Radixweb

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of netUP, which provides secure file transfers, as well as payment services.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Radixweb?

One of our main developers left the company before finishing the project, so we got Radixweb to take over for us. We didn’t have the time to train a new employee.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We went through a bit of planning and specs gathering, but the main service offered by Radixweb was development. The project was unfinished at the time, so we had a number of bugs to fix, then they provided enhancements to our platform.

They helped us with ASP.NET Zero development, using the C# language. It also had a lot to do with databases—SQL queries, for example.

They don’t provide maintenance services: once they finished, they gave us the code and we ran with it. I’ve signed them for a further 40 hours of work, in case we found any bugs in the system, but it’s not maintenance as such.

What is the team composition?

Radixweb assigned only one developer to our project, but it was their top one: an advanced engineer able to create his own specifications and perform pathfinding. We didn’t need a whole team, especially given that it wasn’t such a large project.

They also assigned a project manager in May 2018, to whom I gave some specs for them to make an estimate.

How did you come to work with Radixweb?

I found them online while looking at a few other companies based in India. Radixweb was the first group that got back to me so we set up a query, had a discussion, and I liked them. The pricing was also good, which led me to hire them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $12,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in May 2018, and still have them on the 40-hour retainer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were in a predicament after my main developer left and we weren’t able to launch our product. Even so, Radixweb actually helped us reach the market quicker. It would’ve taken me another year to do it myself, but the return to market was much quicker after I used Radixweb.

I was happy with their work, and the relationship we had with the team was also really good.

How did Radixweb perform from a project management standpoint?

They performed really well. They can analyze problems and come back with different types of solutions. We worked via Skype and emails. I could speak to the developer on Skype at any time, which meant it was easy to work with him, even though he was in another country.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their skill level was really good, as was communication. They kept me up to date constantly; telling me what they were busy with, what the problems were, and where they were in terms of progress.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing I can think of that they could do better. Most of the problems were to do with our lack of specifications, but they helped us get everything done.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Have a thorough specification and know what you want to do as it will make everyone’s lives much easier. If you have all the phases and specifications worked out, give them to the team, and you’ll even get the product back quicker.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the operations manager for online products at Positive Purchasing, a consultancy firm and industry leader in procurement transformation. We combine expert training with effective programs and methods to deliver dramatic improvements to companies’ purchasing procurement negotiation outcomes. We do this through online tools, videos, and classroom trainings.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Radixweb?

We needed a partner to integrate and redesign our Red Sheet negotiation tool so that it could be used by any device. We wanted it to connect to our academies’ user management system. In short, we needed someone to build a new negotiation web app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We worked with Radixweb to build out our design, UX/UI, and project milestones. They did full web dev and also tested the final product. The app allows users to collaborate with one another and creates downloadable PDF reports with inbuilt intelligence to provide users with an explanation of how to negotiate effectively. Another key feature is that it was based on the MVC framework, and Radixweb used .NET, ASP, and Angular to build the product. They delivered the final product and we’re about to go online.

What is the team composition?

We had one consistent project manager through the whole project. In the initial phase, we had an architect project manager, senior leader, and graphic designer. For the main project, we had a developer, UI expert, and graphic designer. For the final phase, we had two developers working on HTML and the PDF reporting.

How did you come to work with Radixweb?

We initially wanted to hire them for a different project, but they rejected it, which showed they were honest and transparent. We looked at a variety of other agencies for this project, but Radixweb was the best fit, based on price, quality, and other factors.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $50,000–$100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from December 2017–October 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We set three phases, each with roughly seven or eight clearly defined milestones. At the end of each stage, they’d hit our goals and met all expectations. The quality of their work was consistently good.

How did Radixweb perform from a project management standpoint?

They managed the project well, retaining a bank of skilled resources to draw upon, if needed. The project manager was extremely organized and sent weekly progress updates. They found solutions easily and understood our needs, maintaining constant communication with our tech team. We communicated via email, Skype, and webinars.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They have great communication and an impressive project manager.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We both could have been more transparent about potential project risks and problems. We developed into a collaborative relationship. 

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Meet them, involve them in your design brainstorming, and make sure to get a good project manager.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I oversee the operations of a software consulting company that specializes in solutions development.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Radixweb?

We needed additional resources and expertise to help us develop websites using DotNetNuke (DNN) and Sitefinity as CMS platforms.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Radixweb was not involved in the gathering of user requirements, but they did assist in the requirements analysis process. They also worked with our in-house web designers to generate a wireframe of the UI, ensuring that the designs were compatible with the DNN and Sitefinity platforms. Once the website designs were completed, they moved on to the development and test stages. Final tests were deployed in a staging environment that supported remediation activities after the user acceptance testing had already been facilitated.

