Softwire

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am a portfolio manager at a broadcasting company. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Softwire?

We hired Softwire for their web development services. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Softwire is doing a like-to-like migration of the frontend of our existing website from a Morph stack to a new stack called webCoRE. Specifically, they're migrating the uploader our broadcasting company uses across platforms. Softwire is also reproducing the logic behind the various forums from our older site. Once the work is complete, we'll do a hand-over; our internal team will handle the maintenance. 

What is the team composition?

We work with a project manager, a tech lead, and five developers. 

How did you come to work with Softwire?

We hired Softwire after they applied to our open tender.

How much have you invested with them?

We've invested around $500,000 with Softwire.

What is the status of this engagement?

This project began in November 2021, and we've just extended the end date to May 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We haven't established any specific metrics because the service hasn't launched yet, but Softwire's development velocity is always spot on. Despite the challenges they face working across multiple technologies, their timeline estimates are very accurate. I'm 100% satisfied with Softwire's work, and they've met my high expectations. 

How did Softwire perform from a project management standpoint?

Softwire uses Jira to facilitate their excellent project management. Softwire's tech lead is my main point of contact, and we communicate through email and Slack. We also have daily stand-up calls and I can reach out when I need to.  

What did you find most impressive about them?

Softwire is great at breaking down complex problems and estimating exactly how long those problems will take to solve. Their team is excellent at identifying potential project blockages early on and works with our team to mitigate them. Softwire communicates well and is often clearer than my team about project requirements. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I've worked with Softwire on 4–5 projects over the years and have absolutely no problems with their service. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I'd advise customers looking for software development to hire Softwire because they'll constantly deliver what they need. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am Head of engineering at a leading UK property portal.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Softwire, and what were your goals?

The project's goal was to improve the experience of a particular segment of consumers and customers, requiring product discovery and delivery of new software solutions.  

We wanted to engage Softwire on a "full-team" basis to achieve a faster start than we could deliver through in-house product engineering teams. Initially we also needed some help with product concepts, research and prioritisation.  After the initial six week discovery phase our need was engineering only. In parallel to this project we also engaged Softwire for some tactical resource augmentation.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

Softwire were recommended through our network, based on a similar project type conducted at another company.  Deciding factors for us included attitude, approach, credibility, flexibility, value for money, location of staff.  Also, they were easy to work with and seemed to "get it" from our first interactions.

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

Project phases as follows:

1. Discovery: Research and product feature identification, technology options and approach.
2. MVP build: Integrate with third party suppliers of document creation/signature and payments solutions.  Build experience for customers and consumers.
3. Launch: Go to market preparation.
4. Optimisation: Conversion optimisation, usability improvements, feature enhancement.

Technologies used: microservices, React, Java, SpringBoot, Kafka, docker.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

• Discovery phase: product owner for six weeks, researcher for two weeks, tech lead for six weeks.
• Subsequent phases: tech lead plus five engineers for the length of the project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The project has not launched to market yet but the team have demonstrated an excellent ability to deliver within the desired scope and timeline.

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

Organised, predictable, flexible, "agile". They operate independently and raise issues only when necessary.

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

It's been very easy to work with the team and has required a low level of oversight.  This has been during a global pandemic and fully remote working. Some of the work has been quite undefined and they have dealt with that very well. The tech lead has been very good at working with multiple internal teams to ensure they are taking an approach that fits with the broader tech approach/strategy.

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

Nothing comes to mind.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the product owner at Elexon, an energy contract management company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Softwire?

We were looking for a supplier to help us build a platform to migrate a legacy product onto. The platform we have is used in the electricity segment, and it’s quite an old product but a very well-known brand within the UK electricity market.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Softwire is building our custom platform on Microsoft Azure using DevOps and Miro to replace the existing product, BMRS, to provide generation data to the electricity market. It’s a physical, customer-centric platform delivering smart and flexible solutions to the electrical industry. Our goal is to have this product be the go-to platform for the energy industry. The solution uses a cloud-based service to receive, process, and publish data for the benefit of our customers, stakeholders, and the industry.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with a team of 15 from Softwire, although the team size fluctuates depending on our needs. 

