Upstack Studio

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am with a company which is a number forecast operator headquartered in Kuala Lumpur. I am a Deputy Manager for Development. I help transform business users’ needs into digital products and services.

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

Magnum wanted to explore eKYC for customers in order to provide more value-added services. Upstack Studio was engaged to provide the customer-facing eKYC website with an administrative dashboard. We do not have any internal capabilities to implement such requirements.

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

Due to corporate procurement policies, we required at least 3 vendors to present their pitches. After they had presented their sales and technical proposals, an internal committee evaluated all 3 in various areas, for example technical expertise, communication, commitment, pricing, etc. We finally selected this vendor as they were experienced in implementing eKYC front-end solutions and came highly recommended by the eKYC service provider as well. Their pricing was also very reasonable.

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

After the vendor selection was confirmed Upstack Studio immediately clarified requirements with our team, converting our needs into website wireframes to demonstrate the user journey. Once these were finalized, they built an actual intuitive website front-end. For the back-end, they integrated with the eKYC service provider and our system database, using APIs for a seamless experience.

My work was to manage the project and coordinate among several different vendors to ensure that we stay within the expected delivery timeline.

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

We were assigned 3 team members to work on the project: a project manager and 2 developers whom also served as QA. These remained assigned to our project from the beginning until the completion of the project.

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

Within 1 month after the project kicked-off, we had a working prototype which demonstrated working end-to-end functionalities. This exceeded our expectations as it was a first foray into the eKYC field for the us, especially for an industry as regulated as ours. We had favourable response from stakeholders as, even before completion, the product showed great promise.

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

The entire Upstack Studio team was responsive to our needs and requests. Work progress was communicated well in our weekly meetings. Any needs for clarification and confirmation were handled quickly and satisfactorily. Trello was used to manage the entire project.

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

What we found most impressive was that the entire team from Upstack Studio went above and beyond to ensure the deliverables and deadline were met. They made us feel comfortable as any of our doubts and enquiries were handled professionally and satisfactorily. They were also very knowledgeable about website design. The factor which distinguished them from other vendors we’ve worked with is their responsiveness and reliability. They even conducted knowledge transfer session with our developers.

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

The only area which could have improved in this project was the requirements from stakeholders. There were uncertainties with the eKYC process, and this introduced a fair number of changes while the project was ongoing, causing several unexpected changes to the customer journey.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Research and Development Engineer at Daikin Electronic Devices Malaysia (DEMD). DEDM has been specializing in designing, manufacturing and marketing of electronic controllers for Heating Ventilation Air Conditioning (HVAC) and security and home automation system. My role is to develop and integrate IoT products in security and home automation system industry.

For what projects/services did your company hire Upstack Studio?

Our company developed Android version of Security and home automation system app, however we did not have in-house IOS app developer.

For future easy maintenance across platforms, we decided to outsource the hybrid platform app development. With the outsource, we can more focus on integrating future smart home devices into current system faster.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted our app to leverage existing system into wireless system , in more stable, and easy way to maintain. We also needed our system to be designed in stable and user-friendly to use.

How did you select Upstack Studio?

My team searched online for app software house and shortlisted 3 companies. After criteria checking and their final proposal, we selected this vendor based on the current successful case study of our affiliated company with them, and their price point, which we felt confident and fair.

Describe the project in detail.

Once we selected this vendor, we prepared our functional specifications and had discovery meetings to discuss our objectives and set our user stories. We also provided our demo kit of our product and android prototype app for them to get similar with.

Within first two weeks, we received the visual aspect design of the mobile app for each screen in high fidelity. After few iterations and discussion, the visual design is finalized and frontend development started to convert into working React Native App. Meanwhile we also had been working on the backend development on AWS that is to be used to communicate with the mobile app.

What was the team composition?

From the vendor side, there were 1 designer assigned during the design stage and 1 frontend developer assigned for testing and staging. Throughout the project, Upstack project manager were our main point of contact for sprint review and support.

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

After the app was launched, our Research and Development department and marketing department tester and user experienced smoother device binding experience, and now we able to expand our customer base to IOS user where they able to use the app to control our product, which solved the situation where previously only android user can have privilege of remotely control our product.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The project manager that we were assigned scheduled project timeline based on user stories. We connected using Google Meet for Sprint Review every two weeks, and using Slack for all other communication.

The team timeliness was on point. We received reminder if a deadline was not going to be met and was given suggestion for changing activities when our backend progress was not able to keep up with frontend development.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

We learned a lot about app development, and they were patient and thoughtful. The developer was able to provide constructive suggestion when we faced technical difficulty on our backend development. Bugs found in the app were able to be solved swiftly.

Are there any areas for improvement?

We would like to have more comprehensive discussion and marketing involvement in app user interface so that there would not be much additional change in UI during app development. New feature’s feasibility and viability would need to discussed thoroughly to avoid schedule unforeseen delay.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am an analyst at a manufacturing company headquartered at Selangor.

For what projects/services did your company hire Upstack Studio?

