Clockwork

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Digital Marketing Manager of BI WORLDWIDE

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We help Fortune 500 (and 500-like) companies motivate and inspire behavior change in their employees/sales team, channel partners, and customers through a wide range of solutions and services like branded merch, communications, contests and incentives, gamification, incentive travel, learning, loyalty, meetings and events, multi-channel marketing, recognition, research and analytics, and rewards/awards.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Clockwork to accomplish?

• New website build and launch

SOLUTION

How did you find Clockwork?

• Online Search
• Referral
• Previous Business Relationships

Why did you select Clockwork over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned
• Transparency of process, costing, and generally excellent communication

How many teammates from Clockwork were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

End product of the build was a primary US-based website with information/service/demos of products and services for 19 business units, thought leadership catalogs including articles, case studies, video, etc.; and 16 discrete global-regional subsites each with their own subset of products and services and localized content/demo suites/thought leadership catalogs, and a complex user permissions structure for editing and content creation. Services from Clockwork included consultation, change management, design, CMS build and administration, and a two-month launch process across regions.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Large, global/multi-national website. The Clockwork team was instrumental in transitioning away from our previous vendor and platform. They made what could have been a much more painful/fraught process quite simple on our end. The work they did is extremely visible for our company, it has been almost universally well-received by our stakeholders, customers, prospects, and prospective partners/employees. We will continue to work with Clockwork as our ongoing web development and maintenance vendor. The team is personable, professional, accountable, and deep with knowledge and skillsets, and we're repeatedly glad we chose them as our partner.

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

Early on in the process there was a failure in communication/time/budget management that put the project at risk of being behind pace and over budget. Clockwork took accountability both in work and cost, course-corrected, and even with the misstep, we always felt we were being taken care of and communicated with at a very high level. The team was flexible and prepared, especially as the project required bringing in more and more stakeholders on our end to onboard and administer a complex system to a complex team of wildly varying abilites/acumen. The way Clockwork responded to mistakes and challenges on both sides of the equation is/was, in my opintion, more indicative of who they are as a partner than had things gone smoothly the whole time, and it makes me confident in a long-term business relationship with them.

What was your primary form of communication with Clockwork?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

First and foremost, Clockwork is a process-driven company. Their design work is good, their coding is good, etc., but the thing I appreciate most about them, especially in a big, long project, is you know exactly what to expect week-to-week, phase-to-phase. They take great pains to think ahead, look around corners, and give everyone bite-sized, accomplishable goals in between progress meetings. It's easier to be accountable when you know it will be met in kind.

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

The design phase of the project was the biggest point of contention of the whole process. What was pitched by their designer and what was delivered round-one was very underwhelming, and our team was given less than one business day to digest and approve without risking putting the project behind schedule--no room budgeted for a round two, and a surprising amount of pushback against making changes compared to every other step of the project. We ended up bringing in a third-party designer to edit, iterate, and bring those first (and apparently final) drafts up to the standard of what was pitched (and not incur major time and money costs). Ultimately everything turned out fine, but that phase was a notable black eye in terms of expertise, management, and delivery in an otherwise very positive working experience.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Associate Director of Digital Content of an education company 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Educates leaders for Christian communities called and sent by the Holy Spirit to witness to salvation through Jesus Christ and to serve in God’s world.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Clockwork to accomplish?

• Audience research (specifically related to our digital properties)
• Hubspot integration across the organization

SOLUTION

How did you find Clockwork?

• Online Search
• Referral

Why did you select Clockwork over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Clockwork were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

The project sought to define the seminary's digital audiences and determine overlap between four key digital resources. Through surveys, stakeholder interviews, and internal strategy sessions, we worked to create a shared understanding that will help the seminary understand who is coming to each resource, and for what purpose.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Gathered survey responses from more than 2,500 users
• Created four key personas to distinguish one audience from another
• Provided next steps for Hubspot integration across two instances
• Recommended governance next steps for the organization

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

Yes, they delivered items on time. They were responsive as our team's availability shifted, and we were able to start the project with a bang and keep momentum going throughout. We ended up finishing a few weeks later than planned, but that was because of scheduling issues on our end. 

