Woodridge Software

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of a medical training app.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Woodridge Software?

We needed someone to provide us with custom software development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Woodridge Software helped us iterate the first version of our offline mobile app and give it a solid software infrastructure. The app itself is developed for the iOS and Android platforms, and it serves as a reference for wilderness medicine.

What is the team composition?

We worked with a project manager and two developers. The first developer left during the development, but was quickly replaced with another one.

How did you come to work with Woodridge Software?

I found Woodridge Software and several other development companies while researching online. I decided to hire Woodridge Software because they seemed more dynamic, younger, and very interested in taking on our creative project.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $50,000 to develop this app.

What is the status of this engagement?

This project ran from January 2016–February 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The app has a niche market, but thanks to Woodridge Software, my conversion rate has never been below 12% — it also jumps up to 25%–30% when I establish my marketing in the right place.

Moreover, people have said that our app is very easy to use and navigate and I credit Woodridge Software for that. I track the performance of the app on Google and Apple Developer, and we haven’t experienced a single crash.

How did Woodridge Software perform from a project management standpoint?

The project management was great considering the fact that we were designing the entire app as the project went along.

We encountered some issues in the CMS, but I don’t hold that against them because they performed generally well and they regularly gave me updates on any changes.

We typically communicated through email and had bi-monthly Zoom meetings.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We were very impressed with their strong management skills, responsiveness, and team dynamics.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could improve on the transparency of their responsibilities. Most of the time it wasn’t clear who was doing what task, and who we were supposed to communicate with.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I would advise you to hire the right developers for your specific project in order to get the most out of your engagement.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I was an employee at a financial solutions firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Woodridge Software?

We had a partnership with a third-party platform provider to meet specific business goals. Our internal development teams weren’t in a position to deliver the required customizations and integrations, so we brought in Woodridge Software to support us there.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement? 

Woodridge Software initially came on as an authorized service provider with our platform partner. Over time, we agreed to work with them directly instead.

Their team provides agile software development services on a project basis as well as ongoing troubleshooting and support for customized workflows. The types of deliverables ranged from working through project documentation and user stories to testing plans and release notes.

Typically, they worked on an onboarding platform and dealt with cloud-based languages, including JSON, XML, C-Sharp, Groovy Scripting, and Java in all of its variants.

What is the team composition? 

Lincoln (Marketing & Sales Lead) was our predominant contact along with Alison (Project Manager & Developer). Anna (Developer) was the chief software engineer. In terms of the contract negotiations, we worked with Kaj (CEO) and Jen (VP of Operations & Marketing).

The team grew as needed but never exceeded beyond seven. They’re incredibly gifted and are able to accomplish a lot with a small group.

How did you come to work with Woodridge Software?

We met them through our platform provider’s certified partnership program. Our provider recommended Woodridge Software based on the unique characteristics and customized usages of our environment.

Initially, Woodridge Software came in as a subcontractor for our account so that we could have some exposure to them. That project got more of our team on board with introducing another software provider, which is when we decided to move forward with them directly.

How much have you invested with them?

Over the course of a year, we’ve probably spent at least $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

They’ve provided services to us since April 2019 and continue to work with us through various statements of work (SOWs) into the current day.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

My main criteria for a good partner was whether or not they could turn around quality software without having to define everything down to the Nth degree. We were looking for a team that could collaborate, envision, and quickly rework as opposed to being very rigid.

Woodridge Software met those requirements when we were faced with an extremely time-sensitive opportunity. From the date that we conceived the software, they were able to get a functioning solution live within a matter of 3–4 weeks. They created something new and useful that was immediately picked up by our clients rather than the 12–18-week turnaround that we were used to.

How did Woodridge Software perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicate through their Jira boards and have a weekly project management meeting. Of course, during the testing resolution cases, we have working sessions or status meetings as dictated by our needs.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It’s the combination of their quality business acumen, problem-solving skills, and ability to get things done that sets them apart. 

When working with a larger corporation, it can be tempting for service providers to never finish something fully just to keep things going. But, Woodridge Software isn’t like that. They want to get us results so that we can both succeed and earn money together. 

That’s a sign of a great partner — being able to stay with us through the delivery to try and understand, prove, and react to our business. It’s about understanding what’s important so that they can prioritize business needs.

