Geeks Ltd

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the acting commercial director of Telguard. We design, manufacture, and sell access control equipment.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Geeks Ltd?

We’ve employed Geeks Ltd to help us move away from dial-up support and move to a cloud platform. We’ve needed to future-proof our company. We don’t have the in-house expertise to build that cloud platform, and we don’t want to spend time learning that process. What we do know is what we need the product to look like.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’ve had high-level discussions with the Geeks Ltd team about what we’re trying to achieve. They’ve captured user stories about how we do business and support our products. They’ve translated those user stories into wireframes, so they can communicate our requirements via technical specifications that make sense to their software design engineers. The wireframing took about a month.

They’re developing the cloud platform from scratch. We expect to complete the first build stage in the next few weeks.

What is the team composition?

We work directly with a project manager, and they have a teammate who coordinates between the project manager and the software engineers. Before we started the project, we worked with a business analyst who translated our needs and user stories into technical specifications.

How did you come to work with Geeks Ltd?

The CEO and owner of our company had a good working relationship with the CEO and owner of Geeks Ltd. When we researched them and some of their other customers, we recognized that they were a very professional and capable company that we could trust to complete this project to our satisfaction.

We didn’t invite bids from other companies. When we saw Geeks Ltd’s process for interpreting our needs and delivering our desired results, it was extremely structured and competent. We knew that we were interacting with capable people, and we felt confident that Geeks Ltd was the right company to select.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested around £250,000 (approximately $335,000 USD), a significant part of our product budget. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Geeks Ltd around February or March 2021, and the project is still in progress. We expect the project to conclude in March 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Without their work, our company would become limited in what we can offer to our customers. Geeks Ltd’s initial scoping has been excellent. Their understanding of how our complex field works has been just terrific, and that has been reflected in their detailed wireframes.

When we’ve read through those wireframes, out of hundreds of pieces of work we’ve found very few errors to correct or clarifications to make. Their success rate was way above 60%, which is an excellent start.

How did Geeks Ltd perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re bang-on with their expertise, timeline, and budget. They use a management platform that they’ve built themselves — that platform has been the key success factor in their workflow. They have a management dashboard, a day-to-day operating communication platform, and a project management platform.

Through their communication platform, which we have logins for, we're able to stay on top of what Geeks Ltd is working on. We communicate daily through email — their platform emails us when there’s something we need to look at in the management platform. Whenever we’ve encountered contingencies, we’ve been able to capture, prioritize, and schedule or defer them appropriately.

Their management dashboard displays where they are in terms of the overall project timeline and budget. Their project management style has been based on sprints with predefined elements. There have been about 40–50 pieces of work, which they’ve grouped together logically into 15 sprints. Each sprint has lasted about three weeks.

They’ve had two people assigned to us at the project management level at a time. Whenever there was something to correct or clarify, their business analyst would step back in to revisit the specification from a user story point of view. 

We’ve had a total of three project managers with Geeks Ltd, as they tend to get poached by other companies or leave the company. Geeks Ltd hasn’t missed a beat in the handoff between project managers one and two, broadly speaking. There’s a third project manager now taking over from the second one, but we’re at the very end and I’m fully expecting it to be the same seamless handover.

We hold a two-hour weekly project call every Wednesday afternoon with the project manager and other members of Geeks Ltd’s team. On the odd occasion that we’ve needed to rescope something or otherwise explore it in significant detail, we’ve scheduled a separate meeting with the relevant players.

The acid test will be when we perform end-to-end testing of the entire product, instead of just testing isolated parts. When they hand the product over to us for user acceptance testing (UAT) in their environment, we’ll have a very clear understanding of what they have built versus our requirements so that testing will be very straightforward, thanks to their management tools.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’ve been very impressed with their ability to understand our access control equipment world and translate it into terms that they can work with in their software engineering world. The devil’s in the details, and there’s a lot of technical complexity and jargon relevant to our field.

