ThinkUp

Introduce your business and what you do there

I am the CEO at a crafts academy.

What challenges were you trying to address with ThinkUp?

We wanted to create an app for our students.

What was the scope of their involvement?

ThinkUp is developing a mobile app for us. The app will allow our students to calculate the prices for crafts and products.

What is the team composition?

We work with about 4 people from ThinkUp.

How did you come to work with  ThinkUp?

I found them on. Upwork. We published the project, and they responded to our job offer. ThinkUp reacted very well to our budget and needs so we decided to work with them.

How much have you invested in them?

While the project is still in process, we have a set budget of $40,000–$50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started with this project about 7 to 8 months ago and it is still in progress.

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

Although the project is still in progress, so far we have met with every milestone we’ve had assigned.

How did ThinkUp perform from a project management standpoint?

They always meet every deadline, which is one of the things I really like about working with them. ThinkUp is always very clear on their needs for the project and always makes sure to set deadlines that can be met. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their greatest strengths are their communications and their ability to listen. They are great at listening to the client’s needs and always make sure to have all the information needed for the success of the project.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I couldn’t say anything negative about the experience.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a director at Merkos302. We’re a nonprofit that helps Jewish communities around the world through social, human, and educational services.

What challenge were you trying to address with ThinkUp?

We’ve hired ThinkUp to help us synergize our technology usage through a custom platform. That way, we can make better use of our data to reach a broader community. Our goal is to elevate the impact that we’re making within the Jewish community itself.

What was the scope of their involvement? 

ThinkUp is developing a platform that will integrate all of our nonprofit’s touchpoints across the world, making us a one-stop-shop for the Jewish community. We aim to serve that community from cradle to death, meaning the solution should be able to engage with our users at every age/stage. 

So far, we’ve completed the research and initial development phases. Their team continues to work on making our solution cross-platform and cross-segment. Besides doing custom PHP work, they’ve been flexible in their ability to integrate multiple solutions into our platform — whether it be Salesforce, Drupal, or WordPress — to better collect data. 

What is the team composition? 

We work with over 25 specialists, though I can’t say who is employed with ThinkUp and who has been sourced for a specific project piece. These individuals have unique talents, spanning programming, architecture, marketing, planning, and behavioral sciences.

How did you come to work with ThinkUp?

It was through a referral. As a nonprofit, we have relationships with several philanthropists, one of whom had done business with ThinkUp and recommended them to us.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent upwards of $300,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in June 2020, and the engagement is ongoing. We’re going to be working together for a long time.

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

This is a huge project with a large goal. When all is said and done, we hope that our solution will be an integrated platform for the Jewish community at all stages of life.

How did ThinkUp perform from a project management standpoint?

ThinkUp follows the Scrum process for development. Everything is based on short- and long-term planning, and they’re extremely goal-oriented. The team focuses on key performance indicators (KPIs), using built-in performance tools to manage the project. They’re also heavily reliant on Microsoft Teams for communication. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their key strength is really their ability to listen and understand their clients’ needs. Too many technology companies take their professional knowledge and experience for granted, so they think they know better than the client.

In contrast, Thinkup comes in with a blank page. The team does a full assessment of the customer’s needs to get an understanding of what the core problem is. They know which questions to ask to get that information and gain a grasp of the client’s organization. 

Once they have that, they’ll start to craft solutions. I appreciate that they always propose ideas from our perspective, and their deliveries are in line with that approach. Their outputs are 100% spot on because they took the time to get the inputs correct.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I want to find something to critique, but I can’t because they’re really that good. The team has shown extraordinary insight and professionalism, and the delivery is just exceptional.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the IT Manager of FERRERE. Ferrere is one of the largest and most prestigious professional services firms in the region, with more than 900 employees in its offices in Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia and Ecuador.

We provide professional services in the areas of Accounting Outsourcing, Economic, Financial, Strategic and Human Capital Consulting, Technology, Taxes and Auditing. We focus on understanding the reality and needs of each client, to propose practical and tailored responses.

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

We hired them to create from scratch our internal iOS and Android mobile app, dashboard and admin panel to have more control and a better wat to manage employees and expenses.

We wanted a simple and functional app to manage the company. It had to be adaptable for users and scalable for us because it's a long-term project.

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

I contact them because we have a client in common and that client have great comments about them. Based on the suggestions of our client and also on online reviews and their five-star rating. Review their portfolio and we like it.

