MLSDev

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president of Kure Life, a company that provides medical services that link doctors with patients. We're based in Kuwait.

What challenge were you trying to address with MLSDev?

We needed them to manage our technological operations.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Given the services that we offer, we require different apps and backends. MLSDev built an app for patients and one for doctors. These apps include a map for patient locations, and they have appointment and prescription functionalities. Users can make appointment updates and changes. The iOS version is available in TestFlight, but the Android version is still in development.

MLSDev designed our backend portal to give us easy access to the appointments and to allow us to track our operations. All the features they included are custom-made. 

They created a website that’s easy for our employees to use without the need for too much training. They also developed a back-office website for call centers and customer service operations. 

Currently, we have an ongoing contract with them for platform enhancements since our business is still in the establishing phase.

What is the team composition?

We work with a team of 5–6 people from MLSDev, including a project manager, a business analyst, senior front- and backend developers, a UX developer, an Android developer, and a graphic designer. 

How much have you invested with them?

Our new engagement is over $400,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with MLSDev in March 2020. We paused the project to secure a new investment round, but we started again.

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

An important measurement for us, especially now that we’re in the test phase, is how easily we can attract investors to the platform. Every investor that has looked at the doctor and patient apps likes how things are organized and how simple they are while still providing everything the stakeholders need.

The app fulfilled all the functionalities we were looking for, and it’s made it easy for our team to deal with appointments and the assigning of doctors.   

Going live will be the final measurement for the app, and everything’s gone as expected so far.

How did MLSDev perform from a project management standpoint?

We use different tools, and MLSDev tracks everything in the pipeline through an app, which is updated accordingly as things are accomplished. In addition, we have very smooth and easy access to meet whenever we need to. 

MLSDev is faster than us in terms of timelines. They’re willing to take on more responsibilities. They act as a partner and share ideas related to the operation itself. The technologies they provide have opened up new ideas in our minds, which has been key for our brainstorming sessions.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’ve never seen any reluctance from MLSDev when discussing new features for the app. They’re always ready to add whatever we ask for, without any excuses. From our point of view, this is the most important aspect of MLSDev. 

Working with MLSDev is perfect. They’re fast, and they keep pushing us to be faster. Sometimes, having a retainer contract will encourage the provider to work slowly and not care about moving forward, but MLSDev works on our tasks as though they were their own.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing that needs to be improved. They give us as much time as we need, and they’re always available.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

I’ve recommended them to all of my friends who want to establish a startup and require a tech provider. My advice is to do what we did. In our relationship, MLSDev has always been the party that pushed us to deliver the best.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CFO and co-founder of Zayed, the app is an e-commerce solution in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with a plan to further expand into the ME region.

For what projects/services did your company hire MLSDev?

Our company's vison was to create a streamlined and user-friendly C2C e-commerce experience. That is why we enlisted the services of MLSDev to help in making that vision possible through the development of the application itself.

What were your goals for this project?

The goal of the project was to translate our vision of the app into a fully functional and deliverable product. The team was given the task of creating the iOS application we wanted to start of with.

How did you select MLSDev?

My team and I researched the best possible app development teams we could find both internationally and regionally. During this search we stumbled upon MLSDev. After looking through their portfolio they quickly became a frontrunner in our search and after having a couple of meeting with their team we found that they were the optimal choice for our vision.

Describe the project in detail.

The project started with a series of meeting in which we would go over the vision and the customer base we were trying to attract. It would then be followed by an 8 week discovery phase in which mock-ups would be created and reviewed by the team. at the end of the discovery phase we would move on towards a development phase which would take the largest chunk of time and will end with the final product.

During all the phases the line of contact between my team and MLSDev would always be in use and the team would give us feedback on everything going on, ensuring that we were in the loop and nothing would pass us by.

What was the team composition?

The team was made up of a Project Manager, a Business Analyst, A Software Architect/ web back-end developer, a UX/UI designer, an IOS developer, a QA engineer. The head of sales and customer relations was also always in contact with my team to make sure all our needs were met.

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

The app is still in development, but early prototypes and feedback has us all optimistic and ready to keep going.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow has been excellent throughout, the team is always there to hear what we have to say, regardless of the time or day. Even with the team coming from a different country than my own the was never a language barrier nor a communication issue. The project manager in particular did an excellent job in keeping us constantly updated and maintaining the synergy between the two teams.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their work ethic and their dedication to the project, they never hesitated to give us their opinion if they felt it would make the project better. It was clear from day one that what they cared about was that the end result was as flawless as could be.

Are there any areas for improvement?

