SOtechnology

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm involved with the Digital Transformation of the Marketing and Sales process at a high-end Rooflight manufacturer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

The previous iteration of our pricing engine was built on out-dated technology and was only being actively supported by a single developer. We also weren't able to administor the products or pricing ourselves.

The aim of the project was to migrate to a more future-proof set of technologies, and gain some autonomy by being able to update pricing and product specification in-house, without the need for a code release.

SOLUTION

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

SoTechnology were recommended to us by a previous client. We did consider 2 other companies during the selection, but SoTechnology impressed us based on the variety of work they had completed for existing clients.

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

The project involved a complete re-build of the product spec and pricing database. As well as re-building two separate front-end quoting forms for customers and Sales agents respectively. There was a thorough discovery phase where SoTechnology sought to understand how our pricing calculations work.

This initial step led to each subsequent phase of the project running very smoothly.

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

There were 4 people from SoTechnology involved with the project. Including a project manager, a business analyst and 2 developers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

After launch, we are now able to manage product spec and pricing changes in the engine ourselves. Equally importantly, multiple developers at SoTechnology are able to support the ongoing development of the system - removing the previous risk.

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

The project management style really works for us. We use jira for visibility of the status of tasks as well as Skype for regular communication.

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

The time spent upfront to truly understand how our pricing worked was really valulable, and paid dividends.

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

During the project, timelines did slip slightly - but this was due to a personnel change and was largely out of their control.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the general manager of a music equipment retail platform — Soundgas.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SOtechnology?

Another company redesigned our website, which proved to have issues. The company was better at selling us than designing the website. We found serious issues and needed another partner to check our website’s health, review its code, and fix its problems. We wanted a company that could work on improving the site on an ongoing basis.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

SOtechnology reviewed our website and then made immediate repairs. It was initially built on WordPress. Since making those repairs, their team has made incremental improvements to the website’s design and performance. They’re focusing on improving the site’s performance rather than its look.

They’re also working on another project, which is building a totally new partner website. Their team helped build an auction facility, which is bespoke. We’re continuing to develop products with them.

What is the team composition?

We work with a developer, an owner, and an account manager.

How did you come to work with SOtechnology?

Our company’s owners met SOtechnology through a business development group. In the end, it was apparent that it was best for us to spend more money on people who would enable our site to run well.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent more than £10,000 (approximately $14,000USD) on their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in November 2019, and it’s an ongoing partnership.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We needed to improve our website’s performance and partner with a company that would give us trustworthy, easy-to-understand success metrics. We look at basic metrics such as load speed and errors. We’re very happy with SOtechnology, and it’s easy to track their work. If we find a problem, their team fixes it even when it occurs after hours. We’re happy with them.

How did SOtechnology perform from a project management standpoint?

To manage all of the sprints, we use Jira. We identify the top areas of focus every month. They didn’t initially assign an account manager to our project. Now that an account manager’s in place, we’re making quick progress.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The SOtechnology team’s down to earth, making it easy to talk with them. Our work’s niche, so we didn’t expect anyone outside our industry to understand our business. Their team made an effort to understand us, and we trust their advice.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We don’t have any issues now. A few months ago, however, I would’ve said their project management needed improvement. SOtechnology identified the issue and hired an account manager with a lot of expertise.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

We learned that we initially spent twice as much as we expected on the website because the other company was a nightmare. If you can afford it, it’s better to hire a company like SOtechnology. Trust their advice.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing manager for Tala Lighting, a sustainable lighting brand based in London and founded in 2015. My responsibilities include our digital output, marketing, and working with third-party providers. That’s where our relationship with SOtechnology is relevant.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SOtechnology?

We launched our new website in 2018 with another digital agency. They were more branding-focused than digitally concerned. The challenges that we faced were numerous, and the relationship wasn’t very good. We were keen to identify and hire a new agency to take us forward with e-commerce.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement? 

We were experiencing poor performance on our business website. Our past agency had limited e-commerce experience, so we weren’t getting much value or feedback on the e-commerce front. That became a huge challenge. It was quite stressful to deal with the relationship, so we turned to SOtechnology. 

