9Y Agency

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am Founder and Managing Director at Management Consulting Company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire 9Y Agency, and what were your goals?

9Y is developing a website for a management consulting company, working from scratch on design and functionality. They are basically supporting us in all technology-related topics.

SOLUTION

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

We knew 9Y for some time and saw how professionally they work first-hand. When we decided to build our website, they were our agency to go to.

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

In a collaborative workshop format, we shaped the Corporate Identity - besides Logo design, colour scheme and fonts, we also identified an overall design direction for marketing materials (print and digital). Based on the outcome of the CI phase followed the design and implementation of the website. Additionally, 9Y provides the ongoing support and advice in all technology-related topics.

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

They’ve assigned a Co-Founder and Head of Design to the project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Though the site hasn´t been officially launched yet, we have already received very positive feedback from our community and external partners. They loved the design and praised the overall look and feel.

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

We had a feeling of being one team and the whole process was seamless. 9Y initially organized a design discovery workshop. It was very easy to work with them and they perfectly understood our needs, what we stand for and the direction we would like to take.

While having in mind our ideas, they have been very proactive in making the suggestions which were surprisingly refreshing and made us look at the project from another perspective. We believe the end-result is the perfect mix of our and 9Y´s vision. In addition to in-person workshop, we had our weekly update calls and used Slack for a quick exchange.

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

They were a knowledgeable, professional, passionate, and trustworthy partner. Even if you are having a clear idea about the project, it paid off to be open to 9Y´s advice and suggestions. They are trusted partner and you can feel they are having client´s best interest in mind.

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

Time to delivery could be improved, but that was partially our fault too, as we were busy with other projects and not in a hurry. Both sides were not ready to sacrifice the quality over the speed of delivery.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I co-founded a hospitality and travel company based in Spain. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with 9Y?

We hired them to build our website and function almost as our CTO team.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They’ve been building the site from the ground up, which has involved design, functionality, third-party integrations, billing systems, and general technology support or advice. Additionally, they’ve lent a hand with SEO, paid acquisition, and UX that would fall into more of a marketing role. We’re using React to create the site.  

What is the team composition?

They’ve assigned a co-founder and full-time engineer to the project. We also have a designer, project manager, and a freelance marketing specialist. 

How did you come to work with 9Y?

I worked with them at a previous company. We interviewed several other companies but ultimately chose them for the quality of their code and reputation. I had a great amount of trust in their abilities to handle complex projects.

How much have you invested with them?

We’re anticipating the full engagement costing about $100,000.  

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since June 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We haven’t launched the site yet, but we’re expecting some more traffic and a lift in bookings. After we launch, we’ll track their success through engagement and bookings. They’re a top-notch team that produces code with strong backend infrastructure. Their code is practically production-ready at all times. We generally only make minor tweaks to their work. 

How did 9Y perform from a project management standpoint?

We’ve developed a collaborative spirit between our teams because they’re always available to us for advice. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their technical proficiencies are commendable. The developers are extremely well-versed and can help me make decisions through non-technical explanations. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

They’re a smaller team, but they’ll grow in capacity naturally over time.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They may not be the cheapest option, but it’s totally worth it to engage with them. The team thrives on collaboration and likes to feel like part of the team.  

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are a digital health company, founded in 2011 in Vienna. We provide apps and services for people with diabetes. I am the CTO and as such responsible for all software development activities.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire 9Y?

We have been working with 9Y to extend our development power. Not being able to hire engineers quickly enough, 9Y helped us to fill gaps in our team and provided us with highly skilled mobile developers.

What were your goals for this project?

Our main goal was to ship features to our customers, and to improve and update all parts of our product offering.

SOLUTION

How did you select 9Y?

9Y is one of the leading names for mobile development in Vienna. As we were looking for co-located team members, it was a quick and natural choice.

Describe the project in detail.

Team members from 9Y extend our in-house development teams with skilled and experienced mobile developers (iOS and Android). They become part of the product team and contribute not only code, but are also involved in brainstorming, planning, designing, testing, and releasing our products.

