Creativa Studios

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the founder of a novel publishing company that takes the form of an iOS app.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Creativa Consultores?

As I was launching my business, I was flabbergasted at the fact that publishers take 80% of a novel’s proceeds and the author only gets 20%. I decided to make an app to act as a publisher, and I needed a third party to help build the app. The app is made for iOS and uses Firebase and SQL.

Users make an account, upload their writing, and manage their content from a portal. We break their writing up and sends it to Firebase in 625-word increments. We give this to the user, who pays between 6¢–10¢ per increment.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I initially hired a vendor who failed to deliver and created a poorly-designed product. I hired César (CIO, Creativa Consultores) to fix the app. César redeveloped the app, working with a UI specialist who I hired to help him redesign the app. The work that César did was 75% redesign and 25% from scratch. 

He joined the team late in the game, but he still managed to complete the app by our published launch deadline. They continue to provide us support.

What is the team composition?

César led a team with several people.

How did you come to work with Creativa Consultores?

I found my first developer on Clutch. After they failed to meet expectations, I asked for recommendations from friends and went to Creative Consultores to fix the app.

How much have you invested with them?

Our investment has been about $15,000 to date.

What is the status of this engagement?

In July 2019 they began to help us, and the app was launched in September 2019. The app was entirely finished in November 2019. César still helps us with maintenance.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their hard work is the only reason we successfully made our public launch date. They didn’t make any problems as they worked tirelessly to meet our deadline.

The app has rarely crashed since launching and works overall. We haven’t had any complaints, although the app hasn’t yet been widely adopted.

How did Creativa Consultores perform from a project management standpoint?

I would give them 100% for communication and meeting deadlines. They worked tirelessly and are incredibly responsive. To communicate, we used Zoom and Zeplin. We had two weekly standing meetings, and I also talked with them over email and WhatsApp.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They worked their tails off. They were a true partner who was in it to win it with us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I’m clearly very pleased.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Give them clear information—but they’re excellent at communication, so don’t worry.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

While I’m currently at another company, I’m the former president of SafeCode, Inc.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Creativa Consultores?

Under a relatively tight deadline, we were looking to improve our iOS/Android applications for the unique automotive products we were developing.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They upgraded the interface of the mobile apps. We needed to update its look and feel, since it looked dated. They also worked to solve connection problems that the devices were experiencing; they utilize a rather complex monitoring system that communicates via Bluetooth. They even improved the app’s workflow.

We provided them with light documentation that loosely covered our artistic visions, requirements, and the problems we were having. After we gave them our source code, they were able to give us a strict quote of work. Then, they launched into prototyping the product.

What is the team composition?

My main point of contact was Gerardo (Chief Innovation Officer, Creativa Consultores) who managed a tea, of 2–3 developers. It was very convenient to have a single contact.

How did you come to work with Creativa Consultores?

I had worked with them previously, at another company.

How much have you invested with them?

The cost was extremely reasonable—we spent somewhere around $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

This particular project lasted from January 2019 and wrapped up in July of the same year.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The new user interface is very attractive, and the functionality of the application has been drastically improved. They’ve proven to be an extremely cost-effective option that’s able to complete projects at an impressive rate.

How did Creativa Consultores perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve been excellent. They’re very efficient, and we appreciate that they’re in the same time zone. We communicated with them through email and Skype.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re extremely principled. While some companies are more concerned with maximizing billable hours, Creativa was more concerned with fostering a long-term relationship. They went above and beyond in delivering work that they weren’t strictly contracted to do. I really appreciated that they’re willing to sacrifice some short-term profit to create a long-term relationship.

Are there any areas they could improve?

While we weren’t limited by this, we foresee that having a larger team capacity could be beneficial in the long run. This isn’t a criticism since their size was perfect for our particular project.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They’re extremely transparent and diligent. Treat them like real partners, and you’ll get the most out of your relationship.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the COO for Visible Outsource. We specialize in the recruitment of personnel.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Creativa Consultores?

