Stormotion

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Head of Engineering, responsible also for managing our development partners

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We hired Stormotion to assist us with the development of our React Native app, and later due to our high level of satisfaction with our cooperation we extended it to also work on a React Backoffice application

SOLUTION

How did you select Stormotion and what were the deciding factors?

Good communication and proactivity of the Stormotion team to propose technical improvements

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

Scope was as follows: - Due dilligence of the project - Proposal of tech and UX/UI improvements - After approval of the scope, the team managed the project themselves, making neccessary assumptions and sharing their reasoning

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

We worked with their CTO, a product manager and several developers

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

- Within 3 months the team rewrote our app to use the latest tech, covered the codebase with tests and improved the tech stack - They drastically reduced our maintenance costs .

They improved our coding standards in mobile development - They introduced several new ways of engaging our customers (longer login duration, push notifications)

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

Stormotion is very proactive, and after gaining a deep understanding of your business they are fully capable of executing on a project independently

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

Their proactiveness in proposing reasonable technical improvements and providing tangible value was impressive.

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

Not really anything to add here, we have been very happy with Stormotion.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Founder & Co-CEO of the Berlin-based startup PaketConcierge. With a technical background, I developed our initial MVP, which was a native iOS app. We orchestrate a carrier-agnostic package pick-up point (PUP) network with huge benefits for consumers. Our processes are digitalized and we rely on apps on both the PUP as well as the consumer side.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Based on the learnings from our native MVP, we commissioned Stormotion to build a mobile app using a cross-platform framework, to widen our reach to the Android platform and enable an increased dev pace moving forward. Due to a pilot project, we had tight time constraints and came up with a two milestone approach ensuring a quick initial release and then replicating all of the existing functionality.

SOLUTION

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

We had come to Stormotion through a recommendation. I would recommend the company myself when asked after this project.

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

As we are an early phase startup, the MVP had been built inhouse with limited documentation and without comprehensive wireframes. Our iOS codebase became the source of truth for the development.

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

We worked directly with Stormotion's CTO on the structure of the project. Given the small scope of project, he was our main point of contact. The enabled fast turnaround using a Slack group we set up.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

With the two milestone approach, we were able to release the initial version of our app to the Google Play Store within weeks. Then the focus shifted to replicating the full functionality of the existing native iOS app.

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

We used Slack to stay in close touch, agreeing on weekly tasks and quick feedback cycles for intermediary builds. All bugs were quickly and fully addressed.

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

My fear when nearshoring are issues with communications. Stormotion's CEO is fluent in German. The team speaks perfect English. We did not run into misunderstandings due to language problems that tend to be the norm at all.

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

Not given the limited size and scope of the project.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

The Holodomor Museum is a state museum located in Kyiv (Ukraine). It highlights the history of the genocide of the Ukrainian nation in 1932-1933 and preserves the memory of its victims. The museum conducts exhibitions, events, educational projects as well as carries out scientific and research work.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Stormotion?

We asked the Stormotion company to develop a historical and touristic app about the Holodomor in Kyiv. It should have been from scratch and both for iOS and Android.

What were your goals for this project?

The app should have served as an encyclopedia on the history of modern Kyiv's location in 1932-1933 (educational purpose) and as a tourist app which would give an opportunity to build routes through locations and discover the city. The app should primarily discover to Kyivans history of their city and serve as a self-guide around Kyiv for foreigners (the app has Ukrainian and English versions).

It can also be used during history lessons in schools and by local guides. Therefore, the app should have been visually attractive, entertaining and fast to lure as many users as possible, which would devote their free time to use the product.

SOLUTION

How did you select Stormotion?

We created a list of mobile apps developers who had the highest rating. After conducting video interviews we understood that our values correspond the values of the Stormotion team, that the team is professional and meets our requirements, and that they are serious and responsible.

The final decision was made due to the fact that Stormotion provided the most creative solutions to our tasks and we were persuaded that they could develop the best app for a young audience. The previous involvement of the Stormotion into developing apps with social impact was an advantage.

Describe the project in detail.

Our institution is not connected with the IT sector, so, first of all, we described our needs and wishes, visualised our final product and its content. Then, Stormotion presented their vision of how to bring these ideas to life. Their solutions were both reasonable and creative. For instance, we needed a database where all the information would be saved, corrected and added.

