ArcTouch

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We are a large brand mostly known for our apparel products. We are a worldwide international retailer/wholesaler of apparel and accessory items. We have roughly 1800 stores around the world.

What is your position?

I head the analytics, business intelligence [BI], and the mobile areas within the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with ArcTouch?

Prior to ArcTouch, we were using a platform where the frontend of the app itself was more of a template. There wasn't a lot of flexibility for incorporating features that we wanted. Basically, we were at the mercy of the app platform vendor to determine what features would be available on our app. From a back-end standpoint, the app platform is a separate system so there was always an issue synching user accounts from that system to ours. It wasn't really the most ideal scenario for us, and we decided to leverage ArcTouch to build the app and to set-up APIs [Application Program Interfaces] to connect to our e-commerce system directly instead of having another system.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

Our involvement with ArcTouch is really to relaunch a new version of our flagship application. An application that's used and downloaded by our customers. These are the same customers that may be buying our products online on our e-commerce site, through the mobile app, and also walking through our brick and mortar stores.

Is the app available across platforms?

Yes, the app was developed using Xamarin and is available on Android and iOS.

How did you come to work with ArcTouch?

We looked at about five or six different app providers and then one platform. We mentioned the platform early, because as much as they promise individuality and being able to differentiate our app versus the others, the apps they gave us as references looked exactly the same, just with different colors and minor adjustments to the layout. We didn't want to be part of that again.

We did look at five other app providers and they had different cost structures. We wanted to focus on an app vendor that was using Xamarin and that had plenty of experience using it as well. We also needed to be able to roll the app out worldwide and leverage different platforms around the world, with all attempts to staying within budget. We thought that Xamarin would be a good fit. So instead of creating two apps and using native development such as Java and Objective C or Swift, we went for Xamarin so we could offset some of the cost. Also if there is some development work that needs to be done internally in the future, then we already have programmers that are familiar with the Xamarin language.

That was one of the main prerequisites that we had. We felt more comfortable with ArcTouch. There were a few considerations. It had to be reasonably local. We didn't want a vendor that was in New York. They had to have a local office within an hour, hour and a half by plane, and also the same time zone for doing quick cycles and quick iterations with us.

The other requirement was they would have to have an app in their current portfolio that they'd done or worked on that could show us that they had the creative integrity that we were looking for to work with as a partner. Those were two of our main requirements. It also had to come reasonably within our budget.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

I'm not at liberty to discuss monetary figures, but it was a very substantial project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

It has been well received. There's a couple of things that are not as qualitative but one is getting the business and the other departments behind the mobile application and the mobile program. We couldn't get the business behind the previous app because we were unable to have the flexibility with the frontend.

With the relaunch and getting all the other teams involved as part of it, it's an app that everyone can rally around. We have seen significant increases in revenue attributed directly to the app, in addition to an increase in engagement from customers that are using the app. We have a lot of new features that we were able to create thanks to ArcTouch. I run the analytics and the BI aspects, so we're able to create a lot of the information and the feedback that we need to create a personalized experience.

ArcTouch was a really good partner in terms of understanding the capabilities that we had internally, and were able to basically create the frontend and also the User Interface/User Experience [UI/UX] that was appropriate to create the kind of interaction we wanted our users to have.

I think it's a good partnership. They're able to give us good suggestions. They're also able to understand what information we can provide and also guide us along certain paths.

Is there anything ArcTouch could have improved or done differently?

I'll give them credit; they did knock out the app in a pretty quick time frame.

At times, it did seem like they were very busy, and you could never get enough developers, but that is not any different than any other vendor I've worked with in this area. It seems like there's always a shortage of the amount of resources that you can put on a project at any given time. Sometimes it's just because it's not at that stage or maybe there aren't as many resources available. I think it's more of a scale issue than anything else, and I think they're seeing some of the bottlenecks it can create.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

Jun Group gets millions of people to watch videos and visit websites. We do it for some of the world's largest, most prestigious brand advertisers and publishers.

What is your position?

I'm the CTO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with ArcTouch?

Our audiences are everywhere, both web and mobile. We brought on ArcTouch to help us reach our mobile audience.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

ArcTouch provided mobile app development for us on both the Apple and Google platforms – iOS and Android.

How did you come to work with ArcTouch?

We looked at the industry extensively. We studied a number of competing firms with differing models, and we selected ArcTouch because of their reputation in the space and their willingness to open up and let us evaluate the resources we'd be working with extensively, to the point where we could be satisfied that we were going to be successful with the engagement.

We stayed with ArcTouch because of their excellent degree of customer service and support that we received from them throughout the engagements that we've had with them.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

The work ArcTouch has provided for us in total is in the six-figure range.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

ArcTouch was able to supply us with skilled application developers for both the Apple and Android platforms quickly. That made a significant difference for our time to market regarding features on both software development kits that we wanted to offer.

What distinguishes ArcTouch from other providers?

ArcTouch is just at a superior level in terms of how they supported us in an organization-to-organization manner. They were very professional and well organized.

