SoluLab

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

EduWorlds is a consultancy working in the e-learning area. We mainly work with educational publishers and higher-education institutions, ones that have traditionally offered face-to-face courses and are looking to create online ones. I am the director of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SoluLab?

I was working on behalf of a multinational publisher client. They retained us in order to develop a project for creating an interactive learning platform on mobile devices, namely the now nearly-defunct feature phones. This involved stepping back almost 10 years in terms of what phones could do, yet bring as many of technical capabilities which happened in the interim. We needed to source a company which could help deliver this. We were looking for a degree of expertise in UX design, but with a sensitivity towards what constitutes good learning. I wasn’t expecting any agency I’d be working with to have had prior experience with e-learning (although that would have been a bonus), but I was looking for people who were quick to understand the brief and the potential of the project.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

SoluLab handled both the design and the development of the website. I was asking their team to develop for a device they hadn’t used for about five years, so they literally had to go home and borrow their grandparents’ phones in order to explore what was actually possible on the devices. There was an unusual mix of the old and the new, and we needed to think creatively and get around the challenge quickly.

SoluLab delivered a website of learning materials that was targeted at a particular audience, which happened to be in India. To a certain degree, local knowledge was important, but we also needed to work within quite strict technical constraints, including the antiquated end-user devices.

The product needed to work on the Facebook Free Basics platform. There was a series of technical gateways and standards to be met, in terms of possible types of websites and web services within this bubble.

There was a lot of research to be done, and issues to be born in mind by people developing the solution. What SoluLab came up with was a kind of website which worked with these devices. They took a lot of care in designing its activities, minimizing low-memory features thay nonetheless maximized the visual attractiveness of the materials. The interactivity was within the constraints of the very limited browsers on these old phones. They managed to use servers which, instead of having client-side interactivity, employed a lot of cleverness to host that interactivity. They still gave the user an engaging experience, without expecting the user device to carry out those processes.

Within this, SoluLab was also very proactive in coming up with additional benefits for making the experience more engaging. As an example, a user can provide an answer to quiz questions, with limited interactivity like true/false answers, multiple options and so on. SoluLab’s suggestion was to bring some analytics to the experience on the server side. A user will select true or false to quite a simple question, and the server would retrieve the percentage of people who had given the same answer. We could write extra content and send it back to users, making their small-screen experience as engaging as possible.

SoluLab’s members went out and signed up themselves to the other services being offered in this domain. They did a lot of research into testing the limits of what was technically allowed, in terms of showing images and playing back video and audio. SoluLab determined that, although regulations said that a particular feature wasn’t possible, other people were going beyond and stretching X, Y and Z. There was no reason why we couldn’t do that, and even though we hadn’t asked for this, they gave us suggestions on how to implement these things and improve the product. It was perhaps because the project was so novel that it got their juices flowing.

How did you come to work with SoluLab?

I put out a brief and sourced SoluLab through a predecessor to Upwork, called Elance. I chose them because of the comprehensive response they provided. SoluLab went out of their way to understand the background of the project and did independent research that they included in the proposal.

They were my initial recommendation after the initial tender, but we also found another company that was half the price. The client wanted to have an initial iteration with this cheaper option, and spend as little money as possible. By then, I’d had several in-depth conversations with SoluLab around the planning, trying to get them to reduce their proposal as much as possible in terms of price. They couldn’t go under a certain price point and told me that it wasn’t realistically possible to develop a product for the price we were requesting, but that we could go back to them later on. SoluLab was professional in keeping the relationship open, and in assessing what was and wasn’t possible for the budget being offered.

We did develop an initial prototype with someone else, and it had many of the imperfections and limitations that SoluLab had predicted. However, the client saw enough of something which they liked, albeit very limited. We went back and considerably increased the budget, so I approached SoluLab to redo the work. Even though they didn’t get the job the first time, SoluLab remained open to conversations. There appeared to be a lot of integrity on their end compared to the other groups I’d contracted over time on platforms like Freelancer and Elance. I have developed a feel for the type of work someone can do, the amount of preparation they’ve done, and whether they’re trying to upsell or scam me, or whether they’re genuinely interested in getting the job done.

How much have you invested with SoluLab?

The cost of their work was around $5,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with SoluLab in December 2015. The project was completed after three months, around March 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

We ended up with a product which met very strict internal design guidelines in terms of medium limitations. It was technically reliable as far as anyone could tell.

