ArcTouch

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work for an oil and energy company. My role is the director of product management within the global team.

What challenge were you trying to address with ArcTouch?

We’ve had three different engagements with ArcTouch. Initially, we contacted them because we were looking for someone with a consulting company with a mobile app and web background that could help us design the UX and UI for a consumer-facing device at a gas station.

What was the scope of their involvement?

The frontend is primarily JavaScript and HTML 5. They use Figma for design production. Subsequent to this, we used them to do the development for the applications that would be on the device as well.

Now, they’re helping us develop and design an experience on consumers’ smart devices. The idea of this product is that the use arrives at a gas station, scans a QR code using their camera application, and they’re taken to a website where they can complete the fueling transaction. They’ll be able to select the payment method, the type of fuel, and enter loyalty information. The QR code automatically selects the gas station and the specific gas pump they’re at. During fueling, consumers will be able to see details including the volume of fuel and the cost. They’re also provided with a digital receipt they can save to their camera roll. It automates the fueling process on a smart device.

What is the team composition?

I’ve worked directly with Adam (Chief Experience Officer), as well as one of the program managers there. I’ve also worked with three designers, and a relationship manager. My people have also worked with some of the programmers.

How did you come to work with ArcTouch?

I chose them after finding them online. I wanted to make sure they were a reputable company and could both develop and design a UX. The design part was very important. What also stood out to me was their website. It highlighted the fact that they were a fun, creative company. It seemed they were willing to experiment and try different things while focusing on UX.

How much have you invested with them?

The consumer-facing device at gas stations began with a design workshop that was $40,000. The mobile application also had a design workshop, and that was around $35,000. Currently, on the app development process, we’ve spent $135,000. In total, we’ve spent around $210,000 with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together on the mobile application from April until December 2020.

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

I don’t have specific metrics, as the app is still in development. Regarding the quality of the work, though, they completed everything on time and budget. There was a small budget overage but there were also corresponding scope changes. They kept me informed of all that as it occurred.

How did ArcTouch perform from a project management standpoint?

They were very engaged, and I loved their approach. The design workshops were very collaborative. We’re all in this situation with COVID-19, and they adapted quickly. Everything has been virtual — a series of online calls that worked very well. I really enjoyed how Adam was incredibly engaged; he attended all the design meetings.

They communicated regularly. As I said, they told us, in the beginning, that the workshops would be in-person over 2-3 days, rather than online and over a number of weeks. We set up a way to share files so we could watch the design evolve in real-time. To start, we met every day to view design iterations and give feedback. Our suggestions were implemented by the next time we met. Everything was collaborative. There were no issues with on-time delivery.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They wouldn’t just go away, create designs, and then present. Rather, they gave meaningful input to help us improve what we thought we needed to do. Our mobile development came about because of one of their suggestions. They went out of their way to develop an understanding of our business and domain, going around to gas stations to understand our product and value proposition. After they built that foundational understanding, they spent considerable time creating a design we were happy with. They had a sense that this project was a partnership and a collaboration.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We had some challenges around getting the billing set up. The finance team we’ve been working with has been slow to respond, from my perspective. It hasn’t held them back, but paying them has been more of a challenge than I thought it would be.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I think it was a worthwhile investment to take the time up front to show them our business. They wanted that before they got into the design, and it’s proved to be useful. They learned about competitors’ products, our user journey and current products. They knew what we were trying to solve. I would encourage any company to take the time to build their understanding of those aspects.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work for a consumer electronics company. We build value-added services for some of our ISP and B2B partners, in addition to our consumer products such as security, parental controls, and other network level controls.

What challenge were you trying to address with ArcTouch?

We needed staffing because engineers in the Bay Area are quite expensive. So we turned the scoping process to staff augmentation. We brought them on to work on building out our subscription services and creating additional site functionality.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They do everything from iOS, Android, web payments, flows, and some backend work.

For example, we had to rework out payment flows last year because of some issues on the backend. ArcTouch led that project with our inhouse engineers to really rework the entry points in the mobile app and web payments. They redid the screens that display the value of our products and the screens that say what payment method to take. This was all to help drive subscriptions.

They also helped establish a new web service that allows us to take payments as well from customers who want to sign up online.

Out internal team did most of the scope, but ArcTouch provided a lot of feedback. They also help us with program management, which was a surprise. They’ve helped prioritize and manage our product development processes.

What is the team composition?

