Computan

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are a SaaS application — an event sales and management platform for restaurants, hotels, and unique venues. I am the design manager, responsible for all visual design of print and web marketing material as well as UX/UI design for the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Computan?

Hubspot development, Wordpress development. We don't have front-end developers in-house to implement designs.

What were your goals for this project?

We needed an outside company that could act as an in-house development team would so that we can continue to keep our internal teams lean.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Great review from Hubspot.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Our goal was to design and develop pages in wordpress and hubspot, as well as email templates and forms, etc. We have used Computan to help with custom code where necessary. We've worked with them on many various projects. We are able to hand detailed design documents to Computan to develop on the various platforms.

What was the team composition?

I have worked with their hubspot teams and wordpress teams, and other higher-up account managers / COO. We've worked well in tandem with a simple design > dev process.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Just look at any of our online pages! They were all developed very quickly, and with strong attention to detail. They have done amazing work turning my designs into working pages, and we have even won awards for some of the work we completed together, such as being named "Top 6 Website Redesigns of October 2018" on Crayon (Medium)

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Project Management is difficult for my internal team because of how our company is structured, and thanks to Computan they have worked incredibly well within those limitations.

We have kept the project management process simple by communicating thru slack and via screensharing calls. We start a project assignment with a detailed design file that is handed to the developers, we then jump on a phone call and look it all over. 2 weeks later, with some back-and-forth, our projects are usually complete.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Sometimes our projects are done in a matter of hours. Computan works efficiently to keep up with the workflow, and they produce great work in a timely manner. Communication is strong with their team — utilizing slack has been a major help in keeping everyone up to speed. They often come up with excellent solutions when they find holes in the design.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Not really. It's up to the client (us) to keep in mind these guys are in a different timezone, and they work hard to keep up with the grind of East Coast U.S.!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

LJ Welding Automation manufactures high tech equipment for the metal fabrication industry, for applications ranging from aerospace, wind power, shipbuilding, to healthcare and everything in between. Our speciality is designing, integrating, and building systems that incorporate both material handling and welding automation into a seamless package to make metal fabrication more productive. I am co-owner and COO of LJ.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Computan?

Computan primarily handles website design, updates, and back end coding to support our website, but we are looking at expanding the services we use from Computan.

What were your goals for this project?

Fast, accurate, and professional updates to our website.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We have been working with Computan for a couple of years now, and intend to continue working with Computan.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Website updates, programming of web pages to ensure compatibility with SEO, aesthetically pleasing design.

What was the team composition?

We have a direct project manager (Sajeel Qureshi) who provides incredibly fast response times and a project team that gets the work done in an expedited and professional manner. We work directly with the Computan team for maximum efficiency.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our website is our primary marketing medium, so we value how it performs immensely. Having clean, clear, and well designed web pages are crucial to our customer's experience when using our website. Computan ensure that the quality and style is of the highest standard and that in turn has allowed us to expand our business to other countries and markets worldwide.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Sajeel Qureshi is our project manager and I have rarely worked with a vendor with the speed and professionality that Sajeel provides. Highly effective, friendly, and professional. Cannot ask for more in a project manager.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their customer service, regardless of how small or minor the request, was always met with a very high standard of care. Extremely fast response and reaction times. Excellent quality of work. Great value!

Are there any areas for improvement?

From our vantage point, we are at this time fully satisfied with Computan's performance, so I really do not have any suggestions to improve, as they perform at such a high level and provide great value to our business. We would definitely recommend Computan to others.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of finance and deputy CEO for Islamic Relief Canada. We’re a large member of an international family of charities in 35 countries.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Computan?

When our organization was a lot smaller, they brought in Computan to host its website and provide other IT needs. The scope has since changed as our organization expanded.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Computan hosts our WordPress website with GoDaddy. They handle our online security and surge capacity whenever our traffic gets extremely heavy. More than half of our revenue comes through our website, so it’s crucial that we stay online to accept donations from users.

As our organization has grown, our in-house IT capabilities have improved. So, we’ve taken over some responsibilities that Computan used to handle, such as redesigning and updating our website. This is only due to internal changes, not due to any lack of service on Computan’s part. They are still our first call whenever we need surge capacity or advanced technical guidance. 