The clients took the content and put it on their own servers, so I don’t have data for how well the platform fared with end-users.

How did SoluLab perform from a project management standpoint?

Statistics have been mostly internal in terms of meeting stakeholder demands and responding to a very aggressive development schedule. The flexibility was nearly always at their end in terms of SoluLab working as quickly as possible and having to wait for three or four days as we got the stakeholders in a room to review it. Stakeholders were appreciative but also wanted the next iteration done in a tight timescale, thus repeating the cycle of being slow to provide feedback. SoluLab was helpful with onboarding this process.

They offered to fit in with whatever we had. We could use either Slack, Skype or Confluence. We had an issue tracker and also used Google Docs for accessibility.

What did you find most impressive about SoluLab?

They have a good understanding of the quality the team can deliver, and do so at a reasonable price point. SoluLab is very good at understanding where the client is coming from, sometimes better than we are. They can come up with alternate approaches at the project planning and design stages, which brings a lot of value. They’re trying different perspectives, and have shown us that they’ve done extra work on their own initiative. Communication-wise, everyone on SoluLab’s team that I’ve worked with, starting with their principal, Chintan Thakkar, and following with their project manager, everyone seemed to be on the ball. They were flexible in terms of working hours, and they responded quickly. The work was turned around quickly, and I was able to justify or clarify and issue.

Are there any areas SoluLab could improve?

For this particular job, I don’t think so. Compared to other companies I’ve worked with, SoluLab exceeded all expectations the first time around. The scoping, quality of work, communication and troubleshooting were all good. If anything went wrong, it was fixed quickly. The client never knows exactly what they want until they see it, and then they suddenly realize that they didn’t actually mean that, but SoluLab was understanding in these situations and handled them with a smile.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Sports Development is a Swiss sports instructor for soccer, hockey, tennis, and skiing. We train and coach professional athletes, and put together training methods for young people.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SoluLab?

We were using standard software like PowerPoint slides for showcasing our training methods. This was becoming awkward to use, so we decided to build an app and backend support portal and started looking for a company which could build this.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Around 5 people from SoluLab’s team worked on our project. I gave them requirements and images of what we wanted. They programmed the solution for iOS and Android and helped with the submission process. We have a training app and an analysis one for goalkeepers. The latter is only available on iOS, but we plan to port it to Android as well.

The training app works based on perception. It presents different objects in different places of the screen, which vary in terms of sequence and duration. Trainees have to follow it and perform special moves depending on what comes up on the screen.

The second app has 12 specific moves which are tracked in order to analyze goalkeeper performance. It works on iOS tablets and phones and synchronizes with a backend, creating a full report for coaches.

How did you come to work with SoluLab?

I looked online on multiple platforms and created several bids. Based on the level of understanding shown in their answer, I chose SoluLab. They were very reactive, asked good questions, came up with a sound plan, and had a good price.

How much have you invested with SoluLab?

The cost of their work for our first 2 apps was around $6,000. The second version of one of the apps will cost another $7,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with SoluLab in February 2017. The 2 apps have been finished per our requirements, but we have 2 other ones in preparation. We plan to start a version-2 of one of the original ones as well.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

None of our apps experienced crashes and they are currently being used. The training app we have is the first of its kind and we are very excited about it, as it was missing from our field. We have also received only positive reviews for the second app; it’s targeted towards a niche as well, and there was nothing else like it before.

How did SoluLab perform from a project management standpoint?

I drafted projects, and anytime SoluLab had a question, they came to us. They stuck to every milestone promised, even when we requested changes during the process. We used an online tracking tool.

What did you find most impressive about SoluLab?

I haven’t worked with tons of other companies, so I don’t know if this is a unique point, but I’ve been impressed with SoluLab’s ability to react to everything. During the testing process, we had issues loading the apps on our mobile devices before a presentation. We got in touch with SoluLab during the afternoon, which was nighttime for them, and they solved the problem.

Are there any areas SoluLab could improve?

They did everything we requested. We would have liked to have some additional features, but the scope of the product was not fully designed on our end. SoluLab has not disappointed us in any way.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’ve actually worked with Solu Lab in multiple companies. I used to run an investment firm and an app development portal. I now work for a law firm where I’m head of marketing. We do everything, including PPC (pay-per-click), but the real reason for the relationship is they help us a lot of the technology front, building any kind of product we need.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Solu Lab?

