Freeport Metrics

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the founder and CEO of a food app about oysters.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Freeport Metrics?

We needed Freeport Metrics to develop our food app for us. At the time, it wasn’t as easy to develop a mobile app as it is today, so we had to navigate a complicated set of requirements.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement? 

Freeport Metrics developed a mobile food app that showcased oysters. It was a complex project that required them to build a database of oysters with a flavor taste profile for each. Users could access this database to educate themselves about the different oysters. We would eventually expand the database to include all seafood.

From there, we added a restaurant locator to show where to find these oysters. Restaurants could register on our platform, update their menus, and list oyster happy hours via geolocation. 

The UX design on both the frontend and on the admin side was the real key to our success. Freeport Metrics needed to come up with a rating system for oysters, which was not easy. They figured out how to best display information to the user and divided the oysters into three categories.

On the admin side, Freeport Metrics used Parse (later discontinued by Facebook) to build our backend. Their team realized that I wanted to be able to modify my app’s process by myself, so they created a way for me to change restaurants and write content independently through Parse. That way, I didn’t have to go to them for every single edit.

What is the team composition? 

It was around 5–6 people, which was the entire team at the time. I worked with Andrew and Dan (Co-Founders), a few developers, and some UX designers. 

How did you come to work with Freeport Metrics?

I found Freeport Metrics through a referral and interviewed them along with about 50 developers. Out of everyone, they were the most honest, flexible, and upfront. 

They were also unique in that they had an office in Poland along with developers overseas, but Andrew was educated in America. Knowing that he was there made me feel comfortable because I could lean on him to resolve any problems that might come up.

Finally, I got the feeling that they were genuinely interested in our project because of how different it was. In that sense, they were investing in me while I was investing in them. That level of involvement stayed true the entire time. Even if we weren’t in a sprint, I could call them to change something, and they would just do it.

How much have you invested with them?

It cost between $70,000–$120,000. The money came from our investors, so we had to be careful with how we spent it.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project lasted from May 2015–May 2017. The first development phase lasted about 4–5 months, and we had others throughout those two years.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Freeport Metrics created a gorgeous consumer-facing app that was aesthetically-pleasing and user-friendly. It was such a complicated project at the time because geolocation was still a challenge to figure out, and we had so much information we needed to convey. But, their team managed to pull through with their focus on the UX.

I’d say their UX design was one of the reasons we saw such wild success. We ended up getting featured in periodicals like Forbes and the New York Times, securing over 500 restaurants across the country. Later, we even expanded into the Chinese market, and they were there with us translating everything into Mandarin.

How did Freeport Metrics perform from a project management standpoint?

The project management was as good as it could be when working with an overseas partner. There was a project manager who handled the day-to-day, and Andrew and Dan were also heavily involved. If I had a serious problem, I could call or text them whenever and know that they’d respond.

What did you find most impressive about them?

You generally want the founders of a development firm to care about their work, and that’s the sense that I got with Andrew and Dan. Because seafood was not their expertise, they came over to attend a seafood conference because they wanted to learn about our industry. The hope was that this knowledge would enable them to build a better product. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

There are always things that people can improve, but I don’t think there’s anything that stood out to me.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you’re looking for a partner to get involved and develop a relationship with as you go through the process, Freeport Metrics is great. Any company can go in a build a one-off project, but it takes a special partner to go in and invest the time to learn about your subject matter. It’s a unique trait that makes them versatile.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CIO of Community Health Options, one of the three remaining healthcare co-ops formed under the Affordable Care Act in 2012. We provide healthcare coverage to individuals and commercial groups in Maine, where we’re based. We currently cover more than 30,000 lives.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Freeport Metrics?

We initially engaged them to rebuild our website. They’ve since developed our member portal and provider directory, as well.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They designed and developed a new, public-facing website for us. They then took on the member portal, which serves the people who are covered by our service. Members can log in to access their claims information and ID cards, along with all the other resources we provide.

Additionally, they built our provider directory, which is essentially a yellow pages of providers that are in our network. The team has worked with us to abide by the many requirements that pertain to our regulations, marketing, and member engagement.

Since this multi-component development project, we’ve moved into a staff augmentation model with them. They’ve taken on many other initiatives since.

What is the team composition?

Their team size has fluctuated depending on the project. For the website, it hovered between 5–10 people. It’s been a mix of developers, designers, project managers, and QA teammates. Right now, we’ve got a senior technical architect on the team.

How did you come to work with Freeport Metrics?

We issued an RFP and saw how appealing their bid was. We were also impressed when we met with their team, which seemed skilled and versatile. They seemed particularly strong in their account management, and it turned out that one of our developers had worked with them in the past. He advocated very strongly for them, which completely sealed the deal.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent somewhere around 3.5 million dollars.

What is the status of this engagement?

The work began in June of 2018 and have been working with them steadily ever since.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were very pleased with the website, and the speed with which they deployed it. We were trying to beat our open enrollment period, which runs October through December.

We wanted to get the new site out before open enrollment, and they made that happen. The other projects have gone pretty well, too. While most of the development projects take longer than we want them to, they’ve proved to be a solid and reliable partner.

They skillfully utilize the scrum methodology for maximum output. In addition to their output, the team has also been exceptional in helping us establish a development methodology — a consistent process that we can stick to. Our developers have had no problem working with them as they offer a pretty straightforward partnership.

How did Freeport Metrics perform from a project management standpoint?

