TELUS Digital

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am a business systems analyst for the website and mobile apps of a retail business.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with WillowTree?

For the company’s initial introduction, we needed a vendor to create an online and mobile app presence. We have no in-house developers, and the work required a significant and knowledgeable team.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The overarching aim of the website is to establish the company’s history, provide information to customers and vendors, and to provide a unified platform for marketing. WillowTree built our go-to-market website from the ground up, as well as both Android and iOS mobile apps. From UX design to both front- and back-end development, they were involved at every step of the process. The work was based on the brand agency-created concepts that we provided at the start of our engagement with them.

One clear benefit in their construction of the site is that when our marketing department needs to make changes to their website content, they can now do so in-house. Once the development work was completed, WillowTree also assisted with the strategic establishment of our online presence. Finally, they took the lead in the submission process for both the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store.

What is the team dynamic?

Most of our communication went through our project manager, although periodically their engineers and developers would also be directly involved in discussions. In order to coordinate with our internal systems and generate data necessary for the development, they established a hefty infrastructure and middleware team.

How did you come to work with WillowTree?

A number of development shops vied for the contract, but WillowTree ultimately won.

How much have you invested with them?

Between $200,000 and $1 million.

What is the status of this engagement?

We engaged their services around Dec. 2015, and the relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Due to the company’s introduction to the market still being in its early stages, we are still collecting and measuring the impact of our engagement with WillowTree. However, initial feedback has been positive about the website and app functionalities.

How did WillowTree perform from a project management standpoint?

Typically, our means of communication was via either email or conference calls. During the development process, we did do onsite visits to both our offices and theirs by our respective teams. Their team is very responsive, particularly when it comes to updating us on code or design issues and providing us an estimate for its repair. For any problem areas, they would give us detailed feedback on the issue itself, the cause, the means of repair, and an estimated length of time for completion. Throughout the process, they were consistent about providing executive status reports to both their and our internal times in a timely manner. Even though they were off-site, we always felt well informed.

What did you find most impressive about them?

WillowTree’s relaxed internal work culture was a breath of fresh air in an otherwise occasionally staid industry. They are constantly on the lookout for new features and advanced functionality that allows us to be a leader in our retail space and gives us a distinct technological advantage over our competitors.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Some of their cost and time estimates were overly conservative. Although their work was always completed in a timely manner, it would have benefitted our office to have slightly more accurate approximations for our scheduling and budgetary purposes.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Regal operates one of the leading theatre circuits in the United States, providing its patrons with a convenient and enjoyable movie-going experience. I am the VP of media. I oversee the strategy and execution of the company website, app, and social media channels.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with WillowTree?

We had a mobile app which had been built by a partner company but made the decision to build our own version in order to have some independence in terms of features and functionalities. We hired a mobile agency for this and had a successful launch. As a result of this, our partner agency was bought by a well-known entertainment company and brought in as their in-house team. When that happened, we were left with an app on the market without anyone to manage and improve it. We reached out to a number of agencies and settled on WillowTree.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

WillowTree was brought in to look at our app and make a decision between continuing to develop it, or destroying a few years of work and starting fresh. Many agencies prefer not to maintain apps built by other companies. We also wanted to determine if WillowTree had the skill sets to work on our existing app. They reviewed it and determined that the app had been built very well, so they were happy to manage the existing codebase.

There have been some cosmetic changes since that time, and the app has been rebuilt entirely on the backend. Our app is available on iOS and Android.

How did you come to work with WillowTree?

WillowTree was highly recommended by the company that built our initial app. We took that as a huge boost in confidence. Our executive team sat down with WillowTree's team, and it was apparent from that meeting that they were the company we wanted to move forward with.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with WillowTree at the end of 2015.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The biggest success for us was having WillowTree take over the app. After that, they integrated our entire loyalty program into it, which was already the biggest of its kind in the movie industry.

Our second project was launched less than a month ago, and it involved native ticketing through the app's e-commerce capabilities. In the past, any click-to-buy ticket button would land users on our partner company's platform. WillowTree decoupled all connectivity and dependencies with it and launched our first foray into selling online tickets.

What did you find most impressive about WillowTree?

I was a part of starting a mobile agency in the past, and I appreciate the amount of work that goes into any project, from the discovery to the technical draw-outs, user-experience journeys, and the actual testing. There is a lot of heavy lifting which goes into even a standard build. There is no disconnect between what our company wants and what our fans want, which is the biggest thing for us.

