EY Design Studio

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the VP of Information Management and Information Technology and the Chief Information Officer at First Nations Health Authority (FNHA). The FNHA is the health and wellness partner to over 200 diverse First Nations communities and citizens across British Columbia.

FNHA works to reform the way healthcare is delivered to BC First Nations through direct services and collaboration with provincial and national partners.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire FreshWorks Studio?

When the First Nations Health Authority (FNHA) was trying to decide how to best support their communities during the COVID-19 pandemic, one thing became clear quickly; we needed to be able to share critical information as quickly and effectively as possible with its community.

Useful information was being lost in a media storm and FNHA knew that they needed to establish a way to ensure their key messages would be heard among a wave of communications. FNHA selected FreshWorks to develop this healthcare app.

What were your goals for this project?

FNHA was challenged to successfully deliver key information and messages important to the health and wellness of its served communities. Finding a way to share information with the First Nations community that would be actioned was very challenging, but developing this capability extremely quickly was a key objective.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

FNHA completed an assessment of Mobile App Developers currently working with the BC Ministry of Health to determine which vendor could best meet FNHA's entire set of functional, non-functional, schedule and budget requirements.

Describe the project in detail.

The FNHA Mobile App supported effective access to FNHA's website, notification management, and regional specific information. The App will provide a foundation for future health and wellness service delivery to BC First Nations.

What was the team composition?

The team was comprised of the FreshWorks Project Management, Development, UX, Architecture, Testing, and Release Management staff. FNHA team members represented Communications, Public Affairs, Core Technology, Project Management, and Business Analysis in consultation with FNHA Regional Representatives.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Within 4 weeks of the launch of the FNHA Mobile App, we saw over 500 downloads. In addition, the second release augmented notification management and improved the overall user experience. Internal demand for future expansion of the FNHA Mobile App features is increasing.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The project managers from FNHA and FreshWorks collaborated extremely well to ensure that key project milestones, deliverables, acceptance criteria, and issues were effectively managed to support a successful launch.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

FreshWorks was extremely proactive from the outset as they responded to the vendor selection process, provided rapid prototyping, and sought feedback on a continuous basis to ensure alignment and FNHA customer satisfaction.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Overall, FNHA was very satisfied with the results of this project. Ongoing support and collaboration will ensure that this App continues to meet the needs of our important BC First Nations clients.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of the Canadian Mental Health Association — BC Division in British Colombia (BC). We provide education and training around mental health as well as direct service. We have a range of programs that promotes mental health and early interventions and prevents mental health problems. Additionally, we participate in a number of public policy and advocacy activities focused on mental health and substance use in BC.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with FreshWorks Studio?

We’ve engaged them in a number of ways this past year. Most recently, we had to build a responsive online presence in light of some investments being provided to us to respond to COVID-19 and its mental health implications. We had a tight timeline to set up two brand new online presences to help the public understand the service we were starting to provide. The sites had to have clean, helpful, warm, and welcoming UIs.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

One of the challenges was grappling with our existing web infrastructure, which was a bit dated. They were able to jerry-rig something very professionally. One of the features we needed in both those spaces was accessibility. End-users coming to the webspace may or may not be in distress or overwhelmed. Another key piece we wanted in both sites was for them to be as dynamic as possible to drive a high retention rate. If people came back after viewing content the first time they’d see shift and change. FreshWorks Studio was able to build those features into the sites.

What is the team composition?

We had a team of 5–6, I believe. I deal directly with Sam (CEO), who’s brilliant. On occasion, I deal with Shaun (VP of Operations), but for this particular engagement I didn’t. One of their senior sales development team members worked on this project as well, in addition to some of their backend development coding staff.

How did you come to work with FreshWorks Studio?

I’d known about FreshWorks through a number of roles. First, I came across their work through another mental health partner. Since then, we’ve built a steady relationship based on the impressive work in their overarching portfolio. One standout feature of their approach is their ethics as a company in supporting corporate and nonprofit clients. As a nonprofit, we don’t have boundless amounts of money to spend on technological investments like websites or apps and they’ve very, very sensitive and responsive to that. I also appreciate that they’re a locally grown company with real reputational capital here and beyond, in their work in the greater province. They really care about the customers they’re serving and the end-users.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since May 2019. Currently, we’re exploring some other opportunities around mobile-enabled connectivity supporting virtual counseling but we’re not off the ground on that yet.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our team is very happy. A number of stakeholders have signaled how beautiful the site is. One website is for caregivers, and we’ve had about 10,000 visitors to that space in the first week. Partners and funders have indicated that the sites are warm and evoke emotion, that it feels like a safe harbor — one of the goals we try to achieve in our organization.

