Dotsquares

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Vine Creatives is a digital design and branding agency based in London. I’m the head of creative.

What challenge were you trying to address with Dotsquares?

We focus on design, branding, and general visual communications, and we tend to outsource all our technical requirements, whether it’s web or app builds.

We’d been working with another technical partner, and they weren’t too bad, but they’d become quite complacent over the years. Especially as we started to win larger projects, we found that the provider wasn’t performing as we’d have wanted. They seemed to be really stuck in their ways, so I felt it was the right time to look for someone else. That’s where Dotsquares came into it.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We started working with Dotsquares only a month-or-so ago, but we’re already on our third project. I’ve been able to give them one project after the next.

The first two projects were responsive website designs. Dotsquares did the WordPress development for those. They implemented CMS's, where we or the client can edit the content.

All the projects we’ve given them so far were done from scratch. We’ll create the UI/UX design of the site and hand it over to Dotsquares for development.

What is the team composition?

We have a five-person team at Dotsquares. I do know that they’re quite big, with several hundred people in their company.

I have a main point of contact, whom I talk to about requirements, costs, and timings. I’m also in contact with a developer.

How much have you invested with them?

We’re coming close to $3,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Dotsquares 4–5 weeks ago.

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

Dotsquares is cost-effective, and the quality of their work is very good. We’re on our third project with them now, and I don’t have much to complain about.

The client feedback on the first two projects has been completely positive. Dotsquares builds our designs to a very high standard.

How did Dotsquares perform from a project management standpoint?

Even though there’s a 5-6-hour time difference between India and London, they make themselves available to us. Dotsquares’ team is on Skype during the morning, and I can also jump on a video call with them if I need to talk about any requirements or how the project is going.

Unless we understand coding, we can’t really know what’s going on. With some of the other companies we’ve worked with, we’d give them a brief, they’d disappear for weeks, and we wouldn’t know what was going on until the end. Dotsquares gives me daily updates, which is really useful.

I was a bit concerned about communication at first, just because of the language and time differences, but it hasn’t been bad at all. If I need something answered, there’s generally someone there to talk to me. I can give them feedback, and no one gets upset about it. When I do give them feedback, they find a solution and get back to me. I rely constantly on their technical knowledge.  

With previous development companies, I found that we’d have to tell them exactly what to do, but Dotsquares is creative in offering us solutions.

What did you find most impressive about them?

In my experience, communication is one of the key things. Dotsquares is always available to chat or go on video calls, and that sort of feedback is important when using an offshore company.

Cost-wise, they’ve been quite effective. We can make a decent profit using Dotsquares as a partner.

They come up with solutions by themselves, so it’s not just a matter of telling them to do A, B, and C. That’s the kind of thing I’d expect from a tech company, but I’ve worked with large agencies that charge an arm and a leg, and I wouldn’t get that sort of feedback. Dotsquares is cost-effective as well as proactive.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It’s hard to say because we’ve only been working with them for 4–5 weeks. So far, I haven’t had any issues, and I plan to continue working with them.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

I recommend having a conversation about Dotsquares’ processes and way of working. They have a time-spent model rather than a project one. Cost-wise, if a project is going to take five days, they’ll charge for five days.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the general manager of a driving education platform for the major ride-sharing companies.

What challenge were you trying to address with Dotsquares?

I worked as a driver for eight years and noticed that many of my peers lacked customer service, navigation, and safety skills. I hired Dotsquares to build a platform that would make drivers more productive, efficient, and profitable service providers.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Dotsquares built a platform for web, Android, and iOS. The solution enables users to register, buy courses, and take quizzes. The multimedia courses are accessible via PDFs, video, and audio files.

What is the team composition?

I’ve worked with a manager in Dotsquares’ British office and a project manager in India.

How did you come to work with Dotsquares?

I found them through a Google and Clutch search for affordable development partners. I then reached out to about four companies via email. Dotsquares was the most responsive agency.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in summer 2018 and the partnership is ongoing.

