Cloud Analogy

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

drinkaware is the UK's leading alcohol education charity. My role is the Head of Commercial Marketing and Product Development. Key responsibilities include the diversification of income

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Cloud Analogy, and what were your goals?

Integration of shopify to salesforce

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

Cost & understanding of the project. Cloud Analogy were responsive and proactive which was welcomed.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

Integration of shopify to salesforce

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

3

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

It was successful integration and included connectivity with multiple plug ins.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

Usage of online meetings were good.

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

I think it was the availability, technical expertise and the most important a really proactive approach t solving the problem with calmness and clarity

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

Not really. They are competitive, very supportive, and personable. Great professionalism

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO of Win At E-commerce

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We provide marketing services for small medium businesses

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Cloud Analogy to accomplish?

• Update existing Salesforce instance to work with the process flows of the client
• Integrate Salesforce data with Sage, a legacy ERP

SOLUTION

How did you find Cloud Analogy?

Online Search

Why did you select Cloud Analogy over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost

How many teammates from Cloud Analogy were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

The goal was to modify a vanilla version of salesforce so that it fit the workflows and processes of the sales team of my client. Cloud Analogy modified the opportunities, introduced quotes and made the entire lead nurturing process work for our client. 

In addition, we worked to integrate their ERP, Sage,to automatically update product data and customer data into salesforce into a batch process. Salesforce then was able to allow the sales team a full lifecycle view of customers whilegettin updates on customer profiles and products from their ERP.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We completed the project in a reasonable amount of time and addressed the client updates in a fast timeframe.

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

They were available for calls at any cadence that we needed. They used Slack and email to communicate milestones and needs they had. They generally delivered on time though if there were any timeline missed, they notified me in advance and we planned accordingly. They’re very responsive to my needs.

What was your primary form of communication with Cloud Analogy?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

They were willing to bend over backward to make me happy. It’s a definition of a true partner.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Cloud Analogy could have done differently?

At times we would attempt solutions to some of the clients concerns that ultimately did not solve their problem perfectly. Though I do think it would be impossible to know this in advance perhaps somebody with decades of salesforce experience, developing an Apex might’ve known as in advance, though I do not fault cloud analogy.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the Head of Operations for a SAAS technology company targeting urban planning and site selection

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Cloud Analogy, and what were your goals?

We had manual systems to create subscriptions with no linkage between our CRM and our SaaS management application

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

I had worked with CA in the past and found them to be thoroughly professional. They employ high quality engineers and project managers with good English skills.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

Developed custom objects within HubSpot and created a workflow solution in Laravel to allow new contracts to be created and updated. The solution linked to our Django provisioning system and our Xero accounting platform.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

There were 4 people in the team: Project Mgr, Technical Lead, and 2 developers

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

Significant improvement in the tome taken to create new subscriptions. With the data stored in HubSpot we are able to calculate ARR and churn in real time and display to senior management. Human error with contract creation has been significantly reduced.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

Excellent PM skills - just like a project in the USA, Australia or the UK Comms are suited to the project size and they do not over-service.

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

We're impressed with their technical competence and friendly staff.

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

No I think they are doing this sort of project very well.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Managing Director of a middle market investment bank. We are located in Houston with offices in New York, Dallas, Los Angeles and Paris.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Cloud Analogy?

We were looking to migrate from our previous CRM to Salesforce and we needed an outside consulting firm to assist in the process.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

They were selected based on experience, response time and professionalism.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

This was a typical CRM migration, however, we made a tremendous amount of improvements and added customizations based upon our business requirements.

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

There were 3 members assigned to this project. Anugya was the senior salesforce developer and technical head, and under her was Imtiaz who is also a salesforce developer. Our project coordinator was Rishabh was continuously checking in to make sure we were getting the service we needed.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

By integrating Salesforce into our business we were better able to track all of our incoming deal flow and manage all of our in market deals.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The project went extremely well and very smooth. They were very responsive to emails and we were able to have video calls in the early evening. When we came into the office the next morning all of the requests were completed.

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

We were working under a tight window and potentially facing an extended period of downtime during the migration. They worked over holidays and on weekends to ensure that we didn't have any interruption in our day to day business operations. Beyond that they implemented the features we needed to streamline our business processes.