How did FreshWorks Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

We had weekly Zoom interactions on the senior level, as well as email and phone calls between our teams. They managed the project well through Google.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I have to adhere to a lot of procurement protocols but I have the utmost trust in Sam as the CEO of FreshWorks and in his team because of the good communication, transparency, and accountability in the business requirements, scoping, and billing. My sense of excellence and perfection flows through the blood of the firm.

Even when timelines are tight, there’s real commitment. For this last project, we had a government announcement coming and had 72 hours to create a credible website. They built the midnight oil and stopped at nothing to deliver on time. Lots of eyes were going to be on the website and they produced a great front-facing page that looked fantastic.

The cherry on top is how much they care. It’s clear from their work that they care fundamentally about the user experience, especially given our focus on mental health and substance use. Their portfolio is full of projects that help people with disabilities or difficult situations like divorce. Not every web or app firm has those end-users in mind as they do.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I think they’re doing great. They’re becoming a bigger player, so as they sit within complex systems like HealthTech I would advise them to hang on to their roots, the qualities and attributes you developed as a smaller firm. I’m not worried about this happening to them, but companies can lose their organic foundation as they bid for rapid expansion. It’s their compassionate, thoughtful, and ingenious work that sets them apart.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be really clear about what you need. We got excellent work within a very tight timeframe. The more lead time you have the more beautiful the work because you’ll be able to extract all the juice from their team. We’ve just had to fly by the seat of our pants.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the COO of an electronic manufacturing company that serves the aviation and aerospace industry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Freshworks Studio?

We’ve introduced Bluetooth to our tools, and that requires a mobile app for our customers. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We offer a tool used to manufacture aircraft, which requires a technician to be in awkward locations. Bluetooth allows a technician to get results onto some sort of device, like a small tablet. The app listens to our instruments and records the results of measurements taken. It has other functions as well, such as saving, exporting, viewing a history of results, and some degree of communication with instrument. 

The app is built specifically for Android. None of our customers use iOS in their facilities, but one customer asked for a windows version, which we’re considering down the road.

The app isn’t entirely complete because we were going to a trade show and wanted a version of the app that could run on a giant screen. Freshworks Studio made modifications for the show while halting the final version.

What is the team composition?

I mostly dealt with a project manager at a high level. My technical guy met with their technical guy to show them hardware and work out those details. Our office then handled testing. 

How did you come to work with Freshworks Studio?

I went through reviews of local app developers and reached out to a couple depending on their budgets and how I felt about them. 

How much have you invested with them?

We set a budget of $30,000 and came in several thousand under. 

What is the status of this engagement?

The project ran for four weeks from January to February 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

This industry doesn’t do things rapidly; they believe in slow change and proven products. So, at the show, our customers were impressed by the app’s ability to use numbers so we could show off its accuracy. It also opened up a conversation about what else can be done do with the product. Customers are already figuring out ways to integrate it into network on their own. 

Not only will the app speed up the manufacturing process and improve its QA, but the design is also clear, simple, and well-thought-out. It shows all the information that a user needs to know and is customizable to each user’s needs. 

The project is on hold for 8–10 weeks because we’re each doing additional work right now. We plan to finish up with Freshworks Studio. They’ve gotten the barebones done; what’s left is aesthetic work and technical work on our side. 

How did Freshworks Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

It was almost entirely remote; we did conference calling and never met with in-person. However, some degree of hands-on work was needed. Freshworks Studio would upload the app, and then I’d load it on tablet and run it from there. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Freshworks Studio was very straightforward and upfront, making them easy to talk to. They have the right expertise to execute a project even in an industry they’re unfamiliar with. In fact, they took what we talked about in the first meeting and came back with a clear vision and perfect initial mockup before we even filled in the technical side. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything, it went really well. It was a great experience and it gave us a good deal of confidence. We’ll definitely continue with Freshworks Studio. 

Any advice for potential customers?

Have some degree of purpose and vision before you start the project. Figure our what you’re looking for in the final product. We didn’t know a lot about Bluetooth, but we knew what we wanted the app to do and look like.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of a women’s friendship platform.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Freshworks Studio?

We contracted with their team to build a web application for our platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Freshworks Studio built a web application for us. We came to them with wireframes, and they were able to take those and build all of the features we wanted. We soft-launched in October 2019, and will soon be looking to start work with them on a mobile version of our product.

