180 Creative – Out of Business

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I was a board member at a company called World Wide Web Investments based in Warsaw, Poland. We offered web and mobile app development as well as marketing services.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire 180 Creative?

We hired 180 Creative to develop a web application for our client, who is one of the leading Polish companies in the travel industry.

What were your goals for this project?

We needed to have a solid team that could deliver high-quality code. We wanted to develop unique functionalities that would put our client on a higher level of travel services sales.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We did some online research, shortlisted a few companies, and called their clients to ask for reviews. The most promising vendor was 180 Creative, so we chose them.

Can you go into detail about the services they provided and the scope of the project?

We gave them a list of issues and worked together using an agile methodology. The project lasted about three months.

What was the team composition?

They assigned two frontend developers, a backend developer, and a project manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

The project was completed according to the expected deadline and quality. We worked together as a team and received updates every day.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Their communication and project management were really professional compared to the vendors we hired in the past. We mainly used Jira.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

We were happy with the final results and I’m still in touch with them. I hope I’ll have the chance to work with them again in the future.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the owner and CTO of a company that provides a beauty salon management system. Our app is a booking engine that lets clients manage salon appointments.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire 180 Creative?

We hired them to develop new custom modules for our app as well as handle the maintenance of our software.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal was to work with a reliable outsourcing team who could help enhance our software.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I found them online. There were a lot of positive reviews about 180 Creative, which helped build trust.

Describe the project in detail.

Initially, they developed new modules for our software based on short descriptions we sent about our app’s functions. About 95% of the work they’ve done falls under the salon management system, which is available only for registered business users. Currently, they are making some upgrades in our source code and handling app maintenance.

What was the team composition?

They’ve assigned a project manager, a backend developer, and a frontend developer to our project. We are also in touch with the account manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What outcomes or results can you share that demonstrate progress and/or success?

They always deliver great quality on time. I think that the main success indicator is business growth.

How effective was the project management?

It’s great. They use agile methodology, which makes it quite easy to work with them. We use Trello to keep track of progress and Bitbucket for source codes. This gives us the ability to move the project in the right direction.

Another advantage is having easy communication with the project manager. When we worked with other vendors, we always had the same problem—instead of staying in touch with us, they never answered their phones. In contrast, 180 Creative has always been responsive.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

We are impressed with how they’ve managed the project. They’re quite focused despite a limited timeframe.

What tips or recommendations do you have?

No tips at all. I definitely recommend hiring them.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m owner of a company that designs websites and applications. We specialize in clean, professional designs. Our main customers are from Poland, but we also get some from other countries in Europe.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire 180 Creative?

We had a client that owned a nursery with several facilities in Poland and they wanted us to create a nursery management app. We prepared the structure of the app and hired 180 Creative to code it.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted a functional app both for parents and administrators. Parents needed to have a friendly environment for managing payments and feeding plans for their kids. Administrators and nurses needed easy access to reports and all others options.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We were looking for vendors on a job posting website and they reached out to us by phone and email. Their communication was really good, they agreed to our conditions, and were more professional than the other companies. We also liked their style and portfolio, so we decided to work with them.

Describe the project in detail.

The application needed to facilitate the management of kids, meals, payments, communication with parents, and also provide charts and reports. 180 Creative was responsible for coding the app according to the structure we prepared, focusing on the feeding plan and reporting features.

At first, we weren’t sure about the technology to use but they proposed Angular and gave us an example of how it works. Next, we had a round of discussions to figure out the logic of the application. I took care of the final testing and all the communication between our client and 180 Creative.

What was the team composition?

There were three people involved. I dealt with their business representative to begin with and he transferred me to the project manager, who was a really patient, professional, and easy-going person. There was also a programmer to handle the coding.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

The communication between the nursery and parents is much easier now and the payment process is faster and more transparent. The nursery saves money as well thanks to the feeding plan, which allows them to order the exact amount of food ahead of time since they now know how many kids will be there every day.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Communication was really good. We received messages almost every day and they delivered the app on time. We are very happy with the final result.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their support is remarkable. We could always count on their help even after the project ended. They didn’t just leave us after they completed their work, which is the biggest advantage of partnering with them.

Are there any areas for improvement?

There are always areas for improvement. I don’t have any specific examples but I'm sure they have a lot of ideas to make their work and customer experience even better!

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the CEO of RX Smart coffee, an e-commerce coffee manufacturer with facilities in Georgia and South Carolina that focuses on blends that improve consumers’ health both mentally and physically.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with 180 Creative?

We needed a method to exchange our branded digital currency with other digital currency, traditional currency, and traditional transaction methods (e.g., credit cards, electronic checks).

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

180 Creative is building a platform upon which distributors can use cryptocurrency, U.S. dollars, etc., to purchase our coffees. The platform uses blockchain technology, with all transaction history being completely transparent and publicly available.

What is the team dynamic?

Direct communication went through Marcin [CEO, 180 Creative], and he had one other programmer working on the project.

