Confianz Global, Inc

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We're a veteran owned and operated lifestyle and apparel brand with a patriotic and military theme. We're growing quickly. I am the director of technology for the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Confianz Global?

When I first started working for the company, all of our business software was segmented and only accomplished 80% of our overall goal. We were looking for a solution that could bring all of our business operations under one hood.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Confianz Global provided a full-scale ERP [enterprise resource planning] implementation for our company. We have an internal IT team, but Confianz was our point of contact for the software which we didn't understand, handling customizations and other things of that nature.

How did you come to work with Confianz Global?

We were looking at a couple of different software systems. I had done some research, viewed demos, found a few options for Odoo implementations and contacted all of them. Confianz is one of the leading gold partners for Odoo in the US. I called their company and talked to their CEO, detailing what we were experiencing. Confianz had a similar experience with implementations like our own, and they were always timely. The business relationship started great, so we decided to continue it. We had had some bad vendor relationships in the past, so working with Confianz was a breath of fresh air for us.

How much have you invested with Confianz Global?

The cost of Confianz' work has been in the lower end of a five-figure range.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Confianz in August 2016. We have an ongoing relationship which we plan to grow and maintain for as long as possible.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Confianz Global is the most competitively priced custom development team that I've found. I'm generally wary of situations like that, but I've reviewed their code personally using our internal software team and have been very impressed with the quality of code offered by Confianz. Also, the timeframes for development have been impressive. We have given them very heavy deadlines, given that we rely on the holiday season for sales.

How did Confianz Global perform from a project management standpoint?

Confianz always made someone available to talk to me. We scheduled meetings without any issues, my questions were quickly answered, and I never had to wait for a task to be completed.

What did you find most impressive about Confianz Global?

Because we have an internal team, I wanted to have them trained on the software and not rely on Confianz for support. They have worked with us not just as a software developer, but also as a partner, allowing us to do some of the work ourselves. Many developers won't want to collaborate on the work because of the complexity involved, so Confianz' willingness to work on projects with us was awesome.

Are there any areas Confianz Global could improve?

They are improving on any areas which need it. One of the difficulties is that Confianz' team is mostly in India, so the time difference can be a challenge. Confianz has been implementing 24-hour support, as well as a US engineering team, so we're confident that the collaboration will be even better than it is now when those things come online.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Stress Free Home Care is a non-medical service aiming to keep people at home, instead of in facilities, helping them with different activities of daily living. I am the owner of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Confianz Global?

I needed to rebuild the company website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Confianz rebuilt our website, integrating things like material about our identity, newsletters, and other general items. Confianz also provided SEO [search engine optimization] services for the site.

They did train us on how we can change some of the elements on the site, but I am not very computer-literate; I could call our contact from Confianz, who helped me with small changes. Their team always reacted quickly, giving me replies within 30 minutes. Confianz recently integrated a scheduling tool within the site. It integrates with our employees' database, so we needed to have a new login system for this.

How did you come to work with Confianz?

Confianz is a local company, so we found Confianz through our Chamber of Commerce.

How much have you invested with Confianz Global?

The price of our SEO work is $230 per month, but I don't remember what our site cost.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Confianz 2 years ago. Our website took a couple of weeks to build. They continue to provide SEO services for us.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I don’t have any metrics available.

How did Confianz perform from a project management standpoint?

Everything done by Confianz was in a timely manner. They are using a team in India, so much of the work is done at night. Confianz has stayed on budget and provided top-notch customer service.

What did you find most impressive about Confianz Global?

Confianz's customer service and willingness to make things right have been phenomenal.

Are there any areas Confianz could improve?

I have no issues with their performance.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a leading manufacturer of Automated Gate Systems (AGS) and other automated technology solutions. We have 72 employees.

I work within the human resources department.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Confianz Global?

We were making changes to our company website. It had been designed internally and was not easy to use. I specifically wanted to update some pages from an HR standpoint.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Confianz developed our website using one developer.

How did you come to work with Confianz Global?

I had met one of Confianz' owners prior to us working with the company. So when we needed help, I reached out to Confianz.

How much have you invested with Confianz Global?

The cost of Confianz' work was under $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project has been completed.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

As an administrator and user of the site, I can say that it's made my life easier. The website has become more accessible within the company, and also for potential employees visiting our job board.  

