Esteemed

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a partner of a software development company. We provide custom developments, tech design, and tech strategy for web apps, mobile apps, and content managed websites.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Celebrate Drupal?

We usually queue projects in a way that allows us to complete them one after another. However, some schedules shifted and suddenly we had multiple projects move into implementation at once. We brought in Celebrate Drupal to augment our development team and ensure we could deliver.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Celebrate Drupal allocated one resource to supplement our Drupal 8 development efforts. Josh (Drupal Developer, Celebrate Drupal) integrated into our day-to-day processes to perform frontend development work. We’d carve up the project into smaller tasks and assign them through a weekly phone call. The project had been through a visual design phase where we produced a technical specification and content model. The client then signed off on the visual designs. We shared that input with Josh so he would know exactly what to build. Then, Josh would complete what we’d assign throughout the week and attend our daily standups to address potential issues or challenges.

What is the team composition?

Chris (VP, Celebrate Drupal) was my primary point of contact for account management tasks or concerns. Josh was the sole development resource.

How did you come to work with Celebrate Drupal?

We’ve been looking to expand our Drupal capabilities for some time. As a result, I had already reached out to Chris to ask about Drupal developers, explain our model, and discuss how we could engage at some point. I thought this challenge was an excellent opportunity to work together, so I called him up.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $40,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Their involvement in our projects took place from May–July 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

My recollection from talking with our tech lead is that Josh was more than competent. We’d touch base with him periodically and he certainly produced good work. There were some minor issues, but that’s relatively normal. We provided feedback along the way asking him to test his work more thoroughly and catch errors before sending it to us. Overall, we’d gladly work with him or anyone from Celebrate Drupal again. We continue to work with the client, so I’d say they were pleased with the end product. It was a great experience.

How did Celebrate Drupal perform from a project management standpoint?

Josh’s ability to communicate and manage project tasks was on par with most developers I’ve worked with on his level. I wouldn’t say he performed within the top 10% of the industry, but he did a fine job. We’d do a daily scrum over the phone and then correspond mostly through Slack.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Chris is very responsive and Josh did a good job of giving us his schedule ahead of time to avoid development conflicts. As a project manager, I appreciate that because even amazing developers will cause problems if they aren’t capable communicators. They’re generally nice people and that goes a long way. We’ve been doing this for 20 years, so it’s refreshing to work with friendly specialists.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We put this engagement together as quickly as possible, so the intro phase was rushed. From now on, I’m going to request a sort of proof of concept when outsourcing any kind of work. It’s hard to get a real grasp of a person’s abilities without actually seeing deliverables.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Our company specializes in web development, design, and strategy. I'm the director of engineering.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Celebrate Drupal?

We lost a member of our staff and had a backlog of work. We’re a Drupal and WordPress shop and were looking for talent with experience in backend programming and Drupal custom module development. We wanted to hire a resource for a set period of time to help finish an e-commerce project in Drupal 7.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They provided very qualified candidates for us to choose from. We did a skills assessment for each before we booked the talent we wanted to work with. They helped us troubleshoot our previous custom modules, debug them, and work with other vendors. Thanks to their experience, they became an integral part of our team.

All of their development work was focused on the backend functionality and supporting e-commerce components. Our engineers worked with them and gave them access to the tools and environments they needed. We have an internal handbook for code development, deployments and testing. They assimilated all of it and their velocity was up to the level of our previous team members within a day or two.

What is the team composition?

They offered two potential candidates whose skills were comparable. We chose one and began working together for an initial 7- to 8-week contract. We liked their work and decided to extend their term.

How did you come to work with Celebrate Drupal?

We spoke with them previously about their services for a different full-scale project. We ultimately didn’t use them for that initiative, but they mentioned their short-term staffing resources. When this need arose, we thought of them and reached out.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $40,000 so far. If we renew the contract, that number will go up.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in February or March 2018. The contract currently runs through summer 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The project has launched and entered the maintenance phase. The individual we work with made great suggestions for improvements and was comfortable challenging some of our processes when there was a better solution available. We had a really good experience with them and our workflow is more streamlined thanks to their intervention. This was one of the best development resources we’ve ever worked with. The value was beyond anything we expected.

How did Celebrate Drupal perform from a project management standpoint?

