TangoCode

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Our company is the largest brokerage franchise company in the world, serving around 200K independent agents around the world. I was the Director of Professional Services, owner of this project.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We needed an integrated process for generating social media ads (initially Facebook but with the option to grow to others) that dynamically adjusted themselves for different listings in different brokerages.

SOLUTION

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

Referral from Facebook resource based on the fact that KWRI prefers to have as much proprietary and owned software as possible in its provided solutions.

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

Scope: Setup and installation of dynamic ad creation platform in AWS; Creation of custom API for receiving listing data; appropriate documentation. I am unsure of the specific technologies used on our side or by TangoCode.

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

There was one Scrum master, six people in the development team (included UX, programming, testing), an additional two were involved in the discovery process.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I moved to a new company before the actual business results were given time to settle. But the initial results were on the order of 2x to 3x the number of results that we were getting from social media ads on Facebook that my team created manually.

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

Agile. Daily standup, two week sprints, sprint review, sprint planning, user testing process/acceptance. Communication was done in Slack, Zoom, and email. Timeliness on the part of TangoCode was as advertised. Delays were always on our side.

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

The effectiveness with which they communicated was impressive, and the consistency with which they delivered against their timeline was good. 

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

No. All issues encountered were rooted in our internal development processes, not theirs.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a product manager for a midsized automotive marketing company located in Maryland. We design a host of automotive dealer websites and create solutions that help our clients find and engage with potential customers. I’ve worked on different dealership and agency tools that our company creates.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with TangoCode?

We were looking to create a new design product for internal efficiency. Our in-house development team was busy and unable to look into this project’s complex new technical requirements, so we reached out to TangoCode.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

TangoCode developed a customized design editor that enabled our team to create nice-looking designs, website graphics, and advertising banners without needing professional design skills.

We needed the software to allow the user to add custom designs, images, and fonts to a canvas. We needed it to be able to parse and convert Photoshop files into layered files that a non–designer would be able to work within the design editor. Lastly, we needed the ability to create, manage, and share templates with our internal teams, and our end users needed the ability to manage designs that they created using those templates.

TangoCode walked us through the high-level requirements of the project and helped us understand what to look out for throughout the process. They estimated how many sprints it would take to create the product, and we began development.

They mostly built our design editor from scratch but worked with our team to integrate their software seamlessly with our systems. For example, our authentication system needed to be connected to the tool. We also needed integrations to pull vehicle and background images and from car manufacturers, among other creative assets that we host in our CMS.

What is the team composition?

We worked with two developers, one QA engineer, one UX designer, and what TangoCode calls a “solution owner,” which is similar to a Scrum master or business analyst. The solution owner keeps track of the agile Scrum process and helps deliver what they’ve committed to developing within each cycle.

How did you come to work with TangoCode?

We’d collaborated with TangoCode on other projects and always had a good experience with them, so we reached out for a quote. Considering their technological expertise and vast portfolio, we decided they were the right partner to work with.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested $50,000–$200,000 with TangoCode.

What is the status of this engagement?

This engagement spanned from March 2021–September 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

TangoCode developed the fully-featured first version of our design editor product in four months. We’ve received really good feedback from our different users.  

Our designers have provided good feedback about how the software has made them more efficient, as they now have one place to create and manage templates. They don’t need to transfer heavy Photoshop files or data from one computer to another. 

Our end users now create assets in a few hours instead of a few days. We’re looking into improving the product and adding new features, but we’ve achieved our goals for this first phase.

How did TangoCode perform from a project management standpoint?

TangoCode is a well-oiled machine. They have the metrics all figured out, which is very difficult for most development teams to accomplish. There are always unforeseen complexities in software development, but TangoCode has a standout ability to quickly overcome these issues so that we can still meet timelines.

While developing our design editor, they were very reliable about committing to expectations and delivering those results within each development cycle. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their standout approach to collaboration sets them apart from other providers. Even when we don’t have a clear understanding of a project’s requirements, they work with us during the exploration and discovery process to help us gain insight into what we can accomplish with the available technology. They provide sound feedback and recommendations that have really helped our projects succeed.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything at the moment. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Don’t hesitate to work with them — you can trust TangoCode and their team. They’ll help you figure out what needs to be done and provide recommendations for accomplishing your goals, including ideas that you haven’t thought of.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I was the Head of Product for a new division of a larger company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Soon after I started, we were tasked with developing a web app targeting mid-market businesses looking to research and connect with qualified leads. Our leadership wanted to get a working prototype into the market within 4 months and a live product released within 7.

SOLUTION

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

n/a, TangoCode had already been selected as a vendor prior to my arrival.

