Black Pepper Software Ltd - Out of Business

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the application support specialist and project manager for Moneycorp.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Black Pepper Software Ltd.?

Many years ago, Black Pepper Software Ltd. built a customer-facing portal that integrated with Adobe Flash Player. Obviously, Adobe retired Flash Player in 2020 so we needed to redesign the portal for our customers. We engaged them to remove our dependency on Flash Player and present a new modern system.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The primary objective was the removing the dependency on Flash Player of our web-based portal. However, we also had a few bugs and issues they had to resolve. We asked them to build the new portal so it was compatible with digital cloud hosting. They completely redesigned our website, handling all of its UI/UX designs all the way to the technical architecture components. They ensured that the portal was fully integrated with the backend system.

What is the team composition?

Depending on the phase of the project, we worked with a range of 5–10 people. We worked with a frontend developer, UX designer, technical lead, and technical architect.

How did you come to work with Black Pepper Software Ltd.?

We inherited the partnership with Black Pepper Software Ltd. Before this most recent project, we hadn’t engaged with them for five years. When we started this project, we reached out to them and they were very responsive. Their team came back on the case straight away.

How much have you invested with them?

We've invested £500,000 (approximately $700,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

This project was from February­–November 2020. The project has been delivered but we have an ongoing relationship with them. We’re starting another project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They successfully delivered a fully operational product and it went live in January 2021. The portal is functional and accessible for our customers. The web portal was also successfully integrated into our backend applications. It’s been running continuously since then. They delivered on time and integrated the application.

How did Black Pepper Software Ltd. perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve done very well. We have a dedicated project manager; we have a great standing relationship with them. In fact, we have great communication with all the team. Sometimes we correspond with their managing director. He has good knowledge and past experience, so he occasionally jumps in.

For this project, we held daily standups and iteration calls every fortnight. They implement an agile methodology and utilize Jira to track the success. Their project management process is excellent. They consistently keep us informed through phone calls and emails.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Black Pepper Software Ltd.’s developers are one of a kind. They’re very knowledgeable, tech-savvy, and approachable. Not only are they skilled, but they also have great business analytic skills, which is a rare pairing. When combined together, this is a very powerful ability because it cut down the project time significantly.

We didn’t waste time in pointless meetings trying to explain complicated projects. Obviously, we had a few roadblocks to get over together. Overall, they work in autonomy, understand the logic, and deliver in a quick turnaround. We don’t have to babysit them. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, everything has been fine.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

We definitely recommend them to our partners. Make sure you engage the project manager because Black Pepper Software Ltd.’s project managers are exceptional and will deliver on your customer needs.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the research technology engagement manager for a university.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Black Pepper Software Ltd.?

Black Pepper Software Ltd. developed an online portal for us a few years ago. It allowed us to contract with companies outside our university to use our instruments for research. Over the years, our IT infrastructure and security needed to be changed. We hired Black Pepper Software Ltd. again to upgrade the original system they developed for us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We wanted the interface to remain the same for customers, so Black Pepper Software Ltd. worked on the backend. They made it easier to update the platform and enhance security. They worked with me to understand the challenges that I face on a daily basis, but they also worked with our technical team to understand our infrastructure and what our requirements were.

What is the team composition?

I worked with a project manager and a developer.

How did you come to work with Black Pepper Software Ltd.?

Although the team was different than the first project we worked on together, it was very easy for me to work with them. They were very knowledgeable and broke down everything so I understood what they were working on.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about £15,000 (approximately $20,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

The project began in September and was completed in October 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The launch went very smoothly. The security has improved and the system operates the way we need it to. They met all of our technical requirements. We were also happy that all of our data was retained and the system would look the same for our clients.

How did Black Pepper Software Ltd. perform from a project management standpoint?

It was very clear what they were working on throughout the project. The project manager and developer had daily catch-ups, which I was welcome to join if I wanted to. Once a week, we had a larger meeting in which they walked through the progress they made, how that impacted our schedule, and what they planned to do next. So, it was very easy to communicate with them.

They broke the project up into segments of work. They explained everything so I was able to understand it with little background in development.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I really appreciated that they were able to explain everything in layman’s terms to me. At the same time, they were detailed about how they were going about the project when speaking with our technical team.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I had no concerns. Everything went smoothly.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

New clients should take the time to explain what their goals are. Once Black Pepper Software Ltd. understands the project, they can break it down to explain their approach.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the head of analytics for an asset management company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Black Pepper Software?

We wanted to migrate from doing development internally to externally.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Black Pepper Software helped implement third-party risk software. They did hard development, wrote scripts, input data from our company, synced the calculation results back into our company, and made it available to end-users.

