Halcyon Mobile

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder of DOC Learning Solutions, an educational technology (EdTech) company that has an online platform for teachers to access lesson plans and activities for kids. 

What challenge were you trying to address with Halcyon Mobile?

We wanted to develop a mobile app version of our web platform.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Halcyon developed our mobile app using Flutter. One part of our components is an interactive game, so we determined that Flutter would be the best framework for the app in terms of programming language. On top of that, Halcyon already had plenty of in-house Flutter developers that were ready to rock and roll for the project. 

Meanwhile, we already had a web product, and our team started developing an app by ourselves. Contracting Halcyon was to help us finish the job. Once we started the process and they had the chance to look at the product, they made recommendations on things that we might want to consider rebuilding. 

Ultimately, we decided to scrap what we started and restart from the ground up with Halcyon. We brought in one of their UI/UX designers and worked with him for a month while redesigning the app to achieve a fresher, newer look. Then, we worked with their developer to bring that design to life. 

We have a six-month timeline, and we’re about four months into it. For features, the app’s core functionality involves lesson plans for teachers. They can access pictures, photographs, videos, and other content for activities they can do with children. Reporting features are also available, such as shared feeds where teachers can show parents what’s happening in the classroom. 

What is the team composition?

We work with their UI/UX designer, Flutter developer, and project manager.

How did you come to work with Halcyon Mobile?

We were referred to Halcyon by another development shop that had contracted them before. That development shop put us in touch with Halcyon resources, and that was the start of our engagement. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested nearly $60,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Halcyon in June 2021, and the engagement is ongoing. 

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

We haven’t released the app yet, so we don’t have any internal success metrics. However, the designs we’ve seen are a huge improvement from before — the Halcyon team brought a fresh 2021 look to the entire app. Moreover, the transformation of the design into what’s coded in the frontend has also been great. Overall, the designs they’ve made have been crisp and clean. 

How did Halcyon Mobile perform from a project management standpoint?

Halcyon’s communication is excellent. We have constant communication in terms of billings, reports, and work. They’re highly transparent and communicative. On top of that, they have a great turnaround time. 

Further, we can call their designers to take a look at any hiccup that we run into or to change something. They’re happy to provide that service without building up billable hours, which is a huge bonus for anyone looking to hire them — revision hours are a killer. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

The Halcyon team has been impressive in their ability to accept the mountains of work that we throw at them. Apart from that, they have the ability to navigate their work without any issues even though we’re not always clear and concise in our requirements. Their resources are truly easy to work with, and their integration is seamless. That’s a testament to their attitude about their work — they’ve done a great job. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Halcyon could’ve pushed us a little harder to restart everything from scratch sooner after realizing they could build a more sophisticated version of the app. Other than that, they’ve done a great job of telling us what they can and cannot do with their billable hours. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Halcyon isn’t forceful. They do give recommendations, but they don’t force you to do their suggestions. That being said, they’re experts, so trust in their feedback and guidance. They’re also super amenable to your ideas, wants, and needs, so they’re a truly great resource. 

Please describe your company and your position there.

Nooka Space LTD is a startup company based in Ireland, preparing to launch the world’s first connected proximity office spaces. We plan to release a full service that allows people to own a Nooka Space or rent one, and manage everything from our mobile apps. I am responsible for the Nooka Space Platform products and I am the interface between the 4 companies working together to achieve our product goals.

For what projects/services did your company hire Halcyon Mobile, and what were your goals?

Nooka Space Platform includes the Nooka Space mobile apps for both iOS and Android and a web-based Admin interface to manage the office spaces and users, which was implemented by the Halcyon Mobile team. The goal was to prepare an MVP for the full service and we plan to release it in June 2021, to validate our Business Model.

The success of our business highly depends on this MVP. In a very short period, with a relatively small team and limited budget, we needed to build a fully functional product, so that people can start using our service. At the beginning, it seemed an impossible goal, but with the dedication of Halcyon, which was above our expectations, we managed to build a product that turned out to be much more than an MVP.

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

We had 8 top software development companies bidding for the project, and we decided to go ahead with Halcyon Mobile. The differentiating factors were the solution proposal, the costs, and the immediate availability of the team, but we also considered their professional portfolio and experience. We were absolutely sure from the beginning that our product is in the right hands. We had a very good collaboration with them from the start, and they gave us the confidence for a very strong business relationship.

