Icalia Labs

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m a co-founder of Estoy Bien. We offer an automated monitoring service for elderly people that have an independent lifestyle but live alone.

For what projects/services did your company hire Icalia Labs?

We needed to design and build our MVP and put it out on the market.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to release an MVP that real customers could use.

How did you select this vendor?

I knew Icalia by reputation but I’d never worked with them before. We were looking for an experienced team with knowledge of agile development, product design sprints, design processes, and lean startup methodologies.

After interviewing options ranging from freelancers and coding startups to more established companies, we chose Icalia because of their understanding of our vision and how excited they were to share their ideas with us. Though theirs was not the most affordable offer, we were swayed by their expertise and professionalism.

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

First, we had a product design sprint in which they grasped our product and vision, contributed a lot of ideas, and guided us toward including only the most essential functionalities. They then built the MVP via weekly iterations. This was followed by a testing phase where they made lots of tweaks to ensure that it met our expectations. The next and last step is to release the MVP into the market.

What was the team composition?

We’re working with an engagement lead, a design lead, and a development lead.

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

Before working with Icalia, all we had was an idea paired with a lot of documentation and research. Now, we have a working MVP that’s been thoroughly tested and is ready for use by real customers. They’ve helped us develop a real product.

Our goal was to have a working MVP that could handle real customers, even if the functionality was limited, so we couldn't accept an MVP that wasn’t working. They ended up doing great work but it cost us both. We sacrificed several months we’d set aside for beta testing and lost potential revenue from not having the product in the market, which we could've used to develop improvements.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

They initially underestimated the backend work required for the project, which led to the developer being overwhelmed. This also caused us to utilize resources that we didn’t budget for for an extended period of time. They then brought in an engagement lead to manage the project.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The executed agile and lean methodologies well and displayed considerable skill with management tools like InVision, Pivotal (agile management software), and Slack. They have professional, experienced developers and a great design aesthetic.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

They need to do a better job of estimating resources, time, and the cost of developing a solution. From my perspective, they focus more on designing the frontend (UX) and minimize the backend engines that need to be built to support the product.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the IT project manager for RCD Hotels, a leading hotel sales and marketing company established in 1985. Within the company's portfolio are luxury properties throughout the US, Mexico, and the Caribbean, all under an all-inclusive format. I'm responsible for evaluating the best technologies for the company.

For what projects/services did your company hire Icalia Labs?

We already had booking engines in place for our guests but were looking to provide something similar to our employees so that they could get reservations following our internal rules.

What were your goals for this project?

The solution had to be simple, fast, and provide a way for employees to ask for reservations.

How did you select this vendor?

We met them at a convention. Their methodology was the best for obtaining the most accurate information from users. This allowed them to better define the architecture of the solution.

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

They designed, developed, and deployed the solution in our web server. Icalia Labs also guided the discovery sessions with the users to get data and design the mock-up.

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

Their work has produced positive results. We now have a more productive reservations department, and all employee requests go directly to our project management system instead of going through email. We also have better control over these requests, as the app follows our internal rules. Overall, they created an easy and efficient tool for our employees to ask for reservations.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Project management was timely, and, though we did have some issues, they were handled accordingly without affecting our budget. We held in-person meetings for the discovery phase, and, once development started, we communicated through email and Google Hangouts.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The discovery phase was remarkable. Their process was dynamic and consisted of a series of questions to get the most accurate and useful information. This created a clear scenario of how the app should work. Furthermore, they provided tips to increase the experience and value for users.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

They should test the app before deploying it to customers so that simple grammar or design mistakes would be avoided.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

The company I used to work for is the national leader in equipped office rental. I was the innovation manager.

What challenge were you trying to address with Icalia Labs?

We needed the full development of our mobile app. It was intended to provide services for our partners, our clients and prospects, facilitating sporadic booking of coworking, meeting spaces, access to events for users, and digitized services for members, including concierge, delivery, and events. It also created a community for members.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We had two different projects. The first was the mobile app for iOS and Android. The second was the development of a web platform, through which clients could hire and customize services.

What is the team composition?

We initially worked with designers, project managers, developers. Later on, we worked closely with three senior developers and two designers for adjustments.

How did you come to work with Icalia Labs?

We came to them because of their reputation, as we knew they were very good. We had to consider our budget so we had taken our proposal to different agencies, but what made us choose Icalia was that they showed a lot of commitment and trust on our project. They were very professional and the demo they provided showed quality and understanding of our project.

They were more expensive than others but we prefer to spend a little more and be sure that we wouldn’t have any issues in the future. Sometimes in technology things that are cheap at the beginning tend to end up being more expensive in the longer term.

How much have you invested in them?

