AndPlus, An Ensono Company

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the COO for BNI Building News, a publisher of cost estimating data for the construction industry. We also publish and distribute print book publications. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with AndPlus?

AndPlus has worked with us on multiple projects. The biggest one has been to fully redo our website. They also provide ongoing support and help us as projects come up. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

For the website redo, I initially asked AndPlus to review our website. We had concerns about the site’s security layers and the way we handled credit card transactions. Some protocols also weren’t compliant with the higher-level standards that credit card companies set up. In conjunction with that, we also asked the team to see how the entire website could be improved. 

After reviewing the site, AndPlus recommended moving it to a new platform. Then, we set a timeframe and a budget. From there, they helped us with the new website’s design; they did mock-ups and wireframes. We went back and forth around functionality, requirements, and testing. 

We’ve been able to move to the new platform, and they continue to support us as we do customizations and other things. We’re also currently trying to virtualize our internal network so that we have a better backup for our legacy systems that are difficult to install on modern platforms.

What is the team composition?

For the most part, I check in with two people. I work with one person every day for the backup of our legacy systems. With big-picture problems, another person collaborates with me. During the redo of our website, I’ve worked with a lead manager, who’s worked on converting data from different formats to upload them to the new database. 
 
How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $60,000 on the website project. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in January 2020, and the partnership is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

AndPlus is professional, and their knowledge level is high; we’re dealing with people who know what they’re doing. The team is also more long-term oriented, so they don’t turn things around super quickly; they plan, strategize, and review things first. In other words, they’re systematic, and that’s important for the things we’ve done with them. 

How did AndPlus perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management is good. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Prior to our AndPlus engagement, we used a small “mom-and-pop” shop for tech support and website development. While we were always happy with the work they did, they lacked the broader perspective that AndPlus has. On top of that, the AndPlus team gives us more well-considered advice than we had received previously.

Are there any areas they could improve?

As a marketing-oriented company, we would like to better leverage technology to support our e-commerce efforts, and this is not a particular strength of AndPlus. Their strength lies in platform development, systems integration, and app development.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Just that they should know AndPlus is project-oriented; not task-oriented. If they are just looking for some quick fixes, AndPlus wouldn’t be for them. AndPlus is the place to go for end-to-end development and support for a complete, well-defined project.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work as a systems architect for a research university. I do digital systems and a mix of hardware and software development. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with AndPlus?

We hired AndPlus because we needed to transition from a custom-built mobile app to a more generally useful web-based app. In other words, we needed to rebuild the mobile app’s functionality into a web app. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

When we started the project with AndPlus, we had a one-month discovery phase, where we gave them access to the mobile app. They explored it and received the source code from us. The team did their own research using various tools. After that, their resources worked with us on planning out the implementation of the web app. 

From the discovery phase, AndPlus started the delivery phase. We launched the web app about six months after that. Since then, we’ve worked with AndPlus on individual projects to enhance the app’s functionality. 

What is the team composition?

We work with four people altogether. The team consists of a developer, QA engineer, UX designer, and project manager. 

How did you come to work with AndPlus?

Since we had federal funding, we sent out an RFP and cast a wide net for small, agile development companies familiar with the tech stack we were using, including Ruby on Rails and JavaScript. We also searched for someone flexible enough to work in an innovative fashion since we changed our minds frequently. We ended up narrowing down the search into a few companies, which consisted of US-based and offshore companies. Our team also had to make decisions around trading off hourly costs and skillsets for other things. 

Ultimately, we chose AndPlus because they had a good business model, and their discovery and design phases were iterative. On top of that, an R&D group was built into their company, which we didn’t find in any other companies. They were also researching new technologies; we were excited about the fact that they were exploring new areas that we already wanted to try. Simply put, we found our teams to be a good match, so decided to hire AndPlus. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in September 2018, and the project is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The product that AndPlus has delivered has been working fine, and it’s been well-received. Currently, the app has about 6,000 users, and most of them are university students and researchers. It’s used daily for various business and social tasks, allowing students and researchers to find specific equipment they might need to do a project. 

Anecdotally, we’ve been truly happy working with the AndPlus team. They’ve been great about giving us the same development and staffing resources over time. They don’t rotate staff frequently; such a practice has caused us a lot of headaches in terms of knowledge transfer. They’ve only changed the staffing once on the development side. Even then, they’ve done a great job in knowledge transfer. 