Their team also has a back-up website with a bare-bones payment structure in case we ever have an outage.

What is the team composition?

I have a relationship with Sajeel (VP Operations, Computan). His staff of 2–3 people will answer any questions our teammates have, depending on the topic of the issue, but Sajeel is my primary contact. I copy him on all of our correspondence.

How did you come to work with Computan?

Computan worked with us for several years before I joined the organization, so, unfortunately, I can’t speak to how we found them. However, over the years, we’ve gained more in-house capacity and shed a lot of the initial vendors we used to outsource work to. Computan is one of the few we’ve kept on after 5–6, which speaks to how highly we value them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $25,000–$50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The collaboration started in 2008 and is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Over the past four years, our website has had at most two outages due to a third party’s servers, but not from Computan’s fault. Moreover, if we ever have any issues, Computan responds to us within minutes. Their prices also cannot be beaten; we are charged even more reasonable rates because of our humanitarian mission. 

We’ve stuck with Computan over the years because we’ve never felt the need to look elsewhere. The customer service, costs, continuity, and overall relationship have been outstanding.

How did Computan perform from a project management standpoint?

Computan is above average. There are inherent challenges to working with an entirely remote team. It’s not as convenient from a problem-solving perspective when you can’t just go and hash out an issue with someone in person. However, we haven’t run into any problems that are out of the ordinary. We communicate mostly through email or over video chat.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Computan doesn’t just serve as an IT partner; they’ve gone above and beyond for us when we’ve asked them to. For example, they now house other overseas employees we’ve hired to outsource routine tasks. It’s been extremely convenient and cost-effective for us, and they’ve been incredibly flexible about this initiative.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can’t think of anything. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We give law firms the personal attention they deserve, with all of the education, training, and support they need to nurture and grow a successful elder law practice. My role is Webmaster.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Computan?

Design and develop a new cutting edge membership and e-learning portal for our members.

What were your goals for this project?

Implement and deploy the new platform within the time and cost constraints outlined in the project scope.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I met the Computan Team at InBound 2018 in Boston, MA, in late 2018. They had a stand and I got chatting with them about our upcoming project. I was impressed by their knowledge and enthusiasm. Also, they were just pretty cool guys to be honest!

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Computan have supported our development process almost from inception, to realization.

They have provided multiple high level and extremely technical custom solutions ranging from a customized Network environment for WordPress, a bespoke e-commerce solution based on WooCommerce, and many more extremely clever modifications.

They also helped configure and develop our extremely complex membership system, all within the framework of a highly customized WordPress Network.

What was the team composition?

My main point of contact with Computan was Sajeel, but the day-to-day development process was handled by Shoaib, Kassem, and Haseeb. These guys are extremely efficient and proficient at what they do, often anticipating scenarios and solutions that would otherwise have gone under the radar. Their knowledge and expertise in the field of web development is a real credit to Computan.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Quite simply - this project would not have been possible without the expert help we got from Computan. Many of the requirements for our project had not only never been done before with WordPress, they'd never been done before, period!

Computan's involvement in this project has been invaluable. Some of the goals for this project were, admittedly, somewhat unrealistic given the limitations of 21st century technology, however, this did not perturb them in any way, shape, or form.

Many aspects of this project, such as integrations with other custom developed Angular & Azure technology, would give even NASA's finest research minds a hard time. And yet, not only did they meet our expectations, they surpassed them.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

The entire project was headed up by our Marketing Director, who was the over-all leading authority. The project was managed by me, the Webmaster. As nearly all of my company are remote home based the primary way for us to communicate with Computan was via email.

At least once a week, however, we would all get together via a Zoom meeting to discuss progress and other relevant issues.This proved both effective and economical.

Other tools used included Google Sheets, TaskRay (SalesForse), GitHub, and the good old cell phone. Time constraints were always an issue with certain aspects of this project, however, once these were communicated to Computan, they required no further supervision or directives - simply understanding the task at hand is/was time critical, and adjusting as necessary.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I appreciate their knowledge, experience, and how easy they are to work with.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None that come to mind!