We have a full staff of project managers on our side. They jumped into our workflow and provided us with regular progress reports. They adapted to our tools and communication style and we’ve had no issues. We never need to hunt them down for documentation or tracking. The whole process is pretty painless.

We usually communicate by email and use Slack to troubleshoot or check in. They get back to us quickly, even though we’re on opposite coasts. We usually hear back within five or ten minutes, depending on the time of day.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The key things we look for in outside vendors and resourcing providers are consistency, high-quality work, and communication. They provide all of that.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Nothing comes to mind.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Take advantage of the interview process and provide as much detail as you can. They will provide you the best resources if you explain your situation and your needs.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the principal at Eis Design Inc., a boutique marketing firm. We have a partnership with a larger marketing agency that we collaborated with on the account we hired Celebrate Drupal for.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Celebrate Drupal?

We were looking for a skilled Drupal developer that could ideally work on Pacific Standard Time to match the timezone of our client.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Celebrate Drupal has helped maintain a large company website, including its many feeds and tracking systems so users can search within the site in real time. They also created an interactive map in conjunction with another vendor, providing the frontend development.

Their team collaborates closely with our backend developer. We're in the process of moving some of our clients' sites over to Drupal 8, so at some point Celebrate Drupal will help with the frontend of that migration.

What is the team composition?

Celebrate Drupal provides a frontend developer, who collaborates with our backend developer and Drupal expert. I also work with a project manager on their team.

How did you come to work with Celebrate Drupal?

Our partner organization found Celebrate Drupal and ultimately chose to work with them based on their quality of work and ability to work on PST. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We've been working with them for a year, starting in 2017, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We haven't had any major issues or concerns with the site since Celebrate Drupal's team started handling the frontend development. Both our internal developer and client are very happy with their work thus far. The site continues to get stronger and improve.

How did Celebrate Drupal perform from a project management standpoint?

The developer they've assigned to our project is remarkable. He's not only a solid developer, but very responsive, provides great input and accurate estimates, and is a delight to work with overall.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their personalities are phenomenal and their team is very patient, smart, and timely.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. I love working with the frontend developer they've provided.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It's important to set your expectations, budget, and scope of work as clearly as possible upfront. Be realistic about how to manage that and sit down with their team to come up with a comprehensive plan for doing so.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We are a nonprofit organization in Montgomery County, [Maryland,] and we are a membership-based organization. We bring current and emerging leaders together to make Montgomery County a better place to live and work. We offer various programs to different audiences within the county; we have a core program, senior program, youth program, and an emerging leaders program. We try to capture everyone who could possibly make a difference in Montgomery County.

What is your position?

I'm the finance and technology manager.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

Could you describe the business challenge that you were trying to address with Celebrate Drupal?

We've been with them for a year now. The project started last year when a person in one of our classes, who works in the technology business, indicated that he wanted to see better use of our website. He felt that the company we'd been working with did not provide the services that we needed. He felt that we needed someone else with more experience and a different perspective, to give us a fresh new look for our site, and to make it easier for me to do changes.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their work.

I do a lot of the basic updates and content changes for the site in-house, and Celebrate Drupal does all the back-end stuff to make sure it's all working as it should. This is the first time we're using a content management system. We were using something similar to that before, but not as extensive as what we have now. Celebrate Drupal recommended using the Drupal platform, and we really didn't consider another CMS since that was where they had expertise.

They help me when I have problems with uploading multimedia content, for example. They updated our membership directory and really got the site up and running. They maintain everything in the background, and they make sure all my updates are operational and that everything is running smoothly.

They also take care of the visual components of the site. We worked very closely with them, and they gave recommendations as to how they thought everything should look. We told them what we were looking for, and they came up with the whole design. They also provided training for us. We're currently working on some updates to the site that weren't part of the original scope of the project.

How did you come to choose Celebrate Drupal?

The person who first suggested this project to us also recommended Celebrate Drupal as the most qualified agency to undertake what we needed to have done. I did some basic research on their business and reached out to them.

Can you give a sense of the size of the initiative?

I think our initial investment was around $10,000 to $15,000, but it'll increase as we continue to expand their involvement.

What is the status of this engagement?

The site was officially completed and launched in June 2014, around the fifth of the month. We still have them on retainer for maintenance and support. I have periodic conference calls with them to discuss ongoing work they're doing for me, like customizations to the admin panels or other features for end-users.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics, metrics or user feedback that would demonstrate the quality of their performance?

