Mavin Apps

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder and COO of SwitchLane Inc., an IT staffing and IT solutions company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Mavin Apps?

We needed a partner to augment our internal staff with mobile app developers.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Mavin Apps has developed a few native apps for both iOS and Android. They also provide support for and enhance the apps, as needed. One of the main apps was for the medical field; it allowed patients to check reminders from electronic health record. They also developed an app for the laundry industry, so users can go to a laundromat and start a machine right from their phone.

Other than mobile apps, they’ve also worked on web apps, using PHP, MySQL, and Angular. For some projects, Mavin Apps starts from scratch, but for others they already have the wireframes provided. It just depends on the project.

What is the team composition?

We mainly interact with the scrum masters and lead developers. They also have a QA team and UX/UI designers.

How did you come to work with Mavin Apps?

I knew the founders. We initially gave them small projects to see how well they’d do. It worked out, so we hired them for our larger projects.

How much have you invested with them?

We spend about $6,000 a month.

What is the status of this engagement?

We partnered in 2017, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our laundry app is used at roughly 30,000 laundromats with thousands of users. We’ve received both positive and helpful feedback from users.

How did Mavin Apps perform from a project management standpoint?

They work on a variety of projects with different levels of project management necessities. However, they’re always communicative and require minimal oversight. The entire team is proactive in the engagement.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They have excellent quality control and invest in skilled senior developers. They’re dedicated to our projects and feel like part of our team.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They should invest in more lead developers who can communicate with clients.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of a consulting firm. We do custom development for small and medium-sized businesses.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Mavin Apps and Technologies?

My company specializes in creating APIs, integrations, backend technologies, and web frontends, but we do not employ or have a mobile team. Mavin Apps was part of the solution that we brought in to have that offering available to our customers. They’ve built multiple apps for us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The interaction or the connective tissue between Mavin Apps and us is that once the app is ready for a mobile component, they build out the mobile component that communicates with the APIs that we built in the backend. As they are building out their apps and there are potential shortcomings of the APIs, we work with them to figure out what those are and provide those features and functionalities so that they can consume those end points. We’ve worked with Mavin Apps in the capacity of iOS and Android.

How did you come to work with Mavin Apps and Technologies?

I’ve been running my consultancy for half a decade now, and part of what makes us a unique offering is that we produce high-quality, reliable software. As I run across people that are outside of our expertise, I make sure to keep them in my Rolodex. Whenever there is a client that has a need that we can't provide, we will pull in these additional resources that have the expertise that we lack. We want to be a one-stop shop, and it’s important for us to work with great people who have great attitudes, don't make excuses, and stick to commitments.

Mavin Apps has been extremely reliable, they have been on time and on budget. They’re pleasant to work with, we have a good rapport, and they have good communication skills. They have not given us a reason to look elsewhere. Our clients have never complained about their pricing, and we’re impressed by the quality of work that has been delivered.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working with Mavin Apps since at least June 2014.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

We follow the Agile methodology, so everything has short cycle times. We do measure velocity, and we’re definitely velocity driven. I measure everything to make sure that we’re delivering. Their velocity has always been on par with what we’re doing here.

Defects and bug rates are subjective because sometimes clients will call something a bug even if it was a bug they introduced because it was in their requirements. Often a client changes their mind on something, and they’ll call that a bug. Mavin Apps’ bug and defect rate are on par with ours, I would say. Overall, we’ve been happy with them.

Everything has been within scope. Sometimes we participate in these bake-offs, where we are trying to get a small deal that could take a couple of weeks and is not guaranteed payment, and Mavin Apps has been accommodating with us in doing those. That’s an example of them being flexible, which is why we like them. They’ll take the risk with us to get the contract, and then if we are rewarded, they’ll come with us.

We use Mavin Apps because they’re certainly more cost efficient than local resources. The biggest challenge that we face with offshoring is clients not wanting to have sensitive information going out. Usually, that’s why they have us take in all of the business logic, and then the mobile apps are just the presentation layer. If there is a problem with that getting leaked, and there has never been, the product is useless without the backend, which is here in the US. From a legal point of view, it’s too hard to chase an entity residing outside of the US, but we’re here, and we have full control of the backend system.

