Third Rock Techkno

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Smoovr.de is an online platform for booking moving companies in Germany. I am CEO/Founder.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Third Rock Techkno?

Web development

What were your goals for this project?

To upgrade a form for capturing customer information and move requirements, including inventory list, and incorporate into our backend.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

After discussions with a few vendors we chose Third Rock Teckno as their communication was excellent, we felt they understood exactly what we required, and they even provided a free-of-charge mockup.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Based on the design of our previous form the team re-coded elements to make the whole process smoother from a customer's perspective and to make the data easier to work with for our backend processes. They provided scoping, design, implementation, testing and deployment.

What was the team composition?

Project manager, Tech Lead, Front and Backend Developer, Testers

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

The form (and especially inventory use) is much nicer to use from the customer's perspective, and simplifies our backend process and allows for greater automation due to collection of clean and uniform data.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Tapan (Project Manager) and Krunal (Tech Lead) worked with us at all stages and provided thoughts on initial designs, proposed new solutions, and listened to and acted on feedback as the project progressed.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Very good communication at all stages. Always prompt to reply. Excellent quality of work. Everything works very well and as intended. Very accommodating to changes and revisions where necessary.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No - very satisfied with whole process.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Initially I was the technical consultant for the company Car Jasoos but now I am working as a CTO

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Third Rock Techkno?

For the entire web development including UI design, development, and testing

What were your goals for this project?

We were looking for a company who has experience into product development and the company who can manage standards which an IT product should have. Instead of just finishing the development for us it is very important that functionalities shaped in the right fashion.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

There were multiple parameters such as team structure, estimation and the methodology and tools company was about to use for the project development and communication

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Well, the project is still going on and we have just finished the first phase and launched in the one territory of India. So if I talk about the journey so it was iterative process as we are following Agile for the development, we are documenting certain items wherever and whenever it is required. So, Third Rock has taken care of the entire development cycle ie. requirements understanding, designing of database, UI design, development, testing etc...

What was the team composition?

Very well structured team with Project Manager, Scrum master, front end, back end, UI and testing engineers

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

First phase developed successfully and launched on time.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Project management tools used and it was executed smoothly

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The technical team they have and their founders are very visionary they give their domain expertise wherever and whenever required. They also have good functional domain knowledge which adds lot of value.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I think still there is minor gap in using collaboration tools which can help to manage change requests and test results more effectively along with the project development job tasks.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of Rental Q, a rental application processing system. We help tenants get their applications processed in order to pass on to property managers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Third Rock Techkno?

We needed website and app development for our platform and hired Third Rock Techkno for the task. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I had an initial developer that started the project. We worked together for about six months but he went missing, so Third Rock Techkno took over and had to start from scratch to create the product we needed.

They developed a website and also built applications for both iOS and Android platforms using Angular and Ionic as well as a couple of other technologies. There are two systems, one for the tenant as well as one for the property manager. A tenant can go to the website and be redirected to a link for downloading the app. Once they download it, they then have to add a profile about themselves, including their ID and rental history. They’re able to also communicate with property managers through the app.

Everything Third Rock Techkno built is unique and hadn’t been done before. We were the first to market an app that processes applications. They even integrated with third-parties to pull information from different locations.

What is the team composition?

There have been approximately four to five people from their team working on the project depending on what’s required. Our main contact is their production manager, but I also have access to his team when required.

How did you come to work with Third Rock Techkno?

I was looking for an affordable development team that could meet our deadlines. We initially put the project on Upwork and interviewed five or six developers. Third Rock Techkno was the strongest candidate, so we decided to give them a two-month trial period after which we hired them full-time.

How much have you invested in them?

We’ve spent between $150,000–$200,000 AUD (approximately $100,680–$134,240 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them in 2017 and the collaboration is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We work in sprints and talk about what features we’re looking to release, planning things out and starting the development with a clear timeline of when things will be completed. Third Rock Techkno has been great at hitting these targets.

How did Third Rock Techkno perform from a project management standpoint?

We’re happy with project management. I’m a bit scattered with my thought process and documentation, but I can task all of that to Third Rock Techkno and they will organize everything so that the development can get up and running. We mostly communicate through Slack but also have regular Skype meetings.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Third Rock Techkno understands the product and therefore can advise me on what needs to be done. They’re always looking for ways to improve the product without me having to ask, which has been very important.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There can be issues when you work with an overseas vendor. Things were a little scattered at the start but we figured out the best way to collaborate and communicate. Furthermore, Third Rock Techkno’s team has grown quite substantially, so any issues that we had are now gone.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

The best thing would be to document everything as much as possible and then give Third Rock Techkno a detailed scope to work on.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

The National Institute for Newman Studies (NINS) is a research institute dedicated to the enduring relevance of John Henry Newman, a 19th Century Catholic scholar/theologian. We are a research partner with Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA. Our research library is home to four suites for visiting scholars, and the largest collection of Newman publications in the world. We also have over 250,000 scanned manuscripts. I am the Chief Technology Officer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Third Rock Techkno?