Stormotion offered to use GraphCMS system, which suited perfectly well. Besides, the app included a map of modern Kyiv and a lot of navigation around the city. To save resources and to make it more comfortable for users, developers perfectly connected it to GoogleMaps. And last but not least, a function of the "blocked content', which opens only within 400 m from location, was introduced and developed. Although it is technically quite complicated task (tracking the distance, opening/closing fields) Stormotion specialist implemented it brilliantly.

Introducing the design of the app and its adjustment took approximately a month. The final result was more than satisfying, Stormotion team has excellent taste! Two more months were needed for developing the app itself (both for iOS and Android). Publication and moderation took a week. We are very satisfied with the speed and quality of developing.

What was the team composition?

To solve our multiple tasks Stormotion provided a project manager, a designer, 2 software developers, and a test team. All process was carefully guided by CTO of Stormotion and its CEO. We stayed in touch almost every day via Slack and had 4-5 video calls.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have had more than 2000 downloads from 22 countries since the app had been released (1 month ago). During the first week after release, the app was in top-charts in Education category. Everything works perfectly well and we had no notifications about bugs from users. On the contrary, they were grateful to developers for the app, which is clearly stated in comments.

In AppStore and PlayMarket the app has 4.9 ratings. Special compliments were addressed to the design of the app and the simplicity of usage. This is the result of thoughtfulness of all functions by the developers. The app's release was well-covered in Ukrainian and foreign media (around 100 publications in general).

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We have never had a delay in communication, project manager responded almost instantly and was very personally involved in each detail of the process. We were always given feedback and could easily follow the whole process of app development: from ideas and searches and up to statistics of download.

Besides, our communication was well-structured. In general, the communication the Stormotion team provided was the main ingredient which made our common work on the project so smooth and pleasant!

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their communication and client-oriented policy are outstanding. We really felt involved in the process and understood that working on this project simultaneously enriched both sides. Stormotion team definitely loves its job and does it wholeheartedly. Their creativity was the criteria, why we chose them, and we never regretted this decision.

The app Track Holodomor History is especially popular among youth and that popularity is due to the modern approach Stormotion use and trends they follow. As a state museum, we were obliged to conduct a lot of paperwork. And Stormotion were always on time with all correctly filled documents needed, it is a rare case in our experience.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, if we needed to develop the app once more, we would do everything absolutely the same way!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

CheckMyBus is one of the leading intercity bus travel comparison websites worldwide. On checkmybus.com can user find ground transportions between domestic cities and cross-boarder cities in Europe, Nord- and South-America, Asia and Oceanica.

Users can use the CheckMyBus service in 21 languages and thus find the best or most convenient travel offer in their language.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Stormotion?

Our CheckMyBus travel app was already 2 years old and had technical problems. In order to get a new app quickly and efficiently, CheckMyBus would have had to set up a new dev team or use external resources. This is how we came across Stormotion, who are professionals in app development.

What were your goals for this project?

The goal for the collaboration was clear and simple. We need a new, fast iOS and Android app as soon as possible, which is written in a modern, low-maintenance programming language. The main emphasis is on fast, because the bus market is digitizing very quickly.

SOLUTION

How did you select Stormotion?

CheckMyBus CTO Tino Marx had a Skype interview with Stormotion's Roman Bond. It soon became apparent that he was very competent and clearly focused.

Later there was an on-site meeting where Stormotion officially introduced itself and a possible development plan was presented.

Describe the project in detail.

At the beginning, Stormotion presented us with design proposals and a structured project plan. This contained details about the development sprints and the QA measures and a cost estimate.

What was the team composition?

Stormotion provided a project manager, 1 or 2 software developers and a test team for the CheckMyBus app project. Communication took place between the stakeholder and the project manager.

Direct communication with the software developer would have been possible if it had been desired. The Slack tool has proven to be a good and efficient communication tool for us.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

CheckMyBus anticipates a successful start of the app and many downloads. The successful design and the speed with which bus rides can be searched and found in the app is impressive and will convince many users.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The cooperation with all contact persons at Stormotion was up-to-date and highly efficient. Thanks to all involved.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

What impressed me most was the professionalism with which the young Stormotion team implements projects. In the past, CheckMyBus had worked several times with software companies based abroad.