We wanted to create an application to allow people to apply to the different positions we currently have.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We needed a platform where we could display the positions we’re hiring for, as well as to display notifications. Creativa started from scratch, developing the app for Android and iOS. They also worked on an application for our administration process.

What is the team composition?

We had five staff members working on this project which included a project manager, developers, and a QA person.

How did you come to work with Creativa Consultores?

This was a huge investment for our company, so we had to decide which company was the best for us. Creativa Consultores was recommended to us by people who’d worked with them in the past.

How much have you invested in them?

We spent more than $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project lasted from December 2018–April 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The application has reached more than 50,000 people, and when we create a new position, we now have many people applying for it. They’ve helped us to reach people who we might not have been able to in the past.

How did Creativa Consultores perform from a project management standpoint?

We’re very happy with the project management as they completed the project in the time they set out. They gave me access to the application they use for project management and we had a meeting every two weeks. 

Their experience was impressive. I know my business, but they gave us recommendations to make the process even better. Their communication was also excellent.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I felt I chose the best company because I’m very happy with them. In the past, other companies have not been as concerned about my needs. If there were any problems along the way, I never heard about them—Creativa Consultores has always communicated with me.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I feel they do an excellent job, with no areas for them to improve in.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I would recommend them as they can work with many different types of business.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an employee of a retailer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Creativa Consultores?

We hired Creativa Consultores to create an application for our optical stores.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We gave their team the general requirements we wanted in the application. After we asked them to prepare the detailed requirements, their team presented us with the timelines for deliverables and mock-ups. Following that, development began.

We wanted to be able to capture the client’s general information and measurements of the exam. After our customers have an exam, we’re able to attach the necessary information to the app. We also wanted to have the ability to include the client’s reports within the application. It is based in English and Spanish.

Their team developed the web application using Java, and it is kept in our data center. Within the five countries we’re located, every store has access to the data center and can use the application.

What is the team composition?

Our main contact was our project manager. We also had a team of two developers and QA testers.

How did you come to work with Creativa Consultores?

We gave our requirements to three different companies, but have worked with Creativa Consultores in the past. They’ve also worked in the same platform as the optics platform. As they were already known to our team, we decided to work with them again We were happy with their collaborative approach to work.

How much have you invested in them?

In total, we’ve spent $60,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project lasted from May 2018–March 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since implementation, there have been no incidents. We requested that everything delivered to us is tested. The simple application they built is perfect.

How did Creativa Consultores perform from a project management standpoint?

Creativa Consultores felt like part of our team. Along with their collaborative approach, their team respected timelines.

What did you find most impressive about them?

There were small changes along the way, but their team was able to complete those within the timelines. Other companies may not have included those changes after the initial requirements were mapped out. Creativa Consultores was flexible while we worked as a team.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Their team has done well. Our company likes to pay at the end of a project, and they agreed to work in that way.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It worked well for us to collaborate as one team.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of Infanttech, a company that manufactures baby monitors for cars and SUV. Our product is the only fully-portable baby monitor in the market.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Creativa Consultores?

We were previously working with a vendor to develop our baby monitoring app. However, they wouldn’t provide me with the code nor have edits readily available when we requested. So, I hired Creativa Consultores to rebuild the app from scratch so that I could move forward with our product.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement? 

Creative Consultores redeveloped native iOS and Android apps from the ground up for our baby monitoring product. It’s an app that allows users to monitor their babies over WiFi while they’re in a car. There are a bunch of awesome features like lullaby streaming, and it’s compatible with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

Currently, they’ve worked with us to design the UI and are now focusing on the WiFi connectivity functions between our device’s camera and app. We’re also preparing other cool features that I can’t disclose just yet.

What is the team composition? 

They’ve assigned a project manager, two iOS developers, and two Android developers.

How did you come to work with Creativa Consultores?

A colleague referred us to them along with 4–5 other companies. Creativa Consultores seemed to be the best fit for us, so we chose them. We’ve enjoyed working with them, since.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $7,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Their work started in June 2019, and the app is still in development.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Considering how little information they had in the beginning, it’s remarkable that they’ve been able to reconstruct the app. They’ve shown me several demonstrations over video conference, and, so far, the video streaming capabilities function without any delays.

