Octal IT Solution

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the owner of Bloggsy—a mobile app focused on services for social media users.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Octal IT Solution?

I am an IT director at an investment bank so I know a lot about developing programs and applications already, but I don’t have the skills myself to write the code that I needed. For this reason I decided to find a development firm to build the app for iOS and Android based on my designs.

The app itself will collect information about the services users could provide to other social media users, such as photo editing, and that user’s location. The app will then allow other users to use that information to search for that service offering in particular locations.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I provided Octal with a list of designs, wireframes, and instructions of what I needed the app to do and they coded it. We broke the project down into eight different phases, and at the start of each phase we would agree on a price and scope after which they would deliver each phase for my review. The app will be launched on iOS and Android, but I hope to expand that to iPad and other web applications with Octal’s help.

What is the team composition?

I work with a sales lead and two development leads.

How did you come to work with Octal IT Solution?

I did a number of online searches for individual developers, but I thought that the security of having a larger company was appealing to me. That realization led me to number of sites that review and rate development companies, and Octal consistently appeared towards the top of the list.

How much have you invested with them?

I have spent just over $25,000, which is very close to what was originally estimated.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in November 2017, and will launch the app in the next few weeks before starting on updates and enhanced functionalities.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I would not have been able to build my app without Octal’s support. I've not yet done a detailed code review, but the testing has been productive. So far there's been a small amount of issues stemming from not being detailed enough with the requirements on my part, and not asking detailed enough questions on their part. However, all of these have been small issues and our timeframe has not been interrupted. Sometimes you just have expected errors that need to be taken care of.

How did Octal IT Solution perform from a project management standpoint?

They have been pretty good. There are times when I've been able to give them requirements and they've been able to work through them, but there have been other times where the requirements are slightly more complex and required more discussion with them. I think that I've helped a fair bit with the project management anyway because I am very knowledgeable about this process, but they have done a pretty good job.

We communicate over email, but will also have Skype calls for things that require face-to-face discussions. Everything has been tracked using Excel, and I have found that, despite the language barrier, they understand me 90% of the time. There have been times I might have to explain something a little differently, but they’ve understood everything I have asked of them.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They have delivered what I asked of them. I don’t think that it is the most complicated app they're going to have to deliver, but I'm happy that I will end up with the product that I wanted from day one.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There's always more that everybody could do, but I think it's very much down to the person on the other end of the phone being very explicit in what they want.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I'm lucky that I come from the sort of background that I can give detailed requirements to take some of the load off of Octal. However, I think some people who might need to use them are going to be completely clueless and it might be more of a struggle. You need give very clear instructions to ensure that you're going to get back what you want from any company, and thankfully we've managed to achieve that in my situation.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We serve customers in the digital marketing field, managing Google AdWords, Bing Ads, Facebook ads, Twitter ads, and search engine related work; I’m the director of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Octal IT Solution?

We wanted to develop a web portal for our digital marketing services where customers can pay a fixed price online for each service. My previous developer had left the project and the work wasn’t very good.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I showed our previous project to Octal IT Solution. They said it’d be better to scrap the project and start new. The original one was in Symphony but they suggested the new project to be done in CakePHP. They designed things in Photoshop. After getting my approval and making some changes, the project was ported into HTML and then into a dynamic site in PHP.

The website was completed in March 2018 and they now provide support. The payment gateway is new. I had to give my company’s documents to them and am still awaiting authorization. Once it’s done, the integration will be finished and the project will be completed.

What is the team composition?

There were four to five people involved. There was a sales guy who I interacted with in the beginning. After that, they assigned a project manager who understood my requirements. There was a developer, a designer, and possibly a tester too.

How did you come to work with Octal IT Solution?

I found them through a Google search. They had chat and support from India, which was something I didn’t get from my previous developers. I was looking for good support for this project.

How much have you invested with them?

150,000 rupees [$2,240 USD].

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in February 2018 and the website was completed in March 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They provided me with an end-to-end solution—I didn’t have to get help from other parties. Since the payment gateway part is pending, I’ve not started marketing the website. That means people aren’t using it yet, but I’ve checked internally and things are working well. They’re able to add and edit services.

How did Octal IT Solution perform from a project management standpoint?

There wasn’t any project management software or tool used. We communicated via email. They would have us check features and give feedback.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The project manager understood the requirements. They gave us all the solutions under one roof. I didn’t have to go to multiple vendors.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They inform me by email, but sometimes it’s not enough. They should inform us more carefully about the deadlines. There were certain features that had a limited impact on the business and could have been more beneficial for us.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I own a startup that connects patients and doctors across the United States and the United Kingdom.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Octal IT Solution?

