CCQ Tech

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director of Carbon Sure

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We help UK businesses with a variety of energy and carbon solutions- including pricing energy and metering contracts and carbon reporting services.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire CCQ Tech to accomplish?

• Develop energy management web-platform to support our clients and provide a variety of client services

SOLUTION

How did you find CCQ Tech?

Referral

Why did you select CCQ Tech over others?

• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned
• They spoke plainly and not in jargonese

How many teammates from CCQ Tech were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

• Develop energy management web-platform to support our clients and provide a variety of client services.
• Increase functionality by adding and upgrading tools for our customers whilst keeping the platform ethos of ease of use in mind.
• Maintain and support the platform to ensure maintain uptime, high levels of security and platform performance

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have a useable and functional platform that serves our customers in a wide number of ways and we created that with a reasonable budget in a decent timeframe thanks to CCQ.

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

The whole team are approachable and help deliver what we want without compromise or trying to upsell or add any unnecessary workload. This lead to an on time and in budget delivery and they continue to do so on various projects.

What was your primary form of communication with CCQ Tech?

In-Person Meeting

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

They have an excellent ability to understand and extrapolate what you want built by asking relevant questions and give reasonable time frames breaking down a larger project into deliverable sections.

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

We're incredibly happy with how they help with niggles and issues that inevitably occur- I don't think we can fault them on tech being techy.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Business Manager of Micro-Analysis Consultants Limited

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Manufactures Reference/Calibration Standards for Electron Microscopy

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire CCQ Tech to accomplish?

• We have a bespoke piece of software that is vital to our business producing standards for electron microscopy users worldwide, manufacturing standards for a variety of microanalysis systems. We needed experienced developers to understand the code base and help us maintain the product.
• The system itself also requires new modules and enchantments so we need CCQ to help us develop new functionality.

SOLUTION

How did you find CCQ Tech?

• Referral
• Fitted in with out work culture

Why did you select CCQ Tech over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Referred to me
• Experience

How many teammates from CCQ Tech were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

As our company provides elite niche physical products to world class industry standards we rely on our bespoke software platform. With the original developers moving on and with growing/more complex requirements we needed a software partner that was able to understand and work with the code. CCQ Tech first performed a discovery process to make sure they could effectively work with the code, understand it, make changes and deploy new versions. 

After this successful discovery phase CCQ now work with us month in month out to make sure it works correctly, support us with queries as well as develop new functionality.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The case management system helps automate our work and we can see a reduction of errors (that can impact client relations) and improved productivity. We can handle more work and more cases than ever before.

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

CCQ Tech delivers on time and is very communicative.

What was your primary form of communication with CCQ Tech?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

CCQ Tech really understands technology and experience mapping business processes to build something incredibly productive and fit for purpose.

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

So far CCQ has delivered on all aspects that we have asked of them.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Founder of Brickflow

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Commercial property loan comparison and application

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire CCQ Tech to accomplish?

• To create a marketplace for commercial property finance

SOLUTION

How did you find CCQ Tech?

Referral

Why did you select CCQ Tech over others?

• Great culture fit
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from CCQ Tech were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

We required an experienced UK team of software engineers to help turn our idea into a commercially viable product and to partner with us longer term to support the scaling and growth of the product. CCQ Tech’s 20 years of developing software products for financial services enabled them to assume the roles of Brickflow’s Chief Technology Officer and continuous software development team. 

Key deliverables have been early prototypes through to the successful minimal viable product, launching of the first live commercial product, and meeting the demands of scaling to manage an increasing user base - brokers, lenders and property developers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Does the software work and are people using it? 200+ companies paying to use our software in the first 12 months after launch suggests the answer is yes. We are also continuously updating, improving and adding functionality to the software which CCQ Tech delivers. We are now a post-profit startup, are winning awards and securing more funding

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

They deliver on time and are highly responsive to communications. They work very closely with us.

What was your primary form of communication with CCQ Tech?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

CCQ Tech is highly responsive and manages expectations well. They are open with what is and what is not possible but always up for a challenge and push to meet tight deadlines.

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

None

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a director for an equestrian event sports governing body. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with CCQ Tech?

We initially hired CCQ Tech indirectly; we asked a current software supplier to employ CCQ Tech as the backup to our technical advisors and technical support. We relied on one person for a certain amount of software and wanted to bring in more people to act as a fallback in case something happened with our first person. 

The second reason we hired them was that our technology environment was highly complicated but poorly built. We went through a full review, and it was brought to our attention that it was not fit for use. We brought CCQ Tech in to build software and act as internal support. 

