Experion Technologies

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CPO of MARS Global Solutions, a company in the maritime transportation industry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Experion Technologies?

We were developing a risk management product for vessels. This software product will be unique in this industry and helpful for banks, charters, insurance companies, and other parties involved. We hired Experion Technologies to help us create it.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Experion Technologies is our development partner, and they're building our web-based product. We've given them guidance about what to develop and how; we shared a lot of knowledge with them to explain our wants and needs. I created some of the wireframes, and we gave the team some documentation. From there, we had a requirement-gathering phase. Experion Technologies is developing the UI and the back- and frontend of the tool using Microsoft Azure. 

The product Experion Technologies is building is an assessment tool for the vessels. For example, if we take a 400,000—500,000 ton vessel and want to move cargo from A to B and C to D, we need to assess whether the vessel is suitable and ensure that the cargo will reach its destination. This software will do risk and quality assessments and provide recommendations.

The software tool will examine the vessel's history and analyze technical aspects, when and where it was built, the controls, and past inspections. Experion Technologies is making more than 200 checkpoints, and we also have vetting criteria and our own risk assessment tools. Following those checkpoints, we'll be able to determine whether a vessel is suitable for that charter.

What is the team composition?

We have more than 10 teammates from Experion Technologies working on this project.

How did you come to work with Experion Technologies?

We found them through a referral.

How much have you invested in them?

We've spent more than $160,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in January 2022, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The quality of Experion Technologies' work is good. In testing, we've found hardly any bugs, which is good. The only bugs we've seen have been minor, and we haven't had anything like a system crash, which is common in software development. Moreover, the team has developed the product as per our requirements. 

How did Experion Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

Experion Technologies meets the deadlines. We have daily calls with them and communicate through a WhatApp group and email. During the requirement-gathering phase and throughout the project, we've had additional calls twice a week.

Since some of the team lives in Houston, Texas, and I'm in Melbourne, Australia, communication can be a little challenging because of the time zone difference. However, it has worked out for us with the tools we use. Since we work with the Agile methodology, we can see what they're developing and provide continuous feedback, and we haven't faced any problems. We use Jira and Confluence for project management.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I've been most impressed that, during the requirement-gathering phase, Experion Technologies' senior management also got involved in our meetings; they listened to us and identified our pain points. The team is wonderful, knowledgeable, and overall very personable. They make sure they're doing the right thing for their customers.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They don't need to change anything. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

My advice is to be open with Experion Technologies; share your knowledge so they can develop things correctly for you.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the IT solutions architect for a supply chain solutions firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Experion Technologies?

Our client had to maintain 10,000 parts in stock to cover car warranty obligations, but also had to manage stock to a zero level as the cars were no longer under parts available warranty.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to achieve zero stock and therefore zero write-off cost in 10 years, when all parts will no longer be required.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We were looking for a low-cost firm with good project management skills, and I heard about them through industry word of mouth.

Can you go into detail about the services they provided and the scope of the project?

Based on our functional specs, Experion developed all the code, the tech specs, and the scope of work. They also handled data loading and code QA completely.

What was the team composition?

I worked with a project manager, business analyst, three developers, and two testers from Experion.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our client is happy with the result. After a slow period of scope agreement, the project went exactly to time and budget.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

The Experion project manager and business analyst were allowed to interact directly with our client, so it was very effective.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They have excellent project management and business analysis skills for a low, blended cost. Their developers were competent, but not outstanding in terms of speed. They’re very diligent in driving towards solutions in tricky, business logic situations that have a good deal of complexity and industry jargon.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

There were some minor delays in turnaround time for "what-ifs" and "hat impact” questions. They could also improve their testing scenarios.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of AlignIT Solutions. We offer system integration services and focus on the business intelligence (BI) area. We recently added digital marketing services.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Experion Technologies?

We needed a vendor to develop and launch a service marketplace.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We wanted to use an Amazon Web Services (AWS) serverless architecture. They created the initial design, which their AWS specialist later modified for the architecture. He coded in Node.js. Experion launched the platform in November 2017. We’ve continued to make enhancements since then.

What is the team composition?

In addition to the frontend team, they had a senior architect, the AWS specialist architect, a project manager, and a delivery manager.

How did you come to work with Experion Technologies?

I contacted their business development manager after one of my friends referred me. During our meeting, I asked them to submit an architecture proposal. I hired them based on that proposal; we then developed the project plan.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent 60,000 AUD ($45,401).

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them between March–November 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Costs were significantly less than domestic vendors. Since I don’t have web development experience, I relied on their expertise. However, the UX/UI designs received mixed feedback; some visitors said both had room for improvement. Currently, we’re working to enhance these designs.

How did Experion perform from a project management standpoint?

The project manager was accessible and present at most meetings. He worked well as both a direct contact and intermediary. The delivery manager handled most issues in a satisfactory manner.

What did you find most impressive about them?

