Stuzo

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CTO of a digital health startup that helps medical professionals create membership plans for uninsured patients.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Stuzo?

As a new startup with a small staff, we needed more resources to develop our app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our team spent a year conducting field research on the dental industry to assess which features would be useful to our audience. After presenting the data to Stuzo, they developed a cloud-based MVP that met all of the requirements. We established the core functionality, and their team went on to design an optimal version of the full-stack JavaScript app. The app is hosted on the Amazon Web Service (AWS) cloud with a React-based frontend and Node.js-based backend. They’re currently developing new features and provide ongoing maintenance.

What is the team composition?

We initially had a team of 10 engineers and a full-time project manager but have since downsized after the product launch.

How did you come to work with Stuzo?

The project required a technically advanced team that has experience building MVPs with agile processes and cutting-edge technologies. Stuzo was one of the few local developers within our price range that met all of our criteria.

What is the status of this engagement?

They developed the MVP between June–September 2017, which lead to a beta release. They continued to support us to our version 1.0 release in February 2018. At that point, we started a new contract with a small team at Stuzo.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve experienced rapid growth since launching the full version last year. More than 1,000 dentists have registered and are in the process of being added to the platform. Dozens of practices are added to the platform per week, and we're also getting hundreds of patients who are signing up for the app each week. So far, everyone is responding well to the app’s look and feel.

How did Stuzo perform from a project management standpoint?

The project manager was very responsive and accommodating to all of our needs; although they typically act as the liaison between both parties, they allowed us to have direct access to their entire team per our request. Slack was our main channel of communication in addition to our regular meetings.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Stuzo is where online startups come to grow. While similarly-sized companies tend to have a niche focus, Stuzo has mastered a full suite of services. Their transparency and expertise are key contributors to their success.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Some of their procedures are unnecessarily time-consuming. Fortunately, they’re willing to adjust their standard practices to accommodate our preferences.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Their team is receptive to feedback, so don’t be afraid to speak up.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the CIO of Payomatic, the largest alternative financial services provider in New York City. I am responsible for all technology across our main product line and those of smaller subsidiaries. We have 150 brick-and-mortar stores across which we process 18 million transactions per year for the underserved segment of the population. The services we offer include check cashing, remittances, prepaid debit cards, bill payment, and a slew of other ancillary products.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Stuzo?

Figuring out a digital strategy had been one of our long-running concerns. That we provide cash-outs is our primary value proposition, so we wanted to figure out how we could stay relevant in a digital- and mobile-first era.

Our CEO’s aim is moving the company into the digital era and making us relevant for customers in an evolving world.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Stuzo gave us a large questionnaire addressing what we were looking to do. We developed that product vision internally, then went through a two-day workshop at their office. We spent that time ironing out what we perceived digital opportunities. Stuzo translated these into a product roadmap and backlog that could be prioritized within their agile process.

Then, development started. One of our biggest lines of business is check cashing. Because most of our business comes near paydays, we have a very spiky business, with most of our transactions taking place between Thursdays and Saturdays. However, there is a limit to how fast we can service customers.

The problem we’re trying to solve is underwriting customers’ checks in real time, while managing our risk. We have to make decisions on whether to accept items in the shortest time possible. One in 10 people will have to wait while we manually verify their check, so our concept was to have customers use a mobile app to digitize their checks ahead of time. After receiving a confirmation from us, they can come to a shop knowing that they will receive their money.

The second value proposition we’re looking to bring to customers is allowing them to check in digitally when coming to a store, then going to a special window to receive immediate payments. There are many logistical components to this, but this is our main vision.

At the moment, our only engagements with customers are face-to-face, between them and our tellers. Customers appreciate this kind of interaction, but the world has evolved to allow communication outside of stores as well. We haven’t gotten there yet, but we are launching a campaign to grab email addresses and leverage some of the app’s push notification capabilities, with the aim of engaging users outside of stores and driving certain behaviors.

What is the team composition?

We’ve interacted with their CEO, an account representative, the product owner, and a day-to-day project manager. There is a team of seven to eight developers, tech leads and QA testers working behind the scenes.

How did you come to work with Stuzo?

We needed expertise in building consumer-facing products related to financial transactions. They came highly recommended from some of our banking partners. We brought them in to discuss our use case and challenges. Of all the firms we contacted, we were most impressed by Stuzo. They focused on connected commerce and creating customer-oriented digital asset experiences. Plus, they’ve built mobile apps and websites designed to engage the customer directly rather than using distribution channels.

