Breakthrough Technologies

Please describe your organization. What is your role and responsibilities?

We’re the municipal government of the Village of Oak Park, Ill., which is near Chicago. I’m the communications director. I’m in charge of all media relations: website, TV station, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. 

What was your goal for working with Breakthrough Technologies?

We were looking for a business partner because we had a 10-year-old website that was built with Dreamweaver, and we needed a new website.

Please describe the scope of their work.

The scope of Breakthrough Technologies’ work was largely website design and digital strategy. We knew they had experience with a wide range of organizations. We were able to tap the knowledge base that they had and make our website better than it might have been utilizing another company. We worked on two major projects with Breakthrough. The first was an initial website launch, and the second project was making the website responsive. We wanted to make the site responsive because our Google analytics showed that people were largely using their mobile to access our website.

What was your process for selecting Breakthrough Technologies with which to work?

We selected Breakthrough Technologies through a competitive RFP [request for proposal] process where we had a dozen candidates to sift through. One of the key reasons we chose Breakthrough was the depth of their organization. We wanted more than just a two-man firm. We wanted a team who would bring ideas, not just do what we said. We wanted a company that could help us make decisions around our digital strategy.

Can you give a sense of the size of the initiative in dollar terms or a personnel work-hour figure?

The initial launch of the website was right around $70,000. Then, later down the road when we wanted to make the website responsive, that project was slightly less than $30,000. This all wrapped up about two years ago [2013].

Is there anything unique or special about Breakthrough Technologies that really makes them stand out compared to other business partners?

We are very satisfied with Breakthrough Technologies. They were accessible. We were able to accomplish a lot of our meetings remotely because of the difficulty to get through Chicago traffic. They have an interface where we could have all conversations online. We could communicate almost instantly. We did a weekly call to go through the list of things that needed to be done. 

What advice would you give to future clients of theirs?

The one thing I would tell future clients is always to think mobile first. 

Looking back on the work so far, is there any area that you think they could improve upon or that you might do differently?

I’m a print journalist, and I’m all about content. There were some communication difficulties because they are very technically minded. They had people to help bridge the gap between the developer and the layman. They helped us see what steps were necessary to take an idea from a concept all the way to an actual functioning part of the website.

Please describe your company and your position there.

Our company is an IT trade association that is known for its foundational certifications. These exams are delivered through a third-party exam delivery provider.

For what projects/services did your company hire Breakthrough Technologies?

We hired Breakthrough for custom development services.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal was to find a viable replacement for Flash-based simulation items in our certification exams. Those first simulations were created by another provider. However, our arrangement with that group called for us to lease our simulations, which put my association in an unfavorable contract position.

How did you select this vendor?

We vetted several vendors and looked at their price, capability, proposed solution, knowledge of the industry, and problem-solving ability. Considering all the factors, Breakthrough rose to the top of the list. In addition, Breakthrough had also completed a smaller project for us in the past.

Can you go into detail about the services they provided and the scope of the project?

We asked Breakthrough to create several XML-based simulation items for our exams and integrate these new items into our system.

What was the team composition?

The initial consulting group that assessed and scoped the project was different from the group that ultimately completed the work. We worked with a project lead/manager, developers, UX individuals, and other resources.

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

The project allowed us to move off a dying technology and leverage ownership of our simulations.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Project management was there from the onset. We had weekly meetings that included status updates, so it did not take long to get into a good rhythm. Our communications were open and effective.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I was impressed with their ability to solve problems and come up with better ways to accomplish goals. They can change direction and move pretty quickly, which is a quality that I highly regard.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

While Breakthrough does an excellent job, their ideas can sometimes come at an intense pace. My suggestion would be to make sure any new ideas get documented and approved by both sides. That said, this speaks to their agility and nimbleness.