Smitiv

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the CEO of a Fintech solutions company that specialises in the digital transformation of SMEs to help increase their growth and productivity.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We had experienced high demand for Web 3 solutions including digitisation of membership programs and tokenisation of collectibles. We collaborated with Smitiv to develop a scalable solution to help address our customer's needs as well as provide an innovative solution that makes adoption easy and cost effective.

SOLUTION

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

We had established a strong working relationship with Smitiv, having partnered with them over several years and were highly confident in their skills, adaptability and willingness to go the extra mile to help solve unpredictable problems that arose.

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

After a group brainstorming session and user flow design, Smitiv provided a clear and structured project management schedule which consisted of:

1. UI/UX of the platform as well as optimisation of the number of steps needed for a new user to be onboarded
2. Research and testing of blockchain protocols, dApps and wallets to identify the key assets involved in the workflow
3. Implementation and integration of third party providers including Web3 media managers such as Pinata and testing of Web2 interfaces to ensure a bug free system
4. Deployment to main net and going live as well as providing tech support to assist any problems faced from minting meta data freezing.

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

There were 3 teams involved including a project management and system design team, a Web2 team and a Web3 team. They were highly flexible and resourceful and were able to solve problems quickly.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The solution was well received by users and we have had repeat customers return which translated to a measurable increase to our revenues.

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

Project management was smooth and timely. The communication was the highlight as they were responsive and attentive.

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

Considering that Web3 is a rapidly evolving space, we were impressed that Smitiv was able to keep up with the changes as well as anticipate potential issues and build contingencies to tackle them.

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

For this project they went above and beyond our expectations.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CTO of NutGain, a company located in Dubai, UAE. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Smitiv?

We hired Smitiv to develop custom marketplace software for us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Smitiv has developed a blockchain-based marketplace for us. The marketplace should support multiple chains of networks. The team has also developed a couple of websites for us. Overall, we’ve had two projects with them; the second one has already been started. 

What is the team composition?

We’ve interacted with four people from their team. 

How did you come to work with Smitiv?

I found Smitiv through a friend’s referral; that friend had worked with them. He vouched for the team and their skills, so we decided to try their services. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $32,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

Our relationship started in December 2021, and the engagement is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our relationship with Smitiv has been great. They’ve successfully delivered the software we need. 

How did Smitiv perform from a project management standpoint?

Smitiv has been good in terms of scheduling and sticking to timelines. They also have effective communication. Information flows well between our teams, and their resources are quick to respond to any of our queries and requests for changes. We typically communicate weekly via Zoom and emails. We also have a WhatsApp group that we use for any quick updates and changes. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

The team is highly transparent. They commit themselves to what they can deliver. For comparison, other vendors commit to timelines that they can’t deliver, and that’s frustrating.  

Are there any areas they could improve?

They can increase their presence in other countries. That way, their services will be more accessible. This is more of a suggestion rather than an area of improvement. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have a clear scope of work, which is required for every project. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there? 

I’m the general manager at Aventis School of Management, a Singapore-based training education provider.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Smitiv?

We needed a mobile application developed to help streamline our business operations.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Smitiv initially designed wireframes via Figma before developing our iOS- and Android-friendly mobile app. Using React Native, Min Stack, and AWS, they deployed the necessary solutions to build our app's core functionalities, including appointment scheduling, recordkeeping, and microlearning functions for users who avail of our fast-paced classes.

What is the team composition?

We worked with a team of five resources from Smitiv, including a salesperson, a UI/UX designer, a software lead, a UI specialist, and an AWS specialist.

How did you come to work with Smitiv?

We had a thorough vetting process and decided to choose Smitiv among their competitors because of their professionalism and feedback-oriented nature.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project ran from October – November 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We're still in the process of conducting Beta testing to ensure the app's efficacy, and the feedback has been positive so far. Smitiv was an experienced team that focused on generating robust technical solutions that strengthened our app's architecture, making it qualified for scalability.

How did Smitiv perform from a project management standpoint?

We were able to maximize our communication channels with Smitiv because they were responsive to our requests, and they provided daily progress updates to ensure us that they were working towards meeting our goals. We also appreciated their timeline-orientedness, which allowed them to complete the project ahead of schedule.

What did you find most impressive about them? 

