DigiFutura

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm a retired software architect.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with DigiFutura?

A colleague of mine wanted to realize an idea she had. I needed to help with the development portion, which is why I hired DigiFutura.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The architecture for the idea had already been completed by the time DigiFutura's resources came on board. They helped complete the MVP, which included working on the frontend and backend of the solution in JavaScript.

They completed the user interface with requirements I had given them with React, as well as the backend in Express and Node, which talks to two different servers. In all, it's an end-to-end solution. We used an Agile development style and sprint cycles.

What is the team composition?

I worked with two engineers from their team.

How did you come to work with DigiFutura?

I did multiple interviews and narrowed down the pool to the two engineers from Digifutura. I found them a good fit because they're good at working with innovative ideas and understanding the expectations. They had a sound understanding in engaging with a team such as mine.

How much have you invested with them?

We've invested approximately $20,000.       

What is the status of this engagement?

I began working with them in September 2019 and ended in December 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They had an extremely good level of skillsets in the UI area. Bringing engineers mid-through a project is risky in itself because even if they perform well in an interview, it's not always an accurate representation of what their work will be. These engineers took it upon themselves to immerse themselves in the program very quickly.

They were very aggressive in understanding the requirements getting all the bugs out in the existing solution and achieving all the milestones. They adapted, collaborated, and understood the urgency as well, since we only had 3 months to finish the project. Innovation projects are always risky and the demands are high. The staff understood that and adapted very well.

How did DigiFutura perform from a project management standpoint?

We used Jira to write out the user stories and worked with Confluence as our main mode of communication. They were good at using the tools and exceeded my expectations. I would give very high marks to these engineers.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They're very skilled engineers and have extensive experience for how young they are. They have an immense potential to learn and develop themselves. What I most liked about them was their professionalism and their ability to adapt, which is particularly annoying because technologies keep changing. They're good problem solvers and I didn't need to micromanage them. I've been managing engineering teams for over 20 years, and they deserve high marks. They're capable of teamwork and are responsible, which is extremely valuable to me.

Are there any areas they could improve?

In the context of our program, I can only extrapolate that they're capable of independent work since we only worked together for three months in a collaborative setting. I won't cite it as a negative, but as something that they could be given the opportunity to prove.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I don't know DigiFutura well, aside from this three-month engagement. I had a very pleasant experience with the sales rep and felt that overall the team fit what I was looking for, even for such an unusual project as this.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of a spa space. We're opening a new location. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Msys Technologies?

We needed an additional developer to work with our team to build a scheduling app for our business.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Msys Technologies devoted one of their engineers to help us with the coding of the app. He jumped in while the project was underway. We had designs and some coding finished, but really needed another set of hands to push the development faster.

The completed app will allow users to sign in, schedule appointments for specific times, and select from available therapists. It’ll be for both iOS and Android.

What is the team composition?

We had our own team but onboarded one more engineer from their team to speed up development.

How did you come to work with Msys Technologies?

I originally found them online while looking for a company specializing in mobile app development. There were three I liked, and I ended up interviewing two of them. After the interviews, Msys Technologies seemed like the best choice.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together for six months. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We are launching this month, so we won’t have any metrics until the business is open. But, I can definitely endorse the engineer for the good job he did hitting our project milestones.

How did Msys Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

The management team was incredibly supportive and helped us accomplish tasks according to our timeline. It felt like a true collaboration because our goals were aligned. They are available and accommodating, even taking time to drive and meet with me when in our area for a conference. I appreciated that, especially since we were only working with one of their staff members.  

What did you find most impressive about them?

Msys Technologies set me up with a great engineer, a resource I had trouble finding at first. I have no regrets about working with him. In fact, I would love to go back to Msys Technologies. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think so. They got the job done. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Really make sure you’re getting quality engineers on board because their skills are essential to the project.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of a product called aCubeNow®, a workflow automation platform for coworking spaces around the world.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with DigiFutura?

I started off as a one-man team. I was bootstrapping my startup and wanted to keep my expenses as low as possible. One of the ways I figured I could keep expenses low is by having a development partner so that I could do the design and the functionality and they could do the development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They did my technical architecture. They’re the developers and testers, and they help me with troubleshooting. They’re my development team. They developed my web platform and iOS and Android mobile apps.

They first started the ERP for coworking spaces. They looked into asset management, infrastructure management, member management, and employee access control, which were all put on the platform. For the mobile app, members have access to book the meeting room, conference room, and purchase tickets for events.

They used Ruby on Rails for the web platform and hosted it on DigitalOcean. They used native programming for the mobile apps.