The team built a utility layer around the software to make it look more user-friendly. They were heavily involved in optimizing the design we presented to them. There were several technologies involved.

What is the team composition?

We work with eleven teammates including a scrum master, a project manager, a product owner, UX developers, and several developers that specialize in various technologies.

How did you come to work with Black Pepper Software?

They had done a project with our company in the past. I liked that they were already familiar with us and the outcome had been positive in the previous engagement, so I felt confident in their abilities.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent £700,000 (approximately $922,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together around October 2019, and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The project wouldn’t be where it is without their assistance. They’ve been professional and focused on a successful outcome. They quickly grasped our vision, always going the extra mile for us. We’ve been satisfied with their deliverables.

How did Black Pepper Software perform from a project management standpoint?

The project manager is knowledgeable and efficient. Black Pepper Software has handled any delays well, even when it wasn’t their fault. They work hard to get tasks finished.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They are very collaborative. They quickly identify and understand the business implications of the deliverable and are able to approach decisions and tasks with a business perspective.

Are there any areas they could improve?

A small criticism would be that the project manager is too nice at times, perhaps not tough enough with the team to ensure on-time delivery, for example.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure you fully explain the business objectives you want to achieve.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the head of IT change at a small, non-profit focused bank. We’re highly interested in the social impact of banking.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Black Pepper Software Ltd.?

As a bank, we’re in a regulated industry. We’d had some changes in regulations as it relates to security enforcement. We needed to add additional security for integration with third parties. We also were mandated to introduce two-factor authentication on all transactional activities. 

We didn’t have those controls in place, so we needed to build out our development platform with external developers.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Black Pepper supplied us with a developer who was used to supplement our own resources. They came on-site and worked with us in a collaborative, agile approach within our own change and development team. They built and integrated external services into our core banking platform to provide two-factor authentication.

They used Python for our proxy servers and application services they built. They also worked with a gRPC converter written in Java. 

After that, we asked Black Pepper to do some consultancy-based assessments on some performance testing. The team looked at our performance testing results and helped us debug any issues and suggest improvements.

What is the team composition?

We worked with two people. I also worked with their relationship managers and delivery resource managers, but on a day to day basis, it was two resources.

How did you come to work with Black Pepper Software Ltd.?

We did a proof of concept, and we were exploring options for delivery of the two-factor authentication. We considered a mobile banking application and reached out to Black Pepper based on a recommendation. 

We interviewed them, and they provided a really interesting and dynamic presentation that we really liked. While we didn’t end up pursuing that project with Black Pepper, that was our introduction to the quality of their work, so we reached out to them for this project. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent £60,000 (approximately $78,000 USD). 

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from September–December 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their skills were great, and they helped us achieve a successful outcome, which was compliant with the regulations and on time. That was key for us. We wouldn’t have been able to achieve the success we did without Black Pepper.

How did Black Pepper Software Ltd. perform from a project management standpoint?

They performed very well. They were completely embedded into our team, so they were able to work with us completely. Black Pepper works in an agile way, and they responded to our project management processes.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their professionalism and the quality of their work set them apart. Their software engineers, so they not only deliver in a technical capacity, but they have the ability to advise. Our senior software engineer acted as a tech lead, and was able to translate business requirements and initiatives very easily. We were very impressed with Black Pepper.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They’re very busy, so their developers are always getting dispatched to different projects. We’re about to start another contract with them, and it would be useful to know in advance which developers are going where and at what time. I understand that’s very difficult, so it’s not a fault against them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Take ownership of the developer and embed them within your own team, work, and practices. That’s how we got the most out of Black Pepper. Also, make sure you’re in continuous communication with them so you can plan in advance.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an IT business partner at Engie, a global energy and facilities management company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Black Pepper Software?

We hadn't done a lot of investment in IT with our resident liaison officers who were working on a manual paper-based process. That takes a lot of time and effort to manage because the propensity for error is very high and they have to deal with people with different language needs. 

We needed to do something about it to improve productivity and to make sure that we were delivering the best service to our clients.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Black Pepper Software worked through a discovery phase and provided consulting. They then delivered wireframes and documentation around user stories. Everything they did was system-agnostic. They also educated my team in the agile methodology.

What is the team composition?

We worked with six teammates

How did you come to work with Black Pepper Software?

I did research on Google. I was looking for a partner with a good reputation, who was security-conscious, and who had worked for financial institutions. I looked at three companies, and Black Pepper Software was everything we wanted in terms of their client base and their previous experience. 

