nomtek

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the founder of an app that helps people spontaneously go out to concerts, movies, and plays. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with nomtek?

We needed to build a minimal viable product (MVP) to test our idea.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

nomtek has guided us through scoping and coding the MVP. They functioned as our enlarged IT team.

The development process is running well. Now that we’ve been working with them for the past six months, we’ve seen the product start to take shape. So far, they’ve only developed the iOS application. We’ve provided some UX designs, but they’ve handled all the front- and backend coding, as well as 70% of the UX work.

What is the team composition?

I’ve worked with three frontend developers, one backend developer, a UX designer, and a QA person.

How did you come to work with nomtek?

The search was extensive. We spent many hours browsing the internet to find an IT partner. We researched companies in our local and neighboring markets, as well as ones from the U.K., Estonia, and Poland. We made a short list of 20 companies, approached them, and set up calls with each one to explain the MVP we wanted to build. nomtek was one of our final three options. I went to Poland to meet them in person. After that, I was certain that we should start working with them. 

We almost chose a Danish supplier that employed coders in Pakistan and Ukraine. They had a lower price, but didn’t fully understand what we were doing. We were too uncertain about what would happen when we changed our scope, as is inevitable at the beginning of all IT projects. I didn’t trust that they could handle these changes without compromising either the product or the budget.

How much have you invested with them?

I’ve invested above $50,000 in their services. We’re still building, so that cost is not final. They’re delivering very good value for the money spent.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with nomtek in December 2017. We aimed to choose a supplier before Christmas.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

nomtek has remained within budget for the MVP and delivered exactly as I hoped they would. They are trustworthy and capable of delivering on their promise. Their quality and value are both high, and their process is structured. They’re pleasant people who are extremely easy to work with. They've been detailed, fast, and eager to understand our needs from day one. Their proposal’s scope and ambition are spot-on, and nomtek finds efficient, cost-effective ways to deliver what we need. They understand our needs, and their price is fair.

They’ve kept the structure that we arranged in the development phase, so any new functions they release have been tested well. We’re amazed at how few bugs we handle. We started testing the app with live users last week.

It’s too soon to conclude anything about the product. It could fail because our idea isn’t strong enough, for which we wouldn’t necessarily blame nomtek.

How did nomtek perform from a project management standpoint?

We use Jira for project tracking and keep in close contact through weekly calls and a lot of Slack communication. I usually communicate directly with the developers, especially with one frontend developer. Although he develops code, he also acts as a project manager since we don’t have a full-time project manager allocated to this project.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I haven’t built apps with other providers, but if I were to build another project tomorrow, I probably wouldn’t even search for alternatives. I would go straight to nomtek.

I’m happy with what they’re doing and amazed that they can deliver such a high-quality product at a fair price. Their approach is organized and professional, and they are eager to not promise too much. We don’t get the impression that they are trying to sell us stuff without delivering on their promises. Their quality for the price is my main reason for being willing to use them again. They are also pleasant people, but many companies have pleasant people working for them.

nomtek builds good products, at a fair price, in a professional and pleasant manner. They’ve become an extension of our local team. With nomtek, I see the potential for a long-term relationship.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’m not sure. If they coded faster, it might end up full of errors, which would cost time in the long run. I also don’t think they should price themselves any lower since they wouldn’t be able to justify building such a high-quality product. I see no quick or easy room for improvement. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I was the Chief of Product at my company when we partnered with nomtek. Our app gives homeowners an overview of their energy consumption and provides tips for daily home maintenance.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with nomtek?

We needed to create an agile, easily modifiable app. Eventually, it would need to accommodate rapid iterations and rollouts to accommodate changing demands from our customers and users.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I worked with nomtek on developing and delivering iterations of our app for both iOS and Android. At the start of our engagement, we already had a live app on the market. It was in a cumbersome environment, though, and the quality was inferior. We needed to pivot the product ninety degrees to provide a valuable tool for our users. From the very start, nomtek acted more like a partner than a vendor. They offered strategy consulting based on a thorough understanding of lean startup methodologies.

We initially provided wireframes, but nomtek eventually helped us formulate the frontend graphical scope. During a two-day workshop hosted onsite at our location, we collaboratively redeveloped each facet of the product. We switched both platforms to React Native and took on a new approach. After quite a bit of refactoring, it became an entirely different app. The team crafted features like an onboarding wizard, a checkout flow, and built an entirely new search engine from scratch.