We believe that our staff and other stakeholders are satisfied with the work that Celebrate Drupal has done. We haven't had issues with user-facing defects and the minor things that come up on the back-end are always resolved very quickly. Overall, I've been very impressed with their performance and their ability to provide more strategic guidance when it comes to maintaining an effective Web presence.

Is there anything that you'd consider unique about their practice?

The one unique thing is that they keep in constant contact with me. We have an ongoing project management site that we share information on, which I never had with anyone else before. I'm aware, on a daily or weekly basis, when they're doing stuff, or if they have questions. If I have something I need them to work on, we're in constant contact with each other, and I never really had that with any other developer before. Their level of responsiveness is very high, even though we have a three-hour time difference. We're very cognizant of each other's work schedules, and they're very accommodating.

What advice, if any, would you give a future client of theirs?

In the beginning, we had some difficulty working with their project manager, who was not on site. They were working with another company. If you're going to work with Celebrate Drupal, my biggest suggestion is to just work with them directly, do not have a middleman, unless that middleman is in your office. Do not deal with someone on the outside for project management.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We are IT [information technology] systems integrators, and we provide consulting services on application development. We also do new application development in mobile as well as our traditional legacy applications. We provide services primarily to governments in 15 states. 

What is your position?

I'm the director of operations.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

Could you describe the business challenge that you were trying to address with Celebrate Drupal?

[A state that is a client of ours] was trying to transition their Department of Labor website to a content management system. They wanted their marketing people or agency managers to be able to issue public notices without going through their IT department. It was about consolidating their older sites under one system that was user-friendly and relatively easy to maintain and update in the long term.

SOLUTION

Could you describe in detail the scope of their involvement?

Celebrate Drupal was heavily involved in the visual design, offered training and also performed integrations. The key function was the security of the website. Most of their work was technical in nature, like custom development using PHP. They implemented Drupal and configured everything before migrating contents from the previous site. Once that was done they dealt with customizations and testing and went ahead and trained our key staff members.

How did you come to choose Celebrate Drupal?

We did online research on sites like Drupal.org as well as social networking sites like LinkedIn. We approached five to seven different agencies and then narrowed it down to the providers who seemed to be the best fit. We try to make sure that most of the resources that we hire are companies that are based here in the United States. So, we narrowed it down to three and, from there, we looked at the pricing as well as the quality of services. Celebrate Drupal seemed to be the best option.

Can you give a sense of the size of the initiative?

It was between a quarter to half a million dollars.

Is their involvement ongoing, or have you concluded the relationship?

We concluded the work with one state about two years ago. After that, we hired them for another project for another state, for which they provided architectural advising services. That project concluded around November 2014. When we have Drupal needs, we contact them as our first choice.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics, metrics or user feedback that would demonstrate the quality of their performance?

In terms of metrics, we look at how the product has done in the marketplace. For example, for the state Department of Labor, we look at how the site is running and how many people are using it. I'm not at liberty to share specific metrics since these are government contracts. We have confidentiality agreements in place, so that would be something you'd have to request from the clients. I can tell you, however, that our end customers have been very pleased with the work completed for them. Quality has never been an issue.

I personally didn't have any issues in terms of their project management approach. In any IT project, there are always complications. Working with the project manager from Celebrate Drupal, it was clear that, if they needed to work long hours to get something done, they would step up to the plate.

Is there anything unique about Celebrate Drupal that really makes them stand out compared to other companies?

They adjust to our needs without pushback. They understand that we have different clients, each with their own different requirements. So, regardless of the time zone or what needs to be done, they do it.

In retrospect, are there areas in which you think they could improve as a service provider, or are there things you'd do differently as the client?

I think one way they could improve is to have more people available for the documentation piece. But I don't see that as a big issue.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the director of IT for a real estate developer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Celebrate Drupal?

We needed to update five websites.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal was to improve the security and stability of our websites.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

After doing research, we connected with them on LinkedIn.

Describe the project in detail.

They fine-tuned five websites and implemented security patches.

What was the team composition?

Aside from a primary contact, we worked with a series of remote developers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

They were professional and addressed all of our needs, demonstrating expertise in Drupal and web development. I consider them to be a valuable resource for our company, now and in the future.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We used Basecamp for project management. They communicated effectively.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

We were impressed with their extensive resources.

Are there any areas for improvement?

We were completely satisfied.