Are there any areas WillowTree could improve?

While WillowTree is great at understanding our project needs and bringing them to life, I’d like to see them stay a little more ahead of emerging technology trends.  Identifying what’s new, researching the technology and pro-actively presenting recommendations where it makes sense.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We provide technology for companies which sell AVRs and speakers for movie houses. I am the senior director of enterprise app for the company. All the corporate apps that run the business are supported by my team, including SAP as our ERP [enterprise resource planning] system, and Salesforce as the CRM [customer relationship management]. We're a traditional IP organization that supports mostly backend CRM, ERP and HR systems. We also roll out small mobile apps, depending on the usage, which is how we came to know WillowTree.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with WillowTree?

We're not good in terms of mobile app usability design, so we wanted to boost our mobile capability. We wanted to work with a company that was an expert in the field—someone who could give us a sense of what it was like to design and build a mobile app from the ground up. We generally take existing apps and produce mobile versions, but this time we wanted to start fresh.

Our IT department had hackathons through which groups try to figure out a project or problem that needs to be solved. This involved thinking out of the box, not just making processes faster or improving RMA [return merchandise authorization] fulfilment. The problem we identified was that whenever there was an issue with conference room equipment, people would complain about it but wouldn't report it. We thought that a mobile app would be a great way for people to report problems with videoconferencing or telephone equipment. It would help provide the status of other rooms proactively. Our team made prototypes and PowerPoint back-of-the-napkin mockups. One was chosen as the winner. We considered building it ourselves, but we decided to go to an external vendor.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

WillowTree took our prototype and built a native iOS app based on it. It gave us all the bells and whistles of an iPhone, including the ability to take pictures and attach them to the ticket that was created automatically. You could do that just by hitting a button. At the end of the issue submission process, the user has the ability to call the helpdesk. We worked with two designers, a developer, a QA tester, a project manager, and an intern from WillowTree's team.

How did you come to work with WillowTree?

WillowTree was one of the presenters at a conference attended by our CIO. He really liked their philosophy and how they operated. WillowTree has a lot of interns, probably as many as our whole IT team. He wanted to reward a company which was looking ahead and giving something back, so he told me to have WillowTree build an app for us. Since we were doing our hackathon at the time, it was good timing. We worked on a crowdsourced project and were considering having the same approach here, but that project was a lot of work for our team. We needed to get 30 proposals down to 15, which was an arduous task. Our CIO liked WillowTree so much that we didn't even look at another mobile company.

How much have you invested with WillowTree?

The cost of WillowTree's work was around $100,000. The pricing was more expensive than we would have thought, but, considering the number of people who worked on it, it was worth it. We could have done the same work with two people instead of seven, but we wouldn't have gotten the same quality.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project ended in October 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The executive admin organization is our most our most vocal critic, but also the first people who would tell us when we are doing a great job. We had them as the pilot group. They also took part in the prototyping and design. We tried to win them over, and they think it's an easy app to use. It was a big thing for us since we don't really build iOS apps internally. We might develop an HTML5 app, but that wouldn't give us all the functionality of a native one.

When IT rolls out tools, they do it from a technology standpoint. The questions being asked around our videoconferencing equipment were around problems with cables or the devices themselves. Our feedback was that people had no idea where the problem was; they just wanted to tell us what it was. When we figured that out through our design process with WillowTree, we realized that we'd been asking the wrong question, thinking from our perspective and not the users' point of view. We came up with an app that’s easy to use. It allows users to walk through and identify what the problem is. They've been happy since they only need to tell us what the symptoms are. We also have an out for people who do know what the specific cause of a problem is, allowing them to take a picture and create a ticket directly.

How did WillowTree perform from a project management standpoint?

It was a quick project using Agile methodology. That was another area where we wanted to gain more experience. It took 3–4 sprints to reach the end of production, so it was a very well-run project. The managers kept the project going and kept us informed. Not only does WillowTree have good designers and developers, their project management is tight.

What did you find most impressive about WillowTree?

The principles of the organization are relatively flat. WillowTree's VP of development came over and talked about their processes. I wasn't shielded from the management, and the people running the company are actually involved in the development. That was a huge benefit to me since I had direct contact with people who could make a difference in the company.

Are there any areas WillowTree could improve?