Our biggest technology problem is that a lot of stuff being done on a marketing front and development of tools for clients has been pretty static. When I joined the firm, my idea was to really give some fresh air not only to the company, but to the industry as a whole. We decided we were going to change everything we were doing in terms of marketing. A lot of our systems were very old, from websites to internal systems we used that didn’t talk to each other.

When I approached Solu Lab, the goal was to have a technology partner more than a one-off development team for a specific project. Their task has evolved from hot fixing and fire drills around issues with the website or a piece of technology, all the way to building a web portal, a customer app, and so forth.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

It’s an ongoing thing, and I really look at them as a technology partner. Whenever I have issues building with PHP, Java, native applications, simple landing pages, and any other technology difficulties the company might have, they’re the guys we go to. They help a lot on the design front as well, whether it’s simple wireframing or actually having designers in-house who can provide you with some features.

Right now, we have two major projects going. One is a web development portal, and they’re doing everything from the spec all the way to the design and coding. The second piece of it is really ongoing support. We change what we want to do on a daily basis. We have daily stand-up calls and decide what to do that day.

How did you come to work with Solu Lab?

I had a previous engagement with them that’s still ongoing. We started talking and met in person, then we decided to do a project before this one. It wasn’t really a pricing decision; it was a lot more of having experienced folks at the head of the firm who I could actually meet. It’s almost like local outsourcing. I could meet these guys in person and have discussions. Also, having someone who could almost internally manage a project was very appealing.

How much have you invested with Solu Lab?

We spend an average of $5,000-$10,000 per month with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

This project began in March of this year, and it should be ongoing for another year, at least.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

It’s all about deliverables. We literally just started, and some of these projects have a much larger roadmap than just the three months we’ve been working together. They’ve been pretty quick at delivering some of the fixes I mentioned, especially around multiple landing pages for websites and some cool technology that we had to build.

We had very bad legacy landing pages. The conversion rates are off the roof with the new ones we built. It’s not an e-commerce platform, so it’s all on a per-case basis. The volume is not the same as you’d see somewhere else, but the conversions are really good.

We haven’t seen major issues with bugs. They do a pretty good job. Before sending us any data or any working prototype, we actually do internal quality assurance testing, which is all time allocated. They make sure that everything is QA’d before they send it to us.

How did Solu Lab perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re very organized and flexible. I’ve worked with multiple teams, and I don’t like to impose on the kind of tools they use internally to manage projects. I’m very flexible with that, and Solu Lab is good at using multiple products. Everything is very well-tracked. We use Trello for some stuff, Basecamp for some stuff, and JIRA for bug-tracking.

What did you find most impressive about Solu Lab?

I think it’s their ability to be flexible on an ad hoc basis. It’s very nice to be able to have a call at 10:00 p.m. knowing that a task will be done by 7:00 am. The constant updating of the project scope and flexibility in reacting to those changes is really good.

Are there any areas Solu Lab could improve?

Like any development team, sometimes they get a little sidetracked and want to build some cool technology just because it’s cool. It’s always hard to keep developers on track with what’s important. Sometimes things get built that shouldn’t be built, but that’s a small issue.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am consultant product manager working for a fintech company. They guide people around their financial needs based on their industries. I provide guidance on the development of the company website, which has not yet launched.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SoluLab?

We didn’t have any tech expertise and had to look outside for someone to build the site. There is a lot of business expertise in-house, but, in terms of getting the technology going, SoluLab helped us a lot. They brought in their background knowledge in order to truly understand what the product was.

We had worked with another vendor and had a rudimentary framework in place, but the technology we went with was completely different.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

SoluLab built our website using NodeJS, which is their main expertise and is the leading web technology at the moment. The site was developed from scratch based on the visuals we provided. Besides designs, we also had certain functioning portions of the website in place, but, given that we chose a new technology, that code was not used at all. Having certain visuals and technical components did help SoluLab’s team grasp the idea much quicker.

Core functions include the interactions between parties. Users have the ability to filter, search, and communicate by messaging or video conferencing. We use third-party tools for video conferencing and posting help links. SoluLab provided research and guidance for choosing those tools.

