Kirana Labs

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the co-owner of a law firm that focuses mainly on corporate law in Mexico.

For what projects/services did your company hire Kirana Labs, and what were your goals?

We are a business that recently started operating, so we needed to create a logo design for our firm, as well as a functioning webpage to display to our clients. We hired Kirana Labs to create our branding designs, as well as a WordPress-based web page, with the looks to create a professional image for new incoming clients.

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

We researched online for companies in our area that focused mainly on web development. We called Kirana Labs and had an interview where a project idea of our liking was proposed and was inside of the price range we were looking for.

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

After our first meeting, we established contact with their graphic designer to start working on ideas for our company logo. We proposed some ideas to them to work on that included design and colors that felt represented our company.

A week later their graphic designer had a meeting with us in which she proposed various logo ideas to chose from, from which we chose two that with a few modifications became our company logos. After having our branding design was decided we had a meeting with their web designer to propose some ideas we had in mind regarding our web page.

Five days later he presented us with a mock page which we liked and made a few changes. After the mock was approved, we then sent our texts for the page and were presented with a final result to which we accepted. In the final stages, our domain was linked to the page design and was already running online.

Lastly, they handed us an online guide for us to know our ways around Word Press in case we needed to make some changes to texts or design.

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

We had a project manager assigned that was constantly updating us on the stages that the project was. He coordinated everything with the team so that activities were done correctly. We also were assigned a graphics designer that worked with us throughout the first stages of their service.

Lastly, we had a web designer that worked with us on the second stage of the project.

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

After launching our website we made a small promotional campaign around it that had great positive feedback. Clients found the page to be professional and very attractive. The main characteristic of our web page was that it inspired confidence in them.

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

We had a project manager that was constantly updating us on the topics that they worked on. He kept us up to date on everything and explained in simple terms what they were working on for us to understand. This helped us understand the process better and have confidence in everything they did.

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

We believe that what was most impressive about their work was their ability to process our ideas and put them to work perfectly. They exceeded our expectations and handed us exactly what we were looking for. Also, their timetables were amazing. Everything was handed to us ahead of schedule.

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

We believe their work was phenomenal and exceeded all expectations. There were no issues throughout the process.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an executive at an optometrist and ophthalmologist consulting agency.

What challenge were you trying to address with Kirana Labs?

We wanted to develop an e-commerce site for a business opportunity that was presented to us.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We worked on two things with Kirana Labs. One of them was the process of importing our clients and getting everything situated in terms of making sure they’d reach out to us via email. They also made different CRM tools customized to our business needs.

The second portion of the work was right when the COVID-19 pandemic started. We were entering into an e-commerce business opportunity, and they developed and set up almost everything for us. Kirana Labs did the logo design and the user story that we worked on with one of them. They also developed the backend for users that wanted to see prices and the frontend for clients who are not wholesale — the look of the site changes according to the person that goes into our website to buy. Additionally, they enabled the management of the inventory and connected the site to Shopify.

Currently, they’re also working with us on another project that we can’t disclose yet.

What is the team composition?

We work with the project manager most of the time, but there are around five people involved. 

How did you come to work with Kirana Labs?

Someone recommended them to us, and we also saw them as guests at a Business Network International chapter. They sent us a proposal within the next couple of days. It was very detailed, the price was transparent, and there were no hidden surprises. They were clear in the full scope of work with everything that was going to be involved, and I liked how they set the proposal in my favor in the sense that they recommended certain things for different phases of the project.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested around $10,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in April 2020, and the engagement is ongoing. We put the e-commerce development project on hold because we’re focusing our business on the consulting side at the moment. We’re pushing the rollout for that a little bit further since we’ve been able to navigate with our current business rate.

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

Even though the e-commerce platform is on hold, they saved us a lot of time in the implementation of it. That has helped us leverage our business and enable us to show what our company can do. I also recommended them to some of my consulting clients, and they’ve been doing work for them; that’s making our business grow because our clients are now more confident just by the fact that their companies are growing thanks to our referral.

How did Kirana Labs perform from a project management standpoint?

They perform great — if anything gets delayed for whatever reason, they communicate that right away. We mainly communicate via email to document everything, and we also do Zoom meetings. They can do phone calls as well if that makes it easier for me, but I prefer email to keep track of the project. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their responsibility and how they keep up their word is what stands out the most. They’ve been able to deliver what they promised because they never commit to something that they can’t do. It’s great to work with them, and their development efforts are super fast. They’re also very fair priced, and the ROI is great.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The only thing that I can think of is that they could get a bit more resources to cut down on the turnaround times. In my case, everything’s going smoothly, and I’ve never been in a hurry, but something that takes them three days to get done could take them less by adding resources.

