Arck Interactive

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the founder and CEO of MedEdQR LLC.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Arck Interactive?

We needed full development services for a specialized content delivery platform and associated mobile access applications.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal was to produce a very robust and specialized content delivery platform that’s suitable for the delivery of virtual patient scenarios to medical students and professionals. We also wanted to produce iOS and Android mobile and tablet applications that would provide secure, flexible, and robust access to the virtual patient scenarios contained on the delivery platform.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I had prior knowledge of the work they had done for another company for whom I was consulting.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Arck Interactive delivered full stack development of the MedEdQR platform and reimagined the UI/UX. They created features, user flows, and mockups as part of the product development process.

The team also compiled a list of appropriate contacts for marketing purposes. They provide hosting of the finished product.

What was the team composition?

Their team was composed of one project manager and at least one developer at every stage.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

This is the only product of my business.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Project management was generally excellent, though I would have liked more communication when developer or development issues arose. JIRA was used initially, but, about halfway through, there was a switch to Trello. GitHub was used for software management.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their general knowledge of the healthcare industry was impressive. They also gave us access to qualified developers that had a history of high performance.

Are there any areas for improvement?

There’s some room for improvement in terms of communication when significant issues arise. One of the early developers left after the MVP was constructed, leaving a hole that resulted in a complete overhaul of the system by the next developer. There was also one developer that was hired but didn't work out at all, which caused the loss of a few months of development time. Later developers were excellent and added much to the applications.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a product manager at Keap, an email marketing platform for small businesses. We recently went through a rebrand; when we worked with Arck Interactive, my company was called Infusionsoft.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Arck Interactive?

We noticed a common problem amongst small businesses, which was that it was challenging to schedule meetings with clients and prospects. Our customer base said that they spent a lot of time emailing back and forth with clients about availability. My company wanted to solve this problem with software improvements, so we partnered with Arck Interactive to help us develop this solution and build the feature set into our product.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Arck Interactive developed a feature set in our Google Cloud platform’s frontend. The feature set enables our customers to send a link with their schedule to any recipient, who use the link to book time on the business owner’s Google Calendar. Arck Interactive helped us with other cloud functionalities.

What is the team composition?

My team worked with a project lead, a tech lead, and three developers.

How did you come to work with Arck Interactive?

I wasn’t involved in the recruitment process, but I believe our CMO recommended them.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project lasted June–December 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The feature set that Arck Interactive developed is our second most popular product in our lineup. Before, somebody that needed this functionality had to pay for an additional monthly service. Our users were delighted that they didn’t have to spend money and time integrating with external tools. This feature set enriched our offering and had a tremendous impact on the value that we created for our customers.

Because of Arck Interactive’s development work, we can now provide small business owners with an easy way for them to manage their availability. This saves time by omitting the back-and-forth email chain.

How did Arck Interactive perform from a project management standpoint?

During development, we communicated every day, almost hourly, on the project’s progress. The project lead and I were in constant contact about tracking project hours and the budget. Arck Interactive helped us understand what we needed to do to meet specific budget requirements. They attended our daily morning standups on Webex; they also set up Webex meetings whenever we wanted to ask questions, talk through something, or provide feedback. The team iterated very quickly. We communicated via Slack.

What did you find most impressive about them?

In the development space, it’s really important to differentiate between software and product engineers. Arck Interactive’s product engineers thought like a user and did thorough user testing, which allowed them to make many improvements beyond our original requirements. They were phenomenal at applying the human element to the technology they were building. In my experience, it’s hard to find engineers that do this.

Also, Arck Interactive accommodated our strict deadline and made sure we met it. They did whatever it took to finish the project on time; their engineers worked long hours through nights and weekends. We didn’t experience any additional fees or double-time costs that you might expect with a tight deadline.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The only thing that’s preventing us from rehiring them is that they aren’t proficient in Java, our backend framework. We tried to engage them for a few other projects, but we couldn’t move forward because they didn’t know Java. It would be nice if they were more skilled in other frameworks and architectures. They were more than willing to try and figure it out, but we didn’t want to pay them for the time this would take.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the owner of a company that provides a communication platform for the foster care industry, allowing parents and members of a foster care team to collaborate and share information.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Arck Interactive?

