Fast grow your business with expert Web & App dev
CubeZoo is a Mobile App and Web Development agency established in 2011.
We work with businesses and help build their tech ideas around human needs. Flexible, fast-moving systems are what enables our clients to continue improving their businesses.
CubeZoo not only builds app and website solutions for a multitude of industries, we improve company operations by refining existing systems or developing new ones. This includes improving revenue streams through various monetisation options. We also help funded start-ups by assessing the viability of their tech ideas and guiding them through launching a (MVP) minimal viable product.
Having worked with local and global organisations, including Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, Telkom, Vodacom, Liberty Life, BMW, and Flash, CubeZoo has gained a reputation for making a positive impact on the businesses of its customers.
With our delivery approved approach, our clients have been able to streamline operations and empower their customers with smarter technology.
Talk to us about your business ideas.
People. Digital. Simple.
www.cubezoo.co.za
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1 Mayfair PlaceLondon W1J 8AJUnited Kingdom
Custom Software Dev for Financial Services Company
the project
"Their team goes out of their way to ensure that the product is of superior quality."
the reviewer
the review
The client submitted this review online.
Please describe your company and your position there.
Im the founder of Beancruncher Analytics. My background is in finance and accounting
For what projects/services did your company hire CubeZoo?
I wanted an API tool that plugs into all cloud based accounting software. The system would retrieve all data and create simple analytics for all business owners who are financial and non-financial literate
How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?
I did a search on BARK.COM and CubeZoo were the first to respond and understood my requirements from the onset
Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.
The system plugs as an API into all cloud based accounting software programs. Its extracts the relevant data and compiles easy to read reports and graphics empowering the user to make real time decisions based on their company performance
How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?
There were circa 4 staff members who were allocated various tasks based on their expertise. Their positions ranged from front end user designs to creative to software coders and developers
Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?
We have just completed validations on the numbers with some testing performed over the last few months and it seems that we are ready to launch in the following weeks to come which is very exciting for the entire team
How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?
We worked well together and all skill sets were used effectively to deal with all challenges faced within the project from the time the project was initiated
What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?
Their team goes out of their way to ensure that the product is of superior quality and tweaked wherever it was required to ensure maximum efficiency out of the system.
Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?
The project did take longer than expected but there were valid reasons for this such as moving it to a better platform that allows future adaptability and innovation in an efficient manner. This will allow for any time lost to be recouped in the following months to come
Focus
Portfolio
Allegra, BMW, Investec, Vodacom, Intelipower, Leagas Delaney, HealthCloud
Flash - Infantry management
Boasting a global footprint, Flash manages a network of distribution centres and forward stocking locations in 140+ countries, including South Africa. The company’s excellent reputation and international experience has helped it gain a premium client base, with Flash serving some of the world’s best-known brands. This is no different in South Africa, where organisations like Vodacom, MTN, CellC and Telkom rely on Flash to manage their inventory and deliver stock to stores.
Flash commissioned CubeZoo to develop an application to assist with the scanning and receipting of stock via a PDA application. CubeZoo was chosen as Flash’s partner of choice as a result of our extensive portfolio of innovative projects, as well as our technical expertise.
Technical Challenge:
Like all manual activities, the scanning of stock in Flash warehouses was prone to human error. The many steps needed to manage stock made for a complex scanning journey, with one delivery relying on multiple processes.
Developing an effective PDA application that would speed up scanning and receipting required simplifying the journey while ensuring that the structured process was translated effectively. The user experience and user interface were therefore the focus of our solution.
CubeZoo’s Solutio:
We used the notion that, if explained well, a task becomes easy to complete to start crafting the user experience for the stock receipting journey. With short animations in between tasks to better explain a process, and validation points so that the user could not journey further unless the previous task was done right, we gated the journey to ensure there was little room for error.
The application’s User Interface was also designed to simplify the user’s journey by adding progress bars and view list buttons to monitor what had been scanned. This made it easy for users to check their scans and eradicate any errors.
SIMS Rica
In order to help mitigate crime, the South African government passed the Regulation of Interception of Communications and Provision of Communication Related Information Act (RICA) in 2003. RICA requires face-to-face validation of every mobile SIM card that is activated. This is generally done in store or by field agents who sell SIM cards on behalf of the networks.
The mandatory RICA process requires the capturing of the user’s personal information, and was traditionally completed using USSD. However, this could take up to 7 minutes, unnecessarily wasting the time of agents and customers alike. Working with Flash, we wanted to create an almost seamless process to RICA new customers and have it done in under 45 seconds.
Technical challenge:
The first challenge to achieving this goal was the conversion of a normal Android device into a barcode scanner. This is generally an easy task, but our scanner needed to be seamless in order to scan one or multiple SIM cards without having any human trigger or confirmation intervention.
