Custom Software Lab

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the President of The JL Smith Group.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

The JLSmith Group sells musical instruments, music, and accessories in addition to manufacturing musical instrument tools.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Custom Software Lab to accomplish?

• Dramatically Improve Online Client Experience
• Simplify Associate Processes

SOLUTION

How did you find Custom Software Lab?

• Online Search
• Referral

Why did you select Custom Software Lab over others?

• Close to my geographic location
• Great culture fit
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Custom Software Lab were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

After collaborating with Markus and his team for over a year, I confidently regard them as invaluable business partners and trusted advisors. Their guidance proved instrumental in reorganizing, simplifying, and significantly enhancing our websites across various lines of business. Thanks to their efforts, we achieved our highest revenues in the 40-year history of our company. I cannot express my appreciation enough for their outstanding contributions.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We employed key performance indicators, including top and bottom line sales revenue, traffic, conversion rates, average order value, and various other metrics, to gauge our success.
Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

The team far exceeded our expectations with their responsiveness and timeliness in completing key actions. Their immediacy to respond to phone and email messaging is beyond impressive.
What was your primary form of communication with Custom Software Lab?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

To me, the consistency of work ethic, functional expertise, and collaborative spirit across every associate throughout the organization was most impressive to me. It is clear that they have a great company culture.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Custom Software Lab could have done differently?

The only area of opportunity I can think of is what is likely one of their superpowers! They are so responsive to my team and me that I often wondered how they found the time to service their other partners. However, I know that this is what makes them so special. They make every client feel like the most important.

BACKGROUND

Can you give a bit of background information about your company?

We’re a hospice company, and also a home healthcare company. So, we provide home healthcare and hospice services in the privacy of peoples’ residence.

What is your position within the company?

Chief executive officer. Our family owns both home healthcare and hospice. So, we’re owner operators.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was your main goal or objective for undertaking the project with Custom Software Labs?

They've done a couple of projects. They’ve been developing three websites for us. So, there’s one for Faith Hospice, one for Healthback Home Health, and then there’s one for Faith Hospice Charity. So, we’re just about ready to release the Faith Hospice website. On top of that they put a quality assurance program for us to allow our people to document and review patient files. We had a manual process, and we’re converting from manual to electronic.

What was your process originally for selecting Custom Software Labs to work with?

I interviewed five companies who developed websites and the company we selected, I felt that they could actually do the job. So, I had an interview process.

SOLUTION

When do you think the upcoming websites will be ready?

Well, after this first one is released, and we’ll probably have it released next week. The other ones will follow suit immediately after. They’ve worked on them. They’ve made a lot of progress on them. I wanted to roll out the Faith Hospice one first because the home health one is similar to it, but I wanted to get all the feedback from our staff on the Faith Hospice one prior to releasing the Healthback Home Health site.

Can you give me a very general cost estimate for all the projects? 

The websites under $10,000 and the QA software under $50,000.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

How happy are you so far with the work that Custom Software Lab has done?

Actually, I’ve been very satisfied with working with them, so has the staff. Not only their knowledge base, but also their professionalism and following up on action items and meeting delivery deadlines. We’ve been working on these projects, and I guess I could say that they’re able to move a lot faster than I can. I have a tendency, I don’t know how familiar you are with the industry we’re in, but it’s very time consuming. Anyway, we’re very satisfied with their productivity, and especially their knowledge base. Actually, the knowledge base is the reason we went with them opposed to the other four companies.

Is there anything special or unique about Custom Software Lab compared to other companies that you have worked with?

The other companies seemed like they could deliver a sound product, but some of the technical discussions that I had with them, I just felt like the other four couldn’t deliver the product that we needed.

Looking back on the project, is there anything that you’d do differently a second time around or you think Custom Software Labs could slightly improve on?

No. I think they smothered us with communication and updated us on how things were going. I’m a big feedback-type person, so I don’t think I could give them any criticism or anything of that nature.

BACKGROUND

Can you give me a brief description of your company?

We’re a medical and non-medical homecare, so basically taking care of predominantly seniors in the home. It’s providing nurses and physical therapists and caregivers and aides basically to help people stay in their homes instead of in a nursing facility. That’s kind of how we got started and we were looking in our space the websites, our competition, are pretty much just kind of off the shelf type things and we really wanted something different. That’s kind of when I started and interviewing people. I was really looking for somebody that could do something different within our space and that’s kind of how I ended up with them on that side.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

Did you have a website before, or was this a redesign of an existing one?

No, this was a new website because we bought one of the companies, and we started the other one basically from scratch. So, it was a new entity, and we were looking for something new with the redesign. When we sat down with them, we didn’t really have a clue what we were doing. That is why they were instrumental in helping us frame ideas. Their project manager/architect was great in helping us get our thoughts together, get organized, and help us through the process. We just didn’t know what we were looking for, which helped us when we were presented with some options.

Their architect was amazingly creative, so I really appreciated that. He ended up with some good ideas that worked and other things we didn’t think of. I was very impressed with the way they helped us through the process and how creative they were. It wasn’t like, "Okay, here’s what you need. Here it is." It was more like, "Okay, let’s sit down together and talk about what your needs are. What do you want out of this? What are you trying to sell?" Then they helped frame and develop it as we went through it. We had to change some things because I wasn't as definitive as I should have been. Then, as we got through it, I could see they were great. They worked with us and said, "Okay, no problem. We can make these changes." They modified it and did some things at the end of the process.