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

The project has 2 parts, a Flutter application, and a React Web application, hosted on AWS. The mobile apps will be used by our end users to find, book, pay and control their Nooka - the smart proximity office. As simple as it sounds, actually, the app is really complex due to the IoT integrations for the lock, heat, and lighting control of the Nooka.

The backend is integrated with 2 different 3rd party solutions to support the IoT part. The Admin interface is a web application for administrators and for Nooka owners, and it is used to manage the Nookas, users, promotions, and some basic reports.

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

We worked with a Senior Project Manager, 2 Flutter developers, 1 Full Stack developer, 1 Backend developer, a QA engineer, and a Solution Architect. I worked really closely with the Project Manager, but also directly with the team members.

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

The biggest success is that in 3 months, starting from a design, we built a very strong product, released in the app stores. A full product life cycle compressed in this short period and limited budget demonstrates the potential of this cooperation. With this achievement, we definitely consider that our MVP can be released with success.

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

On this project, we interacted with 4 different teams. My role was to mediate this collaboration, mainly on Google Meets, Slack, and email, but on the product side basically, the whole project management was done by the Halcyon team. They kept the Roadmap, the Gantt chart and followed the necessary PM steps in order to achieve the goal. I received every update or news in time and had great support when issues were raised, or when decisions needed to be made. They are very flexible and the whole process was focused on how we can bring more value in this short time, but still create a secure and reliable product.

They chose the most efficient way of working in an agile environment, considering the hard constraints we had. We managed to plan and finish all milestones according to the initial plan, even if we had several changes and iterations on some of the features. The estimates were close to reality, sometimes allowing us to insert extra features, without compromising the quality.

I would especially emphasize the value brought by the Project Manager. Although he was only part-time on the project, together with his team they delivered more than I expected in these conditions. His relationship with the team secures progress in the most difficult contexts and gives you the confidence that the end result will be the desired one.

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

Even for an MVP, they prepared a Solution Design that can be the foundation of a very robust service. We came with the vision, and their Product Specialist designed us a solution we didn’t even think of. With attention to detail, good feature prioritization, he managed to outline the best solution for our ideas. The biggest value for us was that we paid a development team, but we got a product team, fully driven to deliver the best possible MVP for us. I extremely appreciate their passion for the product, their dedication to satisfying the client.

Their exceptional technical knowledge, professionalism made it possible to deliver this much in such a short time. I received a lot of important feedback from all the team members and we can all say that we have at least one brainchild in the product. They always reminded me about the big picture, when I was tempted to get lost in details. I would strongly recommend this team to anyone willing to build a stunning service!

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

I am very satisfied with this collaboration, so far I can just appreciate the effort the team made for our product. No complaints for now.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of a startup consultancy.

What challenge were you trying to address with Halcyon Mobile?

We were building a mobile app for a consumer brand. We had a web-based app that we wanted to translate into a mobile app.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They did the development, design, and QA for the mobile application. Additionally, they integrated all the features from the web app. That involved handling the logic, UX, and everything related to building the mobile app.
The app was built with Flutter, and their team provides ongoing maintenance.

What is the team composition?

I worked with four engineers, a product manager, two designers, and someone for strategy.

How did you come to work with Halcyon Mobile?

They were among the five candidates recommended based on a brief I submitted to a platform. Their proposal and understanding of the product made me feel that they were the best choice. Their pricing was mid-range as well.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent €80,000–€100,000 (approximately $96,000–$120,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together around March 2020, and it is an ongoing project. The product was released in October 2020.

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

They quickly solve problems and are both reliable and accurate with their delivery time estimates. I’m quite satisfied with their work.

How did Halcyon Mobile perform from a project management standpoint?

They have great product management skills. Halcyon Mobile adheres to deadlines, is extremely responsive, and communicates well when problems arise. For example, they contacted me today about an issue with the App Store.

In response to the issues, they wrote a properly-worded email that needed to be sent in order to get it fixed. We use Slack for 95% of our communication as well as with Jira and Google Docs the other 10% of the time.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their team structure is extremely reliable and responsive, which helped us build a better product than we could’ve without them. They’re skilled, honest, transparent, and diligent in understanding the product. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’ve only run into a few issues. For example, we’ve encountered some specific, niche issues with Firebase. They’ve researched anything that comes up, getting back to me within hours on those occasions. I really don’t have anything to say in terms of improvement.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the head of finance & digital projects for Mobile School. It is a nonprofit organization with the goal to support youth workers that work with underprivileged, children. We provide training, educational materials, and other services to help them improve and increase their impact.