All of the sites have master pages that define the overall website, but users are able to edit content and make changes to the page layout. There’s also an option to display current events on a scrolling news ticker, which is an eye-catching feature for the end-users.

What is the team composition?

Their team was comprised of a project manager, a design lead, and several technical developers.

How did you come to work with Radixweb?

They happened to contact us when we were looking for developers who had experience with Sitefinity. We went on to use their services for a smaller project, which we used as a trial to see if they would be a good fit for this project. We were pleased with their work, so we continued the relationship.

What is the status of this engagement?

They began working on the project in July 2015 and have worked on numerous projects for us since then.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They built technically sound solutions that allow us to provide a wider range of services to meet our clients’ needs.

How did Radixweb perform from a project management standpoint?

The project manager had a tech background, so he was able to guide early discussions and make sure that our goals were attainable. Their team had a waterfall approach to project management, which allowed our team to provide feedback and influence the pace of development throughout the entire process. They gave us a timeline with estimated dates of completion, but they were always flexible if we needed to prioritize a certain feature or make changes to their deadlines. We communicated frequently via email, phone, and teleconferences. They provided well-structured status updates, and they were always quick to clear up any of our uncertainties.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their diligent team is very conscious of deadlines and they always resolve issues quickly.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Establish the roles that both of your teams will play during the project and maintain frequent and clear communication throughout.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Global Emission Monitoring, an environmental software company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Radixweb?

The government requires big industrial facilities with smokestacks to continually monitor air emissions and air pollution. We needed someone to build our software, the main product we sell.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They built our software, which mathematically calculates air emissions from operating conditions and algorithms. It acts like artificial intelligence. Every big industrial facility has a central control system for monitoring its various settings. We can hook up to that and download all the information and determine air greenhouse gasses and hazardous pollutants.

What is the team composition?

We had a project manager and a team of three or four people.

How did you come to work with Radixweb?

I did a web search for companies who specialized in building software. It’s a unique project, but we found some options that matched the complexity. I had three bidders, and they won based on price and quality. I sent them my request with the specifications I wanted and they returned with questions. We clarified some points and put together a proposal.

What is the status of this engagement?

We awarded the contract around October 2016 and worked through October 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’re responsible for the building the product we sell. Everything we have today is thanks to what they’ve built. We’re going to enter another phase with them to make the product available on the cloud.

They did an excellent job and gave us exactly what we hoped for. It fulfills all our requirements. It’s easy to install, highly technical, and very accurate. It helps us know the environmental demands that large corporations have. The excellence that Radix provided is the reason it’s working so well. People are very happy and it’s doing precisely what we envisioned.

How did Radixweb perform from a project management standpoint?

They were fantastic—kind, patient, and professional. We communicated through Skype conferences.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The quality of the work and the professionalism of our project manager and team were impressive.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’m totally satisfied with them, and am happy with the quality of the work they provided. The only difficulty was understanding them over the phone. We only had to ask them to repeat things, which is natural.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

When you work with a company on the other side of the globe, you have to find someone who is trustworthy. Radixweb is. They go the extra mile and are a customer-centric company.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am a co-founder of eCAT, an electronic compliance tool which validates processes and performs audits on how systems and processes are running. The product has been operational since 2011, and can produce anything from a simple safety checklist, to a detailed analysis of steps in production.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with RadixWeb?

In 2016, we realized we needed to upgrade what we were doing. The product itself was still working fine, but everything else in the technology world had moved on. Five or six years is a life-time in the technology space, and we also realized we needed to look at foreign languages.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

RadixWeb proposed that we completely redevelop the technology instead of trying to retrofit the existing system. This would give us the benefit of bringing in all the new languages which had become available.

We spent roughly 8–9 months scoping mission, determining what we did and didn’t like about the old eCAT, and what we would and wouldn’t like on the new one. The closing stages of this involved fine-tuning reports, but the fundamental system is live. We’ve already moved some existing clients onto it, and we’re currently onboarding new ones.

The old apps had been written in PhoneGap, but they’re now native on Android and iOS. This in itself brings the obvious benefits of having a cleaner interface, being more robust, and operating more quickly.

The whole backend system upgrade took up about 80% of the overall redevelopment. It’s much stronger, and can be integrated much more easily.

We had nearly 40 types of reports in the old system, but we realized 80% of the people were using 20% of the reports. We brought the widely used ones into the new version and left out the others.

While there were certain functionalities in the old eCAT, getting rid of them proved to be difficult because a couple of clients liked them. We’ve managed to consolidate two or three functions for optimization purposes.