Geeks Ltd’s ability to quickly understand and talk to us in our own language was astonishing to start with. We really felt that people in our company might have taken a year to get to the same level of understanding that Geeks Ltd has exhibited after only a few weeks. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

They’ve struggled a bit to give us a management overview dashboard that we can use to assess the status of the deliverables relative to the budget at a glance. They’ve had the data, but they haven’t had a way to communicate it. The initial lack of that tool has delayed our realization that we had a risk of overspending. So we’ve become very focused in the last two months of work on meeting the project budgets, timelines, and deliverables.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Follow best practices by being as utterly clear as you can about the scope of work and the engagement around the scope of work.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are a real estate brokerage with 30+ employees who cover the residential and commercial real estate needs in California and nationwide the US. We also provide residential mortgage loan services to eligible clients.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Geeks Ltd, and what were your goals?

We hired Geeks Ltd to provide us custom software programming for our brokerage's intranet support services, CRM (customer relationship management), document processing, and mobile optimization.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We considered several software development companies before deciding who to hire to implement our project. Geeks really impressed us from the beginning by offering the most comprehensive solution to solve our internal problems. They made their solution very clear by asking many questions and customizing the solution based on what we needed to succeed.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

The scope of the project was labor-some and time consuming. We needed a solution so all our agents can simultaneously share data and brainstorm with the management. We also needed an interactive client-based technology so buyers could search properties and sellers get an appraisal of their house.

In our mortgage division, we needed an application for loan processing and a mortgage calculator. Our project was connected to the Multiple Listing Services in California and was pulling the current listings on an agile basis. They streamlined our process by allowing us to visualize our solution in a systematic way.

They first asked us many questions on how each part of our company operate, so we could understand our current model. Geeks then identified problem areas and created solutions to facilitate our success goals. They allowed us to manage departmental and company performance and created reviews and reports based on each agent's productivity.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

We had a dedicated project manager, senior developer, junior developers, account manager, quality assurance and technical lead team members to help us.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

Geeks delivered everything we asked for in a timely and professional manner. They fixed any issues or bugs in the system and went above and beyond to reach our expectations. We couldn't be happier with the results.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

Geeks managed to stick to project deadlines and meet all of our requirements by having effective communication tools via phone calls, text messages, email communication, in person meetings and web support. They kept track of the process and made sure everyone involved in the project adhere to timelines.

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

Geeks is a very forward looking company using the highest and the best technologies. We were really impressed by their online portal which allowed us to track our progress on a continuous basis. We were impressed by their knowledge, communication style, and professionalism.

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

Everything Geeks did was amazing and we are very thankful and happy to choose them to design our solution.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a company that provides GPS pet trackers, which we sell on our website and Amazon. Once the tracker is attached to their pet’s collar, the owner can then download and use our mobile app to track their pet in real-time.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Geeks Ltd?

We’re a startup company and we needed someone to develop our mobile app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We had a solution design workshop with them that lasted four days. We went into their office each day and they wireframed the app for us. We had a development schedule with the development sprints and the number of teams involved.

However, we abandoned the project with them. We had another company continue the development of our app which we’re very happy with.

What is the team composition?

We were in contact with the project manager.

How did you come to work with Geeks Ltd?

We did a tender process for our app and sat down with different development companies. Geeks Ltd didn’t have the cheapest proposal, but we were very impressed with their pitch, sales team, and what they said they could do. Additionally, we took references and were almost reassured by the fact that they weren’t the cheapest.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent over $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our partnership ran from January–April 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The COO got involved when we confronted them about the work. Although she didn’t come out and agree that the project was being mismanaged, she could see how shocked we were that the project wasn’t going to be finished. She said that clients aren’t normally as surprised as we were, and I think she was implicitly acknowledging that the communication has fallen down. 

She went on to say that there have been mistakes made on both sides which we couldn’t understand — she said we should’ve known that we were falling behind. She also told us that we should’ve checked the scheduling system that they use which we did, but the project manager kept assuring us that the project was on track.

