Fountain City, Inc.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the founder and CEO of Proficia. We do editing and translation for academic and scientific English writing.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Fountain City, Inc.?

We needed a customized internal project management tool. We operate across multiple countries and currencies. We needed it to track documents, track work, and track payments for work. There were no existing tools that really met our needs.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Fountain City, Inc. built a customized project management tool using Redmine, a Ruby-based opensource program. We went extensively through my requirements focusing on functionality and UI. We developed user stories. They helped me to envision the solution by identifying and ranking our needs from which their developers put together a list of features with pricing. I was able to choose from that list what I wanted to build immediately versus adding later.  

What is the team composition?

We worked with about five people on this project.

How did you come to work with Fountain City, Inc.?

I had a previous vendor that was no longer available. They suggested Fountain City, Inc. I considered them as well as some other companies. I felt that they were the right size to work with the size of my company. I also knew they had a good reputation in the community.

We had worked with them on several previous projects when we established this engagement. I went to them for advice about what software was already on the market that I could use to meet our needs. We talked through a few of the options and about the possibility of Fountain City, Inc. building something from scratch.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $50,000 in total.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in August 2014, and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have the tool that we wanted, and it works as we wanted it to. We’ve had the site running for several years. It's a core part of our operations, and we've never had it go down in such a way that we couldn't continue to function. If anything happens, they fix it right away, and it has never interrupted our operation. We've been able to scale up two additional people, and it can handle it without a problem.

How did Fountain City, Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

We speak by phone a lot. They have a Redmine-based project management system that forwards messages to my email and has an app that makes it easy to follow what they’re doing and comment myself.

Project management is one of their core talents. I’m always confident they’ll take the lead to ensure that the project runs smoothly and in the manner that I expected. I don’t have to manage the project for them or tell their project manager what to do. They manage their own people. They ensure that they have backups and that people contribute for the time they put in. Regular phone conversations are well organized; they check the time throughout the call and summarize everything at the end. They provide weekly reports and check in with me every step along the way. They guide me through everything and help us anticipate things.

We’ve kept to budget, and there are no surprises. I always know in advance what I’ll spend on different options for maintenance and improvements. They provide different levels of estimates—low, medium, high—and end up with the range they quoted.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They operate at the enterprise level with the quality of their people and the professionalism of their projects. It's not like hiring just one person. You’ll get the full services that a corporation would get from hiring a big firm. At the same time, they’re small enough that you'll get attention. They won’t treat you as unimportant compared to a larger client. They really prioritize you. They’re a great option for funded startups or small- and medium-sized businesses that have a proper budget and timeline and want work done well.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There's nothing that occurs to me.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If someone just wants a brochure or a WordPress site, that wouldn't be right for Fountain City, Inc. because they look for bigger projects than that. In those cases, the client would be disappointed. But if someone has a substantial project, they’re the best that you'll find.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the business manager of TATlife, Inc. We’re an acupuncture healing company. We sell recordings and offer live webinars, workshops, and private sessions. We have students, professionals, and trainers all over the world.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Fountain City, Inc.?

We’ve never had a functioning, efficient website which impedes our goal of creating an easy-to-use online store with all of our resources in one place. We wanted to have one main site that displays our offerings and resources clearly and cohesively. Due to this need, we hired Fountain City, Inc. to create our platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We held an initial meeting in which we explained our company and project goals. From this, the project manager visualized our ideas and began the work. They developed an aThemes website so we’d have the ability to make future changes as necessary. Their developers paired the site with WooCommerce and build on WordPress. Their team handled the graphic design, colors, flow, UX, etc.

What is the team composition?  

To begin the project, Sebastian (CEO/Owner, Fountain City, Inc.) assigned Anthony (Project Manager, Fountain City, Inc.) to our project. David (Web Developer, Fountain City, Inc.) was our main developer, and there were others working with us, too.

How did you come to work with Fountain City, Inc.?

Though we looked at a few companies, we followed a referral to work with Fountain City, Inc. We had worked with several developers in the past, so we knew this team felt right. They had a strong grasp on our goals after a ten-minute conversation.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $28,000 on their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from May 2017–March 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our Google Analytics account shows we have a significant number of new users. Additionally, the length of time they spend on the site is four times longer than with our old platforms.

How did Fountain City, Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

Our project manager was amazing—we were kept updated on every stage. They were highly responsive and communicated with us via text, email, webinar-based meetings, and tickets. If we ever had emergencies, they answered quickly. Even if there were delays on our end, they were helpful and felt like a part of our team.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We valued the way they supported us throughout the project—everything was on track. We were always made aware of our budget and timelines.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There was nothing they could have done better.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I manage the IT and web development needs for Vapor Beauty. We’re a natural cosmetics manufacturer and distributor.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Fountain City, Inc.?

Our e-commerce site was operating on a very old platform, and the owners of the technology weren’t maintaining it properly. We ran into several problems and security breaches that were nearly impossible to fix. Eventually, the technology owners decided to shut down the platform and told us we had six months before we’d lose our website. We needed to find a vendor quickly and build a new e-commerce store on a new platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our engagement with Fountain City, Inc. started with a brief discovery phase where we shared our requirements for the new platform. We decided to use the Shopify platform to build a more modern e-commerce website. Fountain City, Inc. put together a very detailed action plan for the entire project, listing hours for each task and accounting for any possible challenges. We wanted a predictable budget, so this roadmap was extremely helpful. Once we finalized all of the plans, their team built out our site on Shopify and implemented some SEO strategies. After launching, they added some extra features.

What is the team composition?

I worked with Sebastian (CEO, Fountain City, Inc.), Will (Developer, Fountain City, Inc.), Joshua (Technical Project Manager, Fountain City, Inc.), and Anthony (Marketing, Founder City, Inc.).

How did you come to work with Fountain City, Inc.?

I’ve been friends with Sebastian for nearly 20 years, and we’ve worked together in the past. I was familiar with his experience and the quality of his work, so I reached out to him when I needed help. We considered a few other vendors but ultimately chose Fountain City, Inc. My boss met Sebastian and immediately trusted him.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $25,000­–$35,000 on this project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Fountain City, Inc. in early 2017 but took a small break. The project picked back up again in August 2017, and we launched the site in February 2018. Our partnership officially ended in November 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Fountain City, Inc. helped us out of an urgent situation. They delivered quality, clean, and stable code, and they follow industry best practices in each of their processes. Their services are very advanced, and they still came in under budget. I could trust their team to guide us in the right direction. As a result of their services, our revenue has significantly increased.

How did Fountain City, Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

Their team was great. If we ever ran into an obstacle, someone was always available to help. The Fountain City, Inc. team was very well organized, and they paid close attention to even the smallest details.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Fountain City, Inc. allocated their resources efficiently, which helped them stay within budget. Even though they billed us for their time, I could count on them to work as quickly as possible. Their planning and management skills are fantastic.

Are there any areas they could improve?

After we finished the core part of the project, Fountain City, Inc. billed us for some additional time that we didn’t necessarily expect. The charges were very minimal, but we would’ve liked them to communicate with us beforehand.

Any advice for potential customers?

Clients should be very clear about what they want. Having direct and detailed requirements will save time in the end, and it reduces the need for additional back-and-forth communication.

Additionally, I recommend clients use Fountain City, Inc.’s graphic design team. It’s very well integrated with the development team, and they have a very efficient inter-team workflow.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the founder and president as well as the principal consultant of Darim Online, a nonprofit organization providing strategic and communications consulting to other nonprofits.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Fountain City, Inc.?

Our website’s layout, backend technology, and content needed a major refresh. Having worked with Fountain City in the past, they were my first call when it was time to update things.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal was a total revamp. As a communications consulting operation with a strong focus on digital, we need to urgently update our look and feel. We were looking to achieve this refresh without a huge burden on our staff or our bank account while creating something that would last.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I’ve worked with Fountain City on and off for a few years. I really trust them.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Fountain City helped me finalize the website’s navigation and features, then applied our visual brand to a theme we chose together. They built the site, loaded content, tested everything, and conducted a smooth launch.

What was the team composition?

I had one main project management contact who worked with the other team members as needed.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The website works great! I'm happy and not burned out from the experience of building a website. The biggest demonstration of success is that I recommend my clients to Fountain City too! Their technical work is top notch, the project management and account management is impeccable, and they’re really nice people.

Building a website with this team is stress-free, and after the site is done, they proactively stay in touch to make sure all system updates, security patches, and other good practice maintenance are done.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

The communication was very smooth. They have a great online ticketing system and they’re also open to phone calls when a personal touch or further discussion is needed. Fountain City is also responsive and transparent with what’s happening behind the scenes. I couldn’t be more pleased with their project management, and I've had a fair amount of experience in this area.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Working with Fountain City feels like we're all on the same team. They treat clients like friends, not just as a vendor. I really appreciate the thoughtfulness that has gone into each project. Relationships matter to this team, and it makes for a pleasant and productive experience.

Are there any areas for improvement?

There’s nothing I can think of!

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Panoptic Media is a video production facility in the Cincinnati, Ohio, area. This is our 25th year. We primarily do corporate sales marketing, but we also do some training and nonprofit work.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Fountain City?

We needed help with sales and wanted a better presence on the internet. Fountain City has helped me with two iterations on our website. We had an existing website before I reached out to Fountain City. That was back in 2002 or 2003. We scrapped it and came up with a new design.

The first one was fine for several years, but with changes in technology, we needed something that was responsive and looked the same whether people viewed it on tablets, desktops, or phones. Last year, we started working on a new site just to do a better job on encouraging people to work with us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Fountain City had three people work with us: Sebastian [Creative Director, Fountain City] and two folks that he regularly used. There may have been somebody else that popped in along the way. I know he’s got a bigger team than that, but it was primarily the three, with Sebastian as the lead. The old site was on Drupal, and the new one is a WordPress theme called Avia. With the way that we developed the site, I found the WordPress template I wanted to use. Sebastian and his team did most of the backend, and then I filled in most of the content.

How did you come to work with Fountain City?

I was looking for a website designer, and the ISP [internet service provider] I used recommended a couple of resources, one of which was Fountain City. Out of the two, I felt I had more rapport with Fountain City, so I went with them. I have great faith in Sebastian and Fountain City. Our relationship has been going on for ten years now, and Fountain City has treated me well over these years.

How much have you invested with Fountain City?

I’m going to say $4,000 or $5,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The recent project started in July 2016, and we went live in November 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

There’s been a little bit of increase in traffic. The biggest improvement we’ve seen is our Google rankings going up consistently. As opposed to being between the eight and 10th position, we are now between third and fifth. We’ve also gotten good feedback from people regarding the website.

How did Fountain City perform from a project management standpoint?

Fountain City did well. There were a couple of issues with the email migration. That took maybe two weeks instead of a few days, which Sebastian had initially suggested. There was one other little thing with responsiveness on phones, where the infographic was sliding off the screen a little bit. But those were pretty minor. Both issues were cleaned up in a timely fashion.

What did you find most impressive about Fountain City?

Sebastian and I both share a little bit of trying to make the world a better place. He’s also worked on a couple of websites for a nonprofit that I’m involved with.

Fountain City has a pretty good team. They’re always trying to find out what I want to do and work from there, as opposed to telling me what I need to do or not to. Fountain City doesn't try to take over.

Are there any areas Fountain City could improve?}

No, I can’t think of any big issues.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Lead Scientist of (a/an) Publishing

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Bleeding Edge Development.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Fountain City, Inc. to accomplish?

• Develop black box components for a larger existing project
• Manage offshore teams

SOLUTION

How did you find Fountain City, Inc.?

Referral

Why did you select Fountain City, Inc. over others?

• Pricing first our budget
• Referred to me
• Other

What was the size of Fountain City, Inc.’s team?

11+

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Working with Offshore 3rd developers. developing new UX for Mobile and website. Project Management. Documentation.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

• On time
• Reasonable costs

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Very responsive.

What was your primary form of communication with Fountain City, Inc.?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Personable. They were eager to please their client.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Fountain City, Inc. could have done differently?

As Fountain City grows, dedicated account management, and more team members will make them able to fit the right people with the right client.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the IT manager for Mitchell Industrial Tire Company (MITCO). MITCO has been in business since 1953 and serves the industrial tire market both as a manufacturer and as an importer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Fountain City, Inc., and what were your goals?

Our core business functions are serviced by custom software that was originally developed in the late 1980s and continues to be enhanced to this day. Several years ago it was decided that the transition from this legacy system needs to be investigated as there are few developers available to continue supporting the legacy system. Technological advancements are also making it worrisome that procuring hardware to run the legacy system may become problematic.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

Fountain City came highly recommended from a highly respected vendor that I have done business with for many years.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

Python / Django / Rest Framework / Swaggar Proof of concepts for accessing multiple distrubted MS SQL server based databases via restful API calls. Endpoints for inventory and track information. Extensive custom user rights managment to control access to API end points with authenication via tokens Fountain City and our linux support vendor created a self hosted GitLab CI/CD DevOps platform that includes local development, deploying to a testing server, and deploying to a production server.

Both companies provided training for staff on using the system. Fountain City collaborated with staff on documenting the use of the DevOps system. Swagger for API documentation and developer support. DataDogHQ integration (still a work in progress) Documentation, training, and code examples provided by Fountain City allowed inhouse staff to implement API endpoints to support a large customer in there needs for pricing, inventory availabilty, orders and credits.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

Ive worked with the CEO, several different project managers, and several Tech Leads.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

We currently have one customer using the system as they are very pleased with the results. We hope to expand this as the need arises.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

Fountain City has been very good at providing the desired results without a lot of hand-holding by MITCO staff. They have achieved impressive results within the budgetary and time constraints place on them.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Eveyone I have come into contact from Fountain City has been very professional and measured in their responses to the challenges of this project of which there are many.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

I can't imagine them doing a better job then they have given the budgetary restaints that they are working under.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the owner of a health and nutrition coaching company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Fountain City, Inc., and what were your goals?

I hired Fountain City, Inc. to help me build a subscription based meal planning website. My goal was to have a very user-friendly platform to deliver weekly meal plans.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

This company came highly recommended by a good friend of mine.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

The development team helped customize the dashboard, customize registration process and created my downloadable for my weekly meal plan delivery.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

The project manager was my main point of contact throughout the process. There was two developers and I worked with a marketing expert from the team as well.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

The website was stunning. It was a beautiful design, very user-friendly and high quality.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

The project manager was always very attentive, very methodical. He always explained in detail over the phone what was happening and often shared ways to make improvements to the project. We used a ticket system as main communication tool.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

I was absolutely impressed with the level of professionalism and responsiveness of all the team members.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

No, I was very satisfied with the end result. Great team!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We're a startup with multiple brands and websites

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Fountain City, Inc., and what were your goals?

We worked with Fountain City to develop websites for our company and brands

SOLUTION

How did you select Fountain City, Inc., and what were the deciding factors?

We chose them for their size and since their workforce was based in the US

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

They developed websites for us in Wordpress, though some additional coding was used

How many people from the Fountain City, Inc. team worked with you, and what were their positions?

About 3 developers, 2 PMs and manager, which varied by project

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

They stayed on budget, delivered quality work and kept our websites well maintained and updated

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

They used a ticket system to keep track of the projects, in crunch times we had weekly calls for updates and they were timely with deliverables

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

The team's knowledge about options and execution was impressive.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

For small tasks, it'd be good to have had a more structured completion timeline