CCS Technologies

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a full-service commercial real estate consulting firm and a fairly large company in our market. We're in alignment with title insurance and the due diligence that happens during real estate transactions. We do environmental and building sciences, seismic evaluations, land surveyance, and zoning analysis. We provide written reports of conclusions and recommendations to our end users. I'm executive vice president for technology.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with CCS Technologies?

We own an online ordering platform. We hired them to build and maintain that platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Some of the platform is self-service, but there are several enhancement requests and upgrades. We provide mockups and informal wireframes, as well as any visuals and base functionality we want to see. From there, they do all the development and everything else beyond simple forms. We're also in the process of rolling out a new client portal and web app based on FileMaker Pro. We're building a custom API into the existing site that will allow clients to submit new orders. They use PHP and REST API.

What is the team composition?

They provide three members of their team right now, led by our account manager and our primary developer.

How did you come to work with CCS Technologies?

We were referred to them through an IT support team we worked with. We didn't work directly with CCS at the beginning of our relationship, as that support team was our point of contact until a year or so ago. After that team stopped doing ad hoc development work, they put us in direct contact with CCS.

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent between $10,000-$25,000, but that number will increase as we get further into the client portal and some future SharePoint development.

What is the status of this engagement?

The direct relationship started in March 2018, but we've worked together indirectly for longer. The partnership is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We process roughly $8 million of revenue through the platform they maintain, and we've always been happy with their work. The platform functions well, with almost zero issues.

How did CCS Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

They're excellent project managers. I believe they use agile framework, so everything is well structured. Communication is great, even in the face of a time difference. If we ever need to speak with them in conference calls, we schedule phone meetings in the evening through GoToMeeting and VoIP.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their price and turnaround times set them apart from domestic developers. Their hourly rates are very reasonable, and we know that they will return deliverables quickly.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Our development needs aren't overly complex, but there's nothing I can think of that they should improve.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have good, upfront requirements. Because of the time difference, your project will take longer if you don't have clear prompts from the start.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m an IT executive for a coconut oil production company. We make and sell coconut oil products for hair.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire CCS Technologies?

We engaged CCS Technologies to provide a disaster recovery (DR) solution.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to better manage our IT infrastructure backup system.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

CCS Technologies reached out to us. We felt that their approach and credentials matched our business needs.

Describe the project in detail.

CCS Technologies created and executed a DR solution. They migrated our email server and site to AWS. They now provide monitoring and remote infrastructure support.

What was the team composition?

We worked with 4–5 team members.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our infrastructure—including our human resources management system (HRMS) and ERP software—are safely backed up in the cloud.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The partnership has run smoothly throughout every stage.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their team is highly collaborative and provides excellent service both in-house and remotely.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, we’re highly satisfied with their work.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director at a distributor of auto components.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with CCS Technologies?

Seven years ago, we had a new IT software solution developed. We wanted an online platform to manage our operating processes. More recently, we needed slowness issues within the platform addressing.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They came to us and studied the standard operations of what we were doing. They mapped them with our old software, then suggested a list of activities to improve on, and some to discontinue. They also developed a few additional requirements based on market needs. From there, they modified the software using their technical skills. They added various add-on facilities onto the platform.

After 4–6 years, they had made a lot of changes with their in-house team and in April 2018, they suggested to reimplement the platform because we were facing severe slowness issues—the size of the database was too big. They did that reimplementation and for the past six months, the system has been performing well.

What is the team composition?

The sales manager is our single point of contact.

How did you come to work with CCS Technologies?

We had multiple choices and we narrowed it down to CCS Technologies. They were initially referred to us.

How much have you invested with them?

We have a fixed annual maintenance contract (AMC) in addition to the initial investment of the license costs. 15,000 rupees (approximately $200)/month is our AMC rate.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in 2011 and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It took about six months for the transformation from the older system to the new system. There were a lot of challenges with a lot of data migrations and we lost a huge amount of money during that time in terms of sales because we had to stop the entire operations. The “go live” didn’t happen the way we wanted.

After it did launch, there was no substantial difference in sales, but it gave us a good level of control because everything was centralized. We’re able to get real-time information, which is an advantage.

How did CCS Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

When implementation was being done, they were very new to the field. They had a lot of challenges with manpower and mapping out operation processes. However, they were responsive.

