GoodCore Software

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the managing director of Weight Loss Resources. We provide a web-based app that offers a budgeting feature, a food database, an automatic calorie counter, and different challenges for people who want to lose weight.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with GoodCore Software?

Our senior developer decided to become a freelance consultant because of the pandemic, and it made working with our in-house team difficult since he wasn’t always there. We needed to sort the situation because it wasn’t working very well, so I contacted GoodCore. I thought it might be better to outsource a team so that, at least, we could work together properly.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I’m aware that taking over someone else’s code is difficult, so I’ve spent quite a lot of time making sure that GoodCore felt confident enough to take over. We’ve also made sure that the team would be constantly available to do underlying maintenance and bug-fixing, as these are critical to our subscription-based web app. 

GoodCore now works on our fully bespoke website, which is built on HTML, PHP, and MySQL and houses its own CMS and emailing system. We’ve added a lot of modules to the site over the years, but GoodCore doesn’t make too many changes in these areas; their main focus is on functionality. They’re creating a list of motivational challenges and a system that could track whether our customers have taken up on these challenges or not.

We provide the content and describe our desired layout, while their team tends to the design and the speed. We don’t wish to confuse our loyal following, so we don’t want to make any dramatic changes. GoodCore understands this and keeps the design tweaks simple.

GoodCore has set up a staging server for testing everything out, but we’re using another company for server management. GoodCore liaises with them when there’s an update or an issue. 

What is the team composition?

We have a senior and a junior developer, both of whom work full time. There is also a part-time tester and a part-time project manager. Other members of the team, like the designer, are called on an as-needed basis.

How did you come to work with GoodCore Software?

I was looking at a few prospects and ended up contacting three companies. GoodCore was the best of them. We needed a one-stop-shop at the time, so it was a big relief to find that GoodCore could take responsibility for everything that we needed to get done. They had great reviews on Clutch and understood our business wholly, recognizing what we wanted and how critical our platform was.

How much have you invested with them?

The cost in the first year was £130,000 (approximately $180,000 USD). We’re discussing the next contract, and it’s likely to be at the same level.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with GoodCore in July 2020, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Just as we requested, GoodCore has left the color scheme of our website as is, but they’ve improved the layout and various other aspects of the site. They’ve made everything fully responsive and more visually appealing on mobile devices.

One of the major things GoodCore has done for us is creating new challenges for our members. It is completely different from anything we’ve ever done before. Previous developers had told us that they couldn’t do it within any kind of reasonable timeframe, but GoodCore took on the challenge and delivered exactly what we wanted. They’ve managed to complete it while simultaneously learning all our systems. At the implementation of this new feature, we’ve had a 25% increase in signups.

GoodCore is pretty responsive; I’ve never asked them for something that they weren’t able to do. There were times when they had to make a plan and get back to me, but we’ve always gotten our tasks done.

How did GoodCore Software perform from a project management standpoint?

There hasn’t been an issue with GoodCore’s project management. It’s efficient and effective. We work together collaboratively; we relay our customers’ feedback to their team and they, in turn, give us lots of suggestions. They are very involved and meticulous, especially when getting everything set up on their own systems.

One of the good things about our partnership is that GoodCore has fitted their team to our needs. We’re working with them in a unique way where we see their project manager during meetings, but communicate directly with the developers the rest of the time.

With some outsourced agencies, the client only really speaks to the project manager, who then speaks to the rest of the team. I’m really glad that we have a direct relationship with the developers.

We hold Zoom meetings once a week. If we’re in the thick of a task and really need to work closely, we will meet more frequently. Their developers are also willing to put in extra time if we have a tight deadline.

We keep a backlog since there are always a lot of ongoing tasks. Right now, we have around 8–10. They use Redmine for tracking our progress, and it works extremely well. We always know where we are in the project.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’ve definitely distinguished themselves during our initial conversations by taking the project very seriously. GoodCore understood what a big step this was going to be for our company and how much trust we were putting in them. They made me feel that they were trustworthy, and they’ve proven to be so.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. I’m perfectly happy with what they’re doing. They’re already been so different from what we envisaged. We thought that we’d mostly be dealing with a project manager, but once we started talking to and working with GoodCore, they adjusted to our needs. I don’t want them to do anything differently. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

My experience has been highly collaborative, and I think that a client couldn’t ask for anything better. There are no restrictions in the way we’re working.

