Codal

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

StatBoard is probably the only inter-organizational web portal allowing entities to compare their performance with their peers. I'm the founder.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Codal?

I was approached by the National Association for Pupil Transportation in order to develop a business intelligence portal for all school districts in the United States and Canada. Codal is my strategic partner for the development of the platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I had all the analytics required for the project and contacted Codal in order to incorporate the data into a web portal. It was a custom-built solution using AngularJS, HTML5, and CSS3 on the frontend. It has a Python/Django web framework on the backend, and it will feature APIs [application programming interfaces] for interacting with other system providers in the school transportation world.

Codal's team included 2 full-time offshore developers, technical lead, program manager, user interface developer, and engineering lead, the latter 2 being based in Chicago. Codal uses the Agile development process. The short timeframe was the main reason for using their team. We had a tight deadline.

Our user group consists of transportation directors. They're not technologically sophisticated, so we wanted to develop a starter kit for them, with around 60 data points and around 40 dashboard elements for measuring performance. We have developed a LEGO-like product strategy and plan to launch a new module every 10 weeks, implementing functions like fleet maintenance, safety, and finance. Rather than delivering a product with 800 data points all at once, we followed an incremental approach.

My local team is in charge of analytics and templates. By default, we are setting the performance standards for the school industry in the U.S. and Canada. My company will white-label the platform for other industry associations, and I plan to use Codal for those ventures as well. We can replace transportation metrics with ones relevant to law firms, offering the product to the American Bar Association. The same is possible with franchise restaurant metrics, and so on. The portal was built in a way that could enable us to replace one data set with another while keeping base functionalities. The conversion to another data set is only a $20,000 to 30,000 cost.

How did you come to work with Codal?

I have used Codal on 2 previous companies. Initially, Codal was working with a group for which I was a board member. I've also used them to design a reservation portal for a joint venture between 26 motor coach companies.

How much have you invested with Codal?

The first iteration of the platform had a cost of $150,000. Given the number of data points, we estimate that each additional module will have a cost of $25,000. We're adding 5 more modules as well as ongoing monthly hosting and maintenance costs.

What is the status of this engagement?

We sent our initial specifications to Codal in March 2016. We have worked on wireframes collaboratively in order to get a sense of the cost. These were laid out in April. The actual development started in the third week of May. The transportation platform was launched on November 6 [2016]. I was given a 6-month estimate for this project, but we actually completed it in 5. Codal continues to work with us on retainer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

After seeing it for the first time, 4 states, 2 Canadian provinces, and a Middle Eastern country all agreed to use the portal. I'd say the platform really speaks for itself. 

How did Codal perform from a project management standpoint?

In terms of the project's cadence, we established a standing meeting every Friday morning. This became an institution, giving us project discipline. My engineering team worked with 3 school districts in order to test everything. We also had a 3-member product advisory committee from the transportation association as well as a group of 15 school districts with which we could test ideas. The parties involved had access to the software through Codal's project management portal, making it a transparent process all the way through. If there was a problem, everyone knew about it and worked to fix it, instead of trying to hide issues.

What did you find most impressive about Codal?

Codal's client management team allowed me to call them, even at 10 p.m., during the development phase, if I required it. The business relationship element was very important to them. We could have more than a 9 to 5 relationship. I also found the process well managed. They documented their activities and procedures for us better than expected. 

Are there any areas Codal could improve?

Our product advisory group, beta testers, and advanced engineering groups were all involved in the work. This led to the specification management and tracking to be loose at times. If someone had an idea for the portal, Codal was able to integrate it successfully, but it still amounted to 3 hours outside of the original spec. I agreed to every change made, but it made tracking the product reviews more difficult. It's an evolutionary process, so it's possible to forget what the original spec was. We didn't overrun the budget, and the work was also delivered on time, so we were fine in this regard.

BACKGROUND

Over six months ago, we brought an app to Codal which didn't work well at all. It was riddled with bugs and had a backend that was just terribly done by past developers. We asked Codal to rehab that app to the point where it functioned and then simultaneously rebuild the app from the ground up. Not only did Codal do triage on the first app perfectly within weeks, but Codal also rebuilt the new app perfectly within a few short months!

I met the Chief Executive Officer, Keval, at the TechWeek in Chicago about a year ago and was impressed with his knowledge of CRM [customer relationship management], his ability to speak of the complex social API integration, and the projects they had done in the past. After interviewing 14 firms to develop our app, we landed on Codal. They have been phenomenal partners and I can personally attest that you will not go wrong with these guys!

