Ravn

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am an executive for CORE REAL ESTATE

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are CORE REAL ESTATE a leading boutique real estate brokerage firm in New York City, marketing and selling over 34 new development projects and generating over $15 billion in residential and commercial sales to date. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Ravn to accomplish?

• We hired RAVN to help us develop a comprehensive web-based platform that empowers real estate agents to create and manage their own branded digital presence through customizable websites and mobile applications.

SOLUTION

How did you find Ravn?

• Referral
• Clutch Site

Why did you select Ravn over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Ravn were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

RAVN developed a powerful, web-based platform for Core Real Estate, designed to empower our real estate agents by enabling them to easily create and manage their own branded digital presence. This comprehensive solution included a customizable website builder, a robust agent dashboard, and a mobile app generator integrated with MLS listings, marketing tools, and analytics. The platform’s key goals were to streamline the setup of agent-specific websites and apps, ensure brand consistency across all agent platforms, and automate listing management, thereby increasing agent productivity. With a drag-and-drop interface and mobile-responsive designs, RAVN’s platform makes it easy for agents to manage listings, track leads, and engage clients and still maintaining a professional brand identity.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

The results of RAVN’s platform have been highly impressive. Since deployment, we’ve seen remarkable improvements in several key business metrics. First and foremost, the time required to set up agent websites has really reduced, saving significant time and resources. Moreover, we’ve experienced an increase in lead generation, thanks to the integrated tools for lead tracking, CRM, and marketing campaigns. The platform has also had a direct impact on agent productivity. The mobile app feature has been a gamechanger as well, with an impressive retention rate for agents using the app regularly. 

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

The project management with RAVN was excellent all through the project duration they took their time to understand our needs and they provided clear timelines and expectations. Their team maintained consistent communication, delivering progress updates and ensuring that we were involved in every decision. The development process included ctesting to ensure the website was fully functional and ready for launch, which went smoothly. Post-launch support was also excellent, with RAVN responding quickly to any adjustments or questions.

What was your primary form of communication with Ravn?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

What impressed us the most about Ravn was their ability to deliver such a sophisticated, user-friendly platform that seamlessly integrates with third-party systems like MLS, Stripe, and Google Maps. The agent dashboard, in particular, was designed with an intuitive, easy-to-navigate interface, which made it simple for even non-technical agents to jump in and start using the platform right away. Their expertise in creating a microservices-based architecture that supports scalability and fast performance was impressive, and the platform’s strong security features, including SSL encryption, two-factor authentication, and regular security audits, gave us peace of mind. The massive reduction in website setup time alone demonstrated the significant change RAVN brought into our operations.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Ravn could have done differently?

RAVN performed excellently well and we did not identify any areas for improvement in the project they delivered. From beginning to the end , their team exceeded our expectations in every aspect of the project. The platform was developed with precision, and every feature was thoroughly tested to ensure it met our needs. The project management was smooth, and the end result was exactly what we envisioned. RAVN’s execution was impeccable, and there was no part of the process where we felt anything could have been done better.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the VP of IT Technology of EYECARE PARTNERS

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

EyeCare Partners is an healthcare centre that reinvents eye care by uniting optometry and ophthalmology practices to provide accessible, high-quality, and personalized vision health solutions nationwide.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Ravn to accomplish?

• We hired ravn.co to help develop a web application that would make our operations more efficient and enable us deliver the best services to our patients.

SOLUTION

How did you find Ravn?

• Referral
• Clutch Site

Why did you select Ravn over others?

• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Ravn were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

At Eyecare partners, located in St. Louis, Missouri, we hired Ravn.co to develop a custom web application  for our operational and customer support teams. The objective was to create a centralized platform that would enhance the management of patient information, ease communication, and significantly improve the patient experience. The application features extensive patient profile management, intuitive appointment scheduling, a customer support dashboard, detailed reporting and analytics, and secure role-based access control. Ravn.co utilized modern technologies, including React for the front end and Node.js with PostgreSQL for the back end, ensuring that the application is both responsive and secure. Their approach to integrating these technologies demonstrated a strong commitment to best practices in software development, particularly in the healthcare industry.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Since the adoption of the application, EyeCare Partners has experienced remarkable improvements in operational efficiency and patient management. The centralized database allows our teams to access up-to-date patient information quickly, which has led to a substantial reduction in response times for patient inquiries. For instance, our customer support team can now resolve issues more swiftly, leading to increased patient satisfaction rates. The ability to schedule appointments easily and send automated reminders has greatly reduced no-show rates, contributing to better resource allocation and care delivery. Overall, the application has really transformed our workflows.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