What was your primary form of communication with Clockwork?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Clockwork took the time to listen and develop relationships with our team and provided key insights for moving forward. They are an agency that realizes that the people in your organization are as important as the processes—without understanding our successes and roadblocks, they won't be able to effect change. 

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

We should have clarified how the data analysis would work once the surveys were collected. We ended up having to hire an additional data research firm to sort through the open-ended questions, and that incurred additional time and resource expenditures. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Manager, Digital Strategy of North Memorial Health

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are a healthcare system located in the Twin Cities that consists of two hospitals, 25 clinics and serve our community's health needs by providing a full spectrum of care services.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Clockwork to accomplish?

• Develop and maintain an intuitive and accessible website to promote our health system.

SOLUTION

How did you find Clockwork?

• Online Search
• Referral

Why did you select Clockwork over others?

• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned
• Reliable and consistent with the quality of work they provide.

How many teammates from Clockwork were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

We retained Clockwork to provide us with strategic planning for our website properties, as well as ongoing updates, enhancements, support, and general site maintenance. With a large focus on accessibility, Clockwork has organized and executed user interviews and testing to ensure that our patient digital experience evolves in alignment with best practices and user expectations.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Clockwork helps us create relevant and helpful digital experiences for our patients. The result is typically higher user engagement and conversions from our web pages and the digital campaigns that drive users to them.

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

Their project management approach has always been centered around solid communication. Consistency in support and expectations have always made us feel prioritized. Over time, they demonstrated a willingness to proactively address issues and anticipate challenges which is extremely valuable.

What was your primary form of communication with Clockwork?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

The depth of their skill sets and talent on their teams sets them apart. We've had expert level support for many consecutive years which creates a level of historical experience and efficiency that is very difficult to replicate.

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

Over the years, we've had a handful of account managers assigned to us, which has caused us to reset processes/routines. However, their technical teams have remained consistent and extremely strong, which makes the transitions easier.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director of Mayo Clinic Alumni Associations

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

The company is a large health care provider and academic institution.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Clockwork to accomplish?

• Website infrastructure improvement
• User interface improvement
• User engagement

SOLUTION

How did you find Clockwork?

• Referral

Why did you select Clockwork over others?

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

How many teammates from Clockwork were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

• Maintenance
• Quarterly manual monitoring of website application errors (in addition to automated monitoring of the WordPress applications and installed plug-ins). Any identified software bugs/defects will be triaged and prioritized client. 
• Quarterly evaluation and application of non-critical minor version upgrades and custom code validation, as needed to ensure the site is operating at a performant level (critical upgrades to WordPress and plug-ins will be prioritized).
• All non-critical updates (modules, bug fixes, enhancements, WordPress upgrades) will be rolled into one monthly update as needed.
• Regular evaluation and application of critical security upgrades and major version upgrades, as needed.
• Coordination of WordPress and Pantheon Infrastructure Support, including the deploy process from development/testing instances to production.
• Includes technical staffing and regression testing.
• Consulting & project management. Support
• Website support and enhancements as captured and prioritized with client (i.e., troubleshooting, consulting, responses to questions synchronously and/or asynchronously, minor enhancements, and additional training).
• Incidents reported by client and/or Pantheon (i.e., response to site downtime, data breaches, unauthorized access).
• 3rd party vendor support when needed (i.e., Shopify consultation, meetings, and communication with client and/or other vendor partners, including WordPress plug-in developers).

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Reduced error rate for many key indicators Increased back-end speed for content and digital asset uploads Significant improvement in coordination with internal user database Significant improvement in communication

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

They have a very transparent work style and clear communication regarding the tasks underlying each aspect of the work overall. They deliver on time and if that will not be possible, explain why not, clearly and with transparency. They are highly responsive and respectful of our needs.

What was your primary form of communication with Clockwork?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

I am continually impressed with their professionalism, transparency and responsiveness. Transparency is highly valued for us, due to poor experience with a past vendor.

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

I have no suggestions for improvement.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Senior Channel Marketing Analyst of a hot tub manufacturer.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Leading global manufacturer of hot tubs, swim spas, baths, showers, saunas, and pool equipment.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Clockwork to accomplish?

