Somnio Software

BACKGROUND

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

• Firstly, we aimed to develop a mobile e-commerce application that would complement our existing web presence. The main objective was to enable our customers to purchase our products directly from their mobile devices, so we needed an intuitive and visually appealing user interface that represented our brand and facilitated easy navigation.
• Secondly, we wanted to have the capability to generate and manage new promotions through the application. This was crucial to driving sales and improving customer retention. To achieve this, we either needed to implement a promotions management system within the app or integrate it with our existing system.
• Lastly, one of the most important goals was to integrate the application with our existing e-commerce system and consume its data. This meant working with XML and JSON data formats and converting them into a format that the application could easily handle. Additionally, it was vital to ensure that any changes made in the existing e-commerce system system automatically reflected in the application to maintain data consistency.

SOLUTION

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Co-founder of GASM Inc.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Sexual Wellbeing, Adult Exploration & Education App

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Somnio Software to accomplish?

• Develop MVP of GASM app
• Establish ongoing development process
• Test and deploy GASM app

SOLUTION

How did you find Somnio Software?

Online Search

Why did you select Somnio Software over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost

How many teammates from Somnio Software were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Our journey with Somnio Software began as a Staff Augmentation arrangement, and it quickly evolved into something far more transformative. The team initiated the collaboration with an in-depth audit of our existing processes. The results of this audit were not only insightful but also served as the foundation for the subsequent phases of our partnership. They transitioned into our Full Product Development partner, delivering a high-quality MVP in two months.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Completion of MVP within a Specified Time-frame: Somnio Software successfully developed and delivered the MVP for the GASM App within two months. Given the tight time-frame mentioned, this swift development showcases efficiency and a capability to meet deadlines. 
• Audit Results and Process Improvements: Somnio's complementary audit of GASM's processes was a critical first step. The fact that this audit led to actionable insights and shaped the direction of the project suggests it was comprehensive and valuable. 
• Staff Augmentation to Full Product Development: The transition from merely augmenting the staff to taking on the full responsibility of product development indicates Somnio Software's successful integration into the project and the trust GASM placed in their capabilities. 
• Team Composition Efficiency: With just a team of five individuals (a Project Manager, three Software Developers, and a Quality Assurance Tester), they were able to deliver a high-quality MVP. This reflects a well-optimized team structure and efficient resource utilization.

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

• Project Management Approach: Somnio Software's project management was a standout aspect of the collaboration. Their approach was characterized by a blend of proactivity, innovation, and adaptability. 
• Audit-Driven Approach: At the onset, their Project Manager undertook a comprehensive audit of GASM's existing processes. This audit served dual purposes: firstly, it highlighted areas of improvement, and secondly, it laid the foundation for subsequent project phases. This introspective beginning ensured that the collaboration was rooted in an understanding of existing challenges and opportunities. 
• Clear Communication: Effective communication was a hallmark of their project management. This ensured a smooth exchange of ideas, prompt addressal of queries, and alignment of expectations. 
• Adaptive Transition: Initially, the collaboration was envisioned as a Staff Augmentation model. However, based on the insights from the audit and evolving project requirements, Somnio Software seamlessly transitioned to becoming the Full Product Development partner. This adaptability underscores their commitment to aligning their services with the client's needs. 
• Timeliness: Somnio Software displayed a commendable commitment to deadlines. They successfully developed and delivered the MVP for the GASM App within a tight time-frame of two months. Their ability to meet this deadline, especially given the importance of showcasing the MVP to potential investors, is a testament to their efficiency and time management skills. 
• Responsiveness to Needs: Somnio Software exhibited remarkable responsiveness throughout the project: 
• Understanding Client Vision: They not only grasped the technical requirements but also resonated deeply with GASM's mission, ensuring that the app's development was in harmony with its intended purpose. 
• Proactive Problem-Solving: Challenges were met with a proactive mindset. Their solutions-driven approach ensured that potential roadblocks were addressed even before they could impact the project's progress. 
• Flexibility and Collaboration: Somnio Software's approach was characterized by flexibility. They readily adapted to evolving requirements and provided valuable recommendations, highlighting their role not just as a service provider but as a collaborative partner.

