Blackburn Labs

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Executive Director of Rhode Island Natural History Survey

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

To promote ecosystem resilience, we collect, organize, and disseminate information on Rhode Island’s biodiversity and ecosystems and foster public involvement in environmental science and the use of science-based solutions to environmental challenges. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Blackburn Labs to accomplish?

• translate our vision for a lean biodiversity data management solution into a feasible plan for implementation
• develop this plan into a new database for biodiversity observations in Rhode Island
• going forward, maintain the new database and help us plan and implement enhancements/new features

SOLUTION

How did you find Blackburn Labs?

• Online Search
• Clutch Site
• online profiles

Why did you select Blackburn Labs over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost

How many teammates from Blackburn Labs were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Rhode Island Natural History Survey sought a contractor to develop, in concert with stakeholders, a working prototype of a database for the management of biodiversity data (observations of Rhode Island species and natural communities in space and time). Components to be delivered included building and documenting the backend, frontend, and user interface for the database, with metadata, loaded with substantial test data, including installation, testing, and training, and roadmap for future buildout of fully realized application plus optional enhanced features.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Working prototype launched by the sunset for the funding.

Spend remained within the limits of available funding.

We're satisfied with our working relationship with the vendor team, such that we would like to continue working with them on further development.

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

The vendor team was very responsive to the ebb and flow of our own team's schedule. When we encountered problems in product development that were hard to solve, the vendor team did not just take the easy way out with a minimally functional solution but was willing to keep working with us to clarify our needs and come up with a good solution. There were several times when the vendor team used their experience and resources to steer us towards better ways of doing things than our original plan.

What was your primary form of communication with Blackburn Labs?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

The company team clearly had deep experience and comfort with this kind of software/API development, such that if we became stuck on a certain problem in our project, they often knew of  some way to solve it using a trick or tool they'd used on some other job or context to meet our needs in an elegant way. Even though they were obviously expert in their field, at the same time they were relaxed and easy to work with and not at all off-putting in the way technical experts can sometimes be. 

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

We had some trouble getting onto their project management software at first, and that left us tracking some of the task details in Excel, which was an extra step, but once we worked out a system for exchanging task updates among team members, everything went fine. To be fair, I'm not sure if this wasn't user error at our end.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Project Manager of Onward We Learn

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Onward We Learn is the state’s most comprehensive college readiness program for middle school and high school students in our state’s urban school districts. We reach out early to motivated students and encourage their commitment to learning.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Blackburn Labs to accomplish?

• Create a system that allows our parents and students to register for events and receive real time status updates
• Create a system for our internal staff of advisors and coaches that will help us better serve our students and families from a case management perspective

SOLUTION

How did you find Blackburn Labs?

Other

Why did you select Blackburn Labs over others?

• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Other

How many teammates from Blackburn Labs were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Blackburn was able to work with us to scope out user stories that tailored to our project deliverables for our users. We are able to seamlessly communicate with the Blackburn staff during the whole process to ensure that our deliverables were met in a timely fashion. Our users were able to activate their mobile accounts, register for programs, and receive appropriate credit for those programs. Our staff was able to also be onboarding effortlessly as well. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were able to see our program data in newer ways that was unavailable to use before. Blackburn labs did a great job in showing us how the data is curated to help us create much more personalized reporting. We are know able to take the data and information gathered from these systems to present to staff to help us create more data centered approaches.

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

Blackburn labs is amazing to work with. They are very clear on all tasks and even let us know when issues may arise to help walk us through multiple solutions. They always ensure every option is laid out, so that we can have a better vision when approaching key decisions. We are always satisfied with the level of work Blackburn labs is able to offer. 

What was your primary form of communication with Blackburn Labs?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

They are always willing to tend to our users needs as well as the clarity our internal staff needs when understanding and embracing new systems. They are great at communicating with us and always ensure our opinions are heard and met.

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

None. Blackburn labs has such a great team!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the head of the real estate department of a national affordable housing syndication/investment firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Blackburn Labs, and what were your goals?

Concurrent with development of a custom database and business workflow database, Blackburn worked to implement a connected application which we use for conducting on-site property inspection procedures at the properties which the firm oversees. The primary goals were to allow bi-directional integration of data between the main database system and the mobile application.