I believe we used around four members from SoluLab’s team. I don’t know what the breakdown was, but I do know that one or two of the developers were full time, while the others had more sporadic or consultation involvements.

How did you come to work with SoluLab?

The person who was searching for an alternative to our existing vendor came across SoluLab’s profile. They had a background in the financial industry and had a website portfolio. I reached out to someone who had worked with them and came back with very good, positive feedback, so we decided to go with SoluLab.

How much have you invested with SoluLab?

The cost of SoluLab’s work has been in the range of $40,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with SoluLab in May 2016. The beta testing is undergoing right now, and I believe the intended launch is within the next three to five months. The engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

I don’t have any metrics to share because we’re not really validating the business-side value of the website. We’re looking at whether it is intuitive enough for the consumers of the content and of the platform itself, and determining if we need to tweak any of the features. There has been some positive feedback, which is what we were looking for, in terms of the look and feel of the site. There’s also been constructive feedback, given that we have been putting the site in front of people who had never seen it before. The beta testing is still ongoing, and we only have three or four users who have seen the site. We have one-on-one experiences and plan to expand it to larger audiences after we’ve determined how potential users are navigating the site, and if they are getting stuck anywhere. We need to ensure that the site’s flow is simple and intuitive enough.

On the QA side of things, SoluLab does have in-house resources, but they don’t have any automation, which was disclosed from the start. The majority of the process is manual, and it’s an area I’ve focused on, making sure that the site was high-quality enough to go into production. There have been some issues which came up, but we have not looked very much into this. Based on what I’ve seen from our beta tests, the site is quite stable.

How did SoluLab perform from a project management standpoint?

What did you find most impressive about SoluLab?

I appreciated the fact that they were very upfront with the process. We installed Hubstaff, where we could monitor the work being done, and SoluLab was very open to explaining any questions we might have had about invoicing or other issues. There were scope changes which required certain things to be modified. In terms of trust and communication, SoluLab has been frank, open and fair.

Are there any areas SoluLab could improve?

Their expertise is in building software, while mine is business management. Following a methodology, whether it be Kanban, waterfall or Agile, which allows for the tracking of deliverables, and sticking to it, is important. This may vary from client to client, and I can see why the processes in this project changed, since there were business needs and scope changes, but, from a software perspective, it would benefit SoluLab to not have so much of a churn. It would also benefit them to deliver more things in time, and continue building upon them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

My business is mobile applications, mainly for iOS and Android.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Solulab?

The reason I contacted Solulab was to get a mobile application. My background is in creating applications or potential applications for mobile. What I then do is, I subcontract the work out to freelancers. So that could be in the UK where I'm based, or someone overseas, depending on the quality and pricing structure of the development team.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I had a previous team develop me a media player app, that allows the user to play videos that aren’t supported by iOS. I wasn't happy with the results I was getting so I searched for another team and came across Solulabs. 

I have a separate developer that builds the media engine for me, but I use Solulab to do a lot of the frontend, UI, and additional function changes. I’ve been very happy with their work ever since, and after building confidence with their skill set and quality of work, I then got them to build a separate Android version of the app. They did that from scratch and I was happy with the results. 

I have got Solublabs to research other ideas and also develop a number of additional features, such as at doing some other apps with them and got them to building in the functionality to download files faster than other apps were able to. 

Solulab were able to give me costs and time frame of development for any other ideas I had for apps. As my company is a development company, I have clients here in the UK that require apps to be developed. I have Solulabs put a proposal together, costs and time estimates which I pass on to the client and once approved Solulabs develop the apps. 

Overall, I’m very happy with what Solulab has been able to do for me thus far. They seem to have a wide range of knowledge and development on Android and iOS and will continue using them for the near and long term.

How did you come to work with Solulab?

I had one job that needed doing, and I came across Solulab on Elance. I found them to be informal and answered a lot of my questions about the development favorably. I gave them a chance because I've actually dealt with a lot of other companies, and I haven't always had the best experience with other companies. After giving Solulab a chance, they seemed to produce and provide a decent enough app and hit all the requirements I had.

How much have you invested with Solulab?

I think their pricing structures ran about £20 ($26) or £25 ($32) per hour. That can differ depending on what’s required and what kind of functionality and app you want to develop. An app could cost you $500 or up to tens of thousands. What I will say is that, sometimes using an overseas development team rather than using a UK team can bring the cost down fivefold.

