Canadian Digital Consulting Inc

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I was a project manager and trader at a small brokerage firm. We provided services to the currency market regarding contract for differences (CFD) brokerage, helping clients trade multiple currencies and some commodities.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Canadian Digital Consulting Inc?

At the time, our main goal was to expand, mostly because we were heavily dependent on our third-party liquidity provider, who was also our trading platform provider. Therefore, relying on a third party for those areas of our business wasn’t efficient because we weren’t able to customize the platform to meet our customers' needs.

Additionally, said platform only was available for a single product: CFD brokerage. However, there was a strong demand from clients to provide a larger-scale product with more options and features for other currencies, like cryptocurrencies.

In addition to our struggles with the third-party platform, we wanted to develop an education platform to teach our clients how to make trading or investment decisions, as well as an investment ideas flow platform to assist them in making those decisions. Therefore, we hired Canadian Digital Consulting to help us develop all the platforms we required.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Initially, we started working with Canadian Digital Consulting on the user story and provided them with the solutions we had at the time. Additionally, we discussed with them our need to expand and have complete technical independence. In order to achieve technical independence, we needed to provide our customers with a very solid platform that gave them access to real-time market data.

Therefore, Canadian Digital Consulting provided us with a few solutions on how to achieve that. From there, they helped us develop the web-based platforms we needed. Their scope included design, development, and testing. Additionally, they worked with our API data provider, as well as on the architecture of the API system for data provision.

What is the team composition?

We worked with five teammates from Canadian Digital Consulting, including a designer, two developers, and a team lead.

How did you come to work with Canadian Digital Consulting Inc?

When we started looking for a partner, we wanted to find someone with experience in web development. Although we had plans to develop a comprehensive desktop application for our clients, we decided to build a web-based platform because it would cost less and be faster to develop.

At the time, one of our project managers had worked with one of Canadian Digital Consulting’s designers, so this person recommended them. Canadian Digital Consulting had experience in web development, so we decided to approach them. From there, we had a few rounds of negotiations on their approach.

The project was very complex, so we needed to ensure that Canadian Digital Consulting would be able to perform accordingly. In addition to web development expertise, we required experience with document-oriented database management systems. They actually had some experience in that regard, for which we were very grateful, so we decided to hire them.

How much have you invested with them?

We spend slightly above $25,000, including both the consulting and the development work. The development work only cost around $18,000–$21,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from January 2018–January 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

After working with Canadian Digital Consulting, the impact on our business was very positive. The main result I would like to highlight is that thanks to them, we achieved technical independence — Canadian Digital Consulting did an amazing job in that regard.

Given that we were providing a financial instrument for our clients, achieving as close as real-time market data was one of our main concerns. Canadian Digital Consulting was able to achieve data outputs with a 600-millisecond lag, which was absolutely amazing. We were expecting a lag of up to one second, so they were able to cut that time by almost half.

In addition to their great development work, Canadian Digital Consulting delivered a great design. They were able to deliver an aesthetically pleasing and user-friendly solution.

How did Canadian Digital Consulting Inc perform from a project management standpoint?

Canadian Digital Consulting had a really tight deadline. After the consulting period, they had around seven months for the design and development portion of the project. Still, they were able to meet that deadline.

For this project, we didn’t have budgetary constraints because it’s usual to go over budget or face certain challenges, such as losing a liquidity provider. However, Canadian Digital Consulting did a great job in budget management overall. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Firstly, Canadian Digital Consulting’s expertise was impressive — I never felt that I was in the grey area. I understood everything they explained to us, especially regarding the architecture of our platform. The way they described the architecture and approached every single detail of the project was outstanding. They tried to document everything using plain language instead of using sophisticated professional jargon.

Secondly, we were very impressed by Canadian Digital Consulting’s speed. For projects of this nature, staying within the deadline isn’t easy. However, they were able to achieve it.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We had a very positive experience working with Canadian Digital Consulting, so it’s difficult to pinpoint an area of improvement. If anything, improving their team’s agility would have been the cherry on top.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I recommend working with Canadian Digital Consulting on unusual projects. They have an out-of-the-box way of thinking, which makes them fun to work with. Their skills lead them to provide very nice and efficient solutions.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CFO and an engineer at CanUgan, a nonprofit organization that raises funds in Canada and the US to purchase assisted devices. We have a manufacturing partner in Uganda that builds these devices, which include wheelchairs, tricycles, and powered tricycles that allow disabled people to go to school or work.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Canadian Digital Consulting Inc?

