White Widget

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work for a motorcycle ride-hailing company, and I’m the head of product and marketing.

What challenge were you trying to address with White Widget?

We brought them on to rebuild our app and handle the migration of our whole platform from the old one to a new one.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Essentially, they provide full-stack software development. The team is rebuilding the mobile apps. For a ride-hailing company, there are applications for passengers, end-users, and drivers. White Widget rebuilt those and also rebuilt the backend platform that supports the booking system as well as the web app used by managers to manage the operation.

The app for end-users is available on both iOS and Android. For drivers, it’s only available on Android. White Widget provided some design services as well as project management but everything is along the lines of helping us through the development of the software stack.

What is the team composition?

It varied over time depending on the requirements. At one point, we were working close to 30–40 people. I mainly worked with one person.

How did you come to work with White Widget?

We were looking for partners to do the development and they were recommended by a former colleague of mine who had worked with them on past projects. Due to the nature of the project, how massive it was, and how sensitive a lot of the information was going to be that would be handled and transferred, we wanted someone we could trust.

What is the status of this engagement?

They started working on the project in May 2019 and it’s ongoing.

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

We look at what they have built and comparable projects. We also pay attention to their adaptability and flexibility. White Widget adapts and adjusts to evolving requirements. They serve us as a partner and anticipate our needs well. We don’t have a very deep technical organization within the company so they do a lot of the heavy lifting for us. This includes some consulting and taking us through some of the technical aspects alongside our actual business needs.

They basically rebuilt our whole ride-hailing platform, which at the time was servicing upwards of 200,000 bookings a day in the span of 10 months. There were definitely some hiccups along the way that made it hard for some people to use the app, but they fixed those, and rides went back shortly after.

They migrated everything more or less within that timeframe. For comparison’s sake, it’s a pretty well-known software stack. However, it’s something that other companies might need years to build and mature. They compressed that within a year which is pretty good.

In terms of flexibility, the initial timeline was supposed to be about a year and a half. Due to various reasons and government compliance, we had to launch the app within 10 months; they were able to compress the timeline. Obviously, we had to sacrifice a few things, but they reallocated from some of their dev resources to quickly scale up the dev effort to launch faster than expected.

Over the pandemic, they helped save and optimize cost as well in smart ways. We had to refactor a lot of the backend in order to minimize our cost and infrastructure while maintaining reliability. During the height of the pandemic, and in the early days of lockdown, our revenue plummeted by something like 95%. White Widget brought down costs by more than 60%, and they did that fairly quickly. They slowly brought it down for us.

Where possible, they’ve gone the extra mile. Their team stretches and works with us to ensure that what we were paying for, in terms of developers, went somewhere.

How did White Widget perform from a project management standpoint?

In terms of meeting deadlines, it’s hard to give a precise evaluation there. Some estimates were off, but that’s due to requirements evolving and building things as we went. Sometimes we’re unable to really foresee everything at the start. White Widget more or less delivered on time and was maybe 20% late. Usually, all the costs are well within what was forecasted.

We use a combination of Telegram and Jira for communication. A lot of the requests in the pipeline for bugs and features are documented over Jira, and generally, we have a lot of chat groups over Telegram. The usage of Telegram was our request.

They had suggested Slack or Discord before, but management just preferred to use Telegram because that was what we were already using internally. It made communication lines much faster between our teams, so we opted to use that.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Compared to many other providers that we’ve found, White Widget is much more capable. Their level of technical expertise and ability to understand business needs is higher than comparable local firms. From an international standpoint, they aren’t necessarily the best. But among local firms, they reach that level of expertise. Additionally, they cost a little bit more.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The cost structure and being able to adapt the way they log hours on time spent as well as helping us ensure that we were tracking hours easily. That’s been a bit difficult. They charge on a per-hour rate and then send timesheets.

From a non-technical standpoint, it’s quite hard to know what they’re actually doing with their time, and it’s hard to trace. We need to spend quite a bit of time figuring what time was spent on the work we were paying for.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They do cost a little bit more than others in the typical market. You need to essentially see whether or not you need their level of expertise in order to pull off what you need. The other thing would be to have — at the very least — an internal technical person who could work with them more closely.

If you’re mainly a business team, there are a lot of communication gaps you might suffer from, due to the fact that you’re simply not engineers. It’s a lot more helpful, and you can maximize the engagement better if you have someone technical on your team that’s directly in charge to liaise and work with them.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Head of IT for a company which owns an online retail store specializing in baby products and products geared towards pregnant women and mothers.

For what projects/services did your company hire White Widget?