Lots of developers can produce an app, but GoodCore is a dependable partner for any client whose business relies on complex software.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the general manager at Printed Music Licensing Limited, a music licensing company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with GoodCore Software?

We needed help with custom software development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

GoodCore Software has custom developed a portal that allows licensees to purchase a music license, submit data on works used under their license, and access additional resources. The solution uses AWS to handle the traffic flow, and we rely on Stripe to collect payments from the site and deposit them into our bank account.

To develop the project, we initially provided them with a statement of work. We explained what our business was and what we wanted the software system to do. Then, we went into the discovery phase, where I had a series of meetings with Hassan (Principal Software Engineer) and Yasin (Executive Director).

They developed the wireframes and mapped out the functionality. We went through their work in great detail, making changes before they built the prototype. From there, we beta tested the prototype and went into another series of meetings where we tamed some elements and added others in. The final delivered system was built from scratch.
 
We currently have a service support contract with them. The system is under warranty for the first year. After that, if anything goes wrong or we want to build anything onto the system, they’ll help us do that.
 
What is the team composition?

I spoke to Hassan, Yasin, and two developers. They also have other developers and people coding in the background.

How did you come to work with GoodCore Software?

We employed a local consultant to find providers for us, and GoodCore Software was one of the vendors he found. We sent an RFP out to them and at least nine other service providers. We evaluated and narrowed the companies down to four. These providers then presented to a subgroup of my board, and they were then narrowed down to two. After a final presentation, we chose GoodCore Software.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in September 2020, and the project’s still ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’ve delivered the portal to us on time and on budget. Part of the system’s goal is to get our licensees to submit data. We’ve had over 100 lines of data submitted via the system, which is brilliant. Not to mention, over 50 people have signed up so far. 

We haven’t fully pushed the system just yet. It's meant to support a data collection strategy that we’re launching in September, so we’ll have more metrics then. However, the people who have used the system so far have said that it’s working perfectly.
 
We’re also looking at building another system next year. It’s highly likely we’ll use GoodCore Software for that because they’ve been so excellent the first time.

How did GoodCore Software perform from a project management standpoint?

The project management is brilliant. They’ve been incredibly engaged from the beginning. I’d actually had a meeting with them prior to their presentation because they wanted to find out more about our business. 

There’s never been a problem that has phased them. At one point, we’ve had some miscommunication on our side (not theirs) around the data, but that has been rectified. Any changes we’ve come to them with at the last minute have always been done — it’s absolutely fantastic. We’ve had a lot of Zoom meetings, too.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The team works in an incredibly efficient way, and their level of engagement is great. They’ve really worked to understand the business, listened, and asked questions when they haven’t been sure. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

They’ve known from the beginning that we’re on a really tight deadline. We’ve had six months to decide what we want and get it launched. They’ve done that, which I don’t think many people could’ve done. It shows the dedication and hard work of their team.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be very clear with what you want and stay engaged on your side as well. It’s a lot of work, and there’s a lot of meetings. I’ve spent a lot of hours talking to them, but it’s absolutely worth it in the end. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the chairman and CEO of SimpleFind. We provide booking software in the form of a website add-on to small– and medium–sized enterprises in Switzerland. We also have a platform for finding and booking vendors.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with GoodCore Software?

We sought a long-term outsourcing partner because we had no experience in the world of IT.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We handled all of the user research and joined 4–5 associations to learn about different industries' requirements and challenges. We made mockups and wrote down all the steps we anticipated the project would need.

We initially talked about what we wanted to accomplish with GoodCore over 10–15 hours of meetings via Zoom. Their team talked to us about how we could improve the product’s UX. We created the wireframes together, reviewing the entire users' journey. Their team then developed the custom web application for us. They built the MVP and are working on the second version now.

The platform helps solo entrepreneurs and small companies with their administration processes. It reduces the time required for those processes to between 1–2 hours per month. 

What is the team composition?

We kicked off the project with GoodCore’s founders and then started working with one of their project managers who assigned six people to our project.

How did you come to work with GoodCore Software?

