SoluteLabs

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the head of product and subscriptions for NDTV Profit in India. We’re a business and financial news website and a TV channel. I oversee all technological aspects of the company, including the website, apps, and subscriptions.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SoluteLabs?

We were looking for someone to develop our mobile app from scratch.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

SoluteLabs has created a mobile app for iOS and Android. We initially provided them with the design and a brief outlining exactly what we wanted, including the app's features and functionality.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with around 60 teammates.

How did you come to work with SoluteLabs?

We considered many vendors. After much analysis, calls, and feedback, we chose SoluteLabs because they had the right team and cost.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent upwards of $50,000–$75,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them in June 2023, and our partnership is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

SoluteLabs has exceeded expectations. We’re happy with their work, and the app they’ve delivered is what we wanted.

Moreover, the application is now live, and the users are loyal. The engagement is very high.

How did SoluteLabs perform from a project management standpoint?

They deliver on time and within budget.

Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?

Prakash (Co-Founder & Chief Delivery Officer) ensures that everything gets sorted out and all the problems are solved.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their positive attitude is really nice. They don’t say no to any problems; they’re willing to find complex solutions. Moreover, SoluteLabs’ team has been amazing; they’re very helpful.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The requirement-gathering stage could be better.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I highly recommend the team for mobile app development.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a bioinformatics scientist at LifeBytes Bioinformatics Consulting, a company that offers high-degree genomic data analysis about disease treatments.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SoluteLabs?

We needed help with the software development for our diagnostic platform. We manage huge volumes of data and needed a strong software infrastructure.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

SoluteLabs developed a web application that connects the main stakeholders involved in our diagnostic process, including the lab scientists and the persons who order the test.

We needed to track all communication between these stakeholders at any particular time. We wanted to have a simple approach and discussed with SoluteLabs our wireframe and architecture requirements.

Since we manage healthcare data, data security was important for us, and we discussed this with SoluteLabs. They used Node.js and React.js to develop the UI, and the whole product was developed in an AWS infrastructure to cater to all users without downtime or validation issues. Our web app is now functioning at all times. 

What is the team composition?

I worked with SoluteLabs’ project manager, designer, main software developer, and backend developer. 

How did you come to work with SoluteLabs?

We found SoluteLabs through a Google search. We shortlisted software development companies and chose SoluteLabs because of the wireframes they presented.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested around $25,000 with SoluteLabs. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from January–July 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

SoluteLabs met our expectations and understood our needs completely, and this showed in their wireframes and architecture designs, which were appealing and convincing.

Moreover, SoluteLabs helped us achieve what we aimed for this project. They were open and corrected things even after they had completed them. They were humble, and we were excited to work with them. 

Our end clients are already using the app developed by SoluteLabs. We performed usability tests to understand how our end clients used the app, and we received positive feedback. 

How did SoluteLabs perform from a project management standpoint?

SoluteLabs was punctual in meeting deadlines. We extended our original project length because of our project’s complexity. SoluteLabs spent more hours trying to understand every detail of our project, and once they did, they sped up the process. We didn’t mind it was a longer project in the end. We mainly used Slack for communication and meetings. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was most impressed that SoluteLabs asked questions about what they didn’t understand, and I’ve found that it’s rare for companies to do this. They were honest, which was really nice.

Are there any areas they could improve?

If SoluteLabs had more domain experts in the healthcare industry, that would have been helpful for this project, but I understand this isn’t their main industry focus. Other than that, I can’t think of anything that SoluteLabs could improve.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I recommend being specific with your requirements and having a clear idea of what you want. Discuss with SoluteLabs all your project’s details and timelines, and they’ll deliver what you want.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of technology at Ivy Mobility, a Singapore-headquartered company that develops SaaS products for the consumer goods industry. Our main development centers are in India. I’ve been with this organization for about eight years and handle new technology initiatives.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SoluteLabs?

