Beyond ITL

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a small marketing agency where we build and manage websites for roughly 200 clients.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Beyond ITL?

When we hired them, we needed a cross-platform mobile app to expand the usability of our proprietary CMS for our clients to be able to use on their phones.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They helped us to get an MVP live very quickly, and then from there, we worked to refine the capabilities and make sure that it was really doing what we and our customers wanted it to do. We worked closely together with them to create the mockups for each stage of the project, and once I approved those, they would be sent to the developers to build.

We iterated back and forth significantly over the course of the partnership, adding a variety of features and making sure that each one looked the way we wanted it to before moving on to the next phase of work.

What is the team composition?

I worked with the owner as well as a few members of his development team. That included a couple of iOS teammates and an Android focused developer, as well as a UX designer. I had professional graphic designers on my side who worked with their team to create the mockups before we developed each component as we went.

How did you come to work with Beyond ITL?

They came in through a referral from one of my employees. We sat down and talked with them, and based on the impression I got combined with the price point of his services we decided to move forward from there.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $20,000–$25,000 in total.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project ran from around June 2015–January 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The app completed all of the requirements that we were looking to achieve through the project. We don’t have the app live anymore because of all the costs to update with the changes to the iOS system, but they did a great job of getting it up and running for us, as well as then keeping it updated as long as we wanted to have it live on the store.

How did Beyond ITL perform from a project management standpoint?

They honestly did a great job of meeting all the deadlines that we set for them. We ran into delays because our team would often find ourselves too busy with other tasks to get them what they needed, but they had developers on standby anytime we asked them to do something.

They were good at communicating with us, so we always knew where they stood on any progress, and we were never worried about getting overcharged or not ending up with what we needed in the end.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Even though we didn’t have everything scoped out precisely to begin with, their team stuck with us and made sure that we arrived at the final product we wanted in the end. They didn’t bill me extra when it took longer to do something than we originally expected, which I really appreciated about them. It was clear they were committed to delivering a quality product, not just a number of hours worked.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s always room for improvement when it comes to communication. They did a good job making sure they got me whatever I needed but maybe could have been a little more proactive about reminding me to send them things they needed. We didn’t run into any problems because of it, so I definitely don’t think it’s anything a customer would need to worry about.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Don’t be too impatient to start building before you really have a clear plan in place. We jumped into things and were able to make changes as we went along, but probably could have saved a lot of time by planning a little bit more on the frontend.

Once you get started, trust them and their process, but push to keep improving your product throughout the work. There’s a lot of value that they will be able to add if you allow them to contribute to the ideation and the planning of the application.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.                

I’m the founder of HeavyTask LLC. We’re a small software firm that mostly does mobile applications. We also do custom plugins for various web platforms like WordPress.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Beyond ITL?

I brought them on for their development services.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our engagement started with some native iOS projects back when I didn’t have any iOS developers. About a year and a half ago, we started working on a project that’s still ongoing. It’s a web platform that allows small companies, celebrities, or music artists to easily push an app through to the App Store. It’s a service we’re hoping to get various celebrities on board with. These apps would keep their fans up-to-date in terms of upcoming shows and things like that.

We’re building the platform using Firebase and Flutter. Currently, we’re integrating some third-party APIs to allow ticketing. The solution is in beta mode right now, and we’re hoping to launch in the next 6–8 months. We’re in a strategic and collaborative partnership with Beyond ITL. They’re doing a lot of the heavy lifting for the backend development.

What is the team composition?

Since we started collaborating, I mostly work with Mossaddique (Partner & Managing Director). Initially, there was a project manager we dealt with who provided biweekly updates.

How did you come to work with Beyond ITL?

They were referred to me through a friend. Mossaddique is close friends with someone I’ve known for a long time. When I started my company, I didn’t have all the necessary resources so this friend suggested I talk to him. I shopped around and spoke to a few firms here in Dallas before choosing them.

How much have you invested with them?

I’ve invested over $100,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing engagement started in September 2014.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

One of the main reasons we’re working with them is because they’re affordable in terms of what they charge. They’re very cost-effective.

How did Beyond ITL perform from a project management standpoint?

I’m quite satisfied. This is a big project that’s happening in phases. Fortunately, we’ve been able to meet the deadlines we’ve set. What’s more, communication is good. The time difference is doable, and we’re working around the clock to make sure we stay on pace. They’re on top of it.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The founder’s knowledge and the fact that he’s a developer himself is very impressive. I love that they have so much experience with app development. Their team members are all amazing and very talented.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The only thing I would’ve liked is if they had in-house UI/UX designers instead of outsourcing to an agency. However, that’s not a big deal.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have a full plan of what you want ready. Then, focus on delivery. Having someone on your team who understands the full scope of the project will be beneficial. You’re in good hands. I’ve had nothing but a positive experience with Beyond ITL.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner and founder of a company that’s building an app for college students to connect between classes for video chats and anonymous posting.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Beyond ITL?

