MOBIKASA

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Mavi Jeans is a global apparel brand active in 40 countries around the world. I work for the New York branch and am responsible for the global supply chain, e-commerce activities, and projects that enhance our digital experience.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with MOBIKASA?

The U.S. and Canadian branches of our company spearheaded a global re-platforming project. A previous project we'd attempted had failed, so we had severe budget limitations. Custom developments take too long and often prove ineffective. We sought a robust, highly scalable solution, and decided to transition from WebLinc to Shopify Plus. We needed a partner to maximize platform-specific functions that could run our store more efficiently.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

MOBIKASA developed the backend for our enterprise resource planning (ERP), a critical project category. They helped us brainstorm, and provided valuable insight. The private mobile app they developed, Mavi Inventory Sync, updates product availability and effectively communicates ERP with our store.

In response to our most imminent and pressing concern, they’ve published instant stock updates on a cycle. They also created an interface that enabled us to monitor progress and verify that stocks are updated on time.

During development, we have regular debugging sessions to maximize the process. Programmers responded very quickly to our requests for user interface enhancements. A global scale support allowed them to work in different time zones and satisfy our requirements. We partnered with different vendors for frontend development and migration.

What is the team composition?

A team of 10 developers from MOBIKASA worked on the project. Two additional vendors provided outsourced teams, who worked on development and migration.

How did you come to work with MOBIKASA?

While attending a Shopify Plus event to scope out potential vendors for our re-platform, I met MOBIKASA's CEO, Prateek Sachdev. We discussed how their specific platform expertise could meet our requirements and expectations. Upon project approval from our company executives, we reviewed both their personal references and ones sourced from Shopify’s internal team. We hired them when the time was right.

How much have you invested with them?

For the initial project, we spent about $10,000-$15,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our six-week project began in July 2017 and went live at the end of August. We really liked their work, so we've kept them on retainer. We’re looking forward to expanding our partnership and enhancing our store's functionality and experience.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our store's prior platform ran very inefficiently, and the stock option update solution resulted in many customer cases. With MOBIKASA's development, our Black Friday sales grew more than 30%, and stock cases have decreased to nearly zero. The new private solution they’ve built has helped us significantly improve our customer experience.

How did MOBIKASA perform from a project management standpoint?

Roles were specifically assigned and kept separate. They always gave us the option to escalate certain facets of the project. Their resource allocation implemented a great system of communication, and we worked well with the people assigned to our project. Since the initial stage was just six weeks, we used direct communication via Skype, email, phone, and screen sharing. Not having to use advanced project tracking tools eliminated many obstacles to getting what we need.

We mostly managed the re-platform internally. As a global company, our Turkish office in Istanbul provides technical resources. I was in charge of the overall project and delegated tasks with specific functions to respective teams. I was directly involved with the development and project teams, and we had specific points of contact for seven different topics.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We have a great personal connection. They really listened to us when we explained our goals, which gave our engagement a personal touch. The implementation went smoothly because they’re highly capable and intelligent. Their expertise and globally scaled support yielded excellent results.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I definitely recommend meeting with the team in person. Generally, these kinds of engagements run on electronic communication. When I visited the office, the CEO and I were able to discuss all the details of our requirements face-to-face. This dynamic eliminated the need for extra project management and project tracking.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the owner and founder of Ayelet Naturals, an organic and holistic skincare company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with MOBIKASA?

I had an existing website and I was trying to move from one platform to another. I also wanted to update the website and needed someone that would make it beautiful, easy to navigate, and easy to use for both the customer and for us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

There were a lot of little things that MOBIKASA did for me, including moving the website to Shopify. The development work was done in India and design was done in New York City. I was very picky with the design because I wanted a really clean look that would help people understand what kind of company we are, such as being cruelty-free and using concentrated formulas.

We had many issues with the previous website, for example, it didn’t have a button for logging off, which was deleted accidentally while trying to correct something else. Customers were really turned off by that. Also, when users clicked on a product and tried to see its reviews, they’d have to click up and down and the page would jump, which made it very confusing.

