Simform

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the co-founder and CEO of Fitcom Inc. We provide affordable custom app solutions for health, wellness, & fitness industries. In addition, our Fitcom Perks platform offers all types of organizations with free mobile technology to empower their employees, families, & customers to improve their fitness, health, and well-being.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Simform?

We engaged Simform to add more features to our existing SaaS platform and improve UX/UI. One of the major technical challenges was to build customizable packages, maintaining different instances for hosting of different whitelabled apps

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to build a platform which can be leveraged by different health & fitness entities to develop their custom iOS and Android native apps.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

A representative reached out to me on LinkedIn.

Describe the project in detail.

Simform built a SaaS platform which allows gyms, physical therapy centers, and dietitians craft a custom iOS and Android native apps for their clients. They can add their logo, brand color and curate workout and nutrition plans for their customers.

One of the critical success factors for our business is to provide a high 24/7 availability when the platform and user base grows. Simform used Microsoft Azure Virtual Machine to cater to the hosting needs and deployed app packages on different instances each time the client built a new app using our platform.

What was the team composition?

Simform knew from experience exactly what resources we needed to achieve our goals. They assembled a flexible team with complementary skills, including a project manager, a UX/UI specialist, two frontend developers, and two backend developers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

After launching our platform, many partners have joined us to help local organizations empower their employees, families, & customers to improve their fitness, health, and well-being.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

They’ve been great partners. We communicated daily during the project’s development and continue to have biweekly meetings that coincide with their sprint schedules. We used Slack, JIRA, Email, and GoToMeeting to communicate.

I’d attend daily standups with the project manager and developers. It was a lot more involvement on my part, but the communication led to better utilization of the developer. I’d request difficult tasks and could rely on them to present several actionable solutions. From that standpoint, they did a great job managing the project and me as a client.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The team was able to complete the task and therefore they had the necessary skill set that was required. They focus on their customer and produce high-quality work. Their technical knowledge and willingness to go above and beyond for the client are their greatest strengths.

Are there any areas for improvement?

We had a positive experience. There were a few mistakes, but those are inevitable in any project. We viewed the engagement as paying for their expertise and timeliness, as well as the time needed to make corrections.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the deputy head of the regional office for a Swiss-based nonprofit organization that advocates for child protection in 40 countries around the world.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Simform?

We contracted with Simform to develop a mobile app game for children aged 13–18 with the purpose of teaching them about their rights in judicial proceedings.

What were your goals for this project?

The goal of the project was to raise children’s awareness about judicial procedures where they may be witnesses, victims, or perpetrators.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We opened an international open tender for the development of the game. Our internal committee evaluated all responses based on the company's references, expertise, price estimates, and proposed solutions.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

We worked with a legal expert to create stories for the game. Based on these stories, we worked with a design company to craft animations, and we relied on Simform to develop the app itself. They built the front- and backend and inserted the animations into the gameplay. They developed the game for iOS and Android, as well as a web application using Angular.

What was the team composition?

We worked with one project manager, two mobile app developers, one backend developer, two frontend web developers, one quality assurance technician, and one UI/UX expert.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We see the completed application as an innovation, something that very few nonprofits use. Our target audience offered positive feedback of the game, citing its educational qualities. The game has been used by individuals and in classrooms, which has allowed our organization to evaluate the use of mobile apps to reach out to young people even further.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Simform’s customer service is excellent, and we were completely satisfied with how they managed the project. They were mindful of our requests, and they were flexible with a development schedule. They have remained helpful in answering our questions even though the engagement has ended.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I was impressed by their client orientation and their speed in developing a functional product.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, everything regarding the engagement ran smoothly.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder and CEO of BOATR. Our website, boatrlife.com, is a social platform that connects people interested in oceans, boating, yachting, and water sports.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Simform?

We needed a partner to create the frontend of our iOS application.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to give our users increased functionality through an iOS app.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I met with several companies to discuss the scope and estimated cost. Simform offered appropriate industry expertise for the cost I expected for the project.

Describe the project in detail.

I shared the specifications, wireframes, and UI designs that I wanted in the app. Simform built the iOS app, specifically scaled for iPhones, to reflect each of these provided elements. Now, they help us make changes to improve the platform’s performance.

What was the team composition?

Simform provided a project manager, a business manager, two developers, and two testers for the main team. The developers rotated based on our current needs and the required expertise.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We released the app after eight months of working with Simform. The team continues to help us update and make necessary bug fixes.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Our inter-team workflow ran smoothly with weekly conference calls, daily communication over Slack, and various other management tools. To overcome and language barriers, I shared illustrated examples of every change or fix I wanted Simform to make. Overall, their team was flexible, receptive to feedback, and involved throughout our engagement.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Simform delivers what they promise to deliver: solid solutions. They’re able to swap people in and out of the project, or add them, based on expertise, needs, and time constraints. Plus, they are always available, open to feedback, and keep me in the loop about what’s going on, which is extremely useful.

