True Interaction

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the CEO of Farmer & Company, a strategic management consulting firm that helps ad agencies and their clients improve the quality and cost of their working relationships. We help them see the value of high-quality scope of work documentation, measurements, and negotiation.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire True Interaction?

We wanted to create something simple to use for ad agencies. Agencies are usually not system-friendly clients—they hate management and bureaucracy. While scope of work management is essential for their business operations, we couldn’t expect them to be eager users unless the system itself was easy to use.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I used them several years ago for some UX programming. We were impressed by the quality of their thinking and their speed of execution, so we chose to work with them again.

Can you go into detail about the services they provided and the scope of the project?

They helped us develop an online scope of work documentation and diagnosis module on their Synaptik platform. They listened to us carefully and followed through, programming exactly what we and our clients actually needed.

What was the team composition?

Two senior team members were assigned to this project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The module was completed quickly and is being used, less than a year later, by over 10 advertising agencies with more to follow. Our clients are happy and are recommending the system to others.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

They provided efficient day-to-day communication via Slack and other means and were responsive to our requests.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their responsiveness, positive attitude, and the high quality of the outcome were remarkable. True interaction built the module to the needs of our clients without having access to them, which shows how good they are at listening and following through.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

No. They always asked for our opinions regarding improvement.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the founder and CEO of the Digital Currency Council of Africa (DCCA). We’re building a community of professionals with the intention of expanding the knowledge and participation of Africans in the fields of digital currency and blockchain technology.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire True Interaction?

We needed help with developing our information architecture, e-commerce portion, and paywall, as well as with advertising and marketing.

What were your goals for this project?

Our objective was to obtain a fully functional and operational website with a high-quality UI/UX experience. We also needed an Africa-focused content, strategy, and growth plan.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

A colleague who spoke highly of and had worked with True Interaction introduced me to them. We worked closely with True Interaction to find areas where they could add value. It was clear from the beginning that it was going to be a quality relationship.

Describe the project in detail.

We had a number of conference calls and shared detailed project information before deciding to work solely with True Interaction. They jumped right in and deployed a highly skilled team to tackle the project. This allowed us at DCCA to focus on developing the strategic direction of the business. They helped us with the information architecture, e-commerce and paywall establishment, advertising, and marketing. They also provided strategic planning and management services which have really helped us grow organically.

What was the team composition?

They’ve provided a team of four to work on our project: a project manager, a developer, an e-commerce and paywall specialist, and an advertising and marketing specialist.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We had a fully operational website in three months. Our client base went from zero to nearly 1,000 unique visitors 10–13 days post-launch. We’ve deployed the e-commerce website. Our content was unique, so we were immediately approved for Google AdSense.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow has been really simple and seamless. We utilize Slack for all communication and also have weekly video calls. We share and collaborate on an as-needed basis.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They’re professional and friendly. The team is technically adept when it comes to software and web development. The products they build are useful and easy for anyone to understand. They take the time to walk us through everything to put the best possible product on the market.

Are there any areas for improvement?

We have no complaints thus far. They’ve followed all of the timelines and the work has exceeded my expectations. We’re looking forward to growing our relationship with them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of an application ad platform in data aggregation services for television audiences. Consumers use the app to engage with our platform and are sent push notifications and smart recommendations about shows they’re interested in. We also try to garner advertising clients.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with True Interaction?

I couldn’t tell whether my current development team was inefficient or if the project was so challenging that it required additional funds and resources. I reached out to them because I was having issues with our development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They’re helping us build the app. I don’t do coding, but I do write patents for intellectual property. I also do the art direction and product development. They did a code review to help me figure out what my situation was. They have very quickly helped me figure out what changes are relevant as I’ve thought about making updates to the app and entire system.

They’ve also joined me on calls with venture capitalists and prepared product demos about what the new app will look like. They’ve prepared decks for me to highlight what the app, ad server platform, enterprise ad server platform, and enterprise data dashboard will look like. They’ve helped me convert my current product deck down from 17 pages to about 5. I’m happy with the results so far.

We’re trying to prepare the product for competition. True Interaction doesn’t just plan around my exact requirements but rather takes it a step further to ensure that the end product is state of the art. Securing patents and developing a consumer product are two different things.

True Interaction develops within the context of what the competition is and they work to clarify the user stories with you. You’re not just getting a developer with them because they can also help you ideate the product.

What is the team composition?

I’m not sure who is working on the team. They just finish the work and present it to me so we can talk about it.

How did you come to work with True Interaction?