I searched for web development agencies online and found Clutch. After sorting by project sums, I spoke with 10–15 companies via email. We initially chose another company but they didn’t work out. As a startup, we wanted a special payment model. GoodCore was one of four companies that agreed to it.

How much have you invested with them?

The initial project cost around $50,000–$55,000. In 2021, we’ll spend between $95,000–$110,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We first met with GoodCore in December 2019 and started the project with them in February 2020. The collaboration is ongoing, and we hope it’ll last for another 5–10 years at a minimum.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The website is in place. It’s normal to have bugs and if I tell their team a product isn’t as expected, they fix it within 24 hours. As we don’t track customers, I can’t talk about user journeys. However, our clients are satisfied.

How did GoodCore Software perform from a project management standpoint?

Their team coordinated the entire development process. Although GoodCore offered project management tools, I decided not to use them. I didn’t want to be directly in touch with their developers, preferring to have a single contact. The communication between us and their project manager’s clear.

We have access to their workflow system, but I don’t really look into it. Instead, we have 1–2 calls each week with their project manager to stay on the same page about releases. I’m always informed about possible delays. Their project manager also records and summarizes the calls to share with his team.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their flexibility is one of our partnership’s highlights. As a startup, we needed to raise money. They agreed to not require us to pay at the beginning of the project. If we need something from them, they provide it as soon as possible. We can really rely on them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t say there’s anything for them to improve.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Clients should treat them as a partner rather than a supplier. It’s also important for clients to be honest with GoodCore. Tell them about the market and any concerns. If they understand your project, they’ll treat it as if it were their own.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a senior executive at an investment bank, but this project is outside of that. I was looking to set up a golf fantasy application. I’m in full-time employment as we work through the startup stage.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with GoodCore Software?

GoodCore designed and developed my app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

GoodCore designed and developed a client-facing app for iOS. The game itself has quite a bit of logic, storing, and technical work, and I needed a backend to manage the games on the application.

The first deliverable was the application wireframes. They took me through what the design of the application would look like. They spent a lot of time to really understand the concept of the app and determine what the most intuitive UI would be. 

They made the full design. All I provided were the functional specifications of the game and user stories. I signed off on that piece, and they built the app and backend for me after that.

They supported me through running the first tournament after delivering the app. Players in the golf tournament are grouped in units of 10. One player from each group is selected, and scoring is done based on their performance in the tournament. The algorithm calculates the score and player positions in real-time, and getting it right was key.

The other thing was the ability to invite people and create private leagues, which are similar to WhatsApp message groups. I had no idea about what technologies could be used, and my original specifications mentioned creating actual WhatsApp groups through the app, but GoodCore was able to get that functionality embedded into the app itself.

What is the team composition?

I had a day-to-day contact, and I spoke to three people from GoodCore directly, but I know that there were more involved. The two founders of the company were on every single call, so it always felt to me like the project was important to them.

They guided me through the whole process. When I needed something, they put me on to the appropriate person, including the one who guided me on the App Store launch.

How did you come to work with GoodCore Software?

I’d had some bad experiences, so I did a detailed piece of documentation around what I wanted to do, and I sent that to about 12 companies I found on Clutch. I had video calls with a number of those companies, and GoodCore came across as the team I wanted to work with, based on their response to the RFP. They seemed to understand what I was trying to achieve much more clearly than the other people I spoke to.

The RFP was very detailed, and a lot of the companies I contacted weren’t actually interested in seeing that level of detail. GoodCore actually engaged in the details I was asking about. They went through 3–4 meetings with me to go through it in detail before giving a quote.

My confidence in them was quite high based on the level they were prepared to engage at without having money on the table. Also, the two founders of the company were the people I dealt with in the video calls, and they stayed on every call all the way through the project.

As with all of these things, there’s only so much due diligence to do, but I just had a really good feeling about GoodCore, based on their engagement, the way they took interest in the project, and the way they articulated back to me what I was trying to achieve.

How much have you invested with them?

The project cost was around $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

I started working with GoodCore in February 2020. The app’s in the App Store, but I haven’t decided what I want to do with it yet. It’s a second line of business for me.

