Zignuts Technolab

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm one of the co-founders and the product architect of the company. We're building research monitoring and reporting platforms for digital marketing, specializing in insights from social media and web traffic.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Zignuts Technolab?

We started the project with other developers but were left with a platform with many bugs. I initially talked to Zignuts Technolab about rebuilding the platform from scratch.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement? 

Zignuts Technolab started by doing an analysis of the existing platform. They determined it could be fixed without starting over. Then they led redevelopment by focusing on the proper implementation of APIs. Using PHP CodeIgniter, they connected it to databases such as Google Analytics and Facebook. 

Next, they helped us move the platform and the marketing website to AWS and installed a script that sends emails. Zignuts Technolab also brought in a graphic designer to redesign the dashboards.

What is the team composition? 

I worked with one manager and one senior developer, who worked for us full time for 6–7 months. 

How did you come to work with Zignuts Technolab?

We were in a desperate situation after spending a lot of money with other developers. I met some of their team at an event in Berlin. They got the list of all participants and contacted me. I had them do a test project. They delivered in a couple of days what I was expecting them to do in a week. For me, that was a good sign.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $10,000–$15,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project started in July 2018 and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We had to stop development in the spring due to our financial situation. Zignuts Technolab was so understanding and offered to continue to support me for free. We were able to start sprints up again this month. The platform is now running and it has active users, which at one point I didn’t think would ever happen. They built a product that I'm really happy with, and saved me money as well. 

How did Zignuts Technolab perform from a project management standpoint? 

I ask them to do many things and they always say, yes, we can do it. When it comes to invoices, we communicate with their sales team on LinkedIn. All other communication and project management is on Slack and Trello. 

What did you find most impressive about them? 

I’m not just paying them to get a service. They’re literally part of the team. They’re 100% involved in the development of the platform. Zignuts Technolab stood by me and helped me when things weren’t so good. They understand that a startup will have many ups and downs and are willing to work with me, no matter the situation. 

Are there any areas they could improve? 

They should probably learn to tell me no once in a while. Other than that, they're doing everything the way it should be done. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers? 

Be very clear in what you expect from the product in the architecture of each feature. Also, pay close attention to the timeline.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Our company is building new forms of governance using blockchain. I'm a technical architect.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Zignuts Technolab?

Our main challenge was being severely underfunded. We were looking for a reliable partner at an affordable price. 

In my experiences working with developers from Upwork, I’d never managed to find a reliable party.  We wanted the advantages of having our own development team without hiring full-time employees. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The team from Zignuts Technolab has a very sound knowledge of WordPress development. Rather than building a default website, they extended our platform with single sign-on and integrations with identity providers on blockchain. 

We have highly specific development needs, and Zignuts Technolab offers all types of expertise in a flexible format. Having them work for us continually would exceed our internal ability to provide overviews and oversight. Instead, they provide the skills we need whenever we require.

At a technological level, I leave the choices up to them. I provided some requirements for the platforms they use. For example, it has to be compatible with our contracts and built on WordPress. Otherwise, they are free to suggest whatever technology they think would be the best fit.

Zignuts Technolab also provides all the architecture and maintenance. Rather than a one-shot deployment where they deliver a zip file at the end, we conduct the full development process with real deployment scenarios. We're able to go live incrementally and release new features. They develop, deploy, and test products in our user acceptance testing (UAT) environment.   

What is the team composition? 

Zignuts Technolab has provided resources for architecture, development, design, and testing. We've kept the team very small. At any point in time, only 1-2 people from their team are working with us. They offer a very flexible pool of profiles.

How did you come to work with Zignuts Technolab?

We started our search for a new provider by putting out a call for proposals on Upwork. I was looking for someone stable to work with for an extended period of time. After I started comparing profiles, they seemed to come out of nowhere. They probably saw the job posting in an online search.

I submitted the same requirements I had on Upwork and included them in our general comparison. They contacted me from Germany, which is much closer to our time zone than other vendors and made it easier to communicate, especially since they spoke fluent English. The price they quoted was quite good, and their staff had the right capabilities.

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent about €10,000 (approximately $11,250 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in October 2018. Our project is still ongoing. We have one year of serious development ahead of us, but parts of the product are already in production. 