Moreover, the team met our expectations in terms of flexibility in allocating funds. They make sure that any changes we implement don’t cost us a ton. Overall, our two biggest wins are the number of users we have and the fact that the app is used daily. Meanwhile, we’re still figuring out how to put the right metrics on the project’s long-term impact.

How did AndPlus perform from a project management standpoint?

AndPlus’ project management has been good. We have a dedicated project manager, which is highly valuable. Previously, we’ve tried managing the project by ourselves; we hired contract developers, but that’s been difficult because we can’t pay close attention to the project. By contrast, AndPlus’ project manager has been a good experience for us. 

I characterize their project manager’s style as tough love; she isn’t shy to hold our feet to the fire on things we owe them as deliverables. This has helped us meet deadlines. If we truly have to change our scope or user stories, the team is flexible enough to change the project midstream. Overall, everything has been perfect. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

We feel like AndPlus is our in-house agile development team as opposed to working with external contractors or companies. They’re on our Slack channel, and they don’t mind last-minute changes. On top of that, they’re upfront about sharing where the funds are spent, so there’s plenty of transparency and accessibility.  

Are there any areas they could improve?

One area of improvement is the cost. AndPlus’ hourly cost is higher than some of the offshore and hybrid companies that we’ve looked at and worked with in the past. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Front-load the engagement as much as possible by giving them as much detail as you can. The partnership has worked well for us because we’ve been able to do a real code review of what we already have. They’ve also conducted a detailed look at the specs we’ve created in-house. Ultimately, we’ve started the engagement from a position of mutual understanding. That’s much better than signing a contract and then finding a mismatch in expectations during the discovery phase. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder and CEO of Chuck, a consumer sports app.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with AndPlus?

We were trying to build, support, and grow a new product in the world of sports fans and enthusiasts. We knew what we wanted to build and why, but we definitely didn’t know how to build it.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We started with nothing more than a napkin drawing, as we didn’t know much about design to make it compelling. One of the challenges in our space is that sports data is everywhere; a lot of what we’re doing is taking things that already exist and packaging them together in a much more compelling way.

We had about 70% of the requirements fully written out; they were refined in close consultation with AndPlus, and they highly influenced the final 30%. We adjusted everything based on their feedback and insight.

The first part of their process was a design sprint. AndPlus made wireframes before anyone wrote any code. We gave them one bad wireframe, and they consulted with us to build out the rest of the design. They also did some of our branding work as part of that process. We continued that with another vendor, but AndPlus was very helpful upfront in establishing our brand upfront.

We’re building a hybrid app for Android and iOS to save on upfront cost, but we’re also making sure that the solution is adequately robust.

There are a few features that make our app unique. One is a pin scoreboard, which is a novel way of showing a sports fan all the scores they care about. It’s the fastest way that someone can check scores even though there are much larger competitors.

Another proprietary feature allows users to not only see scores but also to follow important plays in one game without losing context about everything else they care about. This feature also has a contextual chat, with all the text threads about the current games, along with scores and play-by-play updates on top. It’s easy to display articles from the homepage there and makes for a much more efficient, coherent, and fun fan experience. 

What is the team composition?

The team size and structure have varied. At a high level, we’ve had 2–4 developers assigned to the project at any given point in time, as well as one full-time engineer split between project management, QA, and UX.  

How did you come to work with AndPlus?

I found them on Clutch. We interviewed seven development firms, including one from Boston and one from overseas. There were definitely savings to be had with the overseas firm, and they understood the product, but this was a sports app, and AndPlus happened to be sports fans who could bring a lot of topic-specific knowledge to the process, acting as an extension of our product team.

More generally, the market knowledge of an onshore development team was appealing; our product is aimed just at North America for now. Along with that, the convenience of being in the same time zone stood out to us.