The original scope of work was primarily a technical audit. They dove into our backend code, looked at the hosting servers, and made recommendations for improving our SEO and overall technical efficiency of the site. Based on their direction, we moved to a new hosting platform. They cleaned up a lot of the broken or disruptive code in that phase as well.

Then, we moved into a more itemized scope of briefs. One of the main challenges we were facing was that the website wasn’t built to accommodate landing pages. The admin portal was limited and we had to submit issues and requests to the agency that created it, which was frustrating because our marketing team is very fluent with a CMS. We couldn’t amend many of their custom-coded elements either, so much of their work was building landing pages we could edit and use for performance marketing campaigns. After early success on this effort, we continued to work with them on more projects. 

They also helped us build solid processes and communication streams for effectively issuing tickets. We wanted to keep an open dialogue on technical and visual improvements on the site because there were dozens of small projects that required their e-commerce expertise. We’re now in a retainer, working toward larger projects, identifying areas of improvement, and addressing issues before tackling a large task.

 What is the team composition?

Originally, we were working very closely with Steve (CEO) and Mark (Managing Director). Later, they moved us over to an account manager. We’re also able to work directly with the developers. We still have regular conversations with Mark from a business-level perspective. I also have a fortnightly meeting with an account manager. We work with a handful of developers and 2–3 account managers who contribute as needed to certain projects.

How did you come to work with SOtechnology?

We looked at a shortlist of three agencies and identified a number of different situations and scenarios to guide our vetting process. We really wanted to make sure we were working with the right partner. We shortlisted our options through our own research and through recommendations from our performance marketing agency, who works directly with developers for other clients.

SOtechnology came into our sphere because Mark had consulted for us in a general sense, looking at our website and potential areas for growth. We started a conversation, and they naturally became a viable candidate for our shortlist. They already worked with one of the leading competitors in our category, so we were very keen to mine their insights and experience them translating that expertise to our company. I put together a very robust briefing document for them. From there, we shortened our list and went through 2–3 interview rounds to make sure that they were the right fit.

How much have you invested in them?

We spent about £33,000 (approximately $46,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in November 2019, and they are on a retainer in our ongoing relationship.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their work has massively improved our communication channels from an operational perspective. They gave us a lot of training on Jira at the start of the project to help us acclimate to the system. Submitting and completing tickets is very simple, and that smoothed out our internal process for finding and alerting them of issues.  From there, we can either work collaboratively to complete the task or do a more creative brainstorming session to understand their suggestions for improvement. Through this process, we’ve given them an open platform to make technical suggestions. 

While we haven’t seen dramatic increases in organic traffic, the site speed increased astronomically. We were laboring under the previous hosting platform, and code debt was weighing heavily on us in terms of unused, ineffective plugins. They fixed those things for a faster site that has also made a huge impact on customer navigation. 

Early on, SOtechnolgoy constructed a new navigation bar and made other small tweaks to support a better UX. They added new payment systems and other features, which marked the start of a very strong customer experience. They had a lot of experience in payment systems. 

How did SOtechnology perform from a project management standpoint?

Almost all of our project management is native to Jira. I get alerts through my email, but all the action happens on the Jira platform. We have a bi-weekly call with the assigned account manager. There are also fairly regular calls with Mark for an additional perspective on the broader scope of projects.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’ve been impressed with their account management, which is a big feature of any working relationship. They’re great at responding to tickets and making sure that there’s a clear path to completion for each issue. When we have urgent tickets, they’re very quick to respond, taking them very seriously. Their speed and reaction is appreciated. They separated themselves from our previous developer through that extra level of care. Other development agencies may be able to do the same work, but SOtechnology conducts their work very professionally. That sold us on their services from the beginning. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

They aren’t necessarily a design agency. They have a design team but there have been delays getting them up to speed on our branding. It’s a common issue, especially because they’re working with a site created by a different agency. Some elements don’t ring as true to the brand with a pre-prescribed system. We’ve had some back-and-forth over design, but it’s always been resolved well. They’ve been able to respond to what we want.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Our more successful projects are those that I’ve been the most prescriptive about in my briefing, giving clear deadlines and parameters for success. SOtechnology responds best to a clear brief and understanding of what is being asked of them. Be aware of your responsibilities in making sure the project is a success.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director and owner of an education app provider.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SOtechnology?