What is the team composition?

It was a scalable scene. We worked with a product owner, a test manager, a designer, and a UX specialist. They assigned us two developers on each platform that were React-Native-compatible, as well. 

How did you come to work with nomtek?

I researched potential teams on Clutch.co. I contacted six contenders I found to assess our compatibility. Three teams seemed like quite a good match, so we did a small case study with each one. When we went to meet them afterward, nomtek stood out as having the right setup for our needs.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $150,000 on their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with nomtek between February–April 2018. The project isn’t finished yet, but we’ve paused development. They’re still in the loop.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I left the company since the collaboration, so I don’t have access to this information. I do know that the partnership with nomtek yielded many stability improvements. Fewer users have been reaching out for support. Uptimes are almost 100% for the app.
 
How did nomtek perform from a project management standpoint?

We conducted Agile setups using Clubhouse without time-tracking. They were always keen to help, offered consistent and reliable correspondence. We spoke daily and utilized Slack for communication. nomtek collaborated closely with us the entire time.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They have a highly professional setup and were a critical part of the journey. Despite being a smaller development house, they embraced the agile methodology. nomtek impressed us across the development process, from workflows and testing to the code itself.  

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could work on improving the UX aspect. They often had limited resources since their one expert was committed to several different projects. It sometimes took a bit longer than we expected to deliver the work. They could also test solutions with more users, either theirs or ours.  

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Someone looking to work with nomtek should be scrum- or agile-oriented. They’re the best match for those types of clients.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company.

I work for a mobile application startup in Denmark. We offer a mobile app for iPhone that is similar to a Michelin guide. The app is free of charge and very dependable since it can be used offline. It offers the user a city guide depending on personalized preferences. We want people to use it on the go from various cities. We want to grow the user base.

What is your role and responsibility?

I am of the founding partners and the creative director. I was responsible for developing the app with Nomtek. I was one of the main leaders for that project.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was the business challenge that you were trying to address for the work with Nomtek?

We are a small startup without the in-house capability to develop for iOS. At the time, I was working in Western Poland, in the same city as Nomtek. We decided to look at some local companies and see if they could handle the work.

Nomtek clearly filled the need that we had. We wanted to develop the app quickly, it was complicated at times. Nomtek fit our need because they are willing to work very closely with the client and cooperate at all times.

SOLUTION

Can you describe the scope of Nomtek's work?

Nomtek was responsible for development of the app for iPhone. We gave them a prototype and let them design it and make sure the quality was strong. They also helped us create the APIs [application programming interfaces]. In general, they worked very closely with us.

Why did you select iPhone as the platform?

I selected iOS because it is the most commonly used phone in this market. iPhones are popular in Europe, so it seemed like the best platform to use.

What was your process for selecting Nomtek?

Since I happened to be in the same city as Nomtek at the time, it was a logical decision. They had a strong and lasting reputation as experts that would deliver a high-quality app. I actually met their company and the owner years ago when I worked for a different firm. I kept them in mind for this app and called them first. I made the right choice.

Can you provide a sense of the size of the initiative with a personnel work hour figure?

It took the Nomtek group about 300 hours of work to complete the project. It was a major undertaking that took months to complete. They put a lot of time and attention into the work. We were in constant communication, and they were great about asking us for our requirements at each stage.

When was the project completed?

It was completed at the end of June of 2013.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the results of the project? Do you have any statistics or metrics you can share to demonstrate the success?

We are very happy with the result since the app is functioning very well. They produced a high quality app that people are using. I am really happy with their approach to the project. They were always open to feedback and committed to satisfying us. They were always open to changes and very flexible. They finished the project on time and didn't make any mistakes.

What else is unique or special about Nomtek that stands out compared to other IT firms?

Their cooperation ability really stands out. They always want to talk to the client and do it the right way. They aren't afraid to give advice and suggest alternative ways to complete the project.

Looking back on the project, is there any area that you think they could improve upon or something you would do differently?

No, I really have nothing to report. They did a great job. I can't complain. Nomtek has a very professional approach, and they always answer our questions.