INNOMIZE

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CIO of The Research Group

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

AI/ML based IT startup in the education sector

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire INNOMIZE to accomplish?

• Develop a cloud hosted PoC application for Academic Rearch
• Integration with our proprietary AI/ML NLP technology
• Sprint driven rapid prototyping and innovation

SOLUTION

How did you find INNOMIZE?

Referral

Why did you select INNOMIZE over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fits our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me

How many teammates from INNOMIZE were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Goals and objectives of the software.

Research writing tool:

• Develop a sophisticated UI to wrap the report writing process flow.
• Redevelop the existing interface to the NLP/ML pipeline and AI (OpenAI). 
• The emphasis is on providing a tool that enables a user to experience the enhanced productivity benefits of using the NLP/ML pipeline, AI (OpenAI) interface and data analytics in creating a research paper.

Marking tool: 

• Develop a sophistiatedUI to wrap the student paper marking process flow and feedback report generation.
• Redevelop the existing interface to the NLP/ML pipeline process and data analytics,
• The emphasis is on providing a basic tool that enables a user to experience the enhanced productivity benefits of using the NLP/ML pipeline, AI interface and data analytics in creating a comprehensive marking assessment and feedback report. 

Scope of Work

• Detailed requirements of the software.
• Functional and non-functional requirements.
• Any specific features or modules needed. 
• Research writing tool:
• Need to manage the user ID/authentication.
• Multi-user capability - ie multiple users can use at the same time. However, only requires a single session per user. Only able to construct one paper at a time.

Workflow:
Top menu: 
1.    Upload reference research paper
2.    Take Notes
3.    Write paper

Marking tool:
Need to manage the user ID/authentication.
Multi-user capability - ie multiple users sessions. However, only requires a single session per user. Only able to mark one paper at a time.

Workflow:
Top menu: 
1.    Upload student paper for marking
2.    Upload the professor’s marking rubric

In the background this initiates the NLP pipeline ingestion process, marking analytics and data store  into vector/graph database. 

3.    Email feedback report to student

24 x 7 availability.
Basic error handling, restart/recovery

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

• Scope of agreed Sprints delivered on time.
• Excellent teamwork with external AI/ML research analyst to develop application API
• Rapid delivery capability combined with innovative initiative taking resulted in the product scope far exceeding initial expectations.
• Stable product.
• Satisfied users. 

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Plans, tasks, issues and progress clearly tracked and communicated via extensive use of collaborative tools: JIRA, Confluence, TEAMS etc..

Delivery scope, speed and quality exceeded expectations.

What was your primary form of communication with INNOMIZE?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

High level of initiative demonstrated to extend and improve original design. Highly responsive, interactive and structured communication. 

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

They exceeded our expectations in all regards.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO and Co-Founder of The Research Group

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

The Research Group was founded by researchers and psychologists. and is driven by a passion to make a positive impact in the world and improve the wellbeing of all. The Research Group builds tools that support the research process, and everyone who researches from high-school students, through universities and even professional researchers. 

The Research Group uses AI-powered solutions to enhance and expand the performance and role of research in society. By aligning our research and development efforts with sustainability and innovation, we strive to contribute towards a more sustainable and inclusive future.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire INNOMIZE to accomplish?

• Build a Proof of Concept
• As much functionality as possible
• A robust product

SOLUTION

How did you find INNOMIZE?

Referral

Why did you select INNOMIZE over others?

Referred to me

How many teammates from INNOMIZE were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Innomize Vietnam provided exceptional service in developing our AI Web App Proof of Concept. Their team demonstrated technical expertise, delivering high-quality code and innovative solutions. They were highly responsive and adaptable to our evolving requirements, ensuring smooth collaboration throughout the project. 

