Flat Rock Technology

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

We just launched a couple of weeks ago, so it’s too early to speak to the success of Flat Rock’s work. However, throughout the project, they’ve delivered everything we’ve asked for. They’ve gone about the project extremely professionally and iterated very quickly. 

How did Flat Rock Technology perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicate almost entirely through email. On their end, they use ticketing systems and other project management tools on their end. On my end, I typically take screenshots of what I’m working on and send it to them through PowerPoint with comments and requests, which they deal with accordingly.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Flat Rock’s ability to grasp what we want to do and implement it quickly is really impressive. It was a rather complex piece of software, and trying to explain it in written form has been complicated. Very rarely has the team misunderstood what we’re trying to achieve. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing that comes to mind. Any mistakes we’ve had in the project have been due to miscommunications on our side. They’ve responded well to any changes in direction throughout the entire collaboration.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Go and visit them if you can. A lot of what we’re doing is highly detailed and needs a lot of interaction, so it will be helpful.

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

Flat Rock has definitely done a lot of the heavy lifting for the project. They’ve offered very professional services. We’re satisfied with the overall quality of their services. 

How did Flat Rock Technology perform from a project management standpoint?

They know what they’re doing when it comes to project management. They’re smooth and professional, always giving us quick responses. They’re a team of creative thinkers who like to think outside the box.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Flat Rock takes us very seriously as a customer. They make themselves available to us, which is something we don’t always get from other providers. It’s been a great relationship.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They’re always improving on their technical skills. Our engagement has been really smooth so far.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It’s really important to have a locked-in PRD. Know how your UI is going to be laid out. Also, understand that there will be a lot of surprises that neither you nor Flat Rock will be able to predict, and be prepared to be flexible, patient, and understanding with those additional hours.

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

They delivered everything as we expected. We use Google Analytics to track the app's success. Using the admin facility Flat Rocks Technology. Built for us, we’re able to monitor the number of policies uploaded, users, and the number of quotes we received.

How did Flat Rock Technology perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project lead did a very good job bridging the gap between their developers and our team. Many of their teammates were based abroad, but communication wasn’t an issue. They were constantly in contact with us, and they spoke very good English. Sometimes they weren’t available on national holidays that we don’t celebrate, but overall, they were very helpful.

What did you find most impressive about them?

 I was impressed by their experience and ability to come up with innovative ideas.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Although our communication was very solid, I wish they had a local office where we could meet face-to-face.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

We’ve learned that it’s easier when you’ve already scoped out your work properly. Decide what you want to do before your engagement starts and provide your project requirements up front.

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

We have development cycles that end with a feedback and review section during a site visit. Flat Rock Technology gives us all the mechanisms and safety nets we need at the end of a phase to ensure the quality of the outcome. Even if something doesn't work quite right—as we would expect with any technology development—the team is always there to rectify it. We only came across this once, and they addressed those issues reasonably quickly.
 
We have a scoping session for every phase with Roussi and everyone else relevant to the job. We will outline the project and receive from them a timeline and a project plan that breaks down all the dates and what will happen at each stage. We can then evaluate our status within the project as well as add and subtract things. As we get closer to the end of the phase, there will be some mechanism of review and summarization before we move into the next stage.  
 
We’re now at the end of phase three, and we’ve already gone through a couple of very long phases. It’s worked very well for us.
 
How did Flat Rock perform from a project management standpoint?

In our development cycles, we utilize target dates, but they are very much dependent on client information. Once that information is there, however, it’ll usually only take us a week to meet all the targets required. It’s crucial for us to meet the deadlines that we communicate to our clients and ensure that they see the results we promise. 

Flat Rock Technology is highly aware of the importance of meeting our targets, and we haven’t missed any so far. We’ve shifted some deadlines between us because of factors out of our control, but Flat Rock Technology is generally exceptionally well managed.
 
We use Jira for the project outline and timeline, and we mainly communicate over the phone, Skype, and video conferencing. We also have face-to-face meetings once every two months or so. It’s always easier to go through the details and address the issues that may come up when we’re in front of someone. After that point, we’ll use email as the main line of communication between our teams.
 