What was your primary form of communication with Somnio Software?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

• Seamless Integration: Somnio Software didn't function as an external entity; they became an integral part of the project journey. Their ability to blend seamlessly with GASM's vision and mission speaks volumes about their collaborative spirit and adaptability. 
• Proactive Problem-Solving: Their proactive approach to challenges sets them apart. Instead of merely reacting to problems, they anticipated potential roadblocks and devised innovative solutions, ensuring uninterrupted progress. 
• Unwavering Commitment to Quality: Every aspect of the project, from the initial audit to the MVP's final delivery, showcased Somnio Software's dedication to excellence. Their focus wasn't just on delivering a product but ensuring it was of the highest quality. 
• Effective Communication: Communication is the backbone of any successful project, and Somnio Software excelled in this domain. They ensured a smooth and transparent flow of information, fostering a spirit of trust and mutual respect. 
• Innovative Thinking: Somnio Software's approach was characterized by a mix of pragmatism and creativity. They were not content with conventional solutions and consistently sought out-of-the-box strategies that aligned with GASM's unique requirements. 
• Deep Technical Expertise: Their profound knowledge in Flutter and mobile app development was evident throughout the project. They were not just executors but also advisors, guiding GASM with valuable recommendations based on their technical prowess. 
• Consultative Approach: Unlike many vendors who limit themselves to specified roles, Somnio Software took on a consultative mantle. From the initial audit to suggesting optimal architectures, they functioned as true partners, deeply invested in GASM's success. 
• Adaptive Transition: Their ability to shift from a Staff Augmentation model to Full Product Development, based on project insights and needs, highlights their flexibility and commitment to delivering the best value.

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

Throughout our journey together, we've found no areas that require improvement. Their proactive approach to problem-solving, exceptional communication, and commitment to quality have left us fully satisfied with every facet of their service.

BACKGROUND

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

• Mobile Application
• Flutter
• Excellent usability

SOLUTION

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

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CTO of Martime Payment Solutions (ShipMoney)

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

ShipMoney is an industry-leading provider of digital payment solutions for maritime companies throughout the world facilitating crew wages, cash-to-master payments, allotments, international corporate remittances, network payments, money transfers, payroll advances, onboard expenses, and all other forms of shoreside and onboard payments.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Somnio Software to accomplish?

• Create native Shipmoney mobile application
• One code base and can be deployed in Andriod , iOS and Web browser

SOLUTION

How did you find Somnio Software?

• Online Search
• Clutch Site

Why did you select Somnio Software over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost

How many teammates from Somnio Software were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

Create a Flutter /Dart base Application with a single code base that can be deployed in Android, iOS and Web browsers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our goals for this project were to improve the overall user experience, make the platform more intuitive for our customers, and maintain the performance and security of our existing apps.

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

During the project, Somnio developed our entire customer platform, integrating payment services from all our partners, as well as mobile top-ups, money transfers, and more.

What was your primary form of communication with Somnio Software?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

What we found most impressive about Somnio was their ability to simplify the decision-making process and solve problems creatively with great critical thinking. They took ownership of the project, which allowed us to focus on the more important decisions, while they solved daily challenges.

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

We did not identify any areas for improvement with Somnio Software during our collaboration. They delivered high-quality work, and were always proactive in finding solutions to any issues that arose.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO of Crafted Pour

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

B2C and B2B platform for hosting craft cocktail recipes and spirits information.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Somnio Software to accomplish?

• Create user friendly mobile application
• Maintain platform scalability and stability
• Maintain backward compatibility with our preexisting web application
• Create a web plugin for display app content on 3rd party websites

SOLUTION

How did you find Somnio Software?

Referral

Why did you select Somnio Software over others?

• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Willing to do maintenance after the core project

How many teammates from Somnio Software were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

The project involved the creation of a mobile app based on a website of a social network where users could create profiles, share their recipes, interact with others, and view profiles of bartenders, brands, and bars. Somnio performed UX design, app development, Firebase architecture, and QA. 

The app also allowed users to save their favorite recipes, making it more than just a recipe book. It was a platform that facilitated the sharing of knowledge and ideas among professionals. It also involved creating a complementary B2B website plugin for business clients to integrate the same content into their websites.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Over 2,000 recipes have been submitted through the app, and over 600 users have signed up to date. We now have 3 paying clients using the B2B plugin. This is a testament to the skill and dedication of their team in developing a robust and comprehensive app. 

We were also impressed with the successful interoperability connection that Somnio Software established between Flutter and other technologies. This allowed us to seamlessly integrate our app with other tools and platforms that we use, further enhancing the value that we were able to provide to our users.

