Iterative Consulting

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO and co-founder of a software company that offers a product that helps organizations with their annual performance reviews and strategic planning.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Iterative Consulting?

I wanted to partner with an organization so that I didn’t need to hire an internal development team.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Iterative Consulting manages full stack software development. We bought code and created our own derivative. The software’s in .NET, which is a complicated, old language. Their team managed QA and continues to direct testing for new functionality deployments in the product. As well, they answer any customer support inquiries from online.

Iterative Consulting built up all of the software’s functionalities. The product features an online process for employees to do self-evaluations for their managers. Managers can also do evaluations so that when they have one-on-ones, it’s a collaborative experience. As well, the software puts the organization’s strategic plan in front of every user. People can build their goals and responsibilities in connection to that plan. On the backend, the product can schedule meetings for users based on their emails and calendars.

What is the team composition?

Four people from Iterative Consulting work on our account. Their team includes frontend and backend software developers. We also work with UX/UI support teammates. There’s also someone who does QA and customer support.

How did you come to work with Iterative Consulting?

The company that created our UX introduced us to Iterative Consulting. We sought a new development team and loved the fact that their team was US-based. Part of our decision to go with Iterative Consulting was their diversity of skills that would support .NET development. They had what we needed in a long-term partner.

How much have you invested with them?

On average, we spend $6,000 a month for their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our collaboration started in December 2016, and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Everything that we wanted to complete is completed and the quality of their work is high. There aren’t surprises, which is a good quality because I like working with a partner that keeps me up to speed. They’re prompt in their response to any problems. When there’s an issue, they’re on top of it. We’re in it for the long run with Iterative Consulting. I’m not looking to build a big software team on my end, so our engagement works well.

How did Iterative Consulting perform from a project management standpoint?

We talk twice a week on a regular basis so that we’re always on top of what needs to get done. There are no surprises throughout projects. They’re flexible and act as an arm of my team that provides technological expertise. They're conscientious of my budget and time, so I trust them implicitly.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They feel like a true partner. They’re reasonably priced and based in the US, which makes a difference.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can’t think of any areas for improvement.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be clear with your expectations but also be open to learning about what you don’t know. Many vendors will do what’s asked of them but with Iterative Consulting, it’s important to ask what you’re missing because they’re experts.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a project manager for Apex Evaluation, an evaluation firm that primarily works with social programs like school-based health centers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Iterative Consulting?

We needed a database system, so we hired Iterative Consulting to build it.

We also worked on app development with them. We had a form-builder connected to a mobile data collection app for iPad that they made accessible cross-platform, porting it to become Android and online apps as well. They connected this to a datahub and the new operational database that they built.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They built our database system, making vast improvements from our previous databases. In addition, they did some design work, helped us with programming project management troubleshooting, and assisted with budgeting. 

We’ve also worked with them on sprints and scrums. They actually weren't official sprints and scrums, but close enough that sprints and scrums are the best terms to use.

They’re also going to work on a project automatically linking kids’ vice data to the services they receive. It's currently cumbersome to manually synchronize all this data, and they'll help to automate that process. 

What is the team composition?

Wyndham (Digital Project Manager, Iterative Consulting) helped us with design work, but the main people that helped us on a day-to-day basis were Justin (Founder/CEO, Iterative Consulting) and Nolan (Web Application Developer, Iterative Consulting). 

How did you come to work with Iterative Consulting?

My boss came across them at a local development group. We met their team and told them what we were trying to do. They then came in and helped us.

How much have you invested with them?

Our monthly investment is roughly $20,000, so we’ve invested around $200,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started work in March 2019, and the collaboration is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Users are enjoying the system so far. It’s cleaner and less clunky than the previous iteration was.

When I ask for a feature, they’re really quick to come in and work on it. They’re fast—if I ask for a fix or they notice something sluggish, the improvements are made right away. They’re very collaborative and want to brainstorm and dig into the project we’re working on.