Is there anything ArcTouch could have improved or done differently?

In my opinion – nothing.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We are a professional sports franchise and we also focus on live events.

What is your position?

I’m a Business Intelligence Analyst. In terms of the app, I helped to manage the project and maintain the app. I also worked with our marketing department to keep branding and information consistent across all platforms.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with ArcTouch?

We went into the project knowing we had a limited budget but a customer base with high expectations. We wanted an app that would be user-friendly and helpful, while remaining stable and secure.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

This was also our first time developing an app and we were new to the process and needed someone to help guide us. ArcTouch delivered on that and developed an app that had great success for us.

How did you come to work with ArcTouch?

One of our executives met with ArcTouch executives, and upon that meeting we came away very impressed with ArcTouch. ArcTouch was very flexible in meeting our budget needs, whilst being excited about the scope of the work. It also seemed that they viewed working with us as a true partnership.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

This project landed in the $50,000 to $200,000 range.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

According to our analysts, we have never had a report of the app crashing, so we're very happy with that.

How did ArcTouch perform from a project management standpoint?

ArcTouch received our input and tested everything ahead of time across multiple versions of the app. They also took feedback really well. I never found myself uncomfortable explaining why we would like something changed.

What are the standout points of working with ArcTouch?

ArcTouch worked superbly with our third party vendors to enhance the user experience. They came up with solutions that were beneficial, not only to our app but to the vendor themselves. ArcTouch was great.

Is there anything ArcTouch could have improved or done differently?

No, I can't think of anything.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

Skyjet is an on-demand private jet charter company. It’s one of the largest brokers in the United States. We’ve been around since 1997. 

What is your position?

I’m the brand manager.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with ArcTouch?

Earlier this year, we identified through analytics that our mobile traffic was increasing and that there were a lot of quote requests coming from mobile. As a reaction to what other companies have done to disrupt the industry, we decided we needed an app. We didn’t have the wherewithal in house to create an app so we had to work with a developer.

SOLUTION

How did you come to work with ArcTouch?

In February, we kicked off the whole process of finding a partner by putting out an RFP and eventually settling on working with ArcTouch. We identified them as a great partner to develop the Skyjet app because of their expertise in developing and experience with developing travel related apps. Their resume put them ahead of some of the other partners that we were considering. By the time we decided to work with ArcTouch to build our app we already felt the pressure from what the other disrupters did.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

ArcTouch doesn’t just take on any client. They charge to do the scoping of work. That’s what I liked about them. That scoping includes a two day workshop and then a follow up in four weeks with a formal scope of work and project outline with deliverables and timelines. I talked to other companies who I gave a detailed RFP to and they would just send me a proposal and throw numbers out. ArcTouch was the one that made the effort to learn about our business, although we paid them for that. At the end of the day we could’ve rejected the proposal, but the scoping workshop was very productive and I feel that’s what we got the most production out of. The work they did was excellent.

What is the status of this engagement?

We had our first meeting with ArcTouch in March of 2015. The app was developed in a 90 day timeline. We had a tight timeline because we wanted the app to be released before the peak travel season of the fourth quarter, to get people who were still doing some travel in the summer. It was finished by July 31st. We submitted our app to the app store and it launched August 7th.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

We’ve seen a significant amount of qualified quote requests come in since the app has launched. We have a tool in the app called the Market Price Range [MPR]. It has a price curve and it’s very intuitive. It’s a free tool once you’ve downloaded the app. You can calculate and get instant estimates on your travel to get a better idea about how much a trip could cost. In the past, when we only had our website and phone for quote requests, we didn’t have instant pricing. We wanted to do something different with our app that was different from our website. Our app also has Apple Pay. Skyjet is the first private jet app that uses Apple Pay and we’re still the only one that has it. You can book a private jet with the touch of a finger and pay for it securely. Currently, we have over 6000 users of the app since launch. I can tell you that we’re pleased with the performance.

What distinguishes ArcTouch from other providers?

ArcTouch is easy to work with because they are experts in their field. They’re also willing to go the extra mile. If they don’t know how to do something, they’ll take it upon themselves to learn how to do it. For example, they had never integrated Apple Pay into an app before. They sent at least one of their developers to the worldwide developer’s conference that Apple holds to learn more about integrating Apple Pay. 

Is there anything ArcTouch could have improved or done differently?

I don’t really have any negative feedback. ArcTouch is a great agency. They did such an excellent job on Skyjet and they really are great partners. They’re responsive and they take responsibility for everything they do. Their communication lines are always open, even late at night or early in the morning. They were able to deliver within our project timeline, which I consider was the most important thing.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

At the time, I was with a multibillion dollar business group within a very large and well-known corporation. Our clients ranged from Boeing and NASA to smaller aircraft manufacturers, militaries and so forth.

What are your role and responsibilities?

I was the project manager.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was your goal for working with ArcTouch?

We engaged ArcTouch because we were interested in developing a mobile application for our business and general aviation groups. This was in response to our sales people, who came to us and wanted to be able to update their sales information while in the field. 

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their work.

