Backswood

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder and CEO of a beauty coworking space based in central London.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Backswood?

My company has a collective and was looking to take on more bricks and mortar in London. We realized early on that the technology we needed to run multiple coworking spaces didn’t exist. We started working Backswood to create a solution.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Backswood provides the whole package: consultation, development, research, analysis, design, and testing. We have just completed the design phase of the UX/UI, but there’s more to be done.

Their team wants this phase to be the strongest stage in order to deliver a really fast and beautiful product with few problems. Backswood also been with us throughout the journey of receiving feedbacks and pivoting accordingly.

Since we started working with them, the demand for what we are creating has grown. The product has evolved and their team continues to learn and scale around the project. We are really excited to continue the process because we’ve built incredible foundations from what we’ve done so far. We plan to create an app for my company and for the members of our coworking spaces. 

What is the team composition?

My main point of contact is Tom (Founder) and I’m working closely with his UK-based team. 

How did you come to work with Backswood?

I met Tom through a friend. When he told me about Backswood, I told him my idea for an app. He took a look at it and we started to collaborate. However, with the COVID-19 pandemic, everything had to be put to a stop. 

Tom still checked up on me and my business until, coming out of lockdown, we had the opportunity to move forward. I reached out to him to restart the project and his team picked up where we left off.

How much have you invested with them?

The amount of money we spend varies depending on how the designs are going, so, though we have an idea of what the end amount is going to cost, I wouldn’t want to put it down on paper until we’re finished. It’s a sizeable investment but I’m relaxed because I know we’re going to build a really great product. 

What is the status of this engagement?

I signed off on starting payments and got everything ready for the design around Christmas in December 2020, and Backswood started working in January 2021. The project is still ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve produced a really great design and prototype in quite a short space of time so I’m excited about what more we’re going to achieve. I believe the end product will be a great fit for our business. Because the feedback seems to be really good, we’re also hoping that we could scale it out across the country.

Backswood sets the bar really high with their confidence and consistency. They are personable, easy to work with, and enjoy sharing what they’ve learned. They’re ambitious and come back to us with really strong ideas, apart from supporting our own. 

How did Backswood perform from a project management standpoint?

The Backswood team has been incredibly supportive, collaborative, and encouraging. They’re direct in explaining what my options are and what they can achieve. It’s been a really fun working process where I can send them ideas and just contact them for anything through our WhatsApp chat.

Tom knows how to tailor information sharing to the needs of his client. I’m a visual learner, so we’ve been communicating mostly through Zoom where everything is done on video and with images. I don’t like looking at spreadsheets and lots of complicated data, so they’ve also kept everything simple for me during brainstorming. 

Tom shares everything with me in a dynamic way, which matches my personality, and walks me through the prototype and designs so that I understand it completely. The best thing about the Backswood team is that they’re respectful. They’re aware that I don’t necessarily know all the technical terms, but they get the vision of what I’m asking for and help me learn the languages and phrases. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Backswood has a keenness to involve the client in the development of the product. The team always briefs, advises, and explains things to me, giving examples so that I can make the right decision on how to move forward.

I’ve met and spoken to other developers, but I went back to their team because we understand each other. I really like their approach and they assure me that we’re going to make a beautiful product. I’m enjoying the fact that I found a really great fit for my company.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’m sure there will be something to improve on as we go through the process, but there’s nothing of the sort right now. They’ve delivered just as they had promised. It’s been really fun and I’m having a great time.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be really clear on your vision and be honest with what you want to achieve in your design. In return, you’ll get a great working relationship with Backswood, who’ll make it a great experience and give you a great product in the end.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

CEO

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

For the building of a user generated content site. We were trying to address a business opportunity for a user generated site about popular media. We needed to build out the back end as well as comment moderation of the user content.

SOLUTION

How did you select Backswood and what were the deciding factors?

We chose Backswood because of their professional work and after speaking with the team we considered 3 firms. Deciding factor was communication, expertise and professionalism. Our 2 partners Matt and Shawn were involved in this decision.

