Whizpool

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO and founder of an IT consulting and research company.

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

We needed a mobile app for domestic market to help not only the locals but also expats with searching and finding the best restaurants and coffee shops and leave reviews for others to make informed decisions. The goal was to build a user-facing mobile app for both iOS and Android platforms, business-facing Web App and Ops facing Admin Panel, and build these systems in a way that they are performant, secure, scalable, aligned well with the UI/UX design and easy to operate/maintain.

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

After reviewing proposals and bids from 30+ companies and individuals, the decision making factors in the following order:

1) Reviews.
2) Types of projects they worked on.
3) Scope and budget of projects they worked on.
4) Their attention to detail towards my project description and tailored answer rather than a default/pre-populated text.
5) Initial impression after sending a few messages.
6) In-depth technical conversations and the depth of their knowledge.
7) Addressing operational inquiries since post-project ops and maintenance is always the hardest part.

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

The project description was posted along with a very detailed requirement doc along with UI/UX design work in Figma. We had a few back and forth chat communications as I was vetting the candidates and asking in-depth, technical questions to test their knowledge, experience, commitment and communication. From there on out, it was on pretty much of an auto-pilot mode and the team took things in control and drove the project without much of a friction.

Group chat with all relevant team members, a designated PM who was coordinating all the work, communication and providing weekly updates. The app was built using a hybrid framework: Flutter, and the backend was developed using PHP/MySQL, web part was built using React. Infrastructure is set up in AWS and we have a good CI/CD mechanism in place.

The projects were delivered in milestones with N number of features in each milestone and we could test, provide feedback for fixes, improvements, changes...etc. The team does localization well, as well -- which was very helpful for our app to help not only locals but also foreigners and expats.

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

Our group chat had a total of 8 people including the CEO, the PM and the tech team, but primarily I was in contact with the PM who did an excellent job of abstracting me from the technical details and providing high-level communication updates on things that needed my immediate attention.

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

This is the first type of restaurant review app in our domestic market. Beta testing has provided excellent feedback and satisfaction from customers. The app is launched and we are currently in the process of onboarding businesses, signing contracts. Therefore, we don't have numbers to share in terms of traction because a large portion of it will depend on how well we execute our marketing campaigns and operations. But there has not been any issue on the technical deliverable side which is why we can focus on marketing and operations.

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

Both the CEO and the PM were very easy to communicate with and very responsive to messages. Group chat is very helpful because that is where all the updates are shared transparently so there is no communication delay and everyone is on the same page. Weekly updates are helpful for busy founders like myself.

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

Building a mobile app is not the hardest part. It is building the app with a mindset of scalability, extensibility, security, operations and maintenance in mind -- that is hard. Finding a company that understands performance optimizations, trade-off between choosing certain technologies, DevOps CI/CD, automation, infrastructure and excellent documentations is the hard part.

And the reason I chose WhizPool is because I believed that they might be able to do these well and indeed, they did well! I would say this is the uniqueness about this company.

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

This was already shared with the team and they worked on addressing it, but throughout the project there was a part where the Web App's UI came out little bit different than the Figma UI/UX design and this was a little bit concerning. After sharing this feedback with the team, they worked on addressing it by assigning a different developer focused on the frontend and the end result was good.

Please describe your company and your position there.

We develop advanced software solution in the insurance and risk management industry. We leverage the latest big data technology to offer seamless user experience and high performance. I'm the CEO of the company.

For what projects/services did your company hire Whizpool?

There's a huge demand in data analytics and geovisualization in the insurance industry. User experience and high performance are critical in gaining market share. We hire Whizpool to help us improve our performance in our data warehouse implementation.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to improve further the performance of our flagship product in the natural catastrophes data analytics and geo visualization area. We use Cassandra but upgrading to Scylla DB will offer an even faster response time.

How did you select Whizpool?

We searched online and interviewed 3 advanced tech companies that seemed to fit our requirements. English communication (writing and speaking) was also an important decision criteria for us.

