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Dependable Technology Services

4.7
10 reviews

Affirma is an award-winning full service technology consultancy based out of Bellevue, WA.  We specialize in Mobile, Cloud, Business Intelligence, SharePoint, Technology Infrastructure, Custom Development, Visual Design, and Staffing Services. We focus on delivering true, measurable business value to our clients. We have a passion for customer satisfaction and are dedicated to delivering dependable and reliable solutions that exceed client expectations. 

Our clients include Microsoft, the Seattle Art Museum, Children's Hospital, Starbucks, Blue Nile, TreeTop, MoneyTree, and many more.  We have been ranked one of Puget Sound Business Journals “Best Workplaces” and “Fastest Growing Companies” for four years in a row.  

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$5,000+
 
$100 - $149 / hr
 
250 - 999
 Founded
2001
Show all +
Bellevue, WA
headquarters
  • 3380 146th Place SE #200
    Bellevue, WA 98007
    United States
    425.689.5273
other locations
  • 112 West 34th St.18th floor
    New York, NY 10120
    United States
  • Ahmedabad
    India
  • Ireland
  • 340 E 2nd St #404, Los Angeles, CA 90012
    Los Angeles, CA 90012
    United States
    (213) 617-8359

Focus

Service lines
  • Custom Software Development
  • BI & Big Data Consulting & SI
  • CRM Consulting and SI
SHOW ALL +
Client focus
  • Midmarket ($10M - $1B)
  • Enterprise (>$1B)
Industry focus
  • Business services
  • Consumer products & services
  • Financial services
Mobile platforms
Mobile focus
Frameworks and CMS
Programming & scripting
Application platform
BI & big data focus
BI & big data solutions
CRM functions
CRM solutions
Productivity & collaboration
ECM

Portfolio

Key clients: 

Microsoft, Amazon, Facebook, ESPN, Boeing, Wells Fargo, Time, Pokemon, XBOX, Vizio, The Ohio State University, Expedia, Seahawks, Pokemon, Aegis Living, Seattle Radiologists, Moneytree, Seattle Children's Hospital, Selco

Reviews

4.7
10 reviews
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Website Redesign for Community Bank

"They were very open and flexible based on our needs."

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5.0

Quality: 
5.0
Schedule: 
4.5
Cost: 
4.0
Willing to refer: 
5.0
The Project
 
Confidential
 
Dec. 2016- June 2017
Project summary: 

Affirma Consulting redesigned a website to refresh its appearance and make it easier to navigate. They handled wireframing and are available for fixes and updates. They’ll likely be chosen for future work.

The Reviewer
 
201-500 Employees
 
Eugene, Oregon
Chris Fannon
Digital Marketing Strategist, SELCO Community Credit Union
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

Bounce rates have decreased and users are now more engaged with the content, thus spending more time on the website. Affirma’s focus on customer satisfaction is equal to none. Their frequent check-ins and quick approach for addressing concerns or urgent tasks are highlights of their work.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the digital marketing strategist for SELCO, the third largest credit union in Oregon. I’m in charge of our website, online listings, and email marketing.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Affirma Consulting?

We were at a point where we knew we needed a refresh and wanted to redesign the website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our website was built on a CMS that wasn’t very flexible; the template was pretty dated and we couldn’t do much to update it. It didn’t feel as modern as it needed to. We wanted to convey the message that we could provide the same level of digital services as any major national bank.

Affirma came on board to handle the website’s redesign. We provided our basic brand colors, ideas of what we wanted, and photographs from our ad shoots. They built the wireframes and actual layout. The backend, which includes account management and online banking, was being rebuilt simultaneously by another vendor we had used before. We used Sitefinity as a CMS.

We’re so happy with Affirma's work that we’re considering using them again in the future.

What is the team composition?

We worked with a project manager as well as an account manager. I’m not entirely sure how many developers were involved, but I do know that the work was split between their U.S. team and their India team.

How did you come to work with Affirma Consulting?

I came on board shortly after the company had already chosen to work with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them from December 2016 to June 2017. We’re still collaborating together for minor fixes whenever we have a new release.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our on-page metrics have greatly increased since the website’s redesign; people are spending more time on the pages and are more engaged. The bounce rate has also plummeted. It’s a 200-page website, so there’s a lot of information that was kind of buried in the previous one. It wasn’t as pleasant to navigate before, but now, we’re seeing that people are using the rest of the site more.

How did Affirma Consulting perform from a project management standpoint?

We met with the project manager at least once or twice a week. The account manager oversaw the general relationship and would call to check if we were satisfied or of something needed improvement. Those calls were always really short because there was never anything to talk about.

