Cobold Digital LLP

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I joined the combined research team of Hult International Business Schooled and EdCast in conducting the research and producing the 2021 EU, UK & US Learning Health Index Report.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Cobold Digital LLP?

We recruited Cobold Design to produce this report because they had already established a strong track record with EdCast in producing the LHI 2020 and earlier reports. We liked their design style, excellent graphics and wanted to reproduce this in our LHI 2021 report.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We were recommended to work with Cobold Design by our research partner, EdCast, in India.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

We had a discovery meeting with the design team where we shared with them our ideas and our need to match our report to an earlier version they created. We then sent them a 104 page word document with the text, quantitave data and design criteria for the report. I received weekly (if not bi-weekly) updates from the design team with the report pages in progress - and initially only sent back layout edit requests.

When the report was very near completion the full report was sent to our EdCast partners and our editor for proof reading - upon which the Cobold Design team made the alterations required. We continued to work back and forth to finalise some minor changes in the report, mainly due to our decision to change from US spelling to UK spelling, and some last minute photo changes. The final report is a 101 page document containing fantastic graphics throughout.

What was the team composition?

I worked initially with the Client/Project Manager and finance - to sort out invoicing details - upon which I worked very closely with dedicated design project manager and designer - who supported me throughout. The entire team was extremely responsive and accessible.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have just had a combined report launched between EdCast and Hult International Business School and already received a number of positive feedback comments and leads for 1:1 conversations about the research. We will be using this research report to continue to support our corporate, not for profit, and public sector clients in understanding what they can do to build a stronger learning culture.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

It has been a real joy working with the design team from Cobold design - and in particular I would like to highlight Himanshu, Shifali and Rohit - who were nothing but professional and friendly in our dealings.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their 'nothing is impossible' attitude and the speed with which they were able to turn our requests and ideas into high-quality tangible results. Their communication was outstanding, pro-active and timely.

Is there any area for improvement or anything that could have been done differently?

There is nothing I would suggest as I found working with them extremely positive.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the owner of Vasundhra Jewellers Private Limited - a 21 year old company in Delhi, India specializing in custom wedding jewellery.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Cobold Digital LLP, and what were your goals?

We needed to modernize and automate our CRM system, from a primarily pen and paper and spreadsheets based process to a web based system to match our present and future business growth goals.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We started working with them initially through word of mouth recommendations and since then have worked with them extensively. We are well versed with their technical expertise, so they were our natural choice for this project.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

We needed a modern CRM system. Their scope of work included advising us on the best options to achieve this goal and delivering the finished software product. They helped us realize that we needed a web based application for flexibility of use across any device and faster time to completion. Initial data gathering, collaborative analysis, specification of software requirements, and documentation, these steps preceded and streamlined the actual development process of the web app and the successful digitization of our legacy CRM process.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

The Principal Partner was our single point of contact, in addition, a back-end developer, a front end developer and a DevOps specialist were also assigned to our project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

Digitizing our customer retention management process has definitely helped our business. Our CRM process is now more efficient and more organized.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

They stick to the timelines and they have a very open and honest way of communicatiion. We usually connected over the phone or in virtual meeting rooms but their dedicated project manager made this communication process really simple and straightforward for us.

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

They proceeded with the project using a very systematic and thorough approach from the inception. This transparency really impressed us.

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

I can’t think of anything. We have an ongoing relationship with them, and we’re satisfied with the output.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a professor for a fashion institute in India.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Cobold Digital LLP?

We were trying to do a skill evaluation of the sewing machine operators and needed a way for the algorithms to be deployed in online and offline mode. We leveraged Cobold’s help for this purpose.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We developed a patented algorithm that could objectively evaluate sewing operators without any human intervention. Cobold helped us commercialize the algorithm and make desktop and web-based platforms based on it. 

The platforms could help us collect the shop flow for an individual operator and upload the data to a cloud platform in an encrypted format. The team programmed it such that customers who are looking to commercialize our patent could collect the data themselves while being restricted from viewing how the evaluation is done.

Most of the time, we don’t have an internet connection on the sewing shop floor, so the person who collects the data needs the authorization to upload the data once they’re connected to the internet. They set up user management and authentication for the web-based version of the app where data will be uploaded to. 

We have existing hardware and they integrated our whole ecosystem into it so that any data coming from the hardware gets stored locally. Besides development, they also oversaw the UI/UX design and graphics of the platforms. The team came up with several options for us to choose from when it came to the visual layout.

Cobold is now helping us develop another landing page. We’re also planning to build another platform where we could showcase our new products.

What is the team composition?

There are four people working on the project but we have a single point of contact.

How did you come to work with Cobold Digital LLP?

We knew the owner of Cobold from way back. He was very good at coding. When we did a Google search for agencies and went through a tender process, we informed and included him as well.

We asked three companies to give a presentation on how they would make the system for us, but Cobold gave us the lowest quote. Their presentation and planning were also very good, which is why we chose to hire them.  

What is the status of this engagement?

