Brightec

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a senior delivery manager at Virgin Red, a loyalty company.

What challenge were you trying to address with Brightec?

We needed their expertise in frontend development as we built our train ticketing system.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We kicked off our engagement through a six-week-long discovery phase, wherein Brightec helped us study the product and its complexities. We conducted market research along with other teams to identify trends and generate strategic solutions. We settled on building a complex train ticketing app with the collaborative efforts of different service providers.

We sourced the trains industry data from third-party APIs and supported them with our backend integration, including the ticketing information they needed to embed on the platform. Brightec implemented all the user-specific functionalities we needed to improve the app’s UX, especially focusing on the booking flow. They built the app to be Android- and iOS-friendly, and we also launched two additional features that widened our payment options.

What is the team composition?

We worked with a large team across multiple vendors, with the main squad of  around 10–12 members, depending on the project phase being dealt with.

How did you come to work with Brightec?

We had a vetting process and ended up onboarding Brightec because of their experience in our target industry for this particular project.

What is the status of this engagement?

The frontend development project ran from August 2020–May 2021. We’re currently working with them on another project.

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

We conducted user research to measure the application’s efficacy, and we were pleased to find out that there was hardly any work for us to do in delivering our initial MVP — it was almost bug-free, and there wasn’t anything that their team failed to address. Additionally, it passed our standards engineering and UX-wise.  Plus it also was accredited by the Rail Delivery Group, a rail industry governing body.

How did Brightec perform from a project management standpoint?

Brightec collaborated well with our team and other service providers. They integrated themselves efficiently into our processes and were willing to comply when the need to scale the team up or down had arisen. Overall, they were an absolutely great partner that we’d always consider working with.

What did you find most impressive about them?

What stood out about Brightec was their determination to bring in innovative ideas that pushed us to accomplish the project. They’re also very solution-oriented — they always tried to resolve any problems we encountered without inconveniencing us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We encountered some minor teething issues in communicating our partnership needs to Brightec’s team. It took them a while to understand that we needed them to work collaboratively with us, rather than in a typical client/partner relationship.  We wanted them to feel part of the squad and not a third party, providing their input and challenging us when needed. However, they addressed those issues as we progressed, and became an integral part of the overall delivery of Virgin Trains Ticketing.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Treat them as part of your team and not just service providers — this makes the collaboration flow in a more organic and seamless manner.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the head of product development at IFIS Publishing. We publish scientific information on food, health, and nutrition as a database. My role involves looking at new digital products.

What challenge were you trying to address with Brightec?

We wanted to explore the possibility of creating new products from the data we hold in our database. It would include examining the database, looking for trends over time, and then producing a suitable interface and app that we could make available to people.

What was the scope of their involvement?

The team looked into the data and similar products before starting their UX/UI design work. We wanted their view on what we could analyze from our 2 million records and articles. They also contributed to the data formats – how we could take our data and turn it into something that could be analyzed. Their team also did some data cleanup to locate valid information.

We then discussed with them different products and UI functions before they built the mockups. Once we signed off on those, they built the app and did some backend work to create the tables that would display the graphs we wanted.

It is a web app that’s available to our customers. While the app is live, our work with them is still ongoing.

What is the team composition?

I first dealt with Andy (Managing Director), and then we worked with Dave (Senior Developer), Georgia (Head of Operations), Ellie (Junior Developer), and Jotham (Product Manager) We also worked with another coder.

How did you come to work with Brightec?

I looked online. Brightec was chosen from a number of possible analytics companies that could do data displays.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between €70,000–€100,000 (approximately $97,000–$138,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement with Brightec started in July 2020.

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

The performance has been very good. Users can subscribe to our database, and the feedback has been positive so far. People in the academic field are excited by it. We plan on making more use of it. We’re making more marketing material for it now.

How did Brightec perform from a project management standpoint?

They were excellent. We communicate through Zoom, email, and phone calls. It’s been a very good experience.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’ve worked with a lot of developers over the years, but Brightec is willing to engage. We weren’t sure what product we could create with our data or what it could even look like. It was a very agile and iterative process. Their willingness to engage in that process was excellent. They are able to be flexible, which distinguishes them from other competitors.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I honestly think they’ve done as well as they can. It’s gone as well as I could’ve expected. They’ve been very good.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be very clear in terms of the output you’re looking for. That is a useful starting point for any engagement. Trust their design and development teams.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the commercial manager at Waterstones.com, a national retailer. I work for the e-commerce department, managing commercial campaigns.

What challenge were you trying to address with Brightec?