We were trying to create new products, specifically an app that teaches children to add and subtract in a particular way.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

SOtechnology fleshed out the brief, designed the architecture, and outlined the rudimentary designs for our web and mobile app. Then they developed a database and backend. From there, they built an admin site that allows us to create things for the frontend of the site. They even built a game for the platform.  

They continue to add more features, write APIs, and maintain the platform’s infrastructure. They optimize queries, add indexes, and monitor the site’s uptime. They’ve been working on DNS queries and have ensured that our SSL certificates are secure. Recently, they installed add-ons to track bugs in the code and send alerts if there are any issues.

What is the team composition?

Steve (CEO & Founder) is my main point of contact.

How did you come to work with SOtechnology?

I worked with them before at another company and we had a good relationship. They’re award-winning and they understood the brief.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about £250,000 (approximately $350,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

Our project is ongoing and it goes back to about January 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Children, teachers, and parents love the platform. It’s a popular app on the market. So far, SOTechnology has met the specifications and designs we set.

How did SOtechnology perform from a project management standpoint?

I work with them very closely, so we’ve built a partnership. When I assign a task, they execute, and they deliver great work. Once they’re done, I assign the next task. We use Slack to communicate. They’re basically an extension of my team, so everything runs smoothly.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re very versatile. I know that I can ask them to handle a bunch of different tasks, and they will be able to manage it.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’m really happy with their work.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

When working with any tech company, it’s important to have a good brief and good designs. You should be clear about what you want to do.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

The Energy Innovation Centre (EIC) operates on behalf of UK energy networks by finding innovative solutions to their problems. I’m the IT lead here. We act as a sort of facilitator between SMEs and large energy networks.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SOtechnology?

We had a limited IT system to manage our workflows and were looking for one that’d achieve what we wanted. We had a choice between finding a bespoke system that did exactly what we wanted or adapting an off-the-shelf product. The latter would potentially turn out as too complicated a system for our users.

We ran a period of time looking for what the best solution was. Our team looked at bespoke solutions, but we always felt that those would be too expensive for what we required. At the end of the day, we’re only a small company, and budgets were limited. We brought on SOtechnology after some research.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We have a pipeline of tasks, projects, and proposals, and there’s a kind of production line in place. Our team couldn’t find anything off the shelf that mirrored what we wanted. We had an old Access database system that did exactly what we wanted, and the guideline for the new system was based on that.

We wanted to have everything online and tied together. We had multiple systems in place, and it was clunky to get them talking together. SOtechnology developed a web system with an integrated database. We felt that what we did was quite unique and didn’t want anything too complicated for the users; which would’ve probably happened if we tried to adapt an off-the-shelf system.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with four people from SOtechnology, including developers and a project manager.

How did you come to work with SOtechnology?

We found a website that was doing something similar to what we wanted and identified SOtechnology as its developer. We wouldn’t have found them otherwise. To be fair, they’re competitors but their solution was different.

With us, we put two parties together and hold the hands of both to develop their proposals and project plans as well as sort out their legal matters. We hadn’t seen anyone else doing something similar to this, and SOtechnology would agree that we’re similar but not that similar.

There’s always a danger of budget overruns with IT projects, but they gave us some assurances that we’d land within a certain range. That gave us the confidence to move forward with the engagement.

How much have you invested with them?

The cost so far is around £150,000 (approximately $209,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with SOtechnology in the summer of 2018, and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

By sticking to the old system, there was no way we could ramp up our business. We’ve got three user types on the platform: ourselves, the SMEs or innovators, and the energy networks. All three are using it, so it’s not just a system for us to manage things internally. Our energy-network partners access the system to provide information, feedback, and so on. The innovators are submitting their own proposals on it. The feedback we’re getting from stakeholders is pretty good. It’s made life a lot easier for them.