What is the status of this engagement?

I've probably been using Solulab for about 3 years now, so since about 2014.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

Any development that I get a team to do, I will go through the functionality just to make sure. I have my own designer, so what I tend to do is get the designs and the artwork done, and then supply it to Solulab, mainly because I've been working with my designer for quite some time.

I normally get all of the assets, icons, things like that, and then send it to them. Normally when I get Solulab to do functionality or UI changes within the app, I get the app and test it through Crashlytics. They then send me a build. I download it onto my application and test it. Most of the time things are running fine. You might find a couple of bugs here and there, but as with all development, there’s never-ending bugs and fixes that you might come across only when you're using the app. The majority of the time, what they do in terms of UI or functionality seems to be fine. If I do find a bug or anything that doesn't work as it should, I let them know. I record a video of the issue and send it to them or I write it down in detail. They normally look into it, confirm they get the issue as well, and they look at fixing it.

How did Solulab perform from a project management standpoint?

When it comes to project management, I tend to find out where they are and make sure they’ve completed certain things. Each week they’ll give me a rundown of what they’ve done so far and what they plan to do the next week. They’re prompt in getting back to me, so the communication is good, and their skill set is good, especially compared to a lot of the other companies that I've sort of dealt with in the past. That’s why I've focused all of my work that I gain to Solulab rather than trying to farm it out to anybody else.

For iOS I think I dealt with one of the co-owners initially. I give them a written idea with maybe some screenshots of what I want to achieve, and they get back to me with any sort of additional questions that they might have about the development. We go back and forth a little bit until I'm sure that they understand and are comfortable with what the requirements are. That might just be two or three emails, and then it’s a case of them putting a proposal together. If they need to do any research or anything like that on what needs to be done, then they go and look into that and get back to me with any answers to questions I may have about a particular feature, for example. The process can be quite quick in regards to, here’s my idea, here’s what I want to achieve, and then they come back to me pretty much within 24 hours. They’ll put together the pricing and timeframe, and get back to me again.

Sometimes you can have a timeframe in mind, but inevitably it’s always going to blow out. I’ve always found that, with development as well as even residential property development, you might say it’s going to take 6 months, but you should give yourself double the amount of time to do something. In any case, we normally sit down and give a rough estimate. Otherwise, I'm pretty happy with them being able to perform or develop a functionality within a timeframe that they’ve given.

What did you find most impressive about Solulab?

Nothing jumps out in my mind to say they excelled at something. What made me happy was the feeling that they were able to do what I needed, and they were able to do it at a reasonable price. After I gave them the chance to do a couple of different features, I gave them more and more work.

What tips or recommendations could you share that might increase the likelihood of success with Solulab?

I suppose it’s down to the individual to make sure how a team works. I made sure that there were standard procedures for testing, who would be looking after me, those kinds of things before I took them on board. If I felt that something wasn’t working, I would mention it to them, and they would look at putting something else in place. This is what I found with other developers that I've dealt with and still deal with, is that you might have a system in place, but something might not be working as well as what you’d want, i.e., the app might be coming to you without being tested properly. I make sure that I say to him, “What’s the testing procedure? How did you do it?” I know how the app works, so I know what I need to test, so I write down a number of test procedures for them. They look at that and make sure to do XYZ before they send it to me. I found that those kind of things help, because sometimes if you rely on people to do something, they might not do as well as you would hope.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Clean Internet is a company that blocks pornography for users. I’m the CEO. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SoluLab?

I needed software written for iOS and Android devices that would filter internet content. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We gave SoluLab a document that described the features that we wanted. We ended up adding more features as the project progressed. We began with building a browser for the Android devices; when the browser was used, it would block pornography and other browsers, prompting the users to use the Clean Internet browser. The product was not just an internet filter but also a device manager that would block or allow apps. SoluLab designed and developed both the iOS and Android apps’ client/server communications, which was the most important part.

How did you come to work with SoluLab?

I found SoluLab on Freelancer. They were professional and understood the complexity of what I was asking for. A lot of freelancers will say they can do something but can’t because of the complexity. This was a very difficult project that isn’t for just any developer.

How much have you invested with SoluLab?

