We Create Experiences, Not Just Apps
FreshWorks Studio is an award winning, full life cycle, design and development agency with offices in Victoria, Vancouver and Seattle. Our locations makes us an ideal partner for nearshore custom software and app development.
We’ve worked with partners ranging from startups to Fortune 500 companies to identify business requirements, uncover challenges, and reserach user expectations in order to deliver solutions that provide real value. Our mission is to solve problems and create value through remarkable digital experiences.
Segments we support:
- Enterprise
- Startups
- Digital Health
- Government
- Municipalities
We handle all aspects of your project - design, development, deployment, and, where necessary, maintenance. We have in-house expertise in Web (React & Angular), Mobile (iOS & Android), Backend Development (Node, Python & PHP), and Dev/Ops (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, IBM Cloud, OpenShift).
Our 80+ person team comes from around the world and bring unique perspectives from 15 different countries. The team includes:
- Solutions Architects
- Full Stack Developers
- Mobile Developers
- Product Owners (Certified)
- Scrum Masters (Certified)
- Business Analysts
- Technical Consultants
- UX/UI Designers
- QA Analysts
- Dev/Ops
We will closely collaborate with you at every step through open, clear, and consistent communication. We also value our ability to deliver premium projects at a reasonable price; we are capable of achieving this through a combination of design driven development and applying an agile/scrum development methodology. This ensures no time is wasted and projects get delivered on time and on budget.
We look forward to learning more about your project. Please contact us anytime to find out how we can help your organization succeed.

headquarters
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Portfolio
TELUS, A Place For Mom, Hootsuite, Harbour Air, Grouse Mountain, PetVibe, Intelage, IBM, CGI, PwC, Quartech, NWTRPA - Startups - SPAAH, Playbook, PetVibe, IDG Blockchain, Intelage - Partnerships - IBM, CGI, Sierra Systems, PwC, Quartech, EY - Municipalities - City of Victoria, West Vancouver, Coquitlam

Foundry BC | Virtual Health Clinic App
With a focus on user-centric design and agile development, FreshWorks helped build a set of virtual health clinic services that will change the B.C mental health landscape for years to come. Mental health issues have been on the rise in Canada, with a significant impact on youth between the ages of 12 and 24. This has been further amplified during the COVID-19 pandemic in rural areas throughout British Columbia, as many residents have limited access to mental health resources. Foundry BC is removing barriers and increasing access to health and wellness services for young people and their caregivers across British Columbia. At Foundry, young people can easily access integrated services by connecting virtually through the new Foundry BC app, walking into a local Foundry centre, or exploring online tools and resources at foundrybc.ca. FreshWorks partnered with Foundry BC, The Ministry of Health, BC Children’s Hospital, and CGI to build a modern virtual health clinic app that empowers youth to meet with health professionals and access digital tools and support from any device, in any place. The Foundry BC app was co-created with the youth that it was made for. Available on desktop and mobile devices, the digital health platform makes it easier for youth and their caregivers to access free and confidential drop-in and scheduled counseling, peer support, groups, plus tools and other resources. To date, over 1,000 appointments have been made using this tool which has broadened Foundry BC’s ability to deliver ongoing support and recovery services to youth in British Columbia. Tech Stack: iOS: Swift, Xcode development SDK Android: Kotlin, Android Studio development SDK Frontend: HTML and React Backend: Node.js, Nest.js, Typescript Hosting: Telus' AWS Project Management: JIRA Version Control: Github We are proud to be part of an initiative that will accelerate and improve access to care for the next generation.

ICBC | Road Test Booking App
Every year, more than 3 million British Columbians visit ICBC to tap into all sorts of city auto services. One of those services is helping existing drivers upgrade their licenses and preparing new drivers for the road which requires booking a road test. The ICBC Road Test Booking Application had outgrown its structure and needed an overhaul.
ICBC wanted to create a modern platform that would make the process of booking road test appointments easy and intuitive. One that prioritized the needs of B.C.’s drivers while considering the administrative requirements for ICBC employees. In September 2019, FreshWorks partnered with ICBC and began work on a completely redesigned application. It was crucial to build a solution that delivered sustained value to both parties. After leading key stakeholders through design workshops, we were able to develop a data-driven design that worked well on both mobile and desktop devices. The ICBC Road Test Booking (RTB) Application now aligns more closely with ICBC brand and UX standards, making it easy to: -Book a Class 5, 6, 7, or 8 road test or motorcycle skills test; -View all upcoming appointment slots and testing locations; -Access road test booking records from the online portal; -Cancel, rebook or confirm an existing appointment. With transparency, open communication, and vigorous testing driving the project, we helped transform the platform into an application that is simple to use and easy to manage. The responsive front-end interface seamlessly integrates with ICBC’s backend and delivers accessible and intuitive functionality at every touchpoint. The new system went live in September 2020 and we are proud to have played a part. The new application improves the user experience for millions of B.C. motorists and automates ICBC’s user management. This saves time, money, and resources for ICBC which benefits all insured B.C. motorists and ultimately all B.C. taxpayers.

BC Registries and Online Services
BC Registries and Online Services has started a phased, multi-year modernization initiative. Their objective is to replace and improve the applications used for the Corporate, Personal Property and Manufactured Homes Registries.
Their vision is to develop a better service experience and make it easier for both citizens and businesses to complete transactions and filings with the province of BC and across other jurisdictions, manage accounts and pay for services. Over the years, the process for different entity types (corporations, cooperatives, credit unions etc.) have modernized at different rates - resulting in multiple legacy systems holding duplicated data.
FreshWorks was commissioned by the Ministry of Citizens Services to support this modernization and has recently delivered the first applications in the project roadmap. BC Registry staff also had many processes set in place that were based on the legacy system. Our team had to be aware that each improvement would require considerable change management efforts from the Ministry to adapt to the new software. Our team worked hard to modernize the system while keeping big changes to a minimum. Releases were strategically scheduled among other program releases to reduce impact to the registry staff.
The results have been immediately realized in saving time, energy, and money for everyone - the BC Government, it’s public servants, and the citizens they support. Learn more: https://freshworks.io/portfolio/bc-registry-services/
Front end: Vue.js
Backend: Python, Flask (Python) API, Postgres DB
Hosting: Red Hat Openshift
CI/CD: Jenkins
Scheduled Jobs: Kubernetes Cron
Other: NATS message queuing, Github Actions

Alberta’s Returning Traveller Outreach Program
In a little less than 30 days, FreshWorks helped the Government of Alberta build a modern web-based traveller screening system for COVID-19. All travellers are required to complete the accessible and user-friendly self-isolation questionnaire and automated processing helps agents determine which travellers have appropriate measures planned to properly self-isolate upon arrival. Traveller information is privately and securely kept in a database where different groups of government employees can access it on a need-to-know basis.
Service Alberta agents screen each plan that’s filed, and can now easily determine if that traveller will require additional self-isolation support – indicating that on the travellers case file if so. The database and portal of this new solution also helps Service Alberta know at a glance which travellers have been followed up with after they arrive. Users can see cases in a queue, assign cases to different agents efficiently, update case statuses, and keep detailed, time stamped notes for each traveller.
Alberta’s Returning Traveller Outreach Program for COVID-19 (RTOP) makes better use the information provided by travellers and automates formerly tedious processes where possible. This has made case management much more efficient, helping ensure travellers are provided assistance when needed while giving Service Alberta more confidence that each incoming traveller is followed up with according to the regulations currently in place.
Learn more: https://freshworks.io/portfolio/alberta-health/
Frontend: React, TypeScript, NestJS
Database: IBM DB2
Hosting: IBM Cloud Platform

Ministry of Citizen Services | BC Business Registries and Online Services
This multi-year initiative aims to examine species and ecosystems-related business outcomes; developing sustainable systems, processes and data that support natural resource decision-making. For this project we worked with Invasives BC to create custom software for invasive species management. The overall system includes several modern applications that are creating new capabilities for digital government in BC. The new applications allow field workers, surveyors, contractors, government administrators, and the general public to collect and share real time data in order to eradicate, prevent, and manage invasive species effectively. By consolidating all invasive species information into a unified system that is accessible, reliable, and responsive it supports more efficient and effective science based management of invasive species. While delivering these essential tools for invasive species detection, control and management, our team developed a platform that enables the sharing of species population and occurrence data with other existing systems as well. It does this by accessing and using ecological layers and providing a valuable layer of information on invasive species for others to access. The engagement included reviewing all user research that had been completed over the past 8 years, designing mockups, wireframes and prototypes, and performing user testing on the new Invasive Species Application. iOS: Swift Frontend: Angular Backend: Node.js, PostgreSQL, PostGIS, TypeORM Deployment: Docker, Jenkins, OpenShift Testing: Karma, Jasmine, Mocha, Chai. Learn More — https://freshworks.io/portfolio/invasives-bc/

First Nations Health Authority - Digital Health Mobile App
The First Nations Health Authority (FNHA) mobile app was developed in response to a need for the organization to share important notices with its members and users during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The iOS and Android app allows the FNHA to send the important information directly to the user's mobile device via a notification. Users can also access all content available on the website, including the FNHA podcast.
Notifications and content is scheduled and published using the web admin dashboard. Additionally, FreshWorks Studio created backend analytics from scratch. This was done without third-party plugins for security requirements.
What makes this project particularly interesting is that FreshWorks Studio was able to built the set of mobile applications as well as the web admin dashboard within the very short timeline of 6 weeks.
Technologies Used:
Languages: Swift, Xcode development SDK, Kotlin, Android Studio development SDK
Backend: Node.js
Frontend: HTML and Angular
Database: MongoDB
Hosting: Azure
Version Control: BitBucket
Read the full case study: https://freshworks.io/portfolio/first-nations-health-authority/

Mobile App Development for HealthLink BC
The BC Health Service Locator helps you find walk-in clinics, hospitals, emergency rooms, immunization locations, pharmacies and laboratory services in British Columbia, Canada. The mobile application was developed for HealthLink BC, a government-funded telehealth service, which provides non-emergency health information to the residents of British Columbia, through combined telephone, internet, mobile app, and print resources.
Tech Stack:
iOS: Swift 4
Android: Kotlin

Telus Health - Mobile & Web App development
Together with the Ministry of Health, Telus Health, Foundry BC, and BC Emergency Health Services, FreshWorks designed two seperate Virtual Clinic mobile applications that provide new and existing emulated health services for Foundry BC and BCEHS.
Some of the services and functions in both applications include: chat services to connect users with clinicians/service providers, mental health articles and content access with offline "favourite" functionality, calendar systems with goal setting/tracking and much more.

