Calibrate Software

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the President of Big Game Sport Inc

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We’re the premium provider of recreation sports platforms to make engaging and participating in recreational sports easier, more fun, inclusive and interactive.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Calibrate Software to accomplish?

• Improve the design and complete development of our platform for the commerical marketplace in short order.
• Quickly come up to speed on the code & platform that our initial design/dev partner had put in place. Unsatisfied with the work of our initial partner, we found Calibrate to pick-up from what they had started.
• Be consultative! We expressed to Calibrate that it was very important for them to bring and express their opinions to us. The experience with the first design/dev partner left us feeling we were working with a bunch of doers instead of an experienced team. Our goal was to work with a team that would enhance and improve our platform, not just do what they were told.

SOLUTION

How did you find Calibrate Software?

Online Search

Why did you select Calibrate Software over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Calibrate Software were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

1. Transition ownership of environment & quickly come up to speed on the architecture, framework and code base from the previous developer.
2. Access the state of the transitioned platform and develop a project plan to develop & deploy the initial commercial release.
3. Provide consultative services to help us better understand gaps in our platforms design and usability.
4. Provide the team to Design, Develop, Test and Support the platform.
5. Provide budget and timeline requirements for the Product Roadmap provided. - with the Product Roadmap, the Calibrate team has specific time frames and expected budgets to work within to deliver on the expected schedule of releases.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Project is ongoing and measurable outcome is pending as we are nearing the completion of our first deliverable and initial commercial release.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Calibrate is very hands on. What we've appreciated from the onset is that their whole team is very knowledgeable and engaged with our project. They know what's going on and share their candid feedback in a consultative and constructive way. As mentioned, our project is ongoing with the first initial release pending. We are confident in the team and feel our release schedules will be met with quality deliverables.

What was your primary form of communication with Calibrate Software?

Virtual Meeting

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

Hands-on and engaged from the top down. Consultative and knowledgeable. Shared sense of ownership. Easy to work and communicate with.

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

TBD - waiting to see how the first release goes.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Senior Product Manager of an e-commerce company

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We're a headless commerce platform purpose-built for merchandisers, operators, and developers within high-growth brands and retailers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Calibrate Software to accomplish?

• Design and deliver a meaningful web-based data validation tool that meets the customer's unique use cases while integrating seamlessly into their internal data management platform.
• Design a passive validation tool that ingests data without disrupting any given workflow, alerting the operational team of critical errors before they cause significant damage downstream.
• Provide insightful analytics to the customer's management teams on data anomalies and errors.

SOLUTION

How did you find Calibrate Software?

Referral

Why did you select Calibrate Software over others?

Referred to me

How many teammates from Calibrate Software were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Design, integrate, delivery, and maintain a passive validation tool that improves the operator experience by flagging and tracking errors impacting the customer's restaurant data management system, with additional rules to address pain points identified through customer stakeholder interviews. 

• Overview Project Deliverables: 
  • Data extraction solution integrated into the customer's operator platform. 
  • Fully functional REST APIs for data exchange. 
  • Data filtering function with configurable logic and rules. 
  • Error management process flow and flagging mechanism. 
  • Admin management system with SSO capabilities. 
  • Role-based credential system. 
  • Personalized dashboards for different user roles. 
• Database/Backend Deliverables: 
  • Data Extraction: Develop a solution to passively extract data from customers' data management systems without causing disruptions to downstream systems. 
  • REST APIs: Design and implement REST APIs for the exchange of relevant data between the enhanced system and external applications. 
  • Integration: Integrate the developed tool into the customer's existing operator platform, ensuring seamless communication and data synchronization. 
• Front/End Deliverables: 
  • Data Filtering: Implement a data filtering function with configurable logic and rule mapping to allow users to customize data retrieval based on specific requirements. 
  • Error Management: Establish an overall process flow for identifying and flagging data errors, enabling users to manage data quality and integrity efficiently. 
  • Admin Management System: Develop an administration system with Single Sign-On (SSO) capabilities to manage user access and permissions. 
  • Role-Based Credentials: Implement role-based credentials to control access levels and functionalities based on user roles within the system. 
  • Personalized Dashboard: Create personalized dashboards for users based on their roles and permissions, displaying relevant data and metrics to enhance the decision-making process.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