I needed a developer to help build a web-based platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Arck designed and developed a web communications platform from scratch, using LAMP and other technologies.

What is the team composition?

I work with two developers and a designer.

How did you come to work with Arck Interactive?

Arck was listed as one of the top developers on the ELK Stack website. Their expertise were very impressive, so I thought they'd be the best fit for the project.

How much have you invested with them?

We've invested about $22,000 thus far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in November 2016 and officially launched the platform in May 2018, but we continue to work with them to make improvements and upgrades.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I was very impressed by how quickly Arck's team was able to accomplish many of the development tasks we gave them. I've been developing personally for over 20 years, so I have a good idea of how long things take, and they consistently delivered high-quality work much faster than I thought they'd be able to.

I've been able to get a lot of functionality and work out of them for a very reasonable price. We regularly leverage their expertise in order to add additional features or upgrades as we go, and they ensure that additional features will be upgrade-friendly in the long term.

How did Arck Interactive? perform from a project management standpoint?

They're very organized. We utilize Basecamp for communications, which allows me to create to-do lists, prioritize tasks, and add comments or pictures as needed.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their expertise in the ELK environment is outstanding. I'm very happy with the way the project has progressed.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. There were times when they weren't readily available and had to prioritize other clients, but given that we're a relatively small client, I think they've done a great job of squeezing in the time to make upgrades on our platform as needed during less busy phases.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am an agile trainer and coach. At the time of this project, I worked with Grapevine Technologies, an agile coaching organization.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Arck Interactive?

We needed outside assistance creating a secure social networking site for the religious community.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They built our website to allow churches to communicate with, and motivate, members and collect donations. The site hosts an online marketplace and business directory, a range of social networking features, integrated online giving on a one-time or recurring basis, instant messaging, and a forum for site announcements and other communications.

What is the team composition?

We worked with three developers.

How did you come to work with Arck Interactive?

They were referred to us. I vetted them pretty heavily, asking about their quality management processes and how they approach software.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent more than $70,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from 2012–2014.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m CEO of DailyClout. We make it easier for people to learn about and share legislation. We help ordinary people use their networks for lobby powerfully and directly for bills that affect them, that with our tools they can see, share and understand. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Arck Interactive?

We have a proprietary platform that needed to be faster and more intuitive. We wanted an affordable partner to help us create a sophisticated, effective iteration.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The platform, Billcam, allows people to search any US state or federal bill and share their findings on social media. No other databases like it make information so easy to share. Arck helped us add more functionality, such as voting options on the site. They brought us to the next stage of our development.

What is the team composition?

We had a primary point of contact who managed the rest of their team.

How did you come to work with Arck Interactive?

We were in discussion with a distinguished former tech executive and ally in the space. He used them for another project and endorsed them enthusiastically.

How much have you invested with them?

I can’t divulge specific numbers but they provided very good value for the money and were worth the investment. Our investors agree.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together around May 2017. They completed the original scope of work very effectively and we’ve since returned to them with a new set of functionalities.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were a startup. Two years into the process, we’re a profitable company and are doing extremely well. We never had technical issues that weren’t immediately fixed. The database is first-rate and attracts users from all over the world, including government officials.

We have a few Senate offices and congressional candidates who use Billcam. It’s better than some official state databases and its quality brings in additional investments. Investors are impressed by the functionality and we’re on the verge of a substantial partnership with a media outlet with millions of visitors.

How did Arck Interactive perform from a project management standpoint?