Are there any areas for improvement?

There were a few bugs after development that required additional work to fix and clean up. I discussed this with their team, and we found a solution. We are now working toward a clear target, while testing different strategies together.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a product manager and UX designer at GPSPRO, a telematics company. We offer vehicle-tracking services to the tow truck and construction industries.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Simform?

We saw a business opportunity in a new vertical and wanted to create a service. We hired Simform to build the iOS app that would be the main consumer-facing product for this initiative while we handled the rest of the project ourselves. The product consists of a database, logic layer, API layer, web portal, and mobile apps.

What were your goals for this project?

We needed a fully functioning app that met our requirements and would be accepted into the App Store.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We used Upwork to filter vendors, interviewed multiple companies, and found Simform to be the most thorough. They had multiple team members on calls to understand our business requirements. They also took the time to create a requirements spec that outlined everything. This helped us feel confident about working with their team.

Describe the project in detail.

Prior to looking for a vendor, we did most of the product discovery using our in-house developers. This gave us a good idea of what was required and the time it would take to execute our plan. We’d already defined our spec and UI/UX, and we’d built some of the API endpoints. But, the entire backend was not complete; we had to work with Simform as we finished API endpoints. They worked quickly from the start, so we often fell behind while trying to get them the items they needed.

We had discovery meetings prior to starting the project and provided the design assets. First, Simform built the base UI. In two weeks, most of the UI was complete but not linked to the backend. Over the next few months, we continued to iterate the design, features, and execution.

What was the team composition?

Our team handled the backend development, product management, and UI design. Simform had a project manager and two developers. We used a typical Kanban-style ticketing system to work through new feature requests, bug fixes, etc. Through Skype, we stayed in touch daily. Every night, they would push updates so that I could test features and update or revise tickets in the morning.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The Simform team constantly communicated and pushed new builds. When we needed to iron out a detail, they would make themselves available. We were able to complete the initial app in a good time frame and iterated the initial app, producing two more apps that were similar in functionality but improved.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Because we operated in separate time zones, we would work during the day testing the previous build and getting tickets, API changes, and other items ready for Simform. Then, they would implement the items at night.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They responded to our requests quickly and clearly. They’d also turn things around fast when necessary.

Are there any areas for improvement?

They could’ve been more available for our time zone during big pushes that needed attention. We would wake up early sometimes to have a few hours of direct working time with them. I would’ve liked them to have done the same so we could work together in real-time.

In addition, they could have taken more time to understand our business requirements or asked more questions about how a specific feature should work. Sometimes, they would jump into a solution without fully understanding all the issues, which meant we had to iterate features repeatedly to get them right.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m a co-founder of a mobile app company called DooTell. We’re a sharing social network app.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Simform?

We needed them for our mobile app development. Myself and the other co-founder aren’t programmers, so we needed to bring in another company.

What were your goals for this project?

To develop a working prototype of our app that would convey our idea, function, and form the base for our company.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We found them on Upwork. Since our initial communication, we’ve had a great experience.

Describe the project in detail.

They were hired to help us bring our ideas, as well as some basic mockups into a fully functioning mobile app.

What was the team composition?

We had a project manager, as well as a team lead.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The project was completed successfully. We went from having only an idea to having a 100-plus page working app. They did a superb job of not only the development, but also the management and communication.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Other than some timing issues and some cultural or language barriers, we had no problems at all.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They’re committed to their work and do what they say they will do.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Over-communicate when you can. It’s always better to get answers right away on each and every detail, rather than have things drag on.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO and founder of an employment platform. We sell software to high school districts that match students with local employment opportunities.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Simform?

We needed app developers for a redesign, and it was cheaper to hire contractors than a complete in-house team.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They redesigned our iOS app using an Objective-C frontend and PHP and JavaScript for the backend. Once the engagement began, they made initial designs and wireframes. I approved or made changes to their designs through weekly calls with the project manager. The final product is basically a 2-sided marketplace app. Businesses create an account and then post jobs, view applicants, and hire suitable candidates. On the same app, users can search and apply for jobs.

What is the team composition?

The primary point of contact has been the project manager. I’ve also interacted with 3–4 other developers when addressing smaller tech issues through group calls. The CTO and sales rep have made themselves available resources as well.

How did you come to work with Simform?

One of their sales reps contacted me after finding us posting on AngelList. After an initial phone call, I liked what they could offer us and decided to try them out

How much have you invested with them?

We spent probably $6,000–$8,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

This project took place December 2016–February 2017. The app has been live on the App Store for almost a year. We’ve hired them for several projects since.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve experienced a significant spike in downloads since the redesign. Prior to this engagement, the app had 200 users and subsequently has 2000. Users find the app easy to use and appreciate its design aesthetics.