Since we couldn't afford an in-house IT department, we've kept them on to provide those services. If all goes well, I'll always have them around in various capacities. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The fact that we've already received a real application is a valuable metric of success for me. Other remove teams have only been skilled at producing a specific deliverable and had staff turnover that proved problematic. Conversely, Zignuts Technolab has managed to maintain a very stable team. They provide the right resources at the right times. 

Zignuts Technolab’s knowledgeable resources forward our projects to varying degrees without a fixed engagement. Their ability to work on our product incrementally empowers me to go about the process slowly and carefully so we can accomplish everything we need to. I haven't had this advantage with any other provider I've worked with in the past.

How did Zignuts Technolab perform from a project management standpoint?

I haven't given them project management responsibilities because I handle it myself.  Zignuts Technolab plans their resources accordingly and has performed quite well. Depending on how much work I can provide, they speed up or slow down.

We mostly communicate through Skype and use tools to prepare for tasks, ensure storyboards are up to date, and keep the backlog filled in.

I send them clear descriptions for the functional requirements, as I do with every remote team, and Zignuts Technolab follows them precisely. We can only be vague with developers who work on-site. As the product owner, the responsibility falls on us to describe the deliverable we want in detail. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Zignuts Technolab is impressively flexible and knowledgeable. They communicate well and are good at what they do. 

I appreciate that they’ve never tried to force me to use their project manager, which always adds a layer of complexity. Being able to speak directly to the developers or designers working on a task has been an enormous advantage. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. Up until now, I've been very happy with the service. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

This might be very specific to our project, but preparing careful documentation has worked well for us.  Zignuts deliver on schedule and within the budget. They accomplish everything we need in the set timeframe.  

I don't know how they deal with customers who lack the technical experience to create documentation, since I've never worked with them on those terms. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I joined AEROSENS in January 2018 as its CTO. We’re developing technology solutions for the aviation industry, working on bringing our clients the latest advancements.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Zignuts Technolab?

We used to work with another company in India and switched to Zignuts Technolab because we needed a cost-effective partner that could better manage the time zone difference.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’re developing technology solutions, specifically in the IoT area, with airlines being our main clients. Zignuts Technolab provided developers experienced with backend systems. In the beginning, we doubted whether they’d be a good choice for frontend development since we have different applications for cabin management and such for Android and iOS. However, they were able to do it, and we were stunned by their performance. It was slower in the beginning, and we had to do a briefing to help them understand the different standards used by the aviation industry, but they learned quickly. I really liked this about them.

On top of that, we’re developing a new solution for in-flight Bluetooth. Most of these technologies are on-ground systems; we can’t make them flyable because of the radiation power level. When the aircraft is on the ground, we can do any kind of management or inspection using these technologies. However, when we’re flying, we cannot do inspections using RFID handheld devices, for instance. We’re developing new technologies with Zignuts Technolab for cabin management solutions based Bluetooth Low Energy.

Furthermore, we developed new tags, and Zignuts Technolab learned how they worked. They contacted the chip manufacturer to get an API and develop the server. We’re overall happy with them.

What is the team composition?

I’m not sure how many people were assigned in total. We worked with Parth (Co-Founder & CTO, Zignuts Technolab) and two other developers. One group was working on iOS and the other group on Android. Parth is also working on the backend system.

How did you come to work with Zignuts Technolab?

They were introduced to me by a friend in Boston that’s an experienced full-stack developer. We had no idea who Zignuts Technolab was and where they were based out of. We had three months of trial work and finally decided to work with them on a full-time basis.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Zignuts seven to eight months ago.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re very happy with their support and development work so far. They weren’t too familiar with RFID and IoT solutions in the beginning, so the quality wasn’t outstanding, but they were quick learners. After they knew what had to be done, they did a good job.

Zignuts Technolab is very good with backend systems, but I believe frontend systems were new to them. They were able to bring themselves to the speed we wanted, and we have no issues now.

How did Zignuts Technolab perform from a project management standpoint?

I’d give them a seven out of ten in this area. Working with companies in India is generally not that easy based on my personal experience, especially when it comes to meeting deadlines. I’d say Zignuts Technolab was good enough. I’m very strict with our US-based team when it comes to that—five minutes late isn’t acceptable to me. We had some challenges in the beginning, but not anymore. They know how we work and have adapted, so we have no issues now.