They’re also able to rapidly work through this process operationally to deliver the right solution. The team gives us specific decision points to let us know what we can or can’t do, often coming up with alternative options.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can’t think of anything. I was really happy that they rose to the occasion so well.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have a roadmap to set your priorities, but then ask for their input and allow them to influence your decisions. They’ll provide you with good advice.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president of Braintree Marketing. We’re a marketing company for residential real estate brokerages.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Woodridge Software?

We hired Woodridge Software to create an administrative interface and customer interface for our customers to manage their direct mail marketing orders from the standpoint of managing their database and the personalization of their printed products.

We needed a team to help us implement the interfaces in a secure, user-friendly, and affordable way.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We had built the original system in-house, but the team at Woodridge Software has now optimized it, adding newer functionalities. We gave them specific directions because we knew what we wanted.

It’s a basic customer account management application that integrates CRM aspects, which include managing database and contact information. They recently upgraded our credit card payment systems to more securely manage our credit card data.  

What is the team composition?

We’ve been in contact with Brian (Developer), Zack (Developer), Lorenzo (Director & Software Architect), Paul (VP of Development), and others if necessary. Brian is our main point of contact, though.

How did you come to work with Woodridge Software?

I believe I found them from a web search. I wanted to work with someone local.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent a little less than $246,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing engagement with Woodridge Software started in January 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

A four-year engagement indicates that we’re relatively satisfied with everything they’re doing. All of our customers seem pleased and rarely complain about it. Our company has doubled in size since partnering with Woodridge Software.

How did Woodridge Software perform from a project management standpoint?

They manage everything, staying on top of it. We use a program to track all of the projects that also goes into the smaller fixes and feature additions.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It’s hard to pick just one thing. The most complex project we had them work on involved credit card data and moving that to a third-party processing system. They handled that very smoothly.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t have any feedback for them. We have a good relationship.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I definitely highly recommend them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the senior director of R&D at a test and measurement business. My role is to build network test and measurement products focusing in the area of cybersecurity. The products my team builds are used to test and measure the products built by all the top network equipment manufacturers.

We also build products that help security operation centers test and measure their security operational spend. Our team does this by providing them with the ability to determine if the products they've deployed in their network are functioning as they're supposed to function. We also help them find gaps or holes in cybersecurity defenses, allowing them to make informed decisions based on that knowledge.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Woodridge Software?

Our platform’s user interface was very technical because the products we build have to be very flexible and capable of doing a lot of things. The challenge was that we were going into new territory — the enterprise security operations market. This meant we couldn’t continue with that type of UI.

We wanted a new interface that was more modern, simple, and easy to use. Woodridge Software’s challenge was to adapt an engineering team and product management team that was used to building highly technical measurement products.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Woodridge Software handled the UI/UX design services for our product. They helped with all the design work leading up to the execution stage. From there, we had an internal team that implemented everything.

What is the team composition?

There were four people on their team including a lead UI designer, an architect, and Kaj (CEO).

How did you come to work with Woodridge Software?

Kaj and I previously worked together at a different company. We were at a security conference a couple of years ago, and he came by to say hi. He told us about what he was doing with Woodridge Software. It was great timing because we were going into a new market where we’d need their type of help.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested about $130,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

This specific project lasted from June 2018–August 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Customers gave great feedback about the UI once it launched, describing it as modern, impressive, and simple. What’s more, the UX requires no documentation and is pretty straightforward. Once an end-user logs in and creates an account, the user journey is smooth and fast-paced.

Everyone understands the value of the product when they see it. They can navigate and flow through the application without any help from someone else; compared to our other products, that just wasn’t achievable.

How did Woodridge Software perform from a project management standpoint?

We held regular review meetings. At the beginning of the project, we’d do an all-day session about once a month where they’d come to us or we’d go to their office. Our teams also corresponded through WebEx and Zoom. They have the best attitude and are so easy to work with. Through every step of the process, they helped us immensely.

This was the first time we outsourced because we have an in-house that usually handles everything. There was a lot of turmoil because some of our in-house designers felt they could do Woodridge Software’s work. The Woodridge Software team took the time to explain some of the steps of what they were doing to our UI designers.

