MOBIKASA

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

We are satisfied with how these apps were received. With any mobile app, it’s not just the quality of it, but it’s also the strategy to go to market, which includes marketing plans and dollars. Therefore, I wouldn’t gauge any of the statistics purely based on the functionality or the user experience of the app. I’d attribute it more to the marketing strategy and our ability to get the app out in front of people to download. However, when I did run digital ad campaigns, we had a really great response, and I was able to get user acquisition for way less than average in the industry.

How did MOBIKASA perform from a project management standpoint?

If you want to get something done quickly and at a low cost but also ensure that you get what you ask for, MOBIKASA is a great company to consider. They cut all the right corners to allow you to be agile and flexible in the budget. They’re also great at communicating during any issues. In terms of timelines and deliverables, whatever was promised was given. Their team as a whole is very capable.

What did you find most impressive about MOBIKASA?

They gave us exactly what we asked for—nothing more, nothing less. They are very good at transactional project execution. They’re flexible and accommodating in allowing us to alter the scope, especially during the first project but less during the second. In the first project, they were very flexible and accommodating in introducing new functionalities and things into the scope without drastically increasing costs, which is why we went with them again for the second app. They’re just the definition of fast and cheap but also effective.

Are there any areas MOBIKASA could improve?

The biggest challenge was working with a PM in India, so having a very fluent English project manager available in time zones that are more in accordance with the US would be very helpful. Delayed communication was the only hang-up, but that’s understandable since we’re outsourcing the work to them, which is why the cost was lower. Anyone in the tech space knows that.

What tips or recommendations could you share that might increase the likelihood of success with MOBIKASA?

Spend more time developing the use case and scope of work documentation prior to initiating a project to ensure that, as fast as they move already, they can move twice as fast. 

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

I can tell from Google Analytics that customers are spending a good amount of time navigating through the website. The bounce rates aren’t high, which is great. Since it is a fully e-commerce driven business, I am really satisfied with the UX. Customers are coming back and telling me that they enjoyed being on the site and that it's easy to navigate. It has also helped drive sales, which is great. Other than that, it’s still a pretty small but growing business. Hopefully, we'll continue to see the gains.

How did Mobikasa perform from a project management standpoint?

It was tough at times because they're based out of India, so I wasn't really working with someone in the US. You're given that information right off the bat, but it proved a little difficult in terms of sticking to timelines. In some projects, I could have done a better job of really explaining in more detail what I was looking for. For the most part, however, they stuck with the timelines. I did have to make sure the information was understood well on both sides because I think that's where the time gaps really occurred.

Like I said, I'm not in web development, so I think that if I had worked with a frontend developer or a graphic designer on my side, who could clearly outline my pixels and user flow in a lot more detail with more precise measurements and interactions, the interaction could have been more graceful between us. Since I didn't work with someone on my end, I think that it went as fast as possible, and they remained patient with me.

What did you find most impressive about Mobikasa?

They're really just a phone call away. It was really easy to get in touch with them and set up Skype appointments, which was awesome. Even though they were in India, there was definitely a lot of support there. They were able to finish everything that I had asked for, even though it might not have been the easiest or most conventional process. It was really nice to work with them on a unique project. Rarely did I ever hear that something couldn't be done, and if that was the case, I know they tried.

Are there any areas Mobikasa could improve?

We did a lot of our interaction via email, but I would have liked to have another platform to monitor checkpoints and page progress. Since we were sometimes working on multiple pages at the same time, having those interactions via email got pretty heavy. If they had used Trello or some other software where we could both stay in tune with every tweak, it would have been a more manageable on my side. Sometimes, it felt like a lot was going on at once. 

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

We've received feedback from customers about features that they would have wanted to see on our site. For example, we received requests for a system which would notify users when a particular item is back in stock. We consulted MOBIKASA about this, and they went through a number of solutions, finding the best fit for our issue.

We are very happy with MOBIKASA. Given that we're new to the website game, we've made many changes across the project. We've worked with other developers, but I appreciated MOBIKASA's accessibility the most. Other agencies would disappear for 2-3 days after being given a task. MOBIKASA was always there for us, providing a solution to any change which we required.

How did MOBIKASA perform from a project management standpoint?

MOBIKASA has a very good, systematic working method. We've had a very smooth run with them overall. We've usually been the ones changing our minds and going from one idea to the next.

What did you find most impressive about MOBIKASA?

MOBIKASA has always given an opinion about what would be best suited for the products that we offer.

Are there any areas MOBIKASA could improve?

Nothing comes to mind. I'm very happy with MOBIKASA.

What tips or recommendations could you share that might increase the likelihood of success with MOBIKASA?

If they wish to save a bit of time, clients should do a bit of research on the type of website that they want, instead of always asking MOBIKASA for ideas. Changing the approach takes a lot of time.

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

When working on mobile applications, it's common for companies to deliver a project that is within scope, yet doesn't satisfy the customer's needs. Mobikasa knows how to work in an Agile way. As we built the wireframes and developed the code for them, there were refinements which needed to be made. We work within a complex environment, building for multiple different platforms. Their team has stayed on top of the work and offered the level of quality that I would deliver to my own customers.

How did Mobikasa perform from a project management standpoint?

I've used other vendors in India for software programming and have not enjoyed the experience. All my work with Mobikasa has been great. They're on time, on budget, easy to work with, and produce a quality product.

What distinguishes Mobikasa from other providers?

The big issue when working overseas with a group of programmers is communication. They do a good job of letting me know what their progress level is and what they're doing. At the same time, Mobikasa is able to deliver the work in a cost-effective manner.

Is there anything Mobikasa could have improved or done differently?

Their quality assurance [QA] process could be improved, but my company is ultimately in charge of this. We're the ones that deliver the product, so QA has to come from us. This is ultimately an un-realistic issue. I would like for Mobikasa to know what I know, so that they could do what I want done, without me having to actually engage with their team.