The process felt heavy at times since we were involving so many people from WillowTree's team. As we went through it, we saw that WillowTree was leaving room for contingency. That meant if a developer became sick, there was another person already piggy-backing on their work who could take over. I don't know if this could be done differently, but it felt heavy. That was my only issue with WillowTree.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are an online auction site for firearms, hunting gear, and everything for the great outdoors.

I am the director of engineering for the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with WillowTree?

We have a lot of experience in the web world but needed to create a mobile presence for both iOS and Android. We have no real development skills in that space.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

This was our first launch into the mobile workspace, so the primary goal was to build solid apps which would allow some base functionalities for customers who wanted to search through our products and make purchases on their mobile devices.

WillowTree provided UI/UX [user interface/user experience] design for the mobile web side and app development for iOS and Android. Since we're an online marketplace similar to eBay, with four million registered users, we didn't have a need for market research services.

How much have you invested with WillowTree?

The cost of WillowTree's work has been between $200,000 and $1,000,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with WillowTree in 2013. We go back to WillowTree on a regular basis for work related to enhancing the apps, or for design in other areas.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were looking to build stable, solid products that could represent our marketplace well, that was the biggest thing. Any issues which came up were small and addressed immediately. WillowTree's work has created a good mobile presence for us that has been well received by our customers.

How did WillowTree perform from a project management standpoint?

WillowTree has gone through a couple of different project management solutions. We're currently using Basecamp for our communication, which seems to be working well. They try to stay close to the best-of-breed solutions for this kind of work. They know how to utilize them in order to get the most out of them for a project. I wish that some of our other vendors would use the same tools as WillowTree.

What did you find most impressive about WillowTree?

WillowTree brought together a multidisciplinary team of designers, technicians, and quality assurance specialists, covering the whole gambit of how the app needed to be designed, developed, and tested across devices and platforms, in order to be successfully implemented.

WillowTree brings together highly competent individuals which are experts in their field and can share their knowledge. They've taught us a lot about how things work in the Android and iOS spaces, which are different than what we're used to.

Are there any areas WillowTree could improve?

Our only shortcoming was with the first UX design project for the web. WillowTree delivered some base code which wasn't quite up to our expectations, and we should have done a better job of defining what those expectations were, in terms of structure and functionality.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

NeighborWorks America is a congressionally funded public non-profit organization supporting and funding over 250 other non-profits across the country, working in over 4,000 communities, developing them in a number of different ways. We receive funding from private sector partners, as well as from federal allocations.

I am the director of the sustainable homeownership project. It's focused on a subset of our non-profit members, helping them move from being social service agencies primarily funded by grants and philanthropy to social enterprises working at achieving a double bottom line of mission and profitability. My unit is focused on enabling moderate income families to become homeowners.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with WillowTree?

As a part of my department's activity, I manage a very big tech project developing what we call the "Shop Tech Suite", which is a Salesforce CRM [customer relationship management] platform. It includes a customer-facing technology called Compass, which was developed by WillowTree.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

WillowTree created our customer-facing technology in the form of a responsive website, accessible on both desktops and mobile devices. WillowTree handled the design work, developed a look and feel, while also helping us articulate a value proposition to customers. They maintained the technology, and as we grew and added new organizations, WillowTree ensured that everyone would adopt the technology.

It's a comprehensive system in that, for the first time ever in the 40-year history of our network, our NeighborWorks organizations now have a way of letting their members create accounts and engage in a virtual relationship with the non-profit's staff, as well as access products and services virtually. In essence, this saves a lot of staff time and it's much more cost-effective for the organization, ultimately allowing them to serve more families.

How did you come to work with WillowTree?

We went through a request for proposal process involving multiple firms. What set WillowTree apart was their attitude and approach to customer service. They had an obvious, deliberate intent to provide value to our organization, doing so beyond the financial arrangement. There have been times when WillowTree has had to make accommodations in order to provide us with the value we needed, putting their bottom line second.

How much have you invested with WillowTree?

The cost of WillowTree's work has been at least $500,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with WillowTree three and a half years ago. It's an ongoing relationship.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We've set up each of our non-profits on Google Analytics, allowing them to see their traffic. One of the things which came out as a result of us working with WillowTree is a significant increase of about 70% in the number of new leads coming into the organization. This is a result of the technology built by WillowTree.

It's big for a non-profit to go from having a paper-centric environment where everything was being done in person, to leveraging technology and allowing a virtual relationship with the customer. That has been a breakthrough for our network of groups, and it's what will set the stage for significant growth.