We had very good experiences with their project management. They translate our ideas into material solutions and have already outlined specs for future projects. Communication is clear and seamless from concept to delivery and they bring good insight and ideas to our interaction.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They are flexible and know how to deliver results and help startups succeed. The tech space is a male-dominated industry where women often face cultural challenges. Arck was incredibly respectful and professional. Our interactions were egalitarian and we had no issues.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. The value and partnership they provide far outweighs anything they could improve. They performed exceptionally well within tight financial parameters.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the president and CEO of an IT solutions company that designs networks and low-voltage cables and provides hosting solutions and support.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Arck Interactive?

A client of ours had a custom LAMP application designed by another company that subsequently went out of business. A development like this was beyond our expertise, so we hired Arck Interactive to continue the work.

What were your goals for this project?

We needed a vendor to move the website to a new hosting platform and provide ongoing support during that transition.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

After extensive online research on developers with LAMP experience and interviews with various vendors, we selected Arck.

Describe the project in detail.

We gave Arck the source code. They were able to transition the app to a new LAMP server and ensure that the site was functional in one day. After that, they found (and corrected) inefficiencies in the database and provided ongoing support.

What was the team composition?

We worked with various team members throughout the transition.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The new site has run without any glitches for the past two years. Plus, our client said they are satisfied with the site’s increased speed.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We communicated through email and phone and tracked progress through Basecamp.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Arck’s quick responses and high level of expertise impressed me.

Are there any areas for improvement?

We do not see any need for improvement.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the President and Founder of Nurses Lounge, a professional network for nurses. We act as a LinkedIn for nurses who create professional profiles on our site. They can join associations based on their schools or employers and interact with 600 BSN nursing schools, 6,000 hospitals, and 100 specialties on our platform.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Arck Interactive?

We had used an older platform for our site that was eventually taken over by Oracle. We needed a newer software that we could customize. We found an open-source social networking software called Elgg that we thought would work for us and wanted to use. We needed help to implement that decision.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They built our platform on Elgg, integrating our database and customizing features such as a job board. They’ve also built an app for us linking to data from our website and other sources.

They currently manage our server and continue to take on new projects for us. Most recently, they created a searchable directory of graduate nursing schools. Schools can input their graduate programs and contact info. Nurses can search against various criteria to find the school that best fits their needs, whether online or campus-oriented.

What is the team composition?

We worked with three team members.

How did you come to work with Arck Interactive?

We found them on the internet. As we were researching Elgg, their name kept coming up as specialists in that software—for example, their programmers were answering questions on Elgg in different forums—so we called them. They had experience with Elgg and understood our business. After speaking with them, we felt they were our best option for creating what we wanted and needed to do.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $250,000 over the last couple of years.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in 2015 and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were able to design and create a site that meets expectations. It’s easy to navigate and looks very professional. When we demo the site at a nursing school or hospital, people can immediately see that our platform is well thought out and well developed.

We’ve had a similar experience with our app. When they built the app, they were able to integrate from multiple data sources seamlessly. We never missed a beat.

How did Arck Interactive perform from a project management standpoint?

We use project management software to track. We talk to them about what we need and they respond to make sure they’ve understood the project. We’re able to communicate problems we had and instantly get an answer from them. They’re quick to respond to any problems, suggestions, or questions we have.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They really knew the social networking market and came it in a very mindful way. They could see the bigger picture and not be distracted by the programming details. They could understand the business opportunity and what we needed to make it work from a business standpoint.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder and executive director of Civic Works (civ.works). We create media and technology to increase global civic education and engagement.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Arck Interactive LLC?

We wanted to customize and extend our social platform to prioritize user interaction and engagement. We required an accessible and responsive interface for both web and mobile use.

What were your goals for this project?

We hired Arck Interactive to help create, and launch, the first stage of our large-scale platform.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Arck Interactive has an excellent reputation within the industry. They agreed to provide app development services and strategic technology advisement.

Can you go into detail about the services they provided and the scope of the project?

Their team translated our high-level backend, design, and user experience requirements into an accessible and interactive model.

What was the team composition?