We’ve spent around $5,000 with them over the course of our relationship.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in November of 2015, and the work is ongoing. We’re currently working on other projects. SoluLab has been great with bug fixes and maintenance. They haven’t charged for anything that needed to be fixed. For any upgrades that I’ve wanted, we’ve negotiated with them to provide more features over time. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or impact of the engagement?

I have dealt with many developers, and the communication with SoluLab has been great. We’ve had no problem. Sometimes, developers just disappear, but that hasn’t happened in this relationship.

We tested the app, and the quality of the code is great. There’s no ongoing trouble.

It’s definitely a niche product. We’ve got about 3,000 active users who pay a yearly fee to use the app. The feedback we get is about the filtering and not the functions of the app. The app connects to our filtering product, so that’s the main portion of the app.

How did SoluLab perform from a project management standpoint?

We have a project manager who we work with. There have been times when they’ve gone on vacation, but they always let me know. The project we’re working on now costs around $15,000, and I wouldn’t use them if I wasn’t extremely satisfied with their project manager and overall performance.

I’ve always had soft deadlines because I know the projects are very difficult. I’m very satisfied with how long it takes their team. They keep me informed of any delays, but there haven’t been many. We mostly use Skype to communicate, as well as Freelancer occasionally.

What did you find most impressive about SoluLab?

They did what they said they could do. Within the last couple of years, I’ve paid $25,000 total to other develoeprs but did not get the solution that I was paying for. SoluLab has always performed.

Are there any areas SoluLab could improve?

I can’t think of anything. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an officer of Mistress, Inc., which is an eclectic company that has produced books, documentaries, websites, and all kinds of products.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SoluLab?

We had a bunch of administrative website work to be done, which then evolved into an emoji creation project.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We have two websites that SoluLab is currently working on, which are both WordPress based. One of the sites is extremely complex. It’s an entire hosting site for profiles. Everyone in the burlesque community can come, create a profile, and find any number of categories of interests they have, whether it’s a producer, musician, performer, artist, or a dancer. We have an option for all those categories, and anyone in the burlesque community can find anyone in those categories across the United States.

SoluLab did not develop the sites from scratch, but they have maintained and improved a great deal. They also did design work on the sites. All the buttons on the site right now are designed by them, all the blog pages, the contest page, I could go on and on. We give them content, and they design and put it up.

How did you come to work with SoluLab?

I found SoluLab through a web search. They responded to everything in a very prompt and professional manner, and that really started the relationship. They’re lovely.

How much have you invested with SoluLab?

We’ve invested less than $10,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in January or February of 2017, and the relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

Everything SoluLab has done is successful. They’ve made blog pages, content pages, etc. Everything we’ve asked them to do, they’ve done. Our clients are very satisfied. I think SoluLab does an amazingly wonderful and professional job. They take feedback excellently, and they work with the client in any way. They’re willing to do everything.

We have asked them for an eclectic mix of stuff that’s not necessarily in their wheelhouse. SoluLab's team doesn’t know anything about what my client does, and they’ve really scooped it up and delved into an area they know nothing about. They’ve provided feedback that’s been very useful. They never even heard of burlesque, but they’ve been able to embody exactly what she wants and give that to her. We haven’t had any issues with bugs. They are very ‘tucked and belted,' they dotted the i’s and crossed the t’s.

How did SoluLab perform from a project management standpoint?

My favorite part about SoluLab is that I hit my deadlines, and they hit theirs. If we don’t understand, we communicate further to make sure everyone understands. They’re fantastic. It’s such a pleasure to work with SoluLab.

What did you find most impressive about SoluLab?

It’s the timely and professional work that stands out with SoluLab. I have worked with many website people, and none of them complete the job, none of them communicate well, and none of them can hit a deadline if their life depended on it. These guys are such a breath of fresh air. It’s so far superior. It is beyond a pleasure.

Are there any areas SoluLab could improve?

No. Everything I’ve asked SoluLab to do has been done tenfold.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I provide IT services for small and medium businesses ranging from law firms to CPAs with anywhere from 2 to 50 users. I handle network infrastructure management, firewalls, servers, user management and so on. I am an IT consultant, as well as the chief executive officer and owner of the business.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SoluLab?

We're developing software for a couple of niche markets, aimed at helping my clients. We are looking to augment the solutions already in place, filling in the holes they have.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

SoluLab is working on a software solution for law offices, as well as for spas. The software interfaces with businesses' current practice management solutions and adds functionalities.