How did WillowTree perform from a project management standpoint?

WillowTree's members are experts at what they do and have a deliberate approach to high-quality customer service.

What did you find most impressive about WillowTree?

Attitude is everything. WillowTree's willingness to go the extra mile and help us in a bind has been outstanding.

Are there any areas WillowTree could improve?

Not really. We threw a lot of urgent work at them, which created a shortage of resources on WillowTree's side. It was mostly because we weren't able to predict our needs, so the gaps in resources were mostly because our project was like a bullet train. We couldn't make the same predictions as many other companies.

As we grow bigger and bigger in our technology endeavor, I would only hope that the partnerships created with other tech firms will be as solid as the one with WillowTree.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We're one of the largest member-owned credit unions in Illinois and one of the largest in the US. 

I am a program manager for the company's digital transformation initiative, which is a five-year program for shifting the majority of our business practices to the digital space.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with WillowTree?

We had a mobile app which had been purchased through a third party and wasn't customizable. It was a basic platform which we shared with many other financial institutions, and it didn't provide the flexibility and adaptability that we were looking for. We have some internal mobile development expertise, but we figured that partnering with an industry leader would be ideal.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

WillowTree brought the expertise and guidance necessary for building our app from the ground up, based on our specifications. They've worked closely with us through a strategy and design engagement, during which we produced wireframes and prototypes which fit our needs. We worked with WillowTree in building a scalable solution.

Our technology group built all APIs and core backend connectivity, while WillowTree designed the frontend. We've worked together on a day-to-day basis, over numerous brainstorming sessions. WillowTree provided Xamarin development for both Android and iOS.

It was important that we would be able to take full ownership of the app for future development, so WillowTree positioned us in a way that would allow taking the work in-house.

How did you come to work with WillowTree?

We went through an exhaustive RFP [request for proposal] effort, meeting with over 12 vendors across the country in order to determine who the right partner would be for building our mobile app. Some of those options had financial experience, while others didn't. We also wanted to find a developer with Xamarin experience, and WillowTree is a preferred Microsoft partner. WillowTree responded well to our RFP, and we were impressed with their expertise and past projects. We narrowed them down to the final two and made a visit to their office. What set WillowTree over the edge was their hospitality; the company had a friendly and homely type of feel, and their culture worked well with ours. The amount of expertise they had on-staff was remarkable as well.

How much have you invested with WillowTree?

We've made a substantial investment in our mobile platform, but I can't provide an exact figure.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with WillowTree in the fourth quarter of 2015. We've had split design and development engagements, spending the first four months on the design. The development kicked off at the beginning of 2016 and ran for 9–10 months. The relationship is ongoing for continued development and refinements for the app.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

WillowTree's work conforms to our standards perfectly.

How did WillowTree perform from a project management standpoint?

We've had numerous site visits over our 14-month engagement in order to build our team dynamic. We had daily standups, and if someone dialed into the call, they wouldn't be able to differentiate between a WillowTree employee and one of our own.

We've brought WillowTree's team to Chicago for a visit and decided to have a team-bonding experience, so we went out to a Cubs game.

What did you find most impressive about WillowTree?

WillowTree's team is down to earth, knowledgeable, passionate, and motivated. We have like-minded principles and passions, and WillowTree felt more like an extension of our team than a vendor.

Are there any areas WillowTree could improve?

Ours was the first large financial services app built by WillowTree, and it would have helped for them to have a bigger background in this area, more importantly in the credit union space. Credit union products and services, while similar to standard banking, have many nuances. We could have spent a little more time in order to have WillowTree understand our intricacies in the backend, and make the design and development a bit easier. There were some glitches in the project, but we were able to work through them quickly, adjusting and adapting as necessary in order to meet the overall timeline and budget.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Synchrony Financial is the largest provider of private label credit cards in the United States and works to help businesses and customers finance major consumer purchases and elective healthcare. I work in the Consumer Bank, which is the Direct Bank with $37B in deposits and 500,000+ accounts. 

I am the digital leader for the Bank. I lead and manage our online channels, including the website and mobile platform.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with WillowTree?

We needed to kick off our native app project. Our company as a whole is fairly new to this space, so when we were thinking about a partner who could help us think through these strategies and designs, we wanted to find someone who had experience in the area.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

WillowTree took a look at our business and customer journey and incorporated our strategic vision into a roadmap for the native app. They proposed that we develop iOS and Android versions from the start since our customer data showed a 50/50 split between the platforms. WillowTree performed customer research for us, following this with a design phase which was started from scratch.