They also communicated well and were accommodating. The team got us thinking straight away, and they ask good questions. That gave us a lot of confidence. Additionally, their agile method of working showed us that they would look after our teams.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent abut £40,000 (approximately $51,600 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them 18 months ago, and the project lasted 6–7 months, which was due to our procrastination. We keep in touch with Black Pepper Software if needed. They’re my go-to people if I need a third-party for anything. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They were absolutely fantastic. They provided us with a solid foundation in terms of understanding our requirements for user journeys. 

Because the assets were system agnostic, we were able to bring them in-house to develop them. The team delivered a very comprehensive set of information, and the wireframes have been very useful.

How did Black Pepper Software perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management was brilliant. We worked with them in an agile methodology. The team was interactive with our business users. It was a collaborative process and they were friendly.

They looked at everything from all angles. Black Pepper Software’s communication couldn’t be faulted, and they delivered on time and within the budget. I’m a 40-year veteran of project management, and I was very impressed.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The team’s approach and flexibility set them apart. They were flexible and willing to work with us as a team, instead of imposing the work on us, as bigger companies do. They were also upfront, positive, and dynamic, we absolutely loved working with them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, nothing comes to mind right away. If anything, from a business perspective, the cost was high for the full solution they wanted to deliver. For what they did for us, it was worth every penny. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be open and transparent about what you need, and be willing to take on a positive journey.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a PhD student in my first year at King’s College London.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Black Pepper?

My project involves looking at mental health outcomes and brain development in children that were born preterm. We wanted to look at children’s social networks for one aspect of the study, and one way we wanted to capture that was through an app that was engaging for children.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Black Pepper developed a child-friendly web app survey for children between 8–9 years old. The team made it clear and user-friendly. They used a purple color and added pictures of dogs to make it more friendly.

There’s a unique ID for each child who participates and they made it completely anonymous. Sam (Software Developer) and his team made it such that the child puts in five of their friends’ names and then we ask four follow-up questions. At the end of the survey, the names of the friends are automatically removed.

What is the team composition?

I submitted my project to Jas (Client Engagement Manager), and at the hackathon, I met everyone on the team. Sam, Mark (Software Engineer), Theo (UX Developer), and Rhys (Software Consultant) worked on the app.

How did you come to work with Black Pepper?

We were invited to pitch ideas for a hackathon centered on mental health that Black Pepper was holding. The team would then spend 24 hours developing the idea for those who entered. My supervisor and I thought it was the perfect opportunity for our study. 

How much have you invested with them?

The project was free of charge because their hackathon was meant to help someone. The value was probably in the hundreds of pounds.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them from June–September 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Black Pepper’s work was great, and they managed to get it done quickly. The majority of the work was done in the 24 hour period of the hackathon. The app is nothing that I could’ve done on my own.

I haven’t implemented it into my project because I’m waiting to get the go-ahead from the ethics board, but it works really well.

How did Black Pepper perform from a project management standpoint?

When I needed things changed, Sam stepped in. All the developers and Jas were really great to communicate with. Any obstacles that came up were dealt with right away. The project seemed well-structured. 

Every time something came up, I would relay it to Jas and she would relay it to the team. The communication was good, and I had a pleasant experience with them even though we weren’t paying them. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Black Pepper listens to what the client imagines and would like to have, and they try to take it into account. The team really tries to find solutions to anything that makes it more difficult to achieve the goals.

They were good at problem-solving and coming up with creative ideas to tackle any problems along the way. Additionally, they were very friendly. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, not that I can think of.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Let Black Pepper know what you want out of the product and what’s important to you. Discuss that with the team as they go along because they value what you’re trying to do. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a manager of a local charity called the Helping Hands Community Project.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Black Pepper Software Ltd.?

Their team initially created a web application for us. We highlighted a couple of issues while using it during the COVID-19 outbreak. We’re delivering parcels to vulnerable individuals during the pandemic. We have too many volunteers sign up and had to have an administrator step in to tell people to stand down.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Black Pepper Software originally built a volunteer web application for us, which allows our volunteers to sign up. Most recently, they resolved the issues with the platform.

What is the team composition?

We worked with three people from Black Pepper Software. We had a main point of contact.

How did you come to work with Black Pepper Software Ltd?

They approached us last year during a hackathon. Their team gifted a set number of corporate social responsibility hours. They asked if we had any challenges that we’d like them to address. Their team built the web app for us, so when we needed changes, we approached them again.

How much have you invested with them?

Their team gifted their time to us as part of their corporate social responsibility program.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started this project in May 2020 and it’s ongoing. We have to pilot and test the platform.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Once we launch the platform, it will be an absolute game-changer. It will reduce administrative work. The platform's going to save a significant amount of time in terms of contacting our volunteers about what is and isn’t required.