We initially hired SoluteLabs mainly for staff augmentation. We needed to augment our development capacity with skill sets in iOS and Android. Our goal was to onboard developers as required depending on our product development roadmap, in case we needed more capacity.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We've been working on two types of projects with SoluteLabs; one is our internal product enhancement. SoluteLabs assists with mobile development activities for Android and iOS. We task them with building new functionalities for our mobile application. 

The second type of project we've used SoluteLabs for is working with end customers who have customizations that they want us to do. We develop some of these customizations, and SoluteLabs' developers handle some of them. 

Typically, SoluteLabs' team works jointly with our team. SoluteLabs provides additional capacity if we want to fast-track something or don't have enough developers to complete the project on time. 

When we lack development capacity, our internal technical teams prepare all wireframes and documentation. Then, we give these materials to SoluteLabs' developers to carry out the work. However, there have been cases where we hire a technical lead from SoluteLabs, and they take care of wireframe development and documentation. 

In the last year, we've also hired machine learning (ML) engineers from SoluteLabs for a new product we're building. Although we have our own developers, we use a few resources from SoluteLabs when we require additional bandwidth for this project.  

What is the team composition?

Since we've had multiple engagements with SoluteLabs, I'm unsure how many teammates we've worked with. On average, we have 10–15 resources from SoluteLabs collaborating on different projects at any point, which varies depending on the volume of work and requirements. 

How did you come to work with SoluteLabs?

We were introduced to SoluteLabs by one of the architecture consulting organizations we work with. At the time, we suddenly got a couple of big projects and didn't have enough time to recruit internally on such short notice. Therefore, we explored staff augmentation companies. The consulting firm recommended SoluteLabs because they had worked together before, and the feedback was good.

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent around $400,000–$500,000 on SoluteLabs' services.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement with SoluteLabs started in Q2 2017, and our collaboration is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

For mobile development projects, SoluteLabs has been good at understanding what they need to build based on the high-level information we provide them. They're pretty self-sufficient in understanding project needs, so hand-holding is minimal. Overall, SoluteLabs' developers produce high-quality deliverables.

Moreover, SoluteLabs has helped us speed up our processes, especially regarding mobile development. Thanks to them, we've been able to complete many end-customer deliverables faster than expected. SoluteLabs' main contribution is speeding up our overall deliverable timeline.

How did SoluteLabs perform from a project management standpoint?

They've completed the work we've given them on time; we haven't had any timeline challenges. Internally, we use Jira for project management. When we add resources from SoluteLabs, we incorporate them into this tool. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

We work with another company for QA and another for project management-related work, and compared to them, SoluteLabs provides higher-quality teammates. We've never had to replace anyone from SoluteLabs due to skill level or performance issues, which has been the case with other companies. Moreover, SoluteLabs' senior management team positively engages with us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could expand their skill sets. Currently, SoluteLabs is mainly focused on iOS and Android development and has recently entered the ML and AI spaces. We might require AR and VR skills soon, and if SoluteLabs expands their skill sets to include these areas, it'll be a good situation for both our organizations.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you're looking for skill sets in iOS and Android development, SoluteLabs is a good organization to go to. They are very flexible in terms of having short-term or long-term engagements.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a department head at a venture building company. We build portfolios for startups.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SoluteLabs?

We were building applications for various startups, including an agriculture technology application and a B2C application. For these projects, we wanted Ruby on Rails developers, so I got in touch with SoluteLabs.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

SoluteLabs provides us with full stack web development services. We’ve onboarded a full-time Ruby on Rails developer from their team who works with our internal team on multiple projects. 

What is the team composition?

Our main point of contact is with a full stack developer. I also interact with the CEO and the account manager once in a while. 

How did you come to work with SoluteLabs?

I found them on Google while looking for Ruby on Rails experts. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $35,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together around June 2021, and our ongoing engagement is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The developer from SoluteLabs works with our team, and he's great. As the partnership has grown, we've found gaps in our communication, and he's immediately picked up on them and is open to our feedback and new ideas. He's also always willing to learn new technologies for new app projects, which is impressive. Since they don't do project-based deliveries, I don't have project-specific metrics.