We made the difficult but ultimately correct decision of going with the more expensive vendor. This was definitely a “you get what you pay for” kind of decision, and I’m happy with the result.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with AndPlus in October 2020, and it’s ongoing. We’re doing a bit of development beyond the minimum remarkable product, and we’ll rely on AndPlus to support the app for at least a few more months. We’ll hire internal resources at some point later in 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve been using a minimum remarkable product (MRK) standard, rather than a minimum viable product (MVP). To grow an audience, our product really has to be remarkable, and AndPlus has been instrumental in achieving that. We also have a net promoter score (NPS) of 51 overall from our beta, as well as 56 for sports fans. These are both excellent numbers. We launched the app 72 hours ago, and everything is working great. Pretty heavy babysitting is needed for many aspects, so that is our main challenge at this stage. 

AndPlus has built a high-performing, highly scalable, and reliable app. Those are three very important adjectives in my work, and they’ve hit all of them.

How did AndPlus perform from a project management standpoint?

Their process is a key strength. Design sprints come before anyone writes any code, and there’s a second layer in-between called the “product map.” AndPlus starts with what is effectively a wishlist of functionalities and slowly refines it into a set of two-week Jira sprints. They use an agile process and manage it quite effectively.

We typically work to refine and grow Jira tickets anywhere between 2–4 weeks in front of what we’re building at the moment. Ultimately, we get the requirements to a stage where the developers can start writing code.

There are weekly one-hour sessions with the whole team where we discuss the next batch of development work, and then demos end each sprint. We also test functionalities, report bugs, and request tweaks for ourselves. 

We communicate regularly on a Slack channel. I try not to be too disruptive of their work, but I occasionally need input on requirements and upcoming work.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The number-one thing at the end of the day is the product. As I said, we set out to build not just a viable but a remarkable product, and AndPlus has built an objectively remarkable product.

Through every step of the process, AndPlus has felt like part of our team. They’re a different organization, but it always feels like they’re our employees. We have a tremendous way of working together that isn’t found everywhere. They’re almost as invested in this product as I am, which is tremendous.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We could’ve been a bit tighter during the product map phase of determining the project scope. After setting up 11 sprints, their content had to be adjusted a bit more than what I wanted at the time. That’s part of the agile process, but we could’ve had more clarity on what the sprint content and resource loads were going to be.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

The two upfront pieces of work — the design sprint and the product map — are tremendously important. Focus on maximizing both of those phases as much as possible because it’ll make everything that happens after easier, faster, and more cost-effective.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of a communications platform in the healthcare space.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with AndPlus?

We needed to construct the platform in a way that was conducive to healthcare. There were some challenges with encryption and data storage. I wanted a partner that had experience with mobile and web platforms and was comfortable with HIPAA Compliance.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I had an idea of the problem that I wanted to solve. AndPlus brainstormed with me in the beginning, and then they developed the communications platform. They created an iOS and Android mobile app, as well as a web platform.

What is the team composition?

I worked with a total of 8–9 of their teammates, including a few developers, a design teammate, a QA specialist, and two managers. 

How did you come to work with AndPlus?

I was looking for a domestic partner. I made a long list and used Clutch to look at reviews. I reached out to them and decided to start on the clickable prototype.

When I started working with them, I immediately knew that it was going to be a great partnership. AndPlus was very flexible with the payment plan and working within my budget, which I appreciated.

How much have you invested with them?

I spent between $100,000–$150,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

I first reached out to them in January 2020, and we began the actual project in about March 2020. AndPlus completed their part of the work in August 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

AndPlus was excellent. The people I showed were blown away by the product. The team did supreme quality work. It was world-class, and they delivered a beautiful product that works seamlessly and is integrated very nicely.

The quality of AndPlus’ work was top-notch, but I have no metrics because I haven’t brought it to market yet. 

How did AndPlus perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management was excellent. They were very flexible in terms of how involved I wanted to be in project management. They acted more as a partner than a contractor, which was great. They gave their honest feedback.

The team sent notes after every meeting which allowed us to review everything. After the project ended, they sent me a 100-page document of everything that we did for my own reference, which was great.

AndPlus was very professional in terms of documenting everything for us. We did sprint developments, and after every sprint, the team would send me progress documents. They did a great job of managing the project in ways that I didn’t expect. We also had a Slack channel.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were so accommodating and willing to address any questions I had, which never happened with the other company I worked with. Even if something was out of the scope, AndPlus would bend a little bit to make sure that I was happy.

