Convergence

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm a manager for REACH BC, www.reachbc.ca, at Michael Smith Health Research BC, British Columbia’s health research agency. REACH BC is an online platform that connects British Columbians with opportunities to participate in health research.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Convergence?

We had a web platform that was hosted on The University of British Columbia’s servers, and we needed to move the site to host it on the cloud.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Convergence updated our web platform and migrated it to be hosted in AWS, and in that process, Convergence redesigned and updated several features from our web app. When we first engaged with Convergence, our platform was already developed, and we gave Convergence our code repository so they could learn how the platform was built. Then, we discussed the processes we wanted to improve, and Convergence created design mock-ups that we commented on using Figma. 

 After the design was approved, Convergence started the development phase and shared the progress on a staging site. Convergence changed our website content management system, which was originally built on Drupal, and migrated it to React.js and Next.js. The backend was originally developed on Django, and Convergence changed it to React.js as well. 

The REACH BC website hosts a public directory of opportunities to participate in health research studies. We have two types of accounts: a volunteer user is someone looking to participate in research, and researchers are who post these health research projects. Volunteers can create a profile with their demographic information and the kind of research studies they’re interested in participating in, and our platform matches volunteers with researchers according to the project’s eligibility criteria.

What is the team composition?

I with several teammates from Convergence, including Matthew (CEO), three designers, a project manager, a system architect, and a development team.

How did you come to work with Convergence?

We found Convergence through an online search while looking for a development agency. We selected Convergence because they were a local agency, and we liked that they were a smaller organization than the other companies we interviewed. Additionally, Convergence had a competitive rate.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested around $150,000–$200,000 CAD (approximately $112,000–$150,000 USD) with Convergence. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from May 2022–March 2023. We just concluded the project, and Convergence will continue to provide maintenance services for us.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Convergence delivered high-quality work, and I was impressed with their level of understanding of our platform. Convergence understood our company’s needs since the beginning of our engagement.

How did Convergence perform from a project management standpoint?

Convergence met deadlines, and we used Jira for project management. During the initial planning, we made some discoveries that caused the budget to increase, but this didn’t represent an issue for us. We communicated with Convergence through Google Meet and email. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was most impressed with Convergence’s CEO availability. He seemed interested in our project since we initially contacted Convergence, and we didn’t see that with other companies we interviewed. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything for Convergence to improve — we’ve worked great together. We had issues, as is common in all development projects, but we’ve been able to resolve them, which is important. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I recommend to have open conversations with Convergence about your project’s needs and requirements. If there are priority changes in your project, ensure you communicate them to Convergence too.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Senior Data Architect for Information Innovation and Technology Branch for the Natural Resource Sector, Government of British Columbia

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Convergence?

Service design for a reference data service where shared codes can be used across the enterprise.

SOLUTION

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

Chosen based on the highest qualifications of submissions to the code with us requirements for the project.

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

1. I described the current system and the goals/high level requirements to the vendor
2. they conducted interviews with stakeholders
3. did an initial design and then modified the design through a series of meetings and feedback by me and my team

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

3 main resources:

• a project manager
• two service designers

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The project was completed and delivered on time. The team was easy to work with and present a final design that was well done and met most requirements.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

They were available and worked mostly with stakeholders at the beginning of the project. Toward the end we met on a regular basis to fine tune the design. they were cooperative, responsive and were able to take feedback and turn it into practical adjustments to the design.

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

They understood our needs, turned it into a practical design, and described how and why they made it that way. They were also very easy to work with.

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

Maybe be a bit more daring with the design and change it up from the original system that was demoed. I realize this can be tough because you have to just the client's comfort level to change before going too crazy, and this was a very short duration project.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the co-founder

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We required a specialist team to provide and end-to end build. We wanted the offering to have a simple ux and a user dashboard, along with adherence to the highest level of security and data integrity.

SOLUTION

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

A referral from a previous client of Convergence.