From a management perspective, SoluteLabs has been a great partner because they're always on top of things. Moreover, they constantly ask for our feedback and make improvements. 

How did SoluteLabs perform from a project management standpoint?

We act as project managers. They ask us for feedback regularly and provide monthly reports. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I'm impressed with SoluteLabs' commitment to providing quality resources and work. Since we signed the contract, we haven't had any more commercial discussions — they don't chase for payments and are flexible with delays of a couple of days. Overall, we have a very straightforward relationship and a successful collaboration. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could increase their resources with broader expertise. Initially, we wanted someone with UI/UX design expertise, but unfortunately, SoluteLabs had fewer resources with that skill set, and the available resources were already occupied on other projects. In hindsight, they could have looked outside to find someone. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

SoluteLabs is a great partner to work with, and I haven't had any issues with them, so I recommend them. A relationship is a two-way street, so if you have a good plan and identify the right resources, you'll have good results. They have really great teammates on their payroll, and they'll help you pull those resources to deliver the quality product you want to build.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO and co-founder of a healthcare tech startup, and we work in the heart failure readmission prevention space.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SoluteLabs?

We needed help with custom software development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They helped us build our tech platform and were our technology partners for the first stage of the product. They gathered the requirements, determined what it would look like, and worked with us on understanding our challenges.

The product is a web-based app where clinicians can log in to review patient data. There were two sides to the development with one being a screen for patients to input their data — that data is then taken to our cloud software. The other side was running on our algorithm based on which the clinicians were getting intimated, along with a summary where they could log in and check how the patient’s status.

Additionally, we leveraged various existing platforms and had their own tech team help us. For the backend, we used Heroku, but also had integrations with PagerDuty, Twilio, and Postmark. We also had support from their backend team to help us configure the entire product. If we’re able to pick up more pace, our plan is to work with them again on a larger scope.

What is the team composition?

We worked closely with the founder who lead the project and a full-time project manager who we worked closely with. We also occasionally had people from the backend team come in and walk us through all problem-solving with us.

How did you come to work with SoluteLabs?

I reached out to a couple of friends in India and had a chat with them. We needed someone who couldn’t just build a platform for us, but could also manage high-volume data and work with Python. Based on multiple conversations, we chose SoluteLabs because we liked their team structure, the kind of support they were willing to provide, and their pricing.

How much have you invested with them?

$15,000 for phase one.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in March-July 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

There were times when we had a clear view of how we wanted the product to look, and they came back and made small iterations that created a wow factor. They delivered on time and the quality of the work was really good. We were happy with the results of the product and the interaction with the team.

How did SoluteLabs perform from a project management standpoint?

We were very happy with their project management. The project manager was very hands-on and there for us 24/7 despite operating in a different timezone. We mostly used Asana and Slack to communicate, so we never felt there was a lag in communication.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their expertise was impressive. We only had to talk to 1–2 people to take our requirements and they came back with amazing solutions. They captured our vision perfectly and they went above and beyond with their services.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We had some changes in the requirements that took some time, but I didn’t hold them accountable for that because we had to change some of the items in the scope. However, it would’ve been helpful if they considered that 2–3 weeks lag time. Other than that, it was a very great experience and we plan on working with them again.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the Product Manager at The Ken, India's largest subscriber-only media publication with over 30,000 paying subscribers. Our subscribers, who are spread out around the world, pay to read our original, well-narrated, and deeply reported journalism about India and Southeast Asia.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire SoluteLabs?

Ours is a product used by some of the most discerning, sharp, and demanding customers in Asia. The mobile app is a core part of the product experienced by our customers. Naturally, they expect a great app. However, at the time of hiring SoluteLabs, our app was not in a great state. It was slow, did not let our customers experience our newer products, and was buggy too

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to offer our sharp and discerning subscribers an app that they would love. Having already experienced the problems associated with support two native apps, one for each platform, we were looking for a solution that was easy to maintain and extend in the future. Getting the ability to do this with a small team was a challenge.

SOLUTION

How did you select SoluteLabs?