Our step was allowing our app to recognise and read bar codes via the device's camera. We implemented Firebase ML Kit Vision, but we found that the thread that handles the barcode processing was running at full capacity even after the camera was no longer being used. This slowed the device down significantly, especially on slower older devices.
CubeZoo’s solution:
Post comprehenssive testing we discovred that the barcode processor fed a frame to look for a barcode and didn’t wait before starting a new frame. So, we kept the Firebase ML thread alive until it completed the queue of frames for processing.
To save some battery power and keep the CPU from running at maximum capacity while looking for barcodes to process, we decided to implement some logic that would only feed frames to the processor after the previous frame has been completed. This keeps the processor’s queue shorter with almost no difference in barcode recognition and read time.
Telkom - Intranet
Since 1791, when the first South African Post Office was established in Cape Town, Telkom has provided communication solutions to individuals and businesses across the country. Evolving alongside the communications technologies that are its business, Telkom has expanded into Africa, currently operating in 38 countries.
CubeZoo was chosen to develop a playful, interactive online environment that would educate Telkom staff about the company’s history while providing access to current news and company information. We decided to build an interactive timeline to showcase Telkom’s past, present, and future.
Technical challenge:
Developing the intranet – and the interactive timeline - was relatively straightforward. However, the heads of departments wanted to monitor user performance. Being an intranet, we were not able to use the likes of Google analytics to deliver performance reports.
Telkom is an extremely large organisation, with many different departments, and a wide range of partners. Building the intranet to reach everybody required an in-depth understanding of this extended network of people, making it challenging to create a fun and engaging user experience that would meet everyone’s needs.
CubeZoo’s solution:
The CubeZoo team spent weeks untangling Telkom’s business network. We dedicated a room to the project and created a chart, pinning and linking all the departments. This allowed us to start making sense of Telkom’s complex ecosystem, and we found that by creating an interactive illustration of Telkom's full ecosystem with navigational touchpoints, we were able to simplify the magnitude of what Telkom wanted employees to learn.
In order to monitor people’s engagement with the intranet, we gamified their journey with questions and insights. As the employees completed questions and levels, they would be rewarded with badges, which led to internal incentives. This made the project trackable for managers but fun and engaging for the staff.
Vodacom Fibre
Since Vodacom’s inception in 1994, the company has grown to include operations in Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (the DRC), Mozambique, Lesotho and Kenya. The mobile operator’s networks cover a population of over 295.8 million people, and the company has continued expanding into other digital and financial services.
In addition to its mobile offering, Vodacom provides fibre connectivity. In order to promote Vodacom fibre, the company wanted to create an interactive digital campaign that would introduce potential customers to the benefits of signing up.
Together, Vodacom and CubeZoo created a Virtual Reality tour that allowed the user to journey through fibre lines into different rooms of a house, showcasing how and where the fibre is accessible. From streaming movies, to playing online games, to controlling appliances offsite, the VR tour offered users a view into the advantages of using Vodacom fibre.
Technical challenge:
This turned out to be CubeZoo’s most challenging project to date. The campaign had already been scheduled, leaving CubeZoo with less than four weeks to shoot, engineer sound, and code a VR application experience.
The biggest challenge proved to be co-ordinating everything that needed to be done in an extremely short space of time. With one team on set shooting 3D takes, the development team and the design team were left at the office to debate what was and was not possible within the timeframe.
CubeZoo’s solution:
The first step to meeting the deadline – and creating an amazing user experience – was to establish what framework should be used to make the application accessible on multiple devices. Choosing unity for its flexibility, we developed the application in a hybrid manner for all devices.
In order to ensure that the tight deadlines were met, senior resources were allocated to the project. Thanks to the dedication of all of our teams – and a few late nights – we delivered on time.
BMW Motorrad - Online catalogue
With 31 production and assembly facilities in 15 countries, the BMW group is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of premium automobiles and motorcycles. Started by inventors and pioneers, BMW has become synonymous the world over with luxury and quality, and its focus on continued innovation is reflected in everything the brand does.
An understanding of this ethos, and of the company’s intense emotional connection with customers, formed the basis of our solution design when BMW’s motorcycle division, Motorrad, embarked on a digital campaign to enable customers to feed their passion.
We created an interactive web application built around the UI/UX. We knew that an amazing user interface and user experience was going to be essential, so we focused on making the application as interactive and engaging as possible.
Technical challenge:
The campaign was developed, cross browser compatibility was a challenge. Older IE browsers, in particular, were still semi-mainstream and offered technical challenges to achieving the user experience CubeZoo wanted to create. The size of the webapp was also an issue, as older browsers took longer to load large content. The platform needed to be lightwieght.
