Focaloid Technologies

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

We were happy with the quality of their code and the prototype met our expectations. Since it's a prototype, it's not a functional product yet. However, it achieved our objective and demonstrated it to the consumer market. The bell curve on early adopters is only just starting, so we're still waiting for the market to catch up. It might be another three years before the market is ready.

How did they perform from a project management standpoint?

They used a project management software and we also had weekly phone calls.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We didn't have any disappointments or setbacks.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We don’t have any feedback from the market, so I can't pinpoint anything specific.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be very detailed and clear about your expectations and system requirements. We did that because we had prior experience working with other software providers.

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

People who’ve seen the platform found it easy to use and intuitive. We’ve put effort into reducing the number of data-entry points and making it less error-prone and easier to go through than its pilot. It’s generally robust and functional; it meets the needs we have. We’re continuing to improve it, as we go forward.

How did Focaloid Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

Overall, the quality of work is decent. They have a good attitude and they’re willing to adapt to changing requirements. The team compensates for potential gaps in their internal processes by working harder and bearing the costs of mistakes on their end. They’re transparent, accept those situations, and move on. They focus on delivery, which is good from a customer point of view.

We’ve used Microsoft Project and email, along with weekly meetings and reporting. We don’t have any complicated frameworks for sharing the project plan. We use an agile approach and we have demos after every sprint. We see updates on the tasks that have been delivered, the ones that need to be done, and open issues and how to resolve them.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Web development is their core focus and they’re good at implementing business processes and automation via the internet. The developers are good and their management team is supportive, focusing on the actual work and not letting bureaucracy get in the way. Core web project delivery is their area of strength—taking requirements, passing them to the team, and delivering on them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They have to continue building cutting-edge technical talent. They should invest in attracting top-notch architects and DevOps, so that we can introduce a lot more automation in our processes. They should continue improving their internal processes, in order to make the delivery more efficient. They should also improve in the UI/UX area; they currently partner with design service providers, but they could get some web designers into the team.

Generally, they’re a relatively young team, so they need to continue expanding their talent and processes, but they’re heading in the right direction. They delivered what we asked them to do, so we’re continuing to work with them as we improve our offer and onboard more clients.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Make sure that you're as open as possible in communicating the initial requirements. They're good at taking those requirements and creating a prototype, but the client definitely needs to invest time into determining what they need to get done. After that, stay on top of the work and give timely feedback. Not doing this will run the risk of discovering issues too late.