I found them through a mix of LinkedIn and social media searches. I then met with them in person and they showed me how their product was responding to inputs and search returns as compared with my app. That interaction made me realize that my product wasn’t ready for consumers in the American market and that I needed to change it.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested between $8,000–$10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve known each other for two years but just started working together again about a month-and-a-half ago to try and secure some network business together.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The pitch to venture capitalists has been positive. True Interaction has supported me through that in terms of answering technical questions. We actually had one venture capitalist tell us to come back and pitch to them again one the product evolved. Having that door open to us is fantastic.  

It’s always helpful when you have someone helping you think through things. It’s nice to have an active dialogue with somebody who is smart about this type of thing and not just delivering what you ask for. They’re helping us form ideas around the business category we’re creating. They really help us make our ideas more concise, which shows in the reduction of our value proposition deck.

How did True Interaction perform from a project management standpoint?

We use Google Hangouts, phone, text, and email. We also have in-person meetings. They’re very responsive and their continuous updates give me comfort. They have a certain level of ownership in the project and their diligence is excellent.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It’s important to remember that they’re top-tier performers with strong personalities. You have to engage with them in the relationship and trust yourself to be able to manage somebody that is more experienced than you. They’re humble people who will still take your direction. You just have to be assertive because they’re excited about their ideas.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Our company is the trusted name in providing U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) compliant online solutions for the global investment banking community.

Our proprietary online roadshow offering, data room services, and secure document distribution system provide our clients with cost-effective and timely solutions which add value to their entire investor base. Our solutions give immediate value to the buy-side community with instant access to transaction information and the ability to store and retrieve relevant deal information.

I serve as the senior VP of the company and manage various projects and operational activities.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire True Interaction?

We needed to modernize our antiquated proprietary system that’s used to track and invoice client orders. It was important for the system to talk with our other systems, particularly the accounting software.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to move away from outdated and cumbersome technology and increase our platform’s speed, efficiency, security, and accuracy. We also had to clean up legacy issues, support new products and services, and integrate with our Salesforce CRM, accounting software, and other internal tools.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

They were recommended by a friend. We spoke with three other companies but True Interaction truly understood what our needs were better than any other company and were more than willing to work with us on the price. They’ve been outstanding and I don’t regret our decision.

Describe the project in detail.

After gathering requirements, True Interaction built a bespoke order lifecycle management system to track, invoice, and report on our client orders and projects. Their team planned and created the specifications for the information architecture including UX design and data migration. They also selected and set up a database, came up with a business continuity plan and redundancy architecture, created API's, and handled integration with existing systems.

True Interaction also provided QA including training and documentation, support, and a user acceptance testing plan. They continue to provide enhancements as well as new feature builds.

What was the team composition?

Their team consisted of the following: an account lead and project manager, a UX and information architecture developer, a technical project manager, a QA specialist, a lead architect, and several developers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What outcomes or results can you share that demonstrate progress and/or success?

The system they created met all major goals and was built in such a way that we are able to make updates and modifications fairly easily as our business evolves and grows.

How effective was the project management?

This aspect was excellent and very effective. We managed to completely move to the new system several weeks earlier than expected.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They’re easy to work with, patient, and they make the effort to understand a business and its pain points. Their advice and suggestions for solutions and the fact that they listen are remarkable.

What tips or recommendations do you have?

Take the time to let True Interaction understand your business and your needs. Once they do, things will move very quickly from there. You'll want to do other projects with them before you know it!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company.

We’re a publicly traded manufacturer of kitchen products like blenders, food processors etc. We have multiple brands we sell our products under.

What is your role and responsibilities, please?

I serve as general counsel for the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was the business challenge you were facing when you approached True Interaction?

My challenge was to develop a contract management system by which others in the organization would be able to access certain agreements or contracts, without having to ask legal to do it each time they needed to obtain some information.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their work.

The scope was to analyze our legacy system that we use, and then assess what our needs are with respect to this contract management system; what it would include, what it would not include, how to prioritize or organize the information, and develop a system of output that we desired. They would share with us the different options we had at each step to decide what were the inputs and ultimately what was the output.

What was your process for selecting True Interaction to work with?

I had found them through another department of ours. A senior executive in the company had utilized them for another project.

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

Confidential.

What was the timeline of this project?

Specific dates escape me, but the project lasted about six months.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Do you have any stats, or metrics, or general feedback to show the success of the project?

