Kirana Labs

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder of an IT services and app development company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenges were you trying to address with Kirana Labs?

We were looking for an agency to create our brand image and develop an app and a website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Kirana Labs has created a website, a mobile app, and our company’s branding. They’ve used Webflow to develop our site. The landing page’s purpose is to display our apps and provide information so people can find us and contact us.

They’ve also developed the mobile app from scratch. We initially gave them a general idea of what we wanted, and they did everything from ideation to development. The app is for Android and iOS, and it’s meant to connect clients and partners. In fact, the platform consists of two apps that communicate with each other; it allows users to upload pictures, track locations, give rates, and communicate through a built-in chat.

For the branding process, they asked us about our brand’s name, ideas, and the images, web pages, and apps we liked. Based on that, they’ve created the whole content, including a brand book with all the guidelines and logos.

What was the team composition?

In general, we’ve had about four people in every stage of the project. During the design phase, we worked with a designer, a project manager, and three more people.

How did you come to work with Kirana Labs?

They were a referral. We talked with 3–4 developers, but we liked the quality of Kirana Labs’ work. They also offered a comprehensive package that included in-house development of everything we were looking for, which was a key factor for us.                                                                                                                                                                                                           

How much have you invested in them?

We’ve spent about $30,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them about a year ago, but we officially kicked off the project in January 2022. Currently, the project is still in process.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The quality of their work is excellent. In general, their time estimations have been accurate from the beginning. We had a short delay and finished about 2–3 weeks after the deadline, but we expect to have the final version soon.

Some of the deliverables have been the brand book and website, and both look incredible. Moreover, all the testing we’ve done in the app has gone well, so everything looks great so far. We still have to get the final version up and running, but it all seems to be high quality and up to our standards.

We’ve had some back and forths about things coming up differently than expected, but Kirana Labs has been open about making changes. They make sure everything aligns with our needs.

How did Kirana Labs perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management is excellent. We have deliverables almost every week; we only had a delay in the end, but it’s something minor when we look at the big picture.

We typically communicate through WhatsApp and meetings, and the team is open and communicative.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Kirana Labs explains everything to us. We’ve been impressed by how patient they’ve been throughout the process. We’d never developed an app, and the level of expertise and detail they’ve shown is extraordinary.

Are there any areas they could improve?

In general, we’ve had an excellent experience with them. Our only issue was that we still had many things to fix at the end of the project due to the delay. If they hadn’t left the adjustments until the last weeks of the project, it would’ve been great.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be open about the project and your needs. They really know what they’re doing, so let them guide you. Kirana Labs can help you to come up with functionalities and provide suggestions.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CTO of G2X, a software development firm that provides data insights between contractors in the US.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Kirana Labs?

We needed to quickly expand our engineering team for our software development efforts.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Kirana Labs provides us with resources to handle our operations, including product and project management, UI/UX design, and custom software development services. We use their team to augment our in-house engineering capabilities for day-to-day technical support and operations.

Their team has helped us develop a live data streaming software, cloud server architecture, CI/CD pipelines, and a live marketplace.

What is the team composition?

We work with around 4–5 people from their team.

How did you come to work with Kirana Labs?

Kirana Labs was highly recommended to me by colleagues from Microsoft and Google, so we decided to hire them based on the trust they established with those big companies through their engineering capabilities.

How much have you invested with them?

So far, we’ve invested north of $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing partnership started in October 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Kirana Labs has helped us increase our development velocity by 10%–15% and made our services more reliable. They also consistently resolve incidents and issues quickly thanks to their straightforward processes and resource allocation abilities.

How did Kirana Labs perform from a project management standpoint?

The team delivers their work on time and budget, which helps us set expectations for our product timelines. We use Linear as our main product development tool.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’re impressed with how they can complete 100% of the work assigned to them. The team consistently meets expectations no matter what the workload entails.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Kirana Labs could be more transparent regarding the engineers they assign to our projects because they switch engineers without prior notice, so it’s hard for me to keep track of who’s involved in our projects sometimes.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

What gave us the most value in the partnership, was engaging them in a contract to create a whole scrum team, so I suggest doing the same for your organization.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Im the CEO of the company. Imporey was founded in the year 2000 and we have growth the company to become a major retail supplier for the region (HEB, Walmart, Soriana etc.) and a Top 10 Mercado Libre Retailer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

During COVID 19 we saw a sales increase of over 200% in our digital sales channels (social selling, marketplaces, our stores) and we had problems to manage inventories, orders and invoicing for all.