Their communication distinguished them. They was also very transparent in their pricing. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, not that I can think of. I had never worked with a team as professional as AndPlus before.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

You need to be rigid with the big picture but flexible with the details of how to get there. If you stay open to different solutions, you’ll be surprised by what a valuable partner like AndPlus can deliver. There are aspects of my product that I know I couldn’t have come up with by myself. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a product owner & evangelist for Honeywell International Inc. We design, develop, and manufacture software and hardware for building controls, such as HVAC, lighting, and more.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with AndPlus?

We needed someone to develop an app that could communicate from tablets to devices in our system that would allow engineers to monitor and control systems within the building.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

AndPlus developed an Android app that would communicate via BACnet, a protocol in the building industry, based on our requirements. 

After we discussed the design requirements and capabilities, they estimated the stories that we should prioritize. The team then delivered the project in stages, and we gave feedback and acceptance.

What is the team composition?

Brian (Director of Client Success) was the main point of contact. There was also a Scrum Master and two engineers.

How did you come to work with AndPlus?

They were recommended by another branch of the company for whom they had done a similar type of project.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $200,000–$999,999.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from May–August 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They worked using an agile methodology, as we do, so it was easy to incorporate their process with ours. They completed the development quickly, in roughly 90 days, which was awesome. 

They provided complete documentation. AndPlus did everything professionally, and they met our expectations. If they didn’t know something, they learned it and validated what they’d learned with us before continuing to work. Additionally, the team was proactive and reactive to the changes we made.

How did AndPlus perform from a project management standpoint?

They did excellently and ran everything very well. The Scrum Master handled the team well and was organized. We used Jira, and we met weekly to review progress and status and to reprioritize as needed. Communication was easy, and AndPlus was very responsive.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It felt like working with our own team, as if we’d been collaborating with them for years. We welcomed challenges to ideas and worked well as a team. We’ve built a relationship I see lasting for years.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, nothing really comes to mind that they could've done differently. There was the usual time challenge that comes when working remotely.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be very definitive in your requirements and validate their understanding of those requirements. That’s beneficial whenever you work with anyone on a project.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of software development at Aquatrace Ltd, a startup that operates within the IoT and SaaS spaces.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with AndPlus?

We were looking for a software provider to help us build and manage a backend web application that would be expansible as we grow our software offering and portfolio.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our main product is a leak monitoring system. We have an IoT device that connects to insulation or fabric mats, and if water hits those mats, we can tell the particular area and particular time when it did. AndPlus helped us develop a backend cloud application platform that connects to our hardware.

The team helped us add functionality that, if someone manages to get a leaky pipe somewhere in their roof, lets us tell them when. Or, if for some reason someone cuts a hole in the roof, we can let people know where the leak occurred and when it occurred so that they can take appropriate action. 

We are a very early startup and only introduced ourselves to the world last October. We have only started trading this year and that was with the help of AndPlus.

What is the team composition?

We work with six full-time team members and about 11 expansible partners, architects, and leaders. We also have two project managers. Additionally, we've interacted with Brian (Director of Client Services), Steve (Business Development Director), and Sean (CEO).

How did you come to work with AndPlus?

I had not used Clutch before, but I had heard of it. I went onto the site and looked for a bunch of different companies and I picked the technology stack I was familiar with. 

I went through a lot of the key hit markers for anyone who had SaaS development or mobile development expertise — bespoke aspects that could be heavily modified for our use case. I was looking for someone who could build the product from the ground up. I contacted eight companies based on the number and quality of reviews. 

I reached out to those companies individually with a product spec, and AndPlus stood out. They were the furthest away from us, but they contacted us immediately and I think they had the time zone advantage. I received an email back from Brian within half an hour and he was very keen and very interested in the project at the time.

AndPlus was the only group to put me in front of the developers and I found that Brian and Steve listened to me. They had me speak to a number of people there and I had an excellent discussion with them. It put my mind at ease and gave me confidence that they were the best company to go with.

What is the status of this engagement?

We formally accepted their project proposal in November 2019, but we didn’t initiate the development on the project until March 2020. This was due to some delays on the hardware side of things. We were able to hit the ground running after I visited them in March 2020, and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They showed initiative. Brian, in particular, is really keen, friendly, and nice. He went above and beyond to make things work. They were very understanding because we engaged with them quite early on. 

