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Let’s Be Frank: Have an Awesome Idea For an App? What Does It Really Take to Develop a Mobile Application With Fusion of Ideas?

When starting something new,  it’s never a bad idea to do a little research online to get an understanding of what it is you’re getting into.  This is never more true than when you’re starting to research and brainstorm for a business app you’d like to create.  Through Entrepreneur.com and other top sites, we’ve found lists of recommended questions to ask potential developers.  To take some of the guesswork out of reading the details on our website at www.fusionofideas.com, we sat down with our Business Development Manager of Applications, Tim Hurlbut, and asked some of the top recommended questions to ask when interviewing an app development company.  

May I have a list of your current and past clients?  

Just to name drop a few, we’ve done custom applications for Hilton Grand Vacations, Warner Brothers, Lakers, Delta, Hennessy, California Pizza Kitchen, Barney’s New York, Lionsgate, LensCrafters, NuSkin, CapitalOne, Audi, New York Public Library, etc.  We’ve built all kinds of applications; whether it is a dynamic content solution for a small business or an intense client facing sales tool, our expert developers can do it all. Upon request, we would love to share some samples of our work depending on your area of interest.

Where can I find examples of mobile apps you’ve developed?

The majority of our clients utilize apps for B2B and internal purposes, so most of the apps we develop are not public. However, some of the applications we have developed can be found on the App Store & Google Play. Upon request, we would love to share some samples of our work.  

Which platforms do you develop?

We are experts in both iOS and Android app development. We also have an expert team of Web Developers who are able to work in multiple programming languages.

Do you provide documentation for the apps you develop?

Yes, documentation is provided for apps we develop. It is also provided for source code.

How do you manage quality control and testing?

Quality control and testing is always provided with each phase of the project.  We use the AGILE development mythology.  This process includes weekly reviews and updates.  

Do you develop everything yourself? Do you outsource to anyone?

Our team is all in-house, plugging away at their work in our offices in Southern California.  We do not outsource.  And better yet, you can get a hold of us at anytime with clear communication.  How many App Developer companies can boast that they do all of their work under one roof, all in the USA?  We can.   

Do you partner with an app designer or would you need us to handle that?

We have our own skilled app designers who are able to take your vision to life. We are also available to work with a clients’ own design partner or style guides.  

What are the steps you usually take prior to building an app?

Upon request, we would love to provide you with our brochure that outlines the entire app development process. Here is a sneak peak of the steps we go through to make sure we build you exactly what you want.

9 Steps For An Effective Application Development Project (from Fusion of Ideas Brochure)

Will you manage the process for uploading to the various app marketplaces? Do you have a developer account to do this?

Yes, we will handle the app submission process to App Store, Google Play, etc. We do have our own app developer account, however the majority of our projects are built using the clients developer account, which we help them secure.

Do you offer long-term app maintenance and support?

Yes, we have multiple options available to clients depending upon their requirements.  

How will we communicate during the development process?

Generally through initial phone conversations, followed by email & webinar sessions. We are available to travel if required to meet with clients.

Who will own the mobile app?

The app projects are primarily owned by our clients. We are a work-for-hire partner and do not retain ownership rights.

What are your fees and payment terms?

All of our projects are quoted as fixed price projects.  We learn the clients needs. We document those requirements in a statement of work. We quote a firm fixed price and timeline to the details quote. Determining on the clients specific needs, payment terms are usually in phases or can also be done in monthly payments.

For more information about Fusion of Ideas and our application development services, please contact us at 949-453-0740 or info@fusionofideas.com

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How Delta Defense Turned 200,000 Subscribers Into a Million Viewers

Delta Defense is the first and largest member-owned association that educates, trains, equips, and insures responsibly armed Americans.  President and CEO Tim Schmidt, embracing his new role as a protector after having his first child, was inspired to create the “Concealed Carry Magazine” in 2003 and later the United States Concealed Carry Association (USCCA) in 2005.  With over 200,000 subscribers, the Concealed Carry Magazine is a prominent aspect of Delta Defense. But they’re not stopping there – in their attempt to reach an even greater audience, the organization continues to explore additional avenues for growth and expansion. This philosophy is what led Delta Defense to explore today’s modern platform: mobile applications.  

After some unsuccessful partnerships with other app developers, Delta Defense was in need of a trustworthy app development company.  They needed a developer who could take their vision and translate it into a functional mobile app.  FUSION was able to address all of their concerns by aligning specific designs and functionality for their mobile application with the necessary tools to make their vision come to life.  The app (free to download in the Apple App Store and Android Play) incorporates key features such as a news feed, articles, podcasts, issues of the Concealed Carry Magazine, upcoming events, gun legislation, a Reciprocity Map, and a detailed map of local gun ranges. Fusion also created an easy-to-use backend for managing all of the information and pushing updates to the app.

