Vizual Technologies, Inc.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

 I'm the CEO of a company that stared about two years ago. We created a mobile app for iPhone and Android. Our custom software includes an entire backend to control the app.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Vizual Technologies?

The challenge I was trying to accomplish was getting a developer to complete my mobile app and custom software. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Vizual Technologies built both the iOS and Android versions of our app from scratch. It helps schools stay connected and includes many features for communication.

When we first hired Vizual Technologies, we only had half of a rough outline from the local vendor we started with. I provided about 75% of the wireframes, and they worked with my business partner and I to create the rest.  

At least every other day, we had a Skype meeting to go over the plan for the software. Vizual Technologies came up with great designs and graphics for the inner pages, which we had completely forgotten about. They also recommended useful functionalities for the app. 

What is the team composition? 

We worked with a team of 5–6, but I only ever spoke to Alex (CTO, Vizual Techologies) and Olya (Project Manager, Vizual Technologies). Our project manager assigned all the work to the designers, developers, and coders. 

How did you come to work with Vizual Technologies?

At first, I looked for companies near where I live in Miami, FL. I requested proposals and price quotes from each option to compare. Since I had a limited amount of capital to work with, my budget was fairly tight. Most of the vendors' quotes were roughly the same, and ran up to $150,000 just to build an MVP. 

Fortunately, I finally found Vizual Technologies on Clutch and reached out to them. From day one, they've always been very helpful and straightforward. We went through a proposal phase to determine the cost and timelines. They designed simple wireframes for the fundamental functionalities. The quote they came back with was a third of the price from any other vendor. 

How much have you invested with them?

Since we started, Vizual Technologies has finished the MVP. The $40,000 quote for version one was amazing. It was about a third of any other vendor, and felt too good to be true. We're now moving onto the second version, which will come out to $20,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We've been working together since May 2018. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since we mostly work with schools, our main clients are B2B. Ultimately, we want the app to be useful for students. So far, the directors and teachers from these schools we've shown the app to have been blown away. 

Everyone we've talked to so far thinks our product is amazing. They love the design, think the functionality is awesome, and find it incredibly easy to navigate. Finalizing contracts takes a while, but that's the only thing keeping us from getting our foot in the door.

How did Vizual Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

I would give Vizual Technologies almost a perfect score for project management. Less than 10% of the time, it felt like fixing bugs went a little slowly including communicating the issues.  

 Our project manager was fantastic. Aside from a few slips in communication, we made progress almost every time we talked. The CTO always answers his phone and is great to work with. We had Skype meetings almost daily.

We gave them detailed explanations about what we needed and they made it happen every single time. In a few instances, they told us a request would require a lot of hours and advised us to put it off until the next version. My partner and I usually agreed once we discussed that option. Keeping it simple helped launch the app faster. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Vizual Technologies definitely gives you bang for your buck. If you hire them, you'll receive exactly what you need within your budget. They always make sure they get it right for the price they originally told you.

The CTO is honest, straightforward, and always answers his phone. If something's not right, he’ll take it upon himself to fix it. They'll never charge you another quote to correct a mistake they made. Vizual Technologies is a great business partner. They're truly a pleasure to work with. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

When we first started working with Vizual Technologies, they assigned us a team that included some junior developers. This was our first project, and they had other priorities. 

For the most part, the initial team was very skilled, but the most senior developers usually work on larger projects that are already in progress. That's probably where our communication issues came from. 

Ever since we finished MVP and started phase two, the top director of technology has been overseeing our engagement. Now, we're progressing almost twice as fast. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

In the beginning, clients should be assertive and reach out to Vizual Technologies regularly. Check in on them daily to make sure they're getting everything done. Let them know if you're in a hurry. If you tell them you have a tight timeframe, they will make it happen.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the CEO of Mootripe, which provides a mobile application geared toward lawyers, court reporters, and interpreters.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Vizual Technologies?

I hired VizualTech to develop my company’s application.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I initially took this application idea to developers on Upwork after getting help at the Apple store in Miami Beach, but I didn’t have the knowledge yet of who I needed to hire for what tasks. I received some wireframes and direction out of that experience with a vendor before hiring a full-time app developer. That vendor, however, was somewhat cookie-cutter and unoriginal, so I looked elsewhere.

Upon agreeing to terms with VizualTech, Alex (CEO, VizualTech) refined the wireframes but kept them aligned with the vision that I had developed. Their team added screens to the wireframe that nobody at Upwork or the previous company had thought to include. Once we had about a 75-screen wireframe, we worked together to create mock-ups that included dummy profiles and text. We also decided on which features, buttons, and icons needed to be included. Once we finalized the plans, they developed the cross-platform application for Android and iOS.

What is the team composition?

In addition to Alex, I worked with a team of about six people.

How did you come to work with Vizual Technologies?

I found them through Clutch’s website.

How much have you invested with them?

I’ve spent between $20,000–$25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement began in August 2017 and remains ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I’m very excited that we’ll be launching the MVP in three weeks. We project to have thousands of users in the next year, and the pre-money valuation of the company is $2-3.5 million all because of this application.

How did Vizual Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

They are in regular contact—not a burdensome amount, but enough so that I know that the project is moving along. We hold Zoom conferences when necessary, and we have flowcharts and other documents to keep us on track. I travel a lot for business, but their team always completes the work in coordination with my current time zone.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I always feel like I am in good hands by working with them. They provide full disclosure, and they’re hardworking.