How did Simform perform from a project management standpoint?

They utilized a project management platform that showed me everything they did and how much time it took to complete each task. Alongside weekly calls, the project manager communicated with us via Skype or text messages. The CTO was also accessible, even via text message, which was nice since he’s their highest ranking engineer. Overall, they completed tasks quickly and managed the project well.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re fairly cheap given the quality of work they produce and offer a much better experience than other independent contractors. They’re a large company and function like one. Considering those factors, they’re a safe investment.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The time-zone difference can make continuous communication difficult. Occasionally, their language-specific developers are occupied with other projects and that slows development of our project. Also, the project manager has up to 15 projects at one time and that can interfere with receiving feedback. Being a growing company, they can remedy those issues with more hires.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They’re a company of full-stack designers and developers so they have the ability to build anything. Coming to them with a specific need and defined scope will make the project easier for everyone involved.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We have created a home improvement app similar to Angie's List or HomeAdvisor, with small differences. Our solution is less pricey and more on-demand than the current offerings. We help homeowners take care of any job around the house, big or small, without the risk of getting unsolicited calls from contractors. We put the power back into the hands of the homeowner in terms of whom they choose.

This is the first time we've attempted a project like this one. Our initial strategy didn't work out as well as we had hoped. Even though we don't intend to become the dominant app for the market, we're trying to become one of the players. Right now, we're focusing on the local market.

What is your position?

I am a co-founder of the business.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Simform Solutions?

We needed development resources for our idea.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

Simform Solutions developed our app for iOS, while also working on our website. They're providing support for them at the moment. Simform gave us many marketing suggestions, as well as support in this area.

How did you come to work with Simform Solutions?

We posted our project specs on Upwork, soliciting proposals. Simform Solutions best understood what we were trying to do, and their price was more than reasonable. Before selecting them, we had a Skype conversation on which we discussed what we were trying to do and what Simform could provide, in detail. We went through this process with several other developers, until ultimately deciding to go with Simform.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

Our website and app development had a cost of $15,000. The total cost for Simform's services for this year depends on the level of support which I'll need from them, as well as the updates and feature additions we'll develop.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our app was launched on May 9th, 2016. Simform Solutions provided us with one month of free support, which was extended to the end of June as a good gesture. It has helped us significantly.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

Outside of the 3 user reviews we've received for the app, I haven't received any feed-back for it yet. We've had over 3,000 views on the app store, but this didn't lead to as many downloads as I would've liked. The friends who have downloaded my app have liked how it looks. There are certain things which could have been done better, but this was a result of cost constraints on our end, not necessarily because of lack of skills.

How did Simform Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

Simform Solutions answered my questions every time I submitted them, and they were available for me any time I needed help.

What distinguishes Simform Solutions from other providers?

I haven't worked with anyone who was as responsive as Simform, even in my regular work. This aspect was phenomenal from my point of view plus the quality of app development was strong.

Is there anything Simform Solutions could have improved or done differently?

I would have liked to have a written list of requirements, instead of having an ad-hoc approach. It made the relationship a bit challenging. This was my issue rather than Simform's. They did what I wanted, but Simform could have suggested a better approach.

BACKGROUND

We are a small IT [information technology] software solutions company. We develop applications for various different industries, such as transportation, health care, and small retail. I am the owner.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

We needed to upgrade our current logistics application and add a mobile application component to the application. 

SOLUTION

We needed to convert our PC-based software to a web application. We also created a mobile application app and upgraded our administration website and marketing plan.

I hired them because of their previous experience, communication, project delivery methodology, and price. The project was a little less than $10,000. The project took about three months total from start to finish. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

We had timely delivery and the project cost was on budget. Simform Solutions was very easy to work with. The metrics Simform Solutions created for project management were effective because they were task- and milestone-based, so it pushed us. 

Testing and QA [quality assurance] is something Simform Solutions can improve upon. We found many bugs after the product was already released to the market. They fixed all of the bugs immediately, so it wasn't a big problem in the end.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We are DoggyBnB. We are building a single place to notify dog sitters, friends, and family from your social network to watch your dog rather than calling around or reaching out to strangers. We are building a social network platform and a logistic platform simultaneously.

What is your position?

I am the founder and CEO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Simform Solutions?

We want to have a flawless technology supporting our overall business model because what we're building is extremely technology dependent. We are putting together a very complex solution that is supposed to make lives easier and create a centralized platform. The overall idea is to introduce our concept to people without any friction throughout the process once they join and sign up.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

They provide end app, back-end web services, database management, and automated communications.

How did you come to work with Simform Solutions?

I was recommended to them by Alexandria Research Technology.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

It was  between $50,000 and $200,000. It might go up depending on the success of DoggyBnB and the need to modify and add features. That also becomes a question of us getting funding. Right now, we're very comfortable staying with them, but we could hire in-house talent. 