We invested around $50,000 USD.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started in March 2017. The mobile project was finished three months later, then we started with the web app in June and finished in mid-September of the same year.

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

When we launched the app our goal was to increase our member subscriptions by 5%. They were at about 10,000, and we ended up increasing them by 12%. So the results were great. We increased our online sales by 35% per month too, so the project helped a lot with transitioning on digitized sales.

How did Icalia labs perform from a project management standpoint?

I loved working with them because they were always on time. We had a project administration software where we would define all tasks and every Monday we would set new goals. It meant we were able to start testing the app very quickly.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The quality of their work, especially in terms of design and programming, was great. There is also nothing better than a software company that is punctual, as this tends to be a common issue in the sector. They were great on that front.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think there was anything wrong. We didn’t have much experience with software development projects so we left aside some security issues. They could have mentioned to us that we hadn't considered that, but I know that isn't part of their job.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We provide innovative digital services and support to companies dedicated to integral health, clinical research protocols, labor health, and more. I manage the business and organizational development, marketing, and recruiting.

What challenge were you trying to address with Icalia Labs?

We worked with them to develop two different digital products.

What was the scope of their involvement?

One of these projects was called Oqdoc. Our slogan for this project was “find your doctor”. This was a platform that helped users find doctors with different specializations, allowing them to search specific areas with pricing and other details. It launched as a web app, and later we developed a mobile app as well. We no longer have this product on the market. We launched it about two years ago, and it didn’t have the success we expected so we now have it on standby.

The other project we developed with them was called Oqfarma. It was created using Google design sprint and Icalia helped us gather ideas inside our organization and among our clients. The main goal of this development was to help clients find the least expensive pharmaceutical products in their area. This project was only developed as a prototype.

What is the team composition?

In the first development, we worked directly with four people, but a bigger team worked behind the scenes. In the second development, there were two people collaborating with us.

How did you come to work with Icalia Labs?

We found Icalia in an online search. We were intrigued by their experience working with clients creating electronic clinical files. We wanted a company with that kind of knowledge and experience so we met up with them, and we really liked what they proposed. They seemed to understand our needs well, so we decided to work with them.

How much have you invested in them?

It was around 700,000 Mexican Pesos (approximately $37,000 USD) for the first development and around 60,000 Pesos (approximately $3,000 USD)for the second one.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in October or November 2015. The first project was finished a year later.

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

Icalia had some operational issues the year that we worked with them and couldn’t deliver the product on time. For us, it was a loss. We had already hired the personnel to operate this platform, and we were already paying them while waiting for the development to be finished. So, when we launched the product, we had already spent a lot of the budget. That is why we couldn’t keep the product on the market for long. It was not profitable so we had to pause the project. We didn’t get to work with as many doctors as we had hoped either, so the project was not successful at all. As it was a strong investment for us, we planned to try again in the future, but we haven’t found the proper conditions to do so.

How did Icalia Labs perform from a project management standpoint?

We used Slack to follow-up on the first product, but they had a lot of delays. They did not create an initial prototype before launching the product. We had a lot of setbacks and misunderstandings. We had to make a lot of changes while working on the development, and that took a long time. This is why we did that differently the second time. They learned what had to be different and took it in consideration for other projects.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They are great at the design sprint methodology. That was truly valuable. If we work with them again, I would like to start with that methodology as it cleared up our expectations.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We gave them our feedback and complaints, and they took them into consideration and did the second development very well.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the CEO and founder of an online platform that creates personalized vacations.

What challenge were you trying to address with Icalia Labs?

Previously, potential customers filled out an online form that fed into a spreadsheet. Our team would use that information to personalize a trip based on their preferences. Because we only had a basic database, our team had to do a lot of research each time a customer requested a trip. They had to learn about various destinations, figure out which one would be a good fit for the client, and then to try to piece together all of the trip details. This process often took six hours, which was a big problem.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Icalia created a system that uses a customer survey that feeds into a more robust database. It's an internal tool that has information on all our destinations. It’s searchable and uses filters. It can categorize the data in many different ways, such as the best time to go and what activities are available. The database also includes our preferred hotels and information about suppliers.

It was a two-step process. Icalia did a design sprint first, and then gave us an estimate of what it would cost to develop the entire project. They used a number of technologies, including Ruby on Rails, RSpec, HTML5, JavaScript, jQuery, and CSS.

What is the team composition?

I had one main point person through the entire process who served as the liaison to the rest of the team. Their CTO also got involved on a few minor things.

How did you come to work with Icalia Labs?

I can't remember exactly how I found them. They had a very professional proposal. I was considering companies all over the world but I liked that they're based in Mexico. I could actually meet them in person, which gave me additional confidence in the selection.