A Place For Mom - Modernizing Legacy Code
We redesigned and rebuilt a Canadian website for an iconic US service provider - ‘A Place for Mom’; a web resource for families searching for assisted living homes. A Place for Mom operates in all 50 states of the USA and has over 1.5 million page visits/month.
Having launched the first version, we are continuing to work with the client to further simplify the website designs and layout with the goal of continuously releasing a more and more intuitive and seamless user experience. We are utilizing modern SEO best practices to ensure that the core website is indexed appropriately by Google and easily searchable. The finished product is mobile first and fully responsive across all OS platforms, browsers and device types.
Our responsibility was to replace the core web application with one that is written in React/Redux (front end stack) and Node.js (back end stack). The goal was to recreate the application using modern technology in order to have a product that is easier to modify and achieves higher performance (which is good for SEO). Other goals for the project were: internationalization (French version of the Canadian application), localization (having a web experience specifically for Canadians), and design changes. The level of design sophistication is incredibly high, as the client has been improving on their platform for 15 years.
Front end: ReactJS, HTML, CSS, JavaScript
Backend: TypeScript, NodeJS
Full case study: https://freshworks.io/aplace-for-mom

Citizen Engagement Mobile App for the City of Coquitlam
The CoquitlamConnect app lets you swipe, tap, and connect to the city of Coquitlam. Notifications will keep you in the loop about the latest news, events, job postings, facility closures and pet adoptions in the city.
The mobile application also allows its users to further explore the city through the augmented reality feature. The user can customize the homescreen to easily access the most important features when launching the app.
Tech Stack:
iOS: Swift,
Android: Kotlin
Front end: React
Backend: Parse

BCGov Directory - iOS and Android application
BCGov Directory is a mobile application that makes it easy to find contact information of BC government organizations, offices and the people working within them. By using open data provided by DataBC, the application ensures contact information is always up-to-date.
Learn more — https://freshworks.io/portfolio/bcgov-directory/

CanConnect
CanConnect is an iOS application which uses a specially designed interface and hardware on a tablet to create an easy-to-use video chat tool for those with cognitive decline or other impairments which may make alternatives difficult to navigate. The Skype-like application has two main user types: Configurators (including Clinicians and ‘Other Users’ such as family and friends of the Senior user type) and Seniors (Type A with limited cognitive decline and Type B with significant cognitive decline). Learn more — https://freshworks.io/portfolio/canconnect/

MindShift by Anxiety Canada
MindShift gives you scientifically proven solutions based on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), mindfulness meditation, relaxation, mood and anxiety tracking. The mobile application helps you: learn to relax; develop more effective ways of thinking; and take active steps to take charge of your anxiety.
FreshWorks Studio worked together with Anxiety Canada to revamp the already existing application and add brand new features. We've re-designed Mindshift, an app that helps manage and decrease anxiety. New features include relaxation, visualization and mindfulness strategies, check in tools and more, using the cognitive behavioural therapy approach.
Learn more about this life-changing app - https://freshworks.io/mindshift
iOS: Swift
Android: Kotlin
Backend: NodeJS, MongoDB

BCFS - iOS & Android App with Admin Web App
The BC Federation of Students is an organization that provides union services to smaller post-secondary institutions in British Columbia. BCFS provides a variety of value-adds to students that attend BCFS partner schools, including discounts at local businesses. The BCFS iOS and Android mobile applications allow students to easily browse discounts in their area, bookmark them for later, and redeem them for discounts at businesses by displaying their virtual BCFS student card. Student Union Representatives and Administrators are able to manage the business accounts and discounts from a web application. Businesses also receive value in joining as a BCFS Benefit Partner, through receiving opting-in to manage their business and discounts from the web portal, and receiving metrics on their discounts used by students through he application.
Tech Stack
iOS: Swift
Android: Kotlin
Web: React
iOS: https://apps.apple.com/ca/app/deals/id1466143851
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ca.wearebcfs.students

BC Mines Core - Advanced Web Application
The technologies that supported mine oversight for British Columbians needed to be reimagined. We are working as part of a fantastic team for the Ministry of Energy, Mines, and Petroleum Resources on a project that will replace the legacy Mine Management System (MMS) with a scalable, open source, data driven system using modern and flexible technologies.
At the core, interactions and relationships with others systems will derive a platform for shared and accessible data across the Natural Resource Ministries. The previous Mine Management System (MMS) was largely stand-alone and had distinct limitations. It did not support integrated analysis or integrated decision making across the process of mine oversight.
The new system will support the creation of a complex data model that can connect various components of mines. Some examples include consultation information, risk management modelling, spatial data, financial tracking and collecting and physical attributes.
Through coordinated and accessible data, we are working to improve the functionality available to ministry staff, better inform the public on mine status, and improve cross ministry collaboration.
Front end: React redux, Ant design
Backend: Python/Flask, SQLAlchemy
Database: PostgreSQL, PostGIS
CI/CD: Jenkins, Docker, OpenShift, SonarQube
Testing: Jest/Enzyme, Pi test, Groovy/geb and spok

The Harbour Air pilot app
The Harbour Air LogIt application allows the world’s largest float plane airline to operate more effectively while also being alerted in case of potential compliance issues with Transport Canada regulations. This was an important challenge to overcome with the development of the iPad and web app, as most of the Canadian Aviation Regulations rely on current information with regards to flight and rest times. Case study — https://freshworks.io/portfolio/harbour-air-logit/

Hootsuite and Google My Business - Web App Integration
Hootsuite is one of the world's leading social media management platforms. It has an extensive directory of different applications that users can connect to in order to manage their online presence 24/7. Users can manage their Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and with the work FreshWorks has done for Hootsuite their users can now manage Google My Business listings as well.
Google My Business is a free and easy-to-use tool created as a way of giving business owners more control of what shows in the search results when someone searches a given business name, including Search and Maps. FreshWorks Studio used a modern technology stack to build the integration between the social media management platform and Google My Business. It allows users to add 3 different types of streams to their Hootsuite dashboard: reviews, questions, and posts. Google My Business users can interact with reviews and questions directly from within the stream. They are also able to schedule posts for later publishing.
The GMB integration app is available within Hootsuite's app directory and had several thousand happy users within the first week of launch.
Front end: HTML, CSS, Javascript, React.JS, JQuery
Backend: Javascript, Node.JS, Postgres DB
Learn more: www.freshworks.io/hootsuite-gmb

Ministry of Education - Microsoft Dynamics
FreshWorks partnered with ITK Consulting to modernize the K-12 NGN for the BC Ministry of Education. The K-12 Next Generation Network (K12NGN) is a large network providing connectivity and security services to over 1,600 BC public schools. Previously the team managed service requests, change orders, and incidents for all public schools through manual and disconnected processes. Now all the data is connected through Microsoft Dynamics and the system will send out generated activities and notifications, as well as provide analytics, reporting, and keep track of the history of changes.
The project was the first agile project for the Ministry of Education and provided an immense value within the 11 weeks. The work was split into three phases: Inception, proof of concept, and implementation.
During the inception phase, the team worked on creating a list of requirements and user stories that were sorted by importance.
The solution involved implementing business management processes in Microsoft Dynamics and integrating multiple school and vendor data sources into a structured and coherent data set. The project also involved the development of a mobile application and API design and development to allow each component to interact.
The K12NGN team has been working with the legacy system for many years and the replacement of it required a detailed understanding of how each user navigated the system.
Full case study here: https://freshworks.io/k12ngn

MyCogHealth - Mobile Apps and Researcher Admin Panel
MyCogHealth is a research tool to assess cognitive health over time. The native iOS and Android applications allow participants to participate in studies, and take surveys throughout their day-to-day, capturing real data in different real-world scenarios. Participants are prompted to complete surveys when they become available, they can answer a series of questions and complete brain games.
The Web admin panel is a robust tool that researchers can use to create these customizable studies. Researchers can publish multiple studies, create surveys and questions within the studies, and schedule them to occur at specific times. When participants complete the surveys, data is collected in the database and can be exported by the researcher by filtering and customizing the datasets.
With this tool, the UVic Institute of Lifelong Health and Aging will be able to easily assess individual cognitive health over a long period of time, and compare individual historical results to an individual's current results, therefore analyzing age-related cognitive decline.
iOS: Swift, Obective-C
Android: Java, Kotlin
Front end: React, Redux
Backend: NodeJS, MongoDB
Case Study: https://freshworks.io/mycoghealth

UseSafer - iOS and Android mobile app
The Fraser Health Authority is one of five regional health authorities in B.C. working together with the Ministry of Health. They provide high quality, appropriate and timely health services to more than 1.8 million people living in communities stretching from Burnaby to White Rock to Hope.
Together with the Fraser Health Authority, FreshWorks developed UseSafer, an application that assists in the fight against the drug overdose crisis. It acts as a tool to help alert emergency services when a user has potentially overdosed and aims to decrease the emergency services response time significantly.
Tech Stack:
iOS: Swift 4
Android: Kotlin
Backend: NodeJS
Call & Messaging Framework : Twillio
Read more here: https://freshworks.io/use-safer