We hired Third Rock to build our digital collections website, which houses our digital manuscripts, photos, musical scores, published works, and more. In collaboration with our exiting team, Third Rock participated in every phase of our new digital collections. It includes an interface for our curators and a public-facing website for our end-users.

What were your goals for this project?

To build a user-friendly web interfaces that leverage the IIIF framework (International Interoperability Framework) and other scholarly technology to showcase our 40TB of digital collections. We had detailed specifications that kick-started the project and Third Rock helped fill in the details while building the applications(s). Our end goal was to give users the ability to view and manipulate manuscripts and other documents, including deep zoom, annotations, advanced search, OCR, and much more.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We conducted 2+ months of interviews with various providers (local, national and off shore), including some from search services such as Upwork, which is where we originally found Third Rock. They specialized in MEAN stack applications--which was our platform of choice--and they scored very high on our interview when compared with other vendors. Prospects were scored on the bases of development methodology, experience with relevant software, experience with digital curation, particularly the IIIF Framework, and understanding of our mission and goals.

They provided several proofs of concept, which included our ability to experience their agile development methodology and to meet the team. Although affordable, they weren't our cheapest option, yet they were far and above the others that we interviewed.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Our server-side technology comes to life on NINS’s sleek and mobile-ready web applications built by Third Rock, one for curators, and another for end users. They are built using MongoDB, Angular, and Node, and they include modified IIIF applications from other institutions such as Mirador (document viewer), Leaflet (image viewer), the Bodleian Library Manifest Editor (IIIF JSON editor), and more, all customized by Third Rock.

They helped architect our data structure for maximum scalability while incorporating required APIs. The initial launch of the software included search functionality with detailed filters, deep-zoom, multi-document comparison, full-screen mode with draggable document panes, full document metadata, and related documents. NINS’s immediate roadmap (available by October 2019) includes optical character recognition, full-text search on published documents, transcription panes for handwritten documents, advanced search options, data visualization, and more.

What was the team composition?

Third Rock has an agile software development team that rotates members based on need. Much of our work requires 4+ developers at any given time, plus quality assurance experts and graphic artists as needed. Our AWS infrastructure is managed by in-house technicians who work closely with Third Rock via their agile process. The project is managed in tandem between Third Rock's lead developer/project manager and the CTO at NINS. The partnership combines the technical expertise of Third Rock with the academic and technical expertise of NINS.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

This project is at the center of our mission, and possibly our biggest draw to scholars. We've received international press coverage and positive reviews after its recent launch. These digital applications are also at the center of our future projects and collaborations with other academic institutions, and as such drive our operations. Our applications shine when compared to like applications from other institutions.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

The project is managed by one of their expert technologists and developers, along with applicable agile tools such as chat boards, Zoom video conferencing, shared drives, and agile project management system(s). Because we have team members on the west and east coasts of the US, along with the UK and India, our project never sleeps. Given the scope of our project and the breadth of our coverage, it runs remarkably well.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They deliver. They listen. They adapt. They are transparent. They recognize our expertise in academia and technology and they work with us to advance the things we do well and improve the areas where we lack. They are also fun to work with, which makes development a joy.

They also recognize (and are honest about) their own limitations (i.e., the initial newness of the IIIF framework), but they are always open-minded and embrace new challenges willingly. In my career as a CTO and VP of Technology for various organizations, the word "no" was never in my vocabulary. That is, anything is possible, I argue, and Third Rock shares this sensibility.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I rarely say this, but no, they are my dream team.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the CEO of Nextpond.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Third Rock Techkno?

We needed a vendor to help us create software that we could use for our new methodology. We were working with another company, but that didn't go as we had expected, so we were looking for a new vendor.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Third Rock Techkno built a web application for us. They came up with a new plan, developed the architecture, and started the development process from scratch. The app is designed to help smaller businesses build their business processes, measure their performance, and consistently improve and update their procedures. Third Rock Techkno was involved in both the design and the development stages. The initial engagement took about six months, but they continue to develop new functions and products for us.

What is the team composition?

We've worked with a project manager, a development manager, and a QA team.

How did you come to work with Third Rock Techkno?

They were recommended to us.

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent about $200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in 2016, and the relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We did an integration piece with Lucidchart, which is one of the more prominent firms. Also, we built the process guidance to fit in with the Lucidchart workflows, and that worked out very well.

How did Third Rock Techkno perform from a project management standpoint?