Smitiv was a skilled team that delivered what they promised. Since they showed genuine concern for our success, they were able to deliver a product that was well-received by our team.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We would've appreciated cheaper costs, but they delivered satisfactory results that made up for that.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Identify your needs and goals clearly to help streamline the process.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the founder of a small marketplace. We are creating a new concept that could help other marketplaces, consumers, and merchants improve their transactions, sell more products, or buy more products at a lower price.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Smitiv?

We needed to develop an MVP for our concept so we hired Smitiv as our mobile app developer.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We initially worked with Smitiv a few years ago to create a platform that could be accessed from the web or from iOS and Android-powered devices. The results were good so we decided to upgrade the technology with them again. My CTO gave them the technical requirements while  I gave them the description of our desired UX/UI. 

Their team helped me enhance everything on the hybrid app. We updated the source code using ReactJS. We built a live deal feature that could help consumers monitor the product name within a specific price range. 

For example, if they are looking to buy item A which has a price of $20 but they only have a budget of $15–$1, they could key in and submit their budget. Our platform will recognize that this customer is looking to purchase item A for that specific price, and when a merchant that is selling item A reduces the price, it will trigger a notification to be sent to this particular customer. The key concept is different from the traditional marketplaces that you see. 

What is the team composition?

I have spoken to around 7–8 people from their team. I was initially in touch with three people, including the frontend developer. She helped me understand my requirements and created a design around that.

How did you come to work with Smitiv?

I found their CEO on freelancer.com and saw that they were also based in Singapore. At the time, I was quite skeptical about having to pay a few thousand dollars over the internet, so I offered to meet up with Smitiv. 

I eventually became very comfortable with them, especially when I found out that they are a registered legal entity in Singapore. I took a leap of faith and engaged with them for my initial project in 2018. It was well done even with the very tight budget that I gave them. It was only natural that I approached them again for the enhancements that I wanted since they knew the system very well already and were so affordable.

How much have you invested with them?

I’ve invested about $60,000–$70,000 SGD (approximately $45,000–52,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

I had already worked with them back in June 2018. This particular project started in May 2021 and is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The developers and project manager have been very patient. They listen to all of my requirements. Because the initial concept was created by me, everything has been done according to what I wanted. I’ve been very particular, and I’ve gone into very specific details about how the customer should experience the platform. Smitiv has followed every specification precisely and has managed to deliver a satisfactory product.

I am very happy with the work that they’ve done for me. I don’t think there is another company in the world that has the same system as I do right now.

How did Smitiv perform from a project management standpoint?

Smitive is very professional. Apart from being very productive, efficient, and punctual, they know what they are doing. They constantly give me updates, which helps us stay on track. I have informed them that I intend to do testing all at once when everything is finished so they’ve sent me screenshots regularly in the meantime.

We communicate through WhatsApp and Zoom. They provide timelines, milestones, and project details through an Excel sheet, which is good enough for me.

The whole journey is smooth-sailing and has been free of any hiccups. There hasn’t been a moment where I felt upset or frustrated. Everything has been done according to how I wanted.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I think Smitiv is impressive as a whole. They’re able to ask me smart questions and provide me with well-thought-out suggestions. They’ve even thought of things I didn’t think of.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I have no complaints. Everything has been done excellently. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It helps to provide them with many details. If you are the founder or creator of your idea, knowing the product in and out is best. Having those specific details allows you to know what to ask for, because any outsider would not know the product better than the creator.

Think through the entire process in detail and don't hesitate to ask Smitiv questions if you are in doubt.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m one of the board directors of a global leadership firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Smitiv?

We wanted to bring our offline experience to an online platform, so we needed a mobile app development team.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Smitiv is creating a multiplatform mobile app meant to help young graduates worldwide look for jobs and connect them with the right career coaches that can help them produce jobs.

We began the project with Smitiv by telling them what we intended to do, and they assigned a project manager to us for that. We sat down together, they scoped out our ideas and helped us improve them, and together we created the final concept of the product we wanted to launch. They’re assigning their great mobile app experience to our project, which is very helpful.

They’re bringing us through the whole process and updating us along the way regarding the changes that need to be made, and we’re now at the final stage of the project, which is the product’s launch.

What is the team composition?

We work with both of their founders; one handles the commercial aspects of the project, and the other manages its technical aspects. They also assigned a full-time project manager, which is our main point of contact. In addition to that, they have a development team based in India, so I think five people are involved in this partnership.

How did you come to work with Smitiv?

