Right Information

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the managing director and one of my duties is to take care of or online management platform.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Right Information?

As our company has grown, the number of users on our platform has drastically raised. We needed the assistance of Right Information to introduce solution which will increase the efficiency of the platform but also will introduce features which will support the overall workflow of the platform.

What were your goals for this project?

Increase the functionality of platform and support communication channel between our advisers and users.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We have decided on Right Information after recommendations from people who had worked with them before. We had analyzed offers from a few potential companies, as well as their reviews on the internet. The whole process ended in narrowing to Right Information as they suited our expectations the most.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Our corporation began with few workshops which allowed us to develop a scope of main platform and its main features. It was important for us improve our online management platform and adapt it to expectations of big number of users. We wanted to reduce the service time of the customers and increase the transparency of communication. Right Information came back to us with planned process, and explanation what will be executed in delivery of their solution. They understood our needs and always provided us with a feedback. Feedback, corporation, planned process step by step

What was the team composition?

2-3 people in the team

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

2-3 people in the teamThe new platform has a big impact on our work and time we dedicate to it. The platform works smoothly, and solution Right Information introduced satisfies us. We have a better communication channel with all users and providing help for them is more convenient and fluent. Our aim was to upgrade many aspects of our platform and RI managed to meet with all of our expectations.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Communication between our teems was were satisfying and every issue or problem was fixed straight away. Their approach was very transparent and clear, and they respected our needs and suggestions regarding the project. They managed to finish everything in time, they met with every deadline.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

We were strongly impressed by RI competency. They always knew what they were talking about and were able to explain each step of what they were doing. They were very productive, focused all the time and ready to support us with everything we expected. We needed to finish this platform as soon as it was possible, and RI was able to work with our deadlines.

Are there any areas for improvement?

For now i think everything is really good. I'am positive supprised about software development process and communication with client.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We offer and produce high tech heating and cooling systems. I am product manager for one product line, and in charge of product configuration software decvelopment for the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Right Information?

We hired Right Information to develop a CPQ platform for our customized products. The product lines are highly complex and different components are sized individually for best performance. The possible combinations of components are millions in just one product line. To support the CPQ and make the application dynamic, Right Information developed an extensive PDM platform for the back-end.

What were your goals for this project?

To make the configuration, quoting and specification process more fluent from first customer contact to manufacturing and delivery.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We had a few (2-3) potential companies in mind for the development, but Right Information was the only one to deliver a specific enough quote to even be considered. The technical knowledge of thermodynamics and hydraulics was one key factor. We needed a company that can understand the products and applications we work with. It was also clear that the understanding of business logic was on a high level. We also liked that Right Information was not afraid of questioning our working methods, and suggest improvements to the original specifications. In the selection process was the group IT manager, our managing director and me.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

We started specifying the scope to create a project description document. We sent over our scattered data and different excel spreadsheets that we needed to implement in the project. After that we held a 2-day workshop to clarify everything. The we worked closely, communicatin almost on daily basis and had follow up meetings weekly. Right information was responsible for the CPQ platform development, and for the PDM module in the back end. We were responsible for providing the data for the PDM to be used in the front-end application.

What was the team composition?

Right Information had a team of 3-6 persons assigned for the project depending on the phase of development. They had a very skilled project manager, and during the 1 year development, I discussed only once or twice with any other person involved in project from their side. This was a highly appreciated approach, as the communication was always on point and efficient when the project managers from both sides didn't change during the project..

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

This project for us will be value adding and cost reducing in many ways. We did a lot of double work before, getting rid of that will directly impact our profitability. The application also has a high marketing value, which we can't measure yet, but the results so far look promising. We will be recognized by new customers, and we will be able to serve our key customers better. The project scope was set, but the development was already at starting point decided to continue after the initial scope was ready. We are still expanding the application, and the development is ongoing. It is hard to pinpoint the impact, but for sure there is impact.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

The communication was handled by RedMine and Teams for meetings. We worked together also on files on sharepoint. It worked perfectly. We had a few deadlines that needed to be postponed, but the communication was open and we analyzed the reasons for these mistakes and managed to avoid ending up in similar situations later in the project. The project manager at Right Information was professional and always available when needed.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their structured working methods were impressive. All communication is documented in one platform. One strong project manager and a team of skilled developers behind the scenes made my life easy during the project. During the specification of the project, we were impressed by the understanding of business flow by the sales at Right Information. They were not afraid to challenge our working methods and suggested improvements we did not think of before.

Are there any areas for improvement?

