Brainspire Solutions

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the COO of Excell Marketing & Procurement. We’re a buying group for foodservice equipment.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Brainspire Solutions?

We needed to connect several back-office systems so we could have an automated workflow for processing inbound and outbound invoice payments.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

First, they did virtual CIO work where they helped us look at the infrastructure we needed in the cloud, including all of the development and coding work using an agile approach.

They also helped the architecture and the middleware, as well as some business analysis and expertise around payment processing.

What is the team composition?

We had two people working full time on the project and another person working a quarter of the time.

How did you come to work with Brainspire Solutions?

When I took over this role a year and a half ago, they were already providing maintenance support for one of our websites.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested approximately $100,000–$150,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in May 2019, and we wrapped up in February 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their agile format was really good because there were things we didn’t know how to approach. By delivering code every two weeks, we were able to ask questions and see the impact. It helped us come up with a better product, for sure.

They toggled a lot of the configuration and settings so we could turn on features slowly for the customer, without overwhelming them with new changes. The processes we automated were taking 12-man hours per day to complete. Now, they take 45 minutes, after we got over some of the process hiccups.

How did Brainspire Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

They came on-site as needed and were reachable by email or phone.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I liked that they were able to speak in a business language and in technical jargon. It helped us get down to the nitty-gritty in the code, but also solve problems at a high level with the CFO. They’re a very likable and approachable group. I needed to extend the project by a couple of weeks because our ability to roll out slowed down, and they were very flexible on that.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I don’t have any criticism. I just wish the project were completed sooner.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

You need to have to be engaged with the project. You can’t just hand them a business problem and have them solve it. You need somebody who understands the business to help. They need constant feedback from a dedicated manager.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of application development and enterprise data at Frontier Airlines.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Brainspire Solutions?

We needed additional development resources to help us with our e-commerce website and some other projects.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Brainspire's developers have worked with our business intelligence and data team on various projects. They helped us build out an automation library moving us from manual testing to automated testing.

They also assisted with our branding effort. We wanted to have a consistent look and feel across all of our items, so Brainspire helped us build templates. In addition, they handled various marketing projects.

What is the team composition?

We work directly with their owner, and they assign different resources to us depending on the project.

How did you come to work with Brainspire Solutions?

I wanted to work with a local company. I connected with their owner a few years back through some IT leadership functions in Denver. I liked the fact that he was honest about what his team could and couldn't do, so I chose them.

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent between $400,000–$500,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in January 2017, and the relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It used to take us three or four days to do the regression testing on our website, and now it takes about 15 minutes. We can release new features for our website every two weeks (previously, it took a lot longer). Also, we have a consistent look across all of our reports and dashboards.

How did Brainspire Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

They've met all their deadlines. They integrate with our team very well, and we enjoy working with them. We're their repeat customer.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They've become part of our team. They really care about the project–they don't just do this to get paid.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can't think of anything.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure you know what you're looking for, and Brainspire Solutions will give you all the necessary resources.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of two small businesses: Land Data Images and Baseline Minerals.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Brainspire Solutions?

I engaged Brainspire Solutions to create web solutions for both businesses. They rebuilt an e-commerce site using cloud technology and helped develop APIs such as a time collection system. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Brainspire Solutions designed and developed my e-commerce website. I only contributed a new logo. Their team took us from 15-year-old technology into a Microsoft Azure set-up. They also integrated Stripe to process credit card payments and ACH payments. The team utilized a third-party API to sell our products and expand our store as well. We’re now in the process of adding sales tax functionality to the site.

What is the team composition?

I tend to work with a project manager. Depending on the project needs, up to three developers will assist as well.

How did you come to work with Brainspire Solutions?

They were referred to me by a respected colleague.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $130,000 on the e-commerce site.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in November 2016, and the site launched six months later. Brainspire Solutions continues to provide support.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We can utilize APIs from our cloud server to sell products on other websites and partner with similar companies, increasing our revenue. We also can collect more information about our users and how they use our products, allowing us to expand our product offerings in the future.

How did Brainspire Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

The team often works on-site for us. I spend 50% of my time talking face-to-face with the project manager. I also received weekly updates about progress, upcoming tasks, and priorities. Brainspire Solutions has done such a good job setting and meeting expectations that they have taught me how long specific development requests should take. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Knowledgeable and professional, Brainspire Solutions regularly meets or exceeds my expectations. The team ensures that their work matches our precise needs while charging reasonable rates. They took the time to learn our business and how customers use our products before designing and developing a solution for us. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can’t think of anything.

Any advice for potential customers?

Prioritize your projects and assignments. Effectively communicate those priorities and schedule enough time for developers to complete them.