Interview with Hamid Mahmood, Co-Founder and Head of Digital Transformation - HTML Pro

Give us a quick overview on HTML Pro. When and how did you begin this journey and what were your motives to be successful in app development?
At the time I started HTML Pro, I was alone but then I found my partner for the venture. Ironically he was my friend and a project manager at the company I worked at. My partner and I had an ideological connection which derived our vision about HTML Pro. We were going to build an organization where employees’ rights will be the top priority while following the traditional corporate structure.
We recognized that the problem with IT companies is that they are very good in technology but they lack quality customer services and that is exactly how we wanted to differentiate our company; by providing the top of the line customer support to the customers.
From the very first day, we had a vision that we have to hit the top slots and we were not prepared to be a small town agency that no one knew about. So, with that vision we started off the venture and very quickly (almost in about 6 months) we grew so tremendously that we had to go big and launch it on a larger scale. 

What is your role in the management and development of HTML Pro?
I am the Head of Digital Transformation at HTML Pro; my responsibilities entail taking care that both my internal and external stakeholders are getting what they were promised when they chose our company. Along with that, since we are in the IT industry and one of the recognized ones, I have to make sure that each and every person that’s a part of HTML Pro is digitally savvy, follows the latest trends and the best practices of the industry. The combination of creativity, diligence and following the best traditional practices is what ensures customer satisfaction, HTML Pro believes.

Tell us about your biggest achievement in the industry
What I believe as my biggest achievement is making the people around me happy. We (me & other partners) learned from the negatives of others and followed the positives to form the perfect blend of an organizational culture. It resulted in 95% employee retention rate. It is an achievement that I take pride in. Because, satisfied employees working in an environment which makes them comfortable is the foolproof formula to 100% customer satisfaction.
This approach has paid off a great deal and strengthened my belief even more in an employee-centric policy. Our employees are happy so our customers are happy and that is why HTML Pro is being and has been awarded many accolades placing us at the top. Some of the most recognized ones being UpCity, Clutch, TopDevelopers & CIO Review.

How do you schedule the development phases of the apps to promise the timeline to your clients?
At HTML Pro the difference is made right at the beginning of a project when we start a project with the analysis phase instead of outright strategy development. We include the clients in the entire process from analysis to strategy and deployment to testing.
The blend of our agile process and the creative team comprises the industry’s best Quality assurance experts. Developers, designers, project managers and analysts provide a recipe for success that is cooked up timely and delivered to perfection. Along with that, competent project managers are assigned to monitor the entire process and ensure that everything is delivered as per the client’s timeline and demand.

How do you help your clients in choosing the right yet profitable platform for app development?
We arrange a consultation session with our experts to clearly identify the needs, requirements and the limitations of the project. Our expert team then offers their suggestions in light of the requirement trends and the best practices being followed in the industry. Clear, comprehensive lists of pros and cons are established and communicated to the client. The implementation strategy is devised after the selection of platforms but what sets us apart is that we accommodate clients that want to see a plan of action before deciding anything concrete.
The plan of action is efficiently followed throughout the development process but the deployed agile methodology allows us further leniency in mitigating the weaknesses according to the best practices and the client’s requirements.

Which would you suggest for a successful and profitable business progression, Native or hybrid apps? How do you define the factors that influenced you to make this choice?
It all boils down to your business model and the budget that you are willing to spend on your mobile application. Native applications are an overall better bet in terms of performance, speed, graphics and compatibility but are can prove to be very expensive and a pain to maintain. Whereas, hybrid applications are a quicker one size fits all solution where you will have to compromise on quality a little bit. So I would suggest for perfection in the first go that is you have the time frame and the budget. Otherwise, having an application is always better than no application at all.

How do you scheme your pricing model? How do you fix your budget?
One model follows the divide and rule approach by breaking a project into milestones than further dissecting it into modules. These modules undergo parallel development by different resources and the effort per hour by each resource allows us to come up with a pretty accurate pricing plan for our clients. In case of budget constraints, we make sure to clearly establish the scope of the project that is in the best interest of the client under the given budget.
The second model is devised in case of a joint venture where services may be exchanged or a larger project is to be continued for a longer period of time. This model is customized according to the scope of the project. Finally, we help set up teams, per custom requirements from our clients directly managed by clients and charge per resource + overheads for using our premises at affordable costs.

How helpful are the mobile apps developed by your team, for enhancing your clients’ business?
The applications developed by team HTML Pro are aimed to provide complete digital transformation of the businesses which results in:
●Widespread business process automation
●150% Increase in customer satisfaction index
●Reduced dependency on Human Accuracy
●Bottleneck removal with respect to resources.
●Op-Ex (operational expenses) reduction

The team is currently working on applications for the health care, real estate and investment banking industry and has worked with many more giving us hands-on experience with the nitty-gritty of the particular niches and the technicalities that they entail.

What according to you are the best practices to attain client satisfaction?
Here are a few practices that guarantee to attain client satisfaction as per my experience:
●Recurring communication and proper reporting about the projects.
●Having a dedicated point of contact for a project will keep things personal and establish an understanding of an individual level instead of a client communicating with the whole team.
●The client needs to feel like you are personally invested in the project and actually care about their experience.
●Having an easy going, fun loving work environment ensures that employees work stress-free without a constant pressure allowing them to deliver better and also respond well to challenging situations.
●Do NOT, in any case, let go of professionalism even in the hardest of situations.
●Always keep your word and deliver what you initially promise or advertise.
●Don’t overcharge.
●Keep your employees well trained and up to date; certifications like 6 sigma, COPC and ISO will ensure that best practices of customer service and the highest quality of product is delivered.

How do you update your business system to be in pace with the technological advancements?
Keeping up with technology is definitely a hard game but everything is possible with a diligent organized approach. Our R&D team is present at each location across 3 continents keeping a close eye on the shifting technology trends.
An effective two-way communication channel is established between the research and the production team that ensures that both teams are up to date about the current technologies and the ongoing internal projects so the research can be targeted.
Project managers and top management are responsible for the deployment of any new implementation or technology which maintains a hierarchy and warrants that we do not drop any balls. The education and training of employees with respect to the new technology is also scheduled by the management when necessary.

What are your thoughts about AR, VR and Internet of Things (IoT)?
AR, VR and IoT are the future of technology. If there is ever going to be the next big thing in the technological world this is going to be it. These technologies bridge the gap between the textbook definition of hardware and software. You will soon be able to touch the software and your hardware will have virtual ears making life a lot easier. And the field of IT development a bit broader than it was ever before.

What do you think will be the future of Mobile technology?
Mobile technology has already taken off and taken over in the past decade. Google’s algorithm shift of prioritizing mobile-first websites easily depicts the future of mobile technology for the upcoming years. The applications of AR, VR, IoT and blockchain will be merged with mobile applications to develop a better, more efficient and safer user experience. Along with that, the next step in hardware modification is wireless charging along with self-repairing and flexible screens.