AndPlus was very responsive to the feedback that we gave them early on. They were a little bit priced above their UK counterparts. The other companies we had shortlisted were mostly in the UK. AndPlus were willing to change their price slightly.

They were extremely helpful and friendly, and they welcomed me into their office. Everyone I met was absolutely stellar, from Sean all the way down to the floor staff and the people I met just walking through the building. 

Without any managers or project managers, the developers and QA specialists in the room volunteered to stay later so that they could make sure they got all the information from me while I was still there. This gave me confidence.

Since then, it has been genuine smooth-sailing. They were handed a piece of technology that was constructed by another team in our country on a totally different platform than what they’re used to. However, they knew how to use it. They made minor modifications to it but understood what they couldn’t change. It’s been a great experience.

How did AndPlus perform from a project management standpoint?

Sometimes the team is overly inquisitive, but to be honest, that is a personal thing. I am used to being told as a developer myself to just run with it, but I have to say their development team is absolutely stellar. 

The scrum master on the team always keeps our grooming and stand-ups flowing really well. The QA teammate is absolutely stellar and has been helpful in organizing the third-party requirements and dependencies. 

I have been really impressed with the team, and thus far, we are negotiating for a broader scope with them after our project wraps up. I think this week is handover day, and the only reason we are pausing development is because of COVID-19. Otherwise, we plan on working with AndPlus for a very long time.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I would say it’s the people. I feel surprisingly at home working with them. The team is comfortable challenging me, which is a good sign. That is on top of all the times they went above and beyond with me.

Brian himself drove me back to the airport because of the expedited time that I had to catch my flight. It was stellar. They are really friendly, in addition to the technical expertise they have brought to the project. 

AndPlus was given a very difficult challenge of being able to deploy and very rapidly scale an Elastic SaaS application platform with a very aggressive cost threshold of what they would be spending on cloud services. 

I gave them my max, and they came up with quite clever solutions around problems that I personally don’t think twice about when I work on my own day-to-day work. It was really impressive to see them do that. So, I would definitely say the people are the most impressive because of their expertise and honest qualities.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Initially, my biggest concern with them was that I had no evidence that they had worked with anyone outside of their timezone. Our product is very internationally-focused and geographically independent. 

It would be a lot of localization and different tooling that would happen to go around with that. While that is probably the easiest thing to do in software development, I had concerns around it, and I haven’t really seen the evidence that suggests otherwise. That is a very minor thing.

The only other thing I would say is there were some hiccups at the very start with scoping. They also priced it very high very quickly, and I think that was a misunderstanding of the requirements documents. 

The pitch we got was three or four times the amount it really should have been in financial value. Once they received our feedback, they were very responsive, and the price became extremely competitive.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure you have a very clear picture of what you want. If you have examples, the team is very responsive to that over descriptions. AndPlus is more than happy to take what you have and create the mock-ups for you which is what they did with me. 

I found that when I was describing something technical to the team, it got more of a response when I was able to show it to them. I found myself a lot of the time during discovery taking out my laptop and showing them the physical mechanism that I was talking about.

This was both for functional elements, UI flow, how I wanted the users to interact with the system, and also technical aspects, which is probably less usual for product owners in this space. I definitely think if you can show examples, AndPlus meets the mark in nearly every regard.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the VP of Information Technology for Harvey Performance Company. We're a leading manufacturer of industrial cutting tools. We've got offices in Massachusetts, Maine, and Idaho.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with AndPlus?

We needed help from AndPlus on a couple of big development projects.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They provided us with mobile application development and web application development for multiple projects. They used HTML, with a SQL server backend.

The first project we worked with them on was a web and mobile application called Machining Advisor Pro. Our tools are used in machines to mill parts, and the Machining Advisor Pro application assists operators with how to use products in a seam machine in a very optimal way by adjusting speeds and feeds settings based on a number of factors.

They also created another web-based application called "Find A Tool", that plugs into our websites, which allows our end-users to be able to search for tools based on what application they are running.

Both of these products are live and have been in production and we're on several revs of those different products at this point.

What is the team composition?

We worked with 4-5 people from their team, including a primary developer, an account representative, a project manager, and a couple of different developers.

How did you come to work with AndPlus?

