SparxIT

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am working with Dave's Tree & Stump Services as manager. I handle all the third-party deals and processes.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Sparx IT Solutions?

We hired Sparx IT Solutions to create a website for our company that offers services for tree removal and stump grinding. They designed and developed our website.

What were your goals for this project?

To bring our business online and capture the new market. We wanted to create this website as it has become mandatory for businesses these days otherwise you face a lot of challenges in gaining trust.

SOLUTION

How did you select Sparx IT Solutions?

Someone referred this firm to our CEO. So, he asked me to connect with them. There was no such selection sort of thing.

Describe the project in detail.

We are into tree removal and stump grinding services. It is profitable to have a website to get in touch with new and existing customers. Sparx IT Solutions handled everything for this transition. They designed the website, finalized a layout, and then developed it.

What was the team composition?

The team consisted of a designer, a front-end developer, 2 full-stack developers, and a quality analysis support team. This team was headed by an account manager who represented them in all meetings and other coordination.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The final outcome was as outstanding as we wanted. In fact, everything was discussed before implementation. So, it was a team effort and now we have a website which is performing very well and our clients are happier than before.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Everything was planned, discussed, and finalized before implementing the final process. Stage by stage we finalized everything together.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

hey asked a lot of questions and that's impressive for me because it showed how interested they were in the project.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I think they should be less explanatory. We know the business, not the technical stuff. They explained everything so much that I got confused.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am associated with ExpressionCo which is an online sticker, pins, and patches selling company. I am working as a project manager with them.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Sparx IT Solutions?

My company hired Sparx IT Solutions to create an eCommerce mobile app for my company’s digital presence.

What were your goals for this project?

We already have a website for our store, but today, it is the era of mobile apps. So, we thought of expanding our business by getting an eCommerce app developed.

SOLUTION

How did you select Sparx IT Solutions?

I and my team did great research for companies that are into eCommerce app development services. We reached out to many companies after finding them on Clutch. With Sparx IT Solutions, everything went smoothly and we chose them for the final quotation as well.

Describe the project in detail.

We wanted to get an E-commerce app developed with a similar design as that of our website. Our aim was to extend our reach. We discussed our needs and goals with their team. Apart from this, we wanted a strong payment system with multiple options.

What was the team composition?

There were 2 eCommerce developers, one mobile app developer, 1 quality analyst in the team that worked on my project exclusively during the complete tenure. The team was headed by a project manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

No, there are no such outcomes that I can share. The only thing related to outcomes is we have received feedback from our customers who have been shopping from us for a long time that the app is equally or even better than the website.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Regular updates from their end and our end too helped us maintain fruitful communication through the project.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

There is nothing unique that I found in this company. The well-defined processes can be said to be an impressive quality.

Are there any areas for improvement?

They do not have a combo service plan. I wanted them to redesign our website with a few features under the same contract but they wanted to set up a completely new contract for that service.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am working as a project manager with Ally Fashion. We are dealing with the latest fashion in women’s clothing.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Sparx IT Solutions?

My company hired dedicated mobile app developers from Sparx IT Solutions for four months. We wanted to develop our offline fashion store into an online store.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal for this project was to bring our offline shore on the digital platforms. We wanted the mobile app to be easy to handle while changing the status of our stock on a real-time basis. And of course, the most important target was to increase the sales.

SOLUTION

How did you select Sparx IT Solutions?

We selected Sparx IT Solutions on the recommendation of an in-house employee who worked with them in the past. Our deciding factor was trust and understanding. I had a word with their project manager. He explained about the work process and suitable solutions for my company. That was the initial factor that made us choose them.

Describe the project in detail.

We wanted to launch a single app that can be accessed on all devices. First, they shared the wireframe with complete navigation and explained it over the call. In the next step, they coded the app.

After every new functionality, they shared the progress with me for my review. A timeline was specified in the initial meetings. It was followed. For communication, we used Slack, skype, and sometimes, Webex too.

What was the team composition?

