Kwanso LLC

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

MediSked LLC is SaaS company supporting the health and human services industry.  I am a product manager.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Kwanso LLC?

We were looking into extending our mobile capabilities, so we needed someone to provide us with mobile app development services.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We engaged with Kwanso to develop a mobile app. We initially provided them with the necessary documentation regarding our requirements, UX, design prototypes, and wireframes to support the development of the platform.

In addition, the app has a GPS tracking feature, is compatible with both iOS and Android, and can work in an offline environment. Some of the technologies we utilized were React Native and Typescript.

What is the team composition?

We worked directly with their business manager, project manager, project coordinator, and primary engineer.

How did you come to work with Kwanso LLC?

Kwanso responded to our RFP; we hired them because of their proposal.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested just under $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from May–November 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The team was able to deliver on their requirements and tasks, but we’ve yet to accomplish our end and finish some elements of our main site to accept data from the App Store.

The design and identity they implemented for our product were visually appealing and passed all our tests with ease.

How did Kwanso LLC perform from a project management standpoint?

They performed well from a project management standpoint thanks to their collaborative and thoughtful approach. They also delivered all their tasks on time and consistently stayed on budget throughout the development process.

We used JIRA to manage the project and typically communicated through Slack.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We liked how they were able to understand our requirements and resolve our initial issues from the get-go.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We could’ve communicated and met with their team more frequently. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I would advise you to lay out the goals of your project to get the most out of your engagement with Kwanso.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am President of MindCette, LLC, a company that does online entrepreneurial testing of individuals and in-person testing of the entrepreneurial propensity present in countries.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Kwanso LLC, and what were your goals?

We needed to create a second version of our online testing platform. Specifically, we needed the ability to modify questions, change the scales, compare individual results to national norms, and provide individualized feedback to people who self-tested.

SOLUTION

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

We considered them, along with others. Timeline and details of the proposed work were extremely important, as was their ability to operate within our budgetary constraints.

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

Key deliverables were a user-friendly, full-featured back-end and an engaging delivery of question content. We required that questions be presented in a random order, that the resulting database be downloadable, and that individuals taking the test receive personalized feedback about their performance.

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

All told, probably six people.

• Project manager
• software engineer
• UX specialist
• three additional developers

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The work has quite literally allowed us to resume online testing that had been suspended by processing failures inherent in v 1.0.

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

There were weekly online meetings to review progress and work out any potential miscommunications. We could not have been more pleased with their responsiveness.

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

We felt as though we were their only client, though I'm confident that there were others.

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

Speaking as a person without a development background, I would encourage just a bit more of "dumbing the language down" to my level!

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a technology staffing and recruiting agency.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Kwanso LLC?

Prior to COVID, we were getting between 3,000–5,000 applications per month, and now we’re getting anywhere between 120,000–130,000 applications per month. We needed to automate our processes.

We started with an idea and concept of where we wanted to go and distilled it down into smaller projects. We realized to do this we would need to revamp our website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Kwanso LLC revamped our website, building it in containers with open API capabilities. We also worked with them on a custom-developed software that scrapes our inbox with applications, enters them into our applicant tracking system (ATS), and prompts us with candidates that are a good fit for what we have in our pipeline. 

What is the team composition?

We work with 4–5 people, including a developer, a project manager, a UI expert, and a design expert.  

How did you come to work with Kwanso LLC?

They sent me an email. They weren’t able to do the big project that we needed help with, but I gave them the opportunity to do a smaller project and learn skills.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve already spent $50,000, and we have about $150,000–$200,000-worth in upcoming projects. 

What is the status of this engagement?

I started talking to them in December 2019, and our engagement is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were absolutely thrilled with what they’ve accomplished in a short period of time. Their ability to modernize the website, conceptualize what we were talking about, and execute the unimaginable elements made me happy. We attained the unattainable.

The software is capturing exactly what we want. We’ve gone through two test runs, and the first one was so close that we’ll be getting version 1.1 in the next few days, even though we were expecting 1.0.

How did Kwanso LLC perform from a project management standpoint?

