TXI

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the head of a centralized resource that helps our clinical teams design and execute trials at a global biopharmaceutical company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Table XI?

We needed more accurate projections for our clinical trial timelines. We wanted a more systematic way to create these timelines.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We asked Table XI to help us create a product fit for purpose. Their team developed a roadmap for what we wanted to build, which included identifying the target user group, problem statement, and scope of what the MVP would look like. They’ve also helped put a prototype in place.

Now, Table XI’s in the assessment phase. We’ll further test the prototype with a more numerous user group to make sure we’re on the right track.

What is the team composition?

There have been at least five people working with us. There’s a project manager, software developers, and experts in Agile methodology. We’ve worked with the whole team. I don’t know if there has been any single point of contact.

How did you come to work with Table XI?

Our information technology group recommended Table XI.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $200,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started this process in August 2019 and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We had an aggressive timeline. They had to interview over 40 different stakeholders. Their team ran a kickoff meeting and interviewed all stakeholders. They compiled all the information from these interviews, had a couple of debrief sessions based on those learnings, and scheduled a two-day workshop. After, their team created a prototype, the problem statement, and the roadmap. Table XI did all this in less than two months, which was impressive.

In fact, we were so impressed that we’ve decided to engage them again for phase two of the project, which wasn’t part of the scope originally. We'd also like Table XI to bid on the actual development of the product.

How did Table XI perform from a project management standpoint?

We’ve communicated by email usually. When critical issues need to be discussed, their team will set up meetings. However, day-to-day issues are resolved via email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Table XI’s ability to synthesize information has been impressive. They have taken diverse opinions and drilled them down into core concepts to help understand what would be required for a MVP. As well, their team was able to deliver on a very short timeline.

Are there any areas they could improve?

This has been positive and negative. On the positive side, Table XI leans into an open environment to make sure all ideas have been expressed. But sometimes you need to have a heavier hand, stop the conversation, and redirect to what’s important at the moment.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Anyone working with them will be in good hands. They don’t have to worry about anything. Table XI will do their job and make sure it’s done in a way that suits the needs of the organization they’re working with.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the head of our innovation incubator for a food manufacturing, distribution, and branding company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Table XI?

We hired Table XI to help us implement a design sprint, and create new brands for our products in a condensed timeframe.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

In a two-week sprint, they helped us create a brand strategy and visual design. We defined our values and why our brand exists, and they created the design elements, prototypes, and concepts. They also conducted valuable ethnographic research by visiting some of our customers in their homes to learn more about the people using our products. They used this information to create a brand book that included new designs, logos, and guidelines to help us bring the brand to life.

What is the team composition? 

Our team consisted of four people— two strategies and facilitator, a designer, and a project manager.

How did you come to work with Table XI?

I worked with them in my previous position at another company.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project just lasted a few weeks from August­–September 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were pleased with their work—they did a great job. Their research was very useful, and they were able to create a stellar design and strategy for our team. They asked all the right questions to create a brand with a lot of depth and empathy for our users. Our leadership is very pleased.

How did Table XI perform from a project management standpoint?

They did a very good job managing the timeline, especially since they completed everything in a tight, two-week sprint. I was impressed that they didn’t let project scope creep, and they delivered everything on time.

At the beginning of the project, they spent time in users’ homes and in our offices to learn more about our company. Then, when they starting to develop our concept and brand book, they communicated with us via Google Hangouts.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their most defining characteristic is their flexibility. They have a general methodology they follow within partnerships, but they molded it to fit our needs. They didn’t waver from our primary mission and stayed true to project goals. By customizing their approach to our project, they ensured that they would deliver what we needed.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s room for them to improve the synthesis of consumer research.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Embed them with your team from planning to consumer research and development. The more you’re able to fold them into your team, the more you will get out of the partnership. They really own the project and want to deliver quality results—they’re great resources.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of an insurance technology company for a specialty line of business.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Table XI?

Our system is an appraisal system that allows a user to walk through a jewelry store or watch appraisal. It’s an end-to-end process. We needed Ruby on Rails developers to build our software.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They built a native web app for us from the ground up using Ruby on Rails and Java. Our product is based on the technology that they built for us. It’s an integrated lead generation system that talks to another system and also connects with an insurance component. They built our MVP, although it’s so much more than that.