We wanted to launch a single app that can be accessed on all devices. First, they shared the wireframe with complete navigation and explained it over the call. In the next step, they coded the app. After every new functionality, they shared the progress with me for my review.

A timeline was specified in the initial meetings. It was followed. For communication, we used Slack, skype, and sometimes, Webex too.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It’s working perfectly for the past few months since its deployment. We have received positive feedback from our customers. Everything that we wanted was added to the final mobile app in four months. I won’t deny that we disagreed on a few points but ultimately, we agreed after brainstorming. They were always up for discussions.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

They developed a cross-platform app and shared updates with us regularly. The work on the agile approach which gave us flexibility. I salute them for all-time availability. They were available on all the three tools that we used any time for the meeting or text. We both adhere to the timelines of payments and work.

I would say it was a mutually agreed partnership that ended well.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The all-time availability. They will give you prompt replies anytime when you need their assistance.

Are there any areas for improvement?

They should be more clear about the technologies they will be using on the first day. They updated us in the mid of the project about a change that I didn't like. Although it didn't affect us pr the project still I would recommend them to finalize technologies at an early stage.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Lead Project Manager at AVE Design Studio which is a graphic design agency.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Sparx IT Solutions?

We hired Sparx IT Solutions for the UX/UI design of the mobile app of our graphic design agency.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted an impeccable mobile app design that is not only visually appealing but also offers a strong platform for user interaction.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I asked my team to research for the best mobile app design and development company. They shortlisted a few companies. I spoke with the representatives of these companies. Finally, after a detailed discussion, I hired Sparx IT Solutions.

Describe the project in detail.

We had an idea about our graphic design agency’s app design. Although this idea was not concrete, they listened to us patiently. We spent hours brainstorming. Their mobile app designers suggested the ideas and features that were feasible with different technologies. Their team handles the complete UX/UI design of our mobile app and kept in mind the different aspects like loading speed and user engagement.

What was the team composition?

The team which I hired consisted of UX/UI designers, testing professionals, QA analysts, and project manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The mobile app design holds immense importance in acquisition as well as retention of the users. I am not overstating but Sparx IT solutions really helped in achieving our business goals with their efficient UX/UI mobile app design services. Our graphic design agency mobile app received two times more user acquisition than we targeted for. We were also able to achieve our lead targets.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

They assigned my project to a team that was led by a project manager. I was in constant contact with the project manager. He was the point of contact. Sometimes, for better clarity, I even had discussions with their other team members including designers, testers, and QAs. There was never any issue in handling the project. I would say that everything was smooth throughout the project.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The most impressive thing was the degree of security they gave me. I am not talking about the 100% money-back guarantee policy (of course it gave me financial security) but my greater concern was the idea and data. As we are an established organization, I was reluctant to share sensitive data initially. Gradually, they earned my trust with a strict NDA.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No one is perfect. I am not sure which of their areas need improvement. Only they can tell this.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Director at a Party Invitations Platform which allows people to invite and manage those invites.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Sparx IT Solutions?

I was looking for a mobile app development company to work as my partner while changing my app idea into reality.

What were your goals for this project?

I wanted to create a platform that can be used by parents to invite people to their children’s party.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

One of my developer friends suggested this organization because of their decade-old experience in mobile app development.

Describe the project in detail.

I wanted to provide users with a platform that not only allows them to invite people but also manage their invites. Sparx IT Solutions worked on an agile development process and took my constant feedback. They implemented my every suggestion and delivered an Android and iOS app as per my requirements.

What was the team composition?

The dedicated team that they delegated for my projects consisted of an experienced project manager, quality analysts, coders, and UX/UI designers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They helped me in the deployment of both the apps successfully. Soon after the launch, the reviews section was flooded with positive feedback. For this, I want to thank their testing team.

They really invested many hours to make sure my app offers the best usability and performance. I did not face any issue in the device compatibility also. So, yes I was able to achieve amazing user engagement with their perfect mobile app development services.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Sparx IT Solutions follow an agile approach for delivering their services. I was connected with their team over various communication channels throughout the project. In fact, I was a close participant in every stage of development.

