ManekTech

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the CEO of a company that builds software for the commercial real estate sector.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with ManekTech?

We engaged ManekTech to build a website with custom functionality.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

ManekTech designed and developed our website from scratch based on feedback and examples of other sites we shared with their team, using Javascript, PHP, and WordPress plugins. They created some custom code and plugins as needed.

They've also built multiple websites for other groups I'm affiliated with. In one instance, they created a thorough how-to document to help a client work around their WordPress admin tool.

What is the team composition?

We worked with three to four people, including a project manager.

How did you come to work with ManekTech?

Someone on my IT team recommended them to me. After meeting with them, I felt they'd be a good fit and be able to meet the standards of quality we were looking for.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $8,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in March 2017 and just wrapped up our most recent project in June 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

ManekTech provides very high quality web development services. I continue to go back to them for project after project and recommend them to others for that reason.

How did ManekTech perform from a project management standpoint?

They provided updates as frequently as we requested and were great about catering to our needs overall.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They make sure their clients are thoroughly satisfied, often going above and beyond what is required of them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It's helpful to walk in the shoes of the end user to help guide the way you develop or change the final product. ManekTech is pretty good at providing feedback, but, just as with any other vendor, I think there's always room for improvement.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be thorough and provide as much information as possible to help their team develop additional ideas and recommendations for you.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the CEO of a venture capital focused company. We build small companies using our own software programs and offer services to entrepreneurs and startups.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Manektech?

We have wanted to build a platform that enables those who want to start their own businesses the opportunity to ask questions to other professionals, such as lawyers, programmers and accountants. This application is planned to be available to colleges, universities and the general population and has needed payment integration for certain upgraded services.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They have been using PHP code to build the web-based platform completely from scratch. This was one of our company’s first projects, and I myself am not very familiar with the design and programming process. I explained my ideas to them via Skype and they came back to me with designs; after some adjustments, they executed improvements.

What is the team composition?

I worked with a business manager, a project manager and some programmers, all of whom I could reach directly.

How did you come to work with Manektech?

I was approached by one of their business managers; while I usually do not consider unfamiliar emails, their respectful and professional approach made me feel comfortable enough to start a conversation with them and, ultimately, choose to work with them.

How much have you invested with them?

I have invested around $12,000 total.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project began in March of 2017; since then, we have also begun a few other projects with Manektech. The professional relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

While the platform has yet to launch, we are satisfied that our expectations have been met thus far.

How did Manektech perform from a project management standpoint?

They were really well structured. Despite a 12-hour time difference, communication via Skype and email has been smooth. I know exactly who to contact for questions that I have.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They offer 24/7 communication services; I most appreciate their thorough and expedited response times.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They are not perfect, but I’m not sure if there is anything I would change regarding the project management or the product.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I admired that they were both hands on and not too pushy. I would advise potential customers to make sure they put in a good amount of effort.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are one of the largest providers of quality control services for the motion picture television industry. I am the chief technology officer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with ManekTech?

I generally engage with them for frontend development tasks and WordPress space development tasks.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’ve already worked with them three or four times in the past. For this project, they did all the frontend work for our website. We had the initial mockups transitioned into a dynamic WordPress site. Across our various projects, the technologies they used ranged from PHP, HTML, CSS, Javascript, and JQuery work. 

What is the team composition?

I’ve known one of the founders for a long time and I generally work with them directly.

How did you come to work with ManekTech?

I’ve used them for a number of projects both here and prior to me joining this company. So I've had a fairly long relationship with them. They are generally my go to team for certain types of projects. I knew that they could do this project efficiently and at a good price point, therefore, I wanted to work with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested less than $10,000 with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

This particular engagement went from June 2016 – December 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I can’t really quantify that but for the type of work that I employ them to do, they've been excellent. I've never had a complaint.

How did ManekTech perform from a project management standpoint?

