FEST Technologies

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a market research company that measures guest and employee experiences for American hospitality and retail companies.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with FEST Technologies?

We wanted to update our software to a cloud-based solution. FEST Technologies was able to do this process for us end-to-end.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

After explaining our needs and relaying our ideal functionalities, they designed and developed our systems on the Azure network using SQL databases. I gave them leeway to develop their own ideas and improve upon my ideas, which they did.

Within the solution, they built special reports capable of comparing guest diagnostics by location. The team now works with us on a daily basis, supporting the database and helping with new projects.

What is the team composition?

We work with a team of five and my main point of contact is Ruslan (Principal, FEST Technologies).

How did you come to work with FEST Technologies?

We were referred to FEST Technologies by a colleague. Ruslan immediately had a great understanding of my needs and the project, which is what we were looking for in a vendor.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested over $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began work in January of 2018 and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The new reporting system has a data visualization dashboard that’s been able to pull information from the cloud and render dynamic calculations at a good speed. It also has an impressive uptime, which is a critical metric for us.  

How did Fest Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

The communication between our team and theirs is very good. Their project management style is quick and effective. They typically get each sprint correct in the first round, which saves time. We use Basecamp for most of our daily communications.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I found their ability to understand the project and our ultimate goals most impressive. They are more than just order-takers; they understand our long-term business objectives and how to get us there.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I think because of how successful they’ve gotten, the turnaround on tasks is occasionally not as quick as it used to be.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I would advise potential customers to communicate with Ruslan directly early on in their projects. He’s good at making sure that everyone is on the same page and can direct his team accordingly.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the president of a research consulting firm that provides online surveys and reporting systems for clients. We develop custom software as part of the research process.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire FEST Technologies?

FEST Technologies has handled virtually all of our software development and online systems for the last three years.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to transition from our legacy system and enhance, refine, and rebuild all of our online offerings.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We discussed our objectives with FEST Technologies and they were responsive and collaborative in their approach to our business. We were impressed with their thought leadership and outstanding ideas.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

They helped transition our legacy system to Azure and then built out and enhanced that system. They also built a completely new self-serve survey and reporting system from four open-source platforms.

What was the team composition?

We worked with a software development lead and a small team of additional programmers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

This system is our business and FEST Technologies did an excellent job developing and executing the platform. They nailed every aspect of the development they did for us.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

We used Basecamp for project management and it proved effective.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They’re an outstanding development partner with excellent programming skills. They work very hard to deliver within expectations. They’re insightful and collaborative.

Are there any areas for improvement?

They need to add more programming resources to meet demand. I’m confident they will address this soon.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the founder of a health platform that allows members to stream exercise workouts and participate in fitness programs.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire FEST Technologies?

We needed a developer that could build a robust platform and develop features on an ongoing basis.

What were your goals for this project?

The platform has many moving parts, so we needed a partner that could understand our overall goal and build a development roadmap. We wanted a gamification system that awarded points for workouts, and a diary feature that recorded manual and automatic entries.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

FEST Technologies understood our business objectives and suggested solutions and suggestions we hadn't considered. It was a relief that they understood what we wanted to achieve.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

They are building a WordPress platform to host videos, social activity, and comments. The CRM integrates with Infusionsoft. They've also created an API that connects with the app and includes diary and gamification functionalities. 

What was the team composition?

One person at FEST Technologies consolidates my ideas and communicates with the developers who are best suited to each task. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

FEST Technologies is critical to our business. We rely on them to maintain our technology and continue to innovate. As soon as we added gamification features, our user retention increased.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

I feel like the project manager. Dealing with one person is hugely beneficial because it saves time and gives me perspective.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their most impressive quality is their ability to understand our requirements and offer the best solutions with little fuss. They think critically and solve problems extremely well. They can create whatever we need.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I can't think of areas for improvement.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a director at DAX LLC, a media company. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with FEST Technologies?

We hired FEST Technologies to custom develop a web-based business intelligence solution. Functionalities include artificial intelligence and data management. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We hired the team as a subcontractor. After expressing our general goals, the team determined how to implement the solution. They focused on backend development, working on Azure Sequel Server and SSAS (Sequel Server Analysis Services). We have continued to extend the partnership as they accomplish goals. 

What is the team composition?

I have one direct point of contact.  

How did you come to work with FEST Technologies?

We hired the team after finding a specialist at FEST Technologies who was familiar with our type of data.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $16,000, and we expect our investment to increase in the future.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in December 2018, and the partnership is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The suggestions they provide have added value to our company. We've continued the partnership several times because of how satisfied we are with the team.  

How did FEST Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

While an internal stakeholder supervises the overall project, the team efficiently manages their own work. We appreciate how they continually offer process improvements, enhancing the efficiency of internal workflows. Our digital collaboration takes place over email and Skype.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They have exceeded expectations by coming up with creative solutions that are outside of the original project scope. Their ability to think outside the box has made them a pleasure to work with.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything. I’ve never been happier with another vendor in my career.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

No, I can’t give any advice. I always look forward to working with them.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I conduct research at a university.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire FEST Technologies?

We needed development of a mobile health platform and website.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted a user-friendly mobile app and website and an adaptive intervention delivery system, including an algorithm based on user data.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We read online reviews of their work and we liked what we read.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

They developed our platform, including a backend system that linked data with clinical goals and interventions. The system scraped data from the Fitbit cloud and shared it weight-loss clinicians, and the algorithm determined the next intervention for users trying to lose weight. The app also collected data from patients with an eating disorder and then provided in-the-moment interventions.

What was the team composition?

The research team consisted of 10 people, including people with specialties in behavioral health, machine learning, and UX.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our platform successfully served about 250 research patients.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

We held meetings through Google Hangouts or through phone calls. We stored data on the Microsoft Azure cloud.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They brought an excellent understanding of the larger picture of what we were trying to accomplish, much moreso than any previous developer we have worked with.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, we’re very satisfied.