Additionally, Affirma was prompt with their responses, and if we had something that needed to be done urgently, they would get started right away. They were very open and flexible based on our needs.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their availability and flexibility in finding a system that worked for us were outstanding. They were also quick to address issues and worked with me to figure out the best way to do things.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They always ask me where they can improve. Whenever I had critical feedback for them, they found solutions immediately.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be open about your processes and how things work best for you because if you don’t convey that information, they will make suggestions based on what works best for them. They will accommodate changes if you request them, though.

5.0
Overall Score
  • 4.5 Scheduling
    ON TIME / DEADLINES
  • 4.0 Cost
    Value / within estimates
  • 5.0 Quality
    Service & deliverables
  • 5.0 NPS
    Willing to refer

Office 365 Migration for IT Firm

“They were very accommodating and very efficient getting it done.”

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5.0

Quality: 
5.0
Schedule: 
5.0
Cost: 
5.0
Willing to refer: 
5.0
The Project
 
$10,000 to $49,999
 
Feb. 2017 - Ongoing
Project summary: 

Affirma was hired to do the migration from G-Suite to Office 365. They also provided SharePoint developer, enabling file sharing throughout the organization.

The Reviewer
 
11-50 Employees
 
Richardson, Texas
Joel Heidleberg
Project Manager, Adjacent Solutions
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

With fantastic communication and responsive follow-up, Affirma impressed, making great improvements in this business with their professional service delivery.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there. ​​​

​​I am a project manager for internal and external projects for our company, as well as the office admin/file-sharing admin as well. Our company does Oracle related consulting like functional support, DBA support, hosting, managed service, etc.

 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Affirma?

We knew what we wanted but we did not have the expertise to do the migration from G-Suite to Office 365.

 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The project we were working on with Affirma was a migration from G-Suite, which is Google’s platform, over to Office 365. The reason we were going to make that switch is because we were just looking for something that’s a little more scalable, a little more real process as we grow as a company and something that just has a lot more functionality. For the Office 365 stuff, they did basically everything. They provide the migration, licenses, and support. In the next four to six weeks, we’re acquiring a company, so they’ll be doing the migration for that as well. They’re going to help us set up aliases in the meantime so that we can receive mail coming from those accounts and then after we do that, then they’ll do the full email migration. We’ve also talked to them a little bit about infrastructure as well. Right now a lot of our stuff is hosted, but eventually, we’re going to need some assistance on consulting hardware for onsite as well as active director needs.

 

How did you come to work with Affirma?

Our CEO found them, vetted them, passed them along to me, and that’s when I got involved in the conversation. We’re based in Richardson, Texas, which is far from Seattle where they’re based. He just did some digging to see who would be a good choice to partner with for the foreseeable future. It’s not just a one- time use deal. He was looking for somebody that could be long-term as well.

 

How much have you invested with Affirma?

Under $10,000 at this time, but probably we will bump over that threshold within the coming weeks.

 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them February 2017 and have been working together since.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It’s definitely been a huge improvement on the business as a whole. We were able to streamline a lot of stuff. We use SharePoint as well as Skype, which is all encompassing as opposed to having an email platform and IN platform and then a follow-sharing platform as well. We’ve also started to utilize a SharePoint developer, which is something else that they provided with the sweep. Rather than saving my spreadsheet on my computer and emailing it out, now we have SharePoint tables where we can just have it shared throughout the organization. If you have a computer and internet connection, you can do it, which is great.

 

How did Affirma perform from a project management standpoint?

The communication was fantastic. If I had a question or something about the upcoming step that we were going to proceed with, we’re talking maybe an hour tops for a reply, which is phenomenal. They did standard procedure. They provided notes for us after every call so we knew what to expect, the next steps, and who is doing what. We never had to worry about the ball being dropped. They followed up continuously and they followed up immediately after the project was completed, and probably every other day for the first week or so, and then once a week for a few weeks just to make sure everything was going as it should be.

 

What did you find most impressive about Affirma?

In comparison to a company I used in the past while working for a different company, Affirma is by far the staple that people should be basing it off of. Affirma essentially held our hands in a very professional and not overbearing kind of way. We did the migration after work one day, our time, which was almost 9:00 pm their time and it didn’t get finished until midnight, and they didn’t complain about it. They said, “If you guys want to do it, great. We’ll do it. If you want to do it at 4:00 in the morning, we’ll do it then as well.” They were very accommodating and very efficient getting it done. From start to finish it took maybe three hours and that included all troubleshooting and double-checking access. They were phenomenal.

 

Are there any areas Affirma could improve?