We have a database of nearly 10,000 innovators, not all of them active, and have 8–10 networks on our system, which are the people posting their problems. Success for us is attracting more people to our database. The bigger our audience, the more chances we have to address problems. It’s not high traffic, but there’s a reasonable amount of people accessing the system at any one time.

How did SOtechnology perform from a project management standpoint?

We were assigned a project manager, who was the interface with the developers. We had access to their project management system, where I could see exactly what was coming up in the sprints and how long had been spent on each task. It helped us manage the whole development. We didn’t have an infinite budget, so it was good to know how much time was being spent on each task and how much time would be required for the tasks coming up. Having that access and openness was very helpful.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It’s their openness. I've not had too much experience working with IT developers, but my company has. With previous experiences, we’d get an invoice without a description to go against it. The invoice covered so much and was so vague that we could see how costs could spiral out of control. Even if we managed to break things down a bit, we could never know exactly how much a task was going to cost. We’d never know what problems we’d hit, and there was always the possibility of us changing our minds when we saw the results.

Generally, the relationship with SOtechnology has worked well. I got to be the interface from our end. I’d take work packages, I’d speck them up, and they’d have a look at them. Then they’d tell me roughly how long it was going to take, and I’d know roughly how much the next sprint was going to cost. We could move in steps like that, and we’d know that the price wasn’t going to spiral out of control.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s always a problem with a small firm, where the number of developers is limited. Therefore, they might spend more time on a problem than expected, because they haven’t got that breadth of knowledge. That’s offset by their style of allowing the customer some assurance on the cost. We have an example where something overran, but we weren’t charged extra. I’d suspect that that’s unique in their world. SOtechnology is a fair team to work with. They’re honest, and we have formed a good business relationship with them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the communications manager for a furniture and lighting manufacturer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SOtechnology?

We needed a new website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We had an existing website, but it wasn’t up to our standards. We hired them to develop a new website for us. They built the new Magento site from scratch, handling front- and backend development. For the design portion of the project, they put together elements in Photoshop. Throughout the engagement, they also provided e-commerce-oriented advice to help us expand our online presence.

What is the team composition?

We had contact with three people: Richard (Creative Director), Steve (Founder & CEO), and another developer. There were probably more people from their team working behind the scenes.

How did you come to work with SOtechnology?

I worked with them when I was with a different company.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about £30,000 ($41,800 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from April–November 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

After launching the new website, we saw increases in sales, conversion rate, and the time visitors spent on the site. These increases drove improvements in revenue and profit, helping us grow our business.

How did SOtechnology perform from a project management standpoint?

They delivered the new site quickly and made sure everything ran smoothly during the project. We communicated over email and in in-person meetings. They used Jira for project management purposes.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I liked their approach and attitude. We were quite a fussy design brand, but when we came to them with our desires they would find a way to accomplish them. I was happy they were able to turn our ideas into tangible parts of the site.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could push back on client ideas more to make sure they don’t pursue any opportunities that could push a project over budget.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Call them. They’re good designers and developers.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing manager for ddc. We’re a US-based luxury furniture dealer with showrooms in New York, Miami, and Lose Angeles. About 90% of our furniture comes from Italy.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SOtechnology?

When I joined my company back in 2019, the first thing I noticed was that our website was a bit outdated — the design was done in 2010. We needed to build a more modern website that was appealing on the frontend but also easy to use on the backend.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement? 

SOtechnology redesigned our website from scratch, re-platforming it to WordPress. Even though e-commerce wasn’t the priority for our company, we still wanted to have the option to sell online. Their team recommended using WooCommerce because it was intuitive to use and inexpensive. 

From there, they implemented the design, which was done by another graphic studio, and made tweaks to meet our requests. The team found solutions for implementing a particular search bar that we wanted and divided our product catalog into different sections based on our needs.

What is the team composition? 

We were mainly in contact with the project manager and developer. Of course, other people were working on the project, too, but I didn’t have the chance to deal with them directly.

How did you come to work with SOtechnology?

