Daffodil Software

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of Padup Ventures. We’re a consulting company that works primarily with entrepreneurs, incubators, and accelerators.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Daffodil Software?

We needed to develop an online management platform and build a website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We gave them a broad description of what we wanted, and they came back with a framework that displayed the user flow and some additional details. We provided feedback, which they incorporated into a final design. We shared a variety of use cases to help them put together a set of specifications. Once we approved those, they started developing the management platform using Java and other technologies. The system has three core features: document sharing, meeting scheduling, and task management. All of the information is updated in real time and visible to our whole company. After completing the platform, they built a website.

What is the team composition?

I worked with a project manager, who led a team of developers. At the end of the project, a lead developer demonstrated the platform’s capabilities.

How did you come to work with Daffodil Software?

A mutual friend referred us to them, and we spoke with their CEO. They’re also only a mile from our office, which was a bonus.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $25,000–$49,000 on the project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from August­–November 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve done two phases of work with their team so far, and the feedback has been positive. We have more than a dozen people using the software, and they’re happy with it. The collaboration itself has been smooth and efficient. We’re considering initiating a third phase with the Daffodil Software team.

How did Daffodil Software perform from a project management standpoint?

They managed the project well. The team was both proactive and reactive in their work ethic. Our project manager was responsive and understanding.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Our internal team members really enjoyed working with them because they had a good understanding of our business and goals. Communication was easy. They asked all the necessary questions, following a methodical process to ensure they completed their work on schedule.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, it was a great experience.

Any advice for potential customers?

Clients should have a clear idea of what they want and be able to articulate it. The initial phases of the engagement are very collaborative, but once the team establishes a direction, they’ll work independently.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the managing director of Finance.co.nz, a financial price comparison website in New Zealand.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Daffodil Software?

I was moving away from a local development team as they were too expensive, and I was looking for someone else to do the work. I needed a primary development team as well as a support team.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They’ve become my only developers now. All the work is done in Drupal and they take care of my Google Analytics as well. I send them documents that outline what I want, and they deliver on those requirements.

What is the team composition?

I work with five or six people. Once things are underway and we’re working on a project, it’s really just me and the developer.

How did you come to work with Daffodil Software?

I did research online and found them through Upwork. I had the job posting up for one day and received 55 responses to it. Daffodil’s documentation around the engagement stood out compared to the others—it was done professionally and the same way I would do it, which was the reason I chose them. With all working relationships, it takes a while to find a flow, but I’ve been very happy with them.

How much have you invested in them?

I’ve invested between $40,000–$50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in 2014 and have an ongoing engagement.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The initial release was just a shell of the website. They introduced the blog and a lot of product features, doing a significant amount of development from what they took over.

I’m currently working on the specifications for a complete change to the look and feel, then it will be their creation after that. The quality of their work so far is good, and I’m really pleased with them. I tend to do surges of work and I ask for certain people in particular who have been great, but their skill level is good across the board.

How did Daffodil Software perform from a project management standpoint?

I’m quite busy and so I don’t have time to always be reviewing things; I need them to be proactive and accommodating. I’ve told them I want them to think as if they are working for our company, as opposed to a third-party, and take the initiative. That has worked well, and we have a good working relationship. We use the phone, email, and Skype to communicate, as well as Google Docs.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’ve built up a really good rapport with the people I work with. I’ve been very pleased with them and have introduced other clients to them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

None of these types of relationships work straight away—nothing slips into a perfect routine the moment you start. It took a while for our communication and expectations to get aligned, but not too long. I made the right move by going with them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Managing this kind of work is difficult. Outsourcing does work, but clients need a background in it in order to know the pitfalls. If your teams speak different languages and are engaging in complex and difficult tasks, there are certain things that need to be done to manage it.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Respondent 1: I’m the co-founder of Priceless Places, a startup that matches professionals with a suitable work or meeting space. Our company offers approximately 3,500 working environments, meeting spots, and closed rooms such as exam and training locations.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Daffodil Software?

R1: We found investors during a local startup phase and started to look for a development company to build our website and mobile app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

R1: Daffodil should have built a website and a React Native app. We provided them with a 350-page wireframe document describing every page that should have been built with extensive explanations. We thought almost nothing could go wrong as they just had to turn a design into a functional website, translating what they saw on the page into code.

What is the team composition?

R1: Our main point of contact was a project manager. We also met weekly with two developers, an account manager, and the project manager.

