Noto Solutions

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm starting an online company for men's weight loss, nutrition, etc.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Noto Solutions?

I needed a website built and it needed to have a forum section.

What were your goals for this project?

To have a fully functioning website with the capability of a forum, as well as offering products and services, within a reasonable time frame.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I read some of their reviews on Clutch, and I spoke to the owner of the company who seemed to understand my needs.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

They provided me with a written proposal to build my website as described, within a 40 day timeline. They were to make any changes along the way and show me how to make changes in the future.

What was the team composition?

There was one project leader that I dealt with and he referred to his 'team' but I am unaware of how many team members are involved.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I will be unable to launch the website on time as we are now about 3 weeks in and hardly any work has been done. I provided a long list (about 3 pages long) of revisions that needed to be done and hardly any have been dealt with over the past week.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

I did not receive any communication for about 2 weeks after I provided them with a deposit which was half of the cost of the project. I had to reach out to ask for progress and received nothing for an additional week. Communication has been poor, and there has been a complete lack of understanding of what needs to be done.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Nothing!

Are there any areas for improvement?

Every area needs improvement. They are not skilled or competent enough to even build a basic website.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the CEO of Lucid Outsourcing Solutions. We offer web technologies and services as an IT solution provider for offshore clients.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Noto Solutions?

We hired them to create a marketplace for us where users can search for the services they need and can book an appointment with service providers in their area. The website was created using the latest technologies, taking usability greatly into consideration.

What were your goals for this project?

Our main goal was to create a user-friendly website to assist people in searching for nearby service providers with a single click and get their daily routine tasks done.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We went through a number of interviews and nobody was able to satisfy us because of the way they interpreted the project. Noto’s team put itself in our shoes and took in all our considerations, including some that we hadn’t thought of, which made us realize that the project was in the right hands.

Describe the project in detail.

It’s a web application that puts service providers in your hands. You can order services, pay for them, and review service providers.

What was the team composition?

There were three people involved in the project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What outcomes or results can you share that demonstrate progress and/or success?

Once the site was launched, we started getting lots of reviews from local vendors and clients about the app’s ease of use, specifically on how simple it was to make bookings in just a few clicks. Service providers were also happy that they were getting leads online without any hassle. Within a month, we were able to collect so many reviews that we’re now considering launching the next phase.

How effective was the project management?

The project management was the best part—none of my messages or requests were left unread and unanswered. That’s what is believe is the key to success.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I found their adherence to timelines, project management, and suggestions very impressive. Their commitment was the best thing as well as the after-launch support they provided. The team we had was always ready to make any small improvements we requested.

What tips or recommendations do you have?

They need to showcase their work to the public so that people know what they’ve done so far. They need to show all their potential.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the owner of Replete Software Solution.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Noto Solutions?

We hired them to develop an e-commerce app for iOS & Android.

What were your goals for this project?

My client wanted to create a mobile application for selling their products. Our goal was to launch the application before the start of the peak season.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We were looking for a vendor with competitive rates who could deliver on time.

Describe the project in detail.

They built a mobile application that included all of the features on my client’s website, including a splash screen, a home page, and a product listing page. The app allows users to log in, search for products, and see product detail pages. Users can buy products using the app, which is integrated with PayPal, Square API, and Amazon Pay.

What was the team composition?

Noto’s project manager was our point of contact, and he sent us updates about the application. We also worked with two iPhone developers, two Android developers, one designer, and one quality control (QC) staff.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They delivered a user-friendly app before the peak season, so we had enough time to market it. As a result, we got 10,000 downloads and over 1,000 reviews within two months. The mobile app also helped improve sales.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We used Scrum methodology to develop this application. Since our communication was smooth and effective, they delivered the application on time.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They quickly understood all of our requirements. Their suggestions helped improve the flow of our application and website, which led to a better user experience. We will hire this team again for our next assignment.

Are there any areas for improvement?

They were good in all areas.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the owner of a block of short-stay serviced apartments for local and international travelers. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Noto Solutions?

We are present on a number of Online Travel Agencies (OTAs), some of which suggested that we should have our own website. It would give people more information, or the option to book directly with us, when possible.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The brief was pretty concise. Noto Solutions had to develop a portal for our service apartment villas as well as holiday homes. I wrote a short order of what I required, and they went on to develop the website. Guests can look at the available information and options, put in dates, make payments, and get a confirmation. 

