Snapio Pty Ltd

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder and director of surgical services supply company

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Snapio Pty Ltd, and what were your goals?

Measuring and monitoring safety and performance of the surgical instrument inventories supplied for use within surgical procedures

SOLUTION

How did you select Snapio Pty Ltd and what were the deciding factors?

The choice for Snapio came down to the their ability to understand the complex nature of our project and accurately scope the requirements to cost and deliver the solution.

Whilst cost is always a consideration, the important factor in software development is to have the engineers clearly understand the outcomes required before work is commenced. A common cost project blowout can be contributed directly to miss communication in the early stages that lead to multiple reworks.

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

As a previous owner and operator of a successful software development company, miscommunication between the client and the service provider is the critical consideration right through the process. Snapio provided a professional project management outline with performance targets, costs and timelines. They were able to provide well researched advice in relation to platforms and technologies suitable for the project along with other key considerations such as security requirements. With Alina as the project manager, all my concerns and feedback were handled in a prompt and professional manner

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

One of Snapio's strengths was to ensure the communication chain limited the amount of people I had to directly interact with. By appointing and working through a project manager, communication was never confusing for me.

As a client, I am not particularly interested in the day to day running of Snapio's business. My focus is purely on outcomes with a minimum of confusion and fuss.

At each milestone, meetings were arranged with the senior engineers and the executive management team to ensure my requirements had been met, and if not why not. Dealing with management at these key milestone events was a very important part to keeping the project on track and within the agreed timelines.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The measurable outcomes Snapio helped us achieve is the proof our algorithms (that were just theories) could be visually displayed. Previously unmeasurable data was possible to be statistically analysed and benchmarked through KPI's.

Not only that but also the process for data collection could be defined as the procedural management process whereby the software controlled the workplace process under a system of activity based management.

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

Good service can be talked about but ultimately it is measured through customer experience. Snapio controlled all the elements in a professional and timely manner. My experience with Snapio was both pleasurable and rewarding.

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

Their capacity to problem solve and think outside the box. The management team pursues excellence in both product performance and customer satisfaction.

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

For the products and services they are offering, I could not fault any flaws or offer improvement recommendations. I am in the process of building another software based technology product and Snapio will be my first choice.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the director of Clevr Pty Ltd, a software development company in Brisbane, Australia. We specialise in cloud software for laboratories and other technical businesses.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Snapio Pty Ltd?

Our company have been engaged to produce cloud software for management of an oil analysis laboratory in Scandinavia. We were required to add a mobile app (both Android and iOS) to the system to enable the lab's customers to engage with their assets, analysis results and submit samples. While we had an API prepared, we needed an app developer to handle the iOS and Android development.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to have a nicely presented, functional and simple-to-use app for users to access their assets, results and sample information. We understood that the presentation and user experience would be important to be competitive in the oil analysis industry.

SOLUTION

How did you select Snapio Pty Ltd?

We used a website to advertise our project to freelancers and established app development companies. From there, we provided a brief specification document and conducted phone/video meetings to discuss the project with a number of developers who responded. We also requested examples of previous work.

After receiving quotes we selected Snapio due to the competitive price, the quality of the app examples provided, apparent knowledge of the developer and the established nature of the business compared to other developers.

Describe the project in detail.

Once we selected Snapio, we proceeded to provide a specification document in more detail, along with API documentation and held an in-person meeting with the developer. Snapio were engaged to produce an MVP version of an oil analysis app for both Android and iOS including several views displaying data from our API and allowing the user to edit profile information.

We required the app to be developed using Xamarin and MS Visual Studio to ensure consistency with the rest of our project, which this app was to complement.

There were some technical challenges including a grid control which was to be presented in a pivot view. Snapio were responsible for design and development of the app. We communicated via a Slack channel, email and occasionally by phone.

What was the team composition?

We were mainly engaged directly with the co-owner and app developer at Snapio, who was responsive at short notice on Slack. We also had engagement with the other owner, particularly later in the project when preparing for submission to the app stores. We were made aware Snapio has further resources abroad, but all contact was through the two owners.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We are unable to provide metrics for the app as it is early days and is in limited release to customers until further features are added. Submission to the app stores was relatively straightforward, with some small issues that were resolved quickly by Snapio.

The apps were approved by both Google and Apple without any problems. The final app contained a bug which was not noticed by any testers until after the initial release on the app stores. Snapio resolved this bug within 24 hours and we were able to submit a new release quickly.

Our client is happy with the presentation, feel and functionality of the app. Feedback from end users is also positive. We are happy with the product and it has met our expectations for presentation and user experience.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Our main contact was with Sergey, a co-founder and software engineer. We worked mainly through a Slack channel with some contact through email and via phone. Sergey was always responsive and provided a straightforward, no-fuss approach to development.

He was always open to discussion on features, handled changes and unexpected challenges well and acted professionally at all times. Response times were fast and Snapio handled feedback well, making updates and changes quickly and without complaint.

When particular technical challenges occurred between the app and our API we were able to communicate quickly and efficiently to resolve them.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Snapio were very quick to hit the ground running with the app, providing mockups of screens within a few days after our initial meeting. This was very impressive. Work on the app also progressed quickly, with no long delays or periods without communication. Their knowledge of the app review process was a particular advantage for us and made the process quick and straightforward.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Overall we were happy with our experience and felt our decision to engage Snapio was the right one. If we could provide any minor feedback, it would be to check in on the client if there hasn't been communication in a while as there were (albeit rare) times when we were unsure if Snapio were waiting on information or feedback from us before continuing.