Segue Technologies

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company.

My company works with federal contractors, and we help them with supply chain issues, both with keeping them efficient and making money, but also passing government audits. Basically, the big audit that we work with is a contractor purchasing system review, or CPSR, and that’s performed by the Defense Contract Management Agency, or DCMA.

What is your role and responsibilities?

I’m the founder.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was your goal for working with Segue Technologies?

I came to them with a project that we were developing, a first of its kind application not available in the marketplace now. Currently, the failure rate for contractors going through their first CPSR is about 98 percent. That’s a rough estimate, but even DCMA says it’s in the high 90 percentile. So, we developed an internal audit application that helps contractors audit their procurement files, and track the metrics that result from that, with a lot of graphics, representations, and drill downs. Our goal is to help contractors lower their failure rate.

Contractors now are mostly reliant on [Microsoft] Excel spreadsheets, or they’re not doing procurement files at all. So, we needed to build a cloud-based application that contractors could use, and automate this compliance requirement. There’s a federal regulation that actually requires them to audit their purchasing system results internally. So, we created this application to help them better accomplish that with less time and effort.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

So, the entire initiative took about six months, from beginning to end. We’re actually finalizing a deal with a client right now to build an extension to the app. The application is actually the first part of an entire electronic procurement system, and we have a client who is entering into a contract with us to build the next phase of that, which is a file document management system that wraps around the compliance tool.

So, it’s not just an ERP [enterprise resource planning] system. It’s an ERP [where] the files are actually created and deposited on their network. That’s coming up soon, and that actually is going to have a turnaround time of about three months. So, put everything together, after about nine months of development, we’ll have a fully functioning ERP system that has all the compliance rules already embedded in it, which to me was pretty amazing as a turnaround time. Just having this functional system already is the best result and an amazing accomplishment.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Do you have any statistics or metrics to track improvement from the project?

I do have clients that I can tell you about. One of our clients right now is a large government contractor, and they recently had some questions about the application. I got our lead involved, and one or two developers from Segue, and they answered all the questions, and the client was happy.

The turnaround time is great when we have important things to deliver. Whenever I have anything going on, they’re very supportive. When we have their team come in, they’re always available to be there to support the application. With the current development that’s going on, the client works a lot with satellites. When they put something into their IT [information technology] environment, they are very picky about each and every detail. So, they had a lot of questions. Segue’s team jumped right in, answered all their questions, really cut down on the turnaround time. My client told me that they’re actually amazed that this is getting turned around so quickly, and a big part of that is because of Segue’s development support, and their ability to answer questions quickly.

Is there anything unique about them that really makes them stand out, compared to other companies?

Sometimes, it can be hard to work with developers, but these guys had a great attitude. They are very open minded and willing to work with me. They like to handle large challenges and really understand my world and are able to speak like contractors speak. They seem to enjoy this new challenge, which was kind of fun for my team. It was enjoyable and refreshing to work with them.

The lead developer, Mark Shapiro, has been wonderful to work with. He was excited about working on the project.

Looking back on the work so far, is there any area that you think they could improve upon or something that you might do differently?

No. We learned the same lesson that every project manager learns during IT projects, define all requirements before the project. We ended up changing some requirements as we went along. This was tough, but Segue’s team was flexible and didn’t complain.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company.

We’re a restaurant group with about $10 million in revenue this year. It’s made up of three pizza and beer restaurants and one dive bar.

What is your role and responsibilities?

I’m the CFO and CIO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was your goal for working with Segue Technologies?

We brought Segue on for their mobile app services, to give our customers the ability see what’s on tap, create favorites. If a new beer is being served that users like, they know they can come in and purchase that item next time they visit our locations. 

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their work.

Segue handled pretty much the whole project around design and development. We were hands off. Luckily, one of their functional developers was a pretty big beer advocate and one of our regular customers, which made the project a lot easier. He was able to provide additional insight. We didn’t really have any time to develop ourselves.

What was your process for selecting Segue Technologies with which to work?

We looked at several firms, and opted for them based on their past performance with the Air Force and other large contracts. They were a fantastic choice.

Can you provide a ballpark dollar figure for the size of the work that they’ve done for you?

