NOA Labs

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the owner of Kegtron, a company that provides electronic and software solutions for beverage tracking.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with NOA Labs?

My product is in a niche market, so volumes would be modest. In order to have an economically viable product, I needed a manufacturer with a low cost structure.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I’d already done much of the upfront technical design of the product and only needed NOA Labs to design my product package, manufacture it, and also run some tests. They’re able to take on projects from start to finish, but I only needed a limit set of services. When we had an issue with one of our suppliers, I requested that they also assist with material procurement. We’re currently on our fourth production run, and things have gone smoothly so far.

What is the team composition?

I mainly work with the project manager, but there are others who work on my product.

How did you come to work with NOA Labs?

I did a lot of research online about cost-effective companies who offer the services I needed. I read good reviews about NOA Labs, and they were willing to work with me even though I wasn’t a high-volume client, so I hired them.

How much have you invested with them?

For design services, I’ve spent less than $5,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We partnered in July 2018, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They did a phenomenal job on the package design, which was a much more complicated process than I’d realized. Customers like how the product is presented. Their quality assurance team made sure the materials were suitable for our build and proactively solved problems that I couldn’t address because I was on the other side of the world. When we discovered a problem after production had started, they even retrofit a solution for future builds.

How did NOA Labs perform from a project management standpoint?

For the first three months, the project manager and I spoke daily to work through the prototypes and pilot runs. They communicate well, and the project manager is extremely organized and professional. They provided an accurate cost estimate and stuck to our schedule, pulling in extra help to meet our deadlines before their holiday break. On numerous occasions, they went above and beyond to meet my needs.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were willing to engage with a smaller player, like me, and were flexible about the scope of work. Communication can often be a problem for overseas partners, but they were proficient and detailed. Their team is competent and able to accomplish any tasks assigned to them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It’s possible to find a less expensive supplier, but it’ll be hard to find one that offers the same value and is willing to work with smaller companies.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Have a well-defined scope and collaborate with their team to flesh out the project at the beginning of the partnership.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the CEO of FenSens.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with NOA Labs?

We needed a vendor to help us develop a parking sensor for a car.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

First, they helped us with designing and prototyping the product as well as sourcing the components. Then, they tested the prototype and manufactured the actual product and the packaging. They also helped us get the product to the US.

What is the team composition?

We've worked with their CEO, designers, engineers, and a project manager. There are also other team members involved in our project.

How did you come to work with NOA Labs?

I found them through a Google search.

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent at least $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in March 2016, and the relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They played an integral part in developing our product. We wouldn't be able to do that without them.

How did NOA Labs perform from a project management standpoint?

We mostly use email to communicate. We’ve also used Dropbox and Gantt charts. They're very accessible and meet their deadlines. Also, it's easy to interact with them because they're used to working with western countries.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They're very reliable and do high-quality work. Other companies are difficult to work with because they agree to everything, even when they don't have the capabilities to do a particular thing. NOA Labs is different because they're honest and great communicators.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. Like in any development process, there were issues that came up, but we worked as a team to resolve them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They've been very accommodating and reliable.