We had two IT individuals resign, and we needed a lot of help to get everything to a usable place and to understand what we had in front of us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

CCQ Tech is working on software development and strategic technical design. The software we have is bespoke and complicated, so they are playing a role in examining that and making recommendations as to what we should do about it. 

We have loads of infrastructure, website stacks, and databases, and we use Salesforce. They help us manage the upgrades in all of these facets. Before one of our IT individuals left, they helped integrate the CCQ Tech team. 

We are primarily focusing on getting rid of some of the layers of the technology that we no longer need and replacing some of the more expensive software with cheaper versions. They’re giving us suggestions and guidance for that project. 

The services are primarily conducted offsite. Key technologies include Drupal, Salesforce, PostgreSQL, PHP, and .NET when anything needs to be built. 

What is the team composition?

We work with Hugh (Co-Founder), Josh (Senior Technical Consultant), and a salesperson. 

How did you come to work with CCQ Tech?

We knew about them previously from an outside connection. We chose them because they had a bit of knowledge about our sport and they’re very intelligent people. We knew we needed smart people to break down our system and navigate a complex environment. We thought they could solve problems quickly and be a good overall fit. 

How much have you invested with them?

We pay them £9,000 a month (approximately $11,000 USD). 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together directly in July 2022, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Despite losing our technology individuals and having to bring in an entirely new team, we’ve survived with no major disasters, so we’re very pleased overall. The systems have stayed up and running with very little downtime, which we consider a huge success. 

They’ve also been able to get our running costs down. We set an initial goal, and we're very close to it. 

How did CCQ Tech perform from a project management standpoint?

We manage projects through a weekly call where we work out the questions we need to be answered, our priorities, and where we’re heading next; they’ve always delivered on their end.

We communicate via Microsoft Teams and emails; we also exchange phone calls. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

We really enjoy working with Hugh, who is a huge contributor in pushing our project forward. The team solves complex problems and is very intelligent. They’ve been effectively navigating a complex technical environment with all sorts of layers. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing we can come up with at this point. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Talk to them and take advantage of their flexibility and creative problem-solving instincts.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a principal consultant of an asset management consulting firm. We work in three main areas: organizational transformation, education and training, and decision support, software, and development. I also work on software development.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with CCQ Tech?

We needed main developers for our decision support software.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

CCQ Tech provides software development services for our whole suite of software tools, including everything from application coding to UI. Some of the technologies they use are C# and C++ as the main languages. At the moment, we also use DevExpress.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with several team members throughout 12 years.

How did you come to work with CCQ Tech?

They were a recommendation.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $500,000–$1 million.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project started in February 2010, and it’s an ongoing relationship.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We don’t have a formal way of measuring our partnership, but we track work that comes into the budget. When we agree with the scope of work, it comes in on the budget, and they deliver on time.

How did CCQ Tech perform from a project management standpoint?

Communication is excellent; they’re quick to respond. They also help us with technical queries regarding software with the clients. One of the things we do is share email addresses that we present to the clients.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They stand out for their ability to be agile and responsive to client needs regarding working practices and flexibility.

Are there any areas they could improve?

On the technical side, they could have better UI skills within the team.

Any advice for potential customers?

My advice is to engage them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Optimise Ltd Guernsey, an IT company that specializes in process automation.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with CCQ Tech?

We had a customer who required a team of developers to enhance their business rules engine (BRE).

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We've employed CCQ Tech to act as part of our team. They've worked with us on our end client's project for the past four months. CCQ Tech provides the underlying Java code for a Camunda process modeling automation, which allows them to code certain aspects of its interaction with other systems and the decision-making process. The team's focus is on facilitating the business process. They've also used Microsoft Dynamics (MS Dynamics) and Microsoft BizTalk Server (MS BizTalk Server).

What is the team composition?

We work with three teammates from CCQ Tech: a senior developer and two junior developers.

How did you come to work with CCQ Tech?

We had worked with them on a project for another customer. When this project came along, CCQ Tech seemed like the perfect team to help us. Our choice is based on our experience with Joshua (Senior Technical Consultant), the lead developer on our previous project, which involved infrastructure emigration. I reached out to him and took it from there.

How much have you invested in them?

By the end of this engagement, the total cost will be around £350,000 (approximately $413,000 USD). 

What is the status of this engagement?

This project began in May 2022, and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We measure the project's success based on delivery and quality. CCQ Tech has delivered on time and budget, so we've just secured seven months' worth of additional development work for them. Moving forward, their developers will be part of a scrum team with delivery based on two-week sprints. 

How did CCQ Tech perform from a project management standpoint?

Although we handle project management on our end, CCQ Tech is engaged in the process, participating in scrum teams and daily stand-ups. Regarding the budget, I work with our client to ensure we avoid overspending. 