The web-app link was shared via QR code in major print publications. Knowing that many people would scan the QR code on mobile devices, the application had to be designed to work as well – and look as good – on smaller devices as it did in desktop web browsers.
CubeZoo’s solution:
Careful planning had to be done from the very beginning of the project to accommodate these factors. Using an agile approach, we prototyped the biggest challenges first and then worked backwards to complete the rest of the web platform.
The constraint around large file sizes was overcome by implementing multiple preloaders that would load just before executions were required, and achieving a great used experience on smaller screens was achieved by forcing the user to orientate their device to landscape.
Liberty Life - betterME
Founded in 1957 as a South African life insurance company, Liberty Life has grown into a pan-African financial services company, offering asset management, investment, insurance and health products to 3.2 million people across Africa.
CubeZoo was contracted to develop the UX, UI, and front-end of a wellness application for Liberty’s staff.
The application, called betterMe, was designed to offer insights into employee health to enable better health measures within the company. Linking wearable technology to the application, employees are able to view their mental, physical and social wellbeing.
Technical challenge:
As a result of the long-term plan to convert betterMe from a web app to a mobile app, CubeZoo had to work with a web and mobile hybrid to produce a dashboard interface. We decided to use Flutter because of its ability to transition form web to mobile environment.
The second hurdle was to integrate the application with seven leading wearable manufacturers: Fitbit, Garmin, Strava, Polar, Google Fit, TomTom, and Suunto. This was an enormous undertaking as the integration needed to be done with each wearable manufacturer individually.
CubeZoo’s solution:
Using Google Flutter within a web environment, we had to establish how this framework would differ from conventional dashboard-enabled solutions. Following a framework spec to assess Flutter’s strengths and weaknesses, we made sure we were aligned with the platform's strengths to develop a responsive web app.
Using open source libraries to help manage caching and session data, we were able to save time in development, allowing us to focus on solving other challenges, such as the API integrations for the wearables.
betterMe is being enjoyed by hundreds of Liberty employees through the web portal, and with our team’s attention to detail, the migration to a mobile app should be seamless.
Beancruncher
Beancruncher, a website platform that takes a company’s accounting data and produces coherent, branded and personalised financial reports, was designed to help businesses of all sizes save time and money. Offering features to help the company better understand its financial data, create reports, forecast the future, track progress, and benchmark performance, Beancruncher can be integrated into major accounting software such as Sage, Xero, & Quickbooks.
Technical challenge:
Software integration is never easy, and API integrations with major online accounting software platforms like Xero, Sage and Quickbooks in this project were no exception. After receiving raw accounting data from the different accounting platforms, CubeZoo had to manipulate huge volumes of data. All of the data had to be unified in order to work with the current system, without causing any problems.
Once the data was imported, however, a new challenge came up in the form of visual outputs. After analysing the data and generating charts on the dashboard, creating a PDF document that would render the charts as images proved to be close to impossible.
CubeZoo’s solution:
CubeZoo explored & found a unified solution to save the retrieved API data to enable all necessary integration to all there accounting platforms, Xero, Sage and Quickbooks.
We built the system to incorporate as many different charts as possible, including bar charts, line graphs, and pie charts. These simplify reports for the user, allowing the data to be presented in such a way that the user does not need an accounting background to read and understand any of the reports. Bootstrap and general CSS media queries allowed us to present the entire system on any screen size, enabling users to access their data and reports on most devices.
Following a year and a half of intense development work, the client has a fully integrated and customised Beancruncher platform offering all of the features and functionality needed to run the business.
Dr Rabbyt
Developed by CubeZoo, Dr Rabbyt is a specialised secure platform that has been designed to allow medical professionals to connect with each other. Offering open communication on all medical related topics, Dr Rabbyt offers more than just call and chat functionality, allowing members to create and respond to surveys as well as connect with other medical experts through a forum.
Technical challenge:
All major communication apps on the market include a calling feature, and CubeZoo needed to implement a voice and video call solution for Dr Rabbyt without reinventing the wheel and building a solution from scratch. The chat functionality, too, had to be integrated in a secure way so that all messages, whether between individuals or within groups, remain private at all times.
Those secure messages have to be instant, and CubeZoo found that images sent on a chat tended to lead to long loading times and even made the app unresponsive at times. Images also slowed down the forum experience. Forum posts that contained images slowed down the loading time of the feed, so we had to come up with a solution to ensure quick and smooth loading of posts.
CubeZoo’s solution:
By making use of the WebRTC standard, which allows peer-to-peer connections over a network, CubeZoo was able to securely and easily integrate voice and video calling into the Dr Rabbyt app. The WebRTC Implementation makes use of a signalling server to establish a connection between two peers, streaming voice and video data between users without having to bother with relaying the data via a server. A TURN server is used to facilitate communication between peers when they are unable to find each other.