If I had one thing, just to give you something, I think on one of our first emails they used the time and it was in PST and they didn’t put PST. So I had to ask if it was PST or Central.

5.0
Overall Score It takes a lot to get a perfect score from me, but in this case, it was well earned.
  • 5.0 Scheduling
    ON TIME / DEADLINES
    They finished ahead of the agreed upon completion date and worked outside of normal business hours.
  • 5.0 Cost
    Value / within estimates
    The cost is what we expected for a project of this size.
  • 5.0 Quality
    Service & deliverables
    Exactly what was expected - professional and quick.
  • 5.0 NPS
    Willing to refer
    Not only are we willing to refer Affirma, we still continue to work with them!

Systems Migration for Food Production Company

"They are a very sharp operation, and we are very happy to have them as a partner."

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4.5

Quality: 
4.5
Schedule: 
4.5
Cost: 
4.5
Willing to refer: 
5.0
The Project
 
$50,000 to $199,999
Project summary: 

Affirma Consulting mainly works on migrating a web application to Microsoft Azure. The agency's responsibilities include discovery, architecture, and UI design.

The Reviewer
 
1-10 Employees
 
Boardman, Oregon
Systems Administrator, Food Production Company
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

Affirma Consulting is up-to-date with emerging web technologies and capable of thinking innovatively. They suggested using a new library for a .NET framework, which increased the project's effectiveness. The agency is a reliable partner and feedback on their work has been positive.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We do irrigation engineering and management as related to irrigated agriculture, typically in corporate environments.

What is your position and responsibilities?

I am the systems administrator and key technician.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Affirma Consulting?

We have an existing web application with a database back that we have been using to support our customers for a number of years. We are trying to get it migrated more onto a Cloud-based solution. Affirma Consulting is leading that effort for us. 

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

Right now, all the work is focused around the migration. They are doing some of the architectural elements; we are moving onto Microsoft Azure. They have been identifying places where changes in architecture are needed. We are in the discovery phase now. In time, we will probably be doing some UI [user interface] design projects that they will be helping us out with, but we have not gotten to that point yet. 

How did you come to work with Affirma Consulting?

We had a technology partner that we worked with for seven or eight years, and they were not quite getting us where we needed to go. I started doing some Internet searches for technology companies in our area. I came across Affirma's website and did some reading on them. I called a couple of other firms as well. We set up a conference call with Affirma with a broader team on both sides and talked through some things.

Based on a gut feeling, plus their portfolio that they were able to show us on past jobs, it seemed like they had a lot of capabilities and strengths in the area that we were looking for. We started out with a pilot project of some technical analysis of some of our existing things and outlined a roadmap for us on how we might go. We gradually transitioned from our old partner onto Affirma almost exclusively now.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

It was between $50,000 to $200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our project with Affirma is ongoing. In fact, we are in the process of renewing our contract with them for another year. There is existing work to be done with the migration, but there are always ongoing changes, improvements, and fine-tuning that are driven by our customers. We try to react to changes in the market and what our client base would like to see. It is a never-ending process. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

We are very satisfied with Affirma Consulting. Their team is very innovative, and they are well acquainted with current emerging web technologies, which is where our application lives. It is web based and customer facing. We want to stay current in order to be able to leverage new technologies, and they have been a good partner in that regard because they are able to make sound suggestions. For instance, they told us that there was a new library here that works well with the .NET framework. Then, they had us look at it because they thought it would do what we need to do, and that is very welcome and helpful.

We do not have anything as formal as a metric to measure Affirma's outcome but, anecdotally, a lot of our web application has some reporting functionality built into it, which is how we deliver information to our customers on the irrigation management side of the business. We had them do a pilot report to test out some new ideas and deployment technologies, and this one particular report that we did we blended in with some of our existing things, and we received some very favorable feedback from our customers that they really liked the new graph we built for them.

What distinguishes Affirma Consulting from other providers?

They are very aware of the state of the technology that we are trying to use, and consequently are able to make relevant suggestions to us. Some companies are more concerned about making sure they get their monthly amount billed out to you, and they are less concerned about the amount of product they produce because they are more concerned about how many billable hours there are. Affirma is very cost conscious, and they deliver a lot of value for the dollar spent. They are a very sharp operation, and we are very happy to have them as a partner.

Is there anything Affirma Consulting could have improved or done differently?

I cannot think of anything right now. Most of the things they do, they do well. I am not familiar with every single aspect of the business; they do staffing and support and training and many things that we have not taken advantage of, but the areas of their expertise where we have engaged them, they do that part of it well. I do not have anything negative to say at this point.

