648 Group

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with 648 Group?

We have worked on three different projects with 648 Group over the years, one of them being a web interface design for our hardware.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

648 Group took our base SDK [software development kit] and converted it, changing its programming to our specifications. We provided designs and suggestions; the product was based on a graphical user interface but was modified based on how it needed to work for our customers.

Our second project with 648 Group involved building a basic PHP web interface for our e-commerce site. We used it as an online catalog for the company's products.

Our third project is for an embedded system using Raspberry Pi technology. 648 Group has written a customized frontend which will control cameras, solar products, and other devices. It can also record telemetric data and incorporate it into a database, which is accessible through one IP address. We use wireless technology for interfacing with the boards.

Our technology has ranged from basic PHP to WordPress. We're using a Linux distribution for our Raspberry Pi development.

We have used 1–5 developers from 648 Group, depending on the project. They have done a good job of managing our frontend, so my interactions have typically been with one or two contacts. From a project management standpoint, the relationship has been clear; 648 Group manages the people writing the actual code.

How did you come to work with 648 Group?

I had experience with several firms, both from the US and from India. I first heard about 648 Group through a colleague around five years ago. I put together a statement of work, went through a bidding process, and asked for quotes as well as directions and advice on how the different groups would go about solving our issue. 648 Group came across as being experienced with the type of project we were working on, so we saw them as a good fit. Since we were successful in our first project, we gave 648 Group the work for subsequent projects.

How much have you invested with 648 Group?

The cost of 648 Group's work has been between $50,000 and $100,000 overall. Our first project was within a $15,000 range, while the second was a little smaller. The third project was the largest, and it's still ongoing.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with 648 Group around 2013.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We are still using a variation of the very first project which 648 Group worked on, which was the development of a graphical user interface for controlling our product. It's been a long time since then, encompassing many product development cycles. We've done some work on it using our internal team as well, but the initial structure continues to live on in products which we're still selling. Also, our e-commerce website is still being used, and we have no issues with it.

Our ongoing project has had several finished milestones. The first part of the system has been developed and is operational. We have gone through troubleshooting and bug fixing for it, and we're currently adding customer-requested functionalities.

How did 648 Group perform from a project management standpoint?

648 Group is always responsive. We've used different tools like Basecamp, in order to keep track of milestone and deliverable progress. 648 Group has kept our contacts down to a couple of people. For someone looking to follow a roadmap and schedule, this approach is very easy. 648 Group uses an Agile methodology, giving us updates every two weeks. I have found that, whenever I have a question or issue about a new release of our firmware or feature set, I can enter it in our documentation, and 648 Group will keep track of it. We have checklists which we can follow, making sure that the work is being taken care of and corrected.

Are there any areas 648 Group could improve?

With any complex development project, there will be a need to adjust processes when something unforeseen comes up. 648 Group has done this well, and we can discuss issues. There is an ongoing improvement with respect to our processes, and we can work together in making changes in order to ultimately arrive at the desired outcome.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Our group provides utility billing for municipalities and water, gas, and electric companies. I am the general manager of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with 648 Group?

We needed to modernize our web presence.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We have worked on several projects with 648 Group. They built a modern PHP website for our company, and also developed platforms aimed at bringing our customers into the cloud. They also provide backend database support and hosting for our solution. We have worked with several developers from 648 Group's team, but I don't know the exact numbers.

How did you come to work with 648 Group?

648 Group was a personal reference from another business associate. We felt that they were a flexible company and were willing to work with us.

How much have you invested with 648 Group?

The cost of 648 Group's work was around $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with 648 Group in 2013. It's an ongoing project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We haven't measured our results per se, but we have seen additional customers being brought forth by the innovative solutions built by 648 Group.

How did 648 Group perform from a project management standpoint?

We used a collaborative website similar to Dropbox for sharing documentation. 648 Group assigned a project manager for our work.

What did you find most impressive about 648 Group?

648 Group has in-house staff for graphics work, so the look and feel of our platform was professional and cutting edge.

Are there any areas 648 Group could improve?

Some of 648 Group's staff is offshore, so there was a communication barrier. Once we started working with them, we were able to clarify things.

What tips or recommendations could you share that might increase the likelihood of success with 648 Group?

It's always good to know what you're looking for and provide some direction to the developer when it comes to IT projects, rather than allowing the partner to handle development alone and deliver something outside of the agreement.