Our company decided to produce new products which are able to transform the existing product into an IoT enabled smart product. In order to achieve the desired products, cross-platform applications are needed to ensure wide coverage of customers with minimal maintenance effort.

Upstack Studio is capable of providing the mobile app development using React Native while our internal team can focus on the core function development.

What were your goals for this project?

The main goal is time to market. With collaboration with multiple parties, my company manage to cut short the needed development time. Upstack Studio can provide great help in the mobile app development that communicate with our cloud system.

How did you select Upstack Studio?

In order to select the best vendor for the project, we undergo a process of vendor evaluation on a few companies. In the end, we selected this vendor due to their expertise in React Native, the competitive prices as well as the development method of Agile that will allow us to propose necessary changes based on the current market trend.

Describe the project in detail.

The project we have collaborated with this vendor is a mobile app front end. In this project, our internal team is responsible in contributing the ideas for the projects as well as development of cloud system. Whereas, the vendor is in-charge of developing the front-end UI and logic for the application.

What was the team composition?

The team consists of 2 developers and 2 designers and the size of the team remain the same throughout the development.

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

The new solution had shorten the required time to market for our smart product.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The vendor has performed well in terms of project management. In every 2 weeks, the vendor will conduct a review with both parties to ensure a high-quality product can be produced with given cost and scope.

Besides, the project manager demonstrates a good monitoring of the team to ensure they are able to deliver the promised components on time. To achieve that, we use Trello to visualise the project phases; Sketch and Figma for UI design presentation and Slack as the communication platform between both parties.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The vendor shows a significant expertise in terms of app development using React Native. Besides, the vendor’s dedicated UI designers are really helpful in this project as they are more capable in producing a modern, clean and user-friendly user interface.

Are there any areas for improvement?

n/a.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CTO at a System Development and Consulting company headquartered in Selangor. Our company provide IT solution and consultancy to clients, mostly in Construction. I oversee our products development and vendor relationships.

For what projects/services did your company hire Upstack Studio?

We hire Upstack Studio to improve the UI & UX for our own product - online ERP System for Construction Industry.

What were your goals for this project?

To improve the brand image of our product and create best customer user experience for our clients.

How did you select this vendor?

We searched online for UX & UI experts and compiled a list of 5 based on the case studies on their websites. We contacted each company and narrowed it down to 2 after receiving their initial presentation.

It was not an easy decision, but we choose this vendor based on the quality of their final proposal, their willingness to accept our additional requirements, and their price is still within our expected budget.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Once we selected this vendor, we had a series of discovery meetings to discuss our requirements. Within the first two weeks, we received mockups and 3 initial designs for the main page on the site. After a few iterations and discussions with our management team, we finalized the design and provided feedback on how we wanted the rest of the site to look.

The vendor came back to us with wireframes and concepts for our other pages, once wireframes have confirmed, the develops start the UI development immediately. We had constantly review and fine tune the deliverable to ensure it meet the requirements.

What was the team composition?

The team consists of 1 project manager, 2 UX designers and 3 UI Developers.

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

The project was slightly behind schedule due to additional changes request raised by us, however, Upstack Team was able to complete the project and additional change request within the agreeable timeframe.

The management team are satisfied with the deliverables, and decided to continue engage Upstack team for the ongoing product enhancement and support.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

The project manager that we were assigned was easy to communicate with and provided us with frequent updates. We connected over the google hangout at least once a week and used Slack for all other communication. Overall, our team and Upstack team are working well on the collaboration.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I was impress by the knowledge that this vendor had about website design, user experience, 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. With the good experiences in this project, our company had continue to engage this company for our ongoing enhancement and support.

Are there any areas for improvement?

There are always room for improvement for the project team on executing project but overall we are satisfy with the collaboration and outcome of the products.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the executive director of Milk Creative, a Malaysian full-service digital agency.

For what projects/services did your company hire Upstack Studio?

I hired Upstack Studio to build an easy-to-manage website that my marketing team could update as needed.

What were your goals for this project?

My goal was to develop a simple yet elegant platform within a short period. I was also looking for a firm that emphasized UX design.

How did you select this vendor?

I spoke with many other agencies near me, and most of them sent me a price quote in their first email. I chose Upstack Studio because they took the time to ask me detailed questions before making an offer.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

We started with a discovery session to identify the core features that would be on the website. Their team then created personas and user journeys, and we drew sketches on a large sheet of paper that represented the flow of different parts of the platform. Their designer took our ideas and made a UI style guide for the project. Their team then offered several prototypes of specific designs, and when we confirmed what we wanted, they initiated development.

What was the team composition?

Their team consisted of five developers and four designers.

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

The website that they created has met all of our expectations. Because it launched very recently, we’re still gathering data, but overall, we’re very happy with the end product.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Their project management was impressive. They reached every milestone on their timeline with high-quality deliverables.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I was pleased with their transparent approach, as we were free to check on the progress of the site throughout the project. They gave detailed answers to all of our questions and were able to clearly understand user pain points. Their expertise made collaboration a seamless experience. They also welcomed us to their office anytime and were always very kind and polite.