The app allows women to be intentional and proactive about forming new platonic friendships. It allows members to create profiles, see and send invitations to other people, and organize group or one-on-one get-togethers all through the platform.

What is the team composition?

We work with a couple members of their team, including one person who is running our marketing operations, and another who is both a developer and the main project manager for the engagement.

How did you come to work with Freshworks Studio?

We actually found them through Clutch. We put the project out to bid at a number of companies, and really liked the Freshworks Studio approach to our project. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $80,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The development of the web application ran from September 2018–September 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

All through the engagement, from start to finish, we’ve felt that they were as invested in our success as we were. We launched pretty recently, and they have been alongside us every step of the way. When the app first went up, there were some aspects of the user experience that didn’t work as well as we had expected, and they were able to work on a small change order and turn those around quickly. 

They’ve also been proactive in reaching out and wanting to help with our marketing and publicity efforts. They will put our story in their newsletter and on Instagram, for example, and will assist in putting me in contact with some of their press contacts on the West Coast. I’m very happy with the effort they’ve put into the project.

How did Freshworks Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

The project manager and I had a standing Zoom call every week and also communicated over email and Slack very regularly. He demonstrated an investment in getting things right that was far more genuine than I’ve experienced with a third-party vendor before. The whole Freshworks Studio team was completely dedicated to helping us succeed.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their level of engagement is truly on point. They’ve been true partners.  Communicative and consultative - it’s not just taking instructions and executing them; it’s coming up with ideas and providing feedback. Their team is in the trenches with us and because of it, we have been very successful in getting things right the first time, with minimal surprises.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I almost wish I had some recommendations for them, but I don’t. They do a great job.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

The more work you put into keeping constant communication flowing between your teams, the better your project will flow. It’s definitely in your best interest to have that channel wide open.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the director of the Next Generation Network with the BC Ministry of Education.

Part of our role is focused on technology. One service we provide is ensuring connectivity services to all of our school districts in the province. This means providing services such as the internet, security firewalls, and connectivity to just over 1,600 public schools. 

We do this through contact management and vendor management so that they can provide the services. This way, every student and educator has equitable access to the network and digital resources needed to fulfill the mandate of education.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with FreshWorks Studio?

It became difficult for our small team to manage such a large network. (We work with our vendor partners, contracts, and the school districts to be able to deliver the connectivity services.) 

We lacked the tools needed to effectively manage many of the business processes. These include service requests, service orders as well as the case, vendor, financial, and contact management. 

We were doing all of the key functions, but they were done in an inefficient manner. There were a lot of spreadsheets, and things were prone to errors. We wanted to reintroduce a CRM to our group.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

FreshWorks helped us implement a Microsoft Dynamics CRM. FreshWorks had the contract with the government. But, a subcontractor worked with them to deliver the service.

Our documents, spreadsheets, and data were all in different areas, and they did a bulk import of that information into the CRM. 

When FreshWorks first started, the first couple of weeks were spent going through the project initiation, pre-established use cases, and some of the business requirements. We also established the desired outcomes.

It was an agile project where they would do a chunk of code for us in sprints. At the end of each sprint, they would physically show us what they’d accomplished. There was a lot of iteration where they would go back to do some tweaks For each of the sprints, there were use cases where we were trying to deliver certain capabilities for our business process. 

What is the team composition?

They had a team of four to five people. We had one scrum master, two developers, an architect, and a UX designer. 

From the ministry, we provided one resource who became the product owner and the main liaison with FreshWorks.

How did you come to work with FreshWorks Studio?

It was strictly through our government procurement process. We had some respondents, and FreshWorks was one of them. We went through an interview, and they ended up winning the contract.

How much have you invested in them?

We spent between $250,000 to $500,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We had two separate engagements with FreshWorks, and each engagement lasted 8 to 10 weeks. We worked with them from January of 2019 to April of 2019. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve been able to start using the tool and incorporating it into our business process. There have been several wins. We’ve been able to implement business processes more effectively.

For example, we’ve consolidated a lot of our data into a single platform, and FreshWorks helped us by developing workflows. They also built dashboards and some basic reporting tools that allow us to get information more quickly and deliver services more proficiently. 

There’ve been some roadblocks due to government policy as it relates to information security. A task about automating the creation of accounts created an issue with our government security organization.

However, FlashWorks did find a way around it. So, we can still use the tool in our process, just maybe not to the level of efficiency that we would like. But, it’s something we can improve down the road when we can break some of those security barriers.