Dr Rabbyt’s simple user experience is one of the reasons the application is growing in popularity, and hundreds of medical professionals across South Africa are using the app to stay in touch with peers, keep up with industry news and developments, and help grow their professional knowledge.
Urban Signature
Urban Signature Architects is an Architecture firm that provides custom-made, unique, accessible and responsive. Unlike other firms, Urban Signature Architects is committed to designing creative, unique, transformative and timeous designs that memorialises the African Aesthetic.
CubeZoo was tasked to redesign the Urban Signature new website design. A clean canvas and to come up with something fresh and wonderful. We of course worked closely with the CEO’s, after all they are architects and we wanted them to be as much part of the journey as us.
The end result was nothing shy of a beautiful, clean, yet fun design. We often receive positive compliments from Urban Signature’s customers.
Phizer Pharmaceutical
Pfizer, the world’s largest research-based pharmaceutical company, has had a South African presence for more than 70 years. Working with healthcare practitioners, policy makers, patient groups and other members of civil society, Pfizer aims to broaden access to medicines and strengthen healthcare delivery.
The pharmaceutical giant regularly engages in public awareness and education campaigns about various health issues, and when it decided to embark on a campaign to help smokers to quit in 2013, Pfizer was looking for something different. Our solution, a mobile application that offered an interactive educational experience, was chosen for the campaign.
The application, called MyTimeToStart (my time to start quitting), educated smokers about the realities of smoking through clever methods that triggered the emotions behind quitting.
Technical challenge:
In 2013 there weren't as many helpful resources as there are today, nor were those that were available as easily accessible. As a result, the CubeZoo team had to engineer new technology to achieve a number of the features the app was going to use.
The app was IOS and Android Native which meant the discovered ideas achieved with one code framework needed to be implemented to the other code framework. This meant two code frameworks.
CubeZoo’s solution:
MyTimeToStart was built Natively and around the user experience. In prompting users to interact with the app at each touchpoint, we created a journey that highlighted the benefits of quitting. The touchpoints consisted of money, fitness, beauty and self-worth, with each showing the user how they were being affected from a financial, health and beauty point of view.
Our UX-focused approach worked well, making the campaign a huge success.
MyTimeToStart was CubeZoo’s first ambitious project, and developing this first of its kind mobile application helped establish us as the premium development house we are today.
Hello Notify
Project
Introduction
HelloNotify helps businesses manage all their projects. HelloNotify keeps all of the company’s projects organised, updating clients on progress regularly. A dashboard helps keep track of all projects, and when a task is completed, the company and the customer are notified. Completed tasks and project duration are emailed to the customer, notifying them of the project status, and these email notifications have the ability to copy in colleagues and add attachments.
Technical
Challenge
CubeZoo had to design and develop a dynamic email interface that allows the user to add and remove emails from the mail and cc lists. The email received by the client needed to contain information regarding the task, such as completion date, project progress and all uncompleted tasks, as well as any files attached to the email. The ratings had to be built to prohibit anyone other than the clients involved in the project from being able to record a rating.
CubeZoo’s
Solution
CubeZoo used the Laravel framework for the development of HelloNotify. JavaScript was used to create an interactive interface on the client-side of the email system, with data sent to the server where it is processed and compiled into an email template. An email is sent to clients as soon as the project’s last task is completed, prompting them to rate the service with a link. The reviewer’s data is securely stored in a database and modified as ratings are provided.
Litigation Land
Project
Introduction
Litigation Land is a game created for a litigator to celebrate his achievement of becoming a partner in his firm in Switzerland. The game’s stages follow the litigator’s life story from university, to being a clerk, working at the firm, and his cases in Switzerland's high court. Each stage is packed with challenges and villains, growing harder and more challenging as the game progresses. The end of the game features a personal message from the litigator thanking his partners and peers.
Technical
Challenge
Coming up with a theme that best suited a litigator was a fun challenge. Another challenge was that a brand-new development environment was being used, which no member of the team had prior experience with. CubeZoo had to make sure any changes the client wanted during the development process stayed within the project scope, and the difference in time zones didn’t make this any easier.
CubeZoo’s
Solution
CubeZoo’s design team changed an existing 8-bit game’s assets into something that would better suit the litigator theme. The new environment was overwhelming, but after planning and taking time to get familiar with the platform, CubeZoo could develop the game and implement new features with ease. Research, regular communication with the client and reviews of the project ensured deadlines, the scope of the work, the villains and the themes and buildings in the game were realistic and accurate.
Reviews
the project
Mobile App Development for Medical Community
Their ability to understand the business case and take the app to a high level of intuitiveness was impressive.
the reviewer
the review
The client submitted this review online.