Our app, Contap, is a networking app that allows young professionals to connect instantly in person and share only what social platforms and contact info they want with their new friends. Users can customize exactly what they share with new people, and then view all that social content from one app. We integrate with Dropbox to allow users to also share documents of any kind. Additionally, users can log into their Salesforce.com account to easily send new Contaps to their CRM without any data entry. You can even share your contact information with people who don't even have the app through a one-way share feature.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

We were trying to have users load up their contact information and major social media platforms so that when users were together in person, they could tap on a button, and be instantly connected to each other- and then share the customized information that they had loaded at that time. After that, we wanted each user to be able to view this information that was shared with them from the same app, in a unique way. Aside from this, we wanted to integrate with cloud-based document storage companies, as well as cloud-based CRM's in order to share documents and store new contacts to their CRM's, respectively.

SOLUTION

Codal worked with us every step of the way to design an app that could be used cross-platform to connect in person and share customized contact information and social platforms. They have exceeded every expectation. We even had an in person planning session at their offices in Chicago to ensure we had every detail ironed out. They successfully integrated Dropbox, Salesforce.com, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Linkedin, WhatsApp, in a unique and custom Group Share feature, a unique and custom One-Way Share feature, a unique Connect Nearby feature, a contact integration with a unique user interface element, and so much more. The app is exactly as we had dreamt it up, with so much more. The developers are extremely accessible, the project managers are on top of everything, and the final product is a true testament to their quality developers and their process. They get the job done!

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Codal is a professional firm. What they say they can do, they do it. I had numerous firms tell me that what I wanted to create was "not possible"... not only did Codal do it, they did it extremely fast. Whatever you can dream up, Codal can create it for you.

The developers at Codal not only completed every single item that we had in our scope of work, but they also suggested and added features and elements into the app that I had not considered.

Codal was both on time and on budget with our app. I asked many times for changes, and I also made many mistakes which they fixed for me. They never once complained or were visibly annoyed by the changes we made in the process, they simply rolled with the changes, made corrections, and finished the app according to the new specs. I couldn't be happier with their work.

Working with Codal is extremely easy, and they will save you an enormous amount of time and money. I wish that I had found them sooner!

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a production brewery based in Chicago. I am a co-founder and co-owner of the company. I also run the business side as the chief executive officer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Codal?

We needed to create a new website for the company. Our old site was slow, clunky, and not the best representation of our brand. We don't have technical staff here so we had to find a partner who could produce the code and the designs we needed and then actually launch the site. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Codal built my site from scratch, using WordPress. Our page is mostly informational, also allowing users to contact us and sign up for our newsletter. We also have merchandising and processing components on the site. We had an idea for the site, but Codal helped us design it. We went through a couple of iterations for the site, before deciding on one.

From a day-to-day basis, depending on the project phase, we worked with 4 people from Codal, including a project manager, a designer, a developer, and a member focused on collecting information.

How did you come to work with Codal?

A friend had worked with Codal on their website.

How much have you invested with Codal?

So far, we've spent around $12,000-15,000 for Codal's services.

What is the status of this engagement?

Codal delivered our site in March 2016, after a 4-5-month development period. The work has mostly concluded. There is one more page to be designed, for our tasting room, but we plan to revisit it in the future.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

People have loved our new website. It is easy to use, seamless, and visually-attractive. Codal was able to implement whatever I asked for and deal with me. The website is very well-organized and thoughtful.

How did Codal perform from a project management standpoint?

Codal made corrections when I asked for them and they used a very good portal for keeping track of the project. We also monitored changes through shared spreadsheets. Our budget for the work was never a question. Codal gave us an hourly rate and an estimated total number of hours, which was what we were billed for at the end.

What did you find most impressive about Codal?

Codal was very easy to work with, which is not always the case for this type of project, because of personality issues. Our project leader from Codal was incredibly easy to correspond with, especially given that website design is not my area of expertise. Codal understood what I wanted to say and translated that into a good product. They were very hands-on.

Are there any areas Codal could improve?

From my experience, Codal proved to be exactly what I was looking for. They gave me a fantastic work product in the end. We've made a few tweaks since then, and Codal helped out, maintaining good customer service.

I initially approached Codal's designer thinking that I could give them a conceptual or philosophical idea of what I was trying to accomplish and have them build something for us. I came to find out that we needed to provide more details on what the specific content would be and what layout we wanted. The more homework a client does on what they're looking for upfront, the better.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We are an online business platform designed for the custom furnishing market. We provide a marketplace which showcases products for different manufacturing brands, facilitating access to showrooms and authorized dealers for design professionals. We enable the collaboration and tracking of product specification changes, as well as online orders.