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

None. The service and overall experience was impeccable.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the operations manager at NFI Solutions. We are financial consultants for Agents dealing with client's assets.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Cloud Analogy?

We were looking to develop email blast templates to generate and retain leads for our sales team.

What were your goals for this project?

We want to increase sales, as well as generate and retain leads.

SOLUTION

How did you select Cloud Analogy?

I searched through Upwork and found Cloud Analogy, they were a recommendation that Upwork had given me and i have been with them ever since.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

While first finding Cloud Analogy I have given them the parameters of the project types we were looking for as well as examples. I gave them Mailchimp access and they started to create email template examples. Once developed they had shared with me the examples and I gave them my feedback. I love the work they have been doing and plan to use them for a while.

What was the team composition?

I have worked with around four people, i have video meetings and they have the around 4-5 people with them in the meetings, they also record the meeting to go back and discuss what i am needing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since working with Cloud Analogy, our company has gained leads as well as many phone calls from the email templates they have created.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Good, they answer questions and feedback within 24 hours. Cloud Analogy has video meetings you can schedule and go over the information needed.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They have high quality and fast turnaround time. Cloud Analogy understands the corrections and feedback given. What distinguishes Cloud Analogy from other vendors I have worked with is that they work at a fast pace and create something that is presentable, moderns, unique, and high quality.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, i have not seen anything that is needing improvement.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

TelosTouch is the first client experience platform that empowers all professionals to capture key moments in the client journey and easily act on them. Our quick to market TouchPoint technology is portable, intuitive and creates a 360 dynamic view of clients. Through personalized digital experiences, professionals capture data they don’t have but need to better understand and serve their clients.

In return, clients benefit from a unique digital profile, better coordination with professionals and collaborative value that is easy to measure. This increases client retention, referrals and business opportunities.

I am the Co-founder and CTO of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Cloud Analogy, and what were your goals?

We built our core code internally but found best of class contractors for special projects and integrations. For our first project we needed Salesforce experts to help integrate our core solution with Salesforce so we hired Cloud Analogy to do so.

SOLUTION

How did you select Cloud Analogy and what were the deciding factors?

We believed that the Cloud Analogy team was the right partner after seeing the level of professionalism and expertise the team displayed. The way Cloud Analogy listened to our needs, converted them into clear requirements and provided a clear implementation plan made us feel that this is a team we can trust.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

• Built a native Salesforce app
• Strategically decided which functionality to keep on our core product and which to build on Salesforce
• Navigate the AppExchange review process
• Iterate in phases based on user feedback

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

• 1 project manager
• 2 Salesforce developers
• 1 technical lead
• 1 QA

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

All deliverables were done well and on time. We were able to win more business as a result.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timelines.

The Cloud Analogy team was very communicative and clear on deliverables, expectations, scheduling, resources and more. They met with us regularly to provide status updates, sent us video demonstrations of the work done and showed flexibility when needed in order to meet our goals.

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

I was impressed by the level of commitment they had to delight our clients. They acted like true partners from the start of the project till the end. I felt that Cloud Analogy is a team we can grow with long-term.

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

None

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the COO of an insurance agency. We have two branches and locations.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Cloud Analogy?

We needed someone to develop our Salesforce application.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We had a couple of different things that needed to get done. First, we needed full integration with WordPress and other applications. We also needed general development on the Salesforce application.

The team created new objects and features for us on the Salesforce platform.

What is the team composition?

I mainly deal with one contact person, but I interact with at least five people from their team. The contact person coordinates the project, getting everyone on board.

How did you come to work with Cloud Analogy?

Someone recommended them to me. After we spoke to Cloud Analogy, we started using them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $30,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Cloud Analogy in March 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It’s been extremely successful. The team at Cloud Analogy did what we asked of them. They were very responsive. They’ve increased my bottom line by creating good processes for us.

How did Cloud Analogy perform from a project management standpoint?

We have our main contact. We also use Trello to keep track of the projects. It’s been a great system.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’m impressed with their communication.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I’m really happy with what they’ve done.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Know what you want to do. Cloud Analogy is really good.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Non-profit organiation. I am the Head of Programmes and Development/acting CEO

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Cloud Analogy?

We are transitioning to Salesforce away from spreadhseets and word docs. We needed there help to customise some elements of our new system for us.

What were your goals for this project?

