MARSWorks Inc.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the manager of online strategy at United Way Ottawa.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with MARSWorks?

We worked with a number of web development firms in the past, but we had issues with slow response times. Our goal is to put things in the market very quickly, so when we needed to make changes to our website, we started looking for a new company that was more responsive and timely.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They developed two websites for us: a Drupal website and a WordPress website. With the WordPress website, we wanted to build a very quick and easy online donation platform. They helped us create a system that was based on a straight payment gateway and added plugins using Gravity Forms and Stripe. The system works with different devices and allows users to make quick and efficient donations. The platform is still alive today and we continue updating it. They also built an iOS and Android app for us and help us manage 4–5 other websites.

What is the team composition?

We work with 4–5 of their team members: a project manager, a sales representative, a couple of developers, and a designer. 

How did you come to work with them?

We were referred to them by one of my contacts.

What is the status of this engagement? 

We started working with them in October 2012 and the relationship is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They do top-notch work. They're willing to jump in and fix things or work on new functionality without the need to come up with a proposal first. They take our ideas and act on them quickly.

How did they perform from a project management standpoint?

If we come across any issues during our testing or even after our products go live, they address them right away. They're nimble and easy to work with. We plan to use them for years to come. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can't think of anything.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It doesn't always come down to a budget or development skills. The right fit is the key to success, and our two organizations work very well together.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the marketing coordinator for an international satellite company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with MARSWorks?

We needed to revamp our previously outdated website. The Keyhole Markup Language (KML) files we had of our satellite contour locations needed to be integrated into Google Maps, so users could find locations of our fleet.

As an extension to the mapping feature, we wanted to create a mobile app for our sales team to access in the field offline.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

MARSWorks translated the KML files of our satellite contour locations into usable language that could be integrated into Google Maps within our Drupal website. The feature allows users to zoom in on an exact location to see if that area is covered by our fleet and available for them to purchase. The complementary mobile app they developed for both iOS and Android allows our team to access this information offline.

They also built out some custom features on the website, including a sun transit calculator and center of box tool. Their in-house design team provides ad-hoc design services (i.e., booth artwork) and Adobe Illustrator files of the KML data, allowing our team to manipulate the files for collateral as needed.

MARSWorks continues to maintain and make changes to the website as requested. I'm able to login to my Drupal account to post press releases and other content, but their team remains available for more complicated changes.

What is the team composition?

In the early stages, I typically worked with one project manager and two designers. About two years ago, I was assigned to a new project manager, but I often reach out directly to specific people on their team as needed.

How did you come to work with MARSWorks?

Since our company had worked with MARSWorks before, we invited them to participate in a tender for a new contract in 2013. Among 3-4 other vendors, they ended up winning the job.

How much have you invested with them?

We've invested between $80,000-$100,000 CAD.-

What is the status of this engagement?

The website project took place from the Fall of 2012 to the following Spring of 2013. Their team continues to maintain the website and will be invited to participate in the next RFP process as soon as we're ready.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

MARSWorks fulfilled our goals seamlessly, providing a high-quality website and app that we've been proud to launch. These tools are invaluable to our sales team as they try to reach and inform new markets outside of North America.

Their willingness to provide miscellaneous design requests has saved us from having to hire another vendor.

How did MARSWorks perform from a project management standpoint?

Anytime we've had issues with the site, their team has dealt with it swiftly. Their responsiveness both during and outside of office hours is spot on—They never let me down.

What did you find most impressive about them?

MARSWorks is highly skilled and talented at web and application development.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I'm confident they'd be able to build anything we request.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They're good at what they do. Keep that in mind, however, if you require marketing or other services outside of their wheelhouse.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the Director of Corporate Services for the Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists (CSHP). We're a nonprofit with 3,000 members, representing pharmacists and other healthcare workers across Canada.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with MARSWorks?

We needed to modernize our website, specifically a web application that matches pharmacy students with residency programs at hospitals in the country. MARSWorks had built our original matching services platform about 6 years prior, but it needed to be rebuilt.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

MARSWorks built and continues to maintain our original websites for the CSHP branches in Canada. For this project, they rebuilt a new version of the matching services web platform on through RFP, making it more user friendly and reliable for applicants and programs. With just a click of a button, matches should pop up for both types of users.

What is the team composition?

We worked directly with Sean O'Neil [Partner and Technical Lead] and Cindy Warren [Project Manager]. We knew others were involved with the project, but we didn't communicate with them, which helped streamlined the process.

How did you come to work with MARSWorks?

We decided to work with MARSWorks since they had already built our original website and web application. Sean was still managing the sites of about 5 other branches. Since they were familiar with the business and our rushed timeline, we trusted working with them again.

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent around $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

This project started in May, 2017, and launched in January, 2018. MARSWorks will continue to work with us on maintenance.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Even though MARSWorks built our original platform, we were still initially nervous about this project since students really depend on it to work without error. However, Sean's team did a fantastic job and delivered on time. We've tested the matching capabilities of the application and there are no errors.

How did MARSWorks perform from a project management standpoint?

Their staff has been flexible and responsive, despite our rushed timeline during the summer holiday season. It worked out surprisingly well, which is most likely due to their previous experience with our company and a familiarity with our needs. They had a plan from the get go of how they were going to do this build, which put me at ease.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I refer to MARSWorks as our “MacGyver” of systems. Sean has even made himself available on technical issues that come up with third parties who've worked on our site. He's just able to rig everything to make it work and ensured that we can actually get everything done on our end. As a nonprofit with a limited budget, he's helped us utilize systems that we couldn't quite retire completely when other vendors might have suggested otherwise.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, MARSWorks was great about letting us ask questions. They really had a lot of patience for our lack of technical knowledge.