In terms of finding the solution, they had a tough time finding solutions on specific issues. We communicated via phone and email, and they visited us once every six months at our office.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They maintain a good relationship with us. Even though there were some tough times, they’ve kept supporting us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could have provided a solution to our problems at a better and faster rate if they had a stronger technical background. Some of their solutions weren’t made in a timely fashion. For example, it took a long time for them to solve the slowness of the system.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

No.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Sigbjorn Tveit: I’m the CEO of iQubeS, an IT software company that provides a digital platform for the operations side of businesses. Our four modules—CRM, project, personnel, and QHSE (quality, health, safety, environment), and a business intelligence module.

Alexander Kästel: I’m the technical manager of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with CCS Technologies?

ST: A domestic vendor developed our basic platform about ten years ago. Eventually, we realized that we needed an international partner to provide support. We then hired CCS Technologies as an offshore programming partner for system development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

ST: They developed a business system software that used Microsoft SharePoint as a platform.

AK: We use the Microsoft stack: .NET, SQL Server, SharePoint, and Azure. CCS Technologies has developed the platform with Angular.js and a variety of frameworks. In addition to backend development, their services include UI/UX design and frontend development.

What is the team composition?

AK: We have two main project managers. Those resources have stayed the same, but we’ve experienced acceptable and managed turnover.

ST: One project manager is more senior than the other. The entire team includes 25–30 people. CCS Technologies provides dedicated resources, but their employees take on other tasks as needed.

How did you come to work with CCS Technologies?

ST: At my previous job, we worked with an offshore partner that was too large for our smaller company. For this project, we wanted a partner closer to our size that could provide the service we needed. Our previous partner referred us to CCS Technologies, whose smaller team size better met our needs.

How much have you invested with them?

ST: We’ve spent €5 million (approximately $5.7 million USD) as of July 2018.

What is the status of this engagement?

ST: We started working together in October 2010 and the partnership is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

ST: The team’s consistency makes them crucial to our success. We wouldn’t still be in business without them. They are also more affordable than domestic agencies; we could not have made the partnership work with higher prices. What’s more, CCS Technologies supports our business interactions with every client—from large corporations to very small companies.

How did CCS Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

ST: We’ve evolved together, and the experience has been okay. We were used to working with developers from India at our previous job, so we knew what the challenges were. We’ve coached CCS Technologies to say “no” when we ask for something that isn’t practical. We prefer to lead projects and wouldn’t typically have an open collaboration with an offshore partner. However, the team’s ability to keep our requests in check makes them an exception. Although they’re remote, CCS Technologies operates as a part of our team. Our digital meetings are as effective as face-to-face interactions. Our company sells a ticket system to customers and we use that with them as well.

AK: The two project managers have been involved since the beginning. They know us and come up with great solutions as a result of that familiarity. We use Microsoft Teams as a communication tool.

What did you find most impressive about them?

ST: Due to CCS Technologies’ size and location, we formed an immediate relationship with them. We’ve since stopped looking for alternative vendors. I receive inquiries on a weekly basis from other companies, but we turn them down. We have no reason to not be loyal to CCS Technologies.

Are there any areas they could improve?

ST: Our work culture focuses on continual improvement, which is consistent with our ISO 9001 work process. Likewise, the team has upgraded their technologies to create a more sophisticated operation.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

AK: Clients should have specific demands and their requirements need to be on point. Both qualities are the key to success.

ST: We visit them once a year to replicate an internal team’s face-to-face interaction. Clients should copy our approach if they want to experience the same kind of success with CCS Technologies.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the SAP consultant at HIC ABF Special Foods Private Limited.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire CCS Technologies?

We needed to implement an ERP solution in SAP Business One.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to transition our business from a manual to an IT-based environment.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

They were very competitive within their industry.

Describe the project in detail.

They handled the full implementation process from start to finish.

What was the team composition?

We worked with 3–4 people from their team.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re now able to access and manage our processes online.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

It was very effective.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They centralized our data.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, not on their end. From our perspective, we’re looking to implement barcoding features.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am in charge of SAP implementation for a food manufacturing unit.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire CCS Technologies?

We hired them for IT integration.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal was to move our manual systems to an IT-based environment.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We processed several tenders.

What was the team composition?

We work with 5–6 people from their team.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We can now get all of our sales reports online, thanks to the sales module they implemented.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

It is effective.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They provide excellent support.

Are there any areas for improvement?

They need to improve their workflow.