We had a clear vision of what we wanted. We did a lot of conceptual iteration and Table XI challenged us in a positive way to refine it. They pushed us to think through every single feature and whether we needed it or not. They helped a lot from a concept standpoint.

They broke it down into a simple version of what we were looking to do. One of the most challenging things for this project was taking something that was complicated and simplify the whole process. They helped us simplify the process. 

For example, we had the idea of grading colored stones with an online application, and we were thinking about building a color grading system online. They pushed back on whether we needed it or if there were other ways to handle it. We thought we needed it, but as we talked through it, we realized we didn’t need it at all. There’s a manual process or different type of application that we could use that, so it didn’t need to build into the system. It was 100% the right decision and it saved us a ton of money.

Now, we’re in maintenance mode and they’re still helping us add new features. We have a long-term relationship with Table XI.

What is the team composition?

We were in contact with the front and backend developers, the project manager, and anybody that was on their team. It felt like we were all one team.

How did you come to work with Table XI?

We reached out to several full-stack Ruby developers on Clutch. We talked with other people that worked with Table XI, and they were also recommended by somebody that we’re close with. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in October 2018, and they finished the MVP in February 2019. The work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We plan to go live later this month. We have 20–30 beta testers using the product, and it’s been performing way above expectations. The app works exceptionally well. From user testing, we determined a few small changes to make. By in large, it works perfectly. It’s extraordinarily intuitive. My team feels like they built it the right way. From a technology standpoint, they made smart decisions. 

Going into it, we had a strong feeling they were the right partners for us. Looking back, it would have been a mistake if we had gone with anybody else. They did a great job.

How did Table XI perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management was perfect. We’re active clients and wanted to be involved on a daily basis, which is one of the reasons we decided to hire locally. We were in contact with them multiple times a day. We met in person a lot. We also used Slack a lot and some email. We spoke by phone multiple times every day. They couldn’t be any better with communication than they were.

What did you find most impressive about them?

There were a lot of things they did on an exceptional level. They were great at being true partners. If there was something they thought needed to be changed or something we might not have thought through fully, they made sure to ask the hard questions. Their thoughtfulness is superior. They think through everything before they build anything. The end product was awesome.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can't name anything.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

The more involved that the client can be, the better the results. Table XI is extremely collaborative. To get the most out of the project, be actively involved on a regular basis. That helped the project in general.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the vice president at Campbell & Company, a consulting firm working with nonprofit organizations. We provide services in fundraising, marketing and communications, executive search, and analytics. Our corporate headquarters is in Chicago, and we have offices in Seattle, LA, DC, and Virginia.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Table XI?

We were looking to take one of our existing traditional services and create a digital pathway of delivering it to clients. We had an idea of what the solution should look like, but this was a brand-new space for us.

Our objective was first to go through a discovery phase with Table XI to clarify the solution and how it might be possible. Secondly, we wanted to ultimately have a software as a service (SaaS) product. Lastly, we needed to work with Table XI to help narrow in on what would be most useful for our clients and productive for us from a business perspective.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We started with a discovery process, which included identification and outreach for user research. We worked with Table XI to develop a list of current, former, and prospective clients for Table XI to speak with in order to identify pain points the new product would solve. They conducted those interviews via video for us and provided recordings and summaries.

Following that, we went through a workshop with product strategists, software developers, and designers. Table XI identified nine different pain points, and we had onsite brainstorming sessions to further refine the product. We then moved on to active development of the prototype, which we’re continuing to work on now.

Concurrently with prototype development, we created a Lean Canvas business strategy to ensure we knew all the risks and estimates for development.

What is the team composition?

Throughout the entire project, we worked with Courtney (Digital Strategist and Founder, Table XI). We also had two software developers, two designers, and a project manager assigned to us. The total team size was six, participating at varying levels.

How did you come to work with Table XI?

We initially went through an extremely thorough due-diligence process to come up with a long list of vendors. We issued RFPs to 14 firms and had detailed conversations around their bids and proposals. Table XI stood out throughout the process. As we went through the list, they remained a constant contender, both because of the quality of their past work and in the attention to detail they demonstrated. They were constantly and actively trying to learn about our business, who we were, and what our goals were.

