MXOtech, Inc.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CIO of a nonprofit.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with MXOtech, Inc.?

We have places where we deliver goods through 500–700 partner agencies. We have a responsibility to not only deliver goods, but audit those locations against a set of criteria. Some of the criteria come from the government because we have government sponsorship, and some are just safe practices. We do that auditing manually, a tedious process. We engaged MXOtech Inc to create an app for iPad so we can complete this audit and store the results digitally.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The project had already started when I came on, I brought MXOtech Inc in midway through the process. We documented current processes and did some basic HTML based form development. MXOtech came in and recommended changing the architecture to Flutter. They laid out the technical architecture, made mockups, and created a prototype of the app.

When we finished prototyping and confirmed the screen flow, we began development. We worked through a series of sprints where they developed a piece of software and gave it to us to confirm changes. We went through five of these phases before we had the live app.

What is the team composition?

We worked with 5—8 people. We had a project manager, we had a primary developer, we had a primary tester from their side, we had another developer, we had a UI designer, and someone who helped us with integration. They had one person developing the mobile app that another person developing a management console. We also probably got part-time help from two or three other people at various points along the way.

How did you come to work with MXOtech, Inc.?

We ran a very complete process to find our managed services provider. We used Clutch to watch and evaluate service providers.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $60,000 and $70,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began work in March 2020 and wrapped in October 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It's a little early for tangible results because of COVID shutting down audits. However, MXOtech did have strong results. One of their strengths was UI design. Our team would give them a paper form we use and they'd come back with a very thoughtful representation of how that could be done on a digital platform. They made great recommendations during the prototyping process. The development process was excellent with them, and while it's too early to show the business benefits, our user community is very happy with the product.

How did MXOtech, Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

They did very well at project management, following exactly what they laid out in the beginning. They have a smart, engaging, and kind team. They're great to work with.

We had a regular cadence with them. They made themselves constantly available if we ever had questions. We had an initial document that was strong for starting processes, so they had a good idea of what the design needed to look like. When we worked on the sprints, they managed questions and feedback well on an ad hoc basis. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their UI design work was fantastic. They're an easy team to work with.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. I would recommend them as both a service provider and an application developer. They're quite good.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Having a well-documented process to start with makes things be able to start quicker, at least it did for us. We were able to go through the interview and data collection phase quickly, which is quite efficient as we didn't have to pay them extra for the time it took to go through those steps.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the vice president of sales and marketing at a software and consulting company that primarily serves the electric utility industry. We provide a proprietary software product that works as a training management system. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with the MXOtech, Inc?

We wanted assistance in updating our software solution to make it more consistent with the modern architecture of software platforms.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They provided UX/UI design services. Their team also supported our in-house development team in cleaning up some of the backend code. The new user interface was designed from scratch by them. 

What is the team composition?

We worked with a designer, project manager, and the CTO. There was also a team of developers that worked on the project. 

How did you come to work with the MXOtech, Inc?

We had hired them previously to assist us with outsourced IT support. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $100,000 so far, but I estimate the total cost of the project will be around $600,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in September 2019. We paused the work in March 2020 due to COVID-19, but we’re intending to finish the project once businesses open back up. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They attended our annual conference and gathered input from attendees. We’ve received positive responses from users so far based on the mockups they’ve shown. 

How did the MXOtech, Inc perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve shown themselves to be diligent and flexible. They’re willing to go the extra mile. We use JIRA to manage the project and communicate using Microsoft Office products. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their willingness to partner with us and be flexible in their approach is impressive. They’re working directly with one of our in-house developers whose working full-time as a member of their team. 

They made the project low risk for us. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could provide more clarity on their project management plan and directions. They’ve been very flexible, but it’s hard to see the long-term goals. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I think it would be helpful to have an internal resource who’s fulfilling a project management role. This way, you can ensure that everything is on track and they’re operating within your budget.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the General Manager for Sales for Carroll Seating Company. We’re a commercial furniture dealer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire MXOtech, Inc.?

We needed someone to manage and support all of our IT needs and special projects.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to understand what is required to ensure that we’re running our technology properly so that we can succeed.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We wanted to partner with a company that understood who we are.

Describe the project in detail.

They manage our cloud storage, network servers, new equipment, purchasing and daily IT needs. They’ve also contributed to one-off projects as needed including Office 365 migration, a SharePoint buildout, and a VPN setup.

What was the team composition?

We’ve worked with technical people of all levels as well as special project teams.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Overall, we have been extremely happy with MXO. Our 365 migration went well and they quickly get to work on any hiccups that we have over our four locations.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Workflow has been great when both sides are following the required steps for success (i.e. support tickets, descriptions). When it doesn’t happen, it’s mostly on us.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I enjoy working with MXO because I feel that everyone knows who I am. They really feel like an extension of my own company. There’s always a friendly and familiar voice on the other end no matter when I call, which is really comforting during an IT emergency. MXO knows how to jump in and fix the problem.

Are there any areas for improvement?

We started using their team more just after a few people left MXO, so there was a little bit of learning curve for them to get up to speed on who we are and what we need. This led to some mistakes being made in new equipment setup.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the office manager of a union painting contractor.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with MXOtech?

We weren’t happy with our previous managed service provider (MSP) and were looking for a new one.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They currently provide IT support for our daily technology issues/bugs. MXOtech installed a virtual server and migrated us to Office 365 on the Cloud. They are also developing a web-based information center for organizing workflow, spreadsheets, and emails.