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

The project is nearly complete. Dotsquares has efficiently incorporated my numerous ideas. The requirements and options I requested are present, and the team is now ensuring the features’ performance.

How did Dotsquares perform from a project management standpoint?

The Britain- and Indian-based teams work well together and have executed every requirement I’ve sent. We use Dotsquares’ internal project management tool and inbox to review progress and resolve errors. The tool makes remote coordination simple. They’re responsive via email as well.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The team provides excellent customer service with quick response times. Dotsquares coordinates between offices in the U.K. and India to solve problems quickly.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Nothing has stood out yet.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Their prices are affordable for new businesses.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the information computing technology (ICT) manager for Kuga Electrical. We provide energy efficiency solutions to residential and commercial premises. Our offerings include solar power, LED lighting changeovers, solar battery storage, power factor correction, energy audits, and other electrical and security works. I’m responsible for maximizing the efficiency of our internal and external technology-based solutions.

For what projects/services did your company hire Dotsquares?

Kuga Electrical had several key and time-sensitive tasks that took longer than expected to build. These delays created a backlog of unprocessed work. As well, we had several companies whose online presence was disjointed and inconsistent with our branding and product offering.

What were your goals for this project?

Our overall goal was to decrease processing time and increase sales. We wanted the automated tasks to increase productivity and provide a unique offering to customers through online tools and calculators. In addition, we wanted to increase interactivity between our client base and sales teams through consistently branded websites, contact forms, and an uplift in SEO metrics.

How did you select this vendor?

We researched development companies and read Dotsquares’ online reviews. We then made the team our preferred partner.

Can you go into detail about the services they provided and the scope of the project?

Dotsquares provides a PHP developer and a web developer to augment our team. These resources work to revamp our online footprint and technical offerings. Specifically, they’ve focused on branding and functionality across mobile devices and desktop browsers.

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

The team has built web tools that expedite lengthy manual tasks into short processes. This uplift in internal processing has cleared the backlog and allowed us to plan further expansion into other energy efficient markets. The digital overhaul has seen increased traffic and total interactions with customers, as well as a significant uplift in sales.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Dotsquares is a productive partner. They work even when we cannot provide immediate feedback. The team is responsive via email, Skype, and their custom internal communication tools.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They’ve achieved exceptional results by listening to our feedback and providing quality developers.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of MyCadena Solutions, an IT development firm.

What challenge were you trying to address with Dotsquares?

We needed an offshore development partner to help with some of our projects.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Dotsquares built two different web apps: a frontend website and an online social community. They did the frontend in PHP and used an open source stack. Their team took the projects from design all the way to implementation, including testing. We’re currently in the final phases for each app and have plans for other projects Dotsquares can work on.

What is the team composition?

Our main point of contact is the project lead, and they also provide a designer and developer. They add extra team members, as needed.

How did you come to work with Dotsquares?

Local developers were too expensive, so we wanted an offshore partner who had experience with Joomla, since that’s what our technology is based in. Dotsquares had a straightforward process, and we wanted a long-term partner, so we hired them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $40,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been partners since 2016, and the work is ongoing.

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

Our clients seem extremely pleased with their products. The frontend app is about to roll out, and the client said the development and layout look great. The social community app is in testing, but the client liked the way it looked.

How did Dotsquares perform from a project management standpoint?

They remain engaged with our projects and have clear communication. They test their work at the end of every phase and respond quickly to any necessary changes. We communicate weekly, and they consistently meet deadlines. They’ve been extremely flexible with changes we’ve made to the project scope, which we appreciate.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They provide great support and are more than willing to adjust their resources to best match our needs. They’re respectful and professional, building a positive and productive working relationship. I haven’t had a single conflict with any of them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could provide better documentation at the end of each phase, which is something they’re working on. They could also restructure their resources to create less bottleneck and streamline the workflow.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Be as clear as possible with your requirements and expectations. The clearer you are, the better their work will be.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of Maintabase, an online asset management tool for businesses with mechanical assets such as machines. Users can create assets and log maintenance, knowledge, and history in the asset profiles.

