Astrea IT Services

Please provide a brief description of what your company does.

We are an educational organization dedicated to empowering people through health and fitness. We do training throughout the year in health and fitness, we have virtual staff as well as students. We are mainly US-based but also operate globally.

What is your position within the company?

I am a database manager, which means I take care of all the technical aspects of our company. I am the number two IT Director.

What were your company’s business goals for undertaking the project?

We were already using Salesforce, but we needed more customization and optimization. We were looking to change apps and add more. We wanted to have the skill set to do that properly, as well as the best practices to go about it.

What was your process for selecting Astrea to work with?

We posted our project information in the Salesforce forum. Astrea reached out to us. We also spoke with and interviewed other firms, but we felt that Astrea was the best fit.

Why did you decide to build your application on Salesforce instead of similar platforms?

I wasn't with the company when they initially decided to move to Salesforce. When we optimized, we were trying to move from multiple Excel sheets to a more centralized platform that allowed more customization. We needed to be able to maintain and work more efficiently when it came to student records. We needed to be all on one page, especially since our staff is global and virtual. We especially needed better documentation. So far, the results are great.

Can you tell me about the scope of the project?

They pretty much did it all. They looked at our current storage capabilities, they custom designed and developed a better method for us while linking it all to Salesforce. The new system is much better, the reporting has been excellent in comparison. They also provide us with a lot of continued support. When we have questions or need something done, they provide it quickly even after project completion.

What technologies were used?

I really don’t remember exactly what the specific names were but I think they used Jitterbit and more Force applications.

Can you provide the size of the initiative in dollars?

It was less than $5,000, it was a very cost-effective project. I know if we had used a US-based company, it would have cost much more.

How recently was the project finished?

The project was completed 6 to 8 months ago. There is still an ongoing staff extension, we still have a junior programmer who helps us when we have questions or need something done. Naveen [The CEO] is always available via email to answer questions, which is great. You really don’t get that kind of attention from larger companies.

What are the results of the project? Can you provide stats or metrics?

I don’t have any real metrics to share currently. However, our staff has much better reporting and capturing ability. Overall, I have no complaints. It has been terrific.

Since building the application, how has the Salesforce platform performed, and do you still feel you made the right decision?

It’s been a dream. Sometimes I wonder how we operated without Salesforce.

How did Astrea perform?

They are a great company. They are our backup plan for any issues we encounter. They are great about communication, very responsive and flexible. They are also great about anticipating an issue and letting us know so we can think of solutions together. They also worked within our budget, which really saved us money while receiving great products. Naveen and our junior programmer are very friendly so it's easy to talk to them and reach out. They are an extended part of our staff these days.

When working with Astrea, was there anything unique about them compared to other companies that you have worked with?

Having our own specific programmer makes the work flow much easier. Also, it is always nice when the owner and senior specialist Naveen checks in. Naveen is always available by email. It’s their personal touch, which larger companies really lack.

Looking back on the project, is there any area that Astrea could improve or you would do differently?

I wish that they would have spent a bit more time on the design upfront, rather than having to rework it.

Please provide me a description of what your company does for background information.

I have changed companies since but I’m still working in the same field. We are a shipping company providing service to Russia. We have ships and containers. That’s why we used Salesforce to organize that process.

What is your position and your primary responsibility?

At the time, I was the Director of the Forwarding Division of the company. It was for that purpose that we got Salesforce. Then, we developed it into a custom-made application to manage the cargo as well as equipment.

What were your company’s business goals or reasons for undertaking the project?

Originally, we took Salesforce on to manage our sales process. When we realized it was pretty flexible, we started adapting it to do the booking. However, I could not do everything myself. That’s what spurred me on to look for somebody professional to help me with the process. Eventually, we developed several objects to manage our containers and bookings to produce virtually anything. I still use them in my new company. Salesforce is pretty robust and easy to use for people who are not too tech- based. So they did all the customization for us.

What process did you us to choose Astrea to work with?

I think I went on LinkedIn and looked for some vendors. They were the one who responded. I interviewed people here and in the Seattle area as well. There’s a major one down in Portland. I thought that the guys in New Delhi could meet what I needed. I can do some of it but I can’t do the programming. I don’t know that aspect of Salesforce and I really didn’t want to try and learn that. I just kind of laid it out myself. Our company chose what we wanted and then they helped me get it done.

Why did you initially decide to build on Salesforce instead of using a different platform?

I already had the basics in place. Then I realized that [Salesforce] is pretty easy to work with. You could almost make Salesforce into whatever you want. People use it for all kinds of things. It was pretty easy to use the platform. Basically we already invested time and money in it.

Can you tell me a little bit more about the scope of the project?

I would lay it out and they executed it. We in-housed much of our bookings, and connected everything together. We have also since built a cost module, which I still use today. We did the design and they did the development, testing, and support. This is because they didn’t really know about transportation. That’s why we did most of the design work but they helped in the ideas and practices. It took us a little while but we figured out how to work together. Essentially, we had meetings on the phone. They would work overnight. And then we would take a look at it in the morning and make any adjustments that were needed. In some cases, they came up with their own resolutions. They came up with their own resolution proposals so it was a good cooperation.

What technologies were also used in the process?

I’m not sure exactly what Astrea used but we just used Salesforce. I now use it because some of the things in Salesforce were kind of problematic to develop. Salesforce has some functions that are too complicated but easier than a spreadsheet. So I now have it and I have used it in conjunction with Google spreadsheet. So my company can link it. But I’ve done that myself. Some of the calculations for crates and dimensions are just easier to do in a custom spreadsheet. I just relink it through Salesforce, you can link it through networks.