What is your position?

I am the chief executive officer of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Codal?

We are fully-dependent on an online platform, so we needed to work with a company that could develop the platform itself. We have a mobile application as well.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement.

We are a startup with very limited resources, so we used Codal to help us develop our concept. They were a small company offering many of the services found in a larger development house. We used Codal for business intelligence gathering, user experience design, as well as the architecture of the platform.

Codal used resources both in Chicago and in India. Their development team is in India, but they have a graphic designer in London, who was excellent. Not including the Indian developers, our team consisted of 5-6 people involved in user experience, project management, architecture design, and graphic design. The Indian development team consisted of 6-8 people, depending on our production stage.

How did you come to work with Codal?

I reached out to a number of companies in the Chicago area, put a spec together and started a bidding process. Codal came through out of 4 total candidates. Codal and one other company were very close in terms of quote and past experience. Coming from an IT corporate background, I was fairly certain of what I should expect. Codal's price was competitive.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Codal 15 months ago. We are about 4 months away from launch.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

Our company was only launched last week, at a trade show. We showed a demo of the platform, but we're not ready to go into full production. Codal was very good at meeting our deadline. We had to have a working prototype, but they came through. I'm very confident that we will meet our launch in 4-months' time.

After 15 months, we've created a very good relationship with Codal, which is always a positive. There are typical pressures for startup businesses, but Codal has come through and turned out to be a nice group to work with.

How did Codal perform from a project management standpoint?

This was a big project, but we've managed to stay within timelines. Codal was generous in not nickel-and-diming us, which I appreciated. There has been some management change, but it was handled reasonably. Overall, Codal came in on budget and they've been on track timewise as well. It's been a very good experience.

Codal used very good tools for project management, helping organize the process. We use Teamwork Projects, which is a very good online form through which we share all documentation. Axure Share is the prototyping tool we've used, while Jira is used by Codal for software development. Any issues are reported through the Jira screen capture, which makes a ticket for the team. This has helped the prototyping process and our feed-back loop. There were no surprises. Everyone on my team, as well as on Codal's, has had full transparency.

What distinguishes Codal from other providers?

I interviewed 4 companies for this particular project. Codal stood out through their sensitivity to the startup experience. I know that they have had experiences with other startups and really grasped the challenges. This has enabled them to fill in the gaps for us. As we developed the project, there was a big need to interact. I wish that I would have had more resources to send to project meetings, but Codal has been incredibly patient overall. Also, Codal has a great understanding of cloud-based solutions and how they can best be leveraged. Our platform is very complex and involves a lot of back-and-forth messaging. Codal has a good sense of leveraging utility tools.

Is there anything Codal could have improved or done differently?

I couldn't point to anything in particular. The shortcomings in our moving the project forward had more to do with our company's limited resources. Codal did an excellent job of bridging the gap whenever we needed support.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

The experience that I have with them to date is for an application that I had them developing for me as a side project myself, not really affiliated with a company. The app itself is called Tabd, and it's kind of a guitar player's workspace for collaboration. I've since also hired them through a different business that I work for full-time to do development work for us. That has only just started, so it's probably easier if I speak about the personal project that they've been working on for me.

What is your position?

I'm an entrepreneur.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Codal?

I had conceived of this concept to create an application for guitar players to collaborate and communicate via their smartphones. I had been kind of sitting on it for a while, and I never really had the skill sets to do any development or design work because I know nothing of mobile applications. I started thinking about pursuing it to see what would come of it, and started doing some research to find a developer who would be able to meet my price range and my requirements for developing the application, and that's how I happened upon Codal.

The app is [similar to] a social networking application, whereby you can comment and interact with other users through text messages or audio comments. There's a lot of the sharing functionality going back between individual users, There is also a design or UI [user interface] to allow the users to write in a specific musical language called tablature. It's relatively simple  – just a way of using numbers to communicate and identify the strings and the frets on the fretboard. It's a way that guitar players actually read music without being able to read music. They had to provide interface for the user to input that information, to share it with others, to comment, and so on. At the moment, the app is only for iPhone.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in more detail.

They did all the development. In terms of the design, I had already come to them with a pretty fleshed out user interface to begin with. They just kind of took my wireframes and templates and added some tweaks here and there to improve the way that the user interacts with the application. I knew nothing about development, so they did everything on the technical end. They also performed quality assurance testing. They worked closely with me to resolve the bugs that came up.

How did you come to work with Codal?