They have a salesperson, and then they have the VP of engineering. That’s who I meet with to make sure we’re staffing appropriately. On the ground we have two iOS developers and Android developers. For the frontend, we don’t have any inhouse engineers, so we rely entirely on ArcTouch. They work closely with our inhouse cloud and backend engineer.

How did you come to work with ArcTouch?

We scoped about eight different firms and narrowed it down because we wanted someone close to our time zone so our work hours would overlap. In order to be successful, we wanted to make sure our partners we well-integrated with our team and understood our culture and product.

We also focused on finding a partner that could provide high quality for low cost. There’s always a trade-off there.

Three firms went to the final RFP process. ArcTouch rose to the top of our list for having really good frontend and mobile engineers. They were the best.

How much have you invested with them?

We spend $1–$2 million per year.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started in June 2019 and our partnership is ongoing.

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

We wouldn’t be able to build features at the same velocity without them. They produce high-quality work. It took 3–4 months to get the team integrated with ours and up and running at the quality that we expected. After that period, they’ve been a part of our team and accelerated our development process.

How did ArcTouch perform from a project management standpoint?

It’s good. Compared to other outsource firms, I would give them a five out of five. If I was comparing them to inhouse teams, I would give them a four out of five.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The relationships we have with their sales team has been great. They’ve provided a lot of clarity and communication on everything that’s going on. They’re able to retain talent, so we haven’t seen a lot of turnover.

I basically expected them to manufacture the product, but was surprised by their ability to contribute ideas and recommend changes. It’s not just a contract. It’s actually a partnership.

Are there any areas they could improve?

If I was being nit-picky, one thing we had to address was the talent they brought in was a bit variable. They were all good, but they were at different points in their careers. Some were juniors while others were seniors, so the output was quite different. We implemented a process in which we interviewed different candidates, which ensured that quality was more consistent. I just wish that process was in place from the beginning of our engagement.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

We did one thing that accelerated everything in the relationship; we actually flew some people down to their offices in Brazil and met with the team and presented everything about our product. It made the relationship and our ability to work together very strong. I would really recommend that any new client be open with them in order to accelerate the process and truly blossom in the partnership.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the senior director of online experience at Hawaiian Airlines. We oversee all of the guest-facing digital channels like the website, mobile, and airport kiosks.

What challenge were you trying to address with ArcTouch?

We engaged with them to build a new native mobile app. Before that, we had a mobile site, but we didn’t have an actual application.

What was the scope of their involvement?

ArcTouch assisted with the UX/UI and visual design. Then, they did the mobile development along with our internal mobile resources. Along with the build, they helped integrate it with all of our airline systems and underlying services to pull that passenger data and flight information. We used Xamarin because our internal team was already aware of Microsoft technologies. Once our tech with ArcTouch was finished, our internal team could take on the development.

What is the team composition?

We worked with about ten people, including a product manager and project manager that we worked with daily.

How did you come to work with ArcTouch?

We did an RFP and ended up engaging with six or so firms. After narrowing it down, we ultimately selected ArcTouch. I believe we heard about them from our Microsoft contact.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested about $1 million.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with ArcTouch in the first quarter of 2017, and the work wrapped up at the beginning of 2019.

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

We follow a bunch of metrics around app delivery, usage, and customer feedback. We keep an eye on the app’s growth, working to minimize any issues. It was very successful, and we’re happy with the growth that we’ve had. ArcTouch did a great job helping us through that process.

How did ArcTouch perform from a project management standpoint?

From a project management standpoint, they’re very timely and responsive. We use Jira to track and monitor work. There was a lot of dependency upon our internal common services layer work that allows information to surface for the app. We had a lot of internal delays and challenges, but they were able to role with our timelines and make adjustments along the way. ArcTouch was a great partner to have.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The team was full of excellent collaborators. This was a multi-year project that had a lot of limitations on our side. They were responsive and were able to pivot when needed to adjust to our challenges and timelines. Every time there was a challenge, we figured out options together. They worked well within our constraints.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We did have a lot of resources in different time zones. That would pose a challenge at times. They did their best to make sure it didn’t impact us.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

A lot of work they have to do relies on others. Structure the contract that accounts for the delays or changes. It will help them pivot when needed.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the manager of a construction and manufacturing firm.

What challenge were you trying to address with ArcTouch?

We hired them for integrating graphics that we designed so that we can use it for our digital touchscreen.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They coded the graphic user interface. We wanted to integrate everything with the digital touchscreen for our customers to use it easily and clearly. They handled all the coding for the Android platform.