What was the team composition?

We started with one mobile developer, and over the time this grew to four mobile developers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

9Y team members have implemented many features that are crucial for our business success and bring significant value to our users. 9Y team members are appreciated by their colleagues for their technical and communication skills, as well as their motivation and availability. We do not see an "end" to this cooperation and hope to continue working with 9Y for the time to come.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

9Y team members are seamlessly integrated into our in-house development teams, so the workflow is very direct and effective.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I like that 9Y is fully committed to serving their customers, both from a technical but also from a process/organization standpoint. They are super flexible to adapt to our needs and they are always open to discuss the potential for improvement.

Are there any areas for improvement?

We could have spent a little bit more time together to figure out the strengths and weaknesses of all involved team members, in order to make sure they are assigned the tasks that suit best.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Director Of Operations for a Luxury leather care company based in New York City. We have 85 employees and service luxury goods from consumers and the luxury industry. I am responsible for the operations and the development of our company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire 9Y?

We hired 9Y to build us a custom application to streamline our operations between all our retail stores and our central repair center.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to improve our customers experience when using our digital ecosystem as well as the internal operations.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

The vendor came to me as a recommendation from my tech advisor to our company. Our advisor has used the vendor many times before with great results. I am very happy with the recommendation.

Describe the project in detail.

Once we started the project we had few introductory zoom calls but transitioned into full production fairly quick as the 9Y team understood very quick what we were trying to accomplish with the project.

What was the team composition?

We were assigned a project manager that is very thorough and that is great explaining technical terms that I might not be familiar with.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Within the first few weeks, the team had frames and pages for us already designed and we were super happy with the result and the direction.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very active, even with working in between two different continents the 9Y team is always accessible and responsive.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their knowledge and skill in the field that they are in were most impressive. Very professional.

Are there any areas for improvement?

So far everything has been great but it is still early on in the project.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a company numbering more than 20 people. We work with customers regarding electronic signatures and electronic identification on mobile devices in the banking and automotive areas. We work with large companies in Austria, Germany, Switzerland, and Eastern Europe.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with 9Y?

They’re an important implementation partner for app development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

9Y has worked on Android and iOS apps for us, which are available through the mobile device management systems in the business areas of companies.

What is the team composition?

The team varies depending on the project and work packages we have. For some projects we’ve worked with several people, in others we’ve just worked with one person from 9Y.

How did you come to work with 9Y?

One of our employees knew an owner from 9Y. We had a special problem several years ago, and we contacted them.

How much have you invested with them?

The cost of their services since the start of our collaboration has been more than €100,000 (approximately $113,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with 9Y in early 2015 and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

9Y has very good employees, and we’re satisfied with their work. This is why we’ve been working together for such a long time. They employ very good QA processes on their side, before delivering the software.

How did 9Y perform from a project management standpoint?

We have a single point of contact on 9Y’s side, with whom we agree on timelines and project management. He organizes the work on their side. They typically meet timelines very well, so we’re happy with them. There’ve been rare cases when they didn’t meet a deadline, but that was because there was more work involved than we’d assumed. It normally works very well. Our contact person has good knowledge and keeps us updated on the project status.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They have really good technical knowledge. We have difficult technical requirements, given that we work in electronic identification. There are some hard requirements around what’s possible with HTML5.

9Y has good technical experience, and they’re able to divide the work into sprints. They’re educated on the limits of different technologies, and what we can and can’t do with something. They’re a really good partner for challenging requirements.

Are there any areas they could improve?

For the moment, I’d say we’re really satisfied. If we have an issue, we can have a short call with the central contact person and have him manage it.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

I can recommend them, and it’s not really required to give particular advice. It’s just a matter of describing the requirements to their contact person. 9Y will make a good evaluation of the problem.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of branding strategy for Anyline, a text recognition software company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with 9Y?