Their account management is stellar.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re very proactive and thoughtful about constraints and potential roadblocks. We’ve appreciated their valuable insights surrounding a mitigation strategy.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The core parts of their organization that I’ve worked with have been relatively stable. That being said, they have a fairly high turnover rate with their developers. While they provide high-quality resources, that sort of frequent transition can be disruptive.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It helps to have internal capacity and knowledge. I would ensure that you’ve got your own ability to support and enhance whatever system you’re working on with them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of technology for Smile Train. We’re a charity that’s dedicated to helping children who were born with cleft lip and palate. Our team mostly works with treatment centers in lower- and middle-income countries, collaborating with and collecting funds for local facilities to build them up.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Freeport Metrics?

We’d built our database 20 years ago and felt that it was time for an upgrade. The main goal was to bring our technology to the latest standards so that we could continue using our database for another 20 years.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement? 

They’re building a custom database from scratch using our workflow processes and updated technologies. It’s mostly front- and backend development, though they also did some UX optimizations. Our program is based in 90 countries, so they included language support to make it easier to use.

Currently, they're migrating our data into the new database while also creating an offline version for our clients. In the next round, they’ll start on a mobile app.

What is the team composition? 

I’ve worked directly with about 15–20 people, but the team changes depending on the process at hand. This includes a business analyst, project managers, UX designers, and even the owner. Occasionally, I’ll talk to the developers directly to streamline our preparation. 

How did you come to work with Freeport Metrics?

We’d actually worked with Freeport Metrics before for maintenance and support, so we already knew about their capabilities. When we did a formal RFP for this project, they won because of their strong business management and processes. This was particularly important because we’re a relatively small organization, so we needed a team that could manage the project well.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them for this project in September 2019, and are still working with them. We expect to complete Phase 1 in early 2021 before moving on to more ambitious phases.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

So far, the process is going as expected. They’re mindful of our time and ask the correct questions to get what they need from us. There have been budget increases, but that’s to be expected with these kinds of projects. We’ve built that into the overall project, anyway, so I’m satisfied with it.

How did Freeport Metrics perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicate through emails and have scheduled meetings after every two-week sprint. That’s when they update us on how well we did and discuss priority changes. Now, it’s daily meetings to keep up with our business requirements. As for project management tools, we Azure DevOps to track our progress and report any bugs.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’m very happy with the quality of their work. Their performance was a decisive factor for us during the RFP process. They were in close competition with another candidate, but we ultimately chose Freeport Metrics because we were comfortable with the quality of their deliverables.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they’re fine for what we need.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you have similar needs to ours, then hire them! It’s great that we don’t have to manage the project and will still get a good product at the end of the day. Having said that, I don’t know how they’d perform in a time crunch because we’re not on a strict schedule.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the product manager at Zipline. We’re an organization in the private-label debit payment space. Basically, we work with automated clearing house (ACH) transactions that come out of a consumer’s bank account, specializing in the convenience store space. 

Our merchants are convenience stores that use our program behind the scenes. We process those payments by pulling money from the consumers’ bank account and writing them to the merchants’ bank account.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Freeport Metrics?

We had an existing member portal where our consumer base could log in to see their ACH transactions, change their demographic data, and update their banking information. Our goal was to create a modernized version of that portal.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement? 

Freeport Metrics was in charge of revamping our member portal. They changed the look and feel as well as redesigning some of the architecture.

What is the team composition? 

It was around 10–12 people. I worked directly with everyone, from the developers and project managers to Andrew (CEO) and Artur (Director of Software). 

How did you come to work with Freeport Metrics?

We’d done projects with them while at a different payment company, so I was already familiar with their style. They had a good background of the payment space, too. I decided to give them a chance to earn our business again, and, obviously, I liked the work that they did.

How much have you invested with them?

For this project, we spent between $160,000–$200,000. We had the option to either pay a one-time fee upfront based on the estimated price or pay by time and material.

What is the status of this engagement?

This project lasted from July–December 2019. We haven’t gone live with the portal yet because we’ve had other priorities to tackle first. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

From what they’ve demonstrated to me in their environments, the end product looks great. It was exactly what we’d asked for.

How did Freeport Metrics perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management skills and ability to stick to deadlines were big assets. They were very professional along the way, creating project plans and sticking to our milestones. If something was going to slip up due to a dependency, they were good about communicating it to us over email or phone.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’m impressed by their attention to detail.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, nothing comes to mind. They’re a results-driven team that will strive to get you what you need to solve your business problem.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

The team can take on any aspect of a software development project. To do that, they have a wide variety of resources to help you out, almost like an a la carte option. Let them know what resources you have on your side, and they’ll fill in the gaps to make sure you’re successful. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Project Manager of Solomon Leadership Program

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Our company is a non profit providing a leadership program for high school students. Students receive three college credits upon completion

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Freeport Metrics to accomplish?

Provide updated style guide

SOLUTION

How did you find Freeport Metrics?

Referral

Why did you select Freeport Metrics over others?

• High ratings
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me

How many teammates from Freeport Metrics were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

The goal was for Freeport to create an updated style guide for our brand, for a fresher look. They were also required to create marketing materials and an annual report. Currently we are working with them to update the web design

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

• A fresh style guide
• usable marketing materials and annual report
• newest one is updated web design with fresh look that follows our brand guidelines

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

yes

What was your primary form of communication with Freeport Metrics?

Virtual Meeting

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

They were able to work within our budget and adjusted pricing according to what we were able to pay. They also produced nice designs for us

Are there any areas for improvement or something Freeport Metrics could have done differently?

The international timezone does pose difficulty and results in delays in our projects.

There were times where freeport spent excess time on unnecessary projects.