We worked with a senior business analyst, two development engineers, and a design expert.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

We rapidly moved from the initial design stage to the minimum viable product (MVP) launch in 45 days. The initial model earned high-profile media attention and our platform is continuing to grow.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

We conducted weekly progress reviews throughout the engagement, with more frequent meetings during critical development and deployment phases.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The management team and engineering staff worked seamlessly with our team.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

I would like to see Arck Interactive add a global support operations unit to provide customers with complete development and technical support.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the president of a company that provides web-based, team-centric, foster care collaboration software that improves foster parent support and improves the quality of care for children in foster care.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Arck Interactive LLC?

We hired Arck because of their extensive experience using the software we wanted to implement. We used the company to design, program, integrate Stripe payment and build a software as a service (SaaS) license management module.

What were your goals for this project?

The project goals changed as our familiarity with the market changed. Originally, we only allowed foster care agencies to sign up, now we allow foster parents to sign up without an agency.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We did not do in-depth research. Based on everything I read about our software platform, Arck was one of the best firms that developed the software. They were based in the United States and had a talented team with ample experience.

Can you go into detail about the services they provided and the scope of the project?

They worked within my budget to develop what I needed. They customized a software platform to significantly tighten the security and visibility of information, created a SaaS subscription management module, and integrated my application with Stripe. They added new and unique features and functionality to the site in a way that worked with its underlying framework to allow for future upgrades. Our clients handled the design and functionality change well. Now foster parents and agencies can use our platform independent of each other if needed.

What was the team composition?

I worked with a designer and a couple of programmers. The core team included Arck’s owner on all of the sprints, which made him aware of our goals and objectives. The team fielded limited personnel resources for me that fit my budget and still allowed the goals to be met.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

We are now in business thanks to Arck. We are a startup company that now provides a unique, much-needed service to our niche market space.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Project management was handled in sprints and we used Basecamp for managing tasks, comments, and additional file resources.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

There were several things. First, the speed the tasks were accomplished was outstanding. Arck completed tasks in half of the time I expected. Second, the quality of work was outstanding. Third, they provided good suggestions for my product and would often think ahead at how the requirements might change in the future. They would build that flexibility into the website now so we could adapt later. Finally, they provided quality service with a small budget.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

After working with Arck for over two years on different sprints, I've always been happy with how they treated me and the final product.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I operate several online dating sites that use custom software based on an open-source social networking platform. I own the sites and am responsible for customer service, advertising, and all other aspects.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Arck Interactive LLC?

My site was having serious problems and needed to switch to InnoDB for database performance. I wanted an upgrade to a newer version of the open-source software I use. Adding certain features to stay relevant was also a priority. I also needed assistance launching a mobile app.

What were your goals for this project?

My goal was to improve both the functionality and reliability of my site. Adding new features would not matter if the site could not perform well under high volumes of site traffic at peak times. User retention was a specific goal, so avoiding errors and database corruption was critical.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Arck was recommended to me by another software developer who had worked on my site but was unable to take on this project. Coincidentally, I had med Multia’s owner at a software conference where we discussed the open-source software I use. When contacted for my project, Arck’s proposal had reasonable timelines and hourly rates. I was confident in the quality of their work.

Can you go into detail about the services they provided and the scope of the project?

Over the course of the project, we identified and implemented about 100 work items. I identified a feature that I wanted to add or a problem I needed to be fixed, and they recommended a solution. Once certain features were integrated, I tested them on the site, and we reevaluated as necessary.

What was the team composition?

I worked with a lead developer and two engineers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

In two years of collaboration with Arck, I have been able to launch a mobile app, and I have seen my sites grow from fewer than 50,000 users to more than 250,000 users. User experience is vastly improved, and we have had no problems with performance.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

We used Basecamp and Github for communication, code management, and tracking progress. This is how we provided updates and helped the team remain on the same page. 

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They always delivered high-quality work and met our expectations.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

This may be the case with other large firms, but it is best to plan as much of your project as you can to ensure that Arck’s timeline can match your own.