We had a nontransactional app for the business. On it, users could view books and add them to wishlists, but they couldn’t purchase them via the app. We wanted to integrate a transactional element, as well as a way for users to sign up to our loyalty program.

What was the scope of their involvement?

When Brightec came on board, we had a few ideas in mind of what we wanted. We wanted users to feel like they were actually present in the shop and for the platform to be really flexible and easy for users to create collections, update, and browse. 

We wanted users to be able to navigate categories and highlights in different ways, and for there to be a social functionality. We provided them with the wireframes ahead of time, and Brightec was able to integrate all of those capabilities.

The app is compatible with both iOS and Android, and we developed them together.

What is the team composition?

There were about six people from Brightec working altogether.

How did you come to work with Brightec?

I wasn’t involved in the process of sourcing Brightec, but one of the reasons we decided to partner with them is that they were very malleable and willing to find innovative solutions. They approached us as though they were in extension of our own team, without using a lot of tech jargon. We felt like we were dealing with real people who we could actually collaborate with.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $300,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since July 2019. We have an ongoing retainer with them to provide assistance and ongoing development.

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

The launch of the app did exactly what we wanted: it brought us another revenue stream and new loyalty customers. Now, the app peaks about 5%-10% of our total e-commerce revenue. Brightec’s delivery brought us that revenue. Our app also won retail app of the year.

How did Brightec perform from a project management standpoint?

They were great — if anything, they were the ones keeping us on top of everything. They were very well organized and patient with us and provided feedback to us effectively. 

We kept up to date using Zeplin boards, Google Docs, Slack, and regular video calls.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They didn’t waste time on any sort of posturing or sales speak. Brightec was only interested in what we needed, why we needed it, and how to give it to us in the best way possible. It was really comfortable and productive throughout the whole process.

Also, even though they must have been doing other projects alongside our own, they were always available for us. We never had to wait long for a reply. They were just as invested in the project as we were.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I have nothing but positive things to say about them. We had a really smooth experience. There’s nothing I can think of that I would ask them to change if we did it again.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure you keep everything clear and organized. It will be really helpful, especially as the project speeds up.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the founder behind Goscombe Homes, a 'profit-with-purpose' business established to tackle housing inequality and build sustainable communities across the UK.

For what projects/services did your company hire Brightec?

We needed professional support to help us reposition our brand from something which we'd previously developed ourselves and used successfully to a degree, but which clearly didn't reflect our "why?" nor the values that we'd built into the business over time.

What were your goals for this project?

We needed a new brand identity -- one which clearly brought out the 'human' side of our purpose and positioned us as a business distinct from mainstream commercial entities. Similarly, we didn't want to be seen as a charity. We needed something that was clean, professional, but that introduced a human touch.

How did you select this vendor?

Brightec were recommended by a member of our senior team with experience of working with them.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

1. to understand our 'why'

2. to develop a series of concepts and pitch these to the team at Goscombe Homes

3. to work iteratively with the Goscombe team to establish the preferred options

4. to develop the preferred options, covering name, logo, colorways and typography

5. to design the branding guidelines and present these back to the Goscombe team

What was the team composition?

Brightec put forward a team of 3, each of whom had expertise in different areas of the branding process.

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Brightec presented various iterations in advance of each of the agreed deadlines throughout the course of the project. The outcomes were debated internally and, as a result, we have achieved exactly what we set out to achieve on day 1.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

It was clear from the outset that Brightec understood our positioning in terms of the "why", our purpose and values. Regular communication through Slack and by telephone meant the team at Goscombe understood exactly where Brightec were with the project at any point in time. TBH, the communication couldn't have been better if we'd set up camp in their offices!

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Brightec were introduced to Goscombe through a member of our senior management team and came as a strong recommendation. The team took their time to understand who we were and what we stood for before they started the creative work. They demonstrated empathy as well as affiliation with our values and purpose, were responsive to our requests and delivered on time. The bottom line is that the team at Brightec have delivered in every aspect.

Are there any areas for improvement?

We're genuinely delighted with the work provided by Andy and the team at Brightec - and would recommend them to anyone seeking high quality branding work and who's looking for a team who are a pleasure to work with.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the head of project management for an international development program. We mainly work in sub-Saharan African, but we also work in developing markets, too.

What challenge were you trying to address with Brightec?

We’d begun building a website for a large corporate client, but they then decided they wanted a native Android app instead. We didn’t have in-house Android expertise, so we began looking for a mobile development partner.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Because the client switched what product they wanted in the middle, we had a tight deadline to make something new. Brightec helped shaped the requirements and began developing the app. However, we had a change request (we needed more resources) that Brightec couldn’t fulfill, so we hired a different company. This second company did the bulk of the development work, but Brightec came back onto the project near the end to help finish things.