I’m about to do a second piece with GoodCore, to build some APIs for live scoring and to update a lot of other things on the app. Scores are updated manually at the moment, which takes a huge amount of time. Other than that, it requires very little back-office support time. If we get the API working, it’ll need hardly any human support to run. I’ll look at launching it a bit more then.

I also have some enhancements to do, based on testing with friends and family, and I have to get the landing page sorted out.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The game’s on the App Store, so it was built to a standard acceptable to Apple. I initially asked 10 friends to join, and there are now 300 people using it, through word of mouth. The feedback from those people is that it runs pretty well and it’s a good idea. 

I suppose that that’s not spectacular user endorsement, but I haven’t been actively pushing it. The feedback I’ve received has given me the desire to invest some more and push again.

How did GoodCore Software perform from a project management standpoint?

They have quite an informal style, which works for me. We went through the documentation and wireframes, and they told me they had all the information they needed and they’d get back to me in three-months’ time. They sent me a few things to clarify during that period, and I sent my answers, and we had a few calls. It was a low-maintenance process for me.

We worked together extensively on the wireframes at the start, and they gave me a date for delivering the backend and app, which they finished on time. They did what they said they would. 

I’ve worked on similar projects before, and I’d have to be on people every week, to see what was going on. It was totally different with GoodCore. It was important for me to get this right, but it’s not my main business. I wouldn’t have enjoyed the process if I had to be chasing people down. GoodCore made it straightforward and enjoyable, and very low-hassle. I actually enjoyed the experience, rather than just waiting for the results.

We didn’t use tracking tools, but I didn’t ask for that. We spent a lot of time at the start doing the wireframes in detail, down to every screen. They couldn’t have designed the app the way they did if they didn’t know what they were talking about. I had a huge amount of confidence that they knew what I was trying to achieve.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was expecting this to be painful, but everything worked. GoodCore committed to a fixed-price project in a timeframe, and they did it. I know that it cost them more to do than they expected, because there were some challenges along the way, but they never once questioned it.

I’m quite pedantic, and I sent them a list of 200 test cases to perform, but they never once complained. They always built the extra piece of functionality until I was happy. They were really close in the first release, and I was pleased with what they delivered, but we started tweaking and discussing what might work better.

GoodCore made the whole experience enjoyable, and they delivered something way beyond my expectations.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It’s not often that I find myself in a position where I can’t be critical, but nothing was too much trouble. The product is way beyond my expectations. I’ve shown it to people, and they always assume it cost me over $1 million to build. 

It was an idea I’d had in my head for years, and I decided to talk to someone about it one day, to see what it could turn into. I was just lucky that GoodCore were the people. They turned what was in my mind into what should be in my hands.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

I was very clear about what I wanted the product to be, but I didn’t constrain GoodCore in the design of the app. I gave them license to design it. What I brought to the table was the idea, and I had to explain it to them. I documented extensively what I was trying to achieve, but I left the design and development totally up to them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the general manager at XTracked, a pharmacy courier service. We deliver prescriptions to patients on behalf of pharmacies.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with GoodCore Software?

When we started with this business idea, the biggest challenge was having the software and IT in the background to handle all the operations and how to process the parcels. One of the main features we offered was moving the pharmacy away from printed paperwork to everything being digitalized.

To achieve that objective, we needed a system that could handle that so we could update the status of the parcel on our system. We looked into a couple of off-the-shelf systems but they weren’t what we needed. We needed a company to build custom software for us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We started with a discovery phase and had several discussions; this was the most time-consuming part. GoodCore wanted to know exactly how we wanted the system to work and then see what the capabilities and possibilities are on their end. They then built our custom software.

If a patient is expecting a prescription from a pharmacy, the pharmacy traditionally sends a driver. They don’t know where the driver is and when he’s going to come. Signatures are captured on paper and it’s a nightmare for the pharmacies to keep track of all the paperwork.

With our system, once the parcel kicks into our system, we send text notifications to notify patients of the prescription, what pharmacy it’s coming from, and when we’ll be delivering it. We’ll send them a message when it’s out with the driver and when it’s arriving.

What is the team composition?

Initially, we spoke to Hassan (Executive Director) and Yasin (Executive Director) during the discovery phase. After the discussions and initial work, we were allocated a project manager who we worked with throughout the process to the completion. There were also developers, designers, etc.

