Finoit Inc.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

A technology company that builds enterprise software products for Fortune 500 companies in telecom, transportation, and automotive verticals. I worked here in the capacity of executive.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Finoit Technologies Inc., and what were your goals?

It was a roadside assistance software development project. Companies that manufacture vehicles provide roadside assistance in case of vehicle breakdowns and we were engaged by a reputed automotive manufacturer to build their roadside assistance software infrastructure.

Finoit had experience in building telematics platforms and that was one of the biggest reasons for engaging them for this project. Our goal was to build the whole software product, do POC with the manufacturer in a specific territory, and then launch it across the country.

SOLUTION

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

We invited quotes and evaluated companies with experience in building telematics platforms and field operations-related platforms and found Finoit to have extensive experience with a couple of projects in both the segments. The cost wasn’t cheap but it was competitive and well worth for the kind of work they delivered.

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

Roadside assistance software used by vehicle manufacturers comprises of stakeholders like the vehicle owner, the manufacturer’s customer support team, service technicians/towing team, and insurance vendors. The key features are:

• Initiating a complaint using app by the customer or using a web app by the support team
• Finding the nearest available towing or service team member
• Scheduling and dispatch
• Delivering the service using an app
• And once the service cycle is over, collecting the customer feedback

There are other aspects like GPS tracking of towing vehicles and their map-based location visualization etc.

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

A total of 15 people worker over this project. It includes high level involvement of VP-Engineering and deep involvement of Project Management and Development teams. Positions varied from Software Engineer to Team lead/Project Manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It was a tremendous success where we could help our client to bring the RSA SLA from 7 hours to 2 hours. It means, any vehicle breakdown in entire country is attended within 2 hours after implementation of the software.

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

For Project management they used Jira and also provided our team with the account to monitor the progress. Their project managers were quite qualified (PMP certified) and have delivered as per our expectations.

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

I think their expertise and working methodology. They think like an end user of the software and plan everything backward, sort of a bottom-up approach and that was helpful in addressing a lot of use cases we otherwise could have missed.

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

Nothing as such as they seem to have a competent team and competitive prices and built a robust product.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an executive at a software development company in the restaurant industry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Finoit Technologies Inc.?

We needed Finoit to assist our services development team.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Finoit has helped us develop a website, a mobile app, and other products for our business from scratch. Currently, they’re working with us on a data entry project. Still, we continuously optimize our platforms and build new products. The mobile app is a restaurant discovery tool where users can search for restaurants across North America.

What is the team composition?

We currently work with 8–10 teammates from Finoit on the data entry project. We’ve also worked with a development team with anywhere from 2–6 teammates, as well as with a project manager.

How did you come to work with Finoit Technologies Inc.?

They were recommended to us, and we chose to work with them because we liked our initial meeting and the referral was strong. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve worked with Finoit for around five years, since 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Throughout our engagement with Finoit, we’ve gone from zero to millions of users on our platform. They’ve been part of our success.

How did Finoit Technologies Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

Finoit’s project management is excellent. They use Jira on their end, and we collaborate with them through Asana, Skype, and email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Finoit project manager’s availability is outstanding. Moreover, their entire team is very flexible.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing Finoit could improve on — we’ve been happy with their service.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be clear and concise regarding your expectations. Every off-shore collaboration implies some language barriers, so providing Finoit with clear expectations and objectives is important. Moreover, ensure that those objectives are being met.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder of Youxta, one of the most innovative legaltech companies in Italy with the mission of delivering high quality legal services to Individuals and SMEs leveraging on an innovative digital platform.

In particular, on our platform all the legal processes are digitalised and the client can easily interact with lawyers to book an appointment, purchase consultation packages or being assisted in a proper legal procedure in a very transparent way (accessing the documents, reviewing what the lawyer has prepared before it can be deposited to the court, seeing where the legal case is, what are the next steps etc).

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Finoit Technologies Inc., and what were your goals?

Being a startup in the very early stage, we have been looking to identify a software house able to deliver high quality development but with at the same time with a pragmatic approach and limited "over structure".

After having interviewed many software houses around the globe, we have found Finoit that it has demonstrated to be a reliable partner that has supported us to make Youxta real and now to progressively advance and fine tune the technological aspects.

SOLUTION

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

We have conducted interviews with many vendors ardour the globe and decided for Finoit based on their approach, good sense of urgency and fair price/quality ratio.