Our designers took this as a learning experience and started to adopt many of the methods and ways Woodridge Software approaches things. Their approach is solid and vetted through their many years of experience; they simplified the whole process.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It’s transparent that they really care about their work. They’re professional and their purpose is clear. Because of that, they were able to handle whatever difficult situations arose. The engagement was smooth, and they were fully capable of making very complex or difficult tasks easy to process and deal with.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can’t think of anything. They did a fantastic job across the board. Every time I needed something, they accommodated and achieved it.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I have nothing but positive things to say about them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I was the global partnership manager for a financial technology company. I managed all our partnerships, including our service partners.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenges were you trying to address with Woodridge Software?

Woodridge helped us augment our internal services. When we had projects with clients, and we needed additional resources, we would go to them.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

There were requirements and certifications that their team got in order to become an authorized service provider with us. Their work was a little more extensive than a traditional staff augmentation. We worked with frontend developers and platform developers on multiple projects. 

They were early adopters of our program, and they were eager to help us shape our program and make it better. Their team provided feedback on the program and client project efficiencies. 

What is the team composition?

Jen (VP of Operations & Marketing) and Kaj (CEO) were our main points of contact. There were several resources, but I don’t remember the exact number. 

How did you come to work with Woodridge Software?

When I started at the company, they were already partnered with us. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in December 2017, and the partnership is ongoing although I’m no longer at the company.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They quickly became our most trusted partner. Whenever we were implementing new programs or processes, they were our first choice vendor. Their team was helpful during all feedback sessions and provided valuable input. The quality of their development was great. We really believed in them and trust them and their feedback. 

How did Woodridge Software perform from a project management standpoint?

We used Jira and Slack to manage the project, in addition to regular phone calls and emails. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re forward-thinking and are always looking at how to be better partners. Their team is knowledgeable about new products and emerging technologies. They’re visionary. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

There were some project managers that could’ve upped their skills. However, Woodridge was always receptive to our feedback. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers? 

If you’re looking for someone that is dedicated, invested, visionary, and cares about the quality of their output, Woodridge is the right choice.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m VP of product at a security and third-party risk company. We have an assessment and lifecycle approach to delivering the security posture of our vendors and suppliers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Woodridge Software?

We’re security experts that gather data from a lot of different companies out there. Our clients leverage that data to remediate and remove gaps within their security posture, so they don’t experience breaches in security.

We have to integrate with large workflow partners to make sure they understand the gaps in the security hygiene of their companies. We don’t provide that functionality, which are called global risk and compliance (GRC) tools. We needed help to integrate those solutions to round out our offering.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Woodridge is doing a full understanding of our integration with some other key partners of ours. They do API integrations to understand our requirements to have data tables and flows stood up. They also make sure this is a very simple,  easily configurable, and deployable integration.

The product allows companies who work with us and also have GRC tools to plug our products together seamlessly. They complete the development, coding, API integration, some architectural work for us, testing, and project management.

What is the team composition?

We primarily had one developer that two people assigned. We had as many as 4–5 that helped with architecture and overall support of our relationship. Our main points of contact were a primary developer and a primary project manager.

How did you come to work with Woodridge Software?

I worked with Woodridge software at a previous company and they had taken on a few projects for us there. Their security expertise, diversity, engineering capabilities, talent, and creative thinking stand above the other options we had out there.

How much have you invested with them?

We’re investing in the hundreds of thousands of dollars with them for the year with them. This project, specifically, was in the $50,000 range.

What is the status of this engagement?

We officially contracted in December 2019. Work was underway in January 2020. Our work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’ve been very strong throughout the project and they’re good at staying in the loop. It’s a plus that they’re local, too. They stayed engaged all the way up to their CEO. I’m extremely happy with the work so far and they’ve been really strong.

We asked them to build something out and deliver within a quarter, and they were able to deliver to the timelines. We even added some additional scope and they were able to do that as well.

How did Woodridge Software perform from a project management standpoint?

One thing we love about Woodbridge is that they have the competency and ability to work inside of our toolset. We used Atlassian, which is Jira and Confluence, and they were able to run within our agile system.

They delivered everything pretty much on time and things only took longer when we changed the project a bit or hadn’t given them enough clarity. Otherwise, we’ve been happy and the team has been great.

What did you find most impressive about them?

For me, the talent that they hire at the engineering level stands out. Their CEO, head of design, and operations executive all get involved and make a personal relationship to ensure the project is successful.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The only opportunity I could see for improvement is to be more explicit with us, as a client, where they have challenges. Sometimes we, as the client, could be standing in the way of our own project with indecision. It’s more of a bimodal concern.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

My advice is to have open and direct communication with leadership on what your expectations are. Communication is absolutely critical and it helps you become more successful.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of marketing at the American Seminar Institute, a platform for continuing education for medical and dental professionals.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Woodridge Software?