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

They designed and built our entire technology stack, worked with the back end vendors that we required for bootstrap tech, they worked with us and our focus groups along with our clients and continue to be our tech team and thought leaders.

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

The Ceo, our PM and the team when needed, ie. marketing, the data lead, the ux lead etc... they have each area that we could and can tap into as needed/ The CEO Matt and our PM John are ALWAYS accessible and available.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We are still in our customer acquisition phase

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

The team has always been on time and on budget. The team is accessible, smart and comes to meetings professional and engaging.

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

Their accessibility and expertise across all aspects of the build are commendable.

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

Honestly no.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the senior digital marketing manager of a B2B company that designs, manufactures, and sells door locks, brass hardware, and architectural hardware. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Convergence?

We were looking for a team to redesign and redevelop our consumer-facing product showcase website. We want to provide our customers with a seamless browsing and checkout experience. 

We also want to improve its UX — this includes optimizing its product search, filtering, categorization, and call to action. Our company is specifically looking for a long-term technology partner because we’re expecting to continue multiple development phases for our website in the next couple of years.

Originally, we hired a different agency to work on the project at the end of 2019. However, as we moved through the project, the agency started displaying unethical business practices and they told us that they couldn’t complete the project unless we paid more. As this went on, we formulated a backup plan for the project and I looked for a company that could take over and finish the project, and hired Convergence.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

When we started the engagement, our website was partially complete. There were static and dynamic pages remaining for Convergence to complete that had reusable components. They’ve implemented a full text automated search. For the headless CMS, we’re using Contentful, React, and Node.js.

As we worked through the project, we discovered that the previous vendor had hardcoded a number of components in the website. That made it look like it was working on the frontend but it was actually faulty on the backend —the site wasn’t editable or accessible for our team.

Aside from that, we found that the product model wasn’t set up efficiently on the back end. Convergence had to dismantle and rebuild a lot of existing codes even though those tasks weren’t technically part of the initial scope. 

Our internal IT team was also working on migrating data from our existing website to our new website, and Convergence assisted them in the process. 

What is the team composition?

We have a project manager, two developers, and a QA specialist. Convergence’s CEO will also often check in with me and the team. 

How did you come to work with Convergence?

I found Convergence through Clutch upon doing research on companies in Vancouver that could work on the same tech stack that we had. The team had great reviews on the site. 

Initially, I spoke with another vendor I found on Clutch, but I found that they weren’t suitable for the project. After that, I spoke with Matthew (CEO), and I had a good feeling about them. He took his time to listen to our situation and gave us advice for the next step we should take with our previous vendor in order for us to not lose or compromise our data. 

After we cut ties with the previous vendor, Matthew arranged a full discovery process to make sure to cover all the bases. Due to our last engagement, we were nervous about hiring a new vendor. Matthew provided us with a few references that we’ve also spoken with but we decided to hire him and Convergence. 

How much have you invested with them?

So far, we’ve invested $65,000 CAD (approximately $51,000 USD). 

What is the status of this engagement?

We kicked off the ongoing project in September 2020. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

In terms of general feedback, our website is still in the staging phase. It hasn’t gone live yet, but it’s almost complete. So far, Convergence fulfills every requirement and provides more. 

The team goes out of their way to ensure that everything on our website is easily editable and accessible to our admin team. They’re willing to make changes for us even if it’s outside of the scope. It’s evident that they care for the project’s success and provide us with a product that we are happy with. 

How did Convergence perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re excellent. We communicate on an as-needed basis through Slack and video calls. They mentioned that they typically don’t communicate with their clients through Slack but they were flexible in making an exception when I said that it would be more convenient on our end. 

The entire Convergence team is always quick and responsive to my questions. The turnaround time is quick and they are accommodating to our ad hoc needs. An example of this is when we requested documented project status updates, Gantt charts, and other needs for the management team. They’ve also provided me access to Jire so the entire process will be transparent.