SOLUTION

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

We had the good fortune to start working with Blackburn when they assumed the overall project from the firm which was initially involved with the development of other the database and mobile application sides of the project.

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

Unfortunately, I am not technologically savvy and can't provide any insight into the underlying technologies used for this project. The scope of work generally related to updating the mobile application and integration of data and communication between the main database and the mobile application.

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

Blackburn assigned two dedicated resources to this particular component of the project - in addition to the overall supporting staff resources of Blackburn.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

When Blackburn become involved in the implementation of our project, the team were literally 'walking into a movie half way over'. They very quickly came up to speed on the project and our company's goals and operations. The end result of their efforts has been very positive.

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

Blackburn provide us with consistent and ongoing updates, involves us in decision-making and post-completion testing and vetting. We have been very satisfied with the level of communication and interaction in working with Blackburn, and timelines have been consistently met.

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

Blackburn's ability to step into a complex and quirky project mid-stream, and so quickly come up-to-speed has been impressive. The members at Blackburn Labs were consummately professional and understanding of our lack of tech savvy over the course of the project - explaining things in layman's terms and making sure that we have been comfortable with every step of the process.

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

Given Blackburn's late entry into our project, I can't think of any particular pain-points which we have had. On the contrary, Blackburn has helped us make good decisions about moving forward with enhancements, improvements and further work.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Founder of Sanity Warriors. We provide life management services for professionals, families, anyone needing temporary relief during a busy season, stressful period, or unexpected crisis We provide ongoing support for day to day life, a judgment-free zone and full confidentiality services for busy people.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Blackburn Labs, and what were your goals?

Blackburn Labs created and designed our website. I went to them with a very vague concept and Norma, took my thoughts and created a beautiful website that was a reflection of ME with little to no work on my end.

SOLUTION

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

I have previously worked with Blackburn Labs in a couple of different capacities. They always come through! They are efficient, cost effective, and more importantly, great pople to work with.

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

I went to Blackburn Labs with a rushed request to build and develop a new website. They built a WordPress site hosted by DreamHost.

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

I worked closely with the web developer, Norma, I communicated directly with her via email. We also met virtually a couple of times.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The project (new website) was developed quickly and efficiently. Very little back and forth. Requested changes were made almost immediately.

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

Blackburn Labs make you feel valued. You never feel as if your questions are dumb, they take the time to explain options. They make recommendations but definitely are not pushy about it. Communication overall is seamless – they are responsive, and everything is actionable. Time is never wasted.

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

How quickly they produce.

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

Nope

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the CEO and Founder of a health tech startup.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Blackburn Labs, and what were your goals?

I'm building a novel healthcare web application. I work in medicine, and am not technical, so I was looking for a development team that was knowledgeable and experienced on the subject matter, while being supportive of someone with a non-technical background.

SOLUTION

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

At the first meeting Rob was coming up with ideas to help our team and company. Not only was he thinking about the technical build at hand, but he is forward thinking and able to anticipate what other challenges we may face down the road. He offered concrete ideas on how we might strategize to meet those challenges.

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

Rob and his team broke down the proposed build into concrete steps, then narrowed those to 2 week sprints. Before they even began Rob shared some documents and guidelines on how to obtain BAAs and maintain cybersecurity with the various technology we were using.

At each sprint review their whole team was present, they invited our feedback, and they were fully transparent of the milestones achieved thus far and those expected at the next sprint. Incredibly, they were ahead of schedule at every sprint! They created a web application plus database for survey questions using AWS and MongoDB.

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

Rob oversaw the project. A senior developer and QA tester played key roles.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They are on target to complete the build several weeks ahead of schedule. The full application is not yet build and live, due to regulatory steps needed before launch.

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

Their team is very flexible and dynamic. We used a combination of email, slack, google sheets, and figma to communicate. Everyone on the team was crystal clear with communication, and very timeline with responsiveness.

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

They have an admirable combination of big-picture strategic thinking and uncanny attention to detail. He's gone above and beyond simply carrying out the contracted work. He's offered help and support with planning for fundraising, he's insightful on ways to protect our IP and maintain security, he and his team are all around great people to work with.