Can you provide me the size of the initiative in dollar terms?

It probably cost us between $25,000 to $30,000 before we were done.

How recent was the project finished?

It was several years ago.

Do you remember the year?

This summer will be my second anniversary of leaving my last company. So we kind of finished it and then I left.

What were the results of the projects? Do you have any statistics or metrics you can share?

It was very good. We were very satisfied with it. There were a number of things which we had issues with, but that had more to do with our end and their lack of shipping knowledge. However, they quickly picked up and worked through it. The company I left, didn’t really know the system. We never did documentation of the system or anything like that. It’s mostly in my head. It was pretty self-evident to me how it works. Training is important but something we didn’t focus on during the project.

Did you see any kind of improvements in efficiency since Salesforce was implemented?

Yes, it was just kind of a headache to get everyone on the same track. As Salesforce developed, it became pretty efficient in terms of managing the business. Everything shifted to be in real time, especially between our offices in the US and Russia. The Russian office staff could also use it and see what was coming. It became pretty efficient because keeping spreadsheets updated caused a lot of misinformation and repetition. My thirteen-year-old daughter would have to pull from our vendor’s websites information and enter data into Salesforce. The staff could use that information. That’s probably something you could automate. But our volume was not all that great.

Since customizing in Salesforce do you still feel like that was the right decision?

Yes, absolutely. I use it today. I’m very happy with it. There are many things I can do with it, which I didn’t know even then. I have enough to keep me busy now. I use it for all reports and tracking, as well as pricing. It works very well for me.

Overall, how did you feel Astrea performed?

They did quite well. The issues we had I think really had to do with not defining things properly for them. Also, I have some other people calling and asking for recommendations so I recommend Astrea. The client must know what they want though because they don’t know about shipping and transportation.  Also, they were responsive and flexible with me. They would quickly learn new concepts.

What about their ability to wrap up the project cleanly, on time, and within the budget that you set?

They did. I think they probably spent a little more because some of the documentation part was really difficult. They had a small issue in designing documentation so I would say it’s probably one of the weakest areas for them. I went through an American man for that. They were good overall.

Looking back on the project, is there anything that you think they could improve on?

Yes, design was the only major issue.  I was quite happy with that. I have done a few little adjustments here and there, and they’re always willing to help me. They never offer excuses. Now, we’re under a tight budget. It’s a startup business. We are trying to limit our spending now.

Did you notice anything unique or special about them compared to other companies that maybe you have worked with in the past?

One of the attractive parts was the price. It’s much less expensive than working with American companies although they often need to bill extra hours because of communication issues. I know they have gained a lot of experience over the years. And they understand more the way we think. A lot of our vendors are in India and Mumbai. You just have to get used to those differences.

Would you please provide a brief description of what your company does for some background information.

Most importantly, we are a socially conscious company. We provide insurance brokerage in a nondiscriminatory manner. This means we take data and turn it into educational, prevention tools and effective crisis management systems. That is what we do. We also provide risk management services.

What is your position within the company and your primary responsibilities?

I’m the IT director for the company. I manage infrastructure, information technology, and provide support for our data management processes.

What were your company’s business goals or reasons for taking on a project with Astrea? 

Astrea provided us with support for our integration needs into Salesforce.  They provided us with development and systems support so we could integrate our custom, internal functionality into Salesforce. They also helped us navigate between the two different platforms.

And what was the process for selecting Astrea group?

We basically selected them through the app store. I also introduced myself to them and others at the Salesforce Convention and so forth. I would say they were one of probably five or six other vendors that I was considering for our integration needs.

Could you please provide more details on the scope of the project? You mentioned they provided support, but did they also perform some design and development work?

We handled the design work ourselves. It was something they offered, but we kept it to ourselves, because we wanted to retain authority over our customizations in Salesforce. They did, however, lend their support in the design process when needed, under our explicit guidance. They also provided terrific maintenance support throughout the integration process.

What technologies were used, as in programming languages, servers or the database?

I don't know what they used for certain, but I believe it was the Force.com platform.

What was the size of the initiative in monetary terms?

They collaborated with us for several different projects, all of which were similar in nature. I estimate they were within the $10,000 range.

How recently was the last project finished?

The final project is in the close-off phase right now. We’re planning on concluding the contract within the next week or two.

What were the results of the projects? If you have any stats or metrics that you’d like to share, I’d be happy to hear that.

There were two or three projects that they had done for us so far. I can’t disclose any information regarding the still active project, but the other two were quite successful. Approximately 80 percent of the users have benefited from the two completed projects so far. I typically measure a project’s success based on the volume of user utilization. I’ve been very pleased with the utilization linked to the two completed projects.

How did you feel about their performance, overall?

They were diligent in producing solutions on time and sometimes even ahead of time. I can rely on them for that, and the feedback is always extremely useful. On a scale of one to five, I would give them a four.

When working with them, was there anything unique or special that you identified in comparison to previous companies you may have worked with?

What I liked the most about them was that I could actually talk to those responsible for the development work. We were always able to initiate an open channel of communication, which significantly reduced the likelihood of misunderstandings and subsequent issues. They’re also business-oriented enough to understand the business model and implications associated with each step. It made them effective and efficient collaborators.

In retrospect, were there any areas that you think they could improve on?

There are opportunities for improvement in their support contact availability. Being offshore means they are-- after 11:00 or 12:00 in the daytime – essentially unreachable. Becoming available to their clients during normal business hours would be more feasible.

Thank you and do you have any additional comments about Astrea’s performance or your work experience with them?

They were very reliable and responsive and technically knowledgeable in supporting our group.