Our website was outdated; the original website wasn’t very good. We wanted a new and modern site where users could make donations and brought on Canadian Digital Consulting Inc to help us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Canadian Digital Consulting Inc provided us with web development, web design, and branding services. Initially, they identified issues related to our branding that could be improved. For the branding, the team held focus groups and presented ideas on how we should rebrand. Our board and other organization members gave feedback. Canadian Digital Consulting Inc delivered a new logo, color scheme, and brand guidelines. 

Then, they had a series of focus groups with various board members and members of our organization to gather our thoughts on what the website should look like. From there, they came back with mock-ups for us to review. They built the site from scratch using WordPress. 

Additionally, we had an issue with hackers using our website to make minimum payments using stolen credit cards. Canadian Digital Consulting Inc provided fixes and support to protect the site against hackers and avoid glitches. 

What is the team composition?

We had one main point of contact who acted as a project manager. Additionally, we worked with a developer from Canadian Digital Consulting Inc. 

How did you come to work with Canadian Digital Consulting Inc?

Another NGO I worked with told me about Canadian Digital Consulting Inc. We interviewed several competing organizations, researched what they could do, and had presentations with them. 

Canadian Digital Consulting Inc’s presentation focused on the website and our branding. We selected them because they had a more comprehensive approach to what we wanted. Our approach to the website redevelopment was to increase donations and attract new donors, and Canadian Digital Consulting Inc seemed to have the answers to address those requirements. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent over $35,000 CAD (approximately $26,000 USD). 

What is the status of this engagement?

Our project lasted from June 2019–June 2020. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

After the site Canadian Digital Consulting Inc built went live, our donations increased by 50% compared to the previous year and another 50% the second year the site was up. Donations have increased again this year by about 30%. Since the new site went live before the COVID-19 pandemic, we worried it would affect our donations. However, the new site made our organization easily accessible. 

Previously, we had complaints about the site because it would freeze. As a result, we had fewer than 100 visits a month. Now, visits to our site have increased phenomenally to about 1,200–1,300 only in North America. We also get more questions and contact requests through the website than ever before. 

Moreover, users have commented that they liked the site's look and feel. Previously, we were concerned with the look and feel of our previous site and the ability of donors to connect with us. Canadian Digital Consulting Inc built pages that allow users to connect with us.

Additionally, the response to the new branding has been universally positive; users like it. Canadian Digital Consulting Inc was innovative and had good ideas for our rebranding. Overall, we were very happy with their work. 

How did Canadian Digital Consulting Inc perform from a project management standpoint?

I was our side's main point of contact, and Canadian Digital Consulting Inc kept me briefed and updated regularly. They called us or emailed us with status reports without me having to reach out. 

Once we agreed on a statement of work, some of our board members had a change of heart about what they wanted. When I brought the change requests to Canadian Digital Consulting Inc, they accepted them. They were very good in this respect and incorporated the changes with little impact on the schedule. 

Since most of our project happened pre-COVID-19 pandemic, we had in-person meetings, plus phone calls or emails. After the COVID-19 pandemic started, we mainly used phone calls or emails. Canadian Digital Consulting Inc also used a project management tool. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

We appreciated the effort that Canadian Digital Consulting Inc put into the branding portion of the project. Their identification of branding issues, even though that wasn't part of our initial request, was added value for us. Moreover, we liked the way the team interacted with our organization. 

Canadian Digital Consulting Inc also put much effort into addressing our concerns with the website and the input of our organization's members. After they delivered the final product, they addressed the hacking issues quickly. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

They were a bit optimistic about the final delivery date. Then again, we also requested changes, so the delay might have been justified. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Take advantage of Canadian Digital Consulting Inc's skills, not only for website development but also for marketing and branding. Sometimes, a provider can offer good technical solutions, but you must go to someone else for other aspects of the project. Meanwhile, Canadian Digital Consulting Inc has good marketing skills and a keen business sense, which helped us as a nonprofit.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Account Manager of Do Well

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Consulting services for small teams and startups

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Canadian Digital Consulting Inc to accomplish?