The excitement from the customer's cross-functional operational team for tool usage and prospects for market expansion demonstrate an optimistic outlook for user and market adoption from the customer team.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Calibrate had timely and proactive communication with the customer and us, which promoted effective management of the project timeline and pushed key deliverables forward.

What was your primary form of communication with Calibrate Software?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

I'm impressed with their ability to collaborate seamlessly with our team and align with our company's goals as well as our customer's.

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

None at this time.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of AthleticU, a mobile app and web-based software for high school physical education courses and strength and conditioning programs.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Calibrate Software?

We needed their team’s design and development expertise.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Calibrate Software has kept us afloat while we waited to acquire the funding to completely rebuild our web and mobile app for iOS and Android devices. They’ve updated the current iteration of our product and managed its security; they’re now preparing to work on a full rebuild of our product.

Initially, Calibrate Software walked us through what was immediately needed. We gave them all the documentation they needed. Phase one consisted of identifying pieces of the product that were about to break and needed fixing; Calibrate Software fixed those issues. During phase two, they looked at the project as a whole and looked for a long-term solution that could be built on top of the existing product. Phase three is going on now and involves us scoping the full rebuild of the product.

Calibrate Software has also designed the features that we’ve added or updated. We’re starting the process of fully designing everything for the rebuild.

Our product is a workout app. Teachers and coaches are able to build custom workouts and deliver them to the students; students are also able to build their own custom workouts. The app has grading features and real-time reporting on a screen that can be displayed in a classroom. There’s testing and data gathering, which are core features.

What is the team composition?

Kevin (CEO) is the main contact.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $50,000 and $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together around June 2021, and our engagement is ongoing.

How did you come to work with Calibrate Software?

They were recommended to my brother by his employer’s technical staff member.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The simplest metric is that Calibrate Software has kept us running. All the schools we work with have continued to work with us. They haven’t missed a beat while we’ve transitioned development teams.

How did the company perform from a project management standpoint?

Calibrate Software has been great. Everything’s been on target. For communication, we use email frequently and Google Meet.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their customer service and communication skills make them stand out. Calibrate Software has listened to us and made exactly what we wanted. They’ve even provided suggestions to improve on some of our ideas.

Calibrate Software is very good at UX. From design frames to the actual iteration of the app, the UX has been very good when I’ve used it.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Just communicate with them. Calibrate Software is really good at pulling out the things you need through regular conversations. As long as you’re clear about what you’re looking for, they’ll be able to put it together for you.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Co-Founder/CTO of Sound Advice

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Sound Advice is a subscription-based mobile app designed to make building wealth accessible for today’s generation. We serve young people who have been left behind in building wealth by the limitations of traditional financial institutions and expensive financial products.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Calibrate Software to accomplish?

• Mobile App Redesign
• Web App Redesign

SOLUTION

How did you find Calibrate Software?

Referral

Why did you select Calibrate Software over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost

How many teammates from Calibrate Software were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

The design scope includes redesigning the screen, screen layouts, iconography, reformatting the content, fonts, and graphics.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

The outcome of the project were design files that can we showcase to our investors, demo to potential clients of our application, and implement in our application.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

I was a big fan of how they communicated when they will deliver items. We used Monday.com as a way for all of us to visualize when projects will be worked on and if they have been picked up by someone. In addition, we had weekly sync-ups that made sure we were always on top of what was being worked and what they needed our help on. The communication via email was great to me but I am sure they can adapt to anyone's communication preference.

What was your primary form of communication with Calibrate Software?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

I have worked with a lot of contractors and agencies in the past. Their approach to project management was refreshing and easy to work with.

