Helping the blind and low-vision navigate the world around them

Our objective was to create a functioning app with a clean, intuitive UI [user interface] to integrate the controlled lights and sounds in the prototype environment. We also wanted to accomplish this within our budget. We evaluated three different local software developers and Michigan Software Labs was the most affordable and easiest to work with. They also showed interest in the concept right away. Speed was an important factor for us and they were available to start work faster than other vendors. After selecting a vendor, we had a concept meeting where we provided them with a rough sketch of the UI we had in mind and discussed the functionality we needed. They sent back a wireframe within a few days and did some initial coding work. After that, we presented them with a brand guideline as well as edits to the initial mock-up and wireframe, and within a few more days, we had a working app. After sending over sound files to integrate and offering a few more edits, they came back with a final app. They offered great support throughout the process and even after our contract was up. Our Chief Administrative Officer said that it was the most well-developed prototype she had ever seen, including the functioning iPad app. The workflow was very effective—they were quick to turn around their work and were always very responsive via e-mail and phone. Since they were local, it was easy for them to stop over for meetings as well. We were impressed with their agility and ability to solve problems quickly and effectively. Their responsiveness was also extraordinary.

Michigan Software Labs developed a mobile app that allows clients to easily submit documents. The app has a document imaging functionality and integrates with an internal enterprise document management system. ATBS is a business services company. We provide tax and accounting services, mostly to independent contractors in the trucking industries. This includes people who own their own trucks and operate either on their own authority or lease onto a fleet to operate under that fleet’s authority. We have tens of thousands of clients, and we work with most major fleets across the country. We work with and help manage their independent contractor programs, so it’s all of the back-office work and keeping those clients in business and successful. I’m one of the owners of the company, and my title is VP. I do some of our software sales and marketing, and our IT department reports directly to me. Our clients have been asking for a mobile app as a way to send necessary documents to us in an easier way. We’d been using third-party apps and different tools, and we also allowed clients to send us documents through traditional snail mail. We did a nationwide search for different mobile app developers. Michigan Software Labs was referred to us by one of the trucking fleets that we work with. As we put out an RFQ to multiple providers and went through the process, Michigan Software Labs just stood above and beyond everybody else we interviewed. The quality of their service is extremely high. They’ve been fabulous to work with. They’re very attentive and respond quickly when we have questions or ideas. If we need help with anything, they jump on it right away. They have always had resources available to get on a project. For instance, if a small bug pops up, they’re able to put resources on it the same day and get it resolved quickly. One of the reasons we picked them is because what we do requires a high level of competence with working and integrating with enterprise-level security and applications. We manage a lot of personal information for our clients, so we need to have a high level of confidence in who we’re working with and their ability to manage information. Michigan Software Labs has been great at figuring out how to integrate with our security systems and various applications.

Michigan Software Labs built a web portal using Bootstrap. It was built from scratch to replace the client's old platform. They continue to update the portal, which helps users see their business analytics. Demonstrating an excellent understanding of the client's vision, Michigan Software Labs has produced deliverables that have received praise from users. Accessible and easy to work with, the team has established itself as a worthy long-term partner by providing cost-effective but high-quality output. Our clients were looking for a more robust reporting solution than the one we had on our previous web portal. Hence, we needed someone to develop a brand new reports portal. Our goal was to help our clients conveniently get business analytics based on the data we collect for them. Michigan Software Labs built a web portal for us from scratch using Bootstrap. Along with the team, we decided on the platform we wanted it to be built on, which browsers it would be compatible with, and how it would look on mobile devices. They continue to update the platform. Although they’re not actively coding right now, we plan to gather some client feedback and have the Michigan Software Labs team add more features. I found them through a publication called Crain's Detroit Business, which rated software companies. We narrowed it down to two agencies, including Michigan Software Labs. We chose them because they were a local company whose cultures aligned better with ours. We’ve received some really phenomenal feedback from our users, and since my customers are happy, I’m delighted with the team. We work together using an agile approach, and they’re very responsive. Typically, we communicate through Slack, phone calls, and email. They’re accessible, which has been a refreshing experience because I’ve worked with other vendors that were hard to reach. I appreciate that I can call Michigan Software Labs because it’s easier to get my message across. Their ability to capture the user story really stands out. The team has taken our vision and turned it into reality—they understand our business and leverage their expertise to produce fantastic outputs. Furthermore, it’s easy to work with them because we share the same values as companies. It’s been a joy to work with Michigan Software Labs — they have the qualities we look for in a long-term partner. The value for money that they provide is very reasonable.

Michigan Software Labs rebuilt a customer portal to improve service. The team designed the frontend using Vue.js and replicated previous functionalities on the API. The look and feel of the website led to an increase in business accounts and garnered overwhelming praise. Michigan Software Labs exceeded expectations, delivering skilled expertise. Their attentiveness and dedication were noteworthy throughout the engagement.

Michigan Software Labs developed an app for a recycling company. The app allowed the client to process hundreds of inspections per day using mobile devices in low connectivity scenarios. We were looking to develop a mobile app that allowed our material inspectors to be highly mobile with technology in low connectivity scenarios. This app needed to have a great interface that matched the journey of the inspector, allowing them to most efficiency process hundreds of very high-quality inspections per day on their mobile device. I checked with my network and heard great things about Michigan Software Labs. We interviewed them along with some other leading vendors in the area and found the MI Labs was the right fit for this project. They were very in tune with the needs of our business and had a high level of mobile app development talent on staff. The project consisted of multiple onsite journey / process maps to understand the flow and needs of our inspection process. We went through multiple wireframe iterations until we agreed on the perfect workflow in the app. We then proceeded with development and had weekly reviews to review and approve progress. We finished with testing and deployment. This final phase went very quickly with very few if any bugs to flush out. Immediately after our project launch we were able to hold our inspectors accountable to extremely high quality inspections of material. This was a big win for our company to have a repeatable trackable process and even a bigger win for our customers, being able to fully trust our quality and grading processes. We communicated frequently via slack with the majority of our time together in weekly review meetings. Timelines and deliverables were made clear in these meetings and were rarely if ever missed. We found zero bugs in v1.0 of the software and didn't need another release until over a year later when we wanted some additional features added. They were in tune with our needs. This project was more about meeting our business needs than just building an app.

Michigan Software Labs helped create a mobile app to verify and track aftermarket auto part deliveries. They helped with the design, then wrote the code on their own. We wanted to track our parts on their journey from our locations to the installers. We needed a vendor to build a tool that could trace and manage the orders. Michigan Software Labs helped us create a mobile app and integrate it with our legacy desktop system. We collaborated on the design and wireframes; then they wrote all of the code. They built out each of the key features we requested, including a function that could track vehicle locations and one that could scan UPCs on our parts to verify they were packed in the right delivery. They’re currently helping us with a redesign initiative. They manage their workflow well. We’re kept up to date on the status of every task. We communicate over Slack primarily and track our progress on Jira. I’m very happy with their collaborative skills. They were flexible and supportive throughout the initial project, from design to development.