Vipra

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the community Manager at a livestock procurement and marketing company that offers quality stocker and feeder cattle as well as products and services to the industry. I oversee our web page and digital marketing.

Our company its part of a vertically integrated family operation which consists of 10 cattle and farming ranches in the northern part of the state of Chihuahua Mexico, this to be able to buy and have processing stations to have access to calf producers and export the cattle directly ourselves, saving money for our customers.

For what projects/services did your company hire Vipra?

Our company saw an opportunity gap on the industry by being able to provide our customer an easier way to buy their cattle. So, we needed to create an online sale app. Since we do not have an in-house engineer we needed to outsource.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to change the way we do business to a more up to-day technological way. To be able to accomplish this goal we needed an application that was simple and user friendly, both in our end and for our customers.

How did you select this vendor?

It was a recommendation from a company that has help us before in other projects.

Describe the project in detail.

The project was presented to us with a detail contract that consisted of an explanation, first of some statistics and numbers on how this app will help us growth and the impact that will have in the future. Next, with all the details of what the app will have and its functionality such as the user login, the user information, the password reset, the upload, edit and delete of users and cattle lots, to be able to view reports, send e-mails and notifications, as well as the estimated time of delivery.

Once the contract was review and sign then the worked began. The meetings started and as we explained some key factors of our company and how we worked, they were working at the same time on accommodating those factors into the app.

What was the team composition?

There was a lot of people involved in the project, some just for approval, other for opinions, but we did have a very positive response and participation.

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

The project has been finalized but it is still not running on our part, this because we need to make our clients aware of it and give a little explanation on how it works and how to use it since our clients are people that is not used to working this way.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow between us was a little hard at first because of the time difference, but as the time continue the time difference was very helpful because we end up working in our time zone and giving them all the feedback and while we were sleeping there were working and had everything ready for our mornings. So that was a key factor to have everything ready and on time.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

It was very impressive how they did everything that we asked for in such a short period. sometimes it was even longer to have approval from our end that to have them add or fix any issues. There were very patient with us in regard to all the changes we were making. I will definitely work with them again for either un update or a newer version of our app.

Are there any areas for improvement?

The only thing that I saw that can be improved is that it will be easier to try to understand the business from the beginning, to be able to do less changes because of that.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO and founder of BHUMMI, an internet portal offering free services and ride-sharing services. Although not free, we only charge $1 per ride, no matter what the original cost would have been.

What challenge were you trying to address with Vipra?

We hired Vipra for multiple development tasks. We needed their help creating three of our apps and our website. We’d been working on this project for a while with another company, but they couldn’t complete it.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Vipra picked up the project where our previous vendor left off. They put together our entire website, taking care of all the coding and development. They’re helping develop the ride-sharing app, a chat-room style app like WhatsApp, and a social app. All three are for iOS and Android devices. 

What is the team composition?

I’m working with three people from Vipra. 

How did you come to work with Vipra?

I was looking for a company to finish the project I’d started with a previous vendor. I found Vipra through my contacts in India and chose them. 

How much have you invested with them?

I’ve spent between $100,000–$200,000 on the project. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since June 2018 and the projects are ongoing. 

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

We don’t have any results yet because the website only launched a few weeks ago. However, we’re in beta testing for two of the apps, which is an accomplishment. Without the work they’re doing for us, we wouldn’t be where we are now. 

How did Vipra perform from a project management standpoint?

I communicate with them through phone calls and Zoom. They’ve been excellent to work with. Not only are they prompt, but they also do everything they promise to do. When we request changes, we’ve never received any complaints from their team. In this industry, there are always changes to be made, and they willingly do it for us. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

The one thing that stands out most about them is their great communication. Their ability to work around the clock, even if I need something in the middle of the night, is fantastic. They’re very thorough and take care of every problem we have.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I really don’t have any complaints.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They’re a great asset for anyone to hire. Although I don’t want them to go work with a competitor or take away from the amount of work they can do for me, they’d produce great work for anyone. 

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CTO of Yatrasath; we are a startup in the travel industry, based in Ranchi, India. We deal in flights, hotels, and package bookings.  I take care of all technological solutions for our organization. 

What challenge were you trying to address with Vipra Business Consulting Services Pvt Ltd.?

Our wider organizational goal is to be a preferred travel partner for our consumers, offering the best travel options. We’ve reviewed all of the major competitors in the market and set our benchmarks on that. It’s a tough market, but we think that technology can set us apart. The challenge we brought to Vipra was to help us create a mobile application to help us reach that goal. 

What was the scope of their involvement?

We had created a detailed list of requirements and had several online meetings with Vipra to finalize the wireframes and technical requirements. We took an API from TBO and Vipra customized it to work for us. Then, we enhanced the user experience with functions like a rate calendar, cash back options, multi-city travel, and hotel bookings. 

They did a lot of analysis and research for the project. They came up with various different technological options. Vipra added various features, like loyalty points, wallets, customized travel packages, etc., all of which brought value to our product. The application has launched, but we’re still working on it. They are still doing the maintenance and promotions. 

What is the team dynamic?

They had 3 different teams that came into play: a technical team, a website design team, and an analyst team. There is a group on basecamp that allows me to speak to the team directly as needed. The team consisted of 1 business analyst, who was also the project manager and our contact person, 2 Android developers, 1 backend developer, 1 designer, 1 QA person. There might have been more people involved that I’m not aware of.

How did you come to work with Vipra?

We did a general search for app development companies, but one of my teammates had worked with Vipra in a previous role and recommended them. I spoke to a few technology service providers we thought would work, including Vipra, and got quotes. Vipra offered competitive prices and their past work was impressive. I especially liked the proposal and wireframes they made for us, so we chose them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together December 2016 and the work is ongoing. 

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

The app was launched in May or June 2017. This is the product’s first launch and we’ve gotten really good feedback, both the application and website provide a good user experience while being aesthetically pleasing. We haven’t received reports of any issues from clients at all.

Vipra did a fine job on the application and I’m happy with their service. They have a strong technical team and they helped us a lot in that area. We had an overall positive experience and would work with Vipra again.

How did Vipra perform from a project management standpoint?

It was good, they’ve made themselves available and the project manager is easy to speak to. Basecamp is a really helpful tool, we can easily give feedback to the team on milestones they achieve or make changes that are required. They delivered the final application according to our original schedule, which was impressive.

They call me occasionally to make sure I am happy with their ongoing service. They flag updates for the application, according to what must be done, and what should be done. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I think their understanding of business makes them stand out. They are good technically, but a lot of companies are. Most technology companies lack an understanding of business, but Vipra did great. They know our requirements as a business and make valuable suggestions to help our product shine.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No one is perfect, but they are doing fine for now.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the CEO of a company that provides IT solutions.

For what projects/services did your company hire Vipra?

We needed help with application development and software development.

What were your goals for this project?

To achieve great performance in software development.

How did you select this vendor?

I got in touch with them over the phone.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

They worked on software development projects for us, as well as mobile application development.

What was the team composition?

There was a project manager and two programmers.

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

They developed a great solution for us.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

It was great.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their excellent service and the quality of their solutions impressed me.

Are there any areas for improvement?

There’s nothing I can think of.