Appcentric

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the founder of The Greetings Card Company Ltd - www.greetingscards.co.uk. We have been selling greetings cards online since 1999.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Appcentric, and what were your goals?

We hired Appcentric to design and build a new bespoke website fit to accommodate our expected growth in the next five years. We wanted to increase our organic sales particularly from mobile.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We had hired three other companies in the preceding four years, each of which had promised to deliver what we required, but had failed to deliver.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

The website had to enable customers to buy different types of greetings cards, for example:- single cards to which we would apply a hand written message; multiple cards of the same design to which we would apply a printed message, or supply unprinted; packs of cards benefitting an individual charity; cards with text input by the customer through an online 'personaliser' and printed by others.

Customers were given the option of choosing a charity to benefit from their order. Umbraco was chosen as a suitable frame.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

Appcentric's founder, Adam and about four other developers, each specialising in a different area. Design, Mobile, Database etc

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

The site went live in August 2019. Whilst the personaliser went on line several months later, the site was delivered on time and on budget. Given that we added additional functionality into the brief during the project, they adapted admirably in the circumstances.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

They went the extra mile to ensure that they understood the complexity of the project before they started writing code. We communicated in a variety if ways, including many face to face visits, Zoom calls, Trello, Slack. The project was given milestones and dates and deliverables agreed at the outset.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

They delivered what we wanted! Additionally, the price initially agreed was adhered to despite unexpected and unanticipated changes along the way.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

Their default position is 'Yes, can do', which at times could have been tempered by communicating the additional time and money involved a little better. They have addressed this by hiring a dedicated project manager, so we are never unaware of the timing or cost of any current project.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the co-founder and CEO of TheGivingMachine - a digital charity supporting any UK based good cause no matter how big or small. We provide new and easy ways to help causes, supporters and businesses make a difference together – The”Giving”Machine

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Appcentric, and what were your goals?

Our charity's website was primarily developed when we had one main service and had not kept pace with how we have evolved. We've worked with AppCentric on mobile app development before and found working with them very easy and rewarding.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

As a charity with limited resources, working with a partner we already trusted and one that has always added value by taking what we thought we wanted and then helping to develop that concept to get to the best possible outcome meant that it was an easy choice to make. Our experience of being able to stay on time and on budget was also a key factor here.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

For the most recent major project, we needed to front end a couple of websites we have with an integrated front of house set of content.

The scope included:

- being clear on the issues we wanted to resolve by holding specific workshops on that.

- being clear on potential solutions and by providing a managed process to focus down on a specific solution

- reviewing and identifying all issues and content changes that needed to be created on the enw site and what needed to be modified on retained website pages

- project plan and testing to go-live - go-live and mopping up of any issues found Technologies included Umbraco, WordPress, MySQL, Amazon AWS

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

about 4 people worked on the team:

- project manager / technical architect

- MD

- Graphic Designer

- Developer

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

Our current audience have been very happy with the new design. New users find it much easier to navigate and understand what our charity is about and has helped secure several business development opportunities.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

The projects we have had with AppCentric have all been managed with specific timeframes and work sessions planned. Actions have been assigned and scheduled to our own team members. AppCentric were happy to work with our project management tools where we needed and our own Slack channel kept all team members up to date.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

The understanding of what we were trying to achieve and letting that drive the solution rather than applying a standard formula which we know has not worked for us in the past. I also find that the genuine creativity creation and then funneling that down into achievable deliverables is a great attribute.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

I honestly can't think of anything to offer here - any issues we di have were about our resourcing to keep up with the deliverables we had to produce (e.g. content)

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am a Director of Bridewell Gardens

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

A mental health charity using garding to support people recovering from serious mental ill health.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Appcentric to accomplish?

• Design and develop a new website using Umbraco
• Improve website usability
• Enhance user experience
• Make the website mobile responsive
• Showcase the charity’s values and offerings
• Create a website that's easy to update

SOLUTION

How did you find Appcentric?

Referral

Why did you select Appcentric over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Appcentric were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Design, develop and deliver new website. Site map, page designs, page components, illustrations, branding (colours and fonts), integrations with CRM and other tools.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Project was delivered within budget and agreed timeframe. Designs and UX exceeded our expectations, supporting key audiences to find information and quickly complete key actions (including make referral enquiries, submit referrals, find out about the service, make a donation).

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

There was strong communication with the project team with regular updates and clear expectations on timeframes.

What was your primary form of communication with Appcentric?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Appcentric quickly understood the purpose and values of our charity. They listened carefully to any feedback to make sure requirements were met as the project progressed and made communication very easy.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Appcentric could have done differently?

None

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Group Head of Marketing of The Clear Group

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Award-winning independent insurance broker providing insurance solutions for corporate business, SMEs and individuals.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Appcentric to accomplish?

• Build a website that we could be proud of

SOLUTION

How did you find Appcentric?

Online Search

Why did you select Appcentric over others?