We started the partnership in March 2018 and it is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We had 5,000 operators at the beginning of the project and we’re now looking to scale up to 30,000 operators. The platform is perfectly capable of accommodating data from 30,000–40,000 operators, so we’re very happy with Cobold’s work. 

The team developed in a wonderful manner and delivered everything we were looking for. They made a robust platform that’s very detailed and easy to operate. Both the web-based and desktop applications are very seamless and well-encrypted. Thus far, we haven’t experienced any data failure. 

Cobold even built an extra plugin that could calculate the data that comes into the system and present it in a graphical format. Our clients were very appreciative of it when we showed it to them.

How did Cobold Digital LLP perform from a project management standpoint?

We made a checklist and shared it on mutual cloud-based platforms. Cobold kept everything updated and assigned one person to oversee all of the issues we were facing. Ninety to ninety-five percent of those issues were addressed while the rest remained unresolved due to us not having the resources for it.

I would rate them highly for project management. Whenever we wanted to reach them, we just messaged them on WhatsApp. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

It’s been a good experience working with them. Unknown issues sometimes stretched their timelines, but they were very prompt and creative. Cobold also guided us well on things we hadn’t thought about and explained what the costs would be for each option they presented. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

More testing should be done before handing over the first version. They should hire some more technical specialists.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I recommend working with them. I already have a couple of colleagues who want to use them for their projects.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am Lead, content marketing in Indian's largest online travel agency.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Cobold Digital LLP, and what were your goals?

We reached out to Cobold for the design of a set of customized playing cards for our customers. This was a merchandising idea to increase retention for reach our train consumers. These playing cards were also used as prizes for our social campaigns.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We selected Cobold as we had already worked with them for the design of other marketing collaterals.

Describe the scope of their work in detail, including any steps and the final deliverables.

We started with sketches for the special cards and then the number cards. Which were finalized and then created digitally. They also designed four jackets for these playing cards. Once finalized, the team at Cobold helped us get these designs print ready and even assisted with our printing vendor.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

I worked with two designers, and one account manager. Also interacted with the company owner briefly.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The product was greatly liked by our leadership. We printed 20,000 sets of the playing cards that were designed for engaging with our audience.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

We communicated over emails frequently for design selection and approvals. They were always open to feedback and easy to work with.

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

They invested their time and energy to create a one-of-a-kind product aligned with our brand.

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

They definitely chased us for feedback but overall it helped us complete this project sooner.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am an Associate Director at the Centre for Wildlife Studies. Centre for Wildlife Studies works on conservation and research around the Western Ghats of India and with communities living close to wildlife protected areas.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Cobold Digital LLP, and what were your goals?

An offline-first data collection platform to facilitate our field staff associated with various programs and reduce the usage of paper forms. The data is to be collected in a format that can then be analysed using BI tools.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

The vendor had a proven track record of creating custom web and mobile platforms and the kind of technology we wanted to use. They were cost-effective, agile and open to quick changes.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

The vendor developed the offline first custom web and mobile-based platform for us. It is based on React Native and uses couch and pouch DB for offline availability and syncing.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

6

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

The Platform is used by all our 60 staff members associated with different programs. We have used it to collected at least 20000 records of beneficiaries, surveys and location information.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

They work very closely with the teams involved to understand their pain points and work to make the custom software based on the constraints the users would have. Designed a good workflow and adopted the same with user feedback.

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

Their design skills and a sharp eye for the user-friendliness of a product are most impressive.

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

I would recommend they diversify a little more in different technologies. However they are able to deliver the custom applications in the technologies of their expertise. At times we wanted a different technology but they didn't have expertise on that but they were able to deliver the requirements within their tech expertise.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the co founder of Drishtee, a social enterprise. We work in the field of livelihood generation.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Cobold Digital LLP?

To build a barter (exchange) model. Subsequently, we have also hired Cobold for the overall development, coordination and integration of the platform.

SOLUTION

How did you select Cobold Digital LLP and what were the deciding factors?

We shortlisted 3 agencies and have smaller but challenging project to each of the 3. Finally Cobold was selected for the platform development and integration.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

The project is about development of livelihood ecosystem in Indian villages. It involves developing individual components such as buildings digital service layers such as electronic wallet, barter model, supply chain module. Finally all of these have to be integrated and connect to a central ERP system.

How many resources from the Cobald Digital LLP team worked with you, and what were their positions?

Over a period of 1 year, there have been 16 resources denoted by Cobold

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Today, in the pilot, the barter model has has facilitated in excess of 1000 transactions during 2 months.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We have a simple and lean technical structure. In the first round of development, the Cobold team has worked with a combination of management and technical team. Now we have hired Cobold for both the technical development as well for the role of analyst.

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

Understanding and enthusiasm was key to the success of Cobold's team. They are a professional unit that can deliver a high-quality application.

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

So far we have found them to be very proactive in learning from their mistakes and make corrections.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a developer for a website development company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Cobold Digital LLP?