How did you come to work with Softwire?

Our supply chain team had a list of regular suppliers, so they put the tender out on the marketplace when we needed this job done. Several suppliers bid and went through an arduous evaluation process. Softwire won the tender and was awarded the contract. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested £1.5 million (approximately $2 million USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in June 2021, and our engagement is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The new platform is running alongside the old platform, but not all of the old platform has been migrated onto the new platform. The feedback from our panel of industry experts and professionals in the electrical industry has been fantastic. The platform has been very well received even though it’s in its infancy stages, and there’s still another year and a half before it’s finished. The platform that Softwire is building will provide a detailed, richer, and more up-to-date data service.

How did Softwire perform from a project management standpoint?

Softwire’s project management is excellent, as evidenced by their tender process. When they submitted the tender, they put together a detailed plan for how they would deliver the MVP for the first release of the product, how long that was going to take, what the team would look like, and how much it was going to cost. We released the product exactly on time and budget with them — it doesn’t get any better than that. Typically, we communicate via Microsoft Teams.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Softwire is very experienced in agile development and Azure, which is great. They can manage a project with a significant budget and deliver on time, to requirements, and to budget — they’re exceptional. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Softwire could improve their data expertise — it’s not a weakness, but they could be better at it. Overall, their team is very strong.  

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I’d advise any future customer to hire them — Softwire is a great addition to any project. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am cofounder and CTO of Quro Medical, a digital health company using innovative technologies and analytics to deliver affordable, high-quality healthcare in emerging markets.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Softwire, and what were your goals?

We hired Softwire to develop a web app for visualising patient data stored in our database on the cloud. Our goal was to enable doctors to visualise data for their assigned patients in nearly real-time after arriving on the cloud. The app also needed to implement proper security and access controls, as well as having a clean and presentable design.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We came across Softwire after advertising this project via our personal networks. We chose to work with Softwire due to their well-resourced team and their demonstrably high quality of work. They additionally offered to provide the initial deliverable on a pro-bono basis, and offered very generous for subsequent work. Altogether we felt this was an excellent deal.

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

We provided an initial specification of the web app, which Softwire translated into a set of concrete, incremental deliverables in the form of user stories. Softwire then developed a set of backend APIs using AWS technologies including Lambdas, API Gateway, and Cognito, as well as a front-end built in React.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

The team included approximately 20 people with various levels of involvement on both a paid and pro bono basis. Positions included: Senior project manager, Senior technical lead, Technical lead, Senior Developer, Developer, UX Designer, Business Development Manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Softwire delivered a highly functional web app in line with our specifications, which we have used in production with real patients and doctors. Our platform has enabled us to detect in advance the clinical deterioration of multiple COVID patients under our care and to facilitate their admission to hospital, where they received life-saving medical treatment.

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

Project management was coordinated primarily using Trello. Communication took place mostly over Slack, with some video calls at various points where appropriate.

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

Softwire have gone above and beyond in their commitment to deliver on this project. They offered us a very generous rate, and have delivered a very usable product that we have been able to put into production successfully.

They were also very adaptible to our existing tech stack, and their work has integrated seamlessly with our existing infrastructure in a way that lets us continue building into the future.

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

Given the scope of the project, the timelines, and the pro bono nature of much of the work, there is very little I can think of that Softwire could have improved. We have had an excellent experience dealing with them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the head of marketing and membership for the Open Data Institute. We promote the fair and ethical use of data.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Softwire?

Our organization covers several areas and themes around data. We do thought leadership and offer a broad range of services. As a result, our website looked scattered and did not provide an intuitive user journey. We hired Software to rebuild and redesign our website from scratch.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The project started with a scoping exercise. Softwire did customer research with current clients and partners to find how they interacted with our organization and initially found us. The team then wrote a short report and provided recommendations. Next, they leveraged that information for the front- and backend redevelopment on WordPress. The overhaul included a frontend redesign and a CMS to manage the range of visitors and journeys. Softwire then helped us with hosting.

What is the team composition?