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

They helped us with everything. Concept, strategy, design and support. Backswood was responsible for initial development and maintenance of the site.

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

We had 3 people involved and they all worked as project managers and on execution. the size of the team did not change.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have a fully built website that we're very happy with. The results were better than expected on this engagement.

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

Great communication with the team. They were very responsive. we did not use any tools to manage workflow.

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

They had strong strategies, solutions, and performance. They are great at asking questions and providing solutions. They're not only developers, but they are a problem solvers.

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

No, we're completely happy with everything.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Our farm is a for-profit native rare-breed farm producing meat sustainably, in the traditional way, with an absolute focus on the quality and the health of the meat.

I am a second-generation farmer, who has recently returned from a career in finance in Southeast Asia, to take over from my old man, who has been focussing on supplying top-end restaurants in London. Lockdown hit as I returned to the UK and restaurants all closed.

I was compelled to set up a home delivery business to supply customers directly via a website. This was successful so I decided to invest in a new, more dynamic platform.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

I invested in Backswood, for both Tom's expertise in developing a website and e-commerce platform, and indeed managing it on an ongoing basis, on a 1-year contract, with the hope of extending this into the long-term.

Our goal was to be fully ready and tested in time for the Christmas selling period. Tom was efficient in his planning and achieved this quite comfortably, and more importantly, we have had no significant issues with the platform's operational proficiency.

SOLUTION

How did you select Backswood and what were the deciding factors?

I pitted Backswood against another developer of equally as good value as it was also outsourcing much of its development work to a team of Asian-based developers. I chose Backswood as a function of Tom's innate understanding of our project and our products.

Being a layman in this field, Tom was able to explain what I consider to be a complicated topic in a manner that was easily understood. He has and continues to provide sage advice as to the most cost-effective solutions as to required expenditure; the utility of each potential solution being carefully analysed.

Tom is an extremely likeable individual, who has demonstrated absolute professionalism, and honoured his promise that he would work hard to optimise my return on investment.

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

I asked Tom to provide a SWOT analysis of three e-commerce solution providers; he presented on WIX, Shopify, and Webflow. This was a considered piece of research and we went with Shopify; his preferred option. I'm very impressed with the platform. Tom's understanding of our project, products and vision has helped enormously in designing the website.

I gave Tom a carte blanche with the website design, only providing him a few images and the copy. He completed this to a standard higher than I had envisaged, and compliments continue to come my way as to our new site and online shop. Furthermore, Tom presented an array of options as to plug-in 3rd party service providers to optimise our site and the marketing.

These platforms and tools are operating effectively and yielding good results. Tom is also providing excellent data on our site, which he summarises and translates for me in a comprehendible way, and more importantly, in an actionable way. He and my colleague work together to optimise the site, implementing changes as required.

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

The excellent thing about working with Backswood is that while Tom has a team behind him, I have not been communicating with them. All communication is exclusively with Tom and I, which is efficient and streamlined. Tom also proposed a great way for me to suggest changes and edits; again, very efficient.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The fact that the site was finished ahead of time and on budget really pleasing. We are already ahead of our December sales forecast, and the new platform has been instrumental in our achieving this.

It's not the building of an e-commerce platform that is the most complicated element, but the running of it; it's clear that Tom understands this absolutely.

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

Tom had us use slack; the benefits of this were apparent in rapid time. He also set up a shared file in which to propose and manage edits and enhancement to the platform. Tom is very articulate, which helps people inexperienced in tech development, like me, enormously.

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

The hours worked, late into the night, in order to achieve timelines. Nobody could accuse Tom of not working extremely hard!

Are there any areas for improvement?

I don't feel as if I have the technical understanding to be able to say so; none that spring to mind. I am elated with the outcome and proven, albeit short, track record of the new site.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of a family application that allows users to create and send family photo albums to loved ones every month.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Backswood?

We brought them on for software development and website creation.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They built our mobile application and a website. The website is a landing page with a registration and subscription module. They used Swift as well as handled all the UI/UX designs. The app is only on iOS for now.

What is the team composition?

I work with one of their co-founders.