How did you come to work with WillowTree?

We researched a few options, going through an RFP [request for proposal] process involving three agencies. Each candidate was brought in, given a basic list of our needs, and presented an overview of their culture, style, and what they could bring to the table. We liked WillowTree because the company not only offered design and development, but also an upfront strategy piece. Even though we didn't specifically request this, WillowTree offered to help us with the initial process of determining what should and shouldn't be in the app based on industry trends and other data. 

How much have you invested with WillowTree?

The cost of WillowTree's work was between $50,000 and $200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with WillowTree in August 2016. The design phase took three months to complete, ending in October. It was collaborative and fast. We have decided to develop the app internally, but have extended a new project to WillowTree for redesigning our website.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Everyone has loved not only the design itself but also how we came to make those decisions. There was a lot of research and data put together to substantiate those decisions, which is important, especially for a company like ours. We've appreciated the rigor and research done for understanding our space.

Everyone internally, all the way up to our CEO, has had high praises for WillowTree's work. We are working with them again and will continue to do so for a very long time. There are a few other teams in our organization using WillowTree, which goes to show what a great partner they are and the compatibility of our cultures.

How did WillowTree perform from a project management standpoint?

WillowTree has come to feel like a part of my team, even though we work remotely. We have calls twice a week and are a synchronized team. WillowTree's team is open and smart, always on the cutting edge of their field. I have a lot of trust in them, which was a key point from the start.

The strategy piece was tightly managed by one of WillowTree's lead user experience strategists. We had organized follow-ups, and everyone in the team was responsive. We used a tool called TeamSite, which I found to be useful and easy to use.

What did you find most impressive about WillowTree?

WillowTree's team is extremely collaborative and open to our opinions. They've taken our inputs and incorporated them in a way which made sense, but also pushed back when it was necessary.

Are there any areas WillowTree could improve?

I wish that WillowTree was closer to us, but we've made an effort to see each other in person. I know that this is impossible, but it would be great to work side by side. Also, the level of project management during the strategy side should be matched with that of the design portion.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We provide fueling solutions globally for the retail market, namely gas stations. We offer fuel dispensers and complete site solutions for companies.

I am an engineering director for the company. My focus is on innovation and strategy.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with WillowTree?

We wanted to provide some innovation offerings for retailers, the first of which was a mobile app. Secondarily, we have been working on what we call a customer experience of the future. It's a revolutionary, forward-looking fueling experience which is a game changer for the marketplace.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The fuel dispenser experience is not unlike a kiosk. WillowTree is offering tablet solutions for customers, based on our unique flair and challenge. We have developed an OSX app running on a Mac in kiosk mode, acting like a giant tablet for customers.

How did you come to work with WillowTree?

I was introduced to WillowTree through my connections with another company, who had used them on a similar project. We asked for a bid for a proof of concept mobile app we were building at the time. WillowTree was put face to face with a local candidate, Mutual Mobile. After meeting both teams, getting proposals, and talking about project scope, design ideas, and plans, WillowTree far outshined their competition.

How much have you invested with WillowTree?

The cost of WillowTree's work has been between $250,000 and $500,000, over the course of two years.

What is the status of this engagement?

We have been working with WillowTree for many years.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The user experience we've designed with WillowTree has far exceeded the expectations of my internal production and management team, as well as those of our customers. People have been amazed at the technological advances and user experience of the app. It's clean, professional, and refined. All use cases have been thought through and implemented well. WillowTree brought its A-game from a design and execution perspective.

The reception of our "customer experience of the future" deliverable wasn't just okay, it was collectively described as the best thing people had seen. A VP from a major oil company gave a quote at the 2016 NACS [The Association for Convenience & Fuel Retailing] tradeshow, which is the largest of its kind in the US, saying that it was the best exhibit he had seen there.

How did WillowTree perform from a project management standpoint?

WillowTree delivered on time and on budget through intense deadlines. Working with them has had a very current feel. WillowTree employs the latest toolsets, methodologies, and disciplines. They're a young, energetic, and creative team with a "work hard, play hard" mentality. WillowTree often worked late in order to get things done because they're passionate about what they do.

What did you find most impressive about WillowTree?

