Groove Development, LLC

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president, co-founder, and CEO of NestEgg. We’re a FinTech platform that offers a mobile trust fund for parents to create for children. It allows donations from various sources, including friends and family. It takes the old system of fiduciary trust funds into the current age of technology. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Groove Development, LLC?

My team is currently our CTO and our CMO. With just three of us, we were having some getting to market quickly and wanted to get some input on our UI and design. Additionally, we needed interfacing done with our API to connect it to the UX.  

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

He’s got an Android and iOS developer working with us, plus him. That’s what we asked for, and we’ve ended up getting a lot more than we initially discussed. They put time and effort into boosting our landing page. It used to be basic HTML, with a picture, texts, and logo, but they ran with it, putting together an entirely new scheme.

Currently, we’re almost done, but we have two more integrations regarding bank regulations to redo with our API set. It pushes information to do instantaneous background checks and sends it back immediately. We’re also looking at hiring in-house Android and iOS resources and Rick has been huge in identifying qualifications he thinks are ideal for those jobs.  

What is the team composition?

We work with three people: an Android developer, an iOS developer, and a project manager.

How did you come to work with Groove Development, LLC?

Initially, I hired outsourced resources but I didn’t like the code they delivered. I reached out to Rick (Founder, Groove Development, LLC) and he agreed with my assessment. Unfortunately, he didn’t have any resources available at the time. He did put me in touch with the person who became my CTO, though. Later, Rick reached back out to me when some of his resources freed up and we started working together.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent somewhere on the high side of $50,000–$100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve worked together since June 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The UI is incredible. It looks and feels like a modern app. Our old stuff was boxy and basic, but their new stuff is perfect for mobile—with rounded buttons and an Apple-like feel. Additionally, all the tests we’ve run on it have been phenomenal.  

How did Groove Development, LLC perform from a project management standpoint?

Rick and his team’s ability to communicate is amazing. He had a Slack channel set up and integrated us into his Asana board as well.

They reacted quickly to issues and always let us know if they needed more time or they were ready for the next chunk of work. We’ve been able to delegate what’s needed and move at a quick pace. They’re even available from seven in the morning until eight or nine at night if I need them.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their ability to conceptualize ideas stands out. A lot of agencies lack the dual spectrum of coding knowledge and imagination. Their (and specifically Rick’s) ability to put imagination to work in a broader context helped realize my vision.  

On a side note, we changed logos a few times, and they were fine with that, switching out the logo app and landing page right away.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure you’re ready and have everything in place to go to the market. They’ll do what you ask rapidly, so have everything in place from a marketing and a business perspective. When they kick-off, they’ll crush it and continue to work until its done.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the general manager and CTO at Vobo LLC, a SaaS company. Our focus is on helping large organizations and individuals engage more successfully with their members and followers, which comes down to improving communications and participation for large communities. Our mobile communication platform allows individuals, enterprises, and large organizations—such as churches or unions—to communicate with their members and followers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Groove Development, LLC?

We hired Groove Development, LLC to serve as our outsourced development department.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Groove Development, LLC does all of the development for our company. They’ve been responsible for creating our service delivery platform, which is the revenue-generating element of our business. Our team sends the development specifications to Groove Development, LLC’s team. They rate the test scripts and provide us with all of the test output from their testing departments. Their team provides technical documentation, while my team does design and customer-facing specifications. 

Groove Development, LLC has developed both the server side and the mobile app, which communicate via an API. On the server side, they created a multi-hierarchal, multi-tenanted platform for the organizations that we serve. They developed the app with push notification capabilities and a wide variety of engagement enhancement technologies to help us improve our clients’s engagement with their communities of members and followers. The app can be customized according to our customers’s branding. 

Groove Development, LLC developed the platform’s server side using JavaScript. They developed the app for iOS and Android. Currently, we’re in the middle of a major upgrade to the platform. We just received the most recent alpha-level releases from Groove Development, LLC, and we’re testing that at the moment. 