Hootsuite - Yext Software Integration
Hootsuite is one of the leading social media management platforms and allows users to monitor, post, and analyze their different connected social media networks such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. You can keep your social presence active 24/7 by automatically scheduling hundreds of social media posts at once, across your social accounts. Yext is a data management tool that is designed to keep track of a business’ location-related information on multiple directories. The tool automatically audits business directory listings, updating and replacing inaccurate information as needed. The software also identifies listing opportunities that can enable you to fill a void where no information previously existed. The Hootsuite - Yext integration allows users to manage all of their business listing reviews in one convenient place alongside their social activity in Hootsuite. Users can reply to reviews as well as view a comprehensive set of review response metrics that enable their team to easily build and strengthen relationships with customers. Key features include: - View your business reviews all in one place on the Hootsuite dashboard. - Have a better understanding of reviews by using the analytics stream tools (content analysis, average rating, time to response, etc.) - Share your favourite reviews directly to your social channels through the Hootsuite dashboard. - Respond to reviews directly from a stream in your Hootsuite dashboard. Tech Stack: Back end: PostgreSQL database, TypeScript with TypeORM Front end: React/Redux Learn more: https://freshworks.io/hootsuite-yext

Social Media Platform Design & Web Development
Fifty One Percent Club is a social media platform designed for professional women to connect with other professional women over shared interests. Targeted at traveling business women, the social media platform allows its members to arrange meet ups and gatherings.
Techstack:
Frontend: Wordpress
Backend: Wordpress, AWS

Harbour Air - iOS and Android Native Apps
Harbour Air Group is the largest float-plane operation in North America and they offer scheduled flights, as well as scenic tour packages in different regions across BC.
The client hired FreshWorks to develop a mobile app that would allow their customers to see flight schedules easily along with the ability to book flights and vacations packages. The result was 2 new mobile apps (iOS + Android) and a modern website that allows users to book flight reservations, view upcoming and past flights, and access 360-degree videos of some of their scenic flight tours. We incorporated frequent flight options, which adapts to user preferences over time, as well as additional customer help sections.
We incorporated extensive UX research including focus groups and heatmapping in order to come up with an intuitive UI created from observations of user behaviour. Harbour Air has received a lot of great feedback in regards to the new modern and clean UI and overall booking flow within the application.
Tech Stack
iOS: Swift
Android: Kotlin
Backend: (existing)
Case Study: https://freshworks.io/harbour-air

The AI chatbot for the Online Divorce Assistant
The Justice Chatbot was created in response to call for solutions that could leverage articifical inteleginece (AI) to improve the user experience of the Online Divorce Assitant. The Online Divorce Assitant is an existing application that helps users complete the required forms in order to file for divorce in BC. The request was to create a solution that would work with minimal changes to the existing application.
The Justice Chabot uses Watson's Assistant, speech-to-text, and text-to-speech services to create an interactive chatbot that can walk a user through a complex form. Users interact with the chabot in their preferred language, answering questions that are easy to undestand. In turn, the chatbot will valiadate, format, and translate the answers before placing them into the form's inputs. The chatbot can also answer any questions the user might have whily progressing though the form, and if it does not know the answer, can point them to resources that may help. All interactions on the page flow through the chatbot. Using the natural language processing of Watson Assistant, users are able to converse with the chatbot by speaking in a natural way. Text-to-speech allow the user to listen to the responses and speech-to-text enables them to respond using thier voice. Learn more - https://freshworks.io/portfolio/ai-chatbot/

Prenuvo - iOS and Android Apps for Medtech Company
We built this application for individuals that have recieved an MRI scan from the private organization, Prenuvo. With this application, scans completed by Prenuvo can be shared and viewed via the Android and iOS applications, which contain a set of images that can be viewed, reports written by the clinician, and links to additinal resources. Scans can also be downloaded onto the device for easy offline viewing, and the entire application is heavily secured with two-factor authentication and biometric login, to ensure the security of individual's personal health information. Learn more -http://freshworks.io/prenuvo

Grouse Mountain - iOS and Android Native Apps
FreshWorks redesigned the Grouse Mountain mobile applications, improving the UX and adding cutting edge augmented reality map elements. The brand new application features a summer-winter toggle, a ticket purchasing portal, web cam feeds, event lists, snow reports, dining locations, grouse grind tracking, and 'what’s open' reports for lifts, runs and terrain.
Grouse Mountain previously had 2 apps: one called "Grouse Mt," which gave users updates on the status of lifts, runs, etc. at the park, as well as basic information about the various activities available; and a second called "Grouse Grind," which allowed users to record their times when hiking the Grind (a 2.9-kilometre trail up the face of Grouse Mountain, commonly referred to as “Mother Nature’s Stairmaster”) and compare their results with their friends. These were replaced with a single unified app built from scratch with new features added like ticket and pass purchasing, an augmented reality map, and multi-language support.
Tech Stack:
iOS: Swift
Android: Kotlin
Backend: (existing)
Case Study: https://freshworks.io/grouse-mountain

MyRangeBC - Web and iPad App
MyRangeBC is a responsive web and mobile (iOS) application that FreshWorks has designed and developed as a result of our continuous application services contract with the BC Natural Resource Transformation Sector (NRTS). The B.C. government’s Range Program allocates and administers hay cutting and grazing agreements on Crown rangeland. Each agreement requires an approved and current range use plan - which was previously submitted on paper. The new and modern application allows agreement holders to use web and mobile (iOS) system to easily create, update and manage their range use plans.
The goal of MyRangeBC was to create a user experience that would allow just about anyone to use the application with minimal instruction. The experience using the application on web and iOS was designed to feel like a cohesive consumer grade product. This focus aimed to ensure that agreement holders with varying levels of technical comfort would be able to engage with the application. The application provides a clear sense of purpose for its users– outlining what steps they need to perform to move the range use plan approval process forward.
Read the full case study: https://freshworks.io/myrangebc

PlayBook Hub - iOS and Android Native Apps
Playbook Hub is an all-in-one platform for the arts and entertainment industries. The technology provides global reach, exposure and growth opportunities for talent through a single platform, as well as an unparalleled feature-set for agents or managers to book and connect with artists.
With Playbook you can truly act both locally and globally from the convenience of your laptop, tablet or mobile device. The industry-leading technology has been built into custom apps to allow the simplest and most efficient management of talent and talent bookings.
We designed all the UI/UX for the iOS and Android app. We developed the native iOS & Android apps by following agile methodology while coordinating with Playbook Hub’s backend team to integrate with their API for payment, searching, profiles and other features available in their web application.
iOS: Swift
Android: Java
Backend: PHP Laravel

Sailing Plan - Web & Mobile App
Sailing Plan was developed by FreshWorks Studio for Limnology Research Core (LRC) to improve boaters’ safety through modernizing the way small vessel boaters can submit their sailings plan to Marine Communication Traffic Services (MCTS). Previously, a sailing plan was submitted by filling out a downloadable PDF form that then needed to be faxed. The submitted sailing plans were kept in a paper copy in a folder, making it very unefficient to find plans when needed and also near impossible to keep track of which sailing plans should be escalated.
The user-friendly Sailing Plan mobile and web app allows boaters to fill out their sailing plan on their mobile device or online and submit it directly. The user is also able to store and reuse data, such as captain, vessel, and passenger info, for future plans. Additionally, boaters can store their emergency contacts in the app who will be notified in case of plan escalation.
The FreshWorks-built web/admin dashboard allows the responsible government agency to access and review sailing plans to check on plan status.
Read the full case study here: https://freshworks.io/sailing-plan

Used.ca - iOS and Android Native Apps
Used.ca was launched in 2005 with the sole purpose of reducing landfill waste in Vancouver, BC by selling used items through an online platform. Since then, the website has recorded over 55 million page views per month.
To continue the rapid growth of Used.ca users and to streamline the buying and selling process, we partnered up with the guys behind the operation to transform the Used experience into a mobile app that connects with the online classifieds.
Developed with passion and a whole lot of love, the Used.ca app makes buying and selling goods a breeze - with a built in chat, personalized notifications, location-based searching, and buying and selling features that can all be accessed from your mobile devic. We couldn't be more excited to have been a part of making Used more, well, useable!
iOS: Swift
Android: Kotlin
Backend: (existing)
Case Study: https://freshworks.io/usedvictoria

Waveband Pro - iOS Mobile Apps
FreshWorks Studio designed and developed the Waveband Pro app ecosystem which lets people with a wide range of disabilities express themselves musically through movement. We developed this app for CanAssist - an organization of the University of Victoria that is dedicated to helping people with disabilities improve their quality of life and to increasing awareness of disability issues.
Users convert motion into the sound of their choice of musical instrument. Users can roll, pitch or turn their mobile device to play a piano scale, shake the device to play a tambourine, and so on. Waveband is completely customizable to ensure that each user's ability to move can be fully taken advantage of. When used in conjunction with a strap to secure the device to the body, the app can be especially useful to people who have disabilities that prevent them from playing traditional musical instruments.
For example, a person who has some control over their arms could have an iPod Touch attached with a runner's strap. When he moves his arm sideways, the device plays a pre-selected scale across several octaves, sounding just like a banjo. Someone with extremely limited control over her movements could even have a device attached to her power chair so that the movement of the chair activates the sound of a piano.
iOS: Swift 4 and Objective - C
Android: Kotlin
Backend: Apple on Demand Services used to fetch assets
https://freshworks.io/waveband-pro

PetVibe
PetVibe is like Facebook for pets. It was created for pet lovers as a place to expand the pet community in a safe and fun online environment. PetVibe allows users to learn, connect and share with other pet owners, and help them have the best possible pet ownership experience. The app offers a number of useful features like social media posts, blogs, news articles, private messaging, events, pet sharing and fostering, business services etc.
As with every application we develop, PetVibe project began with just a high-level idea from our client. From the idea comes the discovery process, where our business analysts, project managers, and stakeholders work together to reign visions into concrete requirements. These often come in the form of user stories, application flows, and designs. Our talented software developers then coded the website as per the requirements, followed by through Quality Assurance and then public launch. Currently, the website has over 20,000 monthly active users.
iOS: Swift
Android: Kotlin
Backend: PHP
Case Study: https://freshworks.io/petvibe/