Please describe your company and your position there.
I am CEO of Dr Rabbyt South Africa. We are a digital platform aimed to connect medical professionals. We strive to being the voice of South Africa’s medical community.
For what projects/services did your company hire CubeZoo, and what were your goals?
CubeZoo was recruited because of the their vast knowledge in the medical space and their craftsmanship.
How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?
They have worked with few of the giants in the medical space and for this reason it gave me comfort working with them.
Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.
The project discussion came about in 2019. We drew a business plan and CubeZoo assisted with the financial viability. From here they created a high-level architecture of which went back and forth until I was happy with the result. CubeZoo then created the UX / UI and suggested we prototype the platform to better understand the user journey. The prototype felt like the real app and I could appreciate why this approach was suggested. Code development began soon after. They worked in two week cycles and updated my team bi-weekly to a point where a test app was shared and we were able to explore completed sections of the app. Final stages was the pilot whereby the app was tested amongst my team and fellow industry peers. Testing was well managed with little friction.
How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?
A total of four resources. UX/UI designer, front-end developer, back-end developer and senior account manager.
Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?
The app has only recently launched so no much feedback as yet. But, I can say the pilot session was a massive success amongst some of the top industry players.
Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.
CubeZoo works in a agile methodology and work in two week cycles. I was constantly kept up to date throughout the project life span and attended all the bi-weekly reviews. Within two months into the project a test app was shared and I was able to explore completed sections of the app.
What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?
Their ability to understand the business case and take the app to a high level of intuitiveness was impressive.
Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?
Maybe received a better brief from me... :)
the project
MVP Dev & Design for Gamification Startup
"They are willing to have an open mind to genuinely understand client needs."
the reviewer
the review
The client submitted this review online.
Please describe your company and your position there.
I’m the co-founder of a gamification-based startup.
For what projects/services did your company hire CubeZoo, and what were your goals?
We needed a Minimum Viable Product to prove our concept and get some traction. The goal was to build a web app for this.
How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?
We searched in over 4 countries using websites and Word of Mouth, then shortlisted a few and interviewed them.
Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.
We had a couple of meetings to ensure they understood the concept. Following we went through a design/UX/UI phase. After signing off on the designs, two sprints were conducted to work on the backend. This was followed by a period of intense de-bugging and testing.
How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?
We worked mainly with two team members, an account manager and a developer. Previously we worked with two other members fulfilling the same roles. We also are occasionally in contact with other developers and the founder.
Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?
As we had no technology beforehand, the only measurable outcome here is that CubeZoo delivered on the agreed features completely.
Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.
This scope ended up being a ‘waterfall’ approach, but they seem well capable of an agile method as well. The team operates in two-week Sprints and are good at sticking to deadlines once they have been officially agreed.
What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?
They are willing to have an open mind to genuinely understand client needs. As a startup we had a few different demands to their usual customers, but they did their best to accommodate these. There is a culture of honesty and respect.
Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?
Nothing so drastic as to be a genuine issue. Business relationships take time.
the project
Custom Software Dev for Financial Services Company
"Their team goes out of their way to ensure that the product is of superior quality."
the reviewer
the review
The client submitted this review online.
Please describe your company and your position there.
Im the founder of Beancruncher Analytics. My background is in finance and accounting
For what projects/services did your company hire CubeZoo?
I wanted an API tool that plugs into all cloud based accounting software. The system would retrieve all data and create simple analytics for all business owners who are financial and non-financial literate
How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?
I did a search on BARK.COM and CubeZoo were the first to respond and understood my requirements from the onset
Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.
The system plugs as an API into all cloud based accounting software programs. Its extracts the relevant data and compiles easy to read reports and graphics empowering the user to make real time decisions based on their company performance
How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?
There were circa 4 staff members who were allocated various tasks based on their expertise. Their positions ranged from front end user designs to creative to software coders and developers
Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?
We have just completed validations on the numbers with some testing performed over the last few months and it seems that we are ready to launch in the following weeks to come which is very exciting for the entire team
How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?
We worked well together and all skill sets were used effectively to deal with all challenges faced within the project from the time the project was initiated
What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?
Their team goes out of their way to ensure that the product is of superior quality and tweaked wherever it was required to ensure maximum efficiency out of the system.
Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?
The project did take longer than expected but there were valid reasons for this such as moving it to a better platform that allows future adaptability and innovation in an efficient manner. This will allow for any time lost to be recouped in the following months to come
the project
Submission Converter for Law Tech Company
"All errors were appropriately logged and fixed within our timeline. Now our current product is quite well-rounded."
the reviewer
the review
The client submitted this review online.
Please describe your company and your position there.