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

We had a clear understanding of all the features we need in the app but less clear of what we wanted to do about it and how to do it.

ThinkUp was able to take us through a design and technical scoping process to figure out a really clear workable prototype and a clear path forward for what would eventually become the first release of all the tools we wanted.

They suggest us to create phases of the app, because we need was really big and could be annoying to employees to use an app with lot of features.

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

The team was composed of a project manager with more than 6 years of experience in mobile app development, 1 Sr and 1 Jr iOS developer, 1 Sr and 1 Jr Android developer, 1 Sr QA, 1 Ssr UI, 1 Sr UX, 2 Sr backend developers and 1 Ssr web developer.

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

Immediately the app took off inside the company, was 100% accepted by users. They loved them and also give us suggestions of adding more features!

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

In general, I would just say that their timeliness and level of professionalism was always very helpful. There was very close coordination between all teams involved. And also get really involved in the project giving and suggestions a lot of things and that was really good.

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

The professional team left me very satisfied, they are young people with a lot of desire to grow.

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

A few problems occurred throughout the project but they worked fast to resolve the issue.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the CTO of Astroselling, an online platform to manage MercadoLibre stores quickly, easily and on a massive scale (MercadoLibre is Latin America's most popular e-commerce site by number of visitors)

For what projects/services did your company hire ThinkUp?

We are developing a mobile app to use as LitePOS (Point Of Sale) because we detected more than 80% stores need to synchronize their online sales channel with offline sales through their mobile, and we visualize a native mobile app is the best experience we can bring to our clients.

What were your goals for this project?

Develop LitePOS Astroselling's native iOS and Android apps and transform +75% web users to mobile.

How did you select this vendor?

Referral. Our CEO and the CEO of ThinkUp shared some personal connections. I received many recommendations and did interviews with many companies and found their proposal to be the best one. We selected ThinkUp because they understood our requirements rather than just giving us a quote.

Describe the project in detail.

It all started in a Discovery phase (which ThinkUp suggested). During the Discovery phase ThinkUp's Project Manager and Designer began the project talking to our VP of Product and working with the wireframes using tools Invision and after we approved everything, they made a functional prototype using Sketch and Invision.

The UX/UI designer created a stunning User Interface! Following Discovery we got into Developmant stage. ThinkUp started developing our Backend using Laravel and admin panel using also PHP Laravel integrated with Astroselling admin panel. Next we started with iOS app native and Android app native developments.

What was the team composition?

Our main point of contact has been Nico, who is the technical lead of the solution. There has also been 1 Project Manager, 1 UI/UX designer, 2 iOS developers, 2 Android developers, 1 Backend developer and 1 QA Engineer assigned to our project.

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

Right now the app has been released to a small group of users. We are collecting feedback from them indicating they enjoy using the app and it is a 4.5/5 rating app. They suggested us some cool new features and ideas that we should work on and add to our backlog.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We use Agile and Scrum based methodologies with Daily meetings including all the team. From our side a Product Owner was assigned for that role and is following the project, has meetings and sprint plannings with the team every week. Following the mentioned methodology, collaboration has been very effective so far.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Communication: They were always available and willing to discuss with us to find ways to improve the solution. Quality: The quality and consistency of the team makes ThinkUp stand out over other vendors. Their iOS and Android developer skills and their UI/UX skills. They always update us on the latest news from Apple and Google to help us optimize our app.

Are there any areas for improvement?

There’s nothing I’d have them to improve. They’re a great partner, one we truly appreciate.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO and co-founder of uy! carmela, the first healthcare platform in Latin America that connects hundreds of patients with healthcare professionals.

What challenge were you trying to address with ThinkUp?

We needed someone to develop a mobile app for professionals to use.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They’re developing our iOS and Android app. In that process, they do all the design as well as front- and backend development. Taking ownership of the project, they spoke with stakeholders to get insight into their needs. They were really involved and developed everything from scratch. We're now getting feedback on the iOS version while they develop the Android version.

What is the team composition?

The team is composed of one project manager, one iOS developer, one Android developer, one backend developer, a frontend developer, a QA person, and a UX/UI person. The entire team was senior.

How did you come to work with ThinkUp?

We selected them because they were recommended by one of our clients that had worked with them on an app in the past. After contacting them and a few other companies, we liked them the best. Their price and they were very clear. They gave us great confidence.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $13,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in June 2019, and the collaboration is ongoing.