BCHighways - Mobile Apps Using Open511
The BC Highways application was one of most successful and recognized projects spearheaded by the FreshWorks team using the open-source 511 API from the DataBC Catalogue. Various open source libraries were integrated for data analytics and mapping visualizations to provide citizens of BC with concentrated and accessible data and information regarding highways across British Columbia.
FreshWorks developed a machine learning module in Python to access realtime traffic conditions by analyzing the image feed from traffic cameras. The app has since added new features including Border Delays, an event feed based on a user’s specific location including construction and accidents, as well as coloured map icons which indicate areas where traffic is most severe. Additionally, users can access real-time data from a wide variety of BC Highways cameras whenever they please, to examine road conditions, dangers, and traffic.
Minister of Transportation Todd Stone personally recognized FreshWorks for their excellent work on the BC Highways application. The open source project is being further extended for other Canadian provinces including Ontario and Alberta. The BC Highways app now has over 110k downloads & 50k monthly active users.
iOS: Objective-C
Android: RxJava
Data: Open 511 APIs
Other: JSON, OpenData, Objective-C, RxJava, Realm MapKit, CoreLocation, Google Maps
https://freshworks.io/bc-highways

Harbour Air - UX Research and Website UI Redesign
FreshWorks redesigned and rebuilt a responsive website to exist alongside with the Harbour Air mobile application for iOS and Android which were developed as part of separate project.
The Harbour Air Group is the largest float plane operators in North America - offering scheduled service flights as well as scenic flights and tour packages. Our work includes ticket booking features, along with an interactive calendar, scheduling, flight tours and other corporate content/pages.
During all phases of the project, our team ensured that the website’s look and feel (user experience) matches that of the mobile applications. All aspects of design and branding were discussed with the client and driven by research from focus groups, google analytics, and heat mapping. Marketing guidelines were also taken into consideration before implementation of the redesigned website. The result is a modern, user-friendly website with significantly improved functionality for all users (internal and external), allowing travel to be booked seamlessly.
Learn more about our work with Harbour Air - https://freshworks.io/harbour-air

EAO - Inspection App Ecosystem
Since early 2016, FreshWorks has been involved with the BC Environmental Assessment Office in the role of application development and IT operation support. Our team developed a modern field application for Enforcement Officers and by incorporating GPS, an offline first approach, and media attachments, they can now submit inspections from their mobile devices, completely eliminating manual data entry.
FreshWorks implemented REST API architecture to communicate with the backed server hosted on OpenShift environment and worked with Siteminder to authenticate field inspectors. A modern web portal allows EAO office staff to manage field officers, inspection schedules, reports and other related artifacts. Our team conducted several field studies with actual inspectors to garner accurate and sufficient application requirements outside of the contracted work.
Both the web portal and mobile app come packed with a variety of features to both augment and synergize the entire inspection process, allowing future inspectors to focus on the important stuff - looking after our beautiful province.
iOS: Swift 3.0, MapKit, offline synchronization, custom ERP integration
Android: Kotlin
Backend: Node.JS, Parse
Frontend: Angular2, Express.js
Database: Mongo DB
Deployment: OpenShift
Testing: Jasmine
https://freshworks.io/eao

VanWineFest - iOS and Android Mobile Apps
Since 2016, FreshWorks has been bringing a mobile experience to the Vancouver International Wine Festival. These custom mobile apps allow Wine Festival participants to follow a schedule of conference events, make notes, post to social feed, and contact winery representatives.
You can see which wines have been getting great reviews from others, and leave notes for yourself as you go to see which wines you liked so you can follow up to find that wine either in stores or direct from the winery after the festival.
iOS: Swift
Android: Kotlin
Backend: Parse

SPAAH - Mobile Apps, Admin Panel, & Analytics
SPAAH is an app ecosystem designed to connect users with Health & Beauty Service Practitioners outside of the traditional Spa visit model. It serves as a platform for prospective clients to both search for services and post specific jobs, and for practitioners to bid on work, for services that take place in the office, home or otherwise on the go.
Clients and practitioners are validated, able to discuss jobs through direct messaging, review each other, schedule jobs with integration to common calendars, and make payment directly within the platform.
The software platform showcases advanced scheduling/booking systems for jobs, native calendar integration and payment processing features were also built from scratch. We used modern JS framework such as React/Redux for front end, while PHP was used for backend, PostGreSQL was the database language, RESTful web services were developed and Docker was used extensively in the project. We created not just great mobile apps, but an admin panel and an analytics dashboard for the client to closely monitor how the app was being used.
iOS: Swift
Android: Kotlin
Front end: React/Redux
Backend: PHP, PostGreSQL, Docker

Independent Investigations Office of BC - Custom Wordpress
FreshWorks Studio fully redesigned the Indepent Investigation's Office of BC's (IIO) website to improve overall design and usability. IIO was already collecting user feedback on the old Wordpress website by the time we kicked things off. Throughout the discovery phase we used that feedback and additional research to solidify the new features in a set of user stories.
The custom WordPress site allows users to easily access relevant information on current and past cases through advanced custom search funtionality. Website visitors can sort cases by area, incident classification, agencies involved, and incident year. Security for this website required particular consideration. The site needed to be hosted on government servers and all code needed to be reviewed by their cyber security specialists to ensure that there was no security issues.
Read the full case study: https://freshworks.io/independent-investigations-office

Victoria Votes
Victoria Votes was created for the 2018 municipal election in Victoria. This app allows voters in Victoria, BC to find out all they need to know about an upcoming municipal election. Find polling stations near you, see what ID you need to bring, read Mayor and Councillor candidate profiles, see if you are registered to vote and more.
iOS: Swift
Android: Java
Backend: Back4App

Livecare Connect - Telehealth Apps for Doctors and Patients
Livecare approached FreshWorks with a mission to solve the disparate physician services shortfall in rural communities. The solution was a telehealth web and mobile application which utilizes video conferencing and real time secure instant messaging to provide healthcare from remote locations. Livecare Connect™ Telehealth Platform can improve a clinic’s practice efficiency, patient satisfaction & schedule flexibility. Connect provides a high-quality, easy to use video conferencing platform that can integrate smoothly into any healthcare practice.
The app (web, iOS, Android) is simple and intuitive interface that allows users to schedule a visit and uses Oscar EMR plugin for integrated scheduling and visit documentation. A medical grade, high definition video provides the clearest images. It fulfills national healthcare security standards (PIPA & FIPAA Compliant). FreshWorks gained experience in the complex policies, processes and security requirements involved in end-to-end development of a telehealth application and can bring this experience into future projects with Vancouver Island Health Authority (VIHA). Livecare was launched in September 2018.

BC Services Card - Mobile Apps for MTICS
Our company was commissioned by the BC OCIO and Ministry Citizen Services to develop a user centric application that helps BC Residents identify themselves across various government websites. The core idea was to develop a secure authentication app, which would store BC Service card details and then help the users authenticate and login to other websites through one click on their pre-configured Mobile Apps.
Security was a paramount consideration in this project, as the application dealt with the sensitive personal data of over 13 million BC residents. Thus we implemented advanced data encryption and secure transmission practices to ensure ministry development and delivery standards. We used JWT (java web tokens) binding and 256 bit SSL encryption to enhance data security.
The app implemented silent push notification, biometrics scanning, background location tracking etc. to provide superior user experience over both mobile and web applications, the latter of which was built and maintained as a RESTful web service. The project started in March 2017, the first version of the app was launched in November 2017 and our team is currently working towards adding more features to the app.
iOS: Swift 3.0
Android: Java
Backend: (existing)
Other: Siteminder, TLS, JWT, Swift 3.0, Java, Mobile Device Management (MDM), IOS KeyChain, Android KeyStore, RSA & AES encryption
Case Study: https://freshworks.io/bc-services-card

Connect West Van - Native iOS and Android Mobile Apps
Connect West Van allows residents to engage with their city like never before. Search for jobs with the municipality, fire, or police departments and get the latest news or events directly from the District of West Van. Users can find contact information for different offices and team members or submit a service request through their mobile device.
The service request function will allow residents to report potholes, street light outages and other issues right from the app. Residents can take a picture of the issue, pinpoint it on a map, and submit directly to staff from their phone. The app will send you emergency alerts and provide you with quick access to the districts online services such as recreation schedules, the West Vancouver Memorial Library, or the Garden Side Cafe menu.
This native application is making life simpler for residents of West Vancouver and is available on both iOS and Android.

Connect Victoria - iOS and Android Native Apps
ConnectVictoria allows residents to search for jobs, news, media releases, events, contact information and submit a service request through their mobile device. The service request function will allow residents to report potholes, street light outages and other issues right from the app. Residents can take a picture of the issue, pinpoint it on a map, and submit directly to staff from their phone.
The City of Victoria is a smart city, and it needed an app to match. A place where citizens and tourists could not only access city information and services, but where locals could also rediscover the wonders of their own home. Connect Victoria allows citizens and government employees alike to interact with their city like never before by taking online connection points on the City’s website and providing them in an easily accessible mobile app.
Read the full case study: https://freshworks.io/connectvictoria
iOS: Swift
Android: Java
Front end: Angular.JS
Backend: Node.JS, ESRI Maps, HTML parsing

Hop Creek Farms - Custom Shopify for Local Farm
Hop Creek Farms is located in the beautiful Squamish Valley in British Columbia. This 33-acre farm sustainably and ethically raises beef, pork, lamb, and chicken which they sell locally. For this local farm it was important to allow customers to connect and purchase or preorder farm products conveniently. To make this possible they needed a site that was easy to navigate, easy to update, and made the ordering process simple for the team at Hop Creek and their customers.
The brand new website is built on Shopify's CMS, and has allowed the Wright Family to extend their reach beyond Squamish. The site enables users to directly purchase and pre-order cuts of meat directly from the farm that will be delivered upon availability while payment processing is completed quickly, easily, and securely for everyone. The orders are conveniently created and sent to Hop Creek directly for fulfillment reducing their admin time significantly and allowing them to spend more time building a thriving business.
CMS: Shopify

Ziggie - E Commerce platform
Ziggie provides a curated marketplace for customers, suppliers and social impact partners. One can open a "Changemaker Account" which means every purchase generates 5 – 20% of the retail price to their personal account called “My Changemaker Account”.
By opening a "Changemaker Account", one can direct these funds to any number of worthwhile causes offered by the social impact partners to improve lives.
http://www.ziggie.net/