It’s too early to be able to provide specific stats at this time. The key objective feedback I want to provide is True Interaction’s level of service and their ability to problem-solve. We had a test phase, and there were things that weren’t necessarily wrong, but things that we said as we were testing, ‘Gee, it would be really great to be able to have this feature.’ They were able to address these very quickly, and develop a solution almost instantaneously. It was amazing.

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

Number one was the level of service. Response time was very quick back by Liam [Wright, CEO of True Interaction], himself or people on his team. They were highly professional, organized, and technical; all things you would expect from a good IT company. But, what set them apart was their ability process very nonspecific requests, make the technical changes, and then explain it back to you in a very user-friendly way. They’re all about solving the problem in the most customer-focused way possible.

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

I wish I had something. Their follow-up is just amazing. Generally with service providers, sometimes that’s an area of concern, or the response time, but I really don’t have anything that I would critique. It just went really, really well.

BACKGROUND

Please provide a description of your company.

We're a leading global provider of kitchenware, tableware, and other products for the home. We offer a wide range of products from blenders and food processors to plates and silverware. We design everything in the U.S., but manufactured globally. Our products are sold in every major retailer in the U.S. and the U.K.

What is your role and responsibilities?

I oversee our entire supply chain.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was your goal for working with True Interaction?

We first worked with True Interaction around five years ago. In that time, we've completed several projects with them.

The first major project I worked with them on was an application that would allow us to offer our customers a way to login and design their own products, which we would then manufacture for them.

They also helped design an iOS app for our factory inspectors that has improved quality assurance process.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their work.

For both projects, we gave them the idea, and they came back with concepts and did all the design and development.

In the case of the iOS app, we actually already had an app that we had built with another company, but it was limited in what it could do. True Interaction came in and took it to the next level.

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

They've been sizable projects, but I can't discuss specific numbers.

What was the timeline of these projects?

They're very quick. Our most recent project with them, they gave us a workable product to start testing more than a month before the deadline.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Do you have any statistics, metrics, or general feedback to show the success of the project?

The first project was really not quantifiable. It's more of a selling tool for our sales team to use. Subjectively, though, it works very well, and we've received very positive feedback about it. The amount of private business we're winning has definitely risen since we began offering that service.

The quality assurance app has also been very successful. The quality of our products has certainly risen and, while I can't say that's 100 percent due to True Interaction, certainly it's allowed us to have a much easier time training our inspectors. You hand it to them, and they know how to use it immediately. It's very intuitive. That's a huge cost saver for us right there.

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

Working with them is very different from working with any other developers that we have. They come in, hear what you're trying to accomplish, and then immediately start whiteboarding out what capabilities the app will have and what it's going to look like the same day. True Interaction is fast, and they're intuitive. They know exactly what we need without us having to give them exact instructions.

I've never seen anybody be able to not only tell me what they're going to do, but show me what it's going to look like, and show me how people are going to interact with it in such a short time window. Then, when they actually start developing it from the concept to development, it is so fast. It's really a pleasure – it's unbelievable. It's almost as if I don't want to tell people about them. I want them all to myself. All the people that we've worked there each have such great skills. Liam's [True Interaction CEO and founder O. Liam Wright] an artist with what he can do, and the development team he has in unparalleled.

We were struggling with another developer on the quality management app, and it was taking forever. I didn't think the project was ever going to end. Then, within a week, Liam's team came in, changed the interface, fixed all the code of the other developer, and took control of the whole project and got it to the finish line fast. For any upgrades, we always go right to True Interaction, and they complete them quickly. They always work, there's never any bugs, and everything runs the way it's supposed to run. It's great.

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

No, I'm always just so impressed. Every time they surpass my expectations. Anything I bring them into, no matter how challenging it is, they just jump right in, learn it, and get it done. We're planning to give them more projects.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Adaptive Imagination is a Digital Engagement Agency. I am the Managing Partner.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire True Interaction?

Custom Web Development and Integration

What were your goals for this project?

Present the client with a usable MVP for a service product

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We vetted a few options and determined that True Interaction would work best

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Took an existing MVP concept which had been worked on with the existing internal client team and reworked existing architecture to finish on time and in line with the client’s expectations and budget

What was the team composition?

We dealt primarily with a Project Manager and that PM was accompanied on the call with the salesperson and dev team at times.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Now the client is currently using the MVP to determine if the project is successful and scaleable to launch systemwide through the company and its national footprint

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

The PM and our teams meet regularly via virtual call often

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The ability to be agile in their delivery of work. And, they're forward-thinking on the ongoing development of the MVP.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I was very satisfied