The app is an e-learning tool that the client takes to shopkeepers and signs them up for learning sessions. The education is delivered offline, but the app registers and tracks the information. It also has surveys and videos for the user to interact with.

How did you come to work with Brightec?

We work in the same building.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $53,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from November 2016–September 2018.

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

We launched the app a month ago, and we haven’t had any bugs yet. Users like the look and says it’s easy to use.

How did Brightec perform from a project management standpoint?

They collaborated closely with our team and provided weekly updates on progress. We communicated via Slack, and Brightec was always highly responsive.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They have a range of different skills and even have specialists that can step in, if needed. They’re easy to communicate with, too.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It’d be nice if they had more availability and/or resources. We enjoyed working with them, but the engagement was limited. Also, they’re more expensive than other agencies we use.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the Company Director of Fruitmedia Ltd, an innovative video production company.

For what projects/services did your company hire Brightec?

We wanted to take our show-reel content and develop an app for Apple TV.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to be able to show our work to clients using AppleTV.

How did you select this vendor?

We selected Brightec for their innovation approach to mobile app development.

Describe the project in detail.

The app allows customers to look through various genres of film production services that we produce. It features a detailed menu, but it’s actually simple to navigate.

What was the team composition?

We worked with a dedicated project manager and a team of developers from Brightec.

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

You couldn’t ask for better service. They’re a great, knowledgeable team that's willing to go the extra mile. You feel confident that you’re dealing with the experts in this field. Nothing was too much of a challenge to overcome.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Our two teams worked really well together since we share a similar ethos and values system.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The fundamentals that the Founder has put in place seem to make people genuinely thrive. They’re a hardworking outfit, but there’s room for a less formal approach to business. The office is a stunning setup.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I honestly can’t think of anything. We’ve had a great experience.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the digital manager at KitchenCraft, a leading housewares company in the UK. We form part of a large, global American company called Lifetime Brands Europe. We sell over 4,000 kitchenware products to both independent and huge multinational stores throughout the UK, Europe and the rest of the world.

What challenge were you trying to address with Brightec?

We wanted to build an app to be used on any device that would allow our customers to be able to order easily.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We worked through what the app should look like, how it should work, what our customers should see, and how the backend should look and work. It was a clearly instructed process. They broke down the timeline and what they needed from me. It was nice working with someone that gives a clear indication of what they want and when they want it.

They developed an iOS app. The Android app is being built now and should be live in January. They did the complete backend development and frontend design. They know apps in and out. If we had an idea, they let us know if it would work or not.

What is the team dynamic?

There were three or four people working on our app each time I visited them. We talked with the designer, the iOS developers, and another team member.

How did you come to work with Brightec?

We looked at working with a few different companies but Brightec really stood out each time we met with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in September 2017, and the work is ongoing.

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

The app works really well and has a clean look and feel to it. Brightec did a great job of giving it a KitchenCraft feel and from internal testing so far we can immediately see how much enjoyment users are getting out of the app.

How did Brightec perform from a project management standpoint?

I visited them once a week for about 10 weeks. Brightec is the only company we’ve ever worked with that used tools like Slack. With Slack, it’s easy to message them, and they respond almost immediately. We also talk by phone. They always keep me posted on the progress and meet deadlines.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The way their office is laid out and the way they do ad hoc meetings is great. Brightec feels like an extension of the team.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. It’s been a positive experience.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the owner of TrainSplit, a provider of journey planners allowing the public to book tickets online.

What challenge were you trying to address with Brightec?

The website had been written by me. We wanted to branch out and provide an app for phones, and we didn’t have the time or experience to do so, which is why we contacted Brightec.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We retained Brightec to design, build, produce and publish native apps for both Android and iOS, from the ground up. When booking a rail ticket, there is a necessary flow for selecting the destination and starting point, arrival and departure times, and so on. Users need the ability to select trains and input other pertinent details. It’s a fairly sophisticated process, but the system makes it completely obvious. I was looking for someone who could add value to it by making it really easy, and different to the competition.

What is the team dynamic?

I wanted to be involved, but I wanted them to do all the work. I have a project manager, and we also have monthly meetings during which I will talk to the developers, see what they’ve done, and make suggestions.

How did you come to work with Brightec?

I picked three companies from internet searches and looking through reviews. At the end of the day, Brightec had good reviews and had worked on similar projects. We clicked quite well when I went to meet them; I got on with their developers, and they understood what I was after.

How much have you invested with them?

The cost has been around £100,000 so far. [$130,000]

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Brightec in January 2017. The work is ongoing.