We ran another substantial project with one of our clients, Sodexo, who used eCAT to run hospital hygiene or health-level audits to determine how much the hospital should or shouldn’t be paying. Depending on the results of an audit, the system would generate an invoice for the hospital. It was a substantial piece of work, and it required scoping out from scratch. The only delay on this project was from Sodexo’s side, but the project still closed on time. This would have required a completely separate team if RadixWeb hadn’t worked on it.

What is the team dynamic?

During the project, the team peaked at 15-20 members. We had a whole new development team, as well as one maintaining the existing eCAT. It was brand-new technology, so the existing team wouldn’t have been up-to-speed on it. Now that the main development is done, the core team is down to about six people, including one man for bespoke work. These people now handle both the old and the new systems.

One of the people who worked with the old eCAT helped us with the scope of the new platform, including leading us through the development phase. The people involved in that team are still there, and the project manager from the old system is now the lead for the combined team. We were lucky to have all the people from the beginning still involved at different levels for the new development. Some of the old eCAT team moved on to different projects because they wouldn’t have had the same opportunities to learn new technologies while supporting the old system.

How did you come to work with RadixWeb?

We did speak to a couple of other potential providers, but by the time we understood the scope, evaluated training factors, and considered the system design, we realized it would be too difficult. We neither had the time nor the appetite, so we spoke to RadixWeb, and they came up with an open and easy plan to follow. They also offered transparency regarding both their resources and proposed design processes.

How much have you invested with them?

The cost of their work was around $150,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in September or October 2016. The heavy lifting was done six months later, followed by fine-tuning and onboarding clients. The system went fully live at the end of July or beginning of August 2017. We’re over halfway through the process of onboarding existing clients. I would hope that, by the end of October at the latest, we will have onboarded everyone who needs to be on it.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

RadixWeb helped produce a system which is quicker, lighter, and easier to get going. We’ve also managed to lower the cost of entry for a company looking to start using eCAT. There is a smaller upfront cost, followed by per-user, per-month licensing fees. We couldn’t do this before, so it’s been a big development for us.

The frontend is much sharper, and the whole thing operates more quickly. It’s much more modern than the old eCAT.

We’ve reached 45% of our target client numbers. We will switch one more client on in the next week, and, in terms of users, that will push us over to the 70% mark.

The tool being used by Sodexo is live and being used every day of the week, and, so far, we’ve heard no complaints.

How did RadixWeb perform from a project management standpoint?

I would have liked to have the client transitioning done by now, but, to be fair, we will always get a few things that surprise us. Inevitably, there were a couple of brand-new clients who came in and said they would sign up to the new system only if we provided a particular feature. Unbeknown factors pushed us back a month, but I’m happy to say we finished on time, as advertised.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We really haven’t engaged with other developers at that level. We’ve worked with telecoms or other providers, but at a much smaller level. I couldn’t compare them to RadixWeb, simply because they were more plug-and-play CRMs. Any time we’ve spoken to RadixWeb, we received an answer. With other systems, we’d usually  just have to log a ticket and hope for the best.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could always be cheaper, but to be fair, that’s not really something they need to improve. I in India 2–3 weeks ago, and I worked with them for 12–13 hours every day. They offer good value for money, they’re decent people, and we get along very well.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Understand the scope long before going anywhere near a developer. Clients need to comprehensively study the product before even considering digitizing it to avoid migrating problems. In our case, we had an existing system which we converted into software. We were lucky with RadixWeb because they understood what the problems would be before we began.

Once we have an idea, I talk to programmers and get them to understand what we’re trying to do, as well as get them to come over and meet our end-clients. This makes the whole process easier as well.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CTO of a business that provides bespoke software to clients. About 80% of our solutions are out of the box, and 20% are highly customized according to client needs.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with RadixWeb?

Our main reason for working with RadixWeb is to get a higher throughput so we can execute multiple projects at the same time. They have helped us achieve that goal pretty well.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

RadixWeb helps us by implementing more agile project management and involvement. They took over on some of the communication with the end clients, which has helped a lot. They have also implemented new technologies that make them more efficient. Our business hasn’t changed a lot since we first provided a review of RadixWeb, since we’re still doing the same things as before. The goals for this year, in terms of collaborating with RadixWeb, was to have smoother transitions during the selling of sales and in execution of projects. We did this by implementing some new routines in terms of project management and their involvement. We began this transition in September 2016, and completed it within a couple of months. We’re now executing the projects in a more agile fashion, and on our side, we’re spending less on time management. I don't know how they do things on their side, but for me, it has become way easier to manage the projects. Also, the solutions we’re selling are becoming more and more mature.

How much have you invested with RadixWeb?