What challenge were you trying to address with Dotsquares?

We needed a more cost-effective solution to better manage our software development. We had a prior partner who was expensive and didn’t communicate well.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Dotsquares mainly upgrades and maintains our platform, fixing any glitches or problems that pop up. We also have development weeks where we’ll hire them to add new features or functionalities to our system. We provide the wireframes and work closely with Dotsquares. They recently integrated an API that allows communication between physical devices and the software. Dotsquares has also helped a bit with marketing, Google Ads, and SEO.

What is the team composition?

We mainly interact with the project manager and a consistent developer. They also provide a server team that’s specialized in AWS, a software designer, a graphic designer, and a financial person.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $8,000 AUD (approximately $5,700 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since May 2017 and plan to be partners for a long time.

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

Our marketing is better, and problems get solved much quicker.

How did Dotsquares perform from a project management standpoint?

Dotsquares is extremely responsive and communicative. They send us an email when they start and finish a project, telling us what they’re working on and how our money is being spent. We do most of our communication over Trello.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their communication and ability to act quickly are outstanding. They rapidly respond to problems, starting a fix within the day it’s reported. They’re a great company that proactively follows up to make sure we’re all on track.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We currently have to provide them with detailed instructions for each project, but we anticipate that will change once we’ve worked together for longer.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Have good communication with clear and concise instructions. Provide wireframes, pictures, screenshots, and any other items that will help them complete their task. Spend time building a positive working relationship.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm one of three directors at My Roster. We offer a software program that appoints referees and umpires for sporting events. The program manages any conflicts of interest on the part of the referee that would disqualify them from refereeing that game. It allows referees to accept or reject a game and the appointment officer to manage the overall appointments and reassign as necessary.

What challenge were you trying to address with Dotsquares?

We wanted to add a payment functionality to our existing features. The program was written in PHP and we wanted to work with that version rather than start from scratch.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Dotsquares added a payment functionality to our existing program that notifies the referee of payment, lets them review the payment details, and lets them accept or reject it. We had worked with a developer before so had prepared a 25-page document of detailed specifications, including screenshots. We provided that to Dotsquares and agreed on it. They built the payment function that manages direct payments by creating a file that gets uploaded to the bank.

What is the team composition?

Our main contact was a project manager who also worked with a programmer.

How did you come to work with Dotsquares?

I did research. There were a couple of people we were interested in using, including Dotsquares. The primary reason we shortlisted them was that they had an Australian office. They also knew the program our existing software was in so they could work with what we already had.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $10,000 AUD (approximately $7,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in October or November 2017 and finished the project within five months.

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

Usually paying referees or umpires is done manually on paper or with an Excel spreadsheet. In my experience, it can take two hours to create the pay sheet. With our program, the job is done in about 10 seconds. It’s a huge improvement. This functionality is a huge selling point—our customers can save both time and money using our system rather than creating the pay sheet manually.

How did Dotsquares perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicated on a daily basis via a project management software that was like a message board. We used it to share files and had a Skype call once a month.

They proposed two options to us—to either work directly with a programmer or, a more expensive option, to work with a project manager who would deal with the programmer. We chose the latter, which was a great choice because the project manager was fantastic. The project manager ensured effective communication and an efficient process. Each day, they would let us know at the start of the day what they would be working on and, at the end of the day, what had been achieved. He made sure to clarify any confusion between us and the programmer and we always knew what was happening on their end.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I think their communication is very strong and so are their technical skills. One of our three directors is the technical expert here. He was concerned about using an offshore company but he’s been amazed by them. We’ve been so impressed that we’re now thinking of what we can do next with them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There's always something you can improve. Communication is sometimes difficult working across countries though, in our experience with Dotsquares, it was still pretty good. I’m not sure how but they might find a way to improve communications to make phone calls quicker and easier.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Prepare. If you prepare like we did, you’ll have minimal problems. We had done so much preparation that they knew exactly what they needed to do. If there’s any uncertainty, you end up with debate and can run over budget. But if you prepare in advance, you will get what you need.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm a director at Inside lines. We run a website that provides information from sports betting agencies and bookmakers. Subscribers pay to access the information.