Our businesses saw the major role that mobile phones play in our target audiences's daily lives and how web interactions are increasingly more mobile-based than desktop-based. Hence, we contacted White Widget to help us create an iOS app that ports a lot of our online store's functions from the web.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted our users to come to our online store and use our app instead of buying from our competitors because of the convenience we offer through the availability of the app. We have had several customers already course their interactions and orders through our app, which we are happy about. Even though we haven't officially launched the app yet, we are already seeing multiple users downloading our app and transacting with us through it.

How did you select this vendor?

We initially looked into 3 development teams from which we each requested for a portfolio or Body of Work. After comparing their work, we finally decided the White Widget had the most relevant experience for what needed to be done.

Describe the project in detail.

We initially limited White Widget's scope for this project to be Mobile Application Development only. But after the team's analysis of the desktop version of our online store, it was found that optimization was needed in order to support additional functions of the app so the app will perform as well as, if not better than, the web version. Our company had to submit color schemes and our logos to be used for the app. White Widget then submitted wireframes and prototype layouts for us to approve. It was iterative until we finalized on the final look and feel before White Widget was able to start on the development of the iOS app. They would then submit a prototype version of the app at each milestone due date for us to check over if there are any changes, amendments or additional requirements that need covering. This process was repeated until we were ready to deploy the app onto the App Store. Once the app was deployed, we moved onto improving the online store's performance. White Widget did a great job at analysis and setting up the production environment with the right tools, configurations and scripts to improve its performance. Then things settled down and bug fighting eventually started as more and more users are engaging with the app. White Widget also had to participate in troubleshooting application errors and amendments to further improve UX.

What was the team composition?

I interacted with a total of 3 to 4 people on a regular basis from the vendor side. One handled iOS app development, one for the UX/UI and a couple of developers that handle the API and framework side of things.

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

The final app did have bugs but this is normal and none that White Widget wasn't able to handle in the end. Our test user groups were impressed with our first release and we saw some conversion of sales. It wasn't significant but our company saw it a success that there were downloads.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

White Widget knew what tools that will help the workflow between them and their clients. We were able to setup a chat channel where bugs, questions, inquiries, spec clarification etc. can be freely aired and addressed. We also relied a lot on online storage services to share final handover documentation, maintenance documentation, etc. The White Widget team is also prompt in answering any queries. But there were some hiccups in getting timely support during the times where our team's post-release support requirements would overlap with scheduled project work. In the end, they pulled through and still completed what needed to be done.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I was really impressed by their UX/UI expertise. White Widget is also incredibly professional. They are not afraid to take the time to clear up requirements and specifications before diving into the main development work because they know how important Specifications and Requirements Scoping is for projects. White Widget also deliver milestones on time, which is amazing for a company that handles multiple projects all at the same time.

Are there any areas for improvement?

During some parts of bug-fighting stage post-release, we have had to share our schedule with any ongoing projects that White Widget had so sometimes, there were actions that could have been done earlier. However, White Widget remained transparent with their schedule (whether it was full or not) and worked hard to eventually address our problems. This kind of professionalism is what I applaud White Widget for.

Please describe your organization.

I work for a politician's campaign team in the Philippines.

What is your position?

I am a digital consultant. I handle their digital assets.

What business challenge were you trying to address with White Widget?

We had a legacy asset website, and we had to reorganize everything.

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

White Widget developed our WordPress website, in a way that we can edit it and add content to it as we please. They took care of the web hosting as well. They tried to keep down our server costs by appropriately scaling the amount of servers that we were using.

How did you come to work with White Widget?

They were originally referred to us by another developer that's well respected. We saw previous projects White Widget had done, and they were quite impressive.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

It cost between $5,000 and $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

It's completed.

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

There was a time when our site traffic exploded by about 10,000 percent, and White Widget managed to keep the site up.

How did White Widget perform from a project management standpoint?

To be very specific, White Widget were the ones guiding us as to what to expect, deadlines, what the requirements should look like, and how we should have presented our requirements. They were very helpful. They were empowering us to be demanding customers. They were very informative as to the technologies they wanted to deploy. They were very transparent about timing and about what needed to get done. It was very professional.

What distinguishes White Widget from other providers?

White Widget were consultants, not just web developers. They would advise us on best practices, and how to proceed with each step of the project.

Is there anything White Widget could have improved or done differently?

No. They could have picked a better customer.

Please describe your organization.

Our company helps business create a loyalty program. We provide restaurants and stores with their own loyalty platform.

What is your role and responsibilities?

I'm one of the founders of the company.

What was your goal for working with White Widget?

We were just starting our business, and we needed a developer to create the original platform on which we are basing our business.

Please describe the scope of their work.

The app allows our members to register their account, earn points, redeem points, and check their balance. We gave White Widget the concept and the design for the app. We handed them a spec sheet. We needed them to code the development of the app. The main interface that our members would transact with when they when in the store and bought something, it was a tablet that would be presented to them to allow them to earn points. White Widget was also involved in adding and creating all the necessary functionalities.

