Engage Software

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the website and social media manager at a trade association.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Engage Software?

When I came onboard, Engage Software was our existing web and maintenance provider.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Engage Software was a website design and maintenance vendor for us. We had them help style our website. Our company had over 100 domains, so their team would help with the concepts, branding, and frontend work. They also helped with the technical aspects of the backend. The team worked with our database vendor, who hosted our server.

Throughout the engagement, the team managed the design aspects. The platform was based on DNN.

What is the team composition?

I think I worked with about four at two different times. Jason (SVP, Sales & Digital Strategy) oversaw everything, but I worked closely with the project manager, who was in charge of the developers.

How did you come to work with Engage Software?

It was before my time at the company, but we came to work with them because they’re an expert in DNN. We were working with another provider that recommended we should be on DNN, and one of the vendors they knew was Engage Software.

How much have you invested with them?

Over the engagement, we spent under $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from August 2015 until the end of 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our marketing did amp up over that time. Our employees and membership grew. Everyone internally was satisfied with their work.

How did Engage Software perform from a project management standpoint?

When one of our websites got hacked, their project management system was great. They responded immediately and were on call late at night to get everything fixed. Their team used Mavenlink to manage everything.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their experience makes them stand out. They were a great guide for us when it came to DNN and licensing requirements. Their insight was extremely valuable. The team was professional in their outlook and recommendation.

Are there any areas they could improve?

When I worked with them, I felt that they could’ve offered more advice and consulting. I felt like they should’ve been more proactive in their recommendations. For example, letting us know that we should redesign the site in three years and other things like that.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Sit down with Jason and create a three-year work plan for where you want to be. That’s the best way to go about working with them. They’re suitable for the long term. Sit down and think about what you’re going to need in a few years. Not just what you need immediately.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of marketing for a regional security company. We service over 100,000 commercial and residential customers throughout the Southeast.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Engage Software?

Providing legendary service is our mission. As a result, it’s important for us to maintain constant contact with our customers.

Our in-house team worked with a previous developer to build a self-service portal for customers to manage their accounts online, but we ended the contract before we could finish. Engage Software joined the project to help us complete the portal and put it on a DotNetNuke (DNN) CMS.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Their team helped us complete and migrate our existing customer portal into a DNN CMS. This made it easier for our team to edit content and add additional features. The biggest component is a payment function that allows customers to look over their invoices and pay their bills online.

We’ve also implemented a loyalty program where customers can receive loyalty dollars and exchange them for perks (e.g., system upgrades, additional security devices). Through the portal, they can check their loyalty status, manage their dollars, and submit customer referrals to receive free monitoring for life.

One of the main sections is a troubleshooting page that includes FAQs and other resources. We’ve uploaded video tutorials to guide people through technical issues, and customers can also request support from our in-house team.

Engage Software helped us launch the portal early January 2018, and they continue to assist with feature enhancements. They’re currently working to troubleshoot any technical issues that customers may have with the portal itself.

What is the team composition?

Jason (Senior VP of Sales & Digital Strategy) handled the initial discussions and scoping, but we’ve mostly interacted with an account manager. She directs us to the appropriate developer whenever we have an issue or want to bring an enhancement to life. Occasionally, our dev team meets with 3–4 developers on their side to go over work.

How did you come to work with Engage Software?

At the time, we were working with a different agency to develop and migrate our customer portal. However, things didn’t go as planned, and we ended up with a half-finished site. We reached out to DNN to see who their preferred partners were, and Engage Software was one of them.

What is the status of this engagement?

The bulk of their work lasted from May 2018–January 2018. We’ve launched the portal earlier this year and are currently collaborating to make enhancements and troubleshoot customer issues.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Because we’ve just recently rolled out the portal, it’s too early to provide metrics. However, Engage Software has been responsive in helping us tackle technical issues as they arise. They focus on resolving issues that have come up for some customers but haven’t be replicated in testing.

How did Engage Software perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re always available and manage our expectations fairly. We use Mavenlink, which allows us to access our invoices, review status updates and timelines, and see a Gantt chart of who’s working on what. For general back-and-forth, we communicate by email.