Mostly not very well. It was therefore positive for the decision-making process, to have a German contact person in Roman, who is also on site with the developers in Ukraine. Also during Corona crisis.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I wouldn't do anything else.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

E.g., I am the product lead at a nutrition and health company headquartered in Hamburg, Germany. Our company has about 15 employees and we serve customers in german speaking countries so far.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Stormotion?

We launched our React Native App in Jan 2020 and needed help with optimizing the performance and sexyness of our App. Stormotion took over a couple of UX-focused tasks.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to improved the user experience of the mobile app and start converting its UI to being top notch.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We screened a couple of external agencies according to our needs and finally invited Stormotion to make a small test task. This was going very well, especially the expertise and communication of the team was on a high level, thus we decided to go ahead with a bigger task, which they implemented afterwards.

Describe the project in detail.

The bigger task that Stormotion completed was the overhaul of our dynamic slide-up in the app, which is used on lots of different places. The slide-up height needed to be dynamically based on the content height + if the height would exceed the device height it needed to be scrollable.

Besides this task Stormotion gave us a lot of advise and guidance regarding converting our Backend and React Native architecture and setup towards a more scalable one.

What was the team composition?

Stormotion assigned a frontend developer to the project, who was guided by the CTO of Stormotion. We were communicating very smoothly over Slack whereas both the frontend developer and CTO participated from Stormotion side.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The desired UI change was delivered on point after a couple of small testing and iteration rounds.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The CTO and frontend developer that we were assigned was easy to communicate with and provided us frequent updates. We connected via Slack nearly every day. Overall, I was impressed by the timeliness of the team. We received ample warning if a deadline wasn't going to be met, which only happened once.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

We were blown away by the knowledge that Stormotion had about modern mobile app development and optimization. We learned much more than we thought possible, and we appreciated that they were patient and thoughtful while we came up to speed.

We have worked with other agencies for different areas of the company, but this was a particularly collaborative and positive experience. I will certainly engage with this company again for any mobile app needs that we have in the future.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Stormotion is fully focused on top notch app frontend, which is generally fine, but in some cases like ours its needs to be connected to some legacy backend for short term. This means we have to build an effective bridge between backend and frontend, which is tough sometimes.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the CEO of Self Emergence LLC, a leadership development community that empowers everyone to create their own personal network of support. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Stormotion?

Android version of IOS app. 

What were your goals for this project?

An app that works as well on Android as it already does on IOS.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

After the interviews and quote, Stormotion had the most effective approach to the long term future of the app, all at a reasonable price and timeframe.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Analyzed our software, transferred to React Native, designed an Android UI, and tested and implemented the new app.

What was the team composition?

Team leader and two engineers. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We can now offer our work to companies and individuals without being restricted to iPhone/iPad users only.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

We used Slack, and Roman, one of the founders, connected with us by video conference at key milestones.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They were a delight to work with. And they delivered the product we wanted. There was a remarkable lack of bugs.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the CTO of Voya, a chat-based business travel service that uses the latest AI technologies. Our product allows users to book and manage travel arrangements within seconds by sending a simple text message.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Stormotion?

Our existing Android application was not in line with our current design, as it was built with a hybrid JavaScript framework. New features had to be synchronized between platforms, which made them harder to develop.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to develop a refreshed native app that closely matched the functionality of the old app.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We tried hiring in-house engineers but didn't manage it fast enough, so we decided to outsource. After comparing Stormotion with two other vendors and several freelancers, the fact that someone could vouch for their quality helped us make the decision.

Describe the project in detail.

After we provided designs, Stormotion took over the development of the native Android application in Kotlin. They were also responsible for QA through a subcontractor and the initial set up of continuous integration/continuous delivery platforms.

What was the team composition?

Their project manager and developer joined our Scrum teams.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We successfully launched the MVP to the Play Store. The app is a significant improvement in terms of responsiveness and appearance.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

They integrated well with our existing agile processes.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

When our budget was tight, Stormotion put the project on hold. They were highly flexible and resumed working on it with the same energy.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the product manager at a health startup based in Berlin. Our core product is a digital workplace health promotion platform, but we also do other small side projects.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Stormotion?

Our internal development team needs to allocate all of their time to our core product, so we outsource our development needs for the small side projects.