We went through an extensive selection process. We had a pool of 12 different development firms we could engage with. After doing some site visits, referral calls, and considering their business history, we chose AndPlus. Partially, it was because they were local, their cost fit our budget, and they had a very seasoned team.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in September 2016, and our collaboration is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We've jumped to about 10,000 users and have gained a lot of traction since their involvement.

How did AndPlus perform from a project management standpoint?

They've done a fantastic job meeting deadlines and compliance. There were some struggles, as there always are, with quoting enhancements and functionality. They've been overestimating half the time and underestimating the other half, which is typical with developers.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their project management methodology stands out, and they really do a great job at tracking stories and specific tasks that need to be done. They really did a good job with the project. Having them listen and implement our feedback has really been a wonderful experience.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could spend a bit more time validating what gets rolled out into production and verifying that it works first before throwing it over to UAT testing. If they were more proactive in finding these issues, the process would've been more seamless.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of consumer products at Cambridge Mobile Telematics, a leading mobile telematics provider. We build solutions to help insurance companies and their driving population be safer on the roads. Our products help people recognize where and when they're exposed to risk. Our tagline is “smarter drivers, safer roads”.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with AndPlus?

We wanted to accelerate some of our consumer offerings and bring in additional engagement. Our app is a direct-to-consumer offering, and we needed external help for revamping some of the features that provide information to drivers.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We just finished phase one, which included features for the frontend on iOS, as well as some work on the backend of the app. They did that on top of AWS combined with their database offerings. The second phase will focus on the Android version.

What is the team composition?

We have four full-time developers and a part-time QA person. I’m the product owner, and they help with some aspects of Scrum project management.

How did you come to work with AndPlus?

We were in the process of hiring external help to build out our consumer initiative, and I started by investing development houses that are local to the Boston Metro Area. I used Clutch to get a sense of my options, and when I started reaching out, I noticed an outbound request from AndPlus. That elevated them to the top of my list.

After talking to three other providers, they seemed to be the best fit, primarily because of their responsiveness and willingness to meet our specific requirements. We were looking to augment a team to prepare for future in-house hires, as opposed to just having extra resources.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project is ongoing—we started work in August 2019, and our first release was in December.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve received several perfect, 5-star reviews on the App Store, and our feedback from internal stakeholders has been positive as well. Our B2B customers—the insurance companies that we work with—are starting to see us as a leader in the space.

How did AndPlus perform from a project management standpoint?

They asked the right questions to understand how to execute and then implemented their plans quickly. Their design abilities made for smooth communication with the engineers because their goal was always a pixel perfect match. Another plus was their willingness to discuss potential challenges with alignment and sizing 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their flexibility stands out. I’m impressed with their ability to receive feedback and provide input as needed. They know how to handle challenges effectively to increase our chances of success.

Also, from a quality perspective, their development team is technically proficient and consistent in their process. The predictability that comes from that is helpful, especially with a cross-platform product like ours.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The quality of work has been high throughout, but the QA process was difficult to navigate at first. There was a lack of clarity at the outset. Although the testing was always effective, I think that explaining the back end of the process early on would’ve been helpful

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be flexible in terms of which project management tools that you use, because that can make a huge difference if you’re not local. We chose AndPlus because they were local, and that was very beneficial, especially at the beginning, in terms of our productivity and speed.

When you do start a project with AndPlus, make sure to let them run their process. They’ll adjust as needed, but the more you let them create their own rhythm, the more successful they’ll be at implementing your ideas rapidly.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the vice president of product strategy for a back-office platform that lets restaurant managers and companies manage food costs, labor, and reporting.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with AndPlus?

We wanted to update the UX of our web-based app which had grown. To some extent, we were struggling with its user-friendliness in terms of accessibility for users with different skill sets. We needed feedback from a UX company to help us tackle some of our more challenging screens. We wanted feedback on best practices and guidance on state-of-the-art designs.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

AndPlus offered an outside perspective, ideas, and a process to help us develop a better UX for our web app. They consulted our team to give us something that we could then build ourselves. In collaboration with our product team, AndPlus followed a three-sprint process. First, they dug into our project and product: what it does and how it’s used. Their team learned what we were trying to accomplish, went through our manuals and training documents. Then, we went through a sprint when they iterated some ideas for our application that we were focusing on. Their team created some prototypes and mock-ups. They worked with our team for feedback and made changes. After, we had our final sprint. We did the same process to create a more fleshed-out prototype but also engaged clients for feedback. In the end, we had prototypes that our team could develop.