We have two-week sprints where we discuss the project, progress, upcoming tasks, and roadblocks. The project manager stays in touch with me weekly or every few days. Matthew is also professional, straightforward, and transparent in conversations. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Convergence’s customer service and business practice are outstanding. Given the experience we had prior, I can’t commend them enough. The entire process is transparent and it feels like they’re putting us first.

The development team is knowledgeable and efficient. It’s not easy to pick up an existing codebase especially when it’s not done the way they prefer to do it. Convergence is able to work what was there and they’re improving it to provide us with a better product.

We also like their pricing model because it’s a fixed price for the contract so we know what we’re getting. Throughout the process, even when they make additional changes or work, they never ask to charge more. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

We initially had a small hiccup and we could’ve spent more time discussing the review and iterations process during the discovery. Perhaps that's partly my fault, given the budget and scope, I assumed that we didn’t need a designer on our team because the design was already complete. 

As we moved through the process, I realized it would’ve been more efficient if we had a designer that could communicate with the developers and translate the design. When I identified the issue, the project manager quickly brought in the QA specialists to oversee the review process which solved the issues and helped the process immensely.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be thorough when you communicate and outline your goals and expectations for the project during the discovery phase. Convergence is great at defining the scope and ensuring that there won’t be any surprises along the way. Trust their lead and recommendations and you’ll be in good hands. 

I will recommend them to any company that’s looking for a tech vendor that has its customers’ best interest in mind.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CTO of an e-sports tournaments platform.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Convergence?

We needed help with development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We noticed that there weren’t a lot of solutions out there to help tournament organizers. After interviewing a lot of tournament organizers, we decided to build a platform that was a social experience. Convergence helps us with the convergence experience on the site. They give us the ability to go find tournaments that are in the game that they’re interested in. The team built a search dashboard and a registration feature, too. They used Node.JS and React on AWS.

What is the team composition?

We work with two full-time programmers, one front-end programmer, one system architect, and one project manager as well.

How did you come to work with Convergence?

My CEO worked with them in the past and liked their work.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $115,000 CAD (approximately $88,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in April 2020, and our work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’re really great at completing tasks in a high-quality way. I’ve worked with a lot of different development teams, but Convergence has a really good skill set in terms of working on complicated issues. They’re really good at managing the whole lifecycle of the software product.

How did Convergence perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re excellent. We used Jira and Slack for project management.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They like to talk back and forth as much as necessary to make sure they have a clear picture of what’s being requested. The team really helped us eliminate some of the ambiguity that’s normally associated with software development. They’re also not afraid to take on any sort of challenge, even ones that they’ve never dealt with before. Through my CEO, I learned they even spawned a whole new AI division of their company to complete a project, even though that isn’t their specialty. They react well to new challenges as well.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There was one little hiccup with the timeline in mid-September that was due to some internal turnover with their project manager. They were very prompt with replacing them. They dealt with it promptly and professionally.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

No, nothing stands out. They did most of the work and held our hands throughout the process. You don’t need to know anything about software to work with them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the chief compliance officer of Voleo. We’re a fintech company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Convergence?

We saw an opportunity to unify our code-based cross platforms. Currently, we operate on iOS, Android, and web under different applications. With help from Convergence, we saw the chance to unify all of them.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Convergence built us an entirely new reactive platform using the best of our existing Native applications. They also provide consultation and project management within our team. Their team is working from frameworks and an established product, but they’ve continued to provide their insights throughout the course of the project.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with the entire team including Matthew (CEO) and John (Project Manager). Matthew handled the original scoping of the project, and we’ve primarily worked with John since he joined Convergence at the beginning of this year.

How did you come to work with Convergence?

They were a word-of-mouth referral. I know a couple of companies who’ve had very successful projects in collaboration with Convergence.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested over $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing partnership began in November 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It’s exciting for us to offer this unified experience. While the project is just approaching the end of its first phase, we’re already seeing those results. Our team is excited to deploy it as soon as possible.

