Elysian Techlabs (Pvt) Ltd

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO of iGloo Digital Marketing. iDM is a full service digital marketing agency.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Elysian Techlabs (Pvt) Ltd, and what were your goals?

We hired Elysian through a referral to develop two custom solutions for our marketing platform called Go HIgh Level. The first was for a "pixel" perfect website that met the demands of their designer. The second goal was to develop a custom prospecting solution for a critical client that could interface with our marketing platform.

The development team needed to:

1. learn the platform they would be interfacing with, and
2. develop a solution that could seamlessly interact with this platform.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We found them through a referral on LinkedIn and I immediately took a liking to the individual that I was interfacing with as it was apparent he knew what he was doing and he was willing to take on the challenge of learning Go High Level.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

They designed two solutions. The first was a pixel-perfect website with forms that supported the onboarding process of our client and the second solution was the development of a very sophisticated prospecting system that needed to interface with the very same platform as was used for developing their website - Go High Level. They had limited time in which to learn the API for Go High Level and meet the strict deadline of the client.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

I worked primarily with just one individual. He was excellent. He spoke English fluently. He was very adept at translating the requirements into actionable design requirements for his development team. The individual that I interfaced with was the CEO and Founder of the company -- Sahan. He was superb.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

The team did an excellent job. They successfully learned the API and built the solution in the timeframe required. Not only did they exceed expectations but they did so as their country went into revolt against their seated President with riots erupting in the streets and suffering a complete loss of a reliable power source.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

Sahan's management style was very relaxed. Despite being under tremendous pressure to complete the project in an absurdly short period of time and experiencing this during a time when their country was in complete revolt - Sahan maintained his cool and led his team to the completion of the project in a timely manner.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

I was most impressed with their total commitment to the work despite all of the turmoil going on around them.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

The only thing I would have done differently would be to have given them more time to learn the environment. This project had an extremely limited timeframe for completion and the team had a great deal to accomplish in the given time. Had I been able to, I would have given them more time to be able to learn the environment. Regardless, they managed to come out on top.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We're a mobile service provider, and my position there is the senior executive for business solutions.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Alofa Techlabs (Pvt) Ltd?

Our previous partner left, so we needed someone to take over and help us develop our platform. We were facing some bugs and needed to update our system.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Alofa Techlabs fixed the bugs on our platform and developed the features we needed. After they launched the program, they continued to support us for a while.

What is the team composition?

We primarily worked with a business analyst and someone from the development team. Overall, they had around 20 developers.

How did you come to work with Alofa Techlabs (Pvt) Ltd?

Someone recommended Alofa Techlabs to us, so our internal IT team interviewed them. We decided to hire them because we were confident in their work.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent less than $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project lasted from June 2018–April 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

When we launched initially, some of the same issues were still there. However, they solved all the minor bugs later on.

How did Alofa Techlabs (Pvt) Ltd perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicated via phone call and email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Whenever we made requests, Alofa Techlabs always tried to fulfill them. The team never told us they couldn't do something for us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There were times where the number of resources they provided wasn't enough, so we experienced some delays.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make the team commit to a timeline. Overall, I recommend working with Alofa Techlabs.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the owner of Olivia Lawyers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Alofa Techlabs (Pvt) Ltd?

I wanted to develop a user-friendly mobile app that helped users understand the documents submitted in lawsuits.

What were your goals for this project?

I hired them to build a cross-platform app with a simple user flow. 

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I initially worked with Alofa Techlabs (Pvt) Ltd to develop a website for my company. This time, I hired them to develop an app.

Describe the project in detail.

The main scope of this project was to give users a platform to learn about national court rules and understand the document submission process. They developed a hybrid app using React Native. Alofa Techlabs (Pvt) Ltd managed the project from start to finish, including requirements documentation and testing.

What was the team composition?

Four people were involved in the project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We've already launched the app and I'm getting lots of positive feedback. Alofa Techlabs (Pvt) Ltd did a fantastic job. The app looks clean, and its clear process will get a lot of traction. It has exceeded my expectations.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Since I had worked with Alofa Techlabs (Pvt) Ltd on a different project, I was accustomed to their development process. They've actually improved their management systems. They use Jira to easily manage tasks and track progress. Their team is flexible and communicative, which makes it easy to work with them.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They're a great offshore team. They always accommodate my queries and go out of their way to deliver an absolutely fantastic product. They're also flexible in terms of enhancements and costs, which is one of reasons why they're so successful. Because they put the customer first, my experience was fantastic.  They did an awesome job and I'm extremely satisfied with the outcome. 

