Douglas Okun & Associates

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the Chief of Staff at a software startup focused on improving code quality.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Douglas Okun & Associates, and what were your goals?

Initially, we required further support with our development output which is why we targeted software engineers. As our product grew, we began recruiting QA engineers to ease the bottleneck for reviewing our tool’s functionality.

Once the core product had been built, we added a design specialist and business analyst to improve our UI/UX flow and improve our product’s documentation.

SOLUTION

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

We found them through a mutual connection. Their prompt communications, structured process, and quality of talent all contributed to our decision to source talent from them.

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

They design, document, develop, and test core components of our code review tool. This includes producing diagrams and mockups in Figma. Documenting components of our tool in Confluence and assisting with story tickets in Jira. Development in React and JavaScript for the front-end and back-end respectively. Finally, running tests and automating test-rails to ensure the product is functioning as expected. The product is still being developed with assistance from all of these business units.

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

There are 8 members in our core team, including a business analyst, design specialist, and multiple engineers. The engineering talent has included DevOps, QA, and software roles.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have significantly sped up our time to market estimate. We are constantly able to deliver new features sooner than expected thanks in large part to the structure their talent provides to our business processes. From ideation to execution, and ultimately to maintenance they contribute every step of the way!

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

The project management has been seamless. They are quick to respond, actively engaged in problem solving and future proofing our product, and regularly meet deadlines. Our primary method of communicating is through Slack.

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

If the proper scope and requirements are provided, they will execute to the T. They are incredibly precise and organized.

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

We would like to see them offer talent from more regions and time-zones.