4.5
Overall Score
  • 4.5 Scheduling
    ON TIME / DEADLINES
  • 4.5 Cost
    Value / within estimates
  • 4.5 Quality
    Service & deliverables
  • 5.0 NPS
    Willing to refer
    I would recommend them to somebody looking for that type of help.

Website Development for Hydraulic Services Company

"They make a point of keeping everything transparent."

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5.0

Quality: 
5.0
Schedule: 
5.0
Cost: 
5.0
Willing to refer: 
5.0
The Project
 
$200,000 to $999,999
Project summary: 

Affirma Consulting provides Web development and consulting services for a variety of projects. The scope of the agency’s involvement is expected to extend to include integration and SAP.

The Reviewer
 
1001-10,000 Employees
 
Allentown, Pennsylvania
Marketing Manager, Hydac Technology Corporation
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

Affirma Consulting built and launched a functioning site on schedule. The agency communicates well and remains transparent throughout the projects they work on; there are no surprises in terms of hours worked or progress with the allotted budget.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

My company's name is Hydac Technology Corporation. We deal in all aspects of hydraulics. We have 10 product divisions that make hydraulic filters, filter systems, hydraulic accumulators, and hydraulic cooling systems – everything pertaining to the world of hydraulics. We employ 7,000 people worldwide.

What is your position and responsibilities?

I am the marketing manager.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Affirma Consulting?

The overall business goal of our work with Affirma was to get us out from between a rock and a hard place. We had hired a different vendor, who was unable to complete the project.

We initially contracted with Affirma to pick up some projects, some aspects of the website that were not in the initial scope of delivery, and actually ended up switching the entire project to Affirma, and it worked out beautifully.

Affirma picked up where the other vendor had left off, where we had agreed to part ways. They picked up the ball and ran with it and really helped get that project off the ground. We launched the website with Affirma beside us.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

Right now, it is web work and consulting with respect to other ongoing web projects that we have. Our next web project will be on a different site for both ourselves and our distributors. That will involve integration with SAP. We will be working with Affirma for that.

How did you come to work with Affirma Consulting?

We had learned about Affirma in the bid process for our new website. Affirma had placed a bid on that website. However, in the initial findings we did not award the business to Affirma. About three quarters of the way through the project we started having difficulties with the provider. The relationship was not working to the mutual benefit of both of us. It was not their fault, they had some loss of staff that contributed to that. It was an amicable separation.

At that point, Affirma contacted us to find out how the project was progressing. Knowing that we were past the due date for launching our website, they were curious to know if there was anything they could do to help.

It seemed at that time that we should have hired Affirma in the beginning. They were the higher end bidder of the project. But now in hindsight, had we selected them in the first place, we would have actually spent less money.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

Their first project was $10,00 to  $50,000. The future project is estimated to be more than $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Right now, they are on a T&M [time and materials] basis for anything that would come up with the website, such as things that we would have any difficulty with and would need their help with. They do not have any ongoing projects, at the moment, until we begin the new distributor site. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

I am very satisfied with their work. They did what they said they would do on time. At this point, the site was launched August 1 [2015]. We have had mild periods of downtime when we migrate development sites to production sites, but the site has yet to be taken down.

What distinguishes Affirma Consulting from other providers?

Affirma Consulting has a very good sense of communication. They make a point of keeping everything transparent, so that we all know we are on the same page. Our initial developer did not do that. What we did not realize at that time was that we were out of development money.

Affirma keeps you on track and lets you know how much they have spent, how many hours each week they have devoted, what it cost, and how much you have left in your budget. They keep you well aware of where you are from a financial perspective and a work completion perspective.

Is there anything Affirma Consulting could have improved or done differently?

Nothing comes to mind.

5.0
Overall Score
  • 5.0 Scheduling
    ON TIME / DEADLINES
  • 5.0 Cost
    Value / within estimates
  • 5.0 Quality
    Service & deliverables
  • 5.0 NPS
    Willing to refer

Software Development for Inventory Management Provider

"It's been a team approach including my team, which is a bit of fresh air."

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4.5

Quality: 
5.0
Schedule: 
4.5
Cost: 
4.0
Willing to refer: 
5.0
The Project
 
$200,000 to $999,999
 
2013 - Ongoing
Project summary: 

Affirma Consulting’s successful work on smaller projects for a legacy system earned them a larger engagement. The agency’s responsibilities now include user interface work and programming.

The Reviewer
 
1001-10,000 Employees
 
Indianapolis, Indiana
Director, Empower Reimbursement Services
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

Affirma Consulting is a reliable and engaged partner. The agency asks the correct questions and develops an adequate understanding of their projects' needs and goals. They produce great results, and their lead developer is particularly adept at implementing smart solutions.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We are the parent company that is a manufacturer of bracing and prosthetics products. Empower is a division of the company. Empower is a software program that does inventory management and building of DME [durable medical equipment] products in the health care setting.