Are there any areas for improvement?

This app was more complex than the website they developed, and they had other projects to complete, so we had some minor time management hiccups. They were still fantastic. I hope to complete more projects with them and improve our time management.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the owner of a startup that has created a service locator app.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Alofa Techlabs (Pvt) Ltd?

We contracted Alofa Techlabs (Pvt) Ltd to develop our service locator app. It’s a cross-platform app for iOS and Android.

What were your goals for this project?

I wanted to develop a simple app that allowed users to select and request services.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We found Alofa Techlabs through one of their marketing campaigns.

Describe the project in detail.

With the app, users can select from a range of available services near their location. They can also make payments directly through the app.

What was the team composition?

They assigned a project manager, a business analyst, an app developer, and a tester.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They delivered the app two months ago, and it's performing great. While we haven't launched yet, I’ve gotten good feedback about the app from users and colleagues.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

It was easy to work with the Alofa Techlabs team. They were understanding and flexible with my requirements and changes, developing the app exactly as I wanted. They stuck to their deadlines and delivered a fantastic product.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I was impressed with how easy it was to communicate with them and how dedicated they were to making their clients happy. They provided a wonderful team of developers that made my app amazing.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, I can’t think of anything I’d change. I was very happy with Alofa Techlabs’ overall process. I would hire them for future projects.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the owner and managing director of Olivia Lawyers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Alofa Techlabs (Pvt) Ltd?

I needed resources to develop my company website.

How did you select this vendor?

A friend had used them before and was impressed with their team. They recommended Alofa Techlabs (Pvt) Ltd to me.

SOLUTION

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

Initially, we had a meeting to finalize all the requirements for the project in a Software Requirements Specification (SRS) document. They then divided the site features into two-week iterations, which allowed me to easily track their progress. Using the SRS document as a reference, the developer and QA engineer built the website.

What was the team composition?

They assigned a business analyst, developer, QA engineer, and project manager. I mostly interfaced with the project manager.

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

The completed site looked fantastic and was exactly what I had envisioned. I was very impressed with their work, and many clients have received positive feedback.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The completed site looked fantastic and was exactly what I had envisioned. I was very impressed with their work, and many clients gave positive feedback.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

They ran the project in two-week periods, which made it easier for me to control the project from start to finish. The project manager gave a timeline of all deliverables, and they adhered to it without any delays. Overall, it was a smooth process.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

What makes them different from other software companies is how friendly and dedicated they are. It can be difficult to work with an offshore team due to communication barriers and unmet timelines. However, I never had those issues with Alofa Techlabs. They had strong English skills, and I was able to articulate exactly what my vision was. The team delivered a quality product, and I’ll likely hire them again for future projects.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

The time difference was a challenge at first, but I got used to it after a couple of days. Apart from that, I didn’t have any issues with their work process.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a co-founder of Arcmall, an e-commerce platform that mainly sells electronics.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Alofa Technologies?

We needed someone to design and develop our website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Within a week of our first meeting, they had created a plan and timeline, showed us what they could offer, and gave us an accurate budget. After listening to what we wanted, they did all of the market research. Initially, they handled all of the backend and basic design work. Now, they help with website maintenance by taking care of any updates or design changes.

What is the team composition?

There is one project manager (PM) and three developers. Occasionally, they will bring in other people for consultation, but I’ve always interacted with those four.

How did you come to work with Alofa Technologies?

During a meeting to discuss issues with our previous vendor, a colleague recommended them based on a prior experience.

What is the status of this engagement?

We first engaged them in 2015, and we're still working with them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

There are no outstanding fixes to the website, aside from small bugs and updates that always occur in web development projects. They’ve always managed to fix any issues that appear, and in their reports, we’ve seen that they correct some bugs before we ever find them.

How did Alofa Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

They knew exactly how to develop the site, what kind of tools they would need, the time it would take, and how much it would cost. They are incredibly fast in their communication, even with a five-hour time difference. As soon as they were available, no matter the time of day, I would be talking to either the PM or one of the three core developers.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The price was amazing, especially compared to prices local companies proposed. They kept me informed on the process and were very accommodating with any changes and updates we needed to make.

Are there any areas they could improve?

If they had taken time to explain some of the more technical aspects at the beginning of the process, I would have been able to be more involved and understand some of the changes they had to make.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Give them time, no matter the project size.