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

They designed and developed a React.js app that enabled users to search, filter, and save highly qualified leads for their business. We started with a product inception where we relied on their team to explore a couple of user journeys. Once we decided on a primary flow they developed the application to a point where it was production-ready in approximately 12 sprints.

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

We worked with approximately 5-6 people from TangoCode:

• their CTO
• 2-3 developers
• a QA
• a UX lead

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Through no fault of TangoCode, the project was obstructed by others in the company and eventually was shelved just prior to launch by a new leadership team. Generally our team was happy with the progress made by TangoCode throughout the project.

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

TangoCode excelled at project management. The team leader's communication was exceptional - we always had full access to the Jira Board and I rarely had to wait more than 5-10 minutes to a response on Slack, no matter the time of day.

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

Most developer-centric companies have poor project management and communication skills but TangoCode has them both.

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

I would say that UX is probably their weakest skill. We ended up bringing in a third-party contractor I'd worked with previously to lead the final UX for the product.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Private company founded to develop a concierge medical computer app to optimize the patient experience and increase the flow of information in order to improve outcomes in specialty care.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

TangoCaode (TC) was hired as the development company to take our concierge medical app project from inception to publication.

SOLUTION

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

TC was selected because of their versatility in approach, commitment to meeting our needs and their flexibility in dealing with the dynamic environment in healthcare.

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

We met, at first, twice weekly to develop the specs and outline the type of application we wanted to establish. Once TC had an idea of what we were looking for, we pursued a two week sprint process that organized and implemented the detailed steps of development and prioritization.

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

There were as many as ten staff working with us at times, including the president, developers, artists, web specialists and programmers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The outcome has been phenomenal and truly unique. As an “owner” with approval authority, I worked with their team to ensure ideas from our team were incorporated into the platform and flexible in use to meet, ultimately, the needs of the end user.

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

TC’s Project management style was organized and logical, but flexible enough to meet the ever-changing demands in the healthcare environment.

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

I believe their flexibility and responsiveness are the most impressive aspects of TangoCode.

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

The only area that might have helped would have been to have staff with medical practice knowledge working on the development. It was not a hinderance, as our entire team are healthcare professionals from MDs, nurses and paraprofessionals through medical practice administrators who worked closely with TC in the development.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Vice President of IT for Lyric Opera of Chicago. Lyric Opera’s mission is to express and promote the life-changing, transformational, revelatory power of great opera. Lyric exists to provide a broad, deep, and relevant cultural service to Chicago and the nation, and to advance the development of the art form.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire TangoCode?

Our company is currently researching a CRM System for digital marketing and fundraising efforts.

SOLUTION

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

TangoCode was recommended to us by a Board member and a Foundation. They provided an introduction to the team.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

We worked with TangoCode to assist us with identifying interdepartmental needs among four departments. They met with each team to perform discovery and documentation, review our existing RFP and then expand upon it. They have furnished five potential vendors for us to consider.

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

We worked with three of their team members. The Marketing Director, a Strategist, and their Cofounder.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

The outcome of this project was succesful. They were brought on board to perform discovery and documentation for three distinct departments: Marketing, Fundraising, and Telemarketing. The scope of the project was outlined in our RFP but required further details from stakeholders. The TangoCode team did excellent work in obtaining the details of our needs, documenting those needs, identifying goals, and furnishing five recommendations for potential systems.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow was excellent. We met remotely with all team members via video conferencing.

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

We truly appreciated that they took the time to learn about our distinct departmental needs. They made recommendations based on their first-hand experience with the solution we are seeking.

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

Not at this time. They fully met my expectation for their service and deliverable.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder of SwapMe, a community building and bartering mobile app.  

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with TangoCode?

We sought TangoCode’s to help us with a consulting session on how we could finish our mobile app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

TangCode scheduled the things we would go through. In total, we spent three days on Zoom where we discussed our vision, goals, and business ideas. We also identified potential barriers to our plans, and we talked about our competition. On top of that, we even discussed how to mitigate our future obstacles with TangoCode. 

Then, we emphasized the steps we made for the company. All our ideas were placed on sticky notes and we reviewed them. In the end, TangoCode provided a roadmap on how we should start things. After that, they laid out from their side what needed to happen, and they indicated from a tech perspective the pricing to accomplish our goal in order to go live.

We came up with what we think would be the most beneficial for our MVP. Then, they walked us through the steps on how we could kickstart our prototype, and they told us how that would work through a design sprint. 

What is the team composition?

We collaborated with Veronica (CEO), Bharat (Go-to-Market Strategy Consultant), and Kamla (Director of Marketing).

