What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
The application was beta tested at the beginning of this year and it worked very well. The only thing is user adaptation, but that has nothing to do with DeviceBee, it is that we were not aware of the user base. Different users have different knowledge when using an application. Some people here in UAE aren’t used to paying online so even though DeviceBee set up all the payment gateways, still, some users were reluctant to use their credit card through an app. It’s not a reflection of their performance.
When we did the testing, we did the first launch at the beginning of the year and it was promising. Then we ran into the COVID-19 situation, and as we work in the fitness business, everything closed. We are gradually restarting but we have been struggling the last few months due to those circumstances.
There are some bugs here and there and some little things that have to be corrected and they take care of them. We were at the prototype phase, but because of everything that happened, we didn’t have enough testers.
How did DeviceBee Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?
They are in Dubai and the engineering department is based in Pakistan. We were in touch with the project manager through WhatsApp, email, and phone. I could call him at any time and he would answer. The only thing is that sometimes the team in Pakistan had other clients and sometimes the project manager had to fight for us to gain priority.
What did you find most impressive about them?
In the beginning, they designed the UI and graphics very quickly. They made something that we liked and there were only minor improvements to be made. The core was minimalistic and very well designed.
DeviceBee knew how to translate what we had in mind into code format. For example, if someone books a trainer for an hour and he is in one part of the city. If another user who is on the other side of the city books the same trainer, he cannot book it straight away because there is time allotted for commuting.
Are there any areas they could improve?
It is a small company and they have multiple clients and sometimes can overbook themselves. Their clients have to sometimes fight on priority, and you can see the team is busy because they are sorting out someone else’s problem, but who shouts the most wins.
It is typical for small-sized companies, but if they want to grow, I think they need to put a system in place where they can manage the workload and not overbook themselves.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Potential clients of DeviceBee should have a clear idea of what they want from the beginning. By doing that, they can set clear milestones and make them commit to each milestone. It’s good to do the work upfront to set those clear milestones and try to change things as little as possible, otherwise, delays and problems might come up.
The app that DeviceBee Technologies designed is attracting a good amount of traffic. It’s user-friendly, and the team continues to provide support, bug fixes, and updates. They’re capable engineers that offer competitive rates.