Capital Numbers

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the founder and CEO of Consensus Interactive. We are a digital marketing agency in Boston. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Capital Numbers?

We’ve worked with Capital Numbers on a wide range of projects for our clients. Those engagements have included WordPress and Drupal development work, in addition to animations and data visualizations.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We recently completed a project where they helped out with the WordPress-specific and PHP-specific development tasks for an open-source learning group. Before that, we launched a large hospital network with a Drupal backend. Probably the project we remain the most excited about is a set of games for transplant patients at pediatric medical facilities. Our team handled the ideation and the design, but their group managed the development with HTML5 and CSS to make the games come alive.  

What is the team composition?

The project team will increase or decrease with the work, but we’ve worked with 1–5 people at any given time.

How did you come to work with Capital Numbers?

We put out a code challenge to attract and narrow down open-source partners. Capital Numbers responded to that test and performed well. Our partnership blossomed from there.

How much have you invested with them?

The project costs will vary, but for our most recent WordPress project, we spent between $25,000–$50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in 2012, and our relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The quality of work is very good. But when working with an overseas partner, you want to find team members that work well with your team, and that's where Capital Numbers has excelled. If we like a particular set of resources, they work hard to make sure we keep that team concept together.

We’ve estimated that we’d spend $750,000–$1 million per year in salary for FTEs. We figure that we reduce that cost by about 75% by working with Capital Numbers. The proof is on the bottom line.

How did Capital Numbers perform from a project management standpoint?

They are readily available to discuss our project on Skype or Google Hangouts. We take advantage of the difference in time zones so that we do the daytime work and they do the night work. That way, our clients see an amazing amount of throughput in 24 hours.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I'm appreciative of their flexibility in keeping the core resources together. They're very willing to assemble the team that we ask for if we have certain preferences.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They’ve grown significantly over time. We don’t have this problem, but it will be essential for them to continue to have high quality control of their resources.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

As with any overseas project, a technical manager on your end will be critical to guiding the outsourced team.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the COO of a small travel startup.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Capital Numbers?

We are developing a travel-related concept that’s meant to be complementary to traditional booking sites. We are hoping to inform travelers, rather than give them another venue to book trips.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The first company we hired to develop our website was not performing well. They missed enough deadlines to the point that we felt we had given them enough chances. We brought in Capital Numbers to right the ship, update some code, and provide a list of recommendations for what we can do. They were not essential to the design, so we only relied on them to fix the bugs and make some refinements.

What is the team composition?

We work with a project manager and three developers.

How did you come to work with Capital Numbers?

My business partner, the CEO, found them and suggested I reach out to them. I was impressed enough to hire them for this work.

How much have you invested with them?

We expect to spend close to $100,000 by the end of the project.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement began in October 2018 and remains ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We're working with a lot of social media influencers and content creators, and a few have already provided enthusiastic feedback regarding our site. Working with Capital Numbers has been very smooth, very easy, and we’re impressed with the result.

How did Capital Numbers perform from a project management standpoint?

We elected to keep the best programmer from the old company to work as a transition team for Capital Numbers, and they started working well together. It was a challenge at first to determine how to get these two remote teams from India to work together, but we make good use of Skype, emails, and Google Docs. It’s taken a little while to find a solution that works, but we’re doing well with this arrangement for now.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’ve worked with large companies in India before, but Capital Numbers is much smaller. Still, they are just as organized and have just as good of methods as larger companies.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I think their company is a bit of jumping off point for resources to get some experience and then move to a larger business. In a short amount of time, we’ve already had two programmers on our project leave, which has been a little frustrating.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the vice president of operations for a digital agency that primarily serves clients in the technology space.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Capital Numbers?

We have used them for staff augmentation over the last few years, both for web design and development.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal was to integrate the team seamlessly into our internal operations and utilize them to scale quickly with new client work.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I have worked with this vendor with a previous agency.

Describe the project in detail.

We scaled our internal team with Capital Numbers’ designers and developers to help offset additional client and internal work. They focused primarily on WordPress development. The Capital Numbers team had to learn our entire process, our dev tools, and our project management tools and integrate into our internal team.

What was the team composition?