Telus Health | Espri
FreshWorks partnered with TELUS Health to create Espri, a multi-tenanted digital health app that enables organizations to support their frontline workers with targeted mental health resources. Frontline workers have reported increased anxiety, depression, insomnia, and distress during the pandemic. This is often caused by job-related stressors, such as the risk of exposure to infection, compassion fatigue, overworking, and the psychological impact of isolation and interpersonal distancing. Despite the magnitude of mental health problems among front-line workers, their psychological health is often overlooked. Without access to timely support, mental health issues can often go untreated, leading to burnout or worsening of symptoms. To help support the mental health and wellbeing of Canada’s frontline workers, the Espri project began. FreshWorks conducted a rapid but in-depth user research phase and developed the applications with the guidance of occupation-focused clinicians. As a result, Espri provides frontline workers with a unique combination of tools that are easily accessible – including clinically-informed content, resilience tools, group counseling sessions, and peer and crisis support. There is both a mobile app and a web component in the system, and the framework is multi-tenanted which enables white-labeling and customization of the mobile app for other industries. Espri can be tailored to the unique mental health and wellness priorities of any industry, such as law enforcement, healthcare, and emergency services. We are proud to work with Telus Health on an initiative that will modernize and transform access to care for thousands of frontline workers across the country. Read the full case study here -> https://freshworks.io/portfolio/espri-multi-tenanted-digital-health-app/

Alberta Health | Critical Workers Benefit
Alberta Health sets policy and direction to achieve a sustainable health system to promote the health of Albertans. Critical workers have played an integral role in keeping the economy running and citizens safe during the pandemic. The Government of Alberta recognized this challenge and set out to build a solution that would show support and give back to the people who needed it most. In just 2 weeks, FreshWorks partnered with Alberta Health to build a powerful online system for Alberta’s critical workers to apply for COVID-19 benefit funding and Alberta Health staff to process applications. The application contains a user portal, known as the Operator Portal used by applicants, and an agent portal, known as the Assessor Portal. The Operator COVID-19 support funding provides a payment to eligible healthcare organizations in Alberta that have been impacted by COVID-19. This ranges from challenges such as reduced bed capacity or increased organizational costs. The funding scales based on the impact and size of the organization. Through the benefit, the Government of Alberta aims to distribute up to $465 million in funding to eligible workers across social services, healthcare, education, and private sectors. The payment management system is set to handle more than 30,000 healthcare employees receiving benefit funding with 1,000+ processed so far. Features include account creation and authentication using IBM’s App ID system, secure organization data storage, organization look-up and task follow-up, approving, denying, and reviewing applications, and payment processing using Government of Alberta’s 1GX (One Government eXperience) payment system. We hope this project serves as a blueprint for future government payment distribution initiatives, paving the way for accessible services for all citizens. Read the full case study here -> https://freshworks.io/portfolio/critical-worker-benefits/

Capital Asset Management System | Min of Education
The BC Ministry of Education’s Capital Management Branch manages and allocates $2.4B in capital funding to the K-12 system every three years for the province’s 60 School Districts’ priority capital projects. Projects include, but are not limited to, school expansions and replacements, seismic upgrades, and new playground equipment. Two legacy OpenVMS systems, developed in the early 1990s, were unable to accommodate new education and funding models and required modernization. A flexible system that could easily adapt to new legislation, processes, and emerging models was required. FreshWorks and ITK developed the new cloud solution replacement for the Ministry’s Capital Asset Planning System (CAPS) on Microsoft’s Power Platform. The new modern CAPS system consists of two Power Apps applications. The first application is used by Ministry Staff to orchestrate and manage calls for submission, review, and approve plan submissions. The second application is used by school districts to develop their capital plan submissions and to collaborate with their Ministry planning officers to explore the best use of capital.
This custom Power Apps-based solution met the above goals of modernizing the system and enabling a data-driven approach to defining funding models. The new CAPS system completely automates the call for submission process and provides workflows to efficiently manage the review and approval process allowing more time for Capital planning officers and School district staff to collaborate and explore innovative ways to best use available resources to meet the needs of BC’s public schools.

MVRB | Online Review System
FreshWorks helped build the Mackenzie Valley Online Review System, which provides an opportunity for citizens and regulatory boards to participate in the Boards’ public review process. The Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board's mission is to conduct fair and timely environmental impact assessments in the Mackenzie Valley that protect the environment, including the social, economic and cultural well-being of its residents. The Online Review System provides all citizens and regulatory boards with an opportunity to participate in the Boards’ public review process which is meant to protect the land, water and resources in the Mackenzie Valley. Anyone can provide input to an ongoing review and the system allows an individual to view reviewer comments and proponent responses in real time. The systematic and transparent method for submitting comments to the Board ensures all parties are kept informed with respect to resource management issues and decisions. The system requires individuals to include both a comment and a recommendation so that it’s clear what is being asked for and if the recommendation is to the Board or the company.

Skip the Ditches
This intuitive designated driver application, available on both mobile and web, ensures impaired drivers and their vehicles return home safely. Users can find drivers by location, book rides, and view details such as driver ratings, location from pickup, and estimated time to arrival. Payment is securely processed through the app after the user and their vehicle are safely brought home. The application was built using AngularJS for frontend, and NodeJS, MongoDB, and FireStore for the Backend. The Android application wwas developed using Kotlin, and the iOS app was developed with Swift 4.4.
Frontend: AngularJS
Backend: NodeJS, MongoDB, FireStore
Android: Kotlin
iOS: Swift 4.4

