Interview with Shivendra Dwivedi, Founder - Maxtra Technologies

Shivendra Dwivedi  

Founder, Maxtra Technologies

Give us a quick overview on Maxtra Technologies. When and how did you begin this journey and what were your motives to be successful in app development?

In simple terms, Maxtra Technologies can be defined as a cutting-edge technology-driven service provider that helps its clients and businesses in solving real-world problems through innovative technological solutions. We have delivered thousands of high-quality apps since the past decade and have upheld the mantle for providing real-world solutions to intricate business complications.

From developing seamless mobile solutions in its heydays, Maxtra has transformed itself into a technical giant that fulfills all the aspirations of modern businesses. I founded the company in2010 and catered to the booming web app development market at that time. In 2013, we started our mobile app development division and have since delivered hundreds of successful projects for global clients.

When I founded this company, the only idea that I had in mind was to create a cutting-edge software technology company that becomes a global force to be reckoned with. I was discontent with the level of service that was delivered to clients, and this pushed me to create a firm that caters equally to cutting-edge start-ups, and Fortune 500 clients.

Maxtra has expanded its horizons from mobile development to blockchain, AI, advanced web development, digital marketing, retail management, marketing & branding, IoT and many other sectors. We already had a robust presence in South Africa & Australia but the latest feather in the cap came from the recent expansion of Maxtra Technologies in the USA market with a brand new office space and a highly experienced team. This is just a single chapter of our expansion strategies, and we have numerous other plans in the pipeline.

What is your role in the management and development of Maxtra Technologies?

When I started Maxtra Technologies, all I had in mind was to create a software giant with international level quality and service standards. Hence all my energies and efforts were focused on creating an excellent team with a significant expertise in software development with a creative bent of mind.

In the heydays, our biggest pain point was to source the right talent for Maxtra and most of my days were spent in filtering out the right individuals from hundreds of candidates who wished to work with us. For a technology company with global aspirations, it is crucial that we associate with the right people in the industry. Since then, most of my energies are focused on effective team management and leading Maxtra Technologies to the pinnacle of success in the software development industry.

Tell us about your biggest achievement in the industry

As a well-recognized and credible organization, Maxtra has always strived to provide the best in business services and this has led us to garner a few awards and accolades along the way. The latest recognition came from BusinessToday magazine which awarded us with the ‘Tech Tycoon’ title. We are also an official Google Partner and our work ethics have been proven to be up to industry standards.

Speaking for further recognition, Maxtra was also awarded the best mobile app developer in South Africa. We have also received accolades from the BusinessConnect magazine which awarded us with the ‘Reliable technology partner’ title. We are also a certified Microsoft partner and recognized as one of the top CI developers by rating firm TopDevelopers. These are just a few of the accolades that Maxtra has earned along its journey and I am highly confident that this count will grow further in the future.

How do you schedule the development phases of the apps to promise the timeline to your clients?

There are numerous aspects that go into scheduling a development phase for an app. It begins by assessing client requirements and the required deliverables. A Functional Requirement Document (FRS) is shared with the clients and once we receive their approval, we begin with the development. A work breakdown structure (WBS) is also shared with the customer (after FRS approval) that describes all the ETAs and deliverables related to the project. We also have project Scrum meetings on a daily basis and we deploy Click up tools for task management to instill work efficiency in our teams.

How do you help your clients in choosing the right yet profitable platform for app development?

The app development phase begins by assessing client requirements. Our team analyses the client’s business and their target audience before churning out an app idea. We emphasise on building constructive relationships with our clients and want to provide them with the maximum possible value for their investments. Our team prides itself in leaving no stone unturned in turning your imagination into reality.

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?

Let’s face it. Mobile phones have become instrumental in modern days, and we may live without them, but most of us would prefer not to. Pick up your phone, click on an icon, and launch an app. Voila! You just used a native or hybrid application on your cell phone.

There has been an intense debate in the IT sector over the feasibility of Native apps or Hybrid apps. Although there are advantages and disadvantages to both development patterns, the development preference strictly relies on the business or client preferences.

Hybrid applications do not have as good a user experience as native apps do when the interface for both Android and iOS is under question. If too much emphasis is placed on Android, the user interface for iOS users will suffer, and vice versa.