The final product exceeded our expectations, showcasing advanced AI capabilities and a user-friendly interface. Innomize's commitment to meeting deadlines and proactive communication made them a reliable partner. We highly recommend Innomize Vietnam for their professionalism, technical skills, and dedication to client satisfaction.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

The project's measurable outcomes demonstrated significant progress and success, particularly in terms of high user engagement. Our AI Web App Proof of Concept saw good user interaction within the first month of deployment. User retention rates improved, indicating strong satisfaction with the app’s features and performance. 

Additionally, the app’s intuitive design reduced user onboarding time. These metrics underscore the effectiveness of Innomize Vietnam's development work, highlighting their ability to create a compelling and engaging user experience.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Innomize Vietnam exhibited excellent project management throughout developing our AI web app proof of concept. They consistently delivered timely items, adhering to the agreed-upon schedule and milestones. 

Their project managers maintained clear and open communication, regularly updating us on progress and promptly addressing any concerns or changes in requirements. Innomize's responsiveness to our needs was exemplary; they were flexible and adaptive, ensuring that our feedback was integrated seamlessly into the development process. Their proactive approach and commitment to client satisfaction contributed significantly to the project’s overall success.

What was your primary form of communication with INNOMIZE?

Virtual Meeting

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

INNOMIZE's willingness to get deeply involved in the business processes we were addressing impressed us most. Rather than merely building what we told them to, they took the time to understand our needs and objectives thoroughly. 

This deeply collaborative approach ensured that they developed a technically sound solution that aligned with our business goals. Their commitment to truly understanding our challenges and working closely with us to devise the best solutions sets them apart from other vendors.

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

We do not believe there are any areas for improvement for Innomize Vietnam. They consistently went above and beyond what was required and requested. Their project leadership was exceptionally strong, and the team showed a remarkable willingness to understand our business processes deeply. 

This commitment to thorough understanding and proactive engagement was a great credit to their professionalism and the company. Their dedication and excellence in execution left no room for criticism and contributed significantly to the project's success.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder, CEO, and experiential design director of Hello xLAB, an experiential UX design company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with InnomizeTech?

I hired them to help me produce my vision through high-fidelity development. We’re design-centric, so we’re less focused on development. We needed a great team of full stack developers who could deliver on our vision efficiently and accurately.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

InnomizeTech provides us with software development. First, my small design team works on the product vision and design. Then, we connect with InnomizeTech and have a kickoff call to discuss the milestone we’re entering and the direction we want to go. We provide wireframes, technical decks, and a brief to their accounts director and development lead. 

From there, we work through timelines, budgets, and resourcing and determine where InnomizeTech’s skill sets apply. Once we have a statement of work from InnomizeTech, we sign a contract, and they work on the development. 

Currently, they’re developing a social platform for us using AWS and React. The platform involves a complicated dashboard with user information connecting to our AI, which matches people and data. InnomizeTech will build an elaborate chat functionality, a community channel, and an area where companies can create a page and develop a small membership base. This base will enable permission controls, information sharing, and the creation of events with the ability to invite users to them. The team is in stage two of four of development. 

What is the team composition?

I’ve worked with 6–7 members of InnomizeTech’s team, including an account director, lead developer, several senior front- and backend developers, and the president. 

How did you come to work with InnomizeTech?

We found InnomizeTech through a referral from a colleague who had used them previously. I was transitioning out a React engineer and needed someone to jump in for him, and my college suggested InnomizeTech. I agreed to work with them based on their presentation and reputation. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $12,000; we pay InnomizeTech per project. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in June 2022, and our collaboration is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve set up our needs and wants and go through our priorities, requirements, what InnomizeTech has delivered, and QA testing to see what meets or doesn’t meet our expectations. We have an ongoing check and validation of InnomizeTech’s success. 

Beyond that, our users’ feedback is another measure of success. We conduct outreach and surveys to gather our users’ opinions on the platform’s functionality and UX. If we identify a pattern of concern, we address that with InnomizeTech, and they happily make adjustments. Overall, we have a good relationship with InnomizeTech and hope to give them more projects to maintain a continued relationship. 