What is the team composition?

We work with Rick (Founder, Groove Development, LLC). He interfaces with us personally and on a regular basis. Rick handles all of the interaction between our teams; he has project managers that manage the work for him and his developers. 

How did you come to work with Groove Development, LLC?

We’ve worked with Rick in the past. In particular, one of the partners at Vobo LLC had known Rick for a considerable amount of time and had great respect for him. It’s always good to work with someone who you trust and have a history with. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve probably spent a little less than $100,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Groove Development, LLC at the beginning of 2017. We’re still working with them now, and we don’t intend to stop. We plan to transition from working piecemeal on design specifications to an engagement where we’re operating under a permanent retainer. We will continue to work with Groove Development, LLC for the life of our company.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our platform has been very successful. We’ve been in competitive situations with other companies and have done very well. Several large organizations have chosen to work with us, including a major church with millions of members and a number of unions with hundreds of thousands of members. We also work with a fundraising organization. We’re experiencing great success, which we largely attribute to the quality of Groove Development LLC’s work.

We measure the platform using several different tools, one of which monitors its uptime. We’re experiencing consistent 100% uptimes and have been for some time. The platform is looking very strong, scalable, and flexible. We’re in good shape. We’ve received good responses from customers in terms of the interactive quality of the product. They’re happy with the platform’s usage profile, and the customer life cycle is panning out well. The most recent platform upgrade looks very good and exciting. 

How did Groove Development, LLC perform from a project management standpoint?

With development, it’s very difficult to meet long-term projected time scales. Development is a puzzle-solving process, and the more puzzles you’ve solved in the past, the better sense you have of how long it’s going to take you to solve the next puzzle that someone gives you. We’ve been very pleased with Rick’s ability to predict how long development will take. He doesn’t give us a specific date; rather, he says a deliverable will definitely be available within a certain time frame, and he talks us through the process. He explains that they will likely have it out by this time, but if they run into difficulties, it won’t be later than another certain time. He always delivers within the timescale he sets.

What did you find most impressive about them?

A great developer is ten times more efficient than a good developer. The reason a great developer is so much better isn’t that they have greater development skills, but because they have great intuition and understanding. They’re able to interpret requirements and understand the business you’re trying to do. Many development houses aren’t like that; they’re good, but you have to specify everything to a great degree, or the deliverable won’t make sense.

What separates Groove Development, LLC from the many other development houses I’ve worked with is that Rick “gets it.” I provide him with a development spec that is not particularly detailed and share what I’m trying to achieve at a relatively high level, and Rick understands. He interprets our discussions and turns that into working code. When I test the code, I don’t have to redefine anything or ask them to redevelop. Rick can rapidly grasp requirements at a business level and then work at that level, and this enables us to move quickly.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They’re a business, so we’re not their only clients. If I were to say that I wanted them dedicated to just us, that would be selfish and unrealistic. There’s nothing that I’d want to change, and I’m very happy. They’re doing a great job, and when I can afford to buy more of their attention, they’ll do an even better job.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the managing director for Bolt Marketing, an experiential marketing company that often integrates events with digital and social strategies.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Groove Development, LLC?

We wanted a way for our clients to create content after an experience had ended in order to maintain additional communication with their customers.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Groove Development, LLC worked with our internal team as a consultant, designing an iOS and Android app for our end clients. They guided us through the wireframing process and helped with UX. We requested that the app be customizable and easy to scale so that we could use it with other clients, and Groove Development, LLC obliged.

Our client is a utility company that uses the app to promote community engagement. It allows end users to access one-touch dialing for emergency numbers that they’d otherwise have to look up online. It also has additional communication pages related to events and client updates.

What is the team composition?

We worked with a project manager.

How did you come to work with Groove Development, LLC?

We found a few dev agencies online who were located in our area. When we talked to Groove Development, LLC, they were easy going and willing to coach us through the partnership, so we hired them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together for two months in 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our partnership with them has resulted in us being able to sell through more services to our customers. The end client has been happy with the app’s success.