They were actually a referral to me through another company, PunchKick Studios, which is another mobile development firm that handles more enterprise-level clients, so I wasn't really a good fit for them, and they referred me to Codal.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

It was probably about $15,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The relationship is ongoing. The initial scope of work was completed. Then, before I actually launch it in the Apple Store, I wanted to make a few other enhancements, which is what we're working on right now. The actual app isn't live for users just yet.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics, metrics or user feedback from this engagement?

Obviously, I can't provide any statistical information but, in terms of benchmarking the overall quality and UI/UX [user experience] of the application, I benchmark it against a lot of applications that I use in my personal life. I draw highly from applications that I find to be intuitive, like Evernote or Wunderlist, or these other file-sharing applications that have simplistic functionality that is easy to understand. To that extent, I think that the quality of their work is pretty much at my expectations.

How did Codal perform from a project management standpoint?

In terms of the actual timeline and project management, I wasn't 100 percent satisfied. I can't really speak to how much of that rested on me as a client and not so much on Codal, but I guess I would have liked the project to have been completed in a more timely fashion than it actually was. It kind of dragged out for a while.

However, I do know that, given the amount of money that I paid them, I don't think that they were able to allocate the number of resources that they typically do to a normal client who isn't funding a project all by themselves. In part, it probably was a little bit on my side, and part of it was probably due to resource allocation on theirs, although I can't claim specifically to be unhappy with it. I just would have liked it to have been completed quicker.

As a project management tool, I think they use something like Workspace, or one of those project management systems that is like a bulletin board you can communicate on. I can't remember it specifically what it was called. Then they also used JIRA for task management.

What distinguishes Codal from other providers?

Honestly, I don't really have too much experience to make any real comparisons. I did work with one mobile developer prior to them for an unrelated project, and I was not at all happy with them. I thought that they actually did a pretty poor job in terms of communication and follow up. Based on that, I think Codal did a phenomenal job, if I were to benchmark them against a company that I had previous experience with. Their team is really easy to work with, especially on the business development, sales, and project management side of things.

Is there anything Codal could have improved or done differently?

Besides remaining within specified timelines in the development cycle, the only other one would probably be just general understanding and commitment to the scope of work. I know it's pretty difficult, when you're developing something from scratch, to come to an agreement and flesh out all the features and functionalities fully prior to the project even beginning, and things happen along the way. I guess that would probably be an area that they could improve upon. I think that's an area that anybody can improve upon.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

Currently, I work for a company called Telarus Solutions. We help nonprofits and small businesses build e-commerce-capable websites, refresh their websites, a full array of website design and development services as well as select and connect them to other IT [information technology] resources that they need to be successful.

What is your position?

I am the president.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Codal?

The original challenge was that it was a large client, meaning it was the United Airlines Foundation. Having such a big name client was a big undertaking, so we wanted to make sure we got it done right. We were in need of a solution that allowed us to transition from a paper-based, manual process to an online process of collecting what were called volunteer impact grant applications from United Airline employees around the globe.

It allowed the application process for grants that were made by United Airlines Foundation back to employees, volunteer community-based organizations, and it directed those grants of a $1,000-$1500 back to those employees' designated agencies where they volunteered. In past years, that had all been completed through traditional paper applications and, this year, we automated that process using Codal's frontend application and backend CMS [content management system].

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in more detail.

We really simplified the technology. It was a web-based application platform wherein employees had to create a profile, which was verified by United Airlines so that they were sure of the applicant being an employee, so we had them engaged in the process. Once the profile was validated, then the employee could enter in their unique information.

Our job is to make sure that the information was all accurate and valid; that the agencies they volunteered for were, in fact, 501(c)(3) designated organizations, which means we needed to know their EIN (employer identification number). We verified them using a nonprofit website that collects all the tax information for nonprofits and public charities across the country. Then we verified it with the CMS, and then processed all the payments to those organizations. I don't know how the CMS was packaged or whether there was a template, but we were able to customize it to the needs and the questions that were asked on our applications. This was done last fall, and I don't recall exactly what the solution was.

How did you come to work with Codal?

Part of my job is to identify strategic resources for my customers, and I came across Codal at TechWeek, which was held here in Chicago in June 2014. I basically did research on a number of different companies, and then prequalified them through interviews, checking references, and looking at their previous work. We did that for a half dozen or so companies that were in their space.

I actually contacted three companies, and Codal came in with the most accurate response, under budget, and in a timely manner, so they could finish on time. We were in a need for speed, so to speak, because United had taken their time to make a decision in selecting us to do the work, and it was a matter of moving rapidly. Codal guaranteed they would do the work in the timeline we had, which was within 30 days.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

It was less than $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project is complete.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics, metrics, or user feedback from this engagement?