They took my every suggestion and feedback in a constructive way. Finally, they delivered my dream apps for party invitation platforms according to my needs.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their individualistic approach is what I found most impressive about them. It is true that I was already having an app idea but their inputs were from the eye of a technical person.

They gave out-of-the-box suggestions to make my app more useful for the customers. Their designers and developers understand the needs of the users and work according to them. So, this really helped me in making my apps more revenue-generating.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I do not think but yes I want them to be more considerate with their timings. I know it was my suggestions that consumed extra time but they must allot some extra hours for the implementation of such suggestions.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am Sheena Coleen working as a product manager at Online Education Co. We are an online education platform connecting learners to expert educators, trainers, and tutors. Learners get benefits of learning from any device and get quality education from top educators right from their dwellings.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Sparx IT Solutions?

I was in search of a website design company to design an educational website for our organization. I found Sparx IT Solutions as the right partner for website design and entrusted our work.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted a responsive educational website that should work seamlessly on different devices be it smartphones, tablets, desktops, or laptops. The website had to be user-friendly with easy navigation and excellent appearance.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Before choosing Sparx IT Solutions for the work I did thorough research on the internet and listed out 3-4 companies. I discussed with the representatives of those companies and found the representative from Sparx IT Solutions more satisfactory. So, I decided to hand over our project to this company.

Describe the project in detail.

Firstly, I communicated all our requirements and expectations with the Sparx IT Solutions team who assured us of the best work. They facilitated a design sprint for us. Whenever I shared my feedback with them they always responded. They designed the website as per our expectations and included prevailing web design trends.

The team became more involved with the advancement of the project. They designed our website from top to bottom using the best web design techniques and methodologies. The finished website was completely responsive and It looked amazing on every device. The user interface is impressive with easy to use functionality.

Everything from user onboarding to live sessions is amazing with a great overall user experience. They worked on every detail and designed the whole website as per our expectations. I really appreciate their hard work.

What was the team composition?

3-4 people were involved in the project from their end, and I was the only person coordinating with the team from my end.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have been receiving a lot of appreciation from our website users since its launch. The way they designed our website is impressive and our users are also liking it. The user engagement with our site is good as users love to spend time with our site. From the user interface point of view, they have created easy navigation.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

They managed the whole project effectively as everything was well-coordinated and perfectly arranged. I had regular phone calls with them once a week to talk about project updates. My feedback was always valued and whenever I requested any change they made such changes.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Everything about them is impressive, from workflow management, communication, responsiveness to quality of work. They are commendable.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, I do not remember anything that they should need to improve on.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the CEO of a management consulting company. We offer online tools for management consultants.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Sparx IT Solutions?

I wanted to find a subcontractor who would be able to take charge of the technical development of the website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I gave them two functions to develop that would be integrated into my website. This is part of a line of services that we offer that are sort of like online questionnaires. I wanted them to develop two functions.

The first function would enable clients to insert their own logo when using the questionnaire. The other function would enable someone to compare different results using the same questionnaire. Users would be able to compare results with similar organizations.  

What is the team composition?

There was an account manager, who was more of the salesperson and I didn’t work very much with her. There was a project manager, a technical lead, and probably one or two other developers.

One issue we ran into was that it was difficult to know who was working on the project at any given time. 

How did you come to work with Sparx IT Solutions?

I looked online at different IT providers. I set up online bidding for the project. Sparx IT Solutions was one of the bidders and I decided to test them for these two functions.

How much have you invested in them?

We spent around €8,000 (approximately $8,650 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

I think we began our contract with them in February 2019. They completed the first function at the beginning of June. After that, they started to work on the other functionality. A month ago, I had to tell them to stop because the engagement was not working out.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Describe the impact this engagement has had on your business.

The first functionality was delivered, but it is something I have to change because it isn’t up to my standards.

At the end of the day, it seemed like they were making some progress, but the delivery was not there. It got to the point where I stopped the project because it took a year to develop two functions.