What is the team composition?

We had four different guys at different parts of the project. There were engineers and project managers, plus we had contact with the president of the company. Our main point of contact was Sam (Director of Business Development).

How did you come to work with ArcTouch?

The project began before I started, I think they heard about them in a magazine. We did an evaluation on whether to continue with our vendors, but we decided that they’re one of the best guys out there. They’re incredibly reasonable with pricing and based on the experience we had before we stayed on with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together beginning in Q3 of 2017 — August I believe. We finished in May 2020.

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

We did end-user testing after we finished with them. The feedback we received was excellent. They do great work.

How did ArcTouch perform from a project management standpoint?

Communication-wise, they were perfect. We never had any issues with communication — they came out East to meet us and they worked with us over email, phone calls, spreadsheets, etc.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re incredibly flexible. We had the ability to change the project, reduce the time, extend the time. That made them great to work with. Their overseas offices also was a strength so if we needed to load more strength they could which was very helpful.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They’re a good company. I don’t see anything negative.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It’s great to have somebody like ArcTouch that is communicative. They were able to adapt to scope change and other things that would be more difficult with a less communicative firm.

Please describe your company and your position there.

The Draft Network is a sports media company with a front-facing gamified experience for the NFL and CFB fan. I am the COO.

For what projects/services did your company hire ArcTouch?

ArcTouch was hired to be the tech/dev team for our company

What were your goals for this project?

Our goals are/were to innovate in the space by bringing new features into the marketplace that will change the game for the NFL fan. We have and continue to do this with help from A/T.

How did you select this vendor?

I received many recommendations and did interviews with many companies and found their proposal to be the best one.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

The project is on-going. I came in at the midway point of their SOW1 but we are currently working on our SOW2 and I've been part of the decision making from the beginning and will see this part to the end. The services they are providing include security, advice on services, help to explore other 3rd party partners, all development from beginning to end, and producing a premium product.

What was the team composition?

The project team is around 10 people. We've scaled up over time adding in people to help with bigger projects and more security help from other departments.

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

Our premium product is so far our biggest driver of revenue. This is the product we worked on with A/T and it was a big one that will continue to evolve.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

I can only speak to what I have been part of but on this note Dana, our project manager is very clear on deadlines and what is available with our budget. This is super helpful to me and makes my life much easier when discussing with investors.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The communication between project management and myself. Dana is incredible and her transparency and want to understand the business and be part of the team is ultimately why we are sticking w/ ArcTouch for our next SOW.

Are there any areas for improvement?

N/A

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the principal designer at HP.

What challenge were you trying to address with ArcTouch?

I’ve been working with them for the last two years on an innovation project that we’re launching in 2020.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We have a limited number of in-house developers, and they were already at capacity. Our team reached out to them to develop the app software for this product concept, which is a hardware and software tool. We started with an iOS app and moved to an Android app after achieving success with us.

The product we’re creating is a hardware product that required them to understand relevant firmware protocols. They also had to be able to execute with a wide variety of our internal teams on design, firmware, hardware development, program management, marketing, and more. Their team touched every aspect of this project from end to end.

What is the team composition?

We had about six individuals working on the project. They’ve had opportunities to spin up and down resources as needed. That team has grown to up to 12 people, which includes designers, developers, project manager, and a business manager. 

How did you come to work with ArcTouch?

They had worked with our company on a previous similar project. We knew they could help us get a concept off the ground and had a great experience with them in the past, especially in terms of project management. Not only are the developers top-notch and able to execute our vision, but they could cover ground in areas where we didn’t have staff.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in June 2017, and the project is ongoing.

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

They’ve been a phenomenal partner from day one. Their team did a lot of the heavy lifting to ensure that we could focus on the product vision while they were executing details for us. We’re still in the pre-launch phase, so we don’t have quantitative feedback. 

However, they’ve been able to produce a solution that lines up with our vision and recieve feedback from test users. Those individuals have been incredibly satisfied with the product as a whole. Their ability to meet us where we’re at has kept the project moving on time and according to schedule. That helps us remain aware of potential pitfalls. 

How did ArcTouch perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve been incredibly responsive through daily standups and weekly meetings. We communicate using Zoom, Slack, Microsoft Teams, and email. In addition, we also use Jira and other development tools to dig into the design details with its commenting feature.  

What did you find most impressive about them?