I'm the CEO and main Partner at WeSub, a Technology Company focused on providing Law Firms with different online tools to assist them in their filings before Legal Directories (i.e. Legal Rankings) such as Chambers and Partners, Legal 500, Latin Lawyer, Leaders League, etc. I am also a Director and the main Partner of Harpa Legal Marketing, a consultancy that helps Law Firms with basically the same thing. The Tech Company (WeSub) I have set up will help my legal directory consultancy, other legal directory consultancies and Law Firms in general do the work that they have to do in order to get their legal rankings in a more efficient, organized and time-effective manner.
For what projects/services did your company hire CubeZoo, and what were your goals?
We hired CubeZoo to develop a Submission Converter. Submissions are the documents Law Firms have to send the different legal directories with a series of informations related to their legal practice and the cases they have been handling in the past 12 months. For each legal directory (and there are at least 20 of them) they have to send one Submission. The information is often very similar (in terms of content) but changes a lot in terms of form (how it is requested, in which place it has to go on the documents, etc).
Essentially, we hired CubeZoo to develop a Submission Converter for the 2 main Legal Directories (Chambers and Legal 500). The Converter takes a word document, scraps all the information from it, categorizes it, and then passes it on to the second word template. That means that you can upload a Chambers Submission and download a Legal 500 Submission (without having to individually copy-paste all the information from one template to the other), or vice-versa. Our goal was to create an efficient tool that could be used by any law firm around the world to convert Chambers Submissions to Legal 500 Submissions in a matter of seconds.
How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?
We selected CubeZoo because they were able to understand the issue at hand and propose great and efficient solutions to the problem we were trying to solve. They knew how to scrap the word documents, what were the best libraries to use to develop the scrapper, and how to design a simple yet nice platform to host this product.
Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.
I am not a CTO, so I cannot say much about the tecnical aspects of what was developed. The steps were as follows:
Scope
- Milestone 1: Convert Template A to Template B (=1 Conversion)
- Milestone 2: Overall Platform Infrastructure, including Password/Login, User Types/Access, Home Page, Document Download, Payment Methods
- Milestone 3: Convert Template A to Template C, D and E (=3 Conversions)
- Milestone 4: Remaining Conversions between Templates A, B, C, D and E (=16 Conversions)
- We also asled CubeZoo to develop the code from scratch, as we would like to see they would come up with solutions and create the basic infrastructure needed for the project without any previous bias, since we had had some previous attempts at this code which had failed. This was done to great success.
- We also asked them to build a code that did not connect the Front End to the Back End. This was done to great success.
- The code was in PHP and used a specific library suited for word documents. I think its called PHP Word something (haha, sorry I don't know these details very well).
- The project is working great and up and running. It can be used here: https://wesub.co.uk/ 6. We are so happy with their services that we are now developing a second stage of the project with them... a full-on Platform to store all the data needed to do the Submissions, so each Law Firm can store their cases and data along the year and use it as required.
How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?
Nick - CEO and main contact in terms of client managment. Nick is very hands on and makes sure he knows what is being done at every level of the project. He is also very much available to answer questions and help steer the project forward. On a personal level, he is very amicable, friendly and attentive.
Louis - Senior developer and main strategist behind the project. He is very knowledgeable from the technical standpoint and was always able to answer all our technical questions with great acuracity. He is also a good problem solver and gave us different solutions to complex issues.
Stiaan - Developer and main executor of the project. He is very dedicated, helped us overcome a series of hurdles in the implementation of the project, and always gave us very prompt responses to our queries and requests.
Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?
We were able to launch the project within the required timeframe, which was very important for us due to the timing of some of the Submission conversions we needed to perform. We also had a high conversion rate, with minimal errors, which were very helpful. All errors were appropriately logged and fixed within our timeline. Now our current product is quite well-rounded.
Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.
They are great in terms of project managment. They are always available, even for ad hoc calls for us to ask a few questions, and were always prompt with their responses. I don't think an email ever went unanswered for more than 1 day... which is very good... especially considering we are not a particularly big client for them.
What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?
The way they found great solutions to complex issues and the way they treated us as if we were very important clients even though we know we are still relatively small. Their attention to detail, dedication towards their clients and hands-on approach, are very much appreciated in a sector where it is common for developers to be very bad at "people skills" and for response times to be very high.
Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?
They are not the cheapest developers out there... but we think they charge a fair price and deliver high-quality services, from both the technical and personal points of view.
the project
UI/UX Design for Coffee Company
"My team and partners were super impressed with the outcome of CubeZoo’s work."
the reviewer
the review
The client submitted this review online.
Please describe your company and your position there.
We are a coffee manufacturer, wholesale and supply. We deal in high-end coffee machines and roast supply and coffee beans.
For what projects/services did your company hire CubeZoo?