What challenge were you trying to address with Dotsquares?

We needed a partner to build our website and data collection system from scratch. We’d built a previous system but it had a number of challenges.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Dotsquares created a website with the functionality to scrape and collect data from external sites. They feed the data back to our website and publish it in a subscriber-accessible format. The backend of the site uses comparison logic based on specific parameters we determine to be useful for subscribers.

As the focus is on sports betting, the site collects data about the line that a bookmaker sets for a particular player or team. It collects that information from 10 different bookmaker sites, and then compares it to find anomalies and opportunities for betting. Subscribers access that information and use it to place bets.

What is the team composition?

We work with a project manager and several technical resources.

How did you come to work with Dotsquares?

My partner is the one who found them so I don't know all of the details. One of the main reasons we chose them was their low cost. We also really liked that they supply a dedicated project manager.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $25,000 AUD (approximately $18,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in August 2016. The initial brief took 8–10 weeks to complete. We work with them on an ongoing basis to add additional sports and bookmakers to the site. Each new project takes anywhere from two weeks to 8–10 weeks.

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

Our goal is to build the subscriber base, which they’ve helped us do with the site. The number of subscribers fluctuates seasonally with the different sports. Maximum subscribers is 8 and sort of fluctuated from there. They continue to work on the site, bringing in additional sports and bookmakers to add more value to subscribers. We haven't seen a return on our investment yet, but we're aware of the time that will take to achieve.

How did Dotsquares perform from a project management standpoint?

One of their strengths is their great project management. We’ve had the same project manager since the start. While we can communicate directly with the technical team, generally all communication goes through the project manager. There are some time zone challenges but we communicate regularly by Skype. They provide two daily updates when they’re working on a project. At the start of the day they tell us what they're going to be working on, and then send an end of day summary of what they achieved.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We most appreciate their communication, accessibility, and consistency with the main point of contact. Our business was quite foreign to them at the start. Having the same project lead has allowed them to build a deep understanding of what we do.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The main feedback we’ve given them was to think more about how a subscriber would use the website. Initially, there were a few holes in their understanding of the brief. Some of that could have been addressed if they’d asked us more questions.

Any advice for potential customers?

Make sure that Dotsquares understands the project, as well as the intended output. Their technical team really needs to understand exactly how a user interacts with the solution.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the founder of Collaborate Clinics, a company that designs secure apps for the healthcare industry.

For what projects/services did your company hire Dotsquares?

I needed someone to develop my company’s app.

What were your goals for this project?

I wanted an app I could use to pitch financial investors to support my company. 

How did you select this vendor?

I was looking for a firm with good communication skills and an understanding of the larger views that my vision addressed such as healthcare cost structures and alternatives. Their price was also lower than most of their local competitors.

Describe the project in detail.

They’re building an iOS and Android app, as well as a website, that allows medical clinics to distribute digital leaflets to cut down on their paper use, which has both economic and environmental benefits.

I communicated my ideas to their developers and designers, and they produced both design and technical options for the app. They also offered me SEO and marketing services, but I’m still considering them.

What was the team composition?

I work through a project manager they provided.

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We’re in the testing phase presently, but I’ve been accepted to a healthcare technology Kickstarter program.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We work well together, using their project management tool to share non-urgent information and Skype calls to improve their understanding of larger concepts. The only issues I’ve had are grammatical errors like spelling and turns and phrase caused by a language barrier. These are easily rectified upon request.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Because we built trust early, I know that they understand the concepts at play and what’s achievable for us. They’re affordable, responsive to changes and requests, and offer original suggestions and opinions.

Are there any areas for improvement?

At present, the only suggestion would be to improve their grammar—a minor problem solved easily during testing.