Are there any areas for improvement?

My only advice for their team is to consider hiring more people, as this would help them manage a greater number of projects.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the head of marketing at a holistic wealth management advisory firm.

For what projects/services did your company hire Upstack Studio?

We outsourced the development of our mobile app.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to build a mobile app that supported interactive financial reports. It had to be user-friendly so users could reference it before making investment decisions on the spot.

How did you select this vendor?

I shortlisted and met with a few mobile app developers before getting to know Upstack Studio. They were introduced to us by a close associate of ours, and after evaluating their proposal and presentation and comparing it with that of another vendor, we decided to work with them. Their ease of communication and commitment level won us over too.

Describe the project in detail.

They’re responsible for building the app from scratch based on our concept. We began with a discovery session where we met with their core team members and described our user stories and preferred app flow. They then created a UI design. After making some modifications, they proceeded to develop the app.

What was the team composition?

We’re working with a project manager (senior programmer), a UI designer, and two junior programmers.

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

They launched the app successfully in a shorter timeframe than projected. It’s been well accepted by our industry peers. We’re satisfied with the number of installations we’ve seen, as its not an app that we envisioned people using every day.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We worked directly with the senior programmer, who delegated tasks to two junior programmers and a designer. He understood our requirements well, but sometimes we had to give him an example of what we wanted by referencing another app's design or concept.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their communication process was good and they integrated our change requests quite easily. They were very patient in dealing with us, which we appreciated, as we’re not a technology company.

Are there any areas for improvement?

They hadn’t built a financial services app before, so they could improve their understanding of optimal display methods for financial charts.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the CEO of TeleMe. We utilize technology to improve communication between doctors and patient, ensuring a faster alternative to face-to-face visits.

For what projects/services did your company hire Upstack Studio?

We wanted to build a mobile app version of TeleMe for instant communication between doctors and patients.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to improve our UX beyond that of a mobile browser for people who don’t have constant access to a laptop. This would also help us target those in the market who’re more familiar with mobile apps than they are websites.

How did you select this vendor?

We based our decision on many factors including reputation, meetings with them, affordability, potential timelines, and their ability to complete the project.

Describe the project in detail.

Upstack Studio was responsible for app wireframing, development, testing, and updates. They also developed our website and contributed to its design. The app is built on React native and includes features such as messaging, data collection, “find me a doctor” requests, and prescription notification.

What was the team composition?

We worked with three senior programmers initially, but the team grew with the addition of junior programmers.

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

The app generated quite a few downloads, and most users are satisfied with it. Upstack Studio quickly fixed any bugs we found.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

They were well structured and provided us detailed breakdowns of deliverables and hours worked every day. Face-to-face development meetings helped them incorporate feedback and keep us on schedule.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They were much better than any development house we’d used previously. Because of their small size, they could be responsive and focus entirely on our project.

Please describe your company and your position there.

PriverCar is a platform which plans to connect local driver and tourists around the word. I am the person behind this business idea.

For what projects/services did your company hire Upstack Studio?

I hired Upstack Studio for building prototype as well as branding

What were your goals for this project?

I wanted to build a prototype for my business idea. By having a prototype, I plan to use that to pitch idea and to raise funds.

How did you select this vendor?

I searched through the internet for App developers in Malaysia, listed down few of them and had a face to face interview before selecting one of them to build my prototype. After all my face to face interviews with all the listed down app developers, I found that Upstack Studio is the most approachable, easy to talk and gave a lot of good ideas and suggestions. 

Describe the project in detail.

Once I selected Upstack studio to build my prototype, we first had a whole day meeting to discuss how to build the ideal prototype. Throughout the journey, I constantly got updates on what has been done via the Slack app. We even used Google hangouts to ease the discussion process

What was the team composition?

I was assigned with a team of people which helped to design the prototype. These team of people support and help to build the prototype from start to end

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

Prototype was completed within 2 months thanks to effective communication. They made any necessary changes quickly. 

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very effective as we use SLACK, whatsapp and google hangout to make sure communication is smooth

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Very approachable and very easy to work with. They're patient and provide very good suggestions. They made sure the prototype was better than what I imagined initially.

Are there any areas for improvement?

The cost for the meeting prior project is a little bit pricey but 50% was once selecting them to build the app. 

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the IT administrator for an online news portal.

For what projects/services did your company hire Upstack Studio?

We hired them for Android and iOS app development.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to make it easier for users to access breaking news.

How did you select this vendor?

They came recommended by another vendor.

Describe the project in detail.

They did mobile app design and development for Android and iOS. We were on a tight deadline and needed project delivery as soon as possible, and they came through with the right specifications.

What was the team composition?

We worked with three mobile app developers.

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

They delivered according to specifications on our deadline. We have received positive reviews on the app stores.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

After an in-person meeting to discuss project details, we communicated exclusively through email and messaging apps.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The total app delivery process exceeded our expectations.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, we’re completely satisfied.