Additionally, they’re flexible and always available, even during their nights, and have stayed at their office till late to help us over the phone. Another advantage they have is that they’re cost-effective. The reason many companies are interested in working with Indian teams is because of their lower costs.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I liked the fact that they’re quick learners. The aviation industry is a bit different as we’re dealing with a lot of standards for product development, and it can take a year to go through certification qualifications. Zignuts Technolab wasn’t familiar with these standards, but they quickly went through them, understood them, asked us questions, and then delivered.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They need to manage their time better.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

If the team has experience with what they’re trying to develop, I don’t see any issues in going ahead. If it’s something new, clients need to spend a bit more time, in the beginning, to clarify everything and explain what needs to be done. Making a detailed scope of the project from the start will allow Zignuts Technolab to come to speed quickly.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the CEO of a new fintech startup aiming to disrupt the Australian mortgage industry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Zignuts Technolab?

We needed a new web developer after a relationship with a previous vendor failed.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to completely overhaul our existing systems and move from WordPress to PHP. We also wanted our platform on AWS rather than GoDaddy for more reliability and efficiency.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We chose Zignuts from a shortlist with 16 other companies. After months of thorough research, we decided they were the firm to help us with the complete makeover of our project.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

They’re currently working on platform migration to AWS. They’re rebuilding our systems in PHP.

What was the team composition?

We worked with a project manager, two frontend developers, and three backend developers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The project is ongoing due to changes in requirement from our end.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Their project management is top notch. It feels like we’re dealing with another part of our own business, not a separate company.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their technical knowledge and attention to detail made a difference, along with their willingness to accommodate our changing needs.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, I can’t think of anything.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

My company is a one-person startup, so I'm the owner, founder, CEO, and inventor. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Zignuts Technolab?

Zignuts Technolab built an app for my invention. 

What were your goals for this project?

Our first goal was to design a demo for Android. After the first beta test, we built the iOS app. Zignuts Technolab will also handle the merging of our in-house Bluetooth app. 

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I eliminated local businesses because of their prices but found Zignuts Technolab on Google. They seemed perfect: a young, inventive team with fast communication, transparent pricing, and the intention to make a great product. They also knew the latest design trends and a good eye for user behavior.

Describe the project in detail.

The first step was the UI design. After two weeks and several Slack meetings, we prepared approximately 15-20 page designs for further development. During the next five weeks, we worked together constantly. I got the latest app versions every five days, then gave them feedback, which they implemented in the next generation. Once a week we met on Skype to discuss core issues. Soon, the app did exactly what it was supposed to do!

What was the team composition?

I had a general manager for overall communication and a project manager for all development and technical questions. We also had a designer and app developer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I, unfortunately, cannot provide outcomes, because I haven't released the app yet.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Our workflow was fast. We shared written feedback and discussed issues and advice during Skype meetings. Because I lacked the technical vocabulary, certain development tasks took longer than expected. We solved everything, though.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I appreciated their willingness to follow my suggestions and develop more elegant solutions. They were personally interested in my invention. We had a cooperative, friendly relationship. They completely understood my need to rethink initial ideas and reset my general targets. They tried their best to understand, even though they weren't familiar with my business idea.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I have no idea. If anything, they could be a bit more understanding of my specific clientele. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the general manager of a cable net operator in Germany.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Zignuts Technolab?

We wanted to offer a digital platform for our customers.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Zignuts Technolab developed a platform with several parts. The main part is web-based. It also has Android and iOS apps for the individual users. Users are able to login to the system and get personalized information. Other requirements included getting the job done in a set time frame.

What is the team composition?

We worked with two people. One was responsible for the commercial part and one who was the head of their programming department.

How did you come to work with Zignuts Technolab?

A while back we worked on a project with one of their team members. He went on to create Zignuts Technolab, so we had a personal contact to them.

How much have you invested with them?

A ballpark estimate is around €60,000 (approximately $69,000 USD) but I'm not sure.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked on this project from December 2017–September 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We're in the middle of the rollout now so I can't really speak to the impact yet. We do have several customers that are willing to work with us in the rollout phase. I'm confident that we'll be able to market it on a larger scale after the trial is over.

How did Zignuts Technolab perform from a project management standpoint?

They got the job done very well. Their communication was good. We mostly spoke via Skype.