They've been reasonably solid. The only reason I hesitate is because most of these projects are relatively simple in scope. The amount of project management involved is minimal. I work with my designers and we come up with some design that they need to transform into code. So there's not that much project management to be done. But the little we've had has been solid. They always meet deadlines and they're always around to communicate.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They deliver really high quality work at a very reasonable price point. That's a rare combination.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

You definitely want to have somebody local who has an understanding of the technology that you're sourcing to the vendor. They should be able to ascertain whether or not the quality of work is up to par and where it should be.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the head of operations for a digital agency. We primarily do e-commerce web development by working with Shopify.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with ManekTech?

Our in-house development team was working over capacity, so we needed to outsource several development projects to ensure timely deliveries.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

ManekTech has completed two projects for us and is currently finalizing two more. The completed projects include a Shopify build and WordPress development, respectively. The projects nearing completion are both WordPress builds. One of the WordPress developments is a particularly complex database project. It involves an interface that enables the user to create a business profile and then add product listings. Users can amend their listings and also review other business profiles on the platform.

What is the team composition?

We’ve only interacted with their owner and an assigned project manager. They coordinate with the developers separate from us.

How did you come to work with ManekTech?

We received a marketing email from them. Once we started actively seeking a vendor, we researched ManekTech and were impressed with what we found. They could handle our work capacity and had positive reviews.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $6,000–$8,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in September 2017 and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We don’t track any definitive metrics that could demonstrate the quality of their deliverables. However, we’ve generally been impressed with their work and look forward to using them again.

How did ManekTech perform from a project management standpoint?

We’ve appreciated ManekTech’s management skills from the start of the engagement. They communicate well, send regular updates, efficiently define scope, and produce work within designated timelines. The last couple of projects have presented more significant challenges, but they’ve still performed adequately. They initially used Jira as a project management tool, but have since switched to Wrike. We also frequently meet with their project manager via Skype.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Having one person to interact with throughout each project has been great. The daily/weekly updates have been beneficial.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Their turnaround speed in the testing and QA stage of development could be improved.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

As with any international team, there’s a bit of a language barrier and a time zone difference that takes some effort to work around. Provide them with a clear and concise initial project briefing to ensure a quick start and an on-time delivery.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

My company is called Dynamic Networking Solutions. We’re an IT provider for companies with 20-30 users/employees.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with ManekTech?

We were looking for an outside partner to manage web services for our clients. We used to oversee web design and development in-house, but it became too time consuming.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

ManekTech has taken over on all web services that we manage for our clients, which include hosting, design, development, and support. I work with my clients to get a full understanding of what they’re looking to accomplish and liaise with the ManekTech team, who then goes on to build the site to the client’s specifications. Sometimes the requirements are very specific, and sometimes I’m able to give them creative freedom in building the site. In all circumstances, it’s worked out very well. The technologies they implement are largely dependent on the specific project. They’ve done database-driven sites and more aesthetically focused sites alike, and they consistently manage to exceed my expectations around planning out the design and implementing the appropriate features. They work proactively and brainstorm relevant features without breaking the budget. They also make small changes/updates to several sites on a regular basis.

A recent project involved a client that was creating a site that facilitates apartment searches. It has an interactive map and a variety of search filters like location, price, and layout. ManekTech makes real-time adjustments when apartments go on and off the market.

What is the team composition?

I have about four different project managers that I work with regularly. I occasionally get questions from their team members, and there are about six-to-eight that I recall working with.

How did you come to work with ManekTech?

I don’t recall exactly how we got together, but I remember being a bit apprehensive about working with an offshore firm. They initially set up a FaceTime call to tour their office and meet their staff face-to-face, which quickly put me at ease. They’ve been a great partner ever since.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested about $6,000-$8,000 across several projects.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in May 2017, and the engagement is ongoing. There a few sites that require weekly changes.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Clients have been happy with the end products across the board. Their prices are very reasonable and I can trust them to do every job right the first time.