I particularly appreciate that Engage Software is transparent about their hours. If we ask for something that would expend too many hours given our schedule, we expect an agency to push back. Rather than working beyond the agreed upon hours and scope, Engage Software is diligent about managing expectations and timelines.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Engage Software puts in the effort to make us feel like we’re an important client. They work hard to accommodate our requests and are generally on top of all issues. I never have to manage them on their own projects and responsibilities.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We would have loved additional support to develop a more robust user testing plan. During the initial roll-out, customers reported a couple of issues that we should have caught but didn’t because we weren’t testing for them. This is partially on us because we didn’t push testing as part of the initial brief. They might have thought we had the full capacity to handle it ourselves because we have an in-house development team.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

As with any agency, it’s important to spend time getting the brief right to make sure that everyone is on the same page. All parties should be clear on the scope of the work and what the goals are. There have been times when we’ve realized that we weren’t on the same page about certain details in the brief, and it would have helped to discuss those points earlier in the project.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am a project manager for SIIA, a trade association for software and content industries. I oversee marketing and the website.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Engage Software?

We did not have the expertise to integrate our new website to our CRM. We needed to hire someone with DNN and Pro-tech software integration experience.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We delivered them our PDF photoshop files and they implemented our designs into a DNN theme. They customized our PRO-TECH web systems and integrated the pieces between DNN and PRO-TECH.

Their team also configured the modules handling the integration that would be presented to our end users. They were able to quickly skin those and get them working correctly—for a members' portal and registration flow.

What is the team composition?

We were provided a project manager who dictated the scope and schedule, a creative director who answered questions about design, and a solutions architect who answered our technical questions.

How did you come to work with Engage Software?

We met them at a PRO-TECH conference in Washington D.C. They were a preferred vendor and already worked with our association management vendor—having DNN and PRO-TECH software experience.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested around $70,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in October 2014 and the engagement ended in April 2015.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their DNN work helped us reduce the time to market because we were able to democratize content creation and publishing. They helped us roll out the new site quickly, allowing us to initiate that workflow. We can now create a new event microsite in a couple hours instead of taking days.

As for the registration piece, their implementation of the new registration system helped us move people more quickly through our registration process.

Analytically, our users were more intrigued as engagement rates improved and bounce rates lowered since the redesign.

How did Engage Software perform from a project management standpoint?

They used standard schedules with high-level milestones. We met for weekly meetings and we encouraged them not to do a lot of project management because I was doing most of that internally.

We had weekly status calls as well and talked through e-mail. I also could always reach out directly to the developers and have 30-minute phone calls. They implemented, towards the end of the project, a project management tool for weekly status reports that updated what we had planned for the week and what was upcoming.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’ve done the creative tech agency work they do, which gives me a unique perspective. They really impressed us with their accessibility and were very upfront about their role in the project. They didn’t just do what we asked them to, rather, always tried to find the optimal solution. They had the expertise and experience to better use certain web parts and they were integral in recommending an approach to a multi-site environment.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, nothing comes to mind.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Come to the table with the most detailed requirements possible—wireframes and requirements listed on a wiki or a Google Doc. It’ll save a lot of money because they’ll have to do the work for you if you haven't done it. It’s going to make the project clearer upfront and cost less time to launch your product if there’s less ambiguity in what they must build.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a board member of the Belgrade Lakes Association. We’re the oldest nonprofit lake-conservation group located in Maine with over 500 members.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Engage Software?

About 14 years ago, a development company built our website using DNN but have disbanded since then. Over the years, the site began to accumulate technical issues, especially with Apple products and mobile displays. Recently, our site went down, and we couldn’t log in despite contacting our previous vendors and the hosting site. As a result, we needed resources to get our site live and then modernize it to fix any bugs.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Despite unsuccessful attempts at contacting our previous vendors, they regained access to our site and made the necessary fixes to get us live again. We provided them with a list of tasks, which they immediately started to attack. This involved updating our DNN site and addressing display problems, page dimensions, and disappearing drop-down menus on Apple products.

To curve project costs and simplify development, they eventually proposed creating a new site with an updated theme based on our project objectives. After showing us a few test pages, they built the site and migrated the content within a week. The site features Google Analytics compatibility, hamburger menus, and a sleek design.

What is the team composition?

After speaking with their SVP, we primarily worked with a developer and a project manager who spoke with us via email.

How did you come to work with Engage Software?

We found them on the consultants and supporters section of the DNN site. We reached out to their SVP who impressed us with his understanding personality and technical knowledge.

How much have you invested with them?

On the new site, we spent $2,200–$2,300.

What is the status of this engagement?

Their work lasted from May 2017–April 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve just launched the site a few weeks ago, so we currently don’t have any hard metrics. However, the new site received unanimous praise from our board members for its accessible navigation, mobile display capabilities, and modern visual themes. It looks phenomenal. In terms of expenses, they respected our limited budget and proactively found cost-effective solutions. Without the new site, we would have spent nearly $5,400 to update everything.