They produce high-quality work at a quick, efficient pace. I’ve worked at similar companies before, so I can speak to the quality of their team. They’re all exceptionally strong. Of everything I’ve seen in my career, they’re up there at the top in terms of quality. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

They bend over backward to meet us where we’re at, having their distributed team members meet on our time schedule. That emblematic of their willingness to go the extra mile to serve our needs without any logistical complications getting in the way.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They’re capable of delivering a turnkey solution if you need one. The team has the ability to get to know your needs and create a solution that meets them. We had a clear vision for the project, but I would’ve taken them up on their offers for help. At times, we were more concerned with leveraging their hours than collecting their input. I’d take them up on their in-house design and research skills.

Even though it feels like you’re paying for things that don’t sound like what you need, their additional assistance will give you confidence that you’re building the right solution.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm a shopper marketer at 3M. I support marketing efforts around demand.

What challenge were you trying to address with ArcTouch?

We wanted to enhance our digital capabilities and create a better shopping experience for the shoppers. We had an idea to create a microsite that we could track to the frontend of the shopping platform we work with. We were looking a vendor to help us.

What was the scope of their involvement?

First, ArcTouch helped us develop wireframes and figure out what a shopping experience will feel like to shoppers from the moment they got to the website. They did all the development, including the backend and the frontend. They also handled the creative aspect and all the graphics for the website. We needed our microsite to look and feel like the original shopping platform we were linking it to, so that shoppers have a seamless shopping experience. ArcTouch implemented the changes that we requested and did the testing.

What is the team composition?

We worked with Sam (Director of Business Development, ArcTouch) and Peter (Client Success Manager, ArcTouch), who was our account manager. Peter was our main point of contact, but we also communicated directly with other members of their team.

How did you come to work with ArcTouch?

ArcTouch developed an app for 3M in the past and they did a great job. Since they already had the experience with the brand and knew the brand guidelines, we decided to hire them for this project.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $120,000 for two programs.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in May 2018 and the project was completed in January 2019.

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

We've launched the website and we're just starting to roll out a new digital campaign to push the traffic. The feedback from the shopping platform we're working with has been very positive.

How did ArcTouch perform from a project management standpoint?

They're very responsive and great communicators.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They perfectly understood our needs and our end goals. Also, they were very flexible.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can't think of anything.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder of Crycom, a company that puts gold supply chains onto the blockchain. We apply blockchain supply chain technology to trace the gold and prove its origin.

What challenge were you trying to address with ArcTouch?

We needed help to create the blockchain platform with a nice user interface.

What was the scope of their involvement?

The scope for this phase of the project was to develop a vision proposal. I was very vague with what I wanted so ArcTouch started with a clean slate. We talked via email about what we needed at this stage. Then I traveled to their offices for a week to meet with their team in person. They went through the core services in detail like strategy, design ideas, application development, and post-launch optimization.

ArcTouch delivered a proposal that serves as the starting point for building an iOS, Android, and desktop version of an application. We're still a bit murky on our end of exactly how we want it to take shape, but they can build exactly what we want in the next phase.

What is the team composition?

My primary context is the head of sales. I met with 6–7 members of their team when I went to San Francisco, including a blockchain specialist and a financial specialist. I also met with one of the co-founders.  

How did you come to work with ArcTouch?

They were recommended to me by a consultant I use in New York. He’d enlisted them for some work on one of his projects and gave me an introduction.

What is the status of this engagement?

This initial phase of the project took place from September–October 2018.

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

They've given us a clear direction on how exactly we should build out the blockchain platform. We used a number of developers and design teams since we started this work two years ago, but we were quite unhappy with everything that had been done. ArcTouch has played a large role in shaping what our end product will be. We still haven't built the application or gone to market, but they’ve developed the design fundamentals. I was very pleased with the final product.

How did ArcTouch perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management was excellent. They held weekly reviews to cover the work that they'd done since we last spoke. We used a screen share on Zoom so that I could see the work on my computer here in New Zealand. They’d go through each step of what they've done, who's doing what, and making sure the project was on track. The process worked really well. We talked constantly, which helped clarify things in my mind.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The unique thing about ArcTouch is their ability to bring experts of various fields together in one room. It was excellent to have so many talented people working directly on our project. While you might expect one or two weak links with such a large group, but all of them were really good at their jobs. It was a wonderful experience.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I’ve been very happy with their work. Nothing comes to mind.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the senior director of engineering at a cybersecurity company that creates solutions for predicting and preventing malware threats.