Since I’m using DigiFutura, I’m restricting my previous version. For the current version, they’re doing a lot more. They’re doing my virtual management system for the iPad and the Samsung tablet. We have a couple of other features coming up that they will do.

What is the team composition?

There’s a project manager, an architect, two Android developers, and one web developer.

How did you come to work with DigiFutura?

A common friend connected us. I did an evaluation of about six companies before finalizing with DigiFutura. It’s been a good experience.

How much have you invested with them?

I’ve spent $17,500.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in June 2017 and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Whenever I demo the platform to anybody, people are impressed. The design was by another company, but they’re helping me with a new design. I’ve had no questions or concerns regarding their work.

We’ve built a sensory tool into the platform so when there’s a crash, it automatically sends an email to all of us. They look into it and fix it. Whenever there’s a bug, I tell them and they fix it immediately.

How did DigiFutura perform from a project management standpoint?

Initially, I had some challenges because the project manager came into the picture a little later. Now it’s stable and I love how it is done. We used to use Trello. Now, we just communicate via email. They send me a tracking sheet. At first, I spent one day per week at their location. Now, I only go when they ask me to come to give a demo or something like that.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Raghavendra (Founder, DigiFutura) is a very personal connector. He empathizes and understands. As long as that is there, I will be happy.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We started with a little challenge with coordination, but that was quickly fixed.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have the confidence that the architect understands the domain.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CTO for Bridge2Solutions. We power technology for major rewards programs. Our customers include credit cards and airlines.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with DigiFutura?

Our mobile app needed UX design, development, and consultation services.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

In a collaborative process for multiple projects, they have designed the UX and developed mobile applications. For one project, they are building components for a mobile rewards experience that utilizes digital wallets. Deliverables for this app include UX design, logo design, themes, and development with native and cross-platform technologies. In addition, DigiFutura has helped us integrate capabilities across different digital wallets including Apple Pay and Google Pay.

What is the team composition?

My team interacts with two people including a VP.

How did you come to work with DigiFutura?

We looked at different firms that had the needed capabilities and thought DigiFutura’s past work was innovative.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $200,000–$999,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in March 2017 and the partnership is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Impressively, DigiFutura’s work satisfied our UX stakeholders during user acceptance testing. These customers set a high standard for experiences and meeting those expectations is not an easy challenge. Although no issues arose in production, we ran into a few during testing However, the team fixed those problems with quick turnarounds.

How did DigiFutura perform from a project management standpoint?

To manage the project as a whole, we have our own project management layered on top of theirs. Our product manager is responsible for the roadmap and prioritization, while in-house scrum masters interact with DigiFutura’s resources and project managers. The teams collaborate to get work prioritized, scheduled, tracked, and managed. We use agile methodology, story meetings, scrum meetings, phone calls, and an agile lifecycle management tool to track and manage information.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their responsive service and innovative UX design stood out.

Are there any areas they could improve?

As DigiFutura evolves, they will have greater ability to do these types of projects at a larger scale.

Any advice for potential customers?

Don’t dictate design requirements completely. Rather, take advantage of their thought leadership and innovation. Collaboration will yield the best results and design ideas.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We are an online rental company. It's an online marketplace for vendors. People can come on our site and list their rental items for a fee.

What is your role and responsibilities?

I'm the founder.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was your goal for working with DigiFutura?

We had open source solutions and we had developers from my own team thinking they could put it out in a professional manner. Somehow, I couldn't get the work done properly. I was looking for a professional who could do the work within the deadline. 

Please describe the scope of their work.

The product was very basic, but we had a lot of things that needed to be added to the site. The other firms were taking too long to do the work.

SOLUTION

What was your process for selecting DigiFutura?

When I had a discussion with them, they sounded really promising. They had an in-house team for everything – design, back-end, and front end. So, I decided to start with them. 

Can you give a sense of the size of the initiative?

The cost of the project was less than $10,000.

When was the work completed?

We started the work in April. The first phase was developed, and they delivered before the deadline. We are currently in the second phase. We expect the second phase will be complete by the end of this month [June 2015].

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Do you have any statistics or metrics on the project?

They always are very open to changes. We discuss things with them and they have solutions. That has been very helpful. They are very friendly.

Are you satisfied with their performance?

The results have been good. Even the communication – the way they respond and communicate with the changes and the work on the project. It's been really professional.

Is there anything unique or special about DigiFutura that really makes them stand out?

Their ability to adjust to changes on the fly and keep us in the loop as far as communication goes. Their customer service has been great at every step.

Looking back on the work so far, is there any area that you think they could improve upon or that you might do differently?

Initially, the first project estimation was not that accurate. We had an initial discussion, and they went through the timeline with me. After two days, we met again, and I was showing them my concerns. After we got that sorted out, it was great.