How did Confianz Global perform from a project management standpoint?

Confianz defined a statement of work based on our requirements and stuck to it.

What did you find most impressive about Confianz Global?

Confianz came to our company and personally met our staff, instead of doing everything electronically. This made it much easier for us to explain what we wanted. Confianz was professional during the entire process, delivering what was promised in a timely fashion.

Are there any areas Confianz Global could improve?

I can't think of anything.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the president and chief executive officer of Aqua Treatment Services, a manufacturing company. Filson Water is a retail business offering bottled water to hospitals. We also provide residential sales and service of water treatment equipment, including water softeners. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Confianz?

We needed to develop an app for our bottled water trucks, allowing us to determine how many supplies we needed to ship on each truck. It would be a cloud-based solution so that as soon as a delivery was made, the system would create an invoice. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Confianz developed our iOS app and performed an Odoo customization. The app allows us to send automated bills by email and handles many other issues for us. It ties in with the SOLIDWORKS CAD software while also linking with our inventory program. We needed the ability to sort our customer base by sales volume. Confianz had no problem implementing this and creating the reports that we wanted. They set up a server for us, loaded software for it, and helped with our data conversions. They've also provided training. We're currently developing a bar code reader for the system.

How did you come to work with Confianz?

We had picked the Odoo technology but hadn't had a lot of success in finding a development partner for it. We then started working with another company but weren't happy with it. We found Confianz through the Odoo site, gave them a call, and decided to use them. Confianz was one of the only companies we found that was able to program everything we wanted within Odoo.

How much have you invested with Confianz?

The cost of our ERP customization was $25,000 while the app was $7,000. We may have received a discount for it.

What is the status of this engagement?

For our Filson Water project, we started working with Confianz in June 2016. We're currently working on the Aqua Treatment Services platform. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Confianz has done a fantastic job getting things organized for us. We've been extremely happy with our app.

How did Confianz perform from a project management standpoint?

Confianz worked quickly and provided a web project management system for us. Everything was documented. Usually, we've been the main holdup during the process. Confianz has adapted to our schedule and it's also easy to contact their office in North Carolina.

What did you find most impressive about Confianz?

Confianz has very good programmers. I'm very happy with their speed and quality. They were able to handle everything we've requested easily and quickly.

Are there any areas Confianz could improve?

The team's first language isn't English, but this hasn't been a big problem for us. We've been overall happy with Confianz. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Element Designs was founded in 2003, in Charlotte, North Carolina, with an initial business idea of bringing contemporary European design to the US market. We started with aluminum doors, and have since grown quite a bit, reaching 12-million-dollar revenues. We have been branching out in various other areas, and 40% of our business is done with office furniture distributors. We also sell to various kitchen cabinet shops of different sizes across the US and Canada. 10% of our business is a collaboration with a franchise business primarily focusing on closets.

We also work with hospitality and retail businesses. We are primarily an OEM [original equipment manufacturer] business, but also have direct contacts and work through distribution. I am the president, chief executive officer, and majority shareholder of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Confianz?

We had a longstanding business relationship with another company utilizing resources in India, with US management. Our relationship started to go downhill, and we needed to take action. Ultimately, we were highly dependent on that company for our customized ERP system, which couldn't be taken over by someone else on short notice. We need to maintain lead times, which can vary between 3 days and 4 weeks.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We have upgraded from a 6.1 to a 9.0 ERP system, which was a gigantic step, taking us from a prehistoric to a state-of-the-art solution in one go. Confianz also rebuilt our website, making it mobile-responsive, and providing other enhancements. Confianz built a custom-made pricing tool which clients can use by themselves to get estimates for doors and send orders electronically. So far, it has been working well.

How did you come to work with Confianz?

We found Confianz through one of our clients. We engaged with him during some networking events and talked about the challenges they were facing, especially on the IT side. Their system was even more advanced because they are highly dependent on online trading.

We went through a due-diligence process with Confianz' CEO, who had never seen someone else take such a long time to make a decision. We needed to make sure that we were making the right decision.

It wasn't a big challenge, given that Confianz was quick to pick things up, and engaged in a conversation with our previous developer. A lot of knowledge transfer happened, which simplified the transition.

How much have you invested with Confianz?