We ended up going to the CEO who was very rude in her response. Unfortunately, when dealing with a complaint, they didn’t handle it well at all.

Despite all that, we got along with the people very well and their work culture had a very friendly atmosphere — we thought we were working towards the same goal. The UI designer was very excellent and applied any changes that we wanted to implement. We believed things were going very well, but it turned out we didn’t get the service that we thought we were getting.

How did Geeks Ltd perform from a project management standpoint?

We had weekly team meetings. We thought everything was going really well, and it wasn’t until we got to the last week where we suddenly found out that half the stuff we thought had been done hadn’t been done — we already spent $100,000 with them at this point and we didn’t have a working app. They then said we needed to do another sprint, which was going to be another $20,000. We were very reluctant, but we needed to finish our app because we weren’t able to go to market without an app.

We ended up paying for it, but they still weren’t able to finish it. They then did a catch-up sprint and said they were going to have to do another sprint after that. We still didn’t have a working app at this point, and our confidence in them finishing the app had dwindled.

By the time we terminated the contract with them, they were estimating a finish date of around April 19th. If they had come to us and told us they were really sorry, it would’ve been a very different story — we quickly lost confidence in them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We’re not vindictive. My purpose in leaving this review is not to damage them, but this could’ve been avoided.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

When you’re having the weekly planning session, you should be asking to see demonstrations of the work that’s been completed. We feel we should’ve gotten more involved and we probably let them manage the project too much. Part of me feels we shouldn’t have done that considering we paid them so much money to deliver, but we’ve learned that lesson the hard way.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of a real estate investment fund.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Geeks Ltd?

We sought a partner to help with mobile application and custom software development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Geeks Ltd provided wireframes. They’re now in the process of developing custom software and a mobile app for iOS and Android. They have a team working on APIs too.

What is the team composition?

In total, we work with about 11 people from Geeks Ltd. We collaborate with two teams of developers and two project managers.

How did you come to work with Geeks Ltd?

We considered eight companies but Geeks Ltd presented a roadmap that far exceeded anything we saw from the other candidates. We felt confident in their ability to help us achieve our goals.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together around September 2020, and our partnership’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We hope to finish the beta version of our product by March 2021. The quality of their work is good. They also communicate well regarding any slowdowns in the timeline.

How did Geeks Ltd perform from a project management standpoint?

Right now, we work in two-week sprints and have weekly calls. We also stay in communication between meetings to give updates. They’re available, responsive, and flexible with any requested changes. They meet deadlines and remain transparent about whether or not timelines can be achieved.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’ve guided us through the project because we aren’t tech-savvy. Their team takes our concepts and then creates tangible products. They accommodate our requests and communicate with us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We have no complaints at this point.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

You need to do your own R&D to find the right match for your company.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am Head of Operations for a Demolition and Labour Supply contractor operating mainly in London and South East, but also Nationwide and Europe on Request. We engage over 300 operatives throughout our projects and turnover approximately £20 million per year.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Geeks Ltd, and what were your goals?

We hired Geeks to create an all encompassing operating system for both our office based and site based operations.

We wanted a system that covered all aspects of both operations including invoicing, purchase orders, vehicle scheduling and allocation of staff up to high level management reports and analysis to enable us to judge both the company and individuals performance.

It has been a tool that has been continually developed and tweaked to work incorporate the ever changing landscape of the business.

SOLUTION

How did you select Geeks Ltd and what were the deciding factors?

We looked at several companies when deciding to implement our new system, but Geeks presented by far the most comprehensive strategy and forward thinking solutions to problems we were looking to resolve.

They explained to us how technology could be used to make things simpler, more flexible and reactive to our wide range of activities and at the same time designed a system that was informative to staff and clients, visually engaging and well presented in line with company ethos and branding.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

We had a Pre Start workshop based over a couple of days where our management team brainstormed exactly what we were looking for from our new operating system and Geeks were there to assist in designing wireframes and providing streamlined work processes that allowed us to visualise and work through how the system would look and work.