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the IT director at Zanchin Auto Group. With over 30 car dealerships, we’re one of the largest automotive groups in Ontario, Canada.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Computan?

When we initially engaged them, we needed a customized web-based application to run our dealerships. They helped us develop the tool and have continued to update it over the years. We’ve since expanded their role to include other IT needs—they support any programming requirements for our digital marketing and help us with our domain name inventory.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Initially, they developed a web-based car delivery system from scratch. When a dealership sells a car, we log it into the system, record the customer’s requirements, and send it through our departments. The service department receives the information before sending it to the technicians. The detailers then complete the order. Using the tool, our sales team can follow the car and update the customer on their car’s status.

The system has evolved four times over the past 10 years, gaining new features to accommodate different requirements. Computan has built and managed the tool from the start. Even today, they’re creating an admins page that lets managers perform system updates.

Beyond that, the team also handles a range of IT services, including managing our domain name between our email server and site host and advising us on digital marketing projects. Computan is currently building our human resources (HR) website. Once I compile our list of employee names and passwords, they’ll upload it into the system and launch the site.

What is the team composition?

I typically talk with Sajeel (Chief Marketing Technologist, Computan) on the phone. There’s also an email address that goes out to their staff. I’ve gone back and forth with about eight people there.

How did you come to work with Computan?

At the time, we were looking for a development firm that could provide strong support at a competitive price. I found Computan because I knew Sajeel’s father. After researching their company, I felt comfortable moving forward with them.

How much have you invested with them?

Their prices are very reasonable. We’ve spent close to $100,000 CAD (approximately $77,000 USD) thus far.

What is the status of this engagement?

Their work started in February 2006 and is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

While I don’t have any hard metrics, clients give us immediate feedback when something isn’t working. In those cases, I can reach out to them at any hour for support. Their response time is great because they have resources overseas. If I give them a task in the late afternoon, they’ll finish it by the next morning.

How did Computan perform from a project management standpoint?

We’ve had no problems yet. I act as the project manager between the dealerships and Computan, translating business requirements into technical terms. If the team has a question, they schedule a conference call or send me an email for clarification.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We have a very close relationship, so I know I can reach out to them whenever. If I have an urgent matter, Sajeel will answer my calls nearly 24/7.

Are there any areas they could improve?

While their programming capabilities are strong, their design skills could improve.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be precise with your requests because they don’t necessarily know your business. It’s unrealistic to expect them to figure out what you want. For us, they don’t know the car business, so I have to give them clear instructions.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the owner of a small online business of Ultimate Promotions. We sell custom promotional items.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Computan?

I needed Computan to create custom templates for our HubSpot marketing system. We needed a new look and feel for the website, blog, and landing pages.

What were your goals for this project?

I wanted the new site to lend easily to users and conversions. The site also needed to allow me to make future updates and customizations on the landing pages without needing new code.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I found them in the HubSpot partner directory.

Can you go into detail about the services they provided and the scope of the project?

I provided the three wireframes for my the landing page layout. Their team then reviewed my needs and came back with a rough budget, and we settled on a reasonable retainer fee. They showed me their suggestions and began designing the site according to my specifications. From there, we built the landing pages that featured product selection, color pickers, and form integrations.

What was the team composition?

They provided a project manager who was occasionally replaced. I also worked with a team of about 15 coders and had access to a graphic designer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The site was launched recently so results are difficult to calculate. We have received positive feedback from customers and we’re expecting to see higher conversion rates from our Google AdWords account.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Though they weren’t the best agency I’ve worked with in terms of managing information, the work was complicated and they had their own way of handling it. We primarily communicated over email, which can be time-consuming when there are long chains to sift through.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I valued the ability to get what I envisioned at an affordable rate. They were professional through the process and performed consistently. Their team knew exactly how to accomplish the complex work, but also respected my skills in the industry. Other agencies had never met my deadlines or done the project in the order I needed, so I appreciated Computan’s willingness.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

It would be beneficial to use HubSpot for project management, as a HubSpot agency.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the owner of Frost Project. We supplement marketing teams and do agency work.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Computan?

