Cloud IT Guru

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I have three software ventures, one of which I’m the president and I’m the VP for two. One is a pick-up and delivery service. The second venture is a special care app that stores information so individuals can get the best possible care and support. The third one is called EzPz and is built for smaller companies who don’t have the means to build their own app. It allows them to go online, put their menu, and be included on our local app. 
 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Cloud IT Guru?

Cloud IT Guru has helped develop the platforms for each of my businesses. 
 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They’ve done everything from the initial design and concept for each of our projects.  For EzPz, I just had the idea and concept, but they were involved in determining whether or not it was even a viable business. On that project, they used React Native, but in other projects they’ve used Swift and Java.  So, they work in at least two environments. They’ve built help desk features.  

They’ve also supported digital marketing, such as Facebook advertising, and postcard literature that we’re either going to mail or hand out. 

What is the team composition?

I think the team is about 15–20 people. 

How did you come to work with Cloud IT Guru? 

We were looking for a software company for our special care app. IN the meantime, a guy I knew from high school was working with Cloud IT Guru. He asked me to manage the development, so I met with them a couple of times. Once I started working with them on these other apps, it made sense to bring them on to my other projects. I was so happy working with them on the other projects, I recognized their talent, and there was no need to shop around. 

How much have you invested with them?

It’s around $200,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We formalized our relationship in September 2018 and I’ve been working with them ever since .
 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

All three products are better than we dreamed. And it cost less than we imagined. We’ve built a partnership with them. They’re way more than just a development company. They’re brilliant and understand big pictures well, for each of my three businesses. They immediately pick up what we want. 
Often, I think I know what I want, but after talking to them, it changes drastically. It’s almost always better than what I thought. 

How did Cloud IT Guru perform from a project management standpoint?

We set goals for each project and will determine what we’ll get done this week and over the next few weeks, into the next month, and outline priorities. We can contact them at any time, and they’re there at any time. We speak 2–3 times per week. We meet every Monday for a couple of hours. We use a software system to write up enhancements or bug requests.. They don’t meet every deadline, but that’s normal, and it’s not always their fault. For the most part, they’re pretty close.

What did you find most impressive about them? 

They’re so good that I would never entertain working with someone else.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Timelines aren’t perfect, they can be a little late. It’s not usually delayed too much, but it would be great if it was more 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Allow them to be creative. Make it a collaborative working partnership. They have the talent to do more than you can imagine. 
 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Canine Lab Testing is a start up company that provides lab testing services on site at dog day care centers and boarding facilities

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Cloud IT Guru?

I needed a company that could build a commerce website(app) that also integrated with a lab testing facility. The website not only needed to provide a platform to make accounts and take payments but it needed to push and pull info back and forth with another company's database.

What were your goals for this project?

To complete the website at a reasonable cost, so the concept could be testing in the real world.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I checked on references and became familiar with other work they have done.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

For the initial development I essentially provided a concept of the customer experience on how the workflow would happen. Then we got together with the lab company to understand how information can be exchanged with the lab's database so that form could be printed locally in the correct format. My role was to test the website and provide feedback on the customer experience. Changes were made very quickly. They were very good at working with the lab company's IT department as there were a number of challenges in linking the app with the lab's database.

What was the team composition?

I had a constant team leader, Vishu. I liked that because as a single point of contact he was able to find the correct resources to address the issue at hand.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I really appreciated the responsiveness. There are always going to be IT challenges, bugs, and problems. The real measure of how good an IT company is how quickly a company can respond and fix these problems.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

We communicated through zoom, Clickup, and some other platforms. I am not overly savvy with this type of communication but they made it really easy and chose platforms that were intuitive and effective. They were also available by phone, email, and text. So if I was having trouble I could always reach them the "old fashion way".

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They got the job done, on time and in budget. What more is there to say?