In the last year, I think we spent between $150,000 and $200,000.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

I don't have any hard numbers, just more of a feeling. When my golf handicap goes down, that means that the productivity is going up. RadixWeb is still easy to manage, and they continue to perform well. I don't have any idea how they perform with other clients, but it’s easy for me and over the last year, it has become easier to execute projects. I don't have to spend as much time to stay on top of everything, because I’m confident they are on top of everything we’re doing. I don't think there have been any drastic changes since the last time I reviewed RadixWeb, except for the speed and the ease of mind that I feel about executing projects with them.

I’ve tried outsourcing to other companies, and I try to be a local employer, but that can't be recommended unless you're from India. I chose RadixWeb in part because they’re located in Ahmedabad, which is a more conservative part of India. I was kind of fed up with the hype that was going on in Delhi and Bangalore at that time. For me, it was important to get to know the guys I was outsourcing to, so for two weeks, I spent time chatting with the managers, owners, and some of the developers. Our relationship keeps growing, and they are professional and friendly. If things are not turning out like they’re supposed to, we can talk about it without anybody having to be afraid that somebody’s trying to take away control.

How did RadixWeb perform from a project management standpoint?

We are in touch with their various teams at least once a week. Each project uses between 5 to 10 people, with a 50/50 split of juniors and seniors, but we don’t see a big split between the two. They’re all quite capable of closing that gap between knowledge and youth, if that makes sense. It depends on the nature of the project, and initially we were communicating with seniors, because they tend to be the project managers at RadixWeb. But when it comes down to implementing phases, it’s a mix of juniors and seniors where the divide is based on project management skills and execution. Sometimes our clients have certain IT systems that we need to integrate to which requires somebody to be present locally. Usually this would mean me, and I would find myself giving instructions to juniors and seniors at Radix. I only know if they’re a junior or senior because I know them, otherwise I wouldn't notice a difference. The leads have been pretty stable.

Are there any areas RadixWeb could improve?

There’s not much RadixWeb can improve on, though there should always be something. Maybe if we double our size then we’ll have other challenges. I’m not sure if that will be with their end or with our organization. They are up to the mark, and we have been executing small and large projects with them that have been equally efficient. They don't bail on difficult projects, and always sticks to them while standing up for both us and the client.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Stigler Printing is a publishing, printing, graphic design, and mail services company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with RadixWeb?

About three years ago, we were looking for an e-commerce platform that also had a design studio component for our printing business. We needed a platform where our customers could send us files electronically and we needed new customers to be able to find us, locate our products, access templates, and make transactions online. There were very few providers out there that we felt were able to do that on a scalable level. Radix had a good solution that was a good fit for us.

We have been very pleased with the partnership aspect of our relationship with them. There is no hesitation on their side if we ever have any questions or concerns. They are always continuing to innovate their technology. It is not uncommon that every couple of months there is some new feature, there is something they are pioneering or that they’re adopting to their current solution. As a vendor, that is important for us. Technology changes rapidly and we are able to ride that wave of new technology and introduce that on our site. I have not met anyone at Radix that wasn’t willing to do whatever it took to help us and they do take every question very seriously. They give you a real solid effort.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

This solution was built from scratch. This was a site to allow customers to order things to be printed.

Do you know what platform they used?

It’s a custom piece of software that they’ve created. What they have been willing to do, which I think is unusual, is to make an existing platform do what I want. Very rarely do they say, no, that can’t be done. Most of the time they will say let’s look at this and, nine times out of ten, I would say that they come back to me with the solution that I had in mind. I am talking about a modification to a particular module that didn’t previously exist.

They are willing to do customization to their own existing platform, and I think that is unusual too and is another reflection on how they approach their customers. In the past, working with different entities, they just say no we can’t do that. They box you in and you end up either settling for it or getting frustrated and feeling like it is time to end that partnership. That has not been the case with Radix. They always try to figure out and listen to what my needs were and gone to whatever lengths to create that customization that I needed.

Let me give you an example. I needed to have a module created that would allow me to email a proof of a design that a customer had uploaded or created to as many people as they wanted. They could send proofs, Separated by commas, in a shopping cart. There is no other printing site out there that allows you to send proofs from the shopping cart. But we needed it and, they did a great job of embracing that. That is really refreshing when you need something done. In the case of the email, we had a corporate account that needed it. And that was a deal breaker. If we couldn’t do it, they were probably going to choose another vendor. They were able to create that customization and we satisfied what was ending up being a long list of requirements in order to gain that account. They seemed to understand that if they couldn’t do it we would probably lose the account. That is another thing that you don’t see that often. No seems to really care about the bigger picture, which is the business of getting jobs out so that we can invoice and get paid.

What other functionalities did they put together for you?

