Tandem Studios Inc.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an executive at an ERP solutions company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Tandem Studios Inc.?

We needed help to supplement our in-house systems and manage some design challenges.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Tandem Studios Inc. has been helping us with business consulting, UI/UX design, and software development. They’ve worked with us through different stages and scopes of work in our project, which has been important for us — they have various resources to handle our ever-changing needs.

Regarding technologies, they’ve been using Kendo UI to work on our ERP system that’s aimed to handle high-volume purchases in a structured workflow based on ISO-9000.

For the UI/UX design part, we’ve requested them to help us polish the work we already had.

What is the team composition?

We’ve been working with six members of their team, including 2–3 developers, their business analysis team, and UI/UX designers.

How did you come to work with Tandem Studios Inc.?

I met one of their owners through previous software projects where we worked together. We brought them to the project because they had important resources behind them.

How much money have you invested in this partnership?

So far, we’ve spent $100,000 (approximately $76,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in August 2021, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’ve been able to wrap up the components; we had five key modules we wanted to wrap, and Tandem Studios Inc.'s team has been involved in covering all of them ahead of schedule.

How did Tandem Studios Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management has been good in terms of meeting deadlines and staying within budget — they’ve exceeded our expectations.

Regarding tools and communication, we’ve used Jira, Google Meet, and TeamViewer.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their experience is their best attribute; they’ve done so many projects over the years, so they can navigate and overcome typical pitfalls throughout the project.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think there’s anything they can improve on.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Take their advice because they have the expertise to advise you and avoid wasting time on the project.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Apps Canada supports small and medium sized businesses by providing a framework for mobile app content that is customizable to their unique needs

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Tandem Studios Inc., and what were your goals?

Tandem supports Apps Canada in ensuring that our product runs smoothly and we can deliver superior service consistently

SOLUTION

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

long standing relationship. They are extremely professional and knowledgeable

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

mobile app development and support for iOs and Android and all of the custom features that we offer, like push notifications, sign-in module, contacts module, Twilio tool and more

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

James Ritchie and Simon Yewchuck and more are beginning to work with us now too

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

the team gives clear communication on the milestones of the ongoing project deliverables , and ask questions to help clarify our needs and prioritization

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

the Jira board has become a helpful tool for adding and tracking items and progress - we receive clear updates on progress and status

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

personability mixed with technical expertise. We admire their ability to explain complex issues in a way that I understand the relevant parts. This includes the risks and dependencies, and the areas where a project could move ahead quicker or more slowly

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

ensuring that we are clear about the expectations from our side and Tandem's about using the Jira board as a communication tool

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a product manager at Green Analytics, an environmental consulting and software development company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Tandem Studios Inc.?

We hired them to develop various software applications for our clients and in-house solutions.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Tandem provides software development for our clients. They provide us with a team of software developers and senior developers who are on hand for projects. The team gathers technical requirements and provides expertise that we don't have in-house. I work closely with their developers to iterate on the client's needs. They also deliver release summaries and updates on the product side of development. I act as an intermediary and liaison between our clients and Tandem. 

The team is involved in some of our ongoing projects. For example, we've been working with a client in the agricultural industry that deploys software solutions for farmers and producers across Canada. They needed a traceability platform and a sustainability program management system and couldn't develop them in-house. Tandem has been working with us to determine the requirements and figure out how to build, develop, and deploy these platforms. 

The first product the Tandem team has built is a traceability platform integrated with Google Maps that can be used for strategic sourcing. Our client had an old tool that they were using that only accommodated the beef sector, and they wanted to create an adaptable tool that would work across sectors. 

Within the new platform, administrators can onboard organizations and storage locations so that users can source and locate inventory based on specific attributes in their area. Within this platform, Tandem has designed an inventory management system that can transform inventory across the supply chain. The client can create attributes, program requirements, and certifications for each type of inventory so the platform can track and trace organic produce from the source to retail. 

Tandem has also designed a sustainability program management system that helps lessen the administrate burden of deploying agricultural incentive programs across Canada. There has been an uptick in government-funded opportunities or potential payouts for producers and farmers, and there are a lot of interested organizations. Previously, the programs have been handled with pen and paper.

The Tandem team has designed a complex system architecture to digitize the application process. The tool has four different user roles and can release various types of applications that can be reviewed and verified at different levels of an organization, then audited. Eventually, we plan to integrate this platform with Stripe to have a payment and payout process within the system.

What is the team composition?

We work with around 10 teammates from Tandem, including multiple developers, 1–2 senior developers, two product managers, and two designers. James (Managing Director) helps us gather technical requirements. 

How did you come to work with Tandem Studios Inc.?

My company found them through a referral by a former colleague before I was brought on the team. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent at least $250,000 CAD (approximately $193,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together around October 2020, and the traceability and program management project began in August 2021. Our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Tandem has been great at design. Moreover, their ability to visualize the requirements quickly and build them for us has been spectacular. They've also provided amazing technical support externally and to our end clients. The team is very talented at quickly understanding the requirements and implementing the design in a way that foreshadows needs that the client might not yet understand.

They also provide release summaries, and they've always been very well-equipped on launch days. The team supplies a lot of additional technical support and documentation, which has been extremely useful. All our end clients have been so pleased with the results that they've continued to pursue more features and development with Tandem.

How did Tandem Studios Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

They consistently meet deadlines. We use Jira, Confluence, and Trello for project management. As for communication, we use email and have regular project status updates through Zoom. We can always book calls with them through Calendly; they make themselves very accessible to us.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Tandem excels at foreseeing advantages or requirements that might be needed. They build things with the idea of doing things correctly the first time and not taking the quick and easy way. Moreover, they're timely, constantly meet deadlines, and have a good approach. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I wish their team were bigger so they could take on more projects because they've done stellar work. We're already trying to use as much of their capacity as we can.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you're subcontracting Tandem, let them be as close as possible to the end client. They work well with all stakeholders and are very professional. If you let them be close to the root of the problem, they'll have a solid understanding of what they're building and why.