How did Engage Software perform from a project management standpoint?

While I don’t remember the tool name, they used a software to track our tasks and time lines. We also communicated through email and phone, and they never hesitated to address our concerns.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I appreciated how considerate they were of our limitations as a nonprofit, not only with regards to our budget but our lack of technical understanding. They patiently guided us through the new site, explaining operational features and attentively taking our calls for quick questions.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Nothing comes to mind.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Customers should trust their suggestions. Their strong intuition allows them to give constructive advice, and they’re experts in their field.

BACKGROUND

Could you provide a brief description of your organization?

CHADD is a nonprofit organization. We lend assistance and support to children and adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. We’ve got maybe about 25 or 26 people that work here. It’s a membership organization. We’re headquartered in Maryland.

What is your position?

I’m the webmaster.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

Could you describe the business challenge that you were attempting to address when you first approached Engage Software?

They started working with CHADD about two years ago. I came on board last May when their previous Webmaster walked out the door unexpectedly. I came in during the middle of the whole thing. Engage took up the slack during the time that the webmaster walked out the door, and I was recruited, and then they made the effort to train me and bring me up to speed on everything that had been done beforehand. Ever since then, they’ve acted as my trusted development partner.

SOLUTION

Could you describe the scope of work delivered during the course of this project?

They performed our design work. They implemented our DotNetNuke platform and did all of the custom modifications. They did a lot of fine-tuning with JavaScript. They also handled our migration, systems integration, and hosting configuration. They trained myself and a few other staff members on how to troubleshoot the system from an administrative standpoint. They continue to provide ongoing support?

How did you select Engage Software as your solution partner?

I’m not sure of the exact order or process, because I was recruited halfway through the project. I think it had something to do with the fact that we were using two separate vendors for our customer relationship management and our content management system. We were deploying ProTech for the former and DotNetNuke for the latter. There was some definitely cross-collaboration going on when I came into the project, but I can’t really describe the process by which we chose Engage.

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

I don’t know. I really have absolutely no idea. I know that during the period, we were using 50 hours a month with them, but I don’t know the rate.

This remains an ongoing relationship, correct?

The relationship has been ongoing for two years.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

In terms of results, could you share any statistics, metrics, or user feedback you’ve received that would demonstrate the effectiveness of their work?

I don’t have any metrics to share because we weren’t tracking any figures. Most of the feedback we’ve received has been positive in nature. Engage is sort of your ideal vendor from a customer point of view; they’re absolutely ideal. You never have to prove that there’s a problem. They believe you. They’re prompt. They’re efficient. They produce quality work. I don’t think we’ve ever had a problem with anything that they’ve given us. We found the process, with the exception of losing our webmaster, entirely painless.

When working with Engage Software, is there anything you’d consider unique about their approach or development methodology that distinguishes them from other vendors?

One thing that really stood out to me was the sheer ease of access to their executive management and project leads. They’re not inaccessible like so many other IT [information technology] vendors tend to be. They’re also just great technical folks. They were able to help guide us through our long-term Web strategy with this new system.

In retrospect, are there areas in which you think Engage Software could improve upon as a service provider?

No. I can’t say that we have any complaints. They’ve been a real pleasure to work with, and we definitely intend to keep them around.

BACKGROUND

Could you please describe your organization?

I work for Amerinet, which is a healthcare group purchasing organization. We work with healthcare professionals all around the country, anybody from an administrative assistant to a C-level person. We collaborate with those members and different professionals all around the country and we have relationships with suppliers, and we garner contracts from them. We are able to negotiate really good deals that most of our members, healthcare professionals and organizations across the country, wouldn't be able to garner on their own.

What is your position?

I'm the senior director of digital strategy.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

Could you describe the business challenges you were attempting to address when you first approached Engage Software?

When I arrived at Amerinet, the site was built with SharePoint. It wasn't particularly easy to make changes or modifications. The site also had an older look and feel. The navigation wasn't intuitive for our users. The site, because it was based on SharePoint, had limitations to what we could do with it. As a result, one of our goals when I first started was to move our site off SharePoint platform and to redesign the whole thing. I began that process with another organization that I'd worked with in St. Louis. After discussing our goals with them, they recommended that I approach Engage Software. I met with their team and discussed our project. They had great experience and a solid vision for our redesign. Plus, they came highly recommended. I have a lot of faith and trust in the organization that recommended them. Overall, we felt confident in their capabilities.

SOLUTION

Could you describe the scope of work in greater detail?