Please describe your company and your position there.

My wife and I are co-founders of a messaging and scheduling app called Happy Hello.

For what projects/services did your company hire Dotsquares?

We hired Dotsquares to develop our mobile app.

What were your goals for this project?

Our objective was to create a functional application that was easy to use.

How did you select this vendor?

Through a Google search, I found several development companies, and I reached out for proposals. Dotsquares was the most thorough in their bid.

Describe the project in detail.

Dotsquares developed our app for Android and iOS. The premise of our app is to provide a system that sends event invitations using mobile numbers stored in the phone’s contact list. Once a user downloads the app and creates an event, he or she can invite friends. For friends that have not downloaded the app, Dotsquares programmed the app to send a text message introducing the event and encouraging them to download. Once friends accept an invitation, it appears in their phone calendar. Event invitations can be enhanced with custom text, photos, or videos.

What was the team composition?

I worked initially with a sales representative who presented the proposal. Once it was accepted, we were assigned a project manager to serve as the liaison between us and the developers.

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Our application is completed, functional, and available in the App Store and Google Play store.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Our project manager truly understood our objectives and was prompt in discussing all of our concerns. Their team offers excellent suggestions and can be trusted with any project. Throughout the development process, we experienced several junctures that required changes or improvements, and they were organized enough to handle everything in stride.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Dotsquares managed to produce our app within budget. When there was extra work beyond the original specifications, we were quoted for those services and charged a reasonable price.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No. We had a great experience with Dotsquares and would recommend them to anyone considering an app development project.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the managing director of Windfarm Crewing, a recruitment company. We have a platform that allows employees to share their availability with employers so that the two can more easily and efficiently connect.

What challenge were you trying to address with Dotsquares?

We needed to build our platform completely from scratch. It was a new idea and there wasn’t anything similar on the market.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Dotsquares built our platform as both a website and a mobile app for iOS and Android. I provided them with my ideas and a rough plan, including images, descriptions, and the standards I wanted. I relied on Dotsquares to build it from there. They gave me administrator permissions to make adjustments but I generally had them make any changes I wanted.

What is the team composition?

I worked directly with a project manager who was the main point of contact.

How did you come to work with Dotsquares?

I spent about two weeks doing online research to find vendors. I looked at a few other companies but Dotsquares was both the most reasonably priced and the most professional. I contacted past and current clients for all of the potential vendors. The feedback for the other companies wasn’t as strong as that for Dotsquares, which was all positive.

How much have you invested with them?

I spent more than £8,000 (approximately $10,300 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in May and finished the project towards the end of July.

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

The product only just went live. We had 60 employees register on the first day alone. The main source of income will be from employers but we have to have employees on board to reach the employers. Sixty people signed up on the first day is a good sign.

From the 30-40 people we’ve talked to who have used the platform, we’ve had extremely positive feedback so far. Everyone thinks it looks great and works very well.

How did Dotsquares perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicated over email and Skype. I work offshore so it was more difficult for them to contact me than it was for me to contact them given limited internet access. They were responsive and made any necessary changes. Whenever I messaged, I would receive a response within half an hour which was great.

We worked through a step-by-step process and the project manager was really helpful. He kept me updated throughout with emails every morning and evening to share what was planned for the day and what had actually been completed. He also gave suggestions on what we could do to improve the product which, though they came at a cost, were beneficial. Their approach was perfectly suited to my needs. I trusted them to do the work.

What did you find most impressive about them?

What I found most impressive was that Dotsquares managed a structured development process. At the outset, they gave me a well-structured, formatted plan. The other companies I spoke to left my plan as it was and just provided a quote. Dotsquares wrote out everything we would need to do point-by-point to develop the platform and they told me everything I needed to know throughout the process.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

The only thing I could advise is to do a bit of background work to make sure you’re going to get the benefit of the money you’ll spend. If you’ve done that, it’s likely you’ll go with Dotsquares. It’s money well-spent.