Mindster

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the IT director at C3, a French-based group with a presence in 42 countries, including the U.S. We have been a part of Edenred Group for the last four years, and have been operating in Dubai since 2008.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Mindster?

When we started the company, our biggest challenge was finding software development resources. Rates are high, and attracting the right resources in the Middle East is difficult. Almost all companies outsource to Asian countries, with India accounting for 80%. Our requirements were mainly centered on mobility development and web business portals. In 2010, we were mainly working with SharePoint and other Microsoft platforms. We were not satisfied with our website at the time, which had been made by a local company in Dubai.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We chose Mindster for a complete revamp. This was a basic WordPress website that served as an information portal and was built using market technologies.

From there, we also started working on mobile apps in the financial technology space. Our main project with them was to create a payment app for end users. We developed natively for Android, iOS, and Windows Phone.

What is the team composition?

We have been in touch with a single point of contact, our project and delivery manager. The project was arranged by his subordinate, who collected data and system requirements on the technology side.

We also had a development team, but didn’t get involved deeply with that layer. We had a business contact, a project manager and a senior technical lead.

Depending on the project, we have had approximately three to four developers working for us. Some projects had tight schedules and requirements changes, which demanded that we go live within short periods of time. In those cases, Mindster assigned more resources.

How did you come to work with Mindster?

We found them through references and looked at the work they’d done for Indian companies. Mindster had built some excellent websites.

How much have you invested with them?

The mobile development project had a budget of $40,000. In total, we’ve spent between $50,000 and $200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Mindster in 2009 or 2010. We have an ongoing relationship.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

At the time, we were stepping into the market with real payment apps, which needed to be connected with multiple APIs and third-party service providers. Our previous partners found it difficult to complete these integrations, but Mindster’s approach allowed us to successfully launch the mobile apps. They have become the main revenue streams for our company, and we are highlighting them as such.

Mindster’s input and expertise enhanced our ability to work with large credit card companies and other APIs. This was the first time in the Middle East that a cross-border money remittance service had been launched, and we have tested it successfully with one of the major credit card providers. We were outsourcing the work, but from the card provider's perspective the work was being done by the C3 team. We showcased Mindster as part of our company.

How did Mindster perform from a project management standpoint?

We found them to be dedicated, professional, and flexible in terms of timing. Many of our projects have been completed by larger Indian companies. In comparison, Mindster has been very flexible in not adopting a systematic, Agile process. They didn’t insist on going through all the project management steps, but worked systematically from the start of the project to its end. They do have an Agile process in place, with systematic meetings, but we didn’t have these requirements. 

We have used JIRA internally. They had their own instance of it, which they synchronized with ours.

What did you find most impressive about them?

When compared to local resources, they are very economical. At the same time, Mindster offers great quality.

Are there any areas they could improve?

So far, I’ve been happy with their performance. They have explored any new technologies we needed and hired resources if they weren’t available. I have no recommendations to give.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of sales and marketing at Commercial Technologies Plus.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Mindster?

An automobile financing client wanted a mobile and web application for managing their online sales. Their end customers needed to be able to go online, log in, and have their national ID and bank credit score verified there. They could also search for car models and see monthly payment options.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The system is integrated with the Siebel CRM that the client uses. This gets the credit score so they can qualify the customer, who can then pay the down payment online and get the car delivered at their preferred location. The web application is done in .NET, and the mobile app is natively built for iOS and Android.

What is the team composition?

We had a project manager on both sides. There were 10–12 developers.

How did you come to work with Mindster?

I knew their experience from previously working in Saudi Arabia. They had done similar projects in this area. Their connection and the way they coordinated with end users for the requirement analysis, development, and training were excellent.

How much have you invested with them?

The first phase of the project is $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in March 2017. We're now moving to the second phase.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We divided the project into different phases. After phase one, we got a good response from the client.

Any new inquiries I get about mobile application development, enterprise, portal, and SharePoint development, I always talk to Mindster. We pitch in with our consulting experience along with theirs, and it makes a big difference.

We also did a SharePoint project together. The client was unable to communicate properly with offshore developers. Mindster provided a solution of assigning one project lead working from the client office, who would take input from the users, the client's project manager, and the offshore developers. This way, the work was completed on time and the deliverables were met as per the project documents. That was a good experience and the reason I still work with them.

How did Mindster perform from a project management standpoint?

My client and I only talk to the project manager, who gets everything done for us and has experience in the mobile, aviation, government, etc. sectors. He talks their language, so that makes life easier. We communicate over email and conference calls through GoToMeeting.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their project management gets the work done. They interpret the client’s requirements properly.