The graphics studio that designed the first draft of the site recommended them to us. SOtechnology had the best pricing and ideas out of all of the companies we interviewed, so we went with them. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent £54,000 (approximately $75,200 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in December 2019 and still have a monthly support contract. They continue to improve the website as we implement new features. Whenever there’s an issue, they jump in to make sure that everything works as it’s supposed to.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The new website was delivered on time and has now become an incredible source of leads. We receive tons of inquiries every day about our products, and the site gives us more opportunities to showcase items beyond what we physically have in the showroom.

The site is less about closing sales online and more about opening a channel to converse with clients. Our brands are highly customizable, so people want to see samples and touch the product before they make a big purchasing decision. Having a website that can show them a product and start the conversation has become particularly important now that our showroom is limited by the pandemic.

How did SOtechnology perform from a project management standpoint?

During development, all of the tasks were listed on Jira. We used that tool to follow their progress, review work, and make approvals.  

What did you find most impressive about them?

SOtechnology was really open to working with us and was flexible about making changes, even if it was for a component that wasn’t in the original plan. We were able to modify things on the go without incurring any additional costs.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could’ve improved on communicating how they spent their time toward the final hours of development. Having that information easily accessible would’ve made everything clearer for us, especially since they work on an hourly basis. We could then ask them to do a task without accidentally going over time.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have a clear initial idea and be transparent about what you’re trying to accomplish. From there, they can suggest the best approach for your project.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Ops director of Warehouse Pizza

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Italian take away restuarnt and eccomerce delivery of food kits

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire SOtechnology to accomplish?

• deliver a website
• deliver eccomerce site
• integrate dpd

SOLUTION

How did you find SOtechnology?

Referral

Why did you select SOtechnology over others?

Company values aligned

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

• Pizza Kits (available to buy for home delivery or click and collect)
• Pizza Takeaway (home delivery via just eat or order direct for collection)
• Eat-in / Visit (detailing the cafe onsite and other services within the warehouse)

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• design pages
• integration links
• page builds

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

yes, always keeping us updated

What was your primary form of communication with SOtechnology?

In-Person Meeting

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

The design and speed of development were impressive.

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

more testing before go live

UPDATED REVIEW

This review was published on 03/19/2021

Rosa Gibson

Business Development Director, Salvo1968 Ltd

Other industry

51-200 Employees

Cheshunt, United Kingdom

$200,000 to $999,999

Mar 2017 - Ongoing

Project summary

SOtechnology migrated an Italian food supply company’s site from Magento 1 to Magento 2. They also worked on design. Their work is ongoing with new assignments.

Feedback summary

SOtechnology’s design work received a positive reception from clients and internal stakeholders. Upselling is much easier on the new platform as well. The team is organized and easy to contact. They always make sure that any issues that arise are resolved promptly.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We import food from Italy and supply restaurants and delicatessens. I’m the business development director.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SOtechnology?

We wanted to ensure that we had our Magento 2 platform running smoothly for online orders.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They migrated our site from Magento 1 to Magento 2. They gave us advice on which integrations we needed with our ERP system. They also handled all of our design elements.

What is the team composition?

We worked with one project manager and two developers.

How did you come to work with SOtechnology?

They were recommended to us.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent £50,000 (approximately $69,000 USD) per year.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in March 2017, and our work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve gotten positive feedback on the design. It’s more user-friendly and much easier to upsell clients on categories. We’ve also seen an increase in our landing page speeds as well.

How did SOtechnology perform from a project management standpoint?

We use Jira for project management. Every two weeks, we have a catch-up in terms of where we’re at. We also have direct contact with project managers. If there’s an emergency, we also have their CEO’s contact information.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They understand our business really well. If we’ve got a problem, they’ll stop what they’re doing to identify a fix.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We could work closer together on the briefs and make sure everything’s clearer on both sides.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure you’ve got a project manager. Leverage Jira and always have detailed briefs.

RATINGS

Overall rating: 4.5

Quality: 4.5

Cost: 4.5

Schedule: 4

Willing to refer: 5