What is the status of this engagement?

We had a few meetings with Table XI at their office before signing the contract in mid-November 2018. We began active work in November but acknowledged that the holidays wouldn’t be a great time for user research. Our first sprint was the first two weeks of January 2019, during which they finished the initial prototype.

We’re inclined to move into the development phase with Table XI, but we’ve not signed off on it yet.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve been going through a process of demoing the prototype internally, and we’ve had a couple of conversations with clients. It’s been universally well-received. The response on both sides has been “I wish I could use it right now” which is really high praise, especially since it’s just a prototype.

From both a technical and a design perspective, Table XI was extremely flexible and willing to work with us to overcome challenges that we encountered. I’m a consultant, so I know it’s difficult when a client constantly pushes the provider to keep changing, adapting, and iterating. Table XI is really skilled at doing that, and doing it in a way that doesn’t make us feel like we’re working outside of a scope, or that it’s something they don’t want to do.

How did Table XI perform from a project management standpoint?

From the start of the video interviews, they accomplished everything they said they would do. There were no surprises. They’ve been extremely responsive to everything we wanted to do. Courtney was constantly available for our whole team via email, phone, or text.

Our primary challenge during this project, which we were trying to finish in 45 days, has been scheduling. It was equally difficult on our side and theirs. My schedule was particularly challenging, but once we shared options, they were willing to accommodate us. Everything went smoothly outside of that.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Our business is difficult to understand from an outside perspective. Table XI worked actively to understand what we do. I was impressed with how quickly they got up to speed on the jargon.

They were very willing and available to iterate with us. I never once felt like there was a gap in their knowledge or that we’d brought on an ill-qualified consultant.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We were anxious to figure out what the cost of development would be. As we were approaching the end of the discovery phase, we needed to build a case internally for making incremental investments. However, the development cost was to be estimated based on the final prototype and no earlier, since we were going through so many iterations and backend changes. I would’ve liked to have quicker access to a refreshed estimate of the ongoing cost. I don’t know whether that would’ve changed where we stand today, but it would’ve been helpful for me. I’ve shared this area of improvement with them.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Just like with any consulting project, the more we as the client can put into it, the more we’re going to get out of it. Table XI is a sponge absorbing information about the product or tool we’re trying to develop. The more information we can provide, the more attention we can put into testing, reviews, and providing feedback on their work, the better the outcome on the backend will be.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the CTO of Brink, a platform that helps voters find polling locations and access other voting information that's typically hard to find.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Table XI?

We wanted to create an app to help people find more information about how and where to vote, aggregating helpful information into one place and making it more accessible to people with disabilities.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Table XI helped us decide to build a mobile app for iOS and Android as opposed to a web application. They then designed and developed the app on React Native, incorporating features that help users find polling places and requirements to vote, as well as information about issues they care about.

What is the team composition?

We worked directly with a few project managers throughout the engagement.

How did you come to work with Table XI?

I had worked with Table XI on a project at another company I work at, so I knew I could trust their design work and the people on their team.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested between $100,000–$250,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked on the app from around January–September 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Table XI built an app we can be proud of. They also did a good job of managing resources in the right way from start to finish.

How did Table XI perform from a project management standpoint?

Even though we had three different project managers throughout the course of the project, it didn't affect productivity negatively. They were very responsive and accessible, but we also work in the same building so it was easy to meet with them in person whenever we needed to.

What did you find most impressive about them?

In addition to their technical expertise, they're easy to work with, trustworthy, and provide valuable input to help improve project outcomes. They worked closely with us to figure out exactly what we needed without being condescending.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The project could've moved along a little more quickly.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the director of subscription services for a weather media company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Table XI?

We wanted a subscription solution for small to medium-sized businesses that are impacted by the weather (e.g. construction, landscaping, and snow removal companies). We needed assistance in identifying user need requirements, as well as beginning to prototype what a solution might look like from a mobile platform perspective.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We divided our project into two phases: the first being user research and design, and the second being product development. Table XI helped us with the first phase of this project. Table XI conducted user research for our target audience—small to medium-sized construction companies. During their research, they focused on three main problem statements or questions: What are we trying to solve for our users? What do they need in a weather solution to help them make better decisions? And based on this research, what would the most helpful product look like?