• Close to my geographic location
• Umbraco Gold Partner

How many teammates from Appcentric were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

• Improve the overall look and feel and navigation of the website; 
• Improve our audiences experience/journey of Clear, the group and our specialisms and capabilities.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

• To create a website that we could be proud of.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Appcentric worked very closely with us and managed the project and its timescales effectively through clear and regular communication, offering us support and guidance where needed.

What was your primary form of communication with Appcentric?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

All team members who supported the project were highly knowledgeable, understanding, and supportive of those who were less knowledgeable and forthcoming and fast with providing solutions to challenges we faced.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Appcentric could have done differently?

I think if we were to start the project again with hindsight and what we have learned then we may have taken more time to plan effectively given that this was such as tight timeline to follow, however without this I don't think we would change anything.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director of AVM PROFESSIONALS LTD (UK) (12732529)

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We have build mobile application to store and share health data.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Appcentric to accomplish?

• Built the Platform
• Technological support
• Guidance

SOLUTION

How did you find Appcentric?

Online Search

Why did you select Appcentric over others?

• Close to my geographic location
• Great culture fit

How many teammates from Appcentric were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

We have worked on discovery phase and software structural work. With this, appcentric has developed website for us. We are awaiting for funding to develop the platform.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Planned project was completed on time; however, platform built still needs to be built. we are holding for financial reasons, not due to appcentric.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Appcentric was an excellent company with a nice bunch of people. They were very helpful throughout the project.

What was your primary form of communication with Appcentric?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

They are proactive and understand the needs of customer. They did not push us and stayed transparent.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Appcentric could have done differently?

We were very happy and looking forward to work with them.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Chief Digital Officer of a pharmaceuticals company

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Publish Medicines safety information on www.medicines.org.uk

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Appcentric to accomplish?

• Deliver mobile apps
• Deliver a secure authentication platform
• Deliver a custom algorithm for medicines information

SOLUTION

How did you find Appcentric?

Referral

Why did you select Appcentric over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Appcentric were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

AppCentric have developed several products over the three years we have been working on. Part of the deliverables have been enterprise mobile apps for Pharma, to core infrastructure services on Azure. They have also recently completed an extensive UX/UI project for our core publishing platform

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Products used by customers and feedback

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Very responsive and delivery mostly on time. Dealt with scope changes really well

What was your primary form of communication with Appcentric?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

They have great integrity, great values, and industry knowledge. Doesn't behave like a classic consultancy

Are there any areas for improvement or something Appcentric could have done differently?

More resources

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director and Principal Advocate of Equal Adventure

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Supports the inclusion of disabled people in adventure sports and expeditions.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Appcentric to accomplish?

• Stabilise a website
• Secure our domain and website
• Optimise our hosting
• Help us recover from a web hack

SOLUTION

How did you find Appcentric?

Referral

Why did you select Appcentric over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Appcentric were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

• Remove malware from the website 
• Secure our hosting 
• Evaluate and plan for a safer migration 
• Correct and stabilize base code of the current site 
• Redeploy site 
• Look after our team and report to our trustees.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

• Secure website 
• Happy trustees 
• Business continuity

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

The team was fantastic and over-delivered on what they said they would they were very clear and also compassionate to our needs. I would recommend them every time.

What was your primary form of communication with Appcentric?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

They worked very well as a team and were very calm and professional

Are there any areas for improvement or something Appcentric could have done differently?

No

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Founder of an it services company

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Tax Compliance Serivces

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Appcentric to accomplish?

• Online data collection portal with customer journey analysis
• Website build

SOLUTION

How did you find Appcentric?

• Referral
• Other

Why did you select Appcentric over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Appcentric were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

• scope of project 
• design 
• map out customer journey 
• build app 
• build marketing site 
• build payment function 
• build CRM integration 
• on going advise throughout build

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Regular communication and project planning meetings evidenced that progress on the build was in-line with expectations sat out at planning phase.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Communication is excellent and a key strength of Appcentric. Transparency throughout the journey was high.

What was your primary form of communication with Appcentric?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

All round advice throughout the engagement helped. Appcentric delivered way beyond the build and was a key part of the planning and launch phases of the project

Are there any areas for improvement or something Appcentric could have done differently?

None

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am an executive at Digostics Ltd

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Provides Glucose Tolerance Tests for the diagnosis of diabetes.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Appcentric to accomplish?

• Produce a secure, geo-located, cloud based system
• Provide web based logins for healthcare professionals to login to the system
• Provide iOS and Android apps to upload data from test devices to the cloud based system

SOLUTION

How did you find Appcentric?

Referral

Why did you select Appcentric over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Appcentric were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Appcentric were hired to develop a customized cloud based software system for use with an IVD medical device, with an aggressive deadline. This involved both front and backend development, as well as the development of iOS and Android apps.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

The solution was successfully completed and submitted on time.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

They delivered items as per the project plan. As the project developed the scope increased, Appcentric were able to respond to the changes in a positive nature, with constant communication with regards to timelines, budgets and any challenges that they were encountering.

What was your primary form of communication with Appcentric?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

They put their customers' needs front and center, always happy to help and input with their expertise as required.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Appcentric could have done differently?

No, there have not been any aspects of the work or the process that we have been unhappy with.