Karan from SoluteLabs was very active right from the proposal stage. After learning that we are looking to close the partner soon, Karan quickly arranged a call with one of their experienced developer and both of them took time to listen and grasp our requirements.

They then proposed a cross-platform solution that was able to address all of our needs and fit our budgets too.

One year in, we are really happy with our decision, guided by the SoluteLabs team's experience and understanding.

Describe the project in detail.

Karan gave us an estimate of the cost involved. After some basic approvals and signing of contracts, I was introduced to Prakash and the team. Prakash is excellent at managing the project and our expectations. He was quick to flag any issues that would lead to a change in timelines or budget.

We did a morning stand-up every alternate day where we kept track of the progress. The team shared any blockers they were facing so that we knew what the cost of any indecisiveness was going to be. We also did 3 release planning meetings during the project and adjusted the scope early to fit our budget.

We ended up extending our contract so as to also include a tablet app for our customers.

What was the team composition?

From SoluteLabs, we had Smit, who is an extremely skilled app developer. And Zany, a great QA. Prakash managed the project and kept track of timelines. From our side, our in-house app developer, Nandha, and I were deeply involved in the project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were able to ship a really high-quality app on time, and within agreed-upon budget. It's an app that is getting great reviews by our subscribers. Moreover, the app is critical and affect our key business metrics in a major way.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

With alternate day stand up meetings, and release planning meetings before the start of each sprint, we were able to easily keep track of the project + identify, remove any blockers that either team was facing.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The skill of their people and their ability to proactively communicate. They've got a fabulous team that treated the app as their own.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am Managing Director of a digital product engineering business.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire SoluteLabs?

We hired SoluteLabs to create a product for us.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to ensure we had a high quality product at the end of the project with a top user experience. We wanted to rapidly start and complete. We also wanted to use modern frameworks and techniques.

SOLUTION

How did you select SoluteLabs?

SoluteLabs were recommended to me by another excellent supplier.

Describe the project in detail.

The project we embarked upon with SoluteLabs was a communication and information app, built on google's Flutter framework so that it's a single point of code which are then distributed across Android and iOS. There was a technical spefication and brief put together as well as initial calls to facilitate discussion afterwards. Questions were asked as we moved through the design phase. We sent sketched wireframes which were turned into a prototype from SoluteLabs and then on to navigable prototypes.

There was discussion and guidance throughout. Once the build was complete we were given test versions which we could feed back any changes. The builds were always stable and well tested before reaching us. Throughout the final stages of pushing the app live SoluteLabs took an active part in submitting the apps to the stores for us and supported with the marketing.

What was the team composition?

The team composition was made up of managers, project managers and skill specialists. We had involvement with the right people at the right time. The team grew and shrank fluidly at necessary stages as I would expect.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The product is successful in that we hit all of the goals we set out to hit. We didn't have specific metrics for this project, only that we wanted it to be able to communicate well to those who have it and for that reason alone we see it as a success.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

I felt the workflow was particularly good. We all communicated well and any feedback was taken on board and discussed with no issues. We had slight miscommunications at times, which were quickly resolved.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their standard of work is high.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Like any good business they are in demand so at times difficult to reach, this is unavoidable and we appreciate it's the product of providing a good service.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are a startup building a social audio app platform. I am one of the Co-Founders.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire SoluteLabs?

To build iOS, Android and web apps, including back end

What were your goals for this project?

Complete the platforms and design in a nice looking scalable way

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

One of our Co-Founders met one of their founders through a common friend in India

Describe the project in detail.

We had to develop first an iOS app where the user could listen to podcasts and create short clips. This required UI and back end work. Then we needed to develop a web app to run on desktop and mobile and finally an Android app, all with the same branding and back end.

What was the team composition?

Two front end programmers, one back end and a QA person

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They were able to develop the applications consistently across all platforms in roughly 9 months. Some of the work was complicated because it required work that was not able to be done strictly in React so it required the mixing of native code in the front ends. Everything works well in the end.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

It was very good, we did daily standups and communication channels were open throughout the day. They were very responsive.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I thought they were organized internally so the coordination between management and the developers, QA, were good. One of the founders was very involved and he's knowledgeable.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Certain sprints could have been less buggy, but overall they were good at catching bugs before they got to us and speed was excellent.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of a technology platform that helps local businesses retain and engage with their customers through loyalty marketing.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SoluteLabs?