One of the solutions we are working to improve is old and outdated; it was written 15 years ago. The current solution is a custom-built software for which the developer has passed away, leaving no one for support. SoluLab is helping to rework this particular solution using current technology.

SoluLab is involved in all parts of the development, including the interface with the pre-existing software. They are writing code based on my inputs, but SoluLab has also been a part of the planning and support processes.

The technologies used include PHP, .NET, as well as Microsoft SQL Server and other database management software.

How did you come to work with SoluLab?

I found SoluLab on Upwork. I posted a job and interviewed several companies. SoluLab had a wide variety of resources available, and they could start immediately, as opposed to some of their competitors.

How much have you invested with SoluLab?

The cost of SoluLab's services has been between $50,000 and $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with SoluLab in November 2015, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

The products are working well. They've been implemented within 5 different businesses, and we're gearing up towards a broader scale. To get to the next level, we will need backup information as well as marketing materials. The scope started small, but the feedback we've seen is going towards the right direction, so I'm very happy.

Clients are using the product on a day-to-day basis to reduce their workflow, so the software is doing what it should. I get information from clients around any customizations we should implement.

How did SoluLab perform from a project management standpoint?

SoluLab has been available to me via multiple channels, including email and Skype. Our type of project always ends up taking longer than estimated because of changes on the user end and other factors. Our software will probably never be completely done, but SoluLab has always met goals.

What did you find most impressive about SoluLab?

SoluLab is a very professional and responsive group. They've always been there for me when I needed it. SoluLab has good insight and knowledge on what needs to be done because they have worked on these types of solutions before.

Are there any areas SoluLab could improve?

SoluLab usually found a way to do anything I asked for. For example, we needed after-hours support, and SoluLab provided that without a problem.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Our product improves interactions in mentor/entrepreneur relationships, making them more efficient and more effective. I am the CEO of our company and have extensive experience in programming and in developing and designing infrastructure software and applications.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SoluLab?

We needed a mobile app that could be used by students, staff, and outside consultants. It had to be easy to use and did not interfere with the interaction between the users. Right now, we're targeting colleges, universities, and schools that are promoting entrepreneurial programs.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

SoluLab is the implementer of the design that I've provided for MELSTM, which stands for the Mentor Entrepreneur Logging System for Time Management. The idea is that an entrepreneur wants to have a session with a mentor, so they send an invitation to a list of mentors. That mentor then receives the invitation via either text messaging, email, or phone. The mentor then replies to either accept or decline the invitation to meet with the entrepreneur. When the mentor accepts, they provide the entrepreneur with a time, date, place for the meeting, plus any pre-meeting preparation required. Both users attend the meeting and when they do, the mentor then starts the meeting on the app. The conversation carries on, which we do not record. At the end of the meeting, the mentor presses stop, and uses the app to record the topics discussed. Actions to be carried out are also logged on the app. That's the end of the cycle. That information is collected and submitted to an administrator who runs the program. Administrators get an idea what's been happening with their program, who's been involved, how much they've been involved, and how much time has been spent in this interaction.

I needed it developed for both Android and iOS simultaneously, using the same code base for both platforms. They've done all of the programming. As the product developed, we added features to it and covered different bases. Today's product is immensely more feature-rich and easier to use than the first version. 

How did you come to work with SoluLab?

I searched the world almost literally. I first searched for Canadian developers and I couldn't find any. I went to the US, but the developers I found were extremely expensive and said they couldn't develop a single code base. That would mean that we would have the problem of trying to maintain 2 separate large code bases and we weren't willing to take that on. I then reached out further with another major requirement. We had to do a prototype in 2 weeks. Everybody was telling me they could do it but for 3 or 6 months, without a single code base. Bottom line is, the only one that was willing to meet the requirements was SoluLab, and they did do that. They produced what I needed within the 2-week timeframe.

How much have you invested with SoluLab?

I would prefer not to disclose this information.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working in August 2015 and the work is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

In terms of hard statistics, we're currently beta testing that system with 4 different colleges. We're still getting people onto the system, which is a bit of a challenge sometimes. It’s going pretty well. I'm very satisfied with what's happening.

How did SoluLab perform from a project management standpoint?

