Narsun Studios

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am an associate at a small/mid-sized digital publisher that focuses on post-secondary education financing.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire NARSUN?

NARSUN developed site for a new vertical we were diving into, including: calculators, landing pages, article templates, comparison tools, and dynamic tables.

What were your goals for this project?

Create a professional-looking site for student loan content. Something sleek, user-friendly, and appealing.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Via Upwork.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

NARSUN provides everything from web design to web development, helping at all stages of the content generation process.

What was the team composition?

We had a stable project manager, Umer, who oversaw all aspects of the design and development process efficiently and effectively. We worked with various members of his design and development team given the complexity of the project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Umer's team is one of the fastest we have found on the market. We came into this project knowing we would need tight turnarounds on deliverables, and Umer's team far exceeded our expectations (so much so, that my team was surprised at how quickly we were receiving what we asked for). The developed sites are still in the process of being launched, but we have received positive user feedback about them.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Umer essentially connected us with different members of his team to carry out different aspects of the project. He was knowledgeable about all areas and we never had a problem with that. He also constantly asked for feedback and improved where needed.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They were incredibly dynamic, quick, and extremely responsive to negative and positive feedback. No bottlenecks, and extremely committed to delivering a good service.

Are there any areas for improvement?

The web development was at times done without the best / most durable lines of code. Though we were able to eventually integrate all the pages effectively and meet our deadlines, we did have to have our in-house development team redo some elements of the programming to make the pages more easily editable and durable.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president of Kaizen Project Management and Development, and we develop software for anything from websites to mobile apps and desktop applications.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with NARSUN?

 I needed the best team I could find to develop an iOS and Android mobile app for an extensive and time-consuming project.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

First, I met with the team to discuss the project and our goals. Then, once we determined the specifications of the project, we itemized our list so we knew what each team member was responsible for.

I then worked with their designers to develop UI, tweaking and updating 70– 80 different screens within the app.  Once we were satisfied with the overall design of the app, we shifted to building the app for Android, and later, iOS.

While developing the iOS version, we started testing and revising our product. We eventually released the app in a soft launch to get feedback from users. Currently, we are working on improving the app for an official launch.

What is the team composition?

I work directly with Ahsan (Managing Director, NARSUN), because I like the personalized interaction I have with him. This is one of the biggest projects we’ve ever had, but they consistently deliver top-notch work.  He conveys what I have to say to the rest of the team.

How did you come to work with NARSUN?

I started with a long list of teams that I’ve worked with before and eventually narrowed it down to my top five companies to work with. I decided that NARSUN had the best resources to handle a project of this size.

How much have you invested with them?

I’ve spent between $50,000 – $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in May 2017 and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

This is one of the biggest projects we’ve ever had, but they consistently deliver top-notch work. We recently launched an early version of our app and are looking to make a few changes based on user feedback. By providing additional resources when necessary, they’re able to meet all of our expectations. Their design team is very professional and they provide great input for the project.

How did NARSUN perform from a project management standpoint?

Our project was largely successful because we took the time to discuss the project and create a structured timeline for design, development, and testing. While we could have implemented project management tools, the way we tackled the project was effective. We communicate daily and the project ran smoothly.

What did you find most impressive about them?

While the quality of their work is great, I was impressed by the communication skills the most. They always understood what we needed and were available when we needed them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I also mentioned this to the managing director, but their testing team could be improved.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Always provide a detailed scope of the project. It’s a waste of time to start a project if you don’t know what you want to accomplish.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CTO of Game Changer, a tech company that builds powerful products for youth sports teams.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with NARSUN?

We wanted to use the Unreal Engine to further develop interactive AR/VR games for sports teams. As we transitioned into a new engine, we sought to up the quality of games to look better, be more vibrant, and be playable.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement? 

NARSUN helped us develop an interactive AR/VR sports app for our clients. We first did a prototype with them on one of our games. After going through our own QA and then having them QA it, we moved into full production. They’ve worked hand-in-hand with our team to produce several games using the Unreal Engine and JavaScript technologies.