What challenge were you trying to address with Halcyon Mobile?

We wanted to add some digital products to offer our clients. 

What was the scope of their involvement?

They developed and designed a mobile  Android/iOS application, along with a backend website that manages the platform.  

The backend website manages the team and organization for each user. They can add new members, see reports, etc. It's like a CRM. The database connects the app to the website.

The app aims to support the youth workers by tracking how many children they reach, activities done, children’s profiles, how they grow, and more. Data reports are generated that can be used within their organizations to help improve their work.

What is the team composition?

There were about 14 people working on the project. We mainly interacted with the project manager, Norbert (Senior Technical Project Manager), and the designer. 

How did you come to work with Halcyon Mobile?

We received five quotes from companies. We chose this team because they were professional, driven to take the project on, and had good pricing. We were slightly unsure about working with a remote team, but they did a two-day workshop online, and we were very pleased with what we saw. We were convinced they were the best partner for us.

How much have you invested with them?

€270,000 (approximately $320,000). That includes this project, and the two we have contracted them to do.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together around March 2020, and it’s ongoing.

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

We are doing final testing with the expectation of going live in October. We've done some external testing, and feedback has been very positive thus far. We’ve been very pleased with the work they did. We look forward to seeing the number of organizations that will use our tools once we go live, and how many licenses we will sell.

How did Halcyon Mobile perform from a project management standpoint?

We have weekly status updates. If there are any delays, they are very proactive in communicating with us. They are staying within budget, are available and responsive when we reach out, and the experience is better than any I’ve experienced with previous providers. We use Basecamp and other tools, and communicate mainly via email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They are professional and flexible. The development was smooth, and the design was done well. The price-to-quality ratio is very high.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Not really. A minor issue would be that they could be more competent in structuring reports. We’ve done a lot of that in-house, and asked them to make changes for improvement, which they have done.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CTO for Guidepost Media. We are a content development and publishing company with a strong focus on inspiration and positivity. It was established 75 years ago and is currently going through a digital transformation to become more of a media conglomerate.

What challenge were you trying to address with Halcyon Mobile?

We needed help developing mobile platforms for our R2Q (Resolve 2 Quit) initiative to help individuals on their journey of addiction recovery. 

What was the scope of their involvement?

They provided a full stack development team which has been involved in everything from UX/UI development to analytics, data, backend development and everything in between. The mobile app was developed for iOS and Android platforms. There is a concurrent development stream going in order to collaborate content, releasing to both platforms simultaneously when code is released. 
The mobile app is used by clients. There is a separate web app interface for the coaches that allows them to interact and communicate with clients. There are many components, including a video for one-on-one conferencing and messaging. There is an open line of communication, enabling coaches to have direct contact with clients as they help them through on their journey. There’s also a feature for clients when they struggle or are triggered by something and need to speak with someone for assistance.

There’s an analytic component, allowing us to monitor the efficacy of the engagement, and enables the coach to have a separate environment to manage what’s happening and monitor activity from each of the clients using the mobile app. 
Currently, the team is working on important enhancements to the platform, which is nearing completion.

What is the team composition?

The team consists of six engineers and a project manager.

How did you come to work with Halcyon Mobile?

A partner in the addiction recovery space referred them to us. I contacted them and quickly determined they were perfectly suited to develop this platform for us. They were knowledgeable and capable.

How much have you invested with them?

It’s nearing $400,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in the 1st quarter of 2019, and it is ongoing.

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

Their level of expertise is spot on. They provide impeccable work and a quality product. We’ve been tracking the efficacy of their deliveries. They’ve handled every issue, challenge and feature development we’ve thrown at them without a problem. So far, quality level and delivery have been exceptional.

How did Halcyon Mobile perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re phenomenal. We track diligently, working in an Agile methodology. We have frequent and consistent check-ins and open lines of communication.

We’ve had two project managers, and they’ve both been great. We haven’t sacrificed at all regarding the level of expertise. Their methodology is very effective, as are the tools used to manage, report, and analyze projects.