Describe the project in detail.

The project involved a complex map application for different types of dataset that changed frequently so we needed a database that can perform read/write operations on very large datasets. We selected Cassandra / ScyllaDB for that purpose and needed help of a professional that can help us with respect to schema, queries as well as complete design. Following a series of meetings, we elected Whizpool as the best choice with their experience in this challenging area and their expertise in overall application architecture.

What was the team composition?

Initially we worked with an application architect to understand our requirements and the challenges we were facing. The interactions between our development team and Whizpool team were much productive with a strong focus on improving the schemas, queries, data flow and related hardware requirements. They contributed in all these areas including the design and their devOps team deployed the entire database on a separate cluster, setting up the monitoring and alerts features properly.

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

Whizpool suggested two solutions. They expressed clearly the pros and cons for each of them so it was helpful for our decision making. The final solution we selected for implementation improved not only our application’s speed but also made the codebase less complex by eliminating heavy workload of the application. Our product is more stable and our clients appreciate the improvement.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow was seamlessly leveraging all online tools available. But the key aspect was that we could communicate orally and on a regular basis between both teams. I don't believe you can do that just via email and chat without actually speaking to each other to avoid miscommunication and delays.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their honesty stands out, especially honesty about their knowledge, when they know they say it, when they don't know they don't hesitate to say it too. The payoff is a greater productivity and it is much safer for us as client.

Are there any areas for improvement?

This is a highly technical area, so it is normal that the language of communication aims at technical experts. I would suggest they use more layman's terms to explain some complex concepts.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CTO of a medical solutions provider. I generate the wireframes and create a larger plan for our IT team to adhere to.

What challenge were you trying to address with Whizpool?

Our main goal was to create an online platform for telemedicine. It connects patients with doctors, and it allows them to communicate with each other for free. We were looking for developers to help us execute it.

What was the scope of their involvement?

The Whizpool team took on four projects. They built a web application, iOS and Android applications, and an admin panel for us. The web app and admin panel were built using ReactJS, but I believe node.js was also a piece of the puzzle.

What is the team composition?

I worked primarily with Zeeshan (CEO) and two different developers. Since they finished our web app, we’re now working with a teammate who’s helping us transition to the mobile application.

How did you come to work with Whizpool?

I found Whizpool on a freelancing site. We were looking for freelance developers and were impressed by their portfolio. They’d created several different apps in the past. I talked to them, and they were able to answer my questions very well, so I decided to go with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We have four projects and different contracts with them. We’ll be paying them slightly more than $30,000 in total.

What is the status of this engagement?

The engagement began in April 2020, and it’s an ongoing partnership.

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

The Whizpool team was diligent in taking on a complex, unique project, and tackling the challenges that arose throughout the development process. They worked across different time zones, worked overtime, and demonstrated their commitment to the project. We’ve truly appreciated their hard work. They’ve performed extensive testing, and the product quality is now close to perfect.  

How did Whizpool perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicated primarily through Skype. Back-and-forths were efficient, where we’d send each other wireframes and prompt approvals. The team lead was excellent at addressing issues within a day.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was impressed by their sheer dedication to the project. They never made a fuss about upfront costs; instead, they wanted to finish the project as soon as possible, spending overtime even over the weekends to ensure its timely completion.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The time difference we experienced was challenging, but it wasn’t something that was insurmountable.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Maintain consistent and frequent communication with them. Initially, we weren’t as communicative as we should’ve been, and once we increased the frequency of our contact, our project went more smoothly.

Please describe your company and your position there.

We consult and deliver microtechnology solutions for enterprises in North America and Africa.

For what projects/services did your company hire Whizpool?

I consulted Whizpool for a cloud-enabled multi-tenant microservice architecture using AWS.

What were your goals for this project?

The goal of the project was to develop a multi-tenant user authentication that can be used to manage multiple businesses. Particularly, with the use of strict technologies such as NodeJS, AWS, Cognito, Express, and Lambda.