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

This may be feedback for myself, but I'd welcome some best practices or FAQs for expectations from me and my team up front, particularly since I have a non-technical background. We've been very open with communication thus far and it's worked quite well.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am on the board of directors of the Partnership to Reduce Cancer in Rhode Island. We're a statewide advocacy organization that helps cancer patients by providing a list of resources on our website and how to connect with them. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Blackburn Labs?

We needed a software company to develop a dental oncology knowledge center. We didn't have much money to invest, but we hoped to get the project off the ground to attract more funding.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Blackburn Labs set up, configured, and programmed a chat box that will be integrated into our website. The goal was for site users to use it to find the proper resources for their questions. Blackburn Labs has just completed the initial process. They also provided suggestions on how to organize the resources on our site. 

What is the team composition?

We worked with four teammates from Blackburn Labs, including Robert (CEO), Julie (Chief Data Scientist), a developer, and a student. 

How much have you invested with them?

Our contract initially set the cost at $24,000, but we've only incurred $8,000 in charges with Blackburn Labs. 

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement with Blackburn Labs began in March 2021 and is estimated to end in June 2022. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The beta testing phase should begin in June 2022, and through Blackburn Labs' efforts, we've attracted an additional $15,000 in private foundation funding. We're well on the way to getting this project out to the public. 

Many other companies in our field have complicated websites to navigate, but ours is really easy to use, and the oral health information is easily accessible. Robert and Julie have really helped guide us through our organization's expansion and mentored our staff — they've also provided us with a short demo video outlining the chat box's capabilities. 

How did Blackburn Labs perform from a project management standpoint?

Blackburn Labs began the project before we even signed their first paycheck. Typically, we use Zoom calls and emails to communicate — we have regular calls to regroup and discuss the project. They've kept us well informed throughout the project. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

We love the flexibility of Blackburn Labs' knowledge base. They've done other health care projects across the country, so they understood our objective right away when we contacted them. Money has never been the focus of our partnership; Blackburn Labs is interested in executing our project for its merit. Their team focuses on delivering solutions, not ensuring clients fit into their work framework. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can't think of anything for Blackburn Labs to improve. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I'd advise customers to do preliminary research into their subject matter, so when they have their first conversation with Blackburn Labs, the main focus can be on defining the scope of work. The more customers can articulate their needs, the better the solutions Blackburn Labs can create. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re an early-stage telemedicine platform company. I’m the co-founder of the company, and I worked in R&D.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Blackburn Labs?

We brought on Blackburn Labs to build our app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We came to Blackburn Labs with a very specific plan of what we wanted. They then did the full coding and development for the app itself. We collaborated with them on the design and layout of it, but they essentially did the actual coding, set up the servers, and structured the timing for all of the phases. 

It’s a cloud hardware platform for B2B companies. We had a three-phase approach for the project, which included concept development, the initial product, and then the refinement phase. We're actually still working with them. We got our MVP, but we're still doing further refinement and development of it. 

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with five teammates throughout the project. 

How did you come to work with Blackburn Labs?

I found them to Clutch and reached out to them based on some of the feedback I saw. We also talked to about four other developers across the country, but we felt that Blackburn Labs understood what we were trying to do and respected that we were coming in with a solid understanding of our market.

The other companies wanted to propose long, investigative market research, which isn’t what we were looking for. It’s not that Blackburn Labs wouldn’t do that if we asked them to, it’s just that we had a clear idea of what we wanted so we didn't need it.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $100,000 so far. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working with them since April 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Blackburn Labs takes pride in the work they’re doing. We can tell that extra effort goes into the way that they’ve designed the product and the process with which they move it forward.

How did Blackburn Labs perform from a project management standpoint?

Blackburn Labs holds regular meetings, and they invite us to join if we have time to hear where the development is at. They also use Trello, which allows us to follow along and helps prioritize certain aspects of the development. It’s been an interactive process.

The team has been very transparent and accommodating to the way we develop it as well. They were open to doing a fixed fee or time and materials, and we ended up doing a hybrid of that.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They understood and were accommodating to what we were trying to accomplish, which is why we chose them. Blackburn Labs respected the experience that we had in our specific space, which was important. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they’ve been great. We’ll probably continue working with them throughout this project. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Communicate often with them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Proven Behavior Solutions. We’re an outpatient health care practice that provides behavioral and speech therapy for individuals with autism, mostly children.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Blackburn Labs?