There is no way for them to improve. Halfway through the project, I experienced some funding challenges, so Alex broke down my payments into more manageable amounts. They did everything they could to advance the project, but the most significant was their flexibility with payments.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They haven’t let me down in any respect. The best advice I can give is to call them because they’ll figure out what you need.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder of an e-commerce store for eyewear. I manage the digital marketing and website development.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Vizual Technologies, Inc.?

We needed help with the development of our e-commerce shop after the previous IT company failed. I was looking for a reliable IT company that could completely change the code and finish the project so we could start selling.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our platform is a custom build on OpenCart. They did many integrations for us including Amazon platforms. We work with five different eyewear suppliers, but they don’t provide any API credentials to download their product information. VizualTech built a custom process which is downloaded into a website and then downloads the data. Then, they adjust the data to our website filter, which is complicated.

In addition, they worked on the frontend and backend, site mitigation, user flow optimization, and mobile version optimization. They basically worked on everything. We involve them in any task involving website development. I have a designer, but if we need additional help, their designer can support it.

As soon as we add new features such as Google Shopping or Facebook ads and analyze what is going on with our traffic conversion, we have to adjust different site placement. For example, if we see that mobile traffic is dropping off from our website, that means there is something wrong with the page setup on mobile devices. We have to add new features or adjust the mobile design and check what is going on with different devices.

What is the team composition?

We have an assigned project manager. She assigns deadlines, reports on task completion, and is responsible for emergency requests as well. She reports on behalf of the developers.

How did you come to work with Vizual Technologies, Inc.?

I set up a posting to hire a dedicated IT person, but the owner of VizualTech contacted me and described his services. They sent me their website information and references, and after checking online, I decided to give them a try. We gave them some smaller tasks initially, which they did well, and we made the decision to switch to their team. I decided to stay with VizualTech because they are great.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in September 2017, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I’m so happy I found them. The team is responsible, their timing is perfect, and I don’t have any issues.

How did Vizual Technologies, Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

I work with a site manager and we are completely satisfied with the project management. Before they start, we build a list of tasks and they tell us how many hours they will need to complete the work. After we approve the quote, they start working on the tasks. This fits us perfectly.

We have Skype calls at least twice a week where we discuss our plan for the week and go through the list of tasks. The second call is a follow-up. We also use email and WhatsApp to communicate.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They are a startup, and they want to grow a great company. Customer satisfaction is highly important to them. Even if there are some negotiations, the owner is always on our side and will do what he can to keep us as a customer, which is something I appreciate greatly.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It would be good if they hired people to do some of the work a little faster, but at the same time, I know how expensive it is to have a team of developers. Overall, I am truly satisfied and would like to stay with them as long as I can.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of Booze LLC, a company that runs a drink loyalty program.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Vizual Technologies, Inc.?

We were looking for a developing partner who could grow with our company.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The app is a loyalty program to get free drinks in restaurants, who can use it for bonuses and discounts. We discussed the project and developed wireframes and mockups together. We then went into the design and development phases for the iOS and Android app. VizualTech used an Ionic framework and Angular. They mainly used PHP for the server.

VizualTech also developed our customer relationship management (CRM) system for restaurants to track and communicate with their clients. It sends notifications, gives access to customer reviews, and enables communication between them. VizualTech developed the entire app, architecture, CRM module, and admin panel.

What is the team composition?

I mainly work with the CTO and a project manager. The team consists of 10–14 people, 7–8 of which are developers.

How did you come to work with Vizual Technologies, Inc.?

A friend recommended them. She worked with them for a few years and was happy with the results.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent more than $500,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in February 2017, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve launched both apps in Europe, where it already has 4,000–5,000 users and about 100 restaurant partners. It functions great and is unique from other loyalty app programs. We plan to go live in Canada in July and in the U.S. by the end of the year. As long as the funds are in place, our engagement won’t stop for the next 4–5 years.

How did Vizual Technologies, Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management is great. They virtually always deliver on time and even work nights if needed. We use Slack, Google Hangouts, and GoToMeeting to communicate.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Before we did any design or development, they created great mockups, wireframes, and technical documentation. It made it easy for me to understand the project and what was going on. If I had to build the same team, it would’ve cost much more.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It would be great if they had a marketing department.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the Chief Product Officer for a real estate platform. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

 What challenge were you trying to address with Vizual Technologies?

Create a web platform that integrates features like: innovative newsfeed, sophisticated search and matching technology, data rooms, posts, message center, payments, etc.  

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They built the website on PHP using Maria Database and all functionalities and third-party integrations in our platform. They went beyond the regular expectations with unique features that only our company has. They also created algorithms for matching features and newsfeeds. They have done an outstanding job implemented complex logic with extremely fast paced timelines. They have also been in charge of UI.

What is the team dynamic?

We have a team of 9 developers and 1 designer. We have expanded the team since we first started working with them.

How did you come to work with Vizual Technologies?

Vizual Technologies was already hired before I joined the company, but I had to assess the continuation with them. I’ve been working with them over a year now and I’m extremely happy with their results and the team is amazing.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in February 2015 and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

How did Vizual perform from a project management standpoint?

We have a tech lead that does project management. We also have a project manager on our side. They did a great job.

Deadlines have been respected. If it was a ranking of 1 to 10, I’d say 10.

We now use Jira and before, YouTrack, another ticketing system. We communicate via email and we have daily calls via Skype.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re very savvy in what they do. They work at an extremely fast pace with a lot of pressure. They’ve always done a great job.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I would like to have some user experience expertise in our offshore team but they might be offering this service to other companies, I am not sure.