What did you find most impressive about them?

Flat Rock Technology has various departments with different capabilities. The best thing is to work with someone who has access to each department and can delegate the work within the timeframe and scope. We don’t have to get involved with the work; we just see the end products.
 
Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think so. Ever since we started working with Flat Rock Technology, we knew what their capabilities were and what they could do for us. There have been no surprises or disappointments during our three-year relationship.

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

Flat Rock delivered a scalable system that we hope to update in the future.

How did Flat Rock Technology perform from a project management standpoint?

There was a short period of time when our project manager had to return to Bulgaria, but that didn’t affect his responsiveness. He still got back to us within the same day. When he couldn’t give an answer, he would offer a detailed timeline to let us know that someone was dealing with the issue.

Now that the product is finished, our resource is somewhat less responsive, because most of our requests are less urgent. When we do have an important fix to make, they’ll typically get back to us that same day. Quite often, they can make small fixes within a couple of hours. They’re good about managing the time difference.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’ve loved their can-do attitude and refreshing approach. Our previous provider could no longer offer support or a plan to deal with concerns that mattered to us. It got to the point where we could tell that it was a hassle to deal with us when we had an issue, particularly as we eventually found out they had no backup or record of the product’s code.

There were certain tasks that we couldn’t evaluate the complexity of because we didn’t have a background in IT. Despite this, Flat Rock handled every request in the same way. In other words, they never belittled our requests and were transparent with us if they felt that some tasks were relatively small or unimportant.

From what I gather, Flat Rock is still small enough that the people at the top are involved in most of their projects. Chris (CFO, Flat Rock Technology) is still copied on our correspondence, and this shows me that he’s committed to staying informed. They seem to be quite a cohesive company.

Aside from being a cohesive firm, Flat Rock was very flexible and accommodating. With my colleague and I, it was important that both of us could work from the office and at home, and Flat Rock was flexible around that. Also, our project manager was always reasonable in trying to get at what we wanted.

We needed to clarify some things with our project manager during the warranty period, and there was a bit of back and forth about what had been included with the original estimate. There were some instances where we had different perceptions about how things should be set up, and we struggled to communicate our concerns from an IT point of view. On the occasions when we were adamant about specific changes, they were accommodating. Our project manager and his team were understanding and open to negotiations.

Similarly, they were quite understanding about renegotiating our monthly maintenance. We were able to structure it so that we could pay quarterly or at six-month intervals. They’re a good company to work with from a maintenance perspective. Their post-production support is as good as the actual work, and that’s been quite important for us. Most companies don’t bother with maintenance after they’ve received their payment.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Ideally, we would’ve wanted to have a maintenance person that had been involved in the development, but the resource that we got was sufficiently updated regarding the work.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

It depends on the size of the company, but, if they have the time, it’s definitely worth it to have a face-to-face meeting, even just to present the requirements and to set up the workflow.

It’s important to get a feel for the project manager. Depending on the project, there can be a lot of things that Flat Rock can help with, and it’s a lot easier to get those things right from the beginning. That way, when you have an estimate drawn up, the actual desired outcomes will be made clear.

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

They have several developers on their team which allows us to both upscale and work at a faster pace than we could with our in-house developers. The development phase has thereby been shorter for us since we are less dependent on one person. We have a team at our disposal and their range of different skills make it possible for us to do things we couldn’t do before.

How did Flat Rock Technology perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicate with them several times a day. We set up all of the tasks with their own message boards through which we can communicate. We chat and have regular meetings via conference call to go through tasks and prioritize them.

They’re quick to respond and willing to help in any way they can. Sometimes we would like them to be quicker in delivering on project tasks. It’s hard for me, without programming skills, to understand how many hours some projects take. I would like them to work faster but it’s simply not possible.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I haven't had much experience with other companies to compare with. I can say that, compared to what we could do before with in-house programmers, this works much better because we are less dependent on one person.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I'm sure there are but nothing comes to mind at the moment.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Organize your projects into small tasks so that it's easier to estimate time requirements and set goals with timelines. It will be easier for them to understand what you want and the projects will be more transparent.