SOLUTION

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

They offered us an initial assessment to map our operation, they worked for more than 3 weeks mapping our processes, systems, documents. They were the only ones who actually understood our operation before proposing a tech solution.

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

They designed and developed a custom web platform which we now use to track all our importations from Asia, track our inventories, manage our sales for all sales channels and track order shipping and invoicing. We use the system as a complementary solution which is connected to our ERP.

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

More than 7 people have been involved in the project including the company´s partners, sofrware developers, data analysts and UXUI designers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were able to reduce our manual work to manage all orders by more than 60% beacause all orders are now centralized in the system and no manual coinciliation is made.

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

They used the SCRUM methodology, we had weekly meetings with all stakeholders and daily meetings with the day to day operation.

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

They are quick to find innovative ways to solve problems by using technology.

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

Sometimes I feel they could be faster to release new features for the system, I understand there is a quality assurance process.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the owner of office furniture manufacturing companey that manufactures in Mexico and sells projects in USA and Mexico

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Our companey has developed its own erp system and we are reach out to Kirana because we want a comaney to give service to our system and expand its reach as well as we need consulting in new technologies and apply buisness inteligence.

SOLUTION

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

We selected Kirana because I trust the founders I studied with them in colage.

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

What we initialy started to work with them we asked them to descompilate our software and give us a diagnose on how is it working and how we can imporve it.

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

4 people came to the working sesions, two of the founders a softwre egeneer and an account manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Yes they gave us the descomilated file of our software as well as a report in which they explained the actual state of our system as well as recomendations on what we should do in the future to keep it running at optimal performance.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

It was really eficient we had in person as well as zoom meeting periodicly in which we explained what we wanted and needed and they have results and feedback.

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

They want to help our business grow by helping us make better decisions in the technologies that we work with.

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

Not really so far we are really satisfied with their services.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

It is a company with more than 20 years of experience in the Real Estate industry, it has a presence in 5 states of the Mexican Republic and with more than 3 thousand offices, my position is to administer, evaluate technologies and propose business strategies

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We hired Kirana Labs to attend a technology consulting issue focused or oriented towards main competitors

SOLUTION

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

Kirana was selected for 2 factors that we consider important, it is a young company with fresh resources and it is a trend that we want to acquire to understand the market of new generations, as well as the economic factor

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

The analysis of the project was based on 6 pillars

• Technological Services
• Social Networks and Website
• Sales Channels
• Communication with Clients
• Installations
• Agreements and Added Value

An analysis of these points was carried out by contracting physical and virtual services. progress Final meeting was held with deliverables

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

there were 2 resources, a project manager

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Opportunity areas were located, which within the deliverables it was determined to start a plan to continue with the application of proposals that are feasible in the first instance

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

It was very good, we have weekly meetings for progress, we have contact via phone and WhatsApp group

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

The methodology they implement, as well as the punctuality and communication in the meetings were good

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

Maybe dedicate more time and deepen the investigation, we feel rushed

BACKGROUND

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.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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.

SOLUTION

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.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

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

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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.

SOLUTION

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.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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.

BACKGROUND

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.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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.

SOLUTION

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.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

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

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenges were you trying to address with Kirana Labs?

We needed web and mobile app development services.

SOLUTION

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.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Senior Associate of the company. 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Legal firm that can handle cases from each and any area of the law in Mexico.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Kirana Labs to accomplish?

• To stablish all the web site design and functionality for our legal firm.
• To help us updating the web site on a weekly basis.
• To help us as our IT department in the firm for day to day needs.

SOLUTION

How did you find Kirana Labs?

Referral

Why did you select Kirana Labs over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Kirana Labs were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

The scope was the redesign and functionality of an existing website and the creation of new web pages regarding the business scope of the law firm.

 Deliverables: 

• the redesign and new functionality of our website and the creation of new web pages. To be our IT support in our day to day needs. 
• some may be the administration of our Microsoft and antivirus accounts.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

First of all the redesign of the law firms website and the new functionality that was our main problem.

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

The project management consisted in weekly meetings to review the status and the different deliverables. For our IT support it consists in us contacting them and they respond in a period of 2 hours at the most.

What was your primary form of communication with Kirana Labs?

In-Person Meeting

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

the commitment they had in our project, since we where working with another company which didnt fulfill our expectations.

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

I cannot comment on a specific one, since our experience has been really good.