But, if a business wants to launch an app that is native to the Play Store or the App Store, Native apps are recommended. We always recommend businesses share their vision so that we can come up with the best possible solution for their app idea.

How do you scheme your pricing model? How do you fix your budget?

Creating a smartphone app is a complex undertaking that requires the intervention of many main players. We decide the developmental pricing model based on a variety of aspects. The first thing that our development team assesses is the clients requirements and the clients business model. App functionalities are responsible for the bulk of the cost variations. The more feature rich the app, the higher is the development cost.

The extent of support requirements by the clients and future update support also affects our development pricing model. The cost also gets affected by the number of integration points required in the app. More the number of API integrations that we are required to program in the app, higher is the development cost. Summarizing, there are a plethora of factors that establish the budget for any development endeavor carried out by our development team.

How helpful are the mobile apps developed by your team, for enhancing your clients’ business?

We are blessed to have a rich portfolio of clients who are market leaders in their respective domains. In the past, many new age businesses approached us with a phased development idea. As their business grew, so did our association with them. We have witnessed tremendous increase in demand through our analytics and we can safely say that our mobile apps have been instrumental in their success. Kindly have a look at our portfolio to know more about our clients and the services we offer.

What according to you are the best practices to attain client satisfaction?

At Maxtra, we deploy a holistic approach towards client servicing. Customer satisfaction is described as our customers' level of satisfaction with your company's goods or services. That can also be seen in how they rate the company and how they recommend it to their friends and family.

Improving customer loyalty is an essential part of our company whether we want to keep or develop our customer relationships. It represents the extent to which you were able to have satisfactory customer service.

The first step that we have taken towards improved customer service is to focus on increasing customer loyalty. With growing competition, attracting new consumers will cost up to five times as much as maintaining a current one.

As a result, it makes sense for us to engage in ways to improve consumer service while focusing on delighting our clients. We have the entire customer journey blueprint laid out and we sometimes make impactful changes to simplify the customer service journey.

We have dedicated omnichannel customer interaction mediums that our customers have experienced and are deeply satisfied with. Also, we have multiple client touchpoints that offer consistent support and a unified support experience that has helped us immensely in enhancing our brand’s credibility.

How do you update your business system to be in pace with the technological advancements?

Analyzing the contradictions in industry perspectives and industry research on technology and talent acquisition reveals similarities between otherwise disparate competitive challenges and points to tools for corporate executives to overcome the task of keeping up.

When executives consider technology, they often concentrate on the initial investment required to keep up, such as the expense of updating technologies, the cost of matching rivals' technical strengths, and the cost of fulfilling consumers' technological demands. That is most likely why 43% of respondents are rising their technology budgets.

While technology and business management seem to be two separate fields, the solution to these differences can lie in understanding their interconnectedness and rebalancing resources to better solve both problems more effectively. Understanding these links, in particular, exposes new pathways of growth, as technology is more readily embraced and workers are happier.

What are your thoughts about AR, VR and Internet of Things (IoT)?

If we look at the latest technology trends, AR, VR, and IoT are poised to be the next major revolution. Technological interconnectedness is the next frontier for this revolution and IoT is playing a crucial part in this movement. As a technology company, Maxtra has witnessed the evolution of AR and VR since their nascent days, and I had prospected that these technologies will play a pivotal role in the future.

AR and VR, are the future of learning. Although the premise of both these technologies is not new, there have been significant advances in the deployment of these domains. AR is currently being used in the healthcare industry, education industry, retail industry, etc. and this count is expected to grow significantly in the future.

What do you think will be the future of Mobile technology?

The mobile phone industry has now branched out into a plethora of smaller divisions, including web development, graphic design, camera and image functions, game design, hardware, software, and so on. Since relentless research and development is being undertaken actively in both of these industries, each of these units has a future just as bright as the market.

You’ll be surprised to know the little things that make a major technology function efficiently in real life. For example, the self-driving car is well on the way to becoming a reality, but due to the fear of an ever more automated world, the majority of people are uneasy about allowing a vehicle to drive itself. Even though, technically, it is the only way to make the world's roads better.

Therefore, the future of mobile technology is extremely bright, and it falls upon us to keep an open mind and embrace technological advancements.