How much have you invested with them?

The entire project was $34,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project ran from February–July 2017.

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

The main impact is that they made it quicker to process proposals. Solely from the development of this technology, we've cut back the amount of time it takes to make a proposal package from six hours to 1–2 hours. That’s a huge improvement in our efficiency. There's been some impact in our conversion rate, which has improved. It’s not attributable solely to their work, but we've doubled our sales from last year.

In general, they were great. I have no complaints on the quality. The amount of information about each destination is more comprehensive in the new database. That makes it a lot easier to personalize trips to the client's needs and preferences. We've been running this database for about a year and had very few maintenance issues. Our CTO, who came on board after the completion of this project, did a deep dive into the code and said it's all very organized and well done.

How did Icalia Labs perform from a project management standpoint?

Their communication was great and they were always responsive. We used Slack to communicate, which was quite efficient. I don’t remember the name, but they used a technology tool to keep me updated about the project status. The system let me know what they were working on and what they were focusing on each week. At the end of each week, they would send me updates on what they accomplished and what was still pending.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The team was professional and flexible. They care about doing a good job. They won’t take on a project if they don't think they have the resources or capacity to deliver excellent quality. I think that's great because other development companies will take any project, whether or not they’re right for the job. Also, Icalia really took ownership of the project. They thought a lot about what problem they're trying to fix and the solution, as well as brainstorming ideas. They served as a valuable resource to validate our project.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They spread their resources too thin at times. They didn't make it clear upfront that the engineer was assigned to other projects. We thought we were going to have an exclusive resource but he was only working 30% of the time on our project. Sometimes there would be a week or two where no or very little progress was made, which was very disappointing. Also, they estimated that the entire project would take two months to complete but it took four. Some of the delay was our fault because we added a few things to the scope, but the scope didn’t double in size.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the President and COO of an oil and gas service provider operating in Texas and a variety of other extraction regions. We provide critical services to energy firms that are actively producing oil and gas, as well as inspection services that allows function optimization in wells.

As a result of this work, we gather a considerable amount of data and information that we’ve realized can be very helpful for the operation of these wells. In 2013, we began a program where we collect that data in a way that optimizes internal processes for the company and also makes it useful and available for our customers.

What challenge were you trying to address with Icalia Labs?

A peculiarity of our business is that we handle a lot of material and inventory for our customers that are used in their wells. We’ve processed over 1 million items in 2016 alone, which is a considerable amount.

We needed to be able to effectively, efficiently, and transparently handle that material. Our first step was building a robust inventory system that allowed us to extract, track, and analyze data in order to provide it to our customers. The second objective was to then use some of our other services to provide additional insights and analytics through a single sign-up, repository platform for all of this information. We’ve been building that system in stages over the last three years.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’re using a robust version of the PostgreSQL which they’ve built on Ruby on Rails. We’ve also used a variety of JavaScript solutions for the frontend. Some of the system’s interfaces are complex, including interactive maps and graphics, as well as data that can be plotted flexibly against one another. They’ve employed a variety of different solutions to find the best application or language for the platform.

We’ve recently been excited about moving towards a Docker approach in the way this platform is built (i.e. microservices and a micro-application approach). The system was becoming so large that we wanted to maintain flexibility but still have the same breadth of the software. I used a more modular Docker approach as we built micro-applications and microservices that communicate with APIs.

What is the team composition?

Typically, our teams consist of two full-stack developers and a designer who handles frontend development.

How did you come to work with Icalia Labs?

I’ve worked in a variety of technology-related projects for the last few years, and there’s certainly a technology component that allows one to compete with or out-compete peers in the industry. When I was looking for developers, I was looking in Mexico just because I have a history there. I speak Spanish, so I’m very comfortable with the language. It wasn’t just about price, but also about the level of service and quality of the developer.

I found that vendors in Mexico have been able to attract, retain, and train top-tier talent. I’ve had a lot of conversations with people in Monterrey, Mexico to seek out different options. I’ve had interviews with different companies, but I found Icalia to have the highest quality and most well-operated business.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $200,000 with them so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working with them since January 2014 on a variety of projects.

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

When I joined the company several years ago, many of the processes were still done manually. Inventories were being recorded on paper, in multiple Excel documents, and through off-the-shelf software systems. As a result of this project, we’ve been able to analyze our workflow and consolidate it into a single system that achieves all of the goals previously handled through multiple mediums.

We’ve seen a reduction in our operating expenses because fewer people are able to do the same amount of work. We’ve also seen an improvement in the quality of the process itself. We process over a million items through the system with minimal mistakes. We have information live and up to date at a faster pace than ever before, and we’re able to work with and attract customers as a result.