Normally, SoluLab either reports back to me on a weekly basis or provides me with a build weekly, depending on what they're working on. That build is then tested and we write up any issues or improvements required, then we'd carry on. I'm also available to them on a daily basis if they have questions. They are 9 1/2 hours ahead of us, so that is a bit of a struggle. That means that since I'm the principal designer, I have to be available at odd hours, basically from midnight onwards. The SoluLab team is quite receptive; I haven't had a struggle with them, as I've had with others who have tried to tell me what to do. Typically, I don't mind suggestions but I don't want arguments with my supplier. I have no problem with SoluLab in that regard. They have some really sharp people. They make concrete and useful suggestions and we've gone on with that.

What did you find most impressive about SoluLab?

SoluLab has been extremely responsive to what I needed. There may have been occasions when there was some confusion, but we straightened it out. They're what I needed and I'm pretty satisfied with them.

What tips or recommendations could you share that might increase the likelihood of success with SoluLab?

I could have had them do more if I wanted to, but there were certain tasks I wanted to do myself. I've been doing the testing but theoretically they could have done that, too. I have a knack for finding problems, so I do a lot of the testing. That's in part because of my background. I would say ask SoluLab to do at least the major testing and be willing to pay for it. It depends on your budget and what you want to do.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the General Manager of an information technology company

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are global leader in partnering with companies to transform and manage their business by harnessing the power of technology. The Group is guided everyday by its purpose of unleashing human energy through technology for an inclusive and sustainable future.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Plan, design, and develop a recycling ecosystem with different tools and functionality for all parties involved in the recycling process and introduce a framework to integrate existing 3rd party solutions to offer services under one roof.
• Modify the connection between the ecosystem and reverse vending machines.
• Implement a strong tokenomics strategy and workflow in the recycling ecosystem.
• Introduce a wallet system and reward mechanism to compensate users.

SOLUTION

How did you find SoluLab?

• Online Search
• Referral
• Clutch Site

Why did you select SoluLab over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from SoluLab were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

What was your primary form of communication with SoluLab?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

We required a multicomponent recycling network with built-in support for third-party softwares that includes reverse vending machines. The developed product would strengthen communication between consumers, recyclers, and manufacturers, enhance plastic recycling, and decrease pollution levels while driving awareness of the environment's safety. While the solution will originally focus on plastic, it will also be expanded to aluminum and glass. After evaluating dozens of IT vendors, we found SoluLab to be a perfect match. 

Hence we hired professionals from SoluLab specializing in decentralized technology, mainly in blockchain consultation and integration, tokenization, web development, backend development, API creation, UI/UX, and QA roles for about five months on a full-time basis. The scope includes key deliverables such as a multicomponent network with different tools, an admin panel, track and trace functionality, a crypto wallet, user-friendly UI, ecosystem integration with RVM software application, etc.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have seen a rise in users who recycle thousands of plastic bottles. Furthermore, the user base is growing steadily because of the incentives given for each recycled bottle. Additionally, our platform's cross-platform compatibility has increased mobile app installations on Android and Apple devices. This expansion helps us to promote our mission of keeping the environment pollution-free to a wider audience, including individuals, organizations, and other central entities.

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

The vendor did an excellent job at managing the project. It first took care of the requirements, allocated resources, and planned project areas for the optimal development process. For the management, the vendor relied on product management tools and workflow management tools to effectively manage the entire project from start to finish. Moreover, it relied on trackers to track developers' work and set necessary checkpoints to track the project's progress. 

This resulted in hitting checkpoints on assigned dates without hampering the quality of the product. And by following this streak, the vendor proactively met the assigned deadline. During this period, the team actively sought our feedback and suggestions to ensure the product was customized according to our preferences.

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

The thing that caught our attention was their approach. Most vendors fixate on building products considering only the project requirements, SoluLab takes a whole different turn; it focuses more on the vision and goals of the company and the project to accordingly align product features and functionalities for representing brand value. 

Moreover, we were surprised when the hiring team presented their creative solutions, fresh perspectives, and innovative ideas to introduce uniqueness to the project. We were blown away by their leadership and implementation of each project feature with a touch of innovation; it was truly captivating to witness.

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

There was never a moment when we felt a need for improvement in the vendor's workflow, product development, or deployment strategy; everything was well-planned and well-executed.