The scope was to establish a system that managed all aspects of our workflow including:

• SMS texting service to notify all operatives of work details
• Vehicle Scheduling and Inventory management
• Purchase Ordering, Invoicing and Quoting
• Personal Data and training records
• Custom built waste recording system creating data and graphical analysis in report format to be issued to clients and stakeholders
• Departmental and overall company performance analysis and management review tools.
• Full accounting operations, cost centres and analysis which is integrated with our external accounts software.
• Client Portal allowing them access to sanctioned records, site information and reports and records for each of their projects.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

Due to the continual development of our software solution, we have worked with various teams at Geeks but usually we have a dedicated Project Manager, Senior Developer, Account Manager, Technical Lead and a QA for each project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

Geeks have delivered time and time again on both the main project and the bolt on modules we have added in line with company and procedural changes. Any issues or bugs have been ironed out and we are over the moon with the system we now have in place.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timelines.

Project deadlines have always been met and their online portal keeps us up to date with all changes and developments and advises if we need to comment or take action. The portal always keeps track of progress so all parties always know how the project is progressing.

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

Their can do attitude is great and their enthusiasm to find the solution you need is infectious. We love working with them and their teams are so friendly and approachable.

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

Im really happy with our experience in all aspects of dealing with Geeks

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Synthesised Virtual Presence is a startup business. We’ve nicknamed it “Chat Up” for short. I’m the director of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Geeks Ltd?

I’m working on a concept project that I’m hoping to take to an MVP. In short, we’re looking to create a video communication software, but use avatars instead of camera feeds, which are pixelated and cause problems with lag. This way, we believe we can reduce the amount of data between devices to about 5% of the current structure and facilitate crisp conversations.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We split the project into seven stages. The first stage involves creating functionality that takes a 3D image of the user’s face via a native app, while stage two maps the face of the user and renders a 3D face according to the face movement picked up by the camera. We’ll put all of this together in stage three.

What is the team composition?

I’ve generally worked with a team of five people on this project: a business analyst, two developers, a designer, and a project manager. Geeks Ltd can bring additional people in if I need to move faster.

How did you come to work with Geeks Ltd?

I initially found them in 2013 after another vendor we worked with proved to be unreliable. We wanted to work with someone where we could be involved in the process on a week to week basis, and actually get things live quickly, even if those were just small agile parts. That’s exactly how Geeks works. They’re not exactly the cheapest, but they're worth it. 

I've now worked with Geeks Ltd on two other major projects, and I quite liked their agile approach. They generally deliver on time, and that’s more important than anything else to me. They always fall within projected costs and timeframes.

How much have you invested with them?

This project is right at the beginning, and we’re looking at about £50,000 (approximately $63,000 USD) right now. The overall project is budgeted at around £370,000 (approximately $472,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started this project with Geeks in early-August 2020 and we're still in the early stages.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re six weeks into stage two, and we expect to finish it in the next two weeks. The final stage is to actually market the product via its own website and get interest from big players. That’s probably 12 months away.  

Right now, we 're trying and get customers to be our beta testers. The challenge with this is that bugs can be very frustrating to customers. When bugs inevitably occur, Geeks Ltd works tirelessly to ensure that customers remain loyal to us.

We feel we’ve really got a strong support team for when problems do come. When problems come up, they're always there to support us. I’ve known their chairman to be on holiday at a beach, and I was still able to phone him and get him to write some code.

How did Geeks Ltd perform from a project management standpoint?

I can discuss a project with them, get very accurate pricing and clear strategic goals, and have them meet those within the timeframe. After we sold our previous business, I had to work with the incumbent for 18 months. That company had over 100 developers, yet they couldn’t meet any targets. After seeing that, I’ve really come to appreciate the team at Geeks Ltd.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Instead of working in C#, they work in M#, which is something they term as “machine code”. What we really like about it is that, when it comes to upgrading software to the latest .NET Core or something similar, instead of it having to be completely rewritten, whole scads of it can be upgraded, which is phenomenal.