• To enhance our in-home sales app with a visually stunning and interactive platform that would allow customers to explore our wide range of products in both 3D and augmented reality
• Integrate the app with our online ordering portal, enabling real-time estimates and the ability to create retail orders with configurable pricing

SOLUTION

How did you find Clockwork?

Other

Why did you select Clockwork over others?

Other

How many teammates from Clockwork were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

A comprehensive update to our in-home sales visualizer app. The project involved expanding the app's capabilities to showcase our wide range of products in 3D and AR. Furthermore, ClockWork successfully integrated the app with our online ordering portal, enabling real-time estimates and the creation of retail orders.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Increased app adoption
• Successful integration of the app with our online ordering portal
• Positive dealer feedback

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

ClockWork demonstrated effective project management throughout the collaboration. They consistently delivered items on time, ensuring that project milestones and deadlines were met. Additionally, ClockWork displayed remarkable flexibility in their approach to the project. They adapt to changing requirements and accommodate any adjustments we request along the way, ensuring that the final product aligns closely with our vision and goals.

What was your primary form of communication with Clockwork?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

One of the most impressive and unique aspects of ClockWork as a company is their exceptional accuracy in delivering updates with minimal bugs. Despite the complexity of the project and the integration of new features, ClockWork consistently demonstrated a high level of attention to detail and a commitment to quality.

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

While ClockWork demonstrated strong project management and communication throughout our collaboration, one area where they could improve is in providing increased visibility to timelines and project updates. Although they consistently delivered items on time, having more transparent and detailed communication regarding the progress of specific milestones could have further enhanced the overall project experience.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m secretary and treasurer at ExcheQ, a  financial services company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Clockwork?

Our product had been handled by a development company that was sold and went from public to private. We needed a new developer to come on board and take over that product's ongoing maintenance, growth, and development additions.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Clockwork has made a top-to-bottom redesign of our product, which is a person-to-person payment application that lives on mobile devices and can be licensed by financial institutions and given to their customers. We needed the app ready to make payments on two new systems that are instant-payment capable. Clockwork has taken over development and added that capability to the app.

Initially, we provided them with a brief and had Clockwork work with the previous developer on the handoff, product knowledge, code, administration, and security. Since then, we’ve expanded the scope of work to include integration with third-party service providers in the financial space surrounding payments, security, fraud protection, and instant payment capability. They also provide ongoing maintenance and support of the product on a monthly basis. 

The app is white label until users receive an activation code from their financial institution. At that point, the app is customized by the institution as the source of funds for payments the user can make to anybody with a bank account in the US. On the administration and licensing side, the financial institution has access to a backend platform for tracking, auditing, routing of payments, and app activity. 

Currently, Clockwork is building features that will permit financial institutions to create, send, and receive instant payments on two different networks. The team is working in conjunction with a third-party service provider for these features. Clockwork is also working on a redesign of the administrative functions of the app for licensers. This redesign will expand the offering to include real-time funds verification, fraud detection and prevention, and automated and intelligent onboarding. 

What is the team composition?

We work with seven teammates from Clockwork, including a client strategist, the VP of business development, and a delivery lead. 

How did you come to work with Clockwork?

They’re local to us, and we were referred to them by another vendor we had a relationship with. We evaluated several vendors and settled on Clockwork because they had a very useful and well-developed internal structure. Their teams contained the elements we needed in everything from UX design to project management to development skills in the areas we required. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $115,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in July 2022, and the engagement is ongoing. We’ve just embarked on a new scope of work with Clockwork that will carry us through the end of Q2 2023. Moreover, our maintenance agreement with Clockwork is open-ended, so there’s no end date. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

When we brought Clockwork on board, we gave them a deadline to deliver a working demo of the person-to-person payment on one of the newly established instant payment rails. The team met the deadline with time to spare, enabling us to present the feature at a conference of payment professionals around the country. 

How did Clockwork perform from a project management standpoint?