How did InnomizeTech perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re very good at project management, meeting deadlines, and communicating with us. We’ve had some delays in our development process, and InnomizeTech has been very communicative about those delays and open when sharing expectations. I’ve also allowed for flexibility for development issues, so these delays haven’t thrown off our overall timeline. 

We have periodic check-ins on the development lifecycle, and InnomizeTech has been very open and transparent throughout. We develop in sprints; they’ve already finished the first one and are in the second. Since we don’t know how long each stage will take, we don’t have a set timeline for the complete project. 

As for tools, we use Slack for communication and Asana to track our deliverables and development. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’m most impressed with InnomizeTech’s ability to take in our design specifications, technical documents, and vision and accurately convert them into what we want. Often, developers don’t quite see the creative vision and can’t replicate it. Meanwhile, InnomizeTech is skilled at translating our vision, leading to fewer iterations and meetings for corrections, giving me confidence that they can develop fast and accurately. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Although there’s always room for improvement, we don’t need InnomizeTech to improve anything. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Ensure you have your vision and technical documentation finished accurately to communicate best how you want your product to be developed. That way, you’ll have less back and forth. InnomizeTech understands the design process and how to convert a vision into a product.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder Tutelage-You, an online tutoring company. It’s a marketplace that matches students that are seeking tutoring with licensed teachers in different subject areas from grades 6–12.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with InnomizeTech?

I wanted to build a platform that offers an easy user interface that could connect students and tutors across the country. It was not only limited to geographic regions and it gave an opportunity for good teachers to work outside of the classroom. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

At first, I shared my idea of having an online web-based application with InnomizeTech and what I needed to do. They designed and developed it from scratch. I requested features such as the payment system and video conferencing that supported tutoring and different subjects. I also told them to create a place where we could store information, including the criteria and background of our end users.   

We worked together over the course of few months to put it all together. They took my feedback and critiques and made changes based on what I felt was necessary and worked with some other teachers to make sure there weren’t any blind spots. 

What is the team composition?

There were about seven people on the project, which included developers and project managers. The team’s project managers were the ones I interacted with the most. 

How did you come to work with InnomizeTech?

Since I’m an American working in Asia, I was looking at different development companies. I used Clutch to find a list of top developers in Vietnam and I came across InnomizeTech. At that time, I identified about 5–7 companies. Then, I set up the interviews and based on conversations we had, and in terms of understanding what I was trying to do — the Innomize Tech team was the best one. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $15,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our partnership ran from May–October 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Partnering with InnomizeTech turned out to be a good decision. The functionality of our web app was really key because it was what I was really looking for. They were able to develop something seamless and user-friendly. Most importantly, the team delivered our solution in a timely manner. 

In addition, they were able to design the interface for our tutors and students from scratch and made it their own. It was really a vital piece of the website. 

Currently, we’re still testing out the site, but they were really supportive in making changes based on the feedback we received since it went live. However, we’re not totally promoting our platform yet because we still have some in-house stuff that we need to change. 

How did InnomizeTech perform from a project management standpoint?

In terms of communication, it was really beneficial because they were very attentive. Sometimes, we used Google, Zoom, WhatsApp, email, and other different communication methods. Trello was our main way to handle the project, but then there were certain instances when we required more in-person face to face discussion. We also used Trello in order for us to meet deadlines. If anything, I was a little slower than they were. They definitely had a sense of urgency.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I appreciated InnomizeTech’s honesty when it comes to telling me that not everything that I wanted was possible. They also told me if things would be challenging instead of just saying yes to everything. Their ability and engineering expertise to understand what was possible impressed us. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

We experienced some slight issues with communication, but I think that’s just inherent when doing work remotely and it was a process that needs to be improved. I think it wasn’t really their fault and if I was working with another remote team, I would still face the same issues. Basically, there’s just more room for some misunderstandings when using different apps.  