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

They worked quickly and efficiently. They produced some very effective technology, and I'm happy with the results.

How did Flat Rock Technology perform from a project management standpoint?

The process was very smooth, and they sent us weekly updates. I've been in business for 20 years, and they're the best team I've worked with.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I can't really compare them. I've mentioned everything above.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can't think of anything. From my experience, they're spot-on.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be very clear about what you want to achieve and how you want to get there. Since I was the only one designing the system, it was easy to maintain clear communication, which made things so much smoother for everyone.

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

We run a successful e-learning and e-commerce website thanks to their work. Industry colleagues and partners have given the site positive feedback. It has run smoothly for over five years with only minor updates and fixes, which Flatrock Technology has executed without disturbing our day-to-day sales and business operations. More importantly, we sleep calmly at night knowing they always have our back.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Their project management is impressive. They do a fantastic job meeting our needs and managing the work internally. No other service provider is so patient and wonderful. We have direct access to our project manager and their team, who always help in a timely manner. Flatrock Technology treats every urgent situation as a priority and solves them in the blink of an eye. 

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They're the most reliable, knowledgeable team of experts I've ever encountered. They're also humble, which makes them an absolute pleasure to work with. They explain the technical aspects of their decisions patiently, and we always work out a reasonable solution together.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

Life is a learning journey for all, and they're professionals who continuously learn, reflect, and improve. All I want is for their team to stay at the forefront of the services they offer.

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

They delivered everything we had requested on time and on budget. We're very happy with the results.

How did they perform from a project management standpoint?

Our dedicated project manager did a great job, so I didn't have to be involved in too many details. We usually used email and phone to communicate, and they also provided us with weekly reports. If we had any issues during the testing phase, they addressed them quickly.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Being a small company, they're very cost-effective and able to give one-on-one attention to their clients. Also, their technical team is very competent. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

They didn't keep any documentation from the time they developed the original tool, so they had to train their team internally to understand the software. It was more of an internal issue for them, so they didn't charge us for that.

Also, their team is quite small, so there was only one person who interacted with us. We were OK with that, but I was concerned there could be a problem if that person got sick.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They're very competent and do an excellent job. They were very focused on meeting our needs and delivering everything on time.

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

Our initial objective of eliminating the manual input of sales orders into our ERP system was met, which enabled our sales team of ten members to take on other tasks. By opening up new channels, we have increased our sales revenue opportunities exponentially.

How did Flat Rock Technology perform from a project management standpoint?

A few times there has been a bit of a language barrier, but the project manager has always been able to act as a good liaison between the teams. Ultimately, that has helped us because it has forced us to be more descriptive about our goals and requirements. The project manager either comes directly to our office, or speaks with us over Skype, and we speak on an at least weekly basis.

Any time that they won’t meet a deadline, they approach us instead of waiting for us to ask, and always try to resolve hurdles in the best possible way. I’ve been very happy with them as a supplier and with their project management.

What did you find most impressive about them?

There are several things that impress me about them. On the management side, they are good at setting expectations—specifically when it comes to timelines—and either meeting or exceeding them. Additionally, they consistently deliver high-quality code. I think that is what separates them from their competition. There is a high degree of professionalism in the team, and they always go the extra mile to complete a task.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I have high expectations of being up to date on the project’s progress—ideally I would have real-time feedback—and Flat Rock Technology didn’t always meet those expectations from the administration side. I would have liked to be able to log on at any time to see what ticket the developer was working on, and my only criticism is that they were a bit slower than I would have like with updating that documentation.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I would suggest establishing a structure for the working arrangement at the start of the project. Setting up standards that benefit you and the project overall will ensure the success of the engagement. I have full confidence that Flat Rock Technology will meet or exceed expectations as long as clients detail them ahead of time.

I would also say that their team is skilled and talented, so it’s worth it to invest in a technical manager and a QA tester, and really listen to their advice on timelines and updates.