They have never missed a deadline and have been quite accurate in financial projections. If there was need for timeline adjustment, they addressed it proactively. They also have an array of communication tools that don’t always require jumping on the phone. We have messaging systems and collaborative tools in place, in addition to the video and phone conferences. Project management is one of their strong suits.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The variety and range of the expertise among the team is amazing. They’re equally proficient in Android and iOS development, which is rare. They did a good job reallocating resources when we had urgent needs in specific areas of the project. It was a good decision to make them our primary developers for this project.

Are there any areas they could improve?

While we didn’t encounter this, I believe they would struggle to immediately scale up resources if a project increased.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

In case you need to scale up, be prepared for a possible struggle. The way they operate is effective, and they’re conscientious about the quality of their work.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO and co-founder of Monday/Tribes of Health, a platform marketplace for world-renowned lifestyle experts. They’re experts in the health and sustainable living space.

What challenge were you trying to address with Halcyon Mobile?

We’re non-technical founders and needed someone to develop our platform.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We had quite an extensive brainstorming session at the beginning. I had a good idea of what I wanted, which was essentially three apps in one. The programs we’re creating consist of nutrition, physical activity, and education.

From there, we outsourced the whole platform development to them. They created a fully-functioning backend, where we input our content which then is pushed out to the Android and iOS apps for users. They developed those mobile apps as well, building everything from scratch.

What is the team composition?

There was a team of designers, iOS specialists, Android developers, and engineers focused on the backend.

How did you come to work with Halcyon Mobile?

They were recommended by a large IT company with about 1,000 employees. They outsource frequently for app development and highly recommended Halcyon Mobile.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about €120,000 (approximately $133,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in January 2019, and the effort is ongoing.

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

We were 100% satisfied with the solution and its functionality.

How did Halcyon Mobile perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management is excellent. I’ve been in contact with them on a daily basis, sometimes several times per day. We received monthly work reports on their hours and progress on the backend, iOS platform, and Android app.

I’m a non-technical person, so it was very hard for me to outsource a large, complicated project without an in-house CTO. However, our project manager made sure we defined the problem to build the solution I wanted through sprints.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I really like their communication. They’re very straightforward, transparent, and clear. I’m really impressed with their business culture. They're a very energetic and passionate team.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We weren’t 100% satisfied in the beginning with the design work. We sorted it out, taking more control over the design.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Our product is very appealing, and the development was enjoyable. I received so much passion and dedication from them. I had people working the weekends and evenings, constantly in communication with me.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the founder of Brightmind Media, a meditation startup. I focus on product design, user acquisition, and content.

What challenge were you trying to address with Halcyon Mobile?

We were looking for a partner to develop an Android version of our iOS app but after our in-house developer left, we needed someone to help with the backend and iOS app as well.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Halcyon Mobile developed both versions of our mobile app and took care of our software needs. In terms of the iOS work, we already had an app up and running. For the Android version, their team built the UI of the app from scratch. 

Their team changed the backend, creating new features and functionality as well as starting some code from scratch. 

What is the team composition?

We worked with a number of members of the Halcyon Mobile team. This includes project managers, Android developers, iOS developers, and a backend developer.

How did you come to work with Halcyon Mobile?

We had a friend of a friend who works with several Eastern European coding shops and we reached out to him for suggestions. After interviewing a number of firms within his network, we chose to work with Halcyon Mobile based on their reasonable prices and fixed-cost model. 

How much have you invested with them?

We have invested around $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with Halcyon Mobile in November 2018 and are in the process of phasing them out because they completed the work we hired them to do.

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

Our backend is in much better shape and we have an Android version. We’re also very keen JIRA users.

How did Halcyon Mobile perform from a project management standpoint?

Their team is excellent at communication. All of the project managers we’ve worked with were very rational and good at breaking down complex problems into manageable chunks. Communication has been a strong point with Halcyon Mobile, especially given the time difference.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Halcyon Mobile has shown themselves to be responsive and dedicated. For example, we had some unforeseen problems with the app over the course of a weekend, but we were able to get in touch with them. Halcyon Mobile worked on a Saturday to fix the problem. 

