LeedsSource LLC

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work at an EdTech company called Noodle, and we work with colleges and universities to make education more affordable and accessible by helping them lower tuition and get more diverse populations. I’m a senior technical project manager, and I’ve been at Noodles for almost three years.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with LeedsSource LLC?

Our company decided we’d start working with Salesforce as our CRM. We signed a big contract, and then we hired what we thought was a good consulting firm to help us build out a platform that suits our needs. After a couple of months of using the build, we found out that it wasn’t architected up to standard. There were a lot of defaults with it, so we sought out LeedsSource for their help. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We initially consulted and asked for LeedsSource’s recommendations, and then they started helping us build the platform. There are some elements that we decided to build from scratch, but they do as much as they can to repurpose what’s already built.

They’re also helping us with some third-party apps and integration challenges, such as those related to RingCentral, which is our dialer. However, their scope is all based around Salesforce as a foundation. 

What is the team composition?

Ari (CEO & Founder) has been our main point of contact.

How did you come to work with LeedsSource LLC?

We found them through a referral by my former colleague, who managed to pull LeedsSource into the mix. We initially contacted them for a one-off consultation. They gave us tips and helped us make a decision here and there. 

Our relationship kept growing because their recommendations were so solid. Eventually, we got them on board to fully help us architect Salesforce, and we ended up increasing our scope with them.

We wanted to make sure that we could trust them and that they understood our business needs. We found that trust in LeedsSource, so we hired them. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $200,000–$500,000 in total. In the past six months, we’ve spent around $55,000–$70,000 with them. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in October 2019, and the partnership’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

LeedsSource LLC has been a solid partner. They come forward with solutions, not just problems. If unplanned work pops up or something more complex than we originally scoped out arises, they come up with solutions. We’re always able to keep things moving forward to hit our goals.

We’ve had a great experience working together. Our company has a pretty unique setup, and they’ve taken the time to understand our business needs. Over the past year, we’ve been able to iterate in different ways. Our team structure is changing, and they’ve also been able to go with the flow.

How did LeedsSource LLC perform from a project management standpoint?

We do a lot of our communication through Slack channels, JIRA tickets, and GitHub code reviews. The LeedsSource team works fully out of our JIRA platform, and we use GitHub for all the workflows. 

We’ve folded them into our Scrum teams, and we treat them like our full-time employees. They come to daily standups and work with us on planning. They have executable tickets and goals in each of our sprints.

They usually write a document about their solutions for our implementation goals. They’ll talk about costs and time versus the tech stack. It’s a very robust collaboration. For the most part, they’re able to deliver on everything as committed or come up with solutions on the fly. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

The overall attitude of the team is impressive, and they help us figure things out. Because we don’t have in-house expertise, we rely on them for problem-solving and deep Salesforce knowledge.

When we come across something for the first time, someone on their team has probably seen it before. They may also have 2–3 solutions for a problem that they can present in a professional way, helping our product owners and team members make quick business decisions. 

We also feel like we’re their only client. We get a lot of attention and care, and we feel they’re always available to hop in and help us. If we have a last-minute bug or something that feels awkward, we’re never left hanging. We feel like we’re always on top of their list, and I’m sure many of their other clients feel the same. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there aren’t. There’s nothing specific that comes to mind. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Bring LeedsSource into as much of your process as you can. They can give their best recommendations when they understand your business and your use cases. 

They have platform-specific knowledge and technical expertise and recommendations. But, if they know your business model, problems, and goals, they can come up with something even better than you think. The more information, data, and user stories you give them, the better their output is going to be. They dig deep with their expertise and come up with a great solution. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of technology at an energy consulting company. We help other companies procure electricity and gas.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with LeedsSource LLC?

We run our business in Salesforce, so we use LeedsSource to help with some of our more advanced customization needs.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

All of the contracts and pricing we put together are unique to our industry. Our company has to take into account different regulations and other factors when evaluating prices and contracts. We’ve built out a lot of functionality around pricing, contracting, and products around the energy market.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with three.

How did you come to work with LeedsSource LLC?

The owner of our company has had a relationship with their founder.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $25,000–$50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve worked together from October 2020–January 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Because of the specialized knowledge about our company and how we do business, it’s been valuable to have LeedsSource as a partner.

The project is live, but we’re still rolling out our first set of contracts using the new functionality. The initial feedback from our pricing team has been positive. They love that’s it more efficient than the last tool.

How did LeedsSource LLC perform from a project management standpoint?

We received monthly reports that included their hours, tasks, and notes. We were assigned a project manager. Together, we came up with a more detailed status report for each month.

At the first stage of the project, we had a lot of meetings that involved scoping and requirement gathering. In the middle of the project, they were off implementing and didn’t stay in touch as often. Towards the end, I worked closely with them to prepare for the launch.

In terms of tools, we used Word documents and Excel sheets.

What did you find most impressive about them?

LeedsSource is not just a Salesforce consultancy. They’re able to understand the bigger business needs. They ask questions to help them understand businesses better. I think that’s valuable.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We’re a small company, so we haven’t worked with a lot of consultants. In the beginning, I worked closely with them to develop the scope. As more senior members of their team got involved, the scope changed quite a bit. Their team did their best to steer us in the right direction, but we ended up going over budget early in the project.

In retrospect, we will make sure to agree on a budget with a full scope upfront before we get everyone else involved. They could’ve done a little better, but a lot of it was on our side as well.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Don’t tell them what you want them to implement. Tell them what you’re trying to do from a business point of view. Allow them to tell you how they suggest doing it, and be open to that.