Bluebird Technologies

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a former product manager at Fintec Lab, a payment processing company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Bluebird Development?

We were trying to develop a new product that would offer corporate entities and mid-sized companies a collections platform. In South Africa, direct debit is a popular payment method, consisting of businesses pulling money from their consumer’s bank accounts. Our product would offer an aggregated service for direct debit payment across all the major banks in South Africa so that consumers could sign up for gyms, insurance, or subscription services using direct debit. 

When I was appointed to my position, our team consisted of banking executives who wanted to build a product and didn’t know how to go about it. Since we didn’t have a well-built software development team, I suggested we work with a contractor.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Initially, Bluebird Development helped us conceptualize and prototype the product and plan its development. They built a low-fidelity prototype to show our business team what the app would look like and how it would work. We did some customer testing at this stage and reviewed the feedback to iterate on our plan. From there, we collaborated to develop the specifications for development. 

Although they helped us with conceptual design and wireframing early on, an in-house team designed the UI/UX. Bluebird Development assisted us with the production, development, and deployment of a React web application that our corporate clients could use to manage their payments. 

Bluebird Development built a REST API that clients could integrate into their storefront experiences or mobile apps. The API would send us transactions or contracts that our system would then turn into recurring billing transactions for them. The team also provided a couple of months of post-development support to help fix bugs and other issues.

What is the team composition?

We worked with four people throughout the project, including CJ (Founder), who acted as a project manager, and software developers. At any given time, we had a maximum of three teammates from Bluebird Development working with us. 

How did you come to work with Bluebird Development?

I had worked with CJ at a previous company that had a budgeting and financial management app. I heard that he had started Bluebird Development, and when this project came along, I suggested that we consider them for the job. We reviewed a couple of contractors, and we selected Bluebird Development. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around 2.5 million South African Rand (approximately $161,000 USD). 

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from around June 2019–May 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were very happy with Bluebird Development’s services. Within the first year of operation, we had processed 500,000 transactions through direct debit, which was quite a success in what we were aiming for. We also managed to get three acquiring banks connected to the service at launch, exceeding our goal of two. Aside from that, the only other metric was time, and Bluebird Development worked quite quickly. They did the prototyping and testing in three months, and then we launched within five months after that. 

All in all, the app was received very successfully and became the first version of a new product that unified all our company’s services into one. Therefore, it became the foundation for the company’s offering going forward. 

How did Bluebird Development perform from a project management standpoint?

Deadlines are always tricky in software development, so we followed an Agile methodology with them. We were constantly in negotiation about the timelines and the scope. They were very good at communicating what they could achieve and the impact of certain decisions so that we could chart a roadmap. Ultimately, they worked pretty quickly and met milestones ahead of schedule. 

Some of our business team felt that the post-production support wouldn’t have been necessary if Bluebird Development had done their job well. However, that’s an issue of not understanding Agile development and what goes into running and supporting a software project; very few software products launch bug-free. 

For our communication tools, we used Slack and Shortcut (formerly Clubhouse). Microsoft Azure was our tool for development operations and infrastructure security, and Azure Reops was our repository.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Bluebird Development’s web development expertise was excellent. They worked extremely quickly and competently and did whatever we asked them to do. The team could also work in multiple frameworks, which was really important because we weren’t sure which one we wanted to go with at first. Additionally, they were informed and experienced about different solutions, the costs of operation, and the impact on UX and functionality of every decision. Thanks to this expertise, the team guided us in choosing a technical design.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We wished they had had more employees. Our company wanted to do more with them, but unfortunately, their capacity was limited. If they had increased their workforce, they’d have been able to take on more projects. However, we understood that they were a small and growing company. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

My advice is to engage in the solution design and negotiate how to proceed. It would help if you had a clear idea of the functional and non-functional requirements. That way, Bluebird Development will be able to recommend different approaches. Then, have a conversation about the pros and cons of each option so that you can select the appropriate one. 

I’ve been part of many software projects without due diligence where the preconceived solution has been used. As a result, some contractors haven’t been confident, and if the non-functional requirements aren’t considered, that ends up being blamed on them. To avoid this, engage in planning with the team early on so that everyone is very clear about how you’ll do things. Additionally, define the communication and feedback mechanisms. Decide in what frequency to talk to Bluebird Development and how you’ll do scope and updates. These things often fall by the wayside in project planning, so you should consider them.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am working as the link between the web developers, the main decision-makers and other content providers. We're a nut processing company based in Whiteriver.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Bluebird Development, and what were your goals?

Our first development team did a good job, but we encountered a few setbacks as the site grew. We decided to look for another team if we wanted Ambercircle to become what Philip expected from it.

SOLUTION

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

I searched the web and found a few companies. I’ve emailed them, and Bluebird was one of the first who replied. We’ve set up a call and from our conversation and exchanging of ideas I felt that Bluebird was the right choice going forward.

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

Bluebird helped to rebuild the whole site. Some of the key deliverables were a farmers buy and sell platform, resource page for articles, directories and an advertising service for suppliers.

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

Wester, the Project Manager and Louis in the coding department.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Everyone loves the new design of our site, but the major win is the functionality behind it all as well as the loading time between actions.

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

We normally schedule meetings when the need presents itself. Otherwise we log our comments, questions and progress on Asana. Bluebird is very diligent and adheres to deadlines.

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

We like their communication style and leadership. Also, Bluebird puts in the effort to understand the vision of the company and their client’s needs.

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

When we find something out of place or not working, we just let them know and they fix it asap.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the Head of Product Strategy at Aurora Sustainability. We have a presence across the USA, UK, South Africa, Europe and China.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Bluebird Development, and what were your goals?

We hired BlueBird development to build custom software that was critical for the Aurora Sustainability product to work.

SOLUTION

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

The developers at BlueBird have an excellent reputation and I had done great work with them in the past. Their pricing is reasonable for the quality of their skills.

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

The work was carried out based on the provision of designs and a brief that BlueBird implemented while working with a technical product manager from our team.

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

Two people: The CEO and a senior developer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

BlueBird worked quickly with exceptionally high quality. Their communication was excellent and they delivered very well.

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

BlueBird worked on Asana with us and provided regular updates on the progress of deliverables.

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

The excellent quality fo their work, their communication and their skillset in development.

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

None

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a Partner at a data analytics and software development consulting firm. The company has offices in South Africa, Australia, UK and US.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Bluebird Development, and what were your goals?

We hired Bluebird to augment our existing software development team, and to bring in additional senior development expertise to the project.

SOLUTION

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

The introduction was via mutual reference, followed by CV reviews and interviews of candidates.

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

Cannot be disclosed in detail, but Bluebird augmented the existing team. The project included full scoping, design and implementation of a credit platform for a large client to create a new digital market offering.

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

The entire team varied between 5 and 8 people, with Bluebird adding 1 additional software developer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Great contribution to the team, good culture fit and excellent delivery without any hassles.

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

Stand-ups, MS Teams, flexible working hours, delivery/output based, Azure Devops

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

They are a very responsive and responsible team. They deliver great quality output.

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

None that I can think of. Look forward to continue working with them