The collaboration between our team at EyeCare Partners and Ravn.co was exceptional. From the onset, Ravn.co engaged in detailed requirements gathering, ensuring that they fully understood our unique challenges and operational needs. Their project management techniques included regular updates, feedback , and strategic check-ins, which kept us aligned throughout the development process. This level of communication fostered a strong partnership, allowing us to refine the application to meet our specific needs. Their responsiveness and attention to detail greatly enhanced the efficiency of our collaboration.

What was your primary form of communication with Ravn?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

What truly impressed us the most about Ravn was their deep understanding of the healthcare sector. They demonstrated not only technical expertise but also a profound commitment to compliance with health data privacy standards, including HIPAA regulations. This dedication ensured that our patient data remained secure and confidential, which is paramount in our field. Additionally, their innovative solutions, combined with a user-centered design approach, resulted in an intuitive application that our staff adapted to quickly. The positive feedback from our team makes it clear that Ravn.co took their time to prioritize user experience throughout the development process.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Ravn could have done differently?

Our experience with Ravn.co was excellent although there is always room for improvement. One area for potential improvement could be Providing more comprehensive resources or follow-up training sessions post-launch this would further empower our staff to utilize the application’s features fully. However, this is a minor thing as it didnt affect the delivery of the services we hired them for.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CTO of Life Safety Inspection Vault (LIV)

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

LIVSafe provides an inspection platform for fire departments, enabling third-party inspection companies to upload reports and giving fire departments visibility into the compliance of fire safety systems according to IFCC standards.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Ravn to accomplish?

• Accelerate Product Development
• Reduce Operational Costs
• Access Specialized Skills

SOLUTION

How did you find Ravn?

Met Owner at Conference

Why did you select Ravn over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Ravn were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Scope of Work for RAVN with LIVSafe
The scope of work for hiring RAVN as an outsourced development team for LIVSafe involves several detailed tasks aimed at enhancing the LIVSafe inspection platform. This includes accelerating development, improving system functionality, and ensuring compliance with industry standards.

Project Planning and Initiation
RAVN started with initial meetings to understand LIVSafe's project requirements, goals, and timelines. This phase included developing a comprehensive project plan with clear milestones, deliverables, and timelines, assigning roles and responsibilities within the RAVN team, and ensuring alignment with LIVSafe’s objectives.

Requirements Gathering and Analysis
The RAVN team collaborates with LIVSafe stakeholders to gather detailed requirements and use cases. This involves analyzing and documenting functional and non-functional requirements, creating user stories, wireframes, and prototypes for stakeholder review to ensure all aspects of the project are thoroughly understood and documented.

Architecture and Design
RAVN helped with designing the system architecture and developed high-level design diagrams. Detailed technical specifications and design documents were created to guide the development process. The design phase ensured scalability, security, and performance built into the platform from the ground up.

Development and Coding
The ongoing development phase includes setting up development environments and version control systems. RAVN implements the software solution according to the design specifications, conducts regular code reviews, and integrates necessary third-party services and APIs.

Testing and Quality Assurance
RAVN helped develop a comprehensive testing strategy, including unit tests, integration tests, and system tests. Both automated and manual testing is conducted to identify and fix defects. User acceptance testing (UAT) involves LIVSafe stakeholders to ensure the solution meets our expectations.

Deployment and Implementation
Preparation for deployment involves creating detailed deployment plans and scripts for both staging and production environments. RAVN ensures a smooth deployment process, with minimal downtime, and provides post-deployment support to address any issues promptly.

Training and Documentation
RAVN develops user manuals, technical documentation, and training materials.  All documentation is maintained to be current and accessible.

Maintenance and Support
After deployment, RAVN provides ongoing maintenance and support, addressing any issues and implementing enhancements based on user feedback. System performance is monitored continuously to ensure optimal operation.