Workplace Mental Health Hub
In partnership with Canadian Mental Health Association BC (CMHA BC), FreshWorks helped build a digital resource hub that provides access to vital mental health resources. Workplace Mental Health Hub serves employers and employees throughout BC who work in tourism, hospitality, and community social service sectors.
The hub offers a comprehensive range of tools and resources that address common workplace issues, including harassment, bullying, and COVID-19 exposure. The hub also provides accessible tools for workers at all levels to improve their overall mental health, and support to connect to other mental health services, including counselling and peer support.
The hub augments existing mental health support for workers in the long-term care and continuing-care sector, including the Care for Caregivers website and Care to Speak peer support service. Both services received major uptake from healthcare workers throughout the province. The hub builds on this success and provides more workplace sectors with the mental health support they need.
You can access the hub here: www.workmentalhealthbc.ca
Web - Strapi & Angular.js
Reviews
the project
Cognitive Research Tool for University Research Center
“They fully understand our needs and work to meet our expectations every day.”
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the director of the Institute on Aging & Lifelong Health at the University of Victoria. I’m also a psychology professor who leads the cognitive health initiative with our partner Island Health.
What challenge were you trying to address with FreshWorks Studio?
My colleagues and I wanted to improve the early detection of nerve degenerative disorders by implementing routine standardized assessments of cognitive health through inexpensive, mobile applications. We needed a partner to develop mobile neurocognitive assessment tools to better diagnose and treat patients.
What was the scope of their involvement?
We provided FreshWorks Studio with a broad set of requirements for the app. We wanted a flexible open-source solution that we could expand to different tests and platforms because we planned for a variety of researchers and institutions to be able to use it. It also needed to have rigorous data control and security because it would be used in a healthcare context.
They took our requirements and began investigating existing products and solutions to understand what the field currently offered. FreshWorks Studio shared their research and identified what worked and what we could do better, creating a comprehensive development plan. The app needed to have individualizable assessment surveys, an adaptive design, and an online consent process that also featured a participant recruitment component.
They recently finished the first iteration, which has limited functionality but lets us know what its capabilities are. FreshWorks Studio will complete the full-functionality of the MyCogHealth app within the next few months, and then we’ll be able to deploy and test it in clinical trials.
What is the team composition?
We mainly work with their COO but also interact with the iOS and Android developers occasionally.
How did you come to work with FreshWorks Studio?
Our colleagues at another lab had used FreshWorks Studio to develop their technology and recommended them. They were local and had a good portfolio, so we hired them.
How much have you invested with them?
We spent just over $200,000 for the first iteration. The next phase will be around the same price.
What is the status of this engagement?
We’ve been working together since January 2018.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
The app’s UX/UI looks great, and the backend seems to be functioning as it should. We’ll know more when the next iteration is finished.
How did FreshWorks Studio perform from a project management standpoint?
They manage the project well and move quickly. We maintain constant communication, and they let us know right away if any problems arise. We planned for this project to take a few years, but FreshWorks Studio will most likely have it all completed by October.
What did you find most impressive about them?
They’ve been consistently engaged and enthusiastic about the project. They want to see it succeed and are proactive in solving any challenges that come up. I’m convinced we’ll have one of the most comprehensive and quality pieces of software that will enable cutting-edge research and care through the assessments. They fully understand our needs and work to meet our expectations every day.
Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?
Make sure to fully interact with FreshWorks Studio. They’ll provide great ideas and solutions if you let them know, in detail, what you want.
the project
App Dev Support for Large Consulting Company
“Even from the initial discussions, they made sure to be available when needed and consistently followed up.”
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
We’re one of the largest IT firms in Canada. I serve as the director of consulting, focusing on system integration and strategic systems implementation.
What challenge were you trying to address with FreshWorks Studio?
We were working with a government office that had issues keeping track of their office assets. Expensive, thousand-dollar chairs would often disappear from boardrooms without a trace. As a result, they approached us to do a pilot test for a potential mobile web app that would help them locate equipment online.
They wanted to see if they could utilize some of the technology already in place to help track their high-mobility office assets (e.g., chairs, SMART Boards, network switches). By utilizing internet of things (IoT) concepts, they hoped to implement radio-frequency identification (RFID) and Bluetooth low energy (BLE) tags to map out the equipment.
We investigated the project and found that the client had some technologies that were capable of receiving Wi-Fi pings and displaying floorplan data. We also realized that it was an opportunity for us to partner with a small tech firm and give them some exposure. As a result, we brought on FreshWorks Studio as a subcontractor to lead the pilot test for the mobile web app.
What was the scope of their involvement?
They came up with an initial concept for the app, developing some of the architecture and performing rigorous tests. Afterward, they built the actual product, which would integrate with the client’s software to help people track office equipment within the building. Users could look online to locate those assets in real time. By marking the assets with RFID tags and securing a perimeter with an alarm, the app would also notify security if something was leaving a designated area without permission.
What is the team composition?
Their team consisted of a project lead, a web architect, and a web developer. We primarily interacted with the project lead, which facilitated coordination between senior-level executives and partners on the client side. In meetings, they were able to capture the salient information and relay it back to the team, but we could also talk to the full team when necessary.
How did you come to work with FreshWorks Studio?
I previously worked in a government office and had heard about them there. The British Columbian government has an overall CIO who recommended them to me.
How much have you invested with them?
We spent about $20,000 CAD ($15,191 USD).
What is the status of this engagement?
The pilot test lasted from August–November 2017, though there’s still potential for additional work if the client chooses to move the project into production.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
Because the app is only in the pilot phase, we don’t have any hard metrics yet. However, from a qualitative perspective, FreshWorks Studio did great work and received a lot of positive feedback. The client was happy with both the product produced and the team’s ability to work in an iterative fashion while staying within a restrictive budget.
How did FreshWorks Studio perform from a project management standpoint?
Throughout the process, they conducted regular project meetings every week or so. They also did client presentations on a bi-weekly basis as well as monthly final product demonstrations. Since the project was small, we didn’t want to absorb the budget with project management tools. So we tracked their progress through Word and Excel. In terms of scheduling, they met all the deadlines that the client set up.
What did you find most impressive about them?
I appreciated their dedication and enthusiasm. Even from the initial discussions, they made sure that they were available when needed and consistently followed up. Above all, they were eager to move the project forward.
Are there any areas they could improve?
While they completed a successful project, they could have probably refined the team dynamics more during executive-level presentations. When someone was presenting, everyone would be a bit anxious to talk about their work, so there was some back and forth bouncing between people in the room.
Furthermore, there was an instance during the second phase when the client asked them to keep the project at a barebones MVP level. In response, the team went beyond the budget to demonstrate what they could do, but it wasn’t what the client had asked for. Ultimately, they stuck to the overall budget.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Be specific about what you’re looking for and play to FreshWorks Studio’s strengths. They’re a strong web app development company that’s steadily gaining technical skills. However, they might not be as equipped to do technical design for major infrastructures. Lean on them for what they’re good at, and you’ll be fine.
the project
Development Support for Event Ticketing Company
“FreshWorks gets the job done fast.”
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the CTO at Ticket Rocket, a sports-centric ticket sales distribution company.
What challenge were you trying to address with FreshWorks Studio?
We realized that we needed more resources to build our client’s new ticketing portal successfully, so we searched for a Django- and Python- savvy developer who could assist our in-house staff.
What was the scope of their involvement?
The platform was 80% completed by the time we hired FreshWorks to help us speed up the development process. Most of the work involved implementing entitlement features that gave users specific privileges based on their membership status. We were tasked to build a new scenario on top of our existing Azure SQL Database, so we used Python on the Django platform to quickly develop our user-centric framework. We’re still iterating new features on the platform in collaboration with FreshWorks.
What is the team composition?
We interact with their owners for business-related matters, but we mostly work with our assigned developer.
How did you come to work with FreshWorks Studio?
I met them at a biotech convention years ago and was able to see their company grow tremendously over the years. I’ve referred many clients to them and always heard good things about their work, so I decided to use them for a small project after losing our in-house app developer. They returned deliverables astonishingly fast, so we knew they would be an excellent fit for our most recent project.
How much have you invested with them?
We spend nearly $15,000 each month on their development services.
What is the status of this engagement?
We’ve been working on the ticket portal since April 2018, and we plan to use them for future projects as well.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
After months in production, we had a successful first launch where thousands of users purchased tickets to a tier-one event. They worked hard to fix bugs and avoided introducing new glitches.
How did FreshWorks Studio perform from a project management standpoint?
We fully embedded their developer on our team, so they had access to our Basecamp and Slack channel for project management and communication respectively; We’ve even provided them with an internal email address.
What did you find most impressive about them?
Whether onboarding members, responding to emails or completing work, FreshWorks gets the job done fast. They’re professional, receptive to our needs, and they’re committed to building a long-term relationship with us. Their location near our office is also convenient.
Are there any areas they could improve?
We’ve yet to experience any issues while working with them.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Although our project was a collaborative effort, FreshWorks is fully capable of managing entire projects without external guidance. They carefully walk through the discovery stage with clients to ensure that they’re creating the best possible end-product.
the project
Identity Card Application Development for IT Service Firm
“Their uplifting company culture leverages individual strengths to deliver quality results.”
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I am the VP of sales at Sierra Systems. We are a full-spectrum IT services company that provides consulting, development, and implementation services to a large client base.
What challenge were you trying to address with FreshWorks Studio?
We are working with the Province of British Colombia to streamline personal documentation by creating a national program that combines healthcare and driver’s license information on a single card with an embedded scanning chip. The system will be implemented into both online and in-person transitions, examples being students loan elections or doctor’s visits. We brought in FreshWorks to develop corresponding mobile apps with individual record connection and verification features.
What was the scope of their involvement?
FreshWorks developed an iOS and Android app intended to validate personal information through mobile devices using a passcode. They constructed the app’s backend to connect the user’s individual records to the program. The team also provided a digital verification solution that video-connects users to a BC government agent that can validate appearance against the visual records they have on file.
What is the team composition?
FreshWorks sent a project manager, quality assurance specialist, and a team of developers for the project. They work as part of our larger in-house development team.
How did you come to work with FreshWorks Studio?
The Provincial CIO recommended them for the project.
How much have you invested with them?
Their services are billed directly to the client. I estimate they have spent between $40,000—$45,000 a month since the start of the project.
What is the status of this engagement?
The partnership started in December 2016 and it is ongoing.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
There are currently 5 million people in British Colombia with updated cards. We are now working to implement wide-spread use and app integration. The Province is extremely happy with FreshWork’s attention to detail and consistency in their services. This positive experience led to future engagements in app development projects.
How did FreshWorks Studio perform from a project management standpoint?
They seamlessly collaborated with our in-house developing team using Jira. Their team internally operated under a driven and supportive work ethic. Their uplifting company culture leverages individual strengths to deliver quality results.
What did you find most impressive about them?
The team actively seeks feedback and suggestions from established people in the industry. They’re aware of their fresh reputation, but are quickly building strong client connections and a broad portfolio.
Are there any areas they could improve?
They will improve with more experience and business exposure.
Any advice for potential customers?
Clients should take them seriously. They care deeply about the quality of their service and delivered products.
the project
Marketplace Web & Android App for Car Wholesalers
“[Our project manager] is great at bridging the gap between development and the more creative aspects of the project.”