How was project management handled?

They had no methodology. When they sell their services, they claim that they use Agile and waterfall methodologies. However, they did not provide any evidence that they were doing that. First, I asked them to share their work through a tool such as Jira so I could see the sprints and be involved. However, they were unable to provide any of that to me. 

Then they said they were using more of a waterfall methodology. I told them that if they were using waterfall, they should be able to provide me with their plans. They never provided me with any information. 

I also told them I wanted to have two conference calls per week where they could tell me what was going on. I asked them to show me the screens so that I could see if they understood our goals. They took two or three months to show me three or four screens and we went back and forth multiple times. 

They started this function in June 2019, and couldn't finish by February 2020, so I decided to do it myself. I wanted to know how long it would take to develop the function myself. I did it within three and a half days.

Is there anything that the vendor did well or that you would consider a strength?

The account manager is good at selling. 

In what specific areas can they improve?

One of the challenges was that they had to interact with an already existing website, but there was a lot of time spent explaining what functions to use. There were times I heard nothing from them, and they told me someone was sick and needed to be replaced. This happened three or four times. This went on for months. 

When they changed the team in August, she asked me for another chance because they were going to commit to delivering the results. In February, when I told them to just stop, she asked for another chance saying they will commit.

I asked for a refund and I told her that I would commit to paying them if they delivered. However, eventually, I decided it was best to terminate the project because they couldn’t accommodate my requests.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am Derak Adam, Lead Manager at Vitagene. At Vitagene, we leverage genetics and explore your ancestral heritage to provide personalized health and nutritional recommendations.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Sparx IT Solutions?

We hired Sparx IT Solutions for two reasons, first, we wanted to create an e-commerce website and second, we also needed an ecommerce mobile app to offer our DNA health testing kits.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted a responsive e-commerce website with multiple payment options and a handy backend. We also require a cross-platform e-commerce mobile application with extensive features. Both the website and mobile app had to be optimized for the best user experience.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I browsed through dozens of companies on the internet and after some research I found Sparx IT Solutions to be a promising partner for our project.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

They developed an ecommerce exactly what we were expecting for. The website they built includes very secure and multiple payment options, user experience is awesome, and the backend is quite easy to handle with the custom interface they built. We have a similar experience with the ecommerce mobile app that runs on multiple platforms. The UI/UX of the mobile app is awe-inspiring.

What was the team composition?

There were many people involved in the project including a project manager, designers, developers, and some guy from the business development team.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

They started working after understanding our requirements and didn’t let us down. The end products they delivered are excellent and met all our business needs. While the ecommerce website runs flawlessly on every device providing the best user experience, the mobile app is also fast, secure, and loaded with beautiful design and user-friendly features.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

The team I was in touch with quickly responded to me and provided regular reports on the progress of the project. Their processes are streamlined with an agile approach. Whatever milestones they set, they were able to reach them.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

What impressed me most about the Sparx IT Solutions team was their responsiveness. Every single time when I tried to reach them, they were readily available. Another good point about them is their talented workforce who provides a delightful experience to their clients.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I don’t think there is any area for improvement, they are doing a good job.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of a marketing agency.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Sparx IT Solutions?

We already had solid SEO efforts in place, but we wanted more bandwidth for our efforts with our clients. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The goal was to have Sparx IT Solutions work on our client sites, but we first wanted them to work on our site to see what they could do. We only hired them for SEO services.

What is the team dynamic?

I only had one point of contact. They promised that they had several project managers behind the scenes, but I never interacted with them.

How did you come to work with Sparx IT Solutions?

I found them on LinkedIn. My point of contact sent me a lot of messages there, trying to partner with us. He was so tenacious that I got the impression that they’d translate that energy into results. There are a lot of SEO companies out there, but Sparx IT Solutions was the only one who reached out to me. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We first paid for their services in September 2019. Our last communication was in January 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

How did your relationship with Sparx IT Solutions evolve?