Are there any areas they could improve?

If they could assign some senior pre-sales consultant dedicated onsite, it would help increase the account closures. I would also appreciate if they could be more aggressive on the sales front.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Inwan.com is a directory with profiles of different companies in Saudi Arabia. We currently have more than 100,000 listings. I am the founder and CEO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Mindster?

We were starting the platform from scratch and needed it developed from start to finish. I'm an engineer but in a different field than IT, so I also needed consultation around the best solutions and resources.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They provided all the website development, using HTML, PHP, MySQL, and the Zend platform. There were APIs developed between the website and apps. An in-house app developer worked with Mindster. We also integrated Google Maps into the pages, and I’m sure there were other components involved.

What is the team dynamic?

We had a project manager and a senior programmer assigned from their team. I was always in contact with them through weekly conference calls. Other team members from our side joined later and took things forward.

How did you come to work with Mindster?

I researched online and found a few portals. Mindster had good ratings, and I saw a few of the projects they'd developed.

How much have you invested with them?

There were different phases in the project, and I believe the total was in the range of $40,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in June 2010 and finished in November.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I liked that they took the changes I requested and always found a solution. They never came to me saying that something was impossible to develop. Even if it was a challenge, they found a way around it.

The nature of what I was asking was unique—no other website provided the exact same requirements. Mindster had the imagination to think about what I wanted and give me something satisfactory.

How did Mindster perform from a project management standpoint?

They wanted me to use specific platforms and software, but I was more comfortable with Skype, email, and Excel sheets for follow-ups. Overall, I was happy with the communication, feedback, and organization. There were a few delays, but not because of their side; some of the requirements were changed.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were organized and had a good way of following up and delivering. I found that they could manage the process and execute.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The IT sector is always evolving. My project took place long ago, and back then, I would've told them that they needed to grow their app development team. But from what I’ve seen on their website and from communicating with them, they have indeed done this and are doing very well. I haven’t used them for app development, but I might in the future.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am a team lead at ONEIC

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Collection Service Provider, Engineering

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Mindster to accomplish?

• Mobile app

SOLUTION

How did you find Mindster?

Referral

Why did you select Mindster over others?

• Pricing fits our budget
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me

How many teammates from Mindster were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Mobile app for eWallet, Loyalty Program, Utility and various collection solutions, example electricity, water, telecom, insurance, charity, government related fees etc.,

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Meeting bench mark given

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

Yes

What was your primary form of communication with Mindster?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting

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

We were most impressed with their commitment.

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

Creativity

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am Technology Head in Tanseeq Technologies, Dubai.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We wanted to develop a mobile apps as well as the website.

SOLUTION

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

We got the contact through a friend.

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

Our requirements was to build the apps both on Android and iOS platform and website for our new business. Initially we had multiple meeting to brief the requirements. The dev team came up with the design mockups. We finalized the design and development started.

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

We worked with one technical manager and 4 mobile app developers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The vendor fully met our expectations. They have delivered the project on time. 

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

We followed Agile and communicated with the team via email, WA messages or phone if there is anything critical or P1 bug.

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

The PM and the developers are quite friendly and easy going.

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

Nope

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO of widebus , which is a bus booking system in india

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We wanted to develop applications which interconnects passengers and conductors, in our application we have included live location tracking ,ticket printing facilities using pos machine, bus booking, digital wallet etc .

SOLUTION

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

We wanted an experienced and well reputed company whome we can trust , since minster is at info park it was best choice and their approach to me on the pre plan of the project was very nice .

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

We have conducted many meetings to discuss the project and they good deliver an outstanding ui , we were satisfied with the ui and it made the project works very simple, in the project we have integrated many technology including, wallet system , location tracking and prediction system in order to predict arrival of buses etc .

The backend technology that we have used is very powerful hence it can give a detailed understanding about our business growth

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

8 employees were with me including 2 chief developers,

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Within 8 months they have delivered me a powerful tool to manage the bus transportation system , the project was delivered before the predicted completion time we thought it will take up to 1 year for the completion but the dedication and supports from the mindster team help us to complete it before,

The software that they have provided is very powerful which includes every of our needs and more from their suggestions as additional improvements, they had given suggestions and better solutions throughout so we could introduce new technologies in our application, their technical team and development team were willing to do any changes that is necessary on the go ,

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

Minster has made it easy in the case of communication, one of the main developers were in touch with me every time and he keep on updating me about the project so i could suggest changes and modifications, they were always ready to appear on a meeting when it is necessary and the additional support is awesome

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

The communication skills, Their are thinking the project from our side so they can easily understand the concepts. Less cost compared to other companies

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

No