Confianz is charging us between $35 and $50 per hour, depending on the complexity of a task. Daily or weekly tasks can cost as little as $100. Our biggest 3 projects so far have been in the range of $30,000 and $45,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Confianz one and a half years ago, and have an ongoing relationship.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We are still working on a few issues around our system upgrade, but Confianz has remained responsive, and they're ultimately interested in a long-term relationship. I have not seen any deterioration in their engagement and involvement with us. Confianz' deliverables are as good as they can be.

How did Confianz perform from a project management standpoint?

Confianz is very engaged with our company. Our contract had a strict timeframe, but Confianz was able to deliver on all milestones. Sometimes, projects can grow bigger than initially thought, but we can discuss the issue and add hours if needed. Confianz can provide a comprehensive list of what's needed, what our timeline will be, and what the cost is going to be.

We're primarily working with 2 resources in India, as well as with Confianz' CEO, who acts as a project manager, in many ways.

What did you find most impressive about Confianz?

We've had experience in dealing with another Indian company. Confianz' CEO lives only half an hour away from us, so he's been quite approachable. He is very involved with the American culture and understands what our needs are. Indian developers are very good regarding coding abilities, but they will sometimes lack business understanding. I have not had any negative experiences with Confianz.

Are there any areas Confianz could improve?

Confianz' team has overstretched itself at times. They're all very young, including the CEO, and work incredible hours. When this is overdone, although the quality doesn't suffer to a large degree, I still become worried. We plan to have a long-term relationship, so Confianz can't simply faint on us. Confianz' deliverables, work ethic, and price are very good.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Active Playground Equipment was started in 1993 and has a 15-person team. We design, manufacture, and install commercial playground equipment for clients throughout the province of Ontario.

I am the owner and general manager of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Confianz?

We were using multiple applications, including Simply Accounting, Excel for product costing, and Inside Sales for CRM work. We wanted to consolidate them into a single database so that there wouldn't be so much data transfer between applications. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our first step was to migrate our application and data from Inside Sales to the Odoo CRM. It was a big process because Inside Sales had an automatic tele-prospector dialer connected to it. The scope of work initially entailed getting an automated dialer that would match it. As we continued to go down the trail, our business model moved away from contacting customers using tele-prospecting, so we decided to use the out-of-the-box CRM application from Odoo. We were working with Odoo 8 while Odoo 9 Enterprise came out, so we switched to it.

How did you come to work with Confianz?

We wanted a cloud solution, and looked at the big platforms first, like Salesforce. We then considered the open-source options, including Odoo. We then looked for agents who could assist us in Canada, because we perceived using an outsourced company as being a big risk. We posted a request for Odoo assistance on Elance and were flooded with proposals. Confianz made a professional offer, and the US-based office gave us a bit more confidence.

How much have you invested with Confianz?

We are working with 2 Odoo agents, in order to gauge their value. The combined cost of these projects is around $26,000, out of which $16,000 is for Confianz's work.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Confianz in 2014, and have an ongoing relationship. Confianz is now working on moving payroll and accounting over to the platform. We expect this to be done by January 2017. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Confianz assigned us to a first-class resource, which was essential, given that it was our first time working with the application and didn't have good knowledge of it. Confianz steered us towards the right solutions efficiently. They delivered everything as promised. I rate the final deliverable with a 9.5 out of 10.

How did Confianz perform from a project management standpoint?

Confianz originally had us trying to use a project management tool for reporting issues. We found that it was very hard to communicate issues in writing. We switched to a weekly Skype meeting which featured all parties associated with the project. We discussed next week's deliverables, how they were going to be accomplished, and so on. Confianz met promises perfectly.

What did you find most impressive about Confianz?

Confianz's owner has a direct and open relationship with me. I've appreciated the personable nature of the company, as well as the quality of the people assigned to out project. I'm working with another agent in parallel, so I have a direct comparison. Confianz stands head-and-shoulders above them.

Are there any areas Confianz could improve?

I asked for some detailed reporting of the work done, and Confianz was unable to provide it. I don't think that they're keeping records accurately enough at that level. Some clearer accounting would be nice.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a non-profit research and education organization based in Charlotte, North Carolina. I am a part-time Executive Director of the institute. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Confianz Global?