• Logo design
• Landing design

SOLUTION

How did you find Canadian Digital Consulting Inc?

Referral

Why did you select Canadian Digital Consulting Inc over others?

Pricing first our budget, Good value for cost

What was your primary form of communication with Canadian Digital Consulting Inc?

Virtual Meeting

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

The scope of work for our site included the following:

• The main goal of the landing page is determined (lead generation, product promotion, event registration, etc.).
• Wireframe at first as a prototype developed
• Final designs with responsive version

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Easy to implement assets
• Sales funnels on a site that work

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

Throughout the project, we were contacted by instant messengers and occasional zoom meetings, communication was almost instantaneous. We didn't have strict deadlines, but the result was delivered in-time.

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

Communication and sense of UX.

Are there any areas for improvement or something {provider_name} could have done differently?

Can't figure out after the first project, our company will definitely work with them again.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Deputy Director of Product Trade LLC

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Distribution of an exclusive and high-quality food goods with a touch of artiness

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Canadian Digital Consulting Inc to accomplish?

• To find a concept that reflects our brand’s message and stands out in the market

SOLUTION

How did you find Canadian Digital Consulting Inc?

Other

Why did you select Canadian Digital Consulting Inc over others?

Great culture fit, Good value for cost, Company values aligned

What was the size of Canadian Digital Consulting Inc’s team?

2-5 Employees

What was your primary form of communication with Canadian Digital Consulting Inc?

Virtual Meeting, Email or Messaging App

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

As the owners of a company specializing in canned food distribution, our main goal was to establish a strong brand identity that accurately reflects our mission and sets us apart in a competitive market. We needed a name and package design that conveyed our dedication to delivering exclusive, high-quality products with an artistic touch.

To achieve this, we partnered with a branding and design agency to develop a unique brand name that reflects our message and resonates with our target audience. The agency proposed three potential brand names, and we ultimately selected "Picasso" as the most relevant and compelling option.

In addition to the name, the agency also created a distinctive visual identity and packaging design that effectively communicates our brand values and product offerings. The package design features two key elements - an elegant illustration of the product and relevant product information, including the logo, ingredients, and product name.

The key deliverables from our perspective as FMCG company owners were a strong and memorable brand identity, a distinctive packaging design that sets us apart in the market, and a clear message that accurately reflects our mission of delivering premium products with an artistic touch. We are confident that these deliverables will help us establish a prominent and recognizable presence in the market and connect with customers seeking high-quality, exclusive food products.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Market share growth
• Increase in sales
• Brand recognition

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

From my perspective as a client, I was extremely satisfied with the team's project management and communication skills. They were proactive in their approach and kept me informed of progress every step of the way. Anytime I had a question or needed something, they were quick to respond and address my needs.

In terms of delivering items on time, the team did a great job with the time schedule. However, we did experience a minor delay due to some third-party factors. Despite this setback, the team worked diligently to overcome the obstacles and still managed to deliver a final product that exceeded my expectations. Overall, I would say that the team's project management skills were exceptional, and I would highly recommend them to anyone looking for a reliable and effective partner.

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

I found Canadian Digital Consulting's approach to be unique and impressive. What stood out the most to me was their ability to generate creative ideas that aligned perfectly with our vision.

Additionally, their communication was easy-going yet proactive, making it easy to work with them. They not only possessed excellent project management skills, but also excelled in product management. Overall, I was impressed with how they delivered high-quality results while maintaining a positive and collaborative attitude throughout the project.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Canadian Digital Consulting Inc could have done differently?

I don't see any areas that Canadian Digital Consulting Inc could have done differently. Their work was outstanding, and they met our needs and expectations. However, I believe that everyone can continue to grow and develop, so I would encourage Canadian Digital Consulting Inc to keep learning and evolving to maintain their high standards.