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Depending on what level you’re coming from, you could either hire a technical expert or designer. If you’re someone who understands coding and has the technical expertise, hire a designer that knows what you’re looking for, and vice versa.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a technical consulting company based here in the US, and we provide enterprise application development, product development, and consulting services to our clients. I’m the co-founder and CEO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with InnomizeTech?

We were finding that, in the market we serve, the majority of the consulting companies are the larger consulting firms and they all have offshore development teams. To compete with them cost-wise, we needed to also develop an offshore development team. We’ve tried in Argentina and India, and both times did not receive the kind of results we wanted for our client. So, we connected with one of the co-founders of Innomize, started working with them, and were incredibly pleased with the results.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They provide development services, engineering architecture services. Predominately they worked around AWS and open-source technologies. Essentially, they’re our exclusive development team.

Mostly, they’re working on enterprise-level systems and solutions. There are some web applications, but they’ve helped us build an in-store retail point of sale solution, web applications with backend integration into enterprise systems. They work end-to-end on these solutions. We have a hybrid model with our on-shore resources doing the bulk of the requirement gathering, high-level architecture overview, and all the on-site interaction with the customer.

Our US-based resources work with their analysts, senior engineers, and architects to further define the requirements at the solution level, as well as help us determine timelines and estimates as far as the effort needed to develop the solution. Then, they do the full development, QA, and testing. Also, they work with delivery and go-live. Based on the project, they may also do continuous maintenance and support.

What is the team composition?

On a regular basis, we have direct interaction with four team members consistently, but our team is larger than that. We work with the main architect, as well as two of the team leads (senior-level engineers) as well as a business analyst.

How did you come to work with InnomizeTech?

We had an engagement with them through a mutual client and interacted with their CEO. Later, when we found ourselves in a position needing developers to step in, he’d started Innomize. We reached out to him on a whim because we knew he did quality work, and he had availability.

They’ve been able to deliver the project quality we needed in the timeframe we needed. At that point, we slowly gave him more work because they were the right fit for us.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent just over $400,000 so far, over many projects.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since May 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

90% of the time, the projects are delivered on time. Generally, the other 10% is because some of the business requirements maybe weren’t as clearly defined as they should have been. I wouldn’t put that on them, necessarily. The projects are always within budget.

We’ve had several customers who need things done in a pinch and Innomize has always worked extra time or on weekends to make sure our customers are happy. Our clients are their clients, and our clients are always happy with their work. Several clients rave about their quality of work and how they go above and beyond.

When we told them that we needed the resources we were using to be AWS certified, that was done. They put the effort in and got the resources trained and tested and provided all the documentation we needed to ensure the resources were up to our standard.

How did InnomizeTech perform from a project management standpoint?

It’s been a collaborative effort, especially last year in an effort to ensure the way we were communicating was clear and open. We utilize Jira and Confluence for management, and they’re great about updating tickets. We also use it to track their time against different sprints and projects.

Our main point of contact is Hoang Le, their co-founder and CEO. He’s excellent at keeping in communication with us. We use Slack as our main, back-and-forth tool to have conversations with them. Keeping things in writing is easier than trying to do phone calls. They’re always great about being online during the agreed-upon hours.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The most impressive thing is that generally speaking when you’re dealing with off-shore development teams, they tend to do exactly what the requirements tell them to do, no question. The problem with not questioning is that we as the client can get things wrong, conveying something in a way that makes sense to us but not to them, depending on the way they’re viewing it. If they don’t question and just move ahead, something may be developed incorrectly. That was consistently a problem with the other off-shore teams we tried to work with.

