New App Hopes to Disrupt AgeTech Market with 59% Increase in Caregiver Productivity

Company Background

Kibage is a software solution that empowers families with a loved one in need of home care to take an active role in planning for their care by scheduling services or tasks for themselves or care providers. The Kibage app is backed by resources from Senior Key Care, Inc. who provide services such as: care-giving and care management, groceries, errands, laundry, light housekeeping, meal preparation, patient appointment notes, and transportation.

Kibage provides families with the tools, services, and support to make them successful at one of the most challenging yet rewarding events in their lifetimes—caring for a loved one.

Challenge

As the founder of Senior Key Care, Inc., a company that provides care to seniors living in their homes, Jeff Collison recognized an opportunity to build a platform that helps family members be more involved and provide better care to their loved ones. 

Collison decided to partner with a development house to bring his vision to life. Unfortunately, attempts with two other vendors resulted in only a login screen after six months. Collison needed to find a true partner who is transparent, follows agile, development practices, and could get the project done quickly.

Results

Increased productivity of caregivers by 59%

Opened massive scaling possibilities for addressable markets

Eliminated overhead cost of franchising for frictionless expansion

The service that SharpQuest has delivered will allow us to revolutionize the world of caregiving.

Jeff Collison,Founder and CEO, Kibage

What SharpQuest Did

Guided the technology decisions for their product

Developed web and app products for AgeTech market application

Designed user interfaces for caregivers and families wanting care

Designed and architected a solution that is robust, scalable and secure

Employed Agile Methodology and Azure DevOps for rapid development

I have been completely blown away with every aspect of SharpQuest’s work.

Solution

With a background in IT, Jeff Collison, CEO and Founder of Kibage, came to SharpQuest with a detailed vision for a new caregiving platform. The solution would need to be an accessible, easy-to-use app that integrates with payment platforms and has custom plugins to enable a variety of services from the on-call workforce.

SharpQuest worked closely with Collison to make it happen. “They delivered the solution from the ground up,” recalled Collison. “I worked closely with them on every step of the process, from developing our database to the frontend interface of the application.”

This level of involvement was very important to Collison, particularly after having bad experiences
with other development houses. Collison commented, “We had gone through two different companies and were really frustrated with the lack of professionalism and lack of understanding of what we were trying What SharpQuest Did Guided the technology decisions for their product Developed web and app products for AgeTech market application Designed user interfaces for caregivers and families wanting care Designed and architected a solution that is robust, scalable and secure Employed Agile Methodology and Azure DevOps for rapid development to accomplish.” In contrast, SharpQuest welcomed Collison’s involvement. “SharpQuest really understood what we were talking about and I had complete access to the team with daily communication,” stated Collison. 

The SharpQuest team on this project consisted of an Agile Scrum Master, Sr. Cloud Solution Architect, 3 developers and a Quality Analyst. Working in coordination with Collision, the team prepared a sprint-based plan to prioritize the backlog and a delivery plan to release new features every few weeks. The end result was a progressive web application (PWA) using Microsoft technologies and cloud hosting. Key features include: geo-mapping to track caregiver location, integration with payment systems for professional caregiver services, and the ability to create family groups to manage care for a loved one.

The experience was a great one for the Kibage team who had many changes along the way. “They really know the agile scrum process,” exclaimed Collison, “which made things really easy for us.” Collison was also impressed with the focus of the SharpQuest team. “They have the discipline to stick with an iterative process, rather than trying
to randomly attack a problem to see what works. It really shows they know what they are doing.”

How KibageRates SharpQuest

Keeping on Schedule

Quality of Service and Deliverables

Outcomes

The outcome of the project is a sophisticated application that has the potential to become the business platform for caregiver companies throughout the country. Collison is impressed. “Our system isn’t simple, and they have demonstrated an incredible depth of knowledge for putting systems like payment processing and Google plugins together.”

Collison sees the Kibage platform as a game changer for senior in-home caregiving. “Our company has been
established for 10 years, and the service that SharpQuest has delivered is allowing us to really revolutionize the
world of caregiving,” shared Collison.

The initial rollout of the app has been a huge success. “The feedback that we’ve gotten has been tremendous,” exclaimed Collison. “So much so that we’ve had to limit our rollout because everyone wants to get on this app— both caregivers and the families who need them.”

The app is also breaking down the barriers to geographic expansion. Collison stated, “You can’t scale a traditional
caregiving agency more than $2M a year and that’s with franchising. The Kibage app is self-sustaining and anybody
can get on in any geography. SharpQuest gave us the ability to scale massively.”

The app is also opening up new markets for on-demand caregiving. Collison explained, “In traditional caregiving,
you have to commit to a four-hour minimum of care.” This left those only needing an hour of care out of luck. But the Kibage app opens up revenue potential at a broader scale by addressing these needs. Collison clarified, “With the Kibage app a caregiver can do an hour of service and move on to another home. It’s all automated. It’s like Uber for caregiving.”

Looking back on the project and the working relationship with SharpQuest, Collison mused, “I have been completely blown away with every aspect of their work. They have the ability to listen and incorporate your feedback, and at the same time not be afraid to hold their ground when they feel strongly about something.”

As Kibage grows, Collison knows that his relationship with SharpQuest is one he can depend on. “I was looking for a long-term partner from the get-go,” stated Collison, “so I intend to work with SharpQuest for a long time.”

 

How Kibage Rates SharpQuest

Keeping Cost Within Estimates and Delivering Value

Willingness to Refer SharpQuest

The feedback we’ve gotten has been tremendous. Everyone wants to get on this app.

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