How did FreshWorks Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

We had a fairly positive experience with the agile process as it was relatively new for our group. When it comes to the quality of the product as well as the delivery of the product, it worked out really, really well.

They worked very closely with our team, holding daily stand-ups. They clearly communicated their plans, and unless there was a setback because of the environment, they delivered what they said they would. 

We learned that when we engage in this type of project, we need to be prepared to lose a staff member who is dedicated as a product owner. This puts a little bit of pressure on other areas of our operation. 

By the end of the first engagement with them, they had a pretty solid understanding of our business. They were able to map out our business process, create the workflows, and implement those workflows into the CRM.

They were using our jargon and lexicon. They really quickly understood our business dynamic, almost to the point where I could have hired any of them to run some of our process.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were very accommodating, flexible, and adaptable. There was a lot of remote work because we had limited space, but they traveled to our site at the end of sprints and for presentations. When a change was needed at the end of a sprint, they would make those small adjustments right away.

They provided training long after the contract was terminated. They didn’t just walk away from the product. They were more than willing to answer questions and make changes even after the contract was completed. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

There are things that could have been improved, but I’m not sure if FreshWorks could have one anything better. They were dealing with a government project, so they were subjected to the government’s rules, procedures, and policies. There isn’t much that they could have done when it came to that.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Try to be prepared from a work environment perspective. In the government, it took some time to create a cloud environment for the CRM.

Although that part took some time, FreshWorks wasn’t going to hold off. They have their own Microsoft Dynamics environment in their own space, and they started development without any data. As we were trying to get things resolved, they were still already working on a solution for us. 

For anyone taking on a project, make sure that you are ready for the contractor to show up. Make sure they have the proper access and space to work. That way, they can really hit the ground running and there is no waste of time.
 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a government ministry that works in the natural resource sector. We manage information, particularly related to mining. I'm a product portfolio manager and director of digital services.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with FreshWorks Studio?

We wanted to consolidate disparate information into an accessible solution that allowed us to make meaningful oversight decisions.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They did a lot of work on a front-facing web platform with a significant Python backend. The project had a robust data analytics piece and was heavily focused on automated testing. We used open-source software, and all the pieces are available on GitHub. Using those existing pieces allows us to collaborate with other teams. Nothing was proprietary, but they had access to our whole code set, which is predominantly Python and Angular.

What is the team composition?

From their side, we worked with four developers, an architect, and a QA specialist. They were embedded in our team and worked with other vendors and our internal members.

How did you come to work with FreshWorks Studio?

We went through an online procurement model to find them. FreshWorks worked through that model and we ultimately chose them.

How much have you invested with them?

The total investment for their services was about $1.2 million.

What is the status of this engagement?

They worked with us from July 2018-September 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They played a huge role in automated testing and quality assurance. They set the precedent for quality code, and our user-friendly design largely comes from FreshWorks' input. Their development capabilities are strong.

How did FreshWorks Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

We used a scaled, agile approach. The project was complex, but they worked well within our culture and environment. They never let team boundaries get in the way, and they completely engaged in the system and the process. Our product owner was on-site every day, and I stitched everything together. We used Jira for project management, and we worked together through two-week scrums and reviews.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They're partner-focused, and they build strong relationships. We never worked within this kind of partnership model, so their communication was very valuable. They were always connected and transparent, and we always knew what was going on.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They improved over the course of a 14-month project. The team started out fairly junior, but they were very valuable to us by the end.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Lay everything out and be clear about your expectations, especially in an iterative project. As long as you keep the relationship open, you'll be well in hand.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm a partner manager on the Ecosystem team at Hootsuite. Hootsuite is a social media management platform that allows users to manage all of their social media networks from one central dashboard. My role involves fostering Hootsuite's open ecosystem through apps and integrations to scale our business faster than we could on our own; ultimately helping customers large and small grow their brand, business and customer relationships with social.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with FreshWorks Studio?

Needed a solution that enabled Hootsuite users to manage their search (and social) presence, promoting company updates through posts and customer engagement to their Google business profiles all from the same platform. We successfully partnered with FreshWorks building an integration between Google My Business and Hootsuite to achieve just that.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

FreshWorks Studio helped us integrate our platform with Google My Business leveraging both Hootsuite and Google My Business public API for, with a lot of the work being done in JavaScript.

Customers Google My Business data is displayed in the Hootsuite dashboard. We brought together a lot of the technology that we have in-house and FreshWorks Studio's expertise in designing and building web applications. 