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

I think a Slack Connection would be great especially for those one-off tasks that we need a quick response.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Im the VP of design for an education technology company. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Calibrate Software?

We hired Calibrate Software to help participate in vision prototyping to add capacity to our team. We have a team of in-house designers working on other projects, and we wanted to get ahead on our vision for the following year. We hired Calibrate Software as a consultancy partner to help with UX/UI design prototyping. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We started with a discovery period, and we gave Calibrate Software research we had conducted that was based on our business and focus areas that we needed the prototype to cover. We hosted workshops, and Calibrate Software spoke with high-level stakeholders who provided the prototype's input and information. This process went on for about a month and a half. 

From there, we moved into prototyping, which took about three months. We checked in weekly to ensure we were on the same page, and they gave us updates. During these meetings, we also discussed the prioritization of features and addressed specific domain questions to help them move forward. Figma was the primary technology used, and Calibrate Software produced videos where they walked through all the features. 

How did you come to work with Calibrate Software?

We found them on Clutch and narrowed our search down from there. Each vendor put together a proposal, and we decided to move forward with Calibrate Software based on that. 

How much have you invested with them?

The original bid was a fixed price of about $45,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together between October 2022–April 2023. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They provided high-quality output; the prototype met our expectations from a quality perspective. 

How did Calibrate Software perform from a project management standpoint?

The team stayed within the original budget, but we only completed about a third of the original work that we set out to do. We spoke regularly, and they were transparent about where they were with the project. They checked in with us to ensure our priorities were aligned and made adjustments along the way. 

We communicated via email, and Calibrate Software consistently sent us follow-up and preparatory emails. They also organized a certain amount of time for us to review where we were in the schedule and talk about our priorities. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Calibrate Software provided clear communication throughout the engagement, and there was never a time when we didn’t know what was happening or the project's status. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

We were told that the full scope of the project was doable in the time frame and budget we had set, and they couldn’t follow through on that. It was not a surprise because we had active conversations about it, but Calibrate Software had to learn a lot about our industry, and much of our engagement was focused on that. When it came down to it though, the work was not accomplished on time.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Find out if they have previous experience in your industry. That turned out to be very important, and it helps if you get a proper estimate of the time the discovery phase will take. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and president of a nonprofit organization. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Calibrate Software?

I needed to create a new website for my organization.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Calibrate Software designed and developed our website. They designed the UI/UX, and we requested an accessible and friendly design that any person could use since we have a wide target audience. Our site had several sections and required programming abilities and tracking points. Calibrate Software created our site using WordPress and integrated several plug-ins.

Our site’s goal was to provide a library of curated content about sustainability and environmental actions, facts, and history with free online resources. The site has a page with different categories you can click in. Each category has articles that users can read in detail, images, interactive questions, and links that take users to other websites with more relevant information. Our site is all about community and sharing resources. 

We also have a program that users can join for free. As part of this program, users receive weekly emails inviting them to visit our portal and access a different section of our website to watch the weekly videos and interactions. When users complete our 52-week program, they receive a digital certificate, and their points represent the number of trees we plant on their behalf through a reforestation program. 

Any person can join our program. One of our goals is for companies and organizations to use our website to learn about all the possible environmental best practices they can take in their workplace. 

Calibrate Software just launched our site and hosted it on their servers. Calibrate Software provided us with web maintenance throughout the project to achieve the desired result. I plan to keep using their maintenance services in the future. 

What is the team composition?

I worked with three teammates from Calibrate Software, including the lead UI/UX designer, a web developer, and an account manager. 

How did you come to work with Calibrate Software?

I searched companies online but found Calibrate Software because their offices were close to ours. We chose Calibrate Software because they were tech-savvy and we liked their design portfolio. They also seemed excited about our project, and their quote fit our budget. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with Calibrate Software from May 2022–April 2023. I plan to use Calibrate Software’s web maintenance services again.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our organization’s advisory board helped assess and review the site before we launched it. They were really impressed by the design and work quality that Calibrate Software put in our site. The site is easy to use and design-forward. 