What was your process for selecting White Widget?

We did some research and created a short list of four companies. We reached out to them and got proposals from each company. We knew some of the White Widget team, so we trusted them more than other companies. They were also more affordable than other companies. We chose them for those reasons.

Can you give a sense of the size of the initiative?

The size of the project was under $10,000. It took about two months to complete.

When was the work completed?

The project was completed in 2013.

Do you have any statistics or metrics on the project?

Our app is a B2B [business-to-business] app. It's not for consumers to download from the App Store, so we don't have metrics to share. However, we are very happy with the app that White Widget developed for us. It allows our customers to do everything that we need the app to do.

Are you satisfied with their performance?

We are very satisfied with their work. White Widget is definitely good value for the money.

Looking back on the work so far, is there any area that you think they could improve upon or that you might do differently?

I probably would have wanted it to be completed sooner, but knowing that they have other projects as well, and they're building their own games, it understandable. Overall, it was a great project.

Please describe your organization.

We're a company that produces management software for the construction industry.

What is your role and responsibilities?

I'm a senior developer. I manage all the mobile development including iOS and Android.

What was your goal for working with White Widget?

We were working on a project that needed native iOS and Android apps. We developed the iOS app in house, but didn't have the time and resources to develop the Android app. We realized that outsourcing this project was the best solution.

Please describe the scope of their work.

Since we have already developed the iOS app, we already had all the core functionality and some of the UI [user interface] completed. When we approached White Widget, we showed them the iOS app, and they gave us advice on how the app should look on Android. They gave us mockups on how they envisioned the app. Once we approved the concept, White Widget took over the development process.

What was your process for selecting White Widget?

We looked around at various outsourcing companies from Australia and overseas. We also looked at some from the U.S. Resources are very tight in our company because we have various projects running at the same time. We looked at a lot of Southeast Asian companies because the time zone fits better for us being based in Australia. 

We short listed a handful of companies in Manila that did Android development and we interviewed them. White Widget was really interested in being part of our project. They also have a great portfolio, which really won us over.

Can you give a sense of the size of the initiative?

The project took six months to complete. The size of the project was in the $20,000 to $50,000 range.

Do you have any statistics or metrics on the project?

The most important result is that our clients are very happy with the app. We gave them a simple app that didn't require any kind of training or tutorial. Most of our customers have to go through two or three days training, which is a lot of cost for them. With this app, they just pick it up and start using it. It's a very intuitive app, so they were very happy with it.

Are you satisfied with their performance?

We are very happy with White Widget's performance. They developed a great app, and the project was completed ahead of time. We went through a few iterations with White Widget, and they were very accommodating in implementing those changes. They are at the top end of mobile development. 

Is there anything unique or special about White Widget that really makes them stand out?

They were very open and really listened to our feedback. They were always happy to discuss any issues that we had. They always wanted to find the best solution. We didn't have a lot of experience in Android app development, and we wanted a partner to offer their input. White Widget was very good at providing advice on best practices on how to build an Android app. We learned a lot from partnering with White Widget.

Looking back on the work so far, is there any area that you think they could improve upon or that you might do differently?

I really can't think of anything.

Please describe your organization.

Our company provides marketing and e-commerce solutions for clients in the arts and entertainment industry.

What is your role and responsibilities?

I am the lead developer in the company.

What was your goal for working with White Widget?

We were working with a client who wanted to repurpose a musician's digital catalog and repurpose it for the app space. We needed a developer to translate a music album into a visual app experience.

Please describe the scope of their work.

The White Widget team was involved with the entire iOS app development portion. We contributed the front-end design, and they did the back-end. They also provided the quality assurance, user interface, and user experience part of the project.

What was your process for selecting White Widget?

We interviewed seven development firms and then proceeded to get SOWs [statements of works] for five of them. We then had one final interview selection process where we decided to go with White Widget.

Can you give a sense of the size of the initiative?

The size of the project is in the $100,000 to $150,000 range.

When was the work completed?

The work was completed in October 2014.

Do you have any statistics or metrics on the project?

The app has an average of 30 percent conversion rate for in app purchases. Average revenue per download is approximately $1, which we are very happy with.

Are you satisfied with their performance?

They exceeded expectations.

Is there anything unique or special about White Widget that really makes them stand out?

I was impressed by White Widget's ability to iterate and problem solve on the go. They offer solutions instead of just waiting for directives.

What advice would you give to future clients of theirs?

I would keep in mind the time zone and make sure those are synched. They're in Manila, so it may be more challenging from the West Coast.

Looking back on the work so far, is there any area that you think they could improve upon or that you might do differently?

No. I really can't think of anything that I would change about this project.