What did you find most impressive about them?

No, other than what I've already said. Nothing went wrong, so I think they did a great job.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Communication has to be good on both sides for a project to be good. I'm sure both of us can improve little things here and there. Otherwise there’s nothing I can point to.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Everyone probably knows you need to be sure what kind of project you want. Have your goals set out and then they will create the project plan. They were good partners for us.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Quickkonnect UG, an app development company. We’re about to launch our first two products, a web and mobile app that lets people share all their contact and social media information with one another. It also allows businesses to register all the employees and create a centralized list of contact information that is synchronizable into its CRM.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Zignuts Technolab Pvt. Ltd.?

We needed someone to develop our apps for us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We had the business idea, but they were responsible for developing the architecture and functionality of the app. We provided them with physical sketches and explained these over Skype calls. They built social media API’s for Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat, as well as digital calling API’s. The hardest task was to implement constant data transmission between the mobile app and the web platform.

What is the team composition?

We were primarily in contact with two people directly, but emailed with around seven or eight.

How did you come to work with Zignuts Technolab Pvt. Ltd.?

We searched for developers in Germany and the U.S., but quickly discovered that the pricing of these were ridiculous, so we looked to outsource to India. After looking at multiple review sites—including Clutch—we knew Zignuts Technolabs was the one we wanted to use.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent €60,000 (Approx. $69,600 USD)

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since August 2017, and launching our products in a week. However, it’s going to take two more years to get all our ideas integrated.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve contacted three to four internationally known businesses and they’re all interested in testing our product. We’ve only received positive feedback from beta users and our own employee.

How did Zignuts Technolab Pvt. Ltd. perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicated via Skype—especially when sharing sketches—but also through email and phone calls. We had a very collaborative process, and it was nice that they had a business development office in Berlin that we could talk to. There was a bit of a language barrier, but they had two to three who were communicating with us in perfect English.

The timeframes were stretched a little longer than we expected, but it was nothing dramatic. In total, it was a week delay which didn’t hurt us or anybody else. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Many people warned us about working with Indian developers because of language barriers and the distance, but we never saw a reason to change to another developer. It felt like they were an in-house team.

They took the project and made it feel as if its theirs. They told us how excited they were to get it out and to be a part of it. We got to know each other and become friends. We felt very happy with them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The timeframes could have been adjusted a little bit, but it was nothing big.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

QuickKonnect provides users with a QR code, which you can scan and connect to all the social media platforms you have in common, and download contact information. I’m a co-founder.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Zignuts Technolab Pvt. Ltd.?

We needed to outsource mobile and app development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The mobile apps are for both iOS and Android. We gave them specifications at first, which they transcribed into wireframes and edited by our team.

Zignuts built our whole app, back- and frontend, as well as our CRM service on our website. They also programmed our whole website, including e-commerce functionalities and analytical tools. 

What is the team composition?

We started off with two project managers (one based in Germany), while the head developer was in India. We later expanded to a team of seven people across different fields like iOS and Android. Now we have a head manager who runs everything with the individual programmers.

How did you come to work with Zignuts Technolab Pvt. Ltd.?

We looked at a review website and compared firms. The ones in Europe were extremely expensive. We tried to find a solution in which we would have a local contact, but with a team in India or somewhere cheaper. We found Zignuts Technolab Pvt. Ltd. because they have a firm in Berlin. We talked with them and quickly decided to use their services. They put forward amazing proposals and were organized in a way that helped communicate their detailed plans to us. 

How much have you invested with them?

$30,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

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

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re still testing the app. In mid-August we’ll be done with everything.

How did Zignuts Technolab Pvt. Ltd. perform from a project management standpoint?

The communication was perfect. They delivered updates on a bi-weekly basis. It wasn’t only us giving the specifications—we worked together and they shared their opinions with us. When they saw problems with the UI or UX, they communicated that with us so we could make changes accordingly. There were no issues meeting deadlines. There were some points they took slightly longer, but that was understandable.