As of time of writing i have nothing for them to improve upon.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the VP of Engineering for an on-demand delivery service based in North Carolina.

For what projects/services did your company hire MLSDev?

Our company hired MLSDev to build an android app for specific sized tablets to be placed on-site and run continuously. This app would receive push notifications via a 3rd party service, poll a server for updates and send updates back to a central server. MLSDev designed the app's UI from examples and translated system requirements to user stories in addition to standard development and testing.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goals for this were a quick-turnaround MVP that could give us a sense of our customers needs for future development. We had a tight deadline and as such held very strict to the MVP requirements. This MVP would potentially be further developed by an in-house team and as such low technical debt and extensible code was important.

How did you select this vendor?

We searched Clutch and local lists of contractors and formed a list of 10 firms and individual contractors. After interviewing all of these teams and discussing technical needs, we narrowed our list to 3 teams. MLSDev won in the end because they had a local representative and their product team showed a lot of investment in working with our in-house team to full realize what a finished product would resemble.

Describe the project in detail.

As part of the decision process to pick our firm, MLSDev started us along the discovery process. Since we only had 1 month from the decision to delivery, we were at a rushed pace. From discovery we received an initial budget, then designs were made and given to my team for decisions. Once design was decided, user stories were made more solid and my backend team went to work on our API. A new budget was given based on the updated findings and development began. After development proceeded for 2 weeks, QA started work and after another week and a half, a production-ready android app was in our git repository.

What was the team composition?

Initially, we started with a graphic designer, software architect, product manager, and a couple of business intelligence folks. As the project moved to active development, our team became a project manager, product manager, android developer, graphic designer, BI, and when needed a QA engineer.

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

We're still rolling our app out to our restaurant partners but so far they've all reported success with it.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow was great, we would have a daily call for the discovery and early development phase and once we got into a groove and trust between the teams grew it moved to a weekly call in addition to Slack messaging.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I was most surprised by how professional and prepared they were for the discovery phase. They uncovered product holes that our own team didn't think of when making the original specifications. They were strict about their processes and systems and it helped keep the whole of our teams disciplined as well. They are a wonderful product company and I'd recommend them for anyone in the market for that.

Are there any areas for improvement?

We walked away with a quality MVP closer to their optimistic budget than the pessimistic budget. Deadlines were met and the project manager herself was strict about them. They were everything I could have hoped for in a contract development firm.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder of a dating app in Colombia that aims to connect higher educated singles looking for serious relationships.

What challenge were you trying to address with MLSDev?

We had a dating website but decided to shut it down and transition to a mobile app. We hired a vendor to help us built the platform, but it didn’t go well. We were looking for a new company to help us complete our project.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We gave them a clear idea of what we wanted based on user feedback we’d gathered from our legacy website. MLSDev led us through a discovery phase where they provided their input and offered suggestions to improve our original plan. They also provided some marketing and strategy services in this stage. After those details were finalized, MLSDev built a native Android version of the application from scratch. We plan to build and launch the iOS version with their team in the future. They included a variety of features like chat, search, and match capabilities, a location function, and customizable privacy settings.

What is the team composition?

The team composition varied based on our workload. About 16 people were involved in total, including project managers, designers, developers, and a marketing analyst.

How did you come to work with MLSDev?

We were looking for companies in eastern Europe. We considered several vendors and put them all through an extensive interview process. Ultimately, we decided to work with MLSDev because they were insightful, responsive, and detailed in our initial interaction. Additionally, they were willing to accommodate our budget restrictions.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $40,000 on this project.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project lasted from May–November 2018.

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

I tracked their success by comparing time/speed compared to their initial estimates. By those metrics, they performed very well.

How did MLSDev perform from a project management standpoint?

They managed the project efficiently, despite some turnover in the project manager role. We had a few small issues, but we were able to discuss them openly and transparently. If we ever disagreed, we always found a point of compromise. Their team was highly responsive, and the language barrier never hindered our communication.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were personally invested in the project, so we had a very good working relationship. They made it clear that they were interested in a long-term partnership with us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I didn’t notice any major areas of weakness. They proactively tried to improve their internal operations, addressing any of our concerns as soon as possible.

Any advice for potential customers?

I recommend working with them.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CTO for goPuff inc., an on-demand convenience store.

What challenge were you trying to address with MLSDev?

We needed a small and dedicated professional team to be our long-term partner. Initially, we hired MLSDev to bootstrap the core product and infrastructure we use to run our business.

What was the scope of their involvement?

MLSDev builds our enterprise tools and supports the customer experience via development projects. Our solutions include a website and application for iOS and Android. The latter has separate versions for consumers, drivers, and independent contractors. The team has run management and operations for the core product.