The integration enables users to manage both their search and social presence in the same platform. It also enables local business managers to manage & promote their company business profiles online visible in Google Search & Maps results. 

What is the team composition? 

Team structure included a project manager, UI designers, one frontend developer, one backend developer, and one tester.

How did you come to work with FreshWorks Studio?

I found FreshWorks Studio on Clutch. I liked their company profile, what they were about and their approach to solving problems.

What is the status of this engagement? 

We worked with FreshWorks Studio between March–June 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They have a very skilled team that was dedicated to our success. The integration that they put together was adopted by many users within the last four months. There were very few bugs or issues, and FreshWorks Studio was always highly responsive and resolved them as soon as possible.  They delivered a high-quality product, and we'd work with them again on future projects. 

How did FreshWorks Studio perform from a project management standpoint? 

They stayed within the budget and executed everything according to the plan, with minimal deviation from what we agreed on.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They're very proactive and do good work. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Not really. They're a growing company, so I hope they don't let the expansion impact the quality of their work. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They're very collaborative, so stay engaged throughout the process and work closely with their team. They've definitely proven their worth and their quality. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there. 

I'm the VP of technology and innovation for Prenuvo. We do preventive MRI imaging. Our high-level pitch is we want to be the dentist for the rest of your body.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with FreshWorks Studio? 

Traditional radiology suffers from legacy IT infrastructure and old ways of doing things. Patients want to have access to their medical information and be able to freely share it as needed. FreshWorks Studio helped us develop a mobile app that enables patients to get their health information and distribute it to whomever they choose.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement? 

FreshWorks Studio developed and designed the frontend of our app. We worked closely on the project together as our in-house team led the backend development. They developed native mobile apps for both iOS and Android. The backend provides the APIs that they use to get the data and display it to the user. 

One of the key features of the app is a secure login. We're dealing with health information so security is obviously a top priority. The app uses multi-factor identification and authentication methods, such as fingerprint authentication or a secure passcode. The app also presents medical information in a way that's easy for patients to visualize, understand, and contextualize. The medical industry it's full of jargon. We made sure that the app is educational and the information is organized in such a way that it's very easy to understand. Not only do we show for what's wrong with that person, but we also use color-coding to emphasize what's working well. 

What is the team composition? 

The core team was four people. We had a project manager, an Android developer, an iOS developer, and a QA lead. 

How did you come to work with FreshWorks Studio? 

We found them through a Google search. As a young company that’s moving quickly, it was important to us that the people we're working with are in the same time zone. While we’re not in the same city, we liked that FreshWorks Studio is in Victoria. There was also a question of which technologies to use. We didn’t know if React Native could handle the technical load of so many images. They had a lot of experience in native mobile app development. They were quite motivated and willing to take on the challenge, which convinced us that they were the right choice.  

What is the status of this engagement? 

The project took place from August 2018–March 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We're not sharing the mobile yet with every customer. We're only showing it to VIPs and select people that we ask to try it out. 

How did FreshWorks Studio perform from a project management standpoint? 

FreshWorks Studio performed quite well. Their communication was amazing. They integrated directly into our Slack. We were in frequent communication throughout the collaboration. Our backend developers worked closely with their frontend developers. We had to weigh in and stay engaged, so that meant daily—or sometimes hourly—updates. They were very responsive. 

The communication aspect was so important because we move so fast. We can't afford any delay between making a request and actually getting a response back. Even small delays can add up as the impact is multiplied. We had a really good experience working with FreshWorks Studio. They provided updates at the sprints and whenever there was a major release. There were also in-between updates. They did a lot of QA testing. Every task was assigned to a person and they got back to us quickly. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

FreshWorks Studio took full ownership of making the project a success. They were willing to work with me after hours to ensure we were confident before a demo. That's actually really important because it's hard to test for when selecting a company. 

Are there any areas they could improve? 

Their invoicing could have been better. For example, we were quoted one additional hour of developer time. By the time they put in the overhead, we were billed 2–3 times the quoted amount. They weren't trying to hide the costs, but it wasn't communicated effectively. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

When we were still deciding whether or not to hire FreshWorks Studio, their CEO hosted a video call and showed me a tour of their office. It might sound silly but it had a significant impact on determining if we should work with an offshore team or pay more for a local developer. It helped me see them as a legitimate company with real people diligently working in an office.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m starting up a tourism-based booking app for extreme sports called ROVE. It’s a one-man show at the moment.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Freshworks Studios?