Their team would often stay late if there was a lot of pressure on what needed to be done. They definitely logged several hours that they didn’t charge for just to make sure things were completed. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

The timeline with the Android app took a bit too long. But part of that was due to difficulty QAing in-app subscriptions, which is somewhat reasonable since they are complicated. A lot of people in the mobile industry are having trouble wrapping their heads around the kind of tech you need to execute that effectively.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If things aren’t going well, schedule daily meetings to keep things moving forward rather than relying on weekly or bi-weekly meetings.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the project manager at a FinTech startup.

What challenge were you trying to address with Halcyon Mobile?

We are building and launching a digital bank and we needed someone to build the mobile app for us.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Halcyon Mobile developed an Android mobile app from scratch. We have plans to launch in iOS at a later date. We currently have a working MVP.

The app allows users to create an account and verify their identity electronically. The app attaches to prepaid Visa and Mastercards. Users can then track their spending and visualize it to have a better understanding of how they spend their money.

What is the team composition?

I interacted directly with our project manager from Halcyon Mobile. 

How much have you invested with them?

We have invested between €90,000–€95,000 (approximately $99,200–$105,000).

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing engagement with Halcyon Mobile began in January 2019.

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

They deliver a version of the project, which we then test, and then make adjustments as necessary. We engaged with them on a project basis so there was a specific amount of work scoped. They delivered on all of that.

Like with any software project, bugs can pop out. Halcyon Mobile has fixed every single one of them. They’ve helped us out with things that were outside of our scope that came up at the last minute. Halcyon Mobile was a great partner for us, quick to adapt and super flexible.

How did Halcyon Mobile perform from a project management standpoint?

Having a one on one relationship with our project manager has been bliss. It’s been a great experience. I have nothing bad to say in that regard. They’ve been super helpful, super understanding. Our project manager has been nothing short of amazing.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I understand, coming from a financial background, that sometimes clients have evolving needs. Sometimes we had last-minute emergencies to deal with they would find someone to help us out, even if it wasn’t someone resourced to our project. Large agencies often have a more set script, especially an agency as big as Halcyon Mobile. 

They were very accommodating to the needs of a startup that is constantly evolving. Halcyon Mobile has been really good to us. It’s hard to be as flexible as they are, but we appreciated having a partner instead of just someone we were subcontracting. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I had a good relationship with our project manager but would appreciate more communication with other members of their team, such as developers or UI/UX designers. I find it easier to get on board with and behind ideas when those ideas are explained to me. That communication was a bit lacking at first. 

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m head of product at EdPlace, a tech business that provides educational resources to kids from ages 5–16 in the UK.

What challenge were you trying to address with Halcyon Mobile?

We wanted to replace an existing iOS application and build a brand-new Android application to run alongside our existing web app. 

What was the scope of their involvement?

Halcyon Mobile rewrote the code for our native iOS app using Swift. They then build the Android version entirely from scratch using Kotlin. Their team then integrated in-app payment systems into the platforms, which was a first for us.

For the design part, Halcyon Mobile reviewed our app’s UX, created wireframes, and mocked up screens in high fidelity using InVision. The new design reflects our new branding, and their team also did a lightweight reskin of our web app so it’d match the mobile apps. 

Halcyon Mobile also designed the backend APIs; another team built them based on Halcyon Mobile’s wireframes.

What is the team composition?

We work with eight in total: 2–3 Android developers, 2–3 iOS developers, a project manager, a dedicated QA person, and a dedicated designer.

How did you come to work with Halcyon Mobile?
I actually found them on Clutch. I shortlisted a group of companies in Romania that had the right combination of skills to complement our existing backend teams. Their prices and availability also worked well for us. After an initial round of phone calls followed by face-to-face meetings, we decided to go ahead and submit an RFP with Halcyon Mobile. They responded, and we went from there.

What appealed to us about Halcyon Mobile was that they'd built products of their own that they’ve released. They have that insight into being a business selling products to customers, so they understand the product development cycle that much more intimately.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about £150,000 (approximately $185,000).

What is the status of this engagement?

The project began in February 2019. The app launched two weeks ago, but we’re still working together as we downscale Halcyon Mobile’s involvement.

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

Since the apps’ launch, we’ve received really positive feedback from customers. We’re thrilled about the level of downloads, and the new in-app payment system has opened new sales channels for us. Everyone internally and most of our customer base especially appreciate the design. Over the next few months, we’re going to assess the success of the apps so far, and then we’ll plan what changes we’ll make. We intend to work with Halcyon Mobile on those updates going forward.