How did you come to work with TangoCode?

I started scanning software companies and I noticed some companies popped up in a few places on the top 10 software developers in Chicago. I made a list of the top companies I saw repeatedly on various websites. I also visited their sites and read all information about them. I highly appreciated TangoCode’s diverse team, and they provided a valuable perspective. They had staff with backgrounds from all over the world. 

Veronica herself was living in the US, but she was from Uruguay. I was also amazed that she was responsive and trustworthy. Bharat was also available for me from the beginning, and he seemed very genuine. Overall, they were not like other companies that made me feel like our engagement would be a “phone-type thing”. Instead, they showed that they cared about our relationship. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $5,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from January 2021 and it ended in February 2021. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

TangoCode helped us navigate around our problems. We decided in our survey and beta tests that we'd allow people to preload items onto our site so that when our app would go live, there would already be materials on our platform. 

How did TangoCode perform from a project management standpoint?

The team’s communication skills were superb. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

We were most impressed with TangoCode’s commitment to bringing people’s ideas to life.

Are there any areas they could improve? 

Since I’m not a technical person, there were some things that didn’t make sense at first, so translating complex terms into layman terms would’ve helped during the partnership.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be ready to work and use your brainpower. Get ready to discuss the nitty-gritty of your project. The more involved you are, the better. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the executive director of a youth employment organization.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with TangoCode?

We needed help with app development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They developed our Native application for data collection. We wanted to take full advantage of the functionality of new devices and also maintain quality when there’s poor connectivity. They worked in React Native, and built out in iOS and Android.

What is the team composition?

We worked with 4-5 members of their team.

How did you come to work with TangoCode?

They were referred to us by another organization. They were easy to interact with and they had the most diverse group. Additionally, they had experience working with nonprofits

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $200,000, including maintenance.

What is the status of this engagement?

We kicked off in January 2019, and we’re still working together.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We haven’t implemented the technology yet. We hope it’ll collect better data with better user experience while enabling us to collect to work across the country with different partners.

How did TangoCode perform from a project management standpoint?

They were very good at managing the project. The only issue we had was that the launch date being pushed back by a week or so. We Jira, Slack, and Zeplin to keep track of the project.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were really thorough. Our youth program is pretty complex since there are several different user roles. They were good about understanding us and how we work.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they were really great to work with. They had a real partnership approach with our customers, which we appreciated.

We felt really comfortable with them. They had clear communication all the way up the ladder to their CTO. They really made things happen.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the digital product manager for PLS Financial.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with TangoCode?

They provided app development and enhanced our digital brand.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

First, they developed an iOS app and then completed a native Android app using C# and Xcode. They also expanded UX capabilities. Since our project was extended for our internal team, they redid, redeveloped, redefined, and upgraded the platform throughout our engagement.

What is the team composition?

The team had 5–6 people on it.

How did you come to work with TangoCode?

TangoCode has a longstanding relationship with my company. They beat out other agencies.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $300,000–$500,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

They started the project in May 2015 they completed it in December 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We launched the product in the summer of 2019 and have approximately 59,000 subscribers at the moment, surpassing our three-month goal.  

How did TangoCode perform from a project management standpoint?

The iOS draft took three months, and then another three months to complete the platform. Then, the Android app development took three months, so they worked efficiently.

We really appreciated that they were transparent about everything and their communication was really strong. We used Jira. They were really accommodating throughout the process. Even though they strictly follow an agile methodology, they helped us learn and adapt when we fell behind sprints.

What did you find most impressive about them?

 They were knowledgeable and communicative, helping us adapt to a new challenge. They coached us in agile methodology, so we continue to adapt.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Although no company is perfect, they were the perfect partners for us and I can’t think of anything they need to improve.  

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We offer a full range of solutions to help a company manage their online reputation: Directories, Business Listings, Reviews, Social, Surveys, Paid Media, and Insights. I provide strategic direction and execution for clients across media channels.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire TangoCode?

TangoCode helped lead a strategy and roadmapping session to integrate with the Google Ads API. They helped us identify the business case, implementation process, and differentiating value proposition for our specific platform.

What were your goals for this project?

Create a business case and the initial stages of a go to market strategy for integrating with the Google Ads API to allow us to more effectively scale our paid media offering.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

TangoCode was brought to table by Google specifically, who we had been engaging with thus far. As they were a trusted partner with Google and had helped other companies with similar projects, they were a great fit.

Describe the project in detail.

The project involved a 2 day strategy and planning session. We discussed our short and long term visions for the company and the role this product would play in that, a business opportunity analysis and development for a business case, product offering prioritization, development of our target client persona, risk assessment, and the building of a product roadmap to execute on the vision.