Calibrate Software was good at understanding our needs and developing a functional design. We were happy with the result. 

How did Calibrate Software perform from a project management standpoint?

Calibrate Software stayed on budget. Our project’s timeline was extended, but Calibrate Software met the ultimate deadline, which was the site’s launch. Calibrate Software was also receptive and responsive to our edits during the design phase.  

Calibrate Software used Trello and different tools for project management, although I didn’t use them. Calibrate Software’s team was organized, and we communicated through Google Meet and email. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Calibrate Software’s design and technical abilities impressed me the most. Calibrate Software could resolve multiple problems in those two regards.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I know I wasn’t Calibrate Software’s biggest client. However, I was assigned only one developer, and I wish they could assign more developers to each client. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be as clear and thorough as possible when communicating with Calibrate Software. I have a tendency to send many emails, and I think it would’ve been better if I had been more concise and methodical in my communication. I could’ve given Calibrate Software a general list of tasks instead of doing it piece by piece. 

My advice is to be as organized as possible. That way, you’ll get Calibrate Software to do anything they need.  

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of operations at Elite Medical Staffing. We’re a medical staffing company that partners with healthcare facilities.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Calibrate Software?

We needed help to automate our scheduling process by developing a mobile application for workers, another mobile app for clients, and an admin web portal. We already had an existing scheduling mobile app for our workers, but it wasn’t customized enough for our business needs. We also wanted to incorporate our clients into the scheduling process.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Calibrate Software has designed and developed two mobile applications and a web portal for us. The apps are compatible with Android and iOS devices, and Calibrate Software used InVision to create the apps’ designs and Figma to share them with us. Calibrate Software also shared other documents with us through Google Drive. 

Our apps’ main purpose is the automation of our scheduling process. A client or admin can make a scheduling request and book the medical staff they require on a certain date at a particular time. On the workers’ app, these requests translate as open opportunities that workers can request to fulfill. Workers can see the client’s location, and once they select to fulfill a request, the client can confirm it, and the appointment moves to their app’s calendar. 

Calibrate Software has also developed a web portal that is a backend view of the apps, it has the same functionalities, and we can see all the clients and workers. Calibrate Software will also assist us with the app’s maintenance. 

What is the team composition?

We work with around 10 teammates from Calibrate Software, although only 3–4 are present on our calls. Kevin (CEO) and Sean (Chief Experience Officer) are always present at the design meetings, and we also work with a project manager and several developers.

How did you come to work with Calibrate Software?

We looked online for many different developers who could do the job. We sent out many Requests, and Calibrate Software quickly got back to us. What impressed us the most was that they had good communication.

We searched for development companies online and sent RFPs to several vendors. We got a message back from Calibrate Software within one day of contacting them. We didn’t see this with other companies that didn’t contact us back or would do it significantly delayed. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $500,000 with Calibrate Software so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Calibrate Software in April 2022, and the engagement is ongoing. We've launched part of the app in March 2023, and Calibrate Software is about to finish the development. We plan to enter a maintenance contract after they finish.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Although we haven’t released the app with its complete functionalities yet, we plan to work with Calibrate Software again — that’s a good sign of their work’s quality. We really like Calibrate Software’s design quality because their designs look good, and we can tell Calibrate Software really cares about what they do. Calibrate Software understands what we’re trying to accomplish, and we’re happy with the project’s results. 

Moreover, Calibrate Software has helped us automate our scheduling process and put all the pieces together because the more clients we have, the more job opportunities we can offer our workers. This project has been a learning curve because we didn’t know how long a development process takes. 

How did Calibrate Software perform from a project management standpoint?

We’ve had transparent and honest communication since we started working together, and Calibrate Software always follows up on emails, which is really helpful. There have been times when we weren’t on the same page, but we just had a phone call to discuss things until both parties felt comfortable. We also communicate through Google Meet and text messages. 