What’s been excellent about Halcyon Mobile is that they really embedded themselves with us as a team. They don’t just sit there and take instructions; they have strong opinions about how things should work and are not afraid to share them. That’s added a lot of value to the project. The quality of Halcyon Mobile’s work and interaction with our team has been universally excellent.

How did Halcyon Mobile perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management is probably the most outstanding thing about Halcyon Mobile. Our project manager is superb. I’ve worked with a lot of agencies over the years, and he is by far the best project manager I’ve ever worked with.

We communicate through weekly phone calls and then with Slack and Google Hangouts as required. We used Basecamp to communicate requirements and Jira to manage the day-to-day. There also were a couple of trips out to Halcyon Mobile to work with the team directly.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The standard of English spoken among Halcyon Mobile is exceptionally high. There's zero language barrier working with them if you're English-speaking. The quality of their output is exceptional. Not only are they very technically competent, but they're also really investing in their skills and their staff. Their team members are happy to be there and constantly learning to become better developers. They have a high level of creativity as well, which is quite unusual to find in an offshore model. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, we’ve been pleasantly surprised that it's been a straightforward experience working with Halcyon Mobile. It’s felt like a strong match between our two teams since the beginning.

Any advice for potential customers?

Make sure to meet face-to-face at least once or twice during any project. That's the difference between being a good project and an excellent one. It helps you get to know the people, but it also enables you to communicate those things that you can convey over email, Slack, or video call. 

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the VP of engineering for Ryalto Ltd., a healthcare provider.

What challenge were you trying to address with Halcyon Mobile?

We have a mobile application with a Ruby on Rails backend. We were trying to find a scalable resource of equal quality but with more affordable prices than what firms in London can provide.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Halcyon Mobile helped us redevelop and add new features to our legacy platform—an Android and native iOS application. The team also made other fixes and improvements. 

The app features a live chat functionality that allows healthcare professionals to find each other within the trusts that they work and chat about anything to do with healthcare lifestyles. A shift-booking integration with third-party systems lets users see available shifts and book themselves via their phone. Lastly, we provide a bespoke newsfeed and other features, such as allowing healthcare trusts to send notifications to all of their end-users.

We shared some documentation with Halcyon Mobile to start with. Our team in London now works with them very closely.

What is the team composition?

We have a team of 8–12 people, including a project manager on their end.

How did you come to work with Halcyon Mobile?

I wasn’t involved in hiring Halcyon Mobile initially. I believe it was through a word-of-mouth recommendation from someone from our board.

How much have you invested in them?

We’ve spent around $1 million–$5 million

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them in September 2015, and the work is still ongoing.

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

Our cadence improved massively via projects. Halcyon Mobile has very effective developers—they’re even more effective than the original developers based in London.

We regularly get compliments on the way the app runs. Our internal feedback has been positive, and whenever we’ve run demos, it’s been well-received by customers on every single point.

Something invaluable about Halcyon Mobile is that they don’t just do as they’re told. They get invested in what they’re doing and suggest ways to make our ideas better. The team is very much part of the business and cared about the product itself. They definitely improved it with their feedback and thoughtfulness.

How did Halcyon Mobile perform from a project management standpoint?

Our project manager is probably the best one I’ve worked with. He isn’t afraid to give me bad news, such as if Halcyon Mobile can’t do something the way we wanted it. (Situations like that are invariably because of business decisions changing, not because of the development).

He is also very straightforward to deal with as well as incredibly well organized—he understands the project incredibly quickly as well. The project manager is a massive point of value for our business.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Halcyon Mobile understands our requirements and makes them happen, no matter what. They are very well-organized and work well as a team. Their communication is exceptional. When a couple of freelancers joined us in London to help out with our technical debt, they both got up to speed very quickly by working with Halcyon Mobile. 

The team has high standards of technical excellence and quality of work. There’s not a single developer from their side I can question in the slightest, and I am pretty particular when it comes to these things.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can’t think of anything. In lots of ways, Halcyon Mobile is leading us where we need them to. They’ve worked out exactly as I wanted them to.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Listen to Halcyon Mobile’s advice. I have worked with quite a lot of offshore companies before, and they are one of the very best. It is worth it to have a bit more of a relationship with them—treat them like they’re staff rather than an offshore outfit that is just there to do as they are told. Halcyon Mobile brings so many benefits with them aside from just writing code.