SEQTEK

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of software development for US Payments.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SEQTEK?

We needed to deliver a product to the market quickly, and we didn’t have the internal bandwidth to do it in time.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

SEQTEK redesigned the architecture of our web application to make it scalable and future-proof. During our discovery phase, we took the time to talk through the challenges of the current site, what we needed them to build, and the features we required. Additionally, we gave them some documentation on the app and conceptualized the improvements they were to make. We also talked about the app’s architecture and what we needed the technology to do for us. Its foundations were ASP.NET, and the UI was built on AngularJS.

The product itself was an update to the platforms we currently host for our users to pay bills. We used to have three sites: a payment gateway, a location service site, and a bill payment site that didn’t require logins. SEQTEK worked to harness those three sites into a singular application. To do this, the team created a brand new uplifted UI and added the necessary functionality. The app’s goal is to make it easy for our users to pay bills, set up new accounts, and access their account information and payment history.

In terms of design, the SEQTEK team refined our existing theme and made it consistent. They partnered with us to make the end result pop by giving us input on what to do and what to avoid. Ultimately, the site hasn’t gone live yet — since the site deals with payments and credit card information, we are going through a rigorous auditing process. The team continues to support us through the audit by fixing any bugs. We plan on releasing it soon.

What is the team composition?

We worked with four teammates: the owner, a frontend developer, a backend developer, and a software architect.

How did you come to work with SEQTEK?

I’d worked with the team before in my previous jobs. I was comfortable with the team and wanted to give them the opportunity to help me in my current role.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $80,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project lasted from October 2020–April 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The SEQTEK team delivered on time and under budget, which was critical to the success of our partnership. The result has really pleased everyone who’s tested and seen it. Furthermore, our board of directors and higher management were happy with the product. The team made my life easier.

How did SEQTEK perform from a project management standpoint?

They did exceptionally well in terms of project management. All of the teammates assigned to the project really sought to understand our business. The owner had already worked with us before, so we were able to speak the same language. From a business process perspective, we already understood each other. Whenever there were any risks of scope creep, SEQTEK navigated through it and found a solution. In terms of communication, we had biweekly phone calls. We also utilized emails and Google Groups for discussions and demonstrations.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Boiling it down to one thing is challenging because the team was great in a lot of ways. However, I would say the best thing was their commitment to finishing the project and keeping it high in quality.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There were external challenges due to COVID-19, but that wasn’t their fault. Overall, there wasn’t anything the SEQTEK team could’ve done better. They didn’t fall short in any way.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make them understand your business and your processes. It’ll make it easier to manage the relationship.