How did Convergence perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management has gone very well. We communicate through Jira, regular weekly meetings, and sprints. Convergence has been clear about managing expectations. They’re very responsive and an overall great team to work with. I’ve worked with others, and they don’t compare.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Convergence has a business-oriented mindset. They’re concerned about their clients and what the underlying objectives are. This is in terms of defining a specific scope and ensuring that it remains the same throughout the course of the project.

When I’ve worked with other development firms, I haven’t had that type of experience. With Convergence, we agreed on the scope at the beginning, and they’ve achieved that. In the real world, a responsive, intelligent team makes a huge difference.

Are there any areas they could improve?            

No, they’ve been great. When COVID-19 happened, they seamlessly transitioned to remote work. We now do our meetings over video conferencing. The world handed out some challenges, but Convergence did just fine.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be clear at the beginning about what your vision and goals are. Convergence isn’t just a development shop; they think constructively, share ideas, and build great products.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We have a marketing software company that is going through a rebranding project. We track and report digital marketing campaigns and connect publishers with brands in the financial services space. All of our clients are big banks or FinTech companies. I oversee operations and am heavily involved in the development process.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Convergence?

At our old brand, we had a piece of technology that was initially built for another industry. As we pivoted into this new brand, we hoped to redevelop the technology to better support the needs of our customers in the banking space. We wanted to improve transparency and speed. It's a complex piece of technology, and we needed the right team that could work quickly and help us evolve as the needs of our clients changed.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

There are five key components that they work on: the dashboard for the brand and publishers, the reporting engine, tracking capabilities, commission calculations and payments, and the creative management solution. We needed to build all those features in a nimble, supportive way. They help customize a CMS solution, compliance tools, and some new automations.

What is the team composition?

At any given time, we work with six or seven team members on their side. We collaborate occasionally with their CEO, and we also work with a project manager, two developers, and two designers. We work together to discuss the mission, and we interface with the whole team for each sprint.

How did you come to work with Convergence?

Our parent company invests in tech businesses in our local market and in places we can add value. One of those businesses used Convergence, and we kept an eye on them in case the need for their services ever arose. As we evolved, we felt their capabilities and resources would be a good fit. They were very thorough, and they were a good cultural match for us. We wanted a partner who would act as an extension of our team, and they had a transparent, collaborative approach.

How much have you invested with them?

We've invested approximately $200,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We kicked off the project in March 2019, and our collaboration is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We haven't launched the new platform yet, and we're just about to migrate the data over. They have completed a microsite for us, which we just launched. The project took a little longer than we anticipated, but they delivered within a comfortable schedule and within our budget. Version one will be completed shortly, and we're already discussing phase two.

How did Convergence perform from a project management standpoint?

They are phenomenal project managers. From the outset, they set good expectations, tracking procedures, and management structures. They are very trustworthy, and everyone is invested in the project. We have a two-week sprint cycle, and I know each of the team members individually. Hands down, they're the best team I've ever worked with.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their people are wonderful. They all bring their strengths to the table, and they all shine in their own way. Everyone carries their own weight, and they're all invested in the positive outcomes of the project. They all work very well together, and their collaboration and transparency allow them to succeed.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We could have spent more time upfront on the complexities of the project. Had we spent more time explaining the more challenging pieces, they could have given us a more accurate timing estimate. They could have explored that a little more, but they really couldn't have known at the start how complex the project really was.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

As with any organization like theirs, it's important to spend time at the beginning to get a thorough brief and understanding. They'll bring their knowledge and experience to your project, but make sure you give them clear requirements. Trust their expertise when they offer alternatives to your plan; they have the best outcomes in mind.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the chairman of the board of 5001160 Ontario Inc.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Convergence?

We reached out to Convergence to provide custom software development services.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Convergence provides development work on proprietary software projects, including infrastructure development and ongoing maintenance and support. They've worked on cloud-based servers, and created separate deployment environments for the backend and frontend. They've also done some branding design, including a logo. 