Any advice for potential customers?

Try to break things down into phases, and have them work with you on that, so you’re not developing forever. Also, work on the user story and stay as true to it as possible, taking into account their project management advice — they’re great at knowing what steps to take in every phase of the project.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I´m the founder and CEO of a construction company in Monterrey Mexico. The company has been operating for more than 20 years.

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

Our way of working has been the same for some time and the construction industry in Mexico doesn´t often see a lot of innovation. We needed new ideas to make our operation more efficient with new technologies that we didn´t yet understand.

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

Kirana Labs´ members offered an assessment to evaluate the digital maturity of our business and the business plan they made for use made sense with our needs.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

After the assessment, we started to divide de project in phases to impact our sales, operation and administration processes. So far we´ve been able to discover and implement new tools to manage our client´s relationships (CRM) and added new business intelligence tools to the business. We are now evaluating custom software for some operational needs.

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

We had direct contact with the partner and we had some consultants working on the project.

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

So far we´ve been able to increase our client portfolio in 20% and we´re defining the operational KPIs to measure the impact on the business.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We mostly communicate in weekly meetings to evauluate the progress of the project.

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

They really try to understand the current operation of the business to propose and create solutions.

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

We wish they could more flexible on the payment plans.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the co-founder of an e-commerce startup.

What challenges were you trying to address with Kirana Labs?

We needed web and mobile app development services.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We outsourced all of our code to Kirana Labs. The team has done development work on our mobile applications, landing page, and backend. They’ve worked on user story mapping, prototyping, development, and design, all from scratch. 

The cross-platform app development has been done using React Native. The team used Django for backend administration and AWS for databases. 

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with at least five people: a project manager, a designer, a lead developer, and two backend developers.

How did you come to work with Kirana Labs?

They were referred by a colleague who had worked with them before. We contacted the team to participate in our selection process, where we interviewed more than 30 different agencies. What we really liked about Kirana Labs was their great and relevant experience, their proposal, and their great value for money. We are based in the same city, so we’ve had the chance to work with them very closely. 

How much have you invested in them?

Our company has invested around $22,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement started in October 2020, and we’ve finished the initial project. However, the partnership is ongoing.

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

In general, the results have been pretty positive. We’ve had received great feedback from our users, who find the app to be very convenient and accessible. 

How did Kirana Labs perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management has been pretty good. We have occasional meetings when needed and share information through Azure to always know how the project is going. We really like the fact that they’ve allowed us to be involved in every step of the process.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We are very impressed with their flexibility. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

A business owner always wants things to be delivered quickly. They’ve met all established deadlines, although I’d like for them to be shorter. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

You can count on Kirana Labs’ team for all your development needs. The team has a lot of experience and a great understanding of what the client wants. They are exceptional at providing advice and orientation. Let them guide your project. 

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the Operations mannager in a Company of Hardware, that buy from different parts of the world and sale in all the states in Mexico

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

We are in a growing company that needs to change the system and we decide to use Kirana Labs to help us on the migration way from Epicor to Dynamics

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

We found them on line and decide for the comments that they have.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

They show us a presentation with the following steps and decide they are the selection for price, time and vision

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

We are in contact with the personnel with a very fast answer he is the leader of the project

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

We are on the first steps and reviewing the DB at this point

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We have a good comunications in person and by different ways like zoom and Whatsapp

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

They are in a good way to improve our company and they are also growing.

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

They only need more experience but they are in a good way

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a professor at Tecnologico de Monterrey

For what projects/services did your company hire Kirana Labs, and what were your goals?

Develop the front end for an app that displays production data on mobile devices

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

We asked colleagues in indutry and academia for good developers of Apps

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

State of the art review Analysis of system requirements and User Experience study Development of back end Development of front end Tests Tech transfer

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

One person (Juan Manuel Perez), code developer.

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

Excellent results, in terms of both the technical performance and the customer support.

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

Visits by developers with final customer at initial stages of the project. Weekly meetings among team of developers, prior to meetings with the customer. Bi-weekly meeting towards the last stage of the project.

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

Their technical knowledge, people skills, and disposition are impressive.

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

Not that I can think of.