Action Engine

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president of Automated Retail Associates. We’re in the automated retail industry, which consists of vending machines, micro-markets, and other forms of unattended retail. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Action Engine?

I’m developing an app to be used in the micro-market industry, and Action Engine is developing parts of this cloud-based app. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I described the product’s use cases to Action Engine, and the first thing they did was develop screens to see how things would look like. Once we got through that phase, they started developing the app’s functionality. 

At present, they’re developing the product on the Heroku platform. In terms of features and functionality, the app’s frontend provides actionable data to end users in an easy-to-use and manageable way. The product automates what users struggle to do manually, helping them save time. 

This project has several stages, and Action Engine has completed many of them. However, we continue to grow the product, and we’re currently working on its future stages. At this point, maintenance isn’t necessary yet, but they’ve offered to provide it if needed. 

What is the team composition?

One person has worked on the product’s UI/UX design, and I’ve interacted with a project lead. The project manager is my main point of contact. 

How did you come to work with Action Engine?

They were a referral. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in September 2021, and the engagement is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The work that has been done up to this point is a proof of concept (POC) that can go out in the marketplace and get feedback from potential customers. Everything has been positive. 

How did Action Engine perform from a project management standpoint?

I’m extremely happy with how Action Engine has met deadlines and how they communicate with me, specifically the project manager. To communicate, we use Teams; we use Jira for project management. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their professionalism, ability to meet deadlines, and creativity in developing UI/UX designs are impressive. On top of that, I’m extremely pleased with my experience working with them — it’s been a pleasure. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there aren’t any. I can’t think of anything negative to say about what they’ve done. I’ve been truly happy.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

To get the most out of your project, be organized and provide Action Engine with information on what you need. Communicate your goals clearly. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Aqueous Asset Inc is a Fintech company startup focusing on commercial real estate investment. I am Sr. R&D Director

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Action Engine, and what were your goals?

To prototype and build a Cloud based commercial real estate investment marketplace and platform

SOLUTION

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

I was not around when vendor selected.

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

Work with leadership on capabilities and features of the platform to support accredited investors wishing to invest in private equity via a marketplace and to support property developers and investors to manage their investments once completed.

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

10+ spanning all roles - project manager, architect/design/UI/UX, front end, backend, testing, and devops.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We reached an early Beta test with close customers. However, business decision was to halt development to focus on another real estate development project.

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

Very open style. We had a weekly call to see progress, give feedback, clarify requirements, discuss issues. They respond quickly as priorities dictate. Used slack and zoom primarily. Jira and confluence for tracking and documenting.

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

Their skills were very good. They were flexible as our business or requirements had to change.

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

Not really. The business took a different direction.