Our last project was probably four million lines of code, and it was moved from .NET to .NET Core in three weeks. We’ve seen other companies that’ve had to completely rewrite their software. One of the big benefits with Geeks is that we can ensure our software is completely up to date and the upgrade process is extremely quick.  

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could be cheaper. However, I could outsource elsewhere and build the same thing a lot cheaper, but I’d probably go through a lot more stress, and it’d probably take a lot longer. We have to keep in mind the benefits we get. A lot of companies have tried to persuade us to work with them instead of Geeks Ltd. in the past, and the price has been very tempting, but we always remember the poor experiences we've had with other companies. Overall, I have no complaints. I haven’t built a piece of software with another company since starting with Geeks Ltd.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Anyone wanting to go down the development road should very much take Geeks Ltd’s advice. They will talk about an extensive wireframing session, which took 2–3 days working at their office with our last project. They also have a great wireframing product that allows us to see how something is going to work and what it’s going to look like.

The process is quite expensive, but we appreciate that they provide quick timelines, clear pricing, and a good understanding of what the product can and can’t do.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Reed Wellbeing help people lead healthier lives. Our high impact lifestyle services help people improve their health. We provide easy-to-access, effective interventions that address a range of lifestyle issues. With our support, people make sustainable change that will help them improve their wellbeing, become healthier and reduce their chances of developing illnesses.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Geeks Ltd, and what were your goals?

We hired Geeks Ltd to support us to design and develop a brand new service delivery platform to deliver a new product we had designed. Our goal was to develop a minimum viable product to enable us to launch the product to market as soon as possible. My role is Associate Director for Product Development, and I oversee and manage product development within the business.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We selected Geeks through a short procurement process. From the first time we got in contact with them, we were impressed with their engagement, interest in our project, responsiveness and enthusiasm for our project.

Geeks went over and above during our procurement process to support us to make an informed decision about the direction we take for the development - something that was invaluable to us at the time.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

The scope of the work centered on the development of an operating portal for our new product. We first used their software to develop a prototype system during solution design.

Their software is excellent and really brings the project to life and helps you to visualize how the end product will look. This makes the process transparent, as a visual prototype creates a transparent process whereby you know what will be delivered.

We then started development, which again Geeks have excellent software to manage so it is clear what progress we were making against the agreed plan.

Our development included:

• Bespoke software design
• Push notifications
• Product design, including intricate logic calculations
• PDF report generation
• Bespoke UX and UI design

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

I worked with a number of people from Geeks, including - Business Analysts - Project Managers - Account Managers - Senior Management/Leadership Our main contact during the project is with the Business Analyst and Project Managers - all of whom were excellent. Account Management was also excellent from start to finish during the process.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

Our project was delivered on time, and within scope and budget. We are very impressed with the outcome and very happy with our product.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

Geeks work in Agile sprints, which can vary in length according to the project. Throughout the project it is managed very transparently, and you have software available to you so you can see progress at all times. Project Managers were very responsive and supportive during the process, and were always available for an update or to ask questions.

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

The most impressive thing for me about this company is the level of passion in all roles I have interacted with - including Business Analysts, Project Managers, Account Managers and Senior Management. Everyone is passionate about producing the best possible product and we have had an excellent client experience from start to finish.

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

Nothing of note - we learned lessons as a team during the project, but I can't think of any areas of improvement for Geeks based on the projects we have completed with them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I was the commercial director of a startup company looking to work with large private companies in the NHS. We were purchased by Allocate Software in 2018, which is a large organization providing software specifically to the NHS. I’m now the global products manager for our former startup’s products.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Geeks Ltd?

