Arter Kirkwood & Associates

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the digital communications supervisor for a municipal government. I work in customer service and communications for several client groups, including transportation, utilities, and environmental protection.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Arter Kirkwood & Associates?

Our bus rapid transit project was recently expanded to become part of the light rail transit (LRT) system. We had a very short timeline to create a microsite to inform the public about the project, but lacked the necessary internal resources.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our primary requirement was that the website be mobile-friendly. Because we used SharePoint, we also wanted to minimize the amount of maintenance and updates required. We wanted to include dynamic content, which needed to be generated through SharePoint lists on the backend. These lists needed to populate different pages with the same content.

Another priority for the site was that it needed to include a map and a timeline as two individual content pages. The map highlighted the proposed LRT route, as well as the location of each LRT station. The timeline provided the public and stakeholders with a historical background for the project and detailed any future milestones.

What is the team composition?

Rick (Managing Director, Arter Kirkwood & Associates) served as project manager and primary contact. As our principal technical lead, Evan (Director, Arter Kirkwood & Associates) developed the sitemap, information architecture, and wireframes. A number of developers also worked on our project.

How did you come to work with Arter Kirkwood & Associates?

We sent out an RFP over the holidays and Arter Kirkwood was one of the only companies to respond. They’ve worked with the city in the past, so I was familiar with their impressive portfolio. I’d also met Evan and found him to be personable and knowledgeable. They were willing to tackle the timeline challenge and I was comfortable with their technical skills, so it was an easy decision to hire them.

How much have you invested in them?

We spent between $100,000–$200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together between January 2015–March 2016, though there were subsequent phases completed after this initial engagement.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I was incredibly satisfied with the work Arter Kirkwood provided, especially given the compressed timeframe. We wanted 80% task completion to ensure website users could easily find the information they were looking for. A survey of the map page shows it performing above our expectations, with 63,222 visits in 2017, and the timeline page shows 72.1% task completion with 12,500 visitors. Additionally, the Green Line homepage performs at 72.2%, with the Green Line map page performing at 83.6% task completion.

Given the size of the project, these are very satisfactory completion rates, and we saw 71,000 site visits during 2017. We would not have been able to deliver the project under such a strict timeline without help from Arter Kirkwood. They created a product that was a suitable and professional reflection of our city.

How did Arter Kirkwood & Associates perform from a project management standpoint?

We conducted a few sessions to walk through the website during development and go over the SharePoint lists. After completion, they provided thorough documentation about how to update and maintain the site, which helps us in the event of staff turnover. They were also willing to meet with our internal staff to train them in-person.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I really appreciated their reliance on agile methodology and their thorough approach. We worked in weekly sprints during the initial phase, which helped us manage the strict timeframe. We were very impressed by how quickly they were able to come on board and get the project on track. Any delays were caused by our end.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Our internal staff has had some difficulties maintaining the site. This is likely due to our own lack of technical expertise, but it’s also possible that Arter Kirkwood overstated the ease of the use of website. We’ve had to reach out to our development resources to make navigation updates.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I lead an infrastructure support team for a city government.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Arter Kirkwood & Associates?

We previously relied on a paper-based system to keep track of the status of our equipment. We wanted to create a mobile app so our field users could make real-time status updates. Our primary goal was to improve safety by keeping our field users informed as to whether certain valves are open or closed.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We had an ideation session to explain our goal and Arter Kirkwood’s team came back with wireframes to ensure they understood our needs. They developed the native application for iOS after getting our approval.

The project required close coordination with a range of city government departments and complex integrations with the backend created by our internal team. They did a lot of work outside of actual development, helping us with performance tuning and connecting to the city’s data source.

What is the team composition?

We worked directly with three individuals throughout the project.

How did you come to work with Arter Kirkwood & Associates?

The city maintains a list of roughly 15 approved vendors, so we asked for statements of interest from each of these companies.

Arter Kirkwood presented a clear outline, giving us confidence that they could follow through on their commitments.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $100,000 CAD ($79,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together between April 2015–June 2016. We were forced to delay the project because of complications on our end, but the actual development took approximately six months.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The application has improved the safety of our employees out in the field, accomplishing our primary goal. It functions bug-free, with no issues whatsoever.

How did Arter Kirwood & Associates perform from a project management standpoint?

They were receptive to all of our needs and met every deadline on time. They also helped with testing to address any issues that came up.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I really appreciated their professionalism and commitment to following through on their promises.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They met our expectations, so I don't have any suggestions for improvement.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Our needs were different than those of most clients since we had to work with the city's existing technical standards.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the Public Alert Manager for the Government of Saskatchewan. An alerting system for the province became a requirement under a local public safety initiative when I came onboard about five years ago.

The alerting system we've put in place since allows municipalities to issue alerts by location via the radio and TV.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Arter Kirkwood?

We decided to expand our public alerting system by developing a mobile app and website. We needed a vendor that could work in conjunction with another company, NetAlerts, which had already developed a mobile and web public alerting system in Alberta.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Under a cross-border agreement with Alberta, Arter based their work off the technology created by NetAlerts, rebuilding and updating both the website and mobile app (iOS and Android) for use in Saskatchewan.

What is the team composition?

I primarily work with Rick Arter (Managing Director, Arter Kirkwood) and Evan Kirkwood (Director, Arter Kirkwood).

How did you come to work with Arter Kirkwood?

Since we're a governmental organization, we had to undergo an RFP process. Out of seven companies that submitted bids, Arter's won the job based on their competitive pricing and timeline proposal.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested between $200,000-$300,000 (close to $400,000 CAD).