This was among their first AWS projects. The team knew success required collaboration and a slight learning curve. The project was a learning opportunity for both sides.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Only the UX/UI got negative feedback. They should upgrade their design skill sets.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Worldsmart provides software solutions and support services to over 1,400 retail stores in Australia. Our core retail solution is very flexible and can operate in retail outlets of varying sizes. The Worldsmart solutions also include ultramodern business intelligence and e-commerce solutions, and thus provides a one-stop-shop for retail clients. I’m responsible for development and delivery of our solution strategy.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Experion Technologies?

We were addressing our limited budget and speed of delivery to the market, and I was looking for a company to outsource software development to who was mature and reliable as a partner, and also willing to establish a long-term relationship. We wanted to be able to develop, maintain, and enhance our software solutions in years to come. We also needed to develop a partner’s skills and expertise required by the retail industry to provide Worldsmart with a flexible, skilled resource pool to tap into as needed.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The initial project was to redevelop out store management solution, which is actually a mini-ERP [enterprise resource planning] system that manages the entire retail store operation. Functionality includes: product management, host processing, price management, stock control, ordering, cash management, printing labels and shelf talkers, communication with PDEs [portable data entry devices] scales, and POS [point of sale] devices, etc.

Experion used .NET, C#, Angular, HTML5, REST, and MS SQL Server for the new, web-based solution which can be deployed at premises or as a SaaS [software-as-a-service].

What is the team composition?

Our development team consisted of 60 people who were divided into 5 groups, each led by a business analyst. Each team also had a corresponding technical team and 2 test teams. Development teams were responsible for the development of assigned user stories, while the technical team looked after the development of common frameworks used through the system.

Experion also assigned a project director, a senior project manager, and 2 other project managers to our project. On the Worldsmart side, there was a product manager who managed a team of 5 subject matter experts who worked closely with Experion’s business analysts during the project and also acted as Worldsmart’s principal testers. My role was project director, and I had the overall responsibility for delivery.

How did you come to work with Experion Technologies?

We considered 7 companies and made our decision based on their size, capacity to scale, technical capabilities, maturity, products, record of successful project delivery, and client references. The shortlisted companies were then invited to submit their proposal to redevelop our store solution. We considered Experion’s proposal to be the most impressive, but it was the partnership with their staff which developed during this stage that we found most appealing.

How much have you invested with them?

The project had a budget of over $1.5 million.

What is the status of this engagement?

The analysis and design phase started in February 2016 and was completed in May 2017. The development commenced in June 2016 when the number of approved user stories reached desired levels. The project delivery was originally planned for November 2017, but we’re now currently in the user acceptance testing stage, and the results are looking good so far. The sign-off date is set for December 2017, which will also be the start date of the system warranty period that lasts until March 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

As of 2 weeks ago, 97% of our 1,950 user stories have been tested and accepted. We showcased a beta version of the new solution at an expo last July, and the customer response was overwhelming. We’re very pleased.

How did Experion Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

The design and analysis phases were executed using the waterfall method, while Agile was used for the development phase.

The system requirements were documented in user stories specifying the required behavior and acceptance criteria using Atlassian Confluence. The development phase was managed with Jira and Zephyr, which we used to document test scenarios and relevant test results.

Experion is a mature company with well-established project management and developmental methodologies and processes. They performed as well as we expected. The project also benefited from using Confluence and Jira, which enabled us to keep track of all project artifacts and communications in one place.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We expected Experion’s staff to be professional and competent, but the most impressive thing about them is their willingness to take on any challenge. They projected this perspective at all levels of their organization.

This was not an easy project. While the original intention was to redevelop the new system, a number of major enhancements were introduced during the analysis and design phase. As a true partner, Experion always helps us reach the most suitable solution.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Their technical and project management skills are excellent, but their business analysis warrants improvement. Most of the business analysts acted as scribes without really understanding what they were documenting. We are working together to improve the knowledge transfer process, and we encourage the business analysts to become true owners of their respective subject matter areas.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are one of the largest providers of transport-specific ERP [enterprise resource planning] solutions in the Australian market. We provide full financials and full operations for all different types of transportation, third-party warehousing, HR, and payroll, as well as a number of mobility solutions. We have approximately 130 transport companies across Australia and New Zealand using our product, and we’ve been growing at a good rate over the last three years.

I’m the operations manager. I manage all the staff, including our development and implementation teams. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Experion?

Initially, we were being asked to develop our own mobility applications for managing transport delivery. We had been partnering with different parties over the years for sending the data to mobility solutions and getting it back in terms of arrival and departure times, quantities delivered, and proof of delivery. We then developed our own app four years ago, but it was just an iOS version for one customer. It was well-received, and we decided to build an Android version. We looked at bringing the necessary skills in-house but decided that it would be more efficient to outsource the Android development. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Experion developed the Android app, and we’ve gone through several iterations in the two-year partnership we’ve had with them. It was a very basic application initially, just recording pickups and deliveries. That’s expanded over time, allowing users to add photographs of deliveries, validate vehicles, and record driver defects. We’re currently working with Experion on version 5 of the application.