To better meet the needs of our users and be more user friendly.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I was made aware of them previously through Upwork. Through further meetings with them, and knowledge of their costs, we decided they would be a good fit for the work required.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

They added new objects and fields, customised workflows and added automation to help us use salesforce for our projects. They also discussed our needs in detail and ensured we understood each step they were taking throughout the project.

What was the team composition?

Worked primarily with one consultant and built relationship with him which I liked. All financials and strategy of the consultancy relationship was overseen by another person.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

This project will have a large impact on our non-profit because it means we can use the system effectively and easily without it being too complex for our small staff team.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Project management was excellent. There has been lots of communication and the tasks were always done quickly whilst checking throughout the process that we are happy with the price and the agreed tasks.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The speed at which the projects can be completed is impressive. The cost effectiveness of their solutions. The hardworking nature of their team.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Technical knowledge is superb. However, more time spent understanding the context of the client would be useful so they can produce recommendations for how we should build and customise salesforce for our needs, rather than simply do the work at hand. When there is limited salesforce experience within our team, it is difficult always to instruct when we are unsure of the possible solutions and long-term potential pitfalls of any solution.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Sales consulting and training company. Operations

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Cloud Analogy?

To develop two custom applications that reside in Salesforce: Call Pan and Licensing App

What were your goals for this project?

Make it easier for end users to plan and have visibility to their sales calls and call history.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We vetted multiple vendors capable of doing custom Salesforce development work.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Custom software development, testing, implementation and documentation. Project and change management, conference calls, training session, multiple managed packages, and releases for both applications.

What was the team composition?

Project Manager, programmers, testers, writers, and trainers as well as management participation.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

This was a new development effort we believe will help us add value to clients and grow our business. X-Consulting Group began working with Cloud Analogy in May 2017 to develop several Salesforce apps. Ajay and his team were and continue to be consummate professionals.

Our entire experience was positive and quite frankly faster than we expected. The work was completed on time and on budget. We started the project with a vision of the end functionality. Ajay and his team were able to turn our ideas into working products. Since we didn’t know what was possible, we knew the development effort would be an iterative process.

We received valuable input from the project leader and team members. They were responsive to our questions, and managed our change requests is a timely manner. We consider Ajay and the Cloud Analogy team a valued business partner. We look forward to working with them on our future projects.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Very well managed and good communications throughout.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their responsiveness and the quality of their work impressed us.

Are there any areas for improvement?

We need to do a better just defining the requirements to minimize the required changes. Part of this was learning what the team was capable of providing.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are a software company that developed and Agency Management System for Insurance companies, built on Salesforce. I am a Business Analyst on the Professional Services team.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Cloud Analogy?

We hired Cloud Analogy in order to assist with custom development for partners who required specific workflows, customizations, and processes that are more complex than our out of the box software.

What were your goals for this project?

To help our customers who required more personalized and in-depth management system workflows, customer portals, and other things that would set their system apart from an out of the box solution.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

The decision to select Cloud Analogy was made prior to my time at the company and was made by our higher level executives.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

We provide requirement documentation, typically at a higher level, and then supplement the original requirements as needed, focusing on smaller details and specific items that need to be developed. We required not only development within Salesforce, but also the ability to work smoothly with other third-party apps installed in customer organizations.

What was the team composition?

The size of the team changed per project, but typically there is one project expert who would disseminate work and tickets out to a smaller team with knowledge of that specific project. The size of the team would grow if our workload required it.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I was involved later and don't have specifics around metrics, but the importance of Cloud Analogy's work could not be overstated.

The effectiveness and quick turnaround time has definitely helped us reach project timelines and because of the nature of software development, helps us be dynamic in assisting urgent needs that come up quickly from our customers.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Project management was generally done with a Team Lead who would break down the work and assign it out. The Team Lead would be responsible for high level knowledge of the project, but the team members would develop and work on the individual tickets.

JIRA was used primarily for communication, but a daily meeting was held on GoToMeeting which was supplemented with Slack conversations if needed as well.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The ability to tackle any issue we brought up and either resolve it immediately, or if it was more complex or and unrealistic ask, they'd be able to get creative and come up with ideas for solutions or other ways to solve the requirement. They are dynamic, knowledgable, and accommodating to anything we could throw at them.

Are there any areas for improvement?

At times, communication through just JIRA could lead to breaks in understanding, but it was quickly resolved if it ever came up.