Origen Software

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am an Executive of the LUMINLINC career insights platform, headquartered in the UK.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Origen Software, and what were your goals?

We wanted to develop a mobile focused career insights platform to help professionals find more information about what jobs really entail. Essentially a marketplace for professionals, allowing users to engage, share and purchase insights from each other via the platform.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

I searched online and looked on Clutch for reviews. I am based in Cape Town, so wanted someone I could physically connect with, both in person but also from an interaction perspective - partnering with someone who I could relate to and see as a real collaborative partner in the development process was of paramount importance to me.

Origen were also competitive cost wise, they were a small company, which appealed to me as I didn't want to just be another number in the queue. Based on some of the previous work they'd done and showcased, they also appeared as if they would be able to deliver on my brief.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

We had a series of discovery meetings to discuss our vision, goals and objectives. Following which Origen presented us with a project plan. Development kicked off at the beginning of February 2022 for an initial 4 month build plan, which included biweekly sprint demo's on the work completed. These were held online. I would then provide feedback electronically and the Origen team would incorporate the feedback into the next stage of development work.

80% of the work was completed by end May, following which we proceeded with the set up and integration of the Stripe payment gateway process, which had an indefinite timeframe on development completion. Following final completion in December the PWA went live in January 2023. Throughout the project, Origen remained extremely collaborative.

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

I primarily interacted with Harley (Origen CEO), and also dealt with Donovan who was a project manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

The app has only been live for just over a month, so a bit early for results. However, we were very pleased with the result and final product deliverable, which was in MVP form.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

I mostly dealt with Harley (Origen CEO) - we met bi-weekly or ad hoc as required, via google hangouts and corresponded via email and whatsapp throughout the duration of the project. He was very responsive and very willing to engage in active brainstorming and problem-solving for not only the technical solution aspect of the app, but also the end product and consumer experience. They were very transparent in their communication and approach and this sets them apart from other providers.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

The small in stature, big in delivery approach. The hands-on, 1 on 1 engagement with the CEO, as 1 of a selected few clients that they work with made us feel special and engaged. They were very accommodating and very willing to make a plan to support the delivery of the project, and we had a very open and honest relationship throughout, which I really appreciated.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

The Stripe payment gateway was probably the biggest challenge that Origen encountered from a development perspective, and whilst much of the frustration was on the stripe end (unclear or unresponsive comms from stripe), I still feel we should have completed this part of the project quicker and more efficiently than we did.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the owner and head developer at Ubiquity Applications a holding company for the application IP Howya. Howya is an event based app that bridges social media and meet up (event based) apps. We are a start-up based in South Africa.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Origen Software, and what were your goals?

Our app needed to introduce a ticket based solution to provide users to sell tickets using a third-party payment gateway. This also required a management platform for vendors to analyse, collate and generally manage events.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We had worked with or interviewed a multitude of developers and/or development houses. We investigated the flexibility, transparency and cost of all available candidates and based on these factors decided to use Origen. Their ability to communicate transparently as well as integrate their team with our internal team made it a clear decision,

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

We had a handful of in-person and digital kick-off meetings to discuss our needs. This included a clear outline of deliverables that were needed. As their head developer had been involved in a different capacity with Howya previously, he had a full understanding of our brand and workflow.

The project then kicked off and the code was stored in repositories will full access and reviews for our internal team. As milestones were hit we were taken through a project catch-up with walkthroughs on deliverables to that point. Every miletstone was hit, therefore we did not feel the need to have too frequent communication.

The deliverables included a basic wireframe, a project skeleton done in UI, api and data integration, restyling, internal testing, external testing and hand-off. The technologies were based on React, Javascript, Google Firebase and Microsoft Azure to complete all needs of communication and code.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

We had 3 members of Origens team working on Howya. These positions included a head developer, a project principle and a quality assurance tester.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

We have launched the ticketing solution as provided by Origen and since hosted 12 ticketed events in our first month of operation, including internally hosted event. This included an increase of +30% of active users on the platform

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

Our project management style was unique based on our needs. We used a repository for internal code reviews and used weekly review meetings to ensure the directions was as intended. We then used instant messaging platforms or video calls to manage smaller scale needs and changes. This worked for our needs and ensured a timely provision of outcomes. However, before starting the project we did ensure full project communication terms and legals were agreed upon by both parties and a multitude of options for communications was offered to suit our needs.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

The most unique offering of the company is their ability to adapt and integrate regardless of needs or methods. Our company is run on a very lean and agile basis where decisions and directions may change rapidly and current solutions may need to be adapted. Origen were able to adapt continuously and communicated through any platforms and during any times to make it seamless. This included a crunch period to meet deadlines

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

The areas of improvement for Origen will just be in the scaling of their company. However, since we have started working with them their team has grown considerably and has addressed these areas appropriately

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder of a company called Tripa. Tripa is a marketplace that enables travellers to create and book their own tour in under five minutes and pairs them with the most relevant tourist guide. Tripa was accepted into the tourism innovation program run by the Technology Innovation Agency of South Africa.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Origen Software, and what were your goals?

We hired Origen Software to develop a PWA for our company. My goal was to have a platform developed that is sustainable and needed to be developed in a certain timeframe within a certain budget.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

After our initial meeting to discuss the project I knew I would select them as our technology partner. I have had bad experiences with developers before and Origen has completely changed my perception for the better. The deciding factors were the initiative shown, the compassion for my circumstances as well as the foresight for growth and a long-term partnership.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

I provided the team with a flow-chart outlining the app after which they immediately went to work! The project was divided into 4 months with a review every two weeks. The project was developed in the Flutter Framework, a speciality of Origen Software. They have met every deadline so far and in some instances completed the required work ahead of time.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

I have met two of the team members so far. Their positions were Cofounder and Business Analyst.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

Each deliverable has been met so far and we have a bi-weekly review of the work completed as well as the work needing to be done.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

We generally stuck to email communication with the project timeline and sprints being shown via Jira. They have shown me that they have the initiative to get the project done without having to be constantly checked up on. The sprints are done bi-weekly.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Their initiative as well as their general understanding of how my project works were very impressive. I have been through a lot of developers who could never grasp the concept. The quality of the platform and code so far has been amazing as well.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

Nothing to add here so far!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder and C.E.O of Where & When. Where & When is a geo-location based E-commerce platform. It offers special prices and easy assess to make purchases. More so it opens the doors to the entertainment industry. There are platforms for the artist to post their content as well.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Origen Software, and what were your goals?

We hired Origen to develop a mobile application that was both fit for IOS and android. The goal was to bring the live entertainment industry back to life. To allow people access to hard to find information and get people out the house to enjoy the experience of true talent.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

Trust, Faith & dedication

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

There is a lot of implementation required for an app like this. step one was to figure out what was a good idea and what was a practical idea. the front end needed to be easy to understand, the back end needed to relay the correct information accurately. The tech used was Flutter, Firebase and react

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

we had a team of four. Lead engineer, UX & UI, payment gateway and maintenance.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

The team has been tasked with a lot of deadlines to meet. they always put the work first so I believe the build will come out seamless. We currently have the test version and it is very impressive. We had to make extra features to monetize the platform more ( hence the time of the build ). their team has delivered once and I expect no different. Tech is not an easy game, I would recommend Origen to elevate some of that headache.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

communication is open and they are willing to take pointers at all times to allow both parties to line up. They are always on time and available.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Their dedication and passion for the projects are impressive.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

Faster turn around time.