Biz4Group LLC

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the technical leader of engineering at a computer networking company. I make all the technical decisions.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Biz4Group LLC?

We wanted to develop an iOS and Android app, which required a lot of technical expertize.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They developed our iOS and Android app. It’s a fleet monitoring system that provides a lot of data, such as: how much traffic is running, the capacity in use, what the load on the system is, if we need to take any action, or any other action for load balancing. We can look at the past data about the performance and we can study the future—whether we need to upgrade to more ports or more core density.

We also needed a lot of networking done because the system is all based on the networking domain. The developers had to understand that domain too. We've just finished one module with them and may have them again. They gave us free support as well. In the past, we've ended up paying a lot of maintenance costs to other companies.

What is the team composition?

There were eight or nine people. Even their manager was a technical guy who could do the work as well.

How did you come to work with Biz4Group LLC?

We searched online for an IoT company and found only a handful. Biz4Group understood our requirements very well. Rather than giving us a business proposal, they gave us a demo.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in January 2018 until May.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The quality was amazing and the speed of delivery was superb. The project was supposed to be done in four months and they finished on time.

How did Biz4Group LLC perform from a project management standpoint?

Usually, when I hire vendors, I end up doing a lot of project management and having to ask for the status. However, they were on top of the team and provided me the status before I could ask them. We used email, Skype, and Webex. The communication was really good and much better than I expected.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re adaptive in terms of the way they learn the technologies, the new work, and then deliver.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t know if they could handle a large project because they have a small team.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the senior manager of a hotel chain’s central reservation system’s IT division.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Biz4Group LLC?

We needed a service application. Since we have real-time e-commerce services, we wanted an optimized tool that could improve overall performance. We’re always trying to find innovative tools or solutions that mean less general maintenance on our end.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They developed a service app for our central reservation systems e-commerce functionality. The goal of the product is to sell our properties, add inventory, complete reservations, and get customer feedback. Essentially, it’s like selling our properties and capturing the reservations, plus giving availability information to customers.

What is the team composition?

I worked with their subject matter expert, as well as their technical leads. They also introduced me to their offshore team, who I later interacted with also.  

How did you come to work with Biz4Group LLC?

Generally, when we look for vendors to work with, we look at companies who have implemented similar types of solutions for hospitality vendors. In this case, we came across Biz4Group LLC. They work with other large organizations, which we thought was a good thing, and decided to approach them. I also reached out to other site managers on LinkedIn to get their input and received positive feedback.

Then, we met with Biz4Group LLC to better understand what they could deliver and how they could help us. They presented us with options, but were flexible, so we asked them to create a proof of concept for us. They completed a successful POC, which aligned 40%–60% with our requirements, so we moved forward with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them from April 2016–February 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Compared with our previous solution, there’s significant improvement—not only because of their optimized coding, but also the innovative tools they selected and implemented for us. There was a lot of maintenance with our previous tools. We don’t have many maintenance costs at all now; they have helped us significantly.

How did Biz4Group LLC perform from a project management standpoint?

We were impressed by their project management. They worked more as a partner than a vendor and took complete responsibility. From inception to transition, everything was transparent. Plus, I was part of their meetings as they started to execute on the plans.

Before starting, they detailed exactly what they were going to deliver and what we could expect. They provided regular status updates, which we appreciated.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re committed to success and responsible. Their ability to innovate also impresses, but the way they committed, took responsibility, and acted as a partner was key.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It is a dynamic world with many options. They might consider looking for even more state-of-the-art tools to use in future projects.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the chief executive officer of a tech consulting company. We do federal and commercial contracting.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Biz4Group LLC?

We needed development help for a highly complex app. We needed it professionally developed and managed.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They developed an enterprise application for one of our clients. They used Microsoft .NET, SQL Server, Crystal Reports, and BusinessObjects. They are also engaged in several smaller projects.

What is the team composition?

We started with two developers but have gradually ramped up to over 20. Given the complexity of the project, they appointed two project managers.

How did you come to work with Biz4Group LLC?

We needed a highly professionally company, and their team fits that criteria. We personally interviewed their developers before giving them the project.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested $1 million-$2 million so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in September 2014 and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’re good to work with. As soon as we engaged them, they started interacting directly with the business owners and my end client to get a more complete understanding of the project goals and specifications.