How did you come to work with GoodCore Software?

We got in contact with a couple of companies and chose GoodCore Software because they showed a lot of passion and interest in our project. They didn’t want to overcharge or overcomplicate things. The best thing was they spoke in layman's terms rather than throwing a lot of IT or technical terms at us. 

They also had a very good website. We initially found them on Clutch through a Google search. I looked at different projects they had done and that gave us a lot of confidence as well.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested about £26,000 (approximately $36,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from June–November 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

GoodCore built the system with a lot of flexibility around it. We completed this version in November. We’ve been using it internally and are already preparing a proposal to discuss what we want to be added and delivered in version two of the software. They created a lot of flexibility around it which was the best thing for us.

The project was quite successful. They delivered on time and the system is doing what we want it to do. It checks all the boxes, and we’re pleased about it. This software was the core thing we needed before we could kick off our business. There wasn’t anything like this in the pharmacy sector. It has helped us big time. In fact, it’s one of the big plus points for us when it comes to sales.

How did GoodCore Software perform from a project management standpoint?

A lot of our discussions were on Zoom. I’d get weekly updates about what they achieved. It was much easier to communicate with only the project manager who handled all the requirements and getting them implemented by the team. GoodCore was very clear on the timeframe as to how long it’d take to complete the product.

They kept us posted on the different stages. We had scheduled calls with the project manager at different steps and stages where they were showing us different demos and asking for any feedback or suggestions.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their communication is very clear and excellent. They’re very professional in the way they carried out the project.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can’t think of anything.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Anybody who wants to work with them, get involved with them early on in your business. The one thing I learned is they ask great questions. They want to be 100% clear on the idea. That’s why they ask questions. They want to make sure they’re clear about what we want. Get involved with them and they will find a very good solution for you.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of a digital learning platform supplying to schools and universities.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with GoodCore Software?

I hired GoodCore Software to develop an assessment software for our learning platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They provided all the technical inputs and they built the software. I provided all the theoretical inputs and the design, and then they implemented that on the technical side.

How did you come to work with GoodCore Software?

I found GoodCore Software in a Google search. I selected them from about five vendors. In our initial conversations, I knew straight away I wanted to work with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent £78,000 (approximately $98,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in October 2010 and wrapped up in October 2011.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It was excellent from start to finish. The entire engagement was good specifically in terms of software development. The technical team was very responsive.

How did GoodCore Software perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management is very good. We communicate by telephone, email, and Skype. They followed their own model. It was very similar to other systems that I’ve seen before.. For the most part, they met their deadlines.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was impressed by how receptive and communicative they are. The quality of the end product is fantastic as well.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It’s not really a criticism, we weren’t sure whether or not to go with an open-source or a licensed technology stack because we were already working with Microsoft products. In the end, we did go with Microsoft, but GoodCore Software was better with an open-source tech stack. But that was ten years ago.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I don’t know if I would need to give any advice because they are very competent. They walked us through the whole process.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the operations director at GC Business Finance, a relatively small, not-for-profit loan provider. We provide into the alternative loans market, mainly lending UK government money into disadvantaged SMEs. We’ve been around since 2002, and we’ve helped over 20,000 businesses.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with GoodCore Software?

In 2017, we realized that a lot of our customers weren’t accessing the correct level of finance because they expected more of a digital journey, which our sector does not historically provide. GC Business Finance was one of the first CDFIs (Community Development Financial Institutions Programs) in the UK to start a proper digital journey.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We procured a new loan management system and started a relationship with GoodCore to provide us with software provisions and the origination portal for that loan management journey. 

GoodCore completed the initial piece of work, and they’re now doing some further development for us that has arisen for our business since the initial application.

What is the team composition?

We have three key principals: Yasin (Managing Director, UK & EU), Hassan (Founder & CEO), who is our secondary principal point of contact, and a developer. 

How did you come to work with GoodCore Software?

We’re a government provider, so we have to go through UK and European procurement legislation. We went through a full open procurement, and of 17 providers that applied, we shortlisted five. GoodCore were the successful bidders.

How much have you invested with them?