We worked with CubeZoo in the past doing digital design work. I liked they way the think and operate. For this reason we decided on taking them on to help create the UX/UI of our new sister company. Our next steps if for them to code develop the site end of 2022.
How did you select this vendor?
CubeZoo did past work for us. I like the quality of their deliverables. It was an easy decision to take them on.
Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.
We require an e-commerce website to sell all of coffee products. This stems form coffee machines, parts, beans and everything relating to coffee. The initial step was to understand the business and its objective. CubeZoo took to this quite well.
Next they introduced Wireframes. This showcased how the website would operate form a user and admin perspective. It showed the importance of buyers journey and how to entice users to buy.
The final step was design, or UI as they refer to it as. This was my favourite steps as you can see and feel how the whole website came to life. CubeZoo did prototype few of the journeys so we could see and feel the how the platform would actually function.
How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?
Just 2 resources, a mid and senior designer.
Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?
Internally the design has been a massive success. Unfortunately due to COVID we didn't get to building the platform as yet. But, my team and partners were super impressed with the outcome of CubeZoo’s work.
How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?
It's been a very smooth transition of communication and deliverables. Massive respect to both Charlene and Sam for their patience and kind will to see the task through in such tightdeadlines.
What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?
Just the way they work, their experience is astonishing. They showed a lot of past UX/UI work that was completed to local but also offshore clients. The team at CubeZoo are truly 'next level'.
Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?
None
the project
UI/UX Design for Golf Launch Monitor App
"We're impressed with their knowledge and understanding of our needs."
the reviewer
the review
The client submitted this review online.
Please describe your company and your position there.
We are a start up, we have a golf launch monitor app on the Apple App Store. I am the co-owner and COO.
For what projects/services did your company hire CubeZoo, and what were your goals?
Our company was in need of a company that could assist specifically with the UI and UX design for the new version of our app. To save time and meet deadlines this was essential and CubeZoo was the best fit for our needs.
How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?
We contacted a few companies, after interviews we were very comfortable with our decision to have CubeZoo onboard. Their willingness to meet our needs as well knowledge and understanding of our needs was a big plus.
Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.
Our initial meeting was to discuss our vision and needs, and we needed to be sure that CubeZoo understood what we needed and could deliver. Before every new project they give us a timeline, cost of the project as well as designs and the have met every deadline. Our needs are iOS specific, CubeZoo has redesigned and completed the app from login to landing page and they are currently busy with the content of the app including a lot of data inputs and calculations and the general flow of the app.
How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?
We have been working with 4 people throughout the project, Nick the CEO, two lead developers and a designer.
Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?
Our new version isn't live yet, so we don't have any measurable outcomes as yet, but we are very happy with the way the project is going and also excited for the launch of the initial version 2.0 and future features that will be done by CubeZoo.
Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.
We have ongoing communication with CubeZoo throughout the project. We communicate through GitHub, Figma, and email. The team is also always available for any other needs.
What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?
We're impressed with their knowledge and understanding of our needs. Our app has a lot of moving parts and their ideas and solutions have been spot on.
Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?
We don't have any complaints whatsoever.
the project
DevOps Support for Retail Tech Company
"Their developers are quite experienced, well-rounded, and very professional."
the reviewer
the review
The client submitted this review online.
Please describe your company and your position there.
I am the CEO of Intelipower, and we specialize in RetailTech solutions, mostly around Shopping Mall applications.
For what projects/services did your company hire CubeZoo, and what were your goals?
We needed a local partner to take over an existing platform, and take on the ongoing development tasks. As our platform is in production, we needed a partner who could help with the operations side, as well as rolling out new features on the roadmap.
How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?
We searched for a local development company, and engaged with a shortlist. It was important that they were local to us, had the necessary skill sets in-house, and could handle new developments as well as opperational support of our platform,
Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.
The scope entailed baselining our current platform, and identifying a priority list of onboarding and critical improvements. Our tech stack consists of Flutter, REST API, Python, Mongo DB, Elastic Search, AngularJS and hosted on Google Compute Cloud, under Kubernetes.
How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?
The team made available various resources, with the necessary skill sets and experience. Their developers are quite experienced, well-rounded, and very professional.
Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?
Our clients are enjoying better deliverables, and better uptime. Its still to early to speak of market sucess.
Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.
They provide Discord channels for communication and standup calls, as well as access to Jira. A strict Agile methodology is followed, and we all know where we stand on various issues on a daily basis.
What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?
Their diverse skill set, and nonsense attitude to getting the job done, coupled with relevant feedback and escalations.
Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?
We have regular feedback with the team, feedback goes both ways, to improve outcomes.
the project
Branding, Mktng, & Web Dev for Consulting Firm
"They were always willing to prioritize our work, even when we were in a crunch."
the reviewer
the review
The client submitted this review online.
Please describe your company and your position there.