What is your position?

I'm director of empower reimbursement services.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Affirma Consulting?

They are working with us on a new version so development from creating specifications to final user interface work for the customer base.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

It was for UI [user interface] work and programming.

How did you come to work with Affirma Consulting?

We had had a former employee who had some interactions with the Affirma team. We had previously been working with a different development company and were not getting the development that we were expecting. 

We brought Affirma in for a meeting, and we had them do a couple of small projects for us on our legacy system. From their initial success and the research that we did between references and projects they had worked on the timelines we gave them, which were very short, and the response we received from them, we decided to move forward with them on a larger project.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

It was from $50,000 to $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

At some point, we plan to stop. We've been working on the development of this program starting with the previous company for about four years. We're hopefully getting to the point where we're going to be ending development, and it'll just be support and a little bit of development as it comes up, but not to the level that we're doing now. 

It's one large project that I'm responsible for, and we have some other things that they are working with some of the other departments of our firm. I know they're working with some of our marketing analytics team on other projects. I'm just not privy to that information. We've been working with Affirma for two and a half years.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

It's not really an efficiency improvement since it's an offering we sell to customers. Our customers see the efficiency. They're going from no inventory management program to a very robust inventory management system. The efficiency on their side is drastically increased, but that doesn't have anything to do with what Affirma has done but the program that allows them to do that. 

But, I would say as far as the metrics around downtime and things like that we've had only one issue in two and a half years where we had downtime, and it wasn't related to programming. It was related to some server issues with our host. There's been no issues there with Affirma and their development. 

How did Affirma Consulting perform from a project management standpoint?

I am very satisfied with Affirma Consulting. We have a great team starting with the project manager down to our quality testing. They ask questions. I think the one thing I've enjoyed the most is that if there's something that's outside their scope, and they don't understand it, they'll ask questions until they do rather than assuming they know and move forward. It's been a team approach including my team, which is a bit of fresh air considering where we came from before.

What distinguishes Affirma Consulting from other providers?

The lead developer is phenomenal. This is maybe the first time they've done this specific programming in the scope of health care billing, but they've been great to work with.

Is there anything Affirma Consulting could have improved or done differently?

I wouldn't have gone with the other programming team first before I went to Affirma. I wasn't the director at the time, so it wasn't my choice. I think maybe the one thing I would have done differently when we switched to them. We were already two years in to the development at that time, and we tried to salvage the work that had been done. We probably would have been better served scrapping the work that had been done previously by the other company and moving forward with the specs. 

We spent a lot of time and money fixing problems that were encountered because of the other team's programming. We would have been money and time ahead to let these guys start from the ground up. There have been several times where the company before Affirma hurt us badly.

4.5
Overall Score
  • 4.5 Scheduling
    ON TIME / DEADLINES
  • 4.0 Cost
    Value / within estimates
  • 5.0 Quality
    Service & deliverables
  • 5.0 NPS
    Willing to refer

ECM Consulting for Major Software Developer

"I think they’ve got very high regard and very high marks within our organization."

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4.0

Quality: 
4.0
Schedule: 
4.0
Cost: 
4.0
Willing to refer: 
4.5
The Project
 
$1,000,000 - $9,999,999
Project summary: 

Affirma Consulting augmented an in-house development team and offered an outside perspective on software initiatives. Services involved data mapping, data migration, and some UI development.

The Reviewer
 
10,000+ Employees
Sr. Program Manager, Major Software Developer
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

Affirma earned respect from the teams they partner with. The team demonstrated extraordinary expertise with data systems. On one project, the deliverable was not as “streamlined” as was hoped, but they met all other success metrics. Unlike some firms, they took the time to understand the business.

BACKGROUND

Please provide a description of your company. 

I work in the operations department for a large software company.

What is your role and responsibilities?

Most of my work for my current team revolves around metrics and score carding. Primarily, I’ve been a business manager and capabilities manager.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was your goal for working with Affirma Consulting?

Affirma has worked on a lot of different projects for us across the incentive space through the years. Our goal has always been to ease pressures and costs on our own development teams, as well as to get an outside group’s perspective on our software.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their work.

They’ve done a lot for us in data mapping and data migration. They’ve helped us with agreement matching, revenue licensing agreements, and calculation work for incentives. They’ve developed the database, the UI [user interface], for all of our metric and scorecard reporting that we do every month within our organization.

They run a service for us around actual turnkey processes that we have within our incentive programs, as well as working on our SharePoint UI design. They maintain the server that our scorecard sits on, and they maintain the UI.