We needed to completely rebuild a website which had gone into disuse. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Confianz redeveloped our website based on the content I provided. We had several rounds of revisions, edits, additions and deletions, as would be expected. Confianz was very responsive to our requests, and I've been pleased with their service.

How did you come to work with Confianz Global?

Confianz was referred to me by another client of the company. After that conversation, I was happy to talk to Confianz about the work we needed to be done.

How much have you invested with Confianz Global?

This is confidential.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Confianz 7-8 months ago. The work has been completed, but Confianz continues to make edits on our website.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I've heard from our board of directors, who have been quite pleased with the design, functionality, and organization of the site. As we continue to roll out research projects and interact with the local community, I'm sure I'll hear positive things from other individuals and organizations.

How did Confianz Global perform from a project management standpoint?

Confianz was quite responsive and met all deadlines. The project took longer than Confianz or I had anticipated, but this was exclusively due to edits and additions on my part. Confianz worked well with me on this front and understood the additional information I needed to include on the site.

What did you find most impressive about Confianz Global?

Confianz had a good eye for improving the design and ease-of-use of our website.

Are there any areas Confianz Global could improve?

I have no specific areas of improvement. Confianz performed fine.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Our company is a third-party administrator of health insurance.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Confianz?

We wanted to get certain applications developed at the right level of quality and cost-effectiveness. We talked to a couple of developers and wanted to preferably opt for a supplier that had health insurance experience and a level of business understanding for the needs and requirements of our software. This, as well as cost-effectiveness, were difficult to come up at the same time.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We are working with Confianz on projects for our Middle East offices.

Confianz was mainly responsible for software development and business analysis. We have different health regulators for each country of operations and were mandated to put a certain health solution in place 2 years ago. Confianz developed that software for us, as well as taking part in the business analysis and requirements process. Confianz developed a business requirements document and started the development of the software.

How did you come to work with Confianz?

We went through a proper request for proposal process. We looked at suppliers in the local market, as well as abroad. We got in touch with Confianz and saw that their customer service was quite good. Confianz wasn't really proficient when it came to health insurance, but they did have a basic understanding of the industry and were able to quickly grasp the needs of our business. Confianz also proved to be quite competitive when it came to going the extra mile and being able to deliver.

How much have you invested with Confianz?

Our local projects in UAE have a different pricing compared to the more overarching work done by Confianz. The cost of Confianz' work has ranged from $40,000 to $100,000 per project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Confianz 2 years ago. We have an ongoing relationship.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

In terms of delivery, I've been quite satisfied with Confianz. They always produced results in time and at the right level of quality. We've never experienced any major obstacles or issues.

How did Confianz perform from a project management standpoint?

There have been some hiccups during our projects when it came to resource allocation on Confianz' side, as well as timelines. The good part was that Confianz brought this up during the early stages and we were able to deal with the issues.

From a budgetary perspective, Confianz is quite competitive.

What did you find most impressive about Confianz?

I respect the fact that each country has its own working hours, structure, and local laws which need to be respected. However, when working on certain projects, I always expect the supplier or developer to have the same dedication and commitment to the work as myself. Even if it only takes an hour's work over the week-end to fix something, it's important for them to be there. These are my expectations, and Confianz has delivered. We've had some severe issues with our software at certain times. Since insured members were using the applications, this was a big issue. Confianz worked over the week-end and they were able to fix it.

Are there any areas Confianz could improve?

There is a certain level of continuous communication which is necessary in order to keep the customer satisfied. This extends past the duration of the project, if the developer wishes to keep up a good relationship. This level of communication, to a certain extent, is missing on Confianz' part. It was good in the beginning, but it faded away towards the middle, becoming inconsistent. Confianz could improve when it comes to communication and maintaining a good relationship with the client.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

Element Designs is a manufacturing company specializing in metal-frame cabinet doors. We handle manual assembly and typical packaging operations. We offer our products to the US and Canadian markets through a network of sales reps and dealers.

What is your position?

I am the Vice President of Sales. I am also one of the 5 owners and founders of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Confianz?

We launched our present ERP [enterprise resource planning] system almost 3 years ago, in July 2013. Prior to this, we had been running our business on fragmented systems, handling accounting on QuickBooks and tracking production planning through Excel spreadsheets. We did have a custom order entry software for 6-7 years, prior to using OpenERP, which is now called Odoo. We came to outgrow the team we were using as our needs became more advanced on the ERP and IT sides. We started looking for a new partner which could take us to the next level.