I needed a vendor to build a website from scratch.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The project had four steps, each with a corresponding milestone. They completed the SRS implementation, built the database, developed the site in Python, and designed the webpages. The web application included separate patient and physician dashboards. The site is ready to launch, but we’ve held off while they complete last-minute updates.

What is the team composition?

The team included the business analyst, project manager, another manager, and the Python developer.

How did you come to work with Octal IT Solution?

I found 20 vendors through Clutch and received proposals from eight. Octal had great reviews, a great proposal, and reasonable prices.

How much have you invested with them?

I spent $5,850.

What is the status of this engagement?

The relationship started in December 2017 and development ended in March 2018. They’re working on a few minor issues before the official launch.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

As of now, everything they have delivered is high-quality. When I work with them, they listen to what I want and implement any changes I feel are necessary. 

They worked efficiently on a flexible timeline. The team’s independent style benefited my busy schedule.

How did Octal IT Solution perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicated primarily via email; they responded within 24 hours. We also interacted on phone and Skype.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The team was friendly. They were less expensive than other firms but delivered great value for the cost.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can’t think of anything; everything has been going well.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of a startup developing a business coaching platform that uses a model similar to Airbnb. It allows clients to find coaches and have online sessions through video or chat. We plan to launch our product in the next two or three weeks.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Octal IT Solution?

We had an idea and needed to find a partner that could develop the perfect website based on it.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We started by reviewing the technical requirements of our platform, determining how to get started. The scoping phase took two or three weeks to complete, after which we set up five development milestones, each one taking two or three weeks to complete as well.

The platform was developed using PHP, SQL, and HTML. Octal IT handled everything from the front- to backend development of our web platform and native Android and iOS applications.

We have separate interfaces for coaches and clients. Coaches can create profiles on the platform, while clients have access to calendars and filters for identifying the best coach for them. We have payment integrations as well as text and video chatting functionality embedded in the app and web platform.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with five or six of their resources. I’m in contact with their project manager, who has guided me through the process. The work on the mobile app started later on, so Octal IT assigned two more members to it.

How did you come to work with Octal IT Solution?

I found them through a friend who was working in Silicon Valley. Octal IT had a professional approach during the initial scope discussions, and the proposal they delivered confirmed that they were on the same page as us.

How much have you invested with them?

The total cost of their work has been around $15,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Octal IT in October 2017. We’re planning to finalize development at the end of March 2018, as the project has taken longer than expected to complete.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I don’t have any metrics at the moment, but I’ve been happy working with Octal IT so far. Their quality of work is great, they provide constant help, and have delivered on time despite the features we added later on.

We haven’t experienced any bugs or crashes on the web platform so far. We encountered some bugs in the mobile app, but they were fixed within a day.

How did Octal IT Solution perform from a project management standpoint?

We usually communicate through Skype and use Trello for bug tracking. I’ve been able to work with their project manager easily despite our time difference.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They are specialists in their area and are able to help us beyond IT implementation.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Not so far.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

I was new to the programming field and found out that having an exact idea of the project goal was important for saving money and time. I also discovered some overlooked details later on.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m responsible for proposing innovative ideas and projects in the Asia-Pacific region for a German multinational company that produces automobiles and motorcycles.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Octal IT Solution?

To continue pursuing product excellence, our company wanted to go digital. We needed to create an internal mobile app to support innovative learning methods. Our vendor had to understand our brand values and offer consistent quality. Octal helped us accomplish this goal of developing an app to enhance our employees’ knowledge.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to encourage knowledge-sharing and learning among all the employees within our enterprise. The app needed to strengthen employee-manager relationships and motivate our internal efforts. 

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

In my role, I often engage multiple vendors. When I was setting up this project, Octal seemed motivated and capable of delivering the best solution.

Can you go into detail about the services they provided and the scope of the project?

They developed an iOS app with a web-based CMS for support. Although I can’t provide more details, I can attest that whenever I had a request or needed help, Octal responded immediately to meet my needs.

What was the team composition?

The Octal team included a project manager, developers, designers, and testers. Ajith (Senior Manager of Business Development, Octal IT Solution) provided wireframes for the project. Naveen (CEO, Octal IT Solution) supervised all of the stages of development and ensured that every phase from planning to deployment was conducted appropriately. Gaurav (Project Manager, Octal IT Solution) also helped me with whatever I needed.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The app just entered the pilot phase, so I can’t share results yet.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Gaurav managed the project. We had biweekly calls to clarify each step and address problems. Whenever an issue arose, he took care of it immediately.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I liked having the freedom to share requests at any time. The team always supported me and met my requirements. Also, I appreciated their speed in getting things done.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

I’m totally pleased with this project and have no complaints. I’d certainly like to work with Octal again. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Techdeals is a Brazilian startup that offers an online platform for contract management and trading. I am the founder and CEO of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Octal IT Solution?