I needed help in creating the design and function of my app and establishing its user stories.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Starting from the base, Freshworks Studio and I discussed the goal of the app, as well as the designs and features that I envisioned for it. This took place over a handful of meetings in their local office, and was a process that took up a large fraction of the timespan. After we hashed out the details of what we wanted, Freshworks Studio began creating the design for the app with the remainder of my budget.

What is the team composition?

I first met with Sam (CEO, Freshworks Studio.) I then worked with one main designer, a project manager, and a couple of others who helped with the storytelling aspect of the app. They have a lot of team members but they’re very closely-knit.

How did you come to work with Freshworks Studios?

I found Freshworks Studios through searching online and asking friends who are in the app development industry. After doing some research on different companies and looking at their past projects, I decided to go with Freshworks Studios because I really liked their designs.

How much have you invested with them?

I spent close to $30,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

The project went from November 2018–May 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They did great work. They did a really good job laying the design foundations for the app. I went over the budget a little bit because I didn't realize how expensive the work would be, and I was still figuring out exactly where I wanted to go with the app. But it was the proper work that needed to be done. 

How did Freshworks Studios perform from a project management standpoint?

It was always really good communication. Even though there are a lot of team members, they all know what’s going on. It was so nice because there was always someone that I could talk to about anything, at all times. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I thought it was a really good crew of people. They’re such friendly people to work with, and their design work is also extremely diverse. Freshworks Studio’s ability to cater to different demands really makes them stand out from other companies. I think that’s what’s delightful about them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It’s hard to say since I’m just a one-person company, and I was totally new to app development. I think it would've really helped if they had been explained exactly how the process would look from start to finish (e.g., timeframe, budget). Likewise, if I were able to communicate exactly what was needed, then they probably could have made it work.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be really clear about what you want, and then they’ll be very helpful. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of quality assurance for A Place for Mom. We provide a free service that helps families find tailored care situations for loved ones.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with FreshWorks Studio?

We were looking to revamp our website in Canada. We lacked the resources and bandwidth to manage our current site, and we wanted to upgrade it to a new stack and template that we’d then use for the rest of our site.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

FreshWorks Studio updated the site and migrated it to our updated tech stack using React and Node.js. We had created a new continuous integration and delivery (CI/CD) pipeline, and their team was the first to use this stack. They created a new viewer with multiple views to showcase images of our partner communities. There is also a destination page that lists communities within designated areas specified by users through search criteria. Lastly, FreshWorks Studio implemented SEO and search engine marketing (SEM).

What is the team composition?

We worked with Rachit (Web Development and Project Management, FreshWorks Studio) who served as our TPM. We also had a scrum master, a few quality assurance engineers, and four software developers. The team consisted of a few senior people and other members as well.

How did you come to work with FreshWorks Studio?

I wasn’t involved in the decision to hire them. Our senior director of engineer and our CTO was looking for a team for this project, and they found FreshWorks Studio through Clutch.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together on the initial project from August 2018–April 2019. FreshWorks Studio still provides ongoing work in other areas.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve held off on fully launching and publicizing the site because we decided to include more features. We can’t fully judge the impact yet until we start moving traffic to the site, but we’re thrilled with FreshWorks Studio.  The team helped us through scrum processes—which are still new to our organization—and picking tools and procedures to use. They were open to what we wanted to do; we never received pushback on our requests. I’ve worked with several remote teams, and FreshWorks Studio is one of the easiest to work with.

How did FreshWorks Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

We sometimes visited FreshWorks Studio for face-to-face visits, but we primarily communicated using Slack or video-conference calls. Their TPM consistently shared progress updates with us and raised any issues that came up. Since their team was the first to use our new CI/CD pipeline, we had to work out many obstacles, and they were very patient with us.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Disciplined and organized, the team brought the project in on time and within budget. They delivered high-quality web development work and built the template we plan to use on other sites. Our executive is very happy with their work, which has led to our continued partnership.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Nothing comes to mind. FreshWorks Studio was effortless to work with compared to past experiences with other remote teams. Their communication and planning were excellent, and the project ultimately came in on time and within budget—a hard feat for an internal team to achieve, let alone an external organization.

Any advice for potential customers?

As with any contractor, have solid requirements and a firm idea of what you want them to build. FreshWorks Studio is highly innovative; they can help think of new ideas and suggest different ways to do things. However, it’s much easier to build a schedule and set of expectations around a fully-formed concept rather than a vague outline.