We specifically wanted to upgrade from OpenERP 6.1 to Odoo 9.0, which was a substantial task.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

We started talking to Confianz about our migration to Odoo 9.0, but we also commissioned them to handle a smaller scale project, for a web pricing tool. Confianz has also taken over reworking our marketing site.

How did you come to work with Confianz?

We came across Confianz through a mutual customer.

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

The web pricing tool project had a cost between $35,000 and $40,000. Our Odoo migration is in the $65,000 to $70,000 range. Our website redesign will be in the $30,000 to $40,000 range.

What is the status of this engagement?

We first got in touch with Confianz almost a year ago. Our pricing tool went live one month ago, but we are working on enhancing it. We are currently running 3 projects with Confianz.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

The only project we've worked on with Confianz which is currently live is our pricing tool. The internal feed-back we've received is that it's a fantastic system. The customer feed-back has been good as well. All in all, we've had a very positive experience working with the Confianz development team.

How did Confianz perform from a project management standpoint?

Compared to our previous team, Confianz has been by far better. Everything we worked on in the past was severely delayed, but we've been on-schedule for all 3 projects we've taken on with Confianz.

We have had 3 main contacts for our projects. Communication has been great and has always gone through Confianz's project managers, unless we are dealing with more high-level things, for which we involve one of their owners. We always know if some of our responsibilities are jeopardizing the project timeline, so Confianz is usually pushing us, rather than vice versa.

What distinguishes Confianz from other providers?

In comparison to other companies we've worked with on these projects, Confianz has offered a higher level of professionalism. Their overall organization has been impressive. We've always had a sense of changes being made on-the-fly for previous projects, but not with Confianz.

Is there anything Confianz could have improved or done differently?

Confianz could improve the length of their meetings. Everyone's time is valuable, especially when multiple managers become involved. Some meetings have dragged on, although it doesn't happen all the time. We tend to ramble on as well, so this is true for both sides.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We manufacture vinyl fences and other products for the backyard. We sell our line of products directly to the end-user, as well as through resellers. We have purely an online business.

What is your position?

I am one of the owners and a co-founder of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Confianz?

The need was for order transaction management. We receive many orders from amazon.com and homedepot.com, as well as direct ones. We ship them through motor freight, LTL (less than truckload), and also through UPS and FedEx. Trying to handle the volume efficiently and swiftly was a challenge.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

Confianz provided customization and implementation of our platform using an open-source system which used to be called OpenERP and is now called Odoo. The customization was done through Python.

How did you come to work with Confianz?

Our co-founder has a brother who had done a lot of research on different ERP systems for his business. I called him and asked about the topic. He referred me to Confianz.

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

The total cost of the project was $30,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We first contacted Confianz in August of 2015. The project started in the fall of that year. We have an ongoing relationship.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

As far as the quality of work goes, Confianz has provided a solid output. The system has been in use for a few months. There have been a few glitches with it, but no show-stoppers. Overall, Confianz has delivered what was promised. The solution works well, so they're pretty solid from a coding perspective.

How did Confianz perform from a project management standpoint?

Confianz is good in terms of meeting deadlines. I have been frustrated with the level of communication though.

What distinguishes Confianz from other providers?

Confianz' main software developer is an extremely sharp person. I keep him as a contact on Skype and on speed dial on my phone. I have been and continue to be impressed with his knowledge of software development and business in general. If our system was reporting an issue in accounting, we could explain it to him and he would understand immediately. I felt that I was in good hands.

Is there anything Confianz could have improved or done differently?

There were some communication issues with Confianz.

RATINGS

We ask that you rate Confianz on a scale of 1 - 5, with 5 being the best score.

How would you rate them for the quality of their service and deliverables?

5

How would you rate them for scheduling, as in meeting deadlines and compliance with a project timeline?

4

How would you rate them for cost, as in value and/or conformance with project estimates?

4 - We're a small company and the price tag was significant, but it wasn't very heavy, considering what we received.

How likely are you to recommend Confianz to a friend or colleague?

3 - The lower rating is due to their communication issues. If a client is looking for a great product at a great price, they’re good. But they should tread cautiously with Confianz in terms of communication.

How would you rate your overall experience collaborating with Confianz?

4