How did you select this vendor?

The project is somewhat unique because it has never been done before. However, I know it is possible based on my architectural design. I selected Whizpool after I carefully analyzed some of the bids I received. Whizpool was very responsive, confident and provided a very good approach on how the design will be implemented without charges.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

As previously mentioned, the goal of the project was to develop a multi-tenant user authentication that can be used to manage multiple businesses. Particularly, with the use of strict technologies such as NodeJS, AWS, Cognito, Express, and Lambda. Whizpool was to confirm if the Architectural design was possible with the given restrictions on the use of technology. After that, the application was developed. Some of the specific services we requested was all cloud based API end points that communicate withe external applications using API keys. Overall, design and development met expectations.

What was the team composition?

Whizpool has a team of 6 web developers and 7 app developer, which was sufficient enough to create an outstanding project.

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

We are still in beta and a lot of activities is currently being carried out along the project. We should be able to see the impact soon.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

The project was managed effectively via the use of a freelance platform. Money were initially placed in an escrow and released based on different milestones. Communications were also done entirely via the platform, although some were done through hangout and live chat but must conversations especially design requirements, explanations and further enhancement were carried out on the platform

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Communication. The ability to comprehend thoughts, design, and translate it into code is one thing I was extremely happy and satisfied with working with Whizpool.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Presently, I have no areas which I would like them to improve on as they have met most of my expectations. However, maybe it will be nice to actually engage some of the developers directly but I guess this might not be part of their business policy.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the owner of a software development company. We over web-based HR/Time & Billing/Inventory Management software.

For what projects/services did your company hire Whizpool?

We hired them to create a mobile app (iOS and Android) to integrate with our web based software package.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goals were to make a relatively simple looking app that had plenty of functionality happening behind the scenes. We also wanted to find a company that we could build a relationship with and continue to use over time.

How did you select this vendor?

Whizpool was recommended by a vendor of ours as they had used them and were very happy with the service and product.

Describe the project in detail.

The app is used to integrate with our existing web based platform. The app authenticates the users to our system and then allows them to enroll via selfie on their device. Once enrolled, they are able to then use their device to clock in and out of work. When they clock in and out a selfie is taken and facial recognition is used to confirm it is the correct staff member as well as a GPS stamp is recorded to see where the clock in/out took place.

What was the team composition?

Whizpool has a full team of dev guys but I worked very closely with Zeeshan to define the project scope. Once the scope was defined I worked with 3 different people (Graphic design, iOS and Android Dev Leads).

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

The app has been used for many months now and does exactly what we require. The team was great at resolving bugs that we found during the testing phase and also assisted in resolving integrating issues which was above and beyond the scope of the project.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The team was great. There is a time difference between my location and theirs but we got into a good schedule of having a daily catchup meeting to report any issues.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

These guys always go above and beyond to make sure the customer is happy. I know we went over budget with the amount of hours that was meant to be spent due to integration to our system (which the Whizpool team could never have expected these issues) but they kept working to make sure they delivered what they promised.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Not really.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Technical Director at Milestones Technology Group and consulting CTO at a Tech Startup based in Australia. Back in 2013, the Founders came up with a great idea to create a free global platform that provides businesses & individuals a platform to buy/sell/rent and promote their business for free.

For what projects/services did your company hire Whizpool?

We hired Whizpool after a global search for an offshore development partner as the startup was bootstrapped and had a need to keep costs low.

What were your goals for this project?

Develop mobile apps for iOS, Android and a Web App based on HTMP & PHP as well as an Admin Panel that would allow minimal resources to manage the users and data. The application had to use industry best practice for development standards, employ source code management practices and ensure that all three applications (iOS, Android and Web) functionality was consistent.

How did you select this vendor?