We needed additional help with handling complicated projects and addressing them in a given timeline.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They helped with the web application services for us. They did both design and development from scratch. They also did website revamps and researched with content that we provided. In terms of technology, they used Vue.js, MongoDB, and PostgreSQL. Some of the functionalities included search and other special information features like displaying maps and forms to fill out for particular states or cities. They do backend services as well.

What is the team composition?

There were about six people, including a project manager.

How did you come to work with Cobold Digital LLP?

They were recommended to me.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $20,000 with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from March 2020-May 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve received great feedback from the end-user. The website is colorful, fast, and mobile-friendly.

How did Cobold Digital LLP perform from a project management standpoint?

They were open to every question. They also communicated their ideas on how we could make the website better. The project manager was friendly, and we had regular communication over phone calls and Microsoft Teams. We had alternating days of communication with the managers and the team members.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They understand the product well and come up with ideas to make the product as user-friendly as possible. They also investigate the things we ask for and suggest any better ideas they find.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Go ahead and work with them. Share your ideas with and take input from them as well.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am creative head at Avanti Overseas Pvt. Ltd. Avanti Overseas Private Limited is a 4-decade old manufacturing business, headquartered in Noida. We produce high quality pet products with a core focus on sustainability.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Cobold Digital LLP?

Website design

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

Industrial experience; Young and dynamic team

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

After a discussion on design direction and vision, Cobold team came up with ideas and moodboards/colour palette. After our selection, the team created various pages as per our needs. They gave us feedback on image selection, designed icons for us wherever needed, and introduced us to newer ways of putting the information across.

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

We worked with a team of two:

1. Himanshu, Principal Partner
2. Shifali Aggarwal, Associate Manager - client servicing

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We couldn’t be happier with the quality website the Cobold has developed for the company. It has been a super fun project to execute with a young, dynamic and uber professional team.

While working on websites can be tedious, they not only made the whole experience a breeze, but contributed hugely to the outcome. They understand your vision and make it a reality. The layouts and designs are absolutely fantastic. Thank you for the great work!

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We communicated through virtual mediums and that never seemed like an problem. They were very responsive and open to ideas, prompt in taking action to resolve any issue.They happily accommodated changes suggested after our review at the end.

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

They showed professionalism and were genuinely interested in our work. Revamping our website seemed like a challenge at first but the team at Cobold delivered our design vision beautifully. The positive attitude of the team and genuine involvement to solve problems to accommodate our requirements was commendable.

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

They delivered our project as per our needs, it's been appreciated by lot of our clients.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I work as an Analyst with a company that offers a unified talent experience platform designed to enable end-to-end employee journeys spanning learning, skilling, and career mobility.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Cobold Digital LLP?

We launched the Second Edition of our learning health report for 2021 which is aimed at identifying areas of excellence and opportunities for improving learning in an organization. Cobold Digital LLP was hired as the design partner for the report - Report design/graphics/iconography/infographics.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

Cobold and our team have a pre-existing relationship, with Cobold having been the design partner for the first edition of the learning health report as well. We have also been in touch with the Cobold team for other projects associated with web development.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

The initial stages of the project involved discussing the theme/concept and our expectations, regarding the look and feel of the learning health report. Cobold presented multiple options with revised graphics and layout of the report.

Once finalised, the content of the report was provided by us. We and Cobold engaged in daily catch-up calls to sync on the design and content layout on each page of the report. Feedback was provided to Cobold on a daily basis and results were executed in a timely and efficient manner, meeting expectations.

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

4 people were on the team for the respective project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The team was quick to respond to feedback and executed the requested requirements efficiently. Having worked with us on the previous report as well, the team understood our requirements, ensured consistency with the previous project, while bringing in a new look & feel to the report. The learning health report went live on 24th May and has received a large number of downloads and good reviews since.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We ensured daily catch-up calls between our team and Cobold. The team worked collaboratively and included the feedback delivered from our end each time. The reviews and suggestions during the ongoing project were communicated through emails and comments on drafted PDFs - which were well incorporated.

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

We appreciated their patience through multiple changes made during the project- minute and major ones. Communication was seamless. Project deadlines and execution were met and we appreciated the diligence at their end.

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

A little more attention to detail (consistency in formatting, etc.). However, with good communication and collaboration at Cobold's end, the final product was very well-received.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the owner of website that sells handmade crystal jewellery, crystal decor and spiritual accessories and also provides Crystal Healing services.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Cobold Digital LLP, and what were your goals?

I already had a website however I hired Cobold Digital LLP to completely redesign.develop it and they did a fantastic job. My goal was to create a full functioning, beautiful website with minimal issues and effective navigation and Cobold delivered.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

I found out about Cobold through a friend and decided to try them out based on their recommendations.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

There were several zoom meetings, discussions and step by step analyses of what I required from them as a team.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

The team consisted of 3-4 people - designers and developers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

With my old website, I had zero sales. After the website re-design, I secured at least 5 large sales in the first month and my followers on social media increased. For a handmade business, this was a milestone for me.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

They were easy to work with, and their management style was effective.

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

Whatever I requested, they delivered. I didn't have to explain myself too much which I find is very important when dealing with developers.

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

They could improve their communication and timelines.