How did Mavin Apps and Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

We work with about half a dozen of Mavin Apps’ developers, and we have touched points with their director. We use Double Tracker and store our stuff there, and then Mavin Apps is also there making updates. We’re 12.5 hours apart, so anytime something might impact our schedule, we work to either get something done early our time/late their time or late their time/early our time. We do this because while we’re sleeping, they’re working, and vice versa. So, from a project management perspective, we do an excellent job of defining requirements and getting everything well documented within our work management system. We’ve established a rapport with them over the years. We know exactly what they need and how to deliver it in a format that they understand and we understand what we’re getting. Usually, the issues that do arise are from our client changing their minds or veering off the path. When that does happen, we update the work management system, and if there’s a change that impacts them immediately, we’ll give them a call.

Mavin Apps is a team that worries about things in the frontend and the backend. When they are keyed up with work, they come with all of their questions, and they come ready to try and sniff out all of the blockers and potential issues ahead of time. Since they are intimately familiar with both iOS and Android, they point out flaws in our logic that ultimately would be blockers for them.

What did you find most impressive about Mavin Apps and Technologies?

Mavin Apps is extremely accommodating. They bend over backwards for you, almost to a fault. They’re vested in the project. They’re committed. They have a great attitude and a can-do mindset. They don't make excuses, and they understand that with successful projects comes more work and responsibility, and that’s the reward for a job well done. We just have a great cadence with them. They are well educated, and the language barrier is minimal. Having remote resources like Mavin Apps is extremely hard to find.

Are there any areas Mavin Apps and Technologies could improve?

Maybe it’s a cultural or a language thing, but sometimes the developers at Mavin Apps will take things too literally. But that’s not their fault. That’s in the nature of conducting business.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work with a publisher company for apps and web communities related to mothers, parenting, and children.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Mavin Apps and Technologies?

We needed to create a mobile app for both iOS and Android that was an extension of the web community.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The scope of work was to develop the app and maintain all the tokens for the social media network, such as Facebook, Twitter, and Google. Mavin Apps would incorporate it into the apps themselves. They would build the apps based on the designs we provided. In some cases, they would build custom APIs and databases as needed. For the most part, they used existing APIs that were created by a different developer.

They used a few of online project management tools, such as Pivotal Tracker and Zeppelin, as well as the classic tools for developing Android and iOS apps. It was a very collaborative effort, and Mavin Apps provided feedback and advice based on their experience with app development. They did most of the backend development. The user interface and graphic design are usually provided to them, but they fill in any gaps if necessary. Missing icons or certain sizing issues were addressed independently with our approval.

We typically have one point of contact, which is their business relations person. He has a technical director who manages multiple projects and is usually in communication with us. Mavin Apps assigns one or two developers for iOS, and the same for Android, depending on the scope of the project or the size of the new features they’re developing. So, at any given point, we have between three and seven people from Mavin working on our projects.

Users can use photos from their galleries and post them online in the community we’ve built. They can crop the photos and post them with text. The app also has the ability to share on social networks, and it allows a user to view other people’s posts and profiles, vote on comments, and take surveys.

How did you come to work with Mavin Apps and Technologies?

We originally found Mavin Apps through Elance, which is now Upwork. We first did two or three minor projects, and we’ve continued working with them for the last few years.

How much have you invested with Mavin Apps and Technologies?

Over the last couple years, we’ve invested $50,000–200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our relationship began in 2013 and is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

What we give to Mavin Apps' team is entered into Pivotal Tracker, and we have several other online project management tools. They deliver close to 80–90% of the time. They’re very responsive in raising issues, and they resolve most bugs within 24–48 hours. Their velocity is usually spot-on. If we put out a date three months in advance, there’s an 80–90% chance they’ll hit that mark, barring any issues.

How did Mavin Apps and Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

I think Mavin Apps performs very well. There weren’t any issues with communication. There’s a potential for miscommunication if you just write something in an email without having a verbal conversation with them. They ask a lot of questions upfront to ensure they can mitigate a lot of those details. They’re detail-oriented. They have enough experience to guess, but they double-check upfront rather than making assumptions.

The primary communication tool we used initially was Skype. We still use it from time to time for larger meetings, but we’re now using Slack as our main communication tool. Pivotal Tracker is our main project management tool. We also use JIRA for bugs and customer service, and Zeppelin for managing graphic design assets. We bounce back and forth between Box and Google Drive for file sharing.

What did you find most impressive about Mavin Apps and Technologies?

I think their communication skills are pretty good. There are a lot of mobile app developers that don’t communicate well, don’t deliver on time, and don’t act professionally. I think Mavin Apps is very good at making sure they deliver. They’re willing to fix errors whenever they come up, and their response time is good. The communication is key above all.

