Techverx

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a president at a startup. We’re about to launch as an online e-commerce site that provides framed prints to professional photographers. Our software allows them to design and order the product. Then, we have a manufacturing partner that will facilitate the orders.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Techverx?

The existing labs for photographers were unreliable in terms of quality and didn’t have some of the design functionality that we teach our students to do. As such, they can’t design by outer dimensions and have a certain pricing structure that isn’t really prevalent in the industry. The site is really a way to help our students fulfill their customer orders. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Techverx is creating our entire platform from scratch using Laravel. They’ve been doing a lot of work in order to build the canvas so that people can drag images, zoom in, pan, crop, and rotate things. Then, they also made sure the e-commerce side of the platform works where inventory is handled and orders are stored. Tracking and fulfillment of orders are also at the administration panel. 

We keep pushing back the launch date because I keep making changes to what I want our platform to look like, but we are set to have a formal launch later this month. There have been revisions from a third-party stakeholder too, so that also extends the deadline we have. We’ll have ongoing refinements to the site throughout the rest of the year. 

What is the team composition?

Our main point of contact was Hassan (Operations Manager), and lately, he’s handed us off to Mateeb (Software QA Team Lead) who has been our main point of contact for the last couple of months. We also work with a designer.

How did you come to work with Techverx?

I was referred to them by a previous customer of theirs. They designed a site for them and we acquired that company and their rights to the site. Since Techverx built the site previously, I was able to work with them to make this new offshoot. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’re closing in on $100,000, and we spend $6,000 per month. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in April 2020, and we have an ongoing relationship. We had a fixed project at first and there were milestones that needed to be achieved within a span of 6–7 months. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I appreciate that they brought in specialists that could handle the base code that I was asking for. I don’t think there’s anything that I’d do differently because the team has managed to flesh out how our site would look like. Overall, I’ve been happy with Techverx. 

How did Techverx perform from a project management standpoint?

I’ve been really impressed with their communication skills. Techverx uses a Slack channel, and we have weekly calls, and they’ve been very responsive. There’s no language barrier between us and they always understand what I’m asking. Additionally, they’ve been receptive to any changes I’ve requested, even if they’re convoluted and hard to implement at times. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their designer is responsive and has been able to follow what we have in mind. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

They’ve come through everything I’ve asked them to do, so I don’t really have any requests. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

We have a very good collaboration. They’ve been able to implement everything we want since we had a pretty good idea of what we want to accomplish — and we communicated it to Techverx. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of a SaaS subscription business.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Techverx?

We needed help with IT and source code.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Typically, I add sprints to Trello and they complete the task for our program using HTML and PHP. The program is a consultant-based system for the construction industry. Currently, they work on my ongoing IT needs.

What is the team composition?

I work with Umar (Co-founder & CEO) and Hassan (Operations Manager).

How did you come to work with Techverx?

I found them online. I ended up speaking to one of their representatives and felt comfortable.  From there, I decided to give them a shot.

How much have you invested with them?

They’re fairly priced.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in September 2017, and our work is ongoing. The project is live but we use them for IT support.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their ability to perform and develop is excellent. They’ve done a great job. Although the program is still fairly new, the user feedback is pretty good. It helps you develop your break-even rate and its pretty nitty-gritty; everyone’s been pretty satisfied.

How did Techverx perform from a project management standpoint?

Their customer service is top notch. They respond really quickly and get back to us with any concerns. The deliverables are on time and we’re extremely happy. Project management has been pretty simple. We use Trello to manage the project. We also use Skype, emails, and phone to communicate.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re charismatic, punctual, and excellent with customer service.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I’m pretty satisfied with everything that they’ve been doing.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

My advice is to discuss your project thoroughly and make sure everyone’s on the same page on what they expect from the beginning. It makes a big difference.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the IT director for Integ, a printing and mailing business.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Techverx?

About four years ago, we purchased a company that was coded in an older language. It hadn’t been updated in quite some time. We brought on Techverx to completely rewrite the system to a newer language. They added lots of functionality to enhance the project.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We created some deliverables and dates we wanted them completed. They met every date. We used Windows servers, SQL, and .NET.

What is the team composition?