We were looking for an agency that has expertise in app development so our team could focus on building our software.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We already have done a few app projects with 9Y. There was a project where we referred our client to them so that our client knew our software and got their app from 9Y. 9Y also creates internal apps for our company. They handle the entire development process from project management to crafting the app and design roadmaps.

What is the team composition?

We work with three different people. There’s one main point of contact that I can reach if any questions. I also have direct contact with the lead developer, which is really helpful during the testing phase up to launch. It speeds up the process of providing feedback and getting things done.

How did you come to work with 9Y?

Our company has a long history with 9Y. We already knew them for a few years because we were in the same office. We had a good feeling about their work because we already had that base of trust and knew that they are professionals in their area.

What is the status of this engagement?

Last year, we did more small projects for a few weeks each. From April 2020 onwards, we’ve started a big project and plan to work constantly for a longer period. We expect it’ll finish at the end of this year or go even longer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

9Y’s quality is really good. I’m impressed by how easy and smooth everything has gone as well as how fast they reply to questions and issues that come up. We’ve only had a few smaller tests that they’ve had to look into. But overall, they’re much faster and delivered much better quality than I expected for a first version.

How did 9Y perform from a project management standpoint?

It’s been really easy. We use Slack, which makes real-time feedback possible. We also have a shared spreadsheet, some briefing calls, and updates on deadlines when they plan to deliver. It’s worked out really well.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Because 9Y is a small agency, they have a hands-on mentality. We can expect a fast turnaround and talk directly to their technical lead without having to wait for a reply. It’s exactly what we need. I find that unique for an agency or at least a good quality of 9Y’s.

Are there any areas they could improve?

One thing that would make project management even easier is if 9Y were to provide a small online tool that serves as a single spot for all information, such as our roadmap and status.

Any advice for potential customers?

9Y has nice people who want to listen to your problems. It’s always best to have a call with them and explain the situation so they understand what you need. Don’t just send them a written brief and expect them to get it right. If you get to know their people, the outcome will be better.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work for ista Germany, which belongs to ista international, a worldwide energy service provider. Our main business is issuing consumption-based bills for heating cost allocations. I’m a project manager in the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with 9Y?

The challenge was that we have a lot of projects, ideas, and problems to be addressed, but we don’t have an app development team within our company. We hired 9Y to develop mobile solutions for our company.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

9Y has designed developed two mobile apps for us. The first one is an internal app for our technical service employees. It’s a very technical app meant for support. The second one is an external app for tenants. They can use it for meter readings instead of making appointments with our employees to come and read the meters. I believe each app was developed in React Native for Android and iOS.

9Y supported us from the idea to the release. We discussed the problem to be solved with them, including use cases, and they handled design and app development.

What is the team composition?

We had two main contacts at 9Y who relayed our questions to their other members. I’ve worked with 4–5 people in total, but I believe their team has around 20 people in total. Those include developers, designers, and a project manager. My two main contacts were the chief revenue officer and the project manager.

How did you come to work with 9Y?

We searched for app development agencies, and we chose 9Y because they had a very interesting use case done on developing an OCR software for scanning and reading out meter values. It was quite interesting for our business, and fit our needs very well.

What is the status of this engagement?

The first interviews and contacts were in April 2018, and the project started around August of that year. The apps are live, but we’re continuing to update them. We have an ongoing contract with 9Y for support.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The two applications are live and in use. The internal one is helping us reduce our paper processes, and the second one allows tenants to scan meters whenever they want to, without the need to schedule an appointment with one of our employees. About 5,000–10,000 people use the tenant app. It doesn’t have a huge userbase yet, but the app is scalable, so we can widen the range of people using it. We also have to adjust our internal processes, so it’s taking a bit longer on our side. We’re very satisfied with 9Y, though.

How did 9Y perform from a project management standpoint?

