DrakeTech Inc

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the operations manager of P&H Milling Group. We’re in the wheat flour milling industry in Canada.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with DrakeTech Inc?

We needed help to develop custom software with different goals. The first program we called the task module project. We were looking to move into paperless options and create paperless checks. The COVID-19 pandemic pushed us into a remote work model, although remote work wasn’t common in our industry since we’re a manufacturing company. However, we wanted to get away from paper as much as possible and perform remote tasks.

The second project was our logistics project. We deal primarily with bulk tankers of flour and ship around 1,000 metric tons of flour daily in 30–40 bulk tanks. We have 20 drivers in our fleet, and we needed to create a system to have transparency about the drivers’ work. Our goal was to create a seamless communication device between our production, logistics, and quality departments.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

DrakeTech Inc developed custom software for our company. The task module project allowed our operators to create paperless checks, schedule verifications, and perform other tasks. We wanted to set up a system where they could fill in and complete tasks and be verified. The program notifies the respective supervisor when a task is completed. 

On the other hand, DrakeTech Inc also developed a logistics mobile application that allowed us to distribute work instructions to the drivers, send them GPS links with directions, and show the client’s information. Drivers could update their status every time they load a tank or deliver an order. 

The app also allowed our quality department to retrieve live data about logistics and the responsible driver. Our customers also had visibility on the drivers’ route and arrival. Customers can also plan their next orders through the app. 

DrakeTech Inc worked with our IT department to retrieve information from our existing ERP system. We gave DrakeTech Inc an initial outline and had weekly meetings. The software was very customized to our needs since situations arose during tests. For instance, DrakeTech Inc integrated a functionality that allows drivers to mark when they encounter unexpected situations or unusual findings, and this function triggers a notification for the quality department. These were the kind of things we addressed in our meetings. 

What is the team composition?

Our initial calls were with Drake (CFO & Founder), Carolina (CEO), and Mateo (Project Manager). Mateo also worked with a development team.

How did you come to work with DrakeTech Inc?

We contacted DrakeTech Inc through a contractor that had previously worked with them. I created a shared spreadsheet between the logistics, production, and quality departments that was populated with data from our ERP system. I wanted to get information about our transfers and orders, and the first issue I ran into was that I couldn’t send work instructions to our drivers. 

Our tank washer contractor sent us daily automated emails about the tanks’ wash cycle since we have to wash them every month. I asked our contractor how they created this automatic system, and they recommended I work with DrakeTech Inc. 

How much have you invested with them?

We invested around $40,000 CAD (approximately $29,000 USD) with DrakeTech Inc. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with DrakeTech Inc in February 2022, and the project was completed in October 2022. DrakeTech Inc first worked on the logistics project and started the module task project a month after.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

DrakeTech Inc met our requirements and created functional software. Our most significant improvement was the completion status of all tasks in our task module system. We verified our task’s position in the design, ensuring all the documentation was filed correctly. My main goal was to stop using paper as much as possible since misplacing documents is easy. The system also provided better insights for our employees. 

On the other hand, the logistics app was used by around 40 employees, and we haven’t had any delivery errors since we started using it. The app has reduced our overall production errors since our drivers now have live and detailed work instructions. We were happy with DrakeTech Inc’s results and had a good logistic process. 

Overall, DrakeTech Inc developed software that impacted multiple departments that now have visibility of our status orders, including logistics, production, quality, and customer service.

How did DrakeTech Inc perform from a project management standpoint?

DrakeTech Inc was good with project management. We hadn’t worked on a development project before, so we didn’t know how long it would take. We kept asking for additional requests that were outside our original scope. However, DrakeTech Inc managed everything excellently and stayed on budget. 

We had weekly meetings through Microsoft Teams with my company’s logistics manager and quality manager. My team understood our project’s requirements and provided feedback about DrakeTech Inc’s work.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was most impressed that DrakeTech Inc delivered exactly what we discussed and needed because I’d purchased programs that weren’t specific to our business needs. Additionally, we learned about other systems’ possibilities by working with DrakeTech Inc. They suggested solutions, and we have a better understanding of these kinds of programs' possibilities. For instance, we’re considering using Microsoft Dynamics 365 to replace our current ERP program in the future. 

As a company, we look for continuous improvement, and accepting new programs is essential. However, I now know better what I require from a specific software, and if we decide to change, I know it has to be a better software than the ones created by DrakeTech Inc. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything DrakeTech Inc could’ve done differently. We were really happy with their work. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I recommend having frequent meetings with DrakeTech Inc and your company’s key stakeholders that understand the product you’re trying to create. Our weekly meetings really helped during our development process.

DrakeTech Inc has the right experience and can recommend previous solutions they’ve developed. However, having your team members on the calls is important to discuss the best solution for your project.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the President of TrakMeter

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We offer a software program that tracks the performance of Networking Groups.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire DrakeTech Inc to accomplish?

• Build the software program
• Manage the software
• Host the software program
• Develop improvements to the program

SOLUTION

How did you find DrakeTech Inc?

Other

Why did you select DrakeTech Inc over others?

Pricing fit our budget, Great culture fit, Good value for cost, Company values aligned, Other

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

We started with an idea and worked together to develop the program that monitors the performance of all of the members in The Strategic Partners. Currently there are 16 members. We will be marketing the program to various Networking Groups. Since implementing the program the performance of The Strategic Partners has improved dramatically. From time to time we implement additional features to improve the scope of TrakMeter.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• The development of The Strategic Partners has improved significantly since we introduced TrakMeter into our group. Business completed as a result of many more introductions has been growing with the help of this program. It's a total success for a reasonable price.

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

DrakeTech delivered a great product at a reasonable price over a reasonable period of time. They have always made themselves available when we decide to add new features to the software.

What was your primary form of communication with DrakeTech Inc?

In-Person Meeting, Virtual Meeting, Email or Messaging App

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

DrakeTech understands our vision and always has a solution for the problems we encounter.

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

I would say that dollar for dollar DrakeTech did a great job and they are always there when we need them.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Founder of StreamAgency Inc.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

StreamAgency delivers a live-streaming widget to business-websites for the sake of hosting live representation.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire DrakeTech Inc to accomplish?

• Build a website
• Build an application
• Build a payment process for subscriptions

SOLUTION

How did you find DrakeTech Inc?

Referral

Why did you select DrakeTech Inc over others?

Close to my geographic location, Great culture fit, Good value for cost, Referred to me, Company values aligned

What was the size of DrakeTech Inc’s team?

2-5 Employees

What was your primary form of communication with DrakeTech Inc?

Virtual Meeting, Email or Messaging App

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

StreamAgency delivers a software as a service to businesses in need of live representation for their websites. We built a live-streaming widget and connected it to an API. We integrated payment services to automate the payment process. We built metrics to track our users' engagement and succession. We built a marketplace to connect streamers with businesses and vice versa.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

First benchmark of success was getting the idea to work. Seeing our live-streaming-widget work on another business' website was great. Our MVP was good enough to get featured on Dragons' Den. Since then, we got our first subscriber.

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

There were deadlines and those deadlines were met. Drake's project management is great. He and his team are great listeners and if ideas to improve the service came to them, they were quick to share. There's been feedback from StreamAgency's users that DrakeTech was quick to respond to including on-the-fly hacks to improve our product/service.

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

The most impressive thing about this company is Drake Blemings. He's a wiz. He's got an energy that is truly a perfect fit for me and my energy. I was sold, the moment I saw his face. He had me at "Hello."

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

Anything tech always feels like it needs to be done faster. Impatience is my problem to improve upon. DrakeTech has been delivering.