How did Biz4Group LLC perform from a project management standpoint?

We were using more than one project management tool when we started development. In the middle of the project, we used Team Foundation Server (TFS) for managing the projects. We followed the agile methodology and all aspects of the project were hosted on TFS.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They started delivering the code solutions directly to my end customer.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There were some day-to-day challenges due to the complexity of the task. We had 20+ developers working at their office and 20+ developers working onsite as well. Considering the nature of the project, they did fairly well. We had to request that they change their hours a bit and they were flexible. Overall, it was a great experience minus the day-to-day challenges.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am a partner at Touchstone Technology Consulting OPS, a management consultancy that specializes in digital processes, SAP, and back office technologies.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Biz4Group?

We didn’t have enough in-house resources for various mobile development projects. Specifically, we needed solutions for on-demand technology services.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They use Java, HTML, and HTML5 for mobile and infrastructure development. Additionally, they’ll use other open-source codes. We launched one project on Service Symphony, an on-demand home services app.

What is the team composition?

We have upwards of 10–12 people at any one time, including one designer. Their project manager interacts with my project manager.

How did you come to work with Biz4Group?

We looked for vendors with a professional and rigid operation. Their teams – from leadership all the way down – were all quality, professional, and experienced.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $50,000–$60,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Work started in 2015 and is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Biz4Group is scalable for any project. If they can identify solutions, they will deliver them. The team has made several suggestions that have enhanced scopes and resulting functionalities. They’ve been very helpful for tools we have less experience building.

How did Biz4Group perform from a project management standpoint?

They have a robust team that uses the same methodology as we do. They execute our requirements and specifications efficiently and within budget.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Deliverables are their sole focus. They don’t rely on marketing glitz and glamour to earn business. Biz4Groups is efficient and effective.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can’t think of anything.

BACKGROUND

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

• App Development
• Web Design

SOLUTION

• Close to my geographic location
• Pricing fits our budget
• Good value for cost

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am an executive at Semuto

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Semuto is a team of individuals from various backgrounds committed to researching the latest developments in health and biohacking, and helping others improve their health by making this information available to all through the use of technology.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Biz4Group LLC to accomplish?

• Get our website up and functional - from showcasing our products (apps) to purchasing, account managment, blog and video streaming.
• Help develop and deploy our apps with the latest UI toolkits with security of customer data in mind.

SOLUTION

How did you find Biz4Group LLC?

• Referral

Why did you select Biz4Group LLC over others?

• Referred to me

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Because of constraints on my time, as Biz4Group accomplished one goal after another, my confidence in them grew, and I kept adding to their scope. For the website, we started with the overall user experience, then got into the details of the flow of viewing the products, purchasing plans, then selecting and managing the apps.

For the apps themselves, we again started with the user experience, then dug down into the details, working on both the front-end and back-end simultaneously. Every step of the way, the Biz4Group team submitted screenshots, videos or live test urls so that I could approve or tweak things until they were exactly how I wanted them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We used test urls regularly to test both the website and the web-apps.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Biz4Group assigned me a project manager with whom I meet weekly or more often as needed. We discuss the agenda ahead of time, and the PM makes sure any team members that need to be in the meeting are there. This saves a lot of time and makes our meetings very productive.

What was your primary form of communication with Biz4Group LLC?

• Virtual Meeting

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Biz4Group is extremely responsive and never complains about my ever-evolving scope. They are genuinely interested in the success of the project, and pride in their work shows.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Biz4Group LLC could have done differently?

I'm grateful for the way Biz4Group operates, and have no complaints.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Owner

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Biz4Group LLC, and what were your goals?

I wanted to create a mobile app to assist people on making everyday decisions. I noticed that making decisions can be challenging and desired to help with that.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

I searched for app developers online and short listed 5. I ultimately chose Biz4Group based on location and the information provided.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

We had weekly meeting updating on project progress. Biz4Group continued to be responsive and informative.

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

I communicated with developers and project managers throughout the process.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

Within 3 months our app has been launched. I received great feedback on the app design and the fun they have when making decisions.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

The team was extremely timely and communicative!

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

I was impressed with their talent. Their design ideas exceeded my expectations.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

None.