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I designed a mobile app to assist in the wholesale car industry. The app serves as an easy way for car wholesalers to load their cars onto a web app with photos, specs, etc. and sell inventory to buyers. I’m the founder of this campaign.
What challenge were you trying to address with FreshWorks?
I planned the foundations of the design and came to them with an idea, but needed help on the execution. Creating the app myself would have been too time consuming, and I wanted to devote that time to building out the idea and making the best product possible. This was my first time working with a web development company.
What was the scope of their involvement?
They led all aspects of technical development, and worked with me to finalize my ideas throughout the course of the project. The idea started as a way to help wholesalers with uploading inventory to their own platforms, but after further discussion with FreshWorks, we decided to go with more of a sales platform. The app now integrates with sellers’ sites, and offers two-way communication between sellers and buyers. The initial scope included the web app and an accompanying Android app, and we’ll look to create an iOS app moving forward.
A key feature of the app involves the explosion of vehicle identification numbers (VIN), which allows buyers and sellers to enter a VIN number and receive pertinent data and information on the specific vehicle. Since the information from the VIN explosion service isn’t always 100% accurate, we had to add in a feature that allows sellers to go in and edit vehicle information as necessary, and add any information that wasn’t included. Once the information is complete, sellers can choose how they’re looking to sell the vehicle. Options include selling directly to specific sellers, choosing a list of sellers, or selling in an open auction.
What is the team composition?
I work primarily with Tristan [Senior Account Manager, FreshWorks], but Samarth [CEO, FreshWorks] and Rohit [COO, FreshWorks] were more involved in the beginning of the project.
How did you come to work with FreshWorks?
I had conversations with a tech-savvy friend of mine, and he suggested considering offshore developers in India or Eastern Europe. After researching a few groups, I determined that my scope of work was more complex than what they were accustomed to working on. Most of their prior work was comprised of photo-posting interfaces with no integration capabilities and no communication tools.
I ended up choosing to find a developer in Canada, and started my search again. I found FreshWorks listed on Clutch, and chose to go with them. They were based in Victoria, which made it very easy for me to meet with them if questions or concerns came up. This was very helpful throughout the development process.
How much have you invested with them?
Around $50,000 total.
What is the status of this engagement?
We connected in December of 2016, and the work started in January of last year. The mobile app and web app are complete, and we’re approaching completion on a landing page that allows users to sign in.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
It’s currently still in the testing phase, but we’ve already gotten great feedback on the app’s usability. We’re marketing to an older audience that isn’t necessarily tech-savvy, so we made sure that the app’s interface is very simple and user-friendly. We’ll begin to gather more solid metrics after the app’s official launch.
How did FreshWorks perform from a project management standpoint?
They’re very receptive when I approach them with updates or new ideas. It’s been a lengthy process of development with input from both sides, and they’ve always been very accommodating on any changes I’ve requested. They have a great structure for input on the functionality of the app, and they’ve communicated effectively throughout the project. Tristan is always available via phone or email, and has been great in keeping me updated on the project. We used Google Docs and Dropbox to exchange information, and they used InVision on their end for prototyping and task management.
What did you find most impressive about them?
Tristan [Senior Project Manager, FreshWorks] has been a very effective communicator, and is great at bridging the gap between development and the more creative aspects of the project. Whenever he was going to be unavailable, he would connect me with someone else on the team, and they’ve all been great to work with as well.
Are there any areas they could improve?
My view of simplicity within the app wasn’t always aligned with the developers, but Tristan was very effective in working through those differences and ensuring the quality of the end product. There were sometimes gaps in understanding during the planning phases, but again, this wasn’t a major obstacle, because Tristan mediated effectively and made sure we were all on the same page.
the project
Development of Real Estate iOS App
“They always over-deliver in terms of time, design, product, and quality.”
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the founder of ShowHome. It’s an app used to locate all new construction developments in real-time. When buyers are out searching for a presale home, they’re able to find them all in one convenient location. Alternatively, the platform allows the people who are listing the homes such as the developers and marketing companies to do real-time updates that are real estate focused. Users will be able to find all of the sites, projects, or upcoming projects all in one place.
What challenge were you trying to address with FreshWorks Studio?
We wanted to provide real-time, searchable data for the new home market so that buyers weren’t being misled by projects that were sold out or not knowing how many homes were remaining or launching. We wanted to provide it all in one space. We needed a developer to make this happen for us.
What was the scope of their involvement?
Our app is both a back-office as well as a client-facing tool. One side is a marketing tool and the other side is a search tool for buyers. They’re doing everything technology based on the app. They’ve done some design work for me as well.
We’re currently building for iOS. I believe it’s native. We’ve done the discovery process and the wireframing. Now, we’re in the designing phase. We just finished the design for the client-facing piece of the app. We haven’t started the backend yet. There’s a chat feature, notifications, liking, following, social sharing, uploading photos, real-time searchability, and mapping.
In the future, there will most likely be a web component. I’m going to need a landing page at the very least.
What is the team composition?
My initial contact was with Sam [CEO, FreshWorks] and Rohit [COO, FreshWorks]. I met them a couple of years ago in Victoria [British Columbia]. Alexa [Business Analyst, FreshWorks] is my project manager. I also work with Tatianna [UI/UX Designer, FreshWorks] and one other person. Everything goes through Alexa and then she brings others into the conversation.
How did you come to work with FreshWorks Studio?
I found them online two years ago. I had a business partner at that time. We had hired a different company, but I felt FreshWorks had what it takes. The interactions I had with them and Rohit were very positive. They always listened to me and made time for me. They understood that technology isn’t my forte. Coming from a real estate and sales background, they were able to help me navigate my way through telling them what I wanted. They were really easy to work with.
How much have you invested with them?
I’ve spent $10,000.
What is the status of this engagement?
We started working together in September 2017 and the work is ongoing.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
It’s the beginning stages so only colleagues, friends, and family know, but they think it looks wonderful and see the value.
How did FreshWorks Studio perform from a project management standpoint?
Alexa and I Skype all the time. I’m going to meet her in person next week. We always Skype and text with the team, and we use InVision to share the project. We discuss changes that need to be made. They’re on top of everything. I don’t have any complaints. They always over-deliver on the timing. If they say it could be two weeks, it’s usually a week. They get it done.
They’ve been like my business partner. Not everyone building an app has expertise in technology, but they’re really helpful in that regard. They make you feel like you know what you’re doing, even though it takes some time.
What did you find most impressive about them?
Sam and I have a great relationship which makes me feel extremely comfortable. I have never once felt they were shady or that they were overcharging me. I’ve done enough research to know what the average going rates are. They’ve been really good at leading me through the entire process and educating me through the Skype calls and in-person meetings. The people that I’ve met are all great. They always over-deliver in terms of time, design, product, and quality.
Are there any areas they could improve?
No.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
You have to trust the process and take Sam and the team’s advice. Listen to yourself. It’s okay to sleep on things, but these people aren’t going to steer you wrong.
the project
Native App Development for Popular Classifieds Marketplace
"They were proactive in getting what they needed from us…. They respected our tight budget and tight deadline."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the president and director of marketing at Used.ca, which is a free online buy-and-sell platform based in Victoria, British Columbia.
What challenge were you trying to address with FreshWorks Studio?
After we struggled to build an iOS and Android application in-house for our platform, we enlisted FreshWorks to build the application for us.
What was the scope of their involvement?
Our in-house developers specialize in web-based projects, as opposed to mobile application development. They initially attempted to build the application through Xamarin, but they ran into a number of problems that continually delayed our launch date.
We presented our project to FreshWorks in the hopes they could develop the app in native software. The app’s design had already been mapped out by another firm, so they just needed to bring it to fruition. After agreeing to partner with us, they started out with the iOS version and quickly moved on to Android. Both versions were expected to do everything our website could do, including allowing our users to browse and view classified ads. Users also needed to be able to search ads by hundreds of different categories, as well as the seller’s location. We wanted users to be able to post ads as well, and that requires the app to allow them to take photos, upload and edit them, write and edit ad copy, and set their price and status. A feature that’s distinct to our app is the ability for users to chat with one another. We partnered with a company called Twilio to build the chat function, and FreshWorks worked very well with them.
This past month, we’ve focused primarily on working out any bugs in the app.
What is the team composition?
They had two separate teams and a lead developer for the Android and iOS version each. Both teams shared a project manager, Tristan Hasselback [Senior Project Manager, FreshWorks Studio], who was my project lead’s main point of contact. I would also communicate with Samarth Mod [CEO, FreshWorks Studio] periodically.
How did you come to work with FreshWorks Studio?
They came highly recommended to me within the tech community.
How much have you invested with them?
We’ve invested approximately $82,000.
What is the status of this engagement?
We began partnering with them in March 2017 and they officially passed the code off in December 2017. The project was expected to be shorter, but, through no fault of theirs, a deficiency in the design pushed the project timeline back a bit longer than we anticipated.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
We didn’t do any marketing for the application when it was set to go live. Our organic growth has us at 6,000 monthly active users, and that number is increasing daily. When we first launched, we had a few crashes, which we expected. Now, our Android version is 99.2% crash-free and our iOS version is 98.6% crash-free. We’ve received very little negative feedback in the app stores.
How did FreshWorks Studio perform from a project management standpoint?
We’re overall satisfied with their project management — they remained communicative. We spoke predominantly through Jira and Slack. Their offices are also very close to our’s, so we were able to have meetings face-to-face when necessary. In fact, we had them come to our office for the first launch in the app stores.
What did you find most impressive about them?
They were proactive in getting what they needed from us. If we were taking a while to get back with them, they picked up the phone and called us to get a response instead of waiting for us to catch up. But they never expressed annoyance or frustration if we were moving slow; they remained patient and professional.
I was also greatly impressed by their price. They’re a younger company, so I understand their willingness to work with bigger brands for a smaller cost, but they were so accommodating to our price needs. They respected our tight budget and tight deadline.
Are there any areas they could improve?
Out of courtesy and respect for us, they would often let us take the wheel and direct the project, but I want to work with a company because they’re experts and can take ownership over the project. They lack some of the experience and confidence that would allow them to exert authority, but that will come with time.
the project
Product Mockups for Healthcare Provider Review App
"They have guided me through the process, making it easy and engaging."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
We are a startup mobile-app development company. I'm the founder.
What challenge were you trying to address with FreshWorks Studio?
We are currently working on our first app, with the help of their team. As the owner of a startup, I not only needed a partner who could listen to and understand what I needed, but also someone with whom I could have a back-and-forth style working relationship with and someone to advise us on the best solutions available to reach our goals.
The product, in essence, gathers information about medical clinics and healthcare provider locations in a directory view.
How did you come to work with FreshWorks Studio?
I reviewed several companies in the U.S. and Canada, using Clutch as one of my sources. I contacted 5 groups altogether—from low-cost to middle-of-the-road ones—and sent them a questionnaire. Based on the responses and our interviews, I chose FreshWorks as the best fit for my criteria. They had good reviews, had been in the business for some time, had developed multiple apps, a good cost factor, and a large-enough team in a reasonably accessible location.
What was the scope of their involvement?
We had an initial discovery phase, followed by design and wireframes. The wireframes were built based on what we included in the scope. FreshWorks quickly addressed any and all adjustments I asked for, and they were flexible about adding things which were not initially in the scope. In the development of the project, there were certain potential investors who needed to see certain features, and FreshWorks was eager to add those.
We’ve only built mockups and designs at this point in time. We have discussed the possibility of building the app using cross-platform technology, so it could work on both Android and iOS. However, based on the market share of Android at this point in time, we decided to move forward with a native Android version for the first phase. Taking into account budgetary constraints, we might also develop an iOS version soon.
What is the team dynamic?
They use JIRA and Google Docs for project tracking and InVision for mockups. I am familiar with these tools, which made communication, knowledge sharing, and project management very easy and efficient.
How much have you invested with them?
The cost of their work has been below $10,000 so far.
What is the status of this engagement?