What were your goals for this project?

We needed a vendor to build applications from the ground up, handling each phase from ideation to release.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

After a global search and some discussions with colleagues, we landed on Stormotion.

Describe the project in detail.

We provided their team with basic ideas and some UI designs. Based on that information, they started building the smaller applications. We share tickets for each task, and they provide estimates. Once we approve, they complete the task. We’ve finished most of the builds, and we’re currently testing the products.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We don’t have any concrete results because we’re still testing the products, but I’m happy with the quality of their services.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

I enjoy working with the Stormotion team. They’re very engaged. The team is available and timely, consistently meeting deadlines with each task. If we share a ticket that isn’t clear, they ask us for clarification immediately. If we’re missing an essential detail, they fill in the blank themselves with a standard solution. I think their approach to addressing ambiguity is their biggest strength. It definitely sets them apart from other remote developers.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I’m most impressed by their level of interest in our projects. They understand what it takes to be a great service provider, prioritizing our success over money.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I’d appreciate more transparency regarding the time they spend on each ticket. I’d like exact data that tracks their work pace to make sure the invoice and outcome make sense.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of a software company that provides service to businesses that want to turn their website into apps. We offer different solutions, depending on the kind of site our clients have. One major solution we use is a digital publishing platform for news publishers with WordPress sites. We help build native mobile apps for content presentation. We also have a secondary solution for other types of websites.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Stormotion?

We needed help with mobile app development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They help maintain our product and bring it to the next level. We worked with them at the beginning of our second platform and delivered all of our specs to them. They took over the project and built it out into a usable, functioning product.

They use Objective C, Java, and Swift to build native apps for us. Once the apps are built, they flesh out all the features we want and help us resolve performance issues.

What is the team composition?

I work closely with Roman (Co-Founder, Stormotion), a project manager, and the developers.

How did you come to work with Stormotion?

I don’t remember the exact circumstances, but they either responded to an ad we posted, or we found them through their website during our search for developers.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $40,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in 2016 and the collaboration is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They make the whole business work for us, and their improvements are fundamental to our operations. The product needs constant improvements, and the key deliverable is the apps that they assist with. We do most of the quality control internally, but they support us whenever we send them bug reports or new specs.

How did Stormotion perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management is very effective; we conduct our daily communication through Slack. They have a really good project manager that takes a lot of work off of our internal team, and there are different developers who specialize in iOS and Android. Bringing those two elements together is very useful.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re reliable, honest, and willing to try new things that will help us. We appreciate how flexible and easygoing they are.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they did very well.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Combine your approach with their areas of expertise. They understand product development from a technical standpoint and may have to adopt a new management or testing style, based on what you want. They’re very adaptable and open to improvements.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the head of product development for Target Up GmbH, a startup that focuses on providing food product information to end-customers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Stormotion?

We wanted to create a proof of concept prototype of our app that showed what our algorithms are capable of.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to create a fully functional app prototype that could later be developed into a market-ready MVP.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Stormotion sent us an e-mail just as we were looking for a development partner. We met with Roman (Founder, Stormotion) in our office and were impressed by the effort he expended to work with us. After considering several other partners who were more local, we went with Stormotion because their communication had been so great from the first meeting.

Describe the project in detail.

They were responsible for developing the app’s frontend. Since our staff was only working part-time at the moment, there were some delays from our side, but Stormotion handled them well. They provided an agile approach to native Android development.

What was the team composition?

Stormotion provided a project manager. This person was a native German speaker, which made communication easy for us.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our test users loved the app, which ran smoothly. We still show it to potential investors and get a lot of positive feedback. We pivoted after developing the prototype and the app never reached the app store, so we don’t have any marketing statistics to share. This had nothing to do with Stormotion’s work, however; they did a great job.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Their project manager was almost always available to talk over Slack or Skype, even on Christmas. Since the project manager is a native German speaker, there were no miscommunications. Stormotion used a truly agile approach and handled delays from our side very well. I’ve never worked with such a client-focused company before.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

When I was working with Stormotion, I forget they were an external agency. They put such effort into my product it might as well have been their own. Small companies sometimes get the impression they’re not treated as well as larger customers are when they work with a large vendor. Stormotion never gave any such impressions.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, not that I can think of.