Key Deliverables

1. Project Plan: A detailed project plan outlining milestones, timelines, and responsibilities.
2. Requirements Documentation: Comprehensive documentation of functional and non-functional requirements, user stories, wireframes, and prototypes.
3. Design Documents: System architecture and high-level design diagrams, technical specifications, and detailed design documents.
4. Developed Software Solution: Fully implemented software solution with integrated third-party services and APIs.
5. Testing Reports: Test plans, test cases, and reports on testing outcomes, including identified and fixed defects.
6. Deployment Scripts and Plans: Deployment scripts and detailed deployment plans, ensuring a smooth deployment process.
7. Documentation and Training Materials: User manuals, technical documentation, and training materials, along with training session records.
8. Maintenance and Support Reports: Ongoing maintenance and support activities, enhancement logs, and system performance monitoring reports.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

1. On-Time Delivery: Achieving all project milestones on or ahead of schedule.
2. Bug Reduction: A significant decrease in critical bugs reported post-deployment.
3. Improved Performance: Enhanced system performance metrics, including faster load and response times.
4. Higher Adoption Rates: Increased user adoption of new features and overall positive user feedback.
5. Increased Compliance Rates: Improved compliance rates of fire safety systems tracked through the platform.
6. Cost Savings: Lower development costs compared to in-house development.
7. Scalability and Flexibility: The platform’s ability to scale and adapt to new requirements effectively.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

RAVN’s project management approach was structured, responsive, and efficient, contributing significantly to the project's overall success. 

We consistently have regular releases and deliverables on-time and efficient. 

They are very responsive to requests, enhancements and staff augmentation for certain areas within our product. 

What was your primary form of communication with Ravn?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

RAVN demonstrated a high level of expertise and technical proficiency throughout the project. Their ability to quickly understand complex requirements and translate them into effective solutions is commendable. The team’s deep knowledge of the latest technologies and best practices ensured that the developed solution are robust, scalable, and future-proof.

The RAVN team is proactive in identifying potential challenges and offering innovative solutions. Their problem-solving mindset and willingness to go the extra mile to address issues before they became critical significantly contributed to the project’s success. This proactive stance also included regular suggestions for improvements and optimizations beyond the initial scope.

Ravn has shown remarkable flexibility in accommodating our evolving requirements and priorities. They were able to pivot quickly and efficiently when needed, ensuring that the project stays on track without compromising on quality. This adaptability is crucial in meeting the dynamic needs of the project and the end-users.

RAVN provides thorough post-deployment support, ensuring that any issues are promptly addressed and that the platform continues to operate smoothly. Their ongoing maintenance and support services helps in quickly resolving any post-launch challenges and implementing necessary enhancements based on user feedback.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Ravn could have done differently?

While we have had very few challenges in the relationship, RAVN has always been attentive and adaptable to our needs and addressing areas of improvement not only in development but within the management of our relationship as well, continuing to hire appropriate resources and has been very open to feedback and making any necessary change to accomodate and improve their processes to continue to provide stellar work. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the VP of Engineering of Lucid Software

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Lucid Software is the industry leader in Visual Collaboration.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Ravn to accomplish?

• Build and Maintain a new Integration between Lucid Software and a new Integration Partner

SOLUTION

How did you find Ravn?

Referral

Why did you select Ravn over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Ravn were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

RAVN helped us develop a critical business integration between Lucid Software and a new partner. This integration was a brand new use case for Lucid Software integrations. As part of this integration, they worked full stack with Lucid engineers to develop new APIs, build out the specific integration pieces, and develop custom UI pieces to enable the flows to work together.

The engineers were able to quickly join the team, get up to speed, learn and apply our software development lifecycle, and assist in architectural and design decisions. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Our project with RAVN had three major milestones. The primary deliverable was completing all three of those milestones on-time with the required feature set. All three were delivered on-time, with high quality, and led to great feedback in the first two released and a very successful general launch.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

• We had a daily standup with the working team and a project manager. 
• They kept us up to date on the progress of work, any concerns, and timeline projects every day. 
• When new work needed to be added, they were able to quickly adapt timelines and give a structured and clear plan to meet the goals of the project.

What was your primary form of communication with Ravn?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

The most impressive thing about Ravn has been how quickly the engineers were able to dive in and be successful. They were progressing really well even within the first sprint or starting the project. Our engineers love working with them. They ask great questions when they need to learn, tackle hard problems with innovative solutions, and really gel with the team. 

In addition to the engineers, the management team is amazing. They have been very communicative throughout the entire process and regularly reach out to review how the team is doing.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Ravn could have done differently?

We have been very satisifed with RAVN as a partner.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director of Program Management, R&D of Lumio

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Save money, help the planet, and gain energy independence, all with solar.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Ravn to accomplish?