What is the team composition? 

We’ve worked with about eight people. Umer (CEO, NARSUN) participated in a lot of the earlier conversations, but we later had a project manager who handled a lot of the day-to-day. Then, they would assign various talent depending on the project phase and task at hand. This ranged from building the modules and 3D modeling to the actual programming and delivery.

How did you come to work with NARSUN?

We found one of their developers through Upwork and tasked them with a smaller project. I liked working with them and eventually talked to Umer about handling bigger projects. For those, we collaborated outside of Upwork.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent close to $280,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in February 2017 and launched our first beta in July 2019. They’re still working with us on other projects.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The app has been a big success with the clients. Fans are playing it on the big screen, and they can also access a mobile component to link up with hundreds of thousands of people. In total, fans have played about 150 games through our app, so far.

How did NARSUN perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve done really well. When working with an international company, you have to consider if their English communication skills are strong and if they can adjust to time zone differences. Having a project manager who interacts with us daily has bridged that gap. They’re really easy to work with.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It’s the speed with which they work that’s so impressive. Not to mention, they’re communicative and highly flexible. There have been weekends when they’ve worked overtime to get jobs done.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, not really. Like any project, we’ve had some setbacks, but those aren’t anyone’s fault. Regardless, NARSUN handled those well and worked overtime to deliver.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Anyone who wants to start a project with NARSUN should definitely work with them. The team is capable of handling both small and large projects, and they have good credentials. They definitely know a lot about what they’re doing.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I run an early-stage startup developing an Android TV box with custom software. We provide the devices to people for free with an iOS and Android app, and we get profits from advertising. There’s also a premium paid product.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with NARSUN?

I’d chosen the wrong technology partner in the beginning, so I needed NARSUN to fix all the issues the other company caused.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They’ve fixed the free version of our product, and the current challenge is cleaning up the premium product. It’s been a long process, but they’ve helped me get the product to the market and have also handled whatever designs I needed. We had some compatibility issues with Bluetooth on the iOS side, so they worked with me to find a solution.

What is the team composition?

I worked with Umer (CEO, NARSUN). He put me in touch with a project manager and a solutions architect, who walked me through the ideas for getting the product done in time and found the resources.

I was involved in the process, given that it was my idea, and I worked with 5–6 people from NARSUN’s side. We were in touch daily; morning, noon, and night. All the ideas were in my head, so the project needed a lot of communication.

How did you come to work with NARSUN?

I found Umer on Upwork and gave him my requirements, which were for Android and iOS development, with a PHP and .NET backend. I’ve been hiring online for five years, so it was good to find someone who presented their company in simple terms. He told me what they could do, then gave me some options.

How much have you invested with them?

I’ve spent around $160,000 on their services so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them between October 2016–September 2018, and they’re continuing to work on new features for the premium system.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They didn’t complain about the multiple design changes I requested, and they achieved what I wanted in the end—changing flows and how things connect, as well as technologies. We’ve had to deal with multiple things, and they accommodated that.

How did NARSUN perform from a project management standpoint?

They weren’t very organized in the beginning, but I also rushed them. They assigned me a project manager later on, along with an assistant who took every request I had. It went very well after that and I was relaxed with the process. I like to have constant delivery and constant enhancement on my side, and they adapted well to that.

They also delivered on time, which is why I’m working with them again. They know the product, and there’s always someone to talk to on NARSUN’s side. I’ve had some bad experiences with other companies in terms of communication and language, but everything’s been good with NARSUN.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They have a member who can find a solution for anything that’s put in front of him, and their backend PHP and Android developers are also pretty good.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They introduced me to three iOS developers, and none of them were very good. Connecting Android with iOS is a bit tricky, and I can understand that, but they could still improve on it.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Ask for a project manager and a tester from the beginning. They’re well covered on the development, knowledge, and integration side of things.