What was your process for selecting Affirma Consulting with which to work?

I don’t remember specifically how they were selected, but because of the overall success of the work they’ve done for us the last two or three years, they’ve built up a lot of rapport within our organization.

Can you provide a ballpark dollar figure for the size of the work that they’ve done for you?

It was between $1.6 million and $2.4 million annually.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the results of the project?

For the scorecard and project management data side, I think they’ve got very high regard and very high marks within our organization. On the managed turnkey processes, I got mixed reviews. Some of it is very streamlined, and some of it isn’t as streamlined as we’d like to see, especially if we have to migrate the work. Overall, though, we’re very happy with their body of work.

Is there anything unique about them that really makes them stand out, compared to other companies?

In time, it’s been the knowledge base they have within our business, which they took the time to really learn and adapt to. That's something not all vendors do.

They’ve got some people who really are very good at understanding data, and how data connects, and systems, which is a huge win for us. I think overall they’ve got a good design UX [user experience] team. Our scorecard has a good navigation, it’s clean, easy, and simple. We’ve created a very nice, elegant SharePoint site that we use to promote who our organization is. So, I think they’ve got some good strengths there. Overall, they have great expertise, which means we don’t have to continually retrain and tell people how to connect things.

Looking back on the work so far, is there any area that you think they could improve upon or something that you might do differently?

Don’t try to grow too fast. If you try to sell things that you don’t necessarily have expertise in, you put at risk all of the good things that you do, especially to clients that have got some size.

What advice would you give a future client of theirs?

Depending on the type of work they’re trying to do, they have a sweet spot because they do have the ability to do project management with a technical side, and UI side, and being able to deliver something. They also understand databases, and are able to help make data into a consumable format that you can use, and do data mapping. If that’s the type of thing you want to do, I think Affirma is right down your wheelhouse. I don’t know if they’re a technical design company in totality. They’re a good operations vendor, but I don’t know if they’d be a good marketing vendor per se.

4.0
Overall Score
  • 4.0 Scheduling
    ON TIME / DEADLINES
    When we are clear about what needs to be done. When we’re not clear on our end, it’s a one.
  • 4.0 Cost
    Value / within estimates
  • 4.0 Quality
    Service & deliverables
  • 4.5 NPS
    Willing to refer
    I’ve done it on more than one occasion.

Snowline Hospice Intraweb System

"They are very much focused on providing quality customer service."

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4.0

Quality: 
3.5
Schedule: 
4.0
Cost: 
3.5
Willing to refer: 
4.0
The Project
 
$50,000 to $199,999
 
April 2013 - May 2014
Project summary: 

Affirma Consulting developed an Intranet system to centralize and digitize business functions such as the company calendar and phone directory. The product is live, but additional functionalities may be added.

The Reviewer
 
51-200 Employees
 
Sacramento, CA
Marta Moreno
Director of Finance, Snowline Hospice
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

While Affirma could sometimes seem distracted with other, larger clients, they were clearly doing their best on all accounts. The elimination of paper-based operations has streamlined operations considerably. The team was quite service-oriented.

BACKGROUND

Please provide a description of your company.

Snowline Hospice is a community-based hospice provider in northern California. We’re more than 30 years old and are one of the oldest hospices in northern California. We provide hospice care for people whether they reside at home, in a nursing care facility, or a residential care facility.

What are your role and responsibilities?

I am the director of finance for Snowline.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was your goal for working with Affirma Consulting?

We wanted to bring Snowline into the 21st century with a functional intranet capacity. Previously we did a lot of things on paper, and we wanted to move our company calendar, phone directory and so forth to our website, making it available everywhere.

SOLUTION

What was your process for selecting Affirma Consulting with which to work?

We have a consultant who oversees our basic IT [information technology] needs. He researched different companies that use SharePoint, which was our application of choice. Affirma met more of our needs than the other companies he talked to. They were also located close to us and were financially flexible.

Can you give a sense of the size of the initiative in dollar terms or a personnel work-hour figure?

We spent anywhere from $50,000 to $100,000 with Affirma.

When was the work completed?

It took more than a year to develop the site and get it launched. We completed the project about seven months ago, and Affirma is providing ongoing support. We still want to add some more tools to finish the project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Do you have any statistics or metrics to track improvement from the project?

I can’t think of any hard data right now, but I am certain that we have saved a lot of money by not having to generate all the paperwork we did before.

Are you satisfied with Affirma Consulting’s performance?

Overall, we’re quite satisfied. We had a few problems because we changed one of the forms, which we didn’t realize SharePoint couldn’t support. It’s sometimes difficult to make changes in SharePoint, but that is not Affirma’s fault.