I think it was a four- to eight-week development cycle, maybe eight weeks total for the SDLC [systems development life cycle]. We had a functional developer that came to most of our meetings. I don’t know who was working on it in their office. The people we liaised with were one technical resource and one functional resource. It wasn’t a small project financially.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Are you satisfied with their work?

In time, we’ve seen a significant bump in the use of the app through the analytics that they provide us. It’s nice to see that, in time, people continue to use the app because it’s basically our opportunity to get what people want out onto our draft lines, and get them into the store right away to spend their money, which is the ideal situation for our business.

Do you have any statistics or metrics to track improvement from the project?

For user feedback, we had people that were coming up to us in the restaurants and talking about the successful release of the app. From a statistics perspective, I haven’t looked at it since we went live. We did see it on an upward trend the first couple of months, but since then we haven’t really focused on it.

Is there anything unique about them that really makes them stand out, compared to other companies?

Their people and expected cost stand out. They provided us with a service, and from a people perspective they deliver a team that I would want representing my company. They took it, owned it, and delivered it exactly the way we expected it.

Looking back on the work so far, is there any area that you think they could improve upon or something that you might do differently?

No. We probably should have put more of our people onto the design piece of it. Aside from that, they kind of helped us through that after it was deployed, and got our administrative site more connected with the mobile app.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company.

We’ve worked with Segue through two different companies. I’m the CEO of a small creative design agency. We do mostly website design and development, as well as content production. We also built a blood donor app with them for another organization I work with.

What is your role and responsibilities?

I’m the CEO of the creative agency and a marketing head for the blood donor project.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was your goal for working with Segue Technologies?

We partnered with them on various projects, where we tap into their expertise, and occasionally they tap into ours, and build things out. On the blood donor app, we basically partnered with them as the development arm for the mobile app itself, it’s on Android and iOS.   

The blood donor service has three fixed locations, and five bloodmobiles, which are always circulating around in the community. What the app itself does is, it helps members of the community, it covers the full cycle, from donation completion through to their next donation. The donor makes their donation, they learn about the app. They download it, and then they see, ‘I donated blood today.’

They can share it socially, they can brag about their donation, and the folks that manage the social media can interact with them. It sets a reminder, so based on their donation site, it lets them know when they’re eligible to donate again. When it’s time to donate again, they look in the app to determine where the closest blood drive is on any given day. They can get directions, manage their appointment, or they can just walk-in. They can always donate when it’s most convenient for them. 

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their work.

They developed the app, and we collaborated on the design. There was input from both our teams as far as the design goes. They also have a great enterprise-size Web development team, so really large projects. They’ve got an awesome team there.

What was your process for selecting Segue Technologies with which to work?

I was actually introduced to them through a mutual acquaintance. So, I knew Ron [Novak, executive vice president at Segue Technologies] first through some social channels. Then, when it came time to build out this app, we reached out to them as well as a couple other companies, both local and not so local. We discussed their mentality, the staff that they had, and the expertise they had around it. The Segue team was definitely the best choice there, and the fact that we had a chance to get to know each other beforehand certainly helped.  

They’re a mobile development team, but they’ve also got a couple of individual members who are really focused on Android, and a couple that are really focused on Apple. The other firms that we talked to talk about mobile apps in general, and they talk kind of universally about design. Whereas they’re both very different operating systems, they have different requirements and different design options you can use. The two platforms have different interactive elements. So, the fact that they have a team that was focused on one of each was really valuable to us. It let us know what we could and couldn’t do to make the most of each platform.

Their discovery process was a lot more thorough than anything else we discussed. They took the time to sit down with us and really thoroughly flesh out the requirements way beyond what I would have even considered. They brought up all the details we need to take into consideration. Every single step of the user interaction was well thought out. So, those were the two factors that made us decide that they were the right pick.

Can you provide a ballpark dollar figure for the size of the work that they’ve done for you?

I don’t remember the total number of hours. I know that the overall budget for the one project was between $120,000 and $200,000. Our projects with them range widely, but that’s a good middle range.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Do you have any statistics or metrics to track improvement from the project?

We just finished writing up an annual recap because we launched it about one year ago. The app was absolutely a success. The way that we work with our users and the donors is, we have a couple of metrics that are worked in. The blood donor system itself provides an average value per donation type, so they know that incrementally they need to get so many donations to break even on their investment, or to provide a return. So, through the first six months they actually saw a return on investment. The word of mouth among users was pretty good, so they saw pretty decent adoption even in the early months, where it’s usually hard to get momentum.

