Esquared Consulting Inc.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are a non-profit religious and cultural community organization with many groups that operate within our community. These include a heritage language school, traditional folk dance and literary arts, youth and seniors' groups, ecclesiastical, philanthropic, and heritage preservation and promotion.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Esquared Consulting Inc.?

We had to update our online presence as well as to provide members with church and community information including services and events, programming, donation and payment options, etc. Our membership wanted easier access and options when in came to accessing information and staying informed so we needed to start with a totally new website.

What were your goals for this project?

The main objective was to provide easy-to-navigate information on, and promote, our many community groups including our language school, church services, community events and activities, payment and donation options, and volunteer opportunities

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

A member of the vendor's team was well known to our community from when he was in Edmonton and part of the greater community organization. The vendor was contacted based on known previous work, similar to what we were looking for to help after attempts to develop the website in-house were did not meet the intent and objectives of our community.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

The vendor designed, developed, configured, and launched a new website. The process started with establishing a budget and timeline with milestones while at the same time gathering infomration and a wants (nice to have) and needs (must haves) list from the various groups that operate under or in cooperation with our organization. We appointed a project manager from our board of directors to act as the liaison between us and the vendor. A site layout and navigation philosophy were established and, once approved, wireframes were developed for review and comments. Functional testing, including the payment system, were performed to ensure we had minimal issues once the site was up-and-running. Once launched, the vendor assisted with minor improvements based on community member and general public use and feedback. Recommendations and direction from the vendor were key to developing a functional and user-friendly site.

What was the team composition?

The project team consisted of a project manager who was the one-point-contact from our organization that was a conduit with the vendor. Our internal team consisted of members and chairs from our various groups and committees to ensure the appropriate content and functionality were incorporated into the website development.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

Our website has contributed to increased awareness of the services and needs of our organization as well as decreased the time spend manually processing payments for memberships, sacraments, school registration, donations, etc. The time saved can now be put to good use in other strategic areas of our organization to maintain focus on continuous improvement and cost efficiency.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Project management was the key element to effective communication, expedited schedule delivery, and a seamless transition from our existing systems and processes to our current setup.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Most impressive was their response time and understanding of our unique requirements and needs. There were no major surprises and any issues were communicated and resolved in a timely and respectful manner.

Are there any areas for improvement?

The only area I could suggest is for potential clients to establish requirements and have as much relevant information and data available in advance. This would reduce the amount of cycle time spent on the transmission, handling, vetting, and coordination of information. Although the project timeline was less than we initially expected, this can help even further reduce project duration.