How did you come to work with Daffodil Software?

R1: We looked on Clutch, filtered by development companies in India, and spoke with 8–10 via Zoom calls. We decided to go with Daffodil because they said they could make the website for an average cost. They also made a favorable first impression. My co-founder and I could put in as many hours as needed, so we felt we could make it work with Daffodil.

How much have you invested with them?

R1: The contract for the website was $50,000, and the app cost $90,000. However, we spent $26,000 alone on the first phase of the website build.

What is the status of this engagement?

R1: We worked together from December 2017 until August 2018. They told us they’d finish the site in eight weeks. After a five-month delay where they failed to deliver, we ended the engagement.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Describe the impact this engagement has had on your business.

R1: After a five-month delay, we were left with a product we couldn’t use to generate revenue. We almost lost our investors and had to spend approximately $60,000 more ending contracts with other parties and paying rent and employees. The entire website was in their hands, and they would only share their code if we made the final payment.

Respondent 2: 10–20% of the cost was for QA, but we had to test everything ourselves. It was nearly impossible to document every bug, but we made a list of 600 and gave it to them to fix. They told us the problems were resolved many times, but they were still there when we tested them. We were wasting so much time that we decided to pay them just to end the engagement.

How was project management handled?

R1: The largest problem was that they said they would deliver in eight weeks at most, but still hadn't delivered anything after seven months. We were happy in the beginning, as they kept us updated and gave us documentation over email. Unfortunately, they told us we couldn’t see the site yet, as it was in a staging and not a real-time environment.

When the deadline came closer, they started giving excuses. After a 5- to 6-week delay, we began to think they weren't being honest with us. We told them if they didn’t deliver in one more week, we’d lose a significant amount of money, and they assured us it wouldn't be a problem.

This turned into a five-month delay. If they’d kept us in the loop and said we were looking at a five-month delay, we could’ve ended the engagement then. They simply weren’t honest. As the project grew worse, they started to say they wouldn't deliver to our fixed-price because they’d be doing it at a loss. That’s when we knew it wasn’t going to get better.

Is there anything that the vendor did well or that you would consider a strength?

R1: People could go to them for simple, basic websites.

In what specific areas can they improve?

R1: We had a 350-page wireframe document that we showed to other companies, and almost all of them said they’d never seen such detailed documentation. This is the reason we’re having such a great time with our current provider. They’re able to just read documents and ask us questions. This is the biggest way Daffodil could have performed better.

Even though we had weekly meetings with their entire team, we still only spoke with the project manager, although the developers would step in occasionally if we had a technical question.

What advice do you have for clients with similar needs to yours?

R1: I can’t say anything except “don’t go to Daffodil.” It might be harsh, but we invested too much time in documentation and project management. If someone has to rely on Daffodil’s professionalism and expertise to manage projects, I’d recommend going elsewhere.

It was hard for us, and this is the first time my co-founder and I have been eager to leave a review. We haven't been treated this way before, and we want to let other people know they should watch out for Daffodil.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work for Experieco as a technical lead. We provide IT services and product development.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Daffodil Software?

We’re a service company, so at times we have particularly big loads, and at other times, smaller loads. It can make it challenging to have a significant number of permanent staff.

For that reason, we needed a company to help us to scale up quite significantly when we have a bigger project, then we can go back to support mode when the project finishes.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We have a team on site that works in conjunction with Daffodil’s team. They worked mainly on .NET software development as well as agile functions and Azure SQL. We’ve also engaged them in ReactJS consultancy, and they provided an architect who gave us general guidance and high-level best practices.

What is the team composition?

We have a few points of contact. We speak to the developers and their technical lead daily, as well as during stand-up meetings and review. I also engage with our account manager from time to time.

How did you come to work with Daffodil Software?

We had been looking for an outsourced partner that would fit our needs when scaling the project. It was a challenge to find good talent in the Auckland market, but Daffodil seemed to be the best of our options. They had a large amount of experience and a decent sized talent pool in their office.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them in July 2018, and the relationship is still ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They produce very good results. They’ve been able to deliver on projects and create a lot of new code.

Any engagement involves a learning curve, and it was the same in this case. It was the first time our company used an outsourcing partner, so we had a learning process of our own. We’ve been able to work quite successfully, especially in the last few months, when we’ve had an extremely productive run.