They took care of coding and some of the design, but I couldn’t tell you exactly what technologies were used. In terms of design, clients have the option of choosing between different types of accommodations, and make live bookings with immediate confirmation, through an integrated payment gateway.

Noto Solutions pulled content from the OTAs where we were listed, and I also provided some of it. They haven’t provided any marketing services, SEO, or anything of the sort so far.

What is the team dynamic? 

I interfaced with a single person, Vipin Mathur, their CTO, who was in charge of delegating tasks to the workforce. Our interactions were both planned and as-needed. I’m based in Australia, and Noto Solutions is based in India, so we interacted by phone, email, and Skype.

How did you come to work with Noto Solutions?

Around three years ago, we were working on another website. It was a major project, and we’d had a very frustrating experience with the operation. We had hired different freelancers and teams for different aspects of the project, and it was all over the place. At that time, I was given the option of using Noto Solutions, but it would not have been practical to revamp the project, so we continued as we were. We kept Noto Solutions in mind, and we’re actually looking at two other projects for them in the future.

How much have you invested with them?

We have spent around AUD $30,000 [$24,000].

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Noto Solutions on the current project around November or December 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

In terms of our ability to process online payments using the gateway implemented by Noto Solutions, we’ve run around AUD $200,000 through the website so far. We had processed AUD $72,000 in the last year, and around the same amount for the year before.

The site was delivered as per requirements. We’ve tweaked a few things recently and may add a section for comments and feedback. We’re happy with the outcome, so we’re moving forward with our second project with them. I’ve sent requirements to Noto Solutions.

How did Noto Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

My contact has been pretty good and responsive. We can always speak on the phone, taking into account the two and a half hour time difference between us and India.

What did you find most impressive about them?

A single contact for coordination allowed me to channel everything through him. He was able to assign his resources, so I didn’t have to bother with who the specific coders or designers were. In my previous project, I had to interface with multiple people and determine what needed to be redone. There was a big difference in Noto Solutions’ case.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could provide profiles of the different resources, with their expertise is and who they are. I can assume that Noto Solutions can deliver what we need, but I have no idea how big their setup is.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

S&H Rugs is an importer and wholesaler of Persian and Oriental rugs. I’m an e-commerce specialist. I worked on uploading feeds to e-commerce platforms, attracting new customers, and creating new listings

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Noto Solutions?

We needed help with our user experience on our website to drive more sales. They also do database development and act as a back-up on uploading feeds. Where we have issues, they troubleshoot.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’ve had issues with Amazon and eBay, and they’ve integrated our database with their system. They keep up-to-date with all the various changes that happen a with Facebook and Pinterest. The technologies used for creating the website were HTML, JavaScript, jQuery, and a SQL database.

What is the team dynamic?

We have a team of 3 people, and they add more people as needed. We communicate every day throughout the day on issues that come up. There’s a time difference, but they’re there when we get in and when we leave. Any problems we have, they figure out a solution for it.

How did you come to work with Noto Solutions?

I just came to the company in May, so I don’t know how they were hired.

How much have you invested with them?

I’m not sure.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve worked with them for 4 years.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our traffic has increased. We’re up 280% from last month, but I don’t know if that’s all attributable to them. They help with a lot of our product feeds. Overstock.com gives out their own partner score cards and we see constant improvement month by month. They’re fulfilling the requirements my boss wants done for the website including how it looks, tracking users, etc.

How did Noto Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

I can Skype or call them on WhatsApp whenever I need them, and we can work through an issue quickly. We have to push them at times to remind them of the tasks that are due. If you give them a list and talk to them, they’ll get things done in a day or 2.

This past week we’ve been integrating Pinterest tracking functions into our website, and there were 20 items they had to add. They added them all within a short span of time. So that’s an example of them getting things done quickly. It takes some time for us to grasp for sure what we want as well, so there’s a progression there.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’ve been surprised at how involved they are. They’re in constant communication with us. We’re keeping them updated, and they’re looking for feedback on ways to improve. Everybody is on the same page.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could be better with time management and keeping on top of certain things. However, that’s also partly our responsibility, as the web development management, to reiterate to them what the goals are and what the deadlines are.