AVAMAE Software Solutions Ltd

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the head of science and technology for Criterion, a psychometric assessment provider.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Avamae Software Solutions Limited?

We sought their help in creating a user-friendly psychometrics platform that complies with employment data laws. We were also looking to differentiate our platform from the products of our competitors by offering flexible customization options.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

In our ongoing partnership, they’ve built us three platforms. The most recent one is a metrics platform called Psycruit. It features fully customizable options APIs for integrating with third-party platforms. It’s compliant across all devices.

The development process was kicked off with discussions about platform architecture, which led to mockups of visual designs. Once we went through a UX journey, we began the actual build of the platform: iterations of coding and testing. We’ve maintained a managed services relationship where we have monthly sprints to enhance the platform with new features.

They utilized Microsoft.NET, Microsoft Azure, and JavaScript as the primary technologies.

What is the team composition?

Oliver (Founder, Avamae Software Solutions Ltd) has been our main point of contact throughout the years. We now have multiple points of contact for different projects, which include both project managers and developers.

How did you come to work with Avamae Software Solutions Ltd?

We first engaged them because they seemed to be the only provider we found that readily understood psychometrics. They had an immediate grasp of the project scope and requirements, and they picked up the project very quickly.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent close to $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since 2011, and we have an ongoing relationship. The most recent project began in late 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve received excellent user feedback for the platform, particularly on its smooth UI and custom features. Avamae has created a product that’s more polished than our competitors’ offerings.

We deployed the platform after a testing process, and we’ve experienced very few bugs and difficulties. The code itself is put together meticulously—it’s very clean and functional. Given that our business relief on this technology, it’s a critical success indicator that the platform works so well for us.

How did Avamae Software Solutions Ltd perform from a project management standpoint?

We have weekly calls to monitor and review our ongoing projects. They typically deliver in a very timely manner, according to estimates. With builds of significant complexity, there are occasional delays but it’s never been a major issue.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I really appreciate the robustness of their expertise in different areas. Unlike other providers we’ve worked with—where they’ll have a polished sales force but are technically insufficient—they provide great value of both ends of the spectrum.

They excel at understanding our requirements and developing a creative solution to address them. They think through all possible contingencies and eventualities to future-proof their products.  

Are there any areas they could improve?

In the software development world, project management can always be improved. Things can often take longer than we want to develop and test, but it’s just the nature of the industry. I wouldn’t single them out for any particular criticism.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be very clear about your requirements, and make sure they understand the complexity of what they’re delivering. They’ve got lots of good ideas.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a work psychology consultant. We’re psychometric providers, so we do personality assessments for the workplace.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with AVAMAE Software Solutions Ltd?

We don’t have an in-house development team, so we relied on AVAMAE to build our web-based assessment platform. They continue to host and manage all required adjustments. Whenever a client asks us for a new development, we immediately consult AVAMAE.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The most recent project was the integration of new assessment reports to the existing system, as well as an upgrade of the assessment design.

They developed three new questionnaires and reports, which were built from scratch on the platform. They also had to develop the scoring algorithms for these assessments.

What is the team composition?

Whenever I need a quote for an adjustment, I generally worked with Teresa (Account Manager, AVAMAE Software Solutions Ltd). Joe (Project Manager, AVAMAE Software Solutions Ltd) is the project manager who oversees product development. We also utilize Avamae’s support function—if something ever goes wrong, we’ll use their support system and they usually get back to us quickly.

How did you come to work with AVAMAE Software Solutions Ltd?

They came recommended. We knew that AVAMAE was one of the few software companies that had experience with psychometric systems and had developed a similar platform before.

How much have you invested with them?

The personality assessment platform project cost approximately $21,000, and the most recent adjustment cost around $5,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement for the platform began in 2011, and the initial development spanned over three months. Our most recent project began in February 2019. While production was slightly delayed, it’s still ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’ve definitively contributed to how the business differentiates itself against our competitors. The assessment platform feels very modern and user-friendly. The design of the produced reports is also attractive and easy to use.

