FuGenX

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the founder of a company that provides IT services. We primarily write subscription software.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with FuGenX?

I needed help developing an app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our company writes subscription software such as loyalty programs for small business owners. I needed help with a mobile app, so I reached out to them. We were building on top of past work that we had done with them for app development. We already had wireframes, but we needed to make significant changes, add new features, and update various components. They helped us accomplish these tasks.

They helped me launch the app, which is compatible with Android and iOS platforms. After launch, there were some issues, which they fixed pretty quickly. Overall, their work has improved since the first time we collaborated with them.

What is the team composition?

They assigned a team lead that supervised the project and interfaced with me. I had one main point of contact, who I could talk to about any issues and he would forward those to their team. I also communicated with one other person from their team. If I ever had any problems, I could reach out to any of these three team members; they would help me with whatever I needed.

How did you come to work with FuGenX?

I have a friend who lives in Bangalore, which is where their office is located. He heard good reviews about FuGenX. When I asked for some feedback, he got in touch with them for me. I visited Bangalore two years ago and met the team. I liked their approach, so I ended up working with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $9,000-$10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together April 2016 and wrapped up our collaboration February 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We only recently launched the app, but I’m satisfied with its quality. Their coders are great; they know what they're doing. They would always let us know if there was a better way to approach something. They kept us updated and informed throughout our collaboration. I'm pleased with their work.

How did FuGenX perform from a project management standpoint?

They effectively executed product development throughout our engagement. They would give me weekly reports to ensure that I was kept in the loop the entire time. We communicated through email and Basecamp. We would resolve issues and discuss questions over the phone as well. We constantly shared information about the project.

Our time difference did not make working together difficult. If we had questions about anything, I would email them. If I didn’t get a response right away because of the time difference, they would get back to me as soon as they returned to their office.

What did you find most impressive about them?

In general, when working with another company I expect good customer service, timely feedback, and high work quality. They exceeded my expectations for all of these criteria. Their price point is reasonable as well, especially compared to other companies. They deliver the same amount of work that you would most likely get from other companies, but you save money and receive comparable, if not better quality work.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can't think of any areas in which they could improve.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be patient with them. They work on various projects, so sometimes work was delayed by one or two days. Keep an open line of communication with them and ask questions. They do their job well, and they try their best. Throughout our engagement, they would improve in some way every day.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an assistant manager for new business initiatives at an oil-and-gas company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with FuGenX?

We’re venturing into the digital side of the market. We wanted to create two new and different components for our work process: a marketplace for logistics suppliers and a trip-planning application that organized routes to petrol stations.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

FuGenX developed both apps for iOS, Android, and the web. They worked on the projects from start to finish. Currently, they’re on the third phase of our partnership, after which they’ll be in charge of maintenance.

What is the team composition?

I interacted with FuGenX’s CEO, a delivery manager, and a project manager. We interviewed every developer before they were onboarded.

How did you come to work with FuGenX?

We’re a semi-governmental company, so when a partner suggested three agencies, we went through a tender process that involved multiple technical discussions. FuGenX was one of the teams, and we found them to be the best, so we hired them.

How much have you invested with them?

The overall cost has been around $400,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with FuGenX in October 2016. The first two phases of the project are complete, and the third is ongoing. Once it’s finished, a three-year maintenance contract will begin.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The fleet application is doing well (better than the trip-planning app). Without any marketing, we have approximately 2,000 drivers using the app. We’re still in the beta phase, but we’ve seen a good response so far. The apps don’t have many bugs.

How did FuGenX perform from a project management standpoint?

The project didn’t have clear requirements from the start, but FuGenX supported us. They never stopped work to wait for our approvals; even if a change request occurred, they continued the development.

During the testing process, we needed people to test the app on-the-go with the actual drivers. FuGenX sent its team to different cities, making sure the app worked properly in a live environment.

We have the contact information for all the project managers, who are available at any time during working hours. Communication and project planning are handled well, and we’ve only experience slight delays. Whenever we need a meeting, they arrange and conduct it professionally. The overall experience has been good.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re committed to our deadlines. Whenever something needs to be delivered quickly, they’re ready to do it. The first project was quite large, but they managed it well. The team is experienced and professional.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Some projects were delayed. I know that’s unavoidable in the software dev industry, but they could work on ensuring it happens less. Communication could also be improved, but FuGenX’s development team is good from a technology point of view. We’ve been satisfied so far.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Technology-wise, FuGenX is a sound company. They also have a good product management and testing team. Any customer looking to build a lasting product can rely on them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Our company is a money service bureau based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Our main operations are foreign exchange and remittances. I’m a product developer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with FuGenX?

We’re seeing a shift towards online remittance and mobile applications where people want to transfer money. We needed someone to help us develop a mobile application. We had a traditional brick and mortar model of transactions, which is only for the remittances. We wanted to launch a mobile app with the same functionality we had already in-house.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They helped us develop a mobile application for Android and iOS, which is new in this region. It’s a full spectrum product—you can create a transaction and finish the transaction without leaving the app. It has multiple payment options and is very comprehensive.

