Bean Machine

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Habitat is a full-service design agency creating digital products. I am New biz director at Habitat.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Bean Machine?

Bean Machine became our development partners in creating mobile applications and websites. Our agency was looking for a reliable and experienced development team that could take up the design deliverables we provide and build world-class digital products.

What were your goals for this project?

We have been looking for a development team that can follow our designs thoroughly and can implement them as accurately as possible. This is essential for the end product to match the initial designs that were approved with the client.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We partnered with many developers over the years, however, we lacked partnership that will continue after the project was completed. We tried to work with Bean Machine on a mob app first and it all worked out perfectly, and later we continued working with them on other projects.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

We partnered to deliver several mobile applications and websites. Every project always starts with a clear brief and kick-off call, and while we are working on the UX/UI design, the Bean Machine team is developing in parallel screens that were approved. They master a full spectrum of development tools and technologies.

What was the team composition?

Mostly we had direct communication with the owners - Robin and Anthony. Also, we were invited into Bean Machine's Slack workspace where we could easily contact all the developers involved in particular projects.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

Now with the Bean Machine partnership, we can take on larger and more serious projects that require delivery of a ready product. This helped us to grow our capability area and reach new heights.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Project management is impeccable. We can easily reach out with any request and Bean Machine will address it in a very professional manner. If there is anything unclear they can always hop on a call in Zoom and clarify everything in a few minutes. Even though we have a 10 hours time zone gap, we always managed to connect.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Bean Machine team is always attentive to the detail, they will reach to us with suggestions on improvements that would elevate the design. It is a very efficient and pleasant collaboration that sustains for months and we are looking forward to sustaining it for years.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, we highly recommend this Agile development team.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of a startup. We seek to create the perfect symbiotic environment for brand and consumer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Bean Machine?

I’m trying to get my startup past the MVP stage. I hired Bean Machine to create a pitch deck and high-fidelity wireframes.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Bean Machine did not deliver the finalized wireframes or pitch deck that I hired them to create. They also didn’t provide the user documentation or stories that were supposed to support the wireframes and pitch deck.

What is the team composition?

I worked directly with the company’s two founders.

How did you come to work with Bean Machine?

I found Bean Machine online and chose them based on cost.

How much have you invested with them?

Costs ranged between $5,000–$10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our work together spanned February–May 2019. I ended the engagement after eight weeks.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Bean Machine’s quality of work was poor. They did not deliver a pitch deck or wireframes that were decent from professional standards. I’ve shown other firms Bean Machine’s work, and they can’t believe how much money I spent and how much time they took for what they ended up giving me. I’m beyond disappointed.

How was project management handled?

Bean Machine didn't handle communication well, and their responsiveness was poor. They did not adhere to deadlines. I tried to suggest better means of communication, but they did not change.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The engagement started okay, but they did not make me feel like a partner or even a priority client. I tried to be patient and understand their methodologies, but their communication was bad. 

Any advice for potential customers?

They’re very unprofessional. If you want to save money and receive good results, don’t work with Bean Machine. They were nice, but that doesn’t matter when it comes to business.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Edumite Inc., an educational startup.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Bean Machine?

We hired Bean Machine to develop our website. We’re in the pre-seed round of fundraising, and we wanted to put together a site to provide potential investors with information on our company and our plans for growth.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Bean Machine is building our website. They do programming and design.

What is the team composition?

I worked with 3–4 developers.

How did you come to work with Bean Machine?

I found Bean Machine on Upwork. After interviewing a number of vendors, Bean Machine provided the best answers to my questions and the most reasonable cost. They seemed like the best overall fit for my company’s needs.

How much have you invested with them?

My company has spent between $7,000–$10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The engagement began in October 2018 and is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We think that the website will help attract investors with interest in education and a desire to push this project forward.

How did Bean Machine perform from a project management standpoint?

When my team proposes an idea, Bean Machine walks us through why it would or wouldn’t work, and they relay the costs of taking different approaches.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Bean Machine is competent, realistic, and honest. They provide a complete picture of the project. Also, their costs are reasonable.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, we haven’t had any problems.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing manager at Capstone Infrastructure Protection Services. We provide industrial fire, safety, and security services.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Bean Machine?

Our website was copy-heavy and had too many pages. We hired Bean Machine to streamline content and redesign the site.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We worked together to develop a new website. My team provided the copy, which Bean Machine uses to build web pages. They integrated the site with Salesforce Pardot. Bean Machine also implemented Google Analytics and educated my team on how to use it.

What is the team composition?

My team works with Robyn (CEO and Owner, Bean Machine).

How did you come to work with Bean Machine?

My company sought a progressive vendor that was familiar with the most up-to-date technologies. We found Bean Machine on Upwork.

How much have you invested with them?

The amount we’ve spent is average with industry website development costs.

What is the status of this engagement?

The work began in January 2018 and is ongoing. We have a month-to-month contract with Bean Machine.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve received positive feedback on the website. Bean Machine helped us achieve the functionality and design that we wanted. Our metrics have stayed the same, which we expect because we have a unique, regulatory-based audience.

How did Bean Machine perform from a project management standpoint?

Robyn conveys complex technical information in simple terms, which enlightens my team and chief business development officer on progress and the direction in which we are going. We typically communicate via email. During the development phase, we had weekly calls. Robyn even came to our office, which was fantastic. Now, we don’t speak on a regular basis, but whenever we have a problem with the site, we can reach Robyn. She responds quickly.

Robyn set a timeframe that flowed seamlessly, and she adhered to the schedule. Any delays were due to unforeseen circumstances and understood by all parties involved.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Bean Machine’s strong understanding of technology combined with their forward-thinking mentality enabled them to determine what was best for our business and what direction we should take. They were incredibly helpful in integrating Salesforce Pardot and Google Analytics.  

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I’m happy right now.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of ShiftMe, a SaaS platform that simplifies scheduling for hourly employees.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Bean Machine?

My company needed assistance in building the MVP of our shift management platform.  

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Bean Machine developed the MVP of our iOS and Android mobile apps. They created different access levels, enabling employees to switch shifts and managers to approve these changes.

What is the team composition?

I worked with around eight developers from Bean Machine.

How did you come to work with Bean Machine?

A trusted personal reference recommended Bean Machine.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from December 2017–January 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Bean Machine helped us publish the first version of our product on the App and Google Play stores. The app works well and has attracted users. Overall, the outcome was successful.

How did Bean Machine perform from a project management standpoint?

Bean Machine was easy to work with; they managed deadlines and communicated well. We spoke via Slack.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Bean Machine was experienced and forward-thinking. They provided actionable insights. Their deliverables were better than we expected.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they were on top of everything.