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

There was a close follow-up from the beginning of the project, with weekly meetings and a weekly status report. During these meetings, we reviewed the progress of the project, made changes to the scope, and kept us informed of the next steps to take. This regular communication and collaboration allowed us to ensure that the project was meeting our needs and expectations, and any issues were addressed promptly.

What was your primary form of communication with Somnio Software?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

What we found most impressive about Somnio Software was their ability to deliver a high-quality Flutter app that met our requirements perfectly. Their team showed exceptional technical expertise, with a deep understanding of the Flutter framework, as well as an understanding of our industry and specific needs. They were able to create an app that not only looked great but also performed exceptionally well, with smooth animations, fast loading times, and intuitive user interactions.

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

Our experience with Somnio Software was very positive. I would recommend anyone using outsourced development make sure to dedicate adequate time to developing and reviewing specifications and releases and give constant feedback. If so, you can expect great results.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO and Tech Lead

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We needed to change our app from 2 native apps (iOS and Android) to a unified code base with Flutter. We had a very tight deadline and required a very stable highly scalable app.

SOLUTION

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

We searched, interviewed and scoped with many app developers and also investigated the different unified code bases (Flutter, React etc).

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

We had a series of meetings and provided the team with the back end APIs as well as Figma screens.

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

We had up to 8 resources from senior and junior Flutter developers, QA to Project Management.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We launched about 700 screens in 4 months with very minimal bugs, ramped up an internal team to a new code base and rigorous process (that we learnt from Somnio),

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

They are adaptive, easy to communicate with and most of all care about the work they are doing. We could engage with everyone on the team which allowed for fast and efficient interactions rather than always going through a layer of management.

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

They worked in tandem with our inhouse developers and shared their knowledge. It was impressive how seamless it was between our internal team and them.

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

Not at all.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the co-founder of Geektastic. We provide take-home code challenges as a service to scaling tech teams. We provide the platform, the technical assessments and a team of experts who carry out the reviews on candidates' submissions.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We needed a technical assessment created in Flutter. This is a new area for us so we needed to work with a team of experts who understood the space. We were also up against the clock and needed something delivered quickly.

SOLUTION

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

I met with their CEO Mauricio when he was visiting London and we stayed in touch until we needed to expand our offering to cover Dart/Flutter.

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

We had the basic challenge but this needed to be migrated to test Flutter skills so various elements of the challenge had to be rewritten.

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

We worked with Alvaro - who then liaised with the team.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They were a pleasure to work with. They quickly understood what we needed and delivered promptly.

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

We were given constant updates and they delivered exactly what we scoped and within the agreed timeframe. We couldn't have asked for more.

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

They are laser focussed on Flutter. They were a pleasure to work with.

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

Nothing to add here.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the COO of a community learning platform company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Our team was stuck on some really complicated technical authentication issues that stemmed from moving between the mobile app and the web app. We needed help with that specific problem but also refactoring sections of the entire platform.

SOLUTION

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

They were easy to work with and came up with a model we could afford. It was obvious they had deep understanding of flutter and experience on all kinds of solutions.

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

First step was onboarding and some work on key refactoring, then moved quickly into helping solve the authentication issues. We successfully deployed on android, iOS and the web our fixes.

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

2 key team members worked with us. A developer and QA tester.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

100% resolved authentication issue which was blocking users from using the app. That reduced 85% of the support calls we were seeing on the platform.

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

Collaborative and listening to key feedback and what as most important.

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

Their skills and professionalism in development was amazing. You had a sense that they knew how to solve complicated problems and wanted to work with the team in an agile way.

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

Nothing I can think of.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the Engineer Manager of the Mental Health application and our healthcare company that focuses on creating simple, personalized, and accessible mental health support by combining evidence, cutting-edge tech, and user-centred design.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We needed a team of Flutter experts capable of developing a web application with this technology that should be based on our existing mobile application, which was also developed with Flutter. We hired Somnio Software for their staff augmentation service to work on one of our main products: Foundations, which is focused on mental health. They provided multiple engineers and a project manager to fulfil our requirements. Our main goal was to create a web version of one of our products, which already existed as a mobile application. After developing this web application and reaching one hundred per cent feature parity, the next step was to make the required refactors and changes to have a single modularized codebase that could be shared between mobile and web applications.