Once we had thoroughly identified the answers to those questions, Table XI began prototyping a design that validated the answers we had just developed in their user research.

I was impressed with their approach because their team came to us with questions regarding the solution and problem. They initially told us that they weren’t sure there was a solution, because people just don’t believe the forecast. From there, we sat down and ironed out what our goal was.

We agreed that people don’t always believe the forecast, but users will go through multiple avenues to identify what they think is the most probable forecast. We wanted to be the first source of information users go to. By Table XI challenging the premise of our solution, we discovered that we were trying to solve a different type of problem, and one that Table XI was confident they could find a solution for.

Toward the end of our engagement, we realized that several factors of their solution could apply to a different mobile application we were working on internally, which focused on larger clients and enterprise solutions. There were several similarities between the problems both projects were trying to solve, so we leveraged some of Table XI’s technology stack and design into our other solution. Using similar aspects for the second project, presented an opportunity to guide small and medium-sized businesses into an enterprise solution. So, the project ended differently than we expected, but it worked out very well.

What is the team composition?

We had a team of four from Table XI: a project manager, two researchers, a designer, and a software developer with software engineering knowledge. They were fantastic and brought a level of experience in how they approached problems. I appreciated the way their team challenged us to think differently because it produced incredible results. Their questions not only helped them discover the best solution but also helped us solidify exactly what we wanted.

How did you come to work with Table XI?

Our chief product officer met Table XI’s CEO at a conference in Georgia earlier this year (2018). When our chief product officer became aware that we wanted to do this project, and bring in an outside agency to gain further insight, he passed along the contact information for Table XI’s CEO.

We looked at three other agencies but were impressed with Table XI’s maturity in thinking about problems and potential solutions. Additionally, the information they provided in their proposal made me confident that they knew the right questions to ask, and how to find the right solution.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $100,000–$150,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together August 2018–October 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It’s too early to tell what the impact will be; however, we have integrated their solution into our other project and it has worked well.

How did Table XI perform from a project management standpoint?

We had weekly or bi-weekly TouchPoints depending on where we were in the project. Outside of that, we used Slack, phone calls, and video conferences to stay in contact with each other. They used Sketch as their design toolkit for prototyping, and a separate tool for interactive prototyping. With our frequent communication, it felt like we were one team. Developing our solution was definitely an interactive process.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Table XI is a partner that actually cares about what you’re doing. They’re not just proud of what they do, but they’re proud of what they do for you. They are truly interested in the product’s success and want to present you with the best possible solution.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Nothing comes to mind. They were a great team to work with.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Working with Table XI means that you will be in a partnership where you both positively challenge each other, and any potential customers should be open to that. If you had all the answers and didn’t need a new perspective, then you wouldn’t be looking to hire anyone. Table XI will provide you with talented people that help you find the best solution to your problem.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We're a consulting firm and I'm a senior manager at our software engineering department.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Table XI?

We're launching a large software engineering program, so we needed to backfill some user experience resources. We were looking for a company to help us with UX design.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We were initially looking for one designer, but what we ended up getting from them was two designers and the managerial oversight. Table XI was able to fill in the deficiency in UX leadership that our client had. The resources they provided were critical to the early stages of our program and enabled us to get the feedback we needed about the user experience, branding, and the look and feel of the app.

The product is going out to the customers of our client, so we want to make sure the new generation of the app is more effective. Table XI has done a number of designs for us, but they've also done a lot of the strategic work that set us up for success. Strategic guidance wasn't something we had asked them to do, but their team was able to jump in and fill in that gap.

What is the team composition?

We worked with four of their team members, including two UX designers, their manager, and the CEO of the company.

How did you come to work with Table XI?

We knew their CEO from our past collaboration. We decided to reach out to Table XI because we liked the culture of their organization and we knew they'd do quality work for us

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them between July–October 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their strategic input was very valuable to us. They helped us tremendously with the user experience perspective early on, including the voice of the customer, branding expertise, and the overarching styles for the application. Their designs were also very high quality.

How did Table XI perform from a project management standpoint?