What is the team composition?

We worked with a project lead from AndPlus. Brian (Director of Client Success, AndPlus) was our senior contact. He touched based with our team to make sure the project was going as expected, answering any questions and addressing challenges.

How did you come to work with AndPlus?

A colleague either found or knew AndPlus. We reached out to a handful of companies to get their takes and estimates. AndPlus was local. They came to our office and made a compelling presentation, which led to our decision.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $36,000 with AndPlus thus far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started our engagement in July 2019, and it’s ongoing. While this particular project is done, we’ll do another round of consulting with them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I don’t have any measurable results because we haven’t implemented what they’ve done. There’s a lot more engagement from my team because it was collaborative. Both business analysis teammates and development teammates were engaged throughout the whole project. They brought energy and good ideas, which got my team thinking about things they hadn’t previously. There was a great deal of excitement and engagement from the clients who we connected with. There has been positive feedback from various and clients. AndPlus helped us deliver more value to our user community.

How did AndPlus perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve been on time and within budget consistently. We used Slack and GoToMeeting. For the mockups and prototypes, we used their tool: InVision. Their team has been very responsive and easy to contact. Top-level and frontline members of their team have been good with communication. They’ve also been very flexible. When appropriate, their team has come and visited us.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We have valued their knowledge and insight. They bring ideas from dealing with UI and UX challenges across clients and industries to help us develop state-of-the-art approaches to what we do.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I’ve got everything I wanted to out of this project and more. They were a good partner and I expect to continue working with them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Ask questions. Have a clear idea of what you want to get out of the project. This isn’t a collaboration that you can have vague expectations of. As long as you discuss upfront what you hope to get out of it you will do well.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the CMO of a company that develops tech accessories for pets.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with AndPlus?

We designed a smart collar for dogs, which integrates elements of smart home and wearable technology. It comes with fun, engaging tools and features, which allow owners to track their dogs’ location, wellness, and activity, and to make dog ownership a little easier.

The product relies on complicated backend software, and we wanted a team to help with Android and iOS app development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They designed a lot of the backend for the features and functionality attached to the collar. We worked together on early app development, and they played a bigger roll in the second half of our development process. The app has three location states, which the collar connects to via Bluetooth.

If the dog is at home alone, the collar sends hourly updates to the cloud via the base station. Those updates report levels of activity and other information to your phone.

When you enter the house, your phone outranks the base station and the dog enters a with-you location state. This allows you to enable features like turning on outdoor lights or using training sounds. The with-you state sends steady updates to the app board, and stays active on walks, at home, or in the car, as long as the collar connects with your phone.

If the collar can’t connect to the base station (at home), or your phone (with you), it fires up GPS and sends location information to the cloud. Some parents give their children an emergency cellphone for their own peace of mind. The collar is basically a cellphone for your dog.

What is the team dynamic?

We collaborated at least three or four key developers on their side, and we have a project manager on our site. We used Jira to track sprints and align our priorities. During the build, we met once a week to review and pivot as needed. In addition to ticket tracking in Jira, the engineers used Slack to communicate.   

How did you come to work with AndPlus?

Another firm introduced us, and AndPlus pitched some of their services to us. We knew they had a good backend and server-side technical reputation. The server communication with the cloud and the tracking unit in the phone are both complicated, and we hired them based upon their reputation.

How much have you invested with them?

I’d estimate we’ve spent around $500,000 with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started engaging with them heavily in 2016, at the end of that summer. We’ve just given them another scope of work and are planning other projects with them. We have new features we want to introduce into the app, and are still working together.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our sales have grown every week since we launched the app last spring. The first launch of any pet product involves stabilizing the systems and fixing bugs, which we’ve done. We’re amplifying the launch for the fourth quarter.

Amazon reviews rate the product at about a 3.7. We just released the collar on Chewy, and early reviews are at 4.8.

How did AndPlus perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re communication was very good.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They work quickly through different technical challenges. They’re very good at estimating an efficient timeline and number of hours.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could improve their graphic design capabilities. Their UI/UX [User Interface/User Experience] is good, and we’ve gotten to a good place, but design from a graphics standpoint could be stronger.