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

Our stakeholders reviewing the completed iOS app were impressed with the quality of the UX. Once they complete the Android app as well, we're hoping to retain long-term users. The team was very confident, clear, and made suggestions. They wanted to talk to the professionals to make sure they knew their needs. We get great comments about the iOS app and are sure the Android app will be praised as well.

How did ThinkUp perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project manager managed the project and the team. We communicate via Hangouts, Zoom, and email. They use Teamwork internally as well. There are daily meetings and communication is great. They meet deadlines and finish tasks on time. In fact, the iOS app was complete a month early. With each finished sprint, they gave us a release to test.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their team got involved immediately, always looking for new concepts to grow our business. They update us on the latest news from Google to help us to optimize our app. We appreciated their eagerness to speak with the final users for ideas, comments, and suggestions.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they meet my expectations. They've delivered the highest quality of any development firm I've worked with.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I’d recommend them to anyone.

Please describe your company and your position there.

HEX is a boutique consultancy that creates brands and builds digital products through thinking & doing differently. I'm the COO.

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

One of our core clients has a technology platform that they use to engage millennials. During COVID-19, their business was jolted because of their reliance on the in-person moments to create meaningful experiences. We hired ThinkUp to help with our development work to help bring this experience virtual, and even moving forward as we explore a hybrid model with the client.

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

ThinkUp focuses on quality and a can-do attitude. We needed someone honest, reliable, and that could easily adapt to our team's structure and communication style as we engage with our client. They were able to come in and help us continue to get the job done as an extension of our technical team.

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

In working in an agile development structure, the details shift each month. Ultimately, it's about creating a meaningful and usable product that users love. All of our tasks and outcomes align towards that positive, engaging experience. We are in constant communication through Slack, standups and other meetings to ensure we're accomplishing what we set out to do in work together.

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

We've worked with backend developers from ThinkUp and continue to explore ways to utilize their talent.

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

We're still engaging with the client and ThinkUp. Specifically, I can share that the quality is fantastic and that they're honest, reliable and easy to work with.

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

We have standups multiple times a week and utilize Slack for major communication. Other tools, like Wrike, are used to drive transparency and efficiency.

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

I have found it easy to work through staffing issues. If we see an influx of hours or need to change up how we're working, their leadership has been great in helping to accommodate our needs as a partner.

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

We're working through figuring out ways how to continue to build culture as a company, whether it's with partners like ThinkUp or our own team members. We're continuing to understand how to best communicate and anticipate needs.

Please describe your company and your position there.

CEO at Neural Trainer, an Uruguayan company oriented to offer technological solutions to connect brain and motor skills to obtain the highest sports excellence.

For what projects/services did your company hire ThinkUp?

Our hardware devices needs to interact with a mobile native app in order to show training stats, exercises, time, success, failure, etc. We needed to connect a mobile app with the devices using Ble.

What were your goals for this project?

Provide a solution to professional clubs and all professional and amateurs athletes to improve their training. Allowing them to improve cognitive training, memory, speed reaction and much more.

How did you select ThinkUp?

I know from a long time the CEO of the company. We played soccer together a couple of years ago.

Describe the project in detail.

The main idea was to develop a native mobile application capable of connecting, using Bluetooth, hardware devices (nodes) with the mobile app. The mobile app send messages to the nodes, and this nodes can show: forms, colors, numbers and letters in different time interval, repeat n times, and much more.

During the development of the idea, we provided the flow we wanted in the application and by discussing it with the ThinkUp team, they quickly understood the requirements and provided a satisfactory proposal to go ahead.

What was the team composition?

The team is composed by 2 developers and 1 UI/UX designer.

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

Advances in usability have been incredible. We managed to have a robust interaction with the developed hardware, which has allowed to reduce latency times in the communication of the devices. This allows a solid foundation for the projected growth of our platform based on increased functionality for clients.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

ThinkUp assigned to our project a team specialized in IoT and mobile development to obtain the development of a top application. Starting from the design stage, we were satisfied with the results.

During development, there was excellent communication between the teams (hardare, firmware and software) and that helped us to improve our final product more and more.

ThinkUp also provide great support with migration and backend services. They are always available to answer any question.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They’re very knowledgeable about the mobile development space.

Are there any areas for improvement?

There’s really no negative side to working with them.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m a Project and Delivery Manager of Pyxis, a Digital Transformation Agent that provides 360 ° solutions for organizations in multiple industries, medium and large.

For what projects/services did your company hire ThinkUp?