How did Groove Development, LLC perform from a project management standpoint?

They were easy to work with. We mainly communicated via email and phone.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They worked incredibly fast, which was great because our industry moves quickly. We were able to rely on Groove Development, LLC, and they were a good value.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of any ways they could've improved.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Learn about their capabilities from the beginning so you can best optimize the partnership. They may be able to bring more value to your agency than you initially thought.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the controller of JH Kelly, LLC, a self-performing general contractor in the Pacific Northwest.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Groove Development, LLC?

We have a relatively connected workforce. Most of our foremen either have cell phones or tablets. There’s a lot of communication via email, phone calls, and text. Given the separate platforms we were working with, we needed an easier way to streamline all of our communication.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They developed our internal app from start to finish. It’s built for iOS and Android. The app is broken into flow pieces that all behave in a similar fashion with a contact list. It has data, including phone numbers, emails, and addresses. All of those points integrate with the other apps on the phone. With one click, you can give them directions. One click can initiate a phone call. One click can initiate a text or email without transferring that information around.

What is the team composition?

I worked with one developer handling the wireframing, but the founder handled the majority of interactions.

How did you come to work with Groove Development, LLC?

I conducted an online search for app developers in Portland. After that initial research, I scheduled phone interviews and in-person meetings. I find it valuable to meet firms face-to-face to determine if they communicate well.

How much have you invested with them?

We have spent $20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from May 2016 until May 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

General feedback has been positive. We’re not running any analytics on the app, but it’s pushed to all of our mobile devices and is the go-to for our employees to use for their contact information.

How did Groove Development, LLC perform from a project management standpoint?

They performed well with little supervision. We didn’t want to micromanage the project. We gave them a written narrative of what we wanted, and they reached out when they needed more information. We communicated well via emails and phone calls.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We have another company that does the brunt of our outside development. Comparing the two, Groove Development, LLC provides a more polished look and feel of the end product. It's more similar to something you would expect to see in the App Store, versus some of our stuff that is more down and dirty and just gets the job done. For what we paid for the app and what went into it, it's pretty impressive. We definitely got good value. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

The only miscommunication we had was when we wanted to control the data from the standpoint of what those four contact lists were going to look like. Our internal development team had to provide that information and there were some challenges getting that because they hadn’t done it before. It was more of a struggle on our part than Groove Development. I’d recommend turning that information and process over to Groove Development instead.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a member of VOBO, LLC. We’re a new, microsocial media startup. We provide thought leaders the opportunity to communicate with their followers using push notifications that contain audio, video, and text. We do it in a much broader way than current, global social media applications do.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Groove Development, LLC?

We needed help with iOS and Android mobile app development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Together, we created a concept document and came out with an alpha version of the solution. From there, we made changes for the beta version that is now being released. Part of the development was the creation of a JavaScript Object Notation database in which the applications interact. Part of it required being able to drive the iOS and Android phones to our Telephony Application Servers, along with the video/audio streaming and textual presentation. This was a unique requirement that they were able to satisfy.

We did the first build and got feedback that the ergonomics, layout, and color scheme wouldn’t be appealing to everyone. We’ve made some changes in the way we’re presenting the materials for out content providers, and we’re also changing color schemes to appeal to a broader audience. We’ll be doing version one and two afterwards.

What is the team composition?

I’ve only worked with their founder, Rick, but he has a team of developers working behind.

How did you come to work with Groove Development, LLC?

We interviewed a few app development companies, but through my interview with Rick, I found them to be engaged, competent, and deeply knowledgeable about current development requirements. I’m not an engineer, and they were patient in helping us collaboratively create the development guidelines. We hired them because of their competency, price, and ability to produce within the timeframes.

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent $25,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since January 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The functionality is good. In the few alpha trials we’ve done, the app has functioned as designed. We haven’t done a load or regression test to see how it’s going to function if we have 500,000-1,000,000 people using the platform, but I don’t expect it to have any challenges.