We use Trello for project management. Calibrate Software’s budget is fair compared to other companies I talked to. Calibrate Software is clear about price, and nothing is over budget.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’m most impressed with Calibrate Software’s communication. Calibrate Software is good at prioritizing between phone calls and following up with written communication. Calibrate Software is also good at receiving feedback and is nice to work with. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Our only challenge with Calibrate Software has been getting an accurate timeline for deliverables. However, I understand this since our software has a lot of variables and pieces that depend on each other. I know developing new technology is hard, and I just wished Calibrate Software would provide more accurate timelines. On the other hand, I think we wouldn’t get better scheduling with other companies. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I recommend to set realistic timeline expectations with timeline and if there is a miscommunication issue, bring it up to Calibrate Software as soon as possible. I thought I was being proactive in communicating, but I wasn’t.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an executive of a nonprofit organization.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Calibrate Software?

We wanted to create a website for our organization.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Calibrate Software created a functioning WordPress site for us; they took our existing designs and implemented them into it. The platform is now live.

What is the team composition?

We worked with two members of their team, including a developer and one of their co-owners.

How did you come to work with Calibrate Software?

I’ve known someone from their team from a previous partnership.

How much have you invested in them?

We spent $5,000 with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from August–October 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The success of their work reflects on the fact that we now have a functioning website that we can update regularly. We’ve also received great feedback from users saying that it has a lot of information compared to our previous platform.

How did Calibrate Software perform from a project management standpoint?

They performed well in terms of project management; they were responsive when we had any questions for them. Regarding communication, we used emails and phone calls.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were quick in taking our designs and implementing them into our website.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think there’s anything they can improve on.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have a clear direction on what you want from the project and your long-term goals for the website.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We have a lab in a university, and we do research in mobile health and ubiquitous computing.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Calibrate Software?

Calibrate designed a website for me. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Calibrate revamped our website with a focus on design elements. They also generated templates for us to follow and eventually embed into our academic template. While they didn’t recreate our logo, the team created a unique design: certain pixels turned on and off on the web page, showing us a theme of zeros and ones. This theme was applied throughout the entire website. 

What is the team composition?

I worked with Kevin (CEO) and Sean (Chief Experience Officer). 

How did you come to work with Calibrate Software?

I asked one of my colleagues at the university about their web designer since their website had beautiful designs. He connected me with Sean, who then connected me with Calibrate. That was the start of our engagement. 

How much have you invested with them?

We invested between $1,000–$1,500. 

What is the status of this engagement?

This project lasted from June–September 2021. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We measured success by checking whether the team accomplished their tasks and went above and beyond what we wanted. We also gauged whether they were enjoyable to work with and professional. Overall, Calibrate was highly professional, and working with them was enjoyable. We had a nice experience with them. 

With this feedback, we want to work with them again in the future to do our logo and a few other projects. 

How did Calibrate Software perform from a project management standpoint?

We appreciated Calibrate’s attention to detail and creativity when it came to designing the website while thinking about the goals of our laboratory. On top of that, their ability to stick to our schedule and budget was of high quality. They even waited on content from us, so it never felt like they were behind schedule in any way; they were always ahead of the curve. If the project took longer than expected, it wasn’t their fault. 

Moreover, the tools they used allowed us to comment on the website, and it was phenomenal. We could easily select parts of the site and leave comments about what we wanted to change or add. To communicate, we mainly used emails. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Calibrate’s persistence stood out to me, and they were focused on customer satisfaction. They also consistently reminded me to be responsive. This way, they showed that they truly cared about their customers; they weren’t simply trying to get things done. On top of that, we could see that they enjoyed their work, and they had integrity. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there weren’t any. They did a good job. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Enjoy working with Calibrate. They have good management skills, so don’t worry about the tasks — they’re going to be accomplished. As long as your project and objectives are well-defined, the team will follow through.