So, they broke even on their investment after the six-month mark, which was fantastic. We thought it would take longer. As of the one-year mark, we saw that they actually got an eight-to-one return, so for every dollar they invested, they got $8 back out of it. So, it was a huge return for them. It’s really successful. The nice thing is that now we’ve built a lot of momentum with some of their core donors. We’ve continued to build on that momentum.

When it first launched, with the exception of the first month, the user adoption was about .3 new users per day on Android, and .6 new users a day on iOS. Now, we’re up to the point where they usually get at least one or two new donors a day downloading the app on Android, and anywhere between four or five new donors downloading it a day on iOS. That’s been pretty consistent growth in terms of the total number of users, as well as the new users per day. That all speaks volumes to how easy the app is to use, and how much that upfront detail the Segue team did has really been worth it.

I think there’s a couple of reviews on the app store, maybe four or five. We do interview people to see what they think of the app, and we’ve gotten great feedback across the board. We thought it would be important for younger donors, as a better way to reach them. They use the app, but we also get more older folks than I anticipated. The feedback we get from them is that the app is so easy and convenient.

Is there anything unique about them that really makes them stand out, compared to other companies?

I think the most important thing is the fact that they look at it as more of a partnership. A lot of the app companies we’ve talked to thought of the work as more of a transactional piece of business. The Segue team keeps in touch with us to see how it’s going, how the changes in iOS affect the app, and recommend updates. It’s also nice that everyone there is local, and not outsourced overseas.

Looking back on the work so far, is there any area that you think they could improve upon or something that you might do differently?

Not as far as the process goes. We’ve learned some things after the app was out there. We might have restructured how the components were laid out, but that’s nothing we would have known ahead of time. So, I don’t think there’s anything we would do differently.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization and your role and responsibilities.

I am the secretary/treasurer of an umbrella organization of the construction unions. We represent about 3 million members in both the United States and Canada. I'm a laborer by trade. The crafts range from laborers, painters, insulators, electricians through the IBEW [International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers], plumbers, pipefitters, welders, boilermakers, operating engineers, bricklayers, and cement masons. We represent pretty much any employee in the construction industry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was your goal for working with Segue Technologies?

Every year, we have our legislative conference, where we bring leaders in from all around the country. The legislative conference focuses solely on the United States. We outline our goals and plans for the year. We probably have 2,000 to 2,500 participants in the conference.

This year, we had President [Bill] Clinton speak and lots of elected officials from Congress and Senate, both Republican and Democrats, that come and address the delegates. We've always had a paper program.

We wanted to get in line with today's technology world and have a mobile app that provided background on speakers and issues. One day of our conference is to go to Capitol Hill and lobby your elected officials. We have issue papers that you can have at your fingertips through the app. It also has the schedule, the map of the property, meeting room locations, bios of all the speakers, and things of that nature.

Before, we handed out thousands of pieces of paper every morning on the seats. This year, we still had a limited number of hard copies, but we tried to push the traffic into the mobile app.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their work.

Segue did everything. We met with them and told them what we wanted. We met with the whole team. They did the design of the app and gave us the options as to what the capabilities could be. They were an integral part of the team from start to finish.

The app was on iOS and Android, and they were available in their respective stores a few weeks prior to our conference, so we could get the word out to our delegates to download it before they arrived.

What was your process for selecting Segue Technologies with which to work?

Our IT [information technology] director and I had been exposed to Segue's work before. We had received a few bids and proposals from them before in a previous relationship with their principle [Brian Callahan, president and CEO at Segue Technologies]. We went through several companies and told them what we were looking for. We didn't go with the cheapest price, but what we thought was the best value. With their experiences, the references that we called, and the background on their company, we felt most comfortable in selecting them to help us build this app.

Were you looking for someone specifically in Washington, D.C.?

Not necessarily, but it certainly helps. We're based in D.C., so we had lots of site visits where they would come here. We also communicated with them by Skype or over the phone. I prefer to meet face to face. That wasn’t the only criteria, but we interviewed several other companies. Everybody we interviewed was local.

When was this app available?