My clients needed backend development to streamline their web services. An refined backend would also allow them to display the marketing content that we'd created for them.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They supplemented several areas of development and design, which was often done in a similar capacity. They worked with a number of technologies, including HubSpot, Icona, Marketo, and Microsoft—whatever the industry software was, they were able to develop a backend for it. In total, they implemented about 10 projects for us.

What is the team composition?

I usually worked with three people, including a project manager and a designer.

How did you come to work with them?

I was referred to them. At the time, I was looking at several different companies. I saw that Computan would be able to deliver great results, so I chose them.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $10,000–$50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them between August 2015–June 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I have long-standing clients that are happy with the services I provided when I worked with Computan. We retained about $250,000 worth of business.

How did they perform from a project management standpoint?

They oversaw all aspects of development on a day-to-day basis and kept me up-to-date. I set the goals, and they guided me through the entire process, letting me know what decisions I needed to make.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I appreciated the consistency of their response. They met or outpaced all their deadlines.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They should continue to grow so that I can use more of their services.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Start with a conversation and continue to have an open dialogue with them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the director of marketing for Vxchnge. We are a data center provider with 14 locations throughout the U.S. We offer interconnectivity, power, space, and anything else needed to store and house data and critical infrastructure.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Computan?

As a young company, we wanted to have our content reflect an approach that was different than our competitors who'd been in the space for a while and had fallen into repetitive traditions. We wanted to use videos and pictures to cultivate a new look and feel for colocation and data centers. Beyond designing new, eye-catching content, we also needed resources to develop an interactive platform that would accurately represent our company’s ideas.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Their responsibilities range from producing videos for our website to assisting in content creation for product development. This includes landing pages, flyers, and one-page white papers. They've also built an interactive platform for sales.

What is the team composition?

I work with two dedicated account managers and two designers.

How did you come to work with Computan?

Before working with Vxchnge, I was a branding consultant that helped smaller companies and private firms build their marketing team by outsourcing work to different companies, including Computan.

Working with them was incredible. They were a trustworthy vendor, performed on the scale of the project, and delivered on budget and within the timeline, all while offering creative insight. They acted as an extension of the marketing team. Because of that success, I've continued to take them with me to every company I've worked with.

How much have you invested with them?

Our base billing price is established at around $1,000 for 40 hours a month, which totals to about $24,000. The price does fluctuate slightly depending on how demanding the project phase is, but any time that they think we may go over budget, they communicate with me in advance.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our work together began in September 2016 and is still ongoing. I plan to continue working with them while I am with Vxchnge and with any other potential future companies.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The quality of their work is impeccable. They have continuous education training twice a year to stay in front of the constant changes in the digital marketing world. This training ensures that they understand the new trends in design, layout, and landing pages, and know what will quickly catch the audience’s attention.

They're always looking for new ways to help their clients, whether it's through continuous education, market analysis, or strategic partnerships with companies that will benefit the customer.

How did Computan perform from a project management standpoint?

The project management tool that we use enables us to easily and efficiently communicate. As a company that follows Agile project management principles, our projects move quickly, and emails can get lost. This tool has helped us keep track of our communication and project stages. There is a visual to-do list for each team, which enables us to see if a task is completed, in progress, or waiting on feedback.

We communicate daily through that tool by uploading tasks. The Computan team then informs us when they’ve begun the work, and we establish a due date. They have met their due dates almost every single time, which is impressive because we'll sometimes give them 24 hours to complete a task. They have a great project management strategy in place, communicate frequently, and are willing to put in hard work.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Computan acts as an extension of the team, going beyond the typical expectations of a third-party vendor. They produce high-quality deliverables, respond to us quickly—usually within an hour—and work with integrity. It's not common to trust a vendor as wholeheartedly as I do with Computan. They are a trustworthy extension to any team and ensure that all parties are working equally as hard to complete the project.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They are very upfront about any area of the project where they aren’t as strong or don’t have the necessary resources. That enables us to prepare our team or adjust the project to make sure that it runs smoothly. For example, they've been honest about the fact that content writing is not their strong suit and that they would need our team to provide the material. I wouldn’t count that as a downfall; rather, I appreciate that they're very transparent about their abilities and how that would affect the project. They're not afraid to ask what they need from us to be successful.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the Director of Marketing at Palmer Ad Agency. We specialize in both traditional and digital marketing. I also manage the day-to-day at our San Diego location.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Computan?