The initial project was £50,000 (approximately $61,500 USD). We’ve spent £20,000 (approximately $24,600 USD) on the second stage, and we expect to spend £150,000 (approximately $184,400 USD) by the end of the financial year, which is March 2021.

What is the status of this engagement?

We appointed them after procurement in February 2019. We went into tests and release in August 2019, and they completed the initial project successfully. They’ve since started a separate piece of work.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve had an excellent relationship with GoodCore. We had a really good and strong two-way requirements building session, both face-to-face (pre-COVID-19) and via Zoom and telephone facilities. That session meant that we were pretty quickly able to get into the stage where we had full wireframes. We agreed on the principles of what they were building, and then the build was completed within the project timeframe.

They were a really impressive team in terms of how they gathered requirements and then delivered and supported us through the testing phase. We’re not in IT or an experienced digital company, so their support was key to making sure that our staff got the most out of the system that they built for us.

How did GoodCore Software perform from a project management standpoint?

They were excellent and really strong in terms of project management, and we’ve been really impressed with the team. They were always willing to jump onto a call at very short notice. We work across a time difference with some of their development team, but that’s never been a problem in terms of having them available to be on calls with us. Some of their developers have joined calls in the middle of the night. Legal contracts were delivered on time. They provide good and immediate responses to questions raised and anything that we brought up. We use Trello and a Microsoft project management tool.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’re doing two projects at once, and the one we’re working on with another company has been quite problematic. Everything that has been good about the GoodCore team in terms of support and response has not been part of the other project. It’s just been a joy working with the GoodCore team. We have a strong relationship with them. We’re confident in their team and will continue using them for ongoing projects.

Overall, it’s been a really good experience. I really felt they were part of the team and supported something into the business that works really well. It gives not only our team but also our customers a great experience, and that’s a big thing in our market.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No – the only thing is that some of their guys work in Malaysia and Pakistan, and we had to tweak some of their finance terminology. However, they’re a digital provider, not a finance digital provider. It wasn’t an issue in terms of delivery. They’re a young business, which I think has helped the project. 

Any advice for potential customers?

Just be open with them and tell them exactly what you need, and they’ll deliver it in exactly the right way.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are a new startup company looking to develop a B2B application for the waste and recycling industry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire GoodCore Software?

We hired GoodCore Software to build a visual prototype of our application to show to our potential customers for feedback, and to potential investors for funding purposes.

This was the result of an extensive Discovery Phase which started with a 2-day session at their offices in Croydon. After that we corresponded mainly through video calls and emails. Communication was smooth throughout.

What were your goals for this project?

We had an idea, a fairly complex one, and wanted some way to show it to potential customers and investors. We had built our own kind of wireframes in Excel, but we wanted to give it more of a professional look and improve the interface.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We consulted 5 vendors for this phase of the project. GoodCore seemed to have the relevant experience and expertise for our project. We also had a good feeling from the interactions we had with Yasin and Hassan.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

We signed up for a “Discovery Phase” with a visual prototype as one of the outputs. This was a detailed exercise with their business analyst to translate what we had put down in tables into a detailed plan for a software system that could be used by multiple clients.

We were concerned our requirements would be difficult to understand as it’s very much a specialist application, but we were relieved to see that Yasin and Hassan understood the concept of the product quickly.

What was the team composition?

The team consisted of a Business Analyst, Project Manager, Software Architect and UX designer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The visual prototype GoodCore has produced has been received well by the industry. This approach appeared cost-effective for us. Having done this initial work with GoodCore, we are now also comfortable working with them for the next phase of our project.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Communication with the GoodCore team was smooth overall. Their Business Analyst was very responsive, and I would see my feedback getting incorporated readily. Zoom was the main tool we used for conference calls and this was proven to be very effective.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their ability to understand complex requirements and apply them into a software system was impressive.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None that we can think of at this stage. We will likely use them again and we can safely recommend them to others.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the founder of GolfCatch, a golf club booking system. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with GoodCore Software?

We were looking for someone to develop our web-based software.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

GoodCore Software developed our platform. The software is an electronic tee sheet that allows golf courses to manage booking windows and reservations. It also interfaces with the reservation center so that we are an extension of the golf shop. If someone in the shop wasn’t available to answer the phone, the call forwards to us without the caller knowing. We could then interface on their behalf and book times for them. The platform was built on a Windows server in .NET.