Since the release of their mobile application, Delta Defense is now reaching and educating over one million people.  FUSION’s commitment to open communication and true collaboration allowed Delta Defense to oversee all aspects of the development process from initial conception to completion.  Now, more than ever, the mobile app is helping Delta Defense reach a larger, broader audience, resulting in more informed and responsible armed Americans.

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Another Fantastic Year With Kidd’s Kidds

This November marked FUSION’s seventh year of sponsoring and working with Kidd’s Kids.  Since 2011, FUSION has donated app development and customization services to the charity, who works with families of children with life-altering or life-threatening conditions.

Kidd Kraddick founded Kidd’s Kids in 1991 with the goal of making a difference in the lives of children and families who are dealing with life altering conditions.  Initially, the program began with a bus ride to Sea World in San Antonio, Texas. Thanks to the volunteer efforts from partners, donors, and medical professionals, along with the Kidd Kraddick Morning Show listeners’ willingness to embrace their mission, Kidd’s Kids has grown at an exponential rate. Now in its 26th year, the foundation has sent over 1000 kids and their families on a trip of a lifetime to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida.

Here’s a video showcasing a little more about this foundation and our involvement with them.  For more information, please visit http://www.kiddskids.com

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The New River Electrical Story: A Big Power Move to Reduce Paper Trails and Improve Efficiency with Field Data Collection

New River Electrical (NRE) is a large electrical contractor doing business at multiple job sites on the East Coast. They have 700 plus employees that spend nearly 100% of their time at the job sites. The company’s challenge has always been twofold: first, collecting payroll information and getting payroll checks cut weekly for their workers; and secondly, collecting job site data for various purposes such as safety and regulatory compliance issues.

Their manual system was time consuming for the foremen who had to physically write on paper time sheets and then fax them to the corporate accounting team, who in turn had to calculate the hours from the printed handwritten sheets and upload them into a system for payment. There were also many safety and regulatory documents that constantly needed to be signed, collected, accounted for, and then stored at corporate as well.

The application that Fusion developed for NRE addressed the client’s major concerns, plus some.  Here’s what Fusion was able to accomplish for NRE with their application.  

Fusion designed a custom iPad solution for the client that allowed the foremen the ability to capture payroll information electronically. The corporate office had secure access to all the data captured and payroll processing time was slashed by 70%.

“With the app, we see a time savings of significant magnitude, especially where we are able to review the time entries, the equipment entries, and the safety reporting that the foreman is actually keeping themselves,” said Carolena Trammell, Controller at New River Electrical.

Additional modules also allowed the company to electronically capture and store data for safety forms, incident reports, and a multitude of compliance reports. Foremen could now review and sign forms on their iPads.  A file system for job-specific information was also created. The client has accrued huge benefits from their new ability to review and analyze field data. All past reports and forms were paper based and not easily accessible.  

On the administration side, an easy-to-use portal was created for corporate accounting users to view, edit, and approve all payroll data. Project managers were able to add, edit or delete all job specific forms and reports, and the system was integrated with NRE’s ViewPoint accounting system to allow ease of use.  

NRE’s corporate strategy took the inefficiencies of their manual processes and streamlined them and improved them through the use of mobile technology.  Since the initial application development, NRE has been working with Fusion for over 3 years. Recent project enhancements have included the ability to track expenses and manage the company’s uniform inventory.

When asked about why companies like NRE choose to switch over to mobile applications, Tim Hurlbut, Business Development Manager of Applications at Fusion of Ideas says, “Where do you want to see your company in the next few years? Do you want to be a company that is still using old presentation tools,  faxing in reports, and emailing spreadsheets? Or do you want to be excelling in the tablet and mobile device world? Apps are not just trendy, they are completely functional and can change the ease of how you do business.”  

Applications are making a huge difference for small and large companies across the globe.

“Building an application helps you empower your employees with more efficiency to get the job done,” says Tyler Harmor, Chief Technology Officer at Fusion of Ideas. “Through app development, you are given the keys to create a completely new experience. The sky really is the limit on what you can accomplish with an application for your company. At Fusion of Ideas, we focus on the end user and the demand from business to create applications that simplify and change the way people do business.”  

If you are interested in discussing mobile application solutions that can help advance and modernize the way your company does business, please contact Fusion of Ideas directly at info@fusionofideas.com or 949-453-0740 ext. 250.

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