Corgibytes, LLC

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the senior project manager at the Center for Open Science, a nonprofit organization. We provide an ERP-like software solution for academic researchers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Corgibytes, LLC?

As a nonprofit, we want to provide our major donors with transparency into our software development. We engaged Corgibytes, LLC to provide a technical audit of our code to ensure that we’re using best practices to build software, release updates, and perform testing.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Corgibytes, LLC operated by the standard consulting model. We first had a few meetings to discuss our vision and needs for the project. The team took the time to analyze our code repositories and our cloud instance to understand our set-up. We made adjustments in areas where we had inside knowledge that their team lacked. That process showed Corgibytes, LLC the value in auditing our larger repositories. 

The team then presented a statement of work that we agreed to; a few months later—once their project queue was tackled—they began the full audit. Corgibytes, LLC returned with a lengthy and detailed report on our quality of work and practices in developments. They identified five areas for us to improve, including how we organized our testing scripts.

What is the team composition?

We worked with 3–6 people at a time, including an account executive, the CEO, and the chief operations person. Other team members played a peripheral role in the collaboration.

How did you come to work with Corgibytes, LLC?

We looked at several technical consulting companies. A past partner referred Corgibytes, LLC to us. They had expertise in our coding languages and structures, and their professionalism and prices stood out from the competition.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $15,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from July–August 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The final report offered an excellent return on our investment. Corgibytes, LLC identified several areas of growth we weren’t necessarily aware of and laid out a technical plan that explained why we should make these changes. The language was easy to understand for our entire organization, including non-engineers.

How did Corgibytes, LLC perform from a project management standpoint?

We’re incredibly satisfied with the collaboration. Corgibytes, LLC delivered high-quality and thorough work rapidly and met their timeline estimates perfectly. The team provided at least one or two high-ranking principals in our meetings to lead the conversations. 

Throughout the audit, we had occasional meetings through video-conferencing to review their progress. Corgibytes, LLC created a Slack channel for us to ask questions and received quick responses. We always knew the status of the project at any given time.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We appreciated their regular and thorough communication and the opportunity to work with their team’s principals. Throughout the project, Corgibytes, LLC provided an excellent amount of detail using layperson’s terms that we could all understand—a refreshing practice.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. Working with Corgibytes, LLC was the best consulting partnership I’ve had in my 30 years of experience.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have meetings with them to define your project goals and end vision. Understand your objectives thoroughly in advance so you can get the most out of your collaboration. Corgibytes, LLC will guide you the rest of the way and let you know exactly what they need to ensure the project’s success.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I work for a small nonprofit that provides basic needs like food, clothing, and school supplies to thousands of underprivileged children each year. I'm a member of the sponsorship team, but have gradually transitioned into an IT role.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Corgibytes, LLC?

For decades, we relied on manual daily procedures. These proved increasingly cumbersome because of the sheer volume of donors, children, and project sites we serve. We tried cost-effective, off-the-shelf software solutions, but they lacked the specific functionalities we needed. We eventually built a custom database and website, which left us with obsolete legacy code and plenty of room for improvement.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal was to stabilize and enhance our existing custom system.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

A local web design and marketing company recommended them. They were redesigning the frontend of our website, but needed a backend developer to write the code. They recommended Corgibytes, LLC for that role. The collaboration was seamless for everyone.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

In addition to designing a more user-friendly website, Corgibytes, LLC helped us upgrade our code from VB.Net to C# for sustainability, streamline existing functionalities, and proactively update deprecated APIs and TLS protocols. They're even helping me, a C# and IT novice, learn the code. The goal is for me to handle general maintenance and small enhancements for our system.

What was the team composition?

I served as the internal contact because of my familiarity with our system. A handful of developers have worked on the project. Each one has been great, with excellent communication skills and IT capabilities that meet our needs. One lead developer always handles the majority of the work and documentation. When our lead developer changed, the transition was surprisingly smooth, and the new lead is an even better match. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Accomplishing great things on a nonprofit budget is a challenge in itself. Our priority is helping impoverished children. Although our IT needs are complex, our budget is quite small. Thanks to Corgibytes, LLC, our system is reliable and user-friendly for both donors and staff. Their flexibility with regard to pace and budget has enabled us not only to accomplish large projects but also to gradually enhance our system.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Their project management is extremely effective. Developers check in frequently and issue reports during large projects. Their communication is thorough and transparent. In the rare case of a delay, they provide a clear, concise explanation in plain English, taking time to go over any terminology with which I'm unfamiliar. This allows me to relay updates to management without translating from IT jargon first.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The most impressive thing is their level and quality of communication, an essential skill which is often absent in IT developers. We have encountered some IT companies who blindly do whatever they're asked without looking at the full context, potential issues, or alternative options.

They strive for efficiency and deliver fantastic value. They also take the time to fully understand our requests and needs, evaluate all the options, recommend the best potential solutions, and list the pros and cons of each.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No company is perfect. However, based upon my experience working with them, I have no specific complaints or suggestions.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm an IT coordinator at the American Board of Urology.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Corgibytes?

We had been working on a new diplomate portal, which our doctors could use to access information online. We started working with a different development team, but that team couldn't handle our needs. We needed a new vendor to continue the development work on our application.  

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Corgibytes joined us towards the end of the development process and brought the project to an end. It's a web-based application and they were in charge of everything from the backend database to the user interface. The app has a portal for our doctors and a record management system that our staff uses on a daily basis. Corgibytes mostly used MySQL and PHP for development. They've also done some design work for us.

One of the biggest things they helped us develop is our diplomat dashboard. It's a snapshot for our doctors that helps them quickly and easily see what they have and have not completed within a given process. This way, doctors don't have to call and ask about their status, which saves a lot of time.

What is the team composition?

We worked with two members of their team.

How did you come to work with Corgibytes?

When it became clear that our previous development team couldn't handle the project, they approached Corgibytes on our behalf. That's when our engagement with Corgibytes started.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in December 2017, and the relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The system was still fairly incomplete when Corgibytes joined us. They did an amazing job bringing the process to an end. We've been using an app for about a year now, and our doctors love the portal. They can go online 24/7 and see where they are in the process. They can access the portal from anywhere in the world, so they no longer need to fax or mail anything.

We've received overwhelmingly positive feedback from numerous doctors all over the US. Corgibytes also took care of all the bugs they found when they took over the project, so the system is very reliable.

How did Corgibytes perform from a project management standpoint?

They're great communicators. It was a very collaborative process, and they always kept me up to date with the progress. We mostly used Slack to stay in touch, and we used GitHub for project management.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They're willing to dig in and learn about our organization to offer us the best solutions possible. Also, they're very professional.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I'm happy with them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure you explain exactly what you want them to do. They have a very good development team, but you need to be clear about your needs so that they can meet them.