Now, there are only three buttons that allow easier navigation on the site—it stays clean and it’s simple to use. We basically redid the whole front page as well. It isn’t elaborate or fancy, and it can be shared on Facebook, Pinterest, and other social media outlets.

Their work includes a video for the front page, sections to include our story with images, a journal that features our blog, ingredients listings, Instagram integration, and more. The blog is really easy to read and I can now add small announcements to the site, displaying sales and other information, which I wasn’t able to do before. I initially wanted three images for each product and a review page, but they added a feature for integrated reviews, which was not built on Shopify. They integrated different apps for this purpose.

What is the team dynamic?

I worked with a project manager that was well spoken, educated, and very nice.

How did you come to work with MOBIKASA?

I initially searched for months and really didn’t know who to trust as I had been burnt twice already, and kept postponing the site update because of that. I searched on Shopify, looking at different sites and companies that build on that platform, as well as their ratings and reviews. When I decided to try out MOBIKASA, they explained the process to me in detail and said it would take approximately two months. However, it ended up taking four months as my website needed a lot more attention than originally anticipated.

How much have you invested in them?

I’ve spent $7,000 so far. I was worried they would change the price mid-process, as I’ve had this happen in the past with other firms, but that was the price in the end.

What is the status of this engagement?

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

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

MOBIKASA paid attention to every little detail. There were a couple of glitches after the site launched and a few things I had to learn on Shopify.

Anyone that looks at the site says that it’s beautiful, clean, easy to navigate, and very well put together. They can tell that someone professional created it.

How did MOBIKASA perform from a project management standpoint?

We usually communicate through email and Skype. They were very responsive when I reached out to them, getting back in touch very quickly. Even though part of the team is based in India, there were no issues with the time difference or language barriers.

The New York side of the company was a little bit slower, however, the people that work there are very professional, patient, and pleasant to work with.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The most impressive thing about MOBIKASA is that they are very patient. I was very picky about how everything would look—the text, size of the text, and many other small details. In addition to that, they gave me their ideas on what thought I should do. They work very well with their customers.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Since my company is very small, I know they used a different group of developers for this project. I also know that they work with other very large and famous companies, so I'm sure they had a different set of developers working on those projects. Of course, I would’ve liked to have the more experienced people working on this project—development would’ve been faster. However, the team we had was very nice and responsive. Other than that, I have no complaints.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a manufacturer of disposable paper cups, straws and plastic lids for the ready-to-drink segment of the packaging industry. I am the owner of the company, and we have 85-90 employees on our team, including the management staff.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with MOBIKASA?

We didn’t have a presence in the web world. Not many people around the globe knew about what we did and who we were, and we wanted to change this. There is a lot of demand for our kind of product, so it made sense to reach out to more people. I had a website in place, but it wasn’t very attractive; it was more of a formality.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

MOBIKASA gave me a good idea on how to approach the website build, and how to present my company on the web. I briefed them on my focus, and they also did some research on my kind of business, coming up with an idea of what people coming onto my website should see.

I provided content and pictures for the site, including product specifications and company history. MOBIKASA took this data, converted it to a proper format, and handled the development part on the new site. They also helped me design a backend database for regular customers. I was able to give them a login ID and enable them to enter orders by themselves, instead of doing it by phone.

What is the team dynamic?

I was in touch with the project manager and another contact from their team. Apart from those contacts, I didn’t know who was a part of the project.

How did you come to work with MOBIKASA?

Prateek Sachdev, their owner, is a distant cousin of mine. We met at a family get-together and discussed the possibility of working together. I reviewed their past work and became confident that MOBIKASA was a competent company.

How much have you invested with them?

The cost of their work was around $15,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with MOBIKASA in January 2017. I am discussing the possibility of using their SEO services.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’re a professional company, and the team did a lot of homework before starting the work. Since going live, the response from the users has been good, and people have left positive feedback. Compared to the previous website, it’s at the opposite side of the spectrum. I haven’t had a single crash, and no one has reported broken links or issues.