Back when we were a startup, we wanted to build a time-sheeting and work management system that would stop employment agencies from overcharging clients. Typically, employment agencies send very complicated invoices, which are very hard for customers to check. Customers get multiple invoices each month, from multiple agencies, so it’s very easy for those agencies to overcharge clients by using a manual invoicing process. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We designed a system that would allow clients to lock in rates and agency terms and for agencies to submit their hours online for approval. After client approval, it would generate invoices that were always accurate. Even better, it would create an automatic file that would go to the client’s accounts payable system and separate all the different relevant costs, post it into their ledger, and allow them to pay agencies on their own terms without having to press more than five buttons. It would reduce the invoicing process from hours (if not days) per week to 20 minutes per week.

Geeks was very good in understanding the user experience and what the setup process should look like. We sat down with one of Geeks’ business analysts for a number of scoping sessions, going over our vision and what the processes were in quite a lot of depth. We probably spent five full days over a couple of weeks doing that. Geeks then researched the market to understand what made our product unique, and came back with suggestions for improving certain processes. They made some good points, and we refined the scope with them before breaking it down into agile sprints.

Geeks then made around 20 wireframes for us and took us through the wireframing process over a five-hour session, making sure they got everything right. We made a couple of little changes, got a final estimate, and off we went.

What is the team composition?

We first worked with a couple of developers from Geeks, a business analyst, and an account manager. There were 4–5 people involved, and I particularly worked with two during the first six months: a developer and a business analyst.

The project grew in terms of solutions and processes. We tend to work with 2–3 key people now, rather than directly with the developers.

How did you come to work with Geeks Ltd?

We were a completely new startup, and I and my business partner had no idea about software whatsoever. We started looking for development companies to outsource to. After a poor experience with another company, we saw some good reviews for Geeks online.

Once we contacted them and explained what we wanted, we chose them because of how they guided us through the initial scoping. They had a well-rehearsed process that captured all key things. Rather than just listening to us, they probed and showed us what development cycles were and what agile really meant. 

They introduced us to the scrum methodology, and we understood very clearly what was required from us in terms of time investment and how we’d make the process work. It was a two-way process. Them being so upfront gave us confidence as well as a structure to work with them.

How much have you invested with them?

Since 2016, we’ve probably spent £2.5 million–£3 million with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Geeks in November 2012 and delivered the first product in May 2013. We had a few months of refinements after that, and we didn’t start a new project with them until December 2013. We started doing a number of projects each year, building out different functionalities for different client types. By 2015, we were in almost perpetual development. We’ve never stopped working with them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re essentially enabling payments for NHS doctors and controlling things for large companies. Thousands of people rely on our system; any downtime would cause chaos. It’s absolutely essential that we get the development right, don’t have wasted effort, and can constantly iterate with small updates all the time without interrupting the usage of the system.

Geeks has been exceptionally good at development. We’ll sometimes have 3–4 different strands of code that we then merge at different points. The care Geeks has taken to mitigate risk has been absolutely outstanding. I don’t think we’ve ever had more than four hours of downtime, and that was for a massive update. They’re very good at getting things right. More importantly, though, when something’s gone wrong on our side or theirs, they always prepare to have the software back and running within two hours. If we’ve ever had an interruption problem, it’s never gotten close to two hours. That’s enabled us to provide a constantly good uptime in a very secure way for our clients. 

We went from a startup to a £15-million company in 4–5 years. We wouldn’t have had a business without Geeks.

How did Geeks Ltd perform from a project management standpoint?

Depending on the level of what we’re doing, we’ll either have weekly or daily standups with them. We’re developing two different products with them, so we have two different account managers and two different project managers for those. They keep them very separate, which is good. 

Geeks is demanding of us in terms of the time we need to put in there. They also understand what level of decisions they can make because we’ve developed a level of trust with them. They solve many problems without us having to get in the way. I have my own product owner, but they also work with a surrogate product owner for certain parameters, which makes my life very easy.

What did you find most impressive about them?

With the previous company we’d worked with, we’d tell them what we wanted, and they’d go off and decide what the best thing to do was. With Geeks, it’s very different. We know what the best way is, and they’ll do the development behind it, but they add their thoughts in. We understand what’s expected and how it’ll work, and Geeks is very clear about what will go wrong if we don’t do things a certain way.