From the standpoint of introducing video on our product pages, that was not a component. They made some adjustments to their platform that allowed us to have a video module on the product description page. They were able to modify the calculator so that it revealed itself. When you click on the calculator you will notice it reveals itself and shadows the back of the page. That was custom. The way the gallery images was something on their platform that they modified a little bit. There were probably 15 to 20 custom edits. Many of them were fairly minor, but they were different from their custom platform that they are trying to sell other companies like me. They were willing to make those changes no matter how small. From the standpoint of user experience, lots of the changes are tiny and they have to be made, because cumulatively they add up to a bad experience. They were willing to take care of tiny little edits that we felt like were important for our users.

How many resources have been assigned to your project?

There were at least four people working on our project. They have a great deal of structure when they tackle any project. We were dealing with a point person, who is the project manager, that would outline before the project begins. We recently went through a redesign and launched that in February. Before that project started, they clearly outlined the team. However, I was primarily dealing with one point person. On occasion, there was one more person, but they would reference other staff members that were working on it or that would be if a task was addressed or discussed. They would reference those other team members as being the ones that would be working on that.

Another thing they do a good job of is they give you very realistic timetables of when things are going to be done. I think that is really another important component for us in terms of the things that I feel like I need in a technology partner. I don’t care if it takes another two weeks as long as it takes two weeks. Don’t tell me it will be tomorrow and then it’s going to be two weeks. They are very fair and very realistic and honest in their approach. That is really refreshing.

How did you come to work with RadixWeb?

I found them through my online research. I looked at other firms as well. I felt like the sum of all the different ingredients included in Radix’s platform made sense for us. I was a little anxious about working with a company out of India. I had no experience in doing that. For anybody that hasn’t worked with anyone in India, it is a bit of a scared thought. If you are going to be successful in technology, you have to embrace every continent and find expertise where you can get it.

How much have you invested with RadixWeb?

Originally, the platform was around $10,000 or $12,000. Their service agreements are $1,000 - $1,200 a year. You get a lot for that. You can Skype a representative there anytime, and you’re going to be getting immediate responses from them. There is ongoing training that they are providing. They don’t tell us that we’ve exceeded our agreement with them and they are going to charge us more. They don’t nickel and dime. I worked with agencies in Manhattan and the West Coast who want to eat up your retainer and they don’t care if they give you anything. When you do ask them for something, they are going to quickly burn through that and they are going to say you need to pay more money. That is not the case with Radix. I Skype with them three times a week, spending up to 20 minutes with them. That is a significant commitment. It’s a good value from that standpoint.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in 2013. Our entrance into what we are doing now is very different from where we started. The learning curve with the admin panel requires a strong discipline. It took me a long time to really understand it, and I am the owner of the company! And there are lots of things that I am still learning as I go.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

We are in a rural area. It is a family owned business. We are old-school manufacturers trying to step out and become more of a modern printer and a modern publishing company. It’s the printing that drives most of our business. Those of us in printing that is going to be successful have to have platforms like the one we are getting from Radix. If they don’t, they are going to die off, and they are.

Our entire industry is collapsing. We are part of the industry that is aligning ourselves with native American tribes around the country who are growing and thriving. We are having some success and growing every year. Without Radix’s platform, there isn’t anything that I am aware of that is out there that is affordable to be able to continue to move forward in a modern way. We are fortunate to have them as a partner. If you have the courage to embrace their technology and embrace their culture and whatever comes with that, you have a chance. If you are in our industry and you don’t, you are going to die along with everybody else. We accept that challenge. Thank goodness we have Radix there with us, and they’re willing to grow with us and guide us and at a very affordable price when you think of what you can spend. In six months, you can burn through $100,000 on a custom website. In case of Radix, I’ve never felt like anything I’ve ever paid wasn’t really worth it. I don’t hesitate anytime I’ve ever gotten an invoice from them.

You just don’t get that in the States. Everybody’s so far behind in terms of technology and those that think they know what they are doing, don’t know what they are doing and charge ten times more than they should. I have become pretty bitter about having to wake up guys in LA to work on my stuff and ten minutes after our conversation, I get a $3,000 invoice and they haven’t done anything. That kind of thing is rampant. I was talking to a friend of mine that has got a team in Bulgaria and a team in the Philippines and he is doing some pretty interesting stuff. He told me he’s done with teams from the States. My brother-in-law is one of the lawyers at TI and I asked where they do their development. He was telling me countries; none of it’s done in the States. I didn’t know that in 2013 and if you’ve got the compacity to expand your mind and think outside this country, and if you can partner up with someone like Radix, and really take it seriously, you may have a chance.

How did RadixWeb perform from a project management standpoint?