SOLUTION

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

We had our mobile application developed with Flutter, so we knew that we required a company with the experience and skills in both Flutter and Dart, and, more importantly, in developing web applications with the technologies mentioned above. When we met with Somnio, we saw they had the expertise we were looking for.

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

Foundations is a mobile application available for iOS and Android; it is an evidence-based, science-backed application focused on improving the user’s mental health by providing them with multiple activities composed of different multimedia elements. Apart from that, the app also provides users with information about mental health and has an interactive feature where they can earn badges by completing activities. Somnio’s team started to work almost immediately and managed to meet both our expectations and the deadlines in every single stage. They were also dedicated and eager to improve and learn from our guidelines. While working on the web app, they implemented Flutter best practices and some architecture improvements compared to the existing mobile product. In addition, they worked closely with our cybersecurity team to meet our security requirements and with our backend team to integrate the web application with a completely new backend. Last but not least, they implemented unit and widget testing to the web application to increase the team performance and the code quality.

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

The team was composed of multiple developers and a project manager from Somnio Software, who worked on the initial features of Foundations web, such as the authentication process and the addition of the main content. After finishing this stage, the team changed and was composed of 4 developers that took care of reaching the 100% mentioned above feature parity and then focused on adding improvements to the existing project and finished the single code base project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Foundations is one of our main products; therefore, offering a web version allowed us to reach more clients and grow our user base. And since our vision is “mental health, for all”, the web application allowed us to improve the user’s accessibility to the product.

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

The project was divided into three stages, in which Somnio Software managed the project exemplary. They could always fulfil our close deadlines and communicate with our team, regardless of the time zone difference.

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

Somnio Software had an incredible knowledge of Flutter, which was impressive. They defined a highly scalable architecture and were up-to-date with Flutter’s best practices. Moreover, they worked on every new feature with excitement, always taking into account border cases, going one step further, and aiming to have the highest code quality.

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

It's hard for me to think of anything at this point. Their work has been excellent, and we look forward to continuing our partnership.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the COO of ICUC, a medical research group focused on medical education. Through our platform, orthopedic surgeons and residents can access surgical cases, review treatments from the world's leading surgeons, and learn from them. Managing ICUC team operations, dealing with day-to-day issues to ensure processes run smoothly is my responsibility.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

ICUC already had an iPad-specific application, so we hired Somnio Software to migrate this application to the web, including desktop, iOS, and Android platforms. The aim of the migration was to make ICUC platform available in any device while adding new features.

SOLUTION

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

We became aware of Somnio Software through a recommendation. After a few meetings with Somnio Software team, becoming familiar with their work methodologies, processes, and experience and their presentation of the project proposal, we decided to hire them.

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

Somnio Software developed ICUC web application for multi platforms from the previous iPad-specific application. This job required a review and deep understanding of the code done for the previous application as well as our needs as clients. They successfully developed and thoroughly tested the application.

They also did a good management of the project. Our goals consisted of two parts: first, we wanted to renovate our platform towards something newer, more accessible, with better usability and user experience, that was easy to navigate. In addition, our main objective was to be able to present a demo of the application at one of the world’s most significant traumatology events, for which we had a tight deadline.

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

The team was composed of three software engineers, one project manager and a QA tester.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

As a result of the project, a user friendly, fast and functional web application was created that works well both on desktop and mobile devices. With ICUC web app, the user can easily navigate through the complete series of surgical cases as well as easily search for specific cases they are interested in.

Now we have a unified platform with a very large database of surgical cases, including navigation of 3D models. This project was done in a very tight schedule as we had to run a demo of ICUC web app in the world’s most significant orthopedic course, just after three months of the kick-start.

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

The project management was very effective. We had weekly meetings where Somnio Software team showed us their progress, we grounded our expectations, exchanged ideas and suggestions with the aim of delivering the bes version of the app. They quickly understood our goal and made very good use of the code that was already available.

The project was very challenging due to the short deadlines, but they managed it very well, effectively prioritizing what was most important to get done for the demo. Somnio Software also performed usability tests with real users (orthopedic surgeons and residents), from which they gathered many insights. On the basis of these results, they implemented several improvements.

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

Being a recently born company, Somnio Software greatly contributed to our platform beyond the product they developed by advising us on how to implement certain features. They managed to meet the tight deadlines of our project while delivering a fast, responsive, and intuitive application for a complex data base with nice features.

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

There is always something to improve, but I see nothing meaningful to mention. They were very open to suggestions and quickly adapted to our expectations.