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

We have discussed with Finoit the design of the platform and the functions analysis. We have then received a quotation from them and once selected we have moved together to fine tune/advance the functional analysis and make the first version of our web app and web site available after 5-6 months

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

A senior person into the organisation has been always our point of contact (since the day 1) and he has been typically supported by a project managers (we have had 3 different PMs so far) and then back end and front end developers managed directly by Finoit

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The first version of the web app has been ready in 5-6 months...then it has needed reviews and fine tuning but we have been satisfied to go from paper to something real in a relatively short period of time

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

They are pragmatic and act with sense of urgency. Especially to move from the functional analysis to the real app they have been very good in proactively identify possible issue and the relative solutions.

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

They are open minded and always looking to find a robust solution

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

I would have preferred to have had less project manager changes. Especially the one that we had at the beginning was really good. Probably they should try whenever possible to retain more people

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m a fitness professional with over 30 years of frontline experience as a gym owner, personal trainer, and exercise instructor.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Finoit Technologies?

I contracted Finoit Technologies to make a mobile app that helped users develop and track workout routines. The app would guide users through the exercises.

What were your goals for this project?

One of the key exercises I wanted to promote was a series of full-body workouts using portable sandbags. People could use these tools to train at home or while traveling in just under 10 minutes. The app would guide users through the exercises and link them to my Amazon page where they could buy sandbags.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I posted the job on Upwork and received 126 replies from app creators. Out of all of them, Finoit Technologies stood out with their large number of exceptionally positive reviews. I was also impressed with Yogesh's (CEO, Finoit Technologies) response to my listing and felt safe hiring his company.

Describe the project in detail.

The app featured a set of animated male and female figures performing four workouts using sandbags. Finoit Technologies built in a countdown timer in addition to a voiceover that notified the user when the minute duration was about to end. That way, the user could prepare for the next activity. The app also featured a library of exercises that users could access to customize their workout.

What was the team composition?

I worked exclusively with Yogesh who instructed his team based on my preferences.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I shared the app with my 260,000-member subscription base. Since the platform included a link to my Amazon page, sandbag sales continued to increase. Yogesh also recommended websites to submit my app, so I’ve gotten downloads from there, too.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

It was easy working with them because I only dealt with Yogesh.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I love how committed they were to ensuring customer satisfaction. If anything wasn’t quite right, I only had to mention it, and they would fix it quickly. I also appreciated that Yogesh was always available in case the app needed updating.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, everything was perfect.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm a director at Engineering Forms, a company that provides engineers access to forms needed in their field online.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Finoit Technologies?

We engaged Finoit to create a mobile app to complement our web-based platform that would allow engineers to complete their technical paperwork via their smartphone.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Finoit developed a mobile app for iOS and Android from scratch, connecting it to our web-based platform's APIs. Through the app's features, engineers can effectively fill out forms, save and create new forms, and create folders as needed.

What is the team composition?

We mainly worked with a project manager, who managed a team of iOS and Android developers behind the scenes.

How did you come to work with Finoit Technologies?

We originally found them through UpWork after engaging a handful of other freelance developers. We ultimately chose to work with Finoit, because they presented themselves very professionally and took the time to provide a detailed quote. It was clear that they'd thought through our project more than the others.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $17,000 in total.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked on the project from December 2017–June 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We just released the app, so we don't have a lot to share just yet. Internally, however, we've been very pleased with the app Finoit developed. They were able to turn a complex project around with relative ease, successfully delivering on the many intricate details that went into it.

How did Finoit Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

We set milestones directly through UpWork and they would generally send builds back to us through a Dropbox link for review. We also held regular conference calls through Skype. Overall, they were easy to work with and the process was smooth.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was initially more impressed by them compared to other vendors that responded to us on UpWork because they sent us four PDF documents laying out their quote and other details. They were the only ones who had taken the time to think through the project and provide that kind of professional response.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There wasn't a language barrier at all in working with them, but I think communications could've been more structured. They often reached out to me to set up a call on an ad hoc basis, which made it a little difficult for me to schedule.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am a Founding Partner of a Venture Capital & Private Equity firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Finoit Technologies?

We engaged them to provide services for one of our four lines of business, which involves mobile applications. We wanted to create a couple of mobile apps and needed a service provider.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They provided end-to-end development for two native mobile apps for iOS and Android. They were engaged to project manage, develop, test, and deploy each app. We had a concept for a screen time management app for kids. The app allows parents to customize screen time allowance based on the child’s age, learning requirements, completion of certain tasks, and demonstration of certain behaviors.