How did Iterative Consulting perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re great, I’ve really enjoyed our working relationship. They explain things well, they help us stay on target, and they make suggestions. It has been a really awesome partnership.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their innovation makes them stand apart from other developers. They ask questions, listen, and dive into our systems and our needs.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, probably the biggest issue is timeliness, but I think that’s more to do with our budget and priorities. If there’s a bug or an issue, they're always quick to fix it right away. I just always want things done faster.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

No amount of detail is too much. Make sure you dig into what your needs are, and have an end-goal in mind.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a managing partner at FundX Investment Group, an investment advising firm. We also publish an investment newsletter, which I manage personally.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Iterative Consulting?

We wanted to transition to a more modern, interactive, API-based data source to display our customers’ portfolios. We also were looking for support building a full subscription management software.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Iterative Consulting built a Ruby on Rails application featuring a dashboard to input and manage data. The application performs data calculations, then sorts and displays it. 

There’s also an interactive component that allows users to customize their portfolios.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with about four people, including Justin (Founder & CEO, Iterative Consulting), as well as secondary developers and a QA point person.

How did you come to work with Iterative Consulting?

Iterative Consulting was referred to us by a friend who uses their services as well.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $150,000 with Iterative Consulting so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our project began in January 2019 and is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

One of the outcomes we wanted to see following the implementation of the new dashboards was an increase in younger subscribers. We’ve been able to achieve that while also retaining our legacy customers. All of our users are pleased with the design and functionality. 

How did Iterative Consulting perform from a project management standpoint?

The workflow has been really smooth between our two teams, and they manage their time well. They use the Jira Suite, so it’s simple and convenient for us to see what their team is working on and keep track of the status of the project.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Iterative Consulting has a unique ability to come up with novel solutions to difficult problems. In 25 years, this is the best experience I’ve had in terms of both quality of work and attention to detail.

Also, Iterative Consulting’s agile development process has been extremely beneficial. The team completes tasks quickly and we’re able to see progress on a weekly basis. We’re able to keep the larger scope of the project in mind but develop as we go. 

We feel like we’re constantly moving forward, rather than ever getting stuck in a long development cycle.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I think it would be helpful if they brought in more front-end developers, so the entire project could be completed in one place. However, that’s not a dealbreaker. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Don’t restrict yourself to what you think can be done, but voice what you really want to achieve. They seem to able to figure out a way to do it that’s both cost-effective and meets your needs.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm a manager with Designated Drivers On Demand. Our company provides a service similar to Uber and Lyft. The biggest difference between Designated Drivers on Demand and Uber/Lyft, is Designated Drivers on Demand takes you AND your vehicle home.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Iterative Consulting?

Designated Drivers on Demand hired Iterative Consulting to fix an app that was developed by another company.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal was to have the app fixed and working properly again.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Iterative Consulting was referred to us by another app developing company.

Describe the project in detail.

Designated Drivers hired a company to create an app for us. The app initially worked great, but eventually stopped working. The original developer couldn't fix it. A second company didn't even try to fix it because, "If the developer can't fix his app, we probably don't even want to try."

Eventually, Iterative Consulting was handed the project. One day I called Iterative Consulting and contacted Justin Edwards, who happened to be in Chicago for a business convention. Justin said he would spend 2-4 hours looking at the app on his own time when he returned to hotel room to determine if he felt the app could be repaired. Later that day, Justin called me and said he could fix the app.

Just gave me a fair and reasonable price to fix the app. Iterative Consulting opened up a can of worms when they attacked the project, find the app was poorly written. However, true to his word, Edward and his staff fixed the app, something the original developer couldn't do!

What was the team composition?

I initially met Justin and a few of his team members. I was working Justin and Sam throughout the project, but have no idea who was all involved.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Yes, simply put it.... our app works!!

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The project manager, Justin constantly kept me updated and investigated my app problems on his own time while in Chicago.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The entire staff comes across as being very knowledgeable in their field. determined, and most importantly Justin and Iterative Consulting comes across as a man/company with integrity.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Only with me! I need to respond to my emails much quicker.