Next Generation Business Solutions

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work for eSense Software. I provide IT consultation on various projects for designing and developing new software.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Next Generation Business Solutions?

Our client wanted to speed up development on the mobile version of a web app. They had two developers on their side and requested four more from us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’re developing the app on Xamarin for iOS and Android. It’s a correspondence product for government entities, used for sharing and signing documentation and communicating. For example, it allows committees to work on the same documents.

What is the team composition?

I worked with three Xamarin developers and one team lead from Next Generation.

How did you come to work with Next Generation Business Solutions?

Their founder had worked as a freelancer with my previous employer, and I knew that he was experienced and ready to provide value. He told me that he was opening his own company, and I thought that it would be a great opportunity for us.

How much have you invested with them?

We paid $10,000 per month for the four resources.

What is the status of this engagement?

I first worked with them from June–July 2019. The latest project ran between June–September 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We worked in sprints using the scrum development methodology. We measured Next Generation’s performance sprint by sprint, based on quality and delivery time. I’m satisfied with the work. 

How did Next Generation Business Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

They had a short period to learn everything, which limited their ability to produce the work. They had to know a lot of background about the product and get input from the business team. In that context, Next Generation’s performance was good. They caught up quickly and produced good work within the given time.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They find good-caliber candidates quickly, and I can hire someone in 2–3 weeks at most. Some projects need to start immediately, so we don’t have enough time to onboard new people internally. Next Generation helped us in this regard.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They should monitor the people more, especially these days when everyone’s working remotely. Previously, everyone was at the office, so they could monitor people’s actions and behavior and give them feedback. Now, there should be more governance from Next Generation’s side.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

I have more than 20 years of experience in IT, so I can tell if someone’s competent in the first three minutes of an interview, but I would suggest doing more than that, even if it’s for a short period. It’s important to have more than one technical interview with the resources before moving forward.