Salamanca Solutions International

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work in community engagement and accountability for the IFRC, a nonprofit. We support local Red Cross and Red Crescent action in more than 191 countries, bringing together more than 18 million volunteers for the good of humanity. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Salamanca Solutions International?

Following the 2010 Haitian earthquake, Salamanca (then part of Trilogy International Partners) developed a system for the Red Cross to send SMS messages directly to people’s mobile phones. This online gateway allowed us to select a mobile cell tower in any location and send an SMS to anyone who was currently using that tower. Alternatively, telephone numbers could be entered into the system, and SMS messages could be sent to select lists of people. The system could also ask questions and accept answers back, allowing it to be used for simple surveys. IFRC and the Haitian Red Cross used it for Haiti-wide campaigns educating people on disease prevention, preparing for storms and weather warnings, violence prevention, and even first aid tips. It was also used for very targeted uses, such as letting communities know their school fees had been paid, advertising training opportunities, or telling everyone within 2 km of a water point about new access processes.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Salamanca helped us install the SMS gateway into other networks in Haiti, including Digicel. They also helped us set up a two-way IVR Red Cross telephone line to provide Haitians with practical, often life-saving information, such as how to prevent cholera and what to do in a storm. The line also provided updates on Red Cross programs that could impact their lives and gave them a chance to give their feedback and opinions, which were used to adapt and improve programs.Following the Haiti project, Salamanca supported us in setting up the same SMS system in Sierra Leone and Kenya. They built the SMS gateway from scratch, supported the installation and launch on mobile networks in multiple countries, provided ongoing support to Red Cross societies in Haiti, Kenya, and Sierra Leone to run and maintain the system, and fixed problems when they occurred. They also built and maintained the IVR system.

What is the team composition?

We worked directly with two to three teammates from Salamanca, as well as getting support from the wider team.

How did you come to work with Salamanca Solutions International?

Salamanca contacted us to offer support. We did our own research and looked into the company. We spoke to members of the team and looked at their previous work. We chose them over other options because they were close to our geographic location, had a great culture fit, and their company values aligned with ours.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $90,000 over three countries, over 6-7 years.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from January 2010–August 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

In Haiti, 95% of people who received a Red Cross SMS found the information useful. 90% reported changing something in their life as a result of a Red Cross SMS, and 12% said a Red Cross SMS made them feel cared about. Weather warnings and health information were the most appreciated information — people said they weren’t getting this information elsewhere.

How did Salamanca Solutions International perform from a project management standpoint?

They were amazing — incredibly supportive, flexible, committed to humanitarian outcomes, approachable, and patient. They were an amazing team to work with; we owe them a lot.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their commitment to our values and mission and their flexibility and willingness to adapt to changes in context and needs were impressive.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they were excellent.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

 I am the CTO of an e-commerce company 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Connects product discovery, retail activation and performance intelligence so every consumer interaction drives stronger commercial outcomes

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Salamanca Solutions International to accomplish?

• To augment our existing data quality team with additional capacity and capability.

SOLUTION

How did you find Salamanca Solutions International?

Referral

Why did you select Salamanca Solutions International over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Salamanca Solutions International were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Custom development and ongoing maintenance of data integration solutions & quality assurance activities.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Helped maintain data related support amd implementations backlog levels within SLAs

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

All deadlines and commitments were continually met with excellent communications and expectation management at all times.

What was your primary form of communication with Salamanca Solutions International?

Email or Messaging App

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

The team worked seamlessly with our internal team and with great clarity and transparency at all times.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Salamanca Solutions International could have done differently?

None.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO of Eirtight Technology Limited

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We Build Software That Delivers.

We design and build AI-powered tools, automation systems and custom software that helps you to move faster, operate smarter and outperform competitors.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Salamanca Solutions International to accomplish?

• Business workflow automation for multinational manufacturer
• End to end business support and services

SOLUTION

How did you find Salamanca Solutions International?

Personal Contact

Why did you select Salamanca Solutions International over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost

How many teammates from Salamanca Solutions International were assigned to this project?

20

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

Business analysis and development covering 70 workflows and 490 use cases; management of deployments; training; and provision of ongoing support for services used by 1300 employees.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our customer saved and continues to save $ms and improved their service delivery and quality to their customers.

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

Professional, standardised agile SW engineering methodologies, project management for development, services and change management

What was your primary form of communication with Salamanca Solutions International?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

We're impressed with their commitment to meeting our end customer's needs - going above and beyond even on out-of-hours and weekends.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Salamanca Solutions International could have done differently?

Customer and others retained for over 8 years - no customer has transitioned to another supplier for performance or cost reasons