We’ve worked with anywhere from one to five team members at various times. Most are developers along with some visual designers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Their team has helped us get numerous projects over the finish line with their quality execution and attention to detail. We’ve launched sites they built from scratch using our process and custom code base and they’ve helped us build internal tools as well.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

With open communication and transparency on both sides, the workflow between our team and theirs was excellent. It takes time to work out the kinks for a long-term relationship that is quality and sustainable, but it’s well worth the time and effort. We put in a lot of time up front to train their team and have consistent dialogue with each team member and the team leads to keep things flowing.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

What I love most about Capital Numbers is their willingness to learn the process and take the time necessary to understand our needs. Our communication is excellent and they are as concerned about quality as we are.

Are there any areas for improvement?

The only area that can be challenging is the time difference. This, however, can be overcome by being upfront and clear about expectations and having ongoing, proactive communication with the team.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I work for a talent agency for young performers based in London, England.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Capital Numbers?

We hired Capital Numbers to develop our website. We wanted to offer our young performers a new way to sign up for our program. 

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to make our system sleeker and more user-friendly. 

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We discussed our project with a few different companies and received multiple quotes. Capital Numbers gave us the best offer. We felt like they were really on the same page about what we wanted.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Capital Numbers developed a website for our agency. They created new pages for our members to use.

What was the team composition?

Our team at Capital Numbers consisted of two people. Both were consistently part of our project from start to finish and were extremely helpful.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Thanks to the new system Capital Numbers created, we have noticed a distinct increase in the number of applications from performers we receive through our site. Based on their work, we could tell that Capital Numbers wanted everything to be perfect for us. 

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Project management was great. We always felt they kept us in the loop. Capital Numbers assigned us dedicated people we could go to for asking any questions we had. They also created an online web page for us to use. 

Through the tool, we could see updates on our project and use a web chat to communicate with the team. We didn't experience a significant language barrier or issues with the time zone difference.

Capital Numbers would often ask to Skype us if they felt that they needed more of an explanation about our requests. We found this outreach very professional. 

What did you find most impressive about this company?

How willing they were to listen to our thoughts and how happy they were to receive feedback and make any required changes.

Are there any areas for improvement?

We don't think there are any areas for improvement. Capital Numbers did a great job on our website and are still willing to help us if we have any questions.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the general manager for licensing and trademarks at Goldilocks USA.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Capital Numbers?

We hired them to redo our website so it would be compliant with ADA regulations and also added an e-commerce component.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They used our original site as a foundation for the design and content, but we deleted that one and had them build the new one from scratch. The new site’s built on WordPress and they added a lot of plug-in customization for us, including ones for product shipping and customer feedback. They also added Stripe functionality so we could accept online payments. In addition to that, they added a reader feature that allows blind or visually impaired users to access our site.

What is the team composition?

I only work with one person directly but I think there’s a bigger team on their side.

How did you come to work with Capital Numbers?

I found them via an online search. They had information about building ADA-compliant sites, which was a key feature we needed. We also chose them because their corporate office was based in the US.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $5,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them from July 2018–February 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They finished building the new site within a couple of months, but the process of fixing it went on for much longer than we expected. We’ve tested the reader feature with someone who’s visually impaired and they were able to use the site successfully. We didn’t have analytics data for the e-commerce functionality when Capital Numbers worked with us.

How did Capital Numbers perform from a project management standpoint?

I’m satisfied with their service. The time difference was a challenge, but they’re very responsive and the project manager tried to get back to us during our business hours as much as possible. They were also highly accessible via email, Skype, and phone.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They have solid expertise and achieve their objectives very well. I’ve had difficult experiences with other developers, but this team delivered what they promised.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It would have helped if they’d adjusted more to our business hours. They were usually okay about this, but it was difficult on the occasions that they weren’t.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be very detailed on what their objectives and goals should be, and establish an agreement about what needs to be accomplished by the end of each day. They’ll work with that.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a partner at a creative content firm that creates entertainment sites.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Capital Numbers?

We needed to develop two rapid prototypes, one for an interactive children’s book and another for a gaming platform. We needed a prototype for each product that we could then scale.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Capital Numbers has developed the two prototypes for us from scratch. Both prototypes interact with databases on the backend and integrate an email platform for our users. Capital Numbers designed the UX and built the graphical interface. They also did all the artwork and illustration for us. The two projects started at different times but are both almost ready to launch. We will use those prototypes to develop MVPs.

What is the team composition?

We work with about seven people but the exact number changes depending on what we need. Different team members work on the backend database, HTML translation, and illustration design.