How did MOBIKASA perform from a project management standpoint?

The management team coordinated well with me during the development process. Everyone was in the loop around what had to be done, and the work was managed well. We communicated via email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

MOBIKASA made everything seem easy for me as a non-technical person.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. They’ve done a fine job.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

People need to give the team an exact idea of what is needed. Once MOBIKASA has an exact picture, they will develop it well.

BACKGROUND

I’m the e-commerce project manager for a software product and consulting company. We also develop websites, of which around 70% are in various segments of the health and dental insurance markets.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with MOBIKASA?

We had a complex set of requirements to build a Magento cloud-based platform for a U.S. e-commerce company.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We gave MOBIKASA wireframes and specs, but the project changed quite a bit. They were asked to use discretion and imagination with loosely defined requests, but they also knew how to follow instructions.

MOBIKASA was involved throughout the life cycle of the project, including the architecture, code writing, testing, deployment, and content configuration. Visual design was the only aspect they didn’t do. They mainly used Magento, PHP, and MySQL, but they also used JavaScript and CSS. The website is a complex business ecosystem that integrates numerous features: shipping, payments, taxation, recurring subscriptions options, etc. It even has a network element where customers can connect with professionals to help them apply the product within code or to get advice.

What is the team dynamic?

We had a team of about 7 or 8, and I communicated with most of them. One was a project manager, and the rest were developers of various skill sets (both frontend and backend).

How did you come to work with MOBIKASA?

They were recommended by a mutual client.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started in November 2016, and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We don't have a system to quantify what they've done. We haven’t had any issues with their work, though. They make sure the website is browser compatible and works on any device.

How did MOBIKASA perform from a project management standpoint?

The project manager was exceptional. We had daily and weekly meetings and also used Skype and email. Our project management tool was Trello, which we used to move tickets and manage requirements.

The team followed through on their work, were responsive, gave clear feedback on requirements, and asked clarifying questions as needed. When it came time to go live, they worked around the clock without being asked.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their size is their biggest strength. They were small enough to take our project seriously, and we didn't feel lost or unimportant. Overall, they’re proactive, knowledgeable, and easy to work with.

Are there any areas they could improve?

If they have a design arm, they should develop or promote it more. It would be useful to shift between a technical and design team within the same company.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We develop technology to help individuals with disabilities access digital content, working with organizations on a B2B basis. We also do accessibility evaluations and testing as well to ensure that digital content is developed in a fully accessible way.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with MOBIKASA?

We had developed new technologies for mobile and were looking to enhance the work that was already done by including new features and capabilities. We’d had different technology partners, for example, for the coding, though some concepts were developed in-house. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The app they helped us with is Android, with some work on a desktop app as well. We wanted them to test the existing and ongoing work to ensure functionality and ensure bugs were addressed. We put a whole process into place for debugging.

We offered the ability for users to interact with their device with switching technology right up to and including hands-free and voice commands. There’s what we call an alternative input to using a device in a standard way. It's created an opportunity for many people with disabilities to still have a positive experience and be able to properly utilize their mobile device or tablet.

They also worked on developing the manual and opportunities to communicate what the functionality was in different ways. 

What is the team dynamic? 

There are several people working on the project but my communication is with the project lead who is fantastic and a pleasure to work with.

How did you come to work with MOBIKASA?

We were attending a conference and ran into MOBIKASA’s lead. We also met one of their clients who vouched for them. We had several meetings and went from there with our collaboration.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $50,000 and $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in February 2017 and we continue to do ongoing work and look for other opportunities.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They're phenomenal at debugging the starting technology from the point where the prior team had reached. They're very good at making suggestions, and they have learned to operate the software in an intimate fashion. They have the ability to understand conceptually what would be an improvement and what could be an improvement, which is very helpful. It’s always exciting to have that kind of commitment from a technology development team because it helps us create a better product.

We have testers globally who might have disabilities and they give us feedback. The feedback has been very good. Where there are changes needed, MOBIKASA are very open and happy to complete them.

How did MOBIKASA perform from a project management standpoint?