In addition, the CEO’s approach to discussing our problems resonated with us. He brought key experience and a lot of good ideas to the table.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $250,000 thus far and expect to spend an additional $400,000–$600,000 in 2018.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Stuzo in September 2017. The product is still in heavy development. We’ve pivoted somewhat because of business needs, but Stuzo accommodated this. We plan to launch a product to market in the June 2018 timeframe.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We expect our solution to prove valuable for both our company and our clients. While we don’t have any tangible metrics yet, I continue to get positive feedback from our chief product officer regarding our interactions with Stuzo. They have a structured approach to helping us organize and reach goals. I have a background in software development and believe that Stuzo’s process is as good as we will ever find. We feel good about the general direction we’ve taken.

How did Stuzo perform from a project management standpoint?

They were able to take insights from an unstructured team and help us find an actionable path. Stuzo has done a great job of managing inward. Usually, they prefer to work as an insular team rather than involving us too much in the process. We have taken part in the prioritization and key milestones, but we also like to take part in day-to-day activities. They have adapted well to our approach whereas other companies might not want to.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They make a significant effort in anchoring the work to the client’s value proposition. Stuzo has a team of smart people to whom we only have to explain requirements once. They have a lot of experience with transaction-oriented mobile customer experiences, so they’re able to bring a lot to the table right away.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Their project management methods could be better, but that concern may be specific to our way of working. I can see how other clients would prefer a more insulated approach.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Get a general sense of what needs to be done. Stuzo’s strength lies in solving known problems rather than spending months figuring out a solution. They need to be engaged at the right time and for what they’re good at.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We are the People's Choice Awards, which is one of the annual Hollywood award show franchises.

What is your position?

I am the VP of digital.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Stuzo?

We've been working with them for several years. The initial engagement was around a particular Facebook application we wanted to develop around the televised show several years ago having to do with fan engagement and integrating fans through social media into the actual telecast. Since then, we've done several other projects with them. The most recent was a major redesign of our voting application for the award show.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

It starts with an early inception strategy and creative discussion around what the new features and functionality would be and continues all the way through to creative design, development, QA [quality assurance], handoff, and so on. So, the entire lifecycle for new product development for our site and social media, depending on what the project was. At the time, social apps were more prevalent when we started out with the Facebook application. Since then, the focus has been more about new enhancements and features for our website.

We were introduced to them by Procter & Gamble, the owners of the People's Choice Awards franchise. Stuzo was an agency that some of the other Procter & Gamble brands had engaged with on other projects. They pitched for the project we had in mind at the time, and we liked what they had presented. We were happy with their work and continued the relationship. The scope grew from there.

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

It cost between $200,000 and $1 million for all the projects.

What is the status of this engagement?

Currently, we aren't working on anything with them. But, as we approach our peak season again in the fall, we'll likely re-engage for some enhancements. There's always ongoing maintenance work. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

I can't really share stats, but we had a lot of feedback that this experience was much sleeker and a much-improved voting experience. Our entire focus is around the voting experience for the consumers during our peak season. Knowing we succeeded there was a big win. The process was streamlined, and we introduced a responsive design. It works very consistently across multiple platforms. We've gotten a lot of great feedback on that. It was nice to have a redesigned platform with all the latest and greatest, making sure that every vote is tracked well, and we know exactly where it's coming from. We didn't see any issues with scaling. We're able to handle the various volumes that come in at different times throughout peak season seamlessly. 

How did Stuzo perform from a project management standpoint?

Stuzo did pretty well. The one point of weakness was on the project management side because they had some transitions internally with that role. There were things that slipped through the cracks a couple times. We have a lot of project management expertise on our end, so we were able to shepherd things through and make sure things did not get lost in the shuffle. They are aware of it and have addressed that issue. To be fair, this was only an issue on the latest project. It wasn't that way for every project.

What distinguishes Stuzo from other providers?

I appreciate that Stuzo acknowledges the client's expertise. When we come with our ideas, they listen. Some agencies will assume that they know best and will want to push their agendas. I appreciate that they come to the table open and willing to collaborate to come up with the best possible solutions and execute accordingly. They make sure all the assets are being leveraged as well as possible.

Is there anything Stuzo could have improved or done differently?

