Cygnet Infotech

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

Cygnet has done some exceptional technical work, and they’ve transformed a client opportunity management system by totally reinventing it. They’ve also redeveloped many intranets for my clients which are highly visible across the company. They developed an entire cloud-based task management and test generation product for FINRA registration, which is a very significant system. There is now a consulting company that wants to sell the product as a result of Cygnet’s successful delivery, and we’re having ongoing discussions for the next phase.

How did Cygnet perform from a project management standpoint?

They have done well from a project management perspective. We speak daily, and they’re able to provide breakdowns of tasks, including structure and estimates. Their estimates are usually more accurate than I anticipate, and there is a lot of wisdom in the way they handle planning.

They manage themselves, and I sometimes get involved with the details. Dozens of decisions are being made in software development every day, so I like to remain involved after I give the requirements to the lead. I want to make sure they feel comfortable asking the tough questions.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their level of technical knowledge has been astounding. The head of their SharePoint team is a true guru with the technology.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything they could improve. We manage the time zone difference, and we use Skype if we’re having trouble communicating via telephone. Communication is always going to be a challenge, but they are addressing it by increasing their US presence. They have multiple people available onshore, which is a great capability that really allows me to offload a lot of work onto them.

Do you have any advice for potential clients of Cygnet?

Cygnet is a large company, but not so large that it makes them unable to handle smaller needs. They have about 600–700 people, and everyone, including their ethical and moral founder, Niraj, is available to me when I need them.

They're based in Gujarat, which is home to a few million people, but it’s not a metropolis like Mumbai or Bangalore. For anyone looking to utilize their services, or make a big enough commitment to outsource, I suggest paying a visit first. As long as they understand what the client desires, they are able to do well.

In terms of results, could you share any statistics, metrics, or user feedback that would demonstrate the effectiveness of the work they've delivered?

We've been moving and migrating existing customers from our old platform to the new one. Just by their reactions, it’s been very positive. They’re ecstatic. They like the new interface. The reporting tools are also a highlight. They really made our reporting tools top notch, flexible, and user friendly. We've probably experienced our biggest growth of new customers in the period since we introduced our new site. Last year was a very good year for us in terms of growth.

When working with Cygnet Infotech, is there anything you would consider unique or special about them compared to other vendors you’ve worked with?

One of the things that I liked about Cygnet and their team is that I was able to interact with them on a consistent basis. They made it a point to ensure I know who was working on our assignments. One of the nice things, whether it was in our weekly or biweekly phone calls, was that they took ownership of the work. They were refer to it as our product. They didn’t ever refer to it as your element. It was ours. They gave me a real sense that they were taking ownership of the project. That was a huge deal for us because we wanted to make sure they were invested in its success, rather than simply delivering our specs. They’re also very flexible with meeting times. 

In terms of constructive feedback, are there areas you feel Cygnet Infotech could improve upon, or are there certain things you'd do differently as a client before initiating a project with them?

This was the first time for us to have gotten involved in a project like this. I could go back and count the many mistakes that I did from the design perspective. Perhaps I should have started out with more conrete design specifications. This is something that you have to be prepared for, because they're a team of programmers, and while the do have some design experience, it isn't their core competency. Undertanding that is important. 

I also wish that their QA/QC testing would have been better. They could have found some of the bugs before I did during the testing phase. Some of their developers don’t have sufficient in-depth knowledge of the product functionality. They would see that, yes, this functionality is supposed to do X, Y and Z. If those criteria were met then they'd simply move on. What they didn't do was test the subsequent affects of X, Y and Z on A, B and C. What they missed were things that could have been identified if they've invested some more time in the testing phase. I would identify these discrepancies and they would re-test for us. It's a minor factor but important nonetheless.