We divided the project into stages, and in some cases the deliverables for each stage was not as finished as one would hope. All functionality was there, but it was still buggy, and not user friendly. I would rather have a moved deadline than an unrefined delivery, since that will just extend the need for testing. That being said, all bugs were fixed rapidly during the next stages, so the harm caused by this was eventually insignificant.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I was Deputy Sales Director in Passenger Car Division at National Marketing and Sales Company for Poland (one of the biggest Japanese automotive manufacturers).

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Right Information?

With the decision of CRM system implementation we took a challenge to review and structure dispersed and manually updated product data in order to create one reliable database with powerful CPQ platform (product configurator for model lineup).

What were your goals for this project?

Main goal for MDM/CPQ platform implementation was creation of the "single source of truth" regarding all product data that could be re-used in different business contexts, tools and processes.

Another goal was to unify the selling process within the Partner Network and to make configuration and quotation process faster. CPQ platform was to be integrated with CRM system, company's website and E-learning platform to secure data consistency and enable instant generation of up-to-date and sound quotes covering all aspects of automotive sales (vehicle, accessories, extended warranty, insurance, sales incentives).

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Three vendors have been considered for this project but as there was no time for experiments we decided to engage partner with most relevant experience in MDM/PIM area and clear recommendation for us how target state should look like.

We had extremely positive impression that this partner was not only fluent across IT devops and system integrations but also helped us to simplify the sales path reflected in the CPQ. Another important parameters were overall estmated cost of project, flexibility and delivery on time.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

They have started with an in-depth analysis of "as is" situation regarding data sources, their structure, sales process in place, needs of sales teams on Partners' side, potential systems/environments to integrate with in the later stage.

We run few on-site sessions that have been extended with remote meetings call-outs. After having mapped all those areas they have proposed first vision of target solution with some mockups and samples.

Finally they designed, developed and launched both frontend and backend platform for data management and CPQ. They also run a competitive/benchmarking sessions to get best and most interesting industry insights to be incorporated into the final solution.

They have used an agile approach with 2-4 weeks sprints (depending on complexity). We run reviews with feedback sessions to generate most meaningful insights and users' opinions. UATs and efficiency tests for the tool have been implemented in each stage.

What was the team composition?

The dedicated team of 6 people worked on this project on their side (1xPM, 1xSystem Architect, 3xDeveloper, 1xTester). There were also UX/UI specialists involved. PM was also the SPOC, maintaining seamless communication all the time, what was extremely convenient. As MDM/CPQ platform was to be integrated with other environments, they have also cooperated with the Vendor delivering CRM system parallelly.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Car configurator which was the visible outcome of the MDM/CPQ implementation enabled our Partners' (sales teams) and customers (via company's website) to generate thousands of unified and up-to-date quotes weekly (as digital and standardized PDF printouts).

Everyone has an access to the same product dataset, all discrepancies known form the past have been eliminated. Quotation process on the Partners' side has been automated what made the daily life of all salesmen easier. All quotes are now stored within CRM system as well.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Project management was efficient and addressed all issues we had during all project stages.

Communication was fast and straight-forward. We worked mostly remotely using Skype and e-mails. For file sharing, feedbacks, modification requests and bugs handling they used Redmine tool for easy and transparent follow ups. FTP server has been also enabled for file sharing and transfer.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They were exactly the ones we were looking for. They helped us to create and launch MDM/CPQ platform which is in fact an incredibly efficient business tool generating new sales opportunities for our Partners (and finally us).

Industry insights, IT fluency and focus on the result are the most important advantages of them. As the result of this project we decided to develop and implement with them 2nd generation of MDM/CPQ platform 2 years later (fully responsive incl. smartphones/tablets).

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, we were very happy with the solution they have delivered. They always shared with us their thoughts and ideas that could influence the delivery process and final outcome of this project. They were always maintaining "wide perspective" around the project what was very beneficial to us.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

DIKO is medium-sized Polish company (subsidiary of German group of companies). We provide an innovative production-automation systems, assembly lines and devices and special machines for demanding customers worldwide, mainly from automotive and manufacturing industries. I’m the General Manager of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Right Information?

For one of our projects, it was required to equip automated assembly line for automotive industry with database system allowing for gathering technological operations and testing data from PLCs (Programmable Logic Controller) to create product digital records for complete products traceability.

Data from product digital records identified by DMC (Data Matrix Code) is used not only for warranty and complaints handling but also for production optimization and product design.

What were your goals for this project?