We had a project manager, a technical project manager, and four or five developers.

How did you come to work with Techverx?

We sent out an RFP to several vendors we found online. We were looking for a company that was larger and willing to work with us as we grew. We liked their philosophy, their experience, and their documentation so we went with them as the best fit.

How much have you invested with them?

It was somewhere between $100,000 and $150,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve worked together since January 2020. We’re still working together, they're providing ongoing maintenance. We have a long-term relationship.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their ideas and suggestions made the project more successful than we anticipated. Their work was much better than we expected. Every milestone was met.

How did Techverx perform from a project management standpoint?

They were very easy to work with. Their team is very professional.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their knowledge was incredibly impressive.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It took a little to adjust to scheduling meetings with a firm in a different time zone.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure you value their input. They’re smart people with excellent suggestions to enhance whatever they’re working on.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a construction labor-management company specializing in siding installations, mostly for large builders. I’m the general manager of one of our branches here in Charlotte and I’m also on the executive team leading special projects like this one.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Techverx?

Pretty much the heart of what we do which is managing labor crews, and with Techverx, we are moving all of that online. It's a network that everyone keeps talking about, but no one seems to have any data collected on what they’re doing, what they’re working on, and how much they’re getting paid. With this, we can move all the information from all different places and from people’s minds into one software system.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They designed a WordPress website for us, which is the easy part. The team designed it and implemented it in just about six weeks. They developed it from scratch. They’re also creating custom software for us. We discussed my vision first using the Lucidchart flowchart of all of the users that I thought would be in the program. The flowchart also presented how my prospective users would interact with the system. 

The deliverables look like a desktop version of the software, as well as an app version for iOS and Android. Basically, we connect crews with builders. It is a booking system for construction crews where they can sign up to work with us online, and then they can see the jobs that we have posted that customers have given us.

However, the heart of the platform and what makes it profitable for our company is that we can track their preferences including what they look at, what they book, and what they prefer to do for work. Then, we’re going to optimize pricing for each individual subcontractor based on those preferences like an airline ticket.

Essentially, if we know a certain crew prefers to work with a certain kind of material in a certain area, then we will lower the price by 1%–2%, and they can accept it, reject it, or just pass it by. After that, we’ll get constant feedback on what pricing is being accepted in the labor market and just how far we can optimize it.

What is the team composition?

We’re working with seven people right now. We have a project manager, project coordinator, team lead, QA, .NET developer, iOS developer, and React developer.

How did you come to work with Techverx?

I searched the best web development companies or software development companies in my area, and Techverx came upon some list as one of the top 10. What really made my decision solid was how they got back to me almost immediately after my first inquiry online, whereas other companies took days to get back to me. Additionally, they seemed like they really understood my project, while other companies just told me what they thought I needed.  

How much have you invested with them?

We’ll probably end up spending closer to $80,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our project began in March 2020, and we’re still working together. They built a prototype for me between May and July after they gave me a quote. Then, in September, they began working on a project with me in full capacity. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It’s been incredible working with them and it has been so easy. As far as the quality of their work goes, whatever they show me has so much detail put into it. The UI is easy to look at and the flows make a lot of sense. I don’t know much about coding, but the things they’ve given me have worked well. Overall, I really can’t say enough about the good experience I’ve had working with Techverx. 

How did Techverx perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve hit every deadline, which made me look good in front of my boss. They are really communicative and every day they update me on what they’ve done. The team keeps in touch through Slack, and if I ever ask them a question, they get back to me within 12 hours at most. I can also track their progress via Atlassian.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Techverx is hyper communicative and they respond almost immediately. I haven’t done this before — developing software — but I have reached out to a few server developers asking for a quote and they never got back to me. Companies have taken days to reach out to me. I’ve also worked with one software consultant on this project, and she also didn’t get back to me very quickly, but with Techverx everything has been going smoothly

Are there any areas they could improve?

I hate to say this, but I’m happy with Techverx. I want to say thank you to them. Their price, timing, and deliverables have been excellent. Their communication skills and project management process are also outstanding. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Write out a flowchart of what you want each user to do, and that will save you two months.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m in charge of development at a car rental company. We rent vehicles to Uber drivers in New York City by the hour.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Techverx?