How did Black Pepper Software Ltd. perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management’s absolutely exceptional. They held regular check-in calls while building the app. They asked all the clarifying questions that needed to be asked. They pulled one of their software developers who built the original product onto this project, making allowances to bring him in. We’re grateful that they worked around our needs. They were flexible with their deadlines to meet ours.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Black Pepper Software cared about understanding our needs. Their team cares about our project's outcome. While this is a charitable project, they’re putting just as much care into it as they would with any other business. Their team's working on this project out of goodwill. We’re grateful for that. Their level of professionalism has been amazing. They put our business first to get the project sorted quickly.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can’t think of anything.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Just go with them and trust the fact that they’ll look after you.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the head of investor relations for a large European energy company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Black Pepper Software Ltd.?

More recently, we’ve been focused on how we engage with different stakeholders and investors and how we can explain the complexities of achieving decarbonization targets in the UK. We hoped to create an engaging UX-led app to engage these parties and help them to understand, through a simple format, the challenges involved in decarbonizing energy systems and removing oil and gas out of the possible fuels from the production of electricity. We wanted to do so through an engaging app in which users could set their electricity mix and see what the outputs would be in different scenarios.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Black Pepper Software Ltd. developed a microsite web app that works on iOS phones and tablets. It’s more of a mini-website than an app. Their team did both the design and development. Phase one and two are now complete, and we haven’t yet started on phase three.

What is the team composition?

There’s a project manager, an account manager, a UX designer, and a couple of developers.

How did you come to work with Black Pepper Software Ltd.?

We looked at different companies, and Black Pepper Software Ltd. had the best pitch. We hired them because of their reputation for being a very UX-focused design agency. They had worked with clients similar to us, and they best understood our design briefs. The things that swayed me were that they agreed to the timeframes that we set, they were flexible, and they had competitive prices. They were also willing to adjust their workflow to our budget and working style.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in August 2019, and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I’ve had a really good experience working with Black Pepper Software Ltd. They have impressive outputs. Overall, my feedback is very positive.

How did Black Pepper Software Ltd. perform from a project management standpoint?

We’ve had two different people responsible for project management. The first person was not as good as the second, but they were okay. The second person has been excellent and provides an above-average experience overall. They would like to use project management tools with us, but our company systems are outdated. 

They have been very flexible and helpful in adjusting their standard ways of working around our processes. They’re understanding when it takes time for me to get contracts signed or approved. Their processes are very good. They keep us updated. The times it worked less well was when they were working part-time, or there were a few pieces to pick up toward the end of a phase. That was less effective, but when I gave them feedback, they reengaged the team and got the work done. The team responds very well to constructive feedback.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re willing to be flexible to work within the parameters I set. They have a good process and provide great creative input. They’re a nice, friendly team. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I was a little disappointed toward the end of the project when they moved onto some bigger projects. We were a small chunk of their workload, and things were getting missed and dropped; it wasn’t a smooth process anymore. Once I shared that, they went back to having weekly calls to make sure those things were being picked up. We did much better with our second project manager.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

You get out what you put in. Have daily standup calls and make sure you have the right people able to sign off on the right processes. Delays on our end caused some of the problems we had. Make sure you’re able to provide all of the information that they need so you’re not delaying development. Also, ensure that they properly complete and finish all of the tasks and fully tie the knot.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a development manager for i-nexus. We provide a strategy execution software that’s used by strategy practitioners in the market.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Black Pepper Software Ltd.?

We previously had a complicated application. While the practitioners know the methodology, it’s harder for the daily end user. We wanted a more straightforward solution for the regular users that log in periodically. We also wanted it to be used on their phones. The past 10–12 years, it was a web-based desktop app, so we were moving on. Since we had no experience with building a mobile application, we decided to use Black Pepper Software Ltd.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

At the start, Black Pepper Software Ltd. acted as consultants. They helped us look at the pros and cons of a mobile application. We also wanted to look into the best practices and estimations to ensure we were in the right direction and that we would go the market at the right time.

i-nexus is based on Java, and the mobile app we were trying to build would be in React. The team at Black Pepper Software Ltd. trained our team in React. We needed someone with the right experience that would teach our team the best practices.

Because we had a UX designer make all of the designs and mockups, their team wasn’t involved in the design process. After their team got us up to speed, our developers began building the first React application.

For the second project, we wanted to build another application for C-level executives. The app, called Advisor, would allow users to look at graphs and charts, and let them see how well their companies were doing in terms of meeting objectives and goals. Because we’d already used Black Pepper Software Ltd.’s expertise for the first app, they came aboard to assist with this iPad-based application.