The targets for this project were:

a) the design and development the API on PLC side

b) the design and development of server based platform capable of retrieving, storing and processing production data as a Product Digital Records

c) API to Product Digital Records to allow for integration with other systems (e.g. ERP)

d) complete system rollout

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We selected Right Information based on the recommendations, very efficient and professional sales process and finally their approach to solve problems during pre-sales discussions. They understood our project and found common language with our automation engineers immediately.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

All project objectives were defined at the beginning, however Right Information supported us in data mapping, creating scalable database architecture and designing the software system.

After the project started they developed the software in stages (sprints), with daily team meetings and weekly planning.

We were involved in the whole communication on a regular basis to be sure they deliver what we and our customer needed. Transparency was great, with all necessary reports of work. Finally, they took co-responsibility for system rollout.

What was the team composition?

They provided full development team with 2 developers, software architect, product owner (project manager) and the QA person.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We successfully implemented the software on our automated assembly line, exceeding project expectations and successfully delivered the complete line to our Customer.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Project management was very effective

What did you find most impressive about this company?

For sure, their approach to solve project problems and project management. They perfectly understood the project scope, always came up with lots of ideas and a clear roadmap.

Their project planning and management was great, what was extremely helpful for our team as we had many ongoing projects and we didn’t have to invest a lot of effort to control the work. In fact, we worked as one team complementing each other.

Are there any areas for improvement?

We are very happy with results delivered within the schedule and the budget. Communication was very good, however sometimes we were overwhelmed by the intensity of interactions and requests for the feedback, especially at the beginning of the project. When the ambiguous and, in fact, not defined by us issues were clarified, the communication was very specific and sharp.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We provide digital services and publishing solutions in the fields of academia and cultural heritage. I am a director of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Right Information?

We were delivering a digital publishing platform for the use of cultural heritage practitioners and researchers, using an Agile approach. We required a reliable and experienced web development contractor with expertise in custom .NET application design, custom CMS, system architecture, HTML5 and CSS3, SQL, ecommerce solutions, open data, privacy and data protection.

What were your goals for this project?

The solution was being developed for a public arts organisation, with a comprehensive set of end requirements and limited timescale. The project demanded that we quickly transpose the requirements into an Agile approach, then propose, develop, and test solutions for a range of modules and functionality, while meeting high standards for accessibility, responsive design, multilingual features, and structured data.

It involved producing a full custom web application in .NET that provided mixed-media publishing and social networking tools, and integrated with a secure third-party ecommerce solution.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

The vendor was selected from among five potential companies, on the basis of recommendations from colleagues who had worked with the company previously, the proposed approach, and specialisms in a number of key areas of the project.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

They developed a custom web application with publishing, social, and ecommerce modules. The project began from initial workshops and consultations to establish the optimal approach to collaboration and to delivering the requirements, then continued through a series of mainly two-week sprints, which each produced a set of testable deliverables.

The vendor's development team regularly took on feedback from a diverse range of stakeholders and specialists, responding positively, creatively, and proactively with ideas for addressing end-user needs as the project went on. 

What was the team composition?

The vendor provided a team of two primary developers, along with a business analyst/scrum master, and quality assurance personnel during phases of testing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The solution was developed and launched on time, within a particularly challenging schedule. After a pre-agreed period of live user testing, the project was approved by all stakeholders and is expected to meet its target metrics for the first year of operation.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Project management was effective and took place mainly through regular Skype/phone calls and a custom online PM software platform, as well as GitHub. The vendor's representatives were continually available for additional queries and follow-up meetings, and were responsive to changed requirements that came from user feedback and input from external specialists and stakeholders.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The most important qualities for us were the capacity to respond proactively to challenges as the project progressed, flexibility to adjust to user feedback (and process adaptability, if this necessitated revisions to the schedule), and the team's eagerness to find ways of working together effectively and finding shared solutions.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Most areas were very strong. The development team included some excellent and creative problem-solvers; if we were to recommend any particular aspect for improvement, it would be that the team as a whole could be/feel more empowered to listen and talk with the client and propose ideas for product improvements from the start, as they have plenty to offer. This did occur more and more as the project went on, but we'd encourage them to have the confidence to do this from the very beginning.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the engineering manager for a firm that manufactures quality ventilation and distribution equipment for the ventilation industry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Right Information?

We needed a solution to compile our technical data and make it easily accessible to both internal users and external customers. Moving from our old executable software program to an online program made the most sense to provide users with up-to-date information.

What were your goals for this project?