What is the team composition? 

We have one main point of contact who brings on others from the team as needed.

How did you come to work with Convergence?

We searched for development firms online, as well as in our local market, and then eventually someone recommended Convergence to us. After we spoke to them, we were impressed by how quickly they were able to grasp the unique challenges and needs we had. They also had a lot of expertise regarding both software and copywriting laws. 

How much have you invested with them?

We've invested between $25,000–$50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We've been working with them since August 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The quality of their work is exceptional. I can't say enough good things about them. They have advanced capabilities relating to software development.

How did Convergence perform from a project management standpoint?

We mostly communicate through email, but also hold weekly conference calls with their team. It's been convenient to collaborate on mockups with them; they even send short videos to make it easier to review iterations and they're accommodating when it comes to incorporating requested changes. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

The knowledge they have in their field and speed of delivery sets them apart. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. You can't go wrong with working with their team. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I just recommend reaching out to them; they have a wealth of knowledge and will be able to provide valuable feedback to help improve project outcomes. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of TBC Technologies. We develop apps that help improve the adoption of technologies like blockchain. We’re currently working on a product that helps accounting firms audit clients who have cryptocurrency assets or are blockchain miners.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Convergence?

We don’t have a software development team and we needed to develop a minimum viable product (MVP) to show to investors and potential clients.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They’re building a software that can access the blockchains for various cryptocurrencies, gather transactional data like the value and timestamp, and collate that into reports for the auditors. We also need a web interface that can process microtransactions and validate the ownership of each client’s wallet. The report portion generates calculations about account value, including unrecognized gains and losses. Since these currencies don’t always break down into round numbers, the reports need to provide precise enough detail.

We’ve already completed the first phase and entered the second, with a third coming down the road to add enhancements to the software. One of the key things Convergence has helped with is integrating the APIs for all of the blockchains we use, as well as those for mining pools and cryptocurrency exchanges. There are multiple integration points and we also want the web platform to be scalable, with the appropriate infrastructure for redundancy and availability.

What is the team composition?

We have a project lead and three technicians who handle web design, infrastructure, and blockchain integration.

How did you come to work with Convergence?

I received a referral from a colleague through another business I own. Their team was really knowledgeable about the space we work in. They walked us through a whiteboard session that helped us all fully understand the needs and requirements for getting to our MVP. It also helped us see the value in their capabilities and get a sense of their pricing model. We felt like we gained a lot from that session, so we decided to proceed.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in July 2018 and the project is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re in our start-up phase, so we just completed the MVP. Being able to have that for demos with our client network has been invaluable. We’ve had a zero percent rejection rate in our talks so far.

How did Convergence perform from a project management standpoint?

We had weekly half-hour standup meetings to go over our progress. These were mostly remote, but we had no trouble sharing screenshots or finding ways to visually represent everything we worked on. Their transparency was excellent throughout the entire process. We had access to the project through Jira, so we always knew exactly where the project was. They also let us know if there were any roadblocks and were always responsive to our inquiries.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their technical ability and breadth of skills are very impressive. Their executives also possess a strong business acumen from the way that they price to the way they deliver. We paid a fixed fee and knew exactly what we’d get at every point along the way. All the work’s been completed on time so far, too. It really inspires confidence in their skills.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We could use a little more input as we build our technical roadmap so that we have a better sense of what our options are. They do already give us advice, but it’d be nice to spend more time discussing the future of the project.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be as engaged as possible throughout the process. That communication is critical and it doesn’t always happen, so take advantage of it.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Eli Technologies Corp. We provide software solutions to the real estate industry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Convergence?

We wanted to build a web-based platform that automated the review of condominium documentation, saving time and effort for both realtors and prospective condo buyers. We engaged Convergence to develop an MVP of the software.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We wanted a consumer-focused, web-based platform. It needed to react to both mobile and desktop web without forcing users to download a separate app. Convergence proposed a full-stack development process to tackle the project. We went through a comprehensive scope document outlining our requirements and desired features. After we approved their plans, Convergence built the MVP. Their UI/UX specialist applied third-party brand elements across over 20 webpages—with minor development tweaks—to create a unified feel and flow throughout the platform.