How did Groove Development, LLC perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve performed very well, especially since we were very much adhoc in this process. They patiently worked with us as we were taking our concept and adapting it. We worked off an Excel program, and we didn’t use any project management software, but they may be using some internally though. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re professional and have very good listening and coaching skills, which is good for people who aren’t versed in specific technologies. They’re good at guiding you into ways you can meet your objectives using current technology.

The founder keeps himself up to speed on iOS and Android changes, as well as development requirements, so that he can tell you where you stand. The founder has been very engaged in helping us determine our path towards completion, and it’s been much more entrepreneurial than a standard software development build usually is.

Are there any areas they could improve?

If we'd tightened up our build’s scope to a specific requirement, we would’ve been able to move a little quicker. Continual pivots on our side caused the delays.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure you have clear requirement documents. If you have a statement of work that is accepted by all parties, and signed off on with specific timelines, you’ll find all of your timelines will be successful.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the chief executive officer of a loyalty application firm. We manage loyalty programs for restaurants and other companies.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Groove Development, LLC?

A client wanted to create a loyalty application for their restaurants and couldn’t find what they wanted. We had some relevant experience but they wanted something very specific. We needed a company with additional expertise to augment our in-house team.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They kept track of business requirements, which evolved as they came in. They identified which would be straightforward and which might be problematic. They did all of the iOS development and we took over after they were done. We contracted another developer to build the Android side, but they were a major disappointment. Groove took control of Android development and put us back on schedule.

Major features for both iOS and Android included counting the number of visits per restaurant, direct marketing to users, and showing notifications for when users reached certain milestones. If you’ve used the Starbucks app, it’s very similar to what we developed.

What is the team composition?

I worked primarily with Rick (Founder, Groove Development, LLC). His engineers worked directly with ours.

How did you come to work with Groove Development, LLC?

I talked to a number of different companies but worked with Rick in the early 90s. I’ve known him for a long time and we’ve worked together occasionally and kept in touch. I trust him and Groove was a good fit. They were eager for the challenge and we felt they would mesh well with our team.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $50,000-$150,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from 2015–2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The client worked with us to develop the app. They knew exactly what they could expect and what challenges appeared along the way. They were amenable to changes and Groove was good at asking questions that confirmed objectives and reduced business risks. They did an excellent job and feedback is good.

How did Groove Development, LLC perform from a project management standpoint?

He wasn’t doing a lot of direct management over his engineers or the project. It was more of a collaborative effort. . For the role that we asked him to play, which was to point out where we might be adding risk or adding burden, he was excellent. Four engineers shared the management responsibilities and we used a variety of agile- and scrum-related tools.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They went through a process to understand even the highest-level business requirements early.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They’re small. I wish they had 20 more stellar team members.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Let them go through their process to really understand what you’re trying to achieve. You’ll end up saving a lot of time and will be happier in the long run.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the Executive Director of Dress for Success Oregon, an affiliate of worldwide organization. We're a non-profit that helps women get back into the workplace. We do workforce development which involves helping women with pre-employment job coaching, post-employment job retention, and workplace attire.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Groove Development?

We had an idea for an app that we thought would be a game changer for us and help fund us, as well as help our affiliates. We didn’t know how to go about building an app though.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We had a complicated concept that he was able to simplify. He worked with me to brainstorm the design through a very iterative process. He would ask questions and we would go back and forth trying to come up with the look. He built the wireframe in Android because that’s the type of phone I use.

He was also able to give us good insight into monetization. We wanted to insert a pay wall, but he explained that for our particular app, that would bad idea, and suggested integrating a donation feature or adopting a sponsorship model instead.

What is the team composition?

I’ve been exclusively working with the founder, who then works directly with subcontractors.

How did you come to work with Groove Development?

