Secret Source Technology SL

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

Our company supports clients in the recruitment of experienced professionals. We work with a variety of different sectors. 

What is your role at the company?

I am a shareholder and a director for the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Secret Source?

Our goal was to improve the rankings on search pages for our website. We wanted to be in the top five Google search rankings in our preferred keywords.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

Secret Source provided us with website structuring, regular content changes, and SEO [search engine optimization] services.

How did you come to work with Secret Source?

They were referred to us by a colleague. We set up some initial phone discussions and meetings before proceeding with their services.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

We spend around £4,500 [approximately $6,800] a year working with Secret Source.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started about four years ago and we continue to work with them on regular maintenance.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics, metrics, or other feedback from your work with Secret Source?

With their help, we were able to move up in the search rankings significantly. They continue to help us maintain that positioning. Secret Source performed very well.

What distinguishes Secret Source from other providers?

They are readily available to talk and explain their work in terms that the average human can understand.

Is there anything Secret Source could have improved or done differently?

Nope.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We are a film services company. We deliver film services on behalf of local authorities here in London. Film services basically consist of the permitting process. We issue film permits to production companies making feature films, TV dramas and other kinds of productions. We are involved in about half the filming in London.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Secret Source?

Some time ago we developed an online application process, which was working quite well. We brought it to Secret Source because we wanted a better relationship with the developer. We wanted to expand the application process and do some different things with it. We had employed various freelancers in the past, but we wanted a more permanent arrangement with a single developer.

We needed improved stability. The online application that we created was very good but we wanted to provide a more reliable service to our clients. What was happening was that it wasn’t just us using the software. Although we had started off as the only users, we had decided to license the software to other local authorities in the UK. We just thought it would be helpful if everybody were using a common platform. That was the point where Secret Source came in. We wanted to turn the software that we had developed into something that could be licensed as a service.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

Our work with Secret Source started off as a web development service, but then it grew. Bit by bit we realized we needed something more. Their owner was always there as sort of virtual CTO [Chief Technology Officer] to advise me on which way to go and what to do. He was always very helpful in suggesting alternatives if we thought we weren’t getting what we wanted from other suppliers. He and I were able to organize the project in a professional way. It moved from being a bit of a hobby, to the business it is today because of his feedback and the increased stability he helped us develop. Secret Source was always available to offer reliable technical support not just to us but also to our clients.

How did you come to work with Secret Source?

I had written up a detailed technical specification and had sent it out to several different potential suppliers I had found by word of mouth. I’d gone to people that I knew in the business and asked them if they had any experience working with outsourced development specialists. We approached a company in India, a company in Romania and a company in Poland. We looked at a couple of UK companies as well.

We decided to go with Secret Source partly because of the very positive response that I got back from them on the specifications. They responded very quickly and seemed very keen on the project. During the first couple of phone calls we could tell that we were on the same page and that we understood what was going on. Their work on the trial job I gave them and several others was easily the best of the lot. Clearly they could do the job—they had the experience and were competitive on the price. It took over a month to evaluate all the responses, but this was a big step. We had to be absolutely sure we were working with the right people.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

We’ve spent somewhere between £25,000 to £50,000 [approx. US $37,500 to $75,000] working with Secret Source.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Secret Source in early 2011, and we’re still working with them. The project just got bigger and bigger. As we gained more clients we started building in more functionality. Then we started developing new products. Secret Source has been a very valuable partner throughout that whole process. I could easily say that all this would not have happened without the cooperation of Secret Source. We’ve gone in directions that were somewhat unexpected in the beginning. My knowledge of the film industry and their technical knowledge was a perfect match.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics, metrics or other feedback from your work with Secret Source?

Our clients are very happy with our product, and that makes me very happy with it. There will always be difficulties with this kind of development—it’s not an easy process. No company can make this an easy process. A lot depends on how tight the specifications are drawn up before beginning work. Sometimes flexibility is very useful, but at other times it can cause trouble.

It’s been great working with someone who understands development and could hold our hands throughout the entire process. We’ve been able to save significant sums by not doing certain things. Sometimes we’ve gone too far with an idea before realizing that it’s just not going to work. I think you need to trust your suppliers when they say this isn’t going to work. In general, working with Secret Source has been a very positive experience, but, of course, in any working relationship you can go through stressful periods. My clients are very happy with the work and that’s what’s important.

What distinguishes Secret Source from other providers?

We were able to build a high level of rapport with Secret Source. They know what we’re going through and they’re able to understand what we’re trying to do. Having that extra pair of eyes is so important and so useful. There’s trust there. It’s been an excellent relationship. It’s been fulfilling because I know I can pick up the phone and discuss something and walk away with a solution.

Is there anything Secret Source could have improved or done differently?

They could work more quickly. I know this is a complaint you’ll hear from every client. Things do take a long time and sometimes that’s a problem.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm a Digital Marketing Specialist at an online research agency. We drive impact for brands globally with consumer insights.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Secret Source Technology SL, and what were your goals?

We needed development help with updating content and maintaince work for our Wordpress website. We enlisted SecretSource for support with this.

SOLUTION

How did you select Secret Source Technology SL and what were the deciding factors?

We knew the owner of SecretSource through previous work.

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

We have a dedicated developer who supports us with a host of activities. From creating new pages in Wordpress, to keeping all the plugins up to date, making sure our website is secure and GDPR complaint.

How many people from the Secret Source Technology SL team worked with you, and what were their positions?

We mainly work with one dedicated developer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

No

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

We mainly communicate via email. Our dedicated developer is always very responsive and communicating is very easy.

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

The consistent quality throughout the years we have worked with them. They always deliver excellent results.

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

No