We had previous experience working on a hybrid platform, but we saw that it wasn’t that convenient. This time we decided to go for a native solution. We released the Android version first.

We were happy with their work and so we gave them a website project as well. It has a travel card, which is a multi-currency prepaid card which works with Visa.

What is the team composition?

The month they were onboarded, our requirement was one of the senior guys came from India. He was onboarded and did all kinds of business analytics and everything. The team interacted closely. They onboarded on a very high level how things have to be framed and then the architects and everything has to be designed.

We had a requirement of somebody coming to our premises. We had a resource for 5–6 months on our campus. He handled the backend side of it. The same person was interacting with the time looking for the frontend requirement. Within my team, I had one member who focused on managing the connections.

How did you come to work with FuGenX?

We have certain metrics for the vendor. One was on the quality side of it. We have QA [quality assurance] team who vetted the vendor and did a field check.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from August 2016 until September 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

A lot of people use it even though we haven’t marketed this project yet. There are around 10,000 downloads between the iOS and Android versions. It’s going to take time because it’s a Legacy system. There are a couple of things that we have to manage from our side. The app is getting ready for the mass public. It’s too early to say the impact it’s going to make. The app is going to be scalable and it’s going to be officially marketed in the UAE in May or June. I’m expecting close to a million downloads.

How did FuGenX perform from a project management standpoint?

They have been very successful. The team was available when required and even on a day off, they were ready to come and work. Our weekend is Friday and Saturday, but they would stretch themselves and still come in on those days. They also happily accommodated our requests.

We normally interacted on Basecamp and also used WhatsApp. We had communications on a weekly basis. I’d have a call with the team there. I dealt directly with the CTO [Chief Technology Officer]. Details, progress, milestones, and any challenges in between were shared.

What did you find most impressive about them?

One of the best things we had was our initial agreement with them about the scope. There were a lot of deviations from the scope because of things out of our control. FuGenX accommodated all of our changes without charging extra. They were very open to change. They were flexible, which saved a lot of approvals from our side. They are strong in Android development. The features were much superior. The UI [user interface] side of it was quite neat. Their price is reasonable compared to others.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The only challenge is that our holidays don’t match. They don’t communicate the holidays that are coming up in India, and all of a sudden, the team will tell us they’re not working because of a festival. It’s not major though because they’re flexible. Apart from that, it’s been perfect.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Getting the holidays sorted out will help you a lot. They're keen and usually available, especially on WhatsApp and Basecamp.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm a co-founder of TruSource Technology Pvt. Ltd.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire FuGenX?

We hired them to develop our B2B mobile platform for wholesale distribution. 

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to develop a backend listing platform and an app-based interface to allow customers to place orders. 

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We found FuGenX through a Google search and selected them after several in-person meetings.

Describe the project in detail.

The scope included designing, developing, and providing support for different aspects of the project, including a seller platform for listing and order management, an admin platform for controlling transactions, and a front-end mobile app through which customers could place orders.

What was the team composition?

From FuGenX’s side, the team composition was extremely erratic. People kept coming and going. They have issues with hiring and retaining good developers since they don't provide adequate salaries. Their employees shared this revelation with me after we stopped working with FuGenX. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

FuGenX didn’t add any value to our product; in fact, they actually destroyed value. I had to find an alternate development shop that actually did a good job and produced acceptable quality.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The team kept changing all the time. They provided no documentation or transfer of knowledge. They lured us into hiring them by quoting a low amount but never delivered.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I wasn’t impressed by any part of the experience.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I have multiple recommendations but will highlight the most important. First, FuGenX needs to hire and retain reliable people. Second, they should be honest about their limitations and capabilities. Third, they should at least try to complete projects within the proposed time estimate. In my opinion, working with this company will only destroy product value. 

Company Responses

This is quite unfortunate for us to see that one of our customers had such bad experience with us. However, we feel we tried to stay as compliant as possible with what was promised. We had to end the project way before completion because we found that client did not adhere to Service-level Agreement (SLA) norms, and even flouted some of them. Initially, the client interacted with our teams to share their objectives and requirements of the project, and derived valuable ideas, proposed workflow, and project plans. But then they absconded with the information, and possibly handed over the project mid-way, to some other firm.

As an organization, we strictly follow the norms included in the SLA document, and expect the same from our clients. We are committed to protecting our intellectual property, and have zero tolerance towards any type of infringement by clients or others. Any technical, intellectual or other important information possessed during interaction with the company cannot be migrated, shared or duplicated. In the event of a violation or breach by the client, we hold the right to end our collaboration.

We respect our clients and the trust they put in us, but being an organization, our policies and standards are equally important to us. We have always tried to serve our clients with utmost satisfaction through timely project completion and meeting the benchmarks.