How did Icalia Labs perform from a project management standpoint?

We’ve used several different systems to find what works best, but we use Slack to maintain daily communication between our team and their development team. We’ve also used Google Hangouts, Zoom, phone calls, emails, Basecamp, etc.

We’re focused on results, and we haven’t had any issues where we felt like we had large scope overruns or paid more than we should have.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re very passionate about what they do, learning, and continuously improving the way their developers work. I’ve noticed that they’re more focused on an end product and delivering useful software versus focusing on billable hours, which is what many third-party shops do.

We’re happy that we’re getting a innovative approach to the development. We’re getting good value, and I’m accessing developer talent and quality that I may not be able to obtain in the U.S.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing major that comes to mind. We’ve both improved, so everything has been going well.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Engage with Icalia upfront on design, scope, and business goals. People typically come with what software features they want in the beginning, which isn’t a bad way to scope a project, but it’s possible to engage with Icalia on a business level. Let them know what is needed from a business perspective, and how the software will achieve business goals.

Be open to them and their feedback. They have proprietary procedures and processes in-house that can better help the project scope. Ultimately, the customer will receive a better result and be more satisfied with the process.

Introduce your business and what you do there. 

We're a startup providing commercial real estate intelligence services in Mexico. We have a platform that provides information in real time.

What challenge were you trying to address with Icalia Labs?

We are working on a platform that provides historic statistical data about the behavior of the industrial real estate market. Soon we will also offer that for the office real estate and retail sectors. We already had a beta platform and decided to invest in technology more seriously, with more resources and with more input from our clients.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They developed all the frontend and backend. They used Ruby on Rails as the main tool and for other projects we are working at no they are also using React.

What is the team composition?

In the platform we are currently developing there were a least 3 developers involved. Someone leading the team, with whom we had direct contact, as well as software developers and designers with basic developing skills who helped us on the user experience. It was very good as they helped us not only in the development but also on the design.

How did you come to work with Icalia?

In the beginning, it was difficult to find an agency that seemed to be well structured, with experts in the field, and that could give us the service we were looking for. When we heard about Icalia we knew they were a good fit. We found them when searching for local agencies as before, we had worked with an agency remotely and the communication was not very easy. For that reasons, we wanted to find an agency locally and we didn't find too many options. Icalia was the only one that had all the skills we were looking for.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them around July 2016 and are still working with them.

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

We’ve had good results on the products they developed. Since the beginning, we thought they were a complete agency with all the tools we were looking for, and now we see that in the year and some months we have been working with them they have improved in their structure, communication, and the way they work with clients.

Besides the products they have developed for us, they showed us some good practices that we have since implemented ourselves.

How did Icalia perform from a project management standpoint?

The tools that have been crucial for us are Slack, for informal but organized communication, and Pivotal Tracker, which kept a precise order in the tasks. Not everything was delivered on time because it can be hard to estimate times from the beginning, but this tool gave us the chance to evaluate deadlines and adjust them accordingly.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The involvement of the founders and partners of the company in the projects has been key. They have been always available for our needs on crucial moments. The project hasn't always been perfect; we have encountered some setbacks and delays, but in those moments, the key for success came from their response and how they took care of reorganizing and getting back on track.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Constant communication is something you should always work on. That area is one in which they could still improve.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I think it is important to not to just throw our project to the provider. First, you have to assign who is going to be in charge of communication with the agency. When it comes to design the structure of the project, it must be understood that at the beginning, it is impossible to foresee everything that may come up. Try to organize internally as much as possible, before talking to any service provider.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the director of innovation at MLAB Ventures, which works to accelerate the growth of a diverse group of startups.

For what projects/services did your company hire Icalia Labs?

We contracted with Icalia Labs to conduct a design sprint for a product prototype.

What were your goals for this project?

We hoped to validate the hypothesis of our app with a viable prototype.

How did you select this vendor?

We have worked with Icalia Labs on other successful projects in the past.

Describe the project in detail.

We ran a week-long design sprint to validate and test a product hypothesis for a two-sided accounting marketplace application. Once the project was funded, we continued with the frontend development.

What was the team composition?

We were assigned a project manager, a frontend developer, and two UI/UX designers.

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

We consider the project a complete success. We were able to build and validate a prototype of the app. The prototype received rave reviews, which ultimately led to the project being funded.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We established a Slack channel for daily communication and used InVision to give feedback.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The quality of the work and the level of talent set Icalia Labs apart from other firms.

Are there any areas for improvement?

In terms of incorporating their feedback, we had trouble meeting their expectations within a certain time frame. A more relaxed atmosphere in that regard would be appreciated.