The feedback has been positive. We have not received any negative feedback from the applicants from United, or internally, from any of the processing that we had to do. It was all smooth. We went through a couple additions of a rough draft of the application itself online. Even though we put it exactly how they had it on paper to online, the minute it was online, it became much more visible to anybody in United, and it became much more important that everything was worded entirely correctly, including all of the pull-down options and menu options for the multiple choice questions that they had.

Once it became much more visible, then everybody had to get their two cents in, and there were a few different edits and drafts of what became the final version. Using the project management system that Codal had put in place allowed us to respond to the needs of our client, put it in the PMS [project management system], and then the changes were done in a rapid manner because they're basically up and running almost 24/7 with their offshore development team.

I believe there were 500 applications submitted through this process, which was more than they got when they did it by paper. I believe there were 20 to 30 percent more applications submitted, which was great, because in prior years they didn't give out all the money that they had available to them through the foundation. This ensured that they were maximizing the company's ability to give to employees' designated agents, which we did this year.

How did Codal perform from a project management standpoint?

We had a dedicated project manager here locally, in Chicago, and he did a great job coordinating everything and making sure all the milestones were met. It was nice to be able to put something in on a Friday, and on Monday come into the office and have the requested work already done.

What distinguishes Codal from other providers?

I would say that this was probably a small project. The unique thing to me was that it really didn't matter to them. They said it's a name-brand client, and that they wanted to build a relationship with me and my organization, to do more work. Regardless of revenue size, Codal wanted to do a quality job, which I respected. Many times, I've seen smaller budget projects get pushed down the queue quickly. They never gave me an indication that that was the case at all.

Is there anything Codal could have improved or done differently?

They're an offshore organization, so the only thing is sometimes difficulty with communication. We have to ensure that the English they used was not the King's English. It had to be American English. When they're in India, "insure" versus "ensure" becomes a difficult thing to put into writing. Sometimes, when you're talking on conference calls, there is some difficulty there. However, I would say that having the local project manager always ensured that we were able to have good communication.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I work in Operations for an ecommerce company

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are an online retailer for Sports and Fitness equipment

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Redesign and Update/Maintain Current Website
• Build new website for new company

SOLUTION

How did you find Codal?

Facebook Group

Why did you select Codal over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Referred to me

How many teammates from Codal were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Scope of work included an existing site redesign and theme update. This site was then maintained and kept up to date. We also had Codal create a brand new website from scratch for our new company and keep that up to date as well.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

None

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

Codal did a great job helping us redesign and manage our Shopify Plus store, as well as build an additional Shopify store. The management team was easy to work with and always responded to issues promptly.

What was your primary form of communication with Codal?

Email or Messaging App

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

They had account representatives in the United States that were able to manage our communication with the development teams overseas.

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

Our account rep changed multiple times so there was a learning curve for the new team members.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO at a legal firm based in Texas

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Codal, and what were your goals?

We hired Codal to build a legal AI based platform to help our customers managing their case

SOLUTION

How did you select Codal and what were the deciding factors?

Our business partner referred Codal to us and after interviewed with 9 other companies we decided to hire them based on their proposal and communication style

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

They designed and developed a legal AI based platform. We can't tell the details due privacy reasons.

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

There were 6 people in the core team, including a project manager, 2 designer, and 3 senior developers

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were able to launch the project early, which was a major achievement for us. Their team performed so well that we decided to continue working with them

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

Great project management, they met all deadlines. We communicated through email and skype

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

Great communication and their staff are very knowledgeable

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

Everything is great. Keep up the good work

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a marketing director at a graphic design firm based in Maryland

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Codal?

We hired them to build a new website and add modules and plugins that we requested and custom build the rest as needed for accomplish our needs.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal for the project was to get our new site launched as fast as possible as our old site was failing.

SOLUTION

How did you select Codal?

We were recommended to them from one of our business partners

Describe the project in detail.

We wanted to launch our website as soon as we could as our old site was failing both on speed and functionality.

What was the team composition?

I was directly in contact with an account manager that took care of all my concerns and needs and worked with the design and dev departments

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The project was successful on all fronts. The new website is fast and fully functional

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Quick and painless. Whenever I needed to adjust or make changes to the layout of the website, my account manager was quick to respond and produce results

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They have great prices for the products and the quality of services they offer and were very friendly and accommodating to all my needs

Are there any areas for improvement?

All areas were excellent I would not change a thing!