• Help Lumio build a customer portal Android app that would enable homeowners to stay informed and engaged with the solar installation process

SOLUTION

How did you find Ravn?

Referral

Why did you select Ravn over others?

• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me

How many teammates from Ravn were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Help Lumio build and launch customer portal Android app MVP that would enable homeowners to stay informed and engaged with the solar installation process

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Delivering Lumio's MVP vision of a customer portal Android app

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Lumio managed the project. Ravn's mobile app developers engaged seamlessly into our existing agile processes and were very adaptable as we learned and changed our scope and plans. They were prompt and prepared for our daily stand-ups and other project base meetings. We really benefited from their low-drama, thoughtful insights and from their solid and sustained output.

What was your primary form of communication with Ravn?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Many things impressed me about our engagement with Ravn:

1. Ravn's mobile app developers were top notch and low drama. Having worked with several vendors, this is not always easy to find.
2. Our partnership with Ravn's leadership was outstanding. It was palpable how highly invested they were in the success of our project.
3. Their prices were very fair for the mobile market.
4. It is no surprise that Ravn has fostered a technology-first/engineering-first culture. This stood in contrast to other shops that I have worked with, where over time, it became apparent that the primary focus of these other shops was upselling and increasing their margins and not on our success.

Ravn is filled with extremely competent craftsmen who want to deliver quality and excellence. They possess deep expertise, especially in the mobile app space, which benefitted us throughout our engagement.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Ravn could have done differently?

Nope! Super pleased with the entire engagement. Ravn will be my first choice when it comes to any mobile app development project.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Sr. Engineering Manager of Homie

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Homie uses technology to make Real Estate affordable and accessible for everyone.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Ravn to accomplish?

• Augment the Mobile development team
• Accelerate the rate of production of our development teams
• Bring senior talent to drive complex initiatives

SOLUTION

How did you find Ravn?

Referral

Why did you select Ravn over others?

High ratings, Close to my geographic location, Pricing first our budget, Great culture fit, Good value for cost, Company values aligned

What was the size of Ravn’s team?

2-5 Employees

What was your primary form of communication with Ravn?

Virtual Meeting, Email or Messaging App

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

• Redesign the search experience in both, iOS and Android.
• Provide iOS and Android support to our cross-functional teams
• Support the android team working on modularization

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

• The portion of the search redesign assigned to the Ravn team was completed on time
• Above expected progress made in the modularization project of the Android codebase
• Ravn's technical lead spearheaded testing initiatives on iOS and Android.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Ravn's team was very professional and easy to work with. They not only delivered on time the objectives but once they became embedded in the codebase, they provided feedback and helped pushed forward initiatives that increased agility, quality, and testability across the project.

They were easy to communicate with and I'll be happy to work with them again.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

They have great talent. I was impressed by their recruitment process. The developers that we onboarded on our teams did so promptly, became very familiar with our patterns, and understood where we wanted to be.

Soon enough, they were comfortable taking on refactoring tasks and leaving the codebase cleaner than before they touched it. It's hard to find that level of engineer and more challenging to do so as consistently as they've done.

Are there any areas for improvement or something {provider_name} could have done differently?

They're growing, and the word is getting out there about the quality of their work. Sometimes there's a waiting list to get additional engineers. I know they're doing what they can to grow responsibly, so I'm not too concerned about it.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Applications Product Manager for Skullcandy, a global headphone manufacturer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Ravn, and what were your goals?

For a new Skullcandy GAMING headset line, we wanted to create a desktop application for product owners to have more granular control of their audio and gaming headset configurations.

The companion app we desired would need to be built lock-step with product being developed and refined across hardware and firmware, and our software counterpart needed to be live one week after firmware locked and went to mass production.

Additionally it needed to be an extension of the Skullcandy brand and reiterate the gaming headset ethos, so a tough net-new build with high complexity, dependencies, and on top of that a firm deadline and nailed branding to match the category launch.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

Ravn came highly recommended from a previous design/development agency - whose team and business were acquired just months after kicking off this project. Suddenly our project timelines and a development team transition seemed impossible, designs were not final, and now we were facing an entire team change.

Talking with management at Ravn, it was clear they were eager to dive into a tough challenge, they were experienced in new builds and picking up from previous developer work, had versatile skill sets across a deep near-shore team.