They deliver items on time, respond to our needs, and stay on budget. Clockwork is very good at communication, transparency, listening, and learning. They’re very open to giving and receiving ideas to improve the process on an ongoing basis. We primarily communicate through Zoom meetings. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Clockwork’s ability to learn and adapt quickly distinguishes them from the competition. They’re not stuck with preconceived ideas that don’t change. Instead, they’re always expanding the knowledge of the product they’ve inherited and the business segment where it lives. I’ve been impressed with how quickly they’ve absorbed a lot of knowledge. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’d like to see them bring in more staff to have more resources available. They do good work and could do it more quickly if they had more great resources. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be organized and have subject matter experts and relevant material available to Clockwork from the very beginning. The more organized you are upfront, the quicker they’ll absorb information, and the greater the value they’ll be able to provide and form an informed opinion faster.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a training manager at an ice cream company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Clockwork?

We hired them for mobile app development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Clockwork works on an existing mobile app for us that is an all-inclusive tool for resource management for our frontline team, franchisees, and store managers. I provide an objective or need, and Clockwork creates a work schedule and puts it into sprints. Whenever we incorporate a new feature or objective, they design and lay it out for us with a workflow and a guideline on how it will roll out. They also include how to communicate the change to the market.

The app is for iOS and Android and is also available as a web-based app, and it functions as our learning management system (LMS). This system includes our training operations manual and other features. One of these features is culture, which involves updates from our corporate team to our employees and from employees to employees. Other features include scheduling, temperature logs, and learning videos. 

What is the team composition?

I work directly with an account representative and a project manager from Clockwork. 

How did you come to work with Clockwork?

We found them through a referral. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $100,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in February 2022, and the engagement is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The app’s goal is to reach the frontline team and help me ensure that the individual employee is following the brand standards and knows our expectations. I follow metrics on the app through employee engagement, which shows how much the users enjoy it. We have over 2,000 users, and I follow them through their quizzes, weekly learning, log-ins, posts, inventory management, and secret shoppers. 

Clockwork has taken care of everything for us and made the process seamless; I’ve had to do very little work on my end. They lay out their designs concisely and clearly. 

How did Clockwork perform from a project management standpoint?

They meet the deadlines and have come under budget a few times. Moreover, they continuously report on their updates during and between sprints. Clockwork makes things easy for me; I only have to contact 1–2 people, and they get everything done.

Although they use a project management tool, I prefer a spreadsheet, and Clockwork has provided Excel and Google Sheets documents. More recently, they’ve been helping me through Miro, a workflow system. We use phone calls, text messages, and email for communication. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Clockwork makes technology human; they can work with someone who knows little to nothing about technology and make things look easy. They’re experts, which I really appreciate. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing they need to improve at the moment. I’m extremely satisfied with them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be clear about the outcome you want, and Clockwork will get it done.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the IT Digital & Project Coordinator of OptumRX

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Health Insurance and Benefits

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Clockwork to accomplish?

• Strategic App support
• Technical support and guidance

SOLUTION

How did you find Clockwork?

Other

Why did you select Clockwork over others?

• High ratings
• Good value for cost

How many teammates from Clockwork were assigned to this project?

1 Employee

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

• Digital and user interface guidance
• Strategy
• API and mobile support
• All things App and back end support.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The Clockwork team that we have worked with has been exceptional with not only planned out roadmap projects but with the ability to pivot during changes to the plan, do to corporate initiatives but also because of issues that arise.

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

Yes team has done an outstanding job not only delivery projects on time but a head of schedule based on the ever demanding changes.

What was your primary form of communication with Clockwork?

Virtual Meeting

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

To offer numerous solutions to questions or concerns. I’m impressed with the quality of their support and guidance. Just a really great group to work with.

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

None that I can think of at this time.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

 I am the Senior Product Manager of a chemicals & biotechnology company 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Help industrial manufacturers manage water.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Clockwork to accomplish?

UX Design

SOLUTION

How did you find Clockwork?

Previous Project

Why did you select Clockwork over others?

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

How many teammates from Clockwork were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

UX research and design for ECOLAB's flagship climate SaaS product

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Usage and engagement

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

Perfect project management and timely delivery

What was your primary form of communication with Clockwork?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Their user research practices and UX design approach take change management into consideration.

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

No, they were the perfect partner.