I had reached out to another company that we had been referred to, but they never called back. A woman who runs a company here in Portland referred Groove to us and their founder stepped up, taking the project to heart.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re still in development because it takes a long time to get approval from our board, but people are very excited about the concept and they love the idea. Our next step is to do a presentation to a partner we want to share the app with.

How did Groove Development perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve fulfilled multiple functions for us from helping map the design, to building out the wireframes and thinking about monetization. Their communication and responsiveness have been really good, and we’ll use email to keep in touch. I also have a tool where I can see the wireframe, but I’m not sure what it’s called.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We loved the way they were able to take what, honestly, was a vague concept, and add structure to it. We really saw it come to life, and seeing the wireframe fully built out has been incredibly satisfying.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t see any.

Any advice for potential customers?

I would say keep an open mind, but also, that you’re not going to get somebody who’s going to scam you. They’ll tell you if they think there’s a better way to do something. They won’t just waste your money making something that they know won’t work the way you want it to. They’re really good at helping you figure out what you should do and how to maximize your potential.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the Operational Quality and Training Director at VanderHouwen, a recruiting firm for technology, engineering, accounting, and finance professionals. I oversee workflows surrounding software tools for recruiters, account managers, and operations staff.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Groove Development?

We wanted to personalize our job order inventory for job seekers with a native mobile application. The app pushes notifications for job openings in lieu of more traditional pathways for online postings.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They took the lead on design concepts and wireframes. We educated them about our industry and provided examples of apps we liked for their designs and functionalities. The team built the app for iOS and Android. They developed a feature to generate job match alerts based on saved keywords. There was also a mechanism to email our firm directly. There's also a profile that people can set up to put in information as well as a document hub for content or attachments that the job seeker might find useful.

What is the team composition?

The founder was our main point of contact.

How did you come to work with Groove Development?

The founder had a professional relationship with one of our recruiters. We connected with him about three years ago to discuss the market and a native app’s potential value. Groove Development had already built one for another local company. They were our first vendor for a mobile project, but we’ve previously engaged web developers.

What is the status of this engagement?

Work started in May 2015 and ended in December 2016. We’re now finalizing an integration with a new applicant tracking system. We’re doing tests to ensure the information transmits into our system so recruiters can evaluate the candidates appropriately.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The team launched a functional app. Its look and feel were clean without being simplistic. The two-tap application process made the app user-friendly, which achieved our original goal. User feedback also praised the app’s utility and ease.

How did Groove Development perform from a project management standpoint?

They were communicative and responsive. Email worked best for our project.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The founder was flexible to feature requests and scope adjustments. He was accessible and constantly pitched new ideas for us to consider. We appreciated his insight, dedication, and overall performance.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can’t think of anything.

Any advice for potential customers?

Approach the project as a partnership. The project was successful because we communicated the business mission and job seeker experience. Groove Development then translated that information into technical specifications for the app’s creative aspects.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a cannabis networking platform. We have an online auction platform for growers, retail stores, and processors in the cannabis industry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Groove Development?

We were looking to design and develop a mobile application that could house our platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I explained my vision for the application and a few specifications on functionality, and the Groove Development team managed all aspects of design and development. They walked us through what the project would entail, and we went through several auction scenarios to make sure the app could process any outcome. The app is modelled after a few large auction platforms, but the team customized it to our requirements. They also designed a new logo and incorporated it into the app’s design. Some key features include high-resolution photo uploads and bid settings, which allow sellers to set minimum bids and allow me to adjust the amount of time that auctions remain open. We started with an iOS version and a web-based application, but decided not to move it to Android.

Our demographic is very unique in that many growers in the cannabis industry don’t own smartphones. They tend to be older and “off the grid”, which makes them harder to reach from a marketing perspective. We figured a web-based version of the platform would bridge the gap and make growers feel more comfortable with our service. It is the first online auction that provides cannabis products, and we operate in every state that it’s legal.

What is the team composition?

I primarily communicate with Rick (Founder, Groove Development), and he liaises with his team accordingly.

How did you come to work with Groove Development?