The spirit of the company is that life's too short not to enjoy your job, which shines through from the management down. I attended a recent work event with WillowTree's staff in Charlottesville. At these types of events, there will usually be some pockets of resentments from people talking about their bosses, jobs, or clients. I never heard anyone from WillowTree say anything negative. They love their jobs and the projects developed by the company; they feel valued, and it's an unbelievable dynamic, with everyone feeling appreciated and challenged. I told some of them that (especially because they're young) they should realize the fact that not every company is like WillowTree. Having challenging, rewarding, and cool work in cutting-edge technology is a luxury and they can appreciate every second of it.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a leading provider of hotels, with 8,000 hotels around the world. I am the senior manager of mobile product strategy. I’m in charge of the mobile websites and the app.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with WillowTree?

We needed a new app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They built an Android app and an iOS app in native code from scratch.

How did you come to work with WillowTree?

We used an RFP [request for proposal] process and we were impressed by some of the work they’d done in the past. Their pricing was competitive as well.

How much have you invested with WillowTree?

We spent over $200,000 with WillowTree.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project took 6 months to build but we’ve been working with them for 2 ½ years.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The app has been well received and we’ve won a few awards as a result of it. I can’t give you any metrics.

What did you find most impressive about WillowTree?

They’re agile and flexible. Their current project management team is strong as well as their current account leads.

Are there any areas WillowTree could improve?

The main issue has been around the two versions of the app being built in different native code. Over the course of the last 2 years, there have been bugs or enhancements in one platform and not in the other. WillowTree is organized by developer type so they’re split into 2 teams. I think that if they could close the gap there, that would be good.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company.

I work for a real estate development company. We build residential and commercial buildings and across the U.S. Our big project is the high-profile Barclays Center in New York City. This arena is for the Nets who moved from New Jersey to Brooklyn. 

We purchased the team in 2003, and we had plans to build the arena in 2006, 2007, and 2008. It was delayed for a while, and we finally broke ground in 2010 with a brand-new arena. We’re going to build the most technologically advanced arena because it’s brand new. We’re going to put the best components in it. 

What is your role and responsibilities?

I manage all of the vendors that we have, and there are hundreds.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was your process for selecting WillowTree Apps for the work?

I spent a lot of time in the App Store. I looked at other venue applications. There are template apps out there, such as Mobile Roadie. YinzCam has template apps, which venues have gone after because they’re inexpensive. At Barclays, we’re a new venue and a new look, with a new team and a new logo. We wanted a different-looking, custom app. We had to find a developer. I talked to Funware, which did the Florida Hurricanes’ custom app design.

Through my connection at Carbonhouse, they introduced me to WillowTree. Carbonhouse does a lot of hosting for venues. I think they were just acquired by AEG, so they do a lot of website hosting. They introduce me to Tobias [Dengel, WillowTree Apps CEO], and we hit it off pretty well.

Between his team and his design team, they understood what we were looking for. We gave them a design overview, but not exactly a design. We were looking for a company that could go out and design something without needing too much micromanagement. They took a lot of initiative themselves, and that’s what I was looking for. We did a proposal/RFP with them, and they came back with their preliminary design.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their work?

The overarching thing is to improve the fan experience. We created two apps. One is the Barclay Center app, which represents the venue. The Nets are our anchor tenant in the building, but we also do about 220 total events. Out of those 220 events, 41 of them are Nets games. We have all other events, such as concerts, shows, and the circus. We wanted to create an app that helps you inside the venue. Navigating around, ordering food, and getting to deliver it was a must for the app. The stadium uses StadiumVision Mobile, which is multicast streaming via Wi-Fi, which hasn’t been done in another venue. In essence, it enhances the fan experience.

From the Nets application, which we also worked on with WillowTree Apps, the issue was to connect with fans with stats and upgraded seat offers. There are different options in the game that fans like. If you’re sitting in the upper concourse, you can upgrade your seat for $40, and then sit close to courtside. There are definitely enhancements, and that’s our way of connecting with the fans. We can utilize it because we have as good Wi-Fi system, and a good distributive antenna system for cellular connectivity. So, it really comes down to how we’re communicating with our fans.

I commissioned them to  build the Barclay Center App, to build the Nets apps. There was an iPhone/iPad app that controls the TVs in the suites via StadiumVision Mobile, which is our IPTV solution. Fans could also order food and look at the menus inside the suite on the custom iPad.