They’ve evolved into a full-service partner for our product and platform. MLSDev does design work and ideation, particularly for user flow. However, their focus remains on product engineering and operations. Ongoing services include application and backend infrastructure development.

What is the team composition?

Currently, we work with approximately 20 individuals. The team includes a project manager, light design resources, QA specialists, mobile application developers, and backend and frontend engineers.

How did you come to work with MLSDev?

goPuff inc. hired MLSDev via a referral before I joined the company.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in 2013 and the partnership is ongoing.

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

MLSDev revamped our registration flow. As a result, registrations increased fivefold and conversions rose by 40%. The team also transitioned our database on to a server-hosted platform. That change reduced costs and improved performance.

How did MLSDev perform from a project management standpoint?

MLSDev uses the DevOps methodology and works in a transparent manner. They feel like an extension of our team. Both sides participate in daily scrums. We use their Jira and Confluence accounts to track work and submit tickets. MLSDev keeps the entire process transparent.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The team is committed to our success. Whereas other vendors are project-oriented, MLSDev knows that work is never done for growing businesses. They are focused on the solutions’ constructions, but also their support, debugging, and continued improvement.

Are there any areas they could improve?

MLSDev falls into requirements waterfall methodology because they use third-party contractors. The team prefers to look at releases at a weekly or monthly cadence. However, they need to evolve their branching and release strategy as we move further into a continuous deployment model. These process improvements may challenge their comfort level with different approaches. However, speed and quality don’t have to be tradeoffs.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CTO of a health technology startup called Tomes GmbH. Our main product is Idana, a software suite for intelligent digital anamnesis. It brings communication between doctors and patients to the next level by enabling the exchange of questionnaires through encrypted channels. This process can take place before, during, and after therapy. By increasing the flow of information between relevant parties, we seek to improve healthcare efficiency and patient safety.

What challenge were you trying to address with MLSDev?

We needed an external firm to help us develop new software. Additional assistance was required to design the platform’s UI/UX.

What was the scope of their involvement?

MLSDev provided detailed estimates and wireframes that outlined the project’s overall scope. We worked with their designer to create the product’s interface. Then, they developed a progressive web app while consulting with us throughout the process. Since the application isn’t native, users can access it through any device. This includes desktop browsers, iOS devices, and Android phones. They integrated the platform with an easy navigation feature that facilitates in-app movement via scrolling or button presses.

They allocated a QA resource to test the software during different stages of the development cycle. This resource also created unique testing protocols based on our protocol templates.

What is the team composition?

They assigned a project manager, a developer, a designer, and a QA tester.

How did you come to work with MLSDev?

We conducted online research to find a mid-sized firm with the technology specializations required to complete our project. We used Clutch.co to help us find as many potential firms as possible. We gathered a list of 60 candidates and contacted 20 of them after reviewing our needs in more detail.

MLSDev was one of the first companies to respond to our inquiry and they provided a detailed pitch. They offered the best price estimate and designed an excellent mockup of the platform’s interface. We hired them as a result.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $50,000–$100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

This project took place from December 2017–August 2018. However, we’re currently working with them to complete a separate project.

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

We’ve recently launched a new version of Idana thanks to the software MLSDev developed. The website is relatively new, so our access to user feedback is limited at this time. However, the results of our internal testing efforts indicate positive feedback regarding the platform’s overall design and usability.

How did MLSDev perform from a project management standpoint?

We required them to carefully track their time and use the same project management tools as we do. This includes Jira, GitHub, and Travis CI. They further accommodated us by using Telegram and Google Meet instead of Skype. We held weekly meetings to review the project’s status, conduct sprint retrospectives, and plan the next sprint. Overall, they perform exceptionally well from a communication standpoint.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re transparent with how they approach each development task. I appreciate the ability to communicate directly with their team members. If we suggested a change they didn’t agree with, they stood up for themselves and made counterarguments. This made us reevaluate our decisions on several occasions, but they ultimately respected our requests and recognized us as a client. They’re professional, reliable, and creative. We made the right choice by working with them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. They do an excellent job and provide a valuable service.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder of the startup Healexir, LLC. We make a homeopathic solution that reduces the bruising and swelling associated with surgical procedures.

For what projects/services did your company hire MLSDev?

I hired MLSDev to develop a companion app for the product.

What were your goals for this project?

The app needed to strongly reflect the branded environment and proper use of the product. As a startup, I was on an extremely limited budget, but I still prioritized usefulness.

How did you select this vendor?