We believed (and were right) that they would walk with us in the face of challenges to produce an amazing final product, together with transparency, openness to discover, a good does of positivity, and confidence.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

After a couple days of on-boarding the Ravn team to the Skullcandy brand, new category line, project mission and requirements we identified major risks and prioritized some key milestones to tackle and de-risk the project; get to design complete ASAP (i.e. lock requirements) and deliver an alpha build of the desktop application in the first 3rd of the project timeline to prove our building blocks and critical app feature/functionality.

We agreed the Windows app would be built in Electron, Node Addon API, C++, and ReactJS to meet requirements of third party technology integrations, and the companion app functions across Skullcandy's new gaming products (hardware x firmware x software integrations).

Since the software development was in parallel to hardware and firmware engineering, we had to devise a system for firmware upgrades to be delivered to consumers as part of their app on-boarding, to ensure the best product and software experience was available to Skullcandy consumers from the start.

Additionally the desktop app needed to be build with future evolution in mind, so it's designed and developed with a foundation to support product in the next 12 months with very little dev work.

How many people from the vendor's team works with you, and what are their positions?

There were three full time developers at any given time, but as phases of the project completed we were able to bring in different supporting teammates to match the phases skill requirements across development and design.

We had 1 senior developer who served as the solutions architect and connective tissue across the design/dev team throughout the project, he several hats including dev project manager.

We had one FT back end developer on the whole project and then we had specialists for design sprints, design integration cycles and finally someone highly skilled across both front and back end design to bring all together with most complexity always the back end work and third party integrations.

We had support from one of the founding partners and could call them in whenever needed to strategize, solve sticky challenges and to celebrate some wins along the way!

What's the status of this engagement?

We re-hired Ravn engineers for a follow-on project that's underway, and plan to continue utilizing their development services for future projects.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

How did your relationship with your partner evolve?

We're able to leverage the knowledge and learnings we gained from the initial app we've built with the team, to realize some efficiencies in the process and better predict engineering challenges. We have complete trust and support from the Ravn developers to work in a way that's strategic for short-term projects and business goals, while setting us up for long-term success.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

We communicated over Slack and with 2-3x weekly meetings. Ravn teammates were always transparent with status, risks and challenges, which allowed to pivot quickly as needed or re-calibrate skills if we moved through tasks slower or faster than anticipated.

They are service oriented, continually calling out their desire to work in a way that would be most productive for our integrated team to reach project goals. They are friendly developers :) and their passion for the work showed in our ongoing communications - it was a motivating work environment to be a part of.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

1. Access to the developers to bounce ideas off of, to talk through risks openly and honestly. And access to the management team who stayed highly involved to ensure success but stay out enough that teams could keep charging with autonomy.
2. Passion and dedication the team members brought to the project (even those who had short (2 month) stints with us)!
3. Their ability to scale and evolve seamlessly as project needs changed (unexpectedly or per plan).

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

We have been partnered for 1.5 years now, with full continuity of staff across both Ravn and Skullcandy teams, so we've dialed in our working relationship to where we don't have areas to improve.

What advice do you have for clients with similar needs to yours?

You will not be disappointed with Ravn's developers across their passion, focus, dedication, and quality of work. We are immensely proud of the software products that we've built together,nd have found true service-oriented partners in Ravn.

UPDATED REVIEW

ORIGINAL REVIEW

Tues 11/08/2022

Client quote

"We couldn't have imagined a better group of people to be in the trenches with."

Project summary

Ravn developed an alpha build of a desktop and mobile app for a global headphone manufacturer. The team integrated the software to co-exist with the company's firmware and design a streamlined UI/UX.

Feedback summary

The resources provided by Ravn Software were passionate, dedicated, and adaptable, much to the client's delight. The team was highly communicative, and internal stakeholders were particularly impressed with the vendor's transparency, dedication, and creativity.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Applications Product Manager for Skullcandy, a global headphone manufacturer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Ravn, and what were your goals?

For a new Skullcandy GAMING headset line, we wanted to create a desktop application for product owners to have more granular control of their audio and gaming headset configurations.

The companion app we desired would need to be built lock-step with product being developed and refined across hardware and firmware, and our software counterpart needed to be live one week after firmware locked and went to mass production.

Additionally it needed to be an extension of the Skullcandy brand and reiterate the gaming headset ethos, so a tough net-new build with high complexity, dependencies, and on top of that a firm deadline and nailed branding to match the category launch.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

Ravn came highly recommended from a previous design/development agency - whose team and business were acquired just months after kicking off this project. Suddenly our project timelines and a development team transition seemed impossible, designs were not final, and now we were facing an entire team change.