We talk to them once a day. You would never know that the offshore team wasn’t right next door because they’re always available when it’s convenient for me, even when it’s 2 am their time. We always have a call when I have an idea for a project. The team then does its research and comes up with a timeline and a quote.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We went through two website development companies before Kwanso LLC, but they didn’t execute anything correctly. With Kwanso LLC, we started the project in mid-January and they gave us a beta version by the end of February. 

Immediately after, I had Google reps calling me and praising me on how beautiful the website was. Additionally any time I ask Kwanso LLC to change something on the website, they do it.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I don’t have complaints or areas of improvement. Anything I’ve asked Kwanso LLC to do, they’ve never made me feel the burden of the project. The team just conceptualizes and delivers it.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Think about your idea and understand where you want to go with it. Kwanso LLC is going to build you something that’s amazing; you just have to have the ability to understand that they’ve achieved it. 

Additionally, when you develop technology, your technology is going to be the most up-to-date the day you launch it. However, because technology changes so fast, you need to be prepared to constantly innovate and develop it. You also need to set up a structure to make sure this happens.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I manage the team at a popular marriage app. We're available in almost all countries and are used by over 1 million people.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Kwanso LLC?

Currently, our app is only available in English. We hired Kwanso to help us internationalize the app, specifically make it work for right to left languages.

What were your goals for this project?

We had two goals for this project: 1) externalize all of our strings, 2) adjust the app to work for right to left languages.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We selected this vendor via word-of-mouth. We had heard great things and decided to use them for this.

Describe the project in detail.

We had a kick-off meeting to plan the project. On our side, we walked them through the project brief and early designs for how our app would shift to support other languages. Kwanso was onboarded to our Github and all necessary software tools - they immediately started externalizing the strings in our app, embedding translations, and testing that the UI worked well for the different languages.

What was the team composition?

Kwanso provided us with one technical program manager and one developer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Kwanso met the deadline and all of our goals. Because of them, we're on-target to launch our app in multiple languages.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

It's incredibly easy to work with Kwanso.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

What I found most impressive about Kwanso was how quickly they were able to spin up the project.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None that I can think of.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

TrueReview is a web application that enables small businesses to send review requests and manager them all from our app. Role: Co-Founder and CEO, head of product design and user experience.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Kwanso LLC?

We hired Kwanso to get TrueReview to the finish line. We had previously started working on the application with another development company, however we needed someone that would be able to flawlessly integrate Stripe for subscriptions, feature limitations based on plans, responsive UI improvements, Intercom integration, Twilio integration improvements and more.

What were your goals for this project?

The main goal of working with Kwanso was to launch TrueReview with quality code, flawless integration with Stripe to have upgrades, downgrades, prorated charges, trialing and feature limitations based on which plan the customer was subscribed to.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I first heard of Kwanso while helping another startup launch their application. Kwanso was also highly recommended by a colleague.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

They took the existing application and integrated the following: Stripe integration. Upgrade/downgrade flows and messaging on the front end of TrueReview. Subscription cancellation flow and messaging on dashboard. Upgrade flow when subscriptions are cancelled. Responsive UI improvements. Review request logic improvements for feedback submission flow.

What was the team composition?

We worked with 1 developer, and had 1 QA engineer. Project management was primarily done by myself.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were able to launch TrueReview successfully and without any issues. Since the engineer was very knowledgeable, we felt very confident in the quality of the application.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Although we had some delays, it was all with good reason and we were able to stay relatively close to the initial deadlines. The developer was very communicative and had daily updates via Zoom and progress reports.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The engineer had a depth of knowledge and did not blindly follow what was told and raised concerns or gave suggestions on what could be done better in regards to development logic, which was helpful in many situations. They helped us make changes that would make the app even better.

Are there any areas for improvement?

The only improvement I would suggest is detailed information for invoices so that it is easy to keep track of what is being paid when multiple invoices are sent out.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of Bullseye Platform Inc. We develop web and mobile apps as well as coaching sessions to help high school students become more successful in the college admissions process.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Kwanso LLC?

We were trying to build the first version of our progressive web app. We needed a partner to help develop the technology.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Kwanso LLC developed the backend of our web application based on a design prototype our team had created. First, we broke the project into several different phases. Their team supported the entire development process. They supported the planning phase and managed two development phases for the web app. Their team used React.js and Node.js. They built the database layer with PostgreSQL and the API layer with GraphQL. Their team also directed a significant testing and QA process. After, they helped to launch the product. Their team works to create new features for the platform.