They always treated us with respect and were patient when we struggled to grasp technical things. Their key top-level people have strong language skills, which helps. We could carry on a conversation with the main sales people, and you are not really struggling to communicate. They have some other staff members that really do everything they can to communicate as effectively as possible. They do write very well, so a lot of communication is through Skype. They do lean on their other team members if there is a language barrier. They are not as strong in that.

What did you find most impressive about RadixWeb?

The main thing I really appreciate about working with Radix is they have a great deal of respect. Working in technology, working with vendors, different parts of our country, or even overseas, it’s a big thing for us to make sure we have a partner that we are working with that we can always work on common ground. Our business is manufacturing. Technology is something that we are constantly trying to embrace and adopt and there is a learning curve always associated with things that are new and they have a great deal of patience and respect for us as we try to adapt. That is really important for us. We really have to have technology vendors that are able to be patient and work with us and Radix has done a great job of that.

We are still figuring it out, but it’s starting to get a little easier. Naimish [Patel, Senior Manager] was the first person I worked with. I want to help them any way I can. It does pay back because those guys don’t forget when you help them. That is also rare too. They really do appreciate everything you do. Something like this review means a lot to them. If this helps them and strengthens my relationship with them, it is time well spent.

Are there any areas RadixWeb could improve?

I am not aware of anything that they are not doing for us. Anything I ask for, they’ve given me their best effort in trying to help answer that question. You just get a really good feeling when you are working with them that they are trying to help you. I don’t have any billing issues with them. I’m have never had any issues with not being able to communicate with them. I have never had any issues with not getting a high level of respect. They have never not done what they said they were going to do. And they are innovative. People say that you have to tell people in India what to do. I don’t think that is the case in my experience with them. I think they are innovative and they do try to be creative in their approach to try to solve things. If you provide a little creativity and little guidance, they meet you in the middle and they accomplish what you need.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a digital agency focusing on online business advertising. We handle everything web-related, from small websites to bigger ones, and web-based applications that serve as online databases for customers. I am the technical director of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with RadixWeb?

Our latest project with them was for building an application that forwarded Bluetooth data to an online database.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our first project with RadixWeb started five or six years ago. We were making security updates on an online training platform for a consumer-goods customer. They took legacy code and fixed issues with it. The following project was for migrating that platform to a new server infrastructure.

Our requirements have differed from one project to another. RadixWeb gave us recommendations on how to set up the teams, in terms of developer types and how many project management resources we needed. We followed those recommendations.

Our Bluetooth app was built using three people at peak capacity. The other project was bigger, but I wasn’t involved with the team directly.

How did you come to work with RadixWeb?

They responded quickly when we had a need for developers for our Bluetooth app. We looked through our inboxes for emails from development companies and wrote to RadixWeb. They also had very smart questions during the initial conversation, confirming that they were actually thinking about the project. Thirdly, RadixWeb’s pricing was very competitive. We considered two other companies, one from Ukraine and another from Kosovo. We also looked at using our own development team, but we are not experienced with this type of application.

How much have you invested with RadixWeb?

The cost of our Android Bluetooth project was around $5,000. The other project had about the same cost.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our first contact was in December 2016. The start of our latest project was in January 2017.

We have two other projects on which we’ll collaborate with RadixWeb, after getting the go-ahead from our customers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

The application was made for a Bluetooth device manufacturer. They’re only using it internally for testing certain data needs related to the cloud-based server. We sent an APK file which allowed the client to install the app on their device, and it’s not publicly available. The customer is happy with the app, and they want to further improve it by adding more features.

How did RadixWeb perform from a project management standpoint?

The work was done within our agreed-upon time and budget. I couldn’t speak about what happened behind the curtains on RadixWeb’s side, but I’ve been happy with their performance. I chatted with their project manager via Google Hangouts daily or even more often, and was given updates whenever a new feature was completed. I could install the latest version and check it on my own device, which was good. RadixWeb has been very responsive whenever I sent them a message, and the overall communication was very good.

What did you find most impressive about RadixWeb?

I want to emphasize that RadixWeb has been very thorough with my requirements. They studied our specs carefully, pointed out any mistakes, and asked the right questions. This happens rarely since most outsourcing companies simply promise that they can deliver a project, without asking any questions.

Are there any areas RadixWeb could improve?

We have many different contact people for RadixWeb. For me, it can be complicated at times to distinguish between their business development manager, the account person, the project manager and so on. As soon as the project started, I was assigned a single contact person, which worked very well, but, before that, I had email exchanges with many different people.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We're a privately held organization that’s family owned and operated. Our company provides print services on various platforms and online photo books. We have multiple locations in North America. Each branch is individually run by a manager, somewhat like a franchise operation.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Radixweb?