The team includes a designer, a user researcher, a developer, and an account manager. There are up to three other people working behind the scenes.

How did you come to work with Softwire?

Since we were a publicly funded organization with a certain budget for the project, our team put a tender out. We interviewed four companies and had each give a presentation. A solution-focused team, Softwire understood our unusual position as a public sector organization that also offers services. During the tender process, they asked the right questions about business requirements. Also, we found them amicable and easy to work with.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in March 2017. Softwire launched the site in February 2018 and now continues to provide support and development services.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Per our key performance indicator (KPI), we wanted fewer people landing on our home page and more users landing on deeper pages. Total site visits increased 5%, but home page visits decreased by 5%. Those numbers showed us that more people are now landing on relevant pages deeper in the site’s content.

How did Softwire perform from a project management standpoint?

Throughout the partnership, they’ve been honest, clear, and patient. For example, there was a nine-month lag between hiring Softwire and the start of work because our budget needed approval. The team was very patient with us—ridiculously so—as we got the budget finalized.

Softwire stays on schedule and budget. Whenever we risk going over budget, the team gives us the option to either increase the spend or reduce the scope. We’ve had to make a few of those decisions, but didn’t lose impact as a result.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They demonstrated exceptional listening skills—both when asking our team insightful questions and conducting user research. Other vendors have been good at development and/or design, but necessarily great at listening as well.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, but perhaps I’m looking back with rose-colored glasses because the launch was a long time ago. I recall the build being an awesome experience.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Give Softwire the time and resources necessary for the research phase; this is where they excel. It’s important to keep the momentum up between the research and implementation stages. Also, listen to their advice because they know their stuff.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the assistant director of technology for Anthony Nolan, a nonprofit that looks after the U.K. stem cell register and facilitates stem cell transplants for people with blood disorders. I run the application development for all of our bespoke systems.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Softwire?

We have a lot of legacy systems and old technology, and we needed to replatform and write a new system. We didn’t have anyone in-house with the skills or expertise, so we hired an external agency.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The first system that Softwire worked on was for our search and match team, who’re responsible for finding potential donors for patients who need a transplant. Softwire produced screens for our team to be able to better identity best matches and to pass that information to transplant centers via PDF files.

For any of our projects, they follow our tech stacks, which are microservices on a .NET platform. They’re optimizing our process, moving from our old Oracle database to Azure. They use React for our frontend and host the platform on Azure. While they do software dev, we also collaborate on technology strategy.

What is the team composition?

We started with two developers and now have six. Their tech lead is highly involved in our tech strategy decisions.

How did you come to work with Softwire?

I'd worked with them in a previous position and knew they’d be a great fit. We started with a proof of concept, and they did a great job, so we hired them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around £1 million (approximately $1,298,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since October 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We don’t track any metrics, but they work well with our team.

How did Softwire perform from a project management standpoint?

They have good project management. They know what they’re doing and focus on delivering high-quality products.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They understand software development and how to best integrate it with our business. They exceed our expectations and always deliver what they promise.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. They’re a good team.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Know your business and be clear about what you want.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Constructive Collaboration. We design and develop systems to help clients collaborate effectively on complex projects.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Softwire?

We had a concept for a collaborative software platform for the construction industry. We engaged Softwire to help us discover, design, and develop the tool.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Softwire helped us turn our concept into a prototype and then a trial version for consumer use. After creating the algorithm and wireframes, we coordinated the design process. Softwire then led the technical development after that. The team built the platform as proprietary software. Members can log in to the system once they acquire a license. Softwire also set up the servers, the backend, and the login interface.

We’ve now entered a development partnership with their team. We conduct live development and testing in two-week sprints using a flexible, agile approach.

What is the team composition?

Jonathan (Head of Consulting, Softwire) is our main point of contact. We also work with a lead software developer.

How did you come to work with Softwire?

A contact at the Royal Academy of Engineering recommended them to us. Softwire offered services that met our needs and had a convenient location.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in January 2016, and the partnership is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We now have over 1500 users and 200 companies using our platform. We presented our software at a key event at the Royal Academy of Engineering and received very positive feedback.