We had an in-house developer that worked on numerous projects, but our pipeline was getting backed up. Also, the quality of work for HubSpot development was lacking. We then hired Computan as an alternative partner.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’ve completed over 100 HubSpot and WordPress development projects with them. Primarily, Computan builds webpages or stylesheets with HubSpot. If we have a complex problem, the team will be part of the strategy, and we’ll reach out to identify our options. Once we know the options, we communicate them back to the client. Our side then does the design work and hands it back to Computan for development. Additional services include minimal design work and integration management on the backend for HubSpot, WordPress, and WooCommerce.

What is the team composition?

We work with about five people on a daily basis, including dedicated developers—one on the HubSpot side and one on the WordPress side. We also work with separate account managers for WordPress and HubSpot, both of whom lead teams.

How did you come to work with Computan?

We interviewed at least six companies. I had worked with Computan at two previous agencies and made the recommendation at Palmer Agency to move forward with them. In addition to my experience, we chose Computan for two other reasons. First, their pricing was phenomenal. Second, the team could provide immediate fixes for anything that went wrong or wasn’t up to standard.

How much have you invested with them?

We have a retainer fee and have spent $46,000 in the last year.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in October 2017 and have over 50 projects that are currently ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our ROI is 80 cents on the dollar. From a qualitative standpoint, our clients are always thrilled with Computan’s work. We don’t have specific metrics because clients’ results vary due to factors apart from this engagement. But overall, Computan has been completing products with greater efficiency over the last year.

We did give them design work, but eventually decided to use our internal design team. Quality wasn’t the issue; we wanted to increase our flexibility. We found that having an in-house team enabled us to meet face-to-face with the client and get better end-results quicker.

However, at times the QA process between our team and Computan would take longer than we'd expect. That’s mostly our fault because we’re trying to get multiple projects through that don’t necessarily have the timelines they should have. Things can fall through the cracks when we rush projects.

How did Computan perform from a project management standpoint?

They've missed one deadline, and it wasn't for a client project. Since the team prioritizes client work over internal work, they had to deliver one day late. We have two weekly meetings on Tuesdays and Thursdays to ensure everything is on track. The account managers are on those calls to walk us through project statuses; they then send updates throughout the day.

At this point in the relationship, the constant communication makes Computan feel like they’re a part of our team. We use Teamwork, but have also transitioned to using HubSpot services tools and creating tickets to send them. Computan works well with both tools. If it’s an emergency, the team is very responsive via email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They value their relationship with clients over anything else. Honestly, we need that; whether I’m right or wrong, they treat me like I’m right. The team is patient via phone and email. They never get frustrated or exasperated, no matter how many projects are sitting there. Even when we don’t follow their process, Computan exhibits a patience and professionalism that I wish I could bring back to our agency.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The QA process is the only thing that could be better.

Any advice for potential customers?

Do the groundwork first and get everything packaged and ready to go. Clients should build scope reports completely because Computan will complete the project faster than with information sent piecemeal. Be specific, and they’ll knock it out of the park the first time.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the Head of Marketing. We are a digital sales and marketing consultancy.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Compton helped us with our HubSpot CMS development.

SOLUTION

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

I found Computan from Inbound conference and liked their agile approach that fitted our scales-up perfectly.

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

Computan helped with all things related to our CMS: module development, bug fixing, custom scripts etc.

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

A few people over the years, they were all developers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The collaboration was fairly smooth and Computan was able to meet our requests in a timely manner and with the required technical skills.

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

We used a Trello board for all communications. It was simple and easy.

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

I find that they were adaptable and willing to meet the client's needs.

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

It might have been nice to meet the developers on a video call at some point, to make the relationship feel a bit more personal.