I think the app is still on the store. Since the conference, our issues change throughout the year, and we didn’t want the app just to be for four days out of the year. We wanted it to be a living document where we could update our issue papers. If there was any news, we have push notifications that we can send to everybody that downloaded the app. They would be able to keep this as a living app.

Is the work ongoing?

No. The contract has been fulfilled. We have one person who runs our IT department with 30 or so employees, it's hard to find the time to get into the backend of an app to make updates. Since the app development was finished, we have engaged Segue to have them work on an hourly contract basis to do some backend updates.

Can you provide a ballpark dollar figure for the size of the work that they’ve done for you?

It was in the $50,000-$100,000 range. We're in the U.S. and Canada. After our conference ended, we had our Canadian director down here. Our conference is in March, and the Canadian conference is in May or June. He liked the idea so much that we engaged Segue again to build the same concept of the app for our Canadian legislative conference. The technology and the platform was already there, and it was much cheaper the second time around.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Do you have any statistics or metrics to track improvement from the project?

We didn’t do metrics on their performance. The only metrics we got was from them, like the number of downloads and percentage of people. They said that we were one of the higher ones as far as downloads at the conference and downloads that we based on participants. I don’t remember the numbers. Those were the only metrics that we got.

The feedback from our users was very positive, and I think word of mouth helped the download rate. The people that downloaded it really liked it and told the person they were sitting next to that they should check it out. That led to lots of downloads.

They also provided onsite support for us, which was very helpful. We didn't have any issues, but in the event that we did, rather than crashing the app and having to print out a paper schedule for everybody, they were there to provide updated schedules and the speakers list.

They were more than helpful, and we were very satisfied with not only the product itself, but also the support that we provided with the product.

Is there anything unique about them that really makes them stand out, compared to other companies?

This was our first experience in this space, but I couldn’t imagine anybody doing a better job than Segue did for us. Their willingness to come out and give us onsite support was very helpful.

Looking back on the work so far, is there any area that you think they could improve upon or that you might do differently?

Improve upon, no. Do differently, yes. I've gone through this a couple of times, and it's always different for me to get into the mind of a developer to say exactly what I want and how I want it. To translate functionality for what I want is not easy. That's on me that I'm not able to speak their language. Any time I deal with a developer, I have to figure out how to communicate exactly what I want. They do exactly what you tell them to do, and they can't get in your head to try to figure out why you need it that way.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company.

We are a real estate development company, and a real estate investment company. We develop sites mainly in Arlington, Va.. Anything from office to residential, a little bit of retail.

What is your role and responsibilities?

[I am the] principle.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was your goal for working with Segue Technologies?

We had a website for more than 25 years. We did a small renovation to it in 2008, it got a little bit stale. Then, we reached out to Ron [Novak, executive vice president at Segue Technologies] regarding a site makeover in early 2014.

The audience for our site is anyone from potential tenants, both on the office and residential side, that are researching our company, then potential investors that would want to research our company if they’re planning to invest in a project. So, it could be anyone from a prospect leasing a studio apartment, to a major equity partner or lender. 

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their work.

They completed a website update. They didn’t do a mobile app, but they made the site usable on mobile devices.

What was your process for selecting Segue Technologies with which to work?

I have a connection with Segue, mainly through Ron Novak, from the Arlington Chamber of Commerce. I’m on the board of directors with Ron and had gotten to know him. That was really the main reason we met them. They’ve got a great reputation in the local market here, too.

Can you provide a ballpark dollar figure for the size of the work that they’ve done for you?

It took us about three months. They had a team of two people working on it. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the results of the project?

I think it’s 99 percent completed. We’re following up on Google Analytics, what’s working and what’s not, but it was launched in April. Everything turned out successfully, and we’re satisfied with their work.

Do you have any statistics or metrics to track improvement from the project?

I don’t have any statistics because our company doesn’t really track that. The feedback has been very positive.

Is there anything unique about them that really makes them stand out, compared to other companies?

I think what helps them being in the Washington, D.C., area is that they’ve just built such a great reputation in the local market. They’ve done good things for many companies in the area. They’ve got a great word-of-mouth reputation. Inevitably, if you’re in Arlington County where they’re based, and you mention something about wanting to redo a website, a lot of people mention their name.

Looking back on the work so far, is there any area that you think they could improve upon or something that you might do differently?

No, I think it all went very well. I don’t think we were as complex as some other websites they’ve done, but it all went very well for us.