They have given us a lot of confidence in terms of being able to manage our development and the back-end framework for the services. From the cost perspective, for us there's no intention to change or not work with them in the near future. It's so cost effective for us, and we couldn't get close to what we're getting anywhere else without spending a fortune.

What is the status of this engagement?

We've been working with them for almost two years. We're hoping to get to a point where we can take a time out. We are in the process of building a second product with them. In terms of this product, we hope we are almost to the end of our version one, which we want to go out to the market and stress test and market with it with minimal changes. Like anything we're trying to get the features right, and that is all dependent on user feedback. I hope we can stop the development at some point, but that will determined by users.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

That's difficult to frame. What we're building is more dependent on us and the product for the market. From our perspective, we're putting the wireframing together, and we're adjusting to the needs of customers. They're executing everything that we need. From a results standpoint, we have a decent user base that we're happy with. 

From DoggyBnB's perspective, we'd like to get our user base way more active in terms of creating an organic growth and networking effect. We are learning on the fly that there's things that users want up front that we haven't provided for them yet, and there's ways users wanted us to communicate with them that we didn't have. We're adding features and tweaking from the feedback that is coming back from our users. 

Results are to be determined. We haven't started marketing in growth yet. We're still looking at our product and the users as beta users who are helping us perfect the entire flow process so we can go out and market and bring in a large user base. We're very satisfied with the results so far. We're haven't had our a-ha moment yet. That is being ironed out as we speak.

How did Simform Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

Simform Solutions makes suggestions that help us think about things a different way so we're not creating redundancies or poor ways of executing features. I appreciate that about the situation because our other experiences were terrible. When you have one versus the other, you have a relative framework of understanding what's a good situation and what's a bad situation. 

I think that's been one of the things that I've enjoyed the most in terms of working with them is that I don't feel like I'm getting scammed by a contractor who may disappear. We see results, and we know exactly where we are and the building stages – we have a really good framework for fixing things and creating project managements systems. I feel like that kind of relationship since I am not technical in background so they give me a supreme amount of confidence. I feel very fortunate.

What distinguishes Simform Solutions from other providers?

Before we worked with Simform, we worked with a few other development firms. From our other experiences and other friends' experiences using contract developers, I feel very lucky that we found a team that communicates with us on a daily basis, speaks very clearly, understands our goals, and is very easy to translate our logic. 

Our system is all remote. They're in India. They've created an environment that has extremely favorable continuity. They give us a sense that they're inside our heads. They understand what we're trying to achieve.

Is there anything Simform Solutions could have improved or done differently?

There's two things. One of the two has already improved. A lot of things that we were trying and doing is completely new. As we were learning and trying to build it, they were learning, too. Because we got so deep in the technology side of what we're doing – we are building a complex communication logistics platform and social network based on three degrees of connection like LinkedIn. There's all these layers and logic being built into it. Within our app, we have 10 SDKs [software development kits] of other services that help power our app in different ways. 

Simform has found errors in other company's work which is an interesting testament. In the beginning, we were trying to figure out what is the best practice here and what was going on. Early on, we had some growing pains together. They warn us about third party services, which ended up being something that benefitted us in the long run because from we've gotten discounts and credits back because of Simform finding errors. In a weird way, it all worked out well. It might have taken us longer but, down the road, they ended up providing us leverage with companies that we are purchasing services from that have been massively grateful to Simform for understanding their product better than they did. 

The other thing I would say they could have done better is they could have been a little more aggressive in terms of things we were designing. We provided all the wireframing and the design work. I think in some areas we just didn't think some things through and, early on, they were tentative in terms of telling us that wasn't the best practice. 

In time, they've gotten comfortable. Early on, they were afraid to push back. I think they could've done that better early on. As a development firm, they should have a little authority to do that for a client. It's more beneficial for a client to be told what is right. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

 I am the President of an information technology company 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are a technology and design development house focused on providing custom e-learning solutions through the development of engaging applications for all forms of digital media.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Simform to accomplish?

• Expand the functionality of existing e-learning platform
• Platform maintenance

SOLUTION

How did you find Simform?

Referral

Why did you select Simform over others?

• High ratings
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Simform were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

• Code audit of existing platform
• Implementation of additional user types/roles
• Expansion of data management from within the platform
• New data architecture to accomodate new features

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

• Created and adhered to long sprint schedule
• Implementation of all targeted features
• User usage numbers increased

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Project management and communication has been outstanding. When the development team has inquiries, they are brought up early in the process. In addition, the development team has made great suggestions throughout the design process that have helped us design a better product.

What was your primary form of communication with Simform?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

The most impressive aspect about our project has been the ability for the development team to adjust to changing requirements and the ability to add additional up-to-speed resources quickly.

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

I think Simform has been excellent at achieving our objectives to date.