Once we started working with them, the first thing Sparx IT Solutions asked was for payment in advance. I was a little skeptical at first because it’s an offshore company, but I knew that a lot of people use offshore companies, so I came around to it and paid them through PayPal. 

After that, nothing was happening. We had no communication and no evidence that they were doing anything. A few weeks later, the team came back with an apology that they were sick or on holiday; I don’t remember. That didn’t seem like a valid excuse from a large company; we shouldn’t have been on hold like that.

What problems arose and what did Sparx IT Solutions do to address them?

I then filed a complaint through PayPal. PayPal told Sparx IT Solutions to refund my money. That immediately got their attention. They called me and promised to do the work in exchange for retracting the dispute.

After that, they never did anything. They came back and recommended that they build landing pages for us, but they needed more money to build that. It became a pattern: they constantly asked for more money and then did not provide the service they promised. I couldn’t file another complaint with PayPal because I already retracted the previous dispute. My point of contact then promised to give me a full refund. We never received that refund, and they ignored all my follow-up messages.

How was project management handled?

They set up a portal to communicate with me about the project. However, it wasn’t user-friendly, and they rarely communicated at all.

Is there anything that the vendor did well or that you would consider a strength?

They sent me a lot of links to work they said they completed. I also saw that they had a couple of Clutch reviews. We also use Clutch and know that the reviews are thorough. That made me think that Sparx IT Solutions was okay to work with.

What advice do you have for clients with similar needs to yours?

Be very cautious. Pay them after they’ve completed the work. I don’t know if I had a bad representative, but I’d never pay them in advance again.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am Andrew Washington and I am the Virtual Assistant at JW Business Solutions Ltd, a computer software company in the United States.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Sparx IT Solutions?

I wanted them to develop a custom Android shopping app that provides real-time updates to the clients and handle the data management process and workflow seamlessly.

What were your goals for this project?

My main aim was to offer our clients with image documentation of the services with quick speed and no bugs. We wanted an Android shopping app that would be more productive. Since we had no in-house developers, we required a knowledgeable and significant team to develop an engaging and user-friendly Android app.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I found them on Clutch and got to send the query and called us back. As soon as they reached us, we did a quick interview with their developers. I found them very sharp, updated with the latest tools and technologies, immediate graspers which I really wanted, even though it is an unusual gig.

From the very beginning, they had an answer for every question that I put up. Because the development was fast-paced, I required somebody who could invest their time and inputs and they did not fail. As soon as I found this, I hired them.

Describe the project in detail.

Their team fully supported us right from articulating the initial functional app specification to the implementation of technical design. They did not just focus on building the Android shopping app but rather aimed for the purpose of the app. They checked my expectations and challenged their ideas. My team and our customers were equally happy about the final product.

What was the team composition?

Sparx was very flexible with staffing. We scaled up & down depending on our requirements. Majorly, we worked with 3-4 team members. Their Android app developers and the project manager dedicatedly work right from the development stage to the launch.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The Android shopping app they developed gave various types of data which include profit margin, average service completion time, employee response time, etc. Moreover, our Android app is quick and we have seen more potential users. They allowed us to capture the huge insight into the customer base. Hence, we quickly tracked down our salesforce. This partnership had gained huge success.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We usually got to chat on the Google Hangouts, PMS channel and sometimes we used Skype for the quick call. I can assuredly say that Sparx has hired experienced and talented Android app developers who are well-versed with the latest technologies. They simply asked about my concepts and challenged me with their ideas.

I can summarize that it was one of the best collaborations. I would surely associate with Sparx further. My clients, as well as employees, were happy with our applications. We have got more users and we are expecting huge traffic.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The Android developers at Sparx are truly enthusiastic about their work. The whole team went above and beyond in their engagement with us. Sparx has met the majority of our benchmarks. Their agile development empowered my team.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I do not think so, their PMS was quite tricky initially but soon my team got over it. Moreover, their Android developers were able to take up any challenges that we threw their way. Their experts took our product to the very next level.