I came across an article that highlighted the top five app developers in Portland, Ore. Groove Development was on the list so I reached out and we decided to move forward with a partnership. We had a bad experience with another developer in the past, so we’ve been very happy with Rick and the Groove Development team.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested about $11,000 thus far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in May 2017, and they’re still working to finish the applications. We’re planning to launch before/during Summer 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve yet to launch, and there’s still a lot of work to be done. I’ve been working on several other projects recently, but Cannabay will be my first priority starting in June.

How did Groove Development perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management has been good. Engagements like this are always easier when you can meet in person and communicate regularly, but I’ve been offsite for the duration of the engagement thus far. As we move forward, I’ll be looking to establish a system that ensures constant communication. I’ve been communicating with Rick and the team via email and text, which hasn’t been the most efficient method. It would be great to have a platform that could coordinate our communication and allow us to leave comments at our convenience. This isn’t any fault of Groove Development though, and I’m looking forward to ramping up the project with them again soon.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Rick has been very easy to work with throughout the process. He’s not abrasive and he’s not aggressive. Whenever there’s an issue, he quickly gathers his team to brainstorm potential solutions. He always remains calm, patient, and professional, even when there are challenges and high-stress situations.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Rick and I just need to settle on what our most effective means of communication will be in moving forward. Until now, I’ve been texting him and emailing him when I find bugs and the information isn’t collected in a single platform, which makes the process more complicated than it needs to be. This is partially my fault, and I’m confident we’ll find a solution when we reengage.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Make sure to plan for the testing phase. I’ve been too busy to give this the attention it merits, but I’ll be devoting more time to it in the next couple of months.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of Paradigm. We sell and service automotive equipment like tire changers, wheel balancers, and car lifts.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Groove Development?

The lift inspection we do is a long, cumbersome process. It takes about eight-12 pages per lift, so we were trying to automate that checklist with an app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I provided Rick, our point of contact, with the checklist we were manually using and some of the written materials and guidelines for the inspection process. Then they helped to basically put that into digital form. Right now the app is just for iOS.

They’re also building an admin site so that we can schedule our technicians, store data from the lift inspections, and produce reports. These reports will be stored on the site so customers can log on and review the past year’s inspections if they want to.

What is the team composition?

I've only interacted with Rick, the founder.

How did you come to work with Groove Development?

I did a Google search initially and called two other companies but they didn’t get back to me. A third did respond, but they wanted too much money up front for a discovery phase. Then I called Rick and he got back to me immediately, being super helpful. His price was also really reasonable. From there, I knew that he was my guy.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $20,000 so far.

What is the status of this egnagement? 

We’ve been working together since August of 2017, and we’re in the end of the development stage doing testing right now. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve only shown it to our guys internally but they’re all very excited about it. It takes about eight-12 pages to go through the checklist, and they’ve been using a clipboard and paper, so now they can just carry around an iPad. It’s going to simplify their lives greatly as well as make our administration more efficient.

How did Groove Development perform from a project management standpoint?

I don’t know if Rick uses any management tools on his side but we just use email between the two of us. He’s been awesome about deadlines. If there’s a timing issue he’ll discuss it with me and we’ll readjust. I have zero complaints about it.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Everything we were working on was really time sensitive and he’s good with that. He gets back to me when he says he will, and he’s been great with his pricing. Just by talking with him on the phone you can tell he’s knowledgeable, but he’s not like other tech companies, who may be brilliant but can’t communicate at all. Rick’s like a businessman in that sense: you can talk to him. I’m sure there’s other people out there that could do the same tech-wise, but as far as talking to their customers and having that interaction – Rick is just great.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t really think of anything since I haven’t had any bad experiences. If I’d worked with a bunch of other companies, maybe I’d have something better to compare it to, but I can’t fabricate any kind of complaint.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

The more information you give them the better. Rick’s really good at processing information and coming up with ideas. You can give him lots of information and conceptual ideas and he’ll take them and process them well.