As for tools, they use Microsoft DevOps for project management. We use Jira and Atlassian internally and might migrate the team towards our tools moving forward. We communicate daily through Slack.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I'm most impressed with CCQ Tech's track record of delivery. Since I was lucky enough to work with them on another project, I knew the quality they offer. I also appreciate their personality and how they fit with my team. For me, it was important to ensure we had good relationships before augmenting my team. The similarities between our companies set CCQ Tech apart from other providers. We trust them because they deliver exactly what they say they will. They also provide good in-team leadership, which is a big benefit that gives the end client confidence. Moreover, I'm never worried about delivery because our communication is so good.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There's nothing they need to improve at the moment. We're both new to this process and always working together to ensure we provide the best service for our end client. Although they're not the cheapest, we get what we pay for in terms of value for money. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Getting to know the team at CCQ Tech and their ethos is important. I'd suggest spending time with their directors, which has hugely benefited us. Getting to know them has cemented the reasons we went with them; the likeness between our companies and their enthusiasm and passion for what they do. Additionally, listen to what they say because they're very open and honest.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm an account manager at a high-end bathroom equipment supplier based in London with a parent company based in France. We sell sanitary wear. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with CCQ Tech?

Our database had been created in 2008, and the person who created it retired, so we needed someone to take over the maintenance.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

CCQ Tech manages and maintains our database. The server-based database does order entries, quotes, purchases, and account management. They've taken over the management and have expanded our system, doing major and minor repairs. The team has rewritten the system and added new features. They offer maintenance services, helping us if something goes missing or any issues arise.

What is the team composition?

We have two main points of contact, though more people are working on our systems. 

How did you come to work with CCQ Tech?

They were recommended to us by previous IT providers who were helping us with our computer systems. 

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent around £25,000–£30,000 (approximately $30,000–$36,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together around May 2015, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The quality of CCQ Tech's work is great. Their support is very important to us in helping us continue our daily work. They always answer our questions, even the most complex and complicated. There has never been a time when they couldn't help us. Whatever we ask for, they deliver to very high standards. The team is always helpful and easy to talk to; they explain everything clearly. I would highly recommend them because they're great. 

How did CCQ Tech perform from a project management standpoint?

They're very quick to work and meet deadlines. Whenever we set a timeline, they usually deliver ahead of time. If we have a huge issue, they'll work through the night so that everything runs smoothly when we come in the following day. We communicate via emails and phone calls. The team keeps us updated through email, sharing their progress and what we can expect. Moreover, they always tell us the prices upfront. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I'm impressed with how CCQ Tech builds a relationship with their clients. They make us feel like nothing is a problem, and they can solve everything; we appreciate that support. They're also very professional and know what they're doing. We've never been left with something undone, which has happened with other companies. With CCQ Tech, we know we can rely on their team to meet our requirements. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, we've never had any problems with them; we're always satisfied with their work. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be honest with your needs. If something isn't doable, they'll tell you. However, it seems like nothing's impossible for CCQ Tech, so talk to them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO and co-founder of a mentoring charity for teenage girls from disadvantaged communities across England. We match these girls with professional women to build skills and confidence.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Computer ConQuest (CCQ)?

We needed to find an online solution whereby our mentors and mentees could schedule sessions together and record feedback.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

CCQ developed a web application for us. We had an initial conversation where we described the challenge. Then, we had a few conversations with the team to help them understand the way our charity works. 

They came back with a proposal, and we went back and forth to make sure it reflected exactly what we needed. From there, the CCQ team started working on the solution. We had regular catchups with the main developer and they gave us various diagrams and versions to play around with and test.

CCQ built the app around a calendar that mentors and mentees could share and a wider calendar of organizational events. Linked to that, they included functionality for users to provide feedback on every event so we could get real-time data of how sessions were going.

What is the team composition?

We worked with a range of people from CCQ, though the person I had most contact with was the developer building the app.

How did you come to work with Computer ConQuest (CCQ)?

We’d been talking to a mutual contact about the fact that we needed support. They knew of CCQ and connected us with them. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around £4,500 (approximately $6,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from May–September 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

During the period we used CCQ’s solution, it enabled us to monitor the impact of the mentoring sessions and make sure we were comfortable with them from a safeguarding perspective. 

The app also facilitated mentors and mentees to efficiently and consistently log their sessions in advance. Overall, the solution improved compliance with our organization’s expectations.

In terms of development, we got lots of support from the CCQ team to make sure we could embed the solution into the way we work.

How did Computer ConQuest (CCQ) perform from a project management standpoint?

They absolutely stayed within the budget; the team was very aware of our charity status and offered flexibility in payment because of that. I don’t recall having any problems with the timeline, though I’m unsure of the details because the project was years ago.

