GoGlobal

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the owner of an app development company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with HestaBit Technologies Ltd?

I'm predominantly an Android developer and didn’t have any skills in iOS. I needed to develop an iOS solution quickly, so I asked HestaBit to do the job for me.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The solution was coded mostly using Xcode, and their team also utilized open-source C libraries to perform against some of my requirements. The final mobile app primarily processes images, but they were also responsible for placing some mobile ads in the app and building custom user interfaces.

What is the team composition?

I spoke with a manager, and on occasion, I would also speak directly to a developer.

How did you come to work with HestaBit Technologies Ltd?

I posted the job on Upwork and vetted a number of development companies, ultimately settling on HestaBit. It was a good balance of price and quality of deliverables.

How much have you invested in them?

I spent around $3,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

It was around July of 2016, and the first phase of the project ended around January 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The user interface was very good, and they did adhere to my specifications. The quality of the work was okay. I thought that the app would've performed better in the App Store at this point. The Android app had been in the market for quite some time and was in a good place. My expectations and outcomes didn’t match up for the iOS version.

How did HestaBit Technologies Ltd perform from a project management standpoint?

In the beginning, project management wasn’t the best. I had to repeat feedback often before they made changes on their end. At times, they wouldn't make requested edits after being told, sending me back work with the same problems. Eventually, they would get it done after a few days.

That was the biggest pain point in their work and project management. The communication wasn’t the best when it came to managing tasks. This was four years ago, so things might be better now. We used WhatsApp for communication, as well as email on occasion.

What did you find most impressive about them?

From a coding perspective, the work was quite challenging, especially considering the need for external libraries and managing the memory. From a development perspective, they were very good.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They weren't the best at conveying the elements of project management and expectations. I would've appreciated them laying out timelines and the outstanding action items as well as how many hours they would need to do it. If they broke the project down, I would've been able to see their progress and next steps at all times throughout the project.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Insist on proper project management techniques, whether it's through Excel or another platform. It's important to manage the tasks and deliverables, so everyone can see what's next or outstanding.