Finoit Technologies was engaged through the whole process, from turning our concept and requirements into a software development program, building the apps, testing, and eventually deploying the finished apps onto the app stores.

What is the team composition?

We predominantly work with a project manager. He's our main point of contact but we also have a direct line to the Director and owner of the business. They are supported by QA resources and a team of developers.

How did you come to work with Finoit Technologies?

We did some desktop research and came up with a shortlist of appropriate providers. We had phone interviews with the shortlisted vendors and ultimately selected Finoit Technologies.

How much have you invested with them?

To date, we’ve spent over six figures.

What is the status of this engagement?

We engaged Finoit Technologies back in December 2016. The relationship with them is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The service is exemplary. Whenever we run into challenges or defects that need to be addressed urgently, we can always access them promptly. We can usually reach them through our project manager or through the Director.

How did Finoit Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

We have a lot of experience in this space and have instilled a lot of rigor and structure to our interactions with Finoit Technologies. We have an online tracking system and a variety of collaboration tools. We use an agile methodology as well.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their individuals make them a great company. Our project manager, Deepesh Baghela, has a great work ethic, is trustworthy, and treats the project like his own. He takes ownership and understands that we’re working together toward a common goal. We appreciate the personal relationship.

Are there any areas they could improve?

At times, negotiations for commercials and access to resources could be improved. We have direct contact with the Director, so we can usually resolve issues fairly quickly. It would be better if we never had to escalate.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the owner and CEO of Data Service Co. We're a software and hardware provider in the healthcare industry. We work with highly secure environments, including EDI and HIPAA transactions.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Finoit Technologies?

We needed additional development resources, so we were looking for a development partner.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They oversee design architecture and database development for our web platforms. They work with a variety of technologies, including .NET and SQL. We had some issues before we engaged Finoit (due to the work not being done properly), so they helped us correct those issues and integrate new technologies.

What is the team composition?

We work with a project manager and at least two developers.

How did you come to work with them?

We did a review of their rankings and interviewed them. They seemed to be everything we were looking for, so we hired them.

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent about $200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in August 2013 and the relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They're very productive and cost-effective. The quality of their work is excellent and they give us confidence to explore new technologies.

How did they perform from a project management standpoint?

We have repositories and help desk features. We also use email to communicate.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They're honest and committed to quality.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can't think of anything. They’re great at what they’re doing and run their business very well.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Good communication is essential.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder of a company that provides marine navigation services through a mobile app.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Finoit Technologies?

We needed experienced programmers to assist us in developing both the backend and frontend of our iOS and Android apps.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

While we have internal engineers who are the lead architects of the system, Finoit assists us in developing our Android app’s backend system through Python. They also assist us in building out the Android app’s frontend primarily through Java.

Some of their points of involvement include developing code that allows a unique ability to share information between app users and crafting a sophisticated moderation algorithm which is used to ensure that information on the platform is relevant to users. They also assisted in crafting code for our course builder. Although we had designed the code in principle and logic, we were unable to execute it properly, so they helped that process immensely.

We’re currently in the process of developing the iOS app with their assistance.

What is the team dynamic? 

Depending on our development schedule, we work with between three and eight people who are split between full-time and part-time. Deepesh Baghela serves as their project manager and reports to us.

How did you come to work with Finoit Technologies?

My professional expertise is outsourcing, so I’m familiar with vendors within the Indian market. I became aware of Finoit while working at another firm and decided to place them on the roster of companies we intended to interview. We were looking for a vendor that we could treat like employees, but manage and hold accountable through Key Performance Indicators as we would with contractors. We interviewed a dozen companies, and Finoit met our criteria and gave us a lot of confidence. We decided they were the best option.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested about $50,000

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them in July 2016, and we continue to work with them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The app hasn’t been formally released, but internally, we’re very pleased with their deliverables. They typically complete tasks before deadline.

How did Finoit Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

Deepesh, our project manager, is excellent. Although he’s never been boating, he immersed himself in our specialty and gave us advice as a boater would, which was phenomenal. He’s extremely detail-oriented and keeps a perfect log of every single call we have together to keep track of everything we discuss. He ensures his programmers are producing quality work within the allotted timeframe. We can’t say enough positive things about him. In fact, us renewing our contract with Finoit was contingent upon having him as our project manager again. 