The app is ready but, due to the UK rail industry being slow in accrediting these platforms, I expect that there will be a few months before it’s launched. I am hoping that Brightec will help with a bit of marketing, specifically for the app, but we haven’t really talked about this yet.

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

I won’t have any metrics until the app has been accredited and is live, at which point we’ll have proper information and will be able to track sales.

The people I have shown the app to have unanimously agreed that it’s easy to use, which is what I was after. I’m pleased with it, and it’s more than I could have achieved. It’s only been shown to a few people, though, since we can’t even put it out for a trial until it’s been approved.

How did Brightec perform from a project management standpoint?

The project management is excellent. The person in charge emailed me every week with an update of what had been done, and what was left, which kept a handle on time and expenses. We are using Slack for communication, but most of the time I leave them to do the work and am not very hands-on until a decision is needed on my part.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I can’t imagine that there is anything I could need which Brightec couldn’t provide. They will bring a consultant in during autumn, to help me rework the website. There is little they can’t do, in terms of user experience. I’ve chosen the right company.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think I can say there is.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a project manager for a leading global advisor, broker, and solutions company.

What challenge were you trying to address with Brightec?

We were looking for a company to help with creating some mobile applications.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They’ve created five mobile apps for us on varying platforms, both Android and iOS. They’ve also helped with some of the design work for those apps, and for some of our web applications as well. We’ve utilized their knowledge in varying degrees.

We give them specifications and wireframes, and they come up with the design and development. Some of the apps are very complicated with several calculations. Brightec is great at identifying our requirements and conveying them in an easy visual way. They’ve applied a broad base of knowledge to their work with us.

How did you come to work with Brightec?

We investigated three to five companies which were fairly local to us. Brightec stood out to us, and we appreciated the way they described what they could do for us in terms of design and development work. They fit the bill quite easily for us.

How much have you invested with Brightec?

This information is confidential.

What is the status of this engagement?

We first engaged Brightec around September of 2011, and the work is ongoing.

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

They are responsive, cost-effective, and talented. We have an excellent working relationship with them. They’re a very professional firm, and they’ve completed everything that we’ve asked of them. We get great service, and the products are delivered as requested, so we’ve been happy to stay with them over the years.

We understand that bugs are part of every development process. In each instance, they work very quickly to produce another version for us to test and eventually release. The feedback we’ve received from clients has been very favorable.

How did Brightec perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re absolutely fantastic to work with, and we’ve never had issues with missed deadlines. They’re good at advising and designing; they notice things. When we come up with an idea, they’re good at molding the idea and producing the relevant designs to go with it.

What did you find most impressive about Brightec?

We’ve found that they’re quite a talented bunch of iOS and Android developers. They’re very cost-effective, which is important in today’s market. They’re local for us, and we have an excellent working relationship with them. We find that they’re a great company with which to work.

Are there any areas Brightec could improve?

Not really. Of course, you can always improve on everything, and they strive as a company to improve in what they do. We’ve been very satisfied with what they’ve done for our company.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We make online communities for users in Sub-Saharan Africa. We’ve put up an application platform to build these communities in a modular fashion and make them so they can work for legacy phones and platforms.

I lead the technical design of the platform.

What challenge were you trying to address with Brightec?

We needed to augment our internal team to build an Android app.

What was the scope of their involvement?

One of the biggest projects we’ve been working on is in Nigeria, where there’s a burgeoning middle class that is using more and more Android smartphones. In talking to our clients, they wanted an Android app to appeal to this user base. It was a collaboration of our combined skills.

How did you come to work with Brightec?

We’re in the same office complex. We looked at a number of quotes, but we have a face-to-face relationship Brightec. We’d talked with them a number of times about the project and they understood it. When we finally started, the project was completed quickly.

How much have you invested with Brightec?

The project cost between 10,000 and 50,000 pounds [approx. US$12,500 and $62,000].

What is the status of this engagement?

The project took 15 days.

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

We’re in the process of starting to promote the app. The website we run is very successful and has 300,000 creative users. We’re migrating those users over to the app if they’re Android users. Our goal is to convert as many of our Android users as possible to the more native environment.

How did Brightec perform from a project management standpoint?

We used Slack to communicate and had an open line of communication.

What did you find most impressive about Brightec?

They have a good range of skills. We worked well together with the team in terms of communication beyond the project manager. The project involved some work from us, so there was a lot of collaboration involved. It was a very enjoyable experience.

Are there any areas Brightec could improve?

It’s really nice when people come to you and know what they want. That makes things clearly defined. I don’t have any complaints about Brightec. They made sure they knew what we needed, they delivered in a timely manner, and overcame any problems along the way.