How did you come to work with Backswood?

I heard about them through a friend of a friend. After considering multiple companies, I selected them because of their cost and efficiency.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested around $25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The engagement was from July–December 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Overall, I was very happy with the deliverables. We measure the app’s success through the delivery of progress.

How did Backswood perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management was great. Defining the scope was an ongoing conversation from the get-go. This is part of the regular process. We used Notion for project management.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’m most impressed with their responsiveness.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, nothing comes to mind.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Take your time in assessing the scope of work at the beginning because they’re great to talk it through with. Doing this makes everything easier when the scope is well-defined.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of West Country Renovations Ltd., a construction company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Backswood?

We needed help with app development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They developed an app that records the times of the labor on the job and also gives us the option to follow the suppliers and materials spent on the project. The app is for Android, iOS, and Windows. If I find any issues with the app, I report back to them to try to resolve the issues with it. I’m using the app myself.

What is the team composition?

I’m in contact with Thomas (Solutions Engineer).

How did you come to work with Backswood?

I heard about the app they built when it was first developed.

How much have you invested with them?

I haven’t paid anything yet. I suppose that’s a perk of being a tester at the same time as being a user of it.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in August 2019, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The quality of our contact with the developers at Backswood is very good. It’s clear that every point is taken into consideration.

How did Backswood perform from a project management standpoint?

We use email, WhatsApp, phone calls, and Skype to communicate.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We get a response very quickly and any problems are taken care of as soon as possible. The product is really great. It’s a flexible tool allowing users to record the time and material spent. I imagine it’d be possible to use it in other trades as well.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There were some errors in the code while the product was being developed but everything that shows up is quickly resolved. There’s nothing sizeable that could be improved.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Settle the terms of cooperation at the beginning of the engagement.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Founder

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Really struggling with getting Shopify development work done, so decided to try and build a platform that would allow store owners easier access to devs and a better way to manage them

SOLUTION

How did you select Backswood and what were the deciding factors?

I spoke with a couple of agencies but I liked Backswood the best. Tom is very forthright and honest, no bullshit here. The project went a little over where he'd estimated and he took it on the chin. Furthermore, I was impressed with the work they did.

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

We built a Shopify app. He managed all the design, wire-framing, building and submission into Shopify.

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

I mainly dealt with Tom and Pablo

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The app is under review currently but very happy with the work done to get it there.

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

Mainly used slack and email with the odd zoom call for comms. They brought me onto a Notion page to track the project, which was really helpful and easy to follow.

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

Backswood are really communicative and available. I could get hold of them whenever I had a question. Work was normally on time and when it wasnt, Tom was on the case to sort it out. He's great at working through problems and finding creative solutions.

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

We could have probably scoped V1 out in more depth but this i guess is on my head too! We're currently looking at ways V2 could offer more functionality

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

CEO

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We hired backswood to build us an easy to use site that was engaging and designed beautifully,

SOLUTION

How did you select Backswood and what were the deciding factors?

We selected backswood based on their knowledge, communication, and professionalism.

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

We needed a fully functional ecomm site, and the team delivered exactly what we were looking for. They were responsible for initial development and maintenance of the site

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

We had 3 people as part of our team who worked together as project managers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Backswood exceeded our expectations on our site. They handled every task very promptly.

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

We did not use any tools, but the team was very engaged, communicative, and offered great solutions to many of our problems.

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

These guys are not robots. They really care about delivering exactly what we're looking for and exceeding expectations,

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

no, we absolutely loved working with this team and will definitely use them again in the future.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

CEO

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Building of an ecomm retail site

SOLUTION

How did you select Backswood and what were the deciding factors?

Backswood was the most knowledgeable company out of our choices. We chose backswood because of their proffesionalism, communication, and expertize.

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

They helped us with concept, strategy, design and support

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

3 people were involved and they all worked as project managers

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have a fully built website that we're very happy with.

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

we did not use any tools. the team was very responsive

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

The team was very strategic and great at asking questions and providing recommendations. The backswood team are truly problem solvers

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

No