We licensed an app from another company that wasn’t doing the trick, so we decided to make one on our own.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Techverx made customer apps and an entire backend system. We started with a discovery phase during which we identified our needs and their team priced the job. That phase took between 2–3 months. After we agreed on terms, we started the development and their team built out the products with Ruby on Rails. They built two apps for Apple products, one of which is customer-facing and the other’s lender-facing. Our Android app is also customer-facing. Their team also built a complete backend system for us to have control over rentals. Their team continues to work with new requirements. They make updates, fix bugs, and address support tickets and work to build a complete POS system for customer onboarding.

What is the team composition?

Overall, I’ve interacted with 12 people probably. I sit in on their scrum meetings, so the whole team’s there. On a day to day basis, I communicate with five people.

How did you come to work with Techverx?

I’m not sure how we got in touch with one another.

What is the status of this engagement?

The engagement began in 2018 and we launched the product between April–May 2019. We continue to work together.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We did security analysis and everything looks fine. I can’t speak to the quality of the code but can speak to the quality of the people. Techverx stands behind a product. When they put a product on the table, whether there are bugs or functional challenges, they stand behind it. Their team makes sure to fix any issues and cares about the platform as if it’s their own, which is unique to Techverx. They go the extra mile and don’t leave us hanging. Their team sticks a project out and gets as involved as us.

How did Techverx perform from a project management standpoint?

We use Slack for messaging and Zoom calls for scrum meetings and sprint planning. We rarely use e-mail. We’re still with them, which says a lot about Techverx. They don’t excel in project management but they’re not bad with it so I'm happy with them. We don’t always meet the deadlines, but no project meets deadlines always.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re honest, which isn’t easy to find. Their team stands behind a product as if it’s their own. They’re looking for long-term relationships, so it makes sense that they stand behind the product. Their team’s honest and makes sure that the customer’s happy at the end of the day.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing to share at the moment. They’re good.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be organized and know what you want. If you don’t know what you want or you’re not organized, the project can take longer than expected.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and president of Actionable Insights.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Techverx?

We were trying to build a searchable database that guides insurance professionals and restoration contractors as it relates to invoicing for flood and fire repair.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Initially, our plan was for a 3,000-page book, but people don’t end up in the restoration industry because they enjoy reading. The information needed to be distilled into bite-sized pieces and had to be instantly delivered for the users. We wanted a searchable website that would be an invoicing standard. We provided the documentation before their team began development.

Along with the invoicing element, users can buy digital assets like gift cards and other swag. They can also register for events where they can buy raffle tickets and donate. We even created our own synthetic currency called insider points. Our service has estimate audit engines named ZORA and Solidifai, which they were pivotal in the development of.

The site was built with a WordPress backend and JavaScript CSS overlays. They also used WooCommerce plug-ins and GitHub to push the code. The platform is about 50–60% customizable.

What is the team composition?

Typically, we’ve worked with four people. But sometimes, roles and accounts changed. In total, I’ve had a relationship with no more than eight individuals. I work directly with the developer and have a project lead.

How did you come to work with Techverx?

I was working with an operation that underperformed. Upon us firing them, we asked to work directly with Techverx, which turned out to be a favorable arrangement.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested about $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement with Techverx started in November 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The website generates income that far exceeds whatever their monthly recurring costs are. The work Techverx has done makes money for our business. A lot of our services are a tad complex, but their team has been working well through all of those in the past three years. The synthetic currency model that was formed seems to be delivering compelling results.

How did Techverx perform from a project management standpoint?

They performed well. We used Trello as our project management tool.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Techverx has been growing, increasing their clientele with businesses bigger than us. That has provided Umar (CEO, Techverx) the space to procure better talent. I felt that, as time went on, I had better and better engineers on the project. Sometimes they were spread a little thin. When I started working with them, they had a team of 10, which is now around 100. So, there are a few growing pains here and there, but they now have a stronger and more experienced staff.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I would’ve liked access to a higher-end engineering talent if I’m willing to pay for it. It might’ve been more efficient to pay more to get more experienced talent, so I want that as an option.