The platform can register new users, create profiles, and process credit card payments. It utilizes AI, third-party APIs—including address auto-fill, sentiment analysis, and confidence analysis—to read and analyze hundreds of documents in seconds. The Convergence team also built in proprietary logic to define what each user sees when using the platform.

What is the team composition?

We worked with a UI/UX specialist, a lead full-stack developer, and a second full-stack developer, and a mid-level developer for a short while. The team scaled its resources as needed. The CEO oversaw the project and provided weekly product guidance.

How did you come to work with Convergence?

A colleague referred their team to us. We looked at other agencies, but we ultimately felt that Convergence would deliver the best possible products with high efficiency and cost efficacy. They were local to Vancouver and familiar with the real estate industry, which facilitated the collaboration. Also, the team provided a fixed-fee platform and were very accommodating when it came to scope changes.

How much have you invested with them?

The project was over $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in March 2018, and the project will soon enter its second phase beyond the MVP.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Convergence has so far fulfilled every requirement, delivering high-quality products at exceptional value. While the platform has yet to launch, it has tested well internally throughout the project. We look forward to starting external tests with a number of real-world users soon.

How did Convergence perform from a project management standpoint?

Convergence made the collaboration seamless. I served as the defacto head of product. The team performed work in sprints using an agile approach. We documented progress with GitHub and Jira and held weekly meetings via Google Hangouts. They adapted well to our work style and took scope changes in stride.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Convergence made the process accessible for someone like me, with a non-development background. The team was always happy to explain terms and teach me what they were doing. I never felt like an annoyance. Their diligence and responsiveness made them feel like an in-house team.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We lost some time in the beginning as we began to uncover the complexity of the project and matched resources accordingly. After three months, an ideal amount of resources was assigned to our project, which increased velocity. It was a learning process for all of us, and the project proceeded smoothly after the change.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Ask as many as hard questions as you need to, even if something seems very difficult to achieve. They can figure it out.

UPDATED REVIEW

This review was updated on July 30, 2019, by the client. New content is below.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Our platform is a SaaS solution for the real estate industry, which leverages AI to assist real estate professionals in reviewing large amounts of real estate documentation quickly and efficiently. I am the CEO of Eli Technologies.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Convergence?

Most recently, we worked with Convergence to build our own neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) engine specifically tailored to real estate.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They fully developed an NLP engine built on open source libraries. In addition, Convergence has developed the Eli Report platform as it has evolved over the past six months.

What is the team dynamic?

The entire team (Convergence and Eli management) is based in the same city, which is a huge advantage and allows us to meet regularly. Convergence has dedicated four team members to our project.

How did you come to work with Convergence?

We found them by referral through an industry contact.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent over $500,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The relationship is still ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

How did your relationship with the vendor evolve?

Our relationship evolved partly out of necessity (Eli did not have an in-house team), but we did not look to engage other groups because we have been very happy with the working relationship. 

How did Convergence address the challenges that arose?

Some early challenges included build delays and optimizing the team, which Convergence has addressed. Since then, we have not had any similar challenges for the last six months.

Describe the impact this engagement has had on your business.

It has allowed us to go to market with a fully commercial product, without having the risk of hiring a large team in-house, for a product that was largely unproven.

How was project management handled?

Eli employees handle project management, however, Convergence’s lead dev hosts biweekly sprint planning, which has worked well.

Is there anything that the vendor did well or that you would consider a strength?

Their strength lies in their strong technical and design abilities to tackle any challenge.
 
In what specific areas can they improve?

At the moment, we are very happy with their work.
 
What advice do you have for clients with similar needs to yours?

It is definitely worth having a conversation with Convergence to see if they are the right fit for your project.