What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
We’re running a Kaman K-MAX helicopter at $5,000 per hour. Given an 8-hour day, that comes to $40,000 per day. My helicopter costs alone are running at around $55,000 per day over the course of the winter. In terms of operating cost, I’ve increased my productivity by around 25% once we implemented the tool into our system. However, my return on investment didn’t necessarily increase by that much.
How did Impero IT perform from a project management standpoint?
The time difference was tough. I had to wake up at 5 o'clock every morning and go over our emails with Impero IT. I did have a bit of trouble with Raza Noorani, their business development manager. They weren’t moving as quickly as I expected since they figured that we were a one-shot deal and a smaller client. We weren’t looking for 10 million hits on the app or to sell it. My intention is to simply give it to my crew. It wasn’t a financial venture, but rather solving an internal problem within our company. This may have led him to make us a lower priority. It was also a challenge for Raza since I am not the tech guy he’s probably used to dealing with.
I was becoming frustrated, and I had to give him an ultimatum. There are 2 sides to every story, but, from an owner standpoint, I definitely had to tell them that I would not continue working with them unless he would take the project seriously and get it done now. Beyond this, I’m very glad I met him. I would definitely use him again, without looking anywhere else.
What did you find most impressive about them?
I was impressed and extremely happy with the design. I described the challenges of our working conditions, and Impero IT understood how to code the app to make it work. Our workers would have cold fingers since they were standing out in the rain or snow. We needed big buttons and easy changes.
Initially, my brother wanted a roll dial. But if you’re standing out there for 6 hours at 15 degrees below zero, using a roll dial on a phone is not a good idea. We had to have a huge button that we could just push. I told them what I wanted, and it was done fast. We could tell Impero IT what we need, and they would produce it. This was their strongest point. I will be bringing the app back to him and spending another $5,000 to $6,000 on it.
Are there any areas they could improve?
When we first started, I would have mentioned 6–8 different things they should improve. But, by the time we got the working relationship figured out, those were all solved.
Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?
I wouldn’t tell a friend to invest $10,000 or $20,000 dollars in an app, unless I first talked to him about the hiccups and the working relationship. We’re dealing with people from India, not with someone down the street. This presents some challenges. It’s worth overcoming them, but they do exist.
From the start, Impero IT Services Pvt. Ltd had a strong understanding of the project goals. They suggested several solutions to overcome unforeseen hurdles, including a way to effectively use the Google Maps API. While they could’ve provided more detailed timelines, they excelled technically.