How did Softwire perform from a project management standpoint?

We’ve had ups and downs given that we’re a startup working in a live testing environment. However, Softwire consistently pays attention to our needs and delivers high-quality products. We’re highly satisfied with our collaboration and how it’s proceeding.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They pitch in when we need assistance and offer ideas proactively—even if it’s outside their scope. They have experience in working with startup and give helpful support rapidly.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There is always room for improvement, but I can’t think of anything in particular. We address any issues in our two-week sprint reviews.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the senior IT development manager for a train leasing company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Softwire?

We have a small team of in-house developers, and at times have requirements or workload that goes beyond their capabilities. We’ve been working with Softwire for many years as external development support on several different projects.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The general process begins with us identifying the need for development in one of our applications (either pre-existing or a new development requirement), and we develop the requirements internally. Once we determine that we need external support, we discuss the project with Softwire and, if the price and schedule fit, they begin the design or development work. Additionally, they provide background support for applications they have developed.

Most of our applications are web-based; however, our main asset management system, which Softwire helped develop, is tablet-based. Our field agents go to rail depots, which are mostly located in remote areas without Wi-Fi or 3G/4G signal, and inspect the depots and trains. When they return to a location with service, they download the information for our analysis and tracking.

What is the team composition?

We work with different team members depending on the project, sometimes one developer, sometimes a team. Regardless of who we work with, I’ve been impressed with their development knowledge and talent.

How did you come to work with Softwire?

One of my colleagues was in charge of development when we hired them several years ago. I know that we were looking for external development support and contacted a number of companies. Softwire was the one that best met our specifications, and we continue to work with them because they produce good results.

How much have you invested with them?

The most recent project was around £200,000 (approximately $255,600 USD), and in our years working together, we’ve spent somewhere between that and $1 million.

What is the status of this engagement?

I believe we began working with them in 2012, and we are still working with them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Softwire is very good at developing the appropriate UI. Most of our field agents are used to a paper-based process, and Softwire developed a system that’s comfortable and easy for them to use.

Our asset management system resulted in cost savings and increased efficiency in time. When we were using a paper-based method, our field agents would have to come into headquarters at least once a week to service paper requests. Now it’s automatically uploaded, freeing up more of their time and saving the company money.

How did Softwire perform from a project management standpoint?

I have a development background, so I manage most of the projects and stay in constant contact with them. They have internal project management overhead that works with their team, but that’s no cost to us. I believe that the double layer of project management is unnecessary and at times cumbersome, but I understand that it's part of their requirements; it’s the standard for many development companies.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’ve been very impressed with their strength and depth in finding talent. They are very successful in recruiting and retaining quality development talent. The entire team works to the same high standards, so I’m always confident that whatever developer, or development team, I’m working with will be successful.

They’ve been helpful in challenging my assumptions and honing my requirements. They don’t just show up and do what they’re told, but they work in real partnership with us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Because of my experience as a developer, I get frustrated having to work with a project manager since it requires—what I consider to be—an unnecessary level of translation; however, that’s not specific to Softwire.

They take a conservative approach to their pricing in terms of building the risk into the cost. It makes sense in a business environment, but it means that we will always enter into a period of haggling about cost and schedule. I especially end up questioning or pushing their schedule, because I’m familiar with what goes into development requirements.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the director in the insurance practice of a medium sized UK consultancy. We provide professional and advisory services to clients across many industries including financial services, energy and utilities, telecoms and consumer products.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Softwire?

We needed custom software development support. Our client was a major insurance company in the process of delivering significant transformation in their data function. The legacy environment was complicated, aged, and fragmented.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement? 

The insurance client engaged us to support their data function. Softwire helped us progress a critical complex workstream on the program to develop a new centralized data warehouse of factual financial information. Bringing in a quality development team helped us untangle these complexities and attain the right outcome under a tight budget and timescale constraints.

Softwire provided data development resources to handle several types of data and transform them into a single format on a SQL Server. They built SSIS jobs that select the correct data to standardize on a daily basis. Subsequently, they constructed a suite of web service APIs in Python to sit on top of the data to provide “plug and play” access to records within that warehouse.