The project management piece was the main thing. Anything else that would have been improved would have been improved as a result of stronger project management. Having said that, everything went off without a hitch. Everything was delivered on time and to spec. It did work out well in the end, and they addressed that weakness mid-project so we were still able to have a successful launch.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Red Tettemer O'Connell + Partners is a full-service advertising agency based in Philadelphia, with offices in Los Angeles as well. As VP of digital strategy, I head up the digital department here.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Stuzo?

We have worked with Stuzo on projects for which we don't have the capabilities in-house, and also when the number of simultaneous projects leaves us with diminished in-house resources to allocate. In these situations, we've worked with Stuzo to take on the overload.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The main project we've worked on together was a mobile app for a loyalty rewards program for a large retailer. We designed and built the back-end of the loyalty rewards system and then worked with Stuzo to build the front-end mobile applications for Android and iOS.

How did you come to work with Stuzo?

There are some connections between the two agencies. Beyond that, we've also have heard generally good things about them. Our companies' headquarters are close to each other, so we hear about them just in the course of talking to local people.

How much have you invested with Stuzo?

Our investment was in excess of $200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The projects have wrapped up. We currently have a few potential things on the horizon, but none of them are solid yet.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

Overall, the program on which we worked with Stuzo was very successful. It exceeded the goals that the client had set and it led to more frequent, higher purchase amounts—which is obviously the goal of any loyalty rewards program. The mobile app had a huge role to play in that success, as that was the consumer-facing part of it. From an anecdotal standpoint, I would have to say that the client was very happy. From a metrics and analytic standpoint, we were very happy; it over-delivered.

How did Stuzo perform from a project management standpoint?

Good. We are a tough client. That's probably because, being a creative agency, we tend to do a lot of things by the seat of our pants, and also tend to change things frequently—often at the last minute. Stuzo was good at rolling with the punches and keeping up with us. I'm sure we drove their project managers crazy, but they did a good job.

What did you find most impressive about Stuzo?

Stuzo's flexibility - their willingness to not insist on holding to every line on every scope - makes them stand out. We didn't find them saying, "Okay, we're 20 minutes over so we're going to have to charge you for that." As I alluded to before, they were really good at rolling with the punches when changes came in late, or when things got adjusted away from what we originally thought they would be. To be honest, that's something that's hard to find—especially with a development company. They were flexible enough to allow the project to be successful despite some twists and turns along the way.

Are there any areas Stuzo could improve?

No. There really aren't any major critiques that I could offer here. With any project, there will always be some small hiccups along the way, but with Stuzo those were pretty minor. In, general, we were very happy.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We are a fuel and convenience retailer operating more than 5,000 locations.

What is your position?

I am the manager of innovation and partnership marketing, so I have responsibility for digital innovation efforts across our brands. This includes the development of smartphone applications, mobile payments, digital displays, and food kiosks.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Stuzo?

We were looking to engage primarily in personalized marketing through the use of a smartphone app. We have had a loyalty program in place since 2010 at our 750 convenience store locations. The loyalty program today is basically anonymous. A customer can come into the store, pick up a plastic card off the counter, use it to earn and subsequently redeem rewards without ever registering the card. There was no method of identifying individual loyalty members, nor any method for us to communicate personalized marketing offers to them. We allowed anonymous usage for a reason because we were the first to market with a c-store [convenience store] loyalty program, and we did not want registration to cause friction or be a barrier to entry.

Now that the program is mature, we wanted to take it to the next level and establish a more personalized relationship with our members. We wanted to leverage the data we had been collecting through the years, data that we could match to a specific card number, but not to a person's name. The idea was that as we launched our smartphone app, we would be able to associate the card number with the specific customer. As each user loads his or her card number into the app, we can immediately reference their prior purchase history and market to them more intelligently through advanced customer segmentation and offer delivery via the app

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

A number of different customer interfaces were needed for the app that would tie into our loyalty program, such as balance inquiry a digital version of the loyalty barcode. On the physical card, there's a printed barcode. We're giving customers the opportunity to import that number into their app and then just present their phone at the point-of-sale instead of scanning a plastic loyalty card. This provides the opportunity for personalized offers, mobile payments through things like Apple Pay or Android Pay, and tie-ins to social media in which the user can post about great experiences that occur at our stores.