They were very collaborative and responsive from day one. Their design team came to our office and worked with our teams on a daily basis. The manager who was overseeing the project did whatever was needed to make the project a success.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were flexible and willing to go above and beyond.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. We're happy with everything they've done for us.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the SVP of enterprise products for a specialized shipping membership company. We offer products through retailers with two-day shipping to consumers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Table XI?

We were looking to redevelop our value proposition to our clients. We wanted to reaffirm our commitment to providing valuable services to our retailers. We hired Table XI to increase the resources we had at our disposal to make this happen.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We first asked Table XI to create a feature that notifies customers when an out-of-stock item returns to stock. We provided Table XI the scope of the notification product. They then built it within a couple of months, meeting our goal to launch the product within Q1.

Table XI then developed enhancements to our gift-giving services. Gift givers can choose a general product to purchase and the recipient can decide on the final details, such as the model or color. The recipient can also choose to easily exchange the gift for another product of equal or lesser value. Our goal is to reduce the likelihood of returns. This project is currently underway and we want to finish it in time for the holiday season.

Our third project with Table XI is a rebuilt mobile app. The new app will have an improved search and discovery process and the capacity to complete transactions. Table XI is working with our dev team to provide designs and resources for this project. Their team also have completed smaller tasks to improve our technology’s value to retailers.

What is the team composition?

I primarily interact with a person in senior leadership who coordinates the larger team.

How did you come to work with Table XI?

Our CEO had worked with Mark (CEO, Table XI) in the past and knew other people on their team. He recommended Table XI to help us face our challenges.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $500,000–$750,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in December 2017 and the partnership is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

When we launched our notifications product, it had immediate success. One mid-sized retailer attributed sales of $1 million–$2 million to that feature alone. We rolled out the product through one of our larger retailers at 10% initially. Within a week, they told us to launch it at 100% because of how successful it had been so far. It also allows retailers to track latent demand for products.

The launch’s success paved the way for the gifting features and the app revitalization projects, which as I said are underway now. We anticipate hiring Table XI for future development as well.

How did Table XI perform from a project management standpoint?

We’d never worked with a third-party vendor before so Table XI helped us set up the project management tools we’d need for collaboration and oversight. They set up our staging and production environments as well as showed us how we could provide them access our GitHub code base. Their work will help us manage future projects with external vendors.

Once we established a relationship, it was like working with our own team. Table XI's values mirrored ours and showed through their work and organization. Our project manager has been particularly professional and on top of things. We’ve built a relationship where I can approach her with ideas and get her insights.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Table XI is an honest and relationship-driven organization, and I would never hesitate to start a project with them. They stuck to the project parameters and communicated openly with us. We collaborated well together, and we look forward to continuing our partnership in the future.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they’ve more than delivered on our expectations. We’re very satisfied with their work.

Any advice for potential customers?

We made sure to scope the work in advance and be specific about what products we wanted them to build. We’ve found this to be a successful approach with hiring Table XI for product development.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the VP of research and development at a company that makes and sells medical devices—specifically, energy-based healing devices.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Table XI?

We offer a medical device that is used on a daily basis for a number of months. However, users sometimes struggle to remain consistent with their use. We brought Table XI an app concept we wanted to build with the goal that we could enrich the user experience and improve the overall outcome of using the device.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

To determine the market for this kind of app, Table XI helped us identify a number of customer groups and pinpoint the most important ones. From that, Table XI searched for people or patients that fit that description, interviewed them, and synthesized the findings from those interviews. Following the research phase, we conducted a two-week design sprint to build a clickable, working prototype of our application. We intend to present this app to investors to secure funding for our project. There are a lot of potential elements to what this app might have, and we have been pleased with Table XI’s process of identifying what the critical ones are.

What is the team composition?

We worked with the CEO and a project manager. They relayed much of our information to a development team.

How did you come to work with Table XI?

I looked at over 30 companies in this space that were recommended by a number of sources in my network. On another recommendation, I used Clutch's website to narrow down the options. Finally, I asked four companies for proposals, and of those four, Table XI was the most impressive.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our design sprint took place during July 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We are very pleased with the outcome of the design sprint. Table XI did an excellent job of representing us and what we are trying to achieve with the app. We have presented it to investors, and it’s been well-received.

How did Table XI perform from a project management standpoint?