Is there anything unique or special about Affirma Consulting that really makes them stand out compared to other companies?

They are very much focused on providing quality customer service.

Looking back on the work so far, is there any area that you think they could improve upon or that you might do differently?

Sometimes, they are really busy servicing Microsoft, who is obviously a much larger customer. We are so small that sometimes we didn’t feel we were a very high priority. But, Affirma does try to do their best to service us.

4.0
Overall Score
  • 4.0 Scheduling
    ON TIME / DEADLINES
  • 3.5 Cost
    Value / within estimates
  • 3.5 Quality
    Service & deliverables
  • 4.0 NPS
    Willing to refer

SharePoint Development for Forestry Firm

"Their designs were good. Our team likes them, and they put together a good intranet for us."

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5.0

Quality: 
4.0
Schedule: 
5.0
Cost: 
5.0
Willing to refer: 
5.0
The Project
 
$50,000 to $199,999
Project summary: 

Affirma designed and developed a website for a forestry company. The agency also provided relevant training and worked toward building and launching a new intranet system.

The Reviewer
 
51-200 Employees
 
Seattle, Washington
IT Project Manager, Forestry Company
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

Affirma delivered an intranet system that met all expectations. Their contributions consistently received positive feedback from users. The agency was committed to producing great results, communicated effectively and regularly, and always looked for ways to improve their service.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

Our company is primarily in the forest industry. We have a division that exports timber to overseas markets, and we grow trees in Washington, Oregon, and New Zealand. We are based in Seattle, Wash.

What are your role and responsibilities?

I’m an IT [information technology] product manager. I also provide support, database and SharePoint administration, and help with upgrading and maintaining various other applications.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was your goal for working with Affirma Consulting?

We wanted to put in a new intranet, using SharePoint 2013.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their work.

Affirma designed and developed the site. Once it was up, they also provided training.

What was your process for selecting Affirma Consulting with which to work?

We initially identified three potential vendors. We have a team here that interviewed and evaluated all three and had each demonstrate its products and services. The team selected Affirma Consulting at the end of this process.

Can you give a sense of the size of the initiative in dollar terms or a personnel work-hour figure?

The cost of their work was $85,000.

When was the work completed?

Our work with Affirma is ongoing, and our plan is to roll out the intranet system in mid-January.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Do you have any statistics or metrics to track the success of the project?

We don't really have metrics but we’ve gotten good feedback from a number of people offline.

Are you satisfied with their performance?

Yes. I would say I’m satisfied. Affirma delivered on time, and their designs were good. Our team likes them, and they put together a good intranet for us.

Is there anything unique or special about Affirma Consulting that really makes them stand out compared to other firms?

They have customer relations people who communicated with us regularly. They were always interested in how we were doing, in what was going right and wrong, in what Affirma could do to improve the project. I really enjoyed and appreciated that communication, which is something that I don’t always see from other vendors.

Looking back on the work so far, is there any area that you think they could improve upon or that you might do differently?

We did have a bit of a problem in the beginning. Because our team did not like the original design, we began to run out of the money budgeted for the project. It took a while for us to figure out what the best design would be for us, and then we were able to go back to Affirma with a better idea of what we needed.

5.0
Overall Score
  • 5.0 Scheduling
    ON TIME / DEADLINES
  • 5.0 Cost
    Value / within estimates
  • 4.0 Quality
    Service & deliverables
  • 5.0 NPS
    Willing to refer

SharePoint Development for Aviation Manufacturing Firm

"We had a very positive experience. The infrastructure they put around the project is impressive."

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5.0

Quality: 
5.0
Schedule: 
5.0
Cost: 
5.0
Willing to refer: 
5.0
The Project
 
$50,000 to $199,999
Project summary: 

Affirma Consulting began the engagement by helping upgrade a SharePoint site. The scope of their involvement later extended to include additional development work.

The Reviewer
 
51-200 Employees
 
Seattle, Washington
IT Manager, Spectralux Avionics
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

Affirma Consulting delivered a new system that had a positive effect on employee satisfaction and production. The agency understood the specific needs of each project and scaled their staff appropriately to fit budgets of different sizes.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

[We are an aviation manufacturing firm that produces a communication system.]

What is your role and responsibilities?

I’m the IT [information technology] manager.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was your goal for working with Affirma Consulting?

I reached out to them for help upgrading our SharePoint site after a bad experience with our previous partner.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their work.

The initial project was SharePoint development and when that was finished another department contracted them to do a subsequent development project.

What was your process for selecting Affirma Consulting with which to work?