The challenge was to implement the MVP version of the platform and find customers who could finance the next product phases. I needed to achieve maximum efficiency for a reasonable price.

What were your goals for this project?

To develop the first online version of the platform, which included features such as registration, import, export, alerts, and dashboard.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I found Octal through an Internet search. Their service was the great differentiating factor. They fully understood my demands and were agile and flexible during negotiation.

Describe the project in detail.

We created the landing page and all the functionalities for the platform. I tracked development through Trello and constantly offered alignments and feedback through WhatsApp. We also planned a mobile version of the platform for Android and iOS.

What was the team composition?

I negotiated with a business manager at the outset. Later they assigned a project manager, who led the development and interfaced with other parts of the company, such as designers and mobile developers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The platform was delivered as requested. It has been published and is constantly evolving. I was impressed by Octal's competence and will begin new projects with them as soon as I have a claim.

How effective was the project management?

The project manager has always been helpful in managing the change. He captured the essence of my requests and conveyed my desires to the development team. In times of disagreement, he acted well.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their strongest aspect was the flexibility to address my demands and requests.

What tips or recommendations do you have?

Hire Octal for projects for which you have already defined a scope and need an agile web and mobile development partner.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m developing an application for school bus tracking so parents can monitor their children. I’m the owner of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Octal IT Solution?

The app offers a solution to many issues, including being able to monitor bus speeds, times, keeping track of whether or not students are waiting, and trying to reach a bus attendant. The goal of the partnership is to develop the mobile app, provide maintenance, and manage servers.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The project will go through four phases, including functional specification documents, database design, screen design, and code development.

The most important features of the app are being able to track a bus in real time, monitoring bus speeds and receiving notifications, and better student attendance management. Additionally, the app will offer live map views for all busses in one dashboard, as well as emergency management.

Super administrators, school administrators, parents, and bus attendants will be interacting with the platform.

How did you come to work with Octal IT Solution?

I searched LinkedIn and Google for the top companies in India and contacted about 10 of them. Octal IT Solution was amongst them, and I chose them because of their reasonable price compared to competitors. Their development manager worked with me to create a scope for the project before we signed an official contract. I felt they understood the project, and that they were going to develop what I needed.

How much have you invested with them?

The project cost around $12,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked on the project from February–October 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’re very flexible in terms of modifications. One of my competitors had an advantageous feature that I didn’t, and after I told Octal IT, they added it without extra cost.

How did Octal IT Solution perform from a project management standpoint?

The company performs well in terms of developing according to budget and using communication tools and processes. We had some delays, but they were minor.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They offered their advice for the betterment of my project, and the team is cooperative and friendly.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t have any constructive criticism. I need to test the functionality of the product first.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Our company is a phone charging company in India. You will be able to do a money transfer and then have your mobile phone recharged. I’m the director.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Octal IT?

We needed someone to develop our mobile app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They're developing an Android and iOS app for two countries, using the respective technology. Someone else is building the backend. It has two categories: one for the shopkeeper and one for the direct customer. It can be categorized as B2B and B2C. We've provided many ideas for web services to be integrated with the application.

What is the team dynamic?

I have a project manager. There are 6–7 people on the team, with separate teams for Android and iOS development.

How did you come to work with Octal IT?

I found 2 good companies in India. From there, I approached Octal IT and spoke to Naveen [CEO, Octal IT Solution]. I found them to be very good at their work.

How much have you invested with them?

$10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in October and the work is ongoing. I also have another project for which I’m going to engage them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The apps are under development. We’re expecting beta testing in 1–2 weeks.

How did Octal IT perform from a project management standpoint?

We use Skype most of the time. They are responsive and have good services. When I’m in India, I go see them in person.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’m impressed with the pricing and the kind of work they deliver. When I was in their office, they showed me all the people who were going to be on my project. They gave me a software to track how much work has been done, and keep me up to date.

Are there any areas they could improve?

So far, working with them has been very good.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Definitely choose them for your project.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the owner of an IT business. We develop specific sites or applications that are needed for the market.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Octal IT?

We needed a platform that would address a market requirement specific to Saudi Arabia. Many platforms are available for capturing, cataloguing, and publishing tenders or bids, but most are set up by outside companies and aren’t a good fit for market dynamics in the country.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We focused on building a website first and plan to develop an app once that’s operated for a couple of years. Octal IT created the site from scratch. They designed the frontend and completed the backend database. We provided them with a detailed scope of work, including the list of functions we expected them to deliver.