How did ManekTech perform from a project management standpoint?

Their oversight has been more effective than almost any vendor I’ve ever dealt with. They reach out daily, and they’re always upfront and transparent around potential delays. We primarily communicate via email and Skype.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re always eager to go above and beyond the requirements that I provide. They work quickly and efficiently to create sites that exceed expectations. Their communication, work ethic, and commitment to the projects they take on set them apart from other vendors.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It took a while for them to put me at ease in working with an offshore firm in such an overarching long-term capacity, but I’m glad I decided to work with them.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I own a web development and online advertising business.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire ManekTech?

I hired them to help with custom development projects.

What were your goals for this project?

My goal is to have seamless projects with continuous communication.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

They had prior dealings with my old firm.

Can you go into detail about the services they provided and the scope of the project?

For nearly eight years, ManekTech has helped us with numerous projects, including custom CRM design and configuration, PHP development, WordPress development, mobile app development, and much more.

I usually provide them with a rudimentary wireframe drawn out on a whiteboard and a comprehensive long-form written explanation of the project scope. They would send a well-designed mock-up within 48 hours.

What was the team composition?

ManekTech has one project manager who facilitates the project progress, while one designer and one developer are dedicated to my projects. They have over 100 staff members, so they are fully capable of handling any increase in volume.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The quality of the websites and CRM systems they develop for me are top-notch, which does amazing things for my business. Our collaboration has increased my productivity while decreasing the demand on my time.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Our project manager is in touch with their project manager. They communicate well and are dedicated to meeting deadlines.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They constantly exceed my expectations. I’m always impressed with their creativity, execution, and professionalism. Their team is quite friendly and supportive. I have nothing but good things to say about them.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

It would be a good idea for them to expand their development abilities and work with newer programs.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m one of the co-founders of a product design consultancy. We develop a wide range of products from physical, manufactured goods and consumer electronics to digital products and software.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with ManekTech?

When we’re helping clients facilitate web and app development, we’re always looking for ways to keep quality up but still offer them reduced cost options.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’ve done three projects with them. Two were pretty straightforward informational websites, but the third was a mobile app that was a little more complicated. The websites were built on WordPress and the app was done in native iOS, with a PHP database. They used a simple web form to administrate the database so we didn’t have to go in there and edit it line by line at all.

What is the team composition?

For the website projects, we worked with just one developer, but we had a team of three or four people working on the app. We had project managers too, but we often talked with the lead developer.

How did you come to work with ManekTech?

We were vetting overseas development houses and their communication was really good, so we thought we’d give them a try. After we had a very good experiencethe first time around, we continued to engage them.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $30,000 in total, with $20,000 going into the app.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from 2013 until 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

In all of our projects, we’ve had very little need for follow-up. It’s almost inevitable that – when you’re creating software – you’ll find some bugs after a few years that you didn’t catch during the QA process, but we’ve had very little of that with them.

How did ManekTech perform from a project management standpoint?

We mostly communicated by email and phone because none of our schedules were complicated enough to warrant more intensive project management tools. Their communication skills are really good and they’ve met their deadlines. They’re very easy to work with and are receptive to critical feedback of their work.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Whenever you’re working with overseas development shops, the communication issue is so critical. Often, you don’t hear back for two days, and when you do, the answer is incomplete or confusing. There’s been none of that with ManekTech. They respond quickly and seem to always understand what we’re asking. Their project managers are always really good and on top of everything.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It’s always hard to trust someone to do something that you’ve never seen them do before, so it’s important for them to communicate their latest work and share their experience.

Any advice for potential customers?

It’s probably true about any overseas vendor, that you need to be really direct, and they’re no exception. It’s not about pleasantries or mincing words. It’s about saying very clearly what you want out of the engagement, what the criteria of a successful outcome is, and making sure that they understand what your budget and time constraints are.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the managing director of a South African company that provides various software solutions, integrations, and development services.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with ManekTech?