What is the team composition?

I worked with 6–7 members of the GoodCore Software team.

How did you come to work with GoodCore Software?

I found GoodCore Software through a very basic Google search. I found 10–12 companies and then narrowed it down to 2–3. I chose GoodCore Software because they understood how reservations, bookings, and time intervals worked.

How much have you invested with them?

I invested about $35,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement with GoodCore Software took place in two or three months in 2013.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Working with GoodCore Software was incredible. I would have a meeting with a member of the team and present an idea for what I wanted to accomplish. A few days later, they would have a prototype ready and every time it either met or exceeded my expectations. I was very happy with the end result.

How did GoodCore Software perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management is very detailed. GoodCore Software handles delays well. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was happy across the board, from A to Z. In fact, I’d be happy to do business with GoodCore Software again if I’m in the position to do so.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I suppose there is always room for improvement, but I was very happy. Any bugs or issues were quickly dealt with.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

The biggest thing is having good communication and making sure they understand your vision. As long as you do that and the people you’re working with have a good work ethic, you’ll get great results.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m a Project Manager at POS Malaysia, a government linked company (GLC). Our company provides various mail delivery services through our network of over 900 branches across Malaysia with millions of customers. To manage the complex operations of our organisation, we have a big IT infrastructure comprising of hardware/network as well as custom software. I’m responsible for managing multiple IT Projects within the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire GoodCore Software?

The government of Malaysia decided to impose a Goods & Services Tax (GST) for the first time in the country in 2015. In this regard, we hired GoodCore to help us upgrade several of our software systems to be compliant with the new regulation.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal of the project with GoodCore was to do upgrade four (4) of our custom applications to comply with the new government regulation regarding GST. These systems included (i) A web application for customers to pay for services online, (ii) our Corporate website with access to fee calculation tools for various services), (iii) Customer account management system (iv) A system to enable customers to purchase philately items.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We sent out an RFQ and invited a number of vendors. There was a series of meetings to discuss what needed to be done. GoodCore impressed us with the superior technical skill set. Also, considering that it was a very hard to meet, no other vendor was willing to commit to such a drop-dead deadline. GoodCore’s team did a preliminary analysis and made a firm commitment to meet the deadline so we decided to go with them.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

This project consisted of upgrading four (4) of the systems in use by POS Malaysia and its customers. When the systems were originally developed there was no provision for a Goods & Services Tax. The systems included customer-facing systems as well as backend systems. And the work required incorporating calculations for GST treatment in various modules. This involved numerous changes to the layouts and UI of invoices / receipts / screens along with associated changes to business rules. Furthermore, they upgraded and tested the data integration of our legacy systems with our SAP implementation to accommodate this crucial change. One of the challenges was that there were multiple development technologies involved and very little developer documentation was available. Working on a very tough deadline, GoodCore quickly grasped the understanding of our software systems started working with multiple code bases. They performed the requisite development and testing in an iterative, Agile manner, providing my team with regular updates. In the end, they helped us manage a successful go-live and achieved full compliance by 30th June 2015.

What was the team composition?

It was a hybrid team. They placed two (2) developers onsite at our offices and then there were some quality assurance team members offsite. The hybrid model worked out well for us as we had access to a variety of technical skill sets just when it was required.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

This project helped us achieve a mandatory regulatory requirement. It was crucial for us. There was no option of NOT being compliant with GST on the morning of 1st July 2015 – it was an absolute necessity for the operations of POS Malaysia to continue. GoodCore helped us achieve that and it was massive to ensure business continuity.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

The on-site engineers GoodCore provided worked closely with our team to: Quickly analyze the system upgrade requirements, perform the programming, deploy the upgrades on staging and live environment. We did not need a separate project manager from their side because the task was so technical and hands-on. It worked out well for us.f

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They just wouldn’t give up despite working with someone else’s code while targeting an absolute hard deadline. That for us was the most impressive aspect! Moreover, we were impressed with thieir technical skill set, professionalism, and their flexibility (in terms of working with our team, adapting to new systems).

Are there any areas for improvement?

There are always room for improvement but overall POS Malaysia was satisfied.