We were looking for someone to help us rebuild our existing application, which didn’t have the functionality we needed.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Woodridge Software completely rebuilt our application according to the functionalities we required. It gives our customers the ability to download our course material to their iOS devices. The platform works in tandem with our database in order to provide those materials. It makes the process easier and more user friendly. It also features video capabilities and the ability to receive documentation. 

The Woodridge Software team handled the design work as well as the development.

What is the team composition?

We worked with a team of about six people on the team. I had different contacts for different segments, but ultimately I was in direct contact with about four team members.

How did you come to work with Woodridge Software?

I found them after doing an online search for companies in Colorado. We ended up choosing them based on their vast experience with digital learning platforms.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $40,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The collaboration took place from November 2017–October 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve received an enormous amount of positive feedback about the application from our customers. The technical issues are close to zero now, so it’s also a better working application that’s easier for our customers to use. Internally, we have to dedicate fewer resources to remedying the bugs we had been seeing previously. It’s been a really positive experience. 

How did Woodridge Software perform from a project management standpoint?

Woodridge Software used several project management tools. They were fantastic at communicating, not just with one another but with us as well, about any changes or updates from the inception to the completion of the app. Generally speaking, the team was easy to work with. They could come up with a solution to any problem, as well as details about how long solutions would take and how much they would cost.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The quality of their work sets them apart. The software they create works excellently. I haven’t seen anyone as good as they are in the digital learning platform world.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The only thing they could do better is to promote their expertise more. They come off as very modest when you speak with them, but they’re really the best in their industry. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Start by having a meeting with them; Woodridge Software doesn’t mind talking to anyone about any project.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the COO at a chemical company. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Woodridge Software?

We design and manufacture equipment that we can deploy on-site. We wanted to collect real-time data that our machines were measuring and make that data available to our team and our customers to analyze in the cloud. We were looking for a vendor to help us develop custom software.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Woodridge Software used their expertise with Android and Bluetooth as well as an array of web data tools to help us develop a web portal. They guided the entire process from scoping the problem to designing and developing the software. We can receive the data via Bluetooth into an Android device, which is connected to the web portal. Our engineers and customers can log into the portal to look at the data and plug it into the equipment as if we were present with it–even though it's thousands of miles away. We've extended the capabilities of the system since we first began, so the system can even generate SMS text notifications to get the attention of our technicians or customers.

What is the team composition? 

We have one main point of contact and we've worked with five other people, including UX/UI designers and programmers.

How did you come to work with Woodridge Software?

I had a business colleague who worked with Woodridge Software and recommended them. 

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent over $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement? 

We started working with them in February 2014 and the relationship is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The skillset that Woodridge Software has brought into the project enabled them to create a tool that helps our business model work. Our expertise is mostly in designing things made out of steel, so Woodridge Software's experience has been crucial to the development process.  

How did Woodridge Software perform from a project management standpoint? 

We mostly use email, phone, and video conferences to communicate. (We're based on the east coast and they are in Colorado, so I've never met them in person). They're generally very responsive, especially if there is an emergency. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Woodridge Software has been a one-stop-shop for us. They've been leading the project from conception to full execution across a variety of platforms. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

At the beginning of the relationship, there were some issues with the architecture, which required them to redo some things. That was a bit of an issue because we pay them hourly. But they have a lot more expertise now, so we haven't had any problems.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be clear about your vision and your timelines. The more details you can provide in terms of your expectations and the structure, the better they can meet your needs. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I was the head of Client Services for a financial services company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We hired Woodridge for augmenting my team performing customer software development.

SOLUTION

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

We selected Woodridge based on their experience and flexibility.

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

Woodridge supported us on projects as well as took on client post implementation. They provided a high level of expertise with our clients as well as provided valuable feedback to our internal processes and product.

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

We dealt with the majority of the company from the CEO, Architects, Software Developers and Quality Assurance.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Valuable team members who could be trusted to get the job done!

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

Woodridge worked within our methodology but was also flexible with clients post implementation, working with them on meeting their needs.

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

I was most impressed with Woodridge's ability to adapt and find great talent. They did a great job learning our process, then taking it back internally to teach the rest of their team.

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

None.