Case Study: Globalia launches a custom HR app in 40 hours with SmartBug Media

Globalia launches a custom HR app in 40 hours with SmartBug Media

Globalia, a SmartBug Media company, faced a challenge when its legacy HR software abruptly ended its free tier. Needing an interim solution to manage employee PTO requests ahead of a larger migration, the company required a custom application built within a strict 40-hour development budget to avoid investing in a costly short-term subscription for a tool its team disliked.

SmartBug Media utilized an AI-assisted development workflow with tools like Antigravity, Gemini, and Claude to build a full-stack HR application. This solution was launched in just 40 hours, saving an estimated 200 standard development hours. The new app significantly improved the user experience, reducing the number of clicks to submit a PTO request by 60% and providing a seamless stopgap tool for the HR team.

Globalia