Our industry is a unique hybrid between healthcare and education. I’ve found that off-the-shelf software solutions don’t work for our needs. We had finally reached a point where we were too big to manage everything efficiently on Excel. I wanted a custom software solution that would be more user-friendly, so I reached out to Blackburn Labs.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We already had a utilization management system for all of our services. They were able to take everything we built in Excel and built an app that would automate everything that we were already doing.

They were able to enhance it so that the data would be kept and would be easily accessible from a records management standpoint for perpetuity. They recommended what has worked well in the past to make it even better than we had asked for in the initial scope.

The end product was within the scope and included the functionality that we needed, but they were able to make it more user-friendly and dynamic. They delivered a solution that is compatible with iOS and G Suite.

What is the team composition?

Rob was our main point of contact and there were a few other team members on our project.

How did you come to work with Blackburn Labs?

I contacted a few different agencies in the area and asked for estimates. I found that Blackburn Labs worked with a local hospital, which was a huge indicator that they understood healthcare and the challenges we faced. So they were clearly a better fit than some of the larger software companies in the city.

I was also very budget-conscious, and they came in on the low end of the bids we got back.

How much have you invested with them?

Our contract is $16,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in February 2020 and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve already launched the first version of the app, and we’re moving forward to the second version. Even though their quote was lower in price than the other companies I spoke to, Blackburn Labs still delivered high-quality work. Since seeing their work, it turned out to be a way better deal than I thought.

They go above and beyond to understand the nuances behind our needs and have been able to bring that into the system. Despite the random tweaks we’ve requested, they’ve been able to meet our needs.

How did Blackburn Labs perform from a project management standpoint?

It was very agile and we used Trello to manage all the workflow. So I could see what the other team members were doing.  There is a rep on the team who has a background in big data, so we were able to see the analytic side.

From a customer service standpoint, we have a lot of personal contact with the team and the team lead.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They deserve to be highlighted for having expertise in the healthcare space., I was really impressed with their attempt to understand what we needed, even in unfamiliar areas. They never bushed over things or generalized, they continued to hone their expertise in the healthcare industry.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Not at this point.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Just like with any project, make sure expectations are clear upfront. Additionally, the more complex the project is, and the more people involved, the more critical it is to understand how communication flows.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Talerics Consulting, a biomedical informatics company. We provide consulting services for academic medical centers and other biotechnical organizations.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Blackburn Labs?

We’re currently partnering with an Ivy League medical school, and needed an outside partner to provide technical consulting.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Blackburn Labs supported our project with the medical school, which involves single-cell analysis to serve the school’s cell-sequencing technology.

Essentially, Blackburn Labs’ function was to provide consulting services on infrastructures that are already available to execute this type of project. Rob (CTO, Blackburn Labs), conducted a great deal of market research, reviewing a range of stack technologies. 

What is the team composition?

We worked exclusively with Rob. 

How did you come to work with Blackburn Labs?

I’d engaged with Rob in a previous project, and I really admired his work. I was impressed by his skills, presentation style, and ability to listen to users and gather requirements for software development. Based on that experience, I thought he would be a great fit for this project. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $5,000-$10,000 on the engagement.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project took place between November–December 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Rob delivered the highest level of results, going beyond our expectations. He’s greatly impacted our ability to plan the project, and though we haven’t started the implementation process yet, we’re extremely pleased with the work he’s done. He’s had a significant impact on the project.

How did Blackburn Labs perform from a project management standpoint?

Our project manager is an expert in what he does. We had weekly meetings with Rob, where he presented his work through PowerPoint, and we, in turn, provided feedback and asked additional questions. These meetings helped us build an overview of available technologies, as well as construct plans involving timelines and cost for the next phase of our project. It was very effective.

He provided a transparent tracking system so that we could track his work every step of the way. They provide transparent and effective project management that exceeds expectations.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The aspect of Rob’s work we appreciated the most was his willingness to teach us about his process. He always explained why he recommended a certain technology over another in a clear, concise way that was very helpful to us. It’s one of the reasons why I’d like to continue working with Rob in future engagements.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing that comes to mind.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Provide as much information as possible. Rob can work independently, but the more he knows the better to ensure you’re both aligned. His work is very thorough, and it would cause a fair amount of inefficiency if he went in a different direction than you wanted.