They're very good at keeping to timelines and being available for meetings on the various meeting software we use. We have weekly meetings and follow-up from their team to ours. The process is quite organized, and we’re pretty happy with it.

They use tools such as Jira to ensure debugging and feedback loops. They’re extremely responsive. I can’t remember ever feeling that they're not responsive to our needs so they're excellent in that regard.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The project lead treats the technology as if it was her team’s so I always feel they care about the outcome, not as simply a developer, but from our perspective too. I feel a sense of security with them. When creating content or developing digital technology, sometimes there can be a disconnect between our passion for it and the developer’s. That isn't the case here.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’m sure they’re not perfect, but there's nothing glaring that I would change. Everything is acceptable or even better. They’re as good as it gets when it comes to performance. The timelines were decent. When they say they are going to something, they doit within the prescribed timelines. They're generally on budget as well.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of an exercise equipment education company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with MOBIKASA?

The e-commerce portion of our company was on Shopify, but since we were partnering with Google, we needed a development partner to help us migrate our entire website to the platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Initially, MOBIKASA created a Shopify homepage, but then we ended up adding a shopping cart, checkout, and collections. We had one main product, but we sell many insular products as well. They helped us create our entire shopping experience for all of our products.

We’re currently finishing the transfer of all of our workout and demo videos, education courses, and 150 blogs to Shopify. We’re getting rid of the old site entirely and consolidating all of our content onto the platform.

What is the team dynamic?

We were initially involved with a salesperson, but we mainly worked with one project manager.

How did you come to work with MOBIKASA?

Shopify offers vendor reviews which allowed me to reach out to 10–15 companies. MOBIKASA was one of the companies that responded, and I felt confident about working with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent around $12,000–15,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in February 2017, and the relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Before, we had a lot of trouble managing the use of our discount codes due to the sequence of which they were being put in. It made for a poor user experience, but now, we have very few issues with it. MOBIKASA has definitely improved the shopping experience for our customers.  

We have an updated look-and-feel to our website. It’s more modern, and easier for people to purchase our product. Before, there were two different sites: one for information, and one for making purchases. MOBIKASA has helped us create a more holistic e-commerce experience.

How did MOBIKASA perform from a project management standpoint?

Google needed us to make changes to our website before they started investing, and MOBIKASA has been very responsive in working with their developers. They’ve often been given short notice, but they’ve still remained very communicative.

Whenever I have a question, they respond very quickly. We used Skype in the beginning, but now we mainly communicate via email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

There are many different companies that provide the same services as MOBIKASA. However, unlike other companies, I’m able to trust MOBIKASA because of their responsiveness to design feedback. I can give them very detailed instructions, and they do a pretty good job implementing those changes. They’ve also been very clear about things that aren’t feasible.

They offer a good solution for their pricing, as well as good communication. They transcended expectations when it came to creating new graphics for us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s a bit of disconnect between the project lead and developers which causes the transfer of incorrect information. The project lead said things sometimes that didn’t seem to make sense, and then when we followed up with the developers, that information ended up being incorrect. This didn’t happen often, but they could definitely benefit from better internal coordination so that the project lead is more aware of the developers’ capabilities.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Asembl is a social event app that brings people together to pursue their passions. The app enables users to meet more frequently with people they know and brings them together with people who are interested in the same things. I’m the founder and CEO.

The app is built for iOS currently, but eventually, there will be an Android app as well. I want to do a thorough launch of iOS first. The app is limited to New York right now. The next city I’m going to launch is San Francisco. The Android app development will depend on how the demand is in New York. Hopefully, I’ll eventually have it on every conceivable platform to make it available to the largest number of people.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with MOBIKASA?