They were referred to us by a business associate of mine. We reached out to them and had initial meetings. We chose them because they seemed more professional than other providers, and they also appeared to provide what we were looking for.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $30,000 with them so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since June 2021, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our team has only had positive feedback on their experience working with them; they’ve been able to explain technical terms to us along the way, which is helpful, making us satisfied with their services.

How did Smitiv perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve been good; they always keep us updated via WhatsApp and through weekly Zoom meetings.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their experience in online and mobile apps is what distinguishes them from other organizations.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think there’s anything they can improve on.

Any advice for potential customers?

Have a clear idea about the project’s scope and understand the concept you want them to develop — the app’s foundation should come from you.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of a logistics and estate management company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Smitiv?

We needed someone to create software for logistics management.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We first worked with Smitiv on the documentation together to kick off the project. They then developed a mobile app to help us manage our transportation and logistics processes on a day-to-day basis. It’s available on both Android and iOS and is connected to our website. It basically functions as a remote logistics monitoring system. 

What is the team composition?

We work with 10 people, including a project manager, software developers, web developers, web designers, graphic designers, and commercial managers.

How did you come to work with Smitiv?

I saw their work and was very impressed.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project started in January 2019 and is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Smitiv is a very hardworking and dedicated team — they deliver on time and address issues very quickly. The app also doesn’t have any bugs.

How did Smitiv perform from a project management standpoint?

The team is good at meeting deadlines. We use multiple tools for project management, and we use Slack and G Suite to communicate.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re very professional. Their attention to detail is also impressive.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there’s nothing I’d have them improve. I’m very impressed with the Smitiv team.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Work on the scope statement together rather than writing it for them. That way, you both understand what your expectations are.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the production director for an event agency.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Smitiv?

We needed a website developed for our online event.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We were set to hold a company event last year but chose not to push through due to pandemic restrictions. Our team thought of launching an online event instead, so we engaged Smitiv to develop a WordPress website for that.

Their team started designing wireframes and exploring possible development solutions to implement. We cooperated with them during that discovery phase, and they helped us finalize the tools and ideas we could use to build the product. Smitiv then kicked off the development phase and hosted the website's backend system on their server. They built the platform from scratch and sent it over for our team's feedback upon its completion.

What is the team composition?

We were in contact with their project manager, a designer, and a coordinator — however, there was a larger team in charge of backend development.

How did you come to work with Smitiv?

Smitiv was recommended to us. We considered other providers, but it was their team that met our requirements.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $60,000 SGD–$80,000 SGD (approximately $44,000 USD–$59,000).

What is the status of this engagement?

The project ran from September 2020–January 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Smitiv wasn't initially able to meet our 3D-enabled requirement for the platform, but they quickly addressed that by exploring more efficient methods to execute our needs. Upon building the website to meet our satisfaction, they used Google Analytics to track our ad spend and traffic. We found that launching the event online was more costly, but that wasn't their team's fault.

How did Smitiv perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicate via Zoom. Smitiv was a deadline-oriented team.

What did you find most impressive about them?

What stood out about Smitiv's team was their solution-oriented approach — they chose to rise above the adversities we encountered.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I didn't encounter any areas that needed improvement. Smitiv addressed challenges right away.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure to define your requirements and terms. During our project, they had to replace a member and turn over the work to another resource, which affected our workflow. If you don't prefer such occurrences, you'll want to inform their team at the start of your engagement.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the CEO of GBSC, and we're an accounting firm. We do accounting, secretarial, taxation, and similar work.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Smitiv?

We wanted to get into the technology market because it was moving forward, and we wanted to embrace that, so we needed a software developer.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’ve built accounting software and secretarial software with Smitiv. We looked at market options and picked the best of each software, and they put it together to come up with great software for secretarial and accounting.

Smitiv developed the software for us from start to finish. They sat at our meetings and looked at what was required. We told them what we wanted, and they made suggestions to drive us in the direction we needed.

They did the whole architecture, wireframing, software development, UI/UX design, and everything regarding the creation of the platform. We gave them feedback on things like UI, and they made the changes we wanted.

They also developed a web version of the secretarial software. It has mobile and email OTP, notifications, and so on.

Our accounting software has some AI elements. If the user takes a picture of a specific type of receipt, the system will post it automatically the second time around.

What is the team composition?

We had 3–4 people on a project, depending on the task: mobile developers, backend developers, wireframe designers, and so on. Smitiv’s architects were in Singapore, and their developers were in India; Govind (Managing Director) was in Singapore — he was the main person bridging the gap between the India team and us.