They came in and really handled everything for us. The first step was strategizing how we wanted the deployment to progress, how many stages, [and] what the tasks and deadlines were. They were invaluable. They helped us define our user requirements and scope out the entire project. Once that was done they began working on the visual redesign. It was a real step-by-step process. They delivered the wireframes and template designs and we'd discuss what we liked and what we wanted changed slightly. They brought us some great redesigns. Once that was complete, they went ahead and dealt with the technical rebuild. There was custom development involved, and then all of the content migration. We did experience some minor issues with compatibility early on, but it was solved quickly.

How did you select Engage Software as your solution partner?

We did some research and submitted inquiries to a few companies we were originally considering. We spoke to a few other companies in addition to Engage Software, but we weren't as impressed with their capabilities. They didn't come with a great recommendation like Engage had.

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

The estimated project cost was around $38,000.

When was this project completed?

The site was launched [on] May 21 [of 2014] I believe.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

In terms of results, could you share any statistics, metrics, or user feedback that would demonstrate the effectiveness of their work?

One of the things we were able to accomplish with this migration and redesign was the ability to use the website for lead generation. In fact, our donation channel has already received about 150 leads. Compared to our previous site, which didn't offer that capability, it's a great addition. I've also received a lot of positive anecdotal commentary from our customer service team. We're receiving far fewer support tickets through the website now. The site is far more intuitive to our users.

When working with Engage Software, is there anything you'd consider unique about their approach or development methodology that distinguishes them from other vendors?

I was quite surprised by how hands-on they were with us. They really kept us in the loop. Some teams I've worked with in the past can end up working in a silo. In those situations, you either hear from them letting you know everything is on track or you hear nothing, which is basically the worst possible news. Engage Software doesn't behave that way. They were sending us consistent updates on our various tasks. We really appreciated that, because we were able to provide some valuable feedback, which they could then incorporate into our work. It was a very collaborative process.

In retrospect, are there areas in which you think Engage Software could improve upon as a service provider?

I honestly can't think of anything. They managed to exceed our expectations going into the project, and we're very satisfied with our website. It was a very successful project.

BACKGROUND

Could you provide a brief description of your company?

I work for an independent software vendor  focused on Microsoft Stack products, but primarily Microsoft Dynamics. We serve the non-profit, member-based associations and other organizations across the United States and Canada.

What is your position?

I'm the vice president of existing customers, sales, and services.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

Could you describe the business challenges you were attempting to address when you first approached Engage Software?

Essentially, we have an application that's member facing for our customers. It's based on our DotNetNuke platform. Engage Software is a proven vendor to have expertise and experience working with our chosen technologies. We needed a vendor with the ability to lend support to our various projects in times of pressure.

SOLUTION

How did you select Engage Software as your solution partner for these endeavors?

We've interacted with them on a few separate occasions through our client work. That's how we initially became aware of them. We had a very positive experience with them. Their customer service, their wherewithal, everything about the organization was really positive. We felt strongly about their leadership and initiated a conversation about partnering with them. After conducting our due diligence, we felt confident that they could what we needed.

Could you describe the scope of work delivered over the course of this relationship?

They provide business development services in terms of qualifying the solution for our customer, and really helping them understand how they can solve their technical challenges. They do that with us as well, with our systems, as a client. They provide all the associated project management services, the design, architecture, IT [information technology] readiness as well as the actual development work.

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

These engagements run anywhere between $20,000 and $125,000, depending on the scope of the project.

How long have you had an ongoing relationship with them?

We've used them for a little more than two years now.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

In terms of results, could you share any statistics, metrics, or user feedback that would demonstrate the effectiveness of the work they've delivered?  

As a result of the initial success with our mutual customers, we've really expanded our coverage. It started out as two or three customers, by coincidence, not by effort or strategy, and we have now 12 customers that are working with Engage around business development and technical implementations. Given how rapidly our relationship has grown, and how satisfied our customers have been, I'd say the net results are positive.

When working with Engage Software, is there anything you'd consider unique about their approach or development methodology that distinguishes them from other vendors?

Because they have clear understanding of our products, they have a distinct advantage over other CMS [content management system] vendors. They don't require the same learning curve. They've already completed deployments for several of our mutual customers. They also have great strategic insight. They're more than engineers working alongside us. They're capable thought partners that can really execute a sound strategy. They drive results.

In retrospect, are there areas in which you think they could improve as a service provider?

Yes, and this is directed at both of us. We could really continue to improve our marketing, to be able to communicate our value proposition more broadly to our mutual customers. We offer something very unique and very effective, and gaining more exposure is the stage we're at right now.