We are partners providing a highly skilled and dedicated team for the development of the mobile banking app for OCA of Banco Itaú.

What were your goals for this project?

As part of OCA's Digital Transformation plan, our goal was to help OCA improve its own fintech mobile app.

How did you select ThinkUp?

I received a referral from a friend who had worked with ThinkUp in the past. We had very good feedback about their work and they were very aligned with our Company core values, one of the main reasons we decided to work together with ThinkUp.

Describe the project in detail.

"ThinkUp and Pyxis teams are working together helping OCA's Digital Transformation. ThinkUp's team is working in OCA mobile apps development. The mobile app allows access to the main inquiries of interest to customers about their credit cards: available for purchases, balance to pay, payment due, payment code, and statement in PDF, favoring cost control when presenting movements in real-time.

It also offers the possibility of requesting customized loans, recharging the balance on cell phones, financing the account balance in installments, increasing the purchase limit for both OCA and Visa. The app has the latest iOS features of FaceID and TouchID integrated, which allow high computer security as well as provide more comfortable and easier user access."

What was the team composition?

The team is composed of 3 iOS developers, 3 Android developers, 1 Delivery Manager, 1 Project Manager, 2 backend developers, 1 QA Engineer, and 1 UI/UX designer. There is also a Product Owner and a Scrum Master from OCA.

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

The increase in mobile apps usage and an increase in App Store ratings.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Everything runs smooth and transparent. It also helps that they’re local to us and can work during our regular workday, as well as having on-site meetings when needed.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The level of detail in OCA's Product Owner requirements definition enabled ThinkUp and Pyxis's teams to succeed. Come to them with well defined requirements, and they can turn them into a reality.

ThinkUp team is always up to date with mobile app trends and they are always doing great suggestions to improve OCA's business. They’ve been very attentive and they are mobile app development experts! It's being really good to work with.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Nothing specific comes to mind, they have exceeded my expectations. It’s been a very successful engagement for them.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I lead tech & product for Musical Medication, an audio streaming service for health & wellness.

For what projects/services did your company hire ThinkUp?

We wanted to create a mobile app that played nature sounds, to help people sleep and cover up distracting noises. The application would be the starting point for a more full-featured app.

What were your goals for this project?

To launch our companies first mobile app, to better prepare us for future projects. To build a simple app that has unique functionality.

How did you select this vendor?

I met Mauro in person at a startup showcase event, that my company was presenting at in Minneapolis, MN

Describe the project in detail.

The main function occurs on the audio player page. We designed a really unique "mixing" feature, where users could tap sounds on and off, and set the audio levels, with ease. We provided the audio, and ThinkUp handled the playback and created the algorithm to mix sounds in and out over time. The pricing model allowed for free install, 7 days of use, then prompts users to buy.

What was the team composition?

I interfaced with Mauro, then he worked his team.

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

It's too early to cite metrics, but all our friends and family are loving the app!

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Mauro was always very open and easy to deal with.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their ability to requirements and overall openness and kindness. This was my first mobile app, so I had a lot of questions about launching to app stores, approval process, pricing, etc... They were great at walking me through everything.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Very few that I can think of. Maybe, to provide a checklist to clients of what elements go into a successful mobile app build, so clients know what steps must occur, in what order before launching.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the creator and founder of Yclas.com a marketplace solution to create your classifieds website under a minute.

For what projects/services did your company hire ThinkUp?

We needed to develop a native iOS and Android apps using our API to resell as white label to our customers.

What were your goals for this project?

We want to resell this apps to our web clients so they can have native iOS and Android apps using the same data source.

How did you select this vendor?

We had meetings with other 3 developer companies, we like them the most due to great communication and understanding of the project.

Describe the project in detail.

Requirements:

• Native iOS and Android apps
• Native look and feel by platform, android material, iOS (swift) Easy to translate (gettext)
• Configuration file to be able to change colors, logo, title etc from the app before compiling it.
• Usage of camera to upload pictures and resize them
• Geolocation to filter ads (API will return data) cache of results in case there's no connection notification system
• Will use our API endpoints

please see: http://docs.yclas.com/api-documentation/ no business logic con the APP.

What was the team composition?

As far as I know they had 3 developers involved. But I do not care the amount but the quality and deliveries.

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

We just launched the app to our customers. We need to wait for the first orders. I can not give feedback on this, but does not relate to them.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We had live chat which made everything extremely easy.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their dedication and communication were impressive.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None so far