Are there any areas they could improve?

In the early days, when they were growing, their processes weren’t as solid as they are now. They were a much smaller organization, and they’ve done a lot of continual development of their team to improve their processes and development skills. They’ve spent a huge amount of money researching the future and developing their own tools. A lot of their tools have won Queen’s Awards, Microsoft awards, and more because they’re quite innovative. At the moment, there’s not a lot I can think of for them to improve.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

I’ve said this to a lot of companies that I’ve referred for: it’s about their time commitment, communication, and clarity. If we’re going to start a project with Geeks, they’ll explain what they expect from us, and we need to dedicate that time. If we’re rushing around not answering their queries and not attending standups, the project will go wrong. So, do what they say: they do know best, and it’ll absolutely pay off.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the managing director of Channel Ports Ltd. We are a customs broker.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Geeks Ltd?

At the time, we were looking for ways to change our business model. We needed to prepare software specifically related to Brexit. Currently, we only do import and export entries for third countries such as the USA. Where we work near Dover, only about 3% of vehicle-stowed goods currently require a customs entry. Brexit would increase that figure to 100%, so we needed to prepare to fill this substantial gap. 

Put in context, 97 percent of 14,000 vehicles per day would be a massive challenge. Up to that point, people had sent us invoices and emails and we transcribed the data to make declarations to submit to customs on behalf of importers the same way they do in America. We wanted to transition to an online system and hired Geeks Ltd to help us create one. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We created a specification of how we wanted the system to work. During four different sessions, we sat down with Geeks Ltd to define and prepare how each part of the system would interact with each other.  From a technical perspective, we considered how to make things as easy as possible to program while still achieving our set goals. 

In advance, we defined all the requirements before any programming took place. Geeks Ltd used an in-house program to create wireframes that showed how the software would look along with its logic and functionality.

Once the design was complete, Geeks Ltd built our system so importers and exporters can enter basic details such as invoicing. After users add all the technical items to support that information, the software creates a customs declaration automatically. 

What is the team composition?

Between the two programming teams, we worked with about 12 people total in different capacities so we could finish everything in quite a rush.

How did you come to work with Geeks Ltd?

One Monday morning, we held a review session that highlighted a specific need we had. We called Geeks Ltd right after to support us and met with them that Thursday.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about £90,000 (approximately $116,000 USD). 

What is the status of this engagement?

After starting our engagement in February 2019, we finished the program within six weeks. We ran on a very tight schedule.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We didn't think our goals were possible, but Geeks Ltd empowered us to achieve exactly what we wanted. We were more than pleased with what we achieved together.

Our in-house programmer usually develops all our software, and we rarely create frontend customer-facing interfaces. We typically only create backend designs for internal use. Our resources didn't have the skills to produce this system, let alone in the time we had available. Geeks Ltd offers the level of capability we required to deliver this project. 

Ever since our initial meeting, we could tell Geeks Ltd was a company that could deliver the project in the timeline and budget we were looking for– and they did.

How did Geeks Ltd perform from a project management standpoint?

Geeks Ltd gave us consistent feedback, asked us questions as we went along, and made sure we always knew what was going on. We regularly held reviews to assess progress.

Delivering this sort of project would normally take months, but our timeline was much shorter. Some weeks we had multiple meetings to assess how the development was going

What did you find most impressive about them?

The strategic way Geeks Ltd is structured makes them stand out from the competition. At each stage, I knew exactly who to talk to. We had two project leaders who facilitated excellent communication between our companies. By the end of the project, everything was perfect because they had found and corrected any mistakes as we went along. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Geeks Ltd is the first software house we've worked with that delivered on time and on budget. They impressed us to such an extent that we are looking into doing more projects with them at the moment.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I would advise future clients to be upfront about what they want to achieve. Set realistic timeframes and let them know about your deadlines.  