In recent years, we have needed additional staff resources on a variety of large projects for our clients. Although ManekTech has mostly helped us with G-Suite integration, they also do smaller projects as needed.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

ManekTech often works with us from the start to completion of a project. For one client, we transferred existing data to Google Drive and Google Sheets for easy access and organization. In a second project, our client was looking to create a tool to populate their databases and then process and organize the information into an Excel spreadsheet. ManekTech used a Laravel PHP framework to build that tool according to the client’s requirements. We subsequently reviewed the projects before delivering to our clients, and ManekTech made necessary changes efficiently.

What is the team composition?

We worked with the same project manager and a different developer for each of the two largest projects.

How did you come to work with ManekTech?

They found us on social media and approached the company. I was interested in their service offering. We then connected via LinkedIn and Skype.

How much have you invested with them?

We have spent around $7,000 in total.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started to work with them in February 2017. We did the second project around October 2017 and have an ongoing relationship with them for smaller engagements.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were happy with all of the results. ManekTech’s help accelerated timelines by two to three months. As a third party contractor, our clients’ satisfaction reflects their effectiveness as a partner.

How did ManekTech perform from a project management standpoint?

Both sides use internal project management systems and both teams’ project managers communicate effectively regarding tasks and deadlines. They’re timely, helpful with scope and execute high quality code. The price points are a bit steep but ultimately reflect the firm’s high quality. They responded to editorial requests quickly.

What did you find most impressive about them?

At any project stage, they’ll have the developers and resources available to help you. If you need a project done reliably and can pay their price, they will get it done for you.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I think that, at first, their costs seem prohibitive. When you consider their quality, the pricing is actually quite fair.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Having someone on your internal team who understands technical language will help facilitate communication.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the owner of a company that provides graphic design and marketing services.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire ManekTech?

We needed WordPress and app development.

What were your goals for this project?

We have a small staff with very specialized skills. By having ManekTech focus on general development tasks, our people can dedicate their attention to project areas best suited to their own expertise, thus providing higher value overall to our clients.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Initially, they reached out to us. We’ve continued to work with them because of their dedication to good work and honesty.

Can you go into detail about the services they provided and the scope of the project?

We supplied a design or detailed direction of what was required. ManekTech then supplied programming expertise and a project manager with strong knowledge of technology to undertake the development.

What was the team composition?

We had three points of contact: a project manager, an account representative, and their financial person. Behind the scenes, we had one or two programmer/developers whom the project manager directed.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

This has freed up our time so that we can deliver projects faster and increase the number that we take on.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

It was very effective. We would get an email each morning with the status and the upcoming events. During the day, we would receive updates and any questions via Skype. We would also receive prompt replies to both email and Skype questions we sent.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

We really appreciated their patience with us.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

I can’t think of anything at the moment.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

My company works with small businesses and city government offices. We help them build brand awareness and market their services and products.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire ManekTech?

We hired them to develop a website for a client.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

ManekTech was originally introduced by a colleague. This website was my fourth project with them.

Can you go into detail about the services they provided and the scope of the project?

They built a custom WordPress template from the ground up, including module integrations, API connections to various tools and programs, and subdomains for third-party services. They also did multiple design revisions.

What was the team composition?

I worked with a project manager, a developer, and a designer. I oversaw the development of a new website and liaised between ManekTech and the client.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It was another great project from an awesome team. This project allowed me to get positive referrals from my client to his colleagues.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

It was seamless. Their project manager did an intro call to discuss the scope of services. After consulting with his team, he delivered a proposal with the timeline and expected outcomes. About 99% of my communication was with their project manager. It was quite easy to get a reply.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The ManekTech team made my life easier. They are excellent website developers. Plus, their pricing is very competitive given the high quality of their work.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

Because of a vast time zone difference, it would be much easier if they had a more centralized office for quick communications.