ArcTouch helped us develop an app for the iPad, which was designed to help our sales staff by showing projected savings and sales charts. There was an Internet component to the project as well.

What was your process for selecting ArcTouch with which to work?

We used a typical RFP [request for proposal] process. We looked at different developers, showing them a sketch of what we wanted. ArcTouch really understood our goals and what we were trying to accomplish.

Can you give a sense of the size of the initiative in dollar terms or a personnel work-hour figure?

[It was] $50,000 to $200,000

When was the work completed?

ArcTouch was working on the project during July, August, and September of 2012, when it finished the app. Because of the success of this project, ArcTouch did more app projects for us after this first project was complete.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Do you have any statistics or metrics to track improvement from the project?

The app won "Best of Show" at Salesforce’s Dreamforce 2012 in September of that year. We implemented the app in October of 2012, and the last report I ran from Salesforce was in February of 2013. By that time, our ROI [return on investment] was off the charts.

Are you satisfied with their performance?

Yes. We were very satisfied. We went from an idea to an actual app in just 90 days. We were able to provide input throughout the project, and ArcTouch was very fast and flexible in responding to our suggestions. ArcTouch has excellent design skills, were always on time, never missed a deadline and were very credible. We could see the app taking shape early on and liked what we saw. We had a great partnership with them.

Is there anything unique or special about ArcTouch that really makes them stand out compared to other online marketing companies?

They helped us think ahead, showed us how to do our own updates of the content management system and suggested ideas and products that they thought would help us. They were always willing to implement needed changes and would go above the cost projections to keep the project within budget.

Looking back on the work so far, is there any area that you think they could improve upon or that you might do differently?

We probably should have thought of more ways that we could integrate Salesforce, perhaps providing more social logins. We made the app publicly available, but it was difficult to use if you weren’t part of our sales staff.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am a department VP at of Prime Therapeutics

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Reimagining pharmacy solutions to provide the same care we want for our loved ones.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Design the foundational user experience for the new combined Magellan Rx + Prime marketing website.

SOLUTION

How did you find ArcTouch?

Previous experience

Why did you select ArcTouch over others?

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

How many teammates from ArcTouch were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

This includes initial discovery, research, wireframes, and user testing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Discovery workshops, analysis, information architecture, user experience, user testing, initial design system

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

ArcTouch is excellent at project management and meeting deliverables in scope and on time

What was your primary form of communication with ArcTouch?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Great partners, listeners, collaborators. They really lean in to understand the problem and partner together to find a loveable solution.

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

N/A

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of The Gorilla Foundation

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Gorilla conservation through interspecies communication, for 5 decades.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Develop an app to teach sign language — from a gorilla (Koko)
• Educate about gorilla conservation through communication
• Create a large community of advocates to help us improve life for gorillas

SOLUTION

How did you find ArcTouch?

• Online Search
• Referral

Why did you select ArcTouch over others?

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

How many teammates from ArcTouch were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

ArcTouch delivered an app that had 4 main functions plus several import auxiliary functions. The main functions were:

• Signs (look up over 50 of Koko's favorite ASL signs, and see them demonstrated by Koko, her mentor Penny, and a native ASL signer, for rigor)
• Conversations (longer multi-sign videos of Koko using sign language to communicate with caregivers and celebrities, as both examples of individual signs, and to learn about the thoughts and feelings of a gorilla)
• Books (several of our most popular books, as e-books, with links from sign words in the book to Koko signing demo videos, to reinforce sign language learning)
• Gorillas (the conservation and care crisis; and KokoCasts: a monthly podcast series featuring interviews with Gorilla Foundation founders; experts in great conservation and care from around the worlds; and kids from the US and Africa).

The auxiliary functions included:

• KokoGrams (10-sec.recordings of you sending a sign message to a friend, with Koko signing below you — as a way to encourage others to learn to sign and download the app, so they can send KokoGrams too)
• Donations, Shopping, About the App, About Us, and Contact Us.

These "secondary" functions are designed to promote the app exponentially, and to help pay for future development. Regular ongoing development is planned for this year: additional signs, conversations, books and KokoCasts, and additional features — especially for conservation education.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

1. We create an evaluation/survey form for the app and are in the process of collecting data now on:

              - usability
              - impact
              - shareability.

1. Number of app downloads on both ios and android app stores
2. Hours of use per day/week
3. Conservation impact (measuring that from special surveys conducted in Africa)
4. Sign Language proficiency (will measure that via onboard quizes and curricula)

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

Excellent. Their management stayed involved from start to finish. Regular weekly Zoom calls made it feel like they were an extension of our team.

What was your primary form of communication with ArcTouch?

• Virtual Meeting

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

Their motto is that they "build lovable apps." They practice what they preach — we believe our app is extremely lovable, and we will work together with them to make it perpetually better and more lovable.

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

Would be nice to have a plan for the year following delivery of the app — initial maintenance and upgrades seem like an important thing to build into the overall plan. This is our first app, so we'll let you know a year from now how things go, as we continue to work with ArcTouch, as needed.