I interviewed several companies in New York before finding MLSDev on the Clutch website. I searched for Ukrainian firms because I had heard the notion of quality tech services at reasonable prices. MLSDev communicated well and created a strong relationship in the early stages of the inquiry. Their quote was detailed and clear, and they made an effort to speak with me directly and follow up on every stage of my decision-making process. Their responsiveness and their strong design skills were essential in making my final choice.

Describe the project in detail.

The app is available for iOS and Android and serves primarily as a timer that guides post-surgery patients through a specific recovery protocol. Instructions for how to use the product were critical, so we developed animations to show exactly how to use the product. The team continually came back with critical points and sophisticated questions about what I had in mind. They improved the app by staying curious and alert to what we were developing. I could not have been more impressed with their skills to put themselves in the user’s position.

What was the team composition?

I had a customer service specialist who provided my quotes and answered all questions in the early stages of the project. A project manager guided me through the development stages, where we identified all the screens and the flow of the app. I also had a detailed project manager who oversaw the Android and iOS coders.

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

The app and product are near launch, but I'm very confident about what we have created in terms of design and technical excellence.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

They respond quickly through Slack, Google Hangouts, and other tools. They ensured I understood all steps we took. They rose to the occasion whenever I asked for a new feature or a design change. They were clearly capable. I found their passion for their work refreshing. 

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The most notable aspect was their ability to make suggestions based on the user experience. They deeply understood what we were trying to accomplish and continually improved it as we moved along. They became, and will remain, valuable technology partners for my company.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Of course, there were minor setbacks but nothing I can't partially take responsibility for myself. I continue to be impressed with their skills, tools, and desire to make an incredible product.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Mela.biz, which is a professional B2B same-day courier and delivery service.

What challenge were you trying to address with MLSDev?

I initially wanted to develop a plan that would use technology to innovate the way courier work is performed in Malta. I reached out to MLSDev and they helped me perform a suitability study for the system specs. I also asked them to assist with the front- and backend development of an app for our drivers that linked everything together and allowed me to launch the business.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They initially went through my requirements, studied the system design, and discussed the business aspects underlying my concept. That process took about a month and helped me refine the idea. They presented some challenges for me that changed my initial expectations and led to alterations in the business plan.

Once we finished that stage, we moved on to a system design phase. I spent a week onsite with them in Ukraine and we went through the system in deep detail. They brought in the entire team that worked on the project and I heard feedback from all of them on how they thought the app should work. Based on all those notes, we came up with an initial design for how the system should look and how each component should function.

After that, we launched into a development phase that lasted four or five months. They built everything from scratch, which included an Android app specifically for couriers employed through the service. It allows the system to notify couriers when there are jobs available and interfaces with Google Maps to help them navigate as they collect and deliver orders. They receive contact information from the customer, as well as notes about whether the payment is cash or credit. The app also sends out text messages to inform customers whenever a package is picked up or delivered. In addition to this, there’s a portal for businesses to log into in order to view the status of their deliveries and confirm the signature of the recipient.

What is the team composition?

We had a project manager, system and business analysts, and frontend, backend, and Android developers.

How did you come to work with MLSDev?

I used to be a software developer before changing careers, so I made a list of over 40 companies of interest, some of which I found through Clutch. I approached all of them and asked for proposals, then went through a process to eliminate the companies that were the wrong fit. Once I’d narrowed down the list, MLSDev stood out as the most interesting and suited to the project.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $50,000–$65,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started the project in June 2017 and wrapped up in March 2018. Everything is launching in April and then I expect they’ll help refine things if there are any errors.

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

They’ve produced a working system and a functional app that integrates nicely. They were instrumental in designing the pages and adjusting the interface to maximize the user experience. The quality of their work has been excellent and met international standards. They use independent reviewers for their QA process, and their testing is extremely thorough. It’s an extra cost, but it was worthwhile. I haven’t found any bugs yet in the final product they delivered to me.

How did MLSDev perform from a project management standpoint?

The project management has been exceptional. They’ve stayed on schedule and on budget. I'm lucky that I had a strong, experienced project manager who coordinated between me and the developers. They held regular meetings at the end of every phase of the project that showcased the completed work to that point and let me give comments, questions, and change notes.

For communicating, we used Slack for day-to-day contact, which allowed me to exchange ideas with the developers directly as well as the project manager. We also used Skype and Confluence, which is a project management portal that tracks your project and stores notes. During our development stage, we broke the project into phases and held weekly meetings throughout that process. Each time we completed a phase, we’d have a meeting to showcase the work to date and ensure agreement before moving forward.

What did you find most impressive about them?