What is the team composition?

When negotiating the proposal and developing a plan, our main point of contact was Bilal Saeed (Business Head & Technology Advisor, Kwanso LLC). Kwanso LLC assigned a project manager who facilitated communication between teams; he was fantastic and passionate about our project. We also spoke with their CEO.

How did you come to work with Kwanso LLC?

A colleague highly recommended Kwanso LLC. We evaluated two other remote engineering firms. We got quotes, assessed portfolios, and reviewed references. After, we chose Kwanso LLC.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $50,000 on this project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started the project in May 2019, and it’s an ongoing collaboration.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

There have been a couple of success factors. The first is that Kwanso LLC was able to deliver on time. The college admissions process peaks between September and November. Since we’re a college admissions app, the fact that we were able to launch on time was critical to success. The second factor has been that we’ve had close to 1,000 users sign up. As the platform has experienced minimal bugs, visitors have had good experiences on the platform. We’ve noticed good session times and engagement. Our onboarding flow has experienced over a 90% success rate.

How did Kwanso LLC perform from a project management standpoint?

Kwanso LLC was able to hit the key delivery date. We communicated with them through Slack where we were in regular contact with our assigned project manager. For things related to the contract and business development, we connected through Zoom. We met with them multiple times a week, which definitely helped the success of the project. Their team was very communicative.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We were very impressed with their English language skills. Our concerns about communication never materialized. I’ve been impressed with was their willingness to learn our market and use case. This eased communication. We provided specifications but didn’t have to tell Kwanso LLC ever single nuanced detail. They’ve had common sense and empathy as they’ve built products. As we continue to develop new features, this understanding has made the process easier.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, it has gone really well.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I have a couple of pieces of advice. One piece is to schedule regular communication. It’s important to have two or three checkpoints over a video or phone call per week. Video calls work well because you can share a screen to go over changes. The second piece of advice is to have a prototype before the collaboration begins. It was useful for us. Having done some customer research and prototyping beforehand got us off to a good start and allowed us to build value for our clients quickly.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the CEO of Carebox. We are a medicine delivery company currently operating only in Pakistan.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Kwanso?

We hired Kwanso to build a web app and mobile applications for our company.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

After we agreed to terms, Kwanso organized several discovery sessions over a couple of weeks to learn more about our business. We had to build these products from scratch, so our ideas evolved as we went along. We collaborated on the creation of wireframes, which drove a more thorough design workshop for the web and mobile apps. Once the designs were in place, they began development on the web app, which has since been completed and delivered. The mobile apps are currently in progress.

Kwanso is using React Native to build mobile apps for iOS and Android. The web app’s frontend uses React while the backend features Node.js. The web app allows users to upload their prescriptions and order their medicine, and there is a complementary back-office app where pharmacists and admin personnel can process the requests and assign deliveries to couriers. The mobile applications, once complete, will operate similarly.

What is the team composition?

During the web development process, the team consisted of a project manager, three developers, one tester, and one UX engineer. Now, for the mobile app build, we have reduced the development team to two resources, but the team has otherwise remained the same.

How did you come to work with Kwanso?

I learned of Kwanso through a referral from a friend. I met with their team, and they quickly understood what I wanted to build. I felt comfortable selecting them for the project.

How much have you invested with them?

We expect to spend $83,000 by the time the mobile apps are complete.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement began in July 2018 and remains ongoing. Kwanso delivered the web app in January 2019, and the mobile apps are on track to be finished in August 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Right now, we’re generating about 5–6 orders per day through our web application. We consider that to be reasonable progress at this point, so we are quite satisfied with what Kwanso has delivered.

How did Kwanso perform from a project management standpoint?

The project manager is my main point of contact, and he’s been extremely responsive. He provides timely progress reports and involves us in a lot of decisions. He prevents the project from straying too far from what we want. I’ve never felt we were going in the wrong direction because I have a lot of faith in our project manager.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Kwanso has been able to deliver everything exactly as I have envisioned it, and, more often than not, they have made our ideas even better.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, not at this point. I’m happy with the entire experience.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I’d highly recommend working with Kwanso. They understand the technology they’re working with, and that’s benefited us greatly so far.