I am the CEO of a boutique Human Capital Consulting firm, based in Johannesburg
For what projects/services did your company hire CubeZoo?
Our website had become out-dated. Cube Zoo updated our approach and included an appropriate social media strategy. The profile they designed offers is fresh and exciting whilst accurately conveying our values and philosophy - and moreover, our unique market proposition. Over time, they have come to play a crucial role in our sales strategy too, packaging our proposals - which have been successful at earning us new business and enhancing our profile.
How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?
I liked the professional, responsive and respectful approach of the CEO and his staff
Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.
We had an initial meeting to explain who we were and what we needed. CubeZoo came back to us with options, and we agreed upon an approach. We had an ongoing interchange during the build phase, refining our ideas and helping them calibrate their design.
How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?
3 prople
Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?
We feel secure in our market image; we have secured a large new contract largely because of the assistance and guidance we received.
How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?
Very effective
What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?
Their responsiveness and there collaborative, creative and fresh design approach. They were always willing to prioritize our work, even when we were in a crunch.
Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?
To be more proactive in suggesting new ideas
the project
Web Dev for Investment & Finance Company
"Their professionalism and integrity were impressive."
the reviewer
the review
The client submitted this review online.
Please describe your company and your position there.
I am the CEO for an investment and finance company.
For what projects/services did your company hire CubeZoo, and what were your goals?
We wanted to develop a website that allows for a service provider to keep their client up-to-date in terms of their progress on appointed projects. At the same time once the job is complete the client is able to review the service provider which will assist them in refining their business and identify weaknesses within
How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?
We found CubeZoo online through a lead generator app and looked no further as we were very satisfied with Nicks passion, professionalism and integrity in handling our query
Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.
We had numerous meetings to discuss the application and got further insight from CubeZoo as to where this platform can grow which we embraced fully. The scope was always clear and communication thorough throughout the project
How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?
A project manager assigned together with other resources where it was deemed fit at different stages of the project
Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?
The project has been refined and is almost ready for launch. Its an exciting time for us all and we are glad to have CubeZoo on board
Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.
Clear, transparent and methodical project management. They even took the time to empower us with the technical jargon so we all speak the same "language" and understand progress
What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?
Their professionalism and integrity were impressive. Most importantly the honesty which is critical if you are not familiar with the IT sector
Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?
no
the project
Web Design & Branding for Architectural Studio Company
"The workflow between us and Cubezoo was both seamless and clear."
the reviewer
the review
The client submitted this review online.
Please describe your company and your position there.
I am the co-founder and architect at Urban Signature Architects. We are a bespoke, design-focused architectural studio based in Johannesburg, South Africa.
For what projects/services did your company hire CubeZoo?
Urban Signature Architects is a newly formed company from the amalgamation of two existing architectural practices. CubeZoo was tasked with designing a unique company brand that reflects both co-founders while demonstrating the professional service offered in a creative and playful aesthetic. The full scope included brand identity, logo design, business cards and a new website.
What were your goals for this project?
Demonstrate Urban Signature Architects varied portfolio of work in a refined, playful and professional manner. Showcasing our work to potential clients. Design a new corporate identity in including a new logo. Create a Brand Guide for the business.
How did you select CubeZoo?
We had already seen some of the work done by CubeZoo and after engaging with them, we quickly realised that we could work together in a collaborative approach.
Describe the project in detail.
The project started with several 'design concept' meetings where CubeZoo got to know us, our work and aesthetic quirks in a collaborative setting. CubeZoo then presented us with a graphic look-and-feel pinboard which set the tone for the refinement. This was then worked up in a graphic brand which was formalised into a Brande Guide Document which included logo design, document graphics, email signatures and business cards.
Some of the detail given was font use, colour guide and graphic 'dos and don'ts'. Graphic This amalgamated into the formulation of our new website. The process was fluid and a lot of customisation was achieved even though, due to budget constraints, an existing skin on WordPress was used.
What was the team composition?
The company Director was our main point of contact who oversaw the entire process from start to finish. Two designers were appointed with the implementation and design work while more technical programmers were called on as required.
Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?
Clients have been impressed with the output, illustrating our unique offering.
How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?
The workflow between us and Cubezoo was both seamless and clear. Communication consisted of virtual calls and physical meetings as when appropriate and required.
What did you find most impressive about this company?
Their ability to creatively design our brand identity in a professional and distinct manner.
Are there any areas for improvement?
Time and budget are always our biggest concerns but the quality superseded this and we are very happy with the outcome and product. We have continued our relationship with Cube Zoo indefinitely.
CubeZoo has successfully completed the tool, and their work received positive feedback from the client. Their collaborative and efficient approach fosters a productive partnership. Overall, their dedication is impressive — they go above and beyond to ensure customer satisfaction.