Cypress Mill Co, LLC - Out of Business

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a company that provides software to nonprofits to help them with case management for their clients.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Cypress Mill Co, LLC?

We wanted to leverage an external organization to provide manpower to help with our software development. They help us with bug fixes and introduce us to some new features regarding performing client broadcasts and nonprofit capabilities to send SMS messages to their clients.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They do full-stack development, delivering individual features as well as high-level support and code investigation. We worked in Python, Django, and JavaScript, they’ve hey helped configure our server infrastructure with MySQL and AWS.

Other specific features include a client appointment module that allows our nonprofit clients to schedule appointments with their end clients. There’s also a remote intake ability that can help with mortgage assistance and utilities, enabling end clients to be sent a link where they can remotely input their information.

They’re also working on two other applications: enhancing a service directory (public-facing community resource) and a piece of call center software for nonprofits.

What is the team composition?

In the beginning, I just worked with Jacob (Founder). As their team has grown, I’ve started working with Darwin (Senior Software Engineer), Atticus (Senior Software Engineer), Justin (Software Developer), and Edwards.

How did you come to work with Cypress Mill Co, LLC?

The founder of Cypress Mill is also our former co-founder. He split off and created a development company, and we continue to engage with him.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent over $500,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since April 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The results are a bit abstract and hard to extrapolate. The quality of their work is amazing, however. It’s just not possible to put a dollar value on it. Oftentimes, I work as the designer for the functionalities that they develop, but they can also slide into that role and handle end-to-end development. They’re super knowledgeable and definitely incorporate a great test suite.

This is one of their highlights: that they do quality testing according to industry best practices.

How did Cypress Mill Co, LLC perform from a project management standpoint?

Their communication and ability to stick to a schedule and budget are all excellent. We have weekly meetings with Darwin, my main point of contact, to review what’s been delivered and to brainstorm on some of our questions.

We use GitHub and Pivotal Tracker. Communication predominately takes place over Slack and in GitHub comments.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I love that they’re based in the US, as it makes communication very easy. Additionally, the quality of their work allows me to rely on them for other tasks, like brainstorming. They can help us flesh out features and guide us as an actual collaborative partner. This is especially true for design and project management. If we went with a different contractor, then we wouldn’t see this level of engagement.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They’re a growing, emerging development company, so as they add more staff and horsepower, projects can be accomplished faster and faster.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Finding the right development team is always a challenge, as you’re faced with unmet expectations and unexplained delays, but this isn’t the case with Cypress Mill Co, LLC .

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the operations manager for Mefford Jewelers, a family independent jewelry store that has been in business since 1945.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Cypress Mill Co, LLC?

We had an idea about 5–6 years ago based around the concept of making jewelry talk, which came from a subsidiary company. Though our background is in independent jewelry retail, we were getting into the tech side with this new product launch and needed help to develop the technology.

We’d hired an app developer to help us and were running into delays. Being so disconnected from our third party, we were like a ship without a rudder; we weren’t sure what was going on. We were getting ambiguous feedback and information, escalating costs, and had no clear roadmap to product completion, so we decided to switch providers.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Cypress Mill Co took over the development of our mobile app. They worked within the confines of the basic infrastructure we had at the time, reconstituting it into a workable product. 

The purpose of the app is to have someone’s voice on a recorded message in jewelry. Users scan a QR code to make the jewelry talk. The team created everything from the interface to the UX. The app went live, and we’ve been going through a testing period and working out hiccups.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with Jacob (CEO & Lead Engineer), and there have been 4–5 people from Cypress Mill Co who have touched the project at different stages and to different degrees. Ben (UI/UX) is our main point of contact.

How did you come to work with Cypress Mill Co, LLC?

I had expressed some frustration with the process and our previous provider. The person handling our Google Ads works with Cypress Mill Co in a marketing capacity; she recommended them and told us they might be able to help us. Since we liked her, we decided to give them a call.

We got introduced to Jacob, and from the very first meeting with Cypress Mill Co, we felt really good about them. They had no arrogance or sense of superiority, and they asked how they could help. We hadn’t been aware of them previously, and though it wasn’t a requirement, the fact that they’re in our area was positive.  

How much have you invested with them?