How did Creativa Consultores perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management is on point. Creativa Consultores has met all of their timelines, and, if they need a little more time on a task, they’re good at communicating that to us. I never feel like I’m left in the dark with them because they’re proactive in getting information to me.

What did you find most impressive about them?

One of the cool things they’ve done is a backend interface that allows me to manage user accounts. Aside from that, I’m excited about some of our upcoming features.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s not much that needs to be improved. They’ve gone above and beyond what I’ve asked for a lot of their tasks.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be involved in the process. You can’t just hand over your project and expect them to figure everything out because you have your own idea of how the final product should look. Give your input and stay involved so that there are no surprises at the end.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a software development manager at a department store company based in Central America.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Creativa Consultores?

We wanted to efficiently review the software we currently have in place.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Creativa Consultores provides software development for our solutions, such as our internal commission system. They also perform testing for our various web applications. Finally, they assist us in developing new solutions or processes. The team uses Java, article databases, and SOA for integrations with an SQL server.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with at least 10 people over the last four years.

How did you come to work with Creativa Consultores?

They were already a vendor at my company when I began working there.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested $150,000 annually.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in 2013 and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Internally, we’ve been very happy with the level of service they provide.

How did Creativa Consultores perform from a project management standpoint?

They are excellent from a project management standpoint. We’re always given experienced project managers that communicate well.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their customer service is most impressive for us. We can always call them whenever we need them. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

The costs could be lower, especially for projects that need to be expedited. Other than that, they’ve provided us with fantastic service.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an analyst at The AES Corporation, an energy company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Creativa Consultores?

We needed a partner to improve our system in the IT department.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They upgraded our commercial system. We work with handhelds and Creativa Consultores changed our system to work with smartphones. We have also been working on another project with them, and we hired some analysts and programmers that we use throughout the year.

What is the team composition?

We’ve been working with up to 10 people and we have a couple of main points of contact.

How did you come to work with Creativa Consultores?

I got information about them at an annual tech day event in El Salvador. They had the knowledge and experience that we needed and we were excited to work with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $80,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in 2015 and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They are very helpful and we’re satisfied with their performance. The switch to smartphones saved us a significant amount because handhelds are so expensive.

How did Creativa Consultores perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicate via email. For a specific project, the person who is in charge visits us in person once a week and holds meetings with our staff. They report to us how the project is going. Creativa Consultores consistently delivers on time.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re very responsible.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could better manage the transition between points of contact in case someone leaves their company.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the president and CEO of KMStandards LLC, a software provider that allows users to create legal agreements for purchases of goods. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Creativa Consultores?

We reached out to Creativa to develop the frontend of our custom software. We wanted to make sure the interface was very user-friendly to encourage our target audience to take advantage of our ability to automate certain paperwork processes for them. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Creativa develops the frontend of our software, using provided specifications and wireframes provided on InVision. They also provide input on how to tackle other features and functionalities we want to add, working in an agile manner to help us learn as we go on some projects. 

What is the team composition? 

We work with 1–3 people on their team at any given time.

How did you come to work with Creativa Consultores?

I had worked with them before at another company, so I knew they offered a good value for an affordable price point. 

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent between $3,000–$9,000 a month depending on how many developers we're working with at any given time. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We've been working together since February 2015.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Creativa has been instrumental in maintaining a very active website that has between 2,000–3,000 users per day. We've only experienced one brief site outage caused by an error. Having only a small outage in over three years on a site with such a high volume of visitors is pretty remarkable.

How did Creativa Consultores perform from a project management standpoint?

We take an agile approach to projects and meet every day to go over current tasks and next steps. They also work in an ideal timezone and their English-speaking skills are more than adequate. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

We've developed a very close personal relationship with their team, so that's helped us be more effective in working together. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can't name anything specific. For an offshore firm, they're very communicative and cost-effective.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a technical project manager at Sophus Consulting. We work with legal clients on legal matters and document storage, along with the custom coding that follows that.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Creativa Consultores?