They sometimes allocate a person to act as project manager for the India team under Govind’s supervision — we go to him if we hit any roadblocks. 

We had 3–4 people on a project, depending on the task: mobile developers, backend developers, wireframe designers, and so on.

How did you come to work with Smitiv?

I knew Govind through a friend in common, for whom we do secretarial work. We’d deployed other programmers in Singapore, but the problem was that they were part-timers and didn’t deliver what they promised, so we chose Govind because they showed commitment to our project,

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $250,000 with them on this project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from June 2019–August 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They did everything in such a way that we were both happy with the results. We told Smitiv what we wanted, and they delivered it. The impressive thing about them is that they take the time to think about the project and develop working solutions. Our competition will be platforms like QuickBooks, but no one in the market has the kinds of features that Smitiv’s team implemented.

How did Smitiv perform from a project management standpoint?

Generally speaking, they were good and met the timelines. In terms of communication and tools, we used Zoom, and they tracked the project’s progress through an online tool. We also had scrum meetings every 1–2 weeks, and for the accounting software, my manager met with them every other week.

There were some delays on both our sides because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Some people couldn’t come to work because they were quarantined.

What did you find most impressive about them?

First of all, there’s Govind himself. Then, they don’t question why I want what I want — that’s the most critical thing for me since many programmers ask this question, and I’m not too fond of it. They didn’t ask things; they just did the work.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think there’s anything they can improve on.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

On any engagement, we have to go by the timeline. Once we move away from the timeline, we have a problem.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the co-founder of an advertising company based in Singapore.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We saw an opportunity in the virtual events space and with covid accelerating the process of digitalization, we thought that it is a great time to pivot into the space.

SOLUTION

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

We found them through a referral from one of our partners. To ensure that we could get the platform of our dreams built, we assessed them based on 1) their past projects, 2) their responsiveness, 3) goal alignment 4) the price that they charged.

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

They developed a virtual events platform using Strapi for the CMS and React JS for the front end. This platform allowed us to host virtual events such as live shows, virtual booths, business matchmaking, and also roundtable discussions. Attendees were able to communicate with one another within the event space itself and even schedule video meetings.

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

There were 4 people in the team - 1 project manager, 1 senior developer, and 2 junior developers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The platform that was built allows us to track how engaged our users are. This enabled my team to understand our users better and formulate better content to keep them engaged on the platform. We are also able to advise our clients with more accuracy and precision on the type of content that their target audience is interested in. The data that we collected from the platform can now be translated into actionable items which greatly helped the team.

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

For formal communications (i.e. timeline, progress updates, etc), it was done through email correspondence. Demos were conducted via google hangout and all informal communications (i.e. reminders) were done through WhatsApp.

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

We had direct access to the entire team, which means that my product manager is able to communicate directly with the developers to ensure that everyone is aligned. We were also involved in the daily scrums which enables us to be aware of the things that were going on.

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

While the quality of work was great, it would have been better if they could be more diligent in updating the progress and documenting the bugs and fixes. We have feedbacked this to them and the project manager is working to rectify this.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are a group of company working in the field of IT, ITES, Mobile VAS, Satellite communication, healthcare, system integration etc for the last 27 years. I am the CEO of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Smitiv Mobiles Technologies Pte Ltd, and what were your goals?

We hired them to develop a MVP of our edtech project. It was pretty complicated as we wanted to incorporate offline, online and on demand service together.

SOLUTION

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

We used them earlier in another project. Due to their performance and commitment, they are an automatic choice of this project. We also collected proposal from some other company based in Bangladesh, India and Singapore. They were the ultimate winner.

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

Scope was to develop an edtech site for all types of teaching professionals. It will house off line courses plus will allow institutes to run their on line class including an on demand tutor availability in case tutor need last minute help to prepare for their exam. An wordpress based LMS was used for first two problems, while on demand part was developed on php. For video part, BBB is used.

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

We mainly interact with Technical Lead Mr. Allen Ruban, who highly experienced in this. His customer handling we would say pretty unique and praiseworthy.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Only web part is delivered so far without any major glitch. We have done internal QC and seems Okay to us. We will run a beta testing using paid volunteers to understand load handling and other things now. So far it seems to us that work quality is good.

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

We used email and whatsapp.

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

They are good at technology, try to deliver whatever they commit.

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

Time Line. Although covid is a major reason for delay.