So far, we’ve spent around $30,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in July 2021, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Cypress Mill Co’s work is excellent; they’ve kept the app simple, direct, and have helped us bring it to users in an easy, fun way that makes people happy. We’ve been able to sell this product to other stores, and everyone has been surprised by the positive, straightforward UX design. The fact that Cypress Mill Co got the app to a place of usability is evidence of how effective their product development is. They got the app to the finish line after the issues we’d faced with our previous provider, and we’ve already successfully introduced it into the marketplace in a soft launch. 

The team had a few technical challenges going into the project because they worked on someone else’s product. That type of development can be like Jenga:  pulling one section while trying to keep the rest from toppling over. Cypress Mill Co found a streamlined and efficient way to take a product we doubted could become viable and turn it into something functional — it wouldn’t have been possible without them. 

Moreover, we feel comfortable with Cypress Mill Co. They’re very kind, knowledgeable, and professional. We consider our investment a great deal due to their approach, sincerity, genuineness, and integrity of character. Although dollars and cents are important, as is cost-effectiveness, we also value professional interactions. If the project were a movie script, we couldn’t have written a better outcome than having a chance to work with Cypress Mill Co — it’s been worth every penny.

How did Cypress Mill Co, LLC perform from a project management standpoint?

In terms of communication, they keep it very straightforward without too much technical jargon. They talk with folks like us who aren’t tech-savvy in a way that’s most comfortable for us, which has built a sense of confidence and trust between us. This approach is also very reassuring. Sometimes clients can get lost in the weeds when not understanding technical aspects, and we haven’t had any issues like that with Cypress Mill Co. 

Additionally, the team provides updates and keeps us informed. They respond to our questions quickly and follow up on their tasks and next steps. As for deadlines, we’ve had no delays unexpectedly or out of the norm, and they’ve committed to reasonable timelines.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’m impressed with Cypress Mill Co’s ability to comprehensively connect with people on their level. The ability to communicate clearly and effectively is one of their greatest assets, and the team is very compelling and relatable. I appreciate their ability to present information in a straightforward way. The team has great empathy, putting themselves in our place. Cypress Mill Co’s integrity and sense of dedication also stand out.

Additionally, Ben has great customer-facing skills. While sometimes coders are more solitary in their pursuit, he has the ability to relate with people. Everybody from Cypress Mill Co has had a hand in the project, though, and we’ve had great experiences with everyone.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything they need to improve offhand. I don’t see any noteworthy issues that would concern us or anybody else who wanted to work with them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Cypress Mill Co is prepared to explain some essentials to their process and operating style to their clients. We tried to do some research before coming to them about deciding what company to work with. The team laid the project out in a very clear, concise way and systematically checked off everything we would have questions about.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the general manager at Green Mountain Technologies, a commercial composting company that does engineering, consulting, and fabricating of composting systems of all sizes.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Cypress Mill Co, LLC?

Cypress Mill assists us with the programming of our web Mac system, which involves the computerized controls of our state-of-the-art systems for the composting. It also includes our municipalities with our ASP systems. Their team also assists us with the programming of some of the controls.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Cypress Mill is in charge of our frontend development. Since they’re remote from us, their team works closely with our electronics technician to put everything together.

What is the team composition?

I believe it’s between 2­–4.

How did you come to work with Cypress Mill Co, LLC?

Years before our engagement began, an employee from their organization worked here temporarily.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested between $50,000–$70,000 a year.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing engagement started in February 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The success of their work is always amazing. Over the years, we’ve built a wonderful partnership with Cypress Mill. Their team has become an integral arm of our organization.

They’re exceptional when it comes to helping us. If there’s ever an issue with programming, they’re great at having a sense of urgency. Last week, we had a system programming issue at a university. They were available immediately to help us get it up and running.

Yesterday, we were working with a major municipality, getting projections together for their electrical work. Cypress Mill assisted us with getting all of the schematics and quotes together.

In my position, I don’t deal with them on a daily basis. But I know that they’re always there to assist us.

How did Cypress Mill Co, LLC perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re excellent at project management.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their team has also provided us with information in regard to how they run and market their business. They’ve recommended people that they’ve used for those services, and we have employed them as well.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’m not aware of anything at this point. As a company, we’re looking to get more innovative programming moving forward as the industry changes. I would suggest Cypress Mill continue to be cutting-edge as they move toward more 21st century tools and programming.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure that you’re contacting them. Be clear about what you need. They’re great at responding and listening. Their team is always looking at how to best resolve issues for their customers.