Talking with management at Ravn, it was clear they were eager to dive into a tough challenge, they were experienced in new builds and picking up from previous developer work, had versatile skill sets across a deep near-shore team.

We believed (and were right) that they would walk with us in the face of challenges to produce an amazing final product, together with transparency, openness to discover, a good does of positivity, and confidence.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

After a couple days of on-boarding the Ravn team to the Skullcandy brand, new category line, project mission and requirements we identified major risks and prioritized some key milestones to tackle and de-risk the project; get to design complete ASAP (i.e. lock requirements) and deliver an alpha build of the desktop application in the first 3rd of the project timeline to prove our building blocks and critical app feature/functionality.

We agreed the Windows app would be built in Electron, Node Addon API, C++, and ReactJS to meet requirements of third party technology integrations, and the companion app functions across Skullcandy's new gaming products (hardware x firmware x software integrations).

Since the software development was in parallel to hardware and firmware engineering, we had to devise a system for firmware upgrades to be delivered to consumers as part of their app on-boarding, to ensure the best product and software experience was available to Skullcandy consumers from the start.

Additionally the desktop app needed to be build with future evolution in mind, so it's designed and developed with a foundation to support product in the next 12 months with very little dev work.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

There were three full time developers at any given time, but as phases of the project completed we were able to bring in different supporting teammates to match the phases skill requirements across development and design.

We had 1 senior developer who served as the solutions architect and connective tissue across the design/dev team throughout the project, he several hats including dev project manager.

We had one FT back end developer on the whole project and then we had specialists for design sprints, design integration cycles and finally someone highly skilled across both front and back end design to bring all together with most complexity always the back end work and third party integrations.

We had support from one of the founding partners and could call them in whenever needed to strategize, solve sticky challenges and to celebrate some wins along the way!

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

We were elate to meet our alpha build deliverable which proved out the technologies with flying colors in the first third of the project. Thereafter pressure was reduced and we could focus on feature refinement(in lock-step with firmware cycles), design and optimizations.

We met the remaining 3 schedule milestones and impressed the company with an on-budget, on-time, and awesome CX in the launch of the Skull-HQ App.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

We communicated over Slack and with 2-3x weekly meetings. Ravn teammates were always transparent with status, risks and challenges, which allowed to pivot quickly as needed or re-calibrate skills if we moved through tasks slower or faster than anticipated.

They are service oriented, continually calling out their desire to work in a way that would be most productive for our integrated team to reach project goals. They are friendly developers :) and their passion for the work showed in our ongoing communications - it was a motivating work environment to be a part of.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

1. Access to the developers to bounce ideas off of, to talk through risks openly and honestly. And access to the management team who stayed highly involved to ensure success but stay out enough that teams could keep charging with autonomy.
2. Passion and dedication the team members brought to the project (even those who had short (2 month) stints with us)!
3. Their ability to scale and evolve seamlessly as project needs changed (unexpectedly or per plan).

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

When we started working together we were accustomed to having an account manager leading all of the developers and project team from the partner agency. Ravn did things differently and we changed the way we were working to make up some of the difference of previous dev team project arrangements to bridge that resource gap.

While it took a little to find our stride with this arrangement I see Ravn is most effective as designers and engineers who should lean into clients for project management. Area of improvement would be project organization, as they did not prove to be the most structured group, but we could achieve what we needed more organically due to exceptional accountability of each teammate.

RATINGS

Overall rating

******

We are continuing our partnership with Ravn!

Quality

****

Cost

****

WIth near-shore and local resourcs, we were able to be effecitve with our project budget

Schedule

****

They were easy to meet with as they made themselves available. Task estimation was a challenge mainly from too many unknowns across dependencies.

Willing to refer

*****

We couldn't have imagined a better group of people to be in the trenches with, highly dedicated to success and delivering to expectations.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the Founder and CEO of GUIDEcx

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Ravn, and what were your goals?

