Aware Web Solutions

BACKGROUND

Could you briefly describe your organization?

We are a nonprofit healthcare organization in the Twin Cities.

What is your position?

I’m a technical architect.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

Could you describe the business challenges you were attempting to address when you began the relationship with Aware Web Solutions?

When we first started working with them, we were looking at rebuilding our external website. We wanted to transition to a more robust system that had the capacity for a wide range of customizations. We needed something that would be able to scale with our business growth. The Sitecore CMS [content management system] platform was the best fit for us given our needs.

What was the rationale behind the transition?

Our previous CMS was obsolete and outdated, so it was really to refresh our backend system. In addition, our marketing team needed a more complex system for their own marketing initiatives. 

SOLUTION

What was the process for selecting Aware Web Solutions as your solution partner?

It was more of a process of selecting the technology, and they were actually representing a couple different ones that we were looking at, so it was more of a technology selection and then they came along with it as our implementation partner. 

Could describe the scope of this project? For instance, did it involve custom visual design, backend development, training, and support?

They worked on the visual design, information architecture, custom development, implementation, and essentially the entire process from conception to deployment. We use them for maintenance and support on a case-by-case basis. 

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

I can’t remember the exact budget, but my guess it was at least $500,000.

When was this new site launched?

November of 2011. Last November, it would have been two years.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

In terms of results, could you share any statistics or metrics that would demonstrate the effectiveness of the work Aware Web Solutions has delivered?

Nothing measurable but, overall, the feedback was really well received. The site was really well received.

When working with Aware Web Solutions, is there anything you would consider unique or special about them compared to other vendors with which you’ve worked?

As far as our Sitecore implementation is concerned, they were the best. They’re probably the best, at least in our region, at deploying the Sitecore solution. They really invested a considerable amount of time evaluating our processes in order to ensure the deployment would go smoothly. They're quite meticulous and thorough. 

In retrospect, are there areas that you think they could improve upon, or are there things you'd do differently as the client before approaching this type of project?

Not too much. I think we ran into budget constraints toward the end of the implementation, which meant that some smaller priorities had to get shelved. Things like documentation and along those lines. If we had to do that again, that’s more of the statement on our end than their end. We would have been managing it a little bit different like keeping track of the budget.

BACKGROUND

Could you briefly describe your company?

I work for a company called NatureWorks. We make environmentally friendly plastics, fibers, and other materials from polylactic acid.

What is your position?

I’m the global Web manager and the business analyst for our commercial team.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

Could you describe the business challenges you were attempting to address when you initiated the project Aware Web Solutions?

Our first project with Aware Web Solutions was a complete redesign of our corporate website. We had serious functionality issues with our old website. We were seeking to gain more control on our processes and content, which is why we decided to go to a content management system. We’re not selling anything through the website, but we endeavor to share valuable knowledge about our plastics and how they affect the environment. We really try to demonstrate thought leadership in the bioplastics industry. Having control over our content and having the ability to modify it as issues arise is really important.

SOLUTION

Could you describe the scope of this project? For instance, did it involve custom design, backend development, training, or ongoing support?

With the relaunch of our corporate website, which was the first of many projects with Aware, we also completely redid all of our content. They helped us with some content development. They redid the entire website design. They helped us port onto materials we had on our old website that we wanted to keep in the new site structure. They did all of the backend development. As we launched some custom tools for building collateral and looking up partners, they custom-built some backend code to help us create these tools for our customers. Their services were nothing short of invaluable.

Why did you select Sitecore as your CMS?

It was quite a while ago. The core reason we selected Sitecore was the flexibility of having multiple users; it was the future potential for having our website controlled by multiple people in multiple languages. It was the capacity to grant varying degrees of access and freedom to users based on pre-selected categories and roles. We’d never had that kind of authority and control onto our content development and distribution processes.

How did you select Aware Web Solutions as your service provider?

We crafted an RFP outlining the scope of what we anticipated for our corporate website. It was just a small flash site way back in the day. We needed something much more robust than that. Aware was one of four companies that came in to propose solutions and ideas. We thought Aware got our brand well enough because we are a weird, little brand. They understood the functionality we needed and had a track record that inspired us. It’s been great ever since.

Could you give me a sense of the size of this initiative in monetary terms?

They helped us negotiate the Sitecore licenses, too. I would say the first website was probably between $40,000 and $50,000.

When was your redesigned website launched?

The first corporate site, the one that Aware Web Solutions created, was launched the end of 2006, beginning 2007.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

In terms of results, could you share any statistics or metrics that might demonstrate the effectiveness of the work they delivered to you?

Since I’ve become the global Web manager, which was shortly after the website launch, our website traffic has at least doubled or tripled. I think part of that is due to the ability to have flexible content with Sitecore. We have a tool on our website called “Where to Buy,” which encourages our partners to submit information that enables us to list them as a supplier of a product made from our polymer. We consistently receive requests. I mean, there are hundreds of customers and partners in there now. A lot of that is through people contacting us to be listed. That’s put us in greater contact with our supply chain.

How do you think Aware Web Solutions performed on the Sitecore implementation?

I think they performed great. No large website implementation is perfect. I think a really good company is one that acknowledges something isn’t right, or that it could be done more efficiently, and pursues those solutions. They really try to understand your company on a holistic level. They’re not our company, so they don’t necessarily understand us 100 percent. No contractor does, but their willingness to iterate and work on helping us achieve our goals really distinguishes them.

When working with Aware Web Solutions, is there anything you would consider unique or special about them compared to other solution partners you’ve had?

One is their desire to help solve issues or problems even if I didn’t provide a great explanation the first time. We’ve definitely experienced some project friction with Aware, but it’s never been insurmountable, and more importantly, they approach setbacks with an opportunistic mindset. The barriers and challenges we’ve faced have actually helped both of our companies work more effectively together. At the end of the day, the best service providers are the ones that strive to form symbiotic relationships with their clients. In other words, they’ve the ones that go the extra mile to comprehend the problems and goals on terms set by the client, rather than terms set by themselves. I’m extremely confident in their technical expertise since I’ve yet to throw a challenge at their developers that they can’t handle.

In retrospect, are there any areas that you believe that they could have improved upon, or are there things that you’d do differently as the client before initiating this type of project?

One thing I’ve learned is to over-communicate and not assume they understand anything about what we’re trying to accomplish. I don’t necessarily think that’s unique to Aware Web Solutions. That’s true of working with any agency. Encouraging them to over communicate with me and not assume that my colleagues or I know something about Web design or development is also crucial.