To communicate with their team, we primarily used Skype For Business and Workbench — neither of which we're fans of.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They offer a great product at a reasonable price.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Finoit’s coding can not only be a bit convoluted, but it can also be commented in a strange hyper-language that’s nearly impossible for anyone but the developers to understand. The first rule of programming is to make sure your code is written for people instead of computers. I think Finoit could do a better job at ensuring that we can understand their coding as much as their developers do.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

When doing business with offshore developers, it’s important to interview potential vendors and evaluate sample code provided by them if possible. Don’t assume you’ll get what you paid for — more expensive options don’t guarantee better work. Finoit developed high-quality work for us at a very reasonable cost.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the co-owner of a social media app meant to help people gather using a GPS-style locator for events. The app is intended to drive real-life interactions in various communities, both for recreational and political purposes. I'm in charge of managing all outsourced work performed by Finoit as well as other developers and graphic designers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Finoit?

We came up with the idea for an app in the summer of 2016. After the election, we decided it would be important to give people the ability to get outside of their social media echo chambers and find friends outside of their comfort zone. We started with the question “How many times have your existing social media channels led to an in-person meet-up with someone you don't already know?” The answer is usually never.

We needed to have the app made, and we had nothing in place before we engaged Finoit. This is our first mobile app. It is meant to help people find peers the same way they would on Tinder, but with an entire field of users that could be filtered by social causes and skillsets. Users can find people who care about the same things as them. It would be a swipe-right-swipe-left process but focused on causes.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Finoit designed a state-of-the-art geolocation app for iOS and Android. They created a GPS-powered map that allows users to tag their current location, called a beacon. Other users can join them in whatever they are doing, say a micro-event, without the users having an established connection. Finoit also created a real-time event newsfeed management system. It allows users to track invites received and track notifications from other users who want to join their event.

We made specifications with fine degrees of detail. They took those, gave us quotes, and provided the product in installments. We reviewed their output as they hit milestones. It was a matter of going back and forth through the specs we provided and slowly having the product rendered. Finoit also offered marketing services, but we didn’t take them up on it because we figured we could hire someone in the U.S.

How did you come to work with Finoit?

We were introduced to Finoit by a trusted colleague who knew we needed an efficient and well-built product. After meeting Mukesh [Co-Founder & Director, Finoit Technologies] in person, we were convinced of Finoit's technical depth. We saw that they had the ability to create an original mobile application of this scope.

How much have you invested with them?

The cost of their services has been around $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began the project in September 2016 and had a fully functioning application by March 2017. In April–May 2017, we made small technical updates to the design and functionality of the app.

It has been soft-launched. Our major launch events are coming up in the fall, and Finoit will be helping with this process. They are currently doing minor updates and changes to the app. Finoit is also helping us with another solution for our other business.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Finoit delivered a state-of-the-art product; we would never have been able to launch this app without them. The delivered app has been consistently high-quality, with few errors compared to previous software products we've tried.

Since we are in an early beta stage, I don’t have any numbers. We’ve gotten some feedback from small focus groups spread out across the country. Some of that is being relayed to Finoit, and the rest is being held back for a version 2.0.

How did Finoit perform from a project management standpoint?

We do not use JIRA or a similar tool, so I don’t have an idea of how quickly Finoit implements things. They prefer communication via email, but I like JIRA and similar tools. They are generally consistent about hitting all the points in an email.

Finoit has been efficient and responsive despite a 12-hour time difference. While it is always a challenge to work with a serious time zone gap, they have been very accommodating. They are eager to correct any miscommunications or reach greater clarification right away.

We’ve asked Finoit to check in with us at every major step, especially when they need to make a decision about a more expensive option. Since my business partner and I have a primary business, we are more price-sensitive than time-sensitive. Finoit is good in this regard, giving us options for achieving the same goals in a cost-effective manner. They are clear about what could start a different budget line item.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’ve worked on a software project before with a team in the U.S. At the price point, the quality Finoit offers is tremendous.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I would have liked to have a tracker program like Pivotal Tracker or JIRA. That being said, I’ve never felt disadvantaged by not having access to one of those trackers. I think Finoit is diligent and moves quickly. It’s possible that they also assessed our abilities to stay on those programs and elected not to use them.

Sometimes, we’ve identified errors that Finoit claimed they couldn’t duplicate, which meant we had to figure out the issue. There were a few times when they came back, telling us they fixed all those things, but we found otherwise. It was not frequent, but it did happen once or twice.