I would say that their willingness and comfort to question us to ensure they fully understand something before developing it saves me time and money and keeps my customers happy because they’re getting what’s expected. They’ll frequently engage in a back-and-forth with our on-shore architects to make sure that the solution being developed is clearly thought out and planned using best-practices. We can always rely on them to be a sounding board and to have that dialogue. It’s taken years and effort on both parts to get to this point in our partnership.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They’ve continued to work with us to improve the way that we communicated with each other. Being on a12-hour time difference can be difficult, as can having a language translation, but they put forth the effort to fix issues, no matter whose side they’re on. It’s just a matter of continuing to prioritize communication.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be upfront and clear about exactly what you’re looking for. Be open to their feedback as well on what it’ll take to get the project done. They’re intelligent and have a complete understanding of the space and the product development life cycle from beginning to end. If they’re recommending another resource or a different type of resource, listen to them. At their price point and work ethic, you’ll be hard-pressed to find anyone better.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m Ray Antonino, Co-Founder and CEO of Permits.com. We are a small team.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with InnomizeTech?

We were looking to get more development work done faster. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They worked on projects we needed done for a Fortune 40. That project won us a pilot. Typically, we give them all the designs. They do the mockups and make sure we are on track. They also offer solutions to problems we haven’t even thought of.

What is the team composition?

Hoang (Co-Founder/CEO, InnomizeTech) is the one who speaks fluent English. There is also Tuan (Full-Stack Developer, InnomizeTech), Hiep (Full-Stack Developer, InnomizeTech), Anh (Full-Stack Developer, Innomize Tech) and Anh (Automation Developer, InnomizeTech).

How did you come to work with InnomizeTech?

Originally, we worked with the team through a 3rd party; they were behind the scenes. (They do work behind the scenes for some very large, multi-national companies.) When we were scoping out a project, a friend of mine who owns a company put me in direct contact with them, cutting out the middleman.

We also looked at the cost associated with hiring American companies. Even with my resources, I couldn’t come up with developers at the same level as the team at InnomizeTech and at a price point where we could make our dollar go a lot further.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with InnomizeTech in 2018. Our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

As a three-time entrepreneur who has worked with incompetent teams all over the globe, you know when you find the right company—and InnomizeTech is it. When my CTO gives an estimated cost projection to me based on hours a project should take, they consistently come in at or under the budgeted hours every time. This proves we’re not getting charged excessively. 

How did InnomizeTech perform from a project management standpoint?

They are offshore, and so it is a 12-hour time difference. I get online around 9 p.m. to begin answering their questions from the previous day. I make sure they know what needs to be done. By the time I get up the following morning, I have a notice telling me what has been completed and pushed to dev environment for testing that day.

We use Slack for communication, and they also keep a spreadsheet updated with time and costs for projects. I have come to trust them so much that they are encouraged to work through challenges on their own. The team at InnomizeTech is so fast that we must perform daily testing and code validation to keep up with them.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They know what they’re talking about. My CTO and Product Designer are exceptional, and each have been very impressed by the way the team answers questions and thinks ahead. It is right in line with how the questions are viewed in the industry.

They are like family to me at this point. I trust them so much that once we review the scope with them and they confirm that they understand, I can let them go. I know they’ll come back to ask questions at the right time and places, before they build out something they know, does not make sense. I don’t have to babysit them, and they get it right.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It would be nice to have that connection during normal business hours. But, we’re getting 4–5 additional resources for the price we’d pay in the United States for one resource. E.g., the tradeoff is well worth it.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

This team makes for an excellent extension of a company with an existing CTO or technical know-how. That said, I would have no issue with contracting this team to build a complete application from the ground up and maintain it. They are more than competent and capable.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO/CTO of BearStudio

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

software development

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire INNOMIZE to accomplish?

• front end development

SOLUTION

How did you find INNOMIZE?

• Referral
• Other

Why did you select INNOMIZE over others?

• Great culture fit
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from INNOMIZE were assigned to this project?

1 Employee

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

software development

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

client satisfaction

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

yes

What was your primary form of communication with INNOMIZE?

Virtual Meeting

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

We were impressed with their hands-on approach.

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

nothing