Flowmatters

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder and CEO of Get Set Clean. We’re an online platform that offers cleaning services across the UK.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Flowmatters?

We started as a standard cleaning company. In 2012, we decided to go digital to keep up with the times. We needed someone to build our platform for us so that we could offer our services online.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Flowmatters developed our eCommerce platform from scratch. Before, we only had a rudimentary landing page, but now we have a proper platform accompanied by iOS/Android apps. From front- to backend, they took our ideas and actualized them utilizing PHP and SQL.

They linked our apps to our server via an API and integrated payment options into both the web and mobile platforms. These are now endowed with several functionalities; for instance, our apps give feedback about cleaning status, in real-time. A user is also able to see when a cleaner is on their way.

What is the team composition?

While development is still underway, we started with four people. Because we’re scaling the platform and develop it on a weekly basis, there are currently 6–7 programmers working on it. Over the course of the project, we’ve had 3–4 project managers.

How did you come to work with Flowmatters?

I heard about them from a friend. I flew to Romania, from London, to meet with them, because I felt that I needed to see them in person. It’s a big project, with lots at stake. I was pleasantly surprised by how professional they were. We’ve been working together for several years and have big plans together.

How much have you invested in them?

We've invested just over $250,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them in February 2014, and the work is still ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our business has quadrupled since we first engaged them. Without the technology they've provided, we wouldn’t know where we’d be. We definitely would not have seen that level of business growth.

The quality of their work is excellent, and we haven’t run into any problems. We had a few concerns regarding the API and the payment integration, but their team resolved all issues immediately. I can speak to the high quality of their deliveries.

How did Flowmatters perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve been good, so far. Communication has been smooth; along with standard email, we also use Trello to communicate. When that gets too complicated, we just hold a Skype conference call.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re professionals, and I’m very satisfied with their work. They’re neither the cheapest nor the most expensive vendor out there, but their price is right for the quality of their work.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can’t fault them with anything.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It’d be helpful to have an exact idea of what you’re looking for. I’m not an IT person and didn’t know what to ask of them, but it wasn’t an issue because they provided me with lots of ideas.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a financial services company based in Geneva. We cater to banks and other financial institutions, we research emerging markets, and we offer investment solutions on financial markets and the stock exchange. I’m a co-founder and the COO of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Flowmatters?

Basically, we needed to have a strong admin portal, and a front-facing website for clients to log in.

We needed a skillset to develop a complex website for a very technical, niche service in the financial industry. Our products are really complicated with a lot of features. 

We needed Flowmatters to understand how to program those and how to explain them on the front page with a well-designed interface. We had a lot of information, so it would quickly become complex and hard to navigate. We needed them to design a good UI/UX.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Flowmatters developed our website using a CMS.  The technical requirements came from me. I gave them directions on the admin panel and other components, in terms of how we wanted to administrate it. After this, it was up to them what technology and libraries to use.

What is the team composition?

I initially worked with their CEO, who made up the budget for the first part of the website. I also worked with a project manager and the CTO. I talked with those people in the first 12–18 months. 

Then, as the project went on and became more complicated, I started talking to some of the developers directly. I talk to three of them every day, including a full-stack developer. 

I know that he specializes in backend development, but he does a lot of other things too. The second developer is more for the frontend, and I go to him for design matters (when I have to redefine something or implement a new module). The third developer focuses on upgrades and maintenance rather than new projects.

I believe they have 25–30 developers. I visited their office this year, but I’ve only talked to 2–3 of them on a daily basis. 

How did you come to work with Flowmatters?

I was looking to hire a firm with several competencies, including graphic design, programming, and a bit of consultation. We had an idea of what we wanted to achieve, but we didn’t know exactly how to achieve it.

I looked at a few Swiss companies, but the price was a big obstacle, and I didn’t like their working style (they were really rigid). I speak Romanian, so I tried several companies in that market, knowing that the price would be more attractive.

I looked at about 10 of those companies, and Flowmatters was the only one that had the resources we needed. They knew how to make a good argument, and I saw that we could take it step by step with them. They made a very competitive offer as well. 

I told them that we needed the website to be ready in six months, and they were okay with that deadline. I also told them that we wanted a long-term collaboration, given that we had a lot of modules to integrate.

How much have you invested with them?

The total cost would be between $50,000 and $200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Flowmatters in May 2015, and the collaboration is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The activity of the company has increased due to the website, but I couldn’t correlate our revenue to the website.

General feedback on the site has been great. First of all, the website is a tool for us to use in the field. We use it every day for our work. We have a CRM that we use for follow-up on all our products, and we have no backup tools. 

Then, our biggest clients use the site every day as well to follow products and investments. We have a brand-new project that we’ll be launching in two weeks to clients, and they’ve been really happy with how it’s been done so far as well.

One of our competitors set out to build a product like ours, and I know that they brought on a 20-person team to do it. The result isn’t as good as what we have. We’re definitely very happy.

How did Flowmatters perform from a project management standpoint?
 

They delivered within the deadline, and they stuck to the price we agreed on. The price went up a bit after the initial project, but the quality is great.

They’ve really evolved. I was only talking to the project manager and the CEO for the first 12–18 months, and it was only through email and Skype. Then, as we added more and more modules, they set up a Jira account for me. That way, I could answer the developers’ questions myself and follow up on sprints. They’re really good about this.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re really good in terms of project management. It’s great that they know how to talk to the client, and they do their jobs well and independently. I don’t have to tell them everything about what to do. 

They really go the extra mile to understand what we do, which is very technical. When I make a mistake on the specifications, they usually spot it before they begin development.

My experience with other providers isn’t so extensive, so I can’t compare Flowmatters to them. However, I can think of some Swiss development companies that aren’t very good in terms of constant delays and costs always going up. Flowmatters is really better compared to Swiss competitors. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

They’re our main provider, and we’re really happy. I don’t think there’s anything they could’ve improved.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

I would advise clients to trust Flowmatters and to be clear on the objectives they want to achieve. Then, they can trust the team to create the steps to reach the goal. They’ll tell the client if the time or budget expectations are too high. It’s important to be clear with them on what you want to achieve, the timeframe, and the budget.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the founder of Gambling Judge, and we are a gambling company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Flowmatters?

We needed a third-party company that could do IT development for us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Flowmatters has been responsible for the IT development of our website, in which they used WordPress. 

They took care of the new design, site performance, and visual composure among many other things. We have more than 500 Jira tickets so it would be quite hard to say exactly what they did. 

They also did another project where they custom-developed a software tool. (It’s still sitting on a WordPress presentation site.)

What is the team composition?

We have worked with around five people from their team including a couple of developers, a project manager, and their management team.

How did you come to work with Flowmatters?

I was looking for an IT company located in the same town where I am, and they came up as an option. We’ve had quite a solid connection with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

The engagement began in April 2016, and it’s still ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The fact that we have continued with them shows the success of our collaboration. 

Our business has grown, although I am not sure they are responsible for that. However, they are one of the reasons the project is in good shape.  

How did Flowmatters perform from a project management standpoint?

They have been good. We typically use Jira to communicate, and we’ve had management meetings as well.  

We have someone on our side that takes care of releasing all of the tasks into Jira. I take more of a helicopter view on how the project is going. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

It is quite hard to say. If the quality of their people would’ve been a bit higher, we would have been happier, but it would have probably resulted in a higher price as well. I think for the price they request, it is a fair deal for both sides.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Potential customers should trust them and go for it. They are a solid company, and we have known them for several years. They really shouldn’t disappoint.