How did Daffodil Software perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re quite productive. We do the project management on our side, but they’re proactive with their resource management. Jira is our main form of tracking the tasks and time.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They try to provide us with as much support as we need at any particular time. They’re able to provide us with an architect on an on-demand basis and are really flexible, which we appreciate.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s a learning curve at the start of any engagement, so everything needs to be well-aligned. We had to make sure the coding was the same on both our sides, as well as the communication and task management.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure things are aligned at the beginning of your engagement.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We're a recruitment agency that supplies casual relief teachers to primary and secondary schools. I'm the managing director.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Daffodil Software?

We wanted to develop a web application to serve as our booking and management system.

What were your goals for this project?

Our basic goal was to develop a system that matched teachers to schools and helped administrators manage schools, teachers, and bookings.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We used Clutch to shortlist four companies. We sent them a detailed scope of work, spoke to them on Skype, and chose Daffodil Software. They weren't the cheapest, but we were impressed with the salesperson's understanding of the project, the size of their business, and their proposed development process.

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

We wanted a web application with an AngularJS frontend, a Laravel backend, and a MySQL database, deployed to my Amazon Web Services (AWS) account.

The scope of work included features for teachers to register their interest, log into their dashboard, manage their profile, enter their availability, accept and manage bookings, and access additional resources.

The administrative dashboard enabled schools to manage their profile, make and edit bookings, add resources, edit teacher and school information, manage bookings, and add school accounts.

What was the team composition?

The team consisted of one team manager, one project manager, one frontend developer, two or three code developers, and one deployment manager. There may have been others, but I dealt with the team manager and project manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The project was broken into milestones. We paid 50% of the project costs in the first three weeks, and another 20% shortly after. Then they stopped following the scope of work. They said I could end the contract, but would still need to pay the full amount. Since I had invested months of time and a considerable amount of money, I had to accept the changes. Then they replaced the project manager. The new project manager wasn't familiar with the project, so it took another four weeks before I felt comfortable again.

After completing development, I paid the balance and we began deployment. Everything seemed to work correctly. The finished product didn't match the scope of work, but I was relieved that the process was over.

I started having issues shortly afterward. Daffodil Software hadn't fixed the main booking problem. In the first week of use, the platform crashed and would not process bookings. I sent email after email, but they didn't resolve the issue. This had a huge impact on my business. I lost many customers and thousands of dollars, and engaged another company to fix the issue.

I wanted to forget the process, but Daffodil Software said they would refund an amount. After many emails and phone calls, I gave up on ever receiving the funds.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Daffodil Software did not manage this project well.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The sales team was fantastic. They clearly understood the project, the contract, and the scope of work. Unfortunately, the development team didn't have the same understanding.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

They didn't listen to me when discussing the scope of work. They told me, in a nice way, that I had to choose between accepting their process or ending the contract. They knew I was fully invested in the project and had to accept changes. Every time I asked to complete an item from the scope of work, they said it would require "extra effort." I had to refer back to the scope and explain where the items were listed.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the managing partner of Code Creator LLC. We provide the development community with various cloud computing solutions and applications.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Daffodil Software?

We needed a development support partner to expedite some of our workload.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to finish production in a timely fashion while maintaining a high level of quality.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We vetted them through several internal processes to ensure they would be a results-driven partner.

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

They develop various cloud applications with a number of protocols and configurations.

What was the team composition?

We work with a lead project developer and several programmers, whose numbers change depending on our project needs.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their team develops each task in a timely fashion and delivers fully-functional products that are ready for testing. They also reduce possible errors by eliminating redundancies, which streamlines our process. They’ve had a tremendous impact on our ability to deliver quality products to our clients on time.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

They understand our needs and communicate effectively and professionally.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They understand the scope of our requests and execute the products we design, delegating assignments as appropriate to ensure proper delivery.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

I’d suggest that their project managers and developers be given greater latitude to make decisions based on their own recommendations. Though no company is perfect, there’s not much they could do to improve my experience with them.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m an associate product manager and full-stack developer at Self Care Catalysts.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Daffodil Software?

We needed development services for our iOS and Android apps.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted Daffodil Software to build to the apps using a common mobile development framework and then do UX/UI updates.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

A past employee hired them.

Describe the project in detail.

They used a common mobile development framework for the iOS and Android conversion; we supplied the UX/UI wireframes. Currently, we provide backend support to assist Daffodil Software’s development work.

What was the team composition?