What is the team composition?

Sean (CTO, MXOtech) is the main contact, but we also work with the development team and the MSP support staff.

How did you come to work with MXOtech?

Our previous internal I.T. person found them.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested around six figures worth so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in August 2016 and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have nothing but praise for the development team.  We have monthly phone meetings to recap our technology tickets and address any ongoing issues. 

How did MXOtech perform from a project management standpoint?

We primarily contact them through email and are currently planning future work for them. The development side of MXOtech has been very good at communicating and managing the project. The MSP division continues to strive for a higher level of professionalism.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They quickly and expertly found solutions to server crashes and technical bugs. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Our monthly meetings are effective in addressing areas of improvement.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the applications manager at Cowlitz PUD.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with MXOtech?

We had a Microsoft BizTalk solution that brought all our business systems together. Within that, We needed an agency to bridge the gap between our old kiosk solutions and a new CS solution. Our old vendor couldn’t make more than one API call, and this project required two. MXOtech has done multiple projects for us, but this one was the most important throughout the partnership.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We reached out to MXOtech to help us with that system’s transition. We asked them to make two API calls – one to bring back an account balance, and another to bring account information over to two systems. They rewrote the integration framework and installed it in production. We treated the kiosk as one API call, which allowed us to go out and grab that information, and present it back to them. We also did another call to identify prepay customers, which required a supplemental business logic. The migration between kiosks had a shorter turnaround than expected. We shut off the old one in November 2016 and went live with the new platform that month.

In addition, we have an ongoing contract for allotted monthly hours. They come in weekly to check our system’s performance.

What is the team composition?

The CTO was my main point of contact. They’ve added a couple new team members; he may have included some on the project.

How did you come to work with MXOtech?

The CTO used to work for our company. Originally, we chose another vendor for this project because MXOtech was more expensive. But this company wrote overly complex solutions that needed constant rewrites. Consequently, we hired MXOtech because they could produce value by correcting the previous firm’s mistakes.

How much have you invested with them?

Initially, we spent $6,000 per month for 40-hour time blocks. Eventually, we decreased our monthly investment to 20 hours.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them between September–November 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They were great problem solvers. For example, the API calls erroneously generated double payments; the same problem had occurred with the old kiosk. The CTO coded to ensure that the enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution didn’t cause the double payment when it timed out. He implemented the solution within four weeks and we haven’t had a duplicate payment since.

How did MXOtech perform from a project management standpoint?

They always responded quickly to issues – when the API returned too slowly – and provided different solutions. The partnership worked well because they were responsive via email and phone.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were great partners. MXOtech allocated the right resources and provided documentation well in advance, which helped them guide solutions. Due to our positive experience, we recently hired them to find an enterprise content management (ECM) solution for our district; we haven’t done an upgrade in 10 years. They’ll be on-site next week to interview team members and steer us in the right direction.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don't know where they could improve. I could ask for more formal status reports for remaining monthly hours and buckets

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Ask about all their offerings. We only used them for BizTalk, but they provide other services we weren’t always aware of. For the most part, we’ve used a separate vendor for ECM.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the executive director for clinical strategy and program oversight for an insurance company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with MXOtech?

We needed a company to assist with our case management programs and create a provider portal for our physician partners.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’ve worked with MXO for quite a while, but one of our newer features is a complex case management portal with electronic medical record integration. Our health maintenance organization (HMO) products have a contract renewal on an annual basis, so MXO often helps us update our business requirements every year.

Managed Care Quality Assurance (NCQA) accredits our health plan yearly, so we go through an annual review with MXO to ensure that our complex case management tools are compliant with NCQA’s regulations. MXO identifies any business needs we, as a payer, have and then puts together a project plan to build, test, and operationalize those needs.

What is the team composition?

I mainly work with their CEO and CTO, but they have a team of programmers who service our account.

How did you come to work with MXOtech?

We partnered with MXO before I began working here.

How much have you invested with them?

For my department, we’ve spent between $100,000–$250,000. MXO has a master service agreement with our entire organization, though.

What is the status of this engagement?

The partnership is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our company has worked with MXO for many years—the continued partnership shows how well they do their job. They meet expectations, and we’re highly satisfied with their work.

How did MXOtech perform from a project management standpoint?

They consistently deliver on time. We typically have weekly status calls with one of their programmers. In the fourth quarter, we talk more frequently to build out the capabilities for the next year. We also communicate via email and occasionally meet in person.

What did you find most impressive about them?

MXO is flexible and personable. Their CEO is hands-on and makes sure our needs are being met. She’ll sometimes call me up and take me to lunch to discuss the partnership and any improvements MXO can make. The whole organization is like that.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, we've been satisfied with their work.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Don’t be afraid to ask for what you need. MXO prides themselves on being innovative, so they’ll be willing to go out of their way to meet your needs.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the director of innovation at fairlife, a brand of dairy-based beverages.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire MXOtech, Inc.?

We needed a way to manage project timelines and then create an automated, easy to use dashboard to share with senior leadership for tracking.

What were your goals for this project?

Ease of usage for users who would be creating timelines and projects.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

They are our current supplier for IT support and know our systems and people well.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

They developed the system, tested it and trained our team.

What was the team composition?

I led it and had a few people who weighed in on design and user interface.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

It has made running our projects much more streamlined and easy to follow

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

We had calls with screen share and Toni came over in person, which was very helpful

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The follow-up and problem-solving.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No