Using our loyalty program, customers have the opportunity to buy specially marked convenience store items and then save money on fuel at the pump, so the rewards issued are in the currency of cents per gallon discounts on gas. If a customer were to save $1.50 per gallon on a gas purchase because he or she is a frequent user of our loyalty program, we might send a notification in the app inviting them to share this experience on social media. We'll create the post on their behalf. All they need to do is link their social media account to the app, click submit, and the post will go out to their friends and followers and, for example, for doing so, we will fund an extra 25 cents per gallon on the user's loyalty account. It's a way to get the most passionate users of our program to be advocates for it, to share that message with their friends and followers as a personal testament. Those who see the post will, hopefully, click on the link that has been shared, learn more about our loyalty program, and download the app themselves.

Something that we have planned for the second phase of the app – it's not being built right now – is the ability to order prepared food in our stores. We have a number of stores that feature food-ordering kiosks, so a user can create a customized sandwich or salad. We want to replicate that experience within the app, so we're collaborating with our kiosk provider to write an API [application programming interface], a mobile app developer code, so that users on their phones could be ordering their salad or sandwich and pay for it within the app. Customers would then arrive at the store at the time they designated, show the paid marking on the app to the foodservice personnel, and pick up their orders.

How did you come to work with Stuzo?

We conducted a detailed request for proposal. We initially had eight respondents bidding on the opportunity. We selected Stuzo because of their prior work and their expertise. We were impressed with the attitude and knowledge base of the Stuzo team.

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

It's a seven-figure project spanning across multiple branded apps. I've mostly been talking up to this point about the convenience loyalty app, because that's the one that's closest to being ready for publication to the App Store. In addition, we will be creating other apps to support our fuel and c-store brands.

What is the status of this engagement?

The status of this relationship is ongoing as we look ahead to developing the additional apps.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

Internally, we've shared some prototype versions of the app and have received extremely positive feedback regarding the app's design, the UI/UX [user interface/user experience], and the overall feature set. We have not released the app to the App Store yet, but we will be doing so in the near future. We are attempting to align a relaunch of our loyalty program with the launch of the supporting application. The development work is complete, and we've done our user acceptance testing. We're delighted with the product that's been produced, and we are now just waiting on another business initiative to be ready to align the release of both.

How did Stuzo perform from a project management standpoint?

Stuzo has delivered incredibly detailed project management and communication. We host weekly meetings here at our office. I'd say that the Stuzo personnel visit our office about 50 percent of the time and call in to the other 50 percent of the meetings. They've done a great job of stakeholder interviews to understand what needed to be done and then developed a rock-solid project plan to execute on that. They have been on time and within budget for the entire time that we've been working with them.

What distinguishes Stuzo from other providers?

I deal with many technology companies in my job, and I don't always have great things to say about them. Some of them underperform or make excuses. Stuzo has been head and shoulders above any technology company that I've dealt with up to this point in my 18-year career in this industry. The people are great to work with. As problems do come up, they work with us to resolve them quickly. The level of detail in the project planning and the user experience expertise that they provide has just been phenomenal.

Is there anything Stuzo could have improved or done differently?

To be honest, I don't really have any criticism for them. The only thing that I think they could do better is market themselves to more retailers in our space.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

My company is an app for the sport of climbing. We’re a social activity tracking app, so people log in their climbing, they can post photos, videos, and share information.

What is your position?

I am the founder.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Stuzo?

Climbing is a complicated sport, and it’s very diverse. We have 12 different grading systems. Climbers can log eight disciplines of climbing. There’s just so many options, so the challenge was to create a clean user interface that works for all of the different variations of climbing that exist that was easy to navigate. Stuzo did a good job.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

The scope of Stuzo’s project was everything from front-end design to UX [user experience], UI [user interface], and analytics. This application is on Android and iOS. We are currently using Parse for the apps, but are migrating off it soon. We used an Amazon platform for video processing.

How did you come to work with Stuzo?

When I was looking to start my company, without having a technical background, I still had several connections in tech communities, so I followed up different leads and explained what I wanted to do to several companies, and I got connected to Stuzo. They were very excited about the project. I thought they were the best fit. They were easy to work with. They did an initial wireframing just like a discovery file, and I liked what they did, so I decided to go with them.

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

It cost more than $200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’re still actively developing the project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

I get emails from users all the time saying that they love the app, and they love participating in the online community that we’ve created.

How did Stuzo perform from a project management standpoint?

Stuzo’s project management has been good. We use Google Docs, so it’s a very collaborative process. We have a task-tracking document to stay up to date on what they’ve been working on for a day-to-day basis. It’s great.

What distinguishes Stuzo from other providers?

Stuzo is very invested in the project, and they want to do a good job. They care about us.

Is there anything Stuzo could have improved or done differently?

Nothing  comes to mind.