I’m a nontechnical founder and needed a full suite of technical support to get the app built.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I gave them a full set of UX/UI designs including logos, colors, etc. and told them what I wanted. They came back with a proposal and did everything else from scratch. They sent me options for executing the features I want. They took the basic map-based interface and used Apple maps to overlay. The identification of the news and places is done through Google. The core functionality is location-based, and there’s a matching base algorithm that takes people’s preferences and matches them with others who fit their preferences. For example, if I want to play tennis on Saturday on the Lower East Side, I would put in where I wanted to go and what time. Other users could see my personal features. I could also put in whether I wanted to play with a man, woman, or either and what my age preference would be if any. Anyone who fit those requirements and who also was looking for someone like me would see that event in their app interface. The mechanism that matches them together was all done by MOBIKASA.

MOBIKASA helped with the launch of the app as well.

What is the team dynamic?

My main point of contact is the project manager. I’ve spoken to Prateek, the CEO, a lot, and since then, I’ve had two different project managers. I know there are other people working on the app, but I’ve only interacted with one, which is my preference.

How did you come to work with MOBIKASA?

I started looking at app development shops so that I would be able to demonstrate proof of concept. I talked to quite a few app companies in New York. It was important to me to have someone to talk to face-to-face and who had a legitimate U.S.-based business in case something went wrong. MOBIKASA was less expensive than most of the companies. A lot of them had a large number of engineers in the U.S., which drove up the price. MOBIKASA has some people in New York that are more on the design side.

The way they pitched it to me was that most of the work was done in India. That was appealing to me because I’ve heard there’s a lot of tech talent there and I would be able to save money. I looked at some of their work and saw they were a legitimate company that had done some good work in the past. I spoke with Prateek and a couple of other people and was impressed enough with them to give them a chance.

How much have you invested with them?

I’ve spent $45,000 on the project so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in November 2016, and the app just launched last week. When I paid them, they said the contract included 30 days after the app launched. I’ve launched the MVP and have additional ideas of features to roll out. I intend to work with them on those additions over the next couple of months.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The app launched in New York, and I have 56 users now. MOBIKASA executed what I wanted quite well for a reasonable price. I’ve been very happy with it. Creating the events is slower than I would’ve liked, but they are working to fix that now. It’s crashing more than I would like, but nothing is perfect initially. I understand it will be an iterative process. I was getting anxious to get it launched and it wasn’t important to me that the app was absolutely perfect when it launched. They’ve been very responsive to the changes I need.

How did MOBIKASA perform from a project management standpoint?

Early in the project, we communicated by phone once a week. I wanted to talk about specific action items rather than having scheduled meeting times. Email works well unless there are questions or something that’s not understood. Then we talk on the phone.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’ve done a very good job. I’ve spoken to other people who have done similar apps and were surprised at how cost-effective MOBIKASA was. They’ve done a great job. I’m entirely satisfied.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There were a couple of times where they got ahead of me. I would have preferred to be directly consulted on things when they were confused about something. There has been some miscommunication about exactly what I wanted. We had to go back and fix things that they didn’t charge me for. It’s not something that bothered me. It’s something that happens when outsourcing overseas. If I had been in the room with them, I don’t think that would’ve happened. I understood that beforehand, and I think the tradeoff was worth it.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of Hotel Swarn Towers in Bareilly, India. We run a 50-room hotel, and also have banqueting venues, restaurants, and bars.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with MOBIKASA?

We engaged with them to rebuild our website. I had one in the past, but it was basic and outdated due to being over 10 years old. I wanted better graphical representation, a better layout, and a more ergonomic flow.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We did some design research, and then their team provided me with some template options to pick from. Once the content was reworked to perfection, they put it in place across different pages and checked each hyperlink. They’ve updated our website since then by adding content when needed.

We are a business hotel, and most of the people looking to book with us find us online. We use Google AdWords to push potential customers into learning more about the property, the amenities we serve, and the kind of clientele we cater to. We take bookings online as well.

I’m unsure of the technology used for the website because I don’t have a technical background. We’ve recently employed MOBIKASA for our SEO, and I’m also working with them on an application.

What is the team dynamic?

Initially, there were a couple of people involved in the project. They have various resources, including graphic designers and content experts. I prefer talking to a single contact who can assign tasks to appropriate team members.

How did you come to work with MOBIKASA?