One of my first points of contact at MLSDev was a salesperson who was not only knowledgeable about the system but also understood the industry and had the expertise to discuss my needs in depth. She asked the right questions, but she also gave me a sense that they invest in understanding you as a customer and give you personalized service. You can see their passion for their work and their company, and they work enthusiastically to maintain their relationships with their clients. That initial interaction inspired me to consider them so strongly.

I should also single out the business analysts, who did a fantastic job of both deciphering my requirements and also challenging me to make them better. They forced me to narrow my focus, which was instrumental in how I rebuilt my business strategy going forward. In addition, the project manager had a wealth of experience and knew how to effectively control a team in a way that I feel is rare.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I was initially concerned about a language barrier, but I didn’t have any problems communicating or feeling misunderstood.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of an internet publishing service.

What challenge were you trying to address with MLSDev?

We already had our iOS platform and backend system in place and wanted to create the Android version.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They developed our entire native Android application from scratch. We provided all of the screens from the iOS version, which they copy and pasted to the Android one. The app has advanced photo editing and photobook features and photo product creations. Once they finished with these features, our in-house team took over. They still handle bug fixes as part of the three-month maintenance agreement.

What is the team composition?

There was an Android developer, a project manager, a QA engineer, and a designer assigned to our project.

How did you come to work with MLSDev?

I found them on Clutch and read some of their reviews. I wanted a development team that could easily communicate with my existing offshore team in Ukraine, and they happen to be within the same country.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested between $50,000–$100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them from March 2017–January 2018.

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

I’m very happy with their work and everyone loves the app. The source code is good and there’s nothing different from the iOS version. The only drawback would be on the QA from their side.

How did MLSDev perform from a project management standpoint?

They were always prompt and professional, and if there was going to be a delay, they’d let us know and apologize. We mostly used Skype and they’d usually get back to us with a response within a few hours.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They knew the task well and didn’t ask lots of questions. This worried me in the beginning but the end result proved to be great.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Their QA needs improvement as most of the bugs were found by my in-house QA engineer. She basically did their job. More testing should be done on their side before delivering the final product.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a showcase platform for artists to share their portfolios and connect with one another.

What challenge were you trying to address with MLSDev?

We wanted to build an iOS and Android mobile app that offered similar capabilities to our website.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We had a minimal viable product we working with before partnering with MLSDev. Once we began our partnership, they rebuilt the iOS and Android app from scratch on native software.

Some of the most important features of the app are the ability to view, comment on, like and post artwork.

What is the team composition? 

I had direct contact with a project manager, an iOS developer, an Android developer, a part-time QA, and a part-time designer.

How did you come to work with MLSDev?

We originally found them on Elance.com, which is now UpWork. We decided to move forward with them because we felt comfortable with their expertise when communicating with them about what we were trying to accomplish. MLSDev also had a great project manager there at the time who really grasped the business challenge we brought to them.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested over $200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with each other in April 2015, and we ended our partnership in January 2018.

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

We have about three million users on our web platform, and we’ve managed to successfully engage about 120,000 monthly active users on the app. We consider that a successful collaboration.

As far as quality, currently, our Android app is several rolling releases ahead of the iOS app, so we’re attempting to solve that issue in-house.

How did MLSDev perform from a project management standpoint?

When we first engaged them, they did really well because the work was well defined and very contained. When we engaged them again to continue working on our apps, it was more challenging because the business requirements and hence backend API kept evolving. When the scope of the project is very clear, the API is stable and well documented, and the requirements don't have a high complexity, MLSDev works very well. They are able to give close estimates and work to that target. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Our initial partnership with them went really well. They gave us pretty good work on deadline at the estimated budget.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The first issue we had was when we switched over to scrum and tried to integrate MLSDev into our team. Where MLSDev has issues is generally when the scope becomes ambiguous - the API and business requirements are a work in progress and constantly evolving. Also, it's challenging for them to work on a staff augmentation model where MLSDev has to integrate into the client's processes. MLSDev really has its own processes - project management tools, internal build systems, etc. They work very well as a standalone team with few dependencies. 

The second and larger issue was their pricing model. They unexpectedly raised our rates because they claimed they were doing our project management for free and we were now expected to pay for that. We didn’t think that was appropriate, given we had worked with them for over a year and project management had always been included in our rate. Their pricing adjustment made them no longer competitive as we could afford to hire in-house development staff for the same price.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you have a very well-defined project and timeline, with few dependencies on your internal team, MLSDev works wonderfully well. But if your project is evolving rapidly, or you need a team to augment your own, it's a bit more challenging.