Initially, the app was a video chat app. We decided to tailor it to college students. Their team was assisting with the development of the solution.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

After inputting their student email address, college students can enter a group chat for each of their classes. Within the groups, students can anonymously post, hold video conferences with multiple people, and share files and images. All shared documents are saved for future semesters.

So, if someone were to share a resource for studying for a quiz, the next semester’s students would have access to that resource in the future. There are also stories built into the solution, allowing anyone within a school to contribute. Group chats also have their own public or private group chats. The app’s news feed allows students to post pictures, comments, or thoughts. 

They developed all of these features and all aspects of the app. I came to them with concepts, and they handled wireframing, programming, and design. It’s available for iOS, and we’re in talks about developing an Android version as well.    

What is the team composition?

We had around six people working on the project, including a project manager, frontend developer, backend developer, iOS specialists, and UI specialists.  

How did you come to work with Beyond ITL?

Initially, someone approached me and developed a mockup for the app. The solution was cross-platform and not exactly what I was looking for. I found their team on a site that facilitates app development projects and approached him with my idea. He showed me his portfolio and potential wireframes for my project. I was happy with that, so I selected them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’re going to spend about $300,000 for the entire development. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since February 2018. Our intended launch date is in August 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’re a strong team that’s good at getting tasks done on time and listening to my feedback. After hearing feedback on their work, it’s clear that they understand what I’m trying to accomplish through the corrections. I’m very happy with the project they created for me.

How did Beyond ITL perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project manager is great at providing me with continuous updates. They managed the project very well and were always keeping track of their own progress.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They make sure they fully understand my requirements before jumping into a task. The team orients themselves around my vision to understand exactly what I want to accomplish.  

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could improve on communicating their timeline efficiently, but this was also my first time taking on a project like this. Some of our timeline issues could have been my fault due to tweaks and fixes I wanted to make. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Come to them with a vision of your final product. They can make the rest of it easy and get the project done.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the co-founder of FoodTruckSpaces. We try to automate the coordination between food trucks and their hosting properties.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Beyond ITL?

We needed development services. We needed somebody with the skill set to put a sophisticated system online, and ultimately a mobile version.

The tool is a sophisticated scheduling system to make it easy for the hosting properties, and for the food trucks, to find exactly what they're looking for work wise. Some want certain timing and some want certain locations. The cuisines of the food trucks also have to match the demographics or the preferences of the locations. The tool is matching preferences in order to create the best outcome.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The biggest chunk of work was creating the backend, or everything that is going to make the moving parts in the frontend function well or respond well. I would give him a list of requirements outlining what I want the user to be able to do, and then he would come back with to me either with confirmation or with a more practical solution, which was really helpful. He put some of his own expertise and interpretation into what I wanted and then consulted with me as I went along with the project.

It started as a website, and we're still working on the mobile aspect. The mobile part of the project is a little more difficult because of the different mobile devices it can be on, and those devices change over time. We're taking our time with building the mobile version.

How did you come to work with Beyond ITL?

A member of Beyond ITL was a friend of a friend. My friend works in the oil and gas industry and needed some IT work and hired Beyond ITL. My friend referred me to them; I contacted them and they provided me with a lot of good advice. So, I decided to move forward with Beyond ITL on our project.

How much have you invested with them?

Around $15,000. We have some still running costs and we're going to exceed that. We're probably going to land somewhere around $20,000, but we're just north of $15,000 right now.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started talking in 2016, towards the end of the summer. Then, we started initiating work together at the beginning of this year in January. We're on a consulting and project basis right now.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

How did Beyond ITL perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management is efficient. Timelines moved around because once you start building, you may want to adapt or change things as they are coming together. Beyond ITL has been good about taking in my requests without letting me scope creep by asking for too much. The education part of the project was enlightening for me, and his efficiency in communication is the best part of the project management.

We used JIRA for project management. I was familiar with Trello from my own project management with saving information for the food trucks. Beyond ITL had not used Trello before, but was willing to try it out and adapt to it. So, we used both JIRA and Trello, which I appreciated because there was a compromise based on my past experience with Trello, and Beyond ITL showed me how to use JIRA.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The consulting is most impressive. Whenever I had ideas of what the system should accomplish, I was coming in with my limited knowledge. He brought his skill sets to suggest the best way to accomplish my requests. His consulting is the most helpful part of the relationship, and the time of delivery is also very good.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Their cost analysis. Some things weren't made fully clear with regards to price, up until the point of execution. If I asked for something extra, I would have liked to know the firm price of that sooner before I confirmed the go ahead and we moved forward.