The first time we hired Radixweb was to help support our internal needs for online services for customers. We wanted a solution that we enable our branches, allowing their customers to order print related products.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Their original solution they offered designed for location. We needed something a little more complex to be able to open up the solution within our branch system. The first step was conducting an audit of the existing software and make it a multi-site solution, this is where Radixweb help customized the platform. We put our scope together, and they came back to us with timelines and their proposal. We were introduced to the team members that would support us with the project. Once we agreed to move forward they assigned us to a project lead.

One other solution they help us with is our online photo book website called Elephoto.ca. We wanted to rebrand and upgrade our existing B2C Elephoto website, (a subsidiary of our main business). This is an entirely different project which happened to crossover the same timeline as our other bigger project.

As we had two entirely different projects moving at the same time, we were assigned to two different teams at Radixweb. Initially, we would discuss it with the Managers of the team, and then the day-to-day interaction would be with the project lead. Although we do connect with the Managers from time to time. Doing so reassures us that everything is always on track.

How did you come to work with Radixweb?

We did some research looking for a solution, this led us to Radixweb. We needed a solution that was scalable because of our multiple locations across Canada; they seemed to fit our needs. They also had a great licensing model. This allowed us to share the solution with all of our branches across the network.

​​​​​​How much have you invested with Radixweb?

From the time we started working with them, we’ve probably spent around $200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our first contact with Radix was about four years ago when we initiated a small project. As bigger projects came to fruition, we connected them again. Our biggest project to date was kick started about a year ago. We are now in the process of launching the solution within our branches but always in constant communication on improvements. We are still actively producing new features for the product. Things can get really complicated towards the end of the project cycle, as we deal with so many different variables with our customers and scope does tend to creep from day to day. This is where continuous improvement to the solution is very helpful.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

Launching these sites to our customers has helped us generate revenue. It's still early on as far as the launch of the website, but we're slowly seeing some customer engagement, utilizing the site to their benefit, which is great. The solution can save a lot of time within the branch systems. For example, customers can go online and order business cards directly. Prior to the solution, our customer requested changes by sending a document with all the changes they’d like to see. The branch then would make edits/changes and send a proof to their customer. Radixweb’s solution alleviates that big step. It also works for situations where the customer doesn't have the design skills. A template can be created for the customer. The customer can then populate information from drop-down lists, once they are happy with the look via preview or proof, they can add it to their cart and order. It saves time and money on both ends.

On the photo book website, we had initially gone with a different platform. We needed quite a bit of customization on the website to work with our existing platform. It had to communicate with our standard operating procedures and frontend systems. We did a lot of customization, and doing so made our software un-upgradable. Radixweb has helped us upgrade software while we requested new features. They're very hands-on; it’s a difficult task to upgrade any customized software, but Radixweb is always willing to do what they can.

How did Radixweb perform from a project management standpoint?

I have daily contact with them. The one challenge is the time zone difference. It's a ten-hour difference, so I only get them for a couple of hours a day. I do have daily connections with the project lead. It's amazing how available they are during the night hours in India. If there's something that we need, they answer any questions throughout their day. If we request a meeting in one or two days, they're very responsive and make an effort to have a group discussion or an online meeting. They're very responsive in that respect.

What did you find most impressive about Radixweb?

They really respect our feedback and tend to add it in future releases. They take it to heart. Sometimes, we have a request for a feature implementation and they're not currently able to fulfill it. In these cases, their team discusses the issue and includes it in their future scope. If they see it as a valuable feature set, they will definitely start development on that. In the following release, we see the implementation that we requested. It goes hand in hand. We also do a lot of testing. There are bugs, of course, but it goes back and forth and seems to work together in that respect.

Here’s another example. Most of their current platform is based on Flash, which is slowly disappearing from a lot of people's development because of how Adobe killed off the platform. We did request HTML5 versions of the software. Within a few months, Radixweb started developing it, agreeing that that was the way to go and that was the future. They're always excited to show us what they have in development. Just recently, they showed us their HTML5 platform. We then gave them feedback, going back and forth on how they can improve upon it. It's a good partnership in that respect. We're all for better solutions and better and easy to use software, and compatibility is the main concern online.

Are there any areas Radixweb could improve?

There is always room for improvement in any situation. We do see a lot of bugs that arise. Understandably, the majority of the bugs we see are mostly directly associated by the fast, quick to implement work. If anything, maybe Radix should hold back on releasing code and have better quality control within the departments. However, I understand it's a give and take between speed and implementation. Unfortunately, we do sometimes feel like a beta tester more than a customer. The advice I would give to Radix is to just take more time before presenting the solution. Perhaps better quality control too, because nobody likes to deal with bugs.