How did you come to work with Capital Numbers?

We met them at South by Southwest where we had an initial discussion with their founder and hit it off. We liked their thinking about quick ways to be able to prototype and innovate around some of the challenges we had. We decided to do a test with them.

We didn’t want to spend a lot of money and we didn’t know what our end solution would be, or if it was even possible. From past experiences, we had learned that you often get what you pay for—that usually if you don’t spend much, you get something that’s simplistic and won’t scale. We liked Capital Numbers’ ability to prototype in a flexible, quick, and affordable manner.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent over $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in June 2016 and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve had strongly positive feedback from the user groups we’ve tested with. We’ve even had technical experts that have been impressed that Capital Numbers was able to build what they built.

We also often hear that people like the interfaces and visual components. We’ve had negative experiences with that in the past so we’re very happy with that. They've done a great job ensuring that the prototypes are not just functional but also user-friendly and graphically appealing. 

How did Capital Numbers perform from a project management standpoint?

We have a full-time project manager that works with us. That person manages the internal team. We do several calls with them each week to get updates on status and progress.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They have a wide range of skill sets and are committed to the projects. They don’t just deliver a couple of versions and leave. They’ve been committed to the success of our projects and work diligently to find solutions.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The outsourcing model that they have of a US company with people abroad is a good one. The downside is that we struggle to find overlaps in our schedules during which we can communicate. For us, it has to be either early morning or late at night, which is limiting. Communicating over Skype is always a challenge in general, too. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

The clearer you can be about your objectives and timelines, the better. Once you’ve done that, set up a regular flow for communication and sharing information. The greater the clarity you can achieve about your needs, the less intensive and smoother the communication will be. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

My Korean Kitchen features Korean food recipes with step-by-step photos. I am the website administrator, amateur designer, and developer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Capital Numbers?

We hired them to redevelop My Korean Kitchen using the GeneratePress theme.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to improve our loading speed and our Google PageSpeed Insights score.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We did a lot of searching online for a company that could provide WordPress development services for an undefined scope and at an hourly rate. I interviewed a consultant at Capital Numbers and decided to engage a full-time developer from them, as opposed to getting a quote for a specific scope. We knew our scope would be too vague to be accurately quoted.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

They redeveloped our website from its previous theme to GeneratePress. We specified the theme and general design. They developed our website using updated code and custom CSS and PHP functions, with a focus on UX to meet our specifications and improve the loading speed. We made many changes along the way.

What was the team composition?

Capital Numbers provided a full-time dedicated developer for three months, supported as needed by other staff for specialized services such as speed testing and advanced code functions.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our load speed improved by over 50% and our PageSpeed Insights score went from 41 mobile and 65 desktop to 91 mobile and 99 desktop. This has improved the site’s revenue by about 20%.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

They managed the project through Teamwork. This was very effective and allowed us to avoid trying to track down emails and rather focus on the tasks we assigned the developer. The developer kept us up to date with daily notes on his progress. We could also include his supervisor and technical advisor at any time with a simple tick box. We did request extra staff to support on some specific tasks that we knew our developer did not have experience in.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their low cost and good support made the development very cost-effective. Their developer did a great job according to his experience level.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Capital Numbers’ developers and managers should be more proactive in suggesting alternatives or better ways to accomplish tasks. However, I expect if we had engaged them for project management as well, then their project manager would have handled those suggestions.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the co-owner and designer at a party rental company. We rent event equipment and provide services for special events. I’m responsible for business growth, contracts, and design. I also am the designer for our software, having designed several applications.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Search Berg?

I’ve been developing this project for years. When my lead developer became sick, it was challenging to find a suitable replacement that had the required knowledge. Others weren’t interactive or affordable. Because my software was functional and I was already using it in a live setting, my challenge was to find a company that understood my needs from a design standpoint and knew how to do the work.

What were your goals for this project?

I wanted to add more capabilities to the software.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I researched companies that had developers for hire and were looking for work. I wasted a couple months with a company that took our money without knowing what to do. I was losing faith in finding a trustworthy company before landing on Capital Numbers.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

I needed coding done in the CodeIgniter framework. My software is specific to my renting and selling needs. It has a robust inventory with a delivery management system. When I found Capital Numbers, their team took the time to review my project needs thoroughly before providing a developer.

What was the team composition?