So, when we first brought the product to market, we received largely positive feedback from our clients. Most other platforms back then were clunky and slow. AVAMAE did an excellent job of taking account of the respondent’s user journey to deliver a seamless UX.

How did AVAMAE Software Solutions Ltd perform from a project management standpoint?

I generally communicate with them through e-mail and over the phone. We’ll sometimes meet up in their London office. It depends on the status of the project, but they’re quite responsive, so we typically get an inquiry response within 24 hours.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their adaptability and ability to follow through with their commitments are quite impressive. We can tell that they’re genuinely concerned about the success of the client and that they’ll be involved until the very end.

Theresa, in particular, has been great—she’s so supportive, even in projects she’s not directly involved in.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I believe they’re already working on this, but they could possibly improve their internal communication. It’s also good to be upfront with the client whenever you run into problems.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

You should be clear and communicative about what you want. That helps them because then there won’t be assumptions or misunderstandings about the task at hand.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the managing director and creator of Get Set 4 PE. It’s an online platform for primary school teachers to access lesson plans and assessment tools for physical education (PE).

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with AVAMAE Software Solutions Ltd? 

We wanted to create something that was simple and easy for PE teachers to use, understand, and digest in order to deliver high-quality PE. We also wanted teachers to be able to assess their students, including the appropriate security to protect student's data. Finally, we needed to be able to personalize it for individual schools.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement? 

AVAMAE Software Solutions Ltd developed and designed a web-based platform that teachers can view using any device. The first thing they did was create a prototype of what it might look like. They gave us three choices for the color scheme and the general layout. We picked our favorite option and then they then built it. We have an illustrator who designs characters for lesson plans, and they incorporated them into the design of the website. 

We wanted something we could change often. AVAMAE Software Solutions Ltd made the home page quite fluid in terms of the content. They continue to work with us on building out new areas of the platform. Recently we added a reporting section where teachers can filter data to get statistics and track the progress of students. They also built the backend so that we can manage user subscriptions from our side. 

What is the team composition?

Our main contact is Teresa (Account Manager, AVAMAE Software Solutions Ltd). If we need a new RFP or new section built, that request goes to Joshana (Project Manager, AVAMAE Software Solutions Ltd).

How did you come to work with AVAMAE Software Solutions Ltd? 

I was looking for a company that could do bespoke development. There aren’t similar products to ours that we could follow. I found AVAMAE Software Solutions Ltd on Google. They were actually the first and only firm we spoke to because they came up with a great concept. More importantly, I really like the team and felt I could trust them to deliver a successful product. 

How much have you invested with them?

The initial build was £25,000 (approximately $31,800 USD) and since then we’ve probably spent another £10,000 (approximately $13,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement? 

Work began in March 2017 and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The feedback we've had from our users is that it’s really simple and user-friendly. Teachers like the way the illustrations are embedded into the platform. The lessons are quite easy to deliver and understand. Primary school teachers aren’t allowed to use external websites. AVAMAE Software Solutions Ltd embedded the audio and video resources on the platform without requiring the use of external sites such as YouTube. As a result, we've had a high uptake and we’ve seen over 75% of users returning to the platform. 

How did AVAMAE Software Solutions Ltd perform from a project management standpoint? 

AVAMAE Software Solutions Ltd has been working hard with us every step of the way. As our products and services evolve, they help us evolve the platform. If we need something new built into the system, we email Teresa. She's amazing. Within a few days, she'll come back to us with the next steps. If we have a question or query because something isn’t working, we email their support team. We’ll get an immediate response that they're looking into it. Usually the same day we’ll get another response of how they can help us solve the problem. 

What did you find most impressive about them? 

The quality of their work is second to none. AVAMAE Software Solutions Ltd is so good at interpreting what we want to say and what we want our product to do. They really understood the brief and absolutely hit the target in terms of the design. 

Are there any areas they could improve? 

One of our frustrations was that their previous help system required us to wait and group small jobs together. They’re addressing that now by implementing a ticket system where we can send in any request as it comes up. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They're good at leading projects, so trust in them and listen to their advice. They're always happy to speak to me if I ever need an immediate response.