Special Man Global Solution LTD

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Parivest Technologies Ltd., a real estate company. We provide a fixed-income product to our investors.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Special Man Global Solution LTD?

We wanted to build a mobile app for the public. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We hired Special Man Global Solution LTD to build our mobile app. Initially, we gave them a list of business requirements to create a product that would let users access investment products. The app needed a working coupon-based mechanism in the backend, and it had to calculate coupons on a daily basis. They did all the UI, backend, and coding. 

On the backend, we needed to see the individual coupons being calculated and know the liabilities of the individual investors. On the frontend, users could see how much their coupons had accrued daily. Those were some of the most significant pieces of functionality they had to build. Also, they integrated several payment gateways and wallets into our system. We wanted multi-currency wallet functionality, including a GBP and a Neuron wallet.

We just started the second phase of development. We’re taking a more active role, ensuring that every functionality is defined explicitly because we have a better understanding of the product. We’ve negotiated the terms to deliver the next phase. We have five new functionalities that we want to introduce within the next 2–3 months. For instance, coupons are being calculated half-yearly, and we want it to be done quarterly. We also want users to fund wallets directly rather than pay for the investment directly and make the charges cheaper and easier to understand. Additionally, we’ll look at US dollar-based products in the future.

What is the team composition?

We’re in contact with their corporate liaison and CTO.

How did you come to work with Special Man Global Solution LTD?

We found them on Clutch.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $5,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in February 2021, and they delivered the app at the beginning of May 2022. However, our relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were happy with the product we received. We launched the app in a test phase in a controlled environment to get feedback from users. They really liked the app and said it was easy to use. Some people were a little frustrated with the onboarding process, but that’s how it works on finance apps. We have to go through the AML process and provide details. Once users do that, it’s easy to navigate.

Moreover, we can’t run our business without the app, so it’s had an enormous impact. We haven’t had any crushes; we’ve only experienced one bug. I never saw it during testing; a friend spotted it. They’ll be fixing it soon.

How did Special Man Global Solution LTD perform from a project management standpoint?

They weren’t great at meeting deadlines, probably because they didn’t grasp the enormity of building a finance app with complex calculations like coupons. Once they understood it, it was easy for them to move forward. We hope this second phase will be different. In the second phase, we’re working in sprints.

We always manage our products with Excel. We communicate via WhatsApp calls, Zoom or Google Meet, and emails. If we leave them a message, they respond within 2–3 hours.

What did you find most impressive about them?

For them, it’s not just about building an app and moving on to the next customer. They want to be a part of our success story, and the team understands the scope of what we’re trying to do. However, their personal touch has done it for me. It hasn’t always been easy, but they’re always there, and nobody throws tantrums.

Are there any areas they could improve?

My main critique was their reliance on prototypes, which was corrected in the second phase. We couldn’t rely just on getting a list of requirements; building a prototype that captured our wishes wasn’t good enough.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

You need to be very clear on what you want. If you don’t have the skills, get somebody to develop the specification document for you. However, you might be able to work with them on this.