While I mostly communicate with my developer, they have a full software development team.  If I have any barriers, I can bring in a manager that can help, and if my developer has questions, he has a manager above him. I’ve worked with several developers who are skilled in a variety of fields, and they help with any challenges the main developer has.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Capital Numbers helped my vision come to life, providing affordable and skilled developers. Our business has grown 30% year after year for the past five years. There are no errors in our system related to scheduling and delivery, which is common in our industry. We’ve improved efficiency & sales, increased repeat clients, and significantly decreased any costs associated with refunds or loss of inventory.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

The developer is easy to work with, solving problems and working hard to understand my design needs. They’re also patient with my errors and design changes. When I had a communication issue with one of the developers, they switched me to someone else.

Whenever I need a cost, they’re great at giving a bid within a few hours. They’re responsive, and I receive what I expect from them. Their team lets me know if there’s any trouble.  We communicate over email, along with Google Hangouts and phone calls. Since they’re offshore, there is a minor language barrier, but we understand each other.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The way Capital Numbers does business is my favorite thing about them. I appreciate their team structure and believe that their communication is superior to other companies. The trust I’ve developed is hard to find and sets them apart from others.

Are there any areas for improvement?

There’s little to be improved. Overall, I’m satisfied with my choice in Capital Numbers.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I have an existing core business, but I was seeking to branch in a new direction.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Capital Numbers?

I wanted a new website to support my new business offerings.

What were your goals for this project?

I wanted my site to serve as a platform for collectors to store images and descriptions of those collectors' items, list those items on eBay, and record purchased items.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I searched the Internet to find a genuine provider of services and came across Capital Numbers.

Describe the project in detail.

I developed the specification and brief for the required site, describing in detail how it should look, what forms should be used, how screens should appear, how data should be processed, and so on. They read the brief and provided a fixed price.

We held several Skype meetings to discuss the specification and brief in detail so that the project manager and developers could better understand what was required. Once the brief was clear, the developers worked on and presented each screenshot. It was a very iterative process, which ensured that the concept and implementation were done correctly and that abortive work was avoided.

What was the team composition?

We worked with a project manager, who led a team of developers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

The site is now live and substantially tested and I will be marketing it shortly. In terms of the site itself, it looks and operates how I wanted it to. Capital Numbers met my expectations in their entirety.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

There was very effective communication and workflow between myself and their team. They provided a portal to work through, which was very effective. All correspondence was through the project manager and when needed, directly with the developer. The project manager was always involved and aware of their progress. They promptly responded to all queries and any problems were addressed efficiently.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They were very professional in every aspect of the work. The project manager was very helpful and had time to discuss any concerns I had about the way the site was developing.

Are there any areas for improvement?

The site could have been developed more quickly, but I accept that the concepts are complex to grasp and translating them is not as easy as it might seem.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the chief learning officer for Blockchain Institute of Technology, an education and certification organization focused on blockchain technology and cryptocurrency.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Capital Numbers?

I have used them for multiple web design projects spanning more than a decade, and they have become my go-to web development and online marketing firm. They have designed and developed multiple websites both for myself and for my clients.

What were your goals for this project?

In the redesign of my personal website, I wanted improvements to the visual aesthetics in order to promote my brand, while making the site very easy to update by myself. I needed it built using a CMS.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Our previous projects had been very successful, and they’ve always delivered excellent work at a very reasonable price.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

They redesigned my website and built it using WordPress, which enables me to make updates to the website very easily. They also connected the website with my email marketing service so that leads gathered on the website could also be gathered in my email marketing database.

What was the team composition?

Capital Numbers had a primary project manager who supervised and led a team of other developers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since launching our newly redesigned website, I have added several thousand new email leads to my marketing database. I have secured multiple high-value business opportunities, including several contracts which have paid the cost of the website multiple times over.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

The entire process was managed by a very engaged team lead. They used an online project tracking tool which tracked every step of the project, so I knew exactly what steps were being taken and what was missing on the path to completing the project. I received very good service and constant communication. It was very pleasant and professional.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They’ve demonstrated professionalism throughout my time working with them. I am glad I found Capital Numbers and I credit them for a lot of the success I have had in the web initiatives I have undertaken with them. They’re focused on delivering a great result and they truly care for my success.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, I’m very satisfied. I want Capital Numbers to keep doing what they've been doing all along.