The three co-founders of our business are based between the U.S. and London, so it was quite difficult with the time differences, but they agreed to work in the middle of the night to make calls. They’re extremely flexible and open to everything. If they didn’t know about the project, they’d research and find a solution until it works.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They sent us summaries of what they were doing every morning and then what was actually completed at the end of the day, with images and proof. In the beginning, we were a bit skeptical. They wanted to prove us wrong. They were very transparent, which helped ease our worries about outsourcing. It was incredible.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The only improvement is to integrate their whole team a little more into the process. The language barrier is a minor issue.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the managing director of AlphaSeas, a specialist strategy and advisory firm focused on the maritime industry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Zignuts Technolab Pvt. Ltd.?

We looked to create an integrated distributed ledger system for marine assets and services powered by the Ethereum virtual machine. We needed outside assistance to manage the end-to-end development process for the frontend, backend CRM, and blockchain programming.

What were your goals for this project?

This project was to be the pioneer in applying distributed ledger technologies to solving problems in capital structures in the maritime marketplace. We wanted to develop a responsive frontend design that would attract new customers. We hoped to provide a blockchain-powered marketplace solution with an easy-to-use UX to educate new customers who were unfamiliar with blockchain technologies.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Zignuts was chosen from a group of four initial vendors we approached. They came highly recommended from a business acquaintance who had previously launched a successful project with their assistance. Zignuts was chosen over the others due to the speed of responses to our preliminary questions, a competitive quote, and a favorable recommendation.

Can you go into detail about the services they provided and the scope of the project?

Zignuts developed our frontend interface and backend CRM module and set up the blockchain architecture. They completed the backend programming for blockchain processes and integrated it with the frontend. A dynamic administrator module was formed to upload assets and services onto our marketplace. Finally, they conducted a social media campaign prior to our launch. The complexities of our project were managed with Go, Solidity, Truffle Framework, OpenZeppelin, Ethereum Blockchain, JavaScript, Node.js, Express.js, Passport.js, web3.js, PHP/Laravel, jQuery, and JQuery UI, HTML5, CSS3, and Bootstrap.

What was the team composition?

The project team had seven members—three from our side and four from Zignuts—throughout the process. Our board was responsible for coordinating the project and approving team members.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have successfully become the world’s first distributed ledger platform for maritime assets and services. We have achieved our goal for seed-round funding upon completion of the project. We have introduced the services module to various registries around the world to apply blockchain-powered solutions to their processes. And we have been recognized by one of the Big 4 accounting firms as having one of the most innovative projects in the Fintech space for 2018.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

We met all of our deadlines. Feedback loops worked seamlessly. Zignuts was readily available at all times. To communicate, we predominately used WhatsApp groups, Telegram groups, shared Google Drives, and conference calls. Language translations were never a barrier.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

We had direct access to the management, the developers, and the programmers. All of Zignuts’ resources were available to us. They sincerely took ownership of our project and worked toward its success. It hardly felt like a vendor-client relationship. Rather, it was a partnership where all interests were aligned.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

Their service delivery was fully satisfactory. I have no suggestions there. As Zignuts expands, though, they may need to consider adding resources to keep up service quality.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

This is a personal project. Technically speaking, I am my own company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Zignuts Technolab Pvt. Ltd.?

My goal was to develop the initial layout and functionalities for my website. Since I have very limited web development knowledge, I tasked them with converting the site design and functionality that I had envisioned into an actual website.

What were your goals for this project?

We needed to design an interface where users could login and register for free, browse recipes, and add their own to the site. We also needed to add multiple features, including a “favoriting” function and a Yummy.ph recipe import feature.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

While browsing, I found three groups that could cater to my requests. Ravi (Representative, Zignut Technolab Pvt. Ltd.) stood out among them. He was very interested in the project and asked the right questions about my requirements. I chose Zignuts, and I don’t have any regrets.

Describe the project in detail.

They built a website with a cataloguing functionality, which allows the user to browse, schedule, plan, create, and import recipes from other websites.

What was the team composition?

As far as I am aware, Ravi managed all communication between me and their team. Their communication and delivery of the output went smoothly. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What outcomes or results can you share that demonstrate progress and/or success?

They are a results-oriented team. They put forth their best efforts to meet the promised schedule and output goals without sacrificing the quality of the final product.

How effective was the project management?

They managed my project very well throughout the development phase. They designate specific people to work, manage the project, and communicate with clients.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I appreciated their communication, friendly and accommodating representative, and the excellent quality of their work. They’re an awesome group!

What tips or recommendations do you have?

Their output is outstanding. I would recommend that they keep up the good work.