The previous website had been done by a local resource. I was looking for established companies based out of New Delhi, which brought me to MOBIKASA. I had seen their work online, so I approached their team to discuss my project. I contacted other companies as well to see which one best understood what I was trying to accomplish.

MOBIKASA seemed more professional. A website can be always be made cheaply, but I didn’t want to compromise quality. They agreed to provide examples of their previous work, and they were also straightforward regarding the cost of additional features. Other companies usually go ahead and perform the work, then bill me for it afterward. MOBIKASA offers both transparency and professionalism.

How much have you invested with them?

I’ve spent between $45,000–$55,000, but after we implement SEO, the cost will increase.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with MOBIKASA in January 2016, and the relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The majority of our business was previously conducted via telephone or on-site, but now, 30%–40% of our business is conducted online. Our bookings and site footprint have both increased.

I’d found other websites in our market made our previous site look outdated and simple, with little variation in terms of design. The updated graphical user interface of the website was much needed.

Once we finished the site, we received a good response. Google AdWords has also allowed us to monitor our traffic generation more efficiently.

How did MOBIKASA perform from a project management standpoint?

Around 80% of the project was completed on time, while 20% consisted of content amendments. Our website was more generic, but the app is more specific.

MOBIKASA provides project templates that include feature checklists, which helps calculate an estimate depending on the necessary amount of manpower, expertise, and expense. If there was a feature I didn’t need, like geotagging, the estimate would be different, which provided transparency for me as a customer.

I might have had better insight into their project management if I’d communicated with someone other than my primary contact. However, it went well, and I received the results I wanted. I became aware of others who were involved because they were included in emails.

We didn’t use any project management tools that I recall. Email was used for general communication, and WhatsApp was utilized for more urgent ideas and designs. My requirements were basic, so we were able to manage the project with only these tools.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Initially, they were very prompt about following up to questions. I appreciated their transparency in regards to cost, as well as their professionalism. They followed the timeline, which is something my previous vendor wasn’t doing. They function differently than other companies I’ve dealt with, and it’s apparent that MOBIKASA is focused design and has forward-thinking capabilities.

Are there any areas they could improve?

During the first meeting, I was a bit confused regarding the technologies being used because I don’t have this kind of background. When they realized this, they set up a second in-person meeting to show me examples of different technologies. It wasn’t necessarily a weakness, but rather something they needed to improve upon. They’ve since worked on this issue, and they’re structured better now that we’re working on an app together.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the vice president of what is considered a work room. We make high-end custom upholstery and window treatments for architects and interior designers. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with MOBIKASA?

We needed someone that understood our business and that could develop a more visually interesting site. We had an existing website, but we wanted a new one that expressed the artisanal quality of what we do. All of our products are handmade to the best quality. We needed someone to convey that through an online website.

The site is only informational. It gives an overview to potential and existing clients of what our capabilities are. We show the range of products we make. We have a private catalog that if a user registers with us, they can have access to that. We only sell to designers and architects so we have to have the catalog password protected because some of the designs are proprietary, so that was the main functionality we were looking at. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They designed and developed our website years ago and now fulfill a maintenance role. At the time we did the site, they did a good job at making it look as advanced as things that were being done at the time. There was a lot of movement of images, fading in and out, and nice visual effects. 

We recently had them add Instagram to our home page, which they did very quickly. Now, when we load something on Instagram, it goes directly to our home page.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them in 2013, and the project took 2 months to finish.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The website is a really important tool for us. We are a low-tech business and most of my competition has a pretty poor online presence. The site has helped us grow our business and steal business from our competition because it’s ahead of what they offer. The site that MOBIKASA made lasted for quite a while as well, so we’re pretty pleased.

How did MOBIKASA perform from a project management standpoint?

We worked through another company called Rounded Corners. I was pleased with the whole process. It went very smoothly. They were diligent about getting deliverables to us quickly. I’ve been working with MOBIKASA directly now on maintenance and changes, and they’re very responsive. Usually what I ask for is to have tasks done within a day.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their responsiveness is impressive. They’re half a world away from here, but they are on it. They respond to emails within a couple of hours, assigning the task to someone right away. They get things done quickly and understand the sense of urgency. I’m really pleased.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with MOBIKASA?