After we parted ways with the previous partner, I started calling other firms in the greater Seattle area that are known for SharePoint development and deployment. I talked to two or three other vendors and Affirma is the one that fit the best.

Can you give a sense of the size of the initiative in dollar terms or a personnel work-hour figure?

The cost of each of the projects is between $50,000 and $75,000.

When was the work completed?

The SharePoint site was launched in the middle of 2014, but their work is ongoing with another department.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Do you have any statistics or metrics to track improvement from the project?

Our employees are very happy with the new system and seem to be more productive.

Are you satisfied with their performance?

Yes. Totally satisfied. They are a good partner for us. We had a very positive experience.

Is there anything unique or special about Affirma Consulting that really makes them stand out compared to other online marketing companies?

Many firms are focused on large clients so they don’t scale very well to a smaller project. Affirma scales really well and they were able to be cost conscience to fit our budget. I discovered they have a lot more capabilities than working with SharePoint. They are a more complete IT consulting service than I originally thought. The infrastructure they put around the project is impressive.
Looking back on the work so far, is there any area that you think they could improve upon or that you might do differently?

Not really.

5.0
Overall Score
  • 5.0 Scheduling
    ON TIME / DEADLINES
  • 5.0 Cost
    Value / within estimates
  • 5.0 Quality
    Service & deliverables
  • 5.0 NPS
    Willing to refer

SharePoint Development for Casino Group

"They understood what we were trying to do and they used the strengths of SharePoint to be able to fulfill our needs."

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5.0

Quality: 
5.0
Schedule: 
5.0
Cost: 
5.0
Willing to refer: 
5.0
The Project
 
Confidential
 
Aug. 2014 - Ongoing
Project summary: 

Affirma Consulting contributed to the layout and organization of a SharePoint site. The agency also provides ongoing training and support services for issues concerning the site.

The Reviewer
 
1001-5000 Employees
 
Seattle Metro Area
IT Director, Indian Gaming Group
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

The site is easy to manage and receives positive user feedback. It was built to last and may remain usable for a full decade. Affirma Consulting excels by developing a deep understanding of their projects' needs and utilizing strong project management skills to achieve them.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We are a Native American gaming organization. We have three properties: Two casinos and a bingo facility. We have about 50 different departments within the company.

What is your role and responsibilities?

I’m the IT [information ethnology] director. I manage all the audio/visual infrastructure for the operation.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was your goal for working with Affirma Consulting?

We specifically have them working on our SharePoint site. We also needed intercommunication between departments. Half of our staff is on the floor helping customers and we needed a place for them to find information about what was going on in the company.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their work.

They helped us with the layout and organization of the site. We told them what we wanted on the site and they took all of that and laid it out the best way. It’s a nice design. They’ve handled training and all the technical stuff behind the scenes too. Half of our departments have pages built and running, and we know the process for adding pages now. They did a lot of that for us.

What was your process for selecting Affirma Consulting with which to work?

Affirma was recommended to us by another firm when we were originally looking for someone to help with our site. Because of price, they didn’t win the engagement at that point. When the first and second companies didn’t work out for us, we started interviewing other vendors. They happened to win the contract. They did a review of our SharePoint site and then offered assistance to rebuild it.

Can you give a sense of the size of the initiative in dollar terms or a personnel work-hour figure?

It’s taken 12 weeks of their time. 

When was the work completed?

The work was probably completed in November of 2014. We are hoping to launch late January. They continue to support us.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Do you have any statistics or metrics to track improvement from the project?

We have gotten positive feedback about our site. 

Are you satisfied with their performance?

We are very happy with the success or our SharePoint system. It was done very quickly. They designed the site in a way that we can manage it very simply. They took the strengths of SharePoint and our information and were able to build us a site that we can use for the next ten years. We’re extremely satisfied after two other failed attempts. They had people who were experts at what they did. It was more expensive, but it has been well worth the money.

Is there anything unique or special about Affirma Consulting that really makes them stand out compared to other online marketing companies?

On this project, the project management and the design team were extraordinary. They understood what we were trying to do and they used the strengths of SharePoint to be able to fulfill our needs. I’ve heard that SharePoint is a big money pit and it never gets fully launched, but Affirma walked us right through that process. They also advised us when to wait to launch certain things that would take more time. 

Looking back on the work so far, is there any area that you think they could improve upon or that you might do differently?

Not on this project. 

5.0
Overall Score
  • 5.0 Scheduling
    ON TIME / DEADLINES
  • 5.0 Cost
    Value / within estimates
  • 5.0 Quality
    Service & deliverables
  • 5.0 NPS
    Willing to refer