9Y has supported us from idea to release, and the process is always transparent and open. We can discuss any problem or issue, and we work together very well overall.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’d definitely highlight the teamwork. We’re two different companies, but it feels as though we’re one big project team. The overall teamwork is very good.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Anyone can improve in life, and we should never stop improving ourselves. However, the collaboration has been fine from our perspective. Nothing in particular comes to mind.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Clients should take the time to explain their overall business and explain their use case in detail. Our business is very complex, and it was important to take the time and explain everything. 9Y is open to understanding the client’s business and willing to make useful suggestions.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the managing director of the Mauthausen Committee Austria, an organization working with the survivors of the Mauthausen concentration camp and its satellite camps.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with 9Y?

We developed a new app with them, for satellite camps. It’s the first app we’ve launched in Austria.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

9Y developed an app that provides historical information on satellite camps, along with photos and videos. It has a virtual tour functionality that uses Google Maps.

What is the team composition?

We had a main point of contact, and there was another person working in the background. I explained the main concept to their director, and we were assigned to someone after that.

How did you come to work with 9Y?

We researched some companies, and 9Y was one of the best in terms of skills and price. We found some companies online and we got some recommendations. They were recommended to us by the person in charge of our website.

How much have you invested with them?

The cost was around €30,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with 9Y around August 2018, and we launched the app in August 2019. We’re still working with them to improve the app.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

9Y delivered a good result. We were happy with the quality of the initial version, and we’ve improved the app based on member feedback.

How did 9Y perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re very professional and very strong communicators.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It’s their price and the fact that they got personally involved in the project. We got the feeling that they really cared, as they offered quite a few ideas to solve issues. I got the feeling that the topic was very important for them, and they didn’t just want to get a good contract.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It would’ve been good if the additional work we did based on feedback had been included in the initial price.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

I recommend including the feedback work in the initial price of the contract. Everything else is very good.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a senior product manager at a flexible office and workspace company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with 9Y?

We have a lot of products but we didn’t have a big team. Our head of product recommended we hired 9Y to start building the infrastructure and the roadmap without hiring people in-house.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Specifically, they built two web apps. One was internal-facing for our sales reps and one was customer-facing for prospects and brokers to interact with different spaces to find their office. We had a microservice backend and used React.

I know they also worked with other members of our team on different mobile and web apps, but I wasn’t involved in those projects.

What is the team composition?

I never worked with more than eight people at 9Y at once, but I worked with 10–12 people in total.

How did you come to work with 9Y?

Our head of product had worked with them previously and brought them on.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began work in June 2018, and the relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The customer-facing tool helped us double our tour conversion rate. As a real estate company, one of our KPIs is how many people we can bring on a tour. Bringing that from 10% to 20% was a really great thing.

They’ve been a key part of every digital product release we’ve had, earning our business again and again.

How did 9Y perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re incredibly supportive. Their CTO would hop on every stand-up and personally intervene on sprints. If something was ever unclear, they swarmed on it right away. They were a dream to work with, very responsive and incredibly organized.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I felt that they were part of the team. They were responsive and had a positive attitude, building relationships across our team. It didn’t feel as transactional as I thought — they had ownership and were willing to go that extra mile.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They couldn’t do anything better. They’re awesome.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Spend time with their team. They're smart and likable people who can help you with strategy.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO of a insurance brokerage firm located in Vienna.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire 9Y Agency, and what were your goals?

We wanted to create a end-customer app holding all insurance policies of a given individual, our customer. The customer should be able to communicate with us and to sign up new insurance contracts.

SOLUTION

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

The 9Y Agency was recommended to us by a developer already on our team.

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

The goal for this part of the project was to identify possible bugs and short-comings of the apps ans fix the issues. For this phase of the project, we definied critical functionality and organized a testing team. Then we worked on the issues and prepared the customer rollout.

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

The support was organizational and technical. 9Y Ageny provided the project manager and a senior technical lead.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

9Y Agency provided great organizational support for the project and resolved the identified problems quickly.

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

Project management was forthcoming and brought all issues in a timely manner. We had weekly calls to determine the next steps.

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

A young team working very professionally with deep knowledge in their field.

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

No.