Inventive Works

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the operations and production systems manager for an energy company. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Inventive Works, LLC?

We wanted to better capture our field costs, as well as our drilling and completion operations. We hired Inventive Works, LLC to revamp the system that we were already using and make it more user-friendly.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

For this particular project, Inventive Works, LLC update our old system by creating a new way to view the reports that our field personnel was entering. They used Azure to do this and then they also did some re-coding and reprogramming. Now, they just work on maintaining the system and making any necessary changes. 

What is the team composition?

At any given time, we worked with between 3–5 people. I was in constant contact with one person and occasional contact with two. Their project manager was also part of the team.

How did you come to work with Inventive Works, LLC?

We were referred to them by another developer that we know.

How much have you invested with them?

So far, we’ve invested between $100,000–$115,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

For this particular project, we worked with them from July–October 2019 but we have an ongoing retainer with them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

As far as what they accomplished, it was great. They turned an archaic system into one that’s a lot more user-friendly and better functioning, which involved a lot of intricate details. Even though they didn’t have a background in oil and gas, they were able to take our vision and turn it into a usable application.

How did Inventive Works perform from a project management standpoint?

We used Trello so we had a board where we posted questions, ideas, accomplishments, and pending work. We communicated a lot. As well as emails and phone calls, I had weekly Zoom calls with the project manager and group of other teammates where we discussed any updates.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They are very friendly. Sometimes developers aren’t very personable but their team is the opposite. They’re also very involved so they’re amazing people to work with. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t have any complaints. Anything I asked them to recreate or redo, they did. They are a great team.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have a solid vision laid out and be specific. If you don’t understand what you want, it will be hard to explain it to them and then your vision might get skewed by the developer’s own creativity. Have your project mapped out and know what your end product will be. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the VP of marketing at ProGrade Digital.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Inventive Works, LLC?

We wanted to build a website that would increase awareness for our brand and new company. We also wanted to incorporate an e-commerce platform onto the site where we could sell our products. Because our products are distributed through Amazon and B&H in New York, and in our own store, it was important for us to have a professional-looking website that told our story.

We had previously worked with one developer to get the site up and running for the launch in February 2018. She made the framework but it had a lot of problems.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Inventive Works, LLC fixed all of those problems by rebuilding everything to get the website and the product pages in good shape. The website runs on WordPress and they integrated Shopify to set up the e-commerce platform.

Before they developed the platform, I had a few design elements in my mind which I suggested to them. They understood what worked best and were able to provide recommendations on the design, flow, and functionality of the website. They also helped us with the blog and social media integration. Recently, we started working with a Google Analytics specialist to track our numbers and to better understand the data points which has been beneficial.

What is the team composition?

At first, we had one main point of contact. They then brought on a project manager which I was skeptical about due to the added cost, but I later saw the benefit of having someone to oversee everything. In addition to the designer, there were also other people who joined the team as needed, including the main developer.

How did you come to work with Inventive Works, LLC?

We were referred to them by someone I worked with a long time ago.

How much have you invested with them?

We spend about $2,000-$3,000 per month. We were initially spending more but I’ve managed to work with a smaller budget based on our needs.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Inventive Works, LLC in January 2018. Though we already launched the website, we’re still working with them to fix any problems and evolve the website. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their deliverables are of high quality. I’m very happy with the functionality of the website and the other work that they’ve done for us. They’ve provided direction for us based on their experience with other companies on what does and doesn’t work well. We’ve been able to continue evolving based on their expertise. 

How did Inventive Works, LLC perform from a project management standpoint?

The project manager kept track of the main developer and made sure that my timelines were met. Inventive Works, LLC manages all of the tasks on Trello and even though I had never used Trello before, they made it very easy to work with on a daily basis. I’m able to input new tasks and they see them right away and start working. The tool also allows us to upload feedback, questions, and documents. It’s important for me to stay on top of the schedule and they’ve managed to do that.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I am impressed by the depth of their team and the ability to bring on the right person needed for each task. They worked hard to understand our vision and help us meet our objectives. They also decided who to put on the team based on the hours that we could fit into our budget. Overall, they’ve been a key strategic partner as we continue to build our brand and sell our products online.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there are no areas of improvement. I’ve been very happy working with them over the course of this whole project.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

No matter how small or big your project is, consult with them on your needs. Make sure you’re also working with a person of the right level to help distribute work to the teams and bring the right person onto the project to meet your goals.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Our company works with car dealerships and reinsuring their service contract and warranty business. I was the IT Director and moved over to Solution Architect.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Inventive Works, and what were your goals?

We have used Inventive for projects that require technical and design skill. We have our own IT/Development department, but they are currently tasked with other projects.

SOLUTION

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

Inventive was very professional and had some very good design and technical examples of their work.

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

Our work was a reskinning of our already functional “Portals”. They need to have their design upgraded to make it more current and appealing. We have a few different technologies but they all run in Azure.

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

Inventive gave us developers, QA people, and a PM.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Inventive Works does good work and has skilled people in their staff.

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

Inventive was able to actually use our Jira so that we could have visibility into all the tasks on the project.

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

I really like Inventive’s professionalism.

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

None

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a project manager for an assistant professor at a major university.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Inventive Works, and what were your goals?

Create a website design and build the website. Initial stage is a one-page website to share project information. Goal is to have a flexible site that can be expanded for any future commercial opportunities from the project.

SOLUTION

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

Inventive is a contracted vendor with our university. Checked internal references and they were highly recommended. They helped us define goals and expectations in our initial meeting.

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

Define goals and set expectations in initial meeting. Provided project description information and graphics collateral. They came back with a design that was reviewed by our project team, some slight changes incorporated. They then built the website and launched it.

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

Project manager, designer, web developer. Sales also did a regular check-in to gage satisfaction.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Still too early for measurable outcomes, but website has been received favorably by our project team and partners.

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

Excellent communications. Weekly project review meetings followed by written update with detailed progress and spending report.

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

They were very flexible and professional, as our schedule created some delays in the project.

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

No.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the CEO. Our company transforms the way companies find, hire & manage people for consistent top performance now and in the future. Our state-of-the-art predictive intelligence revolutionizes the talent management life-cycle by revealing hidden potential in the candidate pool, identifying best-fit talent with over 95% accuracy, and maximizing diversity in the workplace.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Inventive Works, LLC?

Inventive Works has served as our team's co-working space for nearly one year.

What were your goals for this project?

To support our team with co-working space, private office/conference room space when necessary as well as mail services.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Researching other companies in the area and their distance from the local area in which we conduct business. Other deciding factors were cost and the overall work space itself.

Describe the project in detail.

N/A

What was the team composition?

N/A

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

N/A

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

N/A

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their attentiveness has been most impressive. Everyone we interact with is outstanding each and every time.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None. We have been very happy in our experience working with the entire Inventive Works team.