There were essentially two people working on this project, and they jointly managed the sprint really well. All of our ideas were heard and considered. Table XI kept us on track and got us to where we needed to be.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Table XI was actively engaged in trying to educate us on the process. At the same time, they made an effort to understand our particular issue. We are an early-stage company with limited funding, but they have been flexible with payment options.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there is nothing to note for improvement.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Push for Wellness. We’re a digital health solutions company focused on delivering Medicare and Medicaid to small organizations.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Table XI?

Many of our internal processes were manual, subscale and expensive.  We hired Table XI to digitize workflows and integrate advanced analytics and data science to drive intelligent outreach to our members using SMS compliant with privacy and consumer protection regulations. We also need to TXI to design and implement an innovative solution to automate virtual fulfillment of restricted-use financial rewards to an unbanked customer base.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Table XI is our entire outsourced development team. A member of their leadership is our acting CTO who partners with our head of product management, working together to scope and resource load the initial product roadmap.  Our project manager collaborated with TXI’s project manager to engage and manage monthly agile showcases of progress against program objectives.

This project required Table XI to ideate and innovate with our team, master use of new technologies,  design and implement a complex data model and collaborate with third party vendors including Twilio, AWS, salesforce.com, fitbit, apple, higi.  In addition, TXI stood up and managed secure development and production environments, managing third party and maintained a secure environment that satisfies complex healthcare privacy and security regulations.

Table XI also provided support outside the scope of what we’d typically ask of a software development partner. Early in the project TXI started working with a third-party vendor to utilize a commercially available off-the-shelf solution (COTS) we thought would accelerate time to market at a lower total cost of ownership (TCO).  The software had various workflow capabilities that could aid in our efforts to reach program participants efficiently. Table IX implemented COTS vendor solution and began to work with its proprietary technical framework.

TXI determined that this proprietary framework could not be configured to meet our requirements or full-featured enough off-the-shelf and recommended not to use the COTS option. In less than 5 days, TXI and designed and deployed a proprietary technology stack that delivered the benefits we needed without the third-party COTS vendor, at lower TCO. Further, the added development cost of migrating the technical framework from the COTS vendor to TXI was absorbed by TXI and they were able to recapture the lost time due to this migration and had us back on schedule within two weeks.

What is the team composition?

We regularly communicate with an executive sponsor, acting CTO, dedicated senior project manager, and 3–4 other development and technical team members are allocated to our project at various points in time.

How did you come to work with Table XI?

Josh Golden (Founder, Chairman of Table XI) was introduced to a co-founder over 6 years ago, when Push for Wellness was getting off the ground. Josh took an interest in our vision and became an early investor in the business. When this project was initiated, they were already an active vendor with us.

What is the status of this engagement?

This project began in August 2017 and is currently ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

From our earliest engagement, we’ve heavily relied on TXI to supplement our operational procedures and manage our development environment. With new funding in 2017, we expanded this relationship and TXI became an extension of our in-house product team. Their early efforts were instrumental in enabling us to identify and close a significant new client that doubled our revenue and nearly tripled our annualized recurring revenue. This sales was a key strategic imperative for our company as we begin to pivot from small employers with less than 500 employees to healthcare plans with an average of 150,000 members. None of that would’ve been possible without Table XI.

How did Table XI perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project manager is capable, smart, and a great partner. She demonstrated strong interpersonal and risk management skills whenever issues arise and was an effective mediating the occasional project conflict.   

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re more than just vendor. It’s become commonplace to refer to vendors as the “partners,” but Table XI really earned the title. They’ve truly embraced us in a way that’s uncommon. We appreciate their sophisticated and highly unusual approach to project management and inception. They’ve taught us how to manage a large-scale project and that education has paid dividends.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There needs to be a tighter connection between the scope, budget against scope, and visibility of progress against the goal. They’re not as strong as they could be in this area and it’s caused uncertainty around our progress relative to the product plan. Additionally, asking one of their leaders to act as our CTO was a miscalculation on our end. It led to operational tensions that could’ve been avoided.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Don’t start an engagement with Table XI without an internal product manager and well-vetted product plan. We started without an initial product plan and things got off to a slow start, with a few course corrections early on that cost us some time and money.