What tips or recommendations could you share that might increase the likelihood of success with Radixweb?

When contacting Radixweb for a solution, it is a good idea to come up with a project plan or project scope to support your needs. Document it with as much detailed information as possible. Use imagery when showing a proof of concept whenever possible.

There are times when we need to talk directly to the team regarding errors or bugs. Typically we try to log as much information as we can. I highly recommend video capturing any issues you are facing. Doing this has helped us immensely when communicating the issues. Documenting logs of what’s been implemented and/or fixed is also a great way to keep on track and focus on improving the platform. We found that giving our undivided attention a couple of hours a day has also helped. One to one communication (live chat) is limited due to our overlapping working hours.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We provide writing content and partner with someone who can also create websites and help us with other publishing materials. I’m the owner.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with RadixWeb?

I had a website that needed to be updated. I hired a local company initially, and I wasn’t in love with the results. I couldn't find somebody initially who had the same vision, and the features didn’t flow as well.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They built a completely new website for me. The old one couldn’t be salvaged. It had some issues and had been hacked. I just wanted to go in a whole new direction. The new website added brand new things that made it ten times better than the one I had. Even though I thought I liked the other one, this one was night-and-day better.

The portfolio feature was really big to me. Previously, I only had a link that would take you to it. They were able to capture an image of certain things that I had done like websites and newsletters. We kept some of the basic ideas, but the functionality and the flow, the way it would jump and move, it improved the look of the website from a nice, intermediate website to a truly professional looking, finished product.

How did you come to work with RadixWeb?

I heard about RadixWeb from another person. They steered me in that direction and were able to help me with what I had in mind.

How much have you invested with RadixWeb?

I do want to be upfront and say this was the one area they asked me not to give any information. They would prefer that I not quote the price.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working sometime around last summer. The website is concluded. That was in the last six months. As far as I know, I pay GoDaddy for hosting. They set it up so that updates and things run on it, so that I don't have to go in and manually do them as I did previously.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

My impression is I was just really blown away. Like I said, I liked the initial website I had, but it was a little bit older and had a hacking issue. It was like sour grapes or something—you're ready to go in a new direction. I am very proud of the look that I have now.

For the previous website I had, I had to go in and do manual updates on it. It required me to be a little more vigilant and hands-on in maintaining the website, which was a little bit of a drag because that wasn't entirely what I had in mind. It wasn't hard; it just was a little bit of a timeline. I have not had to spend any time worrying about or doing maintenance on the new one. It has made my life easier in that respect and given me some more free time as a result.

I will be honest with you: a lot of the work I do is word of mouth. I don't really rely on my website for getting business. But I did have one out-of-the-area client ask me for a resume or CV, and I said, "Please go look at my website. It has links to all my work. You can see a lot of what I've done and use that as a reference." That was the one time that I used it in that respect.

How did RadixWeb perform from a project management standpoint?

There was a lot of back and forth. I provided them with some initial ideas, and then they sent me some template ideas, which I would respond, "I really like this, or I want to change that." They were very easy to work with and in tune with what I had in mind. At the very beginning of the process, there was a Skype call about the overall project and the contract. Otherwise, we communicated by email.

What did you find most impressive about RadixWeb?

I'm not sure my other options are a great comparison. The old website was a little more static: very basic backgrounds, black bars on the side, limited pages. For the new website, I love the feature of setting the page names at the top. Then if you click on it, rather than it taking you away to another page, it scrolls you down the page, which was not a feature that I had before. I thought that was interesting. There's movement on the page where things scroll. Again, a newer feature on newer websites, and not something I had before. When you get to the actual section, once you've scrolled down, if you want to see more, there's an option to go and then click to that specific page. Those were all changes and things that I liked compared to the website that I previously had.

Are there any areas RadixWeb could improve?

I would say for the English-speaking audience or clients, there’s an accent and there are some phrases that sometimes take a little back and forth. Sometimes they'll have a phrase that they use and it doesn't immediately click as how you understand it in English. It doesn't make it difficult; it just requires a little more explanation. But I found them to be beyond polite and enjoyable to speak with via email, which you don't always get with American clients.

What tips or recommendations could you share that might increase the likelihood of success with RadixWeb?

I think the one thing that I wasn’t aware of initially was the substantial fee associated with wiring money overseas to pay them. I've never done that; maybe other American businesses are used to doing it. It was a little bit of a time-consuming process at the bank to do it. It was a very small thing, but it's a helpful thing to know that it’s going to cost you $50 or $60 and you are going to have to go spend 20–30 minutes at the bank getting a wire transfer done to a foreign country. But beyond that, there were just little, different things that I hadn’t experienced with a previous website designer.