We work with a tech lead, one developer, and an account manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They completed the project on time. Users loved the new UX/UI.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The daily standups have made the partnership highly effective; we use Trello to manage tasks. The team has great communication skills and always resolves issues promptly.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They are very flexible and will do everything possible to meet the client's needs.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No. We’re very happy with their service and wouldn’t change a thing.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the managing director of a niche publishing company that serves media industries in the Asia Pacific region. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Daffodil Software?

For over four years, Daffodil has developed and maintained the websites for our two publications.

What were your goals for this project?

Initially, we aimed to improve the sites' uptime, increase their capacity, upgrade their storage and archiving, and perform ongoing maintenance. Later, we started to focus on improving our security and rebuilding and upgrading sites.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Another satisfied customer recommended them, and their services were cheaper than our previous vendor.

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

We initially engaged them for regular maintenance, but when we noticed their skill and reliability, we expanded the scope. Now they manage our relationship with our server hosting company, handle site security, and upgrade our sites to make them responsive. We also give them other assignments, such as mobile development and site responsiveness improvements.

What was the team composition?

We are a small company, with a team of five spread across five sites. Daffodil assigned one of their team members, who quickly became part our team. Their administrators and security specialists also offered extra help.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They continuously deliver good results and meet all our goals. They're good people to deal with, responsive and understanding of our needs.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

We have a good administrative liaison and a project management interface. We can all communicate, set tasks, and measure our progress toward completion.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They meet our needs and provide a team of nice people.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the CTO of a clothing and garment manufacturer. I provide operations support and oversee the development of technology and software solutions built for our company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Daffodil Software?

We wanted to completely reorganize our operating system to centralize its management to a single software.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Daffodil developed a software solution to centralize our internal operation and improve communication with our customers. The tool is designed to facilitate orders, display progress, and allow clients to track the manufacturing process. The project included several different digital components related to web and database development and deployment. The software is built on an Amazon infrastructure and uses programs like MongoDB, Express.js, AngularJS, Node.js, and PostgreSQL. We are continuing to work on extensions and new features, including a landing page and payment mechanism.

What is the team composition?

We worked primarily with a project manager, senior developer, and a team of additional developers.

How did you come to work with Daffodil Software?

Our CEO evaluated their company then recommended them for the project.

How much have you invested with them?

We have spent around $30,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked on the initial project from December 2017—May 2018. We began the next phase immediately after.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The software met our design requirements and technical preferences. Daffodil provided a solution to improve our management efforts and customer relationships. We don’t use metrics, but we are very pleased with their work so far.

How did Daffodil Software perform from a project management standpoint?

The team met deadlines and properly communicated all the project milestones using Excel spreadsheets. We regularly followed up on their progress and scheduled in-person meetings when necessary.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The team has a good approach to customer service. They leverage their design and collaboration skills to meet the outlined requirements.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they met all of our expectations.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Clients should have a clear vision of their goal. Daffodil will try to improvise some of the elements if not fully informed, and that may lead to complications in the partnership.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a CRM Software Provider.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Daffodil Software?

We needed scalability when it comes making changes and customizations to our platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

First, they’re helping us with our code. We’re partnering with them to expand the capabilities of our platform with new modules and functionalities. After providing them with specifications and requirements, we’ll analyze them together, and then they will implement and manage the changes which involves testing the code, reviewing it, and rolling it out to our different projects. Part of this is implementing a native app, because we’ve been primarily focused on our web application.

Second, they are helping us expanding the capabilities of our platform across channels and devices.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with anywhere from five to eight developers, depending on the workload. They normally specialize in different categories whether it’s actual code development, native app development, or the set-up and maintenance of servers.

How did you come to work with Daffodil Software?

After receiving a contact request from Daffodil’s business development team, we looked at their portfolio, saw how they were presenting their services, and connected with them. After we did the first project, we realized we were great partners, and we’ve been working together for years.

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent around $400,000.

What is the status of this engagement. 

We’ve been working together since 2015.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I don’t have quantitative metrics, but the quality of the code is very good, and our development pace has been increasing. The simple fact that we continue to do work with them speaks to how happy we are with their services.

How did Daffodil Software perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re extremely responsive; they go above and beyond to follow-up on projects.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It feels like they care about their job and the quality of their job. You can feel, whether it’s with a developer or a project manager, that our level of satisfaction is important to them, and to their entire business.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could work on their technical documentation. Although it’s something the company usually does, which would be us, that’s one area that could be improved. Other than that, we’re very happy.