How did you come to work with 180 Creative?

We did a Google search. Of the handful of companies we considered, 180 Creative was the most responsive and the most accessible by phone.

How much have you invested with them?

So far, we’ve spent around $6,800.

What is the status of this engagement?

The engagement began about one month ago, and is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

We’ve received positive feedback saying that the platform is beautiful. Even individuals who had never used a digital currency before said their experience using the platform was great.

How did 180 Creative perform from a project management standpoint?

Marcin manages his team well, and he’s available around the clock despite being many time zones ahead of us in Poland. They once resolved an emergency for us over a weekend within 10 minutes.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re a group of young, energetic individuals who are both organized and devoted to what they're doing. Marcin has been fair and any minor issues have been resolved quickly.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could provide a proposal at the beginning of the project outlining clearly the future options for further investment and potential license buyout.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

My company is a classified ads website for the Polish-American community in New York. We’re building the bridge between Polish Americans and Americans so they can find jobs, employers, and apartments in New York. I’m the owner.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with 180 Creative?

I needed to keep my business running on the technical side. We have a custom design similar to Craigslist. I know what I want, but I didn’t know how to do it technically.

If someone puts an ad on my website, we care that there’s a great response. For example, if you have a car for sale, we don’t care how many people click on it. We care if you sell that car or not. We’re focused on results and value for our visitors.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I custom designed the script back in 2003 or 2004, and 180 Creative fixed it. We’re about to upgrade and change the script. We’re working on a new script based on new technology and new realities in the virtual world. We are a simple service and want to try to keep it simple but up-to-date with today’s technology. My team and 180 Creative keep the business running. I depend almost 100% on their service.

What is the team dynamic?

There were a couple of developers, but Marcin [CEO, 180 Creative] is our main contact. I tell 180 Creative what I want and they do it. I test their work and let them know if I like it or not. One the most important factors is usability. We work together as a team to accomplish my goals. 

How did you come to work with 180 Creative?

They were recommended to us. Their data and ideas are very unique. Our priority was to find someone we could trust.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent over $20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

This project started in April 2014, and the relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

The best evidence that I can share is that is that I’m still in business. The website is working, and we have tons of happy customers. Also, the old script is working, which is harder than having a new script.

How did 180 Creative perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re very responsive. They’re based in Poland, and I’m in the U.S., so there’s a six-hour difference. For some things, they have to act immediately. I call them and wake them up if necessary, but it does not happen often. If it’s an emergency, they respond immediately. If it’s not urgent, I give them a deadline.

We communicate through Viber, Skype, and emails. When we’re starting something new and need to be in contact more often, we have a custom communication. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’re working with a guy who was a teenager when we started working together approximately 15 years ago. I can trust them. There is nothing better than that.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We work in the defense segment providing personal protection like body armor and uniforms to military and law enforcement. I am a sales manager and formerly was a project manager.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with 180 Creative?

Our aim was to create software that would enable users in the law enforcement segment to select body armor styles, including vest sizes and personalization, through an application. The app would be connected with our production systems and would enable us to execute orders by channeling information through the IT system.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The team at 180 Creative prepared a description of what the system’s functionalities would be and how it would work. Once we were awarded the contract, we went into the development phase, building, testing and implementing the software solution within our organization and the customer’s. The software includes synchronization similar to Dropbox so that all users across the customer organization have access to shared information. All the data had to be synchronized with the central database and with users working across the country. The system was Java-based, and it featured some encryption.

What is the team dynamic?

I was the liaison for the law enforcement agency contracting us; 180 Creative was not in touch directly with our customer. I worked with two developers from their team on a daily basis. The owner of 180 Creative acted as a project manager in the initial design and implementation phase, and later delegated this responsibility to someone else.

How did you come to work with 180 Creative?

Someone told me about them. I selected them based on technical understanding, communication dynamics, and cost.

How much have you invested with them?

The initial cost was between $20,000 and $30,000, but we’ve since crossed that threshold.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with 180 Creative in September 2014, and the project is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

The platform has been deployed countrywide. Nothing like it had existed in the past, so we had dozens and dozens of versions and corrections to make. It was a rough road, and everyone was learning. We didn’t even have an example of how it should work. Based on the feedback our end-customer was providing, we were able to implement further iterations and improvements. Now, it’s a stable and robust system, which the customer is happy with.

How did 180 Creative perform from a project management standpoint?

It’s a small and young company, which comes with its benefits and drawbacks. The drawback is that 180 Creative has a limited team of people, so they cannot expand it up and down based on the workload required at a given time. On the other hand, they are great to communicate with. Marcin, their CEO, was active in the communication. We had videoconferences every second day with the developers. Per my experience, smaller companies provide more personal relationships compared to corporate suppliers. Communication was done through phone, email, and Google Hangouts.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their practical approach impressed me. They found practical solutions and didn’t over-engineer the project. They did not create additional questions, based on the ones we had. They were good at software.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They do not offer user interface and graphic design.