What challenge were you trying to address with ArcTouch?

We needed an initial design concept for breaking into the mobile space. We wanted to create a mobile companion app for our cloud-based offerings, so we needed ArcTouch’s help with the design and creative direction. We have an in-house design team, but it’s small and we required external support for the project.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We began with a series of discovery meetings to flesh out our goals. After familiarizing them with our industry, we outlined the general idea of the app and created a high-level concept. From there, we created the scope of the project and their team began designing the concept.

ArcTouch created the appearance for the app, which included defining several characteristics and providing different themes options for the demo. They included unique concepts in the designs, including a slider feature that displays a data-based scale for interactivity within the app.

Currently, the ArcTouch team is scoping out the development of the app, and once we get the financial approval, we plan to move forward with the iOS and Android process.

What is the team composition?

We work regularly with a team of around five people from ArcTouch. Adam (Founder, ArcTouch) gives us overall guidance and Chris (Chief Revenue Officer, ArcTouch) helps us with the financial aspects. Their designer walks us through the steps in the creation process. They also provide a dedicated project manager and we work with a few people in their Brazil office.

How did you come to work with ArcTouch?

I met Chris through a mutual friend, so I was considering ArcTouch among other companies. When it came down to it, we felt that ArcTouch was more attentive to our needs and didn’t treat us as another number. We gained confidence after meeting with Chris and Adam–they did their homework to understand our industry.

How much have you invested with them?

So far, we’ve spent $100,000 on the project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in September 2018, and the designs were completed within three weeks. The project is ongoing, as we are now planning the development stage with their team.

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

We’re measuring the success of the designs based on the reaction from our CEO, who is delighted with what we’ve produced. The biggest metric, in this case, is receiving approval on the designs— we can now move forward with developing an app that we’re all proud of. We’ve tested the designs internally, and are confident we can perform user testing once development begins.

How did ArcTouch perform from a project management standpoint?

They stick to the deadlines we create, even when I have to change dates because of my chaotic schedule. I am appreciative of their flexibility. We primarily communicate over email, as it's been a short design sprint. This is the perfect setup for me because if I have multiple projects happening at once, a simple email from them keeps me on track.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their communication skills are especially valuable to us—they are proactive and willing to put in the effort to keep us informed. Unlike other companies, ArcTouch listens to criticism and welcomes any form of feedback. It’s always been a pleasant experience communicating with them, and every back-and-forth we’ve had has been positive. We also appreciate the industry research they performed, because they were able to intelligently use our lingo. Overall, they are friendly people who want to have productive conversations that help the project.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can't think of anything for them to improve on—my team could learn even more from ArcTouch’s design process. The way they operate is an inspiration for our in-house designers.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the senior user experience architect for a large retailer. I’m a part of the international marketing team.

What challenge were you trying to address with ArcTouch?

We were creating a mobile application and needed a design-focused vendor to help develop the platform’s UX.

What was the scope of their involvement?

ArcTouch joined the project early on, so they collaborated with our internal resources to develop the product’s visual language. They assimilated into our internal workflows to design a frontend interface that’s optimized for Android. We basically eliminated all of the initial designs and came up with an entirely new UI/UX. We’re currently expanding their involvement to include other tasks related to interaction design.

The app functions as a digital wallet. Users add cash to the app and use it to pay for our goods online or within store locations. We’ve been able to launch the first version of the app with a QR scanning feature. In addition to their UI/UX services, ArcTouch designed other aspects of the product’s presentation. This includes how the app is displayed on The App Store. They also worked on the emails that are sent out to advertise our various products.

What is the team composition?

We primarily interact with a senior designer.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in June 2017 and the engagement ongoing.

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

I don’t have metrics available for this project, but their frontend design efforts have had a direct impact on the success of some previous products. We continue to reach out to them because we’re happy with the work they do.

How did ArcTouch perform from a project management standpoint?

They stick to the schedule we assign and produce the quality we expect. We communicate via Slack and email on a daily basis. We also hold regular meetings to make sure everyone’s on the same page.

What did you find most impressive about them?

ArcTouch consistently provides resources with the talent and skills that we require. They usually offer multiple candidates for us to interview and select. That process has worked out well for us thus far. They tackle each project with a swift and professional approach.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They should build a bigger pool of designers, researchers, and content specialists. We need their services in different markets, and that presents an opportunity for them to grow.