We’ve also built a great relationship on a number of other Android apps that we’ve developed for our customer base. We have one that is purely for liquid petroleum gas deliveries, which is different than the general freight deliveries of the first app. We’ve incorporated some neat features around automatic arrivals and departures based on geofences. That was a bit of a trial to get it to trigger correctly, but Experion has done a great job with the complex development needed to get it to work.

Experion also developed a new scanning app, which is also Android but targeted for a specific device. Its function is to scan freight into a depot, onto a manifest, and then off the manifest at a customer site. The app tracks all those items, from initial receipt at the depot all the way to final delivery to the customer.

We work on the design of the apps. For our first project, we asked Experion to mimic what we’d already developed for iOS. That was a good introduction, and it allowed us to build a working partnership. There was no iOS version to work for on the two most recent apps. We had to get used to working in a more agile way. We show them the designs and functionality that we need, then they work on getting those requirements into a stable app as quickly as possible.

How did you come to work with Experion?

Our general manager already had a relationship with their representative in Melbourne. I was introduced to him, and we built up a good rapport. I got a good understanding of what Experion offered, and I felt comfortable enough to try them for the initial project. They did a great job on that, and the rest is history.

How much have you invested with Experion?

We spend approximately AU$100,000 [$75,000].

What is the status of this engagement?

We started the work in August 2015, and it's completely ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or impact of the engagement?

The first app that Experion worked on has now become a very complex app. The other two apps they’ve developed are also complex in terms of functionality. We’re very satisfied with our relationship.

There were initial bumps in the road, but we’ve now got a stable team at Experion. They are creating stable apps that are being used by a large part of the Australian transport industry. They should be very proud of what they’ve achieved. Our aim is to take over much more of the market space in Australia and New Zealand. Without those apps, we would be behind the game in terms of our competitors. The apps are putting us ahead of them in most cases.

How did Experion perform from a project management standpoint?

They are very proactive in terms of providing project plans and regular updates. The team is great at sticking to scope and budget. They’re good at providing releases by deadlines but can be slow at fixing up problems found during UAT [user acceptance testing].

What did you find most impressive about Experion?

They’re able to ramp up when required and to understand complex business requirements and turn those into extremely professional and intuitive mobile apps. Experion is a great extension to our development team, saving us from having to recruit and manage developers with completely different skill sets from our own.

Are there any areas Experion could improve?

There can be some communication problems, and they don’t always ask the right questions when they don’t understand a bug that needs to be fixed. This can result in some bug fixes taking longer than required. 

BACKGROUND

Please give me a brief description of your company.

iAquaSYS is a startup IT company developing an aquaculture management program for the aquaculture industry. The principals have extensive experience in aquaculture and some knowledge of IT. They have identified a need for a comprehensive program in this area.

What is your role at the company?

I am an Executive Director and one of three co-founders.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was the business challenge that you were trying to address with Experion Technologies?

We needed someone who could understand the operation of a food production sector, which is simple in application yet complex in interpretation of real time operational outcomes. In short, a good listener who is competent in the IT field.

What were your company’s business goals for the project?

We wanted to market our program to domestic and overseas producers, and provide analytical consultancy services through the web-based delivery of the program.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

Experion, in consultation with iAquaSYS, is designing, developing and managing the web-based program.

How did you come to work with Experion Technologies?

We approached their Melbourne office after hearing, through a colleague, of their efficiency in a project they had completed for them.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

The initial phase will cost around AUD 500,000 [USD 361,927.50].

What is the status of this engagement?

The initial components were started in 2015 and will be market ready by the end of 2016. The development of spin-offs and operation of the web-based elements are on-going.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

At this stage, the project is a work in progress, and all I can really say is that we’re on budget and meeting the set timetable. The entire project is based on Agile methodologies, sprint driven and providing visibility into all stages of the engagement.

How did Experion Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

Extremely well. We are totally satisfied with them at a professional and personal level.

What distinguishes Experion Technologies from other providers?

As a startup company, this is our first experience with an IT company at this level. All I can say is that the others would need to be pretty good to come up to Experion. Of course, you’re welcome to ask me this question again in 12 months’ time.

Is there anything Experion Technologies could have improved or done differently?

At this time, not really.

What advice would you give to a future client of theirs?

Don’t be frightened to go to Kerala [Experion headquarters, India] and deal with the project team personally. There’s a saying among program developers that, in India, you generally get what you asked for, but not always what you wanted. Our experience has been that this is probably due to a lack of real communication. Make the effort to meet your development team and get your message across. Talk in terms of outcomes, and the rest falls into place. As I said, the Experion people are good listeners. Kerala is India Lite. The food is great and English is spoken as a first language. They call it God’s Own Country, and they’re not far off the mark.