In terms of communication, they were excellent. CCQ communicated with us regularly and clearly; we mostly used emails, video calls, and sometimes phone calls.

What did you find most impressive about them?

CCQ really understood the brief. The team took a lot of time to grasp what we wanted from the solution and our limitations. They used that knowledge to design something that really fitted us, looked on-brand, and was user-friendly. 

Additionally, they were generous with their time; they walked us through the process and were very responsive when something wasn’t working. The communication between us was excellent as well. CCQ was trustworthy and genuine in what they were trying to do. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there wasn’t anything problematic at all — they were great to work with.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I would recommend having a conversation with CCQ. Be open about the challenges you’re facing and what you’re trying to achieve. That way, CCQ will better understand your project. If they can’t deliver for any reason, I believe they would be very honest about what’s outside of their function or capability.

In my experience, they weren’t pushy salespeople. The team was focused on finding a solution to the challenges we were facing and believed tech could be a good tool. For them, it was about understanding the problem first and foremost. That can give you confidence in the fact that CCQ will deliver on what you’re trying to do.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

At the time of this project, I was the senior manager for Ahli United Bank. I was in charge of the trading and treasury systems.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Computer ConQuest (CCQ)?

One of our systems was dealing with performance issues, so we engaged with them to resolve the problem for us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Computer ConQuest (CCQ) provided IT support. We had a particular inquiry in our system that took too long to run and display results, so they investigated the system for us. They then pinpointed where the performance issues were, carried out a diagnosis of the system, and provided additional coding to improve performance.

What is the team composition?

We worked with two people from the Computer ConQuest (CCQ) team — Hugh (Managing Director) and an assistant.

How did you come to work with Computer ConQuest (CCQ)?

I met Hugh from a previous company that we both worked at. Based on my personal working experience with him, I knew he had the skills to carry out this project. So, we decided to hire him and his team.

How much have you invested with them?

We worked with them from July–August 2008.

What is the status of this engagement?

We spent around $20,000.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Through Computer ConQuest (CCQ)’s skills and diagnostic capabilities, we noticed a massive improvement in our system’s performance. Our system could now display query results at a faster rate, from 45 minutes to just 30 seconds.

How did Computer ConQuest (CCQ) perform from a project management standpoint?

They met all deadlines, and the quality of their deliverables was very professional. We worked together on-site, and they regularly provided us with status reports to keep us updated on the project’s progress.

What did you find most impressive about them?

What was most impressive about them was the professionalism of their organization. Hugh was very friendly, professional, and intelligent, and he did a solid job of providing us with excellent, all-around services.

Are there any areas they could improve on?

I can’t think of anything they need to improve on — they did incredible work for us at a reasonable price.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure to set your goals clearly, so that they can provide the best deliverables for you.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the founder and director of Utility Bridge Ltd., a software platform that helps businesses reduce their carbon footprint and energy-related costs. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Computer ConQuest (CCQ)?

We needed a software developer to develop the software for our utilities platform. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

CCQ serves as a software consultancy and design company for our energy management platform. Our CRM-based platform takes raw energy data and presents it in a visual format that is easy to read. The platform also stores customer information, including their energy supply contracts, energy efficiency, and billing information. 

We had several meetings to walk through our platform requirements to ensure the CCQ team understood what we wanted. Then, CCQ developed the CRM-based platform in PHP on a MySQL database, using the functionality and data requirements we provided. 

What is the team composition?

We mainly work with Robert (Director), along with Hugh (Managing Director), Joshua (Senior Technical Consultant), and Ben (Chief Revenue Officer). 

How did you come to work with Computer ConQuest (CCQ)?

We initially approached them with our platform ideas after being introduced to Robert by Ben. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested £40,000 (approximately $53,000 USD) with CCQ. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with ​​CCQ in November 2016 and our partnership is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It is hard to quantify the impact of their work, but CCQ has produced an excellent platform with great performance. Our customers are pleased with the software — we have about 200 customers on our platform and retention is very good. 

How did Computer ConQuest (CCQ) perform from a project management standpoint?

CCQ delivers on time, within budget, and is easy to work with. Ben serves as our liaison and translates the IT jargon into layman’s terms so we can understand what is going on. We use an online shared folder to facilitate project planning, sharing spreadsheets and timetables — we communicate very effectively over Zoom and Microsoft Teams. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

CCQ under promises and over delivers — their team really sets them apart from other companies. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything for them to improve. I would like to have access to their team all the time, but I understand they have a lot of other clients since their work is so good.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Potential customers need to be very clear with CCQ about what they want their team to deliver — CCQ will set timelines on their ability to deliver, not according to a customer’s expectations.