I initially hired Ravn to help launch my MVP. They assisted me for the first 12 months as my outsourced engineering department... Now i have a team of over 20 engineers internally and we still use Ravn for their expertise.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

I was looking for a team that was collaborative, smart, with strong startup background in building MVPs.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

I initially presented the Ravn team with my MVP. We cut that MVP down to 20% it's original scope based on their feedback and experience in bringing products to market. Their collaborative process and amazing expertise helped me launch a valuable product without wasting time and money.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

4 initially (Ravn founding team). I have since worked with over 20 people within their organization. I think the world of everyone that i have interacted with.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

We have since grown GUIDEcx to a post series B company, with over 100 employees, double figures ARR, and over 200K users across the world.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

Caring, collaborative, problem solvers, competent.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

They care!!!!

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

I wish there were more of them :). As they've grown and scaled, they've done an incredible job of keeping Quality up to standard.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the VP of Engineering for Luxul which is a brand of Legrand AV.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Ravn, and what were your goals?

As a small team within a large company we needed outside help to create a mobile App that would allow for setup/configuration of our networking products.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

Ravn was referred by friend of our VP of Business Development. Ravn was selected because they met our criteria. Basically they were willing and able to create the App we needed when we needed it without any BS.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

The App is used by Custom Integrators to get supported Luxul networking equipment setup/configured quickly without needing a PC. The App uses WiFi or BT to setup/configure the product. In order to do this Ravn developed a 2D and 3D bar code scanner to gather product information and then direct the user to the correct setup flow. Ravn also provided App UX based on the required steps for each product type. The App supports iOS and Android which provided unique challenges depending on the platform because the App has to deal with external hardware, WiFi permissions, BT, etc. The App currently supports 3 products and with the next 3 products starting development in Q4 2021.

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

We were assigned a developer who was primarily responsible for the App but it was truly a team effort from Ravn. Other members of the Ravn team worked on the bar code scanner, connection issues with the hardware, QA and code quality, and App builds. Ravn is a full service shop.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

As a utility App, the key factor is how useful it is to the user. Comments from users such as "Seriously, I'm not sure there is an easier setup on the market", "Great App for initial setup", and "super easy".

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

The main developer Jose and Micah were very communicative and on top of their game. Slack and on site meetings were used to move the project forward. Both methods were effective and usefully.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Their ability to get the job done is impressive. At the time this was somewhat of a new area for their App development, dealing with external hardware. They were able to adapt and excel in delivering a useful App.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

Nothing really jumps out as an area for improvement.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Head Of Information Technology Department of Old Time Pottery

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

 Old Time Pottery provides a wide range of reasonably priced and fashionable home needs and décor.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Ravn to accomplish?
Ravn was hired to help with the development of a modern e-commerce platform for our business.

SOLUTION

How did you find Ravn?

Clutch Site

Why did you select Ravn over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Ravn were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

At Old Time Pottery, LLC we were facing limited reach and customer accessibility as a result of not having an e-commerce platform. We hired RAVN to handle the complete design and development of our modern e-commerce platform, helping us unify online and in-store shopping experiences. 
Their work comprised of both web and mobile applications, with the mobile app developed in React Native and the web platform built on Next.js. They integrated innovative features like personalized product recommendations, augmented reality (AR) furniture visualization, and a “shop-the-room” tool that elevated the customer experience. 
They also developed a backend system with Node.js microservices and employed PostgreSQL and MongoDB for database management. 
Ravn eased our operations by implementing centralized inventory management, dynamic pricing engines, and seamless integrations with third-party tools such as payment processors, CRM platforms, shipping carriers, and marketing systems. 
Throughout the project, they ensured high levels of security with PCI DSS compliance, fraud detection, end-to-end encryption, and automated backups.  

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Ever since we launch the ecommerce platform. We have noticed a great increase in online sales and a rise in average order value, driven by advanced personalization and interactive shopping tools. Our customer retention rate improved, largely due to the platform's intuitive loyalty program and custom shopping features. 
The AR furniture visualization feature, in particular made the platform more unique and attractive. Also our costs have decreased, thanks to the efficiency of the centralized inventory management system and dynamic pricing functionality. The reduction in cart abandonment reflects the platform's user-friendly design and easy checkout process.  

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

RAVN's project management technique was very perfect and we were highly impressive. They were very precise with the timeline and the milestones. Also, communication was clear and immediate.

What was your primary form of communication with Ravn?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

What impressed us the most was their ability to understand and translate our brand's vision into an e-commerce platform. They paid great attention to detail and were committed to excellence. Additionally, their professionalism and dedication to timelines were unique attributes that stood out in the development process.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Ravn could have done differently?

Our collaboration with RAVN was excellent and we didnt identify any area or aspect for improvement.