We needed to improve our inventory system. We sell items individually through Shopify, but we also offer package deals. The platform doesn’t support this, so we reached out to MOBIKASA, explained the project and received a time and price quote.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

MOBIKASA worked on modifying our Shopify platform. I don’t know what resources were used on their side. They gave us an estimated budget and timeline for the project. We ended up going over the initial estimated time, but it still worked out well. After we were given the updated timeline, there were no delays.

Every time I’ve needed to reach MOBIKASA after the end of the project, for any changes or bug fixes, they got back to us right away and looked into the issue. I have reached out to them again not too long ago, for another project.

We needed to print out an invoice for every single order placed, along with shipping and billing information, for a 7-month timeframe. Shopify does not have a functionality for doing this in bulk. Our reps started doing it one-by-one, but the total was around 6,000 orders. We called Shopify, but they weren’t much help. I then remembered using MOBIKASA for the last project, so I emailed them and described the situation. They estimated it would take 1-2 hours to code and test it. After that, the solution worked extremely well.

Marketing and strategic work are done inhouse, so we haven’t used MOBIKASA’s services there. We have used them strictly for development.

How did you come to work with MOBIKASA?

My criteria were accuracy, time and cost. The first company we contacted took a week and a half to even get back to us, just during the quoting process. Their follow-through wasn’t good at all. We ended up going with MOBIKASA because they got back to us right away, and didn’t seem like so large of a company that we would get lost in the process. I can only imagine what the service would have been like with the other company since simply trying to get a quote from them took such a long time. They would have probably dragged their feet even more after we paid them.

One of the other companies we reached out to quoted us $15,000, while MOBIKASA’s quote was $2,000. Not only did they do a great job, and had great customer service and follow-through afterwards, but they were also affordable. Usually, choosing a cheaper solution will make us skeptical around what will happen after we pay, but MOBIKASA’s had integrity.

How much have you invested with MOBIKASA?

The cost of their work on our initial project was between $2,000 and $4,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with MOBIKASA at the end of 2016. The project had a 4-5 month duration. We maintain contact for any fixes on the site.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

Given that MOBIKASA only developed a functionality for creating package deals, we haven’t kept any metrics for it. It has helped us automate our inventory process, and made it easier for clients to purchase items in bulk. More than being quantitative, we were aiming to fix an operational inefficiency which was annoying the team. People have been happy with the functionality, but it’s strictly something for the backend.

How did MOBIKASA perform from a project management standpoint?

I care very much about accuracy and having things done as per the request. I’m specific in how I like things to be done, and MOBIKASA has always accommodated this. The cost was probably my least concern, followed by timelines, but accuracy always matters.

We used email and Skype for most of the time. I don’t think we’ve even spoken over the phone.

MOBIKASA’s team realized that the project would be much more complicated than they initially assumed, but I don’t think the delay had anything to do with a lack of skill sets. We didn’t have this problem with our second project. I don’t mind things taking longer than expected, as long as the line of communication is there. They contacted me whenever there was a hiccup, in order to extend the timeline.

What did you find most impressive about MOBIKASA?

We had some hiccups, even after the application was delivered and we paid them, but we could always reach out to MOBIKASA and receive quick responses. This was a huge deal for me, after having worked with so many other companies of different types, which wrote us off. The best and most impactful thing that MOBIKASA has done has been the fact that they’ve continued to take responsibility months after the project was done.

The experience I’ve had with MOBIKASA was amazing, and I would recommend them, as well as use the team again for any upcoming tasks.

Are there any areas MOBIKASA could improve?

No. The timeline was extended, but I was informed of it from the start. There’s nothing that they can really improve.

What tips or recommendations could you share that might increase the likelihood of success with MOBIKASA?

Be upfront and clear in the beginning, and you should be fine. MOBIKASA will go above and beyond with what you’re asking for, as long as you specify what you need.