SOLUTION

Did they take care of the entire design and development, or were other companies involved?

There were no other companies involved, and they took us from frontend to backend. They went through all the design work with their design teams, then the development side with their development people, and then working again with the design team. It was a collaborative effort as we went from design to development, and then back into design for a few things, and then back in development. They all worked very well, and they seemed to communicate really well together. We never had any problems with one side not talking to the other. They kept us up to speed on what was coming next: "Here are your proofs; these need to be reviewed, and then make modifications. Okay, here’s what’s coming next. We’re going to move to the next page or next design element." I was pleased with the way they worked together, but also with us and our team. They helped us frame things and get them into the ultimate product.

How long ago was the website completed?

It’s been over two years now, maybe close to two and a half years ago.

Can you provide a general cost estimate for the project?

It was probably close to $10,000; it wasn’t more than that. We didn't have a sales agent behind it, so we weren’t doing some of the complicated, more expensive development work. That’s another thing they were really good at. When I brought my staff together, everyone said, "Oh, we want this, this, this and this." They kind of worked through it with us and asked, "What do you want to spend here? What are you really trying to look for?" They were good in helping us hone in on it. It wasn’t just like, "Oh, we can do that and that."

They were cognizant of what our budget was, and they helped us really understand what we needed. They got us a great product for what we paid for it. I thought it was tremendous. I was very pleased that it wasn’t just a runaway train. They said, "Okay, you said you wanted to spend about this, and here are your top four priorities." They went through a prioritization process with us and said, "This one is a little more expensive. Can you maybe do this and this?" I told them that would work out great. It was a good process.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

It’s always good to see providers looking out for their clients and not just trying to make as much money as they can.

Yes, exactly. I appreciated that because my staff was identifying everything they wanted. They helped us look at what we needed and fit it into the budget. They prioritized the dollars – that’s what I was really pleased with, too. They looked at where we can get the biggest bang for our buck, what we were looking for, and the impact. So, they really got us the most for the money that we were spending.

I interviewed some of the other companies – and there were cheaper ones out there – but they were more cookie cutter. They said, "Well, here is template A, template B, and template C. Pick one." We wanted something different in our company. We were trying to differentiate ourselves, and that’s why I went them. They were more custom, but in an affordable custom way. There were some shops out there that were just off the chart. They showed us a lot of creativity and something different; I was very pleased with them. Some of the others I interviewed said, "Well, we can do it for less," but they were like everybody else, template form stuff.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Lead Training Coordinator of Pathways Early Autism Intervention

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We train IDEA Part C agencies in an innovative, evidence-based, naturalistic developmental behavioral intervention parent training program that supports toddlers diagnosed or with characteristics of autism.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Custom Software Lab to accomplish?

• Develop a Training Platform
• Create a records of training process
• Make training materials available

SOLUTION

How did you find Custom Software Lab?

Online Search

Why did you select Custom Software Lab over others?

Company values aligned

How many teammates from Custom Software Lab were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

They created a training database that helps our individuals have an efficient training experience from start to finish.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They were able to create a database from scratch just with out ideas alone that matched.

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

They were able to set reasonable timelines and meet them.

What was your primary form of communication with Custom Software Lab?

Virtual Meeting

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

This company is flexible in bringing our vision to life even if we need changes. 

Are there any areas for improvement or something Custom Software Lab could have done differently?

There were time we would have re-occuring errors that would take more time to fix what was already fixed.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the former CIO of Rockfarm Supply Chain Solutions

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Third-party logistics provider

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Custom Software Lab to accomplish?

• Single stop for shipping needs
• Improved internal processes in finance

SOLUTION

How did you find Custom Software Lab?

Online Search

Why did you select Custom Software Lab over others?

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

How many teammates from Custom Software Lab were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

The scope of work was an e-commerce website that allowed shippers and shipping companies to connect and allow ease of control for internal processes regarding finance

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Timeline and budget to be met.

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

Yes they delivered everything I requested and on time. They were also very patient with me when other priorities took over, and I was unavailable to offer great guidance.

What was your primary form of communication with Custom Software Lab?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

The ease of meetings and their attention to detail were greatly appreciated. Also pulling from their deep expertise of historical work offered great ideas.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Custom Software Lab could have done differently?

None. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Curriculum Coordinator of an education company 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are an independent, tuition-based middle school serving about 150 students.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Custom Software Lab to accomplish?

• Convert Access Database grade program into a cloud-based grade program

SOLUTION

How did you find Custom Software Lab?

Online Search

Why did you select Custom Software Lab over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost

How many teammates from Custom Software Lab were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Our school had a Microsoft Access database for our student grade program. Teachers would enter letter grades and comments for each student 4 times per year. 

The program would not work outside of the school network, so we had Custom Software Lab dba Animink comb through the database and build a cloud-based grade program that produced the same (but better) type of report. We have worked with the company for 3.5 years to build, customize, update, and maintain the program and couldn't be more pleased with the product that was created.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Progress reports, quarter grade reports, GPA reports, student transcripts, and a student bookbill program.

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

They were quick to get ahold of and responded right away most of the time.

What was your primary form of communication with Custom Software Lab?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Their personal touch. We developed a professional working relationship, and they were creative and responsive to our needs.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Custom Software Lab could have done differently?

n/a