We started the search by placing an Ad for a global project on a number of sub-contractor marketplaces. We received numerous responses. These were shortlisted into 3 key suppliers with Whizpool being one of them. Based on a very clear set of selection criteria, Whizpool came ahead and we commenced with Whizpool with a small development to verify their technical skills as well as their communication skills and the ability to work with off-shore clients.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Whizpool created the application architecture and developed all three platforms as requested. Once the project was completed, they have since continued to provide enhancement services and support.

What was the team composition?

The initial project team were comprised of 2 iOS developers, 2 Android Developers, 2 Web/API Developers, 1 QA/Tester and 1 Designer.

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

The Application was launched in 2016 and has since gained worldwide popularity with a growing user base. From the initial launch a number of enhancements have been made to the product and Whizpool were key to the delivery of these.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

The project was managed from Australia with a local PM within Whizpool managing the local team. Regular Skype meetings and project reviews ensured that the project remained on track and any variations and scope changes were identified early.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Whizpool demonstrated real customer service. Their ability to work with our on-shore team was excellent. Regular meetings (voice & chat) over Skype ensured that the team worked closely with a healthy respect for each other culture, roles and responsibilities. We found Whizpool to be always available and the CEO played a hands-on role in ensuring that the project was delivered to a high quality and standard.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I believe Whizpool has a great pool of resources and is proficient in working with off-shore teams. They could consider hiring some experienced project managers to free up the CEO on other business development activities.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Salon Today, an online salon booking app.

What challenge were you trying to address with Whizpool?

I hired Whizpool to develop my mobile app.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Whizpool developed my mobile booking app for iOS and Android. The app acts as an online portal that provides users several salons to book online appointments. It’s a discounted app for all the users of salons, and we have almost 100 salons on the platform. Users can see the exact location of the salon in their area, their prices, and discounts.

What is the team composition?

In total, we’ve worked with eight people.

How did you come to work with Whizpool?

After finding Whizpool online, I chose them because of the projects I saw on their website.

How much have you invested with them?

The project cost $8,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement with Whizpool started in March 2019.

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

They’re a professional company with a responsible team. It’s a great experience working with Whizpool. I presented my idea, and their team made an attractive app that’s the first of its kind in Pakistan. Our clients are very happy.

How did Whizpool perform from a project management standpoint?

Because they’re always available, the team at Whizpool is easy to communicate with. Their team also consistently meet their deadlines. I met with the CEO during the first meeting, and then met the rest of them during another in-person meeting.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was impressed with their availability and teamwork.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No one is 100% perfect, but things were easy with Whizpool.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

The team at Whizpool has a great communication style. I’ve recommended them to a variety of clients.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am Technical Director of a bespoke software development firm, servicing small and medium enterprises in Ireland and Europe.

For what projects/services did your company hire Whizpool?

As part of delivering multi-platform projects, we recognised that we did not have in-house expertise to complete mobile native user Apps, and chose to work with an independent partner to fill this requirement.

What were your goals for this project?

To deliver the client project, on time, on budget and to agreed quality standards.

How did you select this vendor?

Another, local App developer recommended Whizpool, having previously collaborated on a project. Our initial conversations presented an enthusiastic response, tempered with a good understanding of our requirements. They  positively pushed-back on approach and feasibility, the latter with regard to technologies and budget. This is what impressed most.

Describe the project in detail.

The initial project was delivered for iOS at agreed milestones over a 3 month period, with client-driven changes in scope well managed. Subsequent engagements included functional enhancements, operating system revision updates and a full port to Android.

What was the team composition?

Our in-house project manager coordinated in-house server-side developers with Whizpool application developers.

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

The App was launched to market and was subsequently acquired by another software firm.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Both teams shared access to source management and task tracking tools. Time difference occasionally proved challenging, but in the main, both sets of developers could communicate effectively, supported with the occasionally conference call. In

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their early understanding of the project requirements made for a productive start to the project, and the proactive suggestions about a more efficient design approach helped deliver a strong user experience and keep the programme on track.

Are there any areas for improvement?