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, I would go back to them for my next project. As I roll out my service and start to build capital I plan on going back to them for "phase 2" of my lab testing services.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder of mActivity, a health community in support of our customer’s physical, social, and emotional wellbeing. We offer a full-service boutique gym, physical therapy, a café and wine bar, an art gallery, and a community meeting space.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Cloud IT Guru?

We needed a digital marketing partner and to redesign our website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Cloud IT Guru has helped in several areas, starting with our website. We wanted to redesign the site to be more user-friendly. 

Currently, Cloud IT Guru is onboard maintaining our website and managing our marketing efforts. The team works on Google optimization, paid ads, and social media postings, and have created widgets. They’ve also created a tool that allows us to pull data from our larger business software and use it for our various marketing initiatives. 

What is the team composition?

We work with Vanessa (Co-Founder) and Vishu (Co-Founder).

How did you come to work with Cloud IT Guru?

We found Cloud IT Guru on an online business directory. As a startup, we really wanted a smaller provider who would be able to dedicate a lot of attention to us.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in September 2015, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We track their success based on our conversions — the amount we receive compared with the cost is very reasonable. Cloud IT Guru has kept that rate very consistent on a monthly basis, making tweaks when necessary. 

They heard what we wanted and translated it into something that looked, felt, and worked the way we wanted it to. At this point, we’ve been working together so long, they can anticipate what we’ll want. As we’ve grown, they’ve been able to grow with us as well. 

How did Cloud IT Guru perform from a project management standpoint?

We’ve particularly enjoyed working with Vanessa and Vishu, because it allows for direct access. They’re organized, good listeners, and excellent communicators. We have a monthly marketing meeting on Zoom, where we go through metrics like our NPS. It’s been an excellent experience.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re highly professional, but they’re also delightful people. Cloud IT Guru goes above and beyond to provide for us. Recently, we were in the middle of negotiations for a potential site in Florida, and they were able to put together a mock site for us overnight, which was amazing service. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Not really. Sometimes we have minor miscommunications between their British and our American English, but there’s nothing related to their performance.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Come prepared with a vision you can articulate. Cloud IT Guru will make it tangible. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the creative director for On Call Caddie, a golf-based app for private clubs. I’m in charge of this project.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Cloud IT Guru?

We wanted to build a mobile app that deals primarily with texting and will have more functionality in the future.

Currently, some caddies are in litigation with private golf clubs over whether they’re an employee or an independent contractor. Clubs are looking for a way to easily make a contract with their caddies stating that they are independent contractors unaffiliated with the club, but they still want to retain the ability to ask caddies to come to the club to work when they’re needed.

On Call Caddie is an app that solves this problem. It sends a text to a caddie asking if the caddie can come to the club to work, and makes them sign a contract via a text message stating that, as a caddie, they are an independent contractor unaffiliated with the club.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Cloud IT Guru built both the Android and iOS versions of this app, and are currently helping us with testing and responding to user feedback.

What is the team composition?

We have a main leader that we go through, and I know that there are multiple people beneath them.

How did you come to work with Cloud IT Guru?

Another vendor who I have worked with referred us. He was very happy with their work for him.

Cloud IT Guru quickly grasped the complexities of our project, so we moved forward and began working with them.

How much have you invested with them?

The investment so far is $19,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them in May 2019 and hopefully will finish the project in February 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re very, very satisfied with the work they’ve performed for us. While the app hasn’t launched yet, everyone who has tested the app so far is satisfied. I also had coder friends look through the app’s backend, and they say it’s very solid.

How did Cloud IT Guru perform from a project management standpoint?

If we give them feedback, they always respond very professionally, regardless of whether or not our feedback makes sense.

What did you find most impressive about them?

These projects tend to lag, and that has never happened while working with Cloud IT Guru. They’re incredibly professional, and the biggest testament to this is their impeccable timeliness. They’re very good at deadlines. Everything has been either on time or early.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, not really. It’s gone smoothly so far.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They make all of their deadlines, so make sure you’re ready for them to deliver ahead of schedule.