As far as skillset goes, I think their stuff is above average. They’ve been around for more than a couple years, so they’re experienced in mobile app development. We lean on them more and more for nuances in the next version of Android or iOS capabilities. If someone is going for extremely far-fetched and new stuff, they may not be the best fit for that. However, if you have a classic idea that needs to be executed well, they’re probably the better fit.

Are there any areas Mavin Apps and Technologies could improve?

I think what Mavin Apps is doing right now is good and will continue to get better. I think they could stretch their wings a bit in the area of other development environments that have integration needs, other APIs or artificial intelligence stuff. I think going out a little more in those fringes and dedicating a few people in that area, would benefit them when they’re developing apps. Mobile apps usually have to talk to other platforms or APIs, so spreading their wings more in those areas would round them out a little more.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

WeatherScope is the first live streaming social media weather application in the world. I’m the CEO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Mavin Apps?

Taking on something is extremely difficult as doing something brand new. We're the first ever to create something like this, so it's never an easy challenge. WeatherScope is a very complex app. It provides forecasts for every single location in the entire world. It’s also a live streaming app. Live streaming features for a mobile app are a newer technology. We are the only app that is broadcasting in 4K quality, which is incredible. When you’re taking on something as complex as that, and you don't have a road map, you must create it your own way. Through working with Mavin Apps, other developers, and people around the world, we were able to do that.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

In a project like this, it takes a lot of different people and developers on all ends to be involved, because it's a project with such a wide scope. The great thing about Mavin Apps is they were the center hub for all of the developers. While the project included many different people, there was a coordination that went through Mavin Apps, and they could make it work. You take on a project like this, but it has so many little fingers that go out to different technologies, different people, and different ways to do things. The app is for iOS and Android, and for most mobile platforms. They were not involved in the marketing, but they were strongly involved in development and design.

How did you come to work with Mavin Apps?

I have people on my team who have connections in different parts of the world. I started a worldwide search to find somebody capable to bring our project together. I interviewed many different companies to try to figure out who would be able to take on this challenge and bring it to completion. I finally settled on Mavin Apps. We had done some research on them before we hired them. Through discussions, I realized that this was the team I wanted to try and create this project with, and they got things done when some of the people I worked with couldn't.

What is the status of this engagement?

We officially broke ground on that project in September 2015. The relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

I'm a meteorologist, and I've been involved in weather for many years. Mavin Apps helped us create what I think is the best weather app in the world. Not only that, we have the highest quality live stream in the entire world. There's absolutely nothing like it. Every time I see it, it's hard for me to believe the quality that we're getting through different mobile devices. It's amazing.

The app has several thousand downloads, but we are just starting. We completed this project a few weeks ago, to the point that it's ready for market. The people who see it, that are getting involved, that come across it, and download it are amazed at what they're able to do with the app because they've never seen anything like that before. That always makes me happy. When you work on a project for a long time, you can see the warts because you've worked on this project. It's your baby. You see it every single day, and you can see the issues over time. But when people see it for the first time, they look back and wonder. I've had people contact me asking me exactly how we did it because they can't believe we've been able to create what we've created.

How did Mavin Apps perform from a project management standpoint?

One of the greatest things about Mavin Apps is that they are really good about communicating and meeting their target dates and working their way through the project. They will set out a parameter of goals and what they expect to hit at certain times, and they are good about hitting those goals. They’re also great about working with you, taking your vision, and making it an actuality. That's what I was amazed at with them. Mavin Apps took my vision and what I'm looking for and made it happen. That's what I wanted. I knew going in that it was an extremely difficult project, but they were able to do it in such a way to get it completed. I think everybody was happy in the end. I know they were.

We communicate through Skype, text, and email. They're on the other side of the world, so I'm up late at night a lot of times. Because of a time barrier, they sleep at different times, so that's always kind of an issue, but they resolve that for you. They're very good English speakers, so I had no problem with language barriers.

What did you find most impressive about Mavin Apps?

Mavin Apps is very comprehensive and can do many things. There's nothing that's impossible if you talk to them, and that's what I enjoyed about them, too. They made that comment that everything is possible, and it's true. You can set forth an idea, and they can make it happen, and they don't say no to that idea. They figure out a way to get it done. I knew this project was difficult with no road map to do what we wanted to do, and yet they said "You know what? We're going to go forward, and we'll get it done," and they did it. I'm greatly appreciative for that and to Mavin Apps for what they've done.

Are there any areas Mavin Apps could improve?

It would be nice if Mavin Apps moved over here. That would be wonderful. I would love if they also had a marketing team. That way, they would be able to fill in the other side. Marketing is the next step for us. That would be beneficial. If they offered this other part in their company, besides the development side, that would be awesome.