What is the team composition?

After we specified the type of skills we required, Softwire provided several options to choose from. At the peak of development, we worked with about nine people. The team was mostly comprised of data developers, senior level developers, and a couple of tech leads. Two additional people worked on web services, along with specialists in constructing data marts. Generally speaking, the caliber of their resources is exceptionally high.    

How did you come to work with Softwire?

My friend introduced me to Softwire. We discussed their operation style and resource profile and they recruit from all the top universities in the UK. All these factors aligned with our goals and how we differentiate ourselves in the marketplace. It seemed logical to form a partnership.

How much have you invested in them?

We have spent between $200,000–$1,000,000 in total.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since April 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Based on my experience, Softwire performs a more extensive scope of complex work with better results than we’ve received for a comparable investment in larger corporations. For the same financial outlay as those competitors, they deliver higher quality deliverables and secure more impressive outcomes than we’ve seen in the past. 

When we identified many tables to transform for the underlying scope, Softwire quickly noticed a pattern of similar elements. Instead of conducting a manual build, they created a tool that automatically generates those pieces of work. We were initially dubious about the value of this endeavor. Shortly after, we discovered that our objectives would exceed the scope otherwise. Developing this automation could be absorbed with no impact. By challenging us to innovate, Softwire helped us meet our ideal business outcomes.

How did Softwire perform from a project management standpoint?

The team operates using the Agile delivery and methodologies by default. Using this process let us rapidly run testing to ensure that large releases out to production were correctly handled. We supply the project management resources for this project, but Softwire has strong low-level team management. It’s always clear what tasks any specific person is doing at a given time. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Softwire provides an impressive quality of people to work on our project. They’re an excellent team with a unique attitude and approach. Unlike many development service providers, they don’t require a detailed spec before they can start working. Softwire would rather understand our desired outcomes. Based on the business challenge we need to solve, they provide sound advice and propose several viable options.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’d like them to challenge me more, not necessarily from a technical expertise perspective. Backing themselves more from an advisory standpoint and providing access to their more senior people would empower us. As they continue to improve in that area, they’ll have stronger client relationships.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the IT director for a European based health and fitness operator with a focus on family fitness.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Softwire?

They already worked on various projects for us, but currently, we need them to manage the main website and for IT support.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They redesigned the booking system based on PHP/MySQL that was previously built by a marketing agency. They improved it to be more functional/robust and developed a mobile app that connects to the system.

They continue to provide support for the system and continue to develop our marketing site for branding and lead generation. Their team also provides us with general IT support, gives us advice on digital marketing strategy, and creates any custom software we require.

What is the team composition?

We work with 5-12 people depending on our needs throughout the project.

How did you come to work with Softwire?

I was not there when we first started working with them, but I think we found them through a digital agency in London.

How much have you invested with them?

We have invested about 5 million pounds ($7,017,425 USD)— maybe more, so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in 2012 and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their redesign of the booking system has significantly improved the UX/UI of the platform, making it easier to log in and more efficient to book our customers. Their mobile app, connected to the booking system, reduced the number of customers booking through our receptionists from 75% to 5% and allowed customers to easily schedule courses. Their stabilization to our main site helps bring in new members all the time. They cut down a significant amount of labor cost and continue to improve the membership experience.

How did Softwire perform from a project management standpoint?

They provide us with a technically savvy project lead and he works with our project managers. They manage the Agile methodology, the engineers, and the deadlines. They also keep track of the regression testing and functional testing outsourced to India.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their team is made of, from top to bottom, intelligent IT professionals that are brilliant at their job. Their whole team, from junior developers to the senior architects are consistently very bright and well-qualified software engineers. We never have problems when they switch out team members for projects.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Historically, they have not been as commercial as I wanted them to be, but they have addressed that need over the years. They are now much more realistic with estimates and have a better business perspective.

Also, they still make it difficult to justify the cost of the software, as you can’t immediately see the results of the development. They could do a better market analysis to show ensured value for money, as they look very expensive on paper.