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the director of a mortgage and protection advisory firm. I focus on the residential, buy-to-let markets and also advise on commercial mortgages. On the protection front, I advise on life insurance, critical illness cover, and income protection. I also recommend and arrange general insurance for buildings and contents insurance. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Geeks?

The market was moving into a very digital direction. The advisory processes I currently had in place were becoming somewhat dated. Many consumers are now opting to use an easier online process via mobile phones, laptops, or tablets. I started noticing that a few of my clients were transitioning to those services.  To best protect my business, I needed to find a developer who could help me move into that direction quickly.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

When I first got in touch with Geeks, they sent me a proposal for their services and company structure. It outlined how they design and implement solutions and what my level of involvement would be. After an initial discussion, they really understood my goals. Mortgages are quite a common debt, and many developers from Geeks had faced problems dealing with advisers and online companies. They understood the required dynamics to make the customer journey seamless and simple. 

The next step was to map out prototypes. I met with their business analyst on four occasions. He was absolutely fantastic and intelligent. He easily grasped my concept and directly translated it into amazing wireframes. Once it started coming together, it looked like a real product. I finally felt like we were on to something. Upon our approval, they quoted an estimate for the entire cost of development and introduced me to the team who would head up the project. 

One of the founders and directors gave me an overview of their philosophy for developing applications. Using an Agile basis, they frequently touched base to make sure we were getting what we wanted. They split up the project into 10 15-day sprints. At the end of each one, we assess their progress, and I have the opportunity to test it. Now at sprint six, we're more than halfway through the project, and it's coming along beautifully. 

What is the team composition? 

I met the senior manager, assistant project manager, tech lead, business analysts, software developers, senior developers, and testers. Knowing who I was working with was really great. 

How did you come to work with Geeks?

I looked for developers around the London area that were nearby for an easy commute. My business associates and friends offered referrals, but most were one-person operations. The size, complexity, and scale of our platform's business model demanded a large, experienced, and knowledgeable team. I wasn't comfortable with using one person who would probably outsource my project, nor was I impressed by these vendors’ solutions. Instead, I wanted a team of developers who were all in one place.

I really struggled until I found Geeks through a Google search for software developers. Meeting their team was a breath of fresh air.  They struck up a strong rapport with us, which was very important to me. I knew being on the same page would save us time finding the right solution and make our project a success. Geeks offered the complete solution we needed. Their team includes every type of resource, and they seemed equipped to deal with my requirements. 

How much have you invested with them?

Up until now, we've spent about £130,000 (approximately $170,200 USD). 

What is the status of this engagement?

We've been working together since February 2018. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I don't have metrics to share because we haven't rolled out the solution yet. We're still developing a brand-new bespoke system. Right now, I'm running my business the traditional way. I either meet my clients face-to-face in my office or virtually by phone or email. Geeks is putting my entire system onto an online platform. 

I identified a few bugs during testing. Once I sent the team screenshots, they responded to the broken item right away. After investigating the reason why something’s not working, they tend to fix it quite easily before sending it back out for me to test. 

Geeks is always welcoming and never made us feel pressured. Working alongside them just felt right. Every individual on the development team is involved within that business, which works fantastically.

How did Geeks perform from a project management standpoint?

I've dealt with many customers and business associates during new ventures in the last 15 years, and Geeks has been fantastic in comparison. No one else has been as efficient and professional as them. Our main form of communication is via email, but we also talk on the phone fairly often. We meet in person once every 15 working days. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Geeks has an excellent company structure and method for planning, implementation, and deployment. They are absolutely extraordinary, and I can't say enough good things about them. Everyone from their team is involved and willing to help. We were never just dealing with one person. I can speak to anyone on their team, and they will find the right solution. Their personalized level of service made me feel deeply involved. I’ve had a much better experience working with them than I have with anyone else. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, and that's the honest truth. The way they conduct their business and work with me every step of the way is just brilliant. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you're searching for a developer who can offer a bespoke software solution, look no further. Geeks is simply the best and second to none.