We needed a team with experience in document management tools, SQL, and C#. Specifically, they needed to be knowledgeable in M-Files, a document management tool, and have some insight into their API and API calls.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Creativa Consultores integrated two existing application. We wanted a workflow involving the document management application with information generated from another application. Their team helped identify and break out the SOWs.

What is the team composition?

We worked with César (Technical Leader, Creativa Consultores) and Jose (Project Manager, Creativa Consultores). Another team member was involved during initial discussions, but Jose took the lead on the project.

How did you come to work with Creativa Consultores?

Another company pointed Creativa Consultores out to us. The reason we engaged with them was because of their specific knowledge around the document management system.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $27,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Creativa Consultores in November 2018, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Creativa Consultores delivered on time and under budget. Everyone’s happy with what they’ve done. The knowledge of everyone involved in the process was impressive.

How did Creativa Consultores perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re extremely responsive. We originally had daily scrums, and now they are two times a week. Currently, we have regularly scheduled calls where they answer all my questions. They also quickly respond to my emails.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Compared to similar vendors, their team gives their honest opinion about how the project is going. They don’t wait until the last minute to report on any issues. Creativa Consultores is forthcoming, providing excellent insights and suggestions. They act as part of the team more so than any other team I’ve worked with. We plan to hire them for more projects and on a full-time basis.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t see anything right now. There’s probably something that they could improve on, but from what I’ve seen working with them, they’re fantastic.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Customers need to figure out their own relationships with them because each project differs.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the senior scrum master for a software company. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Creativa Consultores?

We were looking for a consulting firm to maintain our aging platform product. The scope later expanded when we decided to start a new product line and revamp the platform. Creativa Consultores helped us conduct both projects.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Creativa Consultores was at first responsible for maintaining our legacy products. Using our recently adopted agile scrum process, they provided developers and testers to implement fixes in each product and release them as a patch update.

As our partnership went on, we realized that they had a lot more potential as developers. We expanded the initial scope to rebuild our platform—a Java product with .NET pieces—with cutting-edge technology such as Apache Cassandra databases and MongoDB. 

We currently operate on a 3-month release cycle for new features. They also provide fourth-tier client support to solve issues as quickly as possible.

What is the team composition?

We currently work with two teams with a total of 13 resources; one team works on maintenance while the other develops new features. The development team uses a QA tester lead and a technical lead to organize scrums. We’ve worked with up to 40 resources at certain points in our partnership.

How did you come to work with Creativa Consultores?

The owner of our company came across their team while visiting El Salvador.

How much have you invested with them?

We currently spend $15,000 per month, but we’ve paid a much higher monthly fee in the past when we used 40 resources.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together seven years ago, and the partnership is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

When our company was bought by and integrated into another company, we convinced the new owners to give Creativa Consultores a chance. The team impressed them so much that Creativa Consultores has stayed on as our development contractor. 

What’s more, the engineering department of that company—which previously had a reputation of missing deadlines—took greater ownership of their own projects after Creativa Consultores joined the development effort. We genuinely enjoy working with their team and are thrilled with their work.

How did Creativa Consultores perform from a project management standpoint?

At first, their client lead spoke for everyone. When we asked that everyone speak in our daily meetings, each team member took English classes to improve their fluency. We appreciate their willingness to go above and beyond for us.

We set up collaborative tools to work with Creativa Consultores. We use Jira, Confluence, and a chat tool. We also have daily meetings. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

The team takes pride in its work. They own their mistakes, receive feedback well, and fix all issues promptly. They also learn quickly and are willing to take risks, which we value highly.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can’t think of anything. The quality of Creativa Consultores’ work has remained the same even after several turnovers of personnel. We’re working with our third client lead, and they’re just as good as the last two.

Any advice for potential customers?

Treat them with fairness and respect. Let each team member speak their part. You will get much more out of your engagement if you view Creativa Consultores as a group of individuals and not as one entity.