There always is! But in practice, even junior developers were well supported and when stuck, the senior developers rowed in to get the problem solved.

Please describe your company and your position there.

My company develops mobile and web apps for clients in the Oceania region. Each project is professionally managed by MTG on behalf of it's clients. We engages resources both in Australia and offshore for its development projects.

For what projects/services did your company hire Whizpool?

Whizpool was engaged to help us code an App for the iOS market.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goals were to develop a lifestyle app for a broad range of users that required the capture of everyday events, activities across many facets of life. The primary vision for the app was to provide a ready database of memories that can be quickly retrieved/recalled when required.

How did you select this vendor?

Whizpool was selected from a list of 4 potential developers. We contacted past clients and discussed Whizpools capabities with these clients. Based on references, we decided to engage Whizpool for Version 1.0 of our App

Describe the project in detail.

Following acceptance of a Proposal, we set up Skype Groups for each platform. A detailed Specs document as submitted to the development team - which they used to code the app.

Daily skype discussions with the development team ensured there was full communication along each step of the development lifecycle. Test versions are submitted frequently and due to rapid feedback we have been able to meet timeframe expectations

What was the team composition?

The team at Whizpool consists of developers and one QA. Project business analysis, design, specificaton development is done by our own team at base.

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

This project is in progress hence we cannot comment on its success yet

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Workflow is effective as we are on Skype to the development team daily. The team and team manager are highly responsive. They go out of their way to resolve urgent issues no matter what time of the day it is.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

We are impressed with their ability and willingness to be an extension of our base team. They are readily available on skype to discuss all bugs etc and nothing is too much trouble for this team. They consider our projects their own.

Are there any areas for improvement?

The only area of improvement is quality - assurance. This is common for most development teams across the globe though.

Please describe your company and your position there.

We work in Influencer Marketing & Advertising industry in Nordic countries. Buzzador AB was founded in 2005 and we are operating in Nordics. I am working as Software Engineering/IT Manager.

For what projects/services did your company hire Whizpool?

- Mobile apps development - Web applications development - Custom software development and technical support

What were your goals for this project?

We started with iOS, Android and Windows apps development for our products. We are also working on Web application development using PHP, AWS, MySQL, Wordpress, JS etc and other open source technologies. We do custom software development for different projects.

How did you select this vendor?

We selected vendor from freelancer.com and found their profile as one of the best. There were hundreds of companies who showed interests for our projects but we chose Whizpool because of excellent rating from other clients. Once we start working together then we found it as the best decision to work with Whizpool. Quality work, good price, meeting deadlines and excellent communication from Whizpool helped to deliver many projects. We are working together since 2012 to onward. In fact we are working right now on one of our project at the moment.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

We create requirements for our projects. We hand over requirements to Whizpool team. They do analysis and come back with feedback. We schedule meeting and discuss the project openly with all detail analysis. Our approach vary from project to project. Sometimes Whizpool lead the project from scratch and sometimes we gave them very specific requirements and they act as per instructions. Whizpool provide mainly software development services for our projects. We test the solution and report back our feedback on the project.

What was the team composition?

We have been working with 2 to 8 developers according to project requirements. We work directly with developers and sometimes talk with project manager as well. It has been quite easy for us to work with team while we are on different timezones.

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

We have automated our processes and it reduce the cost and increase the productivity. We have built solutions which is convenient for team to use and carry out the daily operations. There have been plenty of projects which helped to automate our processes. Overall it is to improve efficiency and reduce cost.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Communication is the key for the success of the project. We have been lucky to work with this team who communicates excellent in English. We do Skype meetings, chats and use some other collaboration tools. Working on different timezone with different teams is always a challenge but we never face any communication or timing issues.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

- Quality work - Delivery time/Commitments - Consistency and that's why we are working together since last 10 years

Are there any areas for improvement?

We are very happy with the work since last 10 years and still looking for many years together. There is always space for improvement and we think that testing skills can be improved.