With Advisor, the biggest challenge was the timeline. We had three months to build and release it to the market for initial feedback.

What is the team composition?

For the Advisor app, we had two consultants come in. One was experienced in React, and the other has experience with all aspects of backend development. They’re knowledgeable in the building of the pipeline, structuring unit tests, and identifying the best practices.

How did you come to work with Black Pepper Software Ltd.?

About four or five months ago, I picked up the role as development manager. Black Pepper Software Ltd. was chosen by my predecessor and the executive VP for product. I believe it was through recommendation. They also knew someone from their team and had experience with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

Development on the first application started in April or May 2019. For the second application, we began in June and finished at the end of September.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Black Pepper Software Ltd. brought everyone up to speed with React very quickly. It would’ve taken us 2–3 months, but their team managed to take two weeks. We saved a lot of time by tapping into Black Pepper Software Ltd.’s expertise.

We managed to release both products on time. We had strict deadlines for both applications and having Black Pepper Software Ltd. prioritize the right technologies helped us. Their team identified future problems and how we could resolve them without having too many technical risks and debt.

With the help of Black Pepper Software Ltd., we’ve managed to build a continuously-deployable application. This means we can create a feature today and release it with the click of a button. In terms of the release cycle, it’s different than what we’re used to. For i-nexus, the release cycle is six weeks, but we now have the capability of releasing it as we have a new feature.

The two people that came in had different expertise, but both helped us get everything up to speed and build the right foundation. Both served as advisors for the deployable applications.

How did Black Pepper Software Ltd. perform from a project management standpoint?

I was the project lead, and we worked in an agile methodology. We had product owners with a clear background of stories that we maintained in Jira.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I thought it was amazing that we could go back to Black Pepper Software Ltd. and find someone with expertise in a specific area. We would’ve struggled with finding experts, but they seemed to have highly-talent consultants for various areas, which has been useful.

For one week in November, we used them for “shared authentication,” which involves having a single login for multiple apps. Since this was new to us, we needed someone with experience in that. Anything we ask for, Black Pepper Software Ltd. has the right person for the job.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they were professional and always on time. They gave me updates on what they did, and if they saw something wasn’t right, or it could cause a problem in the future, they’d raise the flag straight away. I appreciated that approach. Black Pepper Software Ltd.’s team was professional, letting us know how a short-term win would impact us in the long run.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the software application development manager at a company that provides display products that drive large video walls at extremely high resolution and quality.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Black Pepper Software Ltd.?

The team at Black Pepper Software Ltd. provides development support for our business.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Their team supports us in any avenues we need help with. We hired them to move faster on immediate project needs and bring in skills we don’t have in-house.

What is the team composition?

We work with two software developers and one UX specialist. There is also a dedicated project manager.

How did you come to work with Black Pepper Software Ltd.?

I had worked with their team at a previous business and knew that their skills could be used in this role.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested between £150,000– £160,000 (approximately $193,000–$205,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started engaging with them in September 2019. The first group started working in October.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’ve massively moved our business along in terms of UX because we didn’t have that skill inhouse. The UX specialist has been here for only three or four weeks now but has already achieved more than what we’ve achieved in a year. He’s hit the ground running, accelerating the workflow.

The developers have also helped to move the projects along. They know precisely what they’re building, what it needs to look like, and how it needs to feel. Their team brought a broader experience into the business from an IT perspective. They’ve used tools available out in the marketplace and brought them into our business. The team at Black Pepper Software Ltd. has definitely moved us along in terms of the architecture we’re now using.

How did Black Pepper Software Ltd. perform from a project management standpoint?

The project manager makes sure the right people are in the right place at the right time through the project delivery plan. Everything remains on track. We’re getting the value out of what we wanted and expected.

Because we have internal development teams, we’ve blended them onto our team and process here. We work in Scrum. The UX specialist works across different groups and products but is managed separately by me. They work on what I believe is the next priority, but that ends up getting feed into the scrum process.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their team wants to learn about their clients and goals. There is no hidden agenda with them. They’re excellent at listening to what a business is trying to achieve. If they feel like they haven’t done enough, they insist on not charging for that work.

The process is incredibly switched on. They’ll help get businesses moving in the right direction, becoming part of the team quickly. They’re a knowledgeable group that’s nice to work with.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Not really. I’d struggle to find something.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Tell their team everything that you know. The more you tell them, the better the resource they can be to solve your problems. Relay what they need to know in the long term about what everything means and how it fits together. Give them the right context to help you out. Things start happening quicker that way.