At first, there were some issues with deadlines, but they've improved dramatically in that regard. They've grown a lot, and they've become more professional. We mostly use Jira to track the project.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They take responsibility and make sure that everything is done right.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Our team is fairly small, so they'll need to be more and more involved in managing the website as more work comes in.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Keep an open line of communication. They really care about their clients.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Partner of a medical cycle revenue management company

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Medical Cycle revenue management

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Third Rock Techkno to accomplish?

• Client Web Portal

SOLUTION

How did you find Third Rock Techkno?

Online Search

Why did you select Third Rock Techkno over others?

High ratings

How many teammates from Third Rock Techkno were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Design Client interface on Web

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Success

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

They're a great company to work with. Very responsive.

What was your primary form of communication with Third Rock Techkno?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Ability to deliver

Are there any areas for improvement or something Third Rock Techkno could have done differently?

No

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CTO of coursecorrect.fyi

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

CourseCorrect is on a mission to simplify course discovery for ambitious learners with comprehensive aggregation of global courses and intuitive AI guidance.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Third Rock Techkno to accomplish?

• FIGMA and wireframe
• Backend development
• Frontend development
• Cloud setup

SOLUTION

How did you find Third Rock Techkno?

Upwork

Why did you select Third Rock Techkno over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost

How many teammates from Third Rock Techkno were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

• Design the wireframe and FIGMA for CourseCorrect
• Enhance the logo
• Develop the backend
• Develop the frontend
• Develop the AI Chatbot
• Deploy on Google Cloud
• Set up CI/CD pipelines

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• FIGMA for both web and responsive design
• Full MVP functionality developed and tested

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

Yes, I think they mostly delivered everything on time. There were a few tasks that couldn't be estimated very well but they were very communicative and transparent about the progress and any roadblocks encountered.

What was your primary form of communication with Third Rock Techkno?

Virtual Meeting

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

They're very cooperative and might not hesitate to go out of their way to get the results. On several occassions they took an educated guess on additional things which we would require even though we missed them in the original requirements, and achieved those as well.

Also, considering we're a bootstrapped startup, they were very smart and conscious of all the cloud costs and other costs.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Third Rock Techkno could have done differently?

Note that their quality of work is already very good and this is by no means a criticism. This is just an advise for them to do even better going forward.

• I think their quality control, especially with the frontend could be improved
• Certain things, for example log-in and log-out workflows could use better design to minimize the probability of bugs
• Likewise, UI styling could follow better design principles for maintainability
• One way to have better quality control is maybe having PR Reviews from someone from their client team

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the President of DI2S Data Interchange Software Solutions

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

IT and Software Development

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Third Rock Techkno to accomplish?

• Development of an APP

SOLUTION

How did you find Third Rock Techkno?

Online Search

Why did you select Third Rock Techkno over others?

High ratings

How many teammates from Third Rock Techkno were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

APP developed for the Health Industry with etenive use of AI capabilitirs

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Excelent results on a timely manner

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

Yes very respondive team

What was your primary form of communication with Third Rock Techkno?

Virtual Meeting

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

Their capability to work on different projects at the same time was impressive

Are there any areas for improvement or something Third Rock Techkno could have done differently?

No

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO of Blackmon Tutoring

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are a educational service who specializes in tutoring, all ages, K-12, and test prep.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Third Rock Techkno to accomplish?

• A special portal for my business

SOLUTION

How did you find Third Rock Techkno?

Emailed me

Why did you select Third Rock Techkno over others?

Company values aligned

How many teammates from Third Rock Techkno were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

I needed a CRM and HR portal connected for my business to make everything smoother and more efficient 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Currently still in progress but they are hitting the mark on all of my needs

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

Not on time, but they are working with me to create a good product.

What was your primary form of communication with Third Rock Techkno?

Virtual Meeting

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

Third Rock Techkno actually cares about the work you want to get done and have a passion for what they do!

Are there any areas for improvement or something Third Rock Techkno could have done differently?

• Meeting the deadlines on time
• Possibly more flexible pricing structure

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am an executive at MentorSea

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Subscription based mentorship for a wide range of topics.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Third Rock Techkno to accomplish?

• Rebuild our platform.
• Add additional functionalities and features.

SOLUTION

How did you find Third Rock Techkno?

Upwork

Why did you select Third Rock Techkno over others?

High ratings

How many teammates from Third Rock Techkno were assigned to this project?

1 Employee

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

Rebuilt our entire platform and built customized functions and features.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

All necessary milestones were completed.

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

They've provided help and solutions that we have missed ourselves.

What was your primary form of communication with Third Rock Techkno?

Email or Messaging App

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

The help they provided went beyond our expectations of an outsourced team.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Third Rock Techkno could have done differently?

They have provided excellent service.