We realize that customers want access to information instantaneously. Moving the selection program to an online platform not only provides this access for our products but also facilitates a faster quotation process. An online platform allows for future customization to meet the demands required by the market.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

There were four or five other potential vendors we were in conversation with. Most were disqualified either due to estimated total cost or a lack of responsiveness to our needs. We wanted to partner with a company who understood our vision and knew how to get us there.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

They designed, developed, configured, and launched a frontend and backend platform. We provided diagrams and flow charts of our vision. They came back with wireframes, mockups, and workflows to ensure our needs would be met.

They divided production into stages containing specific tasks. Throughout each stage, there were several meetings to discuss progress and improvements proposed by either party. Upon completing each stage, they held a feedback session to address last-minute concerns and identify bugs.

What was the team composition?

At least four people worked on the project from their end. We worked with the same project manager throughout, along with two other key resources.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re still training new internal users and planning plan a soft release in the coming weeks for external customers. The new software will undoubtedly save time on both the customer service side and the sales side of our business. Users will be able to access technical information and product configuration and obtain prices. This will help reduce the amount of time spent responding to requests for quotations.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Their communication was simple and they addressed issues effectively. They used Redmine to communicate issues and bugs and share files, along with sharing project documentation such as schedules and tasks. They used Skype and Microsoft Teams for meetings.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The productivity, accuracy, and pace of work were incredible. Colleagues who have worked on similar projects with fewer features had taken years to develop the platform they were working on. They completed this project in a fraction of the time.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, we’re very satisfied.

Clients should consider all of the details beforehand, no matter how minor they seem, and provide examples of the current workflow. This really helped us in later, during more complex stages. Once this information was shared, they completely understood what they needed to do in order to get where we wanted to be.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the marketing coordinator at Mazda Motor Poland. One of my roles is to run below-the-line (BTL) marketing for some of our products.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Right Information?

We relied on Right Information to create a digital signage system that would be used in all Mazda showrooms in Poland.

What were your goals for this project?

The most important goal was to develop a system that was in line with our corporate standards. We’d already purchased tablets before coming up with the idea of a digital signage system, so we needed the new solution to be compatible with our software and hardware.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We considered four companies in total. I selected Right Information by comparing their response time, composure, and independence as well as how they interacted with us. I also assessed their proposed solution and noted the systems that would support the project.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

We provided a brief at the beginning of the project, which Right Information used to develop all of the documentation with my approval. The team then developed a digital signage system that met all of our software and hardware needs.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

From day one, it was a great pleasure to work with Right Information. We achieved exactly what we set out to achieve, and we did it on time and within budget.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

The workflow between our teams was just as I’d imagined. They were perfectly responsive and complied with our deadlines.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Right Information’s strongest trait is their decision-making skills and ability to focus on targets. I liked working with them because they were knowledgeable and, like other smaller companies, always strove to do more and better.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, I can’t think of anything.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

The Outsourcing Group put businesses in contact with the best software development teams from around the world. I am the managing director.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Right Information?

We hired RI to automate our backend operations.

What were your goals for this project?

Provide an intelligent automated process.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We interviewed a number of teams and found RI to be the most knowledgable.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

An online form which matches against a database, sends automated emails, updates Salesforce. This included the ability for suppliers to be able to interact with the emails, which would change the stage status in salesforce.

What was the team composition?

We had a single technical point of contact. Along with ongoing support from their head of sales.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The automation works perfectly. It means I do not have to hire anyone to carry out this task. It is already an excellent ROI.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Single technical POC. Very effective, can not speak highly enough of the experience. Our contact Matuesz was able to think around the initial scope, suggesting improvements and highlighting potential gaps in our solution. Also, very flexible in minor tweaks being made from our side along the way.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Being able to build on a very light scope and make a very slick client-facing app was impressive.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Not really, they were a joy to work with.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm a digital and CRM project specialist. I work for a commercial vehicles automotive company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Right Information?

We needed IT support for database analysis and setup for an ongoing project related to database migration for one of our business partners.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to move our business partner onto a new system with a full database migration.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We found them through an online search. Following cost estimation and other internal analysis, we decided that Right Information would be the best choice.

Describe the project in detail.

They migrated a database onto a new system. They took part in our meetings and worked on operations and testing.

What was the team composition?

We had a project manager and a dedicated database management team.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They successfully migrated the database to a new system. They delivered high-quality work on time.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

I was in charge of the daily management of the project from a business perspective. We communicated through phone calls and emails, which worked well. We also used a task management platform.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their dedication to the project made a difference, along with their thorough planning, task management, and communication.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, we’re completely satisfied.