We weren’t satisfied with our current technology partner and wanted someone to could add value to our services, contribute insights, and build a robust, scalable platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

SoluteLabs is developing a Ruby on Rails platform from scratch that will be used by over 800 businesses. They’re handling everything from the database and modules on the backend to designing the product’s architecture.

As a customer management tool, the system will display analytics regarding customer engagement. SoluteLabs is also developing iOS and Android apps as well. Our in-house team is designing them.

We’re continuing to work with them to conceptualize what our platform could be tomorrow, regarding adding more tools and features to create the best customer experience for our members.

What is the team composition?

They assigned a project manager to work in our office and act as our main point of contact. There are 6–7 people working for us at the moment.

How did you come to work with SoluteLabs?

A friend who’d worked with them before recommended them. After looking at several companies, we went with Solute Labs because their vision was in-line with how we wanted to grow. Additionally, we wanted a company whose size was comparable to ours and could work with us as a partner. SoluteLabs was compatible with our scale.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent 2,000,000 Indian Rupees ($28,000 USD) so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since December 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve achieved a rapid growth rate and started to minimize costs (servers) and create more efficient processes. Their support and suggestions on the technology part have made our product much better.

How did SoluteLabs perform from a project management standpoint?

They've been pretty good. We have active communication with them and haven’t had any challenges so far.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They understand our vision and are able to cope with the speed of development while ensuring the platform is robust enough to handle our usage. Our previous partner didn’t understand where we wanted to go, so the product they made us wasn’t scalable and limited our sales team’s ability to bring new customers on board. SoluteLabs changed all that.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The scope of work grew more complicated after we started the project, and they could’ve been a bit better regarding timeline planning. A difference of even 1–2 weeks means a lot for us.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

It’s important to put together a clear scope of work before starting and ensuring the team understands what you expect of them. This will help gauge output and deliverables.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm CEO and founder of the App CardRewardz, which is available in the USA and India on both Apple and Android app stores. We developed a consumer product to provide credit card and coupon/sales recommendations to consumers while they are shopping.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire SoluteLabs?

We hired Solute to develop a complex algorithmic consumer app to be released on both the Apple and Android store.

What were your goals for this project?

The engagement was a long-term, iterative approach to build a product from scratch.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We were a small startup building our idea from scratch. Other companies had hefty overhead and were too expensive. Other companies were more oriented towards getting the project by whatever means possible to start billing, without really understanding the complexity of the product and what challenges we might have in building a solution. Solute's team is hands on including the founders who have wealth of experience and knowledge. The Solute team was open to working as a part of our team, joining our vision to overcome the difficulties we foresaw.

Describe the project in detail.

We started with iOS first & then branched out to Android. There were many challenges we had to overcome; we needed a good use of GPS, comparing the GPS location with our database and with 3rd party location API to filter results. We used geofencing technology to send notifications and email verifications using 3rd party applications. We were cautious about battery usage to enhance the overall performance optimization of the app. We integrated Google Analytics, Mixpanel & other analytical tools to get the data we needed. The app was completely API enabled on JSON/RESTful implementation.

What was the team composition?

We had 2 App developers, a backend developer, user experience resources, and a visual designer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They have excellent teamwork. We launched 2 apps in 2 countries. Thus far, everything is working great.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Our working relationship is open, flexible, and accommodating to a great extent. We had monthly release cycles, worked on by a small agile team. Every release saw a set of new features and bug fixes released.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Solute's founders are ready to take on any challenge, they provide great training and coaching to the rest of the team. They have the competency to pick up any challenge.

Are there any areas for improvement?

They could do more to hire good, motivated engineers, and take on more complex software projects to build their reputation and intellectual property. They need to get more involved in research-related projects for upcoming new technologies, and also choose their clients carefully.