What was the team composition?

We engaged with two individuals, the CTO and Director of Marketing, who developed the agenda, led all elements of the 2 day planning session, compiled all notes and materials, and generated a powerpoint deliverable summarizing the work and takeaways from the session.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We were able to generate a tangible plan forward with which we could operate to gain executive buy in. As this was a new product/service offering, it was crucial for us to have a firm understanding of the resources necessary and the opportunity it would unlock for us.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The ability to spend two full days with the vendor, in person, was extremely beneficial. We were able to accelerate our progress by a factor of weeks if not months, and they were great to work with. Very organized and informed, and they were able to keep the discussions on track and visualize the progress in real time.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I was impressed by their ability to hold us accountable as a company. they challenged us on our assumptions, our speculations, and our differentiators in a productive way that ensured we were developing sound conclusions and a realistic vision of success.

Are there any areas for improvement?

While we spent two days with them, there were areas where we were hung up on a few discussions that made it impossible to cover everything. A few more introductory conversations before the planning sessions may have allowed us to start a few steps ahead and have time to cover everything.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there. 

I’m the former VP of research and development for Aprimo. We’re primarily involved in digital marketing for channel solutions. I guide and audit the development teams that produce various products. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with TangoCode? 

I've hired TangoCode for two different challenges. The first was to produce a mobile app to help customers who own physical storefronts to run advertising campaigns with just a click of a button. The second was to automate digital ads on a large scale, international basis. Instead of relying on humans to manage the spend and placement of ads, we wanted a computer to do it based on inputs and artificial intelligence. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement? 

TangoCode first developed native apps to help our customers. They started with iOS and then built the Android app in parallel. The Android version was always secondary because iOS had more features. They created an innovative UI with multiple parallax views as users scrolled through the interface. Another interesting feature was that the content provided by our customers drove the UI as opposed to UI having its own content. 

Next they developed a cloud-based solution to automate ads. TangoCode developed a backend solution that interfaces with our digital marketing platform. They built it in .NET as the tech stack, hosted completely in Microsoft Azure. They continue to develop and maintain the solution for us.

What is the team composition?

I work primarily with Jean Pierre (VP of Engineering, TangoCode). He's my usual point of contact but I’ve also worked at least a dozen members of their team, including Dane and Veronica (CEO and CTO, respectively).

How did you come to work with TangoCode?

I believe they were a referral from within my network. I really liked that they’re a local team. 

What is the status of this engagement? 

The mobile app project started in 2013 and launched in Q2 of 2014. The cloud software began in 2014 and then launched its first release in 2015. It’s continued to have multiple releases.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The mobile app helped us to increase our engagement with customers about 500 percent, so that was great for us. TangoCode made it as easy, seamless, and frictionless as possible.

Thanks to the cloud software, we’re able to manage and scale from the hundreds to the hundreds of thousands of ads without adding any staff. We were actually able to reduce our staff by one. TangoCode’s work had tremendous revenue capabilities for us in being able to manage and scale ads while also increased the marketing ROI for our customers. Every dollar they spend on an ad is well-placed and doesn’t result in garbage clicks. In terms of productivity, they helped us bring the product to market about 20%–30% faster than if we tried to do it on our own or using an offshore resource. 

How did TangoCode perform from a project management standpoint? 

Communication is a mix of email, GoToWebinar, and in-person meetings. It’s great that TangoCode is physically so close to us. We can get over to their office in minutes. For daily communication, we also use tracking tools that send email notifications every time there's a new post. 

What did you find most impressive about them? 

There's a lot I like about TangoCode. They’re passionate in what they do and they really care. If we're hurting, they hurt. If we're happy, they're happy. They act and behave as though they are part of our business. It's a step beyond partnership, which I really like. If we don't have the ability to fill a role, they'll step in and get it done. They're not a fly-by-night operation. TangoCode is very solid in what they do, and we see that in the retention rate of their employees. That says a lot about how they treat people. 

Are there any areas they could improve? 

TangoCode needs to better adapt agile methodology. It's somewhat new to them in the past four years as their chief methodology. Their communication could also be better in terms of being accurate. If they can improve those things, we’ll see fewer bugs, missteps, and sprints that come up short. The good thing is that TangoCode is constantly striving to improve. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers? 

They will communicate more than you anticipate. If you're going to work with TangoCode, you need to step up your own game. It will make you a better product owner and manager if you’re prepared. They’re not ever going to go silent or “ghost” you. On the other hand, they're not the right fit for you if you're not comfortable being available all the time.