When working with a mobile app development company‚ you want to know that your time and money are being spent in the right places.
That’s why we have a transparent approach to sharing information about how resources are allocated.
We tailor our ways of working to suit each client. Some want a regular monthly report on digital product development while others just like to check in now and then to see how things are getting on. Whatever their needs‚ we’re committed to ensuring each clients’ resources are used as efficiently as possible.
We caught up with the two people responsible for our internal reporting processes‚ Susan Willis‚ Resource Manager‚ and George Alexander‚ Support Product Lead‚ to find out how we ensure our clients get the most out of their time and money.
Cap resources on issues
When we start working on a support and maintenance contract‚ we establish with the client what the key product areas are and identify upfront where the biggest risks lie. With this information‚ we can pre-prepare ourselves for the time and resources needed to address any issues that arise from that client.
As is the nature of support‚ sometimes those issues can become bigger (or smaller) than initially thought so the allocated time changes. To stop those changes spiralling out of control and impacting on the other work needed‚ we agree on a time cap with the client. This is a limit on the amount of time we’ll spend on an issue before we flag it for review with the client. We’ll discuss its impact and severity and give the client the power to steer us in their preferred direction‚ whether it’s to focus on the issue to completion or to pivot our focus and resources onto other priority tasks.
This means we don’t become too engrossed on a single issue and can align our priorities with the client’s to ensure their time is being spent where they need it most.
Conversations between reports
We’re in constant dialogue with our clients to ensure we deliver what they need.
We don’t wait until each monthly report is produced to talk about resources. For most clients‚ we have weekly or fortnightly meetings to review our progress and achievements and plan for the week/two weeks ahead.
This gives us the opportunity to change our focus based on our clients’ priorities and to respond to any problems. It’s an agile way of working that gets the most out of the resources available.
Plan for productivity
We plan to be as productive as possible when matching our resources to clients’ priorities.
If we agree to focus on a particular issue in the next few weeks but don’t have the right iOS‚ Android or web developer available at that time‚ we’ll schedule it for when the best developer for the job is available. That might mean waiting slightly longer to start the work‚ but the work will be done more quickly and effectively because the right person is involved.
Planning for productivity results in the most efficient use of resources for our clients.
Continuous product development
Many mobile app development agencies will not look at development issues as part of a support and maintenance contract. However‚ we feel it’s a great place to identify opportunities to continue the growth of an app.
Our support team proactively helps clients strategise for the next steps of their apps’ development and find ways to add value. For instance‚ they might discover ways of improving user experience while working on a maintenance problem which can be fed into the roadmap for developing the next iteration of the app. Or‚ they might find ways to make apps faster‚ more responsive and efficient or strategise ways to achieve higher app store ratings. You can read more about our take on optimising your product for app store release here.
Forecast resources
Our dedicated product management team constantly monitors how a project is delivered and where and how resources can be best used.
Based on data from our team timesheets‚ product managers forecast the time and money required to complete projects. They look at the hours spent by every discipline‚ including design‚ development and research‚ to predict exactly what resources are needed to deliver each aspect of work.
They use a RAG traffic light rating system so clients can clearly see where resource issues might occur – and we then work together to prioritise what needs to be done first.
Get in touch
Our transparent culture gives our clients the confidence that their project will be delivered on time and to budget.
Take a look at the projects we’ve managed for our global client base or get in touch today to find out more about how we can support you.