These functions were very specific and straightforward. They involved a system for publishing tenders and managing their publication, including capturing them, uploading them into the database on the website, and making them available for sharing or download on a fee basis.

We also worked together on the branding. I gave them high-level guidelines and they developed a couple of templates for us to review, amend, or update.  

The website is about 90% complete. We’ve uploaded it to our server, but we won’t upload any information to it until it’s 100% ready. The database needs a bit of tweaking and we need to align it with Octal IT’s so information flows smoothly. We’re also waiting on a partner to share information with us that will go into the database.

What is the team dynamic?

I interact with two resources on the technical side and one on the business development side. They are backed by a number of specialists or technicians.

How did you come to work with Octal IT?

We did an online search for web designers in India. We shortlisted companies based on initial feedback and their ability to understand our requirements. We approached about 10 website developers, and Octal IT made the top of the list.

While the technical side was an important criteria for selection, we were more concerned about having a strong relationship and good communication. It was key for us that developers could work in harmony with our team and understand what we needed.  

How much have you invested with them?

$12,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in August 2016 and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The technical work they produced is good. This is only the first phase of three-phase project with them. Once we launch this phase, troubleshoot it, and go live, we will begin developing phase two, probably around summer 2018.

How did Octal IT perform from a project management standpoint?

I would give them an eight out of 10 for project management. At times we had to bring them back to the requirements we agreed on, or had to be extra engaged to make sure they stuck closely to our schedule.

However, there were a few lapses on both sides. Sometimes we were late or behind with our feedback.  The phase-one launch was scheduled for April or May, but it’s been delayed until now. This delay was 70–80% our fault. We spent about two months on several technical issues to make sure we got them right, and we added something to the scope that took four months to deliver.

All in all, we are still happy. We’re not in a hurry to launch the project yet. We more concerned with doing things well the first time.

We communicate by phone, emails, and conference calls. We set targets and milestones and drive the project toward those goals.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their ability to understand and relate to clients is unique. We’ve communicated with several developers and they’ve lacked this same level of understanding.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Based on our discussions about project scope and our market, they should be able to deliver the website and all aspects of the development without us intervening. They expected us to do some of the site build ourselves, as well as a number of other things. We wanted a company that does it all—including content writing.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We have a website with user-generated content. Users can come and leave a review about businesses. I am the co-founder. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Octal IT?

We needed our web application to be developed from scratch.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We started off signing some white papers and moved onto developing the website. We told them what kind of website we needed and what content we wanted and then they developed it according to our needs. They worked on the frontend and backend, and it is all from OpenSource.

The website is a user-generated website where you can search for companies, review them, and give a star rating on the different scales. It’s somewhat like Clutch but for the hospitality industry. We are targeting more features and getting more detailed information about the companies. 

We'd like to test the website with our market before moving onto mobile applications. It’s almost complete, and we’re now at the stage of making enhancements and additions which is taking a little longer than the actual project did. After the website launches, Octal IT will provide one month of bug fixing and maintenance for 12 more months. After that, they provide paid services on a 40-hour minimum. Once we launch, if we need help, we may come back to them. 

What is the team dynamic? 

We have one project manager, a UX designer, a head developer, a junior developer, and testers. We have five to six people on our team. My main contact is the head developer. All information goes through him rather than going through the project manager.

How did you come to work with Octal IT?

I read reviews on developers in India on Clutch and then contacted several companies. The reason I chose Octal IT is I wanted PHP Symfony developers, which was hard to find. I contacted them through their website and they said they’d be able to provide the service that I needed. 

How much have you invested with them?

£10,000. [$13,150] 

What is the status of this engagement?

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

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

My partner and I are very picky when it comes to web development because we like everything to be perfect. The main developer addressed all our needs and managed to get everything completed to perfection so far. The quality has been spot on. They managed to accomplish everything within the budget. 

How did Octal IT perform from a project management standpoint?

There’s good communication. We mainly use Skype for screen sharing and forwarding documents in lieu of emailing. I’ve been offered project management tools, but I use Skype most of the time. Their time management was perfect. Any time that I contacted them, they got back to me right away.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was looking for Symfony PHP developers because that’s the framework I wanted to use. The other companies I contacted didn’t provide that but Octal IT could. I’ve been surprised and very satisfied with the service they provided. The price points they offer are quite reasonable and are within our budget.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They’ve done a great job. The only thing would be to have the designer more involved with the web development.