I gave them a wish list of things we wanted in the Barclay Center, a wish list of things that go in the NetSet, and then a list of requirements that had to be in the iPad app that was in every suite. They took that wish list, boiled it down, did everything from the organization, the structure, the mapping, the wireframes. They sent them all to us, and I loved the first design, so they took it from the first design, they stayed on that. They helped organize everything for the layouts. I gave them specific things.

My boss wanted something easy, like when you go on a plane and get the little Galaxy tablet. You can eat, you can watch TV, so he wanted that same thing. So, when you go on the app, you log on the Wi-Fi, and the app asks you right away what you want to eat. You can watch Interact, which communicates right to the scoreboard, send text messages, and security alerts. Everything that was on my wish list, they put in their wireframes, developed it, and got it integrated in the apps.

There were a couple of things that they integrated into the app, specifically, the StadiumVision Mobile component, which has been done before. They had to work with the Cisco team for that. We flew out to San Jose to Cisco headquarters to work with that team, to integrate with their SDK. We are really proud of that, to be the first venue to roll out StadiumVision Mobile. It streams different content onto your mobile device while you’re in the venue.

We used SDK from Bypass Lane to manage the food ordering; we had to integrate the 3-D mapping software from another company. Ticketmaster integration used SDK integration, which is never that easy. But it really came down to the structure and organization. They understood our requirements fairly well, so they put it in an easily functioning app that’s easy to follow. That all held true for the Barclay Center app, the Nets app, and the iPad app was a whole different animal.

We wanted something easy on the wall that allowed someone to control the TV. The cool thing about that, which is another SDK from Cisco for the StadiumVision Mobile component, is that I can have one iPad in the whole venue control every TV. I can turn every TV on or off at the same time. That’s unique in that it’s from the custom iPad app that they developed for us. All the colors and schemes were from them.

Does the app work for Android?

Yes. We can’t eliminate half our population. For our public-facing Wi-Fi, we have 4,000 to 5,000 people connected a night. I know how many are in the app, what they’re doing in the app, how many on StadiumVision Mobile are looking at the feeds, and I also know what type of devices they have. So, the iPhones are around 30 percent, and the bulk consists of Samsung, Motorola, Nexus, and the other devices that are on there. There’s a huge population. The Galaxy S4 is a huge phone. You have to develop Android. There’s no other way around it, and you can’t just do iOS.

So, they develop both iOS and Android for the Barclay Center and the Nets. The iPad just needed to be iOS, because it’s a custom app that we send out through our mobile device management, the [M Solution].

Can you provide a ballpark dollar figure for the size of the work that they’ve done for you?

Low- to mid-six figures.

When was the latest milestone completed for that work?

The work is all finished. We have a maintenance contract to perform upkeep on the iOS 7 upgrades. I have a retainer with them, because it’s a mobile app. Especially in the sports/entertainment industry, we’ll want to upgrade different features. We’ll want different SDKs to add such as people tracking.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Is there anything unique about them that really makes them stand out, compared to other companies?

I work with Iversoll, IT, AV, and broadcast for the whole arena. I work with tons of vendors, everyone from Dactronics in the Center to the broadcast guys, all the way up to the mobile app. It was good because I spent so much time with everything else, and had limited time to spend with WillowTree. They put in their A-team. Without me micromanaging, WillowTree took a lot of initiative themselves.

You have to look at the team that built it and the guys they put behind it. It’s not one of these big development companies that outsource their work. They did all the work in-house, and I felt comfortable with the team. I got to know them, which helped tremendously. I can’t say enough about the team. They’re solid, and the design team was great.

Looking back on the work so far, is there any area that you think they could improve upon or that you might do differently?

I always look at different enhancements that I wish I put inside the app that we’re planning for now. Also, we want to prove out ROI, which means getting in early with them. We design the app in a certain way, and we have certain goals for each thing, such as enhancing the fan experience. As a sports/entertainment venue, you have to look at how we can sponsor certain areas such as the StadiumVision Mobile feed. Working with them early to build packages to help my sales guys, sponsorship guys, sell the different parts of the app or sell the overarching app by itself would help. That’s something new that hasn’t been done before, and I wish we spent time earlier in the process, when I was pitching the app. I would have had the GEICO/Barclay Center app or something like that.

That’s a specific sports and entertainment arena issue. I’m really happy. I go to events in different venues. When they talk about who did it right, they always reference the Barclay Center when figuring out the mix between the app for the team and the app for the venue.