What is the status of this engagement?

The project started in January 2016 and launched in July 2016. We continue to work with them as needed to maintain the app and website.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their team works incredibly fast—it took longer to get our contract in place than it did for the actual development to take place. The project went smoothly and they continue to be very easy to work with.

On a scale of one to 10, I'd give Arter an 8.5 satisfaction rating.

How did Arter Kirkwood perform from a project management standpoint?

I can't stress enough how accommodating their team is—we've had no issues whatsoever.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their team is very accessible—when my higher ups needed answers during development, I could always rely on them for quick answers.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. In the last couple years of working with them, they continue to provide the same level of service as they did on day one.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure to clearly scope out what you want your end product to look like and look at other apps and websites on the market to see what others are doing.

We mostly just relied on Arter's suggestions. In hindsight, I wish we had done more due diligence before development, as there were features we had to go back and fix or incorporate later on.

Also, make sure you determine how to handle anything that isn't clearly defined in the contract. What would future development look like? What's the process for communicating between teams and is that cost included in the contract?

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I was vice president of products for a digital court recording company. It’s the same thing a court reporter does but it’s done with digital recorders. It then gets transcribed if a case goes to appeal.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Arter?

It was all desktop client-based applications for court. We didn’t have internal development resources to develop a mobile app. We wanted to get the app done so we could take it to the Court Technology Conference which is the largest technology conference/trade show in the court industry globally.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The purpose of the app was to stream audio or video recordings. The idea was to create a mobile app for use on the iPad where you could live stream what was going on in a courtroom or watch it after the fact. The app would allow the viewer to apply notes using a linking technology. You could review those notes quickly and the app would take you right to the player.

Arter built all of that. They built the needed components and the notetaking system, embedding our linking technology. They also embedded a player so that you can connect on the Wi-Fi network. It was mostly for use internally for the courts, judges, etc.

I described to Rick [Managing Director, Arter Kirkwood] what I was looking for and gave him some specs, and then he came back with wireframes. Once we landed on what we’re looking for, he created realistic photo versions so we could see exactly what it was going to look like. He had a catalog of components detailing the pricing for each button, table, etc., which was excellent for budgeting because I could figure out what I wanted for my UI and I knew what it was going to cost. It worked very well and I ended up with exactly what I was looking for.

What is the team composition?

Primarily, I worked with Rick who is highly skilled at being both a project manager and a product manager. I also worked with another guy sometimes. I never dealt with the developers directly.

How did you come to work with Arter?

It was a referral. In Canada, we had a manufacturer’s rep who knew Rick and he connected us. We considered a couple other people in the Phoenix area. I was very impressed with Rick’s business model. He showed me his portfolio and I found out that he did government work, and we did government projects as well, which helped build our connection. There was no cost to start the project. I felt comfortable by the time I was engaged with him. I felt the risk was low.

How much have you invested with them?

Our project cost $25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from June 2011 until September 2011.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We took it to the show where it was well-received and the feedback was good. It worked well and didn’t have any bugs or issues with it. It functioned as designed. The resalers liked them. We have a resale channel where they can go directly.

How did Arter perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management was Rick’s greatest skill. I didn’t have to deal with anything in the background. The product and project management were perfect. He spent whatever time was needed to get it done. We were only billed for the delivery of what the product did.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Rick is personable and we got along well. He’s very detail oriented and comprehensive. His business model was one of a kind. I felt completely comfortable with him and knew his team would do well. They met their deadlines. I knew I was going to get what I was looking for.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can’t think of anything that needs improvement.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm with the Alberta Emergency Management Agency, which is responsible for emergency management in the province of Alberta. I am the team lead of the Alberta Emergency Alert system, commonly known as AEA.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Arter Kirkwood & Associates?

We wanted to create a map for the Alberta emergency alert system to provide critical information to the general public.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The app is for both iOS and Android. The app is unique because this was a first for government; there is no similar product available in North America, so it is groundbreaking.

What is the team dynamic?

We interacted with Rick Arter (Managing Director, Arter Kirkwood & Associates) and Evan Kirkwood (Director at Arter Kirkwood & Associates). They used in-house people to develop the app.

How did you come to work with Arter Kirkwood & Associates?

Another consulting company we knew they brought Arter Kirkwood forward. As a government agency, we have a very defined procurement processes that we have to adhere to.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started in January of 2014 and were operational with the Android version in May 2014. The iOS version went live in June 2014.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The app started from zero in May 2014 and we now have 170,000 registered users. We're the number one app for the Alberta government.

The user feedback has been excellent. We are a critical application, and the app has been well received by the general public. We had a 160% growth in registered users. We regularly respond to comments on the GooglePlay Store and the Apple Store.

Arter provides a development phase where we plan the next iteration of the app. The most important thing is to get the product out the door. The second step is to refine the product in response to public comments and technology changes. The third step is to be forward looking so that you can meet upcoming demands.

How did Arter Kirkwood & Associates perform from a project management standpoint?

Superb. They use an agile development cycle of design, build, test, change that was spectacular. We were able to bring the product to market within four months, which is incredible.

What did you find most impressive about them?

High-level communications and commitment to the project were above and beyond. Nights and weekends were the normal course of events to meet timelines. Arter came through and continues to come through to this date. We currently have a working relationship with them. I continue to expect that high-level communication and high-level commitment.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I am very pleased with the product that Arter has provided for his and the process that they follow.