The design phase will be completed in three weeks. After this, we will start the first round of financing, before proceeding with the development phase.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
So far, it’s been an amazing experience working with FreshWorks. I have had several conversations with a few potential users who loved the designs. They provided some great feedback, based on which we made enhancements to user experience.
From an investor perspective, we have someone interested. He is waiting for the final design to be released, before we take it to a group of angel investors.
How did FreshWorks Studio perform from a project management standpoint?
Everyone in the company, regardless of position, was easily accessible whenever needed. In terms of project management, starting with the discovery phase, they’ve been prompt in setting up meetings, extrememly responsive whenever I have questions or concerns, and they have guided me through the process, making it easy and engaging. We kept a close eye on the scope of the project, even when there was some scope creep on our end, because I requested some additional components. FreshWorks was more than happy to add them, and they were prompt, on time and on budget every single time.
What did you find most impressive about them?
They were [non-financially] invested in the project with me, and willing to make my idea come true. FreshWorks invested themselves in it just as much as me, giving 150% all the time.
They never cease to amaze me with how committed dedicated they all are to both the project and to their customers. They made me feel like a part of the team, and not like a client.
Are there any areas they could improve?
I cannot think of anything at this point in time.
the project
Development of Social Media App Targeting Pet Owners
“Some of their work was very good, but they left us in a difficult situation when the relationship ended.”
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the primary owner of The Island Green Company, an app deployment and acquisition company. It started with a company called PetComm App in early 2016. We have the rights to the PetComm App, which is now called PetVibe. We’re developing the app with the purpose of deploying it into the marketplace.
What challenge were you trying to address with FreshWorks Studio?
I am not an app developer myself and don’t have the skill set to do that. It made sense to look for a company locally in Victoria, British Colombia with good reviews.
What was the scope of their involvement?
I used them as a contractor for the build of the app. The app connects the community one pet at a time. What we found in the marketplace was that there was no single source location that connected the pet community with the current trends of social media and a resource for local meetups.
The app is basically a social platform and a resource for information, articles, etc. We tied in the business community - those who provide pet related services, such as dog walking or horseback riding lessons, too, since those providers likely will not be as successful creating their own app.
We’re kind of like Facebook, Instagram, and Yelp tied together as a complete resource for the pet owner. We originally started with a scope document showing FreshWorks what I wanted to do. I wanted to talk about the scalability of it and build in early programs for revenue streams. FreshWorks was really hands on. They’re an incredible company and easily understood the design and function of what I was trying to create. They didn’t just take orders from me, rather, they actually helped in the creation of the app, the functionality, the user interface and user experience, and in keeping everything extremely modern. Modern designs aren't commonplace in the pet industry.
We initially did a prelaunch on iOS in August 2016. With that, we were able to go to some pet shows and connect with pet owners and pet businesses and get feedback from what they liked and didn’t like about it. After that, we did the full deployment on Android, iOS, and the web.
We also built in some key business features so that when businesses become premium members of the app, there are tools that have been created for them to drive content to the news feed of the local pet community. It’s a very robust solution, all-in-one. You have location services available, and if you don’t want location services active on your phone, then we choose a city hall of the city that you’re in and not your personal address. The reason for this is when the businesses log in or adopt the app, they have a 50-kilometer radius surrounding their store in which to push content to the pet owners in that area.
When you’re looking for products, pet-friendly parks, etc., if you have location services on, you’re going to see what’s happening in that area and the businesses there will push out content or coupons. It’s very active that way.
We had some people doing early stage beta testing, but the full launch and marketing of the app began on April 1st, 2017. FreshWorks is under contract for IT support now. They tweak the app based on the bugs that show up and the feedback from our users.
How did you come to work with FreshWorks Studio?
I initially reached out to FreshWorks in March 2016 through recommendations of a few other people that had either worked with them or heard about them.
How much have you invested with them?
We have spent $250,000–$300,000. We were under contract for the development, bug testing, and launch through a series of milestones and progress payments. It was all broken down into modules for the iOS and Android apps and the web app.
I’m not a big enough company to go out and hire full-time people. It’s a lot cheaper to use FreshWorks. They provide good service.
What is the status of this engagement?
We started working together in April 2016 and the work is ongoing.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
The feedback we’ve gotten from people is that the app is very seamless, very nice, and easy to use. Around 1,950 users have created profiles since its launch. There’s probably another 30% of people that have downloaded the app but haven’t completed the profile because it asks for more information than what they expected.
We have 65% monthly active users, around 25% weekly, and maybe 5–8% daily active users on the app. The downloads are consistently going up approximately 10% week over week; all the metrics are following.
We have a premium membership program, which is the business side of it. Businesses don’t download the app, rather they access it through their desktop. The business profile is created and loaded by us for free. We have approximately 90 premium members engaging the app, saying that they’re liking it. Our audience is a little bit small still for them to pay, but they’re looking at it as a free trial.
How did FreshWorks Studio perform from a project management standpoint?
They have clear communication. There are always things that happen that we work through, but they’re always solution-based in their approach. They focus on the timelines that I set and have reached them 90% of the time, despite the bumps in the road. We use Google Docs and Slack.
I have an IT guy within the company that I hired to oversee Sam [Agarwal], their CEO, and the FreshWorks team. Basically, we have a full Google Sheet that has every task itemized with an approximate time that it’s going to take to deploy. It’s a constant stream of things that are going on the Google Sheet and we keep working through it as we go forward. The Google Sheet is the driver of the project.
Earlier, we were in the really big part of the build; now that we’re basically built, they do two-week sprints for any extra features we want to see. We list them all out and they push updates accordingly to the iOS and Android platforms. If there’s a massive bug, they’ll be on it right away, but regular maintenance and tweaking are also on a two-week cycle.
What did you find most impressive about them?
They have delivered a seamless product. It’s incredibly modern and makes us seem like we’re an Instagram/Facebook type app as far as the experience and the current trends that are happening. It’s very intuitive because of how they’ve laid it out. They’ve done a really good job.
Are there any areas they could improve?
They’re growing fast and that’s a little bit of a red flag for me. Like any company that grows extremely fast, managing a large group of people becomes a challenge. We’ll see if they continue to provide the same support and commitment to our project as they grow, especially if someone is paying them $50,000 dollars a month versus me paying them $2,000 a month. I hope their quality of service continues at the level I’ve experienced so far.
This review was updated on December 20th, 2018 by the client. Original star ratings were: Overall – 5, Quality –5, Scheduling – 4.5, Cost – 5, NPS – 5. New content is below.
Where did the issues with this relationship start?
They asked me to give my original review of them because they were negatively reviewed by other companies. They were doing a good job with our project at that point, so I wanted to help them. When we switched to ongoing maintenance, I really relied on them to make sure the app was functional.
At the end of 2017, the app was very buggy and wasn’t working properly. It was then that our relationship started going in a different direction. They had some larger clients, and we felt like we were a secondary project for them. I approached them in January 2018 to tell them we needed something different, and they agreed we should go our separate ways.
We hired another company to fix the bugs and get the app operational to our original expectations. The new company did a full audit of the app and started cleaning it. It took a lot of effort to get the app where we needed it to be. Based on what FreshWorks provided, we had some deep-seated problems that delayed the final deliverable by at least six months.
How much did these corrections cost?
We spent $3,000–$5,000 a month for a year. In that whole time, we haven’t added new features, because we’re still trying to get some of the basic functionality of the app working. Sponsored content in our newsfeed is still not working properly. The server they used was extremely inefficient, and we’ve had to make several changes to move forward. The added cost and delay are both major reasons I need to downgrade my original rating of FreshWorks.
What were your initial expectations?
FreshWorks was going to be our IT company. We believed they would build the basic platform under a lump sum contract, with the understanding that they would charge us hourly for any additional bug fixes. We never received an MVP that functioned properly, which is why the separation ultimately happened. The whole project was delayed, we hired a second company to make corrections, and we lost a lot of time and money. Some of their work was very good, but they left us in a difficult situation when the relationship ended.
The vendor responded on January 14, 2019. The reply is written by Sam (CEO, FreshWorks Studio).
Humility is our core value. We could have managed the handoff to the client's new IT outsourcing team in Ukraine better. We were a new growing business at the time, and didn't quite have our ducks in a row. We honestly put in our hearts and soul into making the app successful. As a startup, we empathize with the client’s frustrations because we’ve also invested passion and hard work into our business.
However, we do respectfully disagree with the comments about the app’s quality. The review mentions good performance and design. During the maintenance contract period, we provided development services even though the client did not have the budget for them. We worked with a minimal budget for several months and requested the renewed contract—all while appreciating the client’s situation as a startup. As an IT service company, we rely on clients making on-time payments to survive as a business.
We supported the client throughout their journey; we participated in an industry event and did pitch presentations for free. We are disappointed in the updated star ratings, as well as the feedback from the IT team in Ukraine. We wish the client all the best.
the project
Shopify Development for Cosmetics Site
"The project was executed very well on their side."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Please describe your organization.
We are an incubator in British Columbia that works with international entrepreneurs to build companies in Canada with the goal of exporting products overseas. We take ideas at the concept stage and validate them with these entrepreneurs. I am 1 of 4 startup leaders working with entrepreneurs through project management and consulting to build their businesses.
What business challenge were you trying to address with FreshWorks Studio?
For this project, which involved creating a natural lipstick line for Vietnam, FreshWorks developed our e-commerce website and helped us customize it to a certain point in terms of structure. The other project, which I am not a part of, is a website to recruit talent and innovations coming out of university labs and classrooms and pair them with international founders that could build businesses by commercializing the research or intellectual property.
Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.
The natural lipstick website was built using Shopify. We didn’t require them to use a particular platform. We described our project requirements initially. Because we needed simple e-commerce functionality, I believe we made a mutual decision to use Shopify since I’m familiar with Shopify.
For the natural lipstick line, the structure of the site is complete. It’s now up to our graphic team to populate and finalize the look and feel of the e-commerce website.
How did you come to work with FreshWorks Studio?
We were connected through a mutual contact from 1 of our managing directors. FreshWorks showed a broad range of development skills, and we have substantial MVP needs, especially in the app space. So, we wanted to see if this relationship would help us move forward in building MVPs and iterating quickly.
Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?
The lipstick project was $10,000. I’m not familiar with the costs of the other project.
What is the status of this engagement?
We started working with them April 2017 and have been partners since.
How did FreshWorks Studio perform from a project management standpoint?
Both sides knew what was needed in order to make the project succeed. Their project manager was very proactive and organized. She was also responsive, collaborative, and flexible. We used GoogleDrive and Google Docs. I think they executed quickly. At some points, they were waiting for us to share details before they could move forward.
The project isn’t completely done, but they’ve developed the structure of the site. We still have ongoing support to help us fully customize the backend. I think because they wanted to end the project within a certain timeframe for the final payment, we both agreed to end the project. They’ve been extremely responsive in terms of making adjustments to Shopify.
The project was executed very well on their side. They did require payment prior to finishing all the work, but we were okay with that as long as they agreed to provide excellent support afterward and customize additional items on the site.
What distinguishes FreshWorks Studio from other providers?
Their project manager is very responsive and had some great ideas about the site’s look and feel. She was highly organized and kept us on track.
Is there anything FreshWorks Studio could have improved or done differently?
More interaction with our own graphics person would help ensure that the project is wrapping up well and that we are able to do what we want with the website. A wrap-up phone call with all the stakeholders would also be helpful. They were responsive, but a lot of the work has been our initiative after the project finished.
They’ve significantly expedited the project, taking it from a multi-year build to one that should be finished in 9–10 months. They maintain clear and open communication, and the entire team is enthusiastic about building the best product possible.