Contee - Out of Business

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm CEO of a SEO agency Strategiczni. We specialize in SEO, PPC and facebook ads.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Contee?

In 2020 we came to a point where we needed to build an internal IT team that would support our services. It might seem easy but it’s not that straightforward for a non-IT company. We needed someone who would manage the process from end to end. That’s how we found Contee.

SOLUTION

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

They have analysed our needs and possible future challenges so the team would be flexible in covering all the required fields. In the given budget they managed to present us with many candidates in just over a month. Finally, together with Contee we picked the best candidates.

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

The project goal was to provide us with a systematic recruitment process in the IT field - programmers, web devs, web admins - while providing us with the necessary technological knowledge to verify the candidates.

Describe the recruitment process in detail.

We started with a analysis of our needs. Then based on their knowledge Contee came up with a profile of our desired team member. We accepted it and they began the process. The took care of all the technical interviews before presenting the candidate to us. So that we had all the necessary information beforehand.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We keep working with them and I believe they will stay our permanent trusted partner. Project management, reporting and invoicing were on top level. The only advice is that they should work a bit with communication with non tech-client.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Our teams were able to find a common ground in our agile approaches. The whole process was seamless, fast and effective.

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

They were able to understand our needs, find the right specialists based on our unique requirements and perform the recruitment process fast, despite the lack of candidates on the market.

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

We keep working with them and I believe they will stay our permanent trusted partner. Project management, reporting, and invoicing were on the top level. The only advice is that they should work a bit with communication with a non tech-client.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there?

I’m the founder & CEO of Roto-Tools, and we manufacture machinery.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Contee?

We needed help in creating a software.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We provided basic specifications and explained our processes to Contee. After that, they designed a solution and described technical specifications. Then, we bought the hardware their team needed, and they wrote the software to help manage our machinery and our automated manufacturing process. They also provided testing efforts after they created our platform.

What is the team composition?

We worked with five people, and our main point of contact was our project manager.

How did you come to work with Contee?

A friend in the IT field recommended Contee, and out of the companies we considered, we felt they offered the best services that meet our needs.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from February–July 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The software Contee developed worked well, and we expect to see a significant impact as a result. The team tested our product and fixed any issues that arose, too. They resolved issues within the same day or within a few days. More importantly, we were satisfied with their work. As the platform is still new, we have no metrics to compare it with yet.

How did Contee perform from a project management standpoint?

Contee worked remotely and provided progress updates. However, they came on-site a few times for testing and to see how things were working on our end. We used Jira and communicated through email, phone, Google Hangouts, and Google Meet. Overall, they finished on time and within the set budget. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They produced quality solutions and had the ability to tackle complex projects. Our expectations were met, and it was a good collaboration.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could communicate in a less technical way so that they could easily be understood.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Clearly present your requirements and specifications. Let them do the work with minimal intervention so that they could do a good job.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the sales director at Advantage Media, a programmatic advertising company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Contee?

We built a platform a year ago, but it wasn’t that successful. We had many issues with our previous provider, so we needed an internal team to build and maintain the product.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Contee helped us hire three internal developers and one project manager. We had little knowledge about tech and IT stuff, so they did some workshops and validated our needs. We transferred all the documentation we had from previous providers to them. Then, they guided us step by step through the whole process.

In summary, we just told them what we needed, and they managed the rest. They’re currently on our payroll, but they organize and manage how many hours are payable. They’re like our internal back office.

What is the team composition?

We have 2–3 people for IT and the project manager. We’ve also worked with a DevOps architect for a couple of weeks.

Additionally, the product owner did the workshops and organized all the processes.

How did you come to work with Contee?

We used to do mobile apps with the owner. We’d launched successfully in the past, so we trusted him and decided to give Contee a shot.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in January 2021, and our relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We had no clue what we needed, and they’ve guided us from end to end. It was perfect.

How did Contee perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re constantly in touch. We have weekly meetups to discuss all the problems. Contee has managed the external and internal teams, and they’re organized in their work.

We communicate via email, phone calls, and one face-to-face meeting per week. We use Trello, and they have an HR management platform.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They used to be a software house for many years, so they have extreme knowledge of what’s needed to be successful. They know exactly who to hire and what skills to look for in the market.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, everything is working, and we’re satisfied right now.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you’re looking for an outsource provider, you can rely on them.