the problems we face.

How did Apzumi perform from a project management standpoint?

They are doing great. We use GitHub, Confluence, Skype, and Slack to communicate.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The quality of the code, especially the frontend, is impressive. The UI specification I sent was made picture-perfect for the mobile app. They’re really flexible with payment.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It can be difficult to reach them when needed after their normal working hours, but that can be expected. However, it would be nice to have 24/7 support for our servers. I understand that isn't in my contract, though.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

You can trust them completely. If you have a technical background, it will be way easier to communicate with the team.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the owner of Leaderclips, a company that organizes video clips about leadership into learning channels.

What challenge were you trying to address with Apzumi?

I created a mobile app with a different firm that combined training channels and videos with a way for team leaders to communicate with the rest of their teams. The app also had built-in leader lessons. However, that firm ended up not working out and I needed a new partner to help me maintain and enhance the app.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Apzumi evaluated the Android and iOS apps created for me by the other firm and provided estimates for enhancements I was looking to do. I had a long backlog of ideas to improve the platform. They also looked at my website and database, which was built in MongoDB.

Their team ended up evaluating the code written by the other firm and came across some deficiencies in the way it was built that would prevent me from making some of the changes I wanted to. While they were able to make some minor changes, the major enhancements wouldn’t be possible. They believed it would make more sense to rewrite the app and provided me with a proposal for that.

What is the team composition?

I worked with a team of four from Apzumi. Three members of the team were responsible for looking at the code and our project manager.

How did you come to work with Apzumi?

A mutual friend connected me with the team at Apzumi. I evaluated them alongside several other firms but ended up deciding to work with them. 

How much have you invested with them?

I invested about $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement ran from September 2017–January 2018.

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

Apzumi did me a favor. They provided me with valuable insight that was hard to hear but was truthful. I ended up decommissioning the app in 2019 and taking my business in a different direction. They knew that they could try and change the platforms I had in place, but that it wouldn’t serve me in the long run. 

I love the Apzumi team. Their honesty in a difficult situation is incredibly valuable. The whole team is easy to work with and friendly. They clearly know their business.

How did Apzumi perform from a project management standpoint?

Apzumi is very responsive to my needs and questions. Their insights were incredibly helpful, even though it was difficult to deliver. They handled the whole thing very professionally. 

They use intake forms for questions. Apzumi clearly has a process and methodology for how they do their work, which I appreciated. They are extremely organized with good leadership. Our teams communicated using Skype.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Apzumi continues to stay in touch with me, even though it was a small engagement. I get follow up calls from the owner and our project manager every so often. Their team is very friendly and proactive in their customer management.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they handled everything professionally. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If I had gone forward with a larger project with Apzumi, I would have gone to see them on site. They invited me many times to come to their facility in Poland. I think it would be very beneficial to improve communication and rapport.

Please describe your company and your position there.

Rewire is a startup looking to machine-learn from real-time physiological data correlated to subjective pain reporting in order to detect the onset of migraine. I serve as CTO.

For what projects/services did your company hire Apzumi?

We hired Apzumi to build an app that would collect the subjective data during a migraine attack and help navigate the episode (using relaxation techniques, guided meditation, etc.).

What were your goals for this project?

Our goals were to develop a first PoC based on the Apzumi app that would prove that migraine sufferers would be able to use and benefit during an attack.

Furthermore, we wanted to prove that the benefits would drive usage and ultimately allow us to collect subjective data throughout the duration of the episode.

How did you select this vendor?

We were referred to them. We then interviewed Apzumi and engaged with them for a first sprint of development.

Describe the project in detail.

The project was for full stack development including design of the architecture, design of the UI, and implementation both on the Android front-end and Microsoft Azure backend. Apzumi also did extensive QA. We worked in sprints of a month or so each, incrementally implementing features.

What was the team composition?

Apzumi brought in the required expertise at the different stages. This was very helpful, as we had a dynamic team focused on the parts that were necessary. The overall project was managed by a project manager on their side, and myself along with the CEO on our side.

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

We received a number of versions of the mobile app, each one professionally delivered, and fully tested. The deliveries were on time and without substantial bugs and allowed us to test the premises against our users in order to get feedback and cycle on to the next sprint.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Workflow was excellent. Apzumi communicated effectively and comprehensively.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

There were no miscommunications between us